Rose had fallen asleep about an hour ago, safely held in her husband's arms. Jack on the other hand was wide awake. He couldn't help it. His mind was still wrestling with the fact that his own Uncle, a man that he had once loved and respected, had tried to murder his wife and children and was still out there.

A slight knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. He looked over to see Micheal Calvert standing in the doorway, looking concerned.

"You're still here?" Jack asked, shocked. He hadn't expected him to stay this long. He was sure that he would have gone back to his place with Alice by now.

"Of course. I'm not leaving until I know that you guys are alright. I checked on Jake. He's asleep for the night..."

"So is Rose," Jack sighed running a hand over her soft curls. "I can't sleep though. My mind won't stop working. I have never been this angry before..."

Micheal nodded, not surprised. If it had been him, he'd be too busy plotting revenge to get any sleep at all. "I figured. You have a lot to think about. As for the anger, that's normal too. Your family had just been attacked."

Jack sighed. He couldn't help blaming himself. Why had he let Carl stay? What had he hoped to accomplish? Why had he been so eager to give that man another chance? He knew the answer once, but now, he couldn't think of such a reason. There was not a good enough reason to risk his family like that.

"You know...staying here brooding while Rose is sound asleep is not going to help anything. It'll just make you more tense," Micheal stepped out of the doorway and entered the room. Alice would probably kill him if she knew what he was about to suggest, but it was better than just letting Jack sit here and brood over a situation that couldn't be help. It'll at least get his mind off of things for a bit.

Jack frowned. "What do you suggest?"

"There's a pub across town. Nothing high end. Just a bar to get a few drinks and take your mind off of this for a while. I know what you're about to say, but brooding and obsessing is not going to help Rose. It'll just make her worry about you and cause her more stress and I know that you don't want to do that."

Jack looked at Rose, who was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the world around her, and then back at Micheal, his concerned friend who was trying to help him in this stressful situation. He was right. Sitting here brooding wasn't helping...but he didn't want to leave Rose's side. If he had his way, he'd never leave her side again. But then again...his stress would only cause her stress. If he could get rid of it before she woke up...that would be ideal.

"What if she wakes up?" Jack asked, his worries still clinging on to his mind.

"I doubt that she will. She is in deep, which means she's probably healing from the smoke inhalation and needs her rest and she can get that here...where she's safe. Nurses and doctors are here in case she should wake up and need anything. She'll be fine, Jack. Come on. A drink or two won't hurt a thing and I'll bring you straight back here."

Micheal had a point. Rose was safe here. She can rest in peace until he returned. Besides, he could use a few strong shots to calm his own nerves and possibly get rid of this anger that's swirling around in him. He kissed Rose's cheek and got up, his mind made up.

"Alright. Lead the way..."

…..

Jack coughed as they entered the bar. The smoke inside was thick and he could barely see the tables and bar stools. He had been in places like this before, during his travels, but not since he had married Rose. It brought back memories of his adventures with Fabrizio by his side, which now seemed like a million years ago. He had to chuckle. It was funny think about, because now Fabri and himself were married men with families to take care of. They no longer frequented places like this.

"I don't come here often," Micheal explained, feeling the need to do so. "But I find it's a good stress reliever when life becomes too much. Everyone minds their own business and leaves each other be."

"It reminds me of places that I used to frequent before Rose," Jack chuckled. "Wow, all of that seems to be another life now."

Micheal just chuckled and lead the way to the bar, where he and Jack both hopped onto a bar stool.

"I wish that I had my portfolio. I could draw a thing or two," Jack looked around the place, eying the patrons. At one table were a group of factory workers, playing poker. At another was two men sitting together, talking. At the bar, at the end looked to be a prostitute that was eying both him and Micheal as prospective customers.

"What can I do you two for?" The bartender came up, wiping a glass with a white rag.

"Two beers please," Micheal ordered. "We don't want anything too strong."

Jack sighed, beginning to feel restless again. He ignored the jingle of the bell as someone came in "Maybe this was a mistake...what if he tries to get to Rose or Jake? I won't be there to protect them...just like with the fire..."

"I don't think that will be a problem, since he's nowhere near the hospital," Micheal stared at the newcomer who had just walked through the door.

Jack frowned, beginning to feel a little annoyed. "And how do you know that? He can be anywhere..."

"Because he had just walked through the door..."

Jack turned around and saw Carl walk in with a hat over his head and wearing dark sunglasses, trying to be incognito. Jack saw red. He didn't even feel himself leave his seat, walk up to Carl and send his fist smashing into the older man's face, knocking him to the ground. It was like he had blacked out, because, the next thing he knew, Micheal and the bartender was pulling him away from his Uncle who was laying on the floor nearly unconscious. Someone was screaming with rage. It was only a second for Jack to realize that someone was him.

