(A/N: Happy Valentines Day! I have good news and bad news. Good News: This chapter is full of Jack/Rose goodness. Bad News: It's the last pre-written chapter, so the next update might take a little longer. But I hope the Jack/Rose scenes will be enough to hold you over:) Have a great day everyone!)

It was a beautiful Saturday morning that Jack woke up to. The night before, he spent in dreams of Titanic. Not the terrifying, horrific parts, but the parts that were worth remembering. Meeting Rose, taking her to the real party down in steerage, drawing her wearing the heart of the ocean necklace, fleeing Lovejoy, making love in the backseat of a car, then her vowing to get off the ship with him when it docked. So many good memories that out shined the bad. It made him remember how he had fallen in love with her from the start.

Jack got out of bed and got dressed and smiled when he heard the sounds of his daughter in the nursery. He left his room and entered the nursery to find Cora sitting up in bed, wide awake. The sketch of Rose on Titanic was his best drawing, but Cora was his masterpiece. He couldn't believe that he helped make such a beautiful little girl. With a smile, he lifted her out of bed and hugged her.

"Good morning, sweetie. It looks like daddy has woken up just in time," He placed her back in bed and began to pick out her outfit for the day. "So what do you want to do today, Miss. Cora?"

"Picnic!" The child happily chirped.

"Okay, picnic it is. But it'll have to be a little bit later. Let's not forget, daddy has to help with chores," he picked out a white and blue dress and slipped it onto the little girl.

It was a quiet morning in the Dawson house. He had a quiet breakfast with his cousin and Uncle and then helped his Uncle with some small projects he had going. At noon, Jack decided it was time for Cora's picnic. He grabbed his daughter and was heading out the door when Lisa stopped him.

"You should ask Barb if she'd want to join you at the lake. It really is a lovely day out," Lisa suggested, hoping that his cousin would take her advise.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. "We talked about this before, Lisa. I'm not interested in Barbara like that. She's nice and all, but...I'm not going to waste her time."

"Not interested? But she was the one you always called when you needed someone to watch Cora You always stop and talk to her, I even saw you sketching her a few times! What was that if you're not interested?"

"I had her watch Cora, because Cora loves her. She always good with Cora and brings her treats and stuff. I stop and talk to her because I consider her a friend and I sketch everyone if the mood strikes me. It never meant that I was in love with anyone," Jack chuckled and then grew serious. "I think you're trying to push something with Barbara because you think I'm going to take Rose back."

"Well, it looks like you are. You came in with her yesterday and I saw the two of you. You were going to kiss her!"

Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what I plan to do about Rose. But like I told you, that's my business. Really, Lisa. You need to start courting. Find yourself a boyfriend to distract you from what I'm doing."

"She'll break your heart again, Jack. Maybe even worse than before. Is she worth it?"

Jack had to think. Was the threat of more heartbreak worth the risk? And was the risk only with Rose? Barbara could hurt him too. Any woman could. Rose had just been the first.

"Love is always worth the risk, I guess. If it wasn't, us humans would stop doing it."

Lisa sighed, allowing her arms to hang at her sides as she looked at her cousin. "I just don't want you to get a broken heart again, Jack."

"Neither do I. But Rose was sick when she had left and I don't think she'd do it again. Just no more set ups like that, okay? Whether I take Rose back or not."

Lisa sighed, giving into Jack's demand. "Fine. I'll let things be."

"Thank you," Jack walked over and kissed her cheek. He waved goodbye as he left the house.

…..

Rose sat quietly on the porch swing of the bed and breakfast, trying to coax more memories to the surface. The next time she'd see Jack, she would like to do so with another memory. She's been sitting there for a few hours now, and still there was nothing.

"Rosie, darlin. Why don't you come on in and get some rest. You've been out here for quite a while," Molly stepped out onto the porch, eyeing her young friend with concern.

"I'm fine, Molly. Really. I'm just trying to get another memory to come. One of Jack preferably."

