ALL THE WAY
Chapter Three

Middle February, 1920
Cascade Mountains of Oregon

Rose sighed heavily as she set down her two suitcases. After stomping the snow off her boots and off her clothes, she looked around the one room cabin she had just arrived at.

Directly in front of her stood a fireplace. To her left a small kitchenette, and an open door. To her right was a double bed with a heavy quilt upon it. There was also a chest of drawers next to the bed. All around were windows, one of which faced the frozen over lake directly in front of the cabin. Rose peered around the open door she had seen and found a bathroom, complete with a bathtub and toilet.

"Is this all right?"

Rose heard Jack call. She brought her head back out of the bathroom and walked over to where Jack stood. "It's wonderful," she said sincerely.

"Good," Jack whispered. He pulled Rose to him and wrapped his arms around her. "That’s the way it should be," he said.

Rose smiled. "I love it."

There were a few moments of companionable silence between the two. "Did you get everything in?" Rose finally asked, looking down. All four suitcases seemed to be there.

"Yes," Jack answered, tiredly; Rose understood why. There had been the one and a half day train ride up to Oregon. Then, the day spent actually getting to the main lodge in the mountains. Then the half-hour trek to the actual cabin. It had been worth it, though. The cabin was nestled back in the woods, away from the rest of the cabins that the lodge owned. The cabin was also on the lake, which just happened to be solidly frozen. When Rose saw this she asked Jack if he would teach her how to ice fish and ice skate. He had promised he would, and Rose was looking forward to all that. She has never been ice fishing. And she had only actually been fishing a few times, with Jack, of course. And ice-skating she had never been allowed to do. "It is too dangerous. You'd kill yourself, darling," she had always been told. Mostly by her mother and Cal.

Rose remembered one time that her father tried to take her ice-skating, when she was eight. But her mother found out an hour before they were going to go and put an end to the idea faster then Rose could protest. Rose gestured toward the fireplace. "Why don't you start a fire and I will unpack for us? Then we can relax."

Jack nodded and released Rose from the embrace. "Sounds good. I'll be right back." He went back outside to get some wood from the little wood shack that was right beside the cabin.

Rose smiled and shut the door, trying not to let any more cold air in. She took off her coat and hung it up on the coat hook by the door. After slipping off her wet boots, she put those, too, by the door. And then she went to unpack. Rose unpacked her things first, putting them away in the top two drawers. Then she put Jack's things away in the bottom two drawers. Finally, she went to put all her toiletries and things in the bathroom.

As Rose was coming out, she found Jack kneeling down in front of the fireplace, setting wood inside. "Here, Jack, give me your boots. I don't want you getting a cold," she said, coming over. She sat down next to Jack as he untied his boots and handed them to her.

"Thank you," Rose whispered. Jack smiled and shook his head. Rose smiled back and kissed his cheek. She got up and put the boots next to her own and then returned to Jack. He had just gotten the fire started; a mass of flaming blazes that immediately began to warm up the whole room. Jack put a metal covering in front of the fire and then sat down, leaning against the outer part of the fireplace. Rose sat down next to him and leaned against Jack's body.

"There's no electricity," Jack observed, looking around.

"No," Rose whispered. "It will be just like the old days."

Jack smiled happily down at Rose. "There is water, though," she added.

"Yeah," Jack said he put his arm around Rose's shoulders and pulled her closer. "It’s a good thing we brought all that food, as well. There doesn’t appear to be any here," he went on, looking at the kitchenette.

"Uh hmm," Rose mumbled. "What time is it?"

Jack looked at his watch. "It’s about five," he answered.

"How about we make some dinner and then...do...stuff," Rose finished. She grinned up at Jack.

Jack grinned back and then nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me," he said. Rose laughed and stood up, pulling Jack with her.

The Next Day

Rose leaned out from behind a tree and looked around. She didn't see Jack. "Hmm...where did he go?" she thought to herself.

Rose and Jack were engrossed in a snow ball fight. And after Jack had just completely nailed Rose in the back, she vowed to get him good.

They had been out since morning, making snowmen, playing around in the snow, and having snow ball fights like these. Jack and Rose were both dressed from head to toe in heavy clothing, restricting them from moving quickly.

Suddenly, Rose heard something behind her. She turned quickly and saw Jack standing there. Immediately he hit her in the stomach with a snowball he had made.