"Call the police," Micheal turned to an onlooker. "The man on the floor is wanted for arson and attempted murder!"

"What of this one," The bartender nodded at Jack, who was struggling to be let loose on Carl once again.

Micheal shook his head, keeping a tight grip on Jack. "It was his wife and son the bastard almost murdered. It was his home the man burned down. Just do me a favor and keep a hold on him until the cops come."

The bartender didn't need to be told twice. By time the police did arrive, Jack was nearly calm again. Micheal had gotten him to take a seat at the nearby table, where Jack sat and glared hatefully at his Uncle, who was now seated a few tables away, guarded by the factory workers.

"The girl gave me no choice," Carl grumbled, wincing in pain. Jack had succeeded in knocking out some teeth and leaving some bruises that will be sure to last for days. Carl's left eye was already swelling shut while the right side of his face was good and swollen. "I gave her chance upon chance to leave. She refused so I had to take desperate action."

Micheal grabbed hold of Jack again as he tried to get up and go after the older Dawson once again. "You nearly killed her and my children! You burned down our home! You fucking monster! Be glad that these men are holding me back because if they weren't, I'd be rid of you once and for all you fucking coward!"

"I'm your blood Jack. Your family. You can't hate me as much as you think. You may be choosing her over family now, but someday..."

"You are no family of mine! Rose and our children are my family. You are just the man that tried to take my family away from me."

Carl stared at Jack, unable to believe that he was disowned, just like that. He was the boy's favorite Uncle after all. When Jack looked back, it was him he'd remember taking him fishing and camping. There had been a bond there that Carl had once thought was unbreakable.

"You don't mean that. You can't possibly choose that girl over me, your own blood."

"I do and I have. She is my family. You are nothing and if I ever see you again outside of a jail cell, I will kill you. If I catch you anywhere near my family, I will make you wish that you had stayed far away. Do I make myself clear? I don't love you, I don't like or respect you. I hate you. I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone, so you better stay out of my way for now on," Jack threatened, just as the detective arrived.

"Who called the police?" The detective asked, noticing the glaring Jack and the bruised Carl.

"You were looking for Carl Dawson, there he is. Lock him up somewhere nice and dark and throw away the key," Jack pointed at the man he had once called Uncle. He couldn't believe that this man and the man that taught him how to properly fish was the same person. It killed him that this was what he had turned into. A would be murderer who tried to take everything Jack had ever loved in this life away.

The detective winced when he saw the condition of Carl's face and noticed Jack's bruised hands. "You hit a wall there, son? You should be more careful," the detective winked, knowing perfectly well that it wasn't a wall that the young man had hit. Seeing the pretty wife and adorable boy that had been in danger, the detective didn't blame him.

"Yes sir," was Jack's only answer, calming down now that Carl was being arrested. He still wanted to beat the life out of him, but he had better control of his rage now and knowing that Carl was going to be off the streets and that Rose will finally fully be safe from him, made him feel better. He watched as Carl was read his rights and cuffed. He turned a deaf ear as Carl once again tried to plead with him, saying that this was all Rose's fault. That she wasn't right for Jack or the Dawson family.

When it was quiet, at last, Jack collapsed back into the chair and covered his face with his bruised hands. What a long day. He just wanted to go somewhere and go to sleep.

Micheal stood before him, also feeling the length of the day. "So what now?"

"I need to be with Rose. Let her know what happened," Jack got to his feet, ready to move on with his life now that Carl had finally heard what Jack felt for him.

…..

Rose was awake when Jack returned. She was sitting up in bed, eating what looked like pudding.

"That looks good," Jack entered, his hands stuffed in his pants pockets so she wouldn't see the bruises.

"It's vanilla pudding. Very good for smoke inhalation. At least that's what the nurses claimed," Rose shrugged, stuffing another spoonful into her mouth. "It's surprisingly good for hospital food. You want some?"

Jack just smiled and shook his head, continuing to watch her. Why anyone would want to harm someone so beautiful was beyond him and why Carl refused to see and accept how he felt about her...the fact that he tried to take her away….it filled him with a deep anger. It was even deeper than the anger he had held against Hockley back on and after Titanic. He sighed and went over to sit with her.

"I'm glad that you're eating something," He smiled.

Rose frowned. "You smell like a bar."

Jack couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Rose to use her senses to tell where he's been. "Micheal thought that I needed to let go of some of the stress.

