Wish Upon a Star
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Titanic or any of the characters and scenarios that are referenced in this story. All rights go to their rightful owners.
Chapter 4: That Blue-Eyed Artist
Rose woke up the next morning eager to start the day. She had her maid, Trudy, help her get dressed. She decided to wear a new article of clothing she had. It was a pale pink dress with intricate red designs on it. There was a simple red bow across her waste which tied behind her back. The dress was simple, but she felt pretty in it. Rose decided not to waste time she could be spending with Jack on her hair, so she pulled it back into a simple bun.
She wandered around the ship for a while, trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to do with Jack. Rose figured she should at least get to know him again, and maybe she could share a little bit more of her life with him. After all, Jack really didn't know her how she knew him…yet. As far as she knew, she was the only one who remembered the Titanic tragedy, which hopefully wouldn't be repeated once more.
Rose wondered where exactly she might be able to find Jack. She had a feeling he was probably on some deck on the ship drawing the beautiful view that was all around them. Rose luckily was right, for she found him sitting peacefully at the bow of the ship. She really didn't want to disturb him. Jack seemed to be in his own little world, sketching something nearby. His hand ran meticulously but carefully over the paper. He looked up every now and then probably to see the smaller details. Finally Rose approached him.
"Hello there, Mr. Dawson." Jack looked up startled at first, but he relaxed when he realized it was only Rose.
"Hello Miss…." There was a pause. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't remember your last name. I told you you'd have to write it down." He chuckled at her. Rose returned the smile.
"My last name's Dewitt Bukater, but I'd prefer it if you'd call me Rose." She smiled at him.
"Okay then, what do you need Rose? Oh, and please, call me Jack." He charmed her with another one of his famous grins.
"Okay, Jack, well I really just wanted to speak with you. You seemed like a rather interesting person since you decided to distract me with stories of ice fishing while I'm planning to jump off a ship." Jack remained silent. He just looked at her. Obviously, he had no idea how to really talk to her. To him, she was still some first-class woman. He couldn't believe she was really talking to him on her own. Rose decided to start talking again to ease the awkward silence that was forming.
"I see that you are an artist Jack. You're a rather nice one by the way." Rose decided to begin with a subject Jack could probably go on about for hours.
"Yes ma'am. I love drawing. I've never really gotten anywhere with it, but I love doing it." Jack pulled his portfolio out from underneath his other drawing. He quietly handed it to her. Rose began looking through it eagerly once more. She saw the same pictures of the women she'd seen once before.
"I see you have a thing for drawing naked women, Mr. Dawson." Rose said looking at him with a curious expression. Jack had a light blush appear across his face.
"That's one of the good things about Paris: lots of girls willing to take their clothes off." He laughed. He seemed slightly more embarrassed to tell her than before. She just chuckled with him.
"Apparently." She replied. "You have a gift, Jack. You see people." There Rose went speaking memories again, but it was the honest to goodness truth.
"I see you."
"And?" Rose had the same smirk upon her face as before.
"You wouldn't have jumped." Rose just looked at him again. How could she reply to that? She decided to just give him a small smile.
"Anyway, what do you want to talk about?" Jack said. He'd calmed down a little seeing that Rose didn't seem like all the other first-class girls. There was something about her that interested him. He just couldn't figure out what.
"Whatever you wish." She said simply.
"Well Miss, let's go for a walk." Jack stood up from his sitting place, helping Rose up. Rose continued smiling. She knew how the walk would be. It was when she'd first been charmed by him.
Rose and Jack walked around the deck for what seemed like hours. Jack told Rose about how he'd grown up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and how he'd lived with his parents. He'd had a younger sister, but she'd unfortunately died from a disease at a very young age. Jack told Rose how his parents had both become ill when he was 16. From then on, he'd been traveling from place to place. He didn't see the need to stay at home when he no longer had family there. Jack admitted he'd always wanted to see the world, so he took the opportunity to do it. He'd gone around documenting his adventures with his artwork. Jack never wanted to forget anything from his travels. Rose just walked quietly along, taking in all that he was telling her for the second time. It still hit her like nothing else she'd ever heard before. She couldn't imagine having to live the rather rough life Jack had already been living. He'd had quite the interesting path. It intrigued her so much.
"Well Rose, We've walked about a mile around this boat deck and chewed about how good the weather's been, how I grew up, but I reckon that's not why you came to talk to me is it?" Rose wanted so badly to tell Jack what she knew about their past. She really didn't want to have to repeat everything all over again.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did. I really appreciate how you handled it. You must think I was crazy. I'm just some whiney little rich girl. You probably think I wanted to die just because I'd broken a nail or something. After all, I've got everything anyone could want, right?" Rose remembered her thoughts from before. She'd restricted them a bit more before, but she knew she could trust Jack. He would more likely handle the situation the same way.
"No, I didn't think that at all. I was wondering what could've happened to you to think you had no other way out."
"It's been everything. My whole life's being decided for me, and no one even cares what I think." Rose took this opportunity to flash her horrifying engagement ring.
"Good grief! You would've gone right to the bottom." Jack said with a wink. He received a pathetic chuckle in return.
"I don't feel like I belong in first-class. It's a whole world that just wasn't made for me. You're expected to act and feel a certain way. No one ever just asks me about me. It's always about what I have, you know? I just…..I don't really know. My life stinks. Let's just put it that way." She said with a pathetic grin. "Plus, I'd only met my fiancé at a party once, and the next thing I know I'm marrying the guy. I just don't know anymore."
"Well, do you love the guy?"
"What?" That question still took Rose aback for some reason.
"Do you love the guy?" Rose debated whether or not she should go to all the trouble of making him believed she cared for Cal, or just tell him the truth.
"I…no. Not really. I mean, I barely know the guy. I can tell you right now that I don't care for him much." Rose decided to be honest with Jack. What did she have to hide?
"How come?" Jack had now pulled them each over to a bench and sat down. He looked at her with complete and utter concern. She knew she was falling in love with him all over again.
"He's just like all the other guys in my world. He thinks he's a master of the universe and only cares about his money." She laughed. Rose realized then how much she'd really truly hated her world. She just hoped she could leave it behind once more.
"I'm sorry. Really, I am." That was all Jack could really think to say. What else could he say to her? He had the sudden urge to hold her, but decided against it. He didn't know her well enough to do that. "I can tell you one think though." Rose looked up at him. "Not all guys in this universe are like that. Trust me." He smiled a reassuring smile at her.
"Why can't I just be like you, Jack, and head out into the horizon whenever I feel like it?"
"You need a trip to Santa Monica, Rose." She couldn't help but look at him with surprise. Where did that come from? "What?" He said at her look. Jack finally realized he needed to exaggerate his idea. "It's one of the best places you could ever go. They have one of the best roller coasters you'll ever see. I used to go to the pier there and sell my drawings for a dime. I got lucky occasionally and would sell a few pictures. If I got real lucky, I could sometimes get a hotel room for the night." He smiled to himself at the memories. Rose laughed with him. She loved seeing Jack with a smile spread across his face. "And to be honest, Rose, they had some of the best cheep beer you'd ever get your hands on." Jack leaned over to Rose and winked at her. "Have you ever rode horses?" He randomly asked.
"Yes, why?" She replied.
"Wait, have you ever actually ridden a horse? That sidesaddle nonsense doesn't count."
"You mean one leg on each side? Of course not! I just told you I was raised in a 'proper' household." She said in a fake British accent. She was honestly a shame to the British people.
"Well then, we're going to have to change that then. Aren't we?" Jack asked her in a terrible southern accent.
"So you're going to teach me to ride like a man?" She copied the terrible southern accent.
"And chew tobacco like a man."
"And spit like a man." Rose couldn't help but enjoy this whole fiasco once more.
"You mean you've been through training to be a proper lady, and you don't know how to spit? This is a shame." Jack said with mock horror. This time Rose was lucky enough that Jack didn't start teaching her how to spit. It would be her luck that her mother was around once more.
As if on cue, Ruth came up to Rose and Jack. They were still happily laughing at their future plans and their shameful accents. Ruth made a loud cough under her breath to get their attention.
"Hello Rose. Who's your friend?" She asked. Her little crew was standing behind her. They were all sizing Jack up, except for Molly.
"Hello Mother, I'd like you to meet Mr. Jack Dawson here. He's the man who saved my from my terrible fall yesterday." Jack noticed that Rose's voice seemed to have changed to a rather forced tone.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dawson." Ruth said. Jack held out his hand to shake, but was just glared at by Ruth. Jack knew why Rose hated her life now. Who wanted to live with such a rude woman? Ruth just continued to eye Jack up and down. It was pretty obvious he wasn't one of the first-class people.
"I guess we'll see you later at dinner then Mr. Dawson. Thanks for your time, but I guess it's time we go prepare for dinner, right Mother?" Rose stepped in to take away the awkwardness.
"Yes, I guess it is time." Ruth replied. She continued eyeing Jack as if he were a cockroach.
"See you later Mr. Dawson." Rose told Jack as she began to walk away and prepare for dinner. She knew that this was going to be a rather interesting affair once more.
With that, Rose and Ruth were walking to their rooms to get dressed. Both women were lost in thoughts of Jack. Rose was excited to see him once more while Ruth was already plotting a way to get rid of him. In her mind, no woman could possibly smile and laugh willingly at a man as Rose had. She was determined to make sure Mr. Dawson wouldn't be around much longer. An evil smirk spread across her face. Ruth was going to do everything she could to embarrass this "hero". The evening really would be rather interesting. Ruth was going to make sure of it.
A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I wanted to say thanks sooooooo much for all the great reviews I've received. It really encourages me to keep going for you guys. (Don't worry; I'll never abandon the story. I'm determined to finish this!) Thanks everyone for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to favorites or alerts! I really appreciate it!
-titanicandkhfanforever
