The day that both Jack and Rose has been dreading had finally arrived. It was the day Jack had to report back to base, heading off to war and leaving Rose to carry on without him for however long the war lasted. That morning, Rose woke up, stretching out the kinks in her muscles. She smiled as her eyes opened to the handsome sight of her sleeping husband. It was a sight she had grown used to. Sighing, she sat up and frowned as she remembered what day it was. She couldn't believe it. The week had gone by so quickly. Now that it was time to say goodbye, she didn't know how she was going to deal with it.
Jack woke up a few minutes after Rose, his eyes opening to meet Rose's. His smile was genuine before the memory of what the day meant hit him. "Good morning, wife."
"Good morning, husband," Rose sighed, her own smile sad. She reached out to press a hand against his cheek. "Did you sleep well?"
"Of course. I slept next to you," he grinned, pulling her down on top of him, holding her close. "It was one of the best slumbers I had."
"I'm super happy to hear that."
Smiling, Jack pulled her down into a lingering, passionate kiss, causing all things to flee Rose's mind. Losing herself in the kiss, Rose's hands roamed his body, committing everything to memory, from the warmth of his skin to the taste of his mouth. She sighed as she was gently lowered onto her back and she felt him inside her, their lips never separating as they moved together in what would be their final trip to the stars. They both cried out as they climaxed together and returned to earth sated and in a state of loving bliss, unaware of the spark of life that their love had just made happen.
"I'm going to miss this," Jack sighed, his hands playing with Rose's curls as her head rested against his chest. It was his first acknowledgment that this was to be their last morning together.
"Making love?" Rose asked
"No. Well, yes, that too...but moments like this. When we could just lay together in the quiet of the morning and just enjoy being together. Moments, where it's just us and the outside world, doesn't exist yet."
Rose closed her eyes, wishing to keep them closed. Maybe if she kept them closed like this, time would stand still and Jack would be able to stay with her forever and the Vietnam war would stay far away forever, happening to someone else, but not to them.
"We have to get up. I'm to be at the station by one...and we still have yet to eat breakfast," Jack sighed, knowing what Rose was doing and hating that he couldn't just let her. That he couldn't join her in the act of denial.
"Do we have to?"
"I'm sorry, Rosebud, but we do. At least, I do. It's too late to dodge now, don't you think?"
"Is it? What's to stop us from taking the next train to Canada and making a life there, somehow? We'll be poor, on the run in a foreign country, but free and together? Or we can go to Mexico!"
"I can't speak Spanish and I'm not too keen on living in a foreign country, not to mention that you have a brand new life here now. Besides, seeing that I have to report back today, it's kind of too late."
Rose sighed and forced herself to set up, leaving the warmth of his arms. "You're right. It is too late to do anything that would keep us together..."
"And you've worked so hard to make this place your home. It'd be a shame to say goodbye to it now. We'd have no place to go in Mexico or Canada," Jack reached out to rub her arm, trying to give some kind of comfort. "Believe it or not, I wish that there was a place we could go. That we could forget all of it. This week...it's been the best week of my life. I had never dreamed to do all that we've done! And I'm thankful for that, Rose."
"I am too. I don't know where I would be right now if you hadn't come," Rose placed her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Now you can tell your friends that not only am I your girl, I'm your wife. Mrs. Jack Dawson..."
"Mrs. Rose Dawson...no need to tell you how much I love the sound of that name. Mrs. Rose Dawson..."
"There is no better name than that," Rose grinned, leaning over to give him a quick kiss before getting to her feet. "Now it's breakfast time. What would you like, Jack? I can't promise it'd be good, but I'll try my best."
"How about I cook breakfast? It won't be anything fancy..."
"But it'll taste good. I get it. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to cooking and since this is your last time eating real food, it's best that it tastes good," Rose laughed, not offended in the least.
"Actually, it's more that it's my last chance to cook for myself before shipping out. I kind of enjoy cooking. It'll be my last chance to do so for a while," Jack smiled, getting out of bed himself and preparing himself for the day ahead.
"Also understandable. But I promise you, when you come back, you'll have a wife who knows how to whip up a good meal for her man."
"I just want a happy wife, Rose. You don't need to know how to cook and clean and all the rest of it if you don't want to. I just want you to have the freedom to do and be what you want. When you write to me, I want to hear about all of your adventures."
"Even if they're boring?"
"I doubt that anything you write could ever be boring," Jack smiled, finishing up fastening his belt before grabbing his duffel bag that carried the rest of his belongings. "Come on. Let's get breakfast started and then it's off to the station."
