Disclaimer: I don't own Animal Kingdom.

J can't help but flinch when the needle pierces his skin.

"Not a fan of needles, huh?" The lab tech whose name tag says "Sally" asks.

He shakes his head. He grew accustomed to the sight of a needle at a young age. It was a staple of his childhood. But seeing it in his own arm instead of his mother's is different. "Not really."

"Don't worry," Sally says with a smile as the bright red blood fills the tube. "I've been doing this for years. You'll be done in no time."

As much as he hates needles, he'll gladly do it if it'll help Lena get better. She's been home sick all week with a fever. Her cell counts are down. There's talk about maybe admitting her to the hospital for a blood transfusion if she doesn't start to feel better soon. It's beginning to look all the more likely that she's going to need a bone marrow transplant sooner rather than later. He hopes he can help her.

He knows how much it sucks when there are people who could help but choose not to. And he won't be like that. No one helped him out when he was a kid. Definitely none of his uncles or his grandmother. It was like he and his mother didn't exist all those years before his mother died. And even now, no one really talks about his mom except for Pope on a rare occasion.

True to her word, J soon feels the needle being removed from his inner elbow. The lab tech places a piece of cotton and tape where the needle just was. "All set, sweetie."

She looks at the lab orders in the chart. "Standard DNA test too?"

J nods. At this point he really doesn't care if he is in fact Baz' son. Like the older man says, it'll change nothing. What's done is done, but Smurf is pretty adamant about getting the DNA test. J doesn't know why. But knowing her, there's a reason. There always is with her.

"Open," the lab tech says holding up the cotton swab.

XXXXX

The sight of Baz sitting in a chair and nursing a glass of tequila greets Pope as he walks up the stairs to his brother's place.

"Hey Pope! You joining the celebration?" Baz asks giving his brother a drunken smile. "I already got you a glass." Baz says pouring a glass.

"And what are we celebrating?" Pope asks taking the glass.

"It's a boy!" Baz says leaning back in his chair.

Pope nods. "I know. Smurf told me."

"She did, huh?"

Pope rolls his eyes. "It's not like it was a surprise. We all kinda suspected it. She also said he was a perfect match for Lena."

Baz nods as he gulps down more rum.

"I don't get what your problem is," Pope says shaking his head. "It's not like you have to worry about changing diapers and teaching him how to ties his shoes."

Baz shakes his head. "You don't get it."

"You're right, I don't. Explain it to me," Pope says taking a sip of his drink.

"I…" Baz starts but he can't seem to find the words he's looking for. "I don't know how to."

They lapse into silence for a few moments, before Pope breaks it. "I think I know why you're so pissed off."

"You do, huh? Then enlighten me." Baz replies with a sarcastic laugh.

"I know you're pissed off. But not because J's your son. It's because you're pissed off at yourself."

"At myself?" Baz says with a laugh. "Why would I be pissed off at myself?"

Pope takes another sip of his drink before he continues. "You must've suspected J was your kid when he was younger and you let Julia leave with him," Pope explains. "You stood there and let Smurf kick her out without saying anything. You knew how bad she was. The drugs. She couldn't take care of herself, let alone a kid. You did nothing all those years when they were barely scraping by, Living off welfare and whatever scraps Smurf felt like giving her. You saw what he was wearing when he first got to Smurf's. Probably shopped at Goodwill. The mac and cheese he makes, he can make it on a $5.00 budget. Julia is dead and J saw her at her worst because you were too much of a pussy to stand up to Smurf."

"Fuck you," Baz hisses. "You didn't do shit either. She was your twin sister and you said nothing when Smurf kicked her out. I didn't see you go running after her to see if she was okay."

"You're right," Pope agrees. He looks out to the water. "And I have to live with that every day. She was my sister and I turned my back on her."

They fall into silence again as they try and get a hold of their emotions.

"You know I ran into about a year after Smurf kicked her out?" Pope says.

"You did?" Baz asks. "Where?"

Pope nods. "Down at the Strand. I almost didn't recognize her. She looked like shit. Like she hadn't eaten in days. I asked if she needed something. Tried giving her the $50 I had on me. She spit in my face and called me a pussy. Told me to go back to Smurf. That she didn't need shit from me." He turns back to Baz. "We both fucked up with Julia. But we can't do anything about that now. But J is here now."

Baz nods. "I just don't know what he expects from me. Hell knows I had a shitty father when I was a kid. I don't have a clue of what I'm doing with Lena more days than not."

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think J expects much." Pope says.

"No?" Baz. "I don't know if I should be relieved or insulted."

"Yeah. I mean, he's gone all these years without a father. He's pretty independent. Maybe don't be such a dick to him?"

Baz nods. "I can try."

"I know that it might be hard for you since being a dick is your second nature," Pope says with a smile.

"Shut up," Baz says. "That's from being around you too long."

Pope laughs and takes another sip of his drink.

"Daddy!" a panicking voice calls out from the house. "Daddy, where are you?"

