LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Thirty

Jack and Rose were now sitting on Annie’s couch, facing each other with Jack holding Rose’s hands in his own. A few minutes ago, he had managed to calm her down.

"Rose," Jack said, his voice soft and sincere. "Are you okay?"

Rose tightened her grip on his hands, looking down and catching a glimpse of his wedding band. The gold wedding band that she had placed on his finger almost two months ago that gave evidence of their marriage. She ran her thumb over the gold band, feeling the smooth texture of his ring. Looking at him, she gave him a reassuring smile, holding his hands in a loving grip. She nodded her head, the smile still on her face.

"I’m fine," Rose said, feeling Jack’s thumbs caress the back of her hand.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, a hint of worry and concern shining in his face. "I’m worried about you."

"I’ll be fine, Jack," Rose said. "Really, you worry too much."

"How can I not?" Jack asked, his hand moving towards her face, where his fingers brushed against her skin. "I love you too much to not worry about you." Jack felt her soft curls brush his fingertips.

A broad smile appeared on Rose’s face. "I love you, too, Jack. I love you more than I could ever imagine. I can’t picture my life without you. My heart would be incomplete," Rose said, feeling her heart flutter at the mere glance of his piercing blue eyes.

"Without you by my side, my heart is incomplete as well," Jack said, leaning closer, his lips brushing against hers, bringing her into an intense kiss that enveloped her in warmth and love.

Rose brought her hand to the back of his neck, while Jack’s hand gently ran down her back, all the while sending loving shivers down her spine. Rose’s chest rose up and down as their kiss intensified and grew more and more passionate, their mouths making love in their own way. Fingering Jack’s blonde hair, she pulled him closer to her, as if to make the kiss deeper and more fervent. Moments later, they pulled away from their kiss and gazed into each other’s eyes, their foreheads only inches apart. Their breathing was irregular from their intense, loving kiss, but smiles managed to come upon their faces.

Jack held Rose’s hands in his own and ran his thumb over the back of her hand, feeling her soft skin under his rough fingers and giving a gentle, loving caress to Rose’s skin. He looked into her eyes and smiled when he saw them twinkling happily and looking at him.

"You’re so beautiful," Jack whispered, his hand going to her cheek, Rose’s fiery red curls brushing against his fingertips smoothly. Rose closed her eyes, a gentle smile coming upon her lips.

Jack looked at Rose, finding her eyes closed. His thumb gently ran over her closed eyelids, and her smile broadened at his touch. Next, his fingers went over her eyebrows, which were shaped perfectly and smooth to the touch. He watched as her eyelids opened, revealing her emerald-blue eyes, shimmering with love and happiness. Jack leaned his head closer, pressing his lips onto her smooth forehead, and moved down to her cheeks, then to her neck, hearing her breathing grow heavy and feeling her grip tighten around his hand, which still held hers. His free hand went down her forearm, a gentle touch upon her skin. His lips left a trail upon her skin, traveling up to her ruby red lips and bringing her into yet another kiss, which grew in intensity and in love while his hand went to the back of her neck, his fingers brushing against her curls and their lips sharing a kiss.

A sudden knock on the door caused their kiss to break. Their hands still held onto each other, their eyes lifting to the door. Then they looked into each other’s eyes.

"Should we answer the door?" Jack asked, looking over to the door, then at her.

"I’m not sure," Rose said. There was another knock on the door. She looked over her shoulder at the closed door.

"Well, maybe we can see who it is, then tell them that Annie’s out," Jack said.

"All right," Rose said, getting up from her seat. Jack got up as well and walked to the door, pulling it open. Mike stood in the doorway.

"Hey, Mike," Jack said.

"What are you two doing here?" Mike asked. "I thought you lived across from here."

"We do," Jack said. "It’s just that Rose came to visit Annie, and she kind of got a little emotional over something, so I came to comfort her."

"Oh," Mike said, nodding his head. "Uh…is Annie around?"

"Um…no," Jack said. "She said that she was going for a walk in the park."

"Okay," Mike said, scratching his head. "Well, tell her I stopped by when she comes back."

