CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
Chapter Five

Jack leaned out of the window on the private promenade deck. And looked up at the stars. He shivered as a blast of cold air blew past him. He walked back in just as Rose walked back out wearing another dress. She was gorgeous. The dress made her look like a princess.

"It’s getting cold." Jack looked towards the window. "But you look nice."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Miss Rose!" Lovejoy called.

Of course, her mother would be looking for her, and Caroline was probably looking for Jack, as well. Neither of them was ready for a confrontation with either Caroline or Ruth, so Rose grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him into Ruth’s room.

"My drawings!" Jack remembered that he had left his portfolio on the table. But there was no time to go back for them. Rose pulled him into another room and quickly closed the door.

"This way." Rose pulled him to another door that led out into the hallway.

They were halfway to the elevator when Lovejoy emerged. They would have gotten away unnoticed if they hadn’t looked behind them and back again. That was when Lovejoy knew he had who he wanted. He quickened his pace.

Knowing this, Rose grabbed Jack’s hand, and yelled, "Run!"

Both burst into laughter and ran down the hall, causing the older man to give chase.

"Wait!" Rose yelled to the lift operator.

"Wait!" Jack joined her.

"Which floor?" the lift attendant asked.

"Any floor but this one!" Rose laughed.

The door closed, and the lift moved down just as Lovejoy reached it. Laughing, Rose gave him the finger, causing Jack to laugh even harder.

Lovejoy’s eyes just widened in shock and surprise at the rude gesture. What would Mrs. DeWitt Bukater say? Well, this wasn’t over. He was going to catch them if it was the last thing he did. Pushing a passing man out of the way, he headed for the stairs.

*****

Jack pushed the elevator door open, and both he and Rose fell out, laughing hysterically. Jack ran into a steward.

"Sorry." Jack laughed as the shocked man walked away. They ran through some double doors and Jack crashed into another steward wheeling pots and pans. "I’m sorry!"

"My fault." The steward smiled with amusement, noticing how hard the young couple was laughing. Something was awfully amusing.

Jack and Rose ran through another set of double doors and collapsed into uncontrollable laughter.

"Pretty tough for a butler." Jack laughed. "He’s more like a cop."

"I think he was." Rose laughed.

"Oh, shit," Jack whispered, seeing Lovejoy appear in the next room.

"Go!" Rose laughed, following Jack around a corner, where they ran into a dead end.

"No, this way!" Jack spotted a door. They ran into the room, and Jack locked the door behind them. They both laughed hysterically as Lovejoy tried to open the door but failed.

"Now what?" Rose yelled over the loud noise coming from the hatch in the middle of the floor.

"What?" Jack yelled back, his laughter coming under control.

"Where too next?"

"Down there!" Jack pointed to a ladder leading down.

Jack was the first to descend the ladder. Rose came after. Jack stopped to take in his surroundings when a rough voice spoke up from behind them.

"Hey, what are you two doing down here? It can be dangerous!"

Rose grabbed Jack, and they again were on the run.

"Wait!" the stoker called after them.

"Carry on! Don’t mind us! You’re doing a great job!" Jack called, as they ran past the other stokers. Finally, they entered into the cold cargo hold. Jack looked behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed.

"Hey, look what we have here." He spotted a brand new Renault. He’d heard about the new Renault town cars, and he couldn’t pass up the chance to check this one out. So, still holding Rose’s hand, he led her over to the car.

He was examining the fine bodywork when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned to Rose, who looked at him with expectation in her eyes. He stifled a laugh, opened the door for her, and helped her climb into the back seat. He closed the door and climbed into the front seat, behind the wheel. He beeped the horn.

"Where to, miss?" he asked, with a false British accent, as Rose pushed down the glass divider. She grabbed him by the coat he had lifted earlier that day.

"To the stars," she whispered, and pulled him over into the backseat with her. The sound of his breathing was all she could hear. At that moment, looking into his eyes, she knew what was coming next.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"No." Rose shook her head. She took his hand and kissed each one of his fingers, loving the feel of his warm flesh on her lips. She wanted more. "Put your hands on me, Jack," she whispered, placing his hand on her breast. Jack, his eyes filled with desire and passion, obliged. Soon, his lips totally covered hers, and she welcomed his weight as she slid down onto the seat under him.

"I love you, Jack," she whispered, as he came up for air.

"Are you sure about this, Rose?"

