Written by Anael Marie
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

The lifebelt was ridiculously uncomfortable, and the sound surrounding her was deafening. Everywhere around her, there was the sound of shined and polished metal clinking on the wooden boats or slapping the water far down below her. Everyone around her wore the same unattractive lifebelt, but she couldn’t have cared less about the not-so-fashionable style. People were screaming, pushing against each other, desperate to get in the lifeboats. The cold Atlantic air was already beginning to have an effect on them, scaring them. They did not want to end up dying in that freezing cold water.

Rose gasped as someone hit her in their urgency. She fell to the deck, but no sooner had her knees hit the deck than she was pulled back up again. She was pulled flush against the man behind her, the one who had helped her up, and she closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.

"There’s a boat right down there at the end." The comforting, masculine voice came from behind her and whispered in her ear. "Just keep going, Rose." Even as she spotted the lifeboat, she felt a sense of dread fill her.

"Daddy!" a little girl screamed as she was lifted into the boat alongside her sister and mother. She reached out her little arms to her father and screamed again, tears rolling down her cheeks. Rose looked at the man and saw that he was fighting tears as well. His heart was being visibly torn to shreds.

"It’s only good-bye for a little while, dearest," he urged. "Only for a little while." Rose saw the mother cradle her children in her arms, saw the pain in her eyes, and she suddenly felt sick. Was this really happening? Someone grabbed her arm, and she whirled around to face the person. It was one of the ship’s officers, Lightoller.

"Your turn, miss," he said in as convincing a voice as possible. She knew they were trying to keep themselves together for the passengers, but at the moment, she wasn’t quite ready to help. He led her to the boat, but she broke his grasp.

"No!" She turned around to Jack. "I can’t do it, Jack." He grabbed her hand, an indescribable emotion in his eyes.

"You have to, Rose." She shook her head.

"Rose." There was a sense of urgency in his voice, in his bright blue eyes, even as he pulled her into his arms in a tight hug. "Get in the boat." And unlike her mother, she knew he was saying that out of love, and not just for the sake of propriety. It didn’t stop the frustration mounting in her body. Lightoller was beginning to move away, and Jack pulled out of the hug.

"Rose," he urged. His mouth was set, his body firm. He had to let her go. Rose could see that he had already decided and had already convinced himself that this was what had to be done, but she could only begin to feel herself crumble, emotionally and physically.

"Jack, I can’t! I can’t!" she stressed, shaking her head.

"Get in the boat!" he shot back forcefully.

"Yes, do get in the boat." Rose looked up at her ex-fiancé in shock and stepped instinctively towards Jack. His gaze traveled along her body, and she shivered involuntarily. She was only wearing a wet silk dress, but she didn’t really care about the scandalous display when there was a ship sinking beneath them. Cal took off his coat and grabbed her roughly, draping it across her shoulders for modesty’s sake.

Lightoller was heading back towards them, and Rose felt her stomach flip over. "You need to hurry," he urged.

Jack touched Rose’s shoulder and turned her face to his with his other hand. "Go on. I’ll catch the next boat."

"No!" She clenched her jaw, not caring that Cal was witnessing all of this. "I can’t go. Not without you." She gazed up into his eyes, trying to show all of her desperation.

"I have a deal with a man on the other side of the ship. I have a way off." Cal paused, looking at Jack with a grimace. "Both of us do."

Jack seemed to accept the information for a moment and then turned back to Rose, smiling reassuringly. "See? I’ve got my own boat to catch!" Rose felt a burning sensation in her eyes, and knew she was being broken down.

Lightoller once again reached for Rose’s hand, but this time, she didn’t fight him. He pulled her to the boat and helped her climb in, but even as she descended, she reached out her hand. Jack grabbed it for a moment, giving it a comforting, loving squeeze, and then the touch was gone. She was alone.

All the women around her were screaming, crying up to their husbands and lovers. The children cried and clasped their arms around their mothers’ necks in desperation and misery. She felt vomit rise in her throat, and she looked up at Lightoller. He was shouting to another crewman on the other side of the boat, and together, they began lowering the boat. Once again, there was the unbearable sound of the ropes going through the pulleys as they jerkily descended.

She looked up at Jack, who was still standing next to Cal, leaning against the railing and gazing down at her sadly. Cal started murmuring something that, of course, Rose couldn’t hear, and turned to Jack.

"You’re a good liar."

"Almost as good as you." Jack paused for a moment, dreading his next words. "There’s…there’s no deal, is there?"

Cal didn’t even bother looking at him as he coldly spoke his next words. "Oh, there is. Not that you’ll benefit much from it."

Jack had been expecting something like this. What motivation could Rose’s wealthy, arrogant ex-fiancé possibly have to help him? Nonetheless, this information still hit him hard. He would never give up tonight, not if there was any chance he could be with Rose again, but he couldn’t silence the voice in his head telling him that he would die this night.

"I always win, Jack." Cal’s voice brought Jack back to reality. "One way or another."

Jack looked back down at Rose. He knew he had to be strong for her, but he couldn’t help the despair rising in him as he saw the love of his life move further and further away from him. Before he knew it, this gorgeous, amazing woman who had managed to make his life complete in a few days would slip away from him forever.

A rocket went off behind Jack, and Rose followed it with her eyes. She gazed up at the halo of light around his head, and felt tears come to her eyes. She had never felt such an unbearable pain, never felt such pressure building in her chest. He smiled down at her, and Rose thought she had never seen such a beautiful, bittersweet sight. He nodded to her, and her heart began to beat faster. Her head throbbed, and her breathing was erratic. Everything around her was a complete blur; it was just her and Jack.

"I’m too involved now…" The memory came floating back, completely overtaking Rose. "If you jump now, well, I’m going to have to go in there after you."

This wasn’t right.

Gathering up all of her courage, she stood up and tripped her way over the feet and bodies of other people in the boat. She grabbed the rope for leverage and hurled herself over to the A-Deck promenade. She only managed to catch the rail, however, and was still in danger of falling. She felt her heart pounding, but people scrambled over to where she was and helped her over. Rose was once again on the Titanic.

She ran. She kept running until a stitch began to form in her side, but she didn’t even notice. All she registered was a faint voice calling out to her, calling her name.

The rich, the poor, and the crew—she passed all of them in her rush without even noticing them. The only thing, the only person that mattered right now was Jack. The upper class dining hall seemed so long as she tried to make it to the Grand Staircase as fast as possible. Jack would be there. She felt it. He had to be.

She saw him rushing down the steps, taking two at a time, and then she was collapsing in his arms, completely breathless.

"Why’d you do it, Rose?" he shouted, cradling her face in his hands and kissing her fiercely. "You’re so stupid!" He ran his fingers through her hair, a single tear making its way slowly down his cheek. "You’re so stupid, Rose. Why? Why?" he asked hoarsely. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, kissed her all over.

"You jump, I jump, too, right?" she asked, feeling the warmth of her tears on her own cheeks, but smiling nonetheless.

Jack looked stunned, but undeniably happy. "Right," he murmured, and kissed her on the lips, a short, sweet kiss before picking her up and twirling her around.

"Right."

The End.

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