When they got to the Dawson house, Rose was surprised to find Ruth already there. She was seated on a love seat with Weaver Dawson, baby Cora was between them, playing with a baby doll that looked similar to the child's mother and grandmother.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" Rose asked.

"Oh I've been here for quite a while. I saw this gorgeous doll in the window of a toy shop and just had to buy it for Cora. She loves it," Ruth happily explained, her eyes never leaving her grandbaby. "Mr. Dawson here was kind enough to let me see her and keep us company."

Jack arched a brow at his uncle, amused. It looked like he wasn't the only Dawson male that had a thing for redheads. "Uncle Weaver, that was nice of you."

"Well you did say she could see Cora anytime. I didn't see a reason why you'd object. Plus I like the doll. It looks just like her."

"It does," Jack agreed, taking Rose's coat himself and hanging it next to Ruth's on the coat tree.

"Where is Molly?" Rose asked, looking around, expecting to see the other woman somewhere in the vicinity.

"Oh, she's back at the bed and breakfast. She said she had some business to take care of and it would take her all day."

Rose opened her mouth to state that it was too bad that Molly couldn't join them, but a knock at the door interrupted her. She watched as Lisa came out of the kitchen and opened the door to a young woman about her age with brown hair and gray eyes and fair skin. She could be considered pretty, when not compared to girls with more elegant features. She was obviously a friend of Lisa's with the way Lisa hugged her in greeting and pulled her into the house.

"Look whose here! It's Barbara! Jack, look who it is! It feels like we haven't seen her in ages!" Lisa laughed, pleased to see Rose present as well. She wanted the girl to know that Jack did have other options.

"Hi Barbara," Jack nodded, trying to keep everything neutral. He stared at his cousin, who tried to play innocent, but he knew better. "Did we pay you for the last time you looked after Cora?"

"Yes, you did. Don't worry. Lisa just invited me over for dinner. She said that you guys missed seeing me."

"We do. Especially Cora. You are her favorite babysitter of course," Lisa chuckled. "Come in. Cora will be happy to see you."

Rose watched the girl come in and felt a bolt of jealousy shoot through her. Who was this girl and why was she so familiar with her daughter and Jack? Then she winced, remembering that she had no right to feel this way. After all, she had been out of their lives for two whole years. She had no say who came into their lives in that time period.

"Barb, this is Cora's grandmother Ruth," Lisa introduced as they came up to Ruth, who gave the newcomer a cold stare. She somehow knew what Lisa was up to and she wasn't having it. Jack was her daughter's husband, didn't this girl have any decency?

"A pleasure, I'm sure. Have you met Cora's mother, Jack's wife, Rose," Ruth nodded over to Rose, giving her a pointed look that said, do something.

"How do you do," Rose politely nodded, not knowing what she was supposed to do. She couldn't act like she and Jack were a normal married couple, not after what she did, but she didn't want to seem too welcoming either.

"Wife? I thought…," Barbara stuttered in confusion.

"It's a long story. Too long to go through now. I guess the main point is that Rose is back and will be working on her bond with Cora. They get along great already," Jack chuckled, taking his daughter from a frowning Ruth.

Rose noticed the disappointed look in the girl's eyes, which confirmed her suspicions that the girl had a romantic interest in Jack.

"Well, not all the way back. We want her in Cora's life of course, but nothing else is confirmed," Lisa explained, ignoring Jack's frown.

"Don't you think that's more than enough information, Lisa. You're being inappropriate," Jack stated, not appreciating any of this at all. "I'm sorry Barbara. I don't know what's gotten into my cousin today."

Barbara just smiled and waved away the apology. "Oh it's no problem and I won't go blabbing your business around town either. You can trust me."

"I bet he can," Ruth mumbled under her breath, loud enough for only Rose could hear.

"Trust is a very important part of any relationship. If you can't trust someone, you might as well not have a relationship at all," Lisa crossed her arms, looking pointedly at Jack.

"Don't you have dinner to make?" Weaver spoke up, having enough.

"Barbara, stay for dinner. I insist," Lisa smiled, before entering the kitchen.

"I think Rose and I will stay as well. We're here now and Rose still has to visit with Cora as well. Maybe even discuss some arrangements with the young Mr. Dawson," Ruth cleared her throat, deciding to do all she could to help Rose. She had been a manipulative mother and had made her daughter's life miserable, pushing her to want to end her life. Maybe now she could put her manipulations into use to make her daughter happy.

"I think that is a good idea," Weaver nodded his agreement, wanting to spend more time with Ruth.

"Mother, we can't just invite ourselves to dinner," Rose frowned, feeling like she was intruding, yet feeling grateful to her mother. She was giving her a chance to spend more time with Jack. Convince him to give her another chance perhaps.

