A/N: I got multiple reviews asking how Cal found Rose, and I promise that that'll be answered. Also, towards the end of the chapter, there's a change in POV from Rose to Jack, after the divider. And unfortunately my computer broke this morning, so I'm not sure if I'llbe able to post as often for a little bit. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 22

I stared at Jack in disbelief, my heart pounding in my ears. I froze, unable to move an inch, Mia's cries from that terrible night echoing in my ears. I promised myself I wouldn't let that happen again. Mia would never go back to that house, and Cal would never touch her again.

I finally unfroze, realizing that he could arrive at any second. "Mia, come here please," I called for her, my voice shaky. Sensing the fear in my tone, Mia nervously skipped back in, holding the book that I sent her for in her arms. "Do you remember that day we played hide and seek?" I asked, and she nodded slowly. "I need you to go back to that hiding spot, okay? Go to your room, close the door, and sit in the closet until one of us comes to get you. Do you understand?" Mia nodded slowly, her eyes filling up with tears, afraid and confused by the request. I knew if she cried, I would cry too. "Don't cry, Mia, everything will be okay." I kissed her cheek and watched as she ran upstairs.

Jack wrapped his arm around my waist and brought his lips to my hair. He then released me, quickly walking into the other room and returning with a gun in his hand. He was so kind, so innocent and nonviolent… seeing him with a gun scared me. I gasped, my hand covering my mouth. "Jack-"

"I'll only use it if I have to," he told me. "I promise." He walked back over to me and took my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. "It's going to be okay-"

"You don't know that." I shook my head. "Promise me that if anything should happen to me, you'll take care of Mia-"

"You're not going anywhere, and nothing is going to happen to you," Jack shook his head, dismissing the thought. I could tell now that this had less to do with assuring me that everything would be fine, and more to do with his denial on the possibility of Mia and I being taken from him. "Just… stay calm, everything's going to be fine."

"If you want me to stay calm, Jack, promise me that you'll take care of her," I kept pressing him, not because I wanted to break whatever defense mechanism he had created for himself, but because I needed to know that Mia would be alright. "Please, Jack... promise me."

Jack wrapped his arms around me and held me in a tight hug. "I promise, Rose, I'll take care of her." His voice was quiet, hoarse, broken. "But listen, everything will be okay."

I nodded, though I still wasn't convinced. "You can't tell him I'm pregnant, Jack," I said nervously. "If he knows that the infertility was a mistake, he'll drag me back for certain."

"I know, I know," Jack pulled me closer and wrapped his arm around me. "I'll do whatever I can to keep you here, alright? I love you and Mia more than anything."

"I know, but Jack, if it comes to us being dragged back or you being killed… let us go," a tear left my eye. "Please… I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to you because of me." Jack nodded sadly. "I finally told Mia about the baby," I smiled, hiding the sadness I felt inside. Things were so perfect only an hour ago. How had things changed so quickly? "She was so happy…" I cried against his shoulder.

"I know, Rose, I know," he hugged me tightly, finally letting go a moment later. "Listen, I know you're scared, but you're so strong, Rose, you can do this."

I nodded slowly, then quickly wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and gave him one last sad and fleeting kiss. "I just… I needed one last kiss, just in case."

Jack nodded, taking my hand again, intertwining his fingers with mine. Something caught his eye and he looked up, over my shoulder. I felt him tense. "They're here." I followed Jack's gaze to the path leading up to the house, where Cal and his manservant, Bruce, were approaching the house. I took a deep breath and gripped Jack's hand tighter.

The door swung open, and in walked the two men. I immediately hardened myself; just looking at Cal made me furious. "What are you doing here, Cal?" I asked angrily.

He looked even more cruel than I remembered, somehow. I wasn't surprised, of course, since the last time I saw him, he hurt my daughter, my little girl. She was beautiful, kind, and innocent in every way and he had the nerve to hurt her? "You've been gone for a long time, sweet pea." His smirk made me nauseous, and hearing him call me "sweet pea" only exacerbated that. "You didn't think I'd just let you disappear, did you?"

I didn't answer; I was far too angry to say anything. "Regardless," Cal continued. "I'm here to reclaim what's mine." He eyed Jack, glaring at him. Jack's gaze was cold as ice, staring back at him angrily.

"Mia and I aren't yours," I answered angrily. "She may be your blood, but she's not yours. I may have been yours once, but I haven't been in a very long time." My hand tightened in a fist. "And I never will be again."

"Enough of this back-talk," Cal replied. Behind him, Bruce stood with his arms crossed, and I could see the shape of a gun inside his coat. "You and Amelia will come back to Pittsburgh with me… now."