"I will," Jack said, smiling.

"Thanks," Michael said, returning the smile, then heading back towards the staircase.

Jack closed the door and turned to face his wife, who stood in front of the couch, her hands in front of her, her eyes twinkling, and a smile on her face. Jack walked towards her and placed his hands on her forearms.

"Do you wanna go back to our apartment?" Jack asked, looking at her. "Fabri is probably wondering where I headed off to."

Rose smiled, looking at him. "Well," Rose said, her hands going over his chest. "Maybe we should go back to our apartment. Besides, I need to freshen up. I can still feel my tears on my face."

Jack ran his thumb over her cheeks, feeling Rose’s tender skin brush against his fingertips. "I just hope that I don’t see you cry like that again. It breaks my heart to see you in tears," Jack said, his eyes boring into her own.

Rose smiled. "Don’t worry," she said, gently caressing his chest. "I might not cry anymore. Besides, how can I cry when I have you by my side?"

A smile came across Jack’s face. "Come on," Jack said, putting an arm around Rose’s waist. "We shouldn’t keep Fabri waiting in the parlor forever."

Rose laughed as the two left Annie’s apartment and headed towards their own.

*****

Fabrizio had been sitting on the couch for about half an hour, waiting for Jack to return. Getting up from the couch, he walked towards a side table, where he found a framed black and white photograph of Jack and Rose on their wedding day. He picked up the picture frame and smiled as he saw the love shining in both of their eyes. He saw Rose wearing a simple yet elegant white wedding dress, while Jack wore a tuxedo. The only time Fabrizio had seen Jack wear a tuxedo was when he had returned from the first class dinner that he had heard Jack talk about. He could remember the way Jack had talked about Rose. He remembered it as if it were yesterday.

April 13, 1912

Jack walked down the staircase, returning to steerage after Rose had returned to her life. To the high society life that she had been born into. He walked down the corridor until he reached the door that read G60—the cabin that he was staying in for the maiden voyage. His best friend, Fabrizio di Rossi, and two Swedish men were sharing the room with him, and he knew that at this time they were sound asleep, or at least he hoped they were. Opening the door, he quietly stepped in, finding that everything was dark and quiet. He looked at the top bunk on his left where Fabrizio lay, finding that he was on his side, and he looked at the other bunk on his left and found that the two Swedes were sound asleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, he quietly closed the door and was about to change his clothes when he heard a voice.

"How was dinner, Jack?" He heard a voice with a heavy Italian accent, and he stood up straight, finding that Fabrizio was awake.

"It was great," Jack said, a smile coming onto his face.

"Did they ‘a like you?" Fabrizio asked.

"I don’t know," Jack said. "It seems like some did. Only two people didn’t quite enjoy my presence."

"How about la bella Rosa?" Fabrizio asked. "Did she like you?"

Jack couldn’t help but broaden his smile. "I-I’m not sure. But I know that something inside me is telling me that I like her," Jack said, pulling off the black suspenders that came with the tuxedo.

"You ‘a love her, don’t you?" Fabrizio asked, a smile on his face. "You ‘a love her more than la vita?"

Jack looked at Fabrizio, his eyes shining in thought. Did he love Rose more than life? He had only known Rose for twenty-four hours, and during those twenty-four hours, he had grown to enjoy her presence. To enjoy spending time with the red-headed beauty. He had seen how her eyes lit up when she talked to him and how her smile brightened her face. Out of all the women he had known, he had never felt any affection towards any besides Rose. Rose somehow had caused him to grow more and more in love with her. His heart was telling him something that he had not known, nor had he ever felt, since his parents had died. His heart was telling him that he was in love with Rose. He was in love with the woman that he had rescued the night before. He felt a smile come upon his face. A smile that reflected love and realization. He knew he was in love with her, and he knew he wanted to be with Rose.

"Yeah," Jack said, the smile still on his face. "I guess I do love her."

"Then why don’t you ‘a go and tell her?" Fabrizio asked.

