Chapter 71

February 5, 1913

It has been little over a week since Rose has given birth to a child, and is now recovering in the hospital while Jack came every now and then to visit both her and little son Tommy. Rose was tired still, but nonetheless cares for her little one as she lays on the hospital bed. The baby sleeps in her arms as Rose cuddles the child in her arms. Today Jack visits Rose the day before she is released from the hospital. He had prepared Jesse's room for them to live in. He spent most of his earnings from working in the Albuquerque marshal's office to pay for the baby items, and on refurbishing the room.

Jack held his baby in his arms for the first time, and felt happy for this child. He smiled, and had tears in his eyes as the baby cooed at his father. He looks over at Rose, as she smiled at him, then looks down back at his child. Tommy begins to fuss, and Jack handed him back to Rose, who began to breast-feed him. She later hands Tommy back to Jack, who tried to burp him, without success, until he threw up on Jack's shoulder. They both laughed, and Jack cleans his shirt after he hands Tommy back to his mother. He leans over, brushes Rose's hair from her forehead, and plants her a big kiss. Tommy tries to grab at his father's neck, and Jack kisses him as well, before leaving back to Jon's house in the cab. Rose cuddles Tommy before breast feeding him once more, before he falls asleep.

They arrived back at the house a few days later from the hospital, with Rose cuddling the baby, and Jack by her side, as he is carrying baby supplies they had gotten from the hospital. He carefully helps her up the stairs to the house, then he opens the door. Jessica leads them to their young son Jack's room, that Jack and Jon had hastily made into a nursery. Jack puts the supplies on the table that had doubled as a baby changing station, and helps Rose into a rocking chair. A toy squeaks, and Tommy began to fuss. Rose quickly rocks Tommy, and he slowly got quiet again. Jack leans down as he once again took a closer look at his son. He hugs Rose, as he is thankful for winning those tickets back at Southampton, which led him to be with the woman he loves, as he knew she had the potential to escape the social life she was trapped in.

With the birth of their beautiful baby boy, they still had that pressing matter to deal with; planning for their big day, and where to have it.

"Rose, what would you think we had a wedding on another ship?" Jack asks, putting a finger on his chin.

Rose looks up, as she was breast feeding Tommy. "Like which one?"

Jack thought long and hard, until it took him back to the day when he first met Jesse, back at the stern.

"Jesse had mentioned he was on a prior ship, the sister ship of Titanic. Maybe we can have our wedding there. I forgot what it was called-"

"You mean the R.M.S. Olympic?" Jack and Rose turned, to see Jessica entering the room, bringing in a tray of steaming hot tea and oatmeal to the couple.

Jack snaps his fingers, and his eyes go wide. "That's the one, and we can have our honeymoon as well, and hopefully Jesse and Marion will be on as well. Fabrizio will the best man. Rose, I know this will be a perfect-"

"Jack, I don't know. What if something happens again?" Rose was beginning to worry, as the sinking was still fresh in her memory. Friends, loved ones, Cora, Mr. Andrews, Trudy, even total strangers all had perished that night. Rose began to sob a little. Jack comforts her, as Jessica now holds Tommy, carefully bouncing him on her lap, like she has done when her son was around Tommy's age. Suddenly she hears something crash in the living room. Jack runs downstairs, only to see little Jack carrying on with his mischievous ways. He had broken a small vase from the bookshelf. Jessica and Rose came downstairs, and they also find Ruth who was still immersed in the bridal magazines in the kitchen.

"I should know. It's not being easy being a parent sometimes." Jessica sighs, knowing what the couple will be putting themselves through.

"It is going to be tough, but in the end it will be rewarding." Jack says, as he calms his 'nephew' as well. He takes him to Jesse's room, where he pulls out his own sketch pad from the top dresser, and let's little Jack have at it once more.

February 14, 1913

It was Valentine's Day, and Jack was grateful he stayed in New York as he began to look for items to send to Rose on this special day. He came across a shop, and inside carried the first Hallmark cards to be sold there. Jack looked through the cards, hoping something would spark his interests. He picked a couple, then a large bar of Hershey's chocolate, before paying for his purchases, then leaving the store. He called a cab to head back to the house, and he had a song in his head that he heard back at the store. He hummed the tune, as the driver took him to the house. They arrived at the house, and Jack paid the fare, before going up the steps to the house.

