Written by Turtle1
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.
Titanic
His eyes never left her face as
the lifeboat began to lower. She looked so scared and small in that big
lifeboat, but Jack felt a sense of relief none the same. Rose was safe in that
lifeboat. As the tiny craft descended in a slow jerking manner, she looked
around frantically at the men lowering the falls, and then back at him. His
heart went out to her as he tried to reassure her with his eyes…this was the
right thing to do.
Rose quickly looked at the people
surrounding her in the lifeboat, and then back at his face. She had never been
more terrified in her life; not of her situation, but of the reality of
enduring separation from that face. That face. Every fiber in her body suddenly
screamed out…and she jumped to her feet.
Jack and Cal watched in horror
from above as Rose lunged for the opposite side of the lifeboat and leaped in
the direction of the sinking Titanic. Because of the sway of the lifeboat from
the falls, however, her jump fell short and Rose plummeted to the black,
freezing water below. Jack screamed her name, reaching down to her. He
immediately pushed away from the railing toward the first class staircase,
leaving Cal on the deck sputtering to himself.
Rose surfaced from the black
water and gasped from the cold pain the surrounded her. Everything seemed
detached—as if she were experiencing her surroundings through a tube—yet
horribly sharp and clear. Her gaze came into focus on the descending lifeboat
directly above her, and panic tore through her frozen form. She managed a weak
yelp and paddled towards Titanic, out of the lifeboat's way. The pain around
her was intensifying, and Rose squeezed her eyes shut in order to gather her
senses. As she heard the lifeboat settle in the water, Rose felt strong arms
pulling her up out of the cold torment and dropping her into the bottom of the
lifeboat. She hit her head and was immediately felt pain and blackness
spreading over her skull like a slow wave.
She felt gentle hands pulling her
up and covering her wet head and clothes with blankets. She heard their
feminine voices soothing her in various languages. She did not care for their
comfort…she hated herself for leaving him. Her spirit broken, she leaned her
head against the women's shoulders and everything went black.
After pushing his way through the
mob of people fighting their way up the grand staircase, Jack finally made it out
on the promenade deck to where Rose had attempted her jump. Her leaned far over
the railing, squinting at the water or the tiny lifeboat that was quickly
gaining distance from the sinking ship. There was no trace of Rose in the
water…had she been pulled back in the lifeboat? He could not be sure, as the
lifeboat had moved out of the liner's field of light. He swore under his breath
as he scanned the water for her form. He swore even louder as he squinted at
the lifeboat, looking for a glint of her red hair. He saw nothing.
Suddenly, Titanic took a violent
lurch forward, and Jack grabbed the rail in order to steady himself. The ship
was sinking, and Jack was still without a clue as to how he would save himself.
He glanced again at the tiny retreating lifeboat that he hoped held his
precious Rose, and began to run aft.
Carpathia
On Carpathia, Rose lost herself
among the second-class passengers, giving her name as Rose Andrews. She chose
second class out of fear that Cal and her mother would seek her out in third
class. This was also the reason for her choice of last name—she feared taking
Jack's last name would be too obvious, and would lead to her discovery. A
generous second-class newlywed couple offered Rose space in their cabin, which
she gratefully accepted. She immediately realized that the security of a cabin
berth would greatly benefit her hopes of avoiding her mother and former fiancé.
Rose could not bear to think of
Jack…or what she assumed to be his fate. She remembered the cold embrace of the
water, and it made her shudder to think of her Jack suffering that death. She
squeezed her eyes shut to block out the overwhelming pain and guilt of his
loss. She hated her weakness in not staying with him.
*****
Jack disappeared among the third
class, assuming the name Jack Brown. He, too, was fearful of further trouble
from Cal and Ruth. He did not believe Rose was alive, and was fearful of what
further trouble Cal would make for him. He was haunted by the image of Rose
plummeting into the freezing ocean. He silently willed himself to shake the
image off…he was going to need all of his strength to search the ship for her.