"I don’t know, Fabri," Jack said. "I’m not sure that she feels the same way. She’s a rich girl, and I’m poor. How could she ever love me?"

"Jack," Fabrizio said. "I’m am ‘a like a brother to you, no?"

"Yeah," Jack said.

"Then take mio consiglio," Fabrizio said. "Just ‘a go to her and say you love her. If you no tell her now, she will never know. You want her to know, no?" With a nod from Jack’s head, he continued. "Then just ‘a tell her. Like my papa always say, se seguiato tu cuore, allora tu dove sapere la vita prende, or in English, if you ‘a follow your heart, then you know where life takes you. Jack, tell la bella Rosa that you ‘a love her, then maybe you will ‘a know where life will ‘a take you."

"Do you really think I should?" Jack asked, his blue eyes shining.

"Sì," Fabrizio said, nodding his head. "Maybe then you ‘a might feel better, stop wishing that you were with her, and be with her. I want you to be ‘a happy. Tu è mio amico, I want ‘a you to be with the one you love."

Jack smiled. "Thanks," Jack said, patting Fabrizio on the shoulder. "You really helped me there. I’ll tell her tomorrow."

"Va bene," Fabrizio said, sinking down against his pillow. "Buona notte, Jack."

"Good night, Fabri," Jack said, removing the tuxedo and changing into his underclothes, setting the tuxedo neatly on a chair. He went to his own bunk and smiled as he thought of what Fabrizio just told him. Hope was beginning to build up in him, and within minutes, he was fast asleep, with Rose dancing in his dreams.

*****

A smile came across his face as he looked at the wedding photo. Fabrizio had known that Jack would follow his heart, and when he looked at the photo, he knew that Jack had accomplished his wishes and had married the woman he loved. Setting the picture down, he sighed sadly, slipping his hands into his pockets and walking over to the window, where he watched couples walking down the street, but none showed as much affection as Jack and Rose did. Shaking his head sadly, he went back to the couch, sitting down and looking around the room.

"Dio mio," Fabrizio muttered. "Jack you are one lucky man."

Fabrizio heard footsteps outside the door and laughter. A smile came to his face when he recognized the laugh. The laugh belonged to none other than Rose. The Rose that Jack had married. He heard the doorknob turn, and within seconds, the door opened, revealing the two lovers, who had bright smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Fabri," Jack said, allowing Rose to go ahead of him while he closed the door behind him.

"Ciao." Fabrizio smiled, nodding his head towards Jack.

"Hello, Fabrizio," Rose said, her hands folding in front of her and a gentle smile coming across her face.

"Ciao, la bella Rosa." Fabrizio smiled.

Rose’s smile broadened. She looked down at the lavender dress she held in her hands, slowly made her way towards the bedroom, and went towards the closet, hanging the dress back up in its place. After doing so, she closed the closet door and looked around the bedroom, finding the bed unmade. Shaking her head, a small smile on her face, she began making the bed, putting the sheets back in their place and making sure that the quilt was nicely spread on the bed. Fluffing up the pillows and smoothing out the thin sheets, she smiled, finally completing her task. She looked around the room, making sure that everything was in its place. After finding that everything was in its place, she went back towards the parlor, where she found Fabrizio and Jack sitting on the couch.

"Would you two like for me to prepare you lunch?" Rose asked.

"Nah," Jack said. "I’m not hungry yet."

"Sì," Fabrizio said. "I’m ‘a still full from your breakfast."

"Very well, then," Rose said. She looked at the clock, finding that it was close to noon. "I’m going to go for a walk. Maybe the fresh air will relax my nerves."

"Would you like me to come with you?" Jack asked, getting up.

"Um…no," Rose said. "I’d like to go alone, Jack." She saw his eyes pleading and couldn’t help but chuckle. "Jack, I’ll be fine. I just want sometime to think…alone. I’ll be back by one, and then I’ll make lunch."

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, walking towards her and placing his hands on her forearms, his thumbs gently caressing them.

"I’m sure, Jack," Rose said, a reassuring smile on her face. "I’ll be fine."

