This idea was swimming to my mind for a lot of time so why not start writing it? Decicated to blondebarbiegirl whom stories inspired me to write this.
Shooting Stars
Chapter one
17th April 1912
RMS Carpathia
Her lungs were on fire. She couldn't move, talk or even open her eyes. Was she...dead? No... Death can't be so much painful. Where was Jack? She remembered trying to wake him up after she spotted a boat... but no he wouldn't wake up and after this blankness had overtook her. No, no, no he can't be dead!
Suddenly she felt soft fingers touching her own, caressing them softly. "Rose. Open your eyes sweetheart. Give me a signal you're still with me"
Rose's eyelids fluttered as her eyes opened. She couldn't see properly, her vision was blurry. Her eyes suddenly teared up and she cursed silently but then she smiled; the tears had cleared her vision. And there was he. Jack. Jack Dawson. The love of her life.
"Jack!" she gasped happily and then a coughing fit overtook her. Jack held a handkerchief in her lips and rubbed her back as she coughed.
"Oh Rose" he murmured as he laid her back down and kissing her forehead. "I'm so glad you're awake. At first...I thought you wouldn't wake up again"
"Well I promised you" Rose half-whispered grinning. "And I can't break any promise to you"
Jack laughed and fixed the blanket that was wrapped around her. "You're on the Carpathia infirmary. They brought you after the boats arrived here." there was a long pause until Jack added "I saw your mother in the crowd"
"My mother?" Rose frowned. Why, of course she had survived. She wouldn't care if the whole planet dies, she would care about the expensive pieces of jewelry and dresses.
Are the seats according to class? I hope they're not too crowded
"I'm not planning on seeing her" Rose shook her head. "She made my life hell. Wanting to jump off a bloody ship. As long as she knows, her daughter went down with the Titanic"
Jack nodded. To be honest he was glad he wouldn't have to deal with Ruth DeWitt Bukater anymore. He stared lovingly at Rose who was looking around the room curiously. The room smelt strongly antiseptic and much to her horror, she saw some needles in the bedside table. Just then a blonde haired girl with hazel eyes entered inside in her white uniform. She smiled in a sick way upon seeing Jack.
"Hello again Jack" she smiled sweetly. "And I suppose you're Rose?"
Rose nodded and the nurse shook her hand. "I'm Charlotte. I'm one of the nurses here. The doctor will talk to you in a minute but I'll have to give you some medicine first"
Rose fluttered her eyelids for a minute and then nodded. "Well alright" she nodded. Something was not right about this girl but she couldn't put her finger on it. She widened her eyes as Charlotte picked up one of the needles.
"Wait, wait? Needles? Really?"
"Come on Rose, it's 'othing." Jack said fighting the urge to laugh.
"I always hated these stupid ways of medicine" Rose grumbled. After that weird girl Charlotte did her work, she rubbed the spot and sighed.
"Why, how good to see you awake Miss" the doctor grinned. "Your name Miss?"
Rose glanced at Jack who looked back at her and smiled. "Dawson. Rose Dawson" she said.
"Well Mrs. Dawson, it seems that you have a case of pneumonia but it can be solved with good sleep, good food and a warm place to stay. Rooms in Waldorf Astoria Hotel are given to Titanic survivors. Should you sign you in or are you planning to leave?"
Jack and Rose glanced at each other. "I'll go and make sure we have a room. Could you tell me where I could make accomodations?"
"Of course. Erm, Berta!" he yelled. A tall, obviously nervous, girl appeared. "Could you please lead Mr. Dawson to make accommodations for a room in Waldorf Astoria?"
"O-Of course sir." she nodded and left with Jack. The doctor sighed frustrated murmuring a 'silly, fearing little girl'. He smiled at Rose. "How do you feel now Mrs. Dawson?"
"I feel..." Rose thought of a minute. Everything was confusing, one moment she was in the water and the other in a warm bed in another dammed ship. "Confused" she replied. "Tired"
"Going through all these are without doubt exhausting" the doctor smiled. "I want you to walk around so you will be able to regain your strength back. But be sure you're wrapped properly and someone assists you. If Mr. Dawson is not able to, Charlotte can assist you"
Charlotte nodded and smiled sweetly, making Rose cringe but she kept a small grin on. "Sure"
Jack returned minutes after, holding a small bag. He sat besides Rose and kissed her curls. "They allow us to stay for a week, no more. So we'll have to decide where we're going after when we arrive"
"Hmmm" Rose murmured and snuggled in the covers. "When we're docking?" she asked sleepily.
