Jack came home to find Ruth, Rose, and Ruth's husband sitting in the living room, catching up on what had happened during the past year. He stood there in shocked silence for a few minutes, when Rose looked up to see him there. She immediately got to her feet and went to him.

"Jack, you won't believe it, but Mother arrived this afternoon, along with her new husband Randall Drake. We've talked everything through and she's really sorry for all that's happened in the past," Rose pulled him further into the room, with a nervous smile. She had no idea how this was going to go. Jack was normally friendly to everyone and very forgiving...except when it came to the people that had hurt her the most, such as Cal and her mother.

Ruth got to her feet and gave a stiff nod. "Mr. Dawson…"

"Mother?" Rose frowned, seeing the struggle that her mother was having. She hoped that Ruth's words weren't just that. Words.

Ruth blushed, looking embarrassed. She looked over at her husband who just gave her an encouraging nod. He obviously had faith in her ability to push down the wall that she had so firmly put in place a long time ago. "Jack. I'm sorry for my behavior on Titanic. I was...suspicious of you for no good reason when I really should have been grateful to you. Rose had told me the truth about how the two of you have met and to say that I'm..devastated that I had a hand in pushing her so far...and if it hadn't been for your kind bravery, she may not be here today. I am grateful to you and I hope that you can forgive me for my cold treatment of you and for allowing Cal to send you below decks the night of the sinking."

Jack looked at Rose, not knowing what to think about this change in Ruth Dewitt Bukater. She had always been an ice queen not only towards himself but to Rose too. But if Rose believed that she changed, he'll at least try to get along with her. "Ok. Apology accepted. Just as long as you're good to Rose and respect her and her decisions from now on, I have no problems with you."

"Jack, may I also introduce my mother's new husband, Randall Drake. He owns a factory in Philadelphia," Rose introduced her new stepfather. She had been surprised at the man's pleasant personality and that someone so kind-hearted would be interested in her mother enough to marry her and obviously make her change for the better. "Randall, this is my husband Jack Dawson."

Randall came up to shake Jack's hand, giving him a curious look. "Dawson? You wouldn't happen to be related to the Dawsons in Boston, would you? You kind of remind me of them. They're all blond-haired and blue-eyed such as you are sir."

Jack chuckled, remembering the last time he was asked such a question. "Not to my knowledge. I was born and grew up here in Chippewa Falls."

"May I ask the name of your father?"

"Ric Dawson...as far as I know he was from here as well. At least, that's what I had always believed."

"Hmm…," Randall nodded, his mind making some kind of connections. "Do you know who your grandparents are?"

"Randall! Why are you asking so many questions of my daughter's husband," Ruth nervously laughed, afraid that Jack would become offended if the questioning continued.

Randall's face grew a little red, realizing that he was getting carried away. "Oh...forgive me. I tend to do that, dig in places where I'm not wanted. My mother said I should have moved ahead with my first dream of wanting to be a journalist."

"That's perfectly ok," Jack gave a tight smile, wondering why the man was asking about his grandparents, who he really didn't know anything about. He had never met them and his father had never spoken of them, which was strange when he thought about it.

"Is Fabrizio still on his honeymoon, darling? How about Tommy and Leah? I know that they were taking Lily out to the park. Should they be back soon?" Rose questioned, wanting to get all of the introductions out of the way.

"Oh, so you have other people staying with you?" Ruth asked, sounding interested.

"Jack's friends Tommy and Fabrizio stay here as well. Oh, get this. Fabrizio just got married to Sarah Hockley. Cal's sister."

"What?! Oh, my word, Nathan must be furious. How much money does this Fabrizio have? He must be the heir to some European fortune, right?" Ruth went right into gossip mode, causing both Jack and Randall to give each other amused glances.

"Oh, no mother! Fabrizio is not rich at all! He was Jack's traveling companion before and after Titanic! When Sarah got here, she and Fabrizio became friends and before you knew it, they had a romance going and they had eloped, just when Cal showed up here in town!"

"Oh my! How awful was Cal's reaction?"

"Pretty awful. I don't even want to think of what their father's reaction must have been when Cal broke the news to him that Sarah refused to come home and was now married to an Italian immigrant."

"She can consider herself disowned, most likely," Ruth nodded, really enjoying the conversation. She had missed this part of her relationship with her daughter. The habit of sitting down to tea or luncheon and sharing the gossip of the day. It felt like old times, almost.

"Fabrizio's a wonderful man with big ambitions. Mr. Hockley should be happy for Sarah to be married to Fabrizio," Jack stood up for his friend. "If Sarah was my sister, I'd be ecstatic to accept Fabrizio into the family."

