Nearly everyone was in the sitting room when Jack came in, followed by Molly and Rose. Weaver was seated in a living room chair, watching Ruth sitting on the love seat, reading Cora a story. Lisa was in the kitchen putting on some tea. Weaver looked up and blinked.

"You're back," Weaver got to his feet, nodding in greeting to the women.

"Yes, I'm back. Finished up early and ran into Molly and...Rose. Rose, this is my Uncle Weaver. This is your first time meeting him," Jack introduced, wasting no time.

Weaver studied the young woman curiously. No matter what Jack had fallen so hard for her, the girl was gorgeous. She had obviously inherited her looks from her mother. "You look like your mother, here."

Ruth blushed at this and smiled. "People used to mistake us for sisters, really, but that was so long ago, in a different life. I probably look a great deal older now."

Molly frowned and shook her head, not knowing what to think of Ruth's bragging. "Your head's a little too big for ya there, Ruth?"

Lisa entered the room, carrying a tray with a tea kettle and cups and some cookies. She stopped when she saw Jack. "Hey, you're home." She paused when she noticed Rose, already knowing who she was judging by the red hair and how tense Jack seemed. "And this is her?"

"Yeah, this is Rose," Jack nodded, walking over to lift Cora up into his arms, needing her weight to keep his head clear, to remind himself that there was a reason why he even had Rose there. Cora's sake. This was all for Cora.

Ignoring everyone else, he walked up to Rose with Cora in his arms. He kept his eyes on the child, not daring to look at the woman that he had loved and missed for so long, but was reluctant to trust ever again. "This is Cora. She's a bit bigger than she was when you last saw her, but she's ours. Your mother said that she looks like you when you were this age."

Rose's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the child. She was gorgeous! Again, she wondered what could have possibly gotten into her? Why had she left her handsome husband and gorgeous baby like that? What had been so bad that made her mind break and made her forget?

Almost hesitantly, she touched the child's hand, savoring how soft her skin was. Soft and absolutely perfect. "She's beautiful."

"Of course she is, darlin," Molly chuckled. "Look at her parents, there's no way she wouldn't be."

Jack rolled his eyes at Molly and kissed his daughter's cheek. "She's really friendly and sweet. Never met a stranger. She even likes your mother."

Rose blinked, wondering. "Is there a reason why she wouldn't?"

Ruth and Molly looked at one another and then away again. Ruth especially felt guilty. The night before, she had gone through all of her memories, trying to understand why Rose had hidden from her. Now, to her shame, she knew all too well. She would have hidden too. Now she had a second chance to be a real mother to Rose, the kind of mother she should have always had been...but to do that, she was going to have to help Rose recover the rather unpleasant memories of their prior relationship.

"Excuse me, I think I need some air," Ruth forced a smile, walking out the door, followed by Molly.

"Hey, Ruth. I saw your face in there. What's going on?" Molly asked, wanting to help Ruth in any way she could. She didn't know why she cared so much. Ruth had been horrid to her on Titanic, but she had seen the look on the woman's face when she discovered her daughter's survival. She wanted to help the woman become part of Rose's life again in any which way she could.

"I was just reminded of how horrible of a mother I was to her, Molly. I was selfish and manipulative and didn't think about anyone but my own happiness. I didn't care about how she felt about Cal. Just as long as I stayed a member of high society, who cared if my daughter was miserable? She doesn't remember now, but she will...and when she does..."

"You think she'll kick you out of her life?" Molly guessed.

"Why would she not? I can say goodbye to being any part of sweet Cora's life, much less a part of Rose's."

Molly placed a hand on Ruth's shoulder, understanding the woman's fears. Yes, she had been a thorn in young Rose's side for as long as she had known them, but by all intents and purposes, it seemed that the woman had changed. She saw the error of her ways. She saw that, even Jack had seen it. She was sure that Rose will too.

"Ruth...yes. You were horrible. I can't argue with you on that front. But you have changed. Really, do you think Jack would have let you anywhere near Cora if he thought that you were the same woman he had met on Titanic?"

"He wants his daughter to know her grandmother. He probably wouldn't have let me within ten feet of her if his own parents were still here. I have no illusions of that."

"Come on, Ruth. You don't know that!"

