Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in James Cameron's Titanic

In the shelters there is no separation of class, there's nobody looking up or down at anyone. There are only survivors sharing both the relief and guilt of being alive. Sometimes the big families of the Big Apple would come and pay a visit, and luckily some of them are very sympathetic. Rose was too preoccupied with thoughts of Jack to notice the living conditions. She hadn't given much thought to Ruth or Cal since stepping of the Carpathia. Then again, Jack had been more like a family to her in those two days than her mother and fiancé had ever been. And so it was with a forlorn look cast over her face that Mrs Crawley saw her for the first time on one of her trips. She was accompanied by her maid Anne as she went around asking the shelter staff is they had enough supplies when she spotted a young girl with curly red hair staring out the window. A bittersweet sensation swelled in her heart, those ginger locks reminding her of her beloved late daughter Mary, who had died at the tender age of sixteen to tuberculosis. She felt the urge to go talk to this girl and slowly approached her.

"Hello dear, how are you feeling?"

Rose was surprised to hear the voice coming from right next to her, as nobody had spoken to her in this place. When she turned around she was facing a kind looking woman.

"I uhh... I'm okay" she managed to get out. Mrs Crawley wasn't too convinced, she could see Rose's face was completely worn out with blood-shot eyes.

"My name is Mrs Crawley and this is my maid Anne", Anne offered Rose a smile before Mrs Crawley continued "may I enquire your name?"

"Oh sorry, I seem to have forgotten my manners. Rose Dawson".

"What a beautiful name. Rose dear, do you have anyone here in the city? Anybody that could be notified of your whereabouts? Somewhere you could stay once you leave here?"

"No, my family is not with me anymore" Rose replied while turning to look outside the window again. An idea had already cultivated in Mrs Crawley's mind.

"If you don't have any objections, would you like to come and work for my household? We would love to have you" she finished, realising she had no idea what status Rose's family came from. Rose turned her head again, bewildered by the offer.

"Are you sure? What if the rest of your family object? I don't know how welcome I would be".

"Nonsense! And anyways, we were looking to hire a new maid. Isn't that right, Anne?" Anne gave several nods. The next thing you know, Rose was sitting in the back of Mrs Crawley's car next to Anne while her new employer was sitting boldly in the front with the chauffeur.

"Don't you worry even a little bit. They're a very nice family, we're all treated wonderfully" Anne assured her. Rose smiled at her words, although Anne could tell she was still sad. "But I can't say the same for our bossy butler, so don't take it personally if he barks orders at you", the mood seemed to lift as both girls laughed.

Jack had been coughing for days and the wooly feeling in his nose and head still hadn't reduced. He had been told by nurses and doctors that he had a severe fever after going through hypothermia. Someone from the Carpathia had rushed him over in an unconscious state, and a doctor had then reported back Jack's name once he awoke so it could be included in the survivor list. But none of that mattered to him because he only had one thing on his mind. Rose.

In his mind he had a fading memory of Rose still lying on that door before he lost consciousness, and after waking up all he asked was what had happened to the girl who was in the water with him, but the hospital staff had just said that they only brought him in. Rose wouldn't have just swam off somewhere, she must have been rescued too. He knew in his heart she wouldn't break the promise she had made. He was lost in his thoughts when a nurse who he had come to know as Kathy walked up to him. She had a sweet face and her light blonde hair was neatly tied up in a bun. Kathy had been watching over him the first few hours and couldn't help but notice his striking face, and when she had gently asked him to calm down after he woke up she had seen those piercing blue eyes which suddenly made him even more handsome than she thought before. After that she had taken every opportunity she could to check up on him.

"And how are we doing today?" she asked with a beaming smile.

"Not any better, truth be told. I don't feel good at all".

"How do you expect to feel good when you don't make any effort? Cheer up, smile, laugh, be happy that you are alive".

"It's easier said than done, miss", Kathy felt her cheeks warming up at the last word. "I can't be or do any of those things until I find out what happened to her". Kathy had been hearing about this Rose person for days and she couldn't help but feel a slight jealousy every time he mentioned her. Although Jack still hadn't disclosed his exact relationship with this woman, she could tell it must have been intimate. "Did you find out if a survivor list has been published yet?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure, but I'll check the papers for you and report back".

"Thank you, Kathy". Jack liked talking to Kathy. She didn't greet him with medical jargon or wear a somber expression like the rest of the staff. She was good company, if only brief. Kathy however wasn't keen on Jack reading a survivor list. She didn't want him to see something that would break his heart.

"They printed a list of survivors today", one of the kitchen maids announced as Rose and Anne picked up the dishes with breakfast on them to take upstairs to the dining room. She had been working in the Crawley household for a few days now and was glad to be liking her new home. There were two other maids apart from her and Anne, half a dozen kitchen staff, and a valet for Mr Crawley. Mr Crawley had turned out to be a gentle soul who had spotted the resemblance between Rose and Mary as well and had given Rose a warm welcome. At the maid's words, everyone carefully glanced at Rose.

"Let me see that!" Anne said, taking the newspaper from the kitchen maid and diverting everyone's attention to her. Everyone present except Rose huddled around her to view the accompanying article and pictures.

"Rose, would you like to look?" asked another maid quietly.

"No", she replied deadpan, "nothing in there to interest me".

A/N: Like I said, a lot more dialogue in this chapter! I hope you enjoy it :)