THE SHIP OF DREAMS
Chapter Twenty-One

The girls hurried down the steps to steerage, panting and clutching at stitches in their sides by the time they reached their cabin. Luckily for them, it was empty…Fabrizio must have been at the saloon still, so they quickly dashed inside and shut the door after them. Both of them leaned against it, and for a moment the two of them merely panted and said nothing. "I wonder where they’ve gone," Anastasia said to Mac as they eventually sat down on the edge of Jack’s bunk.

"I’m not sure," Mac replied, hugging her arms around herself. "I hope Rose is taking care of him, wherever they went."

Anastasia hopped to her feet and went to look through the porthole window, climbing up onto the desk chair so she could get a better view. It was getting dark now, and the first stars were making their appearance in the once orangey-pink sky.

*****

Jack and Rose, meanwhile, were playing the parts of escaped convicts as they ran about the lower part of the ship, trying to lose Lovejoy, who kept a pretty close tail on them. They flew through one set of double doors, resting against them and glancing at each other with flushed and sweaty faces. "Pretty tough for a valet, this fellow." Jack snorted, feeling as though someone were squeezing his lungs and making it difficult to breathe again. "Seems more like a cop." He watched as Rose peeped through the little windows on the doors and grinned.

"I think he was."

"Oh…shit!" Jack backed away, and with Rose’s yelp of "Go!" the two of them were off again. They stumbled down another flight of steps to D deck, and Jack felt suddenly a wave of blackness cloud his vision. This caused him to stumble, and just as he came to, he found he was crashing into a steward who was pushing a tray of silver to one of the dining rooms. Rose pulled him away, laughing, once he apologized to the man, and he cringed at the pain shooting through his back and arms.

As Jack glanced over his shoulder, he could see Lovejoy clambering down the steps with a gun in his hand, and the two of them made their way to the elevator. "Down!" they began begging the engineer, who stared at them in surprise. He at last opened the doors and shut them, just as Lovejoy slammed his angry fists against the bars. Rose merely gave him the middle finger and a wave, causing Jack to snort with laughter, and she quickly buried her face against his shoulder. Once the elevator landed, they hurried out and made their way to the closest door that was not a cabin. Amazingly enough, Lovejoy soon caught up to them and they picked a door hidden slightly around a bend, shoving each other inside of it.

Jack immediately slammed the door shut and turned the lock, covering his ears at the roaring rumble coming from below. He moved towards a metal ladder and noticed a dark orange and reddish glow protruding from the square-shaped hole, figuring they had reached the boiler room. "Now what?" Rose called over the din, and he turned, noticing that she had her hands over her ears as well.

"What?" he called back, and she laughed, shaking her head and pointing to the ladder. He nodded and began the climb down first so he could be at the bottom when she arrived. The heavy scent of fumes from the boilers, which men covered in soot were tossing large quantities of coal into, caused Jack to begin hacking horribly. His lungs screamed in protest with each gulp of air he took, and the only thing he could be thankful for at the moment was the fact that Rose was coughing also.

"Oy!" One of the men hollered after giving instructions to one of his co-workers. "What are you two doin’ down ‘ere? You shouldn’t be down here! It could be dangerous!" But before he could say another word, Jack gathered enough strength to continue jogging after Rose through the smoke and haze. Had he been here alone, he surely would have fainted right then, but Rose’s encouraging voice kept him moving.

They ran until they reached yet another door--the ship seemed to be filled with so many of them--and Jack gripped the handle and pulled it down. He pulled the door open, and found that they had now reached the enormous cargo hold. Grateful to be out of the smoke, the two of them stumbled inside, gasping for air and wiping sweat away from their faces. It was chillier down here than it was on the other parts of the ship, mainly to keep the foodstuffs and other items fresh. Jack could barely smell anything, but Rose could detect the strong scent of fish as they walked further into the place. She rubbed her arms and shivered a bit, gripping Jack’s hand as he led her over to a shiny new car.

"Wow," he breathed, fingering the fine material and the leather seats. "Look what we have here, huh?" He started to climb inside when Rose cleared her throat, causing him to notice her standing before the back door. He chuckled, hopping back down, and opened it, allowing her to take his hand as she stepped up and sat down.

"Thank you," she said, in a forced British accent, and she pulled the dividing window down as Jack climbed in next. He sneezed suddenly, pulling his handkerchief out of his trouser pocket.

"Bless you," she whispered in his ear. "Are you all right?" she added when it happened again, and he nodded, though blowing his nose only made him more clogged. He cleared his throat after putting the hanky away, and sighed.

"I breathed in a bit too much of that smoke back there," he croaked, clearing his throat again, for he was starting to lose his voice a little.

"Mmm." She leaned on her arms over the top of the front seat and watched as Jack fingered the black horn in front of him, laughing when he beeped it. She wrapped her arms around him as he took the part of the driver, asking her, "Where to, miss?"

