Title: Fix You
Author: iMegaphone
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with the film "Titanic". The only thing I do own is the plot.
Chapter One
Caledon Hockley sat quietly in the carriage, staring at the scenery outside. Normally, he wasn't as subdued as he was at the moment, but tragic circumstances allowed him to be right now. He watched as the sun shifted through the clouds, playing a game of hide and seek with his mind. As if trying to catch the rays, he raised a hand to the window, pressing it against the glass. Life used to be so simple, he thought, as the carriage came to a stop.
Yes, life used to be very simple. He had been a man of privilege, born into wealth. His father, a steel tycoon, made sure that he had everything he could desire. His mother had been a gentle woman, rather sickly and frail, but her kindness never ceased to exist. The loss of his mother had been a first in a series of many tragic events in his life. Losing a parent at the tender age of five had been very hard indeed. His father had told him to be strong, that dwelling in the past would break him. Who was he to question his father's methods?
Years went by and he began preparatory school. He was extremely popular due to his last name and he never once worried about being cast out. Friends came and went, the revolving door never stopping. He never gave these facts a second thought. He was far too busy basking in the spotlight that was his since birth. Honestly, he had a wonderful childhood, give or take a few minor problems.
His teenage years brought him many female admirers. He entertained most of them, spoiling them with chocolates and jewelry. It was the way of the wealthy and he enjoyed every second of it. Father had taken him aside at one point and informed him that he would complete university and then work for him. Life was far too easy.
Then, at age thirty, he fell in love for the first time. It had taken him quite a long time, but he finally got there. He finally felt what his mother had so serenely told him about as a child. Yes, the love he had felt for this special woman was like something out of a fairy tale.
Rose Dewitt Bukater had become the sun and the moon to him. He adored her. She was young, beautiful, and smart. Although only seventeen, she was as mature as anyone his age. She had a fire in her, it raged and rattled through her. He was drawn to that fire, that spirit that ran within her. He had wanted that fire desperately. He wooed her, spoiled her with gifts of roses, jewelry, chocolates, and whatever else he could think of. He took her to museums, balls, every social event of the season. And yet, she did not fall for him as all the others had. No, she didn't seem fazed at all by his attempts at winning her heart.
This hurt him greatly. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't love him. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't feel for him what he felt for her. Fortunately fate stepped in and made her his anyway. He had learned that her family had suffered greatly after the loss of her father. Her mother, Ruth, was left in debt with no way to pay it. His wealth could finally give him something that he truly desired. He spoke to her mother, charmed her with his personality and money and convinced her that a marriage between Rose and himself would secure them for life.
Ruth accepted at once and Rose became his. She would be his wife, his partner for life. He was overjoyed by this, but Rose was not. She tried so hard to fight him. She ignored everything he did for her. She would not be his. She would not, and he knew it. He accepted it and took a different approach. If he could not win her love, he would control her. She would not go about and fight him. She would be his, just not willingly. He made himself believe that in time she would care for him. He made himself believe that once they were wed, she'd finally accept it.
He was very wrong.
Rose was very hard to win over, but it didn't matter. He swept her away to parties in Florence, balls in England, and regattas in Ireland. He bought her gowns, diamonds, and pearls. He entertained her love of art and bought her paintings from unknown artists, who in his opinion would never go far in life. He bought her large books full of sonnets and poetry. He sent her flowers every day. He even agreed to wait until her grandmother passed to have the engagement party.
They arrived in London in early March, burying her beloved grandmother. Rose had been extremely upset by her passing, and in a moment of weakness, had allowed him to kiss her. He had felt her spirit, her fire, and he had wanted all of it. But, he had come to his senses and realized that taking advantage of her in her time of grief would not make her love him. So, he waited, just like he always had.
He had thought that booking tickets for the Titanic would excite her. After all, everyone wanted to be part of that ship's maiden voyage. Rose didn't even say a word. She didn't care at all. He was determined to make her his, he wasn't about to give up. Ruth comforted him with soothing words, assuring him that Rose would come around in time.
The Titanic had been beautiful. It was the most beautiful ship he had ever seen. Rose had compared it to another, but he knew that she was amazed by it as well. The dinner parties were fantastic, the others joyfully enthusiastic about their engagement, but Rose shut herself out. He should have known that something would go wrong.
After Rose was saved by that third class peasant, Jack Dawson, Cal knew he had to keep her locked away. He let his rage get the best of him and attacked her. He let his possessive nature take over and frighten her. Rose had sought comfort from that peasant and had in the process betrayed him. Unfortunately, the Titanic had hit an iceberg and sank, taking 1500 souls with it deep into the ocean.
He had thought Rose was dead. He had gone mad with grief thinking that he'd never see her again. He had thought that his last moment with her would've been one full of rage and jealousy. But, for some reason, he was given a miracle. Rose was alive and back with him. Jack had died, but that didn't really matter to him. What truly mattered was that his precious Rose was alive and he had been given a second chance with her.
Cal stepped out of the carriage, holding his hand out to assist Rose. She was pale and shaking. He had thought that she would get better, but it had been two months since the sinking of the Titanic. She hadn't spoken since he had found her on the Carpathia, wrapped in a blanket and weeping like a child. He had taken her into his arms, and to his surprise she hadn't fought him. In fact, she hadn't done much of anything since that day.
Rose was dead to the world. The doctors had said that she was in shock and that it would get better but it would take quite some time. Cal had decided to take care of her, to nurse her back to the perfection that she once was. He yearned for her fire. He missed her spirit. He had prayed to the Gods, pleaded with them to bring her back. It was a waste, for nothing could really save Rose. Only she could wake up from the nightmare that had become her life.
He took her hand and led her into the mansion, not noticing the look of fear that had spread across her face.