"It's okay, Rose. The more time you spend with Cora, the better," Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

Ruth and Weaver studied the situation and came to the same conclusion. This was a tangled web indeed. Two girls wanted one guy and only one could truly be chosen. In Ruth's opinion, her daughter was the only option. They had a child together and they had said their vows. They were husband and wife. Surely, this other girl could see that.

"Barbara, why don't you go help Lisa some. I am sure she could use the help," Weaver suggested, wanting to help his nephew some.

Barbara just nodded, sensing that there had been a plan here on Lisa's part that she hadn't been privy to and it was just making things awkward. "Okay."

Once Barbara was gone, Ruth took Cora into her arms once again. "I'll take her up to her nursery, I suppose. Give you two a chance to talk. See if more memories come back."

"Mother," Rose frowned, taken aback. The whole point of her being here was to see Cora, but then again, more time with Jack was always welcomed.

"We'll be back down later," Ruth brushed away any protests and headed upstairs with Cora in her arms, a bemused Weaver following her.

"What was that?" Rose frowned, confused.

"I don't know," Jack shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets, not at all sure on what to make of it all. Running into Rose in the park had been a pleasant surprise, but Lisa's invitation to Barbara had not been and he was suspicious of Ruth as well.

"I apologize, Jack. I wish I could say what had gotten into her. I don't even know if this is normal behavior," Rose sighed, again tired of being without her memories.

"It's alright. It probably is. She seemed rather controlling on Titanic. I also want to apologize for Lisa. She means well..."

"There's no need to apologize for her, Jack. I understand perfectly. I had hurt you and she wants to make sure that you don't get hurt again. I can understand that perfectly. It's not like I don't deserve it."

"You don't. You were sick, Rose. You couldn't help what happened. The important thing is that you're back and you're working on getting your life back."

Rose sat down on the couch and looked up at him plaintively. "Is it even possible to get my life back, Jack? Or have I ruined everything?

Jack sat next to her and took her hand in his. "Of course you can get your life back. It may not be the life you had before your mental break, but…it's your life."

So she may not be able to get him back. Is that what he was saying? That there is no hope?

"It's just going to take patience, Rose. I know that you feel like a stranger in your own life right now, but give it time."

"I'm trying. It's just...I was so excited about that memory this morning, but now it doesn't seem like anything much."

"Are you kidding? It was a lot. First you remembered how we had met on Titanic, then you remembered meeting me at the grand staircase, not to mention the memory you had with your mother. I think you're making good progress, Rose."

Rose sighed and sat back against the cushions of the couch. "You must be so tired of talking to me about this. It's like we go in circles."

"I'm not...but it doesn't do any good for blaming yourself for the past. What happened happened. We can't go back and change it. We can only move on from it."

The sound of Barbara's laughter from the kitchen brought the question to Rose's mind. She shouldn't ask it, but she couldn't help herself. The woman obviously had an attraction to Jack and she had to know. "Have you moved on?"

She looked away from him, afraid of what she'd see. If she spotted guilt or sadness, she'd know that he had indeed moved on and there was no hope after all. She didn't know if she could handle that, knowing that it really was over.

Jack sighed and looked at his hands, feeling kind of ashamed of himself. He had made such a big deal of making every day count and live each day as your last...but it had been a motto that he hadn't been living by for the past two years!

He took a deep breath before gently lifting her chin so that her eyes could meet his. "No. I haven't moved on these past two years. I...I didn't even try to be honest. I couldn't think of doing so."

His face was so close to hers now. She could feel his warm breath against her skin and she closed her eyes, relishing it. Not for the first time, she wished that he would kiss her. She wanted to know what his lips felt like against her skin, so she would have actual memory, not just the ghost of one.

As for Jack, he felt incredibly drawn to Rose. Her lips once again called out to him. He leaned in, as if he was about to kiss her, despite his reservations.

"Dinner's ready!" Lisa loudly announced, purposely stopping any chance for a kiss to take place.

Jack immediately jumped up, relieved for the interruption. If he kissed Rose now...he would be unable to keep a wall between them. He needed that wall, at least for now. So he had to keep his lips to himself.

"We'll be right there," He nodded to Lisa, afraid to turn around to look at Rose, knowing that he'll see disappointment theme

.

"I'll go get mother," Rose sighed, indeed disappointed. She knew that Lisa interrupted on purpose. She wondered how she would ever convince Jack to give their relationship another chance with that girl around to always interrupt.

Jack watched her go, feeling guilty for being so relieved that the kiss was interrupted. It wasn't that he didn't love her anymore. He did. He never stopped. He was just...scared. What if that fugue happened again? What would stop her from leaving him and Cora once more? He didn't know if he dared to take the risk, because the last two years had nearly destroyed him. He wouldn't be able to survive losing her again. It was just too hard.

