(The other day I was watching Flora and Ulysses and Flora's mother was a romance writer with writer's block and had asked Flora to point the Jack and Rose statue at her to give her inspiration. That's what I need these days. Someone, point the Jack and Rose statue at me to get me over this writer's block. lol Anyway, here's a new chapter. I hope to have more up sooner than later. Happy reading everyone!)

The rest of the summer vacation flew by and far too soon, it was time for the Dawson's and the Dewitt Bukaters to return to their respective homes. It was next to the last day for the Dewitt Bukater's visit and Rose couldn't be more miserable. She didn't want to go back to Philadelphia. She wanted to return to Boston with Jack! She knew that the minute they returned to Philadelphia, it'll be nothing but shopping trips and wedding planning and tea parties where there would be nothing but gossip and mindless conversations. It'd be nothing like it was here with Jack and Emilie, where they would spend days either at the amusement park, the beach, or just exploring the garden, talking about art, literature, and their hopes and dreams for the future. Then in the evening, Emilie would step aside, giving her and Jack some alone time, where they would kiss and hold each other and dream of the life they'll share together once they were wed.

Now all of that was over. Come tomorrow, she'll be on a train, returning her to boring world of her control freak of a mother. To say that Rose was displeased was an understatement. How was she going to survive not seeing Jack each and every day? Even if the situation was only temporary, it still felt like she was losing a part of her soul.

The morning had been spent preparing for the return home. The Dawson's servants were preparing to close up the estate for the season and Rose and her mother's servants had already packed their clothes and had their travel outfits prepared to be worn.

Rose was in a poor mood that morning. She was all too aware that this was supposed to be her last full day with Jack. She probably wouldn't see him again until the engagement gala in two weeks. Never before had she looked forward to one of those stuffy overly formal social functions before like she did now. It was funny. When Cal was in line to be her fiancee, she dreaded galas and cotillians more than she usually did, because it had meant a full evening wasted in his company, but with Jack...a evening spent on his arm seemed like a fantasy come true.

"Rose, are you dressed?" Emilie knocked on the door.

"Yes I am, I'll be right out!" Rose took one last look in the mirror and exited the room. "Forgive me for taking so long. I guess I just wanted to enjoy one last leisurely morning here. Tomorrow is going to be an utter nightmare."

"Don't I know it. I can not believe how fast this summer has gone. Usually the days drag, but not this year. I do believe this is the best summer we've had here and it's all thanks to you, dear."

"Oh, I don't believe that. Maybe it's the most interesting, but surely not the most fun," Rose giggled. "I do dread leaving. I feel like the past few months have all been a dream. Coming here and spending so much time with you and Jack. Becoming engaged to Jack..it's like something out of a dream."

"But it's not a dream. It's all real and we'll be back together again in Boston soon enough, ready and eager to make the engagement official."

"I can't wait to officially be your cousin. It's funny, this time last year, I dreaded the thought of even having a husband and being attached to someone else, but now...there's nothing I want more. I've never felt so deeply about anyone the way I feel about Jack He's not only handsome, fun, kind, he's...fascinating. I've never known anyone like him before."

Emilie smiled, pleased to hear Rose speak of her fiancee with such love and affection in her voice. She had at one time worried that Jack would be forced to marry some run of the mill debutante that only saw his status and what his status would get her. That he would be stuck in a loveless marriage and locked in a life that he didn't want. It was a great relief to see that her fear would not come to reality. That her cousin was marrying a girl that was seemingly his soulmate. They both deserved each other.

Everyone was seated at the breakfast table when Emilie and Rose arrived in the dining room to take their seats. Jack smiled happily at his fiancee, brimming with the unexpected news that his father had just shared with him only a few minutes earlier.

"Rose and I are sorry if we've kept everyone waiting to eat," Emilie unfolded a napkin to place in her lap.

"Yes, I do apologize. I was making sure that my traveling suit was all ironed and ready to wear for tomorrow's trip," Rose added, unfolding her own napkin.

