Hello! I've been working on the same Titanic fanfic for quite sometime, and this idea kinda popped into my head that I wanted to explore. So I just wanted to set the scene and go forward and see where it goes! I'll attempt to update consistently, but it may be a bit difficult. Just wanted to get this out there and hope you have enjoy!

January 9, 1913

Rose Dawson believed she would never find love again after losing Jack. In fact, she believed she was no longer deserving of it. AfterTitanic, she questioned why she was allowed to continue life while Jack, someone so full of life himself, was left to leave this world. 1,500 people were left to die, yet she God had given her a second chance. Why, she did not quite understand.

That was until she realized she was pregnant.

Now, as she cradled her newborn daughter in arms, just looking into her eyes fluttering open for the first time, her heart opened up to a whole new kind of love she didn't realize she was capable of. It was as if a part of her was physically outside her body and after a grueling labor with over three hours of pushing, it certainly felt that way. For the past nine months she had felt this tiny being growing inside of her, stronger by the day. She took comfort knowing her child was safe inside her womb. Now that she was here, all she wanted to do was protect her from the outside world, especially as a woman, for she knew the challenges she may face. Deep down, she had an intuition that it was always a girl she was carrying, but part of her did hope she may have a boy. Boys always had a better chance of success in the world.

She was terrified when she realized she was pregnant. First, she didn't bleed for the first time in years. A few short weeks after that, came the headaches, the nausea, vomiting. After that, she knew for sure. She was nearing her 18th birthday in September and there was in no way she felt adequate for motherhood. Granted, it was something she always wanted, but she was alone in the world. This would have to be done on her own.

That was the way things had been for her since stepping off Carpathia. Rose had learned to fend for herself. She had stumbled upon a boarding house for single women, kind enough to take her in rent free until she obtained a job upon learning she survived Titanic. The boarding house wasn't the best, but it certainly wasn't the worst there could be. The kitchen was communal, but at least she had a private bathroom. She didn't mind sharing the kitchen with other women, and she actually grew close with some. They all had become a sort of family, and supported each other. Everyone had their own difficulties. Sure, it was possible for Rose to erase her difficulties entirely with the fortune Cal had mistakingly left in the pocket of the coat he put on her the night of the sinking. There was no way in hell she would was going to rely on anything from that bastard. If she was going to do this, it would be on her own entirely. Daily, she scanned the newspapers searching for any of job willing to take her in. It was difficult to sell herself, having growing up not being taught any kind of skill to make it in the world, but she was sharp, a quick learner, determined more than anything else. All she needed was someone to take a chance on her. Thankfully, someone did.

Rose spent her days working at a textile factory, not far from the boarding house, from sun up to sun down, six days a week. The pay was enough to cover essentials, and set a small sum aside for a move to Santa Monica, her ultimate goal. She didn't mind the long hours that filled her days. Work was a needed distraction, her nights filled with loneliness and heartache. Tossing, turning, and breaking out into night sweats had become a bedtime ritual. The screams of those who perished that night still rang in her ears, filling the silence of her bedroom. She would cry so much, waking from nightmares, not only for Jack, but all of those lost souls.

This baby was a shining light out of darkness. Although she was absolutely terrified, she knew she had to set her feelings aside, no matter how difficult. It was no longer just about her anymore. As the months went by, she loved the baby inside of her more and more each day.

This baby was her second chance. No matter how hard, she had to keep going. Jack's words loomed over her.

Listen, Rose. You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?

She hid her pregnancy for as long as she could. But once other women at work figured it out, they would talk, whispers of whore and slut behind her back. It left a bitter taste of shame and regret in her mouth, but they didn't know the whole story. None of them could have experienced the same kind of love her and Jack had. They wouldn't understand. To prove herself, she worked on her feet up to this very day, not one complaint under her breath. They could call her a whore, but no way would she let them question her being a damned hard worker. In fact, her boss had to go encourage her to go home and rest as early labor pains began.

The labor seemed to last forever, the adrenaline still coming down. There were a handful of midwives living in the boarding house that assisted her, encouraging her throughout the whole process. She didn't think she could do it but with their help, she persisted. It was more painful than she expected, feeling as if her whole body was splitting in two, her lower half completely on fire. She screamed and screamed through the pain, fighting to make it through.

The rush she felt when her baby finally broke it's way into the world was incomparable to any other feeling she had ever experienced. It had taken her breath away entirely, it was as if time had stopped at that very moment.

She had created and brought life into the world. Nothing could feel more powerful than that.

A tidal wave of relief washed over her hearing her baby's cries for the first time. The midwives had informed her right away it was a girl before she was bundled and placed in her arms.

For a second, she worried the baby may have been Cal's. He took it upon himself to take her whenever he wanted, a "practice of your wifely duty," as he called it. But in her heart, she knew it was Jack's. If a child was to come into her life, it would be out of nothing but love. And that was what the two of them had, even for such a brief moment in time. Her heart ached for him at this moment as she stared into her daughter's bright blue eyes, a little tuft of strawberry blonde hair atop her head. She was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. The pain of labor, the burden of pregnancy, the shame she had endured from others, the grief of losing Jack, had all been worth it for the tiny being in her arms. She was worth everything.

"What is her name, miss?"

Rose's mind flashed to Jack's smile, the sunset out in front of them.

The night she flew.

Come Josephine, in my flying machine, going up she goes, up she goes

"Josephine. Josephine Dawson," Rose replied, not taking her eyes off her baby, "My Josephine."

A short introduction, but I have a few ideas on where this may go! As always, reviews are very appreciated!