Emilie was back upon her feet the next day. Fabrizio had brought her and Charlie's things to Jack's house and had stuck around to visit and reminiscence about the past. After he was gone, she went in search of Jack, who was down in the studio, playing his guitar. Rose had gone out to a meeting, while Charlie went to the beach. He had signed up for surfing lessons, so as of now, the siblings were alone.

Emilie stood in the doorway, at the top of the stairs listening to Jack's song. It was a melancholy tune that made her ache inside. His life had not been easy at all for him. Losing his father, being abandoned by his mother...she hoped that the bad times had ended and he had finally found what he needed with Rose.

She clapped as he finished up on the guitar. "That was great. I didn't even know you knew how to play or sing so well until the first time I heard you over the radio."

He smiled up at her and beckoned her down into the studio to join him. "Well I couldn't bear to draw for a while, so I had to find something else to let out my creative juices. Music did the trick."

"Do you draw at all anymore?"

"Some. But not as much as I used to. Here. Take a look," He got up and retrieved his portfolio from a nearby table. He handed it to her with a small shrug. "I warn you, they're not much..."

She opened the portfolio to see sketches upon sketches of Rose in different poses and positions. In some of them she was crying or looked sad. In others, she was smiling radiantly. In all of them, she was beautiful.

"She's so beautiful, Jack. Does she know that you've drawn her so much?"

"No. A lot of times, she doesn't even know I'm paying attention to her. I like catching her when she doesn't know I'm looking. She's more relaxed and at peace. She's more...Rose…"

Emilie smiled. "I like that. More Rose."

Jack just smiled and began to strum another, more generic tune. He had to admit, he was curious about his sister's life. What was it like in Chippewa Falls after he had left? Who was Charlie and how close was he and Emilie? Should he really be okay with them sharing a room? Was he sounding too much like a big brother after being MIA after all of these years?

"So, Charlie. Tell me about him," He decided on a topic, the most interesting one really. "You two seem pretty chummy."

"Well, with him being my boyfriend, I guess we are. We've been together for three years now. Father hates him. Charlie comes from a pretty well off family and Frank had gotten it in his head that Charlie and his family look down on the Collins…"

"But they don't?"

"No they don't...well they do...because of Laura moving on from your father so quickly and her lack of emotion over your disappearing from town...but it has nothing to do with how rich or poor we are."

Jack had to admit, he was glad that there was a backlash for what they had done. That the town hadn't just turned a blind eye.

"I didn't think anyone cared."

"Of course people cared. Everyone loved and respected your father. After you left, there was a big investigation and everything, because people thought that Frank had killed you, but since there was no evidence of that, they had to let it drop. Then you showed up in Hollywood. Problem solved," Emilie grinned, closing the portfolio. "Will you ever go back, Jack? To Chippewa Falls?"

"I don't see the reason to. I mean...I appreciate people being concerned and all, but...the memories there are too bad. Too much has happened. Besides, going back means seeing Laura and Frank again on their turf and I rather not."

Emilie nodded. She was sad that he would most likely never return home, but she understood the reasons. Why return to a place that held nothing but pain? Why return to a place where people like their mother and Frank had wielded so much power over him? "I understand."

"They don't know that you're here, do they?" Jack asked, finally deciding to approach the elephant in the room. He needed to know if he could expect a visit from two of the people he least wanted to see. He had to prepare himself for any kind of confrontation with the two.

"They probably do by now. I don't know if they'll show up here in LA though...maybe this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have come. What if they do show up?"

Jack took her hand, feeling bad for asking. He didn't want her to think that he didn't like her being there or didn't want to see her. He loved having her there. He just wanted to be prepared if Frank and Laura showed up. "Hey, I'm glad you came here and if they show up…I'll deal with it. No problem. I'm not that fifteen year old kid anymore."

"So...when are you two going to tie the knot. Have you set a date yet?" Emilie asked, curious.

Jack shrugged. He hadn't actually given any thought to when the wedding will take place, or where for that matter. He hadn't talked it over with Rose yet. He did know that he wanted it to be special...to have special meaning. "We haven't really discussed any of the details. We want it to be special, though."

"Of course," Emilie nodded. It should be special. He was starting a new chapter of his life. He was leaving the past far behind and looking towards the future, as he should. That's when the idea hit her. She didn't know if he'd go for it...but she liked the symbolism of it.

"April 14th. I know that's the date that...everything happened...but wouldn't it be symbolic to reclaim that day. Replace something horrific with something happy. Make it a day you won't forget for happy reasons, not sad ones?"

Jack stared at his sister, wondering if she was really serious. April 14th was a day he rather forget had ever existed. It was the day when he finally realized that his mother had betrayed him in a way that a son should never have been betrayed. What if he did make it the date for his wedding and replaced the memory with ones of him exchanging vows with Rose and making her his forever? Would it change the dynamic? He honestly didn't know.

"I don't know...I'll have to talk it over with Rose," Jack rubbed the back of his neck, not seeing Rose enter until she spoke up.

"Talk what over with Rose?" She entered, shedding the light jacket she had been wearing.

Jack blushed, embarrassed at getting caught talking about Rose with his sister. "Wedding date. When should we set it?"

Rose smiled, touched that he had been thinking of that. In all honesty, so had she. "I don't know. When do you want to set it?"

"Spring seems nice," Jack rubbed the back of his neck, feeling reluctant to choose the date that Emilie suggested. Sure, it would be nice to take back that day, but would a wedding be enough to erase all the pain and heartache of the past? He honestly didn't know the answer to that.