Randall suddenly realized why Jack Dawson seemed so familiar to him and the revelations shook him to his core. He looked at Ruth who just gave a polite smile and at Rose who stared at Jack like a woman in love should. The way the girl looked at the boy, Randall could tell that he was her whole world. If his suspicions were true...which he feared they were...their whole world was about to get a lot bigger.

…..

Randall was quiet once he and Ruth got back to the hotel. Ruth, having met Lily at last when Tommy and Leah had returned was just gushing over her newly discovered granddaughter.

"It doesn't even matter that Rose didn't give birth to the child, did you see those red curls and those rosebud lips! So much like Rose's! One would not think that the child was adopted! Extraordinary I tell you! Oh, I cannot wait to take the child shopping and spoil her senseless!" Ruth shed her coat and gloves as they entered their room.

"She is a beautiful child," Randall replied, his voice distracted by his own suspicions.

Ruth frowned as she began to take the pins out of her hair. "Darling, you are unusually quiet. What is bothering you?"

"It's probably nothing…"

"It's obviously something. It has you going quiet like you do when you have a big meeting with a client. What is it?" Ruth insisted, not wanting to drop the subject. Whatever it is, maybe she could help.

"Oh...well...it may be nothing but...it's Rose's husband. Jack Dawson."

Ruth frowned. "What about him? He's just a boy. The boy that stole my daughter away from me and Cal, with good reason, but still a boy…"

"Maybe he's not. Not if my suspicions are on point."

"What? Is he some kind of criminal? Did he do something illegal and was in all the papers at some point?" Ruth's eyes widened in alarm, a trembling hand coming to rest against her throat.

Randall couldn't help himself. He had to laugh. "Now, Ruth, that boy is no criminal! You know that!"

"No, I don't! I have no idea who Jack Dawson is, really! Only that he's the boy my Rose got herself married to and is now deeply in love with!"

Randall nodded, his amusement turning into contemplation. "I grew up in Boston with the Dawsons of the area. I was best friends with Eric and Enid Dawson. Twins. Eric was my best friend. He was handsome and funny. Adventurous and kind. He was not happy growing up in the Dawson household. He felt trapped. Caged in. So...he ran away. He was seventeen years old when he told me that he was off to live life on his own terms without the confines of high society. He said that it wouldn't matter to his parents because he and Enid were the middle siblings and not the ones who would inherit everything. So, he left. His parents looked for him for quite some time, but he was never seen or heard from again. He was the lost Dawson sibling. Enid, his dear sister grew bitter over his disappearance though. I was afraid that my parents were going to make me marry her, but thankfully we had moved to Philadelphia."

"Oh how sad...but what does this have to do with Jack?"

Randall gave Ruth a grim look and sighed, feeling as if a weight was sitting on his shoulders. He didn't know what her reaction would be. "Jack is the spitting image of Eric. There are some small differences, like Eric's nose was a little wider and Jack is an inch taller than Eric...but...everything else...he looks exactly like my old friend who ran away all those years ago."

"Darling...you are not saying what I think you're saying...are you?"

"I may be way off base...but the fact that the boy resembles Eric so much...and his father's name is what? Ric? Eric could have changed his name if he did not want to be found! And why would Dawsons look here in this small town for their son? This would be the perfect place to hide and perhaps raise a small family. Be away from high society good and proper!"

"Did my daughter marry a Boston Dawson? Without knowing it?!" Rose gasped, her own mind reeling.

"It can be a real possibility, Ruth. The thing is...do I tell Jack? Do I write to Enid and let her know that I may have found out what had become of her brother and that she may have a nephew? Or should I just leave it alone and let Jack and Rose live their lives in peace?"

Ruth blinked rapidly, taken aback at the thought that Randall would keep these revelations to himself. "Darling...I'm not saying this because I want my daughter back in the lap of luxury. She has made it clear that she detests that way of life. I am saying this because this is that boy's family. He probably thinks that he's all alone in the world now that his parents are gone. It's only right to let him know that he does have a family out there. That he's not alone after all. And doesn't Enid have a right to know what has become of her brother? That she has a nephew?"

"But Ruth, we don't even know if I'm right about this!"

"You said it yourself. Jack is the very image of Eric Dawson! How can that be some kind of coincidence?!"

Randall winced. "You're right."

"Darling...at least write to Enid. Let her know what may have become of her brother...and...tell Jack about Eric Dawson. At least let him know that there's a possibility that he has family elsewhere."

Randall nodded, seeing the wisdom of his wife's words. "You're right. I'll write Enid tomorrow. She has a right to know."