The next day Fabrizio boarded the train to New York along with Jack and a number of their brothers-in-arms. Fabrizio sat down beside Jack and watched as through the window as the train began to move along and the scenery outside began passing them by.

After a while, Jack said, "Fabri, is anything wrong? You look like you're very troubled for some reason."

Fabrizio turned towards Jack and replied, "Si, I am. I've been thinking a lot about the things Alexander and Colin said last night. I mean, what if we really are all gonna die? I'd never really considered that before. And what if we do and there is nothing afterward and we and our families never see each other anymore at all?"

Jack looked at him with sympathy and understanding and said, "I know just how you feel. The things they said last night had me feeling down also. And the truth is that no one can really know whether there is a life after we death or not, and perhaps no one ever will either. But I am sure that when we die we are never really gone as long as we leave behind a lasting impression with friends and family. And this I believe is what you and I and all the rest of us on board here are doing right now. And another thing we must always keep in mind is to always be positive about things. I mean we must be positive we can win this war, and positive we can come back from it alive if we really, really want to."

Fabrizio smiled again at last and said, "Si, Jack, you are right. We must never lose our hopes for if we lose those we lose everything."

"Exactly," Jack said as he clapped Fabrizio on the shoulder.

They then rode the rest of the way to New York joking and laughing with each other. Then when they arrived there they entered a camp where they spent a few more days drilling. Then the next day they boarded an American steamship in the afternoon bound for Southampton, England.

"I can't believe we are actually on our way back to Southampton after all these years again!" Jack said as they were checking into their cabin. "And I also can't believe we're also on a ship again," he added a bit warily.

"No worry, Jack," Fabrizio said smiling. "I am sure that now everyone is much smarter and careful about ships after the things that happened with the Titanic one."

Jack agreed. And then after a week of being on the ocean once again they docked safely in Southampton. When they along with many other soldiers disembarked they found themselves being welcomed joyfully by many throngs of people on the docks who were cheering, waving flags, and blowing horns and pounding drums.

"You would think they would think it a bit too early for a hero's welcome for us all, wouldn't you?" Jack asked laughingly.

Then when they departed from the ship they went to yet another camp where they would be staying for a few more days before they were to go over to France and really start to get into action.

After they had settled into their camp once again Jack said, "I saw that pub where we were at when we won our tickets to our dreams come true last time we were here near the dock, just as we remembered it. Why don't we go back to see it again and see if the same pub keeper is still there?"

Fabrizio grinned and said, "Okay, Jack. Just as long as we don't have to get into any more lucky hand poker games this time."

Jack laughed heartily and replied, "Oh no, no need to worry about this time. We have all we'll ever need with us now, and I've learned that when you have all you need in your life you have to keep it safe because you don't know when you might lose it."

Fabrizio nodded in agreement. And then they took a walk back to the pub where they once again met with the same pub keeper that had been there the last time and had also been the one to point them in the direction of getting into the Gundersons game.

The pub keeper put down the newspaper which he had been reading as they walked in. Then he stared at them quizzically for a moment and said, "I reckon I remember seeing you to mates around here before. Am I right?"

"Yep, you are, mate!" said Jack cheerfully. "It's us, Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi. And now you can just call us the luckiest sons of bitches in the world!"

The pub keeper's face lit up in great surprise and then he smiled and said with overwhelming relief. "Oh, you did survive the sinking of the ship after all! I'm so glad. The moment I had read about the Titanic's sinking five years ago I was so worried about you two good chaps. I mean after all I didn't want to have the guilt of encouraging you two to get on that ship only to never be seen or heard from ever again."

"We know," said Jack. "We each came close to not surviving actually. But nonetheless we did, and we also met the loves of our lives on that ship before it went down and now we are both happily married and also proud fathers."

"How splendid," said the pub keeper. "And now from the looks of you I can see you are both also American soldiers on your way to France to fight to end this war."

"That's right," said Fabrizio. "We wanted to just come by to say thanks to you for helping us to get to where we are today."

"Well, you're welcome," he replied, "although I'm sure we all might have preferred it to have been somewhat less life-risking."

They both laughed and Jack said, "Well, I guess so, but it also has made us both stronger and wiser in some ways I think, so maybe I wouldn't want to change it if I could."

"Me neither," agreed Fabrizio. "It's the good things in life that keep you strong, but it's the bad things that make you strong, as my Papa always say to me."

Then they talked and laughed some more with the pub keeper and also ordered some drinks and then they left to get back to their camp again.

It was three days later when they got aboard another steamship and headed off to France amidst yet another cheering and music making crowd of well-wishers waving flags.

As Fabrizio settled into his cabin along with Jack he sat down at a desk and took some paper and a pencil from his satchel and began to write a new letter to his family.

Dear Helga, Antonio, and Hellene,

I hope you are all doing well. Me and Jack are doing well also and we have just gone overseas to France where we will be fighting for the peace of our nations. We're also in good company still with our brothers-in-arms, although I still miss you something awful and think about you every night and day. Once again I promise I will come home to you as soon as it is possible for me to. Some of our new friends don't seem as sure about whether or not they will be coming home. But me and Jack agree that you must never lose hope especially when it's all you've got to hold onto. I hope you all will keep that in mind also. Remember also that no matter what may come we'll always be together forever in our hearts and though we may have some bad times once in a while they still make us stronger so as to make way for more good times.

Lots of love from your husband and papa.

Fabrizio wiped his eyes as he finished his letter and then placed it into its envelope and began to take it down to the mail hold.