AFTER TITANIC
Chapter Twenty-Two

Molly was just sitting down to a nice cup of tea while Ruth was out shopping for groceries. She couldn't help but enjoy this time to herself. She liked Ruth. sure enough, but there were still times when she wanted time to be alone and contemplate her life and how she could have done things differently. She was taking another sip of tea when the doorbell chimed.

"Mrs. Brown, there's two young people at the door for you." Sylvia, the new maid Molly had hired, entered the room nervously, knowing how Mrs. Brown liked being alone at this time of day and didn't appreciate being disturbed.

"Well, what's their names?" Molly asked, sitting up in her chair. Surely it couldn't be her children. She had just visited with them yesterday and they had told her all was well with them. Things couldn't have changed that fast, could they?

"A Jack and Rose Dawson, Mrs. They said you wouldn't mind seeing them," Sylvia explained, all the while nervously wringing her hands.

"Why, Jack and Rose are here! Why didn't you just say it was them, girl?" Molly stood up in excitement. "Well, don't just stand there! Invite them in!"

Jack and Rose. She had almost forgotten about them. If it weren't for Ruth and the strange connection she had felt with Jack Dawson...she probably would've forgotten them.

"Hi, Molly," both Jack and Rose greeted as Sylvia led them into the room.

"May I get you two anything? Some tea, perhaps?" Sylvia offered.

"No, thank you. We're fine." Rose smiled, running over to Molly to give her a big hug.

"Oh, Rose, darling, it's so good to see you. It's been too long." Molly hugged the girl tightly. "And I see Jack has been taking good care of you."

"I try my best." Jack laughed, coming up for a hug of his own.

"And Jack Dawson. You get more and more good-looking every time I see you. It's a good thing I'm an old woman, or I'd have to steal you away from Rose." Molly laughed, hugging both of them tightly. They were like her own children...in fact, she considered both Jack and Rose her adopted son and daughter.

"There's no danger of that." Rose laughed good-naturedly.

"Oh, I don't know, Rose. I always kind of leaned towards older women," Jack joked, getting a mock punch in the arm from his wife.

"So, what brings you two kids to these parts?" Molly asked. "Hopefully to reconcile with your mother, Rose?"

Their expressions quickly changed from smiling to serious. They reminded her of when she had first found them after they docked in New York after the Titanic tragedy.

"What's the matter? Why the serious faces?" she asked.

"We're here to see a doctor..." Jack started.

"A doctor! Is it the baby? Is something wrong with the baby?" Molly tensed her muscles, ready for the bad news.

"No, Molly. The baby's fine. It's Rose." Jack sighed.

"I'm going crazy." Rose suddenly burst into tears.

Jack put his arm around her shoulders and held her tight. "No, Rose. You're not going crazy. You just have issues you to get over, and just need extra help to get over them."

"Wait a minute, you two. What's going on here? What do you mean, you're going crazy, Rose?"

Rose didn't answer. She just moved closer to Jack, as if being closer to him would protect her from all the bad things in the outside world.

"Jack?" Molly turned to the young man for answers, once she saw that Rose was not in the condition to share information.

"We're going to a shrink here in town. He was recommended by a doctor friend at home."

"A shrink? Why are you taking her to a shrink?" Molly asked, her eyes full of confusion. "She seems pretty sane to me."

"She is sane. It's just that Titanic is still haunting her. Really, it's haunting both of us. That's why we're going to see this doctor together. Maybe he can help us get through this," Jack explained. He couldn't reveal everything to Molly, because he still didn't know everything. Rose refused to tell him what she saw at the lake and why she kept telling him she was sorry.

"I'm a headcase, Molly. That's why I'm going to this Doctor Alman. He's probably going to put me in an insane asylum." Rose sobbed.

"No, Rose. He's not going to do that." Jack soothed his sobbing wife.

"Jack's right, Rose. I know Dr. Alman, and he's a good man. The only thing he'll do is listen to you talk about what's happening to you, and give you some advice. Maybe some medicine to help calm your nerves. You'll be fine." Molly placed a firm hand on Rose's and squeezed reassuringly.

"See, Rose? Molly knows him. She wouldn't let you go to someone she doesn't like, now would she?" Jack pulled her away from him to look her in the eyes. His gaze was firm and full of confidence, and most of all, love.

Rose just sniffed and shook her head. She even tried to attempt a smile for him. "Oh, Jack...Molly...I'm so scared. I'm scared of what he's going to say."

"Don't worry about what he's going to say, Rosie, darling. The only thing serious he'll tell you is that you need plenty of rest. That's about it," Molly comforted. "Besides, you'll have Jack there right beside you and if you like...I'll go with you, too. I have been through Titanic right along with you, plus I've talked about it with him myself, and I'm not in an asylum or anything."

