JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Twenty-Three

New Year’s Eve, 1912

Rose put the small gold dangle earring threw the small hole in her ear. Stepping back, she put her hair behind her ear.

'Look's good.' She thought to herself. Rose walked out of the bedroom and into the living room to find Brittany and Dianna laughing over something on the couch. Walking closer, she saw that they held a packet of photos in their hands.

"What are you looking at?" Rose asked, scaring Dianna and Brittany so much that they jumped.

"Rose! We thought that you were getting ready." Dianna said.

"I finished." Rose answered simply.

"Now, what are you looking at?" Dianna looked at Brittany.

"We might as well show her." Brittany answered to Dianna's silent question. Dianna nodded and turned around.

"These." Dianna said to Rose, handing her the pack of photos. Rose took the pack from Dianna and sat down on the couch. Brittany and Dianna slowly sat down on either side of her. Rose opened the pack and saw photos of the beach. She looked at Dianna and Brittany, so this is what they were so excited about? Rose continued to go through the pack, looking at each one. They certainty were good. Than she got to the picture of her and Jack. Rose wasn't mad, they were actually really funny, but she pretended to be mad. She looked slowly from Brittany who was on her right, to Dianna who was on her left. Rose folded her arms and continued to look at them. Dianna and Brittany were biting their lips, looking sheepish.

"Brit, Dianna, do you want to explain when, how, and why you took this?" Rose asked being very serious.

"Well, it was that first morning we were here. I took Brittany's camera and took at picture. Than Brit took one, and we just couldn't help ourselves." Dianna explained, keeping her head down. Rose couldn't hold it in anymore, and she burst out laughing. Dianna and Brittany looked at her as if she were someone else.

"Rose?" Dianna ventured.

"Oh you guys. These are so funny. I am sorry for scaring you, but I had to. I wanted to get back at you." Rose said laughing.

"Rose!" Brittany and Dianna exclaimed at the same time.

"Wait till Jack sees these!" Rose said taking the pictures and running into her room, locking the door.

"Rose! Rose come out here!" Dianna yelled banging on the door.

"Nope I am hiding these so that I can get them later and show Jack!" Rose called back. Rose went to her undergarment drawer and lifted some of the garments. She set the pictures there. Crossing the room, she opened the door to find Dianna and Brittany standing there with their arms crossed.

"Don't worry, I'll give them back. After I show Jack and take two of them for us to keep. Or maybe all of them" Rose told them. "Now come on, we'd better start on the cooking if we want to eat early. And were are those husbands of ours Dianna?" Rose asked walking into the kitchen.

"They only left a half hour ago." Dianna answered referring to Bryan and Jack who had gone to the store to get junk food and other stuff for tonight.

Rose nodded, "Now are you going to help me or stand there looking like you are going to eat my face of?" Dianna and Brittany shrugged and went into the kitchen. The three girls went to work making and preparing the healthful food for tonight. A big turkey, potato's, fresh bread. They were just starting on the bread when the door opened and Bryan and Jack walked in.

"Girls we need help bringing these packages up." Jack said coming into the kitchen.

"Of course Jack." Rose said giving him a kiss. Behind them Brittany and Dianna rolled their eyes. They all went down and out the lobby where a cab was waiting with about twenty bags.

"What did you buy!?" Dianna exclaimed.

"Stuff." Jack said shrugging his shoulders. Everyone took two of the paper bags and started up in the elevator. After setting the bags down in the apartment, taking one more trip down, paying the driver, and haling everything up stairs for the second time they were ready to go. Everyone started un-loading the bags. Rose found a whole bag of party items; hats, confetti, nose makers.

"Jack? Bryan?" Rose asked holding up one of the nose makers and blowing it.

"We wanted to get some party stuff. This stuff looks like fun." Rose shook her head. In the end they had almost every kind of candy, soda, and junk food in the store it looked like. Plus some of the best wine.

"We are going to be up all night." Dianna remarked looking at all the stuff.

"We shouldn't have sent you." Brittany said smiling.

"Nope." Both men replied in unison. When everything was put away, Rose led Jack into the bedroom. Everyone watched as they walked into the bedroom.

Don't say anything Dianna." Bryan warned and Brittany cracked up.

"I want to show you something." Rose said as she walked into the bedroom and locked the door.

"OK." Jack said following Rose to her chest of drawers. He was confused when she opened her undergarment drawer, "Rose what the?" Jack teased.

"Jack no." Rose said rolling her eyes.

"This is what I wanted to show you." She said pulling out the pack of photos. Rose handed it to him and he sat down on the end of the bed, Rose sat down next to him. Jack looked through the pack and just stared when he got to a one of him and Rose.

