10
After spending an hour at the cabin brainstorming, Rose and the Dawson brothers came up with the perfect plan to break Mae and Angus out of jail. It was foolproof, or at least Rose thought it was as she stood a little ways from the police station.
"Are you ready?" Jack asked, rubbing her arms, hoping to give her the confidence to pull this off. Everything rested on her ability to act terrified. If she couldn’t do it, or failed to convince the officer that she was in danger…well then all was lost. This plan was all they had.
Rose eagerly nodded. "I ‘m just worried that they won’t listen to me…like earlier with my father."
"Oh they’ll listen. Just tell them that the Dawson boys are after you and they’ll have guns ready to defend your honor," Miles snorted.
Rose nodded, looking one last time at Jack, gathering more courage from him then anywhere else. "I is that you didn’t have to get shot again."
"Hey, I’ll be ok. You know that," Jack smiled, amusement and love shining in his eyes. "Don’t worry."
Rose nodded and turned to the police station. She turned back to Jack, one last time to give him a kiss. "I’ll see you in a few, with Mae and Angus as free as birds."
"They better be," Miles crossed his arms. Somehow, he just couldn’t trust Rose. He didn’t trust any woman but Mae really. After Lisa…he just couldn’t.
Jack glared at his brother, tired of his sour attitude and mistrust. "Shut up Miles."
Shaking her head in slight amusement Rose left the brothers to fulfill her part of their plan. The deputy was alone and busy finishing up his paper work as Rose entered, screaming, her eyes full of terror. The office was up and at the young girl’s side.
"What is it?" He asked, trying to calm her down.
"I-It’s the Dawson boys! Jack and Miles! They tried to kidnap me again and told me that they were going to kill me!"Rose tugged on the officer’s arm. "Please, you have to help me!"
"Where are they now?" The young man asked, excited at the chance to protect the pretty young lady hanging on to his arm tightly.
"Outside! They’re coming after me! I’m sure of it! God, I don’t even know how I escaped. Please, you have to stop them!"
"Ok, ok. Just stay calm little lady. I’ll take care of everything," The officer winked, grabbing his gun and headed outside, ready to face off with the two younger men, unaware that he was falling for a well-planned trick. He didn’t even notice that Rose didn’t follow him back out.
Quickly, Rose grabbed the keys and slipped down to the holding cells, where Mae and Angus were fast asleep.
"Mae! Angus!" Rose softly called, opening each cell, jumping at the sounds of gunshots outside. "Wake up. We have to get out of here."
Meanwhile, Jack and Miles were approaching the station, trying their best to look menacing. The officer ahead aimed and shot each brother in what should have been fatal shots, looking forward to the attention and praise he was sure to get for saving the Dewitt Bukater girl. But al feelings of triumph and heroism turned to outright terror as the boys got back up and continued their path towards the police station, neither looking very happy.
Dropping his weapon, the deputy ran off into the night, screaming something about devils and the end of the world. The boys doubled over with laughter. The plan had worked perfectly.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Jack shook his head.
"I thought he was going to faint," Miles coughed and laughed, his stomach beginning to hurt.
"Whatever is so funny out here?" Mae asked, following Angus and Rose out of the police station.
"Ma!" Jack raced into his mother’s arms, happy to see that she was in one piece.
"What’s going on out here?" Angus again asked, curious about his son’s laughter.
"You should have see the look on that deputy’s face when we got back up after he shot us," Mile’s laughter died down.
"You boys behave yourselves," Mae playfully scolded. "We have important things to discuss now that your pa and I are free."
"Like what we plan to do now," Rose bit her lip nervously. One thing was obvious though. The Dawson’s couldn’t stay in Treegap. They were fugitives now. Plus with Cal wanting to get his hands on the spring…staying in Treegap was out of the question.
"There’s only one thing we can do," Angus sighed, hating to leave the cabin…the forest…and the spring. Who was going to guard it now? Who was going to make sure that no one else drunk of it’s water? "We’re going to have to leave Treegap. There’s no choice."
