ALL THE WAY
Chapter One

February 10th, 1920
Late Afternoon

"Mommy! Baby Luke is crying," Jillian Dawson announced coming into her father's studio, where Jack was working on a drawing and Rose was talking with him.

Rose turned and smiled at her daughter. She was always telling her when 'Baby Luke' was crying, when he needed to be changed, or when something else had happened.

"Thank you Jilly," Rose said getting up. "Why don't we go get him, okay?"

Three-year-old Jillian nodded her curly red head and smiled at her mother.

"Jack, I'll be back down in a minute," Rose said taking her daughter's hand.

"Hmm," Jack mumbled, wrapped up in his drawing.

Rose smiled and left the room, Jillian right beside her. "Where's Michael, Jillian?" she asked as they walked up the main floor, going slow while Jillian used her little feet to walk up.

"In the kitchen," Jillian replied as she made it to the top of the stairs.

"Oh, no! What's he doing in there?" Rose asked before sighing.

Her eldest child was a bit of a wild one. At the age of four and a half, he was always running around the house, getting into everything and anything and causing his parents to constantly clean up after him.

Jillian shrugged her shoulders, which to Rose meant "I know, but I'm not going to tell."

Rose laughed, "I'm going to get you if you don't tell me!" Jillian laughed and started running as fast as she could into the living room, where she flopped onto the couch.

Rose chased her daughter up onto the main floor, where she almost tripped over someone on her way to the living room. Rose stopped and looked down.

Sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, his face covered in mud, was Michael. He had a pan set out, a spoon by his side, and mud not only in the pan, but also on Rose's freshly cleaned wood floor.

"Oh, Michael," Rose groaned, squatting down. "Sweetie, what are you doing?" she asked her oldest son, who looked like a younger version of Jack.

"Making a mud pie," Michael said pushing the spoon into the mess.

Rose laughed, "Where did you get an idea like that?"

"From Gracie," Michael replied.

Rose shook her head and stood up. Dianna and Bryan's second child, Grace, was a bit on the wild side and was always telling Michael about things she and her older sister, Meaghan, did. Dianna let those children run wild, but they were very well behaved and polite. Suddenly, a cry from upstairs broke Rose's train of thought.

"Mommy! Luke is crying!" Jillian cried from the couch.

"I know, Jillian. Come on, let's go get him up." Rose held her hand out to Jillian again and Jillian ran over, taking her mother's hand. "Michael?"

Michael looked up and smiled. "Yeah Mommy?"

"Will you please clean this up for me?" Rose asked as she started for the stairs.

"Okay!" Michael shouted loudly.

"Inside voices!" Rose called to her son as she left the room. Michael replied something, but Rose didn't hear. She walked upstairs and, with Jillian right behind her, slowly entered Luke's room. The lights were off, so Rose flipped the switch and light flooded the room. Three-month-old Luke Dawson was lying down in his crib, his face blotchy with tears.

"Hello Luke, did we have a nice nap?" Rose asked gently as she picked up the newest addition to the Dawson household. Luke Matthew Dawson looked like Jack with very straight blonde hair, unlike Michael, whose hair was curly, and big blue eyes. He had been born last November, something Jack and Rose were very happy about. They had been talking for a few months about having another baby when Rose found out she was pregnant again. Michael was most excited to have a baby brother. And even Jillian was happy, despite the fact that she had wanted a sister. "Like Gracie," she had said.

"Mommy?"

Rose looked up from setting Luke on the changing table and smiled at her daughter. "Yes Jellybean?" she asked.

Jillian was sitting on the floor, with a doll, Suzy, in her hands. "What's Val-en-...I forget how to say it Mommy," she finished.

Rose smiled as she changed Luke's diaper. "Valentines Day?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's it," Jillian said excitedly. "What is it Mommy?"

Rose finished changing Luke and put fresh clothes on him while she thought how to explain the holiday to Jillian. "Well," she finally said. "Jilly, it's a day where people tell the people that they love, that they love them. People give other people cards, and presents, and things like that to show that they care." "Like Christmas?" Jillian asked when she heard presents.

"Well, its different from Christmas, Darling. Why, where did you hear about this?"

Jillian jumped up and sat down in a near by chair, dangling her feet over the side. "I'm not supposed to tell," she said after a minute.

Rose smiled at Jillian and came closer. "Oh really?" she asked. "And why is that?"

Jillian started giggling and then said, "Cause Daddy told me not to!"

Rose started laughing. "So Daddy was telling you something about Valentines Day?"

Jillian nodded and then started smiling. Rose shook her head and shifted Luke in her arms. "All right, I won't make you tell me then."

Jillian laughed and jumped down from the chair. She ran out of Luke's room and then Rose heard, "Whoa! Slow down Jillian." Then Jillian's little giggle could be heard as she started down the stairs. A moment later, Jack appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," he said walking over.

Rose handed Luke over to him and smiled. "Hey yourself," she said before gently kissing his cheek. "Drawing all finished?"

