TOGETHER FOREVER
Written by Kelly Reinhardt
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

Rose lay on the door. "Come Josephine…in my flying machine…" she softly sang to herself. Suddenly, a light flashed across her face. She heard voices in the distance. She slowly turned her head, seeing a lifeboat coming closer. "Jack…there’s a boat, Jack." He said nothing. Rose shook his hand. "Jack!" She looked at the lifeboat." Come back!" Her voice was shaky and hoarse. She was freezing and hardly had any strength. "Come back!" She looked back at Jack and was about to cry, when suddenly, he opened his eyes. "Thank God!" Rose said, relieved. "Can you hold onto the door?" Her voice was shaky and weak. He nodded. Rose slid off the door and into the water. She quickly swam over to an officer with a whistle. She took it and blew it as hard as she could.

"Come about!" she heard the officer in the boat call.

Rose kept blowing and blowing. Suddenly, the light found her, and all she remembered was being lifted into the lifeboat with Jack.

The officer lay piles of blankets on Rose, Jack, and the other four in the lifeboat. The next morning, they were picked up by another ship, the Carpathia. Rose was brought on board, leaving Jack in the boat. She was brought to a room and a bed. A nurse helped her into the bed. She gave her extra blankets and brought her a cup of warm tea. Rose thanked her. She drank it, and lay there. motionless. A couple of men came in with Jack. He was unconscious. They lay him in the bed next to Rose’s.

"Will he be all right?" Rose asked them.

"We aren’t sure."

"What’s wrong with him?"

"He was in the water too long, and he’s unconscious. He has hypothermia. It’ll take him a while to get back to his normal body temperature."

Rose looked at Jack. He looked pale and weak. The men left, leaving Rose and Jack there. Rose sat up and looked around. People were everywhere, crying. People were sick. People were hurt. Rose was still trying to comprehend what had happened last night. She had witnessed over a thousand people die. She had almost been one of them.

Rose lay her head down on her pillow. She faced Jack, who lay there quietly. She stared at him and began to cry. "Please wake up…" she whispered.

*****

That night, around eight o’clock, Rose woke up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Almost everyone was sleeping. The nurses were still bringing food to people and helping them. Rose turned to Jack, who was still unconscious. Rose was tired still, but wanted to take a walk. She got up and draped a blanket around herself. She walked out onto the deck of the ship. She went to the railing and looked into the water. It was dark and cold. All over the deck, people cried. Children everywhere were crying. Rose walked to the end of the ship, where no one was. She climbed up on the railing and looked down. The water splashed. She remembered the night she had met Jack. Rose stepped down and put her hand in her pocket. Suddenly, she felt something. She pulled it out, and in her hand was the Heart of the Ocean.

"Oh, my God," she whispered. She looked to see if anyone was watching. She looked at it once more and put it back. Suddenly, she heard her name.

"Rose!"

Rose turned and saw Cal.

"Rose! I was so worried you’d died. My God! You look a fright" He walked over and went to remove the blanket.

"Stop, Cal," Rose said.

Cal stopped and stared at her. "What? Huh…I see that gutter rat is gone."

"He’s not a gutter rat, Cal! And he is here!"

Cal laughed. "Rose, come with me. I can give you everything you want."

"I don’t love you, Cal."

Cal gave her a nasty look. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close.

"You will do as I say, Rose. Now, come. We have to get you back."

"Let go of me!" Rose tried to get herself out of his grip. "Let go!" She forced herself away. Cal gave her an angry look. "Here," she said, taking the necklace out. "Keep it. I don’t want it. It wasn’t given to me for love. It was given to me to show off how much money you have."

"What?" Cal looked down. He remembered she had it. He took it.

"Leave me alone!" Rose demanded. And with that, she left. Cal followed her. Rose went back to her bed and lay down. She was angry when she saw Cal there. "Go away," she said once more.

Cal looked down and saw Jack. At that moment, Rose saw him give her a sad look. She ignored it and took Jack’s hand.

"Go, Cal. I’m with Jack." Cal thought it unbelievable. He laughed a little and looked at her with an evil smile.

"You know, Rose, I always win. One way or another." He smiled and left. Rose knew this wouldn’t be the last time she would see him, and that made her even more worried.

*****

The next morning, when Rose woke up, she was instantly brought food by one of the nurses. As the nurse did so, a doctor checked on Jack.

"Well…his temperature is going up. That’s good. He should awaken soon," the doctor told Rose.

Rose felt relieved when he told her that. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Rose took Jack’s hand and lay her head down. "Wake up soon, Jack!" She began to whisper to herself, "Come Josephine…in my flying machine. And it’s up she goes, up she goes. Balance yourself like a bird on a beam. And it’s up she goes…"

A little while later that morning, Rose awoke and went to take another walk on deck. She walked out and relaxed, leaning against the railing. She turned and saw two little girls and their mother crying. Rose remembered them. They had been in the same lifeboat as she had before she jumped out. She remembered how they had to leave their father. She remembered hearing him say to them as they cried and were lifted into the boat, "It’s good-bye for a little while…only a little while."