"Did it work?" Rose frowned, not sure if she liked the thought of Jack going to a bar. So many bad things happen in those places.

"Oh yeah. It helped a lot. I was really able to let my anger and stress out," he had to smile. He had let it out alright. It was too bad that he was stopped from doing more...but then again, doing more would have been something that would take him away from his family and Carl was not worth that. In the end, he was glad that Micheal and the others had stopped him.

"Good. I'm glad," Rose yawned feeling tired once again. She placed the now empty container on the bedside table and slid down into the bed. "Can you come join me? I just want to feel you nearby..."

"Sure," Jack smiled, sliding off his shoes as Rose turned on her side. She sighed in contentment when she felt him lay next to her, spooning her with his body as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."

"I love you too," She smiled, linking her fingers with his. She raised his hand to kiss it when she noticed the bruises that he had tried to hide from her. She frowned, examining his knuckles closely. "Have you been in a fight?"

Jack winced, cursing himself. He hadn't wanted her know about his confrontation with Carl just yet. For once, he had taken care of things and he was not sorry for it. Not one bit. "No. My fist just ran into face a few times..."

"Who was it?" It had to be someone bad, because Jack just wasn't one to go out and get into bar fights.

"Does it matter?"

"No. But I'd like to know whose face bruised your beautiful hands like this."

"Don't worry about it," He kissed her earlobe, not wanting to pollute her mind with the name of his hateful former Uncle. The man didn't deserve the honor.

Rose sighed, unhappy. She didn't like it when Jack kept secrets from her. It never bode well. Upset, she wiggled out of his arms and turned around on her back to frown up at the ceiling.

"Come on, Rose. Don't be like that," Jack frowned.

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Jack," Rose angrily crossed her arms. She felt like she was being a brat, but she couldn't help it. She had never once kept a secret from Jack...she didn't like that he was keeping one now. "You do know that Micheal will probably tell Alice anyway."

Jack's frown deepened. He hadn't thought of that. One thing he did know for sure was that Alice never kept anything from Rose. Those two girls told each other everything! He sighed and sat up, relenting. "Alright. Fine. We were at the bar when Carl came in. I don't remember much...I just remember them pulling me off of him."

Rose's expression softened. "Jack..."

"I know, I probably shouldn't have done it. I wasn't planning to. I just saw red and lost myself in all that rage...he could have killed you Rose. Then he had the nerve to try to blame you for what he did. Said that you gave him no choice. That he had given you chances to leave but you refused. That you pushed him to it. If Micheal and the others weren't there, I swear I would have killed him…."

"He didn't try to have you arrested did he?"

"No. The police officer had me tell him that I had hit a wall. Then they took him away. Thank god. He's in jail. We don't have to worry about him anymore," Jack rubbed his face, feeling drained from the long day. He was so tired of worrying. He worried for Rose, for Jake, about where they were going to live with three children. "If you want me to say I'm sorry Rose, I can't. I can't be sorry for doing what I should have done the minute he looked at you wrong."

Rose sighed and shook her head. "I wasn't going to ask you to be sorry. How could I when I think that he had gotten exactly what he deserved. He wanted me gone out of your life, but now instead, he's the one out of your life for good. He even had a second chance, but instead of working on your relationship, he worked on destroying ours once again and only ended up destroying his relationship with you all together. It's rather sad, really."

"I just wish that this didn't hurt so much. After all he had done in Chippewa Fall...after I had kicked him out...a small part of me still hoped he'd come around someday. Now I know that he never will. He didn't even want to try. It's like he couldn't stand the fact that you made me happy."

Rose touched his cheek, her heart aching for Jack. Of course he would be hurt. The man had been a big part of his childhood. Now it was like he was losing a part of that. "I'm so sorry, Jack. If I thought

that leaving would make you happy and return..."

Jack grabbed her hand and held it tight in his, his blue eyes burned into hers. "Don't even think it. You leaving would never make me happy. I can live without him. I can not live without you and our children. I don't need an Uncle Carl. But I need Rose...more than anything..."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. You're a part of me, Rose. A vital part. I'd die without you," He stroked her hair and kissed her lips, solidifying his words. "I love you..."

Rose sniffed, embarrassed by her happy tears. She didn't know why she was crying. His professions of love always made her happy and now was no different. "I love you, too. I always will..."

They continued to kiss, wrapping each other up in their arms, lost in each other. While Carl Dawson wasted away in a jail cell, bruised and alone, Jack and Rose soared above the stars, cemented in the love that the man had tried but couldn't destroy.