Alarmed, Baz and Pope look at each other before they rush into the house to see Lena standing in the hallway.

"Daddy!" Lena cries out. Her hands are in front of her face.

"Lena?" Baz asks rushing to her but stops when he sees the bright red blood running through her tiny hands.

"Shit!" Pope curses.

XXXXX

J is sitting on the beach, bottle of Jager at his side. He's more of a beer guy, but jager was the first thing he grabbed when he left the house. His phone rings, it's Smurf. Fuck it. He's not in the mood for her shit. He ignores the call and turns off his phone.

"You used to come here with your mom."

Damien. Just fucking great. Like today hasn't been enough of an emotional wrecking ball. Finally finding out that Baz is in fact his father. He knows enough that life isn't a fairy tale. That just because he know who his father is, doesn't mean his life isn't going to miraculously change for the better. Baz made sure he knew dad. So this is a perfect way to end the day. End it on a high note with an appearance made by Damien. He picks up the bottle and chokes down a large sip.

Damien lets out a whistle. "Jager? This isn't your normal drink. You hate hard alcohol. You puked that time you accidentally drank your mom's oj and vodka."

J takes another sip. He hates how well Damien knows him.

"Rough night? I figured I'll find you here." Damien says, sitting down next to J. " I was supposed to hang out with Craig and Deran tonight. But they cancelled on me. Something at your grandmother's house. Something do with the kid. I knew the kid was sick. I didn't know she was that sick. She got cancer or something?"

"Or something," J mutters.

He knew something was going on at the house. Pope was already there and Craig and Deran just arrived when he was on his way out. Some kind of family meeting that he didn't need to be a part of. He gathered as much since Smurf didn't ask him to stay.

"Man that sucks," Damien says. "She gonna get better?"

"Maybe. Don't know."

"It can be treated though right? She can get a bone biopsy or something?"

"Bone marrow transplant," J corrects taking another drink from the bottle. "She's probably going to have to."

"That's it! A bone marrow transplant." Damien says snapping his fingers. "But don't you have to be like a sibling to do that."

J looks down. "I'm a match."

"Oh shit. You are? So Baz is your dad," Damien says. "Not really surprised. Your mom told me he was."

J takes another drink from the bottle.

"Since you're here with a bottle of Jager, I guess he didn't take the news well. Are you surprised? He didn't want anything to do with you when you were a kid. You think he'll want anything to do with you now? Where was he when your mother shot the month's rent up her arm and you ate cold Chef Boyardee out of a can for a week straight? He wasn't there because he doesn't give a shit about you. He still doesn't give a shit about you now. All you're good for is to get his other kid better."

J takes another long drink from the bottle. He knows better. Knows that this is all part of Damien's mo. To make him feel like no one gives a shit about him. He did that with his mom. When he would spend afternoons after school with him because according to Damien, J's mom had better things to do than be a mother to him. J was just a kid but he still believed him. Now he knows that Damien was probably lying to him back then. But he knows that Damien isn't lying now. Baz didn't and still doesn't give a shit about him. He was so willing to let Lena get sicker because he didn't want to ask J to get tested to see if he was a match. That simply asking would be an acknowledgment that J could possibly his son.

"You know I'm right," Damien says as he moves closer to J. "And you also know that he won't believe you if you tell him or the rest of your family what happens between the two of us. They know you're lying."

J doesn't know who he hates more. Damien for saying the shit he saying. Or himself for believing that Damien is right. He takes another long swig from the bottle. Fuck it.

XXXXX

"This is fucking ridiculous," Deran says from the truck. "Smurf making us do her bitch work. Watching the kid. He's sixteen. He doesn't need a damn baby-sitter."

"You heard her. She doesn't want anything to happen to him since he's a match for Lena. You saw the kid earlier. He looks like shit," Craig replies.

Deran lights a joint. "She's probably afraid he's gonna do something stupid. Julia was his mom. Not exactly stable, probably afraid he's gonna take a page out of her book."

"Speaking of Julia. Her and Baz?"

Deran rolls his eyes and hands his brother the joint. "You surprised?"

Craig shakes his head, taking a drag before handing it back to his brother. "Not really. I'm more surprised Smurf is doing all this for Lena. She doesn't like women."

"Yeah that's because Lena is four. She still calls her the baby," Deran says taking a drag. "Hey wait, who's that."

"Who?" Craig says.

"There," Deran says pointing to the figure walking up to J.

Craig looks to where his brother is pointing. "I see him, but I can't make out who it is. He just sat down next to him. J must know him. You think the kid's gay? Maybe that's why he's always sneaking around? Do you think we should walk down and get a closer look?"

Deran shakes his head . "Nah man. I'm not outing anyone. If the kid is gay, that's his business."

"Smurf said we should keep an eye on him," Craig says shaking his head.

"Fuck Smurf. I'm not outing the kid," He points towards the beach. "The kid is fine. I say we give him some privacy and get some beers."

Craig looks back towards the beach. "Fuck it, you're right. Let's go."

Deran starts up the truck and they head to the bar.