(A/N: To the readers that asked why Jack didn't know that Rose had survived and married Cal, if you remember back in God Bless the Child, Cal and Ruth told everyone that Rose's name was Rose Dawson and was a cousin that looked like Rose Dewitt Bukater so there wouldn't be a big scandal. They did come clean to Cal's mother, but they never told anyone else the truth, so even if Jack read the society pages, which he didn't, there was no reason for him to, he still wouldn't have known it to be his Rose, because they were telling everyone that Rose was just a distant cousin to the Rose who had gone down on Titanic. So to anyone outside of Rose, Ruth, Cal, and Helena, Rose Dewitt Bukater was still thought of as deceased. And for the last reader, God Bless the Child can indeed be read as a stand alone story about Rose and Cal. There's nothing really important in this story that will add on to GBTC. This story was just a last minute idea on what if Jack was found alive after Cal was gone. )

...

After sharing the news that they would be staying at the Dawson house after all, Rose realized that there was still a lot to be decided upon. Like where were they all going to sleep? They had just finished dinner and Jacob and the twins were in the living room, where the twins were listening to Jacob read aloud from his favorite novel, something that they had done since Jacob was thirteen. It was their special time together that Rose and Cal had never felt a need to intrude upon.

Satisfied that her children were preoccupied, Rose joined Jack in the kitchen, where he was busy washing the dinner dishes. She had to smile. It had been some time since she had witnessed a man do such a task.

"Can I help?" she offered. She wanted to pull her weight around here. Jack didn't have to take them in and she didn't want him to regret his kindness by not doing anything.

"You don't have to," Jack glanced at her, wondering if she even remembered how to do the dishes. "Do you even remember how to do this?"

Rose frowned and then rolled her eyes. "Of course! I'm not as pampered as you may think I am. I did live four years outside of first class life you know...plus the two years after Cal..."

"I suppose you can cook too."

"Yes. Very well, actually. You should try my casseroles. The kids like my tuna casserole the best. In fact...maybe I can make it tomorrow? Show off my skills some, not to mention earn my keep."

"You don't have to do that. I asked you to stay because I want you here. Not because I expect anything from you."

"I know, but it wouldn't be right, us just moving in and not doing anything to help. Besides, it'd be good for the kids. I want them to know how to take care of themselves. How can I teach them that if I'm sittng around, pretending that I'm too high and mighty to clean a dish or cook a meal?"

Jack studied her for a couple of minutes. She was so different from the girl he had met on Titanic. She knew who she was, what she could do, and how to do it and she wanted the same for her kids and was striving towards that. The great depression had not dampened that fire he had loved so much a bit.

"You're a good mom, Rose. They're lucky to have you."

"I try to be. I try to guess what my mother would do, and then do the exact opposite."

"So I guess you two had reconciled, with you going back to Cal and all."

"Kind of," Rose sighed, thinking of Ruth, who had turned out to be a wonderful grandmother until her death. She had to admit, she was glad that she had contacted her mother and repaired their relationship. Of course, it wasn't a close one. Rose was sure that a part of Ruth had never forgiven her for the deception after the sinking, but things had been good. They were talking like friends. They actually respected one another at the end. It was a relationship that may not have happened if Titanic hadn't sank out from under them. "In the end, we respected each other. I'm happy about that."

"That's good. I'm no fan of the woman, but I'm glad that you two made peace," Jack turned the water off, after rinsing off the last dish and handing it to Rose, who was in charge of drying.

"I am too. Plus, it was good for Jacob to have her in his life. She was amazing with him, much to my surprise."

"Maybe it was easier for her. Being a grandmother. I hear that there's a lot less pressure there."

"Maybe. It's just too bad that she never opened up like that with me. Maybe I wouldn't have been so quick to fake my death if she had," Rose shrugged. "But that's all in the past. Mother is gone and so is the reason we couldn't get along."

"Like you said, all things happen for a reason. We got separated. You married Cal. I didn't get to raise our son with you, and you reunited with your mother, and now here we are twenty years later. Reunited."

"Whatever the reason, I hope that it's worth it," Rose crossed her arms and leaned backwards against the sink.

"Is it?"

Rose pursed her lips and simply nodded, looking straight at the man that she had thought she had lost a long time ago. "I think it is. I mean...I have the twins and Cal had changed his ways before he had died, thanks to Jacob. I learned how to take care of myself for a while and how to be independent and I'm no longer a brat. At least I like to think so. I had done a lot of growing up since Titanic."

"So have I. I'm afraid that I'm not so endlessly optimistic anymore. I had gone to war. Done things that I never thought that I would do. I saw the ugliness of the world up close and personal, Rose. I'm definitely not the same Jack..."

"I know...but I think that some of him is still in there. You could have sent me and the kids to the boarding house in town, but you didn't. You're letting us stay here, eat your food, take up your space..."

"You're talking like you guys are some great, awful, burden," Jack chuckled, shaking his head. Sure, he had no idea what he was getting into by letting Rose and her kids stay with him, but he was more than willing to find out. He held no illusions, though. He didn't hold any hope of having any thing more than a nice friendship with her and Jacob. Perhaps that boat for him and Rose to be together had sailed off into the sunset, never to return. If so, that was okay. He was fine with just her friendship. He just...wanted her in his life in some form.

