SECRETS OF THE OCEAN
Chapter Two

It had been several weeks now since Titanic's elegant form had slipped into the ocean. Jack had felt it important to get Rose as far away from New York and the East Coast as he could possibly manage. At every corner in New York there had seemed to be some reminder of Titanic. It was the hot topic of conversation. Every word spoken seemed to be a stab at their hearts. Rose was petrified that Cal would come looking for her. She seemed convinced that he would come, wanting both her and the necklace that she had found in the pocket of his coat. Jack had tried to convince her that she was being irrational but to no avail, and if truth be told, in his heart, this was Jack's utmost fear. He feared that Cal would come and take Rose. They were not yet married and Jack feared, although he told himself that it was stupid, that Rose would see sense and leave with Cal. It was only then that he snapped out of it, reminding himself that Rose loved him. She told him daily. The knowledge made his head feel light and put a smile on his face. He knew her emotions ruled strongly, and after all, what could he do to convince a woman who tried to jump off Titanic when it wasn't sinking and then jumped back on when it was, that all would be well when he wasn't even sure himself?

The situation had come to a head one day as Jack had brought home a newspaper. There, on the fifth page, had been notice of a memorial for Rose DeWitt Bukater, Titanic victim. Both Rose's mother, Ruth, and fiancé, steel tycoon Nathan Hockley's son Caledon, had been quoted as being distraught. Rose had been thrown into turmoil. Jack had packed up their few belongings and got them as far from New York as he could with the little money they had gathered over the six weeks they had been in New York. It had just happened that Chicago was what they could manage.

Sitting quietly on the shores of Lake Michigan, Jack looked up from his sketch pad. All around, there was beautiful scenery, yet Jack's eyes could only focus on one thing. Rose. Standing at the edge of the huge lake, staring transfixed, almost as though she was looking for Canada. Turning around, her blue eyes shining, she spoke softly, almost as though she was on another plane of consciousness

"Jack, it's so beautiful. Thank you so much for bringing me here. I know that it's been hard these past few months. I just want you to know how glad I am that we're here, together. I want you to know how grateful I am for all that you've done for me. You know, you were right, on Titanic, when you said that I'd been mailed to the wrong address. I just felt so wrong, such a misfit in that society, and now that I'm here, with you...it's just perfect."

The tears were rolling down her cheeks, but not from sadness. Standing on the shore of the lake, Rose was truly happy. She walked slowly toward Jack and put her arms around him. Forgetting everything else but Rose, Jack slipped his arms around her waist, and they stood holding each other in silence as the wind whipped around them and Jack's drawings were scattered to the winds.

*****

Standing in the kitchenette of their apartment, Rose was in the middle of preparing dinner. It had been a long day at work for both of them. Jack worked down at the docks, in a fishmonger's. He came home stinking of fish daily and Rose had banished him to the bathroom to get washed. She laughed at the memory of him sauntering in and grinning cockily.

"Hello, darling. What do you say to a trip into town?" he had asked in a faux society accent. Rose had nearly keeled over laughing. Her mother would have had a nosebleed at the sheer thought of Rose in hysterics. She considered such antics most undignified. Rose could hear Jack splashing around in the bathroom and dreaded the thought of the mess he was creating. Considering Rose had never really cooked at all in her life, she had come leaps and bounds in the past few months. Setting the two plates of meat and potatoes on the small table, she looked about the apartment. It was small, for certain, but comfortable. Rose felt that the big, airy windows gave the apartment its character. There wasn't much of a view, but if you looked carefully, Lake Michigan could be seen just over the tops of the grubby buildings. Rose liked Chicago. It was a city on the verge of revolution. Everywhere she looked it seemed like new stores were opening, new buildings going up. It was not as fashionable as New York, yet this place had class all of its own.

The bathroom door banging behind her signaled that Jack was all done. Turning away from the window slowly, Rose gave Jack a small smile as he wrapped himself around her so that they merged into one. Letting out a brief cry, Rose jumped back

"Oh, you. You're still wet!" She laughed airily. He smelled so good.

Over dinner they briefly discussed how each other's day had been.

"So how was work, Rose? Are you finding it any better?" Jack asked between mouthfuls.

