Chapter 3: A Long Journey Ahead

April 16, 1912- The Journey to Chippewa Falls Pt 1

Jack and Rose left their hotel room and made their way to the lobby. Ruth and Molly were already there waiting for them.

"Well, it looks like the two love birds woke up." Molly said with a laugh as she walked over to them to wish them a good morning. Ruth looks at her daughter with a weird look.

"Rose, why are you still wearing Cal's jacket?" Ruth asked curiously.

"I don't know. Well, now it's the only jacket I do have. All of my other ones are somewhere at the bottom of the Atlantic." Rose replied as she put her hands into the jacket pocket. Her eyes widened as she felt around in the pockets.

"What is it Rose." Jack and Ruth both asked in unison. Rose just looks at them in silence as she holds up the heart of the ocean.

"Oh my god..." Molly gasped. Just then Rose pulls a lot of money out of the other pocket.

"Well, I guess we have enough money to get to Chippewa Falls." Rose said happily.

"Nonsense...You will not pay a dime, because I will cover everything." Molly said sternly.

"But Molly...No...No...We couldn't do that to you." Ruth said with a frown. Molly just shakes her head at them.

"You guys are my friends, and I love helping those in need, so I'm not taking no for an answer." Molly said with a smile. None of them bothered to argue with her any further and agreed.

"Thank you so much." Jack said. They finally made their way out of the hotel after eating a nice breakfast. It was a long walk to the train station. Rose was beginning to get lightheaded from the all of the walking, but she shrugged it off and kept going.

"Molly, are we getting any closer to the train station?" Ruth asked. Molly looked up at Ruth and nodded.

"Yeah just seven or eight more blocks left to go." Molly replied with a wry smile knowing that's not what they wanted to hear. "Hey look on the bright side, at least we are further than what we were an hour ago. The chances of Hockley finding us are getting slimmer and slimmer." Molly said with a smile hoping to cheer everyone up. The four of them continued walking. About an hour later they passed a sign saying that the train station was in two blocks.

"It looks like we are almost there." Rose said cheerfully as she swung Jacks hand with hers as they were walking. Jack loved the fact that they were holding hands. He didn't think that they would still be together after the ship sunk. After what seemed like hours, they finally made it to the train station. Jack then walks up to the booth to get the tickets.

"How may I help you sir?" The lady behind the desk asked.

"Four tickets to Wisconsin please." Jack replied.

"Here you go sir, the train leaves in five minutes. You might want to hurry." The lady said. Jack then runs back over to where Rose, Ruth, and Molly were standing.

"Come on the next train leaves in five minutes!" Jack said as he pulled Rose with him, and motioned for the others to come with them. As they were running to the train Molly caught a glimpse of Cal's henchmen, Lovejoy. Molly tries to get Jack's attention without the other two knowing. Molly pulls Jack closer to her and whispers in her ear.

"Umm...Jack I don't mean to start anything, but I just caught a glimpse of Lovejoy. Something must be up. Let's hurry." Molly said in a serious tone.

"Molly, you can't be serious!" Jack said starting to become really worried. "Did he see you when you looked at him?" Jack asked.

"No, he did not he was looking in a different direction." Molly replied. Jack sighed with relief.

"Cal probably sent him to come look for us." Jack said with a frown. Their train was finally in sight.

"Let's go before he sees us." Jack said as he pulled Rose with him as they ran up to the train. They all boarded the train.

"Phew...that was a close one." Molly said with a sigh. Jack then asks the driver when the train is supposed to leave.

"Excuse me sir, when is this train going to leave for Chippewa Falls?" Jack asked.

"In exactly two minutes." The driver replied. "We're actually ahead of the scheduled time. If we leave ahead of time I get off of work early." The driver said cheerfully.

"I can't wait to get back home." Jack said happily as he walked back towards Rose.

"Everyone hold on tight, this train's about to pull out." The driver said with a smile.

As the train was moving Rose caught a glimpse of Lovejoy. She was frightened when she saw him walking in the direction of the train. She then let Jack know that she saw Lovejoy.

"Jack we have to hide, I just saw Lovejoy and it looked like he was coming this way." Rose said starting to panic.

"Don't worry, he won't be able to get us now, the train is already in motion." Jack said with a smile trying to calm her down.

"He's going to have to deal with me before he even has a chance to get close to you sweetheart." Ruth said reassuring her daughter that she was safe.

"I won't let him get you either." Molly said.

"In other words you are not going anywhere. You have all of us protecting you." Jack said as he pulled her into a hug. "You might want to get some rest while you can, we have a long ride ahead of us." Jack said.

"He's right you know." Ruth said agreeing with Jack. Rose then leaned against Jack and tried to get some sleep. Jack massaging her back and shoulders also helped. Rose then drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Ruth couldn't help but to smile at the young man.

"You know you are the best thing that has ever happened to her." Ruth said with a smile. "You saved her life. She would have had a miserable life if she would have stayed with Cal." Ruth said. "I'm such a horrible mother for arranging such a horrible marriage." Ruth said as she began to cry.

"No, you had to do what you thought was best for your family. Didn't you say that your family was in debt and owed the Hockley's a lot of money?" Jack asked.

"Yes, my husband did not care to tell me that we were in debt. I didn't find that out until the day he died. That's why we were leaving England to go back to America." Ruth said.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Jack said.

"Poor Rose, she took her father's death really hard. She got along with him much better than she does with me. I don't think she loves me as much as she loves him." Ruth said with a frown.

"She does love you." Jack said. "While we were on the Carpathia she was willing to risk being seen by Cal to warn you that he was after you and her." Jack said with a smile.

"She did?" Ruth replied. Jack replied with a nod.

"Mrs. Dewitt Bukater, may I ask you something very important?" Jack asked.

"Yes, Jack you can ask me anything, and please just call me Ruth." Ruth replied wondering what Jack was about to ask her.

"I was wondering, would it be okay with you if I asked Rose to be my wife?" Jack asked.

"Well of course you can." Ruth said excitedly. "She would be so happy with a man like you, and I'm sure she would approve of that question too." Ruth said with as smile. Neither of them noticed that Rose started to stir.

"Shhh...You don't want to wake her." Jack whispered with a laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was getting to loud." Ruth replied. "I think we should all take Rose's advice and get some sleep, it's getting late." Ruth said with a yawn. Jack looked over noticed that Molly was already asleep as well. "Good night Jack." Ruth said as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep like the others.

"Good Night." Jack replied.

Jack just sat there wide awake for a few more minutes. He then leaned against Rose who was already asleep and probably dreaming.

"Good night Rose, sweet dreams." Jack said as he kissed her gently on the cheek making sure he did not wake her. As Jack was drifting off into sleep he swore he heard Rose say "I love you Jack" in her sleep. Jack mumbled "I love you too Rose" as he fell asleep.