Rose noticed that the father was missing. She knew why they were crying. Rose felt a shock of pain as she thought of it. They were crying hard. Rose looked at them and wanted to cry, too. She felt lucky. She hadn’t lost Jack. She still had him. She walked away, and when she passed them, she began to cry. She sat on a bench and cried. Suddenly, she saw a man with a clipboard. Rose got up and walked over to him.

"Excuse me, is there anyone on the list with the name Fabrizio di Rossi?"

The man flipped through the pages and looked at her. "No. I’m sorry, miss."

Rose couldn’t even respond. She looked at him, and added, "Is there a Cora Cartmell?"

The man looked again. "No, miss."

Cora had died? Cora was only six years old. She felt horrible.

"Th-thank you," Rose said. She walked away. She returned to her bed, seeing a nurse beside it in front of Jack. Rose hurried over and looked. "Jack!" she cried. Jack was awake. "Jack! Jack! You’re awake!" Rose took his hand and knelt beside the bed.

Jack was awake, but still looked weak. "Rose?" was his first word.

"It’s me, Jack." Jack turned his head in her direction. "Rose…" His voice was shaky. He lifted his other hand and turned on his side. He took his hand and placed it on her check. Rose took hers and put it over his.

"Jack. You’re all right. We’re on our way home. We’re going to be all right."

Jack smiled and began to sit up. Rose stood up and went to her bed. She sat on it, next to him. Jack was looking around. He seemed confused. Suddenly, another nurse came over.

"Oh! I see you’ve awakened! You must be hungry!" Jack smiled and shook his head.

Rose looked at Jack and could see that he was very pale. His eyes had dark circles under them. He hadn’t eaten in days. The nurse came back with a tray of food and set it down. She took Jack’s temperature and said it was normal. Jack lifted his spoon and tried to eat. He had no strength.

"Here. Let me help." Rose picked it up and helped. When he had finished, Rose looked at him and smiled. "Jack."

Jack turned his head to face her. "Rose," he replied.

Rose smiled.

"How long have I been lying here?" Jack asked.

Rose laughed, and answered, "Three days or so."

Jack laughed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Want to take a walk out on deck?" Rose asked. Jack nodded.

Rose helped him up and led him outside. He took a deep breath and smiled. Rose was happy he was all right.

Jack looked around and saw all the people. He looked at Rose.

"Have you seen Fabrizio or Tommy?"

Rose swallowed hard. Her heart ached.

"Jack…" She took his hand and led him to the end of the ship. She wanted to be alone with him.

"They…died." She didn’t want to say it, but she had to. She watched as the glimmer in Jack’s eyes faded away. He walked over to the railing and leaned on it, looking into the water. Rose didn’t know what to do.

"I take it Cal is here," Jack said.

"Yes," Rose answered. "A day or two ago, while I was right here…he came and tried to take me back." She watched Jack’s expression. "I still had the Heart of the Ocean. I gave it back. I didn’t want it." Jack said nothing. Rose reached into her pocket and pulled something out. "I have money." Jack looked at her, confused. "I found it. This is Cal’s coat. He must have left it in here."

Jack looked at her. "How much?" he asked.

Rose nudged him. Jack took the pile and counted.

"Wow."

"When we get off, we can use it," Rose said. "I also have my ring." She held out her hand. "I don’t want it. It means nothing to me." Jack looked at her. Rose didn’t know what to do.

Jack smiled at her and opened his arms. Rose hugged him and cried with happiness. She was glad to have Jack. She was happy.

*****

The next day, the Carpathia arrived in New York. Rose had just awakened, and saw people getting off. "Jack," she said, shaking him. Jack awakened and looked at her, dazed. "We’re here!" she said excitedly. Jack quickly sat up and looked around. He got out of bed, and Rose followed him out on deck. What they saw was amazing. There, in front of them, was the Statue of Liberty. "Wow," Rose said.

Jack put his arms around Rose and hugged her. "We made it," he whispered. "And Fabrizio would have loved this."

*****

About an hour later, Rose and Jack were wandering the streets of New York.

"Well, I say we find an apartment," he said to Rose.

"I agree," Rose answered. The two wandered and looked until they found a building.

"Perfect!" Jack said. He took Rose’s hand, and they went towards the apartment building. "An apartment for two, please," Jack told the man in front.

The man smiled and led them to an apartment. "I hope you like it," the man said.

"It’s wonderful," Rose told him.

The man smiled and looked at them. "Enjoy your stay."

