Author's note: Okay, so the ending of 'Family Man' isn't terrible, but no one can convince me it's happy. They're both work obsessed yuppies now, the kids might not come at all, and the whole earlier seperation will put an entirely different spin on the relationship. He was perfectly willing to give up his company for his family, by the end. He should be allowed to.

Disclaimer: Nope, none of them are mine.

Beginnings

by Gatekeeper

The first thought that entered Jack Campbell's sleep- deprived brain that mroning was that he couldn't open his eyes. If he did, he would be back in that lonely New York high-rise, and they would be gone, all gone - Kate, Annie, Josh - just a glimpse of what he'd been too foolish to have.

Maybe if he never opened his eyes. Maybe if he got up and walked around and continued his day as he knew it should go, taking the kids to school and daycare and going to Big Ed's, it would all still be there. He could never see any of it again, but that would be a small price to pay ...

Suddenly, Jack realized he was sitting up.

A soft hand touched his cheek. "Honey, were you in that chair all night? You must not have gotten any sleep at all. Why didn't you come to bed?"

It was Kate. Though he had only heard her voice a few weeks ago for the first time in 13 years, he would have known it anywhere. His wife's voice. It couldn't be possible.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, still not quite daring to believe. But there she was, as beautiful and perfet as she had been the night before, despite the hint of concern on her face. Or maybe because of it, since it was for him. "Kate?" he whispered, his voice choked by emotion.

Smiling, she touched his cheek. "Yeah honey, it's me. You don't look like you feel well." She pressed a palm to his forehead. "No fever at least, but tell you what? How about I take the kids today, and you get some rest before going to work."

Still grinning like an idiot, Jack pulled his wife to him and kissed her until all thoughts of work and daycare were forgotten by both of them. "I feel fine," he murmured to her when they both had to take a breath. "Now."

Hours later, Jack was scraping the snow off the minivan before heading to work.

He sensed him before he saw him, really. That didn't make his fear any less as he stopped scraping and turned to face the young black man standing on the driveway beside him.

"Don't tell me you just put it off," he whispered forcefully, desperately. "Please tell me you didn't just put it off."

The young man shook his head. "We don't play games like that, Jack. You're here for good."

Relief filled him, but he still had to know. "Why?"

The young man smiled. "All this would have been a little much for an object lesson, don't you think? I mean, even Clarence only gave his guy one night."

Jack's expression told him he wasn't answering the question, so he relented. "It all comes down to choices, Jack. In this life, you chose to come back from London. Here and now, you chose to give up the job that had been your entire world to keep your wife and children happy. You choose to want to stay, knowing all that you're giving up - it would defeat the entire purpose to send you back. Even if you found Kate again there, it would never really be the same. She likes her money and power as much as you did."

Jack realized he could breathe again. "Who's going to get the other life?"

The young man shrugged. "Someone who needs it, I suppose."

This didn't bother jack in the slightest. "Fine by me." He got in the minivan, then leaned out the window before the young man disappeared into the cobalt blue Porsche he was currently driving. "Any way you could improve my bowling game?"

The other man laughed. "I could buy you a book." He turned to leave. "Good luck, Jack."

Now it was Jack's turn to smile. "I already have it." Then both men were gone, one to find a good deed to reward and the other to find someone who needed some tires.

Both were quite pleased with themselves.