"What?" Jack asked laying all the ones of Rose and him on his lap.

"Brit and Dianna took them. The first morning they were here." Rose answered to his question.

"I thought they were pretty funny, and I wanted to show you." Jack continued to look at the photos.

"They are funny." He finally said, a smile coming to his face.

"Look at that smile on you face Rose. Care to tell the class what you were dreaming of." Jack teased. With that Rose reached behind her and grabbed a pillow. She playfully hit Jack with it, causing him to fall back and lay down. Rose laughed and laid down next to him.

"What are we going to do about this?" Jack asked, laughing as well.

"I say we take them and keep them for ourselves." Rose suggested.

"Me too, but Dianna and Brittany need to be taught a lesson. What do you think we should do about them?" Rose propped herself up on her arm and looked at Jack. She had no idea what to do.

"I say we act really romantic." Jack suggested smiling at her.

"What good would that do?" Rose said hitting him with another pillow.

"Ah Rose! Stop with they pillow will ya." Jack said covering his face with his arms.

"Tell me what good that would do or I'll hit you again." Rose warned.

Jack shrugged, "I don't know it just sounds like fun."

"Jack!" Rose exclaimed hitting him again.

"OK OK, I have a reason. Just stop hitting me." "What is it than?"

"We'll be so romantic, they'll beg us to stop. And when they do, we'll make them apologize."

"That's dumb. But it might work. And I like that idea. But what happens if it backfires?"

"It won't backfire. Trust me." Jack said sitting up himself and pulling Rose up with him. "Now come on, they are waiting for us. And it look's like it's almost time for dinner." Rose nodded and jumped up. They lest the room, holding hands.

Later that night, around 11:30:

Everyone sat around the living room, waiting for the New Year to come. Dianna had her eye on Rose and Jack. Ever since they had emerged from their room, they had been acting really romantic. Even for them! They had been kissing all through dinner, whispering to each other, hold each others hands more than necessary, and now they were sitting much to close for anyone else's comfort but themselves. Nobody else seemed to notice, or if they did they didn't let on. Everyone was just talking. Dianna just shrugged and tried to listen to what Bryan was saying. But she couldn't concentrate. She glanced over to Jack and Rose again. Now Rose's head was in Jack's lap and they were taking softly to one and other. Dianna could make out: 'love, tonight, and be quite they'll hear you.' And now Jack was running his fingers through Rose's long red hair and Rose was looking at Jack as though he was the only one in the room. And to her he probably was.

Finally Dianna couldn't take it anymore, she jumped up from the chair she was in and shouted, "Rose Jack! What the heck is going on here!?" Everyone looked at Dianna, surprised.

Rose and Jack looked at each other, "Are we doing something wrong?" Rose asked irony in her voice.

"You know very well what is going on! You are sitting there acting all, ah, intimate. Holding each other's hands, kissing all the time. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"What the matter Dianna? This is how we always act." Jack said leaning down to kiss Rose for effect.

"Yeah, but you are not always this bad." Brittany said joining into the conversation. Bryan agreed by nodding his head.

"We're not?" Jack asked and Rose turned to face to Jack so that everyone could not see her giggles.

"No!" everyone exclaimed in unison. Again Rose had to stop herself from laughing out loud.

"OK we'll cut it out a little." Jack said pulling Rose up. She rested her head on Jack shoulder.

"Get worse." Rose heard Jack whisper. Rose nodded and smiled.

"What time is it?" Brittany asked.

"'Bout 11:50. Ten minutes." Bryan said.

"We'll get the champagne!" Rose yelled jumping up and pulling Jack with her to the kitchen. Bryan, Dianna, and Brittany watched them go. As soon as they got into the kitchen, Rose and Jack turned and kissed. Right in view of everyone.

"Get a room!" Dianna yelled seeing them.

"All right!" Jack said pulling Rose into the bedroom.

"Rose Jack!" Brittany yelled.

Jack stuck his head out, "We're busy!"

"Well you can be busy after midnight!" Dianna retorted. "Get out here!"

"All right all right we're coming!" Rose yelled. A minute later she emerged with Jack in tow. They calmly walked into the kitchen, got the champagne, and walked slowly into the living room. Bryan rolled his eyes and took the three bottles from them. He looked at the clock, 11:58.

"Two minutes!" Bryan yelled. Everyone got a wineglass except Bryan and Jack who grabbed champagne bottles and walked out onto the balcony.

"Five, four, three, two, one!" Bryan counted.

"Happy New Year!" Everyone shouted. And Jack gave Rose, who was in his arms, a kiss on the check. Bryan popped the champagne bottle and the cork went flying over the sand. Jack released himself from Rose and did the same thing.