"Oh, it was okay. A new girl started today, Susanna. She's very nice. I think we'll get on well. We're in the same boat, so we're okay."

Jack smiled at Rose's use of the old saying. He had been concerned for her, starting work at the store. It was a big step for her, one that she was fully prepared to take, but had worried him slightly. Knowing they needed the money, yet not wanting any difficulty for Rose. She had been through enough and for that Jack would feel eternally guilty.

"What about you? Anything interesting?"

"Well, I made several new acquaintances today."

"Yes?"

"Mmm...a couple of great big fish. Very friendly, had a nice look about them, and I think that you would have liked them, y'know." Jack grinned lavishly over his plate.

Rose was amused. "Yes, but what really?"

Jack paused; this was not something he was looking forward to bringing up. "I was talking to Harry, the boss, today. We were just chatting, and I happened to mention that I'd worked on the water before, on trawlers and the like, and he told me that he was two men short on his trawler and would I be interested?"

Rose's eyes flashed up straight in line with Jack's, a feeling of fear shooting through her heart. "What did you say?" she asked shakily.

"I said that I'd have to speak to you. It'd mean more hours, early mornings and late nights. But Rose, so much more money. We need the money if we're going to travel. There's so many places that I want to be able to take you."

"No, Jack, NO. Please don't do this, please. I don't want to fear like that again. I don't want to have to go through that. What if something happened? What then? I don't want to lose you, Jack."

All the color had drained from Rose's face. She was white as chalk. Jack reached out across the table and took her hand. When he finally spoke, his voice was gruff with emotion. "Listen to me, Rose. I'm not going to leave you. I'll never leave you again. I feel so bad about what happened on Titanic. I know that it was my fault that you wound up in the water, and I never want anything bad to happen to you again. If you don't want me to take the job, I won't. There, that's settled then."

Rose sat, shocked. She could not believe what she was hearing. Jack blamed himself for what had happened on Titanic. He blamed himself? How could he possibly do that to himself? She sat shaking her head. "Jack, no, no, no. Titanic was not your fault. How could you even think that?"

"I left you. I didn't make sure you stayed in the boat. I was too busy thinking of how to get off that ship, to keep you safe, that I didn't do it. I didn't do what I wanted most, and that was to keep you safe."

"Jack, you saved me. You pulled me from that water. I'm glad I did what I did, and I'm glad you did what you did, because without you I would have died, whether I'd been in the water or not! You've saved me in so many ways, and for that I'm eternally grateful. I thank God every day for you. If you want to blame anyone, blame love, because that's why it happened. That's why we're here, so if you're guilty about that, then I feel truly sorry for you."

Jack was stunned into silence. Rose looked intently into his eyes, trying to make out what was there. All she saw was pain. Shocked, she realized that he was crying. Jack had not cried since his parents' funeral. He had learned to keep his emotions in check, but that had all changed when Rose had come along. He felt his heart wrenching with every sob. Rose was up and around the table in seconds. Taking Jack's hands in hers, she pulled him up from the chair and wrapped her arms around him, holding him as the sobs racked his body. Rose was thankful that she could be here for him now. It had been three months, and she just felt that it been all about her. Knowing how he must've been hurting made her heart break, feeling the pain that he was going through, losing his friend, Fabrizio, who was almost family to him, he truly had no one to turn to now. It was only her and the pain that he had just admitted to over her made her heart ache.

It was then that Jack uttered the words that made Rose want to cry, the best thing that anyone had ever said to her. Through his tears, his voice was barely audible, "Rose, thank you for loving me so much."

*****

Rose eventually agreed to Jack working on the trawler. She knew that her fear was irrational and that their lives must go on. Anyway, the money was good. There was enough to pay rent and still to put some aside for when they would travel. They would talk about all the things they would do and places they would go. Sitting down at the lake shore on quiet evenings they would divulge their secrets, their ambitions, hopes, and dreams. Sometimes Jack would draw, Rose, the surrounding area, anything and everything he felt the urge to. Life with Rose was perfect. He hadn't even felt his feet beginning to itch. The urge for new places and experiences hadn't caught up with him yet. Jack was content just as he was. Life was going on as normal, and he was happy with that.

