Chapter 3.........
4 years later.
Rose watched excited as she saw her own face staring back at her from the screen in the cinema. It was so grand that she actually got to be in a picture. It had taken her over 3 years to get here, but here she was. She held tight to Harry's hand as he came into view. She looked over at him, and he at her and smiled.
She didn't love him, but he loved here, and he had enough to take care of both of them for a long time. He had good investments and a good name. He had asked for her to marry him and she had said yes.
She was never going to find another guy that would even compare to Jack, but she couldn't be lonely forever. She never mentioned him to anybody. Not one person ever. When anyone ever asked about her childhood, she got upset and refused to talk anymore. Everyone assumed that she was treated badly. How close to the truth they were. Now, she had a new life. She was an actress. She had done things that most people only think about. The War had a big toile on people. Everyone was doing their part for the men who were fighting bravely over seas. She refused to support fighting.
When she had seen in the papers, the sister ship of Titanic, turned into a medical ship, underneath a headline of "Sunk in the Atlantic, many lives taken." She almost cried. It was so identical, except for the paint. When Harry had asked why she cried. She explained that war was senseless and went to her room for hours to mourn. Every April, form the 12 to the 15th she sat alone in her room, wishing not to be disturbed. It was the only real days she gave herself time to think about the few days she had known Jack and what it would have been like had he been able to leave The Carpathia with her. No one had put two and two together about the date. She would deny anything if anyone ever came close to guessing.
Harry was now beaming. He has said that this was his last acting experience. He had come to New York to do what he had to do and he had come to California to do some of those things, and now, he was finished. Rose knew that it was the last for her too. They were going to his home, Cedar Rapids. He wanted to start a family, she didn't protest. She had gotten her freedom to do the things she said she would and now, she was tired too.
The picture ended. Everyone clapped. Harry helped her to her feet and they started to leave the theatre. It was only a small theatre for cinema, but it was still an accomplishment to Rose and that's all that mattered.
"Harry, I want to visit New York, one last time before we go back. I'd like to stop into this little gallery. When we were there, I was always admiring some of the work in the windows, but never had the chance to look inside."
"Of course. You Can even buy something to take home, but you get a budget. I know you'll spend wisely, you have such a good taste in art."
Rose smirked.
"What is it?" he asked, quizzically
"Oh nothing. Just reminded me of something someone said to me once. It's not important."
Harry smiled and they left the theatre.
Jack was happy. He had so many pieces in this gallery now. The owner never stopped buying his works, now he had some stuff that Jack was selling himself. Tonight, there was a whole wall devoted to his art. There were so many people of higher society looking at his work and some were shocked, others were thrilled.
His new suit was somewhat stiff from being starched, but he looked good. A new hair cut and a semi used pair of shoes that the owner had given him. He had good feeling about this night. Very good feelings. He knew this was his big break.
"Excuse me, are you the artist of those wonderful pictures?" a averagely built man asked, pointing to his wall of art. He had dark hair and eyes and Jack knew he was either an actor or a well off man.
"Uh, yea, that's me."
"Oh, well I was wondering about one piece there. To be honest, I don't know anything about art really, but my fiancé, she loves it. I wanted to buy her one of your pieces to surprise her. She got a funny look in her eye when she saw your work."
"Oh sure. Show me which one you like." They walked over to the wall. The man pointed to one bigger one in close to the corner.
"I'm Harry Calvert."
"Jack Dawson." He extended his hand.
He took it. "Hmm. I wonder. Could you have any relation to my fiancé? You see her last name is Dawson too."
"I don't think so. I don't have any family."
"Oh, well that's too bad." Calvert looked at the drawing for sometime and made a generous offer.
"Well, that's mighty generous. Of course you know, I can't refuse." Jack smiled.
"I wouldn't have expected you not too. A man has to make a profit."
Jack chuckled and went to find the owner to take the painting down from the wall.
Rose walked over to her fiancé and took his hand and squeezed gently. "What have you been doing over here?" she asked and smiled.
"Oh, spoiling you rotten. See that drawing there. I bought it for you."
Rose's smile faded. "Wow, you....I love it." She quickly found her smile. She couldn't deny the resemblance in the work to Jack's. She couldn't mistake it. Someone was very talented.
"Rose. Look I want you to meet the artist." Rose turned.
"Rose, this is Jack Dawson, Jack, my fiancé Rose." Rose almost fainted. It couldn't have been him. She was having a nightmare. This wasn't happening.
Jack's smile faded. Instead of seeing some young uppity blonde plaything, there was Rose. His Rose. She was alive and more beautiful they he last remembered.
