LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Nineteen

The First Love’s Tale

Jack was now sitting on the couch in Jon’s parlor, slouching down, just sitting there, waiting for Jon to come home. He had been waiting for the past twenty minutes, and Jon hadn’t come home yet. Rose was still upstairs, possibly playing with Amanda, while Katherine was setting the table in the dining room. Jack ran his fingers through his hair, sighing, getting up from the couch. Suddenly, Jack heard the doorknob turn. Jack’s head lifted to face the wooden door, watching it open, revealing Jonathan in a light jacket and a hat. He seemed to be whistling, taking his hat off and putting it on the rack beside the door. Closing the front door, he took off his light jacket, putting it up on the coat rack as well.

"Kat, I’m home!" Jon called out, making his way towards the parlor. He stopped when he saw Jack standing in the middle of the parlor. "Why, Jack, what are you doing here?" Jon smiled.

"Ah…I was just waiting for you to come home," Jack said. "And I just wanted to talk to you for awhile. You know, catch up on the good old times."

"Why not?" Jon asked, smiling. Jack smiled back. Suddenly, Katherine entered the living room. Jon turned to face his wife. "Hey, Kat." Jon smiled, kissing his wife on the lips. "So, I see that you have met my beautiful wife here." Jon placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I have," Jack said. "And your daughter, too."

"My Mandy girl," Jon said. "You gotta love her." Jon smiled.

"Of course," Jack said.

"Mandy!" Jon called out.

"Daddy!" they heard Amanda yell from her bedroom. Suddenly, they heard running footsteps, until Amanda was standing at the top of the stairs. "Daddy!" Amanda smiled, descending the stairs while holding onto the banister until she was standing at the bottom of the stairs. She ran to her father, who lifted her up and spun her around, kissing her cheeks as he did so.

"There’s my Mandy girl!" Jon said, balancing his daughter on his hip. Amanda wrapped her little arms around her father’s neck, resting her head on Jonathan’s chest. He kissed the top of her blonde head, setting her down. "Go on into the dining room and help Mommy set the table." Jon gently pushed his daughter towards her mother.

"Okay," Amanda said, walking up to her mother, who held her hand and walked into the dining room.

Footsteps came from the upper level of the house. Jack turned his head, hearing more footsteps near the stairs. Soon enough, Rose stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at Jack, a smile on her face. Her hand rested on the banister as her foot took the first step down the stairs. Her red dress flowed behind her while she walked down the stairs, coming to stand beside her husband. Her hair flowed down her back, while a few strands of curls lay against the sides of her face. Her sapphire-emerald eyes shone with love and care, looking up at her one and only love. The one man that she would ever love. Jack smiled, pressing his lips against hers, giving her a gentle but intense loving kiss, his rough lips brushing against her soft, moist, ruby red lips.

When they parted from their short kiss, Jack looked at her, finding her loving smile on her alabaster-skinned face. Jack’s hand went to her cheek, his rough, but gentle, thumb brushing against her skin, caressing it with love and care, showing her the meaning of his love just by the touch of his skin upon hers. Rose’s fingers ran through Jack’s tousled blonde hair, feeling every strand of hair separate from every other when her fingers slowly traveled through his blonde hair. Jack smiled, kissing the top of her head. Both had loving smiles on their faces.

"Okay, lunch is ready, everyone!" Katherine called from the dining room. Jack and Rose turned, finding Jonathan shaking his head and smiling.

"My, my," Jonathan said. "I never knew that newlyweds could be this ridiculous." Jack smiled.

"Come on. I’m sure you were like this when you first married," Jack said.

"Well, I was…and I still am," Jon said, smiling and walking towards the dining room. Jack and Rose smiled at each other, following Jonathan to the dining room.

Their dining room had wooden walls as well as a wooden floor. Their walls had designs of little yellow and white daisies. In the middle of the dining room, there was a rectangular-shaped dining table, which was set with silverware, white dishes with gold trim, wine glasses, and the food at the center, which consisted of mashed potatoes, pork chops, and a green salad. The five chairs that were pushed in were the same as the dining table, mahogany. A high chair was placed beside the end of the table, with a juice cup and a small plate filled with Amanda’s food. As Rose looked around the medium-sized dining room, she smiled, deciding that this was a perfect-sized dining room for a perfect-sized family.

"Well, why don’t you have a seat?" Jon asked, urging Jack and Rose to take their seats. "You wouldn’t want to eat standing up, would you?" Jack laughed, helping Rose sit down beside Jon. Once Rose was seated and pushed in, Jack helped Katherine into her seat, after she had set Amanda in her high chair.

"Why, thank you, Jack." Katherine smiled, pushing herself in.

"Not a problem," Jack said, sitting beside his wife and pushing himself in. Amanda folded her hands together and bowed her head, as did Katherine and Jon. Jack and Rose were soon to follow their example as Amanda began to thank the Lord.