"We definitely will," Jack answered. The man smiled and left.

Jack and Rose looked around the apartment. There was a kitchen, a parlor with a wonderful window view of the Statue of Liberty right outside, a bedroom, and a nice bathroom.

The two entered the bedroom and smiled. "It’s nice," Rose said.

"Very…" Jack answered. He looked out the window, and the sun was setting. "Night time’s arriving," he said.

Rose walked to him and put her arms around him. "New York sunsets are beautiful," she said.

Jack smiled. He turned and faced her. He walked her to the bed and lay her down. "Time for little Rosie to sleep," he said, laughing.

Rose laughed, too. "Do I have to?" Rose teased.

Jack smiled and laughed. "Yes," he ordered.

Rose laughed. She lay down and got under the covers. "Good night, Jack," she said.

Jack kissed her, and replied, "Good night, my sweet Rose."

And with that, they turned the light out and drifted off into sleep.

*****

The next morning, Rose woke up to a lot of noise. Jack was cleaning up. He seemed to have found a suitcase and was putting things inside.

Rose rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Jack? What are you doing?" she asked.

Jack looked at her, and replied, "Get up, Rosie! We’re taking a trip!"

Rose looked at him, confused, but she got up and slipped her shoes on. She went over to the mirror, found a brush, and began brushing her long, curly hair.

When she finished, Jack told her they’d be gone a few days.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"No questions now. You’ll see!" he said. He told the man at the front desk that they’d be gone at least two or three weeks.

They walked down to the train station, where Jack left Rose on a bench.

"Stay here." And with that, he walked over to the counter and asked the man for two tickets. Rose couldn’t hear what was going on, but she waited patiently. When Jack returned, he handed her a ticket.

Rose read it, instantly jumped up, and hugged Jack.

"Santa Monica!" she cried in happiness.

Jack laughed, and answered, "I promised I’d take you, didn’t I?"

Rose kissed him and smiled.

"You’re the best!" she said.

Jack laughed. "Well, come on, Rosie! We’ve got to get on the train!"

They took each other’s hands and walked to the train they were going to Santa Monica on.

*****

They got on about an hour later, and about thirty minutes after that, the train pulled out. It was bumpy, and Rose loved it. Jack could tell.

"You ever been on a train?" he asked.

"Of course, but only in a private car. I never traveled third class. Mother wouldn’t allow it!" she said, laughing. "She would say it was the way the poor got around." She made a rude face. "She always compared us to the poor. I hated it!"

Jack laughed. "Oh, Rose," he said, laughing. He put his arm around her shoulder and laughed.

The first day on the train went by fast, but it seemed that the next day went by extremely slowly. They sat their in their seats, looking out the window or talking. That evening, Rose was looking out the window and Jack had his eyes closed, just resting them. He wasn’t sleeping. Rose looked at the hills passing by and the large, open fields. She gasped when she saw all the flowers. It seemed to Jack that she never rested and everything outside the window amazed her.

Rose turned and saw Jack with his eyes closed.

"Jack?" she asked quietly.

He opened his eyes. "Yes?"

She smiled at him. "Nothing…" she answered. She turned to look out the window again. Jack scooted closer to her and looked out, too.

"Pretty, isn’t it?" he asked. Rose smiled and agreed.

*****

The stars came out, and Rose looked at them for a while. Jack didn’t go to sleep. He sat there, watching her.

"Jack!" she said excitedly. "A shooting star!"

Jack smiled, and said, "You know, my father used to tell me that whenever there was a shooting star, a soul was going to heaven."

Rose smiled. "I like that," she said.

Jack smiled, and answered, "I do, too."

Rose looked back out the window, and then asked, "Aren’t you supposed to wish on it?"

Jack scooted next to her. "Well, yes. What would you wish for?"

Rose smiled at him, and answered, "I can’t tell! Or it won’t come true!" She laughed, and Jack did, too.

*****

The next morning, Jack woke up and realized that today was their last day on the train. Tomorrow morning, they’d be there. Jack was excited.

He looked at a sleeping Rose, who had her head on his lap. She slept soundly. Jack smiled and tried his best not to move and wake her up.

Rose slept until twelve o’clock. When she awoke, she sat up and yawned.

"Why, good afternoon, Rosie!" Jack said.

Rose smiled, and answered, "Why, good morning, Jackie!" Jack laughed, and so did Rose.

"Sleep well?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I did," Rose answered.

"Good," Jack replied. "Today is our last day on the train, and then we’re finally there!"

Rose smiled, and said, "Finally." She wanted to be there badly. She was excited. She remembered what Jack had told her aboard the Titanic. He had told her he would take her to Santa Monica, and they’d drink cheap beer and ride the roller coaster until they threw up. Rose laughed when she remembered that. She hadn’t actually thought it would ever happen. But it was.