"It's nice to meet a fan." Jack said and shook Rose's hand limply.
"Well it's nice to meet a good artist."
Harry almost started to say something about the tension when he looked around and saw someone he knew. "Rose, I see Mrs. Hargrove over there. She wanted to speak with me about the movie. I'll be back soon enough." He kissed her cheek and walked away.
"Jack....it can't be you...I swear. I saw you go under. I saw you disappear."
"I don't remember much about it, but all I know is that I remember telling you about going on and getting old and then I was in a black hole. Next thing I know, I wake up on the coffin boat and I'm alive. A bit of hypothermia, but well enough by the time we got back to New York. I went to the dock where they were talking about Titanic survivors. I asked for your name. You weren't on the list."
"I changed my name. I didn't want mother or Cal to find me."
"Oh, Rose." He hugged her. It took a moment before she hugged back. "I can't believe it. The crew was right. I did come back for a reason."
"Jack, I'm engaged."
Jack groaned. "Not this again. You're going to marry that man. I know you don't love him. I can see it. No one is going to be able to outlast you or even be in the same rank."
"Except you right?" she asked.
"Not even me."
She was silent for a few moments. "You've gained a bit of weight."
"You look the same. Beautiful."
"I don't know what you want me to do. I've been with Harry for 2 years. I can't just leave him now."
Jack stopped smiling and nodded his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I won't ask you too."
Rose looked up at him. "You almost demanded that I leave Cal, what's changed?"
"I've changed. Surpassing Death, living without you. I've grown up. Harry isn't like Cal. I can see that he actually cares about you, but your not going to be truly happy with him. You know it more than I do. I'll be honest. Now that I know you're alive, it will be hard, but I'll survive. I'll go on. So will you."
"I'm sorry Jack."
"I know."
"I love you. I really do." Rose felt a tear starting down her cheek.
"But not enough to change your sense of sacrifice."
"Sacrifice...what do you mean? I've done everything I said I would. I even became and actress. I got back on a ship. I went horseback riding, the real way. I did everything I never thought I could do. How am I sacrificing by marring a man that has supported me without restrictions?"
"Your letting the fires die too soon. You're only what? 21 now. It's still too early for you to just lay down and stop fighting."
"There isn't anything to fight for Jack."
"You've changed. I imagined a million times what I would have done had I knew you had lived. How our lives would be perfect. There is no such thing as true love."
"No, there is true love. It is what we have, but it happened with fate against us." She brushed his cheek with her gloved hand. "I meant what I said. I love you. I always will."
Jack pushed her hand away. "Go and make your pretend family. Pretend that everything is perfect. You said you were an actress right, well you've made your whole life just another stage to perform on."
He walked away from her, leaving her to hold back her tears of hurt.
4 years later.
Rose watched excited as she saw her own face staring back at her from the screen in the cinema. It was so grand that she actually got to be in a picture. It had taken her over 3 years to get here, but here she was. She held tight to Harry's hand as he came into view. She looked over at him, and he at her and smiled.
She didn't love him, but he loved here, and he had enough to take care of both of them for a long time. He had good investments and a good name. He had asked for her to marry him and she had said yes.
She was never going to find another guy that would even compare to Jack, but she couldn't be lonely forever. She never mentioned him to anybody. Not one person ever. When anyone ever asked about her childhood, she got upset and refused to talk anymore. Everyone assumed that she was treated badly. How close to the truth they were. Now, she had a new life. She was an actress. She had done things that most people only think about. The War had a big toile on people. Everyone was doing their part for the men who were fighting bravely over seas. She refused to support fighting.
When she had seen in the papers, the sister ship of Titanic, turned into a medical ship, underneath a headline of "Sunk in the Atlantic, many lives taken." She almost cried. It was so identical, except for the paint. When Harry had asked why she cried. She explained that war was senseless and went to her room for hours to mourn. Every April, form the 12 to the 15th she sat alone in her room, wishing not to be disturbed. It was the only real days she gave herself time to think about the few days she had known Jack and what it would have been like had he been able to leave The Carpathia with her. No one had put two and two together about the date. She would deny anything if anyone ever came close to guessing.
Harry was now beaming. He has said that this was his last acting experience. He had come to New York to do what he had to do and he had come to California to do some of those things, and now, he was finished. Rose knew that it was the last for her too. They were going to his home, Cedar Rapids. He wanted to start a family, she didn't protest. She had gotten her freedom to do the things she said she would and now, she was tired too.
The picture ended. Everyone clapped. Harry helped her to her feet and they started to leave the theatre. It was only a small theatre for cinema, but it was still an accomplishment to Rose and that's all that mattered.
