ALL THE WAY
Chapter Nine

July 21, 1922

Jack awoke slowly; he didn't feel like getting up at all. The bed felt too comfortable and he was enjoying the quietness. Plus, it was early and Jack had been up late the night before with Luke, who was going through a stage of not wanting to sleep.

Regretfully Jack opened his blue eyes and looked around his bedroom. The balcony doors were open, and a heavy breeze blew in. His nose told him that it was raining outside, as predicted by weathermen the day before. Something was missing though and Jack soon realized it was Rose. She was not in bed, and the bathroom door was open so he assumed she was not in there. Her side of the bed was made and her slippers were missing. Wondering where in the world she could have gone, Jack got up and pulled on his bathrobe. He closed the balcony doors and in the process saw that it was indeed raining outside.

Wanting to see where his wife was, he then hurried out of the room and downstairs. Jack was very worried about where she might be. Rose was exactly nine months pregnant and he didn't like the idea of her disappearing like that. Especially since she was due any day.

Jack looked around once he reached the bottom of the stairs and finally spotted her. She was lying down on a couch in the parlor, her head propped up on a pillow, and she was looking out the window at the rain. She still wore her nightgown and around her shoulders was a shawl. It was quiet; mostly because no one else was up yet. And Addy was sleeping at the foot of the couch. Jack approached her and then gently sat at the end of the couch. Rose turned her head when she felt him sit down and then smiled. "Morning," he whispered.

"Morning, darling," she whispered back. "Did I wake you?"

Jack shook his head. "I didn't even hear you leave. What are you doing down here? Are you okay?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "My whole body hurts. My back hurts if I sit, stand, do much of anything but lie down. And my head hurts, my legs feel cramped, my breasts hurt, my feet are sore, I think my teeth may even be hurting. I can't sleep at all. I figured why not come down here and watch the sun rise instead of lying around doing nothing. I didn't know it was going to rain."

Jack reached down and took her feet in his hands. He placed them in his lap and then started rubbing them.

"You just stared earning yourself brownie points, mister." Rose laughed softly. She smiled at him.

Jack grinned back before he leaned down and kissed each foot. He then stared rubbing each of them again.

"Do my feet stink?" Rose asked. She laughed and reached for his hand. "I'm glad you're up Jack," she whispered as she clasped his hand in her own.

"I'm glad I'm up too. And no, your feet do not stink," Jack whispered back. "And even if they did, I would still love you."

Rose smiled at him. "I love you too," she said, placing their hands on her stomach. "Just a little bit longer," she whispered. "Then our baby will be here."

Jack nodded and smiled tenderly at her. "How much longer, do you think?" he softly asked, grinning when he felt the baby move.

"Not long, I promise. I would bet Baby Dawson will be here in the next forty-eight hours. And then you and I will really have our hands full."

"Yeah," Jack whispered, his mind filled with a million different images. "I can't wait."

*****

July 26, 1922

"She's kind of small." Rose glanced at Jack and smiled tiredly at Jillian's remark. She was exhausted from the last few days. On July twenty-second she had gone into labor and was rushed to the hospital in northern Santa Monica. She had spent fourteen hours in painful labor and it had left her weak. Rose had stayed behind at the hospital for almost four days, gaining her strength back. She was still fairly out of sorts, and it still hurt to walk for a long while. But the gift in her arms made it all worthwhile; four-day-old Danielle Josephine Dawson. The baby had been named after Jack's great-great-grandmother and Rose's grandmother. And they thought both of names fit well together.

Now, all five of the older Dawsons were gathered on Jack and Rose's bed, looking at the baby. Jack was sitting next to Rose, Michael was looking over her shoulder, Jillian was sitting next to her mother, and Luke was sitting at the end of Rose's feet looking intently at the baby. He had never seen one before, and was deeply interested as to what they were like. And little Danielle was snuggled deep in a blanket, resting peacefully in her mother's safe arms. None of the family except Jack had seen the baby yet, as they had not been allowed in the hospital. Dianna had come every day for a few hours and watched them while Jack would run over and see Rose and Danielle. She had been here earlier when Jack had brought Rose home in a taxi and even she had been excited for the baby.

"Are you sure she's not supposed to be bigger?"

"Luke, she's going to grow bigger, just like you. You were this little when you were born," Rose explained softly to her son in response to his question.

"Really?" Luke asked in amazement. He moved closer to Danielle. "I had little eyes too Mommy?"

Rose smiled and nodded. "Yes, you had little eyes. And little feet and hands. Just like Michael and just like Jillian."

"What's its name again?" Michael asked turning toward Jack. "I forgot."

Jack reached over and ruffled Michael's hair. "Danielle," he answered.

"That’s a pretty name," Jillian spoke up. "I like it."

"Me too," Michael answered and he crawled around and sat in his Father's open lap.

"Me too," Luke echoed his brother and sister. "I can't say it though. Its hard."

Jack and Rose smiled at Luke. "You'll get used to it Luke," Rose promised. "Pretty soon she'll be following you around and wanted to play with you. You're big brother Luke now."

"And I have a sister now," Jillian added. "A baby sister. She's just like my baby dolls."

Rose laughed softly and shifted Danielle in her arms. She looked down at the infant and everything else almost seemed to melt away. Danielle was perfect, in Rose's opinion. She had perfect little feet, toes, and hands. She was the perfect weight, seven pounds and four ounces, and she was beautiful, just like all the other Dawson children had been when they were born. Michael's question finally brought Rose back to reality.