"I wouldn't let me near her," Ruth sighed. "I treated him awfully. All because he was a rootless wanderer who didn't see the value of money."

"Well, I think that you're being too harsh on yourself, darlin. Jack is a forgiving soul. He saw that Cora needed you just like she needs Rose."

"He can barely stand to look at Rose," Ruth snorted. "I don't think he's that forgiving."

Molly sighed, understanding what Ruth sensed between Jack and Rose. "Oh, he probably forgave her a long time ago. He just won't let himself trust her again, not yet. He wants her to be in Cora's life, but it'll probably be a while before he's ready to be a husband to her again."

"I guess it's just as well. Rose has a long road of regaining her memory ahead of her and it's not going to be a pleasant journey. Not for any of us."

Meanwhile, back inside, the bonding process between mother and daughter was well underway.

"Why did we name her Cora?" Rose asked, curious. Did she know a Cora?

"It belonged to a little girl we knew," Jack rubbed the back of his neck at the memory of the English little girl that he had befriended. "Her middle name is Josephine, after a song we both liked."

"We have a song?"

"Um, yeah. I suppose it is our song."

"Why don't you sing it for us, Jack. Maybe it'll jog her memory," Molly entered in enough time to hear his statement. "No better time than the present to get things coming back."

"Is that necessary?" Lisa frowned, noticing Jack's face turn red.

"Well, the last time we sang it, we kind of messed up the words."

"Sing what you do know."

Jack blushed then shrugged. He couldn't think of a reason not to. Besides, maybe it would help her memory. They had loved the song so much. "Okay...Come Josephine in my flying machine and it's up she goes, up she goes…high in the air like a bird on a beam in the air she goes, there she goes...up up, a little bit higher...oh my the moon is on fire...Come Josephine in my flying machine and it's up and up goodbye..."

"Good job Jack," Molly chuckled and turned to Rose, her voice hopeful. "Anything coming back to you, Rose?"

Rose guiltily shook her head no. She wished that it did bring back something. She wanted to remember every moment spent with Jack. She wanted to remember holding her daughter for the first time and caring for her. Right now, she felt like a stranger in her own life and she didn't know how to correct it.

"I'm sorry...I don't remember anything."

"That's okay. It was worth a shot," Molly sighed, feeling guilty herself. She shouldn't have been so pushy.

"The memories obviously can't be hurried. They'll come in their own time," Ruth nodded, also feeling sad for her daughter. She saw how Rose looked at Jack and Cora. She couldn't blame her a bit for wanting her memories back.

"So much time has been lost and I can't even remember what I did have," Rose sniffed, handing Cora back to Jack, who looked rather sad about everything himself. He had obviously let himself hope that maybe it would be that easy.

"Hey, don't worry. As your mother said, it can't be rushed. They'll return eventually," Jack smiled, trying to be reassuring.

"You really think so?" Rose scanned his face, looking for any signs of doubt.

"Yeah, I do. We'll just keep working at it. One step at a time," Jack nodded, somehow believing his words. Rose's memories will return someday. Of that he was sure. What he wasn't sure about was the status of their marriage.

"Well...I guess we better be going. I know that both Rose and I are hungry and Ruth must be starving by now," Molly folded her hands in front of her.

"Why don't you eat here?" Weaver asked, ignoring the glare that his daughter threw his way. "Jack and Rose can spend more time together and Ruth can get more time with her granddaughter."

Both Jack and Lisa were now staring at Weaver in disbelief, wishing that he hadn't given the invitation. Jack was not ready to spend so much time with Rose and Lisa wanted some space between the estranged couple. She could tell that all of this was already taking a toll.

"Are you inviting us to dine with you, Mr. Dawson?" Ruth blinked, surprised at the invitation.

The older man just laughed and nodded. "Yes, I am. My Lisa is a good little cook and I think spending some time together would be good for Jack and Rose and you and Molly can visit with Cora, get off your feet some. To be honest, having this much activity in the house brings back memories of Jack's boyhood, when his parents were alive."

Jack smiled at the mention of familial memories. Maybe Rose being here would be good for her. Maybe if she relaxed some, the memories would be more apt to return. There was no harm in trying. He took Rose's hand and shyly smiled. "My uncle's right. Stay. We can talk some more. Your memories may be gone, but you can spend more time with Cora. Work on building a bond between you two."

