A/N Characters may be slightly ooc

Forever This Way

Rose's POV

I was petrified! My worst nightmare had come true. Jack was dead and nothing I did could change that horrid fact. I'd have to learn to live again and to really be myself. How could I really be myself without Jack? He was what inspired me and allowed me to transform from Rose the young, bothered, somewhat depressed, irritable, rich girl from the luxurious part of town, to the new Rose. The new Roe is fun, adventurous. Outgoing, lively, and though some may consider it odd or preposterous, I owe it 100% to this man who's hand lay in mine. The only thing keeping him from the depths of the frigid icy waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean was my hand. As soon as I let his hand break free of mine, he would sink and be nothing but a memory to me, but a memory that I'd never forget. As I lay on that door, I realize yet another fact that seemed impossible for me to think of at the time. Eventually, I'd have to fall in love again. The man I am to fall in love with isn't Jack. How could I possibly e expected to do that. I couldn't. I was and still am in love with Jack beyond what words can describe. The only person I could ever love, the only person that I would allow myself to love, wasn't there anymore. That's it then, he's gone, there is nothing I can do, and nothing anyone else can do. If I can't be with him, then I'm not going to be with anyone. I can take care of myself just fine. Who said I needed a man to support me anyways. I can do just fine alone. I thought. Then, within this rush of anger, a new though hit me. 'Rose, are you pregnant?' It would make sense. Just a few hours before we had… well…. Expressed our love for one another in a way that should not have been done with me being only a little over age seventeen. This though, for some odd reason, made me happy. I think it was the fact that if I was, then the baby was Jack's, therefore, giving me a part of him. Amidst my happiness though, I still wanted nothing more than for him to return to me so we could get married once we reached New York and start our family together. But I knew that this was a far-fetched dream that had no possibility of happening, so why waste time trying to make it happen? Just then I heard a man yelling from a nearby lifeboat. I knew I had to get to that boat, for me, for the possible unborn baby, and… for Jack. I clenched his hand tightly then gently kissed it. "I'll never let go." I said, referring to a promise that I had made him earlier in the night. Then I watched him sink beneath the icy waters. Now the only thing I had left of him was the memory of the most amazing man I ever knew and, I'd say, the best man who ever was.

I wanted to cry, wanted to stay there and weep, wish that he were with me. But that wasn't possible, I had to go on and honor him, by reaching the boat. So, I carefully slid myself into that water, took a deep breath and started screaming as loud as I could. But that was a slight whisper if anything. So I knew I had to find some way to get the man on that boat's attention. So I looked around me, water, furniture and scrapes left over from the wreck, and people whom had the same outcome as Jack. Then I saw a whistle around one man's neck. I swam to it as fast as I could and blew on it. The man on the boat heard me and screamed something, I was too tired and out of it to understand what. But before I knew it and young, strong man was pulling me into the lifeboat, "Are you okay, Miss?" he asked "Yes sir." I managed, then he gave me a blanket and told me to try to calm myself, he must have seen the tears in my eyes. I nodded. After that I don't remember anything until the next morning aboard the Carpathia. A handsome young man, obviously not as handsome as Jack but still, came to me. " Excuse me, Miss." He said and tapped my shoulder. I looked up at him.

"Yes?" I asked.

"May I have your name, for the lists?" I just stared at him a moment then said

"Dawson. Rose Dawson."

"Thank you." The man said, nodded and scurried off to ask some other passengers the same question. I immediately broke down and started crying again, when the recollection of last night's events came back to me. All I wanted was Jack. All I wanted was for him to hold me in his arms, strong from hard work and drawing. I wanted him to be here saying, "Its okay, Rose. Just let the chaos calm down, and the panic subside, everything is going to go back to normal, as soon as that happen." Or something like that, his words of kindness and encouragement always could make you stop worrying and calm down and laugh. Or if not laugh, then at least become calmed and know that everything in fact was going to be okay.

