"Rose, promise me that you'll live, and never let go of that promise. You're not gonna die here tonight, Rose. Not like this." Jack whispered through the biting cold.
"I promise, Jack. But you must promise the same." Rose was shivering so much the words almost didn't come out. Jack was silent.
"J-Jack? Promise me, Jack. You h-h-have to live too." Rose felt a cold tear fall down her cheek.
"I'm s-s-so sorry, Rose. B-but I'm not going to make it." Jack tried to smile.
"No. No. Jack! Please, Jack! Fight for me." She spoke so quietly.
"Rose, I can feel it. I can feel death coming for me, but it will be okay. It's a new adventure." His words were shaky and unclear.
"How do I live without you? You jump, I jump, remember?" Rose looked him in the eyes.
"This time, Rose, I'm jumping alone. But you'll be okay. I love you, don't you ever forget it." That pained Jack more than the cold. He was telling Rose to fall in love with another man, to live a life without him. He knew he was going to die.
"Tell me what to do Jack. What will I do alone?" Rose cried.
"Don't cry. Save every last bit of warmth you have. And live, Rose. Learn to ride a horse like a man, and be an actress. Win awards. Travel all over the world, I'll be with you. Fall in love. Make babies, Rose, and live to see them grow. Never let go, okay?" Jack's voice had faded by the end. Rose could hardly hear him.
"Jack. There's a boat, Jack!" Rose was as excited as you could be while fighting hypothermia. The ghost of a smile appeared on Jack's face. She would be safe. Now he could leave.
"Jack, wake up! There's a boat!" Rose shook him, but then realized what had happened.
"Oh, no! No! Wake up, please!" She remembered his words "save every bit of warmth" and told herself not to cry. The boat would leave if she didn't hurry, and she had made a promise to live. But was it worth keeping?
She remembered what Jack told her to do. Learn to ride a horse like a man, make babies, follow her dreams, fall in love. She vowed to never forget this and released Jack from the door.
"I'll never let go, I promise." She cried.
The boat had come for her later. Her life had changed forever. Jack Dawson's body lay resting at the bottom of the ocean, and now she had come to this resting place, once again. For the last time. Rose was in her hundreds now, and looked at the photos she traveled with. In one, she was on a horse, with one leg on each side. In another, she was surrounded by children and grandchildren. In another, she held an acting award. One of her favorite pictures was her wedding picture.
"See? I promised, Jack." The elderly lady whispered. She had dropped the Heart Of The Ocean into the sea that night. It may have been a stupid decision, but it was right. That necklace was bribery. That necklace had killed a man. It was the reason Jack and her were so late to get off Titanic. It was the reason her mother wanted her to marry Cal. She wanted his money.
But Titanic was called the ship of dreams…and it was. Rose fell in love for the first time on Titanic, and she returned to its resting place to die with it.
She lay in her bed, thinking of Titanic. Thinking of Jack. She had lived an accomplished life, and was ready to go. She was alone, but not really. She could feel the spirits of all those who perished on Titanic around her. She could see them waiting for her. She was in a white dress, and began to walk up the grand staircase. She saw Cora's smiling face, and Mr. Andrews waving at her. And she saw him.
He was waiting at the very top, looking stunning in his regular attire. His smile always made her smile. She grinned and progressed on to the next adventure. Rose chose her last words in that moment.
"I'll never let go."