*****

That day went by fast, and by the next morning, they were in Santa Monica. When they got off the train and out of the station, Rose ran out into the street. She flung her arms out and twirled. Jack stood there laughing. He loved to see Rose happy.

Rose stopped and looked at him, smiling. He smiled back at her. She had the most beautiful smile.

"It’s wonderful, Jack!" she said.

"I’m glad you like it! And it hasn’t even been five minutes! You’re easy to please!" He laughed. Rose laughed, too.

"Come on. Let’s find a place to stay."

*****

They found a nice boarding house near the ocean. They rented a room, dropped their suitcase off, and went to walk around. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun would set soon.

Jack and Rose held each other’s hands. They walked down to the pier, where they stopped near the ocean.

"It’s beautiful," Rose said. She let go of Jack’s hand and took her shoes off, lay them down, and stepped onto the sand. "It’s such a wonderful feeling!" she said, smiling.

Jack smiled. "I know," he answered.

Rose laughed and walked to where the water was. Jack took his shoes off, too, and followed her. Rose lifted up the hem of her dress and put her feet into the water. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent.

A few seconds later, she opened them. She turned to Jack, who was smiling at her.

"I love it," she said. Jack smiled. Suddenly, Rose bent down to the water. She splashed Jack.

"Hey!" he said, laughing.

Rose laughed harder.

Jack bent down and splashed her back.

"Ah!" Rose screamed and ran along the water, letting her dress fly free. The water was splashing up against her ankles, and she loved it.

She stopped and faced Jack. He picked her up, and said, laughing, "You’re gonna get it!"

Rose laughed. Jack set her back down and looked at her, laughing. He kissed her.

"I’m so happy, Jack," Rose told him.

Jack smiled, and answered, "I’m glad." He kissed her again, and said, "I’m happy, too."

Rose let go of him and walked across the sand to where the water couldn’t reach her. She sat herself down and looked out into the sunset. Jack followed and sat beside her.

"The ocean can be so calming, and yet so…" Rose trailed off. "So…" She didn’t know how to finish.

"I understand," Jack said, putting his arm around her. "But it’s all over. We’re okay now." He held her close.

*****

Later that night, as they were walking back to the boarding house, they stopped to look at the stars.

"It’s just so vast and endless," Rose said. "We’re not even dust in God’s eyes."

Jack smiled. "It is beautiful."

Jack took her hand, and they continued to walk. When they returned, they went straight to bed. They were worn out.

*****

The next morning, Rose awoke early, and so did Jack.

"Get ready!" Jack said.

Rose smiled. She got up and brushed her hair. "Another fun-filled day?" she asked.

Jack stood behind her, and answered, "Yes."

Rose finished brushing her hair and stood up. Jack took her hand, and they left.

"Well, let’s see. First on the list is breakfast," Jack told her.

Rose smiled, and added, "Definitely". She was hungry.

They walked until they found a cozy café near the beach. Jack led them to a seat near a window so Rose could look out and see the ocean.

Rose sat down and looked out the window. "It’s so pretty."

Jack smiled. "So, what do you want?"

Rose looked at him and thought about it. She looked at him, embarrassed, and asked, "Can I have coffee?"

Jack looked at her, and asked, "I take it you’ve never had it?" Rose nodded. Jack laughed. "Of course you can!" Rose smiled. "You can have anything you want, my Rose," he added.

"What can I get for you?" the waiter asked as he came to their table.

"We’ll both have coffee and some pancakes." The waiter nodded and left. A few moments later, he returned with the coffee. Jack stirred his and added some milk. Rose watched carefully as he did so. Jack soon got the sense that she was watching him. He looked up.

"Um…need help?" he asked.

Rose blushed and nodded. "I feel so stupid," she said.

Jack smiled at her, and replied, "No. You’re not stupid." He took her cup and added some milk. He stirred it and took a sip to make sure it was perfect. He handed it to Rose. "Take a sip," he encouraged her. Rose looked down at it and smelled it. "Rose…" Jack said.

Rose looked up and laughed. "All right. Here I go." She brought the cup up and took a quick sip. "Mmm!" She smiled. "It’s so good!" She laughed.

Jack smiled. "Told you. Your mother deprived you of everything."

Rose laughed. "She did," she added.

A few minutes later, the waiter returned with their food. They both began eating. In two minutes, Rose reached over and took Jack’s coffee. Jack looked up and stared at her. Rose took a deep drink. Jack paused and stared at her.

Rose set the cup down and looked at him. "What?"

"Uh…nothing. You just drank my coffee." He laughed.

"Sorry," Rose apologized.

"It’s all right. You’re new to it." He laughed.

Jack reached over and took some of her food.

"Mr. Dawson!" Rose laughed. She reached over and took some of his.

