Clara Dawson

A/n: Okay, now I'm really pissed. I was just typing this, and almost done, and then my stupid computer looses it. Ugh! And I shouldn't be updating tonight, because I still have boatloads of homework to do. But, looks like I'm going to. I'm also going to revise what I said in the last Author's note. I'm going to reply to reviews every now and then, and other stuff. Switch it up a bit. Thank-you so much for your reviews. Sometimes they're the only things that make me smile. I love you guys. But, always be honest with me. If you don't like something, tell me. Just don't be cruel. I'm sorry if I'm not that good with the writing. I'm still growing in that area. Yeah, so. Ouch, I slapped my head when I lost the page, and it was a bit too hard. Grr, that got me so angry. So, who likes Leonardo DiCaprio? I do, I do! He's an amazing actor, don't you think? And so is Kate Winslet. They have great onscreen chemistry, don't they? Okay, well I should move onto the next chapter. Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Titanic. Now let's rock n' roll!

OH, AND A LITTLE WARNING: This chapter is a little bit racy, so if you can't handle stuff like that, then I don't suggest you go any further. Bit more serious stuff, now. Thankies. :-D

-EDITED-

Chapter Fourteen

My heart leapt and my spirits soared. Jack! It had to be Jack. I would forgive him, I decided as I dashed towards the door. As long as he'd come, I'd forgive him his tardiness. I pulled open the door, grinning. And it wasn't Jack. It was an old man, holding a very large box.

"Can I help you?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Is there a Miss Clara Dawson, residin' here?"

"I'm she."

"Ah, then this is for you. From a Mrs. Hodgkin. Just sign here and I'll be on my way."

Mrs. Hodgkin. My mother's understudy. I hated the woman. She was sweet, but in a phony way. I signed the sheet, took the box, and walked back into the sitting room.

"Who was it?" My mother asked, trying to see me over the top of the box.

"It's a gift from Mrs. Hodgkin, Mum."

My mother laughed. "She certainly out did herself this year."

"Yeah," I grumbled.

Something shifted in the box and I dropped it. A yelp sounded from the inside. All four of us stared at it, wide-eyed.

I backed away from it slowly. "What in the world…?"

Now there were scratching noises, accompanied by more yelps.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Amelia exclaimed, when no one moved to open it.

Always the fearless one, Amelia marched up to the box and ripped it open. Then turned to mush.

"Oh, my! How adorable! Clara, come here! Look at what that old witch got you!"

I took a few tentative steps closer and peered in. And then I turned into mush.

"It's a puppy!" And not just any puppy, I thought. It was my dream dog. The one I used to tell Mrs. Hodgkin about when I was a little girl, and still went to my mother's rehearsals. A golden lab. The tiny pup's fur looked like spun gold, it's inky black eyes held curiosity. I was lost right then. I looked at my mother, about to ask her if I could keep it, and expecting to see a scowl upon her face. But, there she was, cooing nonsensical things to the pup, right along with Amelia. I glanced over at Daniel, who was observing the scene with a crooked smile on his face.

"Women and animals," he grumbled, as I walked over to his held-out arms.

I felt content, snuggled up to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, as his were around mine, and peered up into his face.

"I have a secret," he suddenly whispered in my ear. A wave of sensation curled down my spine.

"And what's that?"

His eyes stayed locked with mine for several moments. Electricity sparked in our gazes. And suddenly Mother and Amelia weren't there. It was only Daniel and I.

"I love you." My heart somersaulted in my chest. I stared at him, dumbfounded. He loved me? Then I broke out into a big smile. That was the first time he'd ever said that to me.

"I love you too." He lowered his head, and brushed a soft kiss over my lips. A powerful shudder went through my body. And then he pulled away and I immediately felt bereft and alone. Seeming to sense my distress, or feeling it himself, Daniel slipped an arm around my waist again, and kept me close to him. We both watched Amelia and my mother gush and dote over the tiny puppy. My mind wandered. It was Daniel and I's wedding day. A big white church and thousands of people coming to witness the spectacular event…

"Earth to Clara! Can you hear me?" I snapped out of my day dreams to see Amelia standing in front of me, an impatient look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Amelia. What did you say?"

