DISCLAIMER: I do not own Titanic or any characters you may recognize from the wonderful movie by James Cameron. The story however is mine.

Chapter One

Jack Dawson sat alone in the lunchroom, engrossed in his own thoughts, as usual. He was thinking of his parents who had died only three years ago. Jack, now 17, lived with his aunt and uncle in Florida. The upper class Florida. Jack's uncle, better know as Nathan Hockley, was a steel tycoon. His aunt worked at a lawyer's office. And his cousin, Caledon Hockley, despised him. Ever since Jack could remember Cal hated him. Jack was better at everything. Better looking even, but Cal would never admit it. The one thing Cal always had was money. Now that Jack was living with them Jack had access to the money, not to mention the inheritance. He didn't get that until he was 21 but still…

"Well isn't it Mr. Popular himself?" Tommy Ryan piped in.

"Mr. Hot Stuff" Fabrizio De Rossi joined in. Tommy and Fabi, as Jack called him, were Jack's only close friends.

"Oh hi"

"Well isn't someone Mr. Sunshine today. What is the matter with you?" Tommy said.

"Just thinking. Cal got another new car, so he and Rose…"

"Oh! I knew it had something to do with Rose."

Rose…Cal's long time girlfriend. On the outside she was another high-class snob. But to Jack she was perfection. He knew her better than anyone else. Why, he'd even saved her life once…

"Mother do we really have to go on this cruse?" Cal wined.

"Yes! I want Jack to have a good 15th birthday because…" Jack walks into the room. "His parents are…well you know what I mean." Cal's mother hissed.

"Well, then were are we going, again?"

"An Alaskan cruise. It was a very expensive ticket, Cal." It was an expensive ticket, but everything had to be expensive with Jack's aunt.

"But mother, I had planned to go to Europe with Rose."

"Invite her along." Cal's father announced as he came into the room.

"We can afford the ticket and then you could give her the present that you made me buy for her. Bloody expensive present at that."

"You're right father. What a great idea. I'll call her right now." Cal leaves the room in search of the phone.

"Thank-you both for this" Jack said gratefully.

"Anytime, dear boy. Now run along and pack. We leave for Victoria first thing in the morning"

"Did you mother really have to come?" Cal asked Rose as they exited the car at Victoria harbor. They were standing in front of this amazing ship. Only rivaled by the Titanic. It was a crystal white and very luxurious. This was its last sea voyage, afterwards it was to be retired. The Britannic was the sister ship to the great ocean liner the Titanic. Made at the same time, this ship had well served it purpose.

"She insisted, Cal. And besides, she likes you. I feel sorry for…"

"You were going to say Jack, weren't you?"

"I was. It is not up to you to decide what I do or do not say."

"We'll continue this later." And with that he was off to help carry the coats to the boat.

Rose knew not to push the issue. She was getting so sick of him. If it weren't for her mother she would have broken it off a long time ago. Her mother was the one who wanted her to "keep at it". When she married Cal she would have a good life. Her mother couldn't provide her with one because Rose's father left them in debt. They were only surviving on credit. But it was almost all gone. The only problem is that Rose didn't love Cal. She loved someone else.

"Here we are, Sweet-pea." Cal chimed.

"Wow, these rooms are…"

"Stunning. Made for royalty. We are royalty Rose. I was going to save this for when we were in Europe.

"Oh no!" thought Rose." I know what this…"

"Rose Dewitt Bukater, I'm in love with you. There is nothing I could not give you, nothing I would deny you, if you would not deny me. Oh open your heart to me Rose." Cal reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a little silver box. He gets down on one knee and pulls out the biggest diamond Rose has ever seen.

"Rose, will you marry me?"

"Cal, I don't know what to say. I'm only 16 and…"

"We don't have to get married today. We will be engaged for a while, till we finish school. Then I can go to college and you can stay home, be an artist or whatever it is you want to be."

"Cal, I…"

"Rose, there you are. I was just wondering if I left my purse in here." Mrs. Dewitt Bukater said.

"No, mother, you didn't" Rose knew very well that her mother had not left her purse in here and had jut come in to stop her from saying no.

"Oh, by the way, Cal your father needs you in the sitting room."

