JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Fifty-One

Christmas Eve, 1914

Jack sighed happily as he came down the Christmas decorated stairs. The whole house smelled of oven-roasted turkey, buttered mashed potatoes, pies, and just about every other delicious food that was ever made. His mouth watered as he wandered into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter were two freshly baked pies, one apple and the other pumpkin. Steam was still rising from the small fork holes in the top of the baked treats.

"Oh, Rose. You don’t know how good those smell," Jack groaned as he walked over to where she was putting candy canes on the Christmas tree, which was set up in the living room. Rose smiled and hung another candy cane.

"Thank you. But sorry, you can’t eat them yet," she said teasingly, and tapped him on the nose. Jack groaned again and wrapped his arms around Rose’s waist.

"How you feeling?" he asked, kissing her on the nose.

"Fine," Rose answered. "Much better than this morning."

"Good," Jack whispered. He placed his hand on Rose’s swollen stomach. "How’s Baby Dawson doing today?" he asked, smiling at her. Rose looked down.

"Fine, just fine," she said, laughing.

Jack smiled. "You’re starting to show a lot, Rosie."

Rose smiled. "Not so much. You’re just used to me with a flat stomach. Do you think Brittany will be able to tell?"

Jack nodded. "Definitely." Rose smiled and kissed Jack on the cheek.

"I gotta go get dressed," she said, pulling herself away. "Be back down in a minute!"

Jack watched Rose run out of the room and toward the stairs. Everyone was finally going to be together for Christmas. The Langstons and Fosters were coming over for a Christmas Eve dinner, and Brittany was even coming down from New York. Only she wasn’t coming alone. She had met a man, about her age, who lived in Santa Monica but was taking college courses up in New York City. Apparently, Brittany had taken a real liking to this man and when she heard he was going back to Santa Monica, she decided to also come down. Jack and Rose had wanted to meet him and extended the invitation to her friend, and now he too was coming over for dinner. Cameron Wakefield was his name, and Brittany had met him last year, during her last semester of college. Apparently, the two liked each other a lot, and from what Brittany had written, Cameron was very nice.

Addy’s sharp bark from outside brought Jack back to the present. He chuckled and walked over to the deck door, where he let Addy in the house. The dog wagged her tail and ran in and toward the stairs. Jack shook his head and walked the way the dog was headed, up to his and Rose’s bedroom. When he arrived, Jack found Rose twisting around, trying to button up the back of her dress.

"Help!" she cried, seeing him come into the room. "I can’t button this ridiculous dress."

Jack walked over to his wife and tried to button the dress for her. After a moment, Jack realized that the dress wasn’t going to fit. Rose’s stomach had grown a little too much. Not much, but just enough not to be able to squeeze into her Christmas dress.

"This isn’t going to work, Rose," Jack said. "I think you’re going to have to find another dress."

Rose sighed, and wiggled back out of her dress. Going to the closet, she began going over her few fancy dresses. Finally, she found what she was looking for. A dark green dress that had always been a little big for her.

"Here," she exclaimed, taking the dress off the hanger and slipping it over her head. It fit a lot better than her first one. "There, that’s better," Rose said, smiling. She walked over to Jack. "Will you button me up?" she asked, turning around.

Jack nodded, and buttoned the back of Rose’s dress up. When he was finished, Rose turned around.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Beautiful," Jack answered, kissing her on the cheek. From downstairs there suddenly came a knock on the front door. "I’ll get it," Jack said, glancing at Rose. She still needed to put on her shoes and fix her hair.

"Thank you," Rose said, looking under the bed for one of her black high-heeled shoes. Jack smiled and walked downstairs. He opened the front door and saw Jennifer and Scott standing there.

"Hi," Jack said, "come in." Jennifer and Scott smiled and walked in.

"Hello, Jack," Scott said, "how are you?"

"Fine, just fine," Jack answered, taking their light coats and hanging them up in the front closet.

"How’s Rose feeling?" Scott asked.

"Oh, she’s doing good," replied Jack, as he smiled at them.

"Where is the mother-to-be?" Jennifer asked, looking around.

"Oh, she’ll be down in a minute," Jack said. "Do you want to come sit down?" Jennifer and Scott nodded and followed Jack into the living room.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Jennifer asked, as she and Scott sat down on the couch.

"No thanks, Jen. I think everything is ready," Jack replied, smiling at them.

"Hello, everyone," Rose said suddenly, coming into the room.

"Hi," Jennifer and Scott said, smiling at her.

Rose smiled back and walked over to them. "Would you like something to drink, or eat?" she asked. "We’re not going to eat until about six."

"I’m fine," Scott said.

"Um, could I get some coffee?" Jennifer asked, getting up.

