A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews and everything.
They always keep me going.
Rose felt the dirty hands on her, eyes wide open burning into her. Normally she would've screamed, if some beggar would've comeup that close to her.
But now, this wasn't a normal drifter.
For a second she could feel the wind blowing threw her, sending a chilly, strange sensation up and down her body. Giving her some look that was a mixture of shock hope and even…love?
Rose wondered about the last.
"Mother!" she called out totally perplexed not caring that some passers-by where turning around, looking at them disgustedly.
Whatever had happened here?
Her clothes were filthy as was her face and everything else. She smelled awful.
When had she last taken a bath?
Ruth had to force herself to look up at her daughter. She was uncomfortable again…after all these years she still hated to have people beg for money. But at least they had been strangers and if they had told her no or shouted at her to leave, Ruth had been hurt inside, but she had understood, left and forgotten about it, at least pretended to do so.
However, her own daughter…
She couldn't just block her out.
What if she said no?
She would reject her, surely…
After everything I've put her through.
Rose seemed to be waiting for some reaction from her.
Ruth noticed her eyes staring at her and immediately knew what she was thinking. The truth was that Ruth didn't know herself exactly. Everything had just come together, until she had finally ended up on the streets in New York.
"I'm sorry, Miss, to have disturbed you," Ruth mumbled her gaze moving down to the ground.
Her daughter was dead; she had died on the Titanic. Ruth had looked the survivors list up and down for what seemed like a hundred times. She couldn't be standing before her now.
Rose shook her head.
Was she only playacting or did she really not recognize her?
After looking at her intensively Rose realized that the latter was most likely more true though she still wasn't sure.
"Mother, it's me…Rose," she spoke up touching her arm.
Was she shedding tears?
That didn't seem possible.
What happened? – The question stuck in her throat.
"You didn't disturb me," she added moving her chin up so that Ruth was forced to look at her.
"Rose…I…," Ruth stammered.
For years she had dreamt of this moment and now that it was finally there, she had no idea what to do.
I can't very well just hug her?
Not after everything I've done.
"I believe you would like to take a bath," Rose spoke up after a while making her voice low.
She didn't want her mother to feel embarrassed in front of others. Actually she wanted to throw her arms around her, but felt unsure.
Ruth had never hugged her and for Rose her mother was still some alien creature that one needed to treat with special care.
"Yes…yes…," Ruth nodded slightly.
This would probably be the best for now.
Ruth wanted to get out of here. She was so tired of living on the streets.
"Well then…come with me…," Rose smiled up at her beginning to lead her away.
Nervous, but yet to eager to know everything about her daughter's life now, Ruth followed her.
…..
Her daughter's home was nice and clean. More than that in fact, it had an exceptional artistic touch in it, coming obviously from someone, who obviously understood something about art.
"I'm going to show you the bath room, mother," Rose said started to walk up.
"Rose…," Ruth began still standing at the edge of the stairs.
She couldn't very well go up in her dirty clothes.
What would Rose's family think?
Having looked around the house, they must be doing well.
"No, mother, we can talk later about everything," Rose held her hand up to silence her.
Afterwards she moved back down and took her mother's hand.
Her mother had always been slim and very careful concerning her figure, but now she was too thin.
Rose had to force herself not to look too shocked at her.
"Just take a bath now, mother. You'll see everything will turn out fine," she told her thinking of Jack.
He surely would agree with me.
"But your family…"
"Don't think about that now," Rose spoke up stern and soundly while practically dragging her mother up.
A lot had changed, really. Remembering her mother, she had normally been the one, who was commending everyone around. Now she looked like she would break every moment.
"You can use everything you want, just make yourself comfortable. You can also lock the door, if you want, but I promise I won't come in…," Rose told her.
Ruth nodded her eyes wandering.
"Who made this?" she asked startling Rose pointing at the wall behind the bathtub.
It showed a beautiful sunset…the sun sinking down beneath the ocean and you could see a small boat or was it a ship some far away at the horizon…
"My husband," Rose answered deciding not to tell her mother just now whom she had married.
"It's wonderful. He's got talent, Rose," Ruth commented still starting at the picture.
So her husband was the one responsible for the artistic touch everywhere in this house.
"Simply great," she added.
"Well yes…I'm going to leave you now. I'll be downstairs, if you're finished or have some…if you need anything," Rose said moving out already while Ruth was still fixated on the wall. "And I'll be laying you out some clothes before the door. You surely won't want to put yours on again," she added.
"Yes thank you," Ruth told her with her gaze still at the wall.
So my mother thinks Jack is a good drawer?
Whatever would she say, if she knew that it had been him doing this?
…
Ruth came down almost one and a half hour later. It had been so long since she had last taken a real bath. The one at the shelter for the poor and homeless couldn't be called a bath. Since years she was feeling human again.
"Rose…," Ruth unsurely stepped into the kitchen.
She had heard noises from outside knowing where Rose had gone.
"Oh great it fits," Rose announced after turning around.
"Yes…it's…thank you, Rose," Ruth spoke up unsure of what to do. "But you look great yourself…," Ruth felt committed to tell her.
Rose had changed too into a radiant yellow dress. The newest mode with the cut clothes fitted her very well.
"Thanks," she mumbled. "But now why don't you sit down. I'm sure you're hungry," she moved out a chair for her.
Ruth was more than hungry, but she was still too much of a lady to just eat everything at once. Instead she ate in such a manner that Rose was stunned even more.
In that her mother had obviously not changed.
Gladly Ruth took the bread and some sausages, Rose had placed on the table.
"Don't you want something too?" Ruth asked noticing that Rose wasn't eating anything.
"Sure I will…later," she told her.
"With your husband?" Ruth guessed feeling Rose nod.
She had so many questions for her daughter. The most important one being how she had survived the sinking…
'Oh mother, don't you understand, the ship is sinking and there aren't enough boats. Half of the people are going to die.'
It wouldn't be the best to start with this, Ruth suddenly realized.
Her eyes had turned dark. Even after all these years she still didn't get this scene out of her mind.
"Mother, is everything alright?" she heard her daughter's voice being really concerned now.
"Yes, sure…I was just… thinking," she told her.
Rose didn't know what to say and just shrugged her shoulders.
Why are you living on the streets? – she wanted to burst out.
"I assume that these are from your husband as well?" Ruth looked up at her.
"Oh yes, they're…," Rose told her once she realized that she was talking about her earrings. "They were a present."
"For your wedding anniversary, I presume?"
"No, just a gift," Rose said smiling remembering how wonderful Jack was towards her.
A gift for nothing…?
That didn't seem possible to Ruth.
"You mean he did something wrong and wanted to apologize."
"No, mother…believe it or not, but it was really only a gift," she answered not wanting to talk about the earrings any more.
Ruth seemed to be thinking of something staring ahead.
"Your husband must love you very much then, I guess," she spoke up after a while.
"Yes, he does. We both love each other very much."
"I'm happy you've found someone like him," Ruth said her voice sincere. "You can be glad to have such a husband."
"I know that and I am."
I wouldn't know what I would've done without Jack.
"How did you meet him? I really want to meet him soon. Seeing this home and your smile you surely met somewhere very romantically…at the beach maybe?" she guessed remembering the drawing in the bathroom.
Actually thinking about it now it also reminded her of something else, something that she had tried to forget for a long time…
If only her mother knew how close to the truth she was now.
"Sort of…," Rose mumbled taking finally a bit of bread herself, but not caring to put anything on it.
Ruth looked at her. Rose's thoughts seemed to be miles away. It had been so long since they had last…spoken with each other…talked together was too far away from the truth.
"We met on a ship," Rose added after a while giving her mother a hint, but Ruth didn't get it.
"How wonderful that sounds. You know I've never been on one again after the Titanic, I simply couldn't do so," she instead spoke up.
Well I haven't too…
"I see," Rose said.
"Yes, I still remember the horrible cries from the water. I'm glad that you eventually found your way into a boat, Rose."
I didn't…
"Of course, mother."
"You know, Rose. I thought you dead all these years. I never found your name on the survivor's list," she said.
"They probably just left me out," Rose lied.
Sure enough it had been there, just not under the name Dewitt Bukater.
Rose decided not to tell her anything further. She didn't want to speak about the Titanic now.
"But what am I thinking. This should be a happy occasion, right? I believe there's plenty of time for that gloomy talk later on," Ruth smiled up at her.
"Yes, you're right."
Maybe she had really forgotten about Jack? After all it had been years and her mother surely didn't think Jack to be that important for her.
"Tell me about your life, Rose. I want to know everything. Are you working here?"
That question brought the awful memory back.
"Is something wrong?"
"I used to," Rose spoke up.
Her wrist still hurt from the harsh grip that man had had on her.
"What happened?" for the first time in her whole life or at least for a long time her mother actually really sounded like she cared.
Rose could feel the tears dwelling up again.
Am I really crying over this job?
It wasn't that great or well paid or anything else that might be worth shedding tears.
Rose understood that her tears weren't only up for the job. It was only her most recent motive.
"Rose, dear… come on tell me," her mother's voice almost sounded like Jack's now.
"I got fired," Rose spoke up.
"You, but why?"
"I guess I wasn't that nice to the customers," her voice was drifting.
"You…not nice…now that doesn't sound at all like you," Ruth's expression was full of surprise.
"But it's true."
"Now Rose, really…I find this very unbelievable. Have you told your husband already?"
"No," Rose shook her head.
"Are you afraid of his reaction? You know Rose, if you should be…no man has the right to hit a woman," Ruth spoke up.
Rose decided not to remind her of Cal.
But Jack hitting her?
"He isn't like that," she simply said looking away.
Ruth only nodded.
"Of course, I understand."
No one knew what to say, Rose wondering what was taking Jack so long.
It wasn't his to be late. In fact he always told her how much he looked forward to get home to her.
"It's late," Ruth suddenly announced.
"Mmmh…"
And Jack still isn't here.
"You can tell me tomorrow everything about your family. I'm really tired now."
"Of course, mother, come with me," Rose stood up. "You can sleep in the guest room."
…..
Jack didn't come home after another three hours. He had thought about the best way to tell Rose about his meeting with Cal and Nathan.
Sure enough, when he got home after a long walk around the city, trying to clear up his head, the house was dark and Rose was asleep already.
Jack took two steps at once eager to see her beautiful face.
"Rose," he whispered touching her cheek.
He could see her chest rising up and down, but she didn't make a sound.
Jack didn't want to wake her up, so he carefully moved closer to her giving her a kiss on the cheek.
That's when he noticed the tears.
"My god, Rose…," he was shocked. "Whatever happened to you? Now, who hurt you like, this, my angel?" he added angrily.
Rose was turning around her body moving against his.
Jack looked at her hoping that she wasn't crying, because of that reason again.
And I left her alone with this the whole day.
He was now angry at himself.
"I love you," he whispered stroking her hair feeling her relax slightly.
His stomach was growled and Jack realized that he hadn't eaten anything today. He gave Rose another kiss, before deciding to get himself something to eat.
Intending to be back soon at Rose's side, he practically ran down the stairs.