…..

Two hours later, Ruth and Rose were on their way back to the bed and breakfast, both walking in silence. Rose's mind was on Jack and how to get him to trust her again, while Ruth thought of the obstacles between her daughter and their survival.

In Ruth's eyes, the problem was Lisa Dawson. The girl was intent on making sure that Rose never reconciled with her cousin. Inviting that...girl to the house was proof of that and how she tried to have the girl seated between Rose and Jack and had the girl monopolize the conversation at dinner….it was all very vulgar in Ruth's opinion. If Rose wanted Jack back, she was going to have to be more proactive and a lot smarter than Lisa Dawson.

"I hope that you do have a plan, Rose," Ruth stated, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

"Pardon me?" Rose frowned. She hadn't expected her mother to say anything whatsoever to her. After the revelation that they never did have a close relationship, her feelings about Ruth had been conflicting. On one hand, she wanted a relationship with Ruth. She wanted to get to know the woman better, especially after the sweet memory from the other day. But on the other hand, to know that her mother's actions had once driven her to nearly jumping off of a ship...it made her wary. In a way, she could understand Jack's reluctance to trust her, because she felt the same reluctance towards her mother.

"I do hope that you have a plan to reclaim your family before that Lisa Dawson hands them off to another woman, like she tried to do today," Ruth plainly stated. "Trust me, life is even harder for a single woman when on the outside of high society. It is wise to have a husband and a home to secure yourself. You have a husband. You just need to reclaim him and quickly."

Rose was taken aback. Ruth was acting like she wasn't trying with Jack, and she had been. She actually felt that she had made some leeway with him, despite Lisa Dawson's efforts. After all, it wasn't Barbara that held Jack's attention throughout dinner. It was her...or rather her interactions with Cora, but still...she had his attention and even his love. She just needed his trust and that was something you can't rush. It was something that took time to gain, or regain in her case.

"Mother, I am doing all I can. I've talked to Jack. Shared with him each and every memory that returns...made my feelings for him clear. The thing is that he doesn't trust me not to hurt him again."

"Well make him see that you won't."

"I need time for that mother. He has to see for himself that I won't hurt him again. I hate that I had hurt him at all. It kills me every day to know what I did," She angrily wiped at a tear. "I don't even deserve him. He's funny, creative, kind, and sweet and I hurt him..."

"Rose..."

"And don't tell me not to blame myself, that I was sick. It doesn't change the fact that I had hurt him and for so long and now here I am wanting him back. I don't blame Lisa Dawson for hating me, I hate myself."

"You always were melodramatic," Ruth tsked, shaking her head.

"You don't understand, mother. Did you even love daddy? The way I love Jack?"

Ruth frowned and shook her head. "No. I didn't. For people like us...people raised in high society...marriage was a business deal. Love had nothing to do with it. That's why it was so easy for me to arrange your engagement to Hockley. You didn't need to love the man. You just needed to be a proper wife, give him his heirs and look pretty on his arm. In a way it's a better way. When love comes into it….things get a lot more difficult. Like now."

Rose had to admit, that was true. Things were a lot more difficult. If it was just a business deal between her and Jack, she probably would have had him back right away. But instead it involved the heart and emotions and trust, which meant there was a lot of work to do to repair the damage.

Ruth continued on, wanting to give her daughter some advise that she could use. True, she would rather have had Rose married to Caledon Hockley or some other rich man, but those times were well over and she had to work with what they had.

"Rose...we may no longer be high society, but we are still Dewitt Bukaters. Known for their determination and creativity. We never back down from a challenge. We always fight to get what we want, through whatever means necessary. I used my gifts in the wrong way with you, but you can use them for the right reasons. To remain with the man you love. If you want your family back, I'll help you use those tools. Because if you don't use them, Lisa Dawson will have your daughter calling that plain Jezebel momma and we don't want that."

"I...I don't know mother..."

They approached the bed and breakfast, where Molly was waiting on the front porch, probably curious about how their visit had gone. Ruth stopped walking and grabbed Rose's arm, making her turn and face her. "You think about what I said. That girl may not seem like competition now, Rose. But that can change. When you're ready to use what I had passed down to you, let me know."

"I thought that you didn't like Jack."

"It wasn't that I disliked him. It was that...he was getting in the way of the plans I had for you at the time. Now those plans are gone and...well you love him and after losing you after the sinking, I want to see you happy. Even if it's with Jack Dawson."

"Are you two coming, or not! I need my gossip!" Molly hollered, causing Ruth to grimace with indignation and for Rose to laugh.

"We're coming," Rose smiled, feeling a little better. Not that the road to Jack was clear, but she didn't feel so alone now that she had the help of her mother. Maybe there was hope for both relationships after all.