"Miss DeWitt Bukater!" Jack said back, laughing.

The two sat there, laughing.

After they finished, they left and went for a walk on the pier.

"Here. Come with me. I want to show you something," Jack told her. He took her hand and brought her to a small stable down the beach.

"Hello?" Jack called.

A man came out and looked at them. "How may I help you?" he asked.

"We’d like to rent a horse," Jack answered.

The man smiled. "Of course." He went back, got a horse, and brought it to Jack.

"Thank you," Jack said. He took the horse’s reins and led it out onto the beach.

Rose followed behind him. "Jack, what are we doing?"

"Wait." Rose stood there. Finally, Jack told her to come next to him. "It’s time," he told her.

"Time for what?"

"Get on," he told her. "And no sidesaddle stuff!"

Rose laughed. She knew what he meant. When they were aboard the Titanic, Jack had promised to teach her to ride like a man.

Rose slowly climbed up. Jack helped her. She got her legs on both sides.

"Good," Jack told her.

"Whee!" Rose laughed.

Jack smiled. "Now, hold onto that." Rose held onto the saddle horn. Jack took the reins and began walking the horse down to the water. Jack took the horse right into the waves. Rose looked down and saw the water below her.

"Jack!" she said happily.

Jack looked up, smiling at her. "Having fun?" he asked. Rose smiled and nodded. "You’re doing a great job," he added.

They walked a little while longer along the water’s edge before Jack stopped. He got on the horse behind Rose and took the reins.

"Ready for some real fun?" he asked.

"Yes," Rose answered.

Jack kicked the side of the horse and told Rose to hold on tight. The horse began to trot.

"Jack!" Rose screamed, laughing.

"Woohoo!" Jack shouted.

Rose laughed. Jack stopped the horse, and Rose turned her head around to face Jack. He kissed her and smiled. Rose turned and looked into the ocean. She spit into the water.

"I can ride like a man and spit like a man!" she said, laughing.

Jack laughed. "Yes, you can!" He spit, too.

"Pitiful!" Rose teased. Jack laughed and did it again. Rose did it again, too.

"Horrible!" Jack teased.

Rose laughed and slid off the horse. She removed her shoes and walked into the water. She stopped when the water reached her knees. Her dress was floating and she was laughing.

Jack laughed and got off the horse, too. "Hey! Get back here!" He laughed.

"Catch me!" Rose laughed back. She began to swim far out. Jack took his jacket, shoes, and socks off and swam out after her. Rose kept swimming out, deeper and deeper. Jack went swimming after her, faster and faster. Rose stopped and laughed. Jack laughed and disappeared under the water. Rose looked around, trying to find him. Suddenly, something touched her. "Jack!" she screamed. She began to laugh. Jack came out of the water behind her.

He laughed. Rose splashed him, and he splashed her back. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "I caught you," he said.

They got out of the water and returned the horse. They walked along the pier some more. Rose and Jack were soaking wet, but didn’t seem to care a bit. Rose was laughing constantly and kept twirling around. Jack was happy.

"Look!" Rose shouted. She pointed to the roller coaster. She began to run towards it. She stopped and turned around. Catching her breath, she shouted to Jack, "Hurry up!" Jack smiled and kept his pace. Rose twirled around and around and then stopped. Jack watched her and smiled. He loved her so much.

Rose began to skip and twirl, and suddenly, she tripped. She fell to the ground. Jack ran over to see if she was all right. Rose was laughing hard.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Rose kept laughing. "I’m fine," she told him. Jack helped her up and they continued to walk. When they reached the roller coaster, there were crowds of people everywhere, kids running around, and stands with treats everywhere.

"Jack…what is all this?" Rose asked.

"Stuff your mother deprived you of." Jack laughed.

Rose looked around, and then walked to a cotton candy stand. She looked at it and turned to Jack.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Cotton candy," he answered. "It’s really good. I used to eat it a lot when I was younger." Jack walked up to the man and handed him money in exchange for some cotton candy. "Here. Try some." He handed her a little.

Rose took it and tasted it. "Mmm!" she said, delighted. "I love it!"

Jack laughed. "Don’t get too full! There’s lots of other foods here you’ve never tried."

Rose looked at him, and asked, "Like what?"

Jack thought for a second. "Well, popcorn and ice cream."

"Sounds good," Rose told him. They continued to walk, and it seemed that every second, Rose stopped and asked another question. "What’s that?"

"That’s a Ferris wheel," Jack told her. "See the seats? You sit in it and you go up and up and you can look out far into the ocean."

"Can we go on it?" Rose asked.

"Of course!" Jack replied.

They walked a little further when Rose stopped, and asked, "What’s that?"

Jack looked, and answered, "That’s a carousel. You sit on one of the animals and it goes in a circle and plays music."

