A SIMPLE SOLUTION
Chapter Eleven

Meanwhile, Jack had distracted the guard by breaking a few twigs and after making the other man follow him around for a while in the garden, he slowly began to walk back to the house. The guard soon found himself lost in the maze of Molly's large garden. It was too dark for him to know where he was and suddenly he stumbled into another guard. Having focused all his attention to attack whoever approached him, this man started locking a grip on the intruder and they struggled in the darkness, making enough noise to be transported to the house where Rose listened to it fearfully.

Jack laughed quietly at the commotion and continued on his way to the back door. Tommy had told him where it was and that it was rarely locked some time during the weeks Rose had lived here. Tommy had been to see Rose a few times, because he lived closer to her than Jack and Fabrizio did and he didn't have to work so much as he lived with his cousin. Now, Jack was grateful for that information and could not comprehend why he hadn't gone to the house earlier. He pushed the door open and quietly walked inside.

"Cal, for the last time, let me go," Jack heard Rose's voice demand, but he sensed that her usual strength had faded somewhat and that she sounded tired. He tiptoed up behind the staircase, carefully looking at the scene in front of him.

Rose was being held back by Cal and Fabrizio stood there, doing nothing. Jack narrowed his eyes and felt every muscle in his body tighten. Damn it, Fabrizio, why didn't you help her? He ground his teeth in frustration and moved his body closer to Rose, prepared to fight for her with whatever means possible.

"Oh, what are you going to do if I don't? Tell this gutter rat to help you again?"

Rose shook her head slightly, boring her eyes into Fabrizio, begging him to leave, that she didn't want him to risk getting hurt. Fabrizio looked at her seriously. He knew there was more of a risk than she could imagine. He had tried to get closer to her, free her from Cal's grip, but when he had, Cal had smiled evilly at him and discreetly shown him the shining gun he had in a pocket. So, to Rose it had seemed like Fabrizio had been afraid for his own sake when he had backed away, when in reality he had responded to Cal's threat to shoot Rose if he didn't step back.

"The lady not like what you do," Fabrizio said quietly, taking a new step towards them, his heart pounding hard as he prayed that Cal wouldn't use the gun. He didn't know what to do to save Rose. If he rushed Cal, he could easily shoot her and if he didn't, he would take her somewhere and never come back. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Jack, but Cal didn't notice. He just laughed at Fabrizio's hesitation as to what to do and once more flashed the gun at Fabrizio, who could just pray that Rose hadn't seen it this time either. She didn't have to know in what danger she was. Maybe Jack would think of something to save her…

"Oh really?"

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath before doing the unexpected, kicking Cal just below his stomach, causing him to bend over, groaning. For a moment, she thought she heard Jack cheering behind her, but she decided that it was her imagination. For the past few minutes, since she had heard the noises from the garden, she had been sure that Jack was in trouble outside, or he was not even here. Nothing could make her think otherwise, because that thought was her last lifeline, the only thing she could hold on to, the only thing she knew had nothing to do with Cal.

Fabrizio's eyes had shown such a deep and intense fear for a moment, just before she had kicked Cal and now he looked relieved and happy. What was going on…?

"Is Jack here?" she asked quietly and Fabrizio just grinned, but then frowned as his eyes followed some movement behind her. As if in a trance, Rose turned around. She had forgotten about Cal, she realized and braced herself for a new struggle. But she didn't have to. Jack was already holding Cal in a secure grip. When she saw him, all air disappeared from her lungs again and she thought she would fall to the floor in a dead faint.

"Jack," she said loudly and he looked up at her, smiling the same way Fabrizio had a moment ago.

"Looks like you didn't need us after all," he said and she thought she was dreaming. Hearing his voice was too good to be true.

"Jack, look out, he has a gun," Fabrizio's voice pierced through to her and once again, she thought she would faint. Cal had a gun? And she had kicked him, left him there without checking him. Her knees shook, but before she had sunk down to the floor, Fabrizio's arms caught her.

