After spending a few hours at the store, sketching Sarah and getting to know her a little better, Jacob returned to the house to find Maxwell sitting on the top step of the porch, a stormy expression back on his face once again. He sighed, wondering what must have happened this time. It seemed like ever since they came here, his brother had been in a constant state of unhappiness.

"What's with the deep frown now? I thought we were all settling in pretty good," Jacob took a seat next to the sullen teenager, reminding himself to remain patient and understanding. He loved his brother and hated to see him so unhappy. True, there hadn't been much to be happy about these past few years, but it could be worse. They had a place to stay and they were all still together. That meant something.

Maxwell frowned and looked at his brother, knowing that most likely, he wouldn't understand. Livvie sure didn't. His sister seemed to be just as charmed by Jack Dawson as their mother was. Women were so hopeless. But, then again, Jacob wasn't a woman and he loved their father too. It didn't matter that he wasn't blood.

"Mother kissed him! She kissed him! Right on that couch, as if he was father," He went ahead and explained in a fast rush, his anger and depression deepening every time he bought the memory back into his head. "She's going to forget father and us!"

Jacob had to admit, he was shocked by this revelation. Their mother had seemed rather confused about her feelings for Jack and Jack...he obviously loved her still, but he seemed so reluctant to make a move.

"When was this?"

"A few hours ago. They were on the couch. I didn't hear what they were saying, but I think mother was crying and she was in his arms and...they kissed! Like father didn't mean anything!"

"Now, Max. You know that momma loved daddy. She had mourned him for so long. She was going to have to move on someday...and as for Jack. He's not so bad. He does love her and he's a good man I think. He's letting us stay here and he doesn't have to. He's assured me more than once that he doesn't want to take daddy's place in our lives. You should at least try to get to know him. Maybe then, you'll feel better about all of this."

Maxwell just gave a snort of derision and went back to glaring at the ground. "I don't want to get to know him."

"Don't you want her to be happy, Max?"

The teenager just shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to answer that. He didn't want his mother unhappy. He loved her. But he didn't want her happy without his father either. It just didn't feel right to him. "I want her happy with father."

"Well, he's dead. She can't be happy with him anymore. But she can be happy with Jack. We should want that for her."

"Are you happy about this? He is your real father, after all."

Jacob just shrugged and ran a hand over his blond locks. "I don't know how to feel about this. It feels wrong to be happy about it, but I do want her to be happy, no matter how I may feel. Let's not forget, I'm probably going to be starting my own family someday soon and you and Livvie will be gone as well. She'll only have Jack. We should let her have him. I'm pretty sure daddy would want her with him too if he could have a say."

"I don't know, Jacob."

"At least get to know him before making up your mind fully."

Maxwell sighed and gave a slight nod, not sure how he'll feel in the end. He just knew that right now, he didn't feel so good about anything. He didn't know if he'll ever feel good about anything again. Only time could tell that, he supposed.

…..

Jacob entered the kitchen to find Jack at the table, sketching in his portfolio. He stood there, watching the older version of himself. The years had been good to the older man, despite a few laugh lines. Jacob could definitely see himself in the man. He couldn't help but wonder what else he had inherited from Jack, other than his looks and artistic talents. Did he inherit the man's charm and the tendency to fall for girls that in any other world, he wouldn't be able to have?

"Are you coming in or are you going to keep standing there like a statue?" a smile curved Jack's lips as he addressed Jacob without looking up from his work.

"I don't mean to disturb you."

"You're not. Come in, take a seat. I'm just finishing up this sketch I started this morning."

Jacob did as he was told and sat down across from Jack, not sure what he was going to talk about. The conversation with Maxwell had stuck with him and he wanted to know what was going on exactly. Was Jack and his mother back together? Did Jack plan to marry her? Where did that leave Maxwell and Olivia? Where did that leave him?

"So, how did your visit go?" Jack decided to start the conversation. He could sense that there was something on the young man's mind, but he was going to be patient and let Jacob tell him in his own time. There was no rush, at least he didn't think so.

"Oh, it went great. Sarah was in a sad mood though. Her father is leaving the store to her brother instead of her, but I cheered her up. Took her to a near by park and sketched her picture. She seemed to cheer up after that."

"You sound very fond of the girl. Doesn't she have a suitor?" Jack glanced up from his drawing, feeling somewhat amused. He was pretty sure that he had heard about the girl in the store being engaged to one of the more wealthier young men in town. It would be funny if his son did the same thing he had done at that age. Fallen in love with a girl that by all means was already taken.

"Maybe...but that doesn't matter. She's interesting. She's nothing like the girls from New York. I just want to get to know her better," Jacob shrugged, refusing to think any further on it. "I want to be her friend and...well to know that she'll be alright."

"I understand. I had felt the same way about your mother when we had first met. She had been so miserable. I couldn't just walk away until I knew that she was going to be alright," Jack sighed, closing the portfolio, beginning to feel a little sad. Things had seemed so simple back then. A lot more simpler than they were now. Now all of that was a million years ago. The young lovers that they had been were gone now. In their place were two adults with responsibilities and doubts to hold them back.

"You do still love her," Jacob chuckled. Really, he did hope that things worked out, for his mother's sake. He didn't like thinking of her sad and alone. He knew that if things had been different, Jack and his mother would have wed. They would have been a family, a family that they could have now if they just got over themselves, especially on his mother's part. He knew that if anyone was holding back, it was her.

"I do. But, your mother has a lot to think over and responsibilities that she didn't have back when we had first met. Sometimes, you need more than love to make a relationship work."

"What do you need to make it work this time?"

"Trust. She needs to trust that I'll be here for her and her children. She also needs to know that all three of you will be alright with this. She doesn't want to do anything that will make you unhappy."

"Well, if it means anything, Livvie and I think you're swell. Max will be a harder sell. He adored our father and took his death hard. It's difficult for him to see mother with anyone else."

Jack nodded, not surprised at all by the news. He had noticed an unfriendly vibe from Rose's youngest son and it made sense. After all, he had been Maxwell's age when he had lost his father and knew that if his mother had lived to remarry, he wouldn't accept the new man in his mother's life so easily. "He thinks I'm trying to take Cal's place."

Jacob just nodded. "I know that you're not and on some level, he knows that too. But he saw you kissing on the couch earlier and it feels like mom is forgetting..."

Jack didn't know how to feel about this new development. He felt sad for the boy. He could emphasize with how he was feeling. Yes, a miserable Max would also make any romantic notions with Rose impossible, but that came secondary. He didn't want Max to be unhappy. He had nothing but good intentions towards Rose and her kids.

"What do you think I should do? I love Rose, but I have no intention of pushing her into anything and I definitely don't want to do anything to make you and your siblings unhappy. You guys have been through so much unhappiness already."

Jacob shrugged and got back to his feet, beginning to feel like maybe he was overstepping a little, yet he too wanted to help the situation. He knew that his mother could be happy with Jack. They just needed to get Maxwell on board as well before he could do something to ruin everything. Not that he would mean to, but sometimes his brother's mood could sway their mother in certain situations. "If you really want my advice, I say let him get to know you, hopefully before going any further with our mother. He needs to trust you. See you as a friend, not as a threat. He needs to see that you are not trying to take our father's place."

Jack simply nodded, understanding what Jacob was saying and agreeing. Right now, he must seem like an imposter to Maxwell Hockley. Someone pushing his way into their lives and threatening to erase their father's memory. He had to change the narrative somehow. He didn't know how, but he'll have to think of something. Somehow, he was going to make friends with Maxwell Hockley. He was going to get the boy to see that he was a friend, not a threat, one way or another.