"You wouldn't mind me getting close with her?" Rose blinked, a little surprised. At times, Jack Dawson seemed an open book...then it was like he remembered and the book would slam closed and he returned to being a mystery. Right now, he was wide open.

"Of course I wouldn't mind. You are her mother. I want you two to have a close relationship," Jack smiled.

Rose couldn't help but return the smile. His eyes, they were the exact same shade as Cora's. They were intense in brightness and beauty and she could just let herself drown there.

"Why don't we take Cora upstairs for her nap, yes?" Ruth walked up, standing just a few feet from the couple, ready to have Cora back in her arms again.

Jack looked away and smiled. "He handed Cora to Ruth. You and Rose can have the honors. I have to put up these drawings before I forget about them completely."

Jack turned away and headed for his office in the back of the house. An annoyed Lisa headed for the kitchen, and Weaver headed for the barn, where he was working on some equipment, leaving Rose, Ruth, and Molly to put Cora to bed.

"I know where the nursery is," Ruth smiled, holding her head high as she started up the stairs.

"So?" Molly asked, nudging Rose's shoulder. "What do you think?"

Rose frowned. Molly was becoming annoying with her nudges and questions. "About what?"

"Jack and Cora. I know you don't remember them, but what do you think?"

"Cora's beautiful and I'm thankful that Jack is allowing me to bond with her. I don't think I would have been that kind if the shoe was on the other foot."

"So you're in love with her already?"

"I suppose so. Yes."

"And Jack? What do you feel about him?"

Rose sighed, thinking of the handsome artist. She honestly didn't know. She did know that just looking at him made her heart beat fast. The sound of his voice, his scent...it made her feel warm and tingly inside. But she didn't know if she could call that love. She did like him. He was kind and compassionate. The only thing was that he was closed off. Sometimes, she felt like she would hit a brick wall with him...which she probably did. He may have forgiven her. He may be willing to let her be a part of Cora's life, but that didn't mean that he fully trusted her, not after what she did and she really couldn't blame him for that.

"I like him. I think we could be friends."

"Darlin, he's your husband! You're going to have to be a lot more than friends!"

Ruth decided to speak up at that point. She was growing rather annoyed with Molly's pushing Rose into things she wasn't ready for. She suspected that running into Jack at the park had been no accident, and now Molly was badgering the girl about her feelings for a man she didn't remember! This was getting absurd!

"Molly, forgive me, but this is a delicate situation for Rose! She does not remember that boy at all and here you are, trying to play matchmaker! You don't care how you may be affecting Rose and even Jack! The boy has been hurt and this must be hard for him, but you, his friend, don't seem to care about that. Let them find their own way back to each other! In fact, I think friendship is a fine idea. It'll give Rose time to get to know him and Jack time to rebuild his trust in Rose. Then they can move on from there."

Rose nodded, grateful for her mother's interruption. "Thank you, mother. Molly, I know you mean well, but you're just making it harder."

Chastized, Molly bowed her head, her face grim. "Well, I'm sorry. I just wanted you two to have back what you had in Santa Monica, is all. But you're right. You need more time and I have to stop pushing," She turned to Ruth, her voice firm. "And meeting Jack today was not on purpose! He had just happened to be getting off from work when we left the post office, thank you very much."

Ruth just ignored Molly as she placed Cora into bed. "Sweet girl, it's time for your nap now."

Rose watched her mother and frowned, as a memory surfaced.

They were in a mansion. She was a child, Cora's age. Her mother, a young woman with gorgeous long red hair picked her up and held her close.

"Time to go to sleep my sweet girl," Ruth kissed her head before laying her down in her crib and stroked the red curls on top of her head. Rose's own pudgy baby fingers reached up and grabbed hold of a red strand. Ruth just laughed and gently pulled the hair from her grasp.

"Someday you'll have hair as long as mine and a rich husband to take care of us all. Just you wait," Ruth grinned down at her baby daughter.

"Rose?" Molly frowned, seeing how Rose paused and the blank expression on her face as if her mind was processing something. "Are you alright, darlin?"

Coming out of the memory, Rose blinked and turned to look at Molly. A tear slid from one eye as she addressed the other woman. "I think that I just had a memory."

