FOREVER
Chapter Four

Jack’s Bravery

Rose and Helga were one of the last people aboard the Carpathia when it finally arrived, except the people who had been rescued from the water. They had to be taken to the hospital ward on the ship. Rose wanted desperately to see if Jack was possibly among those people, but no one was allowed to see them until their conditions were upgraded.

She and Helga were given blankets and hot tea immediately when they got up on top of the decks. They both drank it quickly even though it tasted like salt water. They were directed to go below and that from there they would have their names taken for a survivor list. She and Helga followed a steward down below the decks where they lined up to have their names taken.

"ROSE!" a familiar voice called from behind them. Rose turned around and saw Trudy on the other side of the room talking with a steward. Rose left the line and ran to her, giving her a large hug. "Trudy! You’re here!" Rose said happily.

Trudy hugged her back. "Oh Rose I’m so glad you’re okay…your friend Mr. Dawson saved me!" she exclaimed.

Rose gave her a look. "Jack? You saw Jack?" she asked.

Trudy nodded. "Yes he came to the suite looking for something. When he saw us there he took us out and put us on a lifeboat. I told him before he walked away that I would tell you how he saved me," Trudy said.

Rose smiled as tears spilled down her cheeks. "He did that?" she asked.

Trudy nodded. "He’s very brave Miss Rose," she said, then she changed the subject. "Have you seen your mother?"

Rose looked at her. "No…and I plan to keep it that way too."

Trudy nodded again in complete sympathy with Rose. She was about to ask Rose more but they were interrupted by a loud scream from behind them.

**

Fabrizio left the hospital ward where the nursing staff started to prepare Tommy for some sort of surgery. He was surprised Tommy had survived the night and he was glad for it to, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Jack and the last conversation they had had. Jack had given up his own life to save Fabrizio’s and now Fabrizio had to find Rose and give her his portfolio, he’d promised to. He also thought of Helga…who had given him one last kiss goodbye after he gave her his coat. He had fallen in love with her instantly, and he could understand Jack’s feelings about Rose. The irony of everything had made him so angry. One of the stewards stopped him and directed him down below so he could put his name on the survivors’ list. The minute he got down the stairs he spotted Rose talking with a maid. He assumed that the maid worked for Rose because they were hugging and Rose was crying. He started to walk toward her, to give her the portfolio but then from somewhere in the line of people he heard his name being called. He looked around feverishly wondering who it could be. Suddenly he spotted a mop of blonde hair wearing his jacket running toward him. He smiled brightly. "Helga!" he cried as she ran into his arms. He held onto her tightly as they kissed each other.

Rose and Trudy turned to see where the joyous screams were coming from. She soon spotted Helga and Fabrizio standing in the middle of the room kissing each other. She smiled watching the happy reunion. She grabbed Trudy’s arm and starting walking toward them. "Come on."

Fabrizio looked up and saw Rose coming toward him. He and Helga broke apart and he hugged Rose. "Fabrizio you’re okay," Rose said smiling. She wanted to ask about Jack, but she was scared of what Fabrizio would tell her. "I’m so glad you two found each other," She said smiling.

Fabrizio nodded and smiled at her. "I am glad you are okay too," he said, then he lost his smile.

"Rose…" he began, pulling the portfolio out from behind him.

Rose gasped when she saw it. "That’s Jack’s portfolio," she said softly.

"That’s what he came back for Miss Rose," Trudy said.

Rose glanced up at Trudy as Fabrizio handed the portfolio to her. Rose ran her finger over the leather and tears formed in her eyes. "He wanted you to have it Rose," Fabrizio explained. "You see Tommy got shot…and so Jack made the officer put him on the lifeboat. The officer told us only one of us could go with Tommy…and Jack made me go," Fabrizio said getting choked up himself.

Rose looked at him. "He did?" she asked softly.

"He made me promise to find you and give this to you," he continued.

Rose opened the portfolio and on top was the note Jack had written to her seconds before Fabrizio left on the lifeboat. Rose swallowed hard and picked it up in her shaking hand and read.

My sweet Rose,

Please know that I love you…I have loved you since the moment I saw you. I never got a chance to tell you personally and I am sorry for that. I will always cherish the times we had together and I hope you will too, even if I can’t be there with you any more. Just remember to make each day count and to never let go…no matter what happens. No matter how hopeless it may seem, never let go. One day we will meet again and I will wait for you, but you must promise to go on. Get married and have lots of children…

I love you now and forever…

Yours forever
Jack

Rose burst into tears and turned the paper to see the drawing of her from the night before. She cried harder and closed the portfolio. It was finally clear that Jack knew he was going to die and so he saved her and Fabrizio and Tommy and Trudy…but he couldn’t save himself. She was proud of him though, of Jack’s bravery. He was courageous and she loved him for it more than ever.

Trudy hugged Rose, but Helga tapped Fabrizio on the arm trying to tell him something. Fabrizio shrugged his shoulders.

