A/N: I don't own Titanic or it's characters, they belong to James Cameron. I promise to update the "final" (for now) chapter of "Titanic 97 DVD To FFN".
Summer 1923
It was a bright sunny day in New York City. Jack was at an art gala presenting his latest masterpiece. Rose was back at their apartment making breakfast for herself and their two kids. "Mommy what are you making?" 10 year old Josephine came into the kitchen.
Rose turned and smiled, "Eggs, waffles, and bacon," she replied.
"Oh, can I help?" Josephine asked, she loved cooking with Rose.
"Of course you can Josie!" Rose exclaimed, waving her over. Josie grinned and grabbed a rubber spatula to stir the waffle mix. "So do you think daddy's painting will be sold for lots of money?" she asked. Rose laughed "I hope so! He's such a good artist and it's always been a dream of his."
Josie nodded, her bright seafoam eyes wide in excitement. "I hope he does too, maybe we could all go on vacation!" she suggested.
Rose smiled "That's a great idea, where do you think we should go?" she asked.
Josie shrugged "Somewhere really cool-ya know-since you and daddy both love art so much. Maybe Italy like where daddy's friend Fabrizio is from because of DaVinci and Michaelangelo? Or Norway where Helga is from because of the pretty fjords? Or France like daddy went to draw the naked ladies-" Rose giggled at the thought of Jack's "French girls".
"-or the Sistine Chapel, or Egypt to the pyramids, or even somewhere tropical like Hawaii or the Bahamas!" Josie continued excitedly. Rose laughed "You're so like your father-you're both dreamers. Very artistic minded."
Josie smiled "I think you're artistic too mommy, don't you still want to be an actress? You're so good in those plays at the local theatre."
Rose laughed again "I'd love to be a professional actress, maybe someday it will happen." Josie grinned "I'd like to paint a big orange sun somewhere tropical with the sparkling blue ocean all around-I want to be an artist just like daddy." Rose smiled "I'm glad to hear that, never let go of your dreams, I learned that from your dad years ago."
Josie put some bacon in the frying pan on the stove. "Never let go, I know," she smiled.
Rose laughed "Your father is a wise man, much wiser than I when we first met that's for sure. I was lost in the world and he saved me in so many ways."
Josie stopped and looked at her mother, her seafoam eyes met Rose's green ones. "How did you meet daddy?" she asked.
"Yeah!" 8 year old Jackson chimed in, appearing in the doorway in his pajamas. Rose looked at her two children, they both looked so alike, a perfect mix of herself and Jack. Both of them had strawberry blonde hair and Jack's seafoam eyes. She smiled "I suppose I never told you, did I?" she laughed.
"Nuh-uh," Jackson confirmed, shaking his head "No".
Josephine shook her head also "No, please do tell! Pleeeeaseee?!" her ponytail bobbed up and down.
Rose giggled "Oh fine, I suppose. Sit at the table," she instructed, pointing for them to sit. Both kids eagerly scrambled into their seats at the table, wide-eyed. Rose laughed "Well, to tell this right, I guess I should start from the beginning. So it's time you know my real background-the reason you don't have grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins on my side of the family," she began.
Josie nodded for her to continue. "The truth is I ran away from my mother when I was seventeen, shortly before you were born-Josie, and my father passed away of a heart attack when I was fourteen. My father, his name was George Bukater, he was a successful businessman with a horrible gambling addiction-and he was an alcholic too. My mother's name is Ruth DeWitt, I don't know where she is now-"
"Why? How could you just leave your own mommy?" Josie interrupted.
Rose shushed her, "I was getting there. Anyways after my father passed mother and I found out about his gambling. The good DeWitt-Bukater name would be ruined when others found out about our serious debt, if we didn't do something we'd go bankrupt and be shunned by all of Philadelphia's high society. Both the DeWitts and Bukaters were old money, products of centuries of Dutch blue blood in Philadelphia. To mother, the shame would be unbearable. She could not accept it.
With our credit at stake she immediately sought out an arrangement with Pittsburgh steel tycoon Nathan Hockley on the terms that his 30 year-old son Caledon and I would be married. Cal was a heartless, controlling man-all he liked me for was my looks and he couldn't wait to get me in bed with him. I never loved Cal, not once, you know that famous ship that sank-the RMS Titanic in the Northern Atlantic?"
Josie and Jackson nodded "Yeah?"
"Caledon's father arranged for us to travel back to Philadelphia on that very ship, we had been in England to spread the publicity to old friends of my father's there, I met your father on the Titanic. He was third class and I was first class, we actually met when I tried to jump off the back of the ship-"
"You did WHAT?!" Josie's eyes bugged out in shock.
