One month later…

Santa Monica

It was their one month anniversary. Today, one month ago, Jack and Rose had said their vows and bonded their lives together for eternity. After that, they had continued on their journey to Santa Monica, and now here they were a month later, living in a small cottage that they had rented, not too far from the beloved pier that they had only been to once so far, but Jack planned for another trip to celebrate their coming together. He was sure that Rose would love it. Hopefully it'll bring her out of the grim mood she's been in lately.

He entered the kitchen to find her sitting at the table, looking incredibly pale. That was another thing. Rose had been sick for the past few weeks. She hadn't been able to keep anything down and she was constantly fatigued. Jack had begged her to go see a doctor, but she had insisted that she would be fine.

"Good morning, Rosebud," Jack smiled, coming in to sit across from her. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

Rose simply shook her head, hoping that she could at least seem somewhat normal today. She knew Jack was worried about her health, both physically and mentally, but she didn't want him to worry about her. Not today. Today was suppose to be a happy day, free from their every day worries. She was tired of being the reason he worried. She wanted to be a reason for him to be happy for once. She wanted today to be that day...but the sickness that had been plaguing her seemed to be even worse today, despite her wishes. Still...maybe Jack didn't have to know that. Not today.

"I haven't been hungry. I think that I'm too excited for today. You do remember don't you?"

Jack just laughed and took her pale hand in his tanned one. "How could I forget. It's the day when my life really began." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.

She felt her cheeks heat in a blush like they always did he when said such things. "You mean the day my life really began. I don't think that I had a life before you. Wait, I don't think...I know."

"I know it's been hard. Titanic, adjusting to life in a different class...but I'm glad that you're here with me Rose. I am. I love you more than anything."

Rose forced a smile, wanting to return those three words that she knew that she didn't say enough. She wanted to, but the grief she felt over the tragedy...sometimes it just swallowed those words and all she could do was feel. Feel her love for him mixed with the grief of what they had gone through. But today, it wasn't grief that held those words back. This time, it was the familiar rumble in that began in her stomach and flowed up into her throat. She barely made it to the toilet, where she emptied what was left from the little she had eaten the night before. Groaning, she slid to the floor, wondering what was wrong with her. She had never been this sick before and not for so long. She did know one thing. Any chance of making today a worry free day for Jack was completely out the window.

"Rose."

She warily looked up to see Jack standing in the doorway, a frown marring his handsome features, the worry was clear in his beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, okay. It's not your fault. You're sick and I think we should go see a doctor today. This has gone on long enough."

She just nodded, no longer having the strength or the will to fight him on it. He was right. This has gone on long enough. She needed to know what was wrong so she could get better. She needed to get better...for Jack, because he was the only reason for her going on at this point. She was sure that she would have just laid down and given up if she didn't have his love.

….

Jack sighed and again forced his eyes away from the closed door of the examination room. Rose had been in there for quite a long time and it was driving him crazy being away from her! Why they insisted on him waiting out here was beyond him. He and Rose had been through more together than most other couples! He should be in there with her now, finding out what was wrong with her for so long!

Finally, she came out and gave him a nervous smile as he got to his feet. He immediately went to her and took her hand.

"Well? What did the doctor say?" Jack asked, eager for the news.

"Can we go somewhere more private...maybe the beach?" Rose asked, looking away, not ready to share her news just yet. She wanted to go somewhere more...happy and relaxing.

Jack sighed, hating to seem impatient, even though he was. He wanted to know what was wrong, but he could never refuse her anything. "Sure. But you'll have to tell me when we get there, Rose. No stalling."

They left the doctor's office and grabbed a ride to the beach. They rode in silence, neither daring to speak. Rose was afraid that she'd spill her news before she was ready and Jack was afraid of pressuring her.

Fifteen minutes later, they set side by side on the beach, watching the tide roll in. Jack silently took her hand, feeling impatient. He had kept his questions at bay since they had left the doctor's. Now he needed answers. "Rose, what is it? Just tell me."

Rose took a deep breath, gathering the words that she needed but had a loose grip on. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. It wasn't bad news really. In fact, it was good news for couples, people like her and Jack who were starting a life together. She shouldn't be so nervous...but she was. She couldn't help it. Jack was a free spirit, a wanderer...this news...it would change everything about their plans.

"Rose," Jack said her name again, urging her to just spill the news.

"I'm pregnant," She blurted the words out, deciding to just go ahead and get it over with and deal with what came after. She looked at him, her heart pounding, fear clear in her eyes. She could only read clear shock in his eyes.

"What did you say?" Jack swallowed, the shock freezing his mind.

"I'm pregnant. That is why I've been sick all this time...we're going to have a baby."

"Oh my god," Jack blinked, trying to process the news. To be honest, he had never really thought about becoming a father, not even when he had married Rose. It had never seemed like a possibility for him...which was stupid. He should have known that this would happen. After all, when one marries, babies were sure to follow. Of course, that meant that a lot of things had to change. There definitely wasn't going to be as much wandering as he and Rose had planned. They were going to have to settle down. He was going to have to get a real job that really paid. It wasn't just him and Rose anymore, two adults who could take care of themselves. Now there was a helpless baby that needed them .

Jack's silence made Rose nervous. What was he thinking? Was he angry with her? Did he hate her for ruining his life of wandering the world, settling him with responsibilities? Did he not want a baby? Did he not want her? What if he didn't? What would she do then?