"Dear Lord, thank you for the yummy food that my mommy makes, and thank you for Mr. And Mrs. Dawson, and thank you for Mommy and Daddy, and thank you for Angel, and thank you for this house, and thank you for my family. Amen," Amanda said, unfolding her hands and beginning to eat her mashed potatoes. Rose smiled, elegantly picking up her fork and beginning to eat the mashed potatoes as well. Rose placed the forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth, chewing them in a ladylike fashion, her mouth closed and her back straight. She was so used to her upper class manners, that it was hard for her to let them go. Jonathan noticed the way she sat, and the way she ate the food with elegance and with upper class style.

"So…uh…where’d you two meet?" Jon asked. "All Jack told me was that you guys met on a ship." Jack and Rose looked at each other, fear shining in their once happy eyes. Both grew nervous as they tried to think of whether to tell them or not.

"Uh…well, it’s a long story," Jack said, putting a piece of pork chop into his mouth and chewing it quickly.

"Well, we’re not going anywhere," Jon said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Jack coughed slightly.

"Well, I don’t know if it’s good to tell you guys in from of Amanda here," Jack said. "It might be a little too soon for her to know."

"Well, then, you could tell us after lunch," Jon said. "Amanda always takes a nap after we eat lunch. She’ll be sleeping for two hours. That should give you enough time to tell us." Jack sighed and nodded, continuing to eat his food. Rose became quiet as she slowly ate her food, but still as elegant as before. Rose set her fork down, placing her hands on the table.

"May I be excused?" Rose asked, getting up and leaving the dining room to go out on the porch. Jon and Katherine were the only ones confused. Jack just ran his fingers through his hair, sighing heavily.

"Was it something I said?" Jonathan asked, confused.

"Sort of," Jack said, getting up. "I’ll be back." Jack left the dining room, going out onto the porch, where he found Rose sitting on the porch swing crying. "Rose…" Jack went towards her. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Oh, Jack!" Rose cried, getting up and throwing her arms around his neck, holding him close.

"Shh," Jack whispered, gently rubbing her back and resting his chin on top of her head, while her head rested on his chest, tears falling down her delicate cheeks. "I’m here, Rose. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise." He held her as close to him as he could, wanting to take the pain and the fear away from her so she could be happy again, so he could see that wonderful smile on her face once more. Jack drew in the scent of her crimson-colored hair, burying his face in her curls. "Everything’s going to be okay…I promise."

Rose looked at her husband while he held her close, his hands resting on the small of her back. She looked into his eyes and saw love shining on her. Not only did she see love, she saw care, fear, pain, hurt, and sorrow shining in his eyes, the same emotions and the same feelings that she had locked inside her. She saw his eyes move around her face, as if examining her face for anymore hurt and pain so he could kiss them away. Rose just buried her face in the crook of his neck, wrapping her arms around his body. More hurting tears fell from her eyes, trickling down her face and falling on Jack’s neck. A gentle breeze hit them, causing Rose’s dress to float behind her. She held onto her loving husband. She closed her eyes and envisioned him floating upon the freezing waters, while she lay on the wooden debris, desperately trying to wake him up when he wouldn’t open his eyes. When he left her for good. This would break Rose’s heart every time she thought of it. No matter how hard she tried to block it from her mind, it would creep back in. Rose knew it was impossible to erase the Titanic from her mind. Jack’s hand slowly caressed her back, her hair flying in the cool breeze. Rose’s hands now clutched his shirt, more tears escaping her sapphire-emerald eyes.

"Jack…" Rose whispered, slowly lifting her head from its hiding spot. "I’m scared…I’m scared that if we tell them, all the hurt and all the pain we’ve been through will come back to me and hurt me even more. I’m scared because I almost lost you on that fateful night. I couldn’t bear to lose you again, and I couldn’t bear to live with the same feeling again!" Rose cried, looking down. "I don’t know, but I’m afraid. It happened a mere week ago, and talking about it now seems too soon. Too sudden. I couldn’t possibly go through that again. Please, Jack. I can’t. I don’t know if I can live through it again."

"I understand, and we don’t have to tell them the truth yet," Jack said. "Maybe someday in the future we’ll tell them the exact story of how we met, but for now, we’re gonna have to stick with one story that is similar to our own, and when the time is right, we’ll tell them exactly how we met." Rose nodded her head, holding onto him for dear life.

"All right, Jack," Rose said, calming down from her tears. Her fingers brushed over her cheeks, wiping away every tear of hurt and despair, composing herself, using the skill of an upper class woman who had gone to finishing school. Sighing, she looked up at her husband. "We’ll stick to your plan for now. Until the time is right, we won’t tell them the truth of how we met." Jack smiled, pressing his lips on her curls.

"Ready?" Jack asked.

"I’m ready," Rose said, slipping her hand into his as they went back inside the house and to the dining room, where they heard Jon and Katherine talking. They stopped at the edge of the dining room door so they could eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I don‘t know, Kat. Maybe they were on it," Jon said.

"They couldn’t have been," Katherine denied. "I mean, a man like Jack on the Titanic? Think about it, Jon." Jack closed his eyes when he heard this.

"Kat, Jack is a poor man. I know, because I was once also," Jon said.

"Jon, don’t judge people before you know them," Katherine warned.

"I already do know him!" Jon said.