"Tomorrow evening. You've been asleep for almost two days." Jack said and hold her tighter. "I thought I had lost you"
"But you didn't" Rose pointed out. "I'm going to be a survivor too"
Jack grinned and kissed her forehead. "I'll go and bring you some food. Soup is fine?"
For first time Rose realised she was hunrgy. Her stomach grumbled. "Soup is perfect" she grinned.
Jack returned minutes after with a bowl of hot soup and a cup of steaming tea. "This was given by Officer Lowe. He recognised me and told me to give it to you" he grinned handing her the cup. Rose took a sip and smiled as she felt the hot liquid go down to her throat.
"Won't you eat anything?" Rose asked as she digged into the soup.
"I ate some soup as well before you woke up. I don't need anything" he said. He watched as Rose ate the soup. "Do you want us to go for a walk in the deck later?"
"Hmm" Rose moaned, finishing the soup. Letting it down, she tried to get up but winced in pain. Her legs were aching. "Come on, I'll help you" Jack said helping her to get up. Rose leaned against Jack as they slowly walked out of the infirmary and to the deck that was given in third-class.
It was a mess. Women were mourning over their deceased husbands, or even their children. A small family, a man dressed as a woman (probably to get in a boat), a woman and a little girl were sitting cuddled together. Rose smiled softly as she imagined the family she could have with Jack.
Do you want to see me working as a seamstress? Is this what you want?
I hope you would come to me last night
I don't understand you. It is a fine match with Hockley, it will assure our survival
My wife in practice if not yet by law you'll obey me
Rose looked back at Jack who had his arm draped around her shoulder, helping her walk in the deck. Suddenly, she thought how perfect it would be to become Mrs. Jack Dawson instead of Mrs. Caledon Hockley. It almost sounded like a dream.
"Come on let's sit down" Jack said and they sat down on the wooden deck. Rose leaned against Jack's chest as he rubbed her back lovingly. Something caught Rose's eye and she turned only to turn back again horrified. It was Cal.
"Jack it's Cal! He'll see me!" she said panicked. Not wasting any time, Jack laid Rose in his lap and covered her head with a blanket. He leaned over her head stroking it as he sobbed over it.
"Dawson?!"
Jack turned, playing the widow, to face him as Cal watched him in shock. He wiped his eyes, pretending to be crying.
"Is this-
"It's Rose" Jack said with a broken voice. He started crying and watched proudly as Cal's face turned to horror. "I couldn't save her, I couldn't" he buried his head in the blanket, pretending to be crying over her.
"Move aside Dawson. I'll take her back in Philadelphia so she will have a proper funeral"
"No!" Jack snapped. "She wouldn't want it. She wanted to be with me and I'll be the one to bury her"
"Oh come on Dawson you're barely able to eat, you'll organise a funeral?" Cal rolled his eyes. Really, the boy was being absurd. Rose was engaged to himand her body should be returned back in her birth place. Not in the hands of the gutter rat.
"Listen to me Hockley" Jack snapped becoming angrier with every second. "You made Rose's life a hell before the sinking. I was the one who helped her to find a point in this world and now she's gone. She'll be with me and I don't care if you own the whole planet. Rose's body is not coming with you"
Cal rolled his eyes. "Ruth-
"Mrs. DeWitt Bukater was not even a mother to her so I would care less for her" Jack said but started feeling a little bad. "Now Hockley should I call an officer to escort you back in the first-class section?"
Cal shook his head horrified. A gutter rat talking to him like that! He was the heir in Hockley steel and this...bohemian was talking him as though he was a homeless drifter. Stupid people.
"Where is the Heart of the Ocean?" he asked. This was the reason he had chased them to the below decks, because he wanted his necklace back.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "I don't know anything about the necklace Cal. Rose and I..., we were on the water. If it was in that coat of yours it is probably lost"
Cal sighed. His father would kill him. They had spend a fortune over this wedding, the voyage, the vacation over Europe and the necklace... Thankfully, there was an insurance policy so they would be able to get their money back.
"Rose was precious to me" he muttered.
"Jewels are precious" Jack spatted. "Goodbye Mr. Hockley"
After making sure, Cal had exited the third-class section and from their sight, Jack whistled happily. Rose grinned as sue threw the blanket from her face. "I can't believe it, he's gone! You played the widow very good"
Jack laughed as he enveloped her in a giant hug. "We're safe now. He won't bother us anymore"
"Yeah" Rose sighed dreamily. "He won't"
Ruth DeWitt Bukater sat on the bed of her stateroom, her eyes drifting out of the window. New York City was approaching and there was still no sign of her daughter. Surely she couldn't be dead right? She was allowed in a boat after all...
