Written by An Unknown Writer
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

The Atlantic air whipped around the people and debris. It felt as if a thousand needles were being stuck into one's body. No one could survive their pending deaths, looming over them just as the stars shone in the night sky.

"I love you, Jack," Rose said, her body shaking with the cold. Jack took her hand.

"No...don't say your good-byes, Rose. Don't you give up. Don't do it," Jack pleaded. His hands were numb, his teeth chattering.

"But I'm so cold!" Rose felt the wind whip around her body.

"You're going to get out of this...you're going to go on and you're going to make lots of babies and you’re going to watch them grow. You're going to die an old, old lady, warm in your bed. Not here. Not this night. Do you understand me?" Jack looked at Rose with such emotion, such love, that Rose felt her heart beat faster.

Rose looked back into Jack's gaze, and she nodded.

"I can't feel my body."

"Rose, listen to me. Listen. Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me." Jack's words were strained, for every breath he drew brought him pain. He could feel the frigid water getting at his soul. "It brought me to you. And I'm thankful, Rose. I'm thankful. You must do me this honor...promise me you will survive...that you will never give up...no matter what happens...no matter how hopeless...promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise."

"I promise."

"Never let go."

"I promise. I will never let go, Jack. I'll never let go."

Rose looked into Jack's trembling face. She hoped with all her might that she and her love would survive this ordeal, but she couldn't be certain. For all of her life, she had wished to be loved by someone with heart and soul. Now that person was fading from this world. Rose gripped his hand and listened to the lapping of the Atlantic Ocean around them.

*****

Rose woke up. She looked around her. Lifeless bodies floated around her. The stars twinkled overhead.

"Come Josephine in my flying machine..." Rose sang. It was obvious that she was beginning to lose her senses and knew that she was dying. She looked to the side and saw a boat, a rescue boat! She turned to Jack. When she turned, her hair crackled as it removed itself from the wood.

"Jack." It appeared that he was sleeping. A deathly sleep. His face was pale; his lips blue. "Jack!" Rose repeated. She touched his face, hoping he would respond. Never in her life had she felt so low. As a wave of realization hit her, she began to cry. "Oh, Jack! Why did you leave me?"

She looked again at the men in the lifeboat, moving through the water away from her. They’ll never hear me now, she thought. As the cold began to penetrate her to the center of her body, she closed her eyes. Let it be quick, Lord. Rose didn’t want to die, but knew that she would soon.

Her eyes shot open. Jack’s words filled her mind.

"You must do me this honor...promise me you will survive...that you will never give up...no matter what happens...no matter how hopeless...promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise," he had said.

"Oh, Jack!" she repeated. She knew that she should keep her promise. She would live for Jack. "Come back! Please! Don’t leave me here!" she whispered. Her voice was inaudible to the men in the lifeboat. The man in command pointed to something in front of their boat, but could not hear Rose’s plea. Rose looked down to where her hand was grasping Jack’s. A layer of ice had formed around it, something which Rose had not noticed until now. She gripped his hand tighter before trying to let go. When the ice would not break, Rose breathed on it to try to thaw out the ice. She kissed him once on the lips and once on his hand. "I’ll never let go, Jack. I promise. I will love you always and forever. Please forgive me," she said as she let go of him. He sank down into the water. Rose watched him until he was no longer visible. "I’m sorry, Jack." Letting Jack slip into the icy, black water was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, and hopefully the hardest thing she would ever have to do. Letting go of those one loved was always difficult, especially letting go of one’s soulmate.

She swam over to where Chief Officer Wilde’s body was floating and grabbed for his whistle. She drew a deep breath and blew hard. The men in the lifeboat whipped their heads around and rowed back to Rose. Rose had kept her promise. And she had no intention of letting it go, either.

Present Day

Old Rose looked at the pictures of her in her cabin. She wondered, if Jack had lived, would he have been in the pictures? That would remain a mystery to her until the day she died.

"I’ve kept my promise, Jack," Rose said to no one in particular. She brushed the picture of her that was taken closest to the date that the Titanic sank. Rose sighed as she crept into bed. "I’ll die an old lady in my bed, Jack, just like you said." She closed her eyes. Dreams of Jack and all of those who perished when the Titanic sank seeped into her mind. Her soul gently left her body and went to those dreams. The Titanic would become her heaven. Before she let out her last breath, Rose dreamt of Jack once more, her eternal lover, and how hard it was to let go of him and continue to live her life.

She walked once more along the decks of the Titanic and entered the grand staircase. Familiar faces were surrounding her, beckoning her to rise up the stairs.

A blond man was waiting, with his back to her on the stairs. He turned around when she came near. Jack pulled her up into a big hug and kiss.

"I love you, Rose," he said.

"Letting go of you that night was so hard!"

"I know. But you did it. You did the hardest thing that would ever happen to you, ever! I’m so proud of you, Rose!"

"I love you, too. And I’ll never let go of you again. Never."

The End.

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