Bahh. I'm so sorry… Well, apologies won't get me very far with you people, so here we go: I'm going to try and upload a chapter a week, and if worse comes to worse, I'll make the attempt to at least do two a month. Hopefully, it won't get that bad, since I have the chapters done, it's just a matter of getting them all onto the same computer and finding the room in my house with internet access. Enough of that sob-story…

This chapter's really long and more of just a filler than anything else. And by the way, not to sound snooty or even dumb, but I did research smoke detectors before I wrote the last chapter, and I'm not sure how valid the website was, but apparently they were invented pre-1910. Then again, considering the still shockingly low number of people who own smoke detectors today, I'm almost positive they weren't popular… I just wrote that in 'cause I was bored… Sorry if I made kindof a big deal out of it, just then… ^

So yeah. Keep reading and reviews make me smile. :-)

~Jillianna

Disclaimer on Chapter One.

A breeze filled the room from an open window and Rose shivered, pulling the blankets more tightly around her body. Despite the fact that Santa Monica's winter was much warmer than the New England winters she was used to, 45 degrees was still cold, no matter where in the world you were. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and smiled to herself.

She heard the bedroom door slowly creak open and listened to the sound of Jack's bare feet tiptoe over to the bed. His weight on the mattress moved Rose's body slightly and she shivered involuntarily as he moved the blankets back to slip under the covers with her again.

Jack rolled over to Rose and put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and nuzzling his face into her hair. "Jack," she whispered and he kissed the top of her head. "Where were you?" Jack rubbed her lower back, as if trying to keep her warm. "What're you talking about? I've been here the whole time," he whispered back, scooting down to rub his nose against hers. She smiled and her eyes blinked open. He was grinning goofily at her and she rolled over, pressing her back into his chest and pulling his arms around her so she could play with his fingers.

"I'm not as stupid as you think I am. I heard you open the door and tiptoe back to bed." Jack planted kisses along her neck and her exposed shoulder. "I would never think you were stupid, baby." Rose sighed contently, closing her eyes and stretching her legs before letting out a yawn. "How's Baby Dawson doing today?" he asked, his hand running down her side, along her hip before snaking over to her stomach.

"Baby Dawson is fine. Quite a rambunctious little booger, might I add. She must know that I told you about her existence, because yesterday was the first time she started kicking." Jack rubbed Rose's stomach gently and felt her skin quiver. "What's it like?" he asked, intrigued. "It's hard to explain," Rose said, furrowing her eyebrows and turning over to face him. "It's… It's like getting your ass kicked from the inside. But in a loving way." Jack laughed and kissed her nose. "There's a loving way to have your ass kicked? I learned something new today."

Rose giggled. "What time is it, anyway?" Jack glanced at the clock on the other side of the room. "Almost eight. Merry Christmas, by the way." Rose grinned. "Merry Christmas." Jack smiled before throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed. He crossed the room and grabbed Rose's robe off of the floor. "You might need this," he informed her. "As much as I wouldn't mind you not wearing it, it is pretty cold in here."

She sat up, keeping the blankets tucked under her chin and accepted her robe, slipping it on without dropping the covers. Jack frowned, almost disappointed and Rose laughed out loud. "Didn't you have enough of that last night?" she teased. "I could never get enough of your body," he answered seriously, planting a kiss on her forehead before slipping into his own robe and dashing to the door. "Come on. The surprises of Christmas await you!"

…

"Can I open my eyes?" "Nuh-uh. Not yet." "Now?" "Nope." "Are you going to make me walk down the stairs with my eyes closed?" Jack didn't respond, but instead swept her off of her feet, cradling her in his arms and gently made his way down the steps. Rose blindly wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled in delight. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked when he had finally set her down.

Jack grinned, leading her into the parlor where a fire was already roaring in the fireplace. "You can love and cherish me forever, if ya like," he teased, and Rose giggled again. "Now can I open my eyes?" she asked, and Jack sighed melodramatically. "Fine. I guess." Excitedly, Rose's eyes flew open and she looked at the drawing in front of her. Jack had drawn a Christmas tree and tacked it to the wall in the corner of the room, next to the fireplace. Rose smiled.

"What a lovely tree. If only I could have been with you when you cut it down." Jack beamed. "That's not even the best part," he explained, and led Rose over to the couch. He moved into the kitchen, coming out only a moment later with two boxes in his hands, both wrapped and tied with ribbons. Rose tucked her legs under her body, fixing her robe so it covered her already freezing toes. Jack handed her the first box, sitting down next to her as she opened the package.

She smiled to herself as she picked up the red rose, twirling it in her fingers. "It's so pretty, Jack. Thank you." She leaned in to kiss him, but instead, he thrust the other package at her. Giving him a mockingly dejected look as she placed the rose on the couch behind her, she turned her attention to the second gift. It was much thinner than the box the rose had been in, but it was wider and taller. Wrinkling her face, she gently untied the ribbon and grinned at the picture staring back at her.

Jack had drawn her standing in the corner of the parlor, wearing her robe with her hands folded over her slightly swollen stomach, the drawing of the Christmas tree behind her. One of her hands held the rose he had just given her. Rose beamed up at him. "You had this planned all along, didn't you?" He smiled sheepishly, taking a third package from his robe's pocket. "You're the only thing I have so perfectly memorized that I can draw without having to look at." She smiled again, and this time he accepted when she leaned in to kiss him.

"Open it," Jack urged when Rose finally pulled away. She slowly unwrapped the paper, staring at the small black box for a moment before curiosity got the better of her and she opened it. Her breath caught in her throat and a tear came to her eye. She instantly reached for the drawing and saw something she hadn't noticed before: the engagement ring on her finger.