Fabrizio looked at Jack seriously over Rose's head and Jack stared back, his eyes mirroring the raw fear that had filled the room.

Cal had been knocked unconscious by Jack's first blow and now Jack kneeled down to him, taking the gun from his pocket, checking if the safety-catch was still on and then he put it in his own pocket, figuring that that was the safest place for now. Then he looked up at Rose again, feeling his heart breaking at the sight of her staring at Cal.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, taking a careful step towards her. She nodded vehemently, but when her eyes met his, they filled with salty tears. Tears of relief, of fear of what had come so close to happening, tears of happiness to see him again.

She took a step towards him and he caught her in his arms, holding her tightly as he closed his eyes. "Are you? Jack? Are you okay?" she asked quietly when he had let go slightly.

"I'm fine," he assured her, but she watched him with worried eyes as she touched his face.

"I heard noises from outside. I thought you…I…"

"It wasn't me they were fighting with. Cal's guards aren't the brightest you know. You make one of them lose his way in a garden and the other one attacks him immediately." He smiled when she started laughing at that and then she threw herself in his arms again.

"Oh thank God…I was so afraid."

Fabrizio walked over to them after checking that Cal was still unconscious and he locked eyes with Jack.

"Everything good?" he asked slowly. Jack just nodded, smiling at his friend for the first time in ages. "Everything is great," Rose whispered and moved out of Jack's embrace. She walked over to Fabrizio and hugged him gently.

"Thank you. I didn't know he had a gun. I didn't know. I…thank you for not doing anything that could have made him use it."

Fabrizio smiled faintly. "I not know what to do. Just that he not hurt you." He pulled away from her and looked down guiltily. "I apologize to you Rose," he went on. "I was a…what do you say…"

"A jerk?" Rose added, laughing. Fabrizio nodded, still smiling. "Yes, that is it. I am deeply sorry."

"It's okay," Rose said softly, surprising both herself and Jack, who shook his head in wonder. Sure, Fabrizio had kept Jack away from her and been a horrible person for the few months she had known him, but he wasn't like Cal, pure evil. He was just human, with jealousy and love and anger.

"Grazie," Fabrizio whispered and stepped back from her, standing next to Cal instead, determined to keep him from ever harming Rose or anyone else again.

Jack placed his arm around Rose's waist again, pulling her closer. She leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes, exhausted from the day's events.

"What do we do now?" she asked. Jack shrugged, not sure himself. He led her over to the couch near the front door and helped her to sit down. "Wait for Molly I guess. Is she coming back soon?"

Rose nodded and once again relaxed against his chest, letting someone take care of her for the first time in weeks. Before long, she had fallen asleep, her hands grasping his shirt as she leaned on him. Part of her didn't want to let herself believe that he was actually there, so falling asleep was the best thing to do, then she could remain in dreamland.

Jack tightened his hold on her so that she wouldn't fall and then looked up at Fabrizio, who was still sitting next to Cal on the bottom step of the staircase, watching the unconscious man closely.

"Fabri?" Jack said quietly, making his friend look up. "Thanks."

Fabrizio just nodded, relieved that Jack and he could still be friends after all that had happened. He couldn't believe how idiotic he had been over the past few weeks, hiding Rose's letters from Jack, trying to make him forget her… As he looked at his friend now, holding the woman he loved in his arms, he could only wish that jealousy and anger would never hurt his friendship with Jack ever again.

Carefully, Jack lifted Rose in his arms and made his way past Cal and up the stairs. "I'm gonna look for her room and let her sleep there instead. Will you be all right with him here?"

Fabrizio nodded again and Jack hurried upstairs on his search for her room. After a while, he found it and gently laid her down on the bed.

He looked at the room briefly before turning to leave her, noticing the packed bag and the forgotten writing paper on the dresser. The first words weren't hard to see and when he had read them, he couldn't help it, he had to read on.