"So? He could’ve changed. You haven’t seen him in what…four years?" Katherine asked.

"Well, I don‘t know. Maybe he could’ve been, but still," Jon said. "Kat, something’s up between those two, and I know it. They’re hiding something. I know they are. Every time I ask them where the met, they get quiet and their faces get white, as if they saw a ghost or something."

"Jon, don’t argue with me on this. I just met them, and they seem like nice people to me," Katherine said.

"They are nice people!" Jon said. "No one said they weren’t, but something is suspicious between those two. Haven’t you even looked at Rose? Haven’t you watched her eat? She eats as if she were a first class lady or something. Now, what is a first class girl doing with a guy like Jack? Answer that question, Kat."

"I don’t know, Jon!" Katherine shouted. "I honestly don’t know! I’m not going to judge them just because you have a few suspicions. Jon, you aren’t one to judge people."

"I’m not judging them!" Jon shouted. "All I’m saying is that they could’ve been on that ship. Just last night, I heard Jack saying that he met Rose on a ship. Then he got quiet. After that, he told us that it was a long story that he wasn’t ready to tell yet. Jack is my friend, I know he is, but he’s hiding something from me, and I’m not liking it. He used to be truthful to me back when I first met him. Now all he’s doing is lying to me."

"Jon, say they were on the Titanic. Do you think that they’d be ready to tell us?" Katherine pointed out. "I mean, more than fifteen hundred people died on that night, for Christ’s sake! If they were on that ship, they witnessed many people losing their lives for nothing! Jon, be a man and just be patient. It’s their business, not ours. You mustn’t push them into telling you something they don’t want to discuss yet. Moreover, you mustn’t make them feel bad. You haven’t even given them a chance to finish their lunch. Instead, you ask where they met."

"Kat, it was a simple, innocent question!" Jonathan said.

"I know, but maybe for them, it isn’t that easy to answer. Maybe they’ve been through some kind of crisis or something," Katherine said. "Jon, give them time, please. Don’t be stupid."

"I’m not, Kat. I’m not," Jon said, sighing. "I’m just curious, that’s all. I’ve known Jack for quite a while now, and he disappeared four years ago, leaving me to wonder if he was alive or not. Now, he returns with a wife beside him. I want to know what happened, because I’m his friend. I care about him, Kat. I really do. He’s like a brother to me. But if he keeps on lying, then I don’t what I’ll do."

"Jon, please, don’t throw your relationship out the window just because you’re curious," Katherine said. "Jon, they have their own lives to live. They’re individual people who love each other, just like we do. Jon, it would hurt me if your friendship with Jack breaks just because you want to know how they had met. Jon, like I said before, don’t do anything stupid."

Jack and Rose just stayed back, staring at each other as they heard the conversation. Rose’s eyes watered with fresh tears, while Jack leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes. He sighed, tightening his grip on Rose’s hand. Jack looked at her, a small smile on his lips to ease her worries. Rose smiled back, nodding her head. Jack nodded his head as well, leading them into the dining room. Once they entered the dining room, Jonathan stood up straight, Katherine looking over her shoulder.

"Oh, hi, Jack, Rose," Katherine said. "I see that you’re back. Why don’t you take your seats?" Jack and Rose obeyed, taking their seats in the same dining room chairs they had sat in earlier. There was silence in the dining room, neither knowing what to say. Amanda was the one to break the silence.

"Mommy, I’m done," Amanda said. Katherine turned and got out of her chair, helping Amanda out of the high chair, allowing her daughter to go up to her room to play. Once Katherine had put the tray back on the high chair, she sat back down and looked at the three people before her. Jon sat there, his eyes looking from Rose to Jack, showing fear, hoping that they hadn’t overheard their conversation. Jack and Rose just sat there quietly, neither wanting to discuss anything or to start a conversation. Rose picked up her fork, playing with the food before her. She had lost her appetite when the Titanic had crept through her mind, and she wasn’t really looking forward to nutrition and protein at the moment. She looked over at Jack, finding him doing the same thing. Rose gently put her fork down, putting her hands on her lap, her back as straight as a piece of board. Her red curls flowed gracefully down her back, a few strands in front of her sorrowful face. Rose tucked a strand of curl behind her ear, drawing in a soft, deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jack running his fingers through his hair, sighing.

Katherine looked at Jack and Rose, who seemed to be nervous about something. She looked over at her husband and found him playing with his food, just as Rose had done earlier. She glanced over at Rose and found fear shining in her eyes, as if she had been through something terrible and frightening. Katherine was beginning to wonder if Jonathan was right. Maybe Jack and Rose had been on the Titanic. Maybe they had been through all that pain and witnessed more than fifteen hundred people die. No matter how curious she was, she wasn’t going to be the one to ask them. She respected their privacy, and if they wanted to keep it to themselves, then she was willing to allow them to do so. To distract herself from her curiosity, she got up and began gathering up the dirty dishes that were left on the table. Rose looked up and got up as well, helping her with the dishes.

"Oh, no, you don’t have to," Katherine objected.

"No, I want to," Rose said, her face still as grim as before. Katherine just gave her a small smile, picking up the last dish on the table and leading Rose towards the kitchen, leaving the two men to their conversation.

