Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Jack took a deep breath as he stepped off the train from New York. The fresh Wisconsin air, it brought back childhood memories that made him ache for a simpler time, a time when he had been an innocent child, his only cares being drawing, fishing, softball, and making his father proud. A time before he knew anything of drama, tragedy, or of heartbreak. All three things that he was too familiar with now as a grown man.

The town hasn't changed much in the years he had been away. Everything was exactly where it had been the day he had fled town. It was like time had stopped and the town had just been waiting for the return of the spirited young boy that had just wanted to be away from all the pitying glances and kind words of sympathy. Now that boy was indeed returning as a young man who had just gone through even more loss and tragedy.

Sighing, he once again made the wish that he wasn't alone. That perhaps things had gone as planned and Fabrizio would be by his side, ready to visit the sites of his childhood and listen to stories of what it was like to grow up in a small town in America. Better yet, perhaps if not Fabrizio, then Rose. She would have survived and she'd be by his side now, giddy to know more about the man that had freed her from her gilded cage. This town would have been just a pit stop of course. They would have been on their way to Santa Monica to live their dreams. But Rose wasn't by his side and neither was Fabrizio and his thirst to travel anywhere was long gone. All he wanted to do was just hunker down among people he knew and at least knew of him and heal...and perhaps...when Rose's grip on his heart loosened, perhaps move on with his life somehow.

Pushing all thoughts of his childhood, his deceased friends, and even of Rose to the back of his mind, Jack walked away from the train station and into the town proper. There was no use dwelling on times long gone and lost loved ones. He had to find out if he still had a house to live in and hopefully a job to support himself. If the house was gone...then he'd definitely would have to find someplace to stay, which shouldn't be too hard. He's only been gone for five years. There should still be friends of the Dawson family that would take him in.

After about an hour of walking the streets of the town, Jack came upon Sokup's market. He smiled, remembering shopping at the market with his mother and sucking on a piece of candy while his mother paid for the groceries and made small talk with the clerk. He wondered if the people who owned the place would still remember him and if they would know what had become of his house. It wouldn't hurt to ask, right? Hopefully, there would be no questions of where he's been all of these years. There were memories to that question that he did not want to reveal just yet. It was just too painful.

Glancing up at the chiming bell as he entered the store, Jack walked up to the counter, recognizing the son of the owner of the store.

"Hey," Jack greeted the clerk, who was busy writing in a ledger book.

The young man's eyes widened as he looked up and saw a grinning Jack. "Jack Dawson?!"

Jack chuckled and gave a small shrug. "So you remember me?"

"Of course! How can I forget?! You just up and disappeared on us! Where have you been all these years?! Where did you go? Why did you go?"

Jack didn't know how to answer that. No matter what part of his life before or after Titanic, it all included people that it hurt to think about now, but the man did deserve an answer. It had been the Sokups that had taken him in the night after the fire and had comforted him when his parent's bodies had been found. They probably had planned to take him in permanently if he hadn't run away like he had. They deserved to know what had become of him.

"I just couldn't stay. I couldn't handle everyone's sympathy and charity and the memories. I saw my parents in every part of this town and I just couldn't handle it...so I ran away. I went to California, Europe, England...now I'm back in the states and felt like it was time to return home. The road has lost its charm and...I needed to be somewhere familiar..."

"Well, there's no place like home here in Chippewa Falls."

Jack just chuckled. "You have that right. I think I've made the right choice to come home...speaking of...you wouldn't happen to know what's going on with my parent's house, would you? Is it still damaged?"

"We all got together and fixed it up like new. There wasn't much damage done to be honest, with the fire being in the barn and all. We tore that down and gave the place a fresh coat of paint. We left everything else the same though. We all assumed you'd come home eventually, but that's not the only reason that I'm sure glad to see you've come home."

"It's not?"

"Nope. Two foreigners have come to town and have been acquiring about the place, even have been on the property looking around. Some boys and I thought we were going to have a word or two with them to scare them off, but now that you're home I'm sure that won't be necessary."

"Yeah, it's not necessary to scare anyone. I'm sure that once they see that the place is not for sale, they'll back off," Jack sighed, readjusting his duffel bag, ready to move on. "I guess I better head on out before nightfall..."

"Hold on. There's no need for you to walk. I'll just have pa watch the counter and I'll take you."

"There's no need, I don't want you to go out of your way."

"It's no trouble at all. Just give me a moment and we'll be on our way," the clerk winked before darting up the stairs in the back of the store that led to the apartment above. Jack just stood there and waited, hoping that this was a good sign of things to come.

…..

Tommy and Fabrizio stood on the front porch of what was known as the Dawson homestead. It was not the first time they had been there, but it was the first time both of them had thought about looking into purchasing the place. After all, they couldn't stay at the boarding house forever, could they? Plus, both of them felt like Jack would want them there. Especially Fabrizio, who was deep in mourning for not only his lost friend but also for his lost love, Helga. Tommy also missed the friendly American that he had befriended on the ship, but it was Fabrizio who had known him longer, who thought of Jack as family.

"I can see Jack living here...I bet boy-o got into all kinds of trouble," Tommy folded his arms across his chest, his eyes drifting over to the treehouse that still stood. "A boy could be a boy here, I bet."

Fabrizio simply nodded. "Jack would have been the ringleader. No one could say no to him. I know I couldn't. He was always so confident...so sure that we wouldn't get in trouble over his over-the-top ideas..."

"I bet that you two got into a few sticky situations over there in Europe."

Fabrizio just chuckled. "He'd get us in trouble...but he was always able to get us out. He had this way about him...people listened and trusted him. It was a gift. If only…"

"If only that luck he had held out."

Fabrizio was once again embarrassed as he felt the tears in his eyes. He was taught that it was unmanly to cry. That only the weak and women shed tears, but he couldn't help it. His heart ached every time he thought of the young artist that had become a brother to him and the lovely Norwegian girl that had stolen his heart. Both of them had been taken far too soon.

Seeing the emotion in his Italian friend's eyes, Tommy placed a steady hand on Fabrizio's shoulder. "It's alright, mate. I miss him too. He was a good man and his drawings were amazing."

"He should still be here. He should have won the girl and be here with us now."

Tommy nodded. "Don't I know it."

"I don't know you and that's a problem," a gruff voice spoke up from the yard.

Both Fabrizio and Tommy were surprised to see a man around their age with black hair and unfriendly brown eyes pointing a rifle at them.

Tommy stepped forward, deciding to do the talking. "Hey what you got there, mate."

"I'm not your mate," was the gruff reply.

"Tommy, maybe we should…," Fabrizio began to talk, but was shushed by Tommy.

"Let me handle this, will you? I'm sure that this nice fella and I can come to an understanding."

"There is no understanding to be had. You and your friend there are strangers trespassing on a fine family's home and I'm here to make sure you leave and don't come back. Now you and your friend here have to the count of three to get out of here and twenty-four hours to..."

"What's going on here?" A voice spoke up from behind the gun-wielding farmer.

The man frowned and turned around to face the newcomer as both Tommy and Fabrizo recognized the newcomer immediately. Both were struck speechless, but after a minute, Fabrizio found his voice at last.

"Dio mio, Jack?"

(A/N: Thank you to youtube for the info about Chippewa Falls and some of the places that would have been around during Jack's time.)