I crossed my arms. "She isn't here," I lied. My heart pounded in my chest, praying that there were no movements or creaks in the floorboards upstairs that would suggest she was hiding. "She's gone, somewhere safe, somewhere you'll never find her." I had that smug smile plastered across my face, although I knew it would be rather easy for Cal to find Mia.

Before I could realize what was happening, Cal took a step forward and brought his hand to my face, slapping me forcefully. The sting radiated all over as my head turned to the side. I brought my hand up to my cheek, wincing in pain.

"Hey, don't touch her!" Jack yelled, clenching his hand in a fist and charging towards Cal. Meanwhile, Bruce was reaching for his gun from his coat, ready to shoot.

I knew that if I didn't stop Jack, he would be killed. "Jack stop!" I grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "He'll shoot." Jack glanced down to the gun in Bruce's hand and reluctantly calmed down. "It's alright."

I stared into Jack's eyes, silently telling him I was alright, though I knew that a red blotch from the slap was beginning to form on my cheek. As I turned to look back at Cal, needing to keep an eye on him and his manservant, I heard creaking on the stairs. Oh no, I thought to myself. Mia.

"Mommy?" Mia called for me once she reached the bottom step. I closed my eyes in frustration, knowing that now there was now nothing I could do to keep her safe. Cal could do whatever he wanted, and I had no way of stopping him. I wished I could pick up Jack's gun and kill him, I wished I could tear him limb from limb for what he did to me and, more importantly, what he did to Mia. I wished Mia and I could live a life where we were safe and free of Cal forever. As time went on, that seemed less and less likely.

"Mia-" I covered my mouth with my hand. There was nothing else I could say.

Cal glared at me, then turned to Mia. "Amelia," his voice was stern. "Come here." I hoped Mia would know better than to go to him. I knew when Cal and I were standing before her, asking her to come to one of us, she would come to me.

Mia looked up at him, her eyes not filled with the fear I often saw when she looked at Cal. After only a moment, she stepped down from the last step and walked towards Cal, and my heart sank. When she turned away from Cal and started walking towards me, I sighed in relief. She wouldn't go to him, I knew that for certain.

After a moment, I realized Mia wasn't walking towards me. She was walking towards Jack, and when she got to him, she grabbed onto his leg, the way she always did to me when she was scared. "Hey, it's alright," Jack said quietly, stroking the top of her head. He knelt down to her. "Go back upstairs," he whispered. "Don't open the door for anyone but Mommy or me, okay?"

I watched them while also keeping an eye on Cal. I wondered what he was thinking. He must have cared, at least on some level. I didn't know if he ever cared about Mia, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt he once cared about me, though I didn't know how that could fade all at once.

Mia finally ran away and went back upstairs. I heard the door close, and her small footsteps continued into the corner, where her closet was. I sighed in relief, knowing that the door was locked and the only person who had a key was Jack. Cal wouldn't get into the room. He would never get his hands on her again.

"We're wasting time here," Cal barked. "You and Amelia are returning to Pittsburgh. You can come with me willingly, or I can drag you both back there. Either way, you will be returning to the estate. And you will never do anything like this again."

I closed my eyes, holding back the tears. There was no way out of this, not one I could think of, at least. "Cal, please don't do this," I begged. Tears ran down my cheeks as I looked at him pleadingly. "Please, Cal. You're not happy with me or Mia. You'd be better off without us. And Mia and I… we're happy here. Please."

Cal didn't answer for a moment, and I was shocked to see that he was actually considering my words, considering letting us stay with Jack. Finally, he shook his head. "That won't work," he answered. "You and I are married, Rose. Don't be naive; you know I can't just let you walk away."

He was right, and I knew it. Letting me go would ruin his reputation. "I do have a proposition," Cal continued. "I don't care about Amelia-"

"Clearly," Jack interrupted, clenching his jaw and tightening his hand in a fist. He cared about her so much, and it warmed my heart even during the most stressful moments.

Cal glared at Jack. "If I were you, Dawson, I'd keep my mouth shut and listen to what I have to say." Jack's fist remained clenched, and I reached over to take his hand and held it in mine. Cal looked down at our hands together, then looked back up at me. "If you agree to come back with me now, I'll leave Dawson and Amelia alone. If you refuse, I'll have Dawson arrested for kidnapping, and I'll take you and Amelia back anyway."

Jack's jaw dropped in shock, and before I could talk it over with him or think about it myself, I agreed. "Deal."

Cal nodded. "We will give you a few minutes to prepare your things, and then we will take the first train back to Pittsburgh." Cal and his manservant stayed there, unwilling to leave my side in case I planned to run.