"Sure," Rose said. Jennifer smiled and followed Rose into the kitchen.

"Jack says you have been feeling well," Jennifer remarked, as she helped Rose with the water.

Rose nodded. "Yes, a lot better than I have been."

"Hmm, that’s good," Jennifer said. "So how is little Baby Dawson?"

"Oh, it’s doing just fine." Rose laughed. "Its parents are spoiling it already."

Jennifer laughed. "How can you be spoiling it already?"

Rose grinned. "You should see its room. And I swear, if Jack buys all this stuff he’s planning to for this kid, we’re going to go bankrupt."

Jennifer laughed again. "Can I see its room?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, sure," Rose said, handing her a cup of coffee, "come on."

Rose took Jennifer upstairs and down the hall to the second door on the left, the room closest to the master bedroom.

"Here," Rose said, pushing open the door.

Jennifer smiled as she looked around. A wooden crib had been set up in the corner and a changing table stood against the wall opposite to the crib. There was also a chest of drawers and a rocking chair set up in the middle of it all.

"This is beautiful! Where’d you get this?" Jennifer asked breathlessly, as she sat down in the rocking chair and started rocking back and forth.

Rose smiled. "We found it in the attic."

"You have an attic?" Jennifer asked, still rocking back and forth.

Rose nodded. "It's just this little area above our bedroom that you can store stuff in. There is a piece of ceiling in my closet that comes out so you can get up there. Its not very big, just tall enough room for Jack and I stand up in and only about as big as this room. Anyway, Jack was up there getting some of our Christmas things down and found it."

Jennifer smiled. "Wow! Who knows how longs it's been up there? It looks so antique."

Rose laughed. "Yes, it does. I love it already."

"So when is the baby due again?" Jennifer asked.

"Late April," Rose replied, smiling at Jennifer. Jennifer smiled back and got out of the chair.

"Come on," Rose said. "We’d better get downstairs before our husbands wonder what happened to us."

The two girls walked downstairs and were shocked to find Dianna and Bryan already there.

"Hi," Dianna chirped, as she saw Jennifer and Rose walk in.

"Hello," Rose said, smiling, as she sat down.

"Where’s Meaghan?" she asked, looking around. The little girl suddenly popped out from behind the couch at the sound of her name.

"Right there," Dianna said. Meaghan giggled and crawled over to her mother, who picked her up. "Can you say hi to Rose and Jennifer?" Dianna asked her daughter.

Meaghan looked from Rose to Jennifer and then buried her head in Dianna’s chest. Rose laughed as she looked at Meaghan. It was hard to believe that she was almost a year old. Next year at this time she would have her own little child to be smiling at. Rose closed her eyes, rested her hand on her stomach and sighed happily. Jack smiled from across the room when he saw her do this. He got up to go sit by her, but suddenly, the sound of a door knocking caused everyone to stop their talking.

"I’ll get it!" Rose announced, jumping up.

"You’re sure, Rose?" Jack asked.

Rose flashed a smile and nodded to her husband. "I’ll be all right," she said, winking at him.

Jack started laughing, and Dianna just rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to know. Rose walked into the entryway and opened the door.

"Hi!" Brittany exclaimed, as soon as she saw Rose.

Rose laughed. "Hello yourself," she said, before throwing her arms around Brittany.

"Oh, let me see you," Brittany said, pulling away after a moment. She looked at Rose’s stomach. "Oh, Rose, it’s so wonderful!" Brittany said, with tears in her eyes.

Rose laughed. "Oh, Brittany, it's good to see you."

Brittany smiled. "You too, Rose."

"Come on, everyone is waiting for you," Rose said, grabbing Brittany’s hand.

"Wait, wait, wait," Brittany said hurriedly, as she stopped Rose from going any farther. "Don’t you want to meet my guest?"

Rose clapped her hand over her mouth; she had totally forgotten about Cameron Wakefield. "Oh, yes, of course!" she exclaimed.

Brittany raced to the still open door. "Cameron! You can come in now!" she called.

A man entered a moment later. He was a little taller then Brittany, had dark brown short hair, and smoky blue eyes. "Hello," he said, extending his hand to Rose. "I’m Cameron Wakefield."

Rose shook his hand. "Hello," she said. "I am Rose Dawson. How are you?"

Cameron smiled. "Fine. Thank you for having me tonight."

"Oh, it's no problem," Rose said, smiling. "Why don’t you both come say hi to everyone?"

Cameron and Brittany nodded, and followed Rose into the living room. "Everyone, this is Cameron Wakefield," Rose announced, once she had everyone’s attention. "And I think everyone but Jen and Scott know Brittany. So Jennifer, Scott, this is Brittany Miller. Brittany, this is Jennifer and Scott Langston."

