A/N: Oh my, I can't believe it's already the 10th chapter! When the idea was born, I thought it's not going to have more than 7 but it seems to be growing quite much with new things coming to my mind all the time! I can only hope someone out there is enjoying to read it as much, as it's fun for me to write it. Thanks for your reviews and here is the next update!

Jack stood between the two woman, staring at him and sighed. He hasn't felt so uncomfortable in this place since high school, but it was completely different kind of uncomfortable feeling, even if equal in strength. His parents weren't going to scold him for having a child, he was a grown up man and they couldn't tell him anything about it, even if Emily was a complete accident. He couldn't say that she was planned, but if he knew anything it was that her mother was a woman of his dreams, who he wanted to spend his whole life with, and the fact that she was conceived after they were married was only proving it. And even though he was disappointed that his family had no idea about the changes in his personal life, he wasn't able to be angry at Sue. It should have been him, after all, to inform them about it and introduce Sue and later Emily to his family. Yet, he always thought that Sue would feel like going to Wisconsin for the sake of her child, so she would know her family from Jack's side, but obviously he was wrong.

"I think it'll be better if Jack explains everything when dad and Tim are back." suggested Caroline, breaking the silence and Elisabeth nodded. As much as she wanted to hear everything now, she knew that this way he wouldn't have to tell everything twice. "He can include the explanation for his wedding ring as well, it's not like I didn't notice it."

The redhead smiled, when her mother-in-law's eyes bulged out and moved to Jack's left hand only to see that there was indeed a gold band on his fingers. Jack only sighed, sending an apologizing look to his mother and made his way upstairs to his bedroom. A tiny smile appeared on his face when he looked around and noticed, that not a single thing was changed in there; everything was exactly the way he left it the last time, and mostly the same way it was when he was still living there as a teenager. The main difference was that the mess inside wasn't as big as it used to be then, but all the posters, cassettes, even pictures were still on their places.

He placed his bag on the floor and fell heavily onto the bed. It just couldn't reach his mind that his parents had absolutely no idea about his wife and his daughter, and he knew that it was going to hurt them very much after his explaining. He had no doubts that if they had known, they wouldn't have thought of not being present in his little girl's life. Caroline did tell him that they have always known that he was alive, and this was the reason why they didn't go to the funeral, when it was held. Yet, he knew that they wouldn't have hesitated to accept Emily – and Sue as well – into the family. If the fate prevented him from coming back, the two would be, in a way, everything they had left after him.

He took his phone out of his pocket and decided to try to call Sue once again. He wasn't very surprised that the result was exactly the same as all the previous times, but he was starting to become worried. What if she wasn't answering the phone because something happened? But if anything was indeed wrong, someone would have called to inform him, he had no doubts about it. He sighed and looked for another person on his list, and just few signals after he pressed the call button he heard his friend's familiar voice.

"Hi Sparks, what's up? Something's wrong that you decided to call me?" he rolled his eyes, but then he had to admit that Bobby had a right to ask him a question like this. It wasn't like he was calling him often, ever since he returned it was mostly Manning contacting him not the other way around.

"Did you hear from Sue today? I tried to call her but she's not answering her phone and I have an important matter to talk to her about."

"No, I didn't. I thought you'd be at her place now, as you always are..." he could hear a hint of worry in Bobby's voice and sighed.

"That's the point, I couldn't come today and won't be able to do it tomorrow. My grandfather is in the hospital and I'm in Wisconsin, I don't know when I'll be back in DC... Could you go to her tomorrow, and maybe tell her about it?"

"Sure, I will. I'll tell her to contact you, too."

"Thanks."

They didn't talk much, Jack didn't really feel like it and shortly told him that he had to go, even though it wasn't true. He kept lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling until he heard knocking and few seconds later his mother opened the door. She was carrying a plate with the dinner for him, and even though it has always been a strict policy at his home not to eat anywhere besides the kitchen unless sick and staying in bed, it looked like she decided to make an exception this time.

"Don't tell me you're not hungry. I'm not sure I want to know when was the last time you ate, and even though I believe you don't feel like eating, you should." she said before he even thought of opening his mouth and Jack could only nod in response. "Timothy called a while ago, he said that the prognosis is definitely more positive as nothing happened since the surgery... He and dad are going to be home soon, they got kicked out by the nurses."

Elisabeth left and Jack slowly started to eat the dinner. One bite was enough for him to know it was cooked by Caroline, and even though he has never been a fan of her cooking, he consumed it. Even though he didn't feel hungry, the moment he started to eat his stomach decided to show him just how much his body wanted the food. In this moment even Caroline's vapid meal – which he was sure his brother would call the best thing in the world, and it wouldn't be a lie on his side – was good.