"You can't force it, darlin...but speak of the devil," Molly placed her hand on her hips as Jack came up to the porch with Cora in one arm and a picnic basket in the other. "Jack Dawson, what are you two doing here?"

"Hello Molly," Jack smiled, his gaze drifting to Rose almost immediately. He hadn't planned on inviting Rose when he first started out, but after the talk with Lisa, he felt that it'd be a good idea. He wanted Rose to see lake wissota and also spend even more time with Cora in a more relaxed atmosphere. "Cora wants to know if her momma would like to join us for a picnic lunch by the lake."

Rose's eyes widened in shock. She had not been expecting Jack to show up here much less invite her out for a picnic! She could hear her mother now, telling her to stop being foolish and accept.

"Really?" Rose managed to gasp.

Jack simply laughed at the shock in her voice and nodded. "Really. It'll just be the three of us, unless Molly wants to come along."

"Oh you three go ahead. Let Cora here get used to the both of you together again," Molly winked.

"Do I need to wear anything special?" Rose asked, getting to her feet.

"What you have on is fine, darlin," Molly chuckled, winking at Jack. "I am sure Jack here thinks that you're beautiful, no matter what you wear anyway."

Rose blushed, not missing Jack's own cheeks pinkening a little. "Tell mother I've gone to spend the rest of the day with Jack and Cora."

"I will. Now go. Don't keep them waiting," Molly waved, happy to see Jack and Rose on friendly terms. Looking at them, she had hope that everything would work out. Jack couldn't keep that wall up forever. In fact, him showing up here, initiating an outing himself, that was a very good sign if she did say so herself.

….

Jack wasn't the only one who thought it'd be a good day for a picnic. The area around the lake was littered with people sitting out on blankets and picnic tables, with food spread before them. Children ran and played and there were even some children playing in the lake itself. It was a gorgeous scene and Rose drank it in with wide green eyes.

"Welcome to lake wissota," Jack smiled, his eyes already scanning for a place to sit up their spread.

"It's gorgeous," Rose looked around appreciatively, her arms full of Cora, who happily clapped her hands. "Daddy swim!"

"Not today, Cora. Maybe some other day, when momma and I are more prepared," Jack winked at his daughter.

"She swims in the lake?" Rose frowned, not sure if she liked the idea of the child anywhere near the water.

"Never alone. I always keep her in my arms and I only walk in until the water is knee deep," Jack shrugged. "I've only recently got brave enough for that much. I'm so afraid that I'm going to drop her or something."

"Oh I doubt that you would do that. You're wonderful with her."

"You think so?"

Rose simply nodded, following him to an area where there was a large oak tree and a nice clearing. She watched as he placed the basket down and pulled out a checkered blanket and began unpacking the food. Rose settled down onto the blanket, keeping Cora on her lap.

"It really is a lovely day for a picnic," Rose sighed, looking around. Her smile faded a little when she saw a couple that weren't much older than she and Jack. The girl had the guy's head on her lap and she was stroking his hair as he looked up at her with all the love in the world and by the look on her face, the feeling was mutual. She couldn't help but feel that the couple should be her and Jack. "Were we ever like that?"

Jack followed Rose's gaze and sighed. Yes, they had been like that couple. There had been no one that he cherished more than Rose...well, except for Cora. "Yeah, we were. We were young and living our dream in Santa Monica. We were happy…"

Rose sighed, looking away from the couple, wondering if they'll ever be like that again. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up to meet a world of blue. She licked her lips, barely aware of the small child in her arms. "Why did you like me?"

Jack chuckled. "What?"

Rose chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about her upbringing and the kind of woman that her mother was. It made her wonder what kind of woman she had been. What made Jack like her? She couldn't have been too bad...could she? Would Jack like a woman like her mother? She doubted it.

"What made you like me? What kind of person was I? Was I like mother? Or was I different?"