Seeing her brother hedge around the date, Emilie decided to just put it out there. "April 14th. That's far enough away to plan a wedding of the decade..."

Jack wanted to glare, but he kept his composure, not giving a clue that the date had any meeting. "What do you think?"

Rose's smile was bright and happy. "I think it's great. Let's do it. Let's make that our wedding date. We can even tell the press when they ask."

Jack just smiled, taking his hand in his. He didn't like the date, but if it was the 14th Rose wanted, it was the 14th he'll get her. He just hoped that his sister was right and the pain of the past would be smoothly replaced by good memories that he will never forget.

…..

Rose woke up from a restless sleep. With all of Jack's tossing and turning, it was impossible for her to get comfortable enough to fall asleep fully. He made no sounds, but it was obvious that he was in the throes of a nightmare. Having enough, she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him, hoping to wake him up.

Startled, she scooted back a little when he sat straight up, his eyes wide open, his breathing fast and uneven. It was obvious that he had just woken up from a bad dream. She again placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her green eyes warm with concern.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She offered. There was no need to ask if he was having a bad dream. It was rather obvious that he was. She just wanted to help him work through it and relax again.

Jack was silent for a few minutes, not sure if he should talk about it. It was just a bunch of memories. Memories that he had thought were too deeply buried to ever be brought up again. How wrong he had been. He looked at Rose with fearful blue eyes and saw the love, concern, and comfort in her eyes and knew that he couldn't keep anything from her. Not anymore.

"I was back in Chippewa Falls… was fifteen again and...she just walked away. Turned her back...but...the look in her eyes was what hurt the most," He forced the words out, looking down at his hands, trying to remember that he was no longer that fifteen year old boy. He was 21 years old now. He was faster, stronger, wiser. He had nothing to be afraid of.

Rose wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "I am so sorry that happened to you...but it's over now. It's in the past and I promise...it won't happen again. I won't allow it."

Jack allowed her to pull him close, touched by the fierce protectiveness in her voice. He had no doubt that Rose and her fiery spirit would give anyone hell that tried to come at him. "I'm sorry that I woke you up."

"Don't be. I'm glad that I can be here for you. You're always here to take care of me. Now it's my turn to do the same for you. It's part of being in love."

"It's been so long since I dreamed about that night...years really. I thought I was over it. I guess one can never really get over something like that," He sighed, pulling away. He couldn't help but feel ashamed of this show of weakness. He had always been the strong one in the relationship. Now that was changing it seemed and it kind of disconcerted him. Not that he minded. He was lucky to have someone to be strong for him when he couldn't be. Not many people in his position had that…had Rose.

"But you didn't let it destroy you. That is what matters. It didn't destroy you then and it won't now," she rubbed his shoulder, her voice gentle and loving. "What is it, Jack? Something brought that dream back. Something is bothering you enough to take you back to that moment. Talk to me..."

Jack sighed and leaned back against the headboard and stared up at ceiling. Rose was right. Something had been bothering him all night. He hadn't wanted to bring it up, but it was a real possibility that he couldn't ignore. "What if they show up here? They're bound to come looking for Emi...which means I'll have to see them again...see her again...and I don't want to. I don't want Laura here. All she has ever done was destroy my happiness..."

"And you think she'll do the same now?"

Jack gave her an incredulous look. "Of course. Why wouldn't she? She made good and sure to when I was just a kid."

"That's right Jack. You were a kid. You are not a kid anymore. You are an adult. Remember how you helped me when I turned eighteen? Remember how you showed me that my mother had no control over me once I came of age? It's the same for you. She has no control over your happiness anymore. She has no power to hurt you like she had. She gave that up.

"Not to mention that you are not alone. You have Molly, the guys...and most importantly, you have me. We'll face her and her husband together. Just like we've faced everything else."

Jack smiled, touched by her words. "I love you."

"I love you too," She smiled giving him a reassuring kiss. She smiles as she pulled away. "Can you get to sleep now?"

"I think I can…

"Good. Dream of me...dream of taking me to the stars," Rose breathlessly whispered in his ear.

Jack smiled, gently touching the soft skin of her cheek. There was no denying the passion he felt for her and the desire that flared up into her eyes as she stared into his. "I can do better than that...how about an actual trip to the stars instead of just a dream?"

"I have no objections."

Losing our himself in the arms of his fiancee, the past ceased to matter to Jack. As long as he had the love of this amazing woman, nothing could threaten the happiness that he now enjoyed. Not even the threat of a visit from the woman who had given him life, just to turn her back on him.

…..

Two Weeks Later…

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Laura Collins was not happy. She hasn't been happy in days. Her eldest daughter had taken off with her boyfriend to California and ever since, her husband Frank had been on a rampage. There was not a moment that went by that he didn't talk about wanting to go to California and drag her back. The only reason that they hadn't gone yet was because of her son Jack. She wanted to avoid seeing him again. She'll never forget the look of betrayal on his face when she had turned her back and she didn't want to see it again. So she had managed to put off going after Emilie. She had told her husband to wait. Let Emilie enjoy a few final days with Charlie before they went after her. To her surprise, Frank had agreed.

Now it's been two weeks, and Frank's impatience had reached it's peak. She knew that there was no putting it off any longer. Especially when Frank came barreling through the door, plane tickets clenched in his hands. He tossed them on the table and glared at her, daring her to disagree.

"Pack your things. We're going to go retrieve our daughter," Frank ordered.

"Now?"

"Now. I am not putting it off any longer. She's had her fun. Now it's time to come back home where she belongs," was Frank's gruff answer.

"What about the boys?"

"They can stay with my brother. Pack your things. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon."