Chapter 23:

Jack smiled, knowing this was what would hurt Cal the most; his reputation. What else could he do, but smile? This wasn't the situation he had clearly envisaged, nor was it familiar of what to do with a gun aimed to him, but suddenly, there was a need to protect Rose with his life

Jack took the camera and put it in his pocket. There wasn't a chance that he was getting his hands on it whether Cal pointed a gun in his face or not.

''Why? You scared this will destroy your reputation? You and that damned family of yours? Let people know just what dodgy, schemes you guys have going? That it will out your affair with Cara?'' Jack came closer to Cal. He wanted to make him rage, see just what he had in him but instead he stood behind his cowardly gun. Wasn't that what all the Hockley's did?

Cal said nothing. Nor did his temper seem to raise. He just raised the gun further to Jack's head, stepping closer. ''Give it to me?''

Jack shrugged. Shaking his head. ''Fight me for it.''

Rose shook her head. ''No!'' She watched Jack, she had never seen this look on his face before but she knew Cal's, better than anyone.

Cal held the gun almost to Jack's skin and he felt Cal's hand wrap around his throat. ''Oh, I will.'' Cal pressed the cold metal to Jack's forehead and he closed his eyes quickly expecting death to come to him within the next few seconds. Nothing came to him. Nothing happened.

''No, I mean fight me, like a man would.''

Cal tightened the grip around his throat and Jack felt himself choking, he attempted to cough but nothing would come out. He struggled and tried to breath but he physically couldn't.

Cal watched as Jack's face drew paler, then blushed, as he squeezed tighter. Jack felt the life slowly drain from him, his feet almost didn't touch the ground and when he reached out his hands for something to grab but there was nothing within his reach. Jack saw nothing except the blurriness of her face and a flash of red hair. Rose. She would intervene. She would be hurt. It was enough to spur him into some sort of action.

''Cal, no!'' Rose screamed. ''Let him go, please.'' She pleaded. She attempted to pull Cal away from Jack but he simply back handed her and a slap landed across her face, sending her across the room in a pile.

''I'll deal with you later.'' Cal spat. ''I cannot deal with two at once.'' Rose fell back against the bed as she tried to find her balance once more. She glanced about for something which would help. There was nothing. Nothing that would help to assist to break the contact. Breathing harshly, she could only keep trying to find a way but then, she heard Cal moan in pain.

From nowhere, Jack found the strength to bring his knee up into Cal's stomach and send him flying backwards and he tumbled backwards onto the bed, pulling the gun from his hand as he did so. Rose felt her cheek sting as Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her away from Cal. He wasn't going to be near her anymore.

''You stay away from her.''

Cal put up a good fight, obviously not used to losing. His good clothes were ripped, his body aching. Jack had enough, he couldn't take this anymore. The anger inside of him had boiled over way too much. Cal reached forward to retrieve the gun which Jack had taken from his grip and thrown on the floor out of the way. He aimed to go for it but Jack lunged forward knocking it from his grip and the smug look was soon wiped away from his face. Rose screamed, not wanting Cal to hurt Jack. Jack felt the blood trickle from his nose from Cal's punch; again, he lunged for him, knocking him into the table and throwing him over the table. Rose screamed to Jack to stop. Jack held Cal against the wall with his throat and he could only move his eyes. He knew what it felt like. This was exactly what he had done to him. He could kill him but he knew better. He lifted his foot kicking Cal in the stomach and winding him sending him flying backwards against the wall knocking the large gold mirror from the wall and it smashed over his shoulders and cutting his arms as it fell. Jack could taste the blood but he wouldn't give up yet. He would fight until the very end as long as Rose was away from Cal. He lay out, blood covering his face and his suit, running downwards onto the carpet. Cal came for Jack but this time he moved out of the way sending Cal crashing to the floor. He had grown weaker. Jack backed away from him. Cal found his gun there on the floor and shakily he got to his feet and this time he aimed it at Rose. She was the one he wanted after all. She was the cause of all of this. Her.

''I thought you might have loved me, but I find you here, a whore to some gutter rat.''

''I'd rather be his whore than your wife.''

Cal felt his ego dint but still he laughed. He turned to Jack who he knew was behind him, reaching into the pocket of his shirt to retrieve the camera but Jack was quicker. He took it out and threw it on the bed. Cal lunged for Jack, but he moved out of the way. His aims were poor.

The stories of Jack Dawson's association with his fiancée had come to Cal's ears that morning, as soon as he had returned from his trip Ethan had been breathing down his neck. Cal had dismissed them all, knowing of his brother's reasons to exaggerate tiny matters; Cara. Cal had been with her longer, she had more interest in him. That was a problem for his brother, not that Ethan particularly wanted Cara, but the rivalry between them ensured that Cara would play them against each other. This time, Cal had believed Ethan's tell tale of Rose to be bull shit, it usually was but now in front of him, he saw Rose, the one person he had grown to love to torment. She was reaching for another man's hand, their fingers entwined. She had been with him. No doubt she would be in love with him too, he would have told her a fairy-tale story and she would have fallen into bed with him like a slut would.

''Yes, I suppose that you would. Because you could never be a whore for me, could you?''

''No, I never would.'' Rose's jaw tightened. ''I always said that you would never lay a hand on me. Never touch me that way and that was a promise that I would have kept even if it took it to my damned grave.''