"Oh, you were different. Very different. I never met a first class girl like you before," Jack shook his head, a little amused, yet understanding where she was coming from. She must feel like she was stepping into someone else's life and she wanted to know who that person was.

"Tell me about myself. Tell me all about the Rose Dewitt Bukater you knew. Maybe that will help me get a better hold on my memories..."

"Well...you were no picnic. In fact, you were a spoiled brat even," Jack sadly smiled, remembering the last time he had said those words. He had been so desperate to help her back then. He had seen her spirit and had wanted to save her before her mother and Cal could stamp it out. "But beneath that...you were amazing. You were kind, intelligent. You had dreams and ambitions and wanted to do more than be decorative. You had this fire...this beautiful fire and it saw you through the sinking. It saw us both through, actually."

"Jack..."

"Rose."

"I want to get back to being her. For you and for myself and for Cora."

Jack looked at her and reached over to tuck a loose curl behind her ear. "You will. It'll just take time and patience, but you'll get back there Rose."

She hoped so. She wanted to feel like a normal person again, not someone always walking around in a fog, wishing that someone else's life was her own.

"Let's see...I had stopped by the diner on the way to the bed and breakfast and had them pack some sandwiches and pretzels and some juice….and some cake...chocolate."

"I love chocolate," Rose giggled as Jack began to dig out the food.

"Funny, a certain little girl loves chocolate too. Now I know why," Jack snorted.

"Really? What else does she like?" Rose asked, kissing the child's cheek, wanting to get to know everything about her.

"Teddy bears. Lullabys. Cuddles and kisses. People. She's a big people person. I think she got that from me. She's inquisitive, always wanting to explore. Oh and she can be very dramatic," Jack gave a little snort.

"Wait, are you implying that she got that from me?"

"Hey you said it," Jack grinned, gaining a playful slap on the arm from Rose. "If it makes you feel better, I like your drama. It's what's going to make you a great actress in the moving pictures."

Rose laughed. "I wanted to be an actress?"

"Yeah. If not that, a dancer like Isadora Duncan, a wild pagan spirit. Those were your words. Of course, you also wanted to be an artist, living in a garret, poor but free. You bit my head off when I said you wouldn't last a week," Jack smiled at the memory. God, she was amazing! Just remembering that conversation, it was making him fall even deeper in love with her all over again. "You're the most amazing woman I've ever known really. I had never met anyone like you...I still haven't. You were one of a kind."

Rose couldn't help but feel a little anxious. The look on Jack's face when he described her….it was something she hadn't seen before. His face just lit up and how he called her amazing...what if she couldn't live up to that? What if she disappointed him? What if she could never get back to being that Rose again? She'll lose him…

Her voice was almost a whisper when she spoke next. Her fear was apparent. "What if I can't get back to being her? What if...what if my memories never come back fully? What if I can never get back to being the Rose you fell in love with?"

Jack frowned and then cursed himself. He had gotten carried away and now she was afraid of being a disappointment. What had he been thinking? He hadn't been. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, listen to me. You are the same Rose, memories or no memories. At your very core, you are the same Rose that I fell in love with. Even if the memories don't come back."

"I don't want to disappoint you. I don't want to hurt you again..."

"The only way you can disappoint and hurt me again is by not trying and by leaving. You're here and you are showing no signs of taking off again, so I think you're pretty much safe."

"It's strange...I barely remember you and Cora...but I love the both of you so much. Being here with you two...it means the world to me."

He wanted to kiss her right then and there and return those feelings...but still something held him back. He gently touched her face and smiled. "You being here with us means the world to me too."

Rose felt sad that he didn't kiss her, but his words meant a lot and the look in his eyes...they spoke of his feelings and that was all she needed. The kiss would come someday, but just being in his presence, knowing that he returned her feelings, even though he felt reluctant to act on them, it meant the world to her.

…..

When they returned to the boarding house, they found Molly pacing the floor and Ruth sitting in the chair looking worried.

"We're back. What's going on? Molly, you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders," Rose observed.

