Days on the Carpathia felt more like years to Jack. When he left steerage three days ago, he felt he had left himself behind. Catherine and Ruth didn't understand his misery, so they ordered him to go to the infirmary and obediently he did. It all felt like déjà vu, Jack once again felt like his life wasn't his own anymore. After an evaluation from the nurses, it was put down to shock and nothing more was said on the matter.

But on the 18th of April, the Carpathia pulled into the New York port. Jack leaned on the railing and casted his eyes to the Statue Of Liberty. He remembered Fabrizio excitedly rambling about it and instantly his heart sunk. When Jack got off this ship, none of that would even matter. He'd have to go about the life he chose without thinking of Fabrizio, Tommy or Rose. Jack joined the rest of his crowd as they flocked to the other side of the ship. The magnesium flashes of cameras twinkled below them as a large group of easily thirty thousand had gathered at the docks. When the ship stopped, they all began to evacutate the boat, happy to be back on solid ground. Jack dragged his feet behind Ruth and Catherine as they took in the attention as if they were Hollywood stars. He placed his hands in his pockets and remembered the piece of paper that Molly had given him. As if it were destiny, at that exact moment a woman jumped over the barriers to greet a man in front of Jack. Chaos ensured and quickly the crowd overtook authorities.
"Jack?" came Ruth's call as she saw him run off past the barriers into the streets of New York. But he didn't look back, his feet matching the wild pace of his heart as he escaped his former self.

When he was a comfortable distance away, Jack found the piece of paper in his pocket and read it out loud with trembling hands.
"Hotel Metropole, 147 West 43rd Street."
Jack knew he'd be safe there, Molly would never force him to make amends with Ruth or Catherine. He headed there quickly, hoping not to be found by his mother or his ex-fiancé. The roads were relatively quiet for such a bustling city, motor cars drove alongside horse drawn carriages and people walked quickly, dressed for the lovely spring day. Finally reaching his destination, Jack looked at the grand building that stood before him. The Hotel Metropole was as big and as glamorous as Mrs. Brown herself, the decorations and details within the lobby alone were luxurious and intricate. Jack ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled sharply, then made for the front desk.

"Can I help you sir?" came the receptionist's reply, as she eyed Jack's scraggly attire. He remembered that he didn't look like a first class lad anymore, given the trauma he had endured.
"Yeah I'm here to see Molly, I mean Margaret Brown" he replied politely, resting his hands on the counter.
"Is she expecting you, Mister- ?"
"Dawson, Jack Dawson ma'am. And I imagine she will be, when she gets back from the circus at the docks."
The receptionist looked sceptical but invited Jack to have a seat anyway. He gratefully accepted and sat beside the roaring fireplace. He found a newspaper and picked it up, seeing the headline about the Titanic's sinking splayed across the front page. His stomach turned as he read of the number of people who didn't survive, and saw a list of people hoping to find their missing friends and family. The words 'Dewitt Bukater' jumped out of the page and Jack's heart stopped. Rose's parents were looking for any information on her; they wanted to know if their daughter had survived the tragedy.

Jack continued reading on, getting angrier at the ineptitude of the White Star Line. His sudden anger was interrupted by the flashes of cameras as Molly Brown entered the hotel. The receptionist briskly walked to the door alongside a concierge member whom quickly collected her coat.
"Miss Brown, there is a man here to see you. He looks a little wild, should I escort him off the premises?"
Molly rounded the corner and took a look at Jack and grinned.
"You'd look like that too Miss Arlington, if you just survived a shipwreck."
Jack placed the paper down and crossed over to Molly.
"I had a feelin' you'd be here, your mother and Catherine have been very vocal in their concerns about your disappearance."
Jack shook his head, and felt like these people would never leave him alone.
"Please Molly, you can't let them know I'm here."
"I wouldn't dream of it sonny. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."
Jack stood there like a small, lost child and it was clear to Molly how much he needed somebody in his life to help him get through his grief.
"How about we have some tea?" she suggested softly, offering her arm to Jack.
"I'd love that" he smiled, taking her arm.

The two of them sat in a silence eating their scones and drinking fresh tea. Molly was the first to break the silence as she wiped crumbs from her mouth.
"What happened once you got back on the Titanic?" she inquired, "if you don't mind me asking Jack."

"Nathan Hockley got Rose locked up for something she didn't do. He bet me there and we had an altercation. Rose struck him with a chair and killed him."
Molly's eyes went wide as she took in this information.
"It was an accident, Rose was only protecting me" he continued, taking time to light up a cigarette. "We tried to get back but it was beginning to flood, so we went to find Rose's friends in steerage. The officers wouldn't let third class passengers out until all of the first class had been taken care of."
Molly shook her head in disbelief, and lit up a cigarette herself.
"I saw a boat with only twelve in it Jack. Those boats could have held more, I tried to get them to go back but they wouldn't. The suction would have taken us if the people in the water didn't."
Jack already knew this from the figures he saw in the newspaper, his hands were sore from being bunched into fists.
"It's not your fault Molly. It was the White Star Line's fault. The staff was getting swamped with passengers, one of our friends was pushed forward in the crowd and Murdoch shot him down."
Jack shivered a little, remembering the glassy look in Fabrizio's eyes as he bled out onto the deck.

"The ship started tilting, so Rose, Tommy and I made for the rails before the floor got too steep. We watched the sea come towards us, we faced the sea and knew it was going to take us under."
Jack took a sip from his tea, gulping as he tried to get the last of his story out.
"Rose and Tommy were nowhere to be seen. I made for a floating door and stayed on it until rescue came. I was one of six saved from the water, Tommy was another. Rose was not."
Molly took a drag from her cigarette and asked him softly "are you sure she didn't make it Jack?"
He hesitated in answering, recalling his encounter with Tommy and the revelation that she didn't make it. He had gone back to the steerage deck himself and looked for Rose, but she wasn't among the survivors.
"Rose is gone. And I wish I was gone too."
Molly stood up and clipped Jack on the ear to his surprise.
"Now listen here sonny," she said in an unusually serious tone "I won't sit here and pretend that you didn't lose a lot. I know that Rose was a special girl. But you survived for a reason, not many passengers of the Titanic can say that they did. Make it count Jack."
Jack looked up at Molly with a grin and nodded, drying his eyes with his sleeve.
"Will you help me Molly?"
She laughed and ruffled his hair with a warm smile.
"Of course I will."