Philadelphia looked the same as it had the day she had left it. Business people go to and fro, in a hurry to get to the next meeting. Shops are open, ready for that day's business. First-class ladies and their children, out for a stroll or to picnic in the park. Servants doing their employer's bidding. It was just another day, but to Rose, it was a return to being a captive of high-class society rules. A return to being the well-brought-up first-class lady that people expected her to be. To Jack...to Jack, it felt quite different from the first few times. There was dread in the pit of his stomach. An expectation of rejection and loss.

Rose followed her mother as they disembarked the train. She took everything in, realizing that she wasn't the same person that had left for Coney Island two months ago. Now she was not only engaged but engaged to the man of her dreams. She no longer dreaded the upcoming nuptials, because now the groom was Jack Dawson. Someone who loved and respected her and saw her as more than just a pretty face to take to galas and cotillions and to bear him an heir. To Jack, she was her own person with her own dreams and wants and he had sworn to help her realize those dreams.

"Mr. Dawson," Ruth cleared her throat, catching the attention of Jack's father. "I must insist that the three of you stay with Rose and me during this business trip. There is plenty of room at our mansion and I don't see the need to have you pay good money when you can reside with us. After all, we will be family soon."

"We don't want to be a burden," Ralph Dawson chuckled, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He was never one to assume anything. He certainly had no assumptions where the Dewitt Bukater women were concerned. It hadn't even occurred to him to ask that he and his two young companions stay with the women during this short trip.

"Oh, it is no burden at all. In fact, I insist. Rose's future father-in-law and husband shall stay with us. You are now family, after all. Isn't that so, Rose?"

Rose of course had no objections. This just meant even more time with Jack. "Of course!"

"You just don't want to be parted from my dearest cousin," Emilie giggled, giving Rose a knowing wink.

"Emilie, behave," Jack shook his head, taking Rose's hand in his, also happy about the arrangements.

"Fabrizio," Ralph turned to the young valet who was already struggling with Jack's bags. "Will you flag down a car to take us to the Dewitt Bukater estate, please?"

"I'll take those, Fabri," Jack stepped forward to relieve his friend of the luggage that he was already feeling guilty for having him handle. He would probably never feel comfortable having his friend serve him, especially after a year of being equals.

"Fabri?"

The voice was unmistakable to Jack. He hadn't seen Tommy Ryan in months, but he could never forget that pure Irishness in his accent and the feeling of comradeship that always appeared in the Irishman's presence.

"Tommy, Amico!" Fabrizio greeted, allowing Jack to take the bags so he could go hug their friend. This reunion was unexpected but was completely welcomed. It was time for Jack and Tommy to face each other now that some time had passed. Surely Tommy couldn't be angry anymore.

Anxiety filled Jack as he watched his two friends hug one another in greeting. It had been months since he had even set eyes on Tommy. He had no idea what the bartender felt for him now. Was the anger still there? Was Tommy even willing to hear his ill-prepared explanation about why he kept the truth of his identity a secret?

A soft hand slipping into his own pulled Jack's attention away from Tommy and Fabrizio. Instead, he looked into a pair of concerned, yet encouraging green eyes.

"This is an unexpected, yet good surprise. Now you two can talk, right?" Rose gave an encouraging smile.

"Is that the Tommy Ryan you told me about?" Emilie stepped up behind him, eyeing the newcomer curiously. "He's even better looking than Fabrizio if I do say so myself."

"Behave," Jack shook his head, hoping that Emilie didn't do anything inappropriate.

Fabrizio pulled out of the hug and laughed. "What a surprise to see you here!"

"I'm picking up my aunt Katherine. She's supposed to be coming from Ohio to visit. I just happened to come across your blimey arse," Tommy chuckled, then blushed when he noticed Rose and Emilie. "Excuse my language."

"It's perfectly alright, we've heard worse from Jack here," Emilie smiled, growing even more curious about the handsome Irishman.

"Tommy, this is Jack's cousin Emilie Dawson and you know Rose of course...and you of course know Jack," Fabrizio introduced.

Tommy frowned as his eyes landed on Jack for the first time. "I thought I did, anyway."

Jack winced, noticing that Tommy's tone was not friendly...but it wasn't unfriendly either. For the first time, he was having a hard time reading his friend. He had no idea how to take anything at the moment.

