AN: Over 2,000 words! That's the longest chapter yet by a few hundred words. So this chapter is a bit fluffy at parts, but I felt like I had to include that to show how Rose feels about Jack, and vice-versa. I also happen to love writing fluff…And, of course, thanks again to my awesome reviewers-WickedForGood13, mayakaur, and DawsonGurl this time around. You guys rock! A dozen thank –yous for taking the time to review! And now, here is Chapter Seven…

Chapter Seven:

Bread and Butter (Rose)

JACK STARES BACK at me, mouth agape in shock. He doesn't understand, like I do, the complete value of this diamond. "Fifty-six carats, to be exact," Cal had told me that night in my bedroom. I'd known that he was expecting some passionate response out of me, perhaps my yielding to his desire, but my heart just wasn't into it. I'd already been falling for Jack…

"Rose," Jack whispers. "Do you know what this means?" His voice is hoarser than I am used to hearing; the surprise again, I suppose.

"It means we're rich." I finger the diamond, still safely tucked in my pocket. I feel thick stacks of paper, too…money. "There's tons of money in here, too."

Jack wraps his arms around me, pulls me close to his chest. I hear his heart pounding, a constant, reassuring sound that he is, in fact, with me, and that he did survive the sinking. I still can't believe it…maybe a dozen people were pulled from the water, and he was one of them! He wasn't lying to me when he said he was a survivor…when he promised that he would make it. I'm eternally grateful for that.

"No…" he breathes, and I'm not sure what he's referring to at first. How would he know if there was a lot of money in the pockets or not? "It means Cal's going to be searching all over for us to get that necklace back. He'll figure out you have it…it's only a matter of time."

A quiet horror sweeps over me, not unlike the one I felt when I realized that Cal was ensuring that Jack would die trapped on the Titanic. "And if Cal finds the diamond, he finds me…" So much for trying to avoid him. If Cal finds me, he's not going to let me go. I'll be trapped with him forever.

"Then what we've gotta do is avoid him at all costs." Jack's trying to be optimistic, but it's only serving to remind me of when he was trying to get me on a lifeboat. Needless to say, this isn't a memory I want to relive at the moment.

"So where do we go?" I whisper, casting anxious eyes about the deck. Cal could be lurking anywhere…where is the best place to avoid him?

"C'mon," he says, and he takes my hand. I follow without question; one thing that I've learned is to trust Jack implicitly. Trust him to pull me back over the Titanic; trust him to lead me through the wildly dancing crowd; trust him to draw me with the Heart of the Ocean; trust him with something I've never trusted anyone with before…an unfamiliar, but pleasant, warmth rises up in my belly at this thought, and suddenly the only thing I am aware of is Jack's calloused, warm, hand in mine, his thumb rubbing soothing circles against the back of my hand, and I blush at the memories that flood up within.

Jack has led me to a quiet corner, away from any other people. I'm surprised, with the hundreds of survivors milling about, plus the regular passengers and crew of the Carpathia, that there is a quiet corner on the deck to be found. But there is, and Jack of all people would be able to find it.

"We'll be safe here, Rose," he tells me, pulling me against his chest in another warm embrace. A thought dawns on me, as I'm wrapped in his arms…Jack can't believe that he's made it, either. For all of his calm assurance and talk, he's been just as overwhelmed, just as ecstatic, as I am…

I pull my head off of his chest. He was looking straight ahead, but now his beautiful eyes meet mine, and there's so much love and tenderness in them that it makes me want to cry. What did I do to deserve this loving, amazing, man? Instead, I just smile up at him, knowing what he'll do next.

He ducks his head a bit and presses his lips to mine. Unlike our kiss just a few minutes ago, this is deeper, more passionate. It's the kind of kiss that tells me that we're going to make it, despite the odds, and that we're going to live happily ever after, just like in the fairy tales I was so fond of as a young girl. Jack parts my lips with his tongue, and all I can taste is his sweetness. I feel his mouth curl up into a smile and he breaks the kiss. "There's a time and place for that, but not now," he says with a grin, and I have to agree, despite wanting the moment to never end.

"Those aren't your clothes." Perhaps it's foolish of me not to have noticed before, but Jack is wearing a jacket that is slightly too big for him, a dark blue shirt, and black pants. He was wearing a white shirt before…

Much to my surprise, he laughs. "They're not gonna keep me in wet clothes after pulling me from the ocean, Rose. These are some clothes donated by passengers on the Carpathia." Now I know why he laughed; it does seem rather obvious, now that I know.

"Oh," I say. "Right." Jack sits down and helps me to follow; I lean my head on his shoulder and feel my eyelids grow heavy.

"You tired, Rose?" His voice is gentle.

"Yes," I say, unable to repress a yawn. Sitting in a lifeboat all night, holding a young girl and praying for your beloved is hardly conducive to a good night's sleep, after all.

He takes my hand in his, again rubbing the soothing circles into the back of it. His holding my hand reminds me of when we were on the bow of the ship, flying into the sunset…was that only yesterday? It feels like years ago, now…and it's impossible to believe that that opulent ship is now at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean…

"You can rest," Jack tells me, and I close my eyes. It's still chilly out, probably from the proximity of the icebergs, but not so cold that I am too uncomfortable. But then, I am with Jack, and I could be anywhere in the world with him at my side and be comfortable…

I'M NOT SURE exactly how much time has passed when I wake up. Enough time for me to start to feel the chill, and to be hungry. When was the last time I ate…? I think back, and I realize it had to be at lunch, right before I realized I wanted to be at Jack. But my stomach was in knots, so I could barely eat a thing.

I look over at Jack and am not surprised to see that he is asleep. He spent all night on…in…well, I'm not exactly sure how he made it out of the water. I suppose I'll simply have to ask him; for now, it is enough that he did make it out of the water.

It is with this thought that I realize I've never seen Jack asleep before. Granted, I have only known him for a few days, but…I can't stop myself from looking at the way his lips are slightly parted, the way his eyelashes curve gently across his face…my stomach grumbles and reminds me that there is an urge that is slightly more urgent than the "be grateful Jack is alive" one. But still, a part of me feels excited, imagining waking up to his face every morning for the rest of our lives.

I slip my fingers out from between his and stand up, surprised at the stiffness of my muscles. Apparently, I was asleep for longer than I thought. I was trying my hardest not to wake him up, but Jack's eyelashes flutter, and he blinks up sleepily at me.

"Hello, love." He's never called me that before, but I think I like it…again, with the besotted thoughts! I blink to try and disengage this particular thought train.

"I tried not to wake you, but I'm hungry," I say to him.

"Did you not get anything to eat when you boarded the ship?" I think back, remember being handed a cup of tea and a blanket…

"I had some tea, but no food."

"No wonder you're hungry," he replies, getting to his feet. "C'mon, let's go find you something to eat!" I follow him away from our private little corner and back to the masses of people. It's quiet, now. Reminds me of sitting in the lifeboat this morning, listening to the people in the water freeze and being unable to do anything to save them…

"Why are you standing there, Rose? Everything okay?" Jack's voice brings me back to the present. I'm standing there like an idiot, gathering glances from more than a few curious passengers. Not exactly what one should be doing when she is trying to avoid her jealous ex-fiancée.

"I'm fine," I say in answer to his question, and continue to follow him over to a steward. It must be lunchtime; the steward is handing out bread and butter. Jack takes some and hands it to me, thanking the steward, and then accepts some for himself. We make our way back to our little corner, anxious, ever-anxious, to avoid running into Cal or my mother. I look down at the bread in wonder. I'm not used to seeing such a simple meal…but I rather like it…

"Not exactly what you're used to, huh?" Jack asks. I see a bit of anxiety in his eyes, and realize that he's worried that I'm going to act like a spoiled little rich girl at this "meager" meal. We have the diamond, and we have some money, thanks to Cal, but he knows it is not going to be enough to afford the kind of lifestyle I'm used to. He must be worried that I'll have a hard time adjusting. It would be rather fun to pretend to be upset over the meal, but I decide to set his mind at ease.

I take a big bite out of the bread. It may seem ridiculous, after being used to the best food that money can afford, but I would swear that this is the best thing I have ever eaten. I swallow, smile at him, and say, "No, I'm not used to actually enjoying my food!"

He laughs, a wonderful sound to my ears, and starts to eat his own bread. We devour our food in quick, ravenous bites, not at all like the forced daintiness I am used to exhibiting. Again, it is a marvelous feeling not to feel so trapped, to be able to enjoy my food, and my time. I laugh, just for the sheer joy of it. Jack looks over, a smile playing about his lips, and grabs my face between his hands. "What's so funny, huh?" he asks, mock-seriously, but there's a glint of humor in his eyes.

"I don't know!" I can't stop laughing, and his lips twitch, threatening to break out into a full-fledged grin. Suddenly, he presses his lips against my own, moving them urgently. Any semblance of humor is gone, having been replaced by this desire…my lips are fused to his, my hands tangled in his golden hair. His hands are on my waist, now, moving, searching…

Finally, we can't take it anymore, and we break apart, panting. He's smiling now, his gaze holding mine until I'm lost in the infinite blue. He kisses me again, and colors flash before my eyes, reminding me of the fireworks displays I'd seen in my childhood, when Father was alive…

"Hello, Rose," a quiet voice says. Jack and I whirl around, and he instantly places himself in front of me, a human shield against this unwelcome threat.

"What do you want?" Jack addresses our intruder brazenly, but his hand seeks mine, and I know that he's just as nervous, just as terrified, as I am.