Wish Upon a Star
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Titanic. It belongs to its respectable owners.
Chapter 9: Sweet Revenge
Rose and Jack froze immediately as they felt the sickening shake of the ship beneath them. This couldn't be happening! They warned the Captain for goodness sakes! The pair sprung into action, running to inspect the iceberg they hadn't seen. Sure enough, the unmistakable evidence of their crash was disappearing slowly as the ship carried on.
Rose finally decided to face Jack. It was filled with as much horror as hers. Rose wasn't afraid of the sinking itself, she was afraid of losing Jack again. Jack was simply planning how to keep Rose safe through this ordeal a second time.
"What are we going to do, Jack?" Rose asked. The initial shock wore off. They needed to have a plan, and they needed it now if they planned to make it out together.
Meanwhile, Lovejoy too had finally remembered the situation at hand. He'd seen the iceberg, but all seemed to be calm enough. People were playing soccer with the pieces of 'berg without a care in the world. The situation at hand couldn't be that serious. He walked up behind Jack and Rose without concealment. They were so worried about the iceberg; they didn't notice walk right up behind them.
"Excuse me, Miss DeWitt Bukater. I have instructions from Mr. Hockley to bring you back to your room. He said it was a rather important matter." Even when he didn't honestly care what was going on, Lovejoy couldn't help but keep the snotty attitude in his voice.
Jack felt Rose tense in his arms. (He gathered her in a hug the second Lovejoy touched her.) It was rather obvious how afraid she was to return back to Cal. Immediately, Jack's mind began to conjure up terrible things Hockley may have done to her. He still knew nothing of Cal slapping Rose the last time they were in this situation. Rose had quite honestly wanted to forget about the matter all together.
"Um, okay. I'll come." Rose stuttered but broke free of Jack's embrace. Jack gave her a questioning look, but he went along with whatever plan she'd come up with. Lovejoy, ready to end his day, had already begun his trek back to the Hockley suite.
"Follow me but stay out of sight." Rose whispered quickly into Jack's ear. He nodded in reply before walking away nonchalantly. Rose silently followed Lovejoy, praying for sympathy from Cal that she probably wouldn't receive.
When they arrived at the suite entrance, Jack hid behind a conveniently decorative plant making sure to have a nice view to the Hockley suite. (Lovejoy just happened to leave the door cracked for some reason.) Rose entered with caution knowing all too well what fate awaited her. Cal came into the room, his body language screamed of nothing but anger. He knew exactly what she'd done. Rose acted as if she knew nothing; a fake smile covered her features. As far as Cal knew, it was her every day, typical, happy smile. Jack was busy containing laugher behind his fake plant. Anyone who actually knew Rose could see right past her façade of happiness.
"Mrs. DeWitt Bukater, may I have a word with your daughter?" Cal spoke with a daring voice. Ruth quickly exited the room sending a glare Rose's way as she went. Surely Mr. Hockley would know how to punish her child.
Cal glared at Rose for what seemed like eternity. Rose gained some confidence when she noticed Jack's hiding place outside.
"You asked for me." She said in her fakest sweet accent. Cal began a menacing laugh draining all of Rose's new found energy. Cal said nothing continuing his laughter for what seemed like hours. Jack had a bad feeling that Cal was going to lash out and fast.
"So, you're having affairs with the gutter rat are you?" He whispered quietly so that only Rose could hear. Jack couldn't hear Cal's words which only frightened him more as he saw Rose immediately tense up. She said not a word, choosing to send daggers at Cal with her eyes.
Cal approached Rose making her all the more restless. Suddenly, Cal ran the remaining steps to Rose, lifting her from her chair by the collar on her dress.
"You will answer me when I'm talking to you!" He screamed into her ear. Jack couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. The situation at hand became all but a confusing blur to him. The next thing Rose knew, she hear a sickening splat and felt fire rushing through her cheek. She immediately screamed out in pain. He'd hit her much harder than he had in the past. Jack held in his own screams as he crept from behind his plant to the Hockley door. It took everything he had in him to not run in and hit Cal. Rose's loud cries of pain finally drove Jack over the limit.
He barged into the room to see Cal's hand raised and prepared to strike her once again.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Jack whispered this in the cruelest yet quietest voice he could manage. Cal, shocked beyond words at Jack's appearance, dropped his grip on Rose making her fall onto the floor. Rose immediately scurried behind Jack before Cal fully understood what was going on. Jack slipped his arms around Rose in a protective manner kissing her softly on the forehead. "Are you alright?" He asked her as he gently rubbed the purple bruise beginning to show on her face.
"I will be." She smiled at him for reassurance knowing there was no way she could pretend to be perfectly fine.
"Go out into the hallway for a moment, Rose."
"But Jack, what are you —"
"Please go Rose." He looked into her eyes with a pleading look finally making her surrender. Rose reluctantly stepped out into the hall, but the bad feeling she had still wouldn't leave.
Jack's kind look to Rose quickly faded as he turned to Cal. His face screamed of anger.
"Ah, if it isn't the little whore's gutter rat come to save the day. How sweet are you?" Cal taunted Jack watching the redness in his face escalate.
"Don't you dare call her that! I wouldn't just stand there if you knew what was good for you Hockley."
"What can you do Dawson? You're just a scrawny little rat from third class."
"Last time I checked, you're fiancé picked me over you."
"Why you little—" Cal ran at Jack as fast as his legs would allow. Meanwhile, Jack had a leg up on Cal, easily tripping him leaving him lying on the floor. Jack acted quickly dragging Cal by the collar to his feet. Before Cal could react, Jack pushed him with as much force as possible up against the wall sending his head spinning.
"And this Mr. Hockley is for hitting Rose." Jack's fist collided with Cal's face before Cal could even register his surroundings again.
Satisfied, Jack let go of Cal returning to a waiting Rose in the hallway. As much as he wanted to, Jack couldn't hide the proud smile that covered his face. Even though Rose had a pretty good idea of what happened, Jack's contagious smile was reflected on her own face.
"What did you do, or should I even ask?" Rose chuckled.
"Oh you know, just settling some business." Jack continued to smile radiantly at Rose.
"Seriously, what did you do to him?" Rose gave Jack a look that told him he'd better not argue.
"I gave him a taste of his own medicine. I didn't do anything to him he didn't deserve. Now come on let's get you to a lifeboat." Jack began dragging Rose by the hand toward the lifeboats, completely distracting her from the matter with Cal. The pair became lost in their own thoughts as they ran silently together.
The next few moments seemed to play in an eerie form of slow motion as Rose was dragged roughly away from Jack back into the clutches of the sinking ship. Rose's screams echoed in Jack's ears encouraging him she was still there somewhere. But it was happening too fast now. Rose was all but slipping farther away from where she wanted to be. With Jack.
But Jack never was one to give up.
A/N: Sorry for the late update! I don't really have an excuse except that I just really wasn't in a writing mood….Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I always wanted Jack to give Cal a piece of his own medicine! :P Thanks everyone for reading, reviewing, alerting, etc.! I reallllllly appreciate it! Now who's excited for Titanic 3D this week! I know I am!
Until the next update,
titanicandkhfanforever