Jack just sat there, not knowing what to say or what to do. He had just heard Jonathan wonder if he might’ve been on the Titanic, and Jack, knowing it was true, hadn’t wanted to discuss it just yet. It was too soon, for it had happened only a week ago. A mere week. Just eight days when they had disembarked the Carpathia. But ten days ago the ship had sank. Ten days ago, when more than fifteen hundred people had perished. Lost their lives before they had the chance to witness how America really was. He looked over at Jon, finding him uncomfortable and his eyes shining with fear, as if he knew that Jack had heard something he wasn’t supposed to hear. Jack sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment to calm his nerves down. When he opened them, he just stared at Jon, trying to debate whether to tell him the truth or not.

"Jack…" Jon began. Jack’s eyes stared into Jon’s, listening to every word he was saying. "How much did you hear?" Jack looked down at his hands, playing with his wedding ring.

"Practically all of it," Jack said. Jon sighed, covering his face with his hands.

"Jack, I’m sorry, I…" Jonathan began.

"Jon," Jack began, looking at his friend. "You’re my friend. My good friend. I met you five years ago at the Santa Monica pier. You were a good friend to me, and you took good care of me when I needed it. But then, five months passed, and I told you I was leaving. I headed to New York and stayed there for a couple of weeks before I hopped on a ship to head over to Europe." Jack moved his hair away from his face. "Jon, my life hadn’t been easy. I never told you what happened in my life. I never told anyone but Fabri and Rose."

"Who’s Fabri?" Jon asked, his voice low.

"He was my best friend. A friend I knew for a whole year," Jack said, his eyes shining with sorrow at the mention of Fabrizio. "I met him in Italy. After I went to Paris." Jack looked at his friend, his face sorrowful. His mind drifted to when he had first met Fabrizio.

*****

Jack Dawson stepped out of the boat, throwing his duffel bag over his shoulder. He was now in Rome, after he had come from Paris, France. Jack had been on his own for the past four years, since his parents had passed on. He was nineteen years old, and was a very talented artist. He had been traveling from the United States to Europe, wanting to see where his life would take him. It was December 21, 1911, at probably five in the evening. It was very chilly out, so he hugged his light jacket close to him. He didn’t have a heavy coat, since he couldn’t afford one, so he was stuck with his light jacket. Shivering, Jack swung his hair away from his face, beginning to walk away from the pier in hopes of finding a decent place to stay.

Not watching where he was going, he bumped into a boy who looked to be about his age. Jack’s duffel bag fell off of his shoulder, and his portfolio fell out of his hands, opening as it fell, causing the drawings to fly out of the portfolio, since there was wind blowing. Jack stared at the boy he had bumped into, finding that he had dark hair with matching eyes. He wore a worn shirt with black trousers, and a worn hat was placed on his head, slanted. Jack ran his fingers through his hair before he placed his hands in his pockets.

"I-I’m sorry," Jack apologized. "I didn’t see you there."

"Va bene," the Italian boy said, smiling warmly. Jack smiled back. Jack saw one of his drawings blow away in the wind.

"Oh, shit!" Jack said, chasing his blowing drawing. After a few moments of chasing it, he finally retrieved it. Running back towards his portfolio, he placed the drawing in the pile of his other drawings and closed his portfolio, picking it up, along with his duffel bag. Jack was about to walk away when the Italian boy stopped him.

"Aspetta!" the boy called out. Jack stopped and turned, holding onto his duffel bag, while his other arm held onto his portfolio. "Ah…mi chiamo Fabrizio. Come ti chiami?" Jack, not knowing much Italian, tried to comprehend what Fabrizio was asking him. It took a moment or two for Jack to realize that he was asking for his name.

"Uh…Jack Dawson," Jack said, smiling and holding out his hand. Fabrizio took it and shook it firmly.

"Sono tu Americano?" Fabrizio asked.

"Uh…yeah, I am," Jack said, smiling.

"I ‘a always wanted to go there," Fabrizio said. "It’s ‘a my dream to be a millionaire in l’America." Jack smiled.

"Well, then, maybe I’ll take you there sometime," Jack said. "You know, as a trip or something. Just the two of us."

"Of course," Fabrizio said. "I’d ‘a love that."

"Great," Jack said, smiling.

"Ah…do you ‘a have any place to stay?" Fabrizio asked, noticing that Jack was carrying a duffel bag and shivering.

"No," Jack said. "But don’t you worry about me. I’ll find someplace."

"You don’t ‘a have to," Fabrizio said. "You can ‘a stay over at my place."

"No, I wouldn’t want to be in your way," Jack said.

"No, you wouldn’t ‘a be in my way," Fabrizio said. "Besides, I ‘a need the company. My mama, she is very sick, and might pass on soon."

"Sorry to hear that, Fabrizio," Jack said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "My parents passed on four years ago."

"I’m ‘a sorry," Fabrizio said. "It must hurt to not have either ‘a your parents with you."

"It does, but I moved on," Jack said. "I still miss them, though."

"Don’t ‘a worry," Fabrizio said. "I’ll be here for ‘a you." Jack smiled.