Rose smiled. "Can we go on that, too?"

Jack laughed, and responded, "Yes."

They continued to walk. They stopped to get some ice cream.

"Here. Have some of these," Jack told Rose. He poured sprinkles on it and saw Rose’s confused expression.

"What are they?"

"Sprinkles. Try ‘em."

Rose took her spoon and tried some.

"Oh, my gosh!" she said. "These are delicious!"

Jack laughed. "Glad you like them!"

When they finished their ice cream, the sun was almost setting. The lights around the pier lit up. Music played everywhere.

Jack and Rose had gone on almost all the rides. When they were walking around and laughing, Jack noticed a band playing some drums and a guitar. He took Rose’s hand and brought her over. People were dancing and laughing. Jack took her hand and took her in with the other dancers.

"Jack!" Rose laughed.

Jack twirled her and spun her around and around.

Rose was laughing, and so was Jack.

"Whee!" Jack shouted.

"Whee!" Rose shouted back.

Rose kept laughing and laughing.

After about five minutes, they left the crowd.

"I want more ice cream!" Rose said, laughing.

"Rose?" Jack asked, laughing. "You’ve gone insane!"

Rose laughed. She fell into Jack’s arms and hugged him. He hugged her back.

"Thank you, Jack," Rose said. "Thank you for making each day count."

*****

That night, while Jack and Rose were sleeping, Rose woke up from a horrible nightmare. She sat up and began to cry. She felt hot and sweaty. She felt sick and nauseous. She climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom quickly. Suddenly, before she got there, she threw up. At that moment, Jack woke up.

"Rose? Rose? Are you okay?"

Rose was sitting on the floor, pale and crying. Jack got up and ran to her. He saw the vomit and helped Rose up and into the bathroom. He sat her down on the toilet seat and tried to move her hands from her face.

"Rose, what’s wrong? What happened?" He tried to make her talk, but she was crying too hard. A few moments later, she calmed down. She removed her hands from her face and looked at Jack.

"I’m sorry," she said.

Jack looked at her, and replied, "Don’t be. Tell me what’s wrong."

Rose looked at him, and answered, "I had a dream…about…about…that night."

Jack didn’t have to ask what she meant. He knew. "Everything’s okay now," he told her. "It’s over. You’re safe. I’m safe. Everything’s fine." He hugged her.

Rose hugged him back, and when she was ready, he brought her back to bed, where she fell fast asleep, and the rest of the night she was fine.

*****

The next morning, Jack told Rose that she should take a bath, so she did. While she was in the bath, Jack cleaned up and went in to check on her.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Rose was buried under piles of bubbles. She smiled, and replied, "Yes. I feel much better today."

Jack smiled at her, and answered, "Good. Now, hurry up, Rosie! We’ve got plans."

Rose smiled, and said, "Jack…I’m sorry."

Jack looked at her. "About what?"

"About last night."

Jack knelt down beside the tub. "Rose, you don’t need to be sorry. I understand. What you and I have gone through is one the hardest things ever." He kissed her on the forehead. Rose smiled, and Jack left.

*****

The next week went by fast. When it was finally time to leave, Rose was sad. Jack was, too.

"We’ll come back again," Jack assured her. Rose smiled.

They left for the train station, and the next three days they spent on the train, traveling back home.

*****

On the third day, they arrived home. They were walking down the streets of New York and went back to their apartment. They walked hand-in-hand, Jack whistling. Suddenly, he paused. He turned and looked up. Out in the distance, he could see the Statue of Liberty.

"Let’s go," Jack said, turning around.

"Jack? Our apartment’s this way!" Rose said.

"I know," Jack answered. He held her hand tight and kept walking faster and faster. When they finally were back at the train station, he sat Rose down and went to get more tickets. Rose was confused. What was Jack doing?

"Come on," he said to her, and he began to walk away. Rose got up and followed. She had no idea where they were going.

*****

Jack and Rose were on the train, and Jack had said nothing to her. He sat Rose down, and still said nothing.

"Jack…" Rose began. "What are we doing?"

Jack looked at her, and answered, "We’re getting out of here."

Rose didn’t understand.

"You’re crazy, Jack," Rose told him.

Jack gave her a look, and still said nothing.

Rose looked out the window and sat there calmly. An hour had gone by, and neither of them had exchanged a word. But, finally, Jack broke the silence.

"Rose?" he began. "I’m taking you out of there to keep you safe."

Rose turned and looked at him. "What?"

"Cal is there!" he replied. "He is there and wants you back! Knowing him, he’ll do anything to get you back." He looked angry.

"Jack…" Rose moved closer to him and lay her head on his shoulder. "I understand," she finished.

Jack kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Jack? Where are we going?"