Some time later he heard the sound of car engine and two sounds of slamming the door to the car, which told him that his father and brother were back. It was only a matter of time before his mother was going to be back, insisting for him to come down and tell him immediately how it was that he was married, had a child and they had no idea about it. Of course, he wasn't wrong and soon the sound of footsteps on the stairs came to his ears; he could practically count seconds to the moment of another, much shorter knocking.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." he said, picking up the plate, which he put on the bedside table and followed his mother out of the room.

When he went into the living room, he was sure that Elisabeth and Caroline have already broken the news as the two man were looking at him, very surprised.

"Is it true, what your mother says?" asked Charles the moment he noticed Jack walk in.

"As much as I hate the fact that I have to tell you like this, it is true." he admitted, shrugging. "I do have a wife, even though after this time away it's quite a complicated situation..."

"You got married before you went onto this mission?" interrupted Timothy, and Jack nodded.

"Yes, we did. Now I think that maybe I should have been more insistent on waiting until I'm back, but I was supposed to be away only six month, not almost three years..."

"What do you mean?" asked Elisabeth and Charles cleared his throat.

"If you're going to interrupt him every sentence, he's never going to tell us anything."

"It's okay, dad. What I mean is that it was more of Sue's idea to marry when we did... I did know I want to spend my life with her, there is no other woman for me of this I'm sure... I proposed, but I thought about getting married later, when I'm back and everyone can attend. She suggested not to wait and even though I wasn't sure it was a good idea she convinced me... I am quite sure that now she wishes she hasn't done it."

Another question was just on the tip of Elisabeth's tongue, and the fact that he made a pause was giving her a perfect opportunity to ask it, but she didn't really need to. His sigh, the sad expression in her son's eyes and his voice were telling her that this hurt him very much, that he was still very deeply in love with this Sue. She has heard the name before, she remembered Jack telling them about her during his visits and phone calls and she was very happy when he informed them that they were – finally – in a relationship. It was obvious for her that he was in love with her for a very long time, and even though she has never had the opportunity to meet her, from Jack's stories she was able to make a picture of her. She always thought she had to be a very special woman, she has never seen her son so hopelessly in love, and she was convinced that Sue wouldn't be a kind of person to easily stop loving someone. But as much as she wanted to think that the woman still loved her son, she had no way of knowing it, and maybe he was right, maybe she did regret the decision.

"Anyway, we have a child, a wonderful little girl. Her name is Emily and she's going to turn two this Thursday." the change in Jack didn't go unnoticed by anyone, they could see the hint of a smile on his lips, a pride and love in his voice, and the dreamy look on his face. They listened as he was telling them of everything he learned about the child over the time he had a chance to take care of her.

Then it dawned on him that he had pictures in his wallet. He took it out and got them, handing them two her mother's waiting hand. One of those was the very same picture of Emily as a baby, which he carried with himself for quite a long time now. Another was a photo taken during the time when he and Sue were blissfully happy, newly married couple and one of his friends was able to capture the loving look they exchanged on one of the evenings they went out all together. The last one was a picture taken by Sue, when he was reading the book to Emily. He remembered very well how she walked into the room and asked them to smile, and they both raised their eyes to look at her. He could also remember how she was later explaining to him that she thought their daughter should finally have a picture with him, and he asked her for a copy for himself.

"My goodness! It's like I'm looking at Jack as a baby, only he didn't have pink clothes!" exclaimed his mother and Jack smiled slightly. Not that he would mind if his daughter looked like Sue, but he always felt proud that she have inherited her features after him. "She's so similar to you..." she added, looking at the other photo.

"Grandpa would be so proud of her, I can hear his voice that there is another little Mayfield, even though bearing Hudson name." spoke Timothy and bit his tongue.

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed and any smile, present on anyone's face, faded. None of them had any doubts that he was wrong, but the mention of the man, who should be sitting with them instead of lying unconscious in the hospital stirred the painful thoughts in their minds. On the other hand, they were practically sure that if not for this whole accident, Jack wouldn't come to Wisconsin anytime soon and they would be living in ignorance for who knew how long.

"Why didn't this Sue of yours tell us anything? It's not like we would push her away!" inquired Charles and Jack shrugged in response.

"I guess she didn't feel comfortable with coming here, because she has never met any of you. I'm going to ask her when I'll have the opportunity, but right now I have absolutely no idea."