"Jack Dawson!" she yelled, as he ran off laughing hysterically. "I am going to get you back!"

Rose took off running after Jack, finally catching up with him. She laughed giddily as she tackled him down and forced his head into the snow.

"Ha ha!" she yelled triumphantly.

Rose sat down on his back, forcing him to remain lying in the snow.

"Rose!" Jack tried to yell, but he was laughing so hard that it didn't work too well.

"Told you I would get you back." Rose giggled.

Jack laughed, and before Rose knew it, she was lying on her back after Jack had flipped her over. He lay on top of her, and smiled teasingly down at her. Rose gasped and tried to push him off of her.

"Get off of me. I'm cold!" she said, trying not to laugh.

Jack raised his eyebrows and finally climbed off of her.

"You are evil," Rose accused as she sat up next to him.

Jack started laughing. "Excuse me! Who tackled who in the first place?"

"Well, I had reason..." Rose answered back.

"Oh, okay," Jack said, nodding.

Rose started giggling and she stood up. Jack stood up next to her and pointed off into the distance.

"See that hill?" he asked.

Rose squinted and finally saw what Jack was pointing at. "Yes," she answered.

"I've got one more thing to show you before we turn in for the day," Jack continued. He started walking back to the cabin.

"Oh, dear. What is it now?" Rose asked, half jokingly.

"Just come on," Jack said back. She watched as he made his way toward the wood shed and then opened up the doors. Jack went inside and a moment later came out with a big sled.

"So, Mrs. Dawson, when is the last time you have been sledding?" he asked, smiling at her.

Rose gasped. "Oh Jack, really? We can go sledding?" she exclaimed.

Jack started laughing again and nodded his head. "Yes, we can go sledding," he said.

Rose ran over and threw her arms around Jack's neck, almost making him fall over into the snow. "This is great, Jack!" she said happily. "I haven't been sledding in, well...years. Since I was about seven or eight. After that it wasn't considered ladylike."

Jack smiled down at Rose. "Well, Rose, I don't see your mother anywhere around and I do consider it ladylike. Now come on," he said.

They started walking toward the big hill Jack had been pointing to, and a few minutes later they were there. Jack and Rose climbed to the very top, where Jack set the sled down. Rose looked around. From up here she could see smoke rising up from different cabins fireplaces. She could also see where the trees disappeared and the lake sat, frozen over.

"Hey. Come here," Jack said suddenly.

Rose turned and looked at her husband. He was sitting on the back of the wooden sled, holding the rope to drag it with. She laughed and walked over.

"I am not sure what you want me to do," Rose confessed, slightly embarrassed. "I've only done this once or twice--when I was seven."

Jack laughed. "Don't worry," he promised. "I'll help you remember how."

Rose smiled and smirked at Jack. "Will you?"

"Yeah. Now, sit down right here," Jack directed, pointing to the front of the sled.

Rose gently sat down and gathered her skirts up onto the sled so that they would not get caught.

"Now, scoot back so you are against me," Jack said.

Rose scooted back. "Mr. Dawson, if I didn't know better, I would say that you are just trying to--"

"Shh," Jack whispered. "None of that now. That will come later."

Rose turned around and smiled. "Now what do I do?" she asked.

Jack put his arms around her so that Rose was completely wrapped up. "Now I am going to push off and then bring my legs up. Be careful. Don’t lose your balance," Jack cautioned.

"I won't," Rose promised.

"Okay...one...two..." Jack counted. Rose took Jack's free hand in her own and squeezed it as Jack said, "One!"

The next thing Rose knew she was flying down the hill. She screamed as the cold winter air blew past her head, making her braided hair flap behind her. Rose could hear Jack yelling behind her.

Suddenly she threw up her arms and held them above her head while she shouted, "Yahoo!"

Jack started laughing behind her and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. All of a sudden Rose felt the sled tip to the left and the next thing she knew she was lying on the snow with Jack on top of her. Rose started laughing so hard that it hurt.

"That was so much fun!" she exclaimed, once she got her breath.

Jack laughed. "Care to give it another go, Mrs. Dawson?" he asked, climbing off of her.

Rose nodded eagerly as Jack helped her to her feet. "I most certainly would, Mr. Dawson," she said, before starting to laugh again. Quickly, Rose and Jack made their way up to the top of hill again, ready for another sled ride.

Chapter Four
Stories