"I afraid that I do, darlin. I hate to break this to ya but I have to go back to Denver. There's a family emergency and I'm afraid that I am needed," Molly explained, twisting her hands, hating that she was doing this to Rose and Ruth. They were here to get Rose back with Jack and here she was ruining everything.

"I don't see why you can't just deal with it from a distance, Molly. Really, Rose and I...we have business here to see to, mainly repairing my daughter's marriage. I thought that you were going to be here to help us. Where will we go? We have no money to stay here and I highly doubt..."

"Mother stop. Can't you see she is upset. Plus this is her family. You and I are just friends, but they are her blood," Rose cut her mother off, walking up to Molly to place a hand on her arm, stopping her pacing.

"What is it that you need to do, Molly? For how long?"

"I need to head back to Denver...but I don't know for how long...I know that this comes at a bad time. I had promised to help and I mean to keep that promise..."

"But you can't just ignore your family when they need you. I understand," Rose nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. She was going to miss Molly and her advise. She was going to miss her presence all together. Molly had given her comfort and a sense of confidence that her own mother didn't give her. But she couldn't keep her from her real family, she wouldn't. She was needed in Denver.

"Well what will become of us with no money or home?" Ruth fretted, twisting her hands nervously. She had worked so hard to stay off the streets of Philadelphia and did not find the streets of a small town anymore appetizing than the streets of a big city.

"You can always come with me, I suppose...," Molly looked worriedly between Jack and Rose, feeling that would be the worse thing. Jack could feel that Rose was abandoning him all over again and all progress made that day would be lost. She couldn't let Rose risk that. "Or I could pay for the room as long as you both are here..."

Rose gasped. Of course, she couldn't leave town. Not when she was so close to getting her family back. She saw the look in Jack's eyes at the lake. His walls were crumbling. He was beginning to trust her...she couldn't destroy that trust now. But she couldn't accept Molly's charity either...that was too much..."Molly..."

Jack spoke up, surprising even himself. "You can stay with me. There's an extra room and Cora would love it if you both around permanently." He had not known that the day would end with bringing Rose and Ruth home with him...but the decision to make the offer...it felt right.

Ruth's eyes lit up. They were saved! Not to mention, limitless access to Cora...Rose had better not refuse! She remained apprehensively awaiting her daughter's answer.

"Now that sounds like a good idea," Molly nodded her approval. Maybe things were going to work out after all. By all signs, it looked as if Jack's walls were crumbling down faster than anyone of them had thought possible. It was obvious to her that his love for Rose was stronger than any mistrust he may have. He seemed to be doing all he could to keep her in his life.

Rose was shocked by the offer, but happy as well. She was also reluctant. What if he felt obligated? What if he was just being nice and didn't want her to move in with him yet after all? "Are you sure? I mean...you don't have to take us in. Molly already offered to pay for the room..."

"Rose!" Ruth gasped.

"Quiet Ruth!" Molly hushed, curious about what Jack's reaction to Rose's reaction would be. The girl was giving him an out. Would he take it? Would the love he have for her allow him to?

Jack paused. He knew that this was moving fast. They were still rebuilding the bond with Cora, and between them both if he was being honest. He still had some trust issues...but his feelings for her...the trust issues were becoming less and less. He loved her still, so much and he couldn't let her depend on Molly's charity or leave town when he could prevent it! This was the right thing to do, his heart and mind screamed it.

"I'm sure. I wouldn't make the offer if I wasn't. Besides, Cora would love to have you and Ruth around all the time," Jack shrugged, inwardly admitting that he would too.

"Well that settles things. We'll move in with Mr. Dawson. I do believe that this is for the best. After all, you two are husband and wife. What better way than to get to know each other again?" Ruth chuckled, relieved to be once again saved from the streets.

Rose just gave a nervous smile herself, hoping that this was the right thing to do and would bring her even closer to Jack. She still longed to know what his kiss was like. Maybe being in under the same roof as him would bring her closer to knowing.