ALL THE WAY
Chapter Twelve

The Bradshaws left the following Saturday. Everyone, with maybe the exception of Michael, who had no one around his age besides girls, had made at least one new close friend. And Rose now knew that there would be a significant amount of letters coming in and out of the Dawson mailbox from now on. It was that night at dinner when Jack and Rose decided to tell their children about their plans to go to Wisconsin in a few weeks.

"Where's Chippewa Falls?" Jillian asked, when she heard Jack's announcement.

"In Wisconsin," Jack answered, after taking a sip of water. He looked up and smiled at Rose, who was across the table from him.

"Where's Misconsin?" little Danielle asked, a confused look on her face. Her hand, holding a forkful of food, was paused in midair, and she had raised her eyebrows.

"It's not 'Misconsin', dummy, it's 'Wisconsin'," Luke said matter-of-factly, as he rolled his eyes.

"Luke, don't call Danielle a dummy," Rose said sternly as she listened to the scene before her. "And Wisconsin is up north, close to Canada."

Danielle still looked confused; so Rose went on to explain.

"It's far away, sweetie. We are going to get to take a train there! That will be fun, won't it?"

Danielle nodded eagerly and then finally started eating again.

"Why are we going anyway?" Michael asked apathetically after a moment. "I mean, can't we just have Christmas here?"

"Aw, come on, Mike. It will be fun up there. We'll have a white Christmas. With snow!" Jack said excitedly, hoping to boost everyone's spirits.

"Yeah, but why are we going?" Michael asked again, sighing.

"Because your father found out that his old house is still there, Michael. And we own it. So we are going to go look at it," Rose explained, trying to make Luke and Danielle understand along with her older two children.

"Whoopee," Michael said sardonically, rolling his eyes dramatically enough for everyone to see.

Jack gave him a stern look and Rose managed to clear her throat harshly, knowing that he hated it when she did that.

"When are we going?" Jillian asked after a minute.

Jack thought for a moment and then answered his daughter. "In about three weeks or so. We will see how the weather is and how busy we get."

"Danielle, drink your milk," Rose softly commanded before offering some more information. "You know, Chippewa Falls is not that far away from Eau Clare. Which means..." She stopped and grinned. "...that we will be seeing more of the Bradshaws."

There was a loud and barbarous cheer that was immediately followed by several questions all at once. Rose and Jack had to hush everyone before they could answer anything. And even Michael, who had been the sour sport of the family the last few days, began to get excited when he heard Jack promise to take him ice fishing and possibly hunting.

The excitement of everyone was interrupted, though, by a large clamor of thunder from outdoors.

Michael jumped up and pushed his chair away quickly before running to the window just as another flash of lightning followed by a loud booming shook the house.

"Yes!" he exclaimed excitedly. "That storm finally moved in." He turned around and grinned. "Can I go outside?"

Rose gave him a look like he was crazy. "No, you most certainly cannot. It’s raining and there is a thunderstorm. And besides, it’s dark already. Now, come sit back down."

"But I am finished," Michael protested angrily.

"I don't care. You may either sit down with the rest of us or you may leave the table. You are not to go outside," Rose said back sternly.

Michael scowled and stomped out of the room, his footsteps soon heard on the stairs and the upstairs hallway. And after a moment, there was the sound of a door slamming...twice.

The remaining three children sat motionless, scared about making a single move. Rose hardly ever raised her voice at any of them. Their father was the one who usually took care of that.

Jack noticed the three pairs of shocked and worried eyes and spoke up, "If you are finished, all of you are excused."

Jillian, Luke, and Danielle immediately picked up their plates and set them in the sink before following Michael's route upstairs. Without the stomping of the feet and the door slamming, of course.

Rose sighed and glanced at Jack, who had his head resting in one hand. He looked thoughtful and slightly angry.

"What happened to him?" she asked softly. "Did we do something?"

Jack shook his head and took his hand away from his mouth. "He's getting to that age, Rose."

"He's only eleven and a half. Good lord, what is going on?"

Jack got up and took his plate over. Rose followed him and repeated the process.

"I think," he finally said, "that Michael is going to be one of those children who matures early. I can remember being like that when I was his age. It only gets worse. He's starting to feel confused and like everyone is against him. He's just growing up, Rose."

Rose frowned and leaned against Jack as another clap of thunder sounded. "Why does he have to grow up now? He's my baby."

Jack grinned as he held his wife close. "Not anymore. I know, Rose. It's hard." He sighed. "But it's part of being a parent."

"I hate it when you're right," Rose mumbled against his chest.

"Just think," Jack said cheerfully, "we have three more!"