"Okay," Jack said, pressing his lips against her forehead. "Just be careful. You never know what might happen."

"I will," Rose said, kissing his lips. She headed towards the front closet, where she took out a light shawl and a small purse. "I’ll be back by one." Rose put the shawl around herself, hanging on her arms. She opened the door and disappeared into the hallway.

Jack just stood there, staring at the closed door.

"Don’t worry, Jack," Fabrizio said. "She will ‘a be fine."

"I know," Jack said. "I’m just worried about her. The Titanic still haunts her, and I’m afraid that she might break down."

"She is ‘a going to be fine, Jack," Fabrizio said. "The Titanic will ‘a haunt us all for the rest of our lives. We will ‘a never get rid of it."

Jack nodded his head. "I know," Jack said. "It will always haunt us." Jack took a last look at the closed door and sighed. "Well, we can just sit here and talk or whatever."

"Sì," Fabrizio said, nodding his head.

Jack walked towards the couch and took a seat beside him, leaning his elbows on his knees and folding his hands as he stared off into space.

*****

Rose stepped out of the building and walked across the street, heading towards Central Park. She clutched her purse in her hands, taking small steps. Her fiery red hair flowed down her back, her face holding a solemn expression. A few passersby walked past her, the men taking second looks at her, making her nervous. She held onto her purse tighter, her steps quickening. Turning the corner, she slowed her steps and took a deep, relaxing breath. She walked with her back straight and her head up high.

Despite the fact that she hadn’t lived her old high society life in two months, she couldn’t help but keep the mannerisms that she had been taught in finishing school, nor could she let go of the elegance in her steps when she walked. Reaching the end of the block, she took another turn and walked up a block, finally reaching Central Park. As she walked, the gentle breeze caused her curls to flutter and her light cotton shawl to flow behind her, along with the pale green dress she wore. She walked towards one of the empty benches and took a seat, setting her purse on her lap.

The sun was shining in the blue, cloudless sky, birds flying toward the horizon. The horizon. Something that Rose longed to see. Something that Rose hoped to see. She looked at the sky and closed her eyes, feeling the soft breeze hitting her face. Opening her eyes, she looked around the park, seeing couples walking together, children playing, and dogs chasing their owners. Something that made her body relax, seeing people enjoying themselves. Throughout her life, she had been bought expensive clothing and other various things that her mother wanted her to have, and never had a chance to go to the park and stroll. Her mother probably would have despised that, and berated her about how ladies didn’t go for strolls alone in the park and all the nonsense that Rose had been listening to ever since her father had died. Sure, her mother had been more understanding when her father had been alive, but she still hadn’t shown much affection to her. The only time Rose had known that her mother loved her had been on the day that they were on the Carpathia, when Jack had been unconscious and she had lain beside him, waiting for him to awaken from his slumber. That had been the only time that her mother ever embraced her. Ever worried about her in the way a mother should worry about a daughter.

Before Jack. Before the Titanic. Before everything had changed, Ruth DeWitt Bukater had only cared about herself. Nothing but money and clothes and Rose’s wedding to Caledon Hockley. She had been determined that Rose marry Cal…marry him for his money so they could save their name. So they could still be rich, after having to pay off her father’s debts. Rose had proved her mother wrong when she had run off to save Jack in the sinking ship when he had been framed by Cal for stealing the Heart of the Ocean. From the moment she had saved him, she had known that they were meant to be together. That they were made for each other. To live together for the rest of their lives, and to love each other for the rest of their days on earth. As her emerald-blue eyes gazed around the park, she saw a little girl with caramel-colored hair that went halfway down her back and an angelic face. She looked to be about nine years old, or younger. She had on a light blue dress with a matching sash. She seemed to be lost, as though she was searching around the park for someone. After a few minutes of watching her stand there, totally frightened, Rose got up and went towards her.

"Excuse me," Rose said, her voice polite. The little girl looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "Are you lost?"

The little girl nodded. "Y-yes." The girl sniffed. "I can’t find my mommy or daddy…I’m scared!"