"Thanks," Jack said. "I’m glad to hear that, Fabri."

"Hmm," Fabrizio said. "Fabri…I like it."

"So do I," Jack said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Uh…I’ll ‘a take you to my house now," Fabrizio said. "Oggi freddo." Fabrizio rubbed his hands together.

"Yeah, it is," Jack said, smiling and following Fabrizio to his house, which was only a few houses away from where they were standing.

From then on, Jack and Fabrizio were close friends. They had no secrets, for they told each other absolutely everything. They spent Christmas together with Fabrizio’s mother, Annabella di Rossi, who had been a nice woman, but had been sick, although they hadn’t known with what. Fabrizio couldn’t afford to hire a doctor, although he had worked hard to get the money. It would be only one year until they won the tickets on the grandest ship of all time. The ship that would change Jack’s life, but take away the life of his good friend Fabrizio. The ship that they would board on April 10, 1912 would be none other the unsinkable Titanic.

*****

"Jack?" Jon asked, noticing that Jack was staring off into space.

"What?" Jack asked, coming out of his trance.

"What happened to him?" Jon asked. Jack looked at Jon, his face showing sorrow and pain, his eyes beginning to water. Jack covered his face with one of his hands, the other running through his hair. Jack squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears from flowing.

"I-I don’t know if I should tell you," Jack said.

"Why?" Jon asked. "Did he die or something?" Jack looked at him, anger shining in his blue eyes.

"As a matter of fact, he did!" Jack shouted, getting up. "You know, Jon, you just had the nerve to say that, didn’t you? You don’t know what I’ve been through, Jon. You just wouldn’t understand."

"How was I supposed to know?" Jon asked. "You hardly tell me anything anymore." Jack just looked at him, his face emotionless.

"You know what, Jon?" Jack asked. "You like it when you’re right, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Jon asked, confused.

"You just enjoy being right all the time, don’t you?" Jack asked.

"Jack?" Jon asked, perplexed.

"You’re right, Jon. I was on the Titanic with Rose. That’s where I met her. I fell in love with her onboard that ship, and I have been through everything. I saw the iceberg after she struck it. I was locked up on E-Deck because of some fool while the ship was sinking. I went through the actual sinking after Rose freed me, and moreover, I was there when she went under. So, yes, Jon, I was on the Titanic. The unsinkable ship, as those fucking assholes called her," Jack said, his voice shaking from the tears that managed to escape his eyes. "I was in the freezing water, risking my life, so I could save Rose’s life. You don’t know anything, Jon. You haven’t been through anything as tragic as the Titanic. You haven’t witnessed more than fifteen hundred people lose their lives for nothing, and…" Jack stopped, tears of despair falling from his eyes. His body shook from his wretched sobs, memories of the ship coming back to him. All the pain and the hurt he had been through on the night of April 14, 1912--the night when everybody’s lives changed forever. No matter how hard he tried to keep his tears from flowing, they kept on coming. The hurt and the pain that he had felt for the past week or so drained out of him. He glanced over at Jon, his face showing remorse. "Don’t you feel sorry for me. I don’t want your sympathy. I don’t want anybody’s sympathy!" He heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, and he looked up, finding Rose and Katherine standing in the doorway. Katherine looked worried, as did Rose. Rose slowly went up to him, holding his hand.

"Jack?" Rose whispered. "Is everything all right?"

Jack covered his face with his left hand, not wanting Rose to see him cry. Not wanting her to see his hurt, his pain. He hadn’t wanted her to see him cry. He hadn’t wanted her to see him weak, as if he was a small child. He wanted to stay strong for Rose. He should be the one that should protect her from the cruelty of the world. He should be the one that should comfort her when she was in tears. He hadn’t wanted her to comfort him as if he was a child. He didn’t want her to see him like this. All broken up. He cursed himself for doing this. For doing this to Rose. Seeing him in such pain and sorrow, as if he had lost someone he truly loved, which in some ways, he had. He felt Rose’s hands caress his arms lovingly. He felt her remove his hand from his face, placing it at his side. Jack’s eyes looked away from her, not wanting her to see his tears, but he felt Rose’s hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Jack," Rose said, looking at him with love and care. Her thumbs gently caressed his cheek, tears cascading down his face. Her own eyes shone with tears, for she had never seen Jack cry like this. "You don’t need to hide your feelings from me. I’m your wife. I’m your lover. I understand what you’re feeling. You know I do." She looked over his shoulder, finding Katherine staring at her, wondering what was wrong. She looked over at Jon, who just sat there, his face showing remorse and regret. She looked back over at Jack. She swallowed uneasily. "Jack, I love you, and no matter what happens, nothing will come between us. I’ll love you until the day I leave this earth. Jack, you can cry all you want. It doesn’t matter that you’re a man. Anyone can cry. I’m sure of it." Jack looked at her, finding that no matter what, she would always be there for him. Smiling, Jack leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her with all the passion and love that was inside him. Jack’s hands moved down to the small of her back, while Rose’s hands traveled up to his neck, where she held him as close to her as she possibly could. They were oblivious to the world around them. They had forgotten that they were in the dining room of the Michaels, that Jon and Katherine were staring at them.