''I have given you everything. if you could have opened your heart to me...''

''No,'' Rose laughed. ''You mean my legs, just as Cara did. That was all you wanted, wasn't it?''

Cal's rage was slowly bubbling, like a pan of water at boiling point. Rose stood at the side of Jack, almost united, like one. She had gone to another man. Poor little Rose, who usually cowered in a corner. Now, Caledon Hockley stood alone, Rose's engagement ring was no longer on her finger. Jack stroked his fingers over Rose's hand, Cal watched, back and forth, back and forth, in a slow rhythm and by the look of Rose's breathing, Jack was bringing her comfort. Rose was no longer bothered than Cal had been with other women, for she had been with another man. Her virginity was no longer his to take. Her fear was no longer present. Jack Dawson had given her confidence, the chance to stand up to him. She wasn't scared of him no more. His authority had been broken. It was laughable but Cal didn't find it funny one little bit. Then out of nowhere, he was pushed over the edge. His body stiffened as he ran to Jack, about to break him apart from Rose. To see them together was infuriating.

He went to push Jack at full force out onto the balcony, he would take him down all the way to the ground if he could, he would cover it up as a damned good accident, but as he ran, Jack moved to the left, pulling Rose with him, grasping her to him tightly. Cal ran onto the balcony, tumbling over the edge. Rose felt her stomach drop, as though she was floating in mid-air without a parachute. Had Cal gone over the edge? She didn't dare look. Jack's widened eyes answered her question and then the truth was revealed as they heard a sickening crack.

''Oh Jack!''

Rose screamed, her body shaking. She felt as though she had been run over and hit by a car at full speed, thrust mid-air into something she couldn't control. Jack ran to the balcony, he dared look over the side. He squeezed his eyes closed. Cal was dead. A pool of blood surrounded him on the lawn. He couldn't speak for a moment. This wasn't meant to happen.

''Is he—is?'' She couldn't speak. Couldn't move. Couldn't think. Not for a few seconds.

''Rose, we got to get out of here.'' Jack urged. She couldn't listen. She placed her hands over her face.

Rose shook her head. ''That-that could have been you.'' She managed. Jack quickly retrieved the camera and thrust it into his pocket. That was all he needed. The adrenaline which raged through his was causing his entire body to shake but he couldn't succumb to it, not whilst he still had rein on himself. It was true, it could have been him. Cal's plan would have been to shove Jack off the balcony, but somehow, he had foreseen it. Had found a way out.

''Jesus Christ!'' Jack whispered, shocking even himself. ''It's not. I am here.'' He grasped both of her hands in his. Rose was in so much shock, she struggled to face him. He shook her hands in an attempt to get her out of the trance. To break the spell.

She nodded. ''Yes.''

''Listen, we got to get out of here, before anybody sees us.''

Rose seemed to understand his words and this time she shook her head. ''We can't. Lovejoy is downstairs.''

Jack felt his jaw tense. He glanced over the side of the balcony. ''Shit!'' He saw Cal's lifeless body and felt a cold shiver run through his body. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. His own body was running on a large shot of adrenaline. ''We'll have to go over the side.''

''No.''

Jack grasped onto Rose's hands, stroking her face and he kissed her forehead just once. ''Listen to me, we have to. It's the only way out.''

Downstairs, Ruth had noticed that the screams and shouting had died down.

Ruth's shaking hands seemed to have calmed. She took one glance at Lovejoy sat opposite her at the dining room table.

''I could do with a brandy,'' she told him stiffly, her voice low.

Lovejoy nodded. He stood from the dining room table, walking stiffly. ''As you wish, Mrs. Dewitt Bukater.'' Ruth watched as he went to the drinks cabinet to pour out two brandies. She narrowed her eyes. Something must have told her, perhaps instinct that this was her chance. His back was to her, as he calmly and slowly poured the liquor. She stood quietly from the chair, her bare feet tiptoeing on the thick carpet. She grasped the large vase of lilies which sat at the centre of the large wooden table and she threw it, aiming for his head. A large splash of water and a crack ensured she knew Lovejoy had been hit but she didn't look once, she ran into the parlour and found the telephone, quickly she dialled 911 and didn't even give the operator chance to speak. She reeled off her address quickly, asking for help. Her voice was damn confident even though she was terrified and at any given moment, she expected Lovejoy behind her, pulling her back. She slammed the receiver back down before running upstairs to Rose's room. She had to see her daughter. She didn't know what she would finding waiting for her. As she burst open the door, she saw nothing. The balcony door was open, the nets floating about in the early morning wind. The room was empty. She glanced about, the mirror smashed, the vanity unit broken, a spilled glass of wine.

Cal's bottle of liquor was sat empty on the bed.

The sheets were completely messed up.

Just what had happened up here?

She shivered as she went to the balcony door and glanced about for signs of something. There must be something. Where had they gone?

''Rose? Cal?''

Ruth felt her head throb. In the distance, she could hear the sirens and she felt the relief wash over her. She rested against the balcony. Looking down at the lawn, she saw Cal. Her grass was stained with blood.

A long, loud scream could be heard but Ruth didn't even know if it was her or not. One thing was for sure, Caledon Hockley was dead.