Ruth and Cal were reunited in
first class. They searched the first and third classes in vain for Rose and
Jack...but found no signs of them.
*****
As she hid in one of the
Carpathia's second-class passenger rooms, Rose discovered the Heart of the
Ocean necklace, as well as a large sum of money, in Cal's overcoat. She smiled
to herself as she realized she was now in possession of what she needed in
order to make her escape to freedom once the Carpathia reached New York. She
stood up and stepped over to the mirror, where she attempted to pin her hair up
under a hat that she'd borrowed from her generous roommate. She needed to cover
her red locks so as not to be recognized as she questioned the stewards about
Jack.
Jack lit a cigarette as he leaned
over Carpathia's poop deck rail. He had searched the entire ship for
her...asked every steward and officer he could find. He even gone so far as to
reveal himself to Molly Brown in hopes that she would know of Rose's
whereabouts. Jack almost could not admit the reality that was beginning to
become clear to him. He closed his eyes and willed his heart not to shatter at
the thought of such a revelation.
He sighed, threw his cigarette
into the sea, and sat down on the deck facing the water. He pulled out a few
sheets of stationery and a pencil he'd lifted from Carpathia's first class
reading room. He flipped the paper over and began to sketch Titanic as he first
saw her in Southampton.
*****
"I'm sorry, miss. There's no
Jack Dawson on the list." Rose felt her whole world shrivel up and die
beneath her…she squeezed her eyes shut to withstand the horrible waves of pain
that swept over her. She reached out her hand to steady herself against the
hallway railing and caught her breath. An awful churning had begun inside her. I
should never have left him.
*****
Ruth's entire body was racked
with grief and guilt. The Carpathia had almost reached New York, and they had
still neither seen nor heard any sign of Rose. Ruth was beginning to fear the
absolute worst regarding her daughter's fate.
And Cal! He was so angry. He did
not seemed to grieve for Rose...he seemed furious and frustrated about
something. Almost as if he'd lost something and could not locate it...something
he could not replace.
Ruth was beginning to feel very
uncomfortable. Some of the other survivors had begun to give them strange looks
at mealtimes...Ruth began to notice people whispering as they walked by. Ruth
squeezed her eyes shut and let the tears fall down her face. This could not be
happening.
New York
Upon the Carpathia’s arrival in
New York, Rose accepted the newlyweds' kind offer of a hotel for the night,
where she enjoyed a hot bath. Sleep, however, did not come easily, nor would it
for some time. She could not bear to entertain the slightest thought of Jack.
The next morning, Rose purchased
a train ticket and left the east coast for what she hoped would be forever.
*****
Ruth and Cal immediately left the
Carpathia's dock for the Waldorf Hotel. They remained in New York for a couple of
weeks, searching in vain for Rose, but soon returned to Philadelphia, partly to
escape the uncomfortable public scrutiny under which Cal now found himself.
*****
By the time the Carpathia docked,
Jack had completed a whole series of drawings of the Titanic from the time she
had left Southampton to the sinking. He even drew a picture of the piece of
wooden debris upon which he had found refuge from the icy water. Jack submitted
his drawings to the New York Times, and the series was reproduced in most of the
major east coast newspapers and magazines. Jack suddenly found himself an
illustrator in very high demand, and did several lucrative private portraits to
support himself while in New York searching for Rose.
California
Rose spent a brief period in
Santa Monica, but eventually moved to Hollywood. She began to audition for
small parts in local theater productions. After several attempts, she was
overjoyed when she finally landed a small part in a large production. When
asked to submit her stage name for the theater bill, she simply replied Rose
Andrews.
She was relatively sure exposure
from her new job would not lead to her discovery by Cal or her mother. After
all, they were in Philadelphia, and she was in California. There was, however,
a small part of her that feared Cal and her mother would somehow find her, and
her old life would close in a chokehold around her again…like a corset that had
been bound too tightly.