"Harry, I want to visit New York, one last time before we go back. I'd like to stop into this little gallery. When we were there, I was always admiring some of the work in the windows, but never had the chance to look inside."
"Of course. You Can even buy something to take home, but you get a budget. I know you'll spend wisely, you have such a good taste in art."
Rose smirked.
"What is it?" he asked, quizzically
"Oh nothing. Just reminded me of something someone said to me once. It's not important."
Harry smiled and they left the theatre.
Jack was happy. He had so many pieces in this gallery now. The owner never stopped buying his works, now he had some stuff that Jack was selling himself. Tonight, there was a whole wall devoted to his art. There were so many people of higher society looking at his work and some were shocked, others were thrilled.
His new suit was somewhat stiff from being starched, but he looked good. A new hair cut and a semi used pair of shoes that the owner had given him. He had good feeling about this night. Very good feelings. He knew this was his big break.
"Excuse me, are you the artist of those wonderful pictures?" a averagely built man asked, pointing to his wall of art. He had dark hair and eyes and Jack knew he was either an actor or a well off man.
"Uh, yea, that's me."
"Oh, well I was wondering about one piece there. To be honest, I don't know anything about art really, but my fiancé, she loves it. I wanted to buy her one of your pieces to surprise her. She got a funny look in her eye when she saw your work."
"Oh sure. Show me which one you like." They walked over to the wall. The man pointed to one bigger one in close to the corner.
"I'm Harry Calvert."
"Jack Dawson." He extended his hand.
He took it. "Hmm. I wonder. Could you have any relation to my fiancé? You see her last name is Dawson too."
"I don't think so. I don't have any family."
"Oh, well that's too bad." Calvert looked at the drawing for sometime and made a generous offer.
"Well, that's mighty generous. Of course you know, I can't refuse." Jack smiled.
"I wouldn't have expected you not too. A man has to make a profit."
Jack chuckled and went to find the owner to take the painting down from the wall.
Rose walked over to her fiancé and took his hand and squeezed gently. "What have you been doing over here?" she asked and smiled.
"Oh, spoiling you rotten. See that drawing there. I bought it for you."
Rose's smile faded. "Wow, you....I love it." She quickly found her smile. She couldn't deny the resemblance in the work to Jack's. She couldn't mistake it. Someone was very talented.
"Rose. Look I want you to meet the artist." Rose turned.
"Rose, this is Jack Dawson, Jack, my fiancé Rose." Rose almost fainted. It couldn't have been him. She was having a nightmare. This wasn't happening.
Jack's smile faded. Instead of seeing some young uppity blonde plaything, there was Rose. His Rose. She was alive and more beautiful they he last remembered.
"It's nice to meet a fan." Jack said and shook Rose's hand limply.
"Well it's nice to meet a good artist."
Harry almost started to say something about the tension when he looked around and saw someone he knew. "Rose, I see Mrs. Hargrove over there. She wanted to speak with me about the movie. I'll be back soon enough." He kissed her cheek and walked away.
"Jack....it can't be you...I swear. I saw you go under. I saw you disappear."
"I don't remember much about it, but all I know is that I remember telling you about going on and getting old and then I was in a black hole. Next thing I know, I wake up on the coffin boat and I'm alive. A bit of hypothermia, but well enough by the time we got back to New York. I went to the dock where they were talking about Titanic survivors. I asked for your name. You weren't on the list."
"I changed my name. I didn't want mother or Cal to find me."
"Oh, Rose." He hugged her. It took a moment before she hugged back. "I can't believe it. The crew was right. I did come back for a reason."
"Jack, I'm engaged."
Jack groaned. "Not this again. You're going to marry that man. I know you don't love him. I can see it. No one is going to be able to outlast you or even be in the same rank."
"Except you right?" she asked.
"Not even me."
She was silent for a few moments. "You've gained a bit of weight."
"You look the same. Beautiful."
"I don't know what you want me to do. I've been with Harry for 2 years. I can't just leave him now."
Jack stopped smiling and nodded his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I won't ask you too."
Rose looked up at him. "You almost demanded that I leave Cal, what's changed?"
"I've changed. Surpassing Death, living without you. I've grown up. Harry isn't like Cal. I can see that he actually cares about you, but your not going to be truly happy with him. You know it more than I do. I'll be honest. Now that I know you're alive, it will be hard, but I'll survive. I'll go on. So will you."
"I'm sorry Jack."
"I know."
"I love you. I really do." Rose felt a tear starting down her cheek.
"But not enough to change your sense of sacrifice."
"Sacrifice...what do you mean? I