That morning, directly after breakfast, Rose slipped away and headed down to the third class area of the ship. She had stayed up all night, thinking about Jack and how she could see him again before dinner and hopefully alone. The idea came to her right before she drifted off to sleep. She would go look for him on the ship. He was in third class, so he shouldn't be too difficult to find.

So the next morning, Rose woke up and the minute she was dressed and had eaten a quick breakfast, she went in search of Jack. She had to admit, she looked forward to seeing him again. He was kind, friendly, and handsome, and not to forget interesting. The first place she searched for Jack was in the third class social center. She shifted uncomfortably as she felt the stares on her. It was like no one had ever seen a first class lady before. It didn't take long for her to spot Jack sitting with Tommy and Fabrizio, playing with a little girl named Cora. She nervously approached him, unsure of what his reaction will be in seeing her down there. Tommy and Fabrizio's mouths fell open in awe as they watched her approach Jack. Of course, they both remembered Tommy's words the day before and to see that the Irishman was proven wrong was a shock. It was Cora that finally announced Rose's presence.

"Jack there's a princess standing behind you," the little girl giggled, causing Rose to blush and smile shyly. No one has ever called her a princess before. Well...maybe her father had at one point, but that had been the only time.

"Oh really," Jack smiled at the little girl, thinking she was joking.

"Really. See," Cora pointed to Rose who was smiling and blushing, flattered at being called a princess.

Jack smiled and decided to humor the little girl. He turned around and his eyes widened to see Rose standing before him. He immediately stood up, wiping his hands on his pants, feeling as if they were sweaty. Cora, Tommy and Fabrizio was suddenly forgotten. "R-Rose. Hello again."

"Hello Jack," Rose smiled, once again being taken into his beautiful blue eyes. "Can I speak to you…in private?"

"Sure," Jack smiled and turned back to his friends. "I'll see you guys later."

"Jack!" Cora ran up to him.

"Yes Cora?"

"Remember you promised me a dance at the party tonight!" Cora grinned.

"I'll remember,"Jack smiled, ruffling the little girl's hair. It was obvious he had a soft spot for children. Rose was certain he would be a great father someday. She just hoped that the mean girl wasn't a part of his life in that way.

They walked in silence as they walked through third and second class, neither of them knowing what to say or where to start. Finally, when they're at the first class gate, Rose decided to make the first move.

"Mr. Dawson…"

"Jack."

"What?" Rose nervously asked.

"Call me Jack. Mr. Dawson was my father," Jack smiled.

"Okay. Jack," Rose smiled, loving the sound of his name on her lips. "Call me Rose."

"Okay Rose," Jack smiled. She had obviously forgotten that they were already on first name basis from the night before, which he found adorable.

"Jack," Rose was nervous. She felt as if she should explain her actions the night before. But she wasn't ready for that yet. Instead, she wanted to know a little more about her savior. Where was he from? What did he do for a living? Who was that woman who was so mean to him last night? Was she someone of importance to him? "So Jack. Where are you from?"

Jack looked at her in surprise. By the way she sounded she was going to tell him about what happened last night, but instead she was asking him about himself. Well he was just going to have to be patient. She obviously wasn't ready to tell him what was behind last night's suicide attempt and he wasn't going to push her. She'll tell him when she was ready.

"Well, as you already know, I'm from Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. I lived there for the first fifteen years of my life. When I was fifteen, my parents died in a fire and my sister had ran away from home with some guy my parents didn't like two years back, so since I didn't have any other family there except Caroline, my fiancée, you met her last night. Well we lit on out of there. You can say we've been a couple of tumbleweeds blowing in the wind ever since."

"Caroline. She doesn't strike me as a very nice person," Rose replied rather bluntly. She knew that she was possibly being rude, but she couldn't help it. She shuddered as she remembered the girl's treatment of Jack. It was horrid.

"She's okay. She's just a little uptight," Jack shrugged. "But she is quite pleasant at times."

A little uptight? Rose thought to herself. The girl was a younger version of her mother. She had belittled Jack in front of complete strangers. The girl was flat out horrible and he deserved better. He was too nice and way too handsome to be treated in such a manner. He deserved a girl who adored him and would never belittle him. A girl like…she stopped herself from finishing the thought. What was she doing? She hardly know Jack and yet here she was, determining what he needed. It was obvious that he cared for this Caroline. But did he love her? Did he truly love her and want to spend the rest of his life with her or was he still with her because he thought that he couldn't get any better?

"You're quiet all of a sudden," Jack smiled, interrupting her inner dialogue.

"Oh I'm sorry. I guess I got a little lost in thought."

"Oh," Jack nodded.

It was time for a change in subject before she said something that she shouldn't. Jack didn't need commentary from a stranger on his relationship with his fiancee. Maybe he was happy with her. Maybe he didn't mind her bad treatment. She doubted that was the case, but it wasn't her place to confront him on it.

"Jack…I know what you must be thinking. Poor little rich girl. What does she know about misery."

"No. No that's not what I was thinking at all. What I was thinking was what could have happened to this girl to make her think she had no way out," Jack stopped and stared into her eyes. Looking into his eyes, Rose felt like she could trust him with the truth. That he would keep all of her secrets and tell no one. That he would listen and not judge.

"It's my mother. She hates me!" She cursed herself as tears begin to flow from her eyes. She hated herself for this most of all. That her mother's treatment still brought tears to her eyes, no matter how used to it she was. It shouldn't hurt like this anymore, but it did. "All she does is stand there and tell me what a horrible daughter I am and how stupid I am. That she wished someone else was her daughter, not me!" Rose covered her face, embarrassed that she was getting so emotional in front of a man she didn't even know.

"Rose," He placed a secure arm around her shoulder and they begin walking again. His heart went out to this girl. It was awful for a mother to be so creul to her daughter. From what he's seen, Rose was a nice girl. "Don't cry Rose."

"Last night I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to end it all right there and then. Just escape from it all, you know? It wasn't until you came up to me and began talking to me that I realized that I would be giving her what she wanted and I shouldn't do that. That instead I should prove her wrong. Prove that I wasn't unlovable, or stupid. That I could make something out of my life."

"That's right Rose. You are smart and you're not unlovable. I bet that a lot of people love you and you don't even know it," Jack turned her to face him. He had a need to refute her mother's words. To let her know that things may seem bad, but they really weren't and that she could make something of her life, despite the hateful woman that raised her. He was glad to see that she had come up with the realization on her own and was no longer eager to end her life. It would have been a huge tragedy and loss if she had.

Rose looked into his eyes, wishing that it was possible for him to court her like a normal suitor would. That he was an option. But she knew that it was impossible. They had just met. He wasn't of the same class as her, not to mention that he was already engaged.

"Thank you Jack," Rose smiled, trying to push all romantic notions that this man brought up in her aside. "You've done so much for me."

"Well I'm glad,' Jack smiled, kind of basking in her presence. He wouldn't admit that to himself, he couldn't. He was engaged and it was wrong to feel romantic towards another girl, especially one as beautiful as Rose. He just added the fuzzy warmth he felt towards her as the start of a friendship. Never mind that he didn't have the same warm fuzziness towards Fabrizio or Tommy.

"So Jack, tell me more about yourself," Rose smiled, finding herself enjoying this time with Jack. He may never be hers, but it didn't matter. For the first time since this voyage, the weight of her mother's abuse was lifted and she was actually enjoying the voyage.

…..

It's lunchtime and Caroline was pacing the dining saloon. Where was Jack? He had never missed lunch before and here he was late, just when she needed to talk to him. She had to coach him on how to behave in first class. She was not going to have him behave the same way he did in third class with his friends and embarrass her! She had looked all over for him, but there was no sign of him anywhere. He wasn't even with Fabrizio and that was a first. Ever since they boarded this ship, Jack and Fabrizio had been inseparable. But instead of with Jack, she found Fabrizio with that Irish lout and that girl Helga.

That is when she noticed two girls staring in her direction and turn away giggling. She wondered what was up with them. Why were they finding her so amusing all of a sudden. She went over to them to find out.

The brunette's , whose name was Kate, eyes widened as Jack's fiancée approach. She definitely didn't like Caroline Simmons. She was mean and rude and a social wannabe. Neither Kate nor her sister Natalie that Caroline was worthy of such a sweet and handsome guy like Jack. That's why they had been so pleased to see a real society girl come down to third class that morning and walk out with Jack, who didn't seem to mind the company. In fact, if they didn't know better, by the way Jack and the girl was looking at one another, one would have thought they were engaged. Yes, Caroline was getting what she deserved.

"What's so funny?" Caroline narrowed her eyes at the girls.

"Well we were just wondering," Kate, turned to face the annoyed American, "What Jack and that girl from first class was talking about this morning."

"Girl from first class?"

"Yes. Some red head dressed real fancy came down here this morning looking for Jack. He left with her and hasn't been back since," Natalie giggled, also pleased to stick it to Caroline, who had snapped at her and called her an Irish milk maid, angering her. "What could they possibly have to talk about?"

"Perhaps they're not talking at all," another Kate laughed.

That did it. Caroline's anger reached sky high. How dare these girls insinuate that Jack would cheat on her! He would do no such thing! She was going to put a stop to this rumor mill and she was going to put a stop to it now! She turned on her heels and head for the first class area of the ship. It was about time that her and Miss. Dewitt Bukater had a long talk about keeping their hands off other people's fiancées.

…..

Jack and Rose were now in first class setting in a couple of deck chairs. Rose was leafing through Jack's art portfolio. She had spotted it when her and Jack had a small argument about caviar and had grabbed it and was amazed at the talent inside.

"Oh Jack," Rose breathed. "This is exquisite work."

"Thanks, Caroline and the critics in ole Parie don't seem to think so," Jack looks down at the ground, feeling a little bitter at the lack of support from his fiancee and the disinterest of the Parisian critics.

"Well Caroline doesn't know true art when she sees it and…wait a minute. Did you say Paris?"

Jack nodded.

"Why you do get around for a p…a person of limited means," Rose caught herself before she offended him, which was the last thing that she wanted to do.

"It's alright, a poor guy, you can say it," Jack laughed good-naturedly.

"Well well well," Rose came across a group of nude drawings. "And these were drawn from life?"

"Yeah. That's the good thing about Paris. A lot of girls willing to take their clothes off." Jack reaches over and turns a couple of more pages to a lady with sad eyes wearing a moth-eaten fur coat. "And this is a lady that sat in this bar every night waiting for her long lost love. We used to call her madam Bijoux. See how her clothes are all moth-eaten?"

Rose nodded and looked deeply into Jack's eyes. "You have a gift Jack, you do. You see people."

"I see you," Jack said, looking at her seriously.

"And?"

"You wouldn't have jumped."

Rose looks at him in awe. He really did see people. He read her like a book.

…..

Caroline stood far enough away she wouldn't be seen, but close enough to hear and see what was going on between Rose and Jack. Right now, Rose and Jack were leaning against the rail looking out at the ocean, unaware of Caroline's presence.

Jack had just gotten through telling her about the time in Santa Monica where he had drawn pictures for ten cents apiece.

"Oh why can't I be like you Jack? Just head out for the horizon when ever I feel like it?" Rose waved her hand out towards the ocean. "Say we go there sometime to that pier…only if we ever just talk about it…"

"No we'll go," Jack smiled. "We'll drink cheap beer. Ride the roller coaster 'til we throw up. And ride on the beach, right in the surf. But you'll have to do it like a real cowboy. None of that sidesaddle stuff."

"You mean one leg on each side?"

"Yeah."

"Can you show me?"

"Sure. If you like," Jack nodded. Thrilled at the thought of showing Rose the Santa Monica pier and doing all of those things together.

Of course, Caroline was anything but thrilled by the prospect. Not if I can help it, Caroline thought to herself.

"Teach me to ride like a man," Rose smiled.

"And chew tobacco like a man," Jack said in a country accent.

"And spit like a man!" Rose laughed.

"What? They didn't teach you that in finishing school?"

"No," Rose shook her head.

"Well then come on. I'll teach ya now," Jack took her hand, his eyes mischievous.

"What? Jack no! No Jack!" Rose pulls back, but Jack pulls her over to where they're staring straight out over the ocean. It was obvious that he was not going to take no for an answer.

"Now watch this." Jack hocked it back and lets it fly out over the ocean. Rose twists up her nose.

"That's disgusting," Rose exclaimed.

"Your turn. You try it," Jack turns to Rose.

Rose simply spits and watches it just fall into the ocean.

"That was pitiful. You do it like this!" Jack described what to do as he did it and let another one fly into the ocean.

Rose did as he directed and spits. This one better than the last.

"That's better, but you really gotta hock it up," Jack demonstrates again. "See. Now you try."

Rose was hocking it back just as her mother and Aunt Molly come strolling up to them. Ruth's face was turned up in disgust, even more than it normally was.

"Rose what in heavens name are you doing!" Ruth exclaimed in disgust. "Get over here right this instant. Disappear for hours on end and I find you doing this!"

"Jack there you are!" Caroline decided to make her entrance and immediately grabbeds his arm tightly, pulling him away from Rose, who just glared at her. "I've been looking all over for you. You missed lunch and now it's time for supper. Whatever are we going to wear?"

"Don't worry dear," Ruth came up and took Caroline's arms. You may wear one of Rose's fine dresses. She doesn't mind. Ruth wrapped an arm around Caroline's shoulder and led her into their stateroom. Rose looked after Ruth and Caroline, a strange expression in her eyes that didn't go unnoticed by Molly.

"Jack," Molly turns to the young man who was looking at her niece. "What do you plan to wear?"

"Isn't what I have on okay?" Jack asked.

"Oh boy. I'm telling ya Rose, it's a good thing that your friend Jack is the same build as your older cousin or we may have a catastrophe on our hands," Molly laughed, taking both Rose and Jack by the arm and leading her to the staterooms.