"Santa Monica, but a different area. But we’ll be near the ocean. Just for you. I just want to leave New York. All there is there are bad memories of April fourteenth." He sighed. Rose understood.

The three days on the train went by quickly, and they soon arrived back in Santa Monica. It was night when they arrived, but they walked a while and didn’t look for an apartment to stay in. Instead, Jack led them to the ocean.

"It’s just so much more calming here," Jack said.

Rose didn’t know what to say. She looked at Jack. His eyes were becoming red. He looked upset. Rose didn’t know what to do.

"Jack?" Rose asked.

Jack didn’t look at her. He put his head down and began to cry. Rose had never seen Jack like this. She didn’t know what to do. She sat there and wanted to cry, too. She held his hand and began to cry. They sat there crying on the beach for a while, and didn’t care if anyone saw. No one understood. No one understood what April fourteenth had been like. It would live within them forever. And each day they were reminded. The night replayed in their dreams, in their everyday life, and nothing could change that.

A while later, Jack finally stood up and wiped his tears away. "I’m sorry," he told Rose. "I couldn’t keep it in any longer."

Rose understood. She stood up, too, and hugged him. "Come on. We need to find a place to stay."

*****

They walked, and when they found the first open boarding house, they went inside and rented a room. They didn’t care what it looked like or anything. They just wanted to go to bed and get everything over with.

*****

That night, Rose woke up to rain. She got out of bed, walked out of the boarding house, and stood outside. She took a step out into the street and stood there, letting the rain fall on her. She had no idea why she was doing this, just that the feeling felt so good. Everything was different after April fourteenth. Things seemed more special.

Rose thought about all the people who had died. She knew they’d never get to feel the rain on them again. Never see the ocean and feel the ocean breeze. A few moments later, the rain stopped. Rose went back inside and paused when she saw Jack.

"What are you doing?" he asked, half-asleep.

"Just decided to stand out in the rain," she answered.

Jack smiled and hugged her.

"Oh, Rosie," he said.

*****

The next day, they woke up and looked out the window.

"Well, the sun’s out!" Rose said happily.

Jack was putting his shirt on. He looked at her and smiled. "Good," he answered.

"So, what are we doing today?" Rose asked.

"Well, we’re tumbleweeds blowing in the wind. Wherever today takes us is where we end up."

Rose laughed.

The two left the apartment and went for a long walk. They went to a little café and sat down at a table.

"So…" Jack began. He looked at Rose and didn’t know what to say.

"It’s nice here," Rose said.

Jack was about to respond, when suddenly, someone shouted, "Well! If it ain’t old Jack Dawson!"

Jack turned and instantly got up.

"Eric!" he said happily.

The man came and gave Jack a hug. "Where have you been, Jack?" he asked.

"Oh, you know…around."

The man laughed. He spotted Rose and turned his attention to her.

"Who’s this pretty lady?"

"That would be my Rose," Jack answered.

"Well…nice to meet you! The name’s Eric," he said.

Rose smiled, and answered, "Nice to meet you."

"Hey, how about you and Rose come to my house for lunch? I’m sure my wife will be glad to see you again!" Eric suggested.

Jack turned and looked at Rose. Rose smiled and nodded.

"Sure," Jack answered.

"Great!" Eric said happily. "Well, come on! Let’s go!"

He led Jack and Rose down the street and to a very nice house. Eric opened the door for them and let them in.

"You two can take a seat right here, and I’ll go get Kathryn." Jack and Rose sat on the couch and waited. A few moments later, a five-year-old girl came down the stairs. She looked at Jack and Rose and ran out of the room. Rose laughed and turned to Jack.

"You scared her away," she teased.

"Me? Hey! I think you’re the scary one here," he teased back. He tickled Rose, who let out a loud shriek.

"Oh, sorry. Are we interrupting?" Eric asked when he entered the room with his wife.

"Oh, no, not at all," Jack responded, laughing.

"Hello," Kathryn said to them.

"Hello," Jack and Rose said back.

"You remember Jack Dawson, don’t you?" Eric asked Kathryn.

"Of course I do!" she responded. "My! You look older," she said to him.

"Only twenty," Jack told her.

Kathryn laughed. "The last time we saw you, you were only about eighteen!"

Jack laughed. The little girl entered the room and hid behind Kathryn.

"Oh, this is our lovely daughter, Julie," Eric told them.

"Come and say hi, Julie," Kathryn told her. "You remember Jack! He used to take you to the pier and to swim when you were three!"

Julie looked at him, and then her face lit up.

"Jackie!" she said happily. Jack laughed and opened his arms to her. She leaped in and gave him a big hug.

"Who is this?" she asked, pointing to Rose.

"That’s my Rose," Jack answered.

"You’re Jack’s Rose?" she asked.

Rose smiled and nodded.