*****

One balmy August weekend, Jack realized just how close to home he was. Chippewa Falls was only a couple hours train ride away. Recently, he had been feeling the need to visit his parents, having not been home in nearly six years, and he wanted Rose to come with him.

"Rose, how would you feel about visiting my hometown this weekend?"

"Yes, sure, why?"

"I don't know. I just need to get back there. I feel there's some stuff that I have to do."

*****

So it was settled, bags were packed and the journey was set out on. Rose had never been to Wisconsin, and as the train whizzed by the changing scenery she watched, fascinated, from her seat. Jack had been silent most of the journey. Rose felt there seemed to be a certain unease about him, yet now, as the train drew closer to its destination, he became more relaxed. Rose was content just to watch him. His body language was interesting. He had started out so quiet and tense, yet now he seemed much more relaxed and open, excitable almost.

As the train finally drew into Chippewa Falls and the couple disembarked onto the platform a sense of calm came over Jack, and Rose felt it flowing through him into her. Taking her hand, Jack led Rose onto the main street and along the road.

"It's about ten minutes walk from here. I want to introduce you to my parents. D'ya mind?"

Rose looked over to Jack and smiled softly. "Of course I don't mind."

*****

A gentle breeze was blowing across the town where Jack had grown up. There, in the silence of the cemetery, stood two individuals, hand in hand. Rose felt that after the visit to Jack's parents, a deeper bond had grown between them. He had told her all about his life and showed her his favorite places from growing up. Rose felt a deeper connection to Jack than she had to anyone in her life. Now they were back in Chicago. Rose felt a sense of loss that they had left the town that Jack loved so much.

Leaning out of the window, Rose smiled at the sight of her beloved Jack sauntering up the street. She was sure that he stank. Turning to get back to the dinner, something caught Rose's eye. A tall, dark figure standing in a doorway across the street. It appeared that he too had seen Jack because the stranger was headed straight for him, and it was only then that Rose realized, fear leaping into her heart, that she knew who this stranger was. Cal.

Jack walked along the street, whistling. It had been a long day, and he couldn't wait to see Rose. Seeing a man approaching him, Jack looked up. Taken off guard, he gasped slightly.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged out of the ocean. Hello, Dawson," Caledon Hockley said in his smooth society accent.

"What the...how the...what do you want?" Jack stammered.

"I believe you have something of mine, and I'd like it back."

"How did you find me?" asked Jack, finding his tongue.

"Ah yes, stroke of luck, really. I was down at the shore one day, doing business in a restaurant one day. Walking outside, a drawing blew into my face. I recognized the style. How could I forget? The last time I saw a drawing like that my fiancée was naked!" Cal paused for effect. "Well, I recognized the woman in the picture, of course, but the problem was, she's dead, but then, so are you. Well, at least that was what I thought. You can imagine my surprise..."

"I don't have anything belonging to you. Leave me alone," Jack said, venom in his voice.

"Oh, I believe you, Mr. Dawson, or may I call you Jack?" Caledon's eyes were flashing. "You have Rose, and I want her back."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"You are some piece of work, y'know that, Hockley? Why would Rose be here? You think that she would be here, with me? I was just some fling to her, a bit of rough. I was her means of escape, from you and the horror of the society you live in. You honestly think she cared about me? You should try somewhere else. She spoke of exploring, traveling. Who knows where she is now?" Jack said, his voice lacking all emotion.

Cal eyed him suspiciously.

"I suppose you're right. Why would she be with a gutter rat like you?" He turned to walk away.

"Oh, Hockley."

Cal turned to face Jack, and in that instant, Jack hooked him as hard as he could. Stunned, Cal fell to the ground, bleeding. Jack stood over him and inspected the damage.

"Maybe you don't always win, Cal."

With that, he turned and headed for the apartment, running up the stairs and locking the door behind him. Rose ran into his arms. Jack kissed her and held her tight.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Why?"

"I just said the most terrible things, to make him go. I saw you at the window and him and all these bad thoughts came into my head and the words just came out. I didn't mean a word of it. I swear it was just to make him leave."

"That's okay, Jack. I know. I trust you."

Chapter Three
Stories