Brittany said hello to Jennifer and Scott and then Rose continued. "Mr. Wakefield, this is Dianna and Bryan Foster and their daughter Meaghan. And this is Jennifer and Scott Langston. And, um, this is my husband, Jack Dawson."

"Hello," Jack said, smiling, as he shook Cameron’s hand. Cameron shook Jack's hand back and then said hello.

After everyone had met and was comfortable, Rose asked, "All right, then. Would anyone like something to drink?"

Everyone said no, and then went back to their talking. Rose smiled at this scene. She had missed everyone being together for Christmas. This was going to be a wonderful evening.

*****

After dinner was over and the dishes put in the kitchen, Rose brought out the two pies and cut pieces for everyone. Meaghan first looked at the piece of pie and then smashed her hand in the food. Everyone laughed and Dianna shook her head at her daughter and took the plate away. After Rose had sat down and had started on her pumpkin pie, Brittany stood up and held her wineglass above her head. She motioned for Cameron to stand up, and he rose, blushing a bit.

"Everyone! Cameron and I have an announcement to make!" Brittany said, shouting above all the talking.

Everyone became quiet real quick and looked up at the now blushing Brittany.

"Thank you," she said, before smiling at Cameron. "Okay, um, you’re probably wondering what I have to say so I am going to get right to the point." Brittany paused, and took a deep breath before saying, "Cameron and I are…engaged!"

The table was silent for a moment, and then everyone exploded at the same time. Rose, Jennifer, and Dianna all got up to talk to Brittany, who was smiling, Scott, Jack, and Bryan all went up to shake Cameron’s hand and everyone was talking and congratulating the couple. While Cameron hugged his future wife from behind, Brittany proudly showed off her ring (which no one had noticed until now). While everyone fussed over the couple, Jack pulled Rose into his arms.

"Wonderful, isn’t it?" he asked, resting his chin on Rose’s head.

"Yes," Rose said softly, as she smiled at the scene. Her thoughts had been right. This was turning out to be a wonderful Christmas.

Rose watched as Dianna said something to Brittany, and then Cameron and Brittany both laughed. She smiled brighter and squeezed Jack’s hand as they watched the newly engaged couple happily laugh and converse with their friends.

*****

"Look at this mess." Rose sighed heavily as she looked again at the piles of dirty dishes stacked by the sink. Everyone had left minutes before and Jack and Rose now had the hard part--cleaning up. Rose started running the water and took two plates from the top of the pile. She ran the plates under the water and was just about to scrub them with a sponge when she felt Jack’s hands on her shoulders.

"Leave them, Rosie," he whispered in her ear. "The dishes can wait. I can’t."

Rose smiled, and turned around to face Jack. "Hmm," she whispered, before kissing him softly.

Jack smiled and pulled her into the living room. He turned off all the lights and pulled Rose into his arms. She leaned against Jack and he started swaying them back and forth.

"It was nice to see everyone again," Rose whispered, threading her fingers through Jack’s and resting her head on Jack’s shoulder.

"Mmm," Jack whispered back, as he nodded. "I can’t believe Brittany is getting married."

Rose nodded. "I know, and they’re moving down here. Finally, everyone will be together."

Jack kissed the side of her head before saying, "Cameron seems really nice."

"Yes, he does," Rose responded, before closing her eyes and wrapping her arms tighter around Jack. Jack smiled and leaned his head against Rose’s.

Suddenly, a loud bark interrupted Jack and Rose’s dance. They turned their heads and saw Addy sitting next to the couch. The dog was wagging her tail and staring up at her owners. Rose started laughing and buried her head in Jack’s chest.

"Do you need to go out, Addy?" Jack asked the dog. Addy got to all four feet and wagged her tail excitedly at the sound of ‘out’.

Rose pulled away from Jack. "She just doesn’t want us to have any fun, do ya girl?" she asked, teasingly. Addy barked and ran to the door, indicating that she really did have to go out.

"Okay," Jack said, walking hand in hand with Rose to the door. He let Addy out of the house. The dog immediately ran down the deck stairs and onto the grass. Jack chuckled and closed the door behind the dog. "Now, where were we?" he asked, looking at Rose.

Rose raised her eyebrows mischievously and took Jack’s hand. She led him wordlessly up the stairs and into their bedroom, where she laid him on the bed. Rose then kicked off her shoes and climbed in the closest to Jack her stomach would allow.

"Right here," she whispered, before kissing him hard on the lips. Jack groaned and kissed her back. When their mouths parted a minute later, Rose looked into her husband's eyes and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Jack."

"Merry Christmas, Rosie," Jack whispered in her ear, before bringing his mouth back to hers. Rose eagerly kissed him back and allowed herself to be fully taken away, to a world only Jack could take her.

Chapter Fifty-Two
Stories