Rose! Get into the boat! Rose...
Goodbye Mother
Ruth hugged herself as she sat on the chair of the room looking outside. Cal had gone in search of her daughter and he hadn't returned yet. She trusted Cal, he was a gentleman and a perfect husband for Rose. The problem was that her daughter didn't know that and run off with some steerage boy. All her plans destroyed because of Rose's stupid idea to take a look in the propellers.
"Ruth?" Cal asked from behind the door. "Can I come in?"
Ruth rushed and opened the door to find an exhausted Cal standing in the doorway. He had been a mess after the sinking; he hadn't showered or shaved for days.
"Well?" she asked with her usual icy stare. "Where is my daughter?"
"She's dead. Dawson is alive but refused to give me her body for a proper funeral. He says he'll bury her" he said shaking his head angrily.
"What?" Ruth shrieked. "And you let him to have her?"
"He wouldn't be able to have her if she was alive so let him enjoy the feeling of having her" Cal said sarcastically. "We'll hold a memorial for her and pretend her body was never recovered"
Ruth nodded. Instead of planning a wedding they would plan a memorial service because of Rose's stupidness. "Very well Mr. Hockley"
Jack and Rose returned to the infirmary and Rose immediately collapsed down on the bed. "I can't understand it" Jack murmured. "I was in the water and you have pneumonia. I wish I could take the pain from you"
Rose smiled weakly as she put her hand to Jack's cheek. "Someday in some years" she grinned. "We'll be scolding our children for not getting good grades. This is life"
Jack grinned touching her cool hand. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you tomorrow morning when it's time to dock"
Rose nodded and snuggled in the blankets. She opened an eye to see Jack getting comfortable in the chair. "Lay here with me"
"Rose-
"I don't want you to stay all night in a chair" Rose interrupted him. "Lay down with me"
Jack smiled and laid down with Rose, making sure she was comfortable. He buried his head in her curls. "You're so beautiful"
Rose grinned. "Good night my perfect man"
"Good night my perfect woman"
Rose woke up from a light press to her forehead. Someone started rubbing her shoulders and she groaned. "Rose... It's time to wake up sleepyhead"
Rose opened her eyes to find Jack hovering over her with a sweet smile forming in his perfect lips. She smiled and stretched her arms above her head. "Good morning"
"Good morning sleepyhead" he laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. "We're docking in New York in an hour so I thought I should wake you"
Rose nodded. "What's that bag?"
"Some charity workers gave it to me when I told them that my wife was sick. It jas some clothes and some important materials such as toothbrush and hairbrush."
"Your wife?" Rose asked raising her eyebrows jokingly.
"Well I couldn't possibly say my lover, could I?" Jack grinned. "We'll eat breakfast at the hotel so we don't need to be in much hurry"
Half an hour later, Charlotte came to the room and smiled sweetly at them. Despite being nosey and weird Rose started liking her.
"Take care you two" she said tearfully. "It always happens when patients I like leave"
Rose smiled and enveloped Charlotte in a hug. "Don't worry. You'll find other patients to like" she said and both girls laughed.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dawson" the doctor grinned and entered the room. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave the infirmary now. God bless you two"
Thanking him, Jack and Rose walked to the deck holding their bags. The deck was crowded with people yelling and crying. Classes were mixed together. Just like that night Rose shivered.
Jack and Rose stand against a wall as another half an hour passed. They were watching closely the people running back and forth, yelling or scolding. Jack draped his arm around Rose's shoulder and she laid her head against his shoulder, sighing happily.
"Survivors who stay at Waldorf Astoria Hotel may come here" an officer shouted, snapping the couple out of their thoughts. They walked towards them and many people- from all the classes- standed there looking fearfully or arrogant at him.
"First-class will be leaving now" he cleared his throat. "And will be taken to the rooms"
There was another forty minutes of waiting. The ship started to becoming less and less crowding. The only people left were third-class waiting to go in the hotel.
"Third-class disembark now!" the captain shouted. The officer nodded and started leading them to the gangplank.
"I have to warn you, there are a lot of reporters down there. If you don't want to ask their questions, you better hurry"
It was true. Reporters started yelling at their faces and lights flashed from everywhere. Rose made sure her face was hidden as she walked with Jack towards the fancy hotel. After some hour of walking Rose became tired but thankfully the hotel came in sight.
"Here we are" the officer grinned.
Waldorf Astoria Hotel.