Although she was relatively happy
with the beginnings of her new life, something was churning away inside Rose,
something driving her...something maddening. It ate away at her daily, no
matter what she indulged in for distraction.
Philadelphia
Hockley Steel, Cal's family’s
corporation, was a main steel supplier to Harland and Wolff when building the Olympic
and the Titanic. Therefore, as a result of the Titanic's loss, the quality of
the steel used to build her, as well as the companies that supplied that steel,
suffered harsh public criticism and even senate investigation. To further
complicate Cal's difficulties, his own personal conduct the night the Titanic
foundered had come into question--many wondered why Cal managed to survived
when his young fiancée had not. In an age where chivalry and bravery in the
face of death were essential to a man's status, Caledon Hockley survived the
Titanic disaster only to be shunned as a coward when he returned home. As a
result of his family's involvement with the materials used to build Titanic's
faulty hull, and also his questionable behavior the night of the sinking, Cal
suffered a mortal wound to his previously impeccable social status. He found
himself the focus of ridicule and hostility in his former circles.
Although Cal did his best to
maintain his former dignity and social standing, the scandal resulting from
Titanic was more than even Cal could recover from. After a year of supporting
Ruth—mostly in an attempt to maintain his social image—Cal became engaged to
lesser Philadelphia socialite, moved to a quiet Philadelphia suburb, and firmly
turned Ruth away with not much more than a small monthly allowance.
*****
The exposure from the Titanic
series drawings landed Jack a job offer illustrating prestigious national
advertisement campaigns for a marketing firm in Philadelphia. Although he was
at first hesitant about relocating to Philadelphia because of Cal and Ruth’s
residence there, Jack finally resolved himself to the belief that he was above
harm from them. Furthermore, the idea of living in the place where Rose had
spent most of her life was comforting to Jack. Therefore, he accepted the offer
and packed his bags.
Jack excelled at his work as an
advertising illustrator. The only relief he found from the guilt of Rose's
death was to draw…and his job gave him plenty of subject material. Jack drew
advertisements for everything imaginable—soap, clothing, saddles, furniture.
One afternoon, while sketching an advertisement intended for a magazine, he
suddenly found himself singing under his breath as he looked up into space.
Oh, say…let us fly, dear.
He looked down at the drawing…it
was of a Louis XVI style loveseat.
Jack's newfound success allowed
him to spend his free time experimenting with a previously unaffordable medium—oil
paints. Within a short period of time, a wealthy Philadelphia art dealer discovered
his oils and drawings. Jack's career exploded. He became one of the richest,
and most aloof, men in Philadelphia. He did not mingle frequently with the
people of high society, although they were more than willing to accept him into
their circles. He remembered Rose's world and the pain it had caused her. He
had no wish to involve himself in that type of existence. Jack did, however,
finds some amusement in Cal's fall from social aristocracy and was quite
relieved to read about his marriage.
*****
Jack and Cal eventually crossed
paths in social circles. The years had done nothing to resolve their
differences. However, the years had simply made their differences seem
irrelevant. Although Cal would always look at Jack in a slightly condescending
way, Jack did not care. His knowledge of Cal's behavior was more than enough to
destroy any reputation that Cal had managed to salvage after Titanic, and he
knew that Cal would always fear him for that reason.
Although relatively happy with
his life in Philadelphia, Jack did not entertain the company of women. Jack had
never recovered from the loss of Rose, nor did he ever release himself from the
burden of guilt he carried because of her death. Rose's memory was enough to
keep his heart company for a lifetime.
Rose
In California, Rose's budding
career was becoming somewhat stable as she gained a leading role in a major
production. Although reading of Cal's engagement in the newspapers was a huge
burden lifted from her shoulders, she was still tormented by a restlessness
within her...it was something that ached in every part of her every day.
