It was nearing sunset and Jack had one more task on his list. He stood up and brushed the sand off of his pants and held a steady hand out to Rose.

"Come with me."

Rose stared at him suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Do I have to be up to something?" Jack laughed, not ready to divulge his surprise just yet.

"We're on an impromptu honeymoon, so yes. You have to be up to something."

Jack rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Fine. I am up to something, but I can't tell you right now. It's a surprise."

Grinning, Rose took his hand and allowed him to pull her up onto her feet. "Okay. Lead the way, kind sir."

Jack rolled his eyes and began leading Rose down the beach. Rose took in more of the sights as they continued to walk, noticing how twilight was beginning to fall, changing the colors of the sky and the water. It seemed all so beautiful and serene. Calm. Honestly, she could see herself living her life here in Santa Monica, away from the busy bustle of Philadelphia and the heavy presence of her mother.

"Jack."

"Hmm?" Jack continued to walk, keeping his sights on a building in the not too far distance.

"Would you like to live here? After the war?"

Jack stopped walking and turned to her, his blue eyes unreadable for the first time since they've known each other. "I haven't really thought much about after the war..."

"I know...right now it's kind of a sore topic, but this place...there's something so peaceful about it. So calm and steady. I don't know. Maybe it's the ocean and the sky and the fact that the world feels at peace here. That the war feels so far away. It's beginning to make me think about where I want to live permanently."

In the dying light of the day, Rose saw a gleam of sadness in his eyes that made her heart ache. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his neck, breathing him in, committing him to memory. "We don't have to talk about it now. It's okay."

"I want to promise you we can have a life here, Rose. I want to promise you everything..."

"I know. You can't. It's okay. I'm sorry for bringing it up..."

"No, don't be. It's normal to think about the future...to make plans. Don't let my situation stop you from planning your life, Rose. My future may be on hold at the moment, but yours is not. You need to look forward. Plan what your next moves are, whether I'm with you or not."

"But I want you to be with me for my next move," Rose sighed, the sudden urge to cry threatening to overtake her. She didn't know why she was bringing this up now. It was so annoying! Jack had planned a special surprise for her and here she was ruining it with her hysterics over the future! He was going to want an annulment before their time together was over!

"I promise you, I will fight to make that happen! I will, Rose! I was by your side when you took control of your life and I will fight for the honor of being with you for the rest of it! You just have to promise me that no matter what may happen, you never let go of your dreams! Whether I'm with you or not."

"I've already made you that promise, Jack," Rose sniffed, wiping away her tears.

"Well then promise me again, Rose. I think we both can use it right now," a hint of amusement was in Jack's voice telling her that he was trying to lighten the situation somewhat.

"Okay. I promise. I'll never let go, Jack. You promise me the same. You won't let go. You'll do all you can to come home to me."

He smiled, placing a steady hand against her soft cheek, giving them both a sense of comfort and confidence. "I promise." He pulled her close and pulled her into a passionate kiss that sent electric tingles throughout both of their bodies. Breathless, they pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes. "It's getting dark...maybe that surprise can wait..."

Rose licked her lips, her desire for him pooling into her stomach. His heated gaze was making her want him more and more. "I think we should head back...to the stars as soon as possible..."

"Good idea..."

It took ten minutes to reach the road and hail a car to take them back to their motel and another ten to stumble to their room, resisting the urge to cling to each other until they were safely behind closed doors.

Once inside the room, they were in each other's arms again, clinging to each other as they lost each other in a passionate kiss. Once she felt the back of her knees touch the bed, Rose fell backward, pulling Jack down with her until she was on top and she was beneath him, eagerly unbuttoning his shirt, needing to feel his bare skin against hers. Jack also made short work of pulling her dress off her heated body and quickly unfastened her bra and pulled off her panties as she did the same for him.

They both moaned in ecstasy as bare skin met bare skin and Rose took Jack into herself. Pleasure filled every nerve ending and all Rose and Jack could think about were each other and how they never wanted this moment to end. They clung together as their bodies melded into one and the pressure of their pleasure began to climb higher and higher to the stars and they both climaxed into fireworks of sensual pleasure and feelings that neither of them could describe. Together, they laid there panting and spent, completely sated.

"I love you, Jack," Rose kissed his hands that gripped hers so tightly.

Jack smiled and kissed her lips one more time before pulling away to gaze into her emerald eyes.

"I love you too, Rose. Always and forever."

Rose smiled, feeling complete. She knew that he was going to have to leave her again, but for now, she was happy knowing that she had the love of her traveling soldier. There will never be anyone else for her, she knew that for a fact. No one would ever be able to top the man that was Jack Dawson, at least not in her eyes anyway.