"Jack? Say something...please…," Her voice was so low, fear clear in her tone.

Jack blinked the shock away and his expression softened as he placed a gentle hand against her cheek. "I'm just in shock, Rose. I never really thought about children before...which is stupid since we got married. It should have been expected."

"I never thought of it either. I mean...when I was with Cal and was going to marry him, I suppose it was just expected...but after...all that had happened...it never occurred to me. I didn't even think of the possibility."

"I guess we'll settle down I suppose. We can stay here. The beach, the ocean air...that's good for babies, right? He or she will grow up happy and strong. We'll both make sure of it," He leaned in and gently kissed her, wanting to convey that he wasn't angry, that he was just nervous, but happy.

"So you're happy?" She asked when he pulled away.

"Yes. I'm happy. This is a good thing, Rose. Think of it, after all the death we've witnessed, it's great to be a part of creating a new life. Our love is not the only good thing that came from what happened...this baby is a good thing too."

Rose smiled, impressed by him. Jack always found the silver lining. Really, she didn't know how he did it, but he always did. She wished that she had the same ability. If she did, she wouldn't feel like she was stuck back on that awful night, when she had almost lost everything.

"I love you," he smiled, kissing her once again.

Closing her eyes, Rose thought the words back, hoping that somehow he'd feel her love for him despite her inability to say the words back.

…..

Seven months later…

Jack stood outside of the room, his face pale and hands trembling with nerves. Rose's screams from within were really getting to him. He couldn't understand it, why wouldn't the nurse let him stay? Rose needed him in there now more than ever, but the nurse had pushed him out, claiming that the birth of his child was nothing that a man should see, which was absurd in his mind! After all, he had a hand in making that baby, he should be there to help it's entrance into the world!

And then there was Rose...poor Rose who was still suffering the after affects of the Titanic disaster! Who still felt so much pain from the loss of all those people and who suffered a hard pregnancy...now she was to go through this...alone, when he had been by her side through everything else!

It wasn't fair!

One last scream from Rose and the loud sound of a baby's cry brought Jack out of his dark musings. The baby was here! It was here and there was no way he was going to stay out here any longer! He didn't care what that stupid nurse said! He opened the door and stepped into the room to see the doctor and nurse standing over an exhausted Rose, holding a squirming, screaming baby in their hands. Both of them looked at Jack with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Mr. Dawson, you cannot be in here, it inappropriate!" The nurse gasped.

"The hell I can't! That's my wife and my baby, I belong with them," Jack glared at the woman, daring her to defy him. He was not going to move an inch towards that door, not this time!

"Now Mr. Dawson…."

"Let him stay Myrtle. The baby is here regardless and he's right. His place is in here, tradition be damned," The doctor chuckled, cleaning off the baby and wrapping it in a pink blanket. "Mr. Dawson, you have a baby girl."

Jack blinked back his tears as all words dried up. A daughter. He had a daughter, he couldn't believe it. A baby girl. He had never in a million years even dared to dream that he'd have a baby girl. A perfect baby girl to grow up to look like Rose, he was sure.

He watched as the doctor slid the baby into Rose's arms and slowly walked over and knelt next to the bed. He looked at the squirming bundle and laughed when blue eyes opened to meet his own.

"She's beautiful Rose," he gasped, holding out a finger for the baby to grasp in it's tiny fist.

Exhausted Rose looked at the baby and then at Jack and felt a surge of love swell up for them both. The two most important people who were her world. The emotion she felt...it was too much...too much to put words to.

"She looks like you," was all she could say, noting the blond fuzz on the baby's head. "I'm glad that she looks like you...she's beautiful…."

"She looks like you too. She has your nose and your smile."

"Jack, she hasn't even smiled yet. How do you know?" Rose weakly chuckled.

"She has your mouth, so she has to have your smile," Jack laughed, kissing her head. "She's perfect Rose. We did good."

Rose had to agree. Looking at the small baby in her arms, they did good indeed. The baby was the most perfect thing that she had ever done.

"What do you want to name her?"

Rose frowned at the question. She hadn't really given any thought to names. What should they name her? She wanted something simple, but had meaning for them both. Something that represented where their family had come from. She closed her eyes as she remembered Titanic and the third class community. People coming over for a new life, a lot of them children. Children whose futures were cut short. A vision of Jack dancing with a little girl with brown curls and a sweet smile flashed before her eyes and her heart sank, realizing that she hadn't seen the girl on the Carpathia. What had her name been? What had Jack called her?

"You're still my best girl Cora"

"Cora. We should name her Cora..."

Jack blinked, the name more than familiar. He pictured the sweet little girl that had befriended him on Titanic. His heart ached at the thought of her, knowing that her and her parents hadn't survived. What a great way to honor her and it touched him that Rose had thought of it first, since she had only met the girl once.

"That's a perfect name, Rose. Cora Josephine Dawson."

Rose smiled at the name, liking the sound of it. "It suits her."

The doctor and nurse stood together and watched the small family. A young couple and their newly born child. The love the young man had for the woman and child was more than apparent and looking at the girl, no older than eighteen, one could see that the feelings were returned, even though there was a lot of sadness in those eyes. A sadness that made them wonder, would this young couple last? Will this child grow up with two loving parents? Or will things fall apart, like they sometimes do with young couples, who start a life together in the heat of the moment just to live to regret it later?

Only time would tell.