"I’ve never been sure of anything else in my whole life. I want to make love to you, Jack. Even if you leave with Caroline when this ship docks, I at least want this one moment with you."

"There’s no need to worry about me leaving with Caroline, Rose. It’s not going to happen. I love you, and only you. I can never be with anyone else." Jack lovingly gazed into her eyes. His eyes became Rose’s whole world, and she remained lost in them as both she and Jack undressed each other. They began kissing deeper and deeper, and soon their hands were exploring each other. Rose gasped as they became one, and she soon became so enrapt in her own passion that her hand slammed up against the fogged up window of the Renault. Coming down from the stars, Jack and Rose just lay in one another’s arms.

"You’re trembling." Rose noticed.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be all right." Jack smiled and stroked her long red hair.

At that moment, Rose wanted to hide from him as he noticed her hair. Her ugly red hair that her mother abhorred. "Stop, Jack. Don’t look at my hair." Rose turned away from him, a single tear escaping her eyes.

"Why?" Jack asked, concerned, noticing the tears. He pulled her closer, wanting to protect her from whatever was making her cry.

"It’s ugly, that’s why. My mother abhors it. She always told me how she wished she had a blond child instead of an ugly redhead with curls. And I’m sure you feel the same. You must hate my hair…Mother does."

Jack’s heart went out to her. How could that horrible woman say such a thing to Rose? Rose was the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on. In fact, her hair was the first thing he had noticed about her. "Oh, Rose, that’s not true. Your hair is one of the loveliest things about you. I love your hair and its color. It represents your fiery spirit, and that’s what I love most about you, Rose. So don’t ever think that your hair is ugly. It’s not. It’s gorgeous."

Rose looked up with Jack, tears gleaming in her eyes. He was so wonderful. He made her feel beautiful and desirable, for once in her life. She could die right now and she’d be happy, knowing Jack’s love and kindness.

"I love you, Rose," Jack whispered in her ear, holding her tightly.

Rose smiled as he kissed her again. Then she lay his head down on her chest and held him tight, not ever wanting to let go.

*****

"Is there anything missing?" Lovejoy asked, as the women returned to the staterooms.

Caroline looked around for any sign of what might have been going on when she spotted Jack’s portfolio on the table. "This is Jack’s." She picked up the leather folder. "He never goes anywhere without it."

"Let me check my jewelry box." Ruth worriedly went to her room. She gasped loudly at what she found. A drawing and a note pinned down with her favorite necklace, a family heirloom. Ruth gasped again when she noticed the nude drawing of Rose wearing the necklace. She read the note.

Dear Ruth,

I hope you thoroughly enjoy your gift. Just think of it as a little retribution for what you’ve done to me for all these years.

Rose

"Oh, dear." Ruth’s hand went to her throat.

"I’m going to kill him," Caroline growled when she saw the drawing.

"Where’s Molly?" Ruth turned to her butler.

"Mrs. Brown has decided to take a drink in the Parisian café." The butler snorted.

"Good. I have a plan." Caroline turned to Ruth. She was going to get even with Jack and his little slut. She had tried to be nice about this with Rose, but now it was time to play dirty. She was going to get even with them both. But it was really Rose she wanted to suffer, and she would. Oh, she would.

*****

Rose and Jack ran out onto the second class deck, holding hands and laughing. They had just ducked the stewards who had come searching for them. Rose loved the feeling of excitement at the possibility of getting caught.

"Did you see those guys’ faces? Did you see…" Jack laughed until Rose brought a finger to his lips, her face now totally serious. She had something very important to tell him.

"When the ship docks, I’m getting off with you."

Jack looked at her, his blue eyes wide with amazement. "This is crazy." He smiled.

Rose laughed. "I know. It doesn’t make any sense. That’s why I trust it."

Jack looked at her, all the love in the world shining in his eyes. Soon, they were kissing passionately, their arms wrapped around each other, ignoring the severe chill of the wind. Fifteen minutes later, the ground moved.

"Wow," Rose whispered. "What a kiss."

"That wasn’t the kiss, Rose." Jack looked down and noticed that the ship was still shuddering. What was going on? Suddenly, he knew, as a humongous mountain of ice loomed above them "Get back!" Jack pulled Rose backward as giant chunks of ice fell onto the deck.

"What is it, Jack?" Rose asked, once the ship was past, and followed Jack to the rail.