"Don't remind me," Rose sighed, taking his free hand, following him out of the room, at the same time, wishing that they could stay.
….
After silently finishing a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, all prepared by Jack, the couple silently made their way to the bus station with heavy hearts. In a few short moments, it was going to be the time they had both been dreading. Time to say goodbye. Rose couldn't believe how fast the time they had together had flown. She still couldn't believe all that they had accomplished in such a small amount of time. Getting married, moving to Santa Monica, finding her a place to live and a new job, and doing all that they had dreamed about on the pier. It had all been done in short order and had provided them both with memories that were sure to last a lifetime and unbeknownst to them both, a final reminder was taking shape, something to carry Rose until they were reunited again. Hopefully.
Now they stood in front of the Greyhound station, where Jack would catch the bus that would take him back to the army base where he would then be shipped out to Vietnam to fight for his life.
"I hate this. I hate this so much. We should be looking forward to our life together right now. We shouldn't be...doing this. Sending you off to a war that neither of us has anything to do with," Rose frowned, gripping Jack's hand in a tight grasp as if holding on to him like this would keep him there with her.
"I know. But it is what it is. I have to go. It just sucks. I find the woman of my dreams, just to have to leave her. I don't know how one can have good and bad luck all at the same time," Jack sighed, also hating the situation.
"You have the new address, right? You'll write to me straight away when you get to where they're sending you."
"Of course. In the meantime, I'll call. Since you're in California and I know you'll answer, I'll call you from the base. I'm sure we won't be shipping out for a few more days anyway."
"I'd like that," Rose forced herself to smile, even though she felt tears slide down her cheeks.
"Hey, don't do that. Don't cry, okay," Jack let go of one of her hands to wipe away her falling tears. His heart broke to see them. After days of love and laughter, it hurt to see her so sad. "This isn't goodbye. It's only an I'll see you later. I'm going to be back, Rose. I have something to fight for now. I have you."
Rose nodded, trying to stop her sobs, even though it was impossible. "I know that you can't make any promises, but I'm going to ask you to anyway. Promise that you'll come back to me, Jack. Promise me that you won't die. That I'll see you again. That we'll have the future that we deserve."
"Rose..."
"Please, Jack. I know that it's not a promise that you can keep...but make it anyway."
Jack sighed, knowing that he shouldn't. There really was nothing he could do to ensure his survival. All he could do was promise to fight to survive. Fight to come home to her, but she wanted a promise of his return, and he couldn't deny her anything. Not at that moment anyway.
"Alright. I promise."
"Jack, boy-o! There you are!" a voice shouted out from the station's exit. Both Jack and Rose turned to see a blond man with curly blond hair waving over at Jack. An ebonied hair soldier stood next to him, also waving at Jack.
"That's Tommy Ryan and Fabrizio De Rossi. They must be waiting for me. I think I had written to you about them," Jack waved back.
"You did. In fact, you said Tommy asked if I was your girl," Rose sniffed, wiping away her tears.
"Now I can tell him that you're my wife," Jack's smile was sad as he wrapped his arms around her, knowing that this was their goodbye hug. "Take care of yourself, Rose. We'll make it through this. Trust me."
"I do...I trust you," Rose sniffed as he pulled out of the hug.
"Good. Well...I better go since the fellas are waiting for me. I'm gonna miss you, Rosebud."
"I'm going to miss you too...god, I don't want you to go!" Rose found herself crying again, the pain of letting him go coursing through her.
"I don't wanna go. But I better go now...before it gets any harder...it's already near impossible."
Rose nodded, forcing her hands to release him, despite the urge to hold on tighter. "Goodbye, Jack."
"Goodbye," He backed away a few steps before stepping forward to take her in his arms one last time and kissing her deeply, wanting to commit her to memory one last time. They stayed like that for a few moments, buried in each other's arms, their lips sealed together in an everlasting goodbye.
"Jack! We have to go, Amico!" this time, it was Fabrizio calling out, regret clear in his voice.
With a wistful moan, Jack forced himself to pull away from the kiss, gently caressing Rose's cheek one last time. "Goodbye, Rose. I'll call you when we get there."
Rose didn't dare speak, knowing that all she'd be able to do was beg him not to go, which would be a waste of words, because he had no choice. He had to go and she couldn't move, because she would grab hold and never let go and again, a waste of touch because he had no choice but to leave her. So all she could do was watch as he walked to his friends and board a bus that would take him out of her life, maybe for good.
Once Jack's bus was gone, a tearful Rose had no more choice. She made her way home, to her new life and waited for his call, letting her know that he was back on base, ready to be shipped out to war.