"Was it of Jack?" Molly couldn't help herself.

"Molly, really!" Ruth hissed angrily.

"What? It's a viable question."

"No, it was of me and mother. I was Cora's age and mother was putting me to bed, claiming that I'll marry a rich man someday," Rose looked at Ruth with tears shining in her eyes. "Did that really happen?"

Ruth blinked in surprise. "It did, but you were so young…I'm surprised that memory was the one that surfaced first."

Rose looked around the room bewildered and even more confused. She had been expecting to get her memories of Jack and Cora first. She didn't know what to think of this. Well, at least it was a start, right? At least the memories were starting to come.

"At least it's a start, darlin. Soon you'll remember everything that there is to remember," Molly gave an encouraging smile. "Especially the family that you had loved but left behind."

"Is everything okay in here?" Jack asked, standing in the doorway, looking wary of the women in the room.

Molly felt something in her ache with guilt. Ruth was right. This whole situation has not been easy for Jack and here she was, only caring about getting them back together, not about the toll that the situation was taking on the young father who had been left to raise their baby alone. She walked over and squeezed his hand.

"Rose had a memory of Ruth. It's not much, but it's a start."

Jack smiled, trying not to feel anything about her memories of him not returning yet. Frankly, it was probably best that it was Ruth. It gave him more time to sort out his own feelings. "That's great, Rose. It's progress."

But it wasn't the progress that Rose wanted. She wanted to remember looking into her daughter's eyes for the first time. She wanted to remember the feel of Jack's lips against her own or the first time he held her hand.

Rose got to her feet and approached, Jack, who seemed to be frozen in place. She didn't know what it was, but there was something about him, something that drew her to him...that made her want to be close to him...be a part of his circle. Was it a memory? She didn't know. All she knew was that she wanted her hand to be in his.

"Rose?" Ruth frowned, watching Rose slowly approach Jack, her hand outstretched. "What are you doing?"

"Hush Ruth," Molly hissed, fascinated by the change of events.

Jack didn't know what to think. He had just adjusted to the idea of Rose's memory starting with her childhood, but he hadn't been expecting her to approach him like this, or the longing look in her eyes that were so familiar. A longing he felt as well, but was afraid to acknowledge.

Just allowing her instincts to take over, she reached him and took his hands, looking at how perfectly her hand fitted his and how beautifully long his fingers were. What did he do for a living? He was an artist? Was that what Molly said? He had such fine hands...hands that sent her back into time…

She was hanging off the stern of the ship. She hadn't meant for it to happen, but it did and now she was going to fall to her death if this kind man couldn't help her. Looking up into scared blue eyes, she began to doubt that he could.

"Please help me!" She screamed, terror clear in her voice.

"I got you! I won't let go I promise! Pull yourself up, I got you!" he reassured, gripping her with both hands, the strong muscles in his arms straining to keep them both from going into the ocean...

She was suddenly back in the present, safe in her daughter's nursery, her hand clinging to Jack's, who looked worried and scared at the same time. Her eyes met his and suddenly she knew that they held a secret...one that she suspected that only he knew. She looked at her mother, then back at Jack…

"You saved me," She gasped, clinging to his hand tightly.

"Rose?" He didn't know what to say to this. He looked at their clasped hands, remembering the first time his hand had held hers and remembered the memory that she must have gone back to.

"We were on a ship...I was going to jump off of it, I think...but something went wrong...I changed my mind...but I slipped...but you saved me…"

"Wait...I thought you were trying to look...," Ruth frowned, going pale, realizing just how miserable her daughter had been. "Dear god...Rose..."

"Hush, Ruth! Not now!" Molly hissed, realizing that this was a moment between Rose and Jack.

Rose opened her mouth, wanting to say something...wanting to tell Jack how safe she felt with him, that she knew she could trust him, that she wanted to stay there in his presence forever, but instead, her knees buckled and she would have fallen onto the floor if Jack's arms hadn't caught her and held her up.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, his voice tense, but his hold on her tight.

She tried to answer, but the room was spinning and all she could think about was how solid he was and that she shouldn't faint. She shouldn't seem so weak...that she should fight the darkness closing in...but she couldn't. The last thing she was aware of was her head falling against his chest as she finally passed out.