"Iceberg," was Jack’s simple answer. As he heard the sound of the alarms. "Come on. Let’s go to the bridge and see if we can get any idea of what’s going on."

*****

Ten minutes later, Captain Smith, Thomas Andrews, and a couple of officers rushed past Jack and Rose as they gave up and headed back to first class, thinking that maybe everything was okay after all.

"Can you shore up?" Captain Smith asked.

"Not unless the pumps get ahead," one of the officers answered.

"This is bad," Jack whispered to Rose.

"We have to tell Aunt Molly." Rose leaned into Jack and held tightly to his hand. She was scared, but she was determined to remain brave. She didn’t want Jack to think she was a baby. "Come with me, Jack…just in case Mother’s there. I jump, you jump…right?"

"Right." Jack nodded. Both went through the door into the ship.

*****

Lovejoy was waiting for them as they entered the hall that led to Rose’s stateroom.

"We’ve been looking for you, miss." Lovejoy nodded. Neither noticed him move up closer behind Jack and slip something into his pocket.

*****

Jack and Rose entered the room to find Molly, Caroline, Ruth, the Master-at-Arms, and two stewards waiting for them.

"Something serious has happened," Rose announced, gripping tightly to Jack’s hand as she spotted Caroline glaring at her.

"Yes, it has. I come back to the room and find two things dear to me have disappeared." Ruth glared at her daughter. "Now that one is back, I think I have a pretty good idea where the other is. Search him." Ruth nodded towards Jack.

"Is this it?" one of the stewards held up Ruth’s necklace, the one that Jack had drawn Rose wearing.

"Wait a minute…how did that get in there?" Jack stared at the necklace, shock in his blue eyes.

"That’s it." Ruth snatched the necklace away from the steward.

"Okay, then. It’s obvious what we have to do." The Master-at-Arms handcuffed Jack.

"Don’t you believe it, Rose! Don’t! I didn’t do this." Jack turned to Rose, desperate for her to believe him.

"But he couldn’t have." Rose’s voice betrayed her uncertainty. Jack couldn’t have done this. He wouldn’t have. He loved her too much…God, he was the only one, besides her Aunt Molly who loved her. He would never do anything like this…it’d hurt her too much.

"Of course he could." Caroline glared at her. "Easy enough for a professional." She turned her glare on Jack. "Really, Rose, don’t feel foolish. I was a fool, too. Just think, he promised his days of crime were over. That he loved me too much to do that anymore. But I guess that was one of his many lies."

"That’s a lie, Rose!" Jack denied Caroline’s claim. "I never stole anything in my life."

"I was with him the whole time." Rose went to her Aunt Molly. She’d believe her.

"Of course you were, darlin‘." Molly nodded.

"Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on, dear." Ruth glared at her daughter, took a glance at Caroline, and immediately went to her. "You poor dear. To find out your fiancé is a criminal."

Jack looked at the way the two women looked at each other and suddenly knew what was up. "Real slick. Rose, they put it in my pocket."

"Shut up!" Caroline snapped.

"It’s not even your pocket, is it, son?" Lovejoy held up the coat the Master-at-Arms had taken from Jack. He read, "Property of AL Ryerson."

"That was reported stolen today." The Master-at-Arms read the label.

"I just borrowed it." Jack turned back to Rose. "I was going to return it."

Rose felt totally betrayed, hurt, and confused. She turned to her aunt, who placed a comforting arm around her.

"Rose, don’t listen to them…I didn’t do this! You know I didn’t! You know it!" Jack called to her as they took him away. She didn’t turn around. She just clung to her aunt and cried.

"There, there, Rosie…there, there." Molly patted Rose’s back, looked at both Ruth and Caroline, and saw the self-satisfactory grins. Something was up with those two. She knew it. She suddenly knew that young Jack hadn’t taken that necklace, and she was going to have a long talk with Rose in order to prove it.

"Molly, will you please take poor Caroline back down to her cabin? She’s having a rough night. Plus, I’d like to speak to my daughter alone." Ruth turned to Molly.

"But, Ruth, I really think…" Molly began.

"I didn’t ask you to think, Molly. I just asked you to make sure this poor child gets back to her cabin all right," Ruth snapped.

"Okay, Ruth. Come along, Caroline," Molly growled between clenched teeth. She didn't see whatever Jack had seen in this girl. She was mean and vindictive, just like Ruth. Well, it looked like that talk with Rose was going to have to wait.

Chapter Six
Stories