"Leave?" Mae frowned. She had never really thought much about having to leave her home. She knew that there was a possibility, that they would have to leave someday, but she had never given it much thought and she had never thought that the time would be now. "Where will we go?"
"We can go anywhere ma," Jack grinned, wrapping an arm around Rose, who looked rather troubled. "The five of us can go anywhere."
Rose took a deep breath and stepped away from Jack, coming to a realization that was breaking her heart. "You mean the four of you. Jack…I can’t go with you. Not right now anyway."
Jack frowned. What did she mean she couldn’t go with them? Of course she could…unless…unless she didn’t love him anymore. "Rose…of course you can come. Don’t be silly."
"I’m being practical Jack. Angus and Mae are fugitives. They’re wanted for not only murder, but also kidnapping me. If I stay behind, they’ll stop searching for them sooner or later. But if I come with you…they’ll never stop. My staying here is the only way that all of you can remain free."
"She’s right," Miles nodded, relieved that it was Rose pointing this out and not him. He was saved from being the bad guy this time. "It’s the best for everyone."
"The best for everyone?" Jack looked at his brother as if he had two h heads. "How can you say that? You saw how Hockley treated her! How can you say sending her back to that is the best for everyone?"
Rose placed a calm hand on Jack’s arm, hoping to distill the tension between the brothers. "Don’t worry about that. I can handle Cal, but I can’t handle you being locked away and your secret being discovered. I’ll be fine Jack. I just need you to be safe."
Jack sighed. He didn’t want to leave her. He loved her. But there wasn’t any other choice, he knew that. She was right, it was too dangerous for her to join them. Tears leaving his eyes, he pulled her into a tight hug, savoring the moment. It’ll be a long time before he’d be able to hold her again.
"I don’t want to let you go," Jack whispered. He felt as if a physical part of his being was being cut away. But he knew that it was worse then that. It was a part of his soul he was losing. "I promise to come back for you Rose. As soon as it’s safe and people have forgotten. I’ll come back and then we can marry and we’ll be together for all eternity."
"I’ll hold you to that," Rose wiped away her falling tears. She too felt as if she was losing a part of her soul. This wasn’t fair. She had found all she’s been looking for, only to lose it. "You better go before that deputy comes back."
Mae came up and embraced the young woman she had come to think of as a daughter. "You take good care of yourself sweetie. We’ll see each other again."
"I will. Take care of Jack for me," Rose hugged the woman tightly. "And thank you for doing for me what my own mother wouldn’t."
Mae pulled away, her tears flowing freely. "Oh how I wish we could keep you. For not only Jack, but for ourselves as well. You’re the daughter I never had."
Before Rose could answer, Mae had stepped back and Rose found herself in a bear hug from Angus. "Keep your head up Rosie. Our Jack will be back for you. Just keep an eye out for the horizon," Angus patted her back before giving Miles his chance to say good-bye.
"What can I say? I was wrong about you," Miles shook her hand. "I’m sorry for how I treated you and thank you for helping my family."
"They’re my family too, so there’s no reason to thank me. I understand why you were the way you were. I don’t blame you a bit. I would have done the same thing."
"Miles! It’s time we go," Angus called, hoping into the carriage that the boys had brought with them. Mae was already inside, hiding her face in her hands as if she was crying.
"Take care Rose," Miles gave her a brief hug before heading for the carriage.
Now it was only her and Jack. They stood there, staring into each other’s eyes. Neither wanted to say good-bye, but both knew that there was no choice. In order for the spring to remain a secret, they must part ways.
"I’d give up forever…just to have one more night with you," Jack touched her face, tears shining in his eyes.
"We’ll be together again," Rose sniffed. "As soon as it’s safe."
Jack nodded with a sad smile. "I’ll love you to the day I die, Rose Dewitt Bukater."
"I’ll love you to the day I die and the twice as long as that," Rose hugged him one last time, imprinting the moment to her memory.
"Jack! Come on!" Miles called impatiently. Time was growing short and they must be on their way.
Kissing Rose one last time, Jack pulled away and joined his family in the carriage. Rose waved at the family she had come to love and watched the carriage carry them into the dark horizon. Wondering when she’ll see Jack again, Rose headed for home.