"Your Rose is pretty," she told Jack.

Jack laughed, and answered, "She’s the prettiest flower I’ve ever seen." Rose laughed.

"Well, I have some delicious lunch ready in the kitchen," Kathryn said. "You all can take a seat in the dining room, and I’ll bring the food out."

Eric led them to the dining room and seated them. Julie sat in a booster seat and insisted that she sit near Jack.

A few moments later, Kathryn came out with a bowl of salad and a plate of sandwiches. Everyone began filling their plates.

"So, Jack and Rose, how did you two meet?"

Jack dropped his fork and looked at Rose.

"Well…you know. Around," he answered.

"Like…?" Eric asked again.

"You know. I travel. And I just…you know. Came across her one day."

"So…where did you two meet?"

"Nowhere!" Jack said angrily. Everyone paused. "We were on a ship, and we met," he finished. "End of story."

Everyone stared at him as if he were crazy. Rose didn’t. She looked at her food and put her fork down.

"Um…I’ll be right back," she said. She quickly got up and left the room.

"It’s not a hard question," Eric said.

"Stop," Jack told him.

Eric gave him a strange look.

"Excuse me," Jack told them. "I’m going to get Rose. I’ll be right back." He left the room and saw that the front door was open. He walked out and looked at a crying Rose on the front steps. "Rose? It’s okay," Jack told her as he hugged her.

"No…" Rose told him. "It’s not."

"We don’t have to tell them," Jack told her. "They don’t need to know."

"They’re just going to keep on asking!" Rose told him.

Jack sighed. "Rose…it’s okay. I’ll shut them up." He gave her a friendly smile and helped her up. "Come on."

They walked back inside and paused outside the dining room door.

"They could have been!" they heard Eric say.

"Well, if they were, we don’t need to rush them into telling us about it!" Kathryn responded.

Jack leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He and Rose stood there, listening. Rose began to cry, but didn’t make a sound.

"If they were on the Titanic, they obviously have gone through something hard and terrible," Kathryn said.

"Why can’t they just tell us what ship they met on? They don’t have to tell the whole story!" Eric replied.

Suddenly, Eric and Kathryn went silent. Jack was about to head inside with Rose, but Rose had gone to sit on the couch. Jack went in without her, realizing she needed some time.

"Oh, Jack!" Eric said happily. "You’re back!" He looked next to him and back at him. "Where’s Rose?" Jack didn’t answer. He sat back down and looked at them. The room was silent.

"You’re right," he told them.

Eric and Kathryn looked at him, confused.

"Right about what?" Kathryn asked.

"Titanic," Jack answered.

The room was even more silent after that. Kathryn gasped.

"You were on the Titanic?" Eric asked.

Jack nodded.

"Yes. And I almost lost Rose that night." He tilted his head down more, trying to hide his tears. "I lost my best friend that night." He began to cry. "Fabrizio died…" Thoughts of Fabrizio went into Jack’s mind. All the fun times they had together. It hurt Jack so much.

"I won the tickets for it in a lucky hand of poker." He sighed. "I met Rose the next night." Jack went back to the night he first met her. Rose was hanging off the back of the ship and was ready to let go. Jack had come, though, and saved her. He had brought her back over. He remembered it all. The moment he had met Rose was one of the greatest moment of his life.

"We had good times on that ship," Jack said. "But the night it sank, we almost…" He trailed off. "Died…" he finished. "We were trapped inside. The halls were flooding. We were on the ship the whole time. We lay in the water, freezing, waiting for the lifeboats to come back. Rose lay on a floating door. It was the scariest night of my life, almost losing her, and she almost losing me." A tear slid down his check. "I witnessed over a thousand people die that night." He wiped the tear away. No one in the room knew what to say or do.

A moment later, Rose entered the room again. She saw Jack and sat down next to him. Jack looked at her and kissed her. "Do they know?" she whispered to him.

"Yes," he whispered back. Rose threw her arms around him and cried. They cried together. Eric and Kathryn felt horrible. Soon, Jack lifted his head and looked at everyone. "So, there’s your story."

Everyone sat there.

"I’m so sorry, Jack," Eric told him.

"It’s all right," Jack responded. "Everything’s okay now."

After they finished lunch, it was time for Jack and Rose to leave. It was almost five o’clock.

"Please don’t go!" Julie begged.

"I have to, Julie-bee," Jack told her, and he hugged her good-bye.

Julie hugged him back. "Will you and your Rose come back?" she asked.

Jack smiled and laughed. "Of course!" He picked her up and hugged her." I promise," he said.

Rose and Jack said good-bye and left. On their way home, they stopped by the beach to watch the sunset. Jack put his arms around Rose and held her close. He kissed her and smiled. He looked at her and put his hand on her cheek.

"Will you marry me?"

The End.

Stories