One evening, she flopped onto the
dusty backstage couch outside the theater costume room. It had been a horribly
long and hot fourteen-hour rehearsal day. She found that she was still having
difficulties in adjusting to the hot California climate, and these long, sweaty
days left her feeling wilted. All she wanted was to be able to return to her
apartment and take a bath. As she sighed loudly and wondered how long the
costume director would keep her for adjustments, she absent-mindedly began to
flip through a magazine that was laying on a nearby coffee table.
Where to? To the sky, dear.
Rose sang to herself as she
thumbed through the pages—articles about proper etiquette, recipes, editorials,
and advertisements. Her thoughts wandered aimlessly until one of the
advertisements caught her eye…a French loveseat. Rose laughed to herself as she
thought about how it was the type of furniture that her mother would have
loved, and was immediately silent when the churning inside of her grew
enormously worse.
Ruth
Abandoned by Cal with only a
small allowance, Ruth found herself unable to support herself. In desperation,
she managed to secure employment as a nanny for an affluent Philadelphia
family. As she strolled a street of her employer's neighborhood one afternoon,
a large black car pulled to the curb and a man jumped out, moving across the
sidewalk toward one of the large homes. Ruth's hand flew to her mouth. "Mr.
Dawson?"
When Jack had learned of Ruth's
financial situation, he had offered to help. Not because he pitied Ruth, but
because he believed it would have pained Rose to see her mother in such a
ruined state. Jack took Ruth into his own home and gave her a small suite and a
small allowance.
At first, Ruth had attempted to
help out with the household duties, but since her lack of skills often caused
more harm than help, Jack insisted that she retire and serve as the lady of his
house. Ruth, relieved and grateful, agreed and spent a great deal of time and
effort to decorate and maintain the house in a manner that would be pleasing to
Jack. She searched out and purchased—always with Jack's approval—all of the
furniture, rugs, and draperies in the home. She covered the walls with various
works of art—many of them Jack's.
Ruth attempted to entertain in
her former social circles, and for a while her former friends responded. Sadly,
however, the high society circles were not interested in Ruth, but in her aloof
benefactor who produced the most prized works of modern art available at that
time. It did not take long for her guests' true motivations to become obvious
to Ruth, and she ceased her efforts to be reaccepted into their circles. Since
then, Ruth had spent much of her time reading, sewing, managing the household,
and visiting with the few friends still true to her. The loss of her daughter,
her former life, and her friends, coupled with the harsh experiences of serving
life, had aged and broken the former steely society matron.
Philadelphia Revisited
In California, the gnawing
feeling was more than Rose could bear. As the years passed, she identified the
source of this churning as regret from abandoning her mother. Rose hated to
admit it, but she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for the pain she had
caused her mother in allowing her to believe she was dead. As time passed, and
as Rose became more confident in herself and her new life, she began to
consider seeking out her mother...perhaps revealing herself to her mother would
provide relief of the churning guilt from which she suffered.
In time, the uneasiness became
more than she could live with. Rose boarded a train east.
*****
Jack sat in his third floor home
studio, gazing out the window. The years had been kind to him in some
ways...those blue eyes had gained many years of wisdom...and pain. He glanced
over toward the far wall and let his eyes roam over the drawings hung there for
what must have been the millionth time...the pictures were all of her face.
*****
Rose stepped off the train at the
station in Philadelphia. She instantly recognized the smell of her childhood
and shuddered. She almost turned and jumped back into the safety of the train,
but the gnawing inside her strengthened her resolve. She had come here to close
this chapter of her life. She had a new life, as Rose Andrews, one which she
would not let her DeWitt Bukater past destroy. She took a deep breath and began
walking towards the street. She must find her mother.
*****
Rose sat in the private
investigator's office trembling. The detective she had hired had sent a message
to the hotel that he had located her mother. Now, there she sat...waiting for
the information she hoped would put an end to the awful churning in her soul
that she had endured for years. She had the address...now it was up to her.
Soon this would be over and she could go back to her life in California and
forget about this...but first...first she had to put this to rest.
