Until We Meet Again
Summary: Rose is struggling to live her life after Jack died. But she still promised and she knows that she must honor that promise, since it was Jack's dying wish. Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Jack is continuously haunted by his memories of Rose, and he begins to doubt that Rose will join him upon her eventual death, even though he promised they would meet again before he departed for the afterlife.
Rose's POV
"Jack! There's a boat, Jack!" I sobbed. I was becoming desperate now. I had been calling to him for a while, yet he still remained unresponsive. "Jack!" As I watched the lifeboat move farther and farther away and heard the officers' voices grow fainter, I had to force myself to accept the horrible truth: Jack was gone, having frozen to death so that I wouldn't. I wanted to stay there and die with him, but that was something I couldn't do. His dying wish had been that I survive. "Promise me." He had said. "And never let go of that promise." I had done as he had asked me, so I had to do everything I could to survive, even though the only one who held my heart had perished. "Come back!" I tried to call to the men in the disappearing lifeboat, but they were too far away and my voice was too hoarse. I tried to make my voice louder, but the best I could do was a loud whisper. I didn't want to do it, but I knew I had to.
I unclamped Jack's frozen hand from mine. "I'll never let go. I promise." I whispered, partly to remind myself of that promise, and partly in the hopes that he would be reassured that I would keep my promise, in case he was able to hear me from beyond the grave. And then I released his hand and watched, sobbing, as his lifeless body drifted to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean until he had sunk out of sight. I remained on the door for a while longer, sobbing. I thought I heard someone whisper something to me, but there was no one alive near me, so I dismissed as just the breeze. I eased myself back into the water and managed to swim to the officer on the floating deck chair. He had died a while ago, while Jack was still managing to cling to life. Grabbing the whistle from around his neck, I began to blow. This was far more effective than my voice, and soon the lifeboat came back and the officers fished me out of the water.
Jack's POV
I was dead. I knew it. I stood, immaterial, on the door next to Rose as she sobbed as the realization that I was dead hit her. If I was still alive, I would have died again knowing the heartbreak I had caused her. But I didn't regret sacrificing myself. I hadn't given a thought to my own safety, but I had been willing to pay any price if it meant that Rose wouldn't be a victim of this horrible night, and if my own life was that price, then so be it. I heard Rose whisper "I'll never let go. I promise," and I smiled sadly as she let go of my body. She was strong, stronger than even she herself thought. I knew that I couldn't stay here for much longer, but I had seen what I needed to see. I knew that Rose would find a way to survive.
"We'll meet again." I whispered to her. For a second I thought she heard me, and then she rolled off the door into the water. By now, the pull of the afterlife was too strong for me to resist and I gave in. Before I departed, I heard a whistle blowing and I smiled to myself. The men in the lifeboat would definitely go back when they heard that.