Chapter two

Rose had barely finished telling Jack the directions to her house before he slammed down the phone and took off running. His emotions running rampant he felt like the young man on Titanic again. He didn't care if she had a husband or if her children were sleeping. He wanted to see her pretty face and he wanted her to know that he did love her, he always had. By the time Jack had nearly made it to Rose's house it started to rain a gentle summer rain which made Jack think of a poem he had recently read.

Let the rain kiss youLet the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid dropsLet the rain sing you a lullabyThe rain makes still pools on the sidewalkThe rain makes running pools in the gutterThe rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at nightAnd I love the rain.

He recited the poem in his head as he rapped on her door. She opened the door slowly and gave him her famous grin. He couldn't help but melt in his shoes.

"Hello Rose."

"Jack" Rose stepped towards him and grabbed his soaking wet hand. "Get in here before you catch a cold."

Jack followed Rose, the sensation of her hand on his was almost too much for him to stand. Yet she seemed distant almost as though she wasn't sure of the man she was currently getting a towel for.

Rose walked back from the linen closet to where Jack was standing.

"I may have something you can wear in the closet. If you'd like?"

"All right."

Rose motioned for Jack to follow her down the hallway and he did, Jack tried to take notice of the pictures on the wall but the lights were off in the house and the faces in the frames were blurred.

Rose opened the closet doors, Jack eyed Rose's dresses and shirts as she kept digging into the back of the closet until she found a pair of pants and shirt.

"You can wear these, they were Alan's but I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Alan?" Jack asked, he couldn't help but be curious, this was his only love and the thought of another man made him jealous.

"He was my husband, but he died in world war one."

"Oh Rose,"

"No, don't feel sorry for me, I wasn't alone when he died."

"You had children?"

"One child a boy named Thomas."

"How old is he now?"

"Twenty."

"Twenty?"

"Jack, change and I'll tell you about it all later, I don't want you getting sick now that I've finally gotten you back."

Rose walked out of the room and closed the door, with those last words she had given him some solace. So she was happy to see him, and to have him back.

Jack walked into the living room carried his wet clothes in his arms. Alan's clothes fit him well although they were slightly big on him, Jack always liked his clothes to be big on him.

"You can put those over the heat register hopefully they'll dry."

Rose poured coffee into two mugs and set them down in on the table. She sighed, they had a lot of ground to cover.

"How did you find me Jack? I've been looking for you for twenty years and yet, you find my phone number?"

"This lady at Vito's said she worked with a Rose and she started describing you, I asked her if she knew where you lived but she said she only had your phone number. I took my chances and got your number. I don't know what I would have done had it not been you."

"That is so strange. I never thought I'd see you again. I never gave up on us but I never expected something like this to happen. Twenty years is a long time to be away from each other Jack."

"I know Rose, and if it all ends after tonight I'll feel like I've fulfilled everything I've ever wanted in my life."

Rose suddenly stood and walked to the window. She rubbed the edge of her coffee cup over and over again. The storm had picked up outside and the lightening was striking every few seconds. It was a wonder the power hadn't went out.

"Jack, there have been events in my life that I never thought I'd have to explain to you. So I never thought about what I would say if I had to." Rose sat her coffee cup down on the table. And then walked over to a hutch and opened a particularly stubborn drawer. She retrieved what she was looking for and sat back down next to Jack.

Jack looked at the blue book she was holding, she opened it and showed him the first picture.

"This is your son, Thomas."

"My son?"

"Your son, he's really the best of both of us. Mostly your looks, but the attitude is definitely both of us. He lives down town and works at a loading dock. He's very strong but has a great sense for art, just like you."

Jack reached for Rose's hand but she pulled it away and flipped to another page in the book.

"Here he is with Alan at four, this was the day Alan left for Europe. The last time I ever saw him." Rose wiped the tears from her eyes, "I thought that it would be okay, that if I lost him I could move on the way I did with you. I just thought that I could go to bed at night and Tom would make me smile and that everything would be all right. I wasn't okay though, because when I lost you I had a whole new life to look forward to, without Alan I had to live the same life but find a way to cope without him." Rose started sobbing "Why does this always happen to me?"

Jack wrapped Rose in his arms and she continued to sob. "I thought you had abandoned me, and I blamed you when Alan died. I don't know why I just thought that everything bad happened because of you." Rose leaned out of Jack's embrace "I'm sorry I blamed you."

"It's not your fault you blamed me, I should have tried harder to find you, but I always believe everything happens for a reason. Especially this moment, fate has something to do with it Rose."

"I'm sure of it. If we hadn't had that moment in the bowels of a doomed ship, I wouldn't have had a reason to keep going for the last twenty years."

"I never realized that our love making would have led to a baby. I mean…" Jack smiled

"You know that is how it happens right?" Rose asked and laughed, the playful nature in their relationship was falling back into place.

"Actually I'm not sure would you like to fill me in?" Jack boyishly smiled at Rose and she laughed again, louder this time and Jack was reminded of a time long ago before the pain and the struggles of life had made them both grow up.

XXX

They filled several hours talking about little things, avoiding the big question "Are we going to stay together?"

Jack had learned all about the son he would hopefully soon be meeting. How he loved music and had a girlfriend named Maria. He learned that Rose had raised him on the premise to make each day count and Tom did exactly that.

Jack watched Rose and how she laughed, it was exactly how he remembered. Her face had a soft touch of age to it and he fell deeper and deeper in love with her.

There come a time, around one in the morning when the conversation hit a small dip, and they both relished in the silence together, they had previously moved to the sofa, where Rose was leaning on Jack's shoulder.

"Oh what are we going to do Jack?"

"About what?" Jack asked slightly dozing off and then he realized what she meant.

"What do you want to do?" he added to his question

"I don't know, I certainly don't want this to end. I can't understand how we would make it work though. We've both been alone for so long."

"Rose, it was true the first time we were together, we were both so alone and we had each other then. Now that fate has brought us together again we have to take this chance. I'm leaving it up to you Rose, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."

Rose looked into Jack's eyes she had imagined him for twenty years saying I love you but now that he had really said it, it seemed unreal.

"I love you too." Rose said "I've waited too long to hear those words Jack. All conflicts aside I want to spend the rest of my life with you too I can't imagine it any other way."

Jack touched Rose's face and then touched her lips with his index finger before leaning over and kissing her. "Will you marry me Rose?"

"Yes, Oh Yes!" Rose squealed and kissed Jack she pulled him closer to her and leaned back so he was on top of her, for once in twenty years she felt safe, and what happened next was exactly like she had remembered and what she had longed for.


A/N: So that was chapter two, there will probably be about two or three more chapters if you all want them. I'm sorry for the cheesiness in that chapter. I just didn't know how to put it any other way. Thank you for reading!! Please review =]