"Rose-" Jack began, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

I looked at him and smiled sadly. "You know I have to do this, Jack. I can't let him have you arrested, and I can't let Mia go back there… not when I can do something to prevent it." We stood far enough from Cal that he couldn't hear us talking. Jack nodded slowly, and I wrapped my arms around him. "I love you, Jack-"

"Don't do that," Jack interrupted me. "Don't you say your goodbyes." He took my hand and held it, looking at me, then looking down at our hands. "I'm sorry… there wasn't more I could do…"

"You're doing so much, Jack," I told him. "Everything you've done for us, and now you're taking care of Mia for me… I can't thank you enough."

Jack smiled and nodded. "Of course." He touched my cheek. "Do you want to say goodbye to Mia?"

I shook my head. "I can't," I replied. "I can't risk bringing her out in front of Cal. He could change his mind and take her." I placed my hands on his shoulders. "When I leave and you get her from her room, tell her that I love her, and that I didn't want to leave. Tell her that I love her more than anything. And tell her…" I paused, my sobs taking over. "Tell her I hope we can reunite one day."

"I'll tell her," Jack nodded. "I promise, I'll tell her." He moved his thumb on my hand in nurturing circles. Suddenly, his face grew more serious, more worried. "Rose, what about-"

"I'll figure something out," I assured him. "I'll… I don't know. I'll figure something out." I looked down, making a realization, but one that I couldn't say out loud. It would be obvious soon that I was pregnant, and it was already a bit visible. Soon enough, Cal would realize that I could give him an heir, and then I'd be trapped with him, fully with him, forever. I didn't know what I'd do. "I'll send you letters if I can."

"Okay," Jack said sadly, knowing that this would really be our final goodbye. My bags were packed by one of the servants dragged along, packed away in the motorcar, and time had run out. "I love you, Rose."

"I thought we weren't saying our goodbyes," I said quietly, looking at him tearfully. I touched his cheek, then looked around, relieved to find that Cal and his manservant were gone. I leaned forward, giving Jack a loving, but fleeting kiss. "Jack…" I had no more words left to say. I had told him the three words that mattered the most, and he reciprocated them. There was only one thing left to say: "Never let go."

I walked away, then, letting his fingers slip through mine, and reluctantly climbed into the motorcar. I looked out the window, tears blurring my vision, as I watched my home, my daughter, and my one love grow further and further away.

•••

~Jack~

It didn't feel real, none of it did. How had I just found her, only to lose her again? I thought I had won against Cal, that I was smarter, that I got the woman we both wanted. But I didn't. Cal had won again.

I always win, Jack. One way or another.

We still had each other's love, that much remained true. Her heart would never belong to him; it would always be mine. There was a time when I thought love was enough to make everything work. That belief was gone now.

I heard a creak in the floorboards upstairs and realized that Mia was still in her room hiding from Cal. My heart broke; how was I supposed to tell her that her mother was gone, possibly forever? That I, someone she'd only known for a few months, was now going to be her only parent? I couldn't do it.

I made my way up the stairs and opened her bedroom door. Mia was there, sitting in the corner, her knees up to her chest, tears running down her cheeks. She looked petrified, and I didn't blame her. I was nearly thirty years old, and Cal scared me as well. "Hey," I gave a fake smile, shoving my sadness and anger deep inside to be readdressed when I was alone. I walked over to her and lifted her into my arms, holding her tightly in a hug.

Mia rested her head on my shoulder, close enough to my ear that I could hear her ask quietly, "Where's Mommy?"

I closed my eyes sadly, wishing I didn't have to answer the question while also knowing there was no way around it. I placed Mia on her bed and sat next to her. She didn't deserve any of what life had given her in five short years. She deserved two parents who loved her and cared for her, though I suppose she had that just a few days ago. She deserved to have her mother, her favorite person in the world, in her life without the constant threat of losing her. I shook my head, dismissing the thoughts, knowing that I had to be strong now for Mia. "Mommy… Mommy's gone, Mia," I had tried desperately to bury my sadness inside for the time being, but I couldn't. "I don't know if she'll be able to come back."

She stayed still for a moment, staring at me in disbelief. She then dropped her head against her knees and started to sob. I pulled her close to me, holding her in my arms. "Shhh, I know, I know," I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling not to cry as well. "I know you'll miss her. I'll miss her too."

There was nothing I could do to free Rose from Cal, there was nothing I could do to bring Rose back where she belonged, and there was nothing I could do to reunite Rose and Mia. What I could do, what I had to do, was care for this little girl, this piece of the woman that I loved. I loved Mia as if she were my own daughter. I would do this, for Rose and for Mia. I would step up to the responsibility. And I would never let go.