"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted again and fireworks begun to explode from a boat on the ocean. Jack took Rose back into his arms again and Bryan did the same thing to Dianna. Each wife gave their husband a kiss and than stood there watching. After the fireworks stopped they all went inside.

"OK, we are each going to tell the best and worst thing to happen to us in 1912, and what they want for 1913." Bryan said as everyone sat down. Jack and Rose dangerously close again.

"Dianna go first."

Dianna sat down by Bryan and started, "I want to have a kid in 1913. The worst thing that happened is kind of personal." Dianna said looking up at Bryan, he nodded. "And the best thing was having a great friend, named Rose, save me from making everyone hate me and be mad at me." Rose smiled at Dianna. Everyone took their turn and finally the only people who were left were Rose and Jack.

Jack when first, "The worst thing last year was almost dying in the North Atlantic, but I would have done it with a smile for Rose and I was ready too. The best think was the fact that I meet Rose and she gave up everything to be with me. And I would really like for the Santa Monica Gallery to buy some of my drawings for 1913." Jack said kissing Rose.

"I think that the worst thing that happened to me last year was getting engaged to Cal, which I happened last New Year's Day. The best thing was of course Jack. He saved me in every way. And I love him for that. What I want for 1913 is that Jack and I continue to love each other forever and that we continue to be happy with each other." Rose said smiling at Jack.

"That's what I want too Rose." Jack whispered.

"OK than." Dianna said loudly. Rose and Jack laughed.

"Now for a New Year's resolution." Bryan said.

"Dianna?"

"Be a better wife." Dianna said.

"Not possible." Bryan said. They smiled at each other.

"OK me, take more time of work to be with Dianna." Bryan said still smiling.

"Brittany?"

"Eat more chocolate!" Brittany exclaimed loudly. Everyone laughed.

"I am afraid to ask, but Jack." Jack looked at Rose.

"Spend more time with Rose."

"If that's possible." Dianna said from across the couch.

"Rose?" Bryan asked, laughing at bit at his wife.

Rose thought for a minute than said, "Stop acting like my old Philadelphia self. I have been slipping into that lately." Jack smiled at her and pulled her closer, she rested her head on his shoulder. Rose than looked over at Brittany, she was yawning, and she was pulling her blond hair out of its do.

"Tired?" Rose asked her. She nodded. Dianna agreed and followed Brittany by taking her strawberry blond hair, which was blonder than red, out. Jack looked at them; this wasn't what should be happening. They should be begging them to stop by now. Jack looked at Rose; she seamed to be thinking the same thing.

"What should we do?" Rose mouthed. Jack shrugged and thought. He finally got an idea. Jack picked Rose up, and spun her around. Making Rose laugh and scream in delight.

"Jack stop!" She yelled playing along. He finally did and kissed her passionately on the lips. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"OK stop right now you are making me sick!" Dianna shouted jumping up.

"Me too!" Brittany yelled jumping up by Dianna.

"You want us to stop?" Rose asked, still in Jack's arms.

"YES!" They shouted.

"OK we will, if you apologize for the pictures." Jack said with a smug smile.

Dianna and Brittany's mouths fell open, "This is what this was all about?" Brittany asked. Rose and Jack nodded.

"OK OK, we apologize, both of us. Now stop, or at least get a room." Dianna said. Jack and Rose were satisfied at that and Jack put Rose down.

"Come on Dianna let's got to bed." Bryan said jumping up and pulling Dianna with him. Dianna smiled and together they went into their bedroom. Brittany rolled her eyes. Jack kissed Rose and Rose kissed him back.

"Ah, you two wanna kiss somewhere else?" Brittany asked. "I was going to go to bed."

"Yeah, we'll go." Jack said picking Rose up again and carried her into their bedroom. Brittany watched them go and than looked toward Bryan and Dianna's room. 'Why can't I find someone?' Brittany thought to herself and slowly walked into the bathroom to change.

Jack put Rose down onto their bed. She smiled at the pictures that were now on the their night stands. Jack laid down next to her and than stared to laugh as Rose ticked him.

"Rose stop!" She stopped and than looked at him.

"What did you do that for?" Jack asked of her. Rose shrugged and continued to look at him as though she was reading his mind.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked in a whisper. She just smiled at him and began to fiddle with his shirt buttons.

"Rose stop." Jack said softly and she looked at him, confused. Jack smiled and reached to turn off the light. Rose's worries went all away at than moment as Jack kissed her. She let out a slight sigh, as Jack kissed her neck.

"Jack?" She whispered.

"Yes Rose?"

"I love you more than those stars." Jack pulled back to look at Rose.

"Rose, I love you more than the heavens and the earth." Rose smiled at him and than brought his lips to hers.

Chapter Twenty-Four
Stories