Dear Jack,

I guess I've given up hope now that you'll ever write back, but I just want you to know one thing, in case Tommy didn't tell you. I told him not to, but I hope he did anyway. If he didn't and you didn't show up tonight…well, obviously you didn't show up, otherwise you wouldn't be getting this letter, but I digress…I guess I thought this would be easy to tell you, but now that I have the paper here and the pen in my hand, it's not working. I miss you. It's strange to say that, because I knew you for only a few days, but I still miss you. So much it hurts. I should really get to the point here. I want you to know that I love you and that Iamgoingtohaveourbaby. There, now I said it. Youaregoingtobeadad. (As you've probably understood by now, I find it easier to write it all as one word. I hope you understand.) I'm going to be all right, if you're even asking yourself that question. I just wanted you to know. Have a wonderful, wonderful life.

With all my love,
Rose

Jack swallowed hard. The last few words were stained, as if she had been crying as she wrote them and he balled his fists, wanting to hit someone, preferably himself, for causing her this pain. He held onto to the letter tightly, staring at himself in the mirror.

"You're such an idiot, Dawson," he muttered under his breath and dropped the letter as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Jack?"

Her voice made him turn around and he quickly kneeled down before her bed.

"I'm right here."

She looked up at him, her eyes tired, but her face sparkled with happiness.

"What time is it?"

"I dunno, midnight. It's time to be sleeping anyway," said Jack as he caressed her face, hoping to soothe her back to sleep.

"Sorry I fell asleep. I've been up since five this morning. I didn't really want to miss all the excitement down there, with Cal and everything, but I…"

He had silenced her by placing a finger lightly over her mouth and then he just looked at her.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one who has to apologize. Fabri, and me, we've both been total jerks. I should have come to you sooner and Fabri, well, he was just glum, because he met this girl Helga on Titanic and she left him when the ship docked, to go with her family, so that's why he's been kind of under the weather and…"

"Shh. You're babbling."

She had moved closer to him now and her mouth was lightly touching his. Her face was screaming at him to kiss her and when he just breathed slowly, afraid to do anything, she closed the space between them and met his lips lingeringly, making him moan as she pulled back all too quickly.

"Want another one?" she whispered and he just leaned closer to her, placing his hand on the back of her neck to pull her to him.

Her fingers lightly caressed his face during the kiss and suddenly she pulled back, looking into his eyes. "What?"

"You found my letter didn't you?" she stated and softly wiped away a lonely tear from his cheek. He nodded, wondering if she was a mind reader all of a sudden.

"You look different. I thought either you found the letter or you found out that someone you loved had died or gone away." She was speaking in a sad tone now, studying his solemn face.

"I was so sure Tommy would tell you." She paused and laughed weakly. "Even though I made him promise not to…I just…"

"He did tell me," Jack interrupted.

"What…you seem so surprised, so upset now…I thought…well, I just assumed that…"

Once again, he opened his mouth before she had a chance to finish her sentence. "I wouldn't be happy? I am, Rose. I just…when I read that letter, I wanted to…"

"Run away from here?" Rose suggested helpfully.

"No!" Jack stood up and began pacing the room. "I wanted to hurt the person who had made your heart break like that, but then I realized that it was me. That I had hurt you and I hate that, Rose. I hate that. I am so, so sorry, Rose."

Rose sat up in bed and stood up to walk over to him, to take him in her arms. "It's all right now, Jack. Isn't it?"

"Of course it is. It's perfect, but I…" He paused, swallowing more sadness as he looked into her eyes. "I just wish we could erase these weeks. I hate myself for ruining it all. I hate the person Fabrizio became and the one I became."

"I know, Jack," she whispered, softly stroking his face, hoping to make him hear her now. "I've already forgiven you, Jack. I have."

"I know. And I love you for that." He finally smiled and ran his hands over her back before letting them rest over her stomach. "I love you both."

She sighed happily and moved her head to his shoulder. "I love you, too, Jack. I will always love you."

He hugged her softly and the just held her in his arms for the longest time, trying to savor that moment in time. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, only having her so close and knowing that she wasn't angry. That it would be all right now.

Chapter Twelve
Stories