"Tell him I'll be right down, Ruth, if I may call you that?"

"Certainly Cal." She leaves feeling satisfied.

"We will finish this later, sweet pea" Cal slipped the ring on Rose's finger, kisses her on the cheek, and follows Ruth out of the room.

"What am I going to do now?" the little voice in Rose's head kept saying, over and over. With not a second thought, Rose picked up the vase and through it against the wall. Rose saw her life flash before her eyes. That was it, Rose had had it. She picked up everything that touched her hand and threw it. She kept throwing things until she caught herself in the mirror.

'What have I done? I can't do this anymore!" It caught her off guard the way that she looked. Her hair had fallen out of the bun that she had spent an hour getting done. Her dress, the one that she had got in Paris, the one that cost her father 1,500 dollars, was torn and ripped. Her face was the worst. It looked, somehow, lost, torn, and broken. She was stuck with no way to get out. She punched the mirror out of frustration and as it shattered Rose thought that this mirror was like her life, shattered in to a million pieces. Rose didn't realize it now but she had cut her hand.

"Run, Rose…run. Run as far, from him, from them as you can" And she did. Towards the stern.

"Just keep running. Don't stop…don't…" Whack! " No more boat! No more boat!"

She was running so fast that she doesn't notice Jack having a night smoke. Rose peered over the boat, carefully put her foot up and in one quick motion, before she or Jack realized she was hanging off the back of a boat. Hanging high in the air above freezing cold waters.

"Long way down" Jack said breaking the silence.

"Ahhhhhh" Rose jumped so much she almost let go. She turned her head enough to see that it was Jack. Then she realized that she was still wearing the ring. If Jack saw the ring, she would be crushed.

"Don't come any closer, Jack."

"Rose, what are you doing?"

"Jack, stay where you are or I'll…" The ring wouldn't come off unless she used both hands. It is too tight. Typical Cal to buy something too small. "I'll jump"

"Don't be stupid, Rose. Come on." Rose keet fiddling with her ring. " Fine, if your going to jump the so am I."

"Don't be foolish Jack. You'll be killed."

"I'm a good swimmer."

"The fall alone will kill you." Rose turns her head around so she can see that Jack was standing there with in his T-shirt and pants. His shoes and jacket lying beside him on the deck.

"Cal would never even consider jumping. Cal would call for help or let me jump then throw something in for me."

"It would hurt, I'm not saying it wouldn't. But to tell you the truth, I'm more worried about that water being so cold."

"How cold?"

"Freezing, maybe a few degrees above. I grew up in Wisconsin; they have some of the coldest winters around. This one time my dad and me…" memories of Jack's father come back to him. It is still so hard to talk about him. Jack missed him so much. "We went ice fishing and I fell in, and let me tell you. Water that cold, like right down there, it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breath, you can't think, at least not about anything but the pain. That is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in after you. I guess I'm hoping you'll come back over and get me off the hook here."

"You're crazy"

"That is what everyone says but I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship. Now come on give me your hand"

Rose knew she couldn't do that, one hand has the ring and the other, she just realized, is covered in blood and in excruciating pain.

"Come on" Jack reached for her left hand. She can't let him see the ring. She snatched her hand away a little to fast and lost her balance. She reaches her left hand in hopes of catching the railing but she misses. Her other hand is still holding on to the railing but for how long?

"Give me your hand." If she reaches for Jack, he'll see the ring. If she doesn't, they'll both die.

"Give me your hand, Rose, or I'm jumping!" she looks up at him and their eyes lock. Everything is in slow motion. She can't let Jack die. She reaches with all her strength. But her other hand gives out. Jack grabs the other one just in time. But she almost pulls him down with her.

"Come on Rose. I got you, pull yourself up" he pulls with all his might. "Come on Rose. Almost there." With one final pull they both fall on to the deck. Both of them are shaking. Maybe he didn't see the ring. Maybe. She looks over at him just as he does the same. He starts to lean in. What she wouldn't give for him to kiss her.

"What time is it? Will Cal come looking for me? He might be right now!" She springs up.

"I have to go, Jack. Thanks for pulling me back."

"Wait! Rose you forgot your ring."