Jack
It had been a month or so since the incident in the café with Rose’s mother and that boyfriend of hers. Rose had tried to assure me that everything was okay and that she didn’t worry about Cal or her mother, but I noticed that she seemed to be paying attention more to every car that came down our street or every stranger she came across. She was worried, and I did my best to console her, but we both knew what Cal was capable of and we were both worried that he’d do anything to get her back. I wasn’t about to let that happen. She was my wife and the mother of my son.
Harry and I had just gotten back from a short trip to England. Officer Lightoller and his wife were in town and he had volunteered to keep an eye on the girls while we were gone. They stayed at Torie’s house as she knew them better than Rose and I did. I was worried the entire two weeks we had been gone, but there was nothing I could do. I knew Lightoller would be there and would keep both of them safe if anything happened. As soon as Harry and I had gotten back, he told us that nothing happened and it was business as usual in the Dawson and Lowe households.
Another week went by and plans Harry and I had made had finally been approved by our superior officers at White Star Lines. As a wedding anniversary present to the girls, we had arranged to take a month’s vacation so Harry could see his family and they could see Anna and Rose and I could celebrate our honeymoon overseas in Liverpool and then we would all head to Ireland to vacation, then come back home. It would be our first trip together as a family overseas and the first time Rose or Torie had set foot on a ship since the Titanic sank.
I looked up from my thoughts to see Rose lugging yet another suitcase up front. I stood up to help her. “What are you packing? The luggage is gonna be too heavy for the ship to carry.” I looked over at the pile of two other suitcases, James’ diaper bag, and a small bag I used when I traveled for work. “Where are you planning on putting all of this?”
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ll find room. I have this suitcase. James’ suitcase is already over there with his baby bag. Where’s yours?”
I pointed to my duffel bag. “That’s it.”
“You’re only bringing one bag? Jack, we are planning to be gone a month. Torie said we’re going to be going to meet Harry’s parents and I do not need you wearing the same shirt you’ve been wearing for two weeks when you meet them. They’re practically our in-laws, too!” Rose shook her head and went back upstairs to pack a decent bag for me. I just had to laugh. As I turned around to face our side yard, Torie was walking up the cobblestone path between our homes. I waved at her to tell her to come on in. She and Harry never knocked anyway.
“Done packing yet? I have our bags all done. Harry did most of it, actually. I packed Anna’s bag, but he did both of ours.” She scanned the room for a bit. “Are you taking all of those?” Her eyes kept moving between the mountain of luggage Rose piled up and me. “The car White Star is sending for us all isn’t big enough to fit all that in there. A train car wouldn’t be big enough.”
She set Anna down in the playpen with James. The babies began laughing instantly when they were together. I smiled as Torie spoke again.
“What is this? Luggage for a year’s safari? We’re going to be gone a month, not forever.”
Rose was coming down the stairs, lugging yet another huge suitcase. “We’re just planning ahead. This one is mine.” She pointed to the other two. “The smaller one is James’. And the duffel bag is Jack’s, but I just packed him this one.” She set the third case down. “How many do you have?”
“Just two. Harry didn’t want to burden the baggage guy. Wow, you've got to weed some of this out!”
Torie walked over to where the luggage was and after a little bit of time, she and Rose got our luggage down to two suitcases, plus James’ diaper bag. “Much better. Now the Dawson family won’t be responsible for sinking the ship due to the weight of too much luggage.” Torie smiled as Rose took the now empty third suitcase back up to our room.
She did that and came back downstairs and started looking around. “Oh, my. Now, what did I do with the tickets?” I turned around to watch Rose checking the pockets of the suitcases we had left. I started to laugh, but thought better of it. Harry came in at that moment, so I didn’t have to stifle my laughter long.
“Be right back, Rose. We’re gonna go out and discuss our master plan. You two stay here!”
Rose just waved her hand at me and she and Torie didn’t even bother to look up as Harry and I walked outside.
The air was cool, but not too terribly cold. The flowers on the vine on the side of the house had started to bloom a little. I picked one of the violet blooms off of the vine and held it in my hands.
“Rose said anything about her mother? Torie said she hasn’t mentioned anything to her. What about you?”
I looked at Harry, then back through the windows at Rose and Torie, still trying to find our lost tickets. “She’s been really quiet about the whole situation. We should have known something like this would have happened. I wish Torie would have been able to talk Rose into throwing that damn necklace overboard on the Carpathia. All of this mess started when we sold that thing to buy our houses. Cal tracked us down using that necklace. If I lose her or if something happens to her…”
Harry stopped me. “Do you trust me?”
I looked up from the flower I was holding. “What?”
“You heard me. Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do. Why?”
“Torie didn’t want me to say anything to you, but if something happens to either you or Rose, she and I have got a plan to help either of you out. You and I both know how much that bastard Hockley would do to get her back. You need to listen carefully to what I’m about to say and I’m only going to say this once. Torie and I have a way to make sure Hockley doesn’t win in the event he tries something with you or with Rose. Torie was actually the one to come up with the plan.”
“She hasn’t told me about this. Neither of you have. What is it?”
Harry shook his head. “Not now. If it happens, just do whatever anyone asks of you, got it? Torie or I will handle the rest. If it comes down to it, we’ll do what we have to do to make sure you, Rose, and James stay safe. Hockley can play dirty. Well, I’ve got news for him. So can I.”
Harry just looked at me and I nodded. “You’re not going to kill him, are you?”
“Christ, no, Jack. Nothing like that. We’re just going to dish out what Hockley has coming. If you tell Torie or Rose you know this, my wife will kill me. Got that?”
I nodded. Harry continued. “Just trust us, all right? Neither Torie nor I are going to let anything happen to you or Rose.”