"Oh, Molly, will you go with us?" Jack's voice was now hopeful. "I really think that would help."

"Why, certainly. When is the appointment?" Molly asked.

"This afternoon at three. Is that okay?" Jack asked, pulling Rose into another hug.

"That's perfectly fine. But in the meantime, you two kids need to rest. I'll have Sylvia fix up your rooms while I fix you a snack. You two must be starved after that bumpy carriage ride." Molly laughed, leading Jack and Rose into the kitchen.

That was when Ruth came through the door, two maids with their arms full of groceries trailing behind her. "Make sure you put the flour in the cabinet this time. The last time you left it on the counter it fell on the floor and got everywhere."

"Yes, Mrs." One of the maids nodded.

Ruth was about to give another order, when she finally noticed Jack and Rose, who were quietly watching her entrance.

"Rose...what are you doing here...I mean...I'm glad to see you..." Ruth was taken off guard. She wasn't expecting Rose to get in contact with her anytime soon.

"Hello, Mother." Rose stood up and greeted her mother with a voice void of emotion. "We just came by to say hello to Molly and run a couple of errands. We'll be here until tomorrow morning. Then, we're heading back home."

"So you're not here to see me?" Ruth was hurt. Why did her daughter refuse to forgive her? Why couldn't she just forget about the past and start anew?

"I'm sorry, Mother. I know you must be disappointed." Rose looked away.

"But that doesn't mean you two can't talk," Molly interrupted. "In fact, Rose, this may be the time to make up with her. Come, Jack, let's make sure they're putting the groceries away right."

"Sure, Molly." Jack caught Molly's reasoning and got up to follow her into the kitchen, leaving Rose alone with Ruth.

"Rose..."

"Not now, Mother. I can't talk about this right now. I can't take your guilt trips." Rose turned her back to her mother.

"Guilt trips? Rose...I have no intention of laying a guilt trip on you. That's the last thing I want to do. I just want us to start a relationship. I want to be a real mother to you. Is that so wrong?"

Rose didn't answer. She kept her back turned, and hoped Jack and Molly would return soon.

"I have accepted Jack, Rose, if that's what you're wondering. He's a fine young man, and I'm glad you found each other. I was wrong for trying to keep you two apart on Titanic. I was afraid and desperate, Rose. You know that."

"Mother, stop it! Stop it right now! I don't want to talk about Titanic with you! Not now, not ever!"

"Rose..." Ruth was confused by this outburst. What did she say to make Rose so angry?

"Just leave me alone!" Rose ran past her mother and into Jack's arms when he and Molly came out of the kitchen to see what all the shouting was about.

"What happened here?" Molly asked, walking up to Ruth and laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know. I don't even know what I said. I was just apologizing for my behavior on Titanic, and she yelled at me. I don't know what I said," Ruth stammered.

"I'll take her outside to get some air." Jack led Rose to the door and gave Molly a look that said it was okay to tell Ruth what was going on with Rose. "It's okay."

Molly nodded in understanding and led Ruth into the sitting room. "We need to talk...about Rose. Jack just said it was okay to tell you what was going on."

"What's going on? What do you mean? What's wrong with my daughter?"

"She's having a hard time getting over what she went through on Titanic."

"What do you mean? We went through it, too, and we don't get angry over nothing, do we?"

Molly sighed. Ruth had come a long way, but at times she was still so stuck on herself that she didn't see the big picture. "Ruth, it was worse for Rose and Jack. All we did was get in a lifeboat and watch the ship disappear into the ocean. But Rose and Jack...they were right in the heart of everything. They ran through that sinking ship, then when it sank they were right in the heart of that screaming mass of dying people. In fact, they almost died themselves. But something like that you just don't get over. It stays with you, and it's sticking with Rose like glue."

"I don't understand."

"Jack brought Rose here to see a head doctor. To help her get past Titanic...to put it in the past. Now, I don't know the exact details of what happened, but I do know that it was serious enough for her to go talk to this doctor," Molly explained. "Now, I want you to go easy on her, Ruth. No talking about that ship at all, you hear?"

Ruth quickly nodded. Anything for Rose. Her poor daughter...being haunted by such a horrible and senseless tragedy.

"Is everything okay here?" Jack asked, escorting Rose back into the room, her eyes red from crying.

Molly nodded. Ruth just got up and hugged her daughter tightly. "I'm sorry, Rose. And don't worry, darling. Everything will be okay." To Ruth's surprise, Rose hugged her back. This action spoke volumes to Ruth. Rose did forgive her...for everything, and she was sorry for the outburst.

"Jack, why don't you take Rose on up to bed? It's the third room on the left. I'll send Sylvia up with some hot tea and sandwiches for you both," Molly suggested.

"Sure." Jack nodded, taking Rose's hand and leading her upstairs.