Jack nodded as he looked down at Luke. "Yeah, it's all done. I'm going into the office tomorrow so I am going to take it in then," he explained.

Rose nodded and started tidying up Luke's room. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she turned around and put her hand to her forehead. "Oh, um...are we going out to dinner on Valentine's Day?"

Jack sat down in the same chair Jillian had been in and started rocking Luke back and forth. "I was planning on it...why?"

Rose sat down on the floor next to Jack and rested her chin on his knees. "Well, because I need to make reservations," she answered.

Jack cradled Luke in one arm and smiled down at Rose.

"Where do you think we should go?" Rose asked as she smiled back at Jack.

Jack thought for a moment. "How about Santiago's? You know, that Spanish restaurant down by the ocean."

Rose nodded, "That sounds good. I'll call tomorrow."

Jack reached down with his free hand and took Rose's hand in his own. "I guarantee, Rose, you are going to be so excited when I show you what I got us."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Hmm...am I?"

Jack just nodded, "Yeah, you sure are."

"Mommy! Jillian hit me!" Michael yelled, as he suddenly ran into the room.

"Where did she hit you Mike?" Rose asked, turning around.

"Here," Michael pouted, pointing to his arm.

Rose took Michael's arm and kissed where he said it hurt. "Feel better?" she asked.

"A little," Michael sniffled.

"I didn't do anything!" Jillian yelled as she ran past Luke's room on the way to her own room.

"Yes you did Jillian!" Michael yelled back. He suddenly ran out of the room, as quick as he had come in, in pursuit of Jillian.

Rose rolled her eyes and looked back at Jack. "Does it involve no children?" she asked, shaking her head.

Jack just smiled and raised his eyebrows, leaving Rose to wonder.

*****

"But Daddy, if the princess hated the prince, why was she marrying him?" Jillian asked tiredly. Jack was in the middle of telling Jillian a bedtime story. A bedtime story that Jillian kept interrupting with her questions.

Jack pushed some lose hair away from Jillian's face and smiled at her. "Because her mean aunt was making her to Jill. See, princess Lily was really in love with this other boy, John. But John was a poor actor and Lily's Aunt Ramona didn't like John."

Rose stood in the doorway, watching Jack tell his daughter the story. Jillian seemed so interested that Rose hated to make her go to bed, but it was getting late. "Jillian, sweetie, I think this is a good place to stop tonight," she said coming into the room.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Jillian yelled, hiding under the blankets.

"Oh yes, yes, yes," Rose said teasingly. She sat down on the side of Jillian's bed, next to Jack. "Darling, it's already nine. Luke and Michael are asleep already."

"Come on Jellybean," Jack prodded.

Jillian brought her head above the blanket and looked at her parents. "Will you tell me more of the story tomorrow, Daddy?" she asked.

Jack nodded. "I sure will, as long as you get to bed," he promised.

"Okay," Jillian mumbled.

Rose smiled and tucked the covers in around Jillian. "Goodnight Jilly," she whispered. Rose kissed her daughter on the forehead and then go up.

"Night Mommy, night Daddy," Jillian said, her voice muffled because of a pillow.

"See you in the morning Jillian," said Jack as he got up and turned off the lights.

He and Rose stood in the doorway and watched Jillian for a few moments. They then smiled at each other and softy closed the door. Rose leaned her head on Jack's shoulder as they made their way towards their room.

"Addy inside?" Jack asked tiredly before kissing Rose on the forehead.

"Uh huh," Rose mumbled. "All the lights and things are turned off and the doors are locked." Jack smiled and pushed open the bedroom door.

"I don’t know about you," said he, "but I am so tired I could sleep through tomorrow."

Rose laughed softly as she went to her dresser. "I don't think I am that tired," she said.

Rose opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a nightgown. She unbuttoned her dress and slipped that off. After taking off her bra and socks, she slipped the gown over her head and buttoned the few buttons at the top. "I'll be right back," she promised and then scurried off the bathroom.

Jack turned out the lights and turned on the bedside lamp. He quickly undressed and then fell tiredly into bed. While he was debating whether to open a book or not, Rose came out of the bathroom. She climbed into bed next to Jack and sighed tiredly. Jack gave up the book idea and turned off the light. Snuggling next to Rose was better then reading a book for a few minutes. He gently put his arms around her and let Rose mold against him.

"How many hours do you think it will be until Luke wakes up?" she asked.

Jack rolled his eyes at the thought of being woken up. "Oh I don't know. Three at the most," he whispered.

Rose smiled and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Jack," she whispered. Jack kissed her on the cheek.

"Night Rosebud," he answered back.

"You can get up with Luke," Rose offered, her voice muffled. She opened her eyes back up and looked at Jack.

Jack just smiled. "What if he needs to be fed?" he asked.

Rose rolled her eyes this time. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she mumbled. She smiled and then closed her eyes again. "See you in the morning."

Jack closed his own eyes and pulled Rose closer. "I love you," he whispered.

"Love you too," Rose whispered back.

Chapter Two
Stories