An Old Friend of the Family
Rose rang the bell to the door of
the posh home and was admitted by the maid. She was led into the parlor and
told to wait while the maid announced her. When the maid asked her name, Rose
quickly said she was an old friend of the family, and gave the maid a look of
warning not to inquire further. The maid scurried off and left Rose to examine
the wonderful works of art that covered the room. Rose had always loved art,
but had not allowed herself to enjoy much of it since...well, it simply brought
back memories she did not wish to relive. She had not thought of the ship,
or...she did not allow even his name to enter her thoughts. She stepped around
the sofa and moved towards the mantle in order to examine one of the paintings
more closely...it was a seashore at sunset...with tiny hoof prints stretching
down the beach. As she studied the painting, a voice rang in her head...a voice
she had not allowed herself to hear in her mind since that night.
*****
Jack heard the maid answer the
door. He wondered who would be calling...he and Ruth rarely received visitors.
He decided to save the maid the trouble of climbing the steps to his third
story studio. He sighed, glanced again at the drawing upon which he was
working, and slowly turned towards the doorway and the steps. As he walked out of
the room, the drawing was swept off the workbench and fluttered to the
floor...the few beginning lines on the paper formed the distinct outline of her
face.
*****
"We'll ride horses on the
beach..."
No! Rose's mind screamed in silent protest to
push the voice from her head. The voice was instantly followed by sharp pains
in her chest.
"Right in the
surf..."
No! Rose squeezed her eyes shut and took a
deep breath. She shook her head in order to rattle out the voice her heart
could not bear to hear. She could not allow herself to think of such
things...she could not allow her heart to remember.
*****
Jack sang softly to himself as he
descended the last flight of steps to the ground floor. His mind wandered back
to the studio...to the barely begun drawing of her.
*****
"…up she goes..."
He stepped off the last step to
the ground floor and turned to enter the parlor.
"…up she goes..."
"…up she goes...up she
goes..."
Rose clamped her hands against
her ears to squeeze out the voice in her head...her breathing was hard and
fast. Why? Why now? Why was this voice she had worked so hard to forget now so
real and unavoidable? Her hands pressed against her stomach as she fought to
get control of her breathing and her racing heart. This was about her
mother...she was here for her mother. Not him. She was here to put this awful
restlessness to an end forever by making her peace with her mother. This was
not about...she pushed that name from her mind and scolded herself. She could
not fall apart now...she needed to be strong in order to confront her mother.
She took a deep breath, and slowly turned around to make her way back to the
couch.
She saw a figure in the
doorway...and everything went black.
*****
Jack stepped toward the entrance of
the parlor and froze. That hair…it was curly and red...bound up in a knot and
secured with a comb. Her shoulders were heaving as if she were having trouble
breathing. She slowly turned...and he saw her face. His eyes widened and his
mouth opened. He stood completely paralyzed as she dropped in a dead faint to
the floor.
*****
Ruth and the maid were standing
in Ruth's sitting room when they heard the scream. They looked at one another
in horror for a brief moment before they both hurried down the stairs to the
parlor. They rushed in the room to find Jack on the floor rocking a woman in
his arms. He was repeating her name over and over as he held her body with one
arm and fought to undo her dress buttons with the other. He paused only to bark
up at the maid to get the smelling salts...that was when Ruth saw the woman's
face.
She cried out to the almighty as
she dropped to her knees. She threw herself upon the two figures on the floor,
hugging them for a moment before she went to work loosening the woman's bindings...sobbing
as she did so. The maid rushed back into the room with the salts. Jack grabbed
them out of her hand and began to wave them under the woman's nose. Ruth sat
back on her heels and told the maid to go for water.
The woman's eyes flickered open,
and her gaze came into focus on his face. She blinked slowly in bewilderment.
"Am I dead?"
He laughed out loud.
"No."
The churning inside her was
finally at peace. She looked at him in amazement and confusion. How could this
be? She touched his face.
"Jack?"
He grinned.
They were married three months
later.
The End.