"Hello, I'm home." Jack called, as he hangs his hat on the tree, then takes off his coat and hangs that up as well. The house was quiet, save for the clock above the fireplace mantel, which was slowly crackling with dying embers. Jack scratches his head, then runs upstairs. The door to the nursery was open but no one was inside, as is Jesse's room. Even the master bedroom was empty. He ran downstairs to the kitchen, and he was greeted by dishes on the table, even some partial food still in the pans. He had a horrible feeling that something was wrong, as he tried to shake it off that feeling. Maybe Cal had changed his mind, and was really getting his Rose back. Jack had a sudden realization that the door wasn't locked when he arrived. He looked outside, and he breathed a sigh of relief the car was gone, but he couldn't shake the feeling still. He began to feel a bit paranoid, as he started to check the doors and windows for any signs of forced entry, but could not find any. Nor were any of the doors were picked. The only way he could calm his nerves was to have a little smoke. He runs to the bedroom, digging in the dresser, until he found his cigarettes. He went outside, beyond the picket fence, and took a drag. He began to worry about the whereabouts of his friends, and most importantly, Rose and his young son. Thoughts began to race through his mind.

Was she kidnapped?

Was Jon carjacked?

Accident?

Had Cal found them?

Jack tried to brush the thoughts away, until he took a long drag. He exhaled, as the smoke wafted along with the gentle breeze. He watched as the smoke finally disappears, then he felt sleepy. He took a long drag before he stepped out the cigarette, then going back into the house, to take a nap in the couch.

…

He awoke to the sounds of a car puttering in the drive, as Jack finally sits back up. He raced to the window, and was ecstatic everyone was back again. He races outside, until he notices something was wrong.

Cal emerged from the rear passenger door, along with that large man. He had Rose in a grip, as Cal held a gun next to her head. Jack's heart raced. He thought Cal wouldn't want to see them anymore. So why is he still here?

Cal sneered as he pulled the trigger. The shot goes off…

…

Jack awakes, panting and sweating. He sat back up in the couch he was napping in, then prepares to look outside, only to be greeted by everyone in the living room. Rose held a comforting hug as Jack began to cry. That dream looked real, and Rose was in real distress in that dream. Rose could feel Jack's wracking sobs as Jon, Jessica and Ruth talked amongst themselves of Jack's and Rose's upcoming wedding plans.

"I wanna hold the baby. I wanna hold the baby!" Little Jack complains.

"No, you're too little, you might drop him." Jessica tells her son, as he pouts, then tugs at Rose's dress for her approval of holding little Tommy.

"Aunty Rose, can I hold the baby?" Jack tries his best to put on a sad face, and grasps his hands outward. Rose takes hold of the child's hand, then tells him,

"Someday, when you're older. But like you mother says, you're too little. Here, you can hug your uncle." She leads younger Jack to older Jack. Jack looks up, teary-eyed and puffy, as he manages a smile. He brushes his hair, then picks up little Jack and places him on his knee, like Jesse had done many times. Jack hugs the boy like he was his own, as he continued to sob, like they were going to be the last time he will see them. Eventually Jack felt better, then he pokes the kid's stomach, as he had seen Jesse do it numerous times. The kid laughs, then hugs Jack for the last time, before running into Jesse's room for his toys.

Everyone was gushing over their first ever Valentine's cards as the family and couple gathered around the kitchen table. Rose and Jack shared their Hershey pieces, and Jon takes his wife to the living room, where he takes out a phonograph neither Jack nor Rose had ever seen, or noticed, out of the closet under the stairs. Jessica sets up the machine as Jon fiddles with the cylinder before starting the machine. It plays a classical music as Jon held out his hand, as Jessica blushes.

"Would you like to have this dance?" Jon asks, as Jessica takes his hand. They performed a slow dance as Jack held Rose's hip, and Rose holding Tommy. Jack sat cross-legged as he watches his parents dance, and Ruth tears up, as she had done many dances like Jon and Jessica were doing, with her late husband back at the Society. Soon, Jack and Rose joined in, adding a bit of twist to their own.

"Come Josephine, my flying machine," Jack sings, as he makes his own notes to the music. He closes his eyes, then puts his forehead oh Rose's head, as they sway to the music. Jon and Jessica kisses, while Jack leans forward and kisses his bride to be on her forehead.

By this time, little Jack was asleep on the carpet, and Rose began to change the baby for the night. Jon puts away the phonograph, and Jessica helps Ruth up the stairs, as everyone got ready for bed.

In Jesse's room, Jack turns out the lights, then jumps under the covers, as Rose laughs. Jack lightly tickles her, before going in for a kiss.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you too, Rose." They kiss, before falling asleep, and dreaming happy dreams. To their bright future.