Rose handed the box to Jack, holding out her left hand and allowing him to slip the simple golden band onto her finger. The centered lavender stone shined in the light from the fire in the fireplace, and sparkles of light danced along the wall behind them. "I know it angers you when you see all those women trying to get their hands on your husband," Jack teased as Rose admired the ring. "But now at least the men will stay off of you." Rose giggled.

"I think we should get married again," she suggested, and Jack nodded. She turned her body, leaning back into him and he wrapped his arms protectively around her stomach as the baby kicked. "And I think Baby Dawson agrees."

…

"Rose? Where'd you go?" Jack called, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his fists. They had fallen asleep on the couch a mere hour ago, and now that he was awake, he was eerily aware of the cold she'd left behind. The fire had dimmed down and only embers crackled in the wake of what had been roaring flames only two hours ago. He heard a door close upstairs and swung his feet off the couch, getting ready to stand up, when he heard Rose's footsteps tiptoeing down the stairs. He turned to watch her as she carried a bundled blanket over to him.

"I didn't have time to wrap them," she apologized, seating herself on the couch beside him. Jack yawned, stretching his arms and popping the joints in his knuckles before leaning back and putting his hands out expectantly. "Whacha got for me?" he slurred jokingly and Rose pretended to be appalled. "Nothing, if you're going to be like that about it!" Jack smiled, sitting up straight and leaning in. "You know I was only kidding," he told her, and she smiled sheepishly.

Reaching into the bundle she had settled into her lap, she pulled out a pair of slippers and Jack tilted his head, somewhat confused. "Thanks?" Rose rolled her eyes. "Allow me to explain," she told him, grabbing his feet and sliding the slippers on them.

"You may not notice, but whenever you come to bed, your feet are much too cold for my liking. This often results in me subconsciously rolling away from you in my sleep, which then results in me waking up because I'm so cold without your arms around me. This usually happens about three times before your feet are warm enough and I can finally sleep in your arms for good. I figure that the only solution is that you wear these slippers before you come to bed, so your feet are already warm and we can sleep in harmony."

Jack laughed, wiggling his feet and looking at his new slippers. "You put a lot of thought into this," he commented, and Rose smiled proudly. "Thank you, Baby. They're very warm." She reached back into the bundle and pulled out a box, unfamiliar to Jack. "Film… Film for what?" Rose smiled and pulled a third object from the blanket in her lap and pulled out a brand new camera. Jack's face lit up and he reached out for the camera excitedly, inspecting it carefully.

"This is beautiful, Rosie! I've always wanted a camera!" he leaned forward and kissed her passionately before pulling away to look at his camera more. After a moment, he opened up his arms and Rose leaned back into his embrace, spreading out the blanket and laying it over their bodies. "My Pa used to have a camera. He took pictures all the time. In fact, most of the money he didn't spend on the house or on my mother he spent buying film to capture 'precious family moments.'"

Rose smiled to herself, hearing the dreaminess in Jack's voice. He seemed to be getting lost in his memories. "This one time, he took me fishing in the middle of summer, and made my Ma tag along, just so she could take pictures. He jumped into the lake, trying to catch a fish with his bare hands, and when he finally caught it, Ma announced she was out of film. He was angry until he remembered the extra film he'd packed into the picnic basket. That was a good day."

Rose felt Jack's chest rise and fall as he sighed, and she could almost sense his body loosen as a sleepy state overtook him. "Jack?" Rose whispered, fixing the blanket so it covered her legs. He mumbled a response. "Can you tell me more about your childhood?"

Jack mumbled again, and Rose could tell he was already fast asleep.

…

They had invited Ted over for a Christmas dinner, and minutes before he arrived, Jack and Rose sat at the kitchen table, waiting for the food to finish cooking in the oven. Jack was leaning back in his chair, still eagerly inspecting his new camera, as a young child would marvel over a new toy. Rose smiled watching him, trying to recall a time she was ever that excited over a Christmas gift. Not being able to conjure up such a memory, she sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked, still not having the ability to tear his eyes away from his camera. Rose frowned, another thought suddenly coming to mind. "Is Ted brining anyone?" she asked, and Jack's eyebrows furrowed as he brought the camera to his eye to look through the lens. "I don't think so… He didn't mention anyone else. Why?" "Isn't he going to bring his wife?"

Jack finally looked away from his camera, placing it on the table before him and cocked his head, studying Rose's face. "His wife?" He seemed lost, so Rose offered a further explanation. "Her name's… Josephine, or something. I never met her, but when I spent the night at Ted's house because you were in jail, he mentioned her… I reminded him of her, or something."

Cocking his eyebrow, Jack crossed his arms. "He doesn't have a wife… At least, not one that he's mentioned." Rose shrugged and glanced down at her hands, smiling as she caught sight of the engagement ring on her finger. She wondered if Ted would notice. After the incident with Cal, Jack had explained that Cal was nothing more than a jealous ex-fiancé. Later, after Ted's asking, Rose explained that she and Jack were married. If Ted noticed the lack of wedding rings, he didn't pry, and neither Jack nor Rose mentioned it. Would he bring it up now that Rose wore a ring?

Noticing her expression, Jack grinned, standing and walking over to Rose's chair, placing his hands on her shoulders. His slippers slid on the tile floor and Rose had to hold back giggles. "Should we tell him about Baby Dawson?" she asked, reaching behind herself to wrap her arms around Jack's waist. "Only if you want to." He leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Rose-" Jack began, but there was a knock on the door and instead Rose stood and kissed his cheek before going to greet Ted.

Recap: Jack and Rose are already married… since Chapter Something-Earlier. (I don't remember…) Yup.

Okay, so I've got the next few chapters half done, but I'm probably going to add more chapters between this one and those ones, 'cause there's a lot of gaps a stuff. I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me and review, no matter what kind of lashing you'll give me for the long periods of time between updates… :-)