A/N: Okay, so I posted this last night and about five to ten minutes after, I realized of a better plot twist. So I took it down and redid it. Sorry if you guys got confused at all when trying to read/review it and it vanished!

March 1912

Rose tiptoed quietly to the back door. Her shoes dangled from her hands. If her mother caught her sneaking out of the house, Rose knew exactly what would happen. Ruth would go on and on about how her marriage to Cal was the only thing keeping their heads above the waters of society's cesspool. The real danger laid in Cal however. Rose knew if Cal found out of her affair, he would divorce her. Only he wouldn't divorce her quietly; she knew he'd drag her name through the mud, making sure that the Dewitt-Bukater reputation was ruined.

Stepping outside in the chilly March air, she shivered as she slipped into her shoes. Rose pulled her coat tighter around her and walked quickly away from the mansion. Her mother was sound asleep in the east wing and Cal wasn't even there, having been called away to London on business.

Caledon Hockley had been one of the most eligible bachelors in the state of Pennsylvania. Arranged by Ruth, Cal had begun to court Rose very soon after her father died. In May of 1911, they were married. Rose hated the idea of being married at the age of seventeen, especially since Cal was not her favorite person. Since they had gotten married however, they had managed to keep a delicate balance of give and take. More often than not Cal upset that balance, taking more than he gave.

After the first of the year Cal had to travel for business in Europe. He left in January and sent for Rose and Ruth in February. Cal took traveled with them through London and Paris and went with them to Milan. It was there that Cal had been called back to London to finalize a tricky contract for Hockley Steel. Before he left, he had escorted Rose and her mother to Rome.

When in Rome, Rose had met Jack Dawson.

Rose thought of Jack, ignoring the bitter wind that blew right through her clothes. She had met him only two short weeks ago, the day after arriving in Rome.

Two Weeks Ago

Rose walked quickly in the park. Her frustration could be heard in her footsteps. Why are you so stupid Rose? She had been mentally scolding herself for the past week. In the past ten months of marriage, Rose had hoped that she and Cal would learn to love one another, not just keep the delicate balance. This trip only proved to her that she was trapped in a loveless marriage. Even when Cal had been traveling with her, he was distant, and more often than not he was holed up in an office somewhere handling business.

Rose wasn't paying any attention to where she was going. She kept her head down, staring at her shoes. Cal will always love his money and career more than you. Best to just accept that. It wasn't until she plowed right into Jack that she even knew there were other people walking around.

"Pardon me miss," he said kindly. The portfolio Jack had in his hand fell to the ground, papers scattering everywhere. Just as he was about to bend down to pick them up, Rose snapped.

"Why don't you watch where you're going? How can you not see a person and walk right into them?" Rose was as fault as well, but she was too upset to neither notice nor care.

Jack looked at her amused. "My apologies miss. But I wonder, if you saw me coming, why didn't you simply step to the side?" Jack's voice was lighthearted and friendly.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Her cheeks turned a deep pink when she realized she was just as guilty. Then she realized Jack had talked to her like a normal human being, not a fragile doll.

"I...I apologize as well," she said as he bent down to pick up his drawings. Somewhat ashamed of herself, she bent down to help him.

"That's alright, don't worry about it," Jack said casually, looking at her. "It's not the first time I've been ran over, though it is the first time such a beautiful woman ran me over." Rose's already pink cheeks turned crimson, and Jack didn't think she could be anymore endearing. She had the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Her skin, though bright red at the moment had a creamy pale softness and it set off her radiant red curls. The greenish blue of her eyes captivated him.

Rose felt herself smile when he looked at her. His sea blue eyes were relaxed and happy. He tossed his head, flicking some of his sandy blond hair from his tanned face. Her already blushed face deepened in color and she looked down quickly.

"Are you an artist, or something?" she asked, gathering some of the papers. Jack shrugged as she looked through them. He couldn't help but notice Rose's face as she studied his sketches. She looked almost mesmerized. "These are rather good. They're very good in fact."

"Thank you," he replied. There was something in his tone of voice that said he meant it. His voice warmed Rose and the next thing she knew they were engrossed in a conversation about art. Rose felt genuine smiles spread across her face and her laughter was real, coming from deep within her.

It had been three days later when they made love for the first time. They had continued to meet in the park, unknown to anyone. Ruth always napped at that time, and with Cal in London, she was free to go where she pleased. Shortly after her wedding, Rose had managed to convince both Cal and her mother that Trudy did not need to accompany her everywhere she went. Rose was never so grateful for getting her way for once.

They got caught in a sudden rainstorm and they fled to find shelter. Jack's small apartment was just two blocks away and they ended up there. They were laughing so hard tears had broken free from their eyelids.

