Jack paused by the window his hand on the frame, preparing himself to see his... son, that would take some time to get used to. Jack felt a rush of guilt as he spotted Peter leaning against the railing, his head bent making it look like he was contemplating jumping over the edge. Jack couldn't blame the kid, he still couldn't believe that this boy, this small boy with black hair was his son. Not once had the thought of Katherine getting pregnant crossed his mind, not once! Sure other thoughts had been running around in his mind at that time, but they hadn't been remotely related to children or anything of the sorts. What could he say? They had done it on a whim, a caught-in-the-moment after a fight that had led to a few other things... stupid teenage hormones! Jack couldn't even remember what they had been fighting about, probably something stupid, all he could recall was her kissing him after she had shouted something and the rest is history. Well, maybe not history quite yet, the boy on the fire escape was proof that it hadn't been lost in the past, that one night was his past, present, and future and that thought made his heart pound like a drum in his chest. What was he gonna do? He couldn't be a father, he'd never had anyone to show him, unless his drunk father qualified as one which he doubted. Heaven knows the kid already hates him, he'd been gone for his whole life! But why would Katherine have said Peter wanted to meet him? Jacks head swam with his mental struggle and he felt a little light headed. What if Katherine doesn't want him around the kid? What if- no. He stopped right there thinking was bad, he needed to stop. 'Jack!" A voice shouted in the back of his head 'Will you cut the crap and face it like a man?!?' It yelled at him. Jack rolled his shoulders and climbed out onto the fire escape feeling like he was about to explode with guilt and self doubt. Jack leaned next to Peter on the railing and gazed between the two buildings in front of them, just beyond them you could see the last sliver of the sun setting in the west.

"So... your my dad?" Peter asked in attempt to be casual. Jack scratched the back of his neck.

"Yea, I guess so." He said slowly. Peters eyes followed a couple waking down the street below them, the man and women were arm in arm and were pointing happily into shop windows.

"Where you been all my life?" Peter asked and Jack didn't miss the bitter edge to it. He winced at this and reminded himself he hadn't know he had a son until about 15 minutes ago.

"Um, in a place called Santa Fe."

"Isn't that in Arizona?"

"New Mexico actually."

"What was it like there?" Peter asked, so Jack told him. He explained how he could see the stars at night and how big the moon was, he told him the sky had been a radiant blue like the ocean, only cleaner looking. He described the rich west dirt that had been good to grow food in. He talked about how there was so much land you could gaze off into the distance and for miles there wouldn't be a single sole in sight. Peter listened intently to Jacks words, his expression was awed as Jack explained the houses made out of clay. He explained how it had been beautiful but miserable. Peter was confused by this.

"How could a place so beautiful be miserable?" He asked curiously. Jack sucked in a big breath of New York air before answering.

"Katherine, er, your mother, wasn't with me." He said simply, "I used to think I'd never miss this old place once I was away, but the truth is I never missed it so much because I new that New York was where she was." Peter nodded and propped his chin on his folded arms in front of him.

"So what about youse?" Jack asked him. Peter told Jack about his favorite things in the whole world: His mom, and drawing. "You draw?" Jack asked. Peter shrugged.

"I'm not very good but I like doing it." He said.

"Ya kiddin' me too!" Jack said and started fishing around in his pockets. Peter perked up.

"Are you serious?" He exclaimed as Jack pulled a paper from his pocket and handed it to his son. Peter gingerly unfolded it, he gasped as he saw the skillfully drawn picture of Katherine. It was perfect! Her features were exact, an curious face framed with long curly brown hair, her eyes seemed to shine off the page with a kind of liveliness. Jack had drawn the picture while he was on the train coming back, even then when he hadn't seen Katherine in nine years he could remember every part of her beautiful face like the back of his hand. In fact, he had many of her stored in odd places back in his shabby house in Santa Fe, he had drawn a lot of Katherine, but also of the boys Crutchie, Race, David, Les, we're just a few he'd sketch when he was feeling lonely or depressed. Peter marveled at the drawing.

"Wow your a lot better than me." Peter said stareing wide-eyed.

"That's all right kid, you'll be as good as me someday." Jack said nudging him playfully. Peter held up the paper in an attempt to see it better in the growing darkness, after a few more moments of admiring it he stretched his arm out to hand it back to Jack.

"Keep it." Jack said straightening his hat.

"Really?"

"Really. It's yours" Peter grinned at Jack like he had just been handed a million dollars. Peter carefully folded the paper up and slipped it into his pocket for safe keeping.

"Thank you." Peter said swiping a stray strand of hair from his forehead. Jack nodded in response and propped his elbows against the railing again. The city was now a blueish gray as the sun went down and tiny lights shined out of windows where family's sat and ate dinner. Jack wondered idly what he, Katherine, and Peter would be doing right now if he hadn't been gone for nine years. Would they be a happy little family too? Maybe. A few moments passed in silence and Jack noticed Peter taping his fingers on the railing, something he had seen Katherine do a hundred times before when she was thinking hard about something. Jack could almost sense what he was about to say next.

"Why did you go?" There it was. Jack knew it was coming.

"I didn't want to go, I-" Jack started but Peter cut him off.

"I know, I know. My grandfather made you go my mom already told me. But, why didn't you get back sooner? Why did you have to wait nine years?" Peter asked, his face showed all the emotion he had been having his whole life. Hurt, anger, and sadness just to name a few. The hurt was from Katherine, from her lying to him, the anger was at Jack for being "gone" and the sadness was that Peter couldn't change any of that. Jack could sense Peters emotions, he was pretty good at telling when people were close to breaking and Peter looked ready to shatter.

"I tried but... it ain't like train tickets that go across the country come cheep." Jack said and shuttered at the thought of his old job back in New Mexico. Every morning at the crack of dawn it was back to the rails, they would get longer, and longer every day. He prayed that thoes days were long behind him. Peter frowned deeply and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I know I just wish... I wish my life wasn't a big lie, I wish my mom would tell the truth, I wish my grandfather hadn't sent you away, I wish my head would stop spinning, I wish a lot of things." Peter said sadly, Jack stared sadly at the back of his head which was bent over the railing again as Peter watched people pass by below. Jack didn't know what to say, so he knelt next to him so there faces were level.

"Hey" He said softly, Peter looked up he was clenching his jaw presumably trying to hold back tears. "I know it's been ruff, but I can promise you that I ain't going no where." Jack said clutching Peters shoulders. Peter surged forward and for the very first time in his life, Peter hugged his real father.

AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry, long update. As always comment and tell me what you think. I own nothing.