She leaned her cheek against his, and replied, "To the stars."

He swallowed nervously, glancing at her, and gasped as she gripped both of his arms and pulled him over the back of the front seat to join her in the back. He hit the seat with a small thud, smiling softly as she wrapped her arms around his sweat-soaked body. "Rose, do you think we should be doing this?" he whispered as she caressed his forehead with her fingertips. She kissed his lips gently, resting her head against his chest.

"Jack, if you don’t want to, you can just tell me…I’ll understand." She started to pull away from him, but he pulled her back, kissing the top of her head.

"If you are ready, I am," he told her, lowering his eyes as she began to gently unbutton his shirt, feeling his rather smooth chest. After a moment, she gazed into his eyes, which were full of love and compassion. Jack hadn’t seen someone look at him that way since he was married to Alyiah, and he felt his throat choke up with tears. He kept them at bay, however, and it was only when she said, "Put your hands on me Jack," that he allowed himself to open up for the first time in nearly four years.

*****

Meanwhile, Callista and Sam were busy in their cabin, kissing passionately up against the far wall. Michael had gone to get something to drink at the saloon, so the two of them used this opportunity to explore their newfound affection for one another. Sam breathed in her sweet scent, allowing her to move her hands down his back and up his stomach. He even allowed her to begin the process of removing his shirt, and she allowed him to untie the back of her dress. Only part of the way, he told himself, revealing just her upper body. The last thing we want Michael to walk in on is us completely undone.

When the two of them parted slightly, she rested her head on his strong shoulder, shuddering a little as he smoothed over her corset-covered breasts. Her eyes were closed, and she listened to his gentle humming, savoring every touch, almost as though it were to be her last. The Tsar would never have permitted this at the palace, never…he did not believe in this sort of relationship between his ranks. However, they were far away from him and were only under God’s close eye. And he would want us to be happy if we had true feelings for each other, she thought as he lowered her backwards onto the bed.

"Sam?" Callista asked as Sam lowered his kisses to her stomach. "Can’t we lock the door?"

He looked at her, breathing a bit more quickly than usual due to nerves, and he nodded. "I did not think you wanted this," he replied.

"We can’t keep holding back, Sam, if we love each other." She touched both of his cheeks, pressing his forehead against hers.

"And I do love you with all of my heart," he insisted, and she squeezed his hand.

"Then lock the door. If Michael comes and calls, we will stop." She lay her head against the soft pillows, watching as he slid off of the bed and turned the key. Then she sat up and turned, allowing him to untie her corset strings, sighing with relief as the pain from the whalebone decreased with each loosening. "Are you nervous?" he asked, once he’d removed his trousers and lowered himself against her. She shook her head, gazing into his eyes.

"No," she replied, and their first serious life-changing moment began.

*****

An hour later, Jack and Rose lay in each other’s arms, completely naked and covered with sweat. Between the sweating and cold air in the cargo hold, Jack shivered violently, his breath coming in great heaves. Rose reached up, slapping the palm of her hand against the steamy window, and left a mark against the condensation. Then she gazed at Jack, frowning at his exhausted expression, and allowed him to rest his head against her breast. "You’re trembling," she whispered, stroking his damp hair and planting a kiss there.

Jack swallowed past his sore throat, managing a faint smile. "Don’t worry," he replied, moving up to kiss her again. "I’ll be all right."

Rose bit her lip, looking at the ceiling of the car, and sighed. "We should dress and leave as soon as possible…we can’t risk anyone finding us in here. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had already reported our whereabouts…" She and Jack sat up, beginning to put their clothing back on, Jack giving Rose a hand with her corset and buttoning up the back of her dress. He had to pause, coughing hard, and received a concerned look from Rose as she slipped on her shoes. She started to say something, but thought better of it, and opened the door to the car once Jack had his pants and shirt on. She peeped out of it, listening for any suspicious noises, and then motioned for him to follow her out of the car. He stumbled, nausea welling up suddenly, but he fought to keep it down as he hurried after Rose through the cargo hold door and up the steps.

They reached the door that led to the upper deck and burst through it, suddenly filled with laughter as the icy night air immediately soothed their flushed cheeks. At the same time, another door opened and another couple flew out, though they did not notice this. Callista gasped as Sam spun her around, sliding a bit on the slippery wood. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to hers, making her close her eyes and sigh with contentment. The breeze ruffled her natural blonde waves, which she’d finally allowed to hang perfectly loose, and she grunted slightly as he pressed her against one of the far walls. "They would never allow this, you know…" Callista gasped, and he barely gave up kissing her as he replied, "I know…and at this point I really don’t…shit!" He heard Jack and Rose’s voices not far away, and peered cautiously over his shoulder. Sure enough, the two of them were by the rail, embarking in a similar situation. Callista lay her head back against the wall, groaning inwardly.