Suddenly, Out of the corner of my eye, I caught someone who looked quite familiar. I lifted my head slightly to see who it was. I was disappointed. It was Cal. Why and how. Why did Cal make it off Titanic and not Jack? Cal is rude and cruel, uncaring, obsessed with money & himself. Jack was kind, and funny, and thoughtful, considerate, obsessed with making other happy. He was so carefree, and an all around fun and nice guy to be around. Then the how question came into play. How could Cal make it off so easy? Jack and I had to fight to make it. Look where it landed us. I am here aboard the Carpathia, with a broken heart and an emotional wound that may never heal. He didn't even make it out of the water. Cal… How? Probably paid someone, that or… I can't even think of it but… steal a woman or child claiming to be related to them, something along those lines. He made me sick, and in that exact moment, I decided that I would never speak to Cal Hockley ever again. So I threw a blanket across my face and ducked, so he wouldn't see me.

Jack's Pov

Rose…. I love her to no end… but right now I could slap her. Well, not slap I wouldn't hit a woman. But at least give her a good yelling'. Well, I guess it was kind of my fault. But, hey, I'm sorry, I'm a heavy sleeper. So I had just fought my way from E-Deck to the deck of Titanic, watching out for both her and me, been flung into icy cold freezing water, and given Rose the only item I could find that might keep us afloat. Not to mention that I had been sleeping on a small bottom bunk bed for the past few nights, and my back and neck were horrible. You can't blame me for being tired after going through that, anybody would be, and everybody was.

Anyways, when Rose let go of my hand and I began to sink into the Atlantic Ocean, I woke up. I knew what she had though too, for many people have thought that over the years, when I've been in a deep sleep. But let's not talk about that. I mean I could fill a book with that stuuf. When I regained consciousness, I realized that I was sinking and that water was coming up my nose and in my mouth. I closed my mouth and plugged my nose, and swam to the top of the water. I looked on that board, Rose wasn't there. I knew this meant one of two things; either she had decided that she had decided that she had nothing without me and had let this endless ocean swallow her, or, which was more apt to happen because she wouldn't go back on a promise, she had somehow found a way onto a lifeboat and was safe. I thought of the two options, the first pulling at my heart, the second also pulling but in a good way because it meant that she loved me and did me the one thing that I ever asked her to do. Soon I heard a whistle blowing in the pitch darkness. I felt a smile grow across my face at that moment, because I knew it was Rose signaling to get picked up. She was Okay. Now it didn't matter what else happened, as long as Rose was okay, I was okay. I was lying on the same board I had gotten for her, thinking of a logical way to get to a boat myself. In mid- thought a man in a boat hit me in the head with an ore. It hurt like crazy, and if it weren't for the situation we were in, I might have fought him. But I needed to get to the rescue ship, and this guy seemed to be my only chance so I grabbed the side of the boast, unable to speak at that moment. The gentleman looked down and softly touched my hand "Sir" he said quietly.

"Yeah" I asked as perky as I could.

"Thank you." He said quietly and pulled me into the boat, where I fell asleep, safely this time. The next thing I know I was on the deck of the Carpathia. I looked and looked for Rose but couldn't find her. So I decided it would be easier to go to the Captain's quarters and ask for a crewmember to find her. Another man was soon sent out with my request, as for me I sat quietly on a chair waiting and practicing what I would do or say as soon as she walked through the door.

Rose's POV

I sat there, still in tears, but happy that Cal had left and there had been no news of my Mother. Then the moment that I had dreamt for, but never imagined could really happen happened. A young steward was running around the boat deck looking for a Rose DeWitt Buckater. I went up to the man, since that was my real name. "That's me." I said.

"I have been asked to tell you to please go to the Captain's quarters as soon as possible, there is someone there who wants to see you." He said.

"Thank you." Was all I could manage to say believing that the person that wanted me was either Cal or Mother. I forced myself to make that long walk. Each step bringing me closer, sort of depressing me more. Then I reached the office. I reached for the door handle and opened the door, and I was so elated and astounded when I saw who it was that wanted me. It was Jack.