Tommy just gave a short nod, whether it was towards the girls or to Jack, no one could tell. "I have to go find my aunt's train. Don't be a stranger Fabri. Come by anytime. Bring the lasses with you."

Jack again winced inwardly, noticing that he hadn't been included.

Jack watched as Tommy walked away, not knowing what else he could have done at that moment to make things right between them again. Sighing, he looked around for his father and Rose's mother, who must have gone back into the train for some reason he did not know. Probably to make further traveling preparations perhaps.

Fabrizio shifted from one foot to another, feeling awkward. He had no idea what had just happened. He just wished that things were back to normal between Jack and Tommy. It was obvious that they weren't right just yet. He had to wonder, what in the world it would take to make the two friends again.

"That was awkward," Emilie frowned, also sensing the tension.

"That was to be expected, I suppose. I mean...I didn't expect a welcoming happy to see you from him. He's still pissed at me…"

"I think it's more hurt than anger, to be honest," Rose gave his hand a supportive squeeze. "You two can still work it out. Don't give up. Remember, show him that he does know you, just like you showed me."

"Is everything alright out here?" Ralph reappeared, followed by Ruth, who was clutching her beige traveling gloves.

"I do apologize, I had forgotten my gloves onboard the train. Dear Ralph escorted me to retrieve them," Ruth quickly explained their absence.

"You had just missed meeting one of Jack's friends. He was...interesting," Emilie explained. "He doesn't seem too happy with Jack, though. Which is understandable, after all, he didn't know Jack's true...status in society. But I'm sure they'll make up. Jack just has to apologize for being less than truthful."

Jack sighed again, wishing that all it would take to get Tommy back was an apology. Somehow, he felt that it was going to take a lot more than that.

….

Dewitt-Bukater Mansion...

Everyone was now settled. Jack was in a room across from his father and Emilie had the room across from Rose's, while Fabrizio was situated in the quarters assigned for the staff of visitors and guests.

Jack had just finished hanging up the suit he was going to wear the next day to the meeting that his father had planned for them both to attend. He was hoping to maybe search out Rose and spend the remaining hours of the day with her, but instead, he found himself standing outside the door to his father's room, the situation with Tommy on his mind. Whenever he was a boy, he would always turn to his father with his problems, whether it was with a homework problem or dealing with a disagreement with Fabrizio. Now that he was older, he had stopped going to his father with every problem he faced in life, feeling that some things he should deal with on his own. But right now, he felt the need for the advice of an older man, that man being his father. Perhaps the elder Dawson would know how to fix things with a hurt friend.

Not taking any more time to rethink taking the matter to his father, Jack knocked on the door, hoping that his father could indeed help the situation.

"Come in," Ralph called out, knowing that the person on the other end most likely would be his son.

Jack opened the door and stepped into the well-lit room. He wasn't surprised to see that his father had already begun to make himself ready for the evening hours. His favorite book was already set out and he wouldn't be surprised if Fabrizio showed up with a shot of bourbon for his father to enjoy.

"Um...do you have time to give me some advice?" Jack asked, still not sure if this was a good idea. Most likely, his father would give him the same advice that Rose and Fabri and even Emilie had given.

"Sure. What's bothering you, son? This doesn't have anything to do with Rose, does it?"

"Oh no, things with Rose are great. Perfect, really. No, this is about...the friends I had made here during my break from high society."

Ralph frowned as he sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to him, signaling for Jack to join him. "Come. Tell me all about it and I'll see if I can help you in any way."

Jack did as he was told and took a deep breath, hoping that this talk would lead to some clarity for him. "Well...when I went home, it was an immediate decision. I didn't even take time to say goodbye. No one knew that I was the son of a rich family until they read it in the papers. When I was last here...I didn't even go see them. I just went to that gala and visited Rose and then ran back to Boston to hide like a coward…"

"Oh, Jack…"

"I know. It's not behavior worthy of your son...believe me, I'm disappointed in myself as well," Jack sighed, hearing the disappointment in his father's voice. "Anyway...I saw one of them at the train station today and...he barely acknowledged me. It was like we were strangers. But we're not strangers...he was one of the people I was closest to here. It was me, Tommy, and Fabri. The three amicos...that's what Fabri called us. Now it's like he doesn't even know me."