"What’s wrong?" Trudy asked.

"She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Swedish," Fabrizio said embarrassed.

Trudy laughed slightly. "Well I can translate for you…my grandmother was Swedish," Trudy said.

Helga continued to tell Fabrizio something.

"She says that your friend Jack saved her life. She said that as the ship was going down he helped her over the railing and then once they were in the water he put her in a lifeboat," Trudy said translating. Rose began crying again hearing more about Jack’s bravery. "She says that even though there was room he didn’t get into the boat…that he just swam away."

Rose wiped her eyes. "So he was in the water…" Her voice drifted off, "It must have been awful…"

Everyone remained quiet for a long time then Fabrizio told them about Tommy having surgery and that he was still in the hospital. Soon they all got back in line to give the officers their names. Fabrizio was so glad to have Trudy there to translate what Helga was saying and vice versa. While in line Rose looked through all of Jack’s drawings, running her fingers over each one. It didn’t seem fair to her that he had to die and everyone else he knew had lived.

***

Jack looked around the decks frantically searching for Rose. She had to be somewhere up on the ship because he was the last one out of his lifeboat and his lifeboat was the last one to be emptied. He had been impatiently waiting to get aboard so he could find her, especially before she found his note. He couldn’t bare the fact that she might think he was dead. Of course at the time he had written it he thought he was going to die. Now everything had changed, for the better and Jack couldn’t wait to see Rose again. Finally he found a steward who took him down to where they were holding all the survivors. When he got downstairs he saw everyone milling about finding out about loved ones lost or saved. He looked around the room for anyone he knew, but he couldn’t spot anyone. He began to grow panicked then he suddenly saw Rose’s bright red hair at the head of the line, writing her name down on a piece of paper.

"ROSE!" he yelled loudly running down the last few stairs and into the room.

Rose stood up from writing her name and looked behind her, thinking she heard someone yell for her, but all she saw were the people behind her. So she turned back around and began writing Rose D, but then she stopped herself.

"Did you forget your name love?" the officer asked.

She glanced up at him, "No…sorry," she said then without thinking she finished writing it as Dawson.

"Thank you," the officer said.

She smiled slightly at him and stepped out of line waiting for Fabrizio and Helga to sign their names.

"ROSE!" She heard her name being called for sure that time; she turned and saw Jack running toward her.

She felt like screaming, but she couldn’t scream or move or breathe. She knew she had to be dreaming so she didn’t move.

Jack ran toward Rose and then suddenly they were in each other’s arms hugging each other and crying happily.

"Oh my God! This can’t be happening!" Rose cried wrapping her arms around Jack tightly. "Fabrizio said you were dead!" she sobbed.

"I know…I thought I was going to die Rose…but I didn’t! I’m here!" he cried happily.

He bent down and kissed her. "I thought I was never going to see you again!" she said in between kisses.

Jack hugged her tightly. "I know…" he said softly.

They were soon interrupted by Fabrizio’s cries for joy. He and Jack hugged tightly and both cried. Rose couldn’t let go of Jack for a moment. It didn’t even seem real to her, but she was thankful to God for saving Jack and all of his friends. They all left the room and went up to the decks and everyone spent the rest of the day telling their story about how Jack had somehow saved them. Fabrizio told Jack that Tommy had survived the night, but they still weren’t sure about his condition. Jack told everyone about the capsized lifeboat and about his visions of Rose when he thought he was dying. Rose shared her story as well, watching the ship go down wondering where Jack was and how she and Helga found each other on the lifeboat. Rose was so thankful that Jack had lived. She had been wrong about almost everything the night before. Of course life was never fair and God never played favorites, but God had spared the lives of Jack, Fabrizio, Helga, Tommy, Trudy and herself for a reason. Rose was right that so many people weren’t as lucky as she had been and she was saddened by that. But the one thing she was right about was that her life had been changed forever. Only now it had been changed for the better and it could only get better from there.

After getting a stateroom for everyone to stay in Jack and Rose spent the evening alone together, walking around the decks. They stopped at the railing and watched the sunset.

Rose reached over and whispered in Jack’s ear. "I love you too."

Jack looked at her and smiled. "You got my note huh?"

Rose nodded, "Yes…it was beautiful…and it was so courageous of you to save all of us over yourself. You are a brave man Jack Dawson and I am honored to be sitting beside you now. I love you now and forever," she whispered kissing him softly.

Jack smiled. "You know there is one more thing I wanted to ask you."

Rose glanced at him, "All right…"

He took her hand in his and smiled brightly. "Will you marry me?"

Rose nodded and hugged and kissed him tightly, "Yes Jack…I will."

He kissed her back and then stared out over the horizon. "So what now?"

Rose smiled widely. "We head for the sunrise…I hear Santa Monica is very nice this time of year."

Jack laughed and nodded. "Then that’s where we shall go."

Chapter Five
Stories