Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story except for the ones that you see are completely original. The others (Rose, Jack, Cal, etc) belong to Mr. James Cameron. The first parts of dialogue are from Titanic.

A/N Okay, now that that's over and done with on with the story! Please R/R, no flames please.

Chapter One

Guiding Light

"It's getting quiet," young Rose DeWitt-Bukater said as she lay atop a floating door from the Titanic that moments ago and sunk under them.

"Just a few more minutes, it'll take them a while to get the boats organized." Jack said shivering as he held on to the door trying to stay afloat. "I don't know about you but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all of this." All Rose could do was let out a small giggle that sounded like a gasp of fear.

"I love you Jack," Rose said after a while.

"No, don't you say your good-byes, Rose. Don't give up, don't do it." Jack encouraged.

"I'm so cold," Rose said trembling with cold.

"You're going to get out of this, you're going to go on and you're going to make babies and watch them grow. You're going to die an old lady warm in her bed. Not here, not this night. Do you understand me?" Jack said trying to keep Rose talking so she wouldn't lose hope.

"I can't feel my body." Rose said squeezing Jack's hand.

"Rose, winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you and I'm thankful, Rose." Jack said, his voice wavering. "You must do me this honor, promise me that you will survive, that you will never give up no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, and never let go of that promise."

"I promise," Rose said wondering how she could survive this.

"Never let go," Jack said.

"I promise, I'll never let go, Jack, I'll never let go." Rose said, as they lied there with there heads together. It was so quiet then, all they could hear was the sound of lapping water.

"Hello? Is anyone alive out there?" They heard Officer Lowe call over the still ocean.

"Over here!" Rose croaked.

"He can't hear you," Jack said sound depressed. "Wait! That guy over there, he had a whistle. See if you can get a hold of it." With that, Rose practically dove off of the door and swam over to the dead man and grabbed his whistle. As she blew the whistle, the men in the boat began to take notice and they began rowing back in Rose and Jack's direction.

As they were pulled out of the water, they let out sighs of relief and two warm blankets were placed over them as they rowed towards the other boats.
After a while a large ship came into view. As their lifeboat pulled up beside it they could see that it was the Carpathia, the ship that would take them to America where Rose and Jack could build a life together.

Later, they both sat together in the midst of other surviving third class passengers wrapped in blankets or anything else they were given to keep warm. As they sat there they heard a steward tell someone that he wouldn't find any of his people down there and that it was all steerage. Rose couldn't resist the urge to look back.

"Cal!" Rose whispered. When she uttered his name Jack looked back as well.

"It's okay, I don't think he saw us." Jack said as they watched Cal give up on his search and head back to the first class part of the ship where undoubtedly Rose's mother was waiting for news on her only daughter and her only hope to restore her fortune since at the moment she was swimming in a sea of bad debts hidden by a good name. That name was the only card she had left to play.

"That was close," Rose whispered as she snuggled closer to Jack as they sped towards New York and their destiny.