"That's understandable. I too have to make sure my traveling clothes are ready for tomorrow," Jack grinned, looking directly at Rose, who just gave Jack a strange look.

"Really? I thoght that you had a few more days here."

Jack grinned at his father and then back at Rose. "Actually, no. I'm returning to Philadelphia tomorrow."

"What?" Rose stared, taken by surprised.

"Father has some business he has to tend to and insists on taking me along and since you ladies are heading in the same direction, we both thought it best to join you on your trip home. So you won't be rid of me yet," Jack laughed, loving the look of delight in Rose's eyes. She seemed to just light up at the news.

"Can I come, Uncle Ralph? I'd love to spend more time with Rose and Jack can introduce us to his friends!" Emilie happily asked.

Jack frowned, must Emilie always invite herself along and he really hadn't been planning to visit anyone but Rose...even though he probably should drop in on Tommy and the gang. It was way past time for him to make up with the people who had pretty much been his family for a year.

"Oh Jack, that's a grand idea. You haven't seen little Cora in ages!" Rose's eyes lit up wih the aspect of seeing the little girl again.

"I don't know..."

"I think it'd be a grand idea," Irene spoke up, taking a sip of tea. "It'll be a chance for Emile to get out of Boston for a little bit before concentrating on finding a husband of her own."

"But darling, who will accompany you back to Boston?" Ralph questioned, reluctant to allow his wife to travel alone.

"I'll be fine. Carlotta will be with me and the house is always brimming with servants. I won't find a time to myself, especially when the ladies of antiquity find out I've returned home. It'll be nothing but tea parties and gossip for me and I am sure Emilie would be bored to death."

"Yes I would! Very bored! Please, Uncle Ralph! I can help Rose and her mother while you and Jack attend meetings. She can introduce me to Philadelphia society. It'd be wise to know who is who with the coming nuptials…."

"Well...alright. You may come. But you are to be chaperoned by Jack when it comes to outings. You do not leave his sight, do I make myself clear?" Ralph gave his happy niece a stern look.

"Crystal. Thank you, Uncle Ralph!" Emilie happily smiled before turning to Rose. "We are going to have so much fun!"

Rose was of course happy to spend more time with Emilie as well as more time with Jack, but looking at Jack, he looked anything but happy. In fact, he looked worried.

"Jack, this is good news. You can introduce Emilie to your friends," she wanted to reach for his hand, but it'd be rude to reach across the table.

"Yeah, that is if they'll even want to talk to me...can we change the subject? Who are we meeting with again, father?"

Rose frowned, not used to Jack just brushing her off like that, but she knew it was only because he was worried. From his words, he didn't think his friends would want to see him, which he may be right, but he wouldn't know if he didn't try. She was going to have to talk to him before they head to Philadelphia. Rose had to make Jack see that he couldn't go back to Philadelphia and ignore the people he had left behind. If he did that, there really would be no hope of a reconciliation and that would be a shame.

…..

It being his last day at Coney Island, Jack decided to go down to the private beach on the estate and watch the waves. He had taken his portfolio with him, thinking that he could draw something, but his mind was too busy thinking about the coming trip to be inspired by anything. Yeah, when his father had told him that they would be accompanying Rose and her mother back to Philadelphia, he had been overjoyed. It had meant more time to spend with Rose. But now that Emilie had brought up introducing her to the friends he had made during his break from high society, he now realized how daunting that would be, mainly because he knew that those friends probably hated him now. He knew that he was being a coward, hoping to avoid seeing them again and owning up to his deception, but he couldn't help it. His heart broke at the thought that the people he had come to care so much about hating him. He didn't blame them, though. His whole life there had been a lie in their eyes. They had trusted him and he had failed to tell them the truth about his real identity. They had found out about it in the worst way possible, by reading it in the society pages.

"Jack?" Rose slowly approached. She had walked the estate looking for her new fiancee, wanting to talk to him about the trip and the coming confrontation with his Philadelphia friends. She had almost given up when she remembered the small beach at the edge of the property and made her way down there. She was relieved to find him there, sitting on the sand, his closed portfolio in hand.