Jack knew Rose was married. He also knew that her marriage was not happy. She hadn't mentioned Cal much, but when she did there was darkness in her eyes. But here now, soaked to the bone, laughing so hard she was crying Rose was beyond beautiful.

The next thing Jack knew, he was kissing her. For a second, Rose kissed him back, but then she pulled away from Jack in shock. Before he could apologize for his impulsive act, Rose slapped him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Jack rubbed his stinging cheek, certain she had hit him hard enough to leave her handprint behind. "I'm sorry," Jack said sincerely. "I don't know what got into me."

"I'm married!" she yelled at him. "Why would you think that would be a good idea?"

Jack couldn't help but be amused. He had a very good suspicion that if Rose was as pissed as she was acting, she would have just left. Then again, she may want to give you a piece of her mind first. Either way, he didn't want her to leave. Tread carefully.

"Happily married?" Jack asked.

"What? What does that have to do with anything?" Rose stood there with her arms crossed and glared at him. "You're absurd."

"Well, if you were happily married, you wouldn't have kissed me back."

"I –" Rose was lost for words. She had kissed him back. She'd been unable to stop herself. Cal had never kissed her like that, and he rarely kissed her. Grabbing her wet coat off the chair, she tried to give him a final glare. Jack saw softness behind the glare though and bit his lip to keep from smiling. "I'm leaving," she declared.

She walked out of his apartment without a saying another word. Jack remained silent as well. When she slammed the door behind her, Jack finally let himself smile. He knew he'd see her again.

Rose walked home and tried her best to be mad at Jack. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from reliving the kiss in her head. She was glad to see her mother was still asleep when she arrived home and explaining why she looked like a drowned rat could be avoided.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she gingerly touched her lips with her fingertips. They still tingled from Jack's kiss. Rose watched as her cheeks grew pink and a smile came to her mouth. Suddenly, she couldn't wait until tomorrow afternoon to see him again.

By dinner, she was working up the courage to sneak out after her mother retired for the evening.

Just after ten o'clock that night Jack heard a knock on his door. "Be right there!" he called. Expecting it to be his friend Fabrizio, he marked his place in Emily Dickenson's Poems, placed it on the small bookshelf and answered the door. He wasn't expecting Rose to be on the other side.

"Rose," he said softly. "What are you –" Before he could finish his question, Rose stepped forward, grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. Jack couldn't stop his arms from encircling her waist as her wrapped around his neck. He wanted to kiss her harder, deeper, but forced himself to allow her to remain in control of the kiss. He didn't have to wait long because she brushed her tongue against his lips, beckoning him to deepen the kiss.

Rose broke the kiss slowly, savoring the feel of his mouth on her own. He pressed his forehead against his. "Rose," he breathed softly.

She placed her finger on his lips. "Don't talk Jack. Just kiss me." Jack smiled and kissed her. Rose's arms encircled his neck and suddenly Jack swept her up off her feet and carried her to the bed.

Present

Rose realized that she was just about to Jack's. Even though it was chilly outside, she felt as though she was sitting in front of a fire. The simple thought of Jack did that to her every time. Arriving at his tiny apartment, she knocked on the door.

Jack smiled when he saw Rose on the other side of the door. "Hi beautiful," he greeted with a kiss. "How are you?"

"Fine," she responded, pulling her coat off. Jack took it and tossed it over the chair near the door. She took his hand as he walked into the kitchen where he handed Rose a glass of cheap red wine. "Thank you."

They curled up on the couch that was just off the kitchen. Rose took another sip of her wine before placing the glass on the end table. Jack reached up and gently pulled out the few bobby pins from Rose's hair. He smiled as her hair cascaded down, framing her face.

Rose leaned forward and kissed his lips. As Jack returned her kiss, she pulled him on top of her as she laid back on the sofa. She moaned as he made love to her with a passion she didn't know existed.

After, Rose curled up next to him. Jack tossed a tattered blanket over them. She had a few hours with him before having to return to her own bed. Jack started talking about one of his past adventures and Rose listened intently. They laughed and teased. They kissed and they tickled each other. They play wrestled and made love twice more.

Jack walked with Rose about a third of the way home, when she was in the safer neighborhood. He knew Rose carried a knife in her boot, but he still didn't want her walking alone at night in the lesser parts of town.

Rose kissed him good-bye at their tree, the one where Rose carved J + R into the bark. Coincidentally, that was also when Jack discovered she carried a knife in her boot. He gave her a wink before watching her walk away. He watched until she turned the corner and went home, smiling to himself the whole way.

Rose too smiled as she climbed into bed for a few hours of sleep. Her final thoughts as she drifted off were of Jack.