…..

Rose licked her lips and sighed as she began to wake up from the short nap she had fallen into after the lovemaking session with Jack. She smiled as she looked to her left to see him next to her, still in the thralls of deep sleep. He looked almost boyish at that moment with his eyes closed and his lovely lips parted, swollen from being kissed so intensely. She placed a hand on his cheek and felt her heart skip a beat. He was perfect in every way.

Yawning, she looked towards the desk where the telephone sat. It was probably late in Philadelphia right now, but she was curious about how Molly was fairing, it was the first time she had even thought of the woman since their arrival in Santa Monica and something was telling her to call Molly. She didn't know what it was, but the urge was undeniable.

Not bothering to get dressed, Rose slipped out of bed and made her way over to the telephone, being as silent as she possibly could be, not wanting to wake Jack. She picked up the phone and dialed Molly's number, hoping that the woman would just so happen to be awake. Sometimes Molly would get so stressed, she'd be unable to sleep the night before and come into work exhausted reassuring Rose that she would be okay to work that day, she would just have to take it easy. Rose wondered if maybe tonight was one of those nights.

"Hello?" Molly picked up the phone, her voice alert, no sign of sleepiness at all.

"Molly, it's Rose. I know it's late and I should have called when you're more likely to be awake, but I wanted to let you know that we're here and safe and having a grand time. This is all thanks to you, Molly. I owe you so much."

"Oh Rose, thank the good lord you called, Darlin! I have to talk to you! Something happened and it's had me on edge all day...I couldn't even sleep!"

Rose frowned, not liking the sound of this at all. "Molly? What is it? What's going on?"

"It's that mother of yours and Hockley! They haven't given up on you yet, Darlin!"

"What?" Rose felt her stomach drop at this news. Her mother and Cal were still a problem? Didn't they get the message that she had practically shoved into their heads? Didn't her marriage to Jack mean anything at all to them? Why were they still insisting on having their way like this? Why won't they just leave her alone?!

"They came into the diner today with two men in white coats. They looked like doctors and there was what looked to be an ambulance outside. They asked me where you were and I told them that I didn't know. That you had quit and hadn't bothered to return. That you didn't even leave an address for your final paycheck."

Rose paled at this news. Two men in white coats? An ambulance? This means only one thing and a deep-seated fear began to fill her "She's going to try to have me committed."

"I'm afraid so, Darlin. You don't want to do what she wants, so you must be crazy. What a lovely mother, huh?"

"Oh god, what am I going to do, Molly? I certainly can't come back home and what are you going to do? I was supposed to come back and continue working for you!"

"Now, don't you worry about me, Rosie! You just worry about yourself! Right now, you're safe and far away from here! They can't reach you! I suggest that you stay where you are in Santa Monica! I have a cousin who owns a high-end diner near the pier. I'll give her a call and tell her that you need a job. In the meantime, start looking for a place to stay. You're going to have to make Santa Monica your home. It's just not safe for you here in Philadelphia any longer. Not as long as your mother is alive."

"Thank god I called you...thank god for you period. I don't know what I would have done without you, Molly. I would have been completely lost."

"Now now, you're a resourceful girl, Rose. You would have come up with something! But thankfully, you'll never have to find out what. You're in a perfect position now to start a new life, a life that you want, not what your mother wants. Make it a good one, Darlin."

"I wish that I could see you again to say a proper goodbye," Rose sniffed, rubbing at her eyes as she felt the threat of tears. Molly had been more of a mother to her than Ruth ever had. It was breaking her heart to bid the woman goodbye over the phone like this. It felt so impersonal!

"We'll see each other again, Darlin. I'll just have to finally take a vacation and visit that cousin of mine. She's been begging for me to come to visit and now I have even more of an excuse to do so," Molly chuckled. "You take care, Rosie."

"I will, Molly. Thank you so much."

After writing down the address of Molly's cousin's cafe, Rose hung up and went to set on the edge of the bed, her mind processing the new change in her life. Her mother had made it impossible for her to ever return to Philadelphia. She had made it a necessity to make Santa Monica her home after all. A part of her felt hurt by her mother's actions. She had loved her mother and at one time would have done anything for her. She had thought that on some level, her mother loved her as well and deep down wanted what was best for her and would finally respect her wishes. How wrong she had been. Ruth Dewitt Bukater was too selfish to love or respect her! It was either Ruth's way or no way at all! Well, Rose had news for her mother. There was a way. It was her own way. She was finally following her own path and she refused to let her mother get in the way, even if that meant never sitting eyes on her again!