"Jack!" I screamed and ran straight to him, jumping onto his lap immediately. "How, it doesn't make any sense, you died in the water, holding my hand."

"No I didn't Rose! I'm right here. You see I was really only sleeping, I'm a heavy sleeper."

"Well I guess so. Gosh I was so terrified. I thought I'd lost you. I don't know what I would have done had that been the case." I practically screamed at him.

"Aww, you're just saying that. You don't care about some gutter rat on the streets." He smiled at me, since he knew that it wasn't even close to what I thought of him, I laughed too.

"Well, Monsieur Gutter Rat, you have some explaining to do." I said, his face instantly turned serious.

"What might that be?"

"How did you get to a lifeboat? Especially since I basically almost let you drowned in the water, thinking you were dead."

"I was asleep."

"People don't sleep in the middle of a freezing ocean, while their lover bangs their hands and arms on a hard surface, then sink to the bottom of the ocean!" I screamed.

"Well, Rose I'm sorry for scaring you. But I can't 'help that I fell asleep, I tried not to, guess that didn't work out so well though."

"No it didn't. Now answer this question, How did you get to a boat?"

"After you let me go, I was probably about 30ft. under the water, and then I woke up. I instantly realized, as anyone with common sense would, that I was under water. I closed my mouth and plugged my nose. I swam up to the surface like that; I didn't expect that I'd actually get there though, the water being so cold and me being so deep under it. But, luckily, I did and as soon as I reached the surface, I saw the boar I had you on. I saw that you were off of it, which, I assumed, meant that you had left to find a boat and get saved, like you promised. SO that eased my mind to know that you were trying, and didn't give up. I was still concerned though, because there was no way for me to know if you were actually saved yet or if you were just trying to get saved. Then I heard a whistle blow in the middle of the night, and I knew somehow, that it was you and I saw the boat get closer and rescue you, all while lying on the board. It was, oh I'd say about five minutes later that I realized that you were safe. I was worn out, and exhausted, but an image of you kept floating through my mind. That gave me the strength to also get rescued. I saw a boat in the distance, of course not the same one you were on. I couldn't find anything to signal for help, and my voice was so quiet and horse by then that I couldn't yell. So I did what seemed most logical to me at the time. I kneeled on the board and used my arms as ores, and paddled to the boat, they stopped and got me, then this morning I woke up on this fine ship, and started looking for you." He told this long story, all the while me crying in his arms.

" Okay. The important thing is that you're safe and I'm safe" We looked at each other smiling and got up to leave, as the office was filling with people doing the exact same thing Jack had done. On our way out the door I said " Still, how can even the heaviest sleeper sleep through that?" He didn't answer, just smiled again. I wanted the silence to stop so I got a little closer to him a grabbed his hand, squeezing it. " I have something very important to tell you, Jack."

"Whats that?" He asked

" I've decided that… I'm not going to marry Cal. I don't love Cal. I thought I did, but that was because I had nothing to compare him to and I was stranded with him. I could never marry Cal now, because I don't truly love him. I… I love you, Jack." I said, stuttering a lot.

" I love you too, Rose." He said pressing his arm tightly on the side of my waist. We walked and walked until we came to the bow of Carpathia. Thn, like we had the night befor on , we went to it and he told me " Rose, close your eyes." I did thinking that I was going to get that magnificent feeling I had the night before. That feeling that made me feel as though I were flying. But this time it was nothing, I just stood there, waiting for anything really. A few moments later that lying moment was topped. Jack ssaid, " Okay, Rose, open your eyes and look down." I did and my jaw dropped right away. Jack was grinning ear to ear.

" Rose, I… Let metry to say this. You're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I abosolutley adore and love you. I have 10 cents to my name right now and nothing to offer you. But I lovce you… more than anyone ever had, does, or will. So I ask you tonight, Rose, Will you marry me?" Of course I didn't have to think twice. I jumped on him

" OF COURSE I WILL MARRY YOU!" I exclaimed.