"Why is it that we can never have intimacy alone? First Michael bursts in on us…I should have known he’d been taught how to pick locks, Sam! And now we can’t even get time to ourselves on deck! It is for certain now that we’re not to be together…"

Sam cocked his head to one side. "It only makes it more of a challenge, and I’m always ready for one of those." His eyes sparkled mischievously as he pulled her behind the row of lifeboats. "Get down," he added, and the two of them squatted, continuing their passion in a sitting position.

"This is ridiculous," Callista snorted, but she gave in anyway.

Meanwhile, Rose had her own arms around Jack’s waist, gazing into his eyes. Her smile could have stretched to New York, if given the opportunity, as she spoke. "When the ship docks," she told him, "I’m getting off with you." She took a deep breath, feeling her heart racing. He was so perfect in every possible way, and at this point, Jack Dawson was the only man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Jack stared at her, astonished.

"This is crazy," he whispered, barely able to speak now due to his swollen throat.

"I know." She touched his face, suddenly frowning as she reached up to feel his forehead. It was then that she officially realized. "Oh, God, Jack…you’re burning up…Jack, why didn’t you tell…" Before she could finish her sentence, he let out a small sigh, his eyes rolling back into his head as he suddenly collapsed to the ground. "Jack!" Rose cried in alarm, falling to her knees beside him. His arms and legs were sprawled out and his face, deathly pale, lolled from side to side as she shook him frantically. "Jack! Oh, Jesus…Jack, wake up!" He didn’t respond, and she felt her breath quickening in fear. He’d been fine barely an hour ago! How could I have been so selfish as not to see through it? she thought angrily to herself, not noticing Callista and Sam, who had dashed out from their hiding spot after hearing the thud and her yelp.

"Ma’am…" Callista joined her on the deck, smoothing Jack’s forehead, biting her lip at the fever raging inside of him. Jack’s eyes suddenly snapped open, and he turned his head, throwing up what little he’d managed to eat that day. Sam touched Callista’s shoulder as she helped clean the spot, wrapping Jack in her shawl. "Shh. It’s all right, now…it’s all right."

"I’m going to get help," Sam told her, giving Rose a confident look.

"Rose…I…I…" Jack managed to croak, but she shook her head as she eased him into a sitting position before allowing him to use her lap as a pillow for the time being.

"Shh…don’t try to talk. You’re very sick," she added, wanting to kick herself again for holding back when she could have dragged him to the see the ship’s doctor. If she’d gone with her first instinct, this probably wouldn’t have happened. Soon, Sam returned with two of the Titanic’s main officers…Moody and Lowe, who’d been nearby.

"He needs a doctor immediately…we’ll bring him down to the steerage medical facility."

Rose stared at them. "No!" she exclaimed. "He won’t get the best treatment down there…he should come up to the first class hospital. I insist, Officer."

Moody shook his head. "I’m sorry, Mum, but he’s a steerage passenger, judging by his clothing, and they won’t allow it."

"Rose!" Jack cried out through a fever-driven haze as they struggled to lift him. "Rose, help!" She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling hot tears well up in her eyes. She couldn’t let them take him below, where the instruments were probably not properly cleaned and an extremely limited supply of medicines were available.

"Hockley," she suddenly spoke up, causing the officers to stop walking.

"I beg your pardon?" Lowe looked at her.

"Caledon Hockley is my…" She paused, realizing the last thing she wanted to tell them was that he was her fiancé. Jack struggled in the arms that held him, fighting to get back to Rose. Beads of sweat continued to pour down his cheeks as he thrashed about, and Rose came to him, taking his free hand and squeezing it. He calmed slightly, but another bout of coughing took over, and that alone exhausted him to the point of unconsciousness again. Rose watched as Callista came up beside her and looked at the officers. "He’s a good friend of ours, and he would insist Mr. Dawson be given the best care possible. I assure you, I will inform him of this."

Moody and Lowe glanced at each other, and finally nodded. "Very well, we’ll see what we can do." Rose turned to Callista and Sam, thanking them for their help as she followed the officers in the direction of the first class hospital wing. The two guards watched her leave, stepping back a pace to try and take in what had just happened.

"Mac," Callista breathed. "We have to tell Mac. No, you run and tell the girls, and I’ll keep an eye on the situation from here."

"Callista, they won’t let you in," Sam told her. "It was hard enough to get Mr. Dawson leave, let alone a perfectly healthy steerage woman."

Callista scowled at him. "Damn secrecy," she hissed. "Christ, Sam…it happened so fast!"

"I know." He nodded in agreement. "But it supposedly happened this quick at the palace the last time it happened, from what I’ve heard. He was perfectly fine, then…" He snapped his fingers. "Out."

Callista shook her head. "I feel terrible for him," she breathed. "He’s been looking ill for days." She took Sam’s hand and straightened up. "Let us go and break the news…Mac will be devastated, I’m sure." She led him back inside.

Chapter Twenty-Two
Stories