Rose groaned, which made Jack start laughing. "God help us," she mumbled again before starting to laugh as well.

*****

Five hours later, Rose lay spent in Jack's arms, watching the storm outside. He was nibbling on her neck and squeezing her hand every few moments, making Rose shiver despite the fact that she was warm enough. A flash of lightning shocked them both to awareness again and they started counting, as they had been doing, how many seconds it was until the thunder sounded. They got to four seconds before a huge clap of thunder struck. It shook everything, including the house and furniture inside.

Rose started laughing and turned around. "It's getting closer," she said excitedly.

Jack grinned and kissed her on the nose. "Five dollars says that three, if not all, of the kids will be in here within ten minutes."

Rose shook her head. "Oh, no way, Jack Dawson. Whenever I bet against you, I lose. Besides, I know you are right," she explained, grinning back at him. She rolled back onto her side again and looked over the edge of the bed, where their discarded clothing lay in heaps. "I suppose I should put at least a top on, or something," she mumbled.

Jack reached over her and down to the floor, where he picked up his dark green button-down shirt. "Here," he said, handing it to her.

Rose took it from him and then sat up to put it on. "I think you just like seeing me in your clothes," she teased him as she buttoned it up.

Jack pulled her down after she was finished and covered them both up with blankets again. "Actually," he whispered in her ear, "I like this shirt 'cause it comes undone easily in the front."

"Oh...okay...I see what are getting at. You just like easy access to my ch--"

Jack cut her off before she could say another word by kissing her hard on the mouth. Rose forgot about what she was saying and melted into his arms, molding herself against her husband.

Once they were finished, she lay beneath Jack and stared up at him with loving eyes. "I love you," she whispered softly.

Jack kissed her cheek and softly began running his fingers through her mussed hair. "I love you, too," he answered in her ear.

They were about to kiss once again when a flash of light and a loud clamor came once again from outside. Simultaneously, they turned their heads toward the windows and watched as three more flashes and claps of thunder sounded immediately thereafter the first. And within a half a minute, there was a knock on the door.

Rose moved out from underneath Jack and they quickly made things look normal before yelling for the person to come in.

The door crept open and little Danielle's head popped in. She had a scared look on her face and looked at her parents for a moment, asking a silent question. Rose was about to say that Danielle could sleep with them, when another bolt of lighting flashed and was quickly followed by thunder. Danielle jumped and then quickly ran over to her mother's side.

"I'm scared," she whimpered softly.

Rose smiled at her daughter and pulled back the covers. "Jump in here with us," she said in a whisper. "Daddy and I will keep you safe."

Danielle climbed into the bed and snuggled up to Rose's side. She closed her eyes and sighed quietly, trying her best to go to sleep again.

Rose turned her head and gave Jack a smile. He quickly leaned over and kissed her softly. Rose grinned at him before turning her head back around toward Danielle.

Luke was the next to arrive. He crept silently in less then a minute later. And, after seeing his sister already there, climbed in and laid at the foot of the bed, curling up like a dog. Jack sat up and put a spare blanket over him before Luke smiled and then closed his eyes, doing the same as Danielle and trying to go to sleep.

After the next big clash shook the house, Rose saw Jillian stick her head in the room. "Can I sleep in here?" she asked in a loud whisper.

"You have to sleep on the floor," Rose answered back. "Up here is all full."

Jillian nodded as she walked in, dragging a large blanket and her pillow behind her. And, much to everyone's surprise, Michael was following her. He, too, was carrying a blanket and pillow as he sheepishly walked in. Rose gave him a look that said, "Well? Mr. Tough Michael can't handle the storm?"

"Yeah...well," Michael mumbled in response to his mother's look. He then grinned, managing to confuse Rose and Jack as he did so, and set his things down next to where Jillian was lying down.

Once everyone was settled, Rose gently reached behind her and felt around until she found Jack's hand. She took it in her own and pulled it around so that his arm was basically around her.

"Good night," he whispered softly.

"Good night, darling," Rose whispered back, more loudly than she should have, because the next thing they heard was Danielle's tired voice.

"Okay Daddy, Mommy...it's time to sleep now. Good night!"

It was all Rose and Jack could do to keep from laughing after their heard their daughter speak. Rose even buried her mouth against her hand joined with Jack's. The scene that had been played over and over with the roles reversed. Jack and Rose were usually the ones telling their children to sleep, now that had been turned around.

"All right. Good night, Danielle," Jack finally got out.

"Yes, sweet dreams. Good night, Danielle, everyone," Rose echoed softly. "See you in the morning."

Chapter Thirteen
Stories