Jack looked up at the sound of his name and smiled when he saw it was Rose and she was alone. This made him especially happy. Thanks to society rules, they hardly ever got time to spend to themselves. He loved his cousin and was grateful for her help, but he missed having alone time with Rose. He looked forward to the time when he'd have plenty of alone time with the beautiful redhead.

"Hey. You're by yourself."

Rose blushed and shrugged. "I thought it'd best if we had a little alone time to talk."

"About what?"

"Philadelphia. About why you don't want to see your friends again."

Jack sighed. He should have known he wouldn't be able to brush Rose off like that. She was too perceptive. "It's not that I don't want to see them again. Like I said, they won't want to see me."

Rose sat next to him and pushed a loose strand of blonde hair behind his ear before gently cupping his cheek. Despite the anger she had once held over his deception, she couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to see this wonderful man again, no matter how mad they were. "How do you know? Have you even tried to see them since your return to high society?"

"No...but Fabri went to see Tommy, who made it clear that I was not welcomed."

"Okay, when was this? During that engagement gala we had attended months ago? Surely, they're over their anger now. Maybe they're ready to talk and forgive you."

"I doubt it. Especially Tommy. Talk about an Irish temper. That fella can hold a grudge."

"But it's been months. Surely that temper has cooled down by now and perhaps, if you talk to him, explain to him, like you had explained to me, he'll see that you had meant no harm. That you really are his friend. Really, that anger comes from hurt and he wouldn't be hurt if he didn't care about you. Just let him see that the Jack he knew, that he's always known, is the real Jack. The money, the estate, the status...none of it matters. They're not who you are."

Jack stared at her, amazed. Rose really was an amazing woman. The Dawsons must have their own luck, because it certainly was luck that he had found her. "You are such an amazing woman. I don' t know what I had done to deserve your love."

Rose simply smiled, leaning to gently place her lips against his in a quick, chaste kiss. "You're the amazing one, Jack. Girls like me, they come a dime a dozen. There aren't many first-class gentlemen like you, though."

"Pfft, I doubt that. There aren't many first-class girls that would choose a penniless artist over a rich first-class Caledon Hockley like you had. You loved me before you even knew who I was."

"Exactly and your friends loved you before they knew as well. You just have to show them that the Jack they knew before the money is indeed the real Jack. I'll help and so will Emilie. It's going to be okay, Jack. They'll forgive you. Besides, you can't tell me that you don't want to see little Cora again."

Jack's smile was bright at the mention of the little girl. "Of course I want to see her again! She's my best girl."

"I should be jealous over that," Rose laughed, not jealous in the least.

"Oh please, you're wrapped around her finger just as much as I am."

"She truly is a beautiful child," Rose sighed, looking out over the horizon, a certain thought entering her head, one that hadn't been there before. "She makes me want to have a little girl...with curls and pink cheeks and a sweet smile."

"She'll look just like you," Jack's wore a smile of his own, the worries over Philadelphia fading away as a fantasy of a child of his own took their place. "She'll have your curls and eyes and will be all full of sugar and spice."

"And everything nice, just like you," Rose giggled.

Hey, I'm a boy! We're all snips and snails and puppy dog tails," Jack laughed, remembering the childhood rhyme that his own nanny used to sing to him which seemed a million years ago now.

"Maybe, but you can add everything nice to that where you're concerned."

"Thank you. Not for the everything nice compliment, but...for soothing my nerves over going back to Philadelphia and seeing everyone again. They'll be angry...but I'll just have to remember why they're angry and show them that there's no reason. I'm still the same Jack they've always known."

"It'll be okay, Jack. They'll realize what I had when I found out. You never lied about the person you truly are. They'll see that and they won't be mad any more."

Jack hoped Rose was right. He truly did care about Tommy, Cora and her parents and all the other people that he and Fabrizio knew. He'll go explain himself and hopefully, they'll forgive him and be his friend again.