"How come Aunt Dianna couldn't stay, Dad, I was having fun with Meaghan. She's gonna be in third grade Dad; she's smart and she was telling me stuff."

Rose turned her head and saw Jack kiss the top of Michael's head. "She had to get back to her own family Mike. Aunt Dianna will be over again in a few days and I am sure she will bring Meaghan with her," Jack explained to Michael.

Michael looked disappointed and sighed heavily. "That’s no fair," he complained.

"Life's not fair," Jillian spoke up, making Rose and Jack laugh.

Jack reached over Rose's lap and patted Jillian on the leg. "That’s right Jilly, life's not fair." He looked around and saw Luke's eye's close for a moment before he opened them quickly again. Jack quickly glanced at the clock and saw that it was late. "And you know what, Dawson kids, I think its time to hit the sack."

Michael looked up at Jack, confused. "What does that mean?" he asked in bewilderment.

Rose laughed and answered Michael, "It means its time for bed."

"No, I wanna stay and look at Danielle," Michael complained as Jack was lifting him off of his lap and setting him on the bed.

"You can look at Danielle tomorrow," Jack promised as he climbed off of the bed and stood up, stretching arms over his head. "Your mother has had a very, very, hard last few days and she needs to get some rest. Now come on." He started walking toward the bedroom door and motioned for the children to do the same.

Michael, Jillian, and Luke all sighed in unison and sluggishly began to follow Jack out of the room. They all called good night to Rose on the way out and Rose watched them as they left. After they were gone, she turned her attention toward Danielle again and watched as the baby slept. At one point, the little girl yawned and seemed the stretch inside the confines of the blanket. Rose yawned herself after that and then began to talk softly to Danielle, saying nothing important or particular, just blabbing. But before long Rose noticed something standing in the doorway. She looked up and saw Jillian standing there. She was all ready for bed, dressed in a pink nightgown and her curly red hair was brushed free of tangles.

"Aren’t you supposed to be getting into bed Jill?" Rose softly asked.

Jillian ignored the question and walked over to the bed. She stood next to Rose and looked down at her baby sister. Finally after a moment she spoke, "She's pretty Mom."

Rose looked over and smiled at Jillian. "Yes, she is. Just like you."

Jillian looked intently at Danielle again and was quiet.

"Do you want to hold her?" Rose asked as she watched Jillian stare at the baby.

Jillian's head popped up quickly. She looked at Rose with amazement. "Can I Mom? I'll be careful, I promise."

Laughing softly, Rose nodded and mentioned next to her. "Yes, you can. Come sit by me."

Jillian excitedly climbed into bed next to Rose and then held out her hands. Rose told her exactly how to hold a baby, with its head and neck supported, and then gently placed Danielle into her big sister's arms. Rose moved closer to Jillian and watched as she studied her new sibling.

"She’s not like me Mom," Jillian said suddenly.

Rose gave Jillian a questioning look. "What do you mean?" she asked, confused as to what her daughter meant.

"She doesn’t have pretty red, curly hair like me. She doesn’t have much hair at all. You said she was just like me."

Rose reached over and ran her hand through Jillian's soft hair, looking at it as she did so. "I'm sure Danielle will get some hair. And maybe its not going to be red like yours. And maybe it won't be curly. Michael and Luke don't have red and curly hair like you and I. They have blond hair, more like Daddy's."

"So Danielle is gonna have hair like Daddy? She’s not gonna have hair like us?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know sweetie, she could have either. You can't tell right now. Her hair is sort of a mix isn't it."

Jillian nodded. "Yeah, a mix," she echoed. "What 'bout her eyes Mom?" she asked after a moment.

"Her eyes are blue. Just like you and Michael and Luke have blue eyes. And Mommy and Daddy have blue eyes too."

Jillian turned her head and looked at Rose instead of Danielle. "Mom, sometimes it looks like you have green eyes. But most of the time they are blue. So maybe Danielle will have green eyes."

Rose laughed and leaned over to kiss Jillian on the head. "Daddy says I sometimes have green eyes too. Maybe they change colors."

Jillian started giggling. "Mom, that’s silly. People’s eyes can't change color!"

Rose shrugged. "You never know," she said. Jillian started laughing again, making Rose smile. "Maybe it’s just the lights," she offered. This idea made more sense to Jillian and she nodded.

"Yeah, that must be it Mom." She looked at the baby again and then sighed. "Well," she said handing Danielle back to Rose. "I better be off to bed. Daddy said I have a long day tomorrow. I have to help him take care of Danielle and you. Oh, and I have to watch and make sure Michael and Luke don't get into any trouble."

Rose gently took Danielle from Jillian's arms and then fixed the out of place baby blanket. Rose then watched as Jillian climbed off of the bed and then straitened her nightgown. She stood by her Mother, looked over at her and then smiled. "Good night Mom," she whispered. Rose leaned over and gave Jillian a soft kiss.

"Goodnight sweetie. See you in the morning."

She watched as Jillian waved and then ran out of the room as if to be back in her own room before her father caught her.

Rose looked down at Danielle again and saw that the baby was still asleep. Deciding that she too needed to get some rest, Rose slowly eased herself out of bed. Putting her feet on the floor, she stood up and carefully started over to where a baby cradle was set up. Rose gently lay her child down in the soft bed and covered her up with a white blanket. Softly kissing her head once again, Rose stood up and whispered, "Good night Danielle." Taking one last look at her new child and then went off to find Jack.

Chapter Ten
Stories