"You did a good thing, Ruth." Molly smiled. "You two may be back on the road to recovering your relationship. Just remember to take it slow."

*****

Up in the guest room, Rose and Jack were on the bed. Rose's head was resting on his chest as he stroked her hair and sang her their song. "Come Josephine in my flying machine...and it's up she goes. Up she goes."

"I love you, Jack," Rose whispered, her eyes growing heavy.

"I love you, too, Rose." He smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of you."

"Why is this happening, Jack? Why can't I just let it go?"

"I don't know, Rose. But that's why we're going to this doctor, so he can help you let it go and go on with your life. But, Rose...what happened out there on the lake? What did you see that scared you so much?"

Rose didn't answer. She just buried her head in his chest and began to sob again at the memory of Jack's dead body floating in those icy waters. She knew it was a hallucination, but it had felt so real to her. And even though she was in Jack's arms right now and he was very much alive, it still felt real to her. "I can't, Jack...it hurts so much to even think about it."

"Shh, Rose. It's okay. You don't have to tell me right now. We'll save it for when we're in the doctor's office. He'll be able to help you more there." Jack held her tightly and stroked her hair. He wanted to make all the sadness of Titanic go away and never return, but he knew that it would take more than his love and support to make that happen. His wife needed help...and frankly, so did he. He still couldn't stop feeling terribly guilty about Tommy and Fabrizio's deaths. "It'll be okay, Rose. Just get some sleep. The both of you need it."

Rose drifted off to sleep, breathing in his scent, hoping to take him with her into the dreams that haunted her when she dared to close her eyes.

*****

They were in the Renault. They had just gotten through making love. Rose stroked his hair and stared into his eyes. He was so beautiful and so...cold? Why was he cold? Sure, the cargo room was cold, but their lovemaking had warmed her up. In fact, she was burning hot.

"Jack?" Rose asked, furrowing her brow. "You're so cold."

"Aren't you?" Jack asked, his freezing breath lightly touching her cheek.

Rose shook her head, and noticed that ice had begun to form in his hair. "Jack?"

Suddenly, they weren’t in the Renault anymore. They were in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic, and Titanic had disappeared under the ocean.

"Rose...I'm so cold." Jack was by now shivering violently. All Rose could do was cling to her beloved and try to give him some of her warmth.

"It's okay, Jack. We'll get out of here." Rose began to shiver herself. "Jack."

He didn't answer. She can't even feel him breathing anymore. "Jack?"

She looked at him and screamed. He was now a frozen statue, staring at her with those cold, accusing eyes, asking why she couldn't stop this from happening to him.

"Jack!"

*****

"Rose, wake up!" Jack shook her awake. She was screaming his name hysterically, tears streaming from her closed eyes. "You're dreaming, Rose. Wake up!"

"Jack!" Rose bolted awake, to stare into a pair of concerned blue eyes. "Jack?"

"You was having a nightmare," Jack explained, pulling her into a hug.

"It was so awful," Rose cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "You were so cold."

"Rose!" Ruth bounded into the room. "I heard screaming. What happened?"

"She had a nightmare," Jack answered, trying his best to calm down his sobbing wife.

"Was it about..." Ruth questioned, moving over to the bed to put a warm hand on her daughter's head.

Jack just nodded his head.

"It's okay, Rose. You're safe now." Ruth rubbed her daughter's back. "You're safe."

"I'm always safe. It's Jack who's..." Rose left off. She didn't mean to spill so much about her dreams. She never wanted Jack to know that she dreamed he had died out there on Titanic.

"What, Rose? What happens in your dreams?" Jack asked, squarely looking into her tear-filled eyes.

Rose simply shook her head and reburied her face in Jack's chest. She couldn't tell him. She just couldn't.

"Rosie, darling, it's time for your appointment," Molly announced cheerfully, appearing in the doorway. "The car's waiting outside now."

"Oh, no. I don't think I can do this now." Rose sobbed.

"Don't worry, Rose. We'll be right there beside you," Jack reassured her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Promise?"

"I promise. And you know me. I always keep my promises." Jack smiled, his blue eyes laughing.

"Do you want me to go with you, too?" Ruth asked cautiously, not wanting to push herself on Rose.

"Why don't you stay here, Ruth, and keep the home fires burning. We should be back in an hour or two," Molly interjected, seeing the shock in Rose's eyes at her mother's suggestion.

"Sure." Ruth nodded, feeling a tinge of jealousy that Molly was going to be there to support Rose and she was not. Rose was her daughter, after all. She should be by her side at this difficult time.

Ruth followed them downstairs and watched them get in the car and disappear down the driveway, her worry over Rose's welfare rising in her chest. She hoped this doctor could help her daughter get past this. She wanted a normal life for Rose so much...she'd do anything to make it happen.

Chapter Twenty-Three
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