Once they had pulled apart, they stared at each other with pure love. They didn’t realize that Jon had said something. The only thing that mattered to them was each other, and nothing more. Jack placed his hand on her cheek, his rough fingers caressing her delicate, soft cheek with pure love and with extreme gentleness. Rose smiled gracefully, placing a hand on Jack’s chest. She could feel the curves of his strong muscles beneath the shirt he was wearing. She clutched his shirt, pressing her face into his chest, feeling Jack’s arms wrap around her. Her own tears escaped from her eyes, holding onto Jack for dear life. They were interrupted when Amanda called.

"Mommy!" Amanda called from her bedroom.

"C-coming, sweetie!" Katherine said, making her way out of the dining room and up the stairs, leaving Jack, Rose, and Jon alone.

Jack and Rose pulled away from each other, turning to face Jon. Jack looked down at his feet, while Rose just played with her wedding and engagement rings, twirling them around her finger over and over. She looked up at Jon, his face showing regret and remorse, as if he wanted to turn back time and change the mistakes he had made. Rose tucked a strand of curls behind her ear, sighing. She started to feel uncomfortable with the silence that was building up between them. She looked over at Jack, then at Jon, and then back to Jack.

"I’ll be outside if you need me," Rose said. "I need some fresh air to clear my thoughts." Rose kissed Jack’s cheek before leaving the dining room to head out on the porch. Jack watched Rose leave, and once she was out of sight, Jack looked down at his hands, not wanting to talk. Jon sighed, walking over to Jack.

"Jack," Jon began. "I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean to upset you this way. I honestly didn’t know." Jack looked at him.

"Well, it’s too late for that, isn’t it?" Jack asked. Jon sighed.

"I was just curious, that’s all," Jon said. "I-I haven’t seen you in four whole years, for Christ’s sake, and I want to know what’s happened to you over the past four years, you know."

"I know, Jon, but--" Jack began.

"I am your friend, you know," Jon said, looking at Jack. "I helped you through everything, and you just keep everything from me."

"Jon, it’s not easy talking about this type of situation," Jack said. "What would you do if you had been through what I’ve been through, huh?"

"I would tell everybody I possibly could," Jon said.

"Yeah, sure," Jack said, getting up. "You say that now, but if you had been through the same situation I have, you would think otherwise."

"Jack--" Jon began.

"No, Jonathan," Jack said. "Listen, lots of innocent people perished on that night, including my best friend." Jack looked back at Jon. "You want to know what my life has been like for the past four years? Well, I’ll tell you then." Jack’s face showed anger, hurt, despair, betrayal, regret, and sorrow. "I went to Italy when I was nineteen, back in 1911. I was in Rome, coming from Paris, France. As I was walking in the chill, I bumped into a boy who looked to be my age, and we introduced ourselves. His name was Fabrizio di Rossi. I moved in with him, into his small house with his mother. It was a rundown house. It only had one bedroom, a kitchen, and a small parlor. Me and Fabri slept in the parlor, on the floor." Jack’s eyes had a distant look, as if he were reminiscing about the time. He sighed, continuing his story. "A year passed by, and it was April 10, 1912, and we were in a pub in Southampton, England. We brought our belongings with us. We found two Swedes looking for two extra poker players, so Fabri and I volunteered and we played poker. I bet the little money I had left, and Fabrizio placed his father’s pocketknife on the table as well. The two Swedes bet a pocket watch, some money, but the big thing is that one of the Swedes bet their tickets on the Titanic. Sure enough, I won the poker game, and we were headed to board the ship, five minutes prior to its departure." Jack took a seat beside Jonathan.

"So, you’re telling me that you won the tickets on the Titanic at poker?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah," Jack said. "You know how good I am at poker."

"Of course I do," Jon said, giving him a small smile.

"Anyway…" Jack sighed. "We went down to third class and found our cabin. The next day, however, was the day I first laid eyes on Rose. As you may have noticed, she has an upper class manner." Jonathan nodded. "Well, that’s because she was a first class passenger aboard the ship."

"What?" Jonathan asked, shocked. "Then how’d she get with you?"

"Wait. I’ll get to that part," Jack said. "Fabri, a new friend, Thomas Ryan, who preferred to be called Tommy, and myself were on deck in the third class section of the ship. When night came, I decided to go out on deck to watch the stars and to smoke. As I was gazing up at the stars, I heard running footsteps, and I caught a glimpse of a red-headed woman running towards the stern in a beautiful red and black dress. I got up and slowly followed her. To my surprise, I found her climbing the railing of the stern."

"Oh, my Lord!" Jon said, surprised at what he had just heard. "She wasn’t…"

"Well, I prevented her from jumping, of course," Jack said, looking at him. "You see, I kind of convinced her not to jump, giving her ideas about how life is really worth living and such. But as I was about to help her get back into the ship, she slipped on the train of her dress, nearly falling overboard, but luckily I held onto her hand tightly. She screamed, terrified, thinking that I’d let her go. I convinced her that I wouldn’t, and soon enough, I had her back on the ship. We both fell down, me partially on top of her, and her frightened and shaking. Just then, these crewmen came, thinking that I was sexually assaulting her, which I wasn’t."

"They thought you were gonna rape her?" Jon asked. He chuckled. "Wow, Jack Dawson, the non-womanizer, raping a first class woman. That sure is news to me."

"Well, to them, seeing a third class male passenger partially on top of a first class female passenger certainly gave them enough evidence that I would rape her," Jack said. "They called for the Master-at-Arms, who put me in handcuffs while they fetched her fiancé. Once her fiancé came, he began to berate me, telling me how I shouldn’t have touched Rose, or something like that. Rose was the one to get up and tell Cal that she had slipped while she was trying to look at the propellers." A smile played upon his lips at the memory. "I, knowing the truth, looked at her, confused. The Master-at-Arms asked me if it was true, and I looked at Rose, who gave me a pleading look, so I nodded and agreed to Rose’s little story."

"Wow. She really did want to see you again, I see," Jon said, looking at him with a sly smile.

"Supposedly, yes," Jack said, smiling. "Well, eventually the Master-at-Arms took the handcuffs off my wrists before he left. One of the rich people told Cal to give me a reward of some kind, and Cal told his valet, Lovejoy, to give me twenty dollars. It seems that Rose objected to his offer and suggested that he do something else. Cal invited me to dinner in first class to tell my tale to his rich friends."

"First class, huh?" Jon asked, nodding his head. "Wow. I guess you did travel around, huh?"

"Ah…I don’t know about that. They just invited me as a reward for saving Rose’s life," Jack said. "The next day, Rose came down to third class, wanting to talk to me, so I followed her up to the first class section of the ship. We began talking about everything from the weather to our childhoods." Jack tapped his fingers on the top of the table. "This is why I haven’t told you why I was in Santa Monica, alone, at a young age." Jack looked at him. Jon smiled and nodded. "Well, you see, I grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I was by Lake Wissota, drawing. When I was through, I got up and went home, only I smelled smoke coming from my house. I rushed in and went to my parents’ room, only to find them dead." Jack’s voice was choked up from the upcoming tears. "I haven’t been back to Wisconsin since."

"I’m sorry, pal," Jon said. "I didn’t know."

"I know," Jack said, looking down at his hands. "We talked and laughed and such. Then she discovered my talent for drawing when she took my portfolio. I told her about my drawings and such, and we talked some more, until it was time to get ready for the first class dinner. There was a lady, Molly Brown, who allowed for me to borrow her son’s tuxedo. When I changed into the tuxedo, Molly led me to the first class dining saloon, which was beautiful and huge. It was very elegant. The dome made it look even more beautiful. I glanced at the clock before I descended the Grand Staircase. Not being a first class gentleman, I leaned on the post, waiting for Rose to arrive, but watching how these people walked and stood, I decided to imitate them. The funny thing is that Rose’s fiancé, Caledon Hockley, didn’t recognize me. He probably thought that I was one of them, a rich person. A few moments later, Rose arrived. She shocked me. I have honestly never seen anyone as beautiful as Rose was. She wore this red dress with a long train. She had her hair up and had white gloves on that came to her elbows. To me, she looked like a princess, a very beautiful princess. I went up to her and kissed her hand, as any gentleman would. Then, I held out my elbow. She interlocked arms with me. I imitated the rich people and we had a laugh. Then she re-introduced me to her mother and to her fiancé, who was shocked to find me looking as if I were a rich gentleman. Personally, I always thought I was a gentleman when it came to woman. I wouldn’t approach them and have sex with them. You know I’m not that type of man."

"I know," Jon said. "That’s why you weren’t much of a womanizer when you met me." Jack smiled.

"Well, I couldn’t go with every girl I saw," Jack said. "I just had to wait for the right one. The right one I would marry."

"Well, I suppose you have found her," Jon said.

"I sure have," Jack said, smiling. "And I love her with all my heart and soul." Jonathan smiled.

"I can see that you do," Jon said. "I can tell that you two are deeply in love with each other…just as Kat and I are."

"We are," Jack said, nodding his head. "After what we’ve been through, we deserve to be with each other."

"You don’t have to continue," Jon said. "I understand now. I understand the pain you’ve been through, witnessing many people losing their lives. And besides, I don’t want you to be hurt by the memories of that night. You’ve told me enough."

"I appreciate this, Jon," Jack said. "I really appreciate this."

"No problem," Jon said. "I’m here for you." Jack smiled and got up, as did Jon, and they shared a friendly hug.

*****

Rose sat out on the front porch. She had left the dining room to allow Jack and Jon to have their privacy. There was a cool breeze that hit Rose, causing her hair to fly behind her and her dress to flutter at her feet as she sat down. She placed her hands on top of her knees to prevent her dress from flying up. She gazed around the neighborhood, finding small children running around in their front yards, and finding Amanda playing with her friend, Sarah, across the street, where Katherine had dropped her off earlier. Katherine sat beside her, watching her daughter play with her friend. Rose smiled.

"She’s adorable," Rose said, looking over at Katherine.

"I know," Katherine said. "I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life." Rose just smiled, looking down at her left hand. She sighed. Katherine looked over at Rose, finding that she was quiet. "So…are you planning on having any children of your own?"

Rose looked at her, surprised that she had asked her that question. She hadn’t discussed it with Jack, but she did want to have children of her own someday, although she wasn’t sure if Jack wanted to have children. He had always traveled around before he had met her, and knowing him, she believed that he’d continue to travel, and during that traveling, she didn’t suppose that there’d be time for children. Rose would enjoy becoming a mother someday, to have the ability to care for her children and play with them. When she was young, she had always wanted to marry the man she loved and share a child with him. Well, she had had one wish come true. She had Jack, the man she loved, and she was married to him. But she’d have to see if Jack was willing to care for a child. To be able to raise their child with love and care, as he cared for her. Rose looked up at Katherine and gave her a small smile.

"Well," Rose began. "I’m not sure if Jack wants to have children yet, but I can tell you that I do. I would love to have children of my own someday, but I guess I have to wait until the time is right. Until Jack and I are ready to have a child and have the ability to raise that child when it’s born."

"I suppose Jack will be ready," Katherine said. "Besides, he looks like the father type. By the way he treated Mandy, I’m sure that he’d be a great father." Rose smiled.

"I’m sure he will," Rose said.

"So…how’d you two meet?" Katherine asked. Rose looked up almost immediately when she heard that question. Her breathing quickened and her heart began beating rapidly. "If you don’t mind my asking."

"O-of course not," Rose said, giving her an uneasy smile. "W-well, we met onboard a ship."

"Oh, how romantic," Katherine said, smiling. Rose just looked down at her hands.

"But not just any ship," Rose said, looking at her. "We met on the Titanic."

"Oh, my dear Lord," Katherine said. "So it is true." Rose nodded. "I’m so sorry."

"Don’t be," Rose said. "Jack’s not dead." Rose looked into Katherine’s eyes, giving her a small smile. "Besides, if we hadn’t been on the Titanic, we wouldn’t have met."

"Of course," Katherine said.

"But I’ll tell you it was love at first sight," Rose said. "Something that I had never felt before in my entire life." Katherine smiled at her.

"It was the same way with Jon and me," Katherine said. Rose smiled.

"So, how’d you two meet?" Rose asked.

"Well, I was walking down the beach here in Santa Monica. I believe it was April twentieth of the year 1908," Katherine said. "And as I was walking, I bumped into Jon, nearly falling over, but luckily Jonathan held onto me, preventing me from falling down. From that moment on, we’ve been in love. I became pregnant with Amanda by June, married Jonathan in July, and gave birth to dear Amanda in February of the following year." Katherine watched as her daughter hugged Sarah. "Amanda and Sarah have known each other since they were born. It’s truly a wonder, watching as your child grows. Before you know it, she’ll marry and have her own kids." Rose chuckled.

"Don’t rush it now, Kat," Rose said. "She’s only three, you know."

"I know," Katherine said, smiling.

"But it’s amazing how we both met our loved ones," Rose said. "I first laid eyes on Jack when I was out on deck." Rose glanced over at Katherine. "I was a first class passenger, and he was third. When our eyes locked, I fell in love with him."

"So, you’re rich?" Katherine asked.

"Not technically," Rose said. "I was before the Titanic."

"Then how?" Katherine asked.

"Well, you see, a year ago, my father passed on," Rose said.

"I’m terribly sorry," Katherine said. Rose smiled.

"It’s all right. Thank you," Rose said. "Anyway, after he passed on, we didn’t have enough money to pay the doctor’s bills, leaving us in great debt. My mother forcefully engaged me to the first rich man she laid her eyes on, and sure enough, it was Caledon Hockley."

"Caledon Hockley?" Katherine asked, in shock. "The Caledon Hockley?" Rose nodded. "Why, isn’t he a handsome fellow?"

"Well, I wouldn’t say he wasn’t, but at the time, he was rude, obnoxious, possessive, and not someone I wanted to be engaged to," Rose said. "He wouldn’t allow for me to speak to any man without him getting jealous, and if I did, he would beat me, berate me, and later on, he would have me by his side, never allowing for me to speak with any man unless he was a relative."

"Wow," Katherine said. "I wouldn’t have thought that Caledon Hockley would act that way."

"Nobody would’ve thought that Cal would act that way. To everyone else, he was a perfect gentleman, the perfect fiancé in my mother’s eyes. He was perfect to everyone else besides me," Rose said.

"Where is he now?" Katherine asked.

"Here," Rose said.

"Oh, my…" Katherine said.

"No, he isn’t as violent as he was then," Rose said. "We became friends. And for the first time, he became friends with Jack. Something that shocked me, after I knew Cal before."

"Well, everybody changes," Katherine said.

"I suppose so," Rose said, smiling. Katherine and Rose continued to talk, growing to be friends--good friends. Both talked about their childhoods and about their families. When it was evening, Katherine went across the street to pick up her daughter, leading her back towards the house, the three going inside.

Chapter Twenty
Stories