I just stared at him, dumbfounded as to what he was saying. I started to speak, but then it dawned on me as to what they were talking about. They were going to use the necklace against Cal.
Harry smiled and nodded as he realized I knew what he was talking about. “Aye. Now you see it, my friend.”
I was about to speak when I heard the screen door open. “The car’s here. Come on!” Rose waved her hand and Harry turned to go to his house to get their luggage. Torie came out right after Harry did and I walked inside to help the driver with our bags. After putting our bags in, we got in the large back seat and waited on Torie and Harry.
Rose was holding James, who was fascinated by the car. It didn’t take much to impress him. I reached over to him and poked his shoulder. He turned around to face me and gave me a toothy grin. “Dada!”
“I never get tired of him doing that.” He reached for me and I settled him in my lap as Harry held the door open for Torie. She got in and Harry handed Anna to her as the driver and Harry put their luggage in the trunk. Harry climbed in and seated himself next to Torie and the driver got in the front and we rode in silence to the docks.
The docks were crowded with the ship’s departure. I pulled my pocket watch out of my vest pocket, and seeing that we had a little under forty-five minutes to board, I gently guided Rose towards the entrance to the ramp to take us up to the ship. I turned around to make sure Harry and Torie were following us. Torie was laughing with some lady on the docks and Harry was instructing the luggage guy where to take our luggage. I remarked to Rose that it felt different to be boarding as a passenger and not staff. I told her that out of habit, I felt I should make my way to the front of the ship where the crew sleeps to check in. While holding James, she smiled and put her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder.
We finally made our way to the boarding line. Rose handed me my ticket and she held onto the tickets for herself and James. Harry found his ticket as well as Torie’s ticket and Anna’s ticket. I sighed a sigh of relief, knowing this all was about to finally happen. I took James from Rose and watched silently as the ticket officer was checking the tickets as we were getting ready to board.
The four of us were waiting in the line to board the ship at the crowded docks when I heard a voice from behind me. “Jack Dawson?”
I turned around and came face to face with two police officers, Ruth, and that boyfriend of hers. “Maybe. What do you want?” The smile on Rose’s face faded and her expression was turned to anger at the sight of her mother again. She just had an evil smirk on her face and didn’t even bother to recognize me.
One of the police officers spoke up. “We have a warrant for your arrest.” He stepped towards me, grabbed my left arm, and with more force than necessary, jerked me away from Rose, Harry, and Torie. “Give the baby to your wife and come with us, please.”
I snapped my arm away from the officer and took a step back. “Do you mind telling me what this is all about? I don’t have to do anything.”
The other officer spoke up. “Unfortunately, you do. Now, hand the baby to your wife and come with us quietly, or we’ll be forced to treat you as a hostile prisoner and shackle you here and now.” His chiseled face was stone cold and his eyes bore a look that I had seen before, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“Mother, what the hell do you think you’re doing? We’re leaving now, damn it.”
Ruth just laughed. “I told you. You were going to come with me one way or another. Rose, darling. Cal misses you. He’s thought of nothing but you since your demise on the Titanic. Can’t you see that? This is what is required of you.”
Rose took one step back and Harry stood between Rose and her mother. “The hell it is. I don’t know what kind of games you’re playing, but they will not work.” She reached for my hand, but the officer pulled me back to where Rose couldn’t get my hand.
Ruth turned to walk off as the younger officer looked at me again. With one more glance, I looked down at James and reluctantly looked at Rose and handed James to her. Rose’s lack of emotion was soon replaced with tears that fell down her cheeks.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be okay. You and Harry and Torie come down to the police station and bail me out. Harry told me that you and Torie will handle this. I need you to do this for me. For us.” I looked at Rose, who nodded slowly and wiped her wet cheek with the end of her sleeve before she put her free hand around my neck to kiss me. I looked at the officer, who sighed and let me go long enough to kiss Rose good-bye, and the six of us started towards two police cars that were parked at the entrance to the docks. I turned around once more and saw Rose’s shoulders begin to shake as heavy sobs overtook her body. Torie handed Anna to Harry and hugged Rose as she cried on her best friend’s shoulders. Harry put his free hand on Rose’s shoulder in comfort. James, seeing his mother upset, started to cry also and reach out to me as we were walking off. It took all I had not to fight my way free from these cops and run back to her. I sighed, knowing if I did, it’d only make matters worse.
I turned to look at Ruth. “You’re not the only one with ace up your sleeve. You do know that, right?”
Ruth didn’t even bother to look at me. She just smiled and stared straight ahead as the younger officer opened the back door to the police car and violently shoved me in the back seat and slammed the door. Ruth got in the front seat with the officer. Ruth’s boyfriend and the other one got in the second police car and they followed us out.
I turned around to watch Rose, Harry, Torie, James, and Anna disappear as the car turned the corner and we drove off to the station. I could tell that Rose was still sobbing. I felt a lone tear roll down my cheek and watched it fall on the sleeve of my jacket. God help me if this plan doesn’t work. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. It has to. It just has to, I thought as I nodded to myself and stared straight ahead, not bothering to pay attention to the officer as he turned around to stare at me. He nodded at Ruth.
“Cal said something to you as the boat was lowered, didn’t he?”
I turned my attention back to Ruth. “What?”
She smiled again. I had the overwhelming urge to strangle her with my bare hands. “Cal told me that he told you something right before Rose and the Metcalfe girl jumped. Remember? As you both watched them in the boat as it was lowered. Do you remember what it was?”
I stared blankly at her. “He said ‘I always win, Jack. One way or another.’ Is that what you meant?”
Ruth nodded. “I see your memory hasn’t faded.” She turned around to face the front of the car and we rode the rest of the way to the police station in silence.