Written by Aleesha
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

December 1912

Rose Dawson had been in utter despair since that night--the night that her old life had come to an end and her new one had begun. Sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like if Jack had lived, but she had decided long ago to stop depressing herself with such thoughts.

Ever since she had gotten to New York, she had been staying in a boardinghouse run by a rowdy but wholesome woman by the name of Ellen O’Hare. She had been at the docks when the Carpathia had come in, and when she had seen Rose wandering around aimlessly, she had decided to take her in.

Rose had found a large sum of cash in her pocket, along with what was now her most prized possession, the Heart of the Ocean, and had insisted on paying Ellen for her room, which Ellen had accepted.

Rose was now working at a restaurant in downtown New York, and even though the amount of money she had found in her pocket could have seen her happily through life, she felt that she needed something to keep her going, because the depression was getting to her. Not only the depression of Jack's death, but the thought that her soon-to-be-born baby would not have a father. Rose wanted to be able to tell her baby more about its father than she knew, but she just didn't know how to get that information.

December 3, 1912
The Restaurant

"Good morning, Mr. Hynes. How are you today?" Rose asked an old but cheery man who came to the restaurant every morning for breakfast.

"I'm fine, young Rose, and you?"

Something clicked in Rose that she had tried to put out of her head.

"I'm sorry I didn't build you a stronger ship, young Rose," Mr. Andrews had said before that ship had sucked Mr. Andrews and her beloved Jack down.

"Me, too," Rose said to herself, intending it to be quiet.

"That's great, Miss Rose!"

"What..." Rose was about to say, but then realized that Mr. Hynes had overheard her talking to herself.

"Now, Miss Rose, when are you going to tell me more about this baby? I'm sure the father is very pleased that you are taking such good care of yourself."

"I hope so, Mr. Hynes."

"What did you say the father’s name was?"

"Jack Dawson."

"Jack Dawson."

"Rose DeWitt Bukater."

"I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down."

"Oh, yes. I'm so sorry about your husband, Miss. Gotta run. I'm so busy these days."

"Good-bye, Mr. Hynes."

December 11, 1912

Rose didn't want her child to grow up in New York. She wanted her child to grow up in Chippewa Falls so that the baby could be as near to its father as possible, and that was where Rose was going.

She had resigned the previous day, and now was at the train station, waiting for the train that was going to take her to a new life. She was going to find out if Jack had any family left in Chippewa Falls, see where he grew up, even the house he had slept in. Her eyes began to water just thinking about it.

December 15, 1912

Rose stepped onto a rickety old platform in the pouring rain and ran for shelter at the inn nearby.

There were not many people there, but there was an interesting-looking barmaid at the counter.

Rose stepped over to her.

"Hello."

"Hi."

"I was wondering if you had ever heard of a Dawson family around these parts."

"I sure have, honey, but they haven't lived here for over ten years. Last thing I heard was that the place had changed hands yet again to a new owner. You aren't likely to find any Dawsons here, but maybe you could ask the new owner. He tends to keep to himself, or so I've heard. He doesn't come out much. I haven't even got his name."

"Thank you, Miss. Could you give me directions to the house, please?"

"Sure, honey. By the way, my name's Emma. Emma Bronson."

December 15, 1912
7:30 PM

Rose came to the end of a winding road with grass down the middle to see an old, tumbledown farmhouse. There was one light downstairs, so she headed to the door.

"Hello! Is anyone there?"

"What do you want? I'm armed!" replied a gruff voice.

"Nothing, sir. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about the previous owners of this house."

"Well, then, keep your distance and ask away. I don't like people coming unannounced into my house."

The voice sounded even gruffer this time.

"Well…um…who lived here before you?"

"No one! It’s always been just me and my family."

Rose could only see a figure slumped over a table.

"Um…have you ever heard of someone called Jack Dawson?"

"Why would you want to know about him? All he ever did was draw bad pictures of naked women and let people he loved die in the North Atlantic! Why would anyone want to know about him?"

"Jack was not a bad artist! How dare you say such things about him?"

"I don't care about that anymore. Leave me alone! You have one question left, and you had better make it count."

"Make it count."

Something clicked in Rose, and her body went into overdrive.

"Is your name...Jack Dawson?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Rose Dawson, otherwise known as Rose DeWitt Bukater."

The slumped figure at the table slowly turned around, and for the first time in eight long months, she saw his eyes, his hair, and his face.

"Rose?"

"Jack!"

Rose saw more happiness in his eyes than she had ever seen before.

As quick as lightning, he was holding her tightly in his arms and kissing her passionately, with all the love that he had been holding inside for eight long months.

"Rose, I have a question," he said warily.

"What?"

"Is that my child?"

"Oh, yes! It certainly is!"

"Oh, thank God! Rose, I have another question for you."

"Anything."

"Will you marry me?"

The End.

Stories