"We're not...but we can't be good for your reputation around town, here. I mean...it may not be 1912 anymore, but some things are still scandalous."

Jack shrugged, not really seeing what the big deal is. He and Rose were friends. They shared a son. He had once seen her naked and once made love to her in the backseat of a renault. So he didn't get why anyone should care if they were living together outside of marriage or not. "Well, frankly it's no one else's business except for ours. I never cared about what others thought about me. That's one thing that's never changed. If I had cared about what people think...Jacob wouldn't be here. Neither would you."

Rose blushed and looked away with a small smile. "That is true."

"So don't you worry about my reputation in this town. It'll survive. It's survived this long."

Rose had to smile. Jack claimed to have changed, but she couldn't see how. He was still the kind man he had been on Titanic. Helping her when she needed it the most, not caring what anyone had to say as a result.

"Well, you did once tell me that you were a survivor."

"I am."

"Well, it's good to see that your reputation is a survivor too."

Jack laughed, running his hand through his hair, now shorter than it had been twenty years before. "So, should I show you guys your rooms? Not that I have everything figured out, but it shouldn't be too hard."

"Of course. I am ready when you are and Jacob and the twins should be finished by now."

"Well, then madam. Follow me," Jack playfully bowed with a wink before turning around to lead the way back into the living room where Jacob and the twins were indeed just finishing up.

"Jacob, Max, Olivia. Mr. Dawson is going to show us to our rooms now," Rose cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Just call me, Jack. Mr. Dawson sounds rather awkward," Jack chuckled, starting up the stairs.

When they reached the second floor, Rose looked around with wide eyes. This was her second time in the house and nothing had changed really. The first time had been seventeen years ago, when Jack's aunt and uncle had lived there and had invited her and Jacob inside. Back then, she had only seen the first floor, so this was her first time on the second floor. The hall way had a blue carpet and the walls had yellow wallpaper. At the end of the hall was the washroom where the bathtub and commode resided. On the right wall was a closet and a door that lead to the master bedroom. There were three doors on the left, which were also bedrooms.

"The bedroom on the right, is the master bedroom. It was once my parents, which is why I hadn't been inside since I came home. It just didn't feel right. You can have it though, if you want. It's not being used," Jack turned to Rose, who blinked in surprise.

"Jack...I don't know. I mean, it's the main bedroom and...I couldn't possibly...are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's not as big as you may think."

"Alright..."

"The last door there on the left is my room, but you guys can decide what you want to do about the other two rooms."

"Can I share with Jacob?" Maxwell asked, not really wanting to share a room with his sister. They were older now and he was tired of the awkwardness.

"Sure, if Jacob doesn't mind," Rose smiled.

"Come on, we'll take the middle room there," Jacob wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder and together they entered the middle bedroom.

"Which leaves me with my own room!" Olivia squealed with excitement. Her eyes widened in her excitement, looking at Jack curiously. "Can I decorate it?"

"Of course! It's your room, you can do whatever you want," Jack laughed as the girl squealed and hugged her mother before darting into her new room.

"I think you had just made her year," Rose laughed shaking her head. "I hope that you don't regret giving permission so freely."

"I doubt I will. It's good to give young people some freedom, such as decorating their room. Or so I've heard anyway. I'm not really an expert," Jack shrugged good naturedly. "But the same goes for you too. If there's any changes that you want to make to your room, feel free."

"Thank you Jack. For everything. Letting us stay here, feeding us, giving us a room...I don't know how I'll ever repay you for your continued kindness."

"There is no need to repay me. I'd do this for any of my friends."

Rose paused, giving him a thoughtful look. She really did need to think of the status of their relationship now. She knew that the kids had to have some questions, especially Jacob. Were her and Jack just friends? Were the feelings they once had for each other now gone? She was afraid to answer that question. She knew that, at least on her part, there was always going to be a part of her heart that would belong to him. He had been her first love. He had helped her discover so much about herself back then. And now, they were just friends, or so he seemed to believe.

The question was, did she believe that? Could they be friends? Were the feelings of the past completely gone? Did she want them to be?

At that moment, she really couldn't say.

"Well, I guess I better turn in for the evening. It's getting late and it's been an extremely long day," She fought the urge to yawn, not wanting Jack to think her rude.

"Yeah. Long and exhausting. I must say, when I woke up this morning, I wasn't expecting any of this."

"Neither was I...but I'm glad this happened. Finding you here...introducing you to Jacob...just seeing you again after I had accepted that I wouldn't..."

"Rose," Jack frowned, spotting the emotion in her eyes. He wanted to wrap his arms around her so badly, but he didn't dare. He still wasn't sure about where Rose would want this to go. Did she want this to be just a close friendship? Did she want to start off where they had left off? Could they even do such a thing?

"I'm fine. Honest. I just got a little emotional. But I'll be fine. Well, goodnight Jack. I'll see you tomorrow," Rose walked up to him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before darting into what was now her bedroom, leaving Jack staring at the door with a mixture of shock and desire.

Rose wasn't the only one confused. He had to figure out what his feelings for the woman in that room really was. Did he just want a friendship or were these feelings rising up in his chest something that had been there before...that had in fact never really left? Only time would reveal the answer.