"You're hurt by this…"

"Of course I am...but I think he's hurt too. Knowing Tommy, he thinks that I was slumming it. That our friendship wasn't real. That I was probably laughing at him and the people in the community where we were staying. But I wasn't laughing, dad! It was never a joke! It wasn't slumming! I lived among those people! I was one of them! I never once wrote home for money or stayed at a lavish hotel while I was here! I really was...penniless and I never put on airs. I was never fake! I was real with all of them! The only thing I did was leave out the fact that I came from a rich family. That I wasn't as penniless as everyone thought!"

"But they are still hurt, son. I mean...look at what we high society folk do. We have these parties and go to these neighborhoods for fun and look down at their way of life. We act like their lives are just for our entertainment. We go to their neighborhoods. Tsk, tsk, throw money around, and then run back to our mansions, not giving them a second glance. Can't you understand why your friends may feel hurt or betrayed by your omission? Especially when you suddenly up and disappear, just to reappear as the heir to a fortune. They'll assume that your friendship was fake and it'll make them angry and hurt."

Jack simply nodded and bowed his head. "It was never my intention to hurt anyone, though. I just...I just wanted friends that saw the real me. Friends that didn't befriend me for what I could do for them, but because they genuinely liked me. I never had that growing up, except for Fabri. Everyone else just wanted to be my friend because of my last name and...that in itself hurt. I always felt like an outsider, but that year when I was just Jack Dawson, a penniless artist...it was the first time I had felt like I belonged anywhere! People accepted me for me."

"Why did you leave so suddenly, son? Why didn't you say goodbye?"

Jack shrugged, not really having a good explanation. "I don't really have a good excuse. All I can say was that I had fallen in love and I wanted...no I needed to do all I could to get the girl I loved out of a situation she was miserable in. I knew that I wouldn't have a chance to woo Rose away from Hockley as a penniless artist...that I had to come home and take my place as your son if I was to court her. I didn't know how long I would have...that time was of the essence, so I packed up and returned home without a second thought. It wasn't until I was on the train back home that I realized that I should have at least taken a day to explain myself to Tommy and the others before leaving. Now it's too late and Tommy can barely look at me now. Who knows what the others think of me."

Ralph placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder and met his eyes full-on. "I think they're hurt and yes, they may be angry with you. But you can't hide from them, son. That will only make it worse. "

"What should I do?"

Ralph sighed. "Well...I had hoped to have you present at tomorrow's business meeting, but really I can go it alone. What you should do is take Rose and Emilie to meet these friends of yours. Make amends. Explain yourself the best that you can and show them that you are who they have always known you to be. That when it comes down to it, you had never lied. That's what you should do."

Jack blinked, taken aback that his father was releasing him from having to attend the meeting that they had come for. "Are you sure that you don't need me? After all, that's why you had me come…"

"I had only wanted to show you the ropes of running the business. There will be other meetings you can attend. Right now, you need to make things right with the people who had cared for you over that year that you were away."

"I...I'm afraid, dad," Jack admitted, looking away from his father's gaze. "What if they don't forgive me? What if it's too late?"

"It'll be a lesson learned. But, I don't think it is too, late son. Rose forgave you for your omission, didn't she? So will your friends. You just have to go to them. Stop hiding. Show them that you are still the man that they thought you were. You're a little bit richer now," Ralph gave his son an encouraging wink.

Jack was full of emotions. Fear, shame. Respect, and love. Respect and love for this man that has been his hero since he could remember and was still his hero now. He so badly wanted to be a man that his father could be proud of. "Thank you, dad. I...I won't disappoint you again."

"Hey, you never disappointed me, son. I am so proud of how you've turned out. Our money doesn't define you as a person. You appreciate the simple things in life and know that love and friendship are more important than status and riches. That is the kind of man I hoped you would be and I am so happy that you've turned out so well."

"Really? So if I decide not to go into the family business…?"

"I'll still be proud of you, my son."

Feeling choked up with emotion, Jack hugged his father. Again, he realized how lucky he was to have his father. Things could have been so much different for him if his father was anything like Nathan Hockley. "I love you, dad."

"I love you, too Jack. Things will be alright. Just be the young man that we all know you are, tomorrow."

For the first time that day, Jack felt that everything really will be alright. Even if Tommy and the others didn't forgive him.