Rose laughed "I couldn't take my life anymore. Titanic was the Ship of Dreams to everyone, but me of course, to me it felt like a slave ship taking me back to America in chains. I felt as if I was being sold, Cal didn't love me and I didn't love him, my life flashed before my eyes as I pictured a life with Cal and figured it was best to drown my problems in the freezing, dark, Northern Atlantic ocean by jumping from the stern. I was wrong, your father was out on a bench smoking a cigarette, he stopped me and convinced me it wasn't the way to deal with it, it was the first time he saved me.
After that we began spending alot of time together. Cal invited him to join us for dinner in first class in gratitude for saving me. Then, he invited me to come down to steerage where there was a wild party going on. That's when I met his friends Fabrizio, Helga, Tommy Ryan, and Bjorn Gunderson one of his and Fabrizio's Swedish roommates. It was a lovely time, of course Cal gave it to me the next morning. Mother forbid me from continuing to see Jack, but we rebelled and saw eachother anyway.
I let him draw me "like one of his French girls" wearing only that Heart of the Ocean necklace Cal bought for me. I still have it, not because of Cal but because of the memory of that night in my parlor suite with your dad. Soon Cal became suspicious and sent his valet Lovejoy to look for us. He found us but we ran away, all the way down through the boiler room to the cargo hold. We made love there, actually, we made Josie there-"
"EW!" Josie squeaked. Jackson giggled.
Rose laughed "-anyways then of course as history goes-the ship hit the iceberg and began to sink. Cal had Jack, your dad, arrested by accusing him of stealing the necklace, but I rescued him later. We eventually made it up to the stern of the ship and held on. Hanging on below us was the Dahl family, Helga and her parents, they all fell into one of the forward rail gates in a big pile up. We didn't know where Fabrizio or Tommy were though. That night haunts my dreams, all the chaos, panic, and screams of innocent lives lost in that frigid water. It was an absolute nightmare, to this day I count my blessings that we survived.
The ship was about to go under and your dad told me to hold my breath and not let go of his hand. Thank Heaven I listened, we both ended up in the water. Like I told you, it was pure panic. Those without lifebelts tried to drown those with them, your dad didn't have one but he didn't dare take mine. Finally we came to a floating door amidst the debris in the water, there wasn't enough room for us both without it tipping so your dad let me get on.
Soon it got very dark and quiet, so many had passed. The very air was filled with sadness. 1500 people went into the sea that night, and only a few were rescued. Your father and I being two of them picked up in Officer Harold Lowe's lifeboat. For a minute I had thought I lost your dad, but then I realized he still had a pulse. As soon as I heard them calling out to the survivors I swam over and grabbed a whistle out of the frozen figure Officer Henry Wilde's mouth and blew loudly. We were saved.
Once on Carpathia we discovered that Fabrizio and the Dahl family were okay. However Tommy Ryan was badly shot, I'm not sure if he survived or not. Jack never heard from him, if he survived he must have been in the ship's hospital the entire time, perhaps unconscious. The stewards wouldn't let anyone besides family in to check so we didn't get the chance.
Of course Cal and my mother caught up with me and demanded I go with them. But I refused. I gave up my life of riches, all the expensive dresses and jewels, my precious paintings, everything-to be with your dad. I did so because I loved him, he loved me for who I was and we shared the same desires-we were like soulmates. I do believe we are today. So now you know our story, that your father and I were on the doomed Titanic. The unsinkable ship that sank. That we defied society and all the odds against us by loving outside of our respective classes. So yes it is possible that a first class girl can fall for a "gutter rat" as Cal so kindly called him.
It was the best choice I'd made, the first one I'd made all by myself, to go with your dad. He gave me you two kids, and even though I no longer have money and live a life of luxury, I don't mind. Because this is so much better." Rose finished, teary eyed.
Josie and Jackson's mouths hung open in shock. "I can't believe you guys were on the TITANIC!" Josie exclaimed.
"I can't believe you fooled around with daddy and made Josie in someone else's car!" Jackson laughed.
Rose blushed "Well-"
"I mean you guys were smack in the middle of the SINKING! After hearing about it in History, I discover my own parents were on the ship!" Josie exclaimed in disbelief.
Rose laughed "We would have told you sooner, but I wanted to tell you when you were a bit older. So you could understand. Besides, the memories are much too painful to talk about, so it would have been too soon. Anyways, now you know." She smiled sadly.
Josie's eyes were wide "So I was concieved on TITANIC! Oh my gosh!" she couldn't believe it.
Jackson's mouth was agape "Yeah...that's so cool mommy!" he exclaimed.
Rose smiled "It wasn't "cool" honey. It was devastating, traumatizing, sad-and the best thing that ever happened to me."