"Oh, I’m sure you’ll find them," Rose said, watching the little girl stared at her, her eyes red and puffy. "I’ll tell you what. I’ll go and help you find them. Will that make you feel better?"

"Yes, please," the little girl said.

"That’s a good little girl." Rose smiled, holding out her hand. She watched the little girl slip her small hand into her large one. "What’s your name?"

"Clara Peterson," Clara said, sniffing.

Rose took out a handkerchief from her purse and handed it to Clara.

"That’s a pretty name," Rose said, smiling. "Well, Clara. My name is Rose. Rose Dawson, but please just call me Rose."

"Okay…Rose," Clara said. "That’s a pretty name, too…a flower!"

Rose couldn’t help but laugh. "Yes, my name comes from a flower," Rose said, charmed by the way Clara cheered. "How old are you?"

"I’m six!" Clara said. "I’m a big girl now!"

"Oh, my," Rose said, a bright smile on her face. "You are a big girl, aren’t you? You seem to be a very beautiful big girl, too!"

"You are pretty, too!" Clara said. "I love your red hair!"

"Oh, thank you," Rose said, crouching down. "I love your hair, too. Very beautiful."

Clara smiled shyly, her tears gone. "Thank you--" Clara said, before they heard shouting.

"Clara!" A woman’s voice rang through their ears. "Clara, darling, where are you?"

Rose and Clara turned at the sound of the woman’s voice.

"Mommy!" Clara shouted happily, a huge smile appearing on her face and her arms spreading wide.

"Clara?" the woman called, searching for her daughter until her eyes landed upon her. "Clara!" The woman ran towards her daughter and took her in her arms, putting numerous kisses upon her face. "Oh, Clara, darling, don’t you ever do that to me! You nearly gave Mommy a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Mommy," Clara said innocently. "I did not mean to scare you…"

"Oh, it’s okay, darling," the woman said, her hands caressing her daughter’s face. "As long as you’re okay, Mommy’s going to be fine."

Rose stood up and smiled at them, clutching her purse with both hands. The mother looked at her and smiled.

"Oh, I’m sorry," the woman said, getting up from kneeling down to her daughter. "I’m Ellen Peterson. I’m sorry if my daughter caused you any trouble. She just likes to run off, and gets lost occasionally. I’m afraid that I’m going to have to get a leash for this little one." Ellen looked at her daughter.

Rose laughed. "No, it’s fine, really. She’s adorable," Rose said, smiling at Clara. "I just adore children, and hope that my little one will be born healthy." Rose placed a hand over her stomach.

"You’re expecting?" Ellen asked, a smile coming to her face.

Rose nodded her head. "Yes…it’s due in January," Rose said, smiling.

"Well, congratulations!" Ellen said. "I suppose your husband is thrilled." Ellen looked into Rose’s eyes.

"Oh, he is," Rose said, smiling. "He’s quite happy about it, actually." Rose’s smile broadened.

"That’s good," Ellen said. "Well, we’d better head off now. My husband is waiting for me over by the café." Ellen looked at her daughter. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs.?"

"Oh, how foolish of me," Rose said. "Dawson. Rose Dawson." Rose extended her hand. Ellen gave it a firm but friendly shake.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Dawson," Ellen said. "And thank you for watching over my daughter."

"No problem," Rose said. "But do call me Rose."

"All right, then…Rose," Ellen said. "I’ll be seeing you around now."

"Of course," Rose said. Rose looked at Clara. "It was nice meeting you, Clara." Rose gently ruffled her caramel hair.

"Nice meeting you, too, Rose!" Clara said, a bright smile on her face.

Rose couldn’t help but smile as she watched Ellen and Clara walk away. She stood there, watching them disappear around the corner and thinking of what her own child would look like. Of how good a mother she would turn out to be. Within minutes, she returned to the bench she was sitting on and continued to stare up at the beauty of the sky and just sit there, thinking of how perfect her life was…of how everything had turned out the way she wanted it to be. That nothing could ever ruin her relationship with Jack…or so she hoped.

Chapter Thirty-One
Stories