Jack's POV:
I'm sitting in a small, one bedroom flat, scouring the newspapers for any news on the DeWitt Bukateurs. It's been three months and I promised Rose that I'd find her and that's a promise I intend to keep. Though really, calling this is 'flat' is an understatement.
After I'd spent a few weeks in prison, they had finally let me out into the streets, though I'd had nowhere to go. I'd slept rough for a couple of weeks, before I stumbled across Fabrizio, who I thought had died that terrible night. He was kind enough to take me in and I'm grateful of course, but the living conditions are difficult to say the least.
All I think about is Rose. We survived the Titanic, I thought nothing could separate us. Nothing but Cal, Rose's fiancé who had ruined her life.
Fabrizio keeps telling me to forget about her, that she's probably married to Cal and is pregnant with her first child. As much as I try, I can't. She's the girl who changed my life for the better and winning that ticket was the best thing that had ever happened to me, because it had bought her to me.
The front door creaks open and I hear Fabrizio step through the door, then the familiar sound of his feet scraping against the door mat. Then, another set of feet do that same. That's funny, Fabrizio never brings home anyone, I think. Oh. Then a small smile spreads across my face. I should probably stay out of the way, but honestly, there's nowhere to go.
"Jack?" He calls out and I stand up, picking up my mug of cold tea I'd forgotten I'd made.
"In here." I call back, walking towards the door to greet him.
I turn around the corner and it takes me a while to realise what I'm seeing. It's the sound of my tea mug smashing against the floor and feeling cold tea seep through the holes in my boots that brings me back.
Rose is standing next to Fabrizio in the door way. Rose DeWitt Bukateur. My Rose.
She sees me and bursts into tears and runs towards me. She crashes into me, throwing her arms around my neck. "Jack." She cried. "Oh my god, Jack."
"Rose." I say, hugging her back. I take her face in my hands and kiss her. "I'm sorry, I've been looking for you every single day. I'm so sorry, Rose." I say, realising I'm crying too.
She shakes her head. "Don't be sorry." She says. "But please don't ever let me go back to Cal." She says, as I wipe the tears from her eyes with my thumbs.
"Never." I say. "I'm not letting you go ever again."
My hands squeeze hers and I realise she's trembling. I look down and see purple bruises dotted around her hands. Gently, I roll up one of her sleeves and see the same. "Rose..." I whisper, my fingers carefully running over them. "Did Cal do this to you?" She nods, but says nothing. "Why?"
I'm completely bewildered. Cal was so in love with Rose, he didn't realise that she didn't return his love until I first met her. "He told me he'd stop when I said I loved him and not you." She says. "But I never did. I thought about you every moment of every day, Jack."
"Me too." I say, drawing her close again. "You're not planning to go back, are you?"
"Are you mad?" She says. "Of course not. I want to stay here." She turns to Fabrizio, who I'd completely forgotten was there. "I know it's a lot to ask of you, but it would only be for a few days."
He nods and smiles. "Anything for the love of Jack's life." We laugh. "Come on," he says, leading through to the kitchen, "I'll make dinner. You have a lot to tell us!"
He hurries through to the kitchen and we watch him go. "I love you, Jack." She says. "I knew I'd see you again."
"You jump, I jump, right?" I say with a smile, remembering the night Rose chose me over everything she had. The night she made me feel wanted and cared about. And for that, I am eternally grateful to her.