"And you tell me I'm the one with my head always in the clouds," she muttered under her breath.

"I said, what are you going to name the puppy?"

I hadn't even given it a thought. One minute my attention was on the puppy, then the next, Daniel. And Daniel had the tendency to grab all of my attention within seconds, with little more than a smile. I pulled away from him reluctantly and took my pup from my mother's arms. Well, it was a girl. That was for sure. It would have been simple to think of a name, had it been a male. I would have named it Daniel, just to see my boyfriend blush. Or glare at me playfully. Any reaction would have made my heart stop.

I put her down and watched as she walked, or rather waddled, around the room, taking in her new surroundings. She was so curious! But, I supposed, most babies were. And they were also full of mischief. That was it! I would call her Mischief. And as the night dragged on, my puppy was already living up to her name. When it was time for Amelia and Daniel to leave, I followed them out onto the porch. As soon as the front door closed behind me, Daniel pulled me into his arms and kissed me thoroughly. When he pulled away from me, he said,

"I've been wanting to do that all night." I smiled and pulled his head back down to mine. This kiss was slow, less urgent. Somebody cleared their throat. I pulled away from Daniel and looked behind him, thinking it could be Jack. Amelia stood there, hands on her hips, and tapping her foot.

I felt sheepish. "Sorry, Amelia."

"Well, you certainly have no qualms about forgetting me!" I suddenly felt alarmed.

"Amelia! I didn't mean to-"

She laughed. "Relax, Clara! I was just kidding!"

The tension in me eased away. "I really didn't mean to forget you."

She put her hands on my shoulders, just as her father pulled up. "Love does that to you. Happy birthday, Clara."

And then she was gone.

Love. I liked the sound of that. I almost slipped into one of my day dreams again, but Daniel tapped my shoulder. I turned to him.

"Are you done now?" he questioned.

"Not quite." And then, rather bold for me, I kissed him. And then he took charge, as he always seemed to do. The kiss turned hot and hurried. When we pulled away, we were both breathless. His eyes were dark again. What in the heavenly earth was it with?

"Care for a midnight stroll?" That idea sounded heavenly. I loved the night, loved the constellations.

"Let me just go tell Mother."

He nodded. "Hurry back."

We decided to go to the beach.

& & &

The world looked so different at night. Everything seemed to come to life. Or maybe that was because of the guy standing next to me. The full moon was our night light, as we walked by the rolling waves. The stars danced in the sky, and the crickets were our private orchestra. Why did I always feel like I was walking through a dream, when I was with Daniel? We couldn't seem to stand even an inch apart from each other. My head was resting against his shoulder, while his arm was wrapped around me. Ah, I never wanted this to end.

It wasn't only the physical contact with Daniel, that I didn't want to end. There was so much more to it then that. When I was close to him, it was as if I had another half of someone's heart, beating in my chest. We communicated without words. We didn't need to speak. Being with each other was enough. Oh, how I wished that every person in the world could feel as special as I did with Daniel. Was I just being a foolish school girl? Who knew. I certainly didn't feel like one.

After walking for who knows how long, Daniel suddenly stopped. He turned me to face him, and his hands began to gently stroke my arms. I touched his cheek, and slowly traced his features with my finger tips. His strong jaw, his kissable lips. He made a path of soft butterfly kisses to my mouth, and took it greedily. I found myself kissing him back with wild abandonment. I pulled back quickly, when I felt something strange. My innocent eyes drifted downward, and I saw his arousal. His eyes were dark with that look again, and I thought crazily, knew somehow, that mine were darkened with that same look.

I took a step towards him and put my slender arms around his neck, giving him a light kiss. His breathing was raspy against my hair, and I had to fight to control my own. Being this close to him, was beginning to drive me mad. It was a foreign feeling, and one that I knew only Daniel could sate. He put me away from him, only slightly, and stared into my eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" It took me a minute to clear my hazy mind, and then I thought long and hard. Was I ready for something like this?

I gazed at him steadily. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

That night, we made love on the beach, under the stars.