LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Eleven

The Wedding Date

Rose and Annie had been talking for three hours now, while Jack and Mike were still out at the restaurant. Annie grew tired as the time passed and wanted to go home to take a rest. Rose smiled and saw her out. Once Annie left, Rose was alone in the apartment with nothing to do, so she left the apartment, taking the key with her, and went downstairs to the lobby. She walked out of the apartment building and went to walk in the park, hoping to clear her mind off of what had happened in the past four days. It was still hard for Rose to believe that the Titanic had actually sunk, and that she had taken more than fifteen hundred innocent people with her.

When Rose reached the park, she sat on a nearby bench and just watched couples walking by and children running past their parents. Rose smiled, imagining one of her children running around in front of her. She wondered if Jack even wanted to have any children. She knew that she did. She had always loved children. A smile played upon her lips as she imagined her holding their first child after it was born. Rose hoped that she would have a baby with Jack. Her mind drifted off to the eventful nights she had had with Jack.

First had come her attempt at committing suicide, which had failed when Jack had come to her rescue. Then had come the dance at the third class party below decks and the kiss at the bow. Rose cherished that memory, for it had been her first kiss with the man she loved. She had never kissed Cal, for he had thought it was not gentlemanly to kiss a lady like that. Rose had thought differently. Then the drawing came to her mind. Rose closed her eyes as Jack's image played in her mind. She smiled as she remembered how shocked he had looked when she had slipped her kimono off of her body. She had had to admit that she had been nervous, as well. Her heart had been beating quite rapidly that night--especially later on, when they had made love in the Renault.

Then the worst played in her mind. She could still feel the ship shake under her as it had hit the iceberg. At that time, nobody had thought it could damage her. But now, she was under the freezing North Atlantic, left to rot for hundreds of years to come. She could still see Jack's hurt face when the Master-at-Arms had taken the necklace out of his pocket--or AL Ryerson's, as it was written on the label of the coat. She could still hear his pleading voice telling her that he hadn't done it and that they had put it in his pocket. Rose should've believed him then. If she had, she would've saved them all the trouble that had happened later on. From the moment Cal had said that it was a pity that he hadn't kept the drawing when she had been about to board a lifeboat with her mother, she knew that he had framed Jack for stealing the necklace. Right then and there, she had known she had to save him. She hadn’t been able to let him drown below decks when he had had nothing to do with what Cal had set up.

After that, tears started flowing down her cheeks. All the people that had been screaming when the ship had been sinking, Jack's tears when she had been lowered in the lifeboat, and Jack hugging and kissing her, telling her that she had been stupid. Rose covered her face with her hands and just cried. She couldn't hide it anymore. All the pain and hurt had now come to the surface. She had held it in for four days, and if she held it in any longer, she would explode. Rose didn't care that she was crying in public. They didn't know what she had been through, so she could care less. She just sat there and cried, oblivious to the world around her.

Sitting there, she felt a pair of strong arms around her. Not really caring who it was, she leaned against him and cried on his shoulder. Just by the scent of him, she knew it was Jack. She held onto him and clung to his shirt as tears began pouring down her cheeks. He just held her close and kissed the top of her head, whispering comforting words into her ear in hopes of calming her down.

*****

Jack and Mike were in the restaurant, finishing eating. They had been talking for about three hours, each learning new things about each other. Jack learned that Mike had a crush on Annie, and was hoping to marry her someday. Jack smiled and gave him some advice. Ten minutes passed, and Jack wanted to go back home to Rose. Jack was going to pay for his half of the meal, but Mike refused, telling him that it was on him and that he had only brought him to the restaurant to talk, not for him to pay for anything. Jack agreed and left the restaurant with Mike after he paid for the meals they had eaten.

Mike suggested that they walk home through the park, telling Jack that it was a shorter way. Jack agreed, and just put his hands in his pockets as he walked along beside his new friend. They saw a couple pass by with children beside them. Just then, Jack noticed a woman crying on a bench, her face covered by her hands. She had fiery, curly red hair and she had the same dress on as Rose wore earlier. Jack froze, realizing that it was Rose crying. Jack excused himself from Mike and went towards Rose, wrapping his arms around her. She didn't even jump. She just pulled him close to her and cried on his shoulder, clinging to his shirt.

"Shh," Jack whispered, rocking back and forth to calm her down. "It's okay, Rose. I'm here. Everything will be okay." Rose buried her face in his shirt and cried.

"I just keep hearing their screams for help." Rose cried into his shirt. "And I always remember how I almost lost you on that night. Jack, I can't bear it anymore. I'm always afraid that I'm going to lose you." Jack pulled away and lifted her chin with his forefinger.

"Listen, Rose," Jack said calmly. "You're not going to lose me. I promise." Rose looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Oh, Jack. I love you. I don't know what I'd do without you." Rose cried, holding him close to her.

"Would it make you feel better if we set our wedding date?" Jack asked, looking down at Rose. Rose looked up at him and nodded. "Okay, then. When would you like for us to get married?"

"How about tomorrow?" Rose asked. Jack smiled and nodded.

"All right," Jack said. "Let's make the preparations now." Rose smiled and got up, interlocking arms with Jack. They went towards Mike and smiled. "Hey, Mike…uh…I should've asked you earlier, but would you like to be my best man?"

"Why, of course I would!" Mike said, smiling. Jack smiled and hugged Mike.

"We're getting married tomorrow, so get ready," Jack said.

"I will, Jack. Don't you worry about it!" Mike said. With that, Jack and Rose left to go to the nearest church to find a minister. Once they reached the church that was closer to their apartment, they went inside. There, they saw a minister walking down the aisle with his hands folded and a smile on his face.

"Why, hello. How may I help you?" the minister asked politely.

"Well, my fiancé and I would like to get married tomorrow, if it's possible," Rose said, leaning against Jack's arm.

"Well, I don't know, miss. We usually get six months notice before someone gets married," the minister said.

"Please," Rose begged. "It's not really going to be a big wedding. Just myself, my fiancé, my mother, and two friends, who will be my maid of honor and my fiancé's best man. We'll also pay you all the money you need. Just…please, marry us tomorrow." The minister sighed.

"The money's not necessary, miss. Okay, I'll marry you two tomorrow. Would you like to do it in the morning or in the evening?" the minister asked. Rose smiled and looked up at Jack. Jack smiled and answered.

"We would like to do it in the evening at six o'clock," Jack said.

"Okay. Be here half an hour earlier. Then, you two will soon be married," the minister said.

"Thank you," Rose said, tears glistening in her eyes. "Thank you so much." Rose hugged the minister. Hesitantly, he hugged her back.

"No problem, miss. I'd be glad to marry you two." The minister smiled. With that, Jack and Rose exited the small church and headed home.

It was now five o'clock in the afternoon, and they had reached their apartment building. They walked up the stairs and stood in front of their apartment. Rose opened the door with the key and they went inside, closing the door behind them. Jack went over to the couch and sat down. Soon, Rose joined him, leaning on his shoulder. They intertwined their fingers as they just sat there, trying to erase the tragic events that had happened four days earlier. But they knew that it was impossible. The Titanic would be with them for as long as they were alive.

Just then, Jack covered his face with his hands and cried. For Rose, that was the first time she had ever seen him cry like that. The first time had been when she had been lowered in the boat, but it hadn’t been as hard as he was crying now. All Rose could do was hold him close to her, like he had at the park. Jack just hugged her and cried on her shoulder. Rose cried with him, knowing his pain. They had witnessed more than fifteen hundred people perish on the morning of April fifteenth, and it was only four days later that they were engaged to be married the next day. It was all too soon, but they knew it was for the best.

If they got married soon, maybe Cal would just back off and leave them alone. Rose had fallen in love with Jack when she had first laid eyes on him when she was out on deck. She never would've thought that she would've ended up becoming his fiancée seven days later. Rose was just glad that she was going to marry the man she loved, instead of marrying the man she hated. Rose kissed the top of Jack's shaggy blonde head and held him close to her, calming him down, all the while trying to calm herself down. Jack pulled away and wiped the tears away with the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry," Jack said, his voice shaky. "I didn't mean for you to see me like this. It's just that--" Jack was cut off by Rose, who placed her finger on Jack's lips.

"Jack, I know how you feel. I've been through the same pain you have. And I know you lost two dear friends. I hate to say this, but it's all because of me!" Rose cried. Jack looked up and shook his head, lifting her head up.

"Rose, it's not your fault. Nothing's your fault," Jack said. "The only thing we can blame is that bloody iceberg. It wasn't your fault that Fabri and Tommy died. Rose, I love you, and I would never, in my entire life, blame you for anything. I promise you. And never will I lay a hand on you. At least, not in a violent way, I won't. Rose, you're too precious to me to be hurt. Okay? So, please don't cry. Don't blame yourself for what happened. If you do, I'm gonna end up blaming myself for making you feel hurt." Jack looked into Rose's wet eyes.

"But Jack, if it weren't for me, they would be alive right now!" Rose cried, more tears flowing down her cheeks. "I just wish I could turn back time and change everything that has happened." Rose looked down.

"Everything?" Jack asked, a small smile playing across his face. Rose suddenly looked up and smiled, as well.

"Well, not everything. Just the bad parts. Like the sinking. And the iceberg. And Cal," Rose said, smiling.

"I have to agree," Jack said, holding her close. "The world is definitely a crueler place with Caledon Hockley in it." Rose nodded and smiled. She looked up at him and kissed him on the lips. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "Just imagine--we'll be a married couple tomorrow." Rose smiled. Jack smiled back and held her close.

"Yep," Jack said. "And we'll be a happy couple." Rose smiled and leaned her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt his heartbeat and smiled. She hugged him tighter, keeping on listening to the steady rhythm of Jack's heartbeat. Rose heard Jack's stomach rumble. Rose laughed.

"I believe someone is hungry," Rose said, lifting her head up. Jack smiled and nodded. "Well, then, I'll go make you something." Rose got up and went to the kitchen, where she began to get things out to prepare their dinner.

"Need help?" Jack asked, entering the kitchen. Rose looked over at him and smiled.

"If you want to," Rose said, taking the spaghetti from the box. Jack smiled and went over to her. He began to cut the tomatoes. Rose looked up at him and kissed his cheek. It took them about ten minutes to prepare the meal, and then they began cooking it. When thirty minutes had passed, the food was cooked and ready to eat. Rose took two plates from the cupboard and began filling their plates with the spaghetti with the sauce on top. Once she had their plates filled, she placed them on the table and began pouring their drinks. She took napkins and sat beside Jack as they began eating.

"This is not that bad," Jack said, finishing chewing the spaghetti.

"Thank you," Rose said, smiling. Jack smiled and continued eating.

Rose watched as Jack ate his dinner. She never would've thought that she would soon become his wife. Before she had met him, she hadn't even wanted to live anymore. Rose was glad that she hadn't ended up married to Cal, because if she had, she would have been miserable and would have been used, and Rose didn't want that. She continued eating until she had finished everything that was on the plate. Jack, too, finished his dinner and smiled. Rose smiled back and began gathering up the dirty dishes and bringing them to the sink to wash. Jack was beside her, helping her dry the dishes. Rose smiled up at him and finished washing the dishes. Once they were finished, they went to their bedroom to get ready for bed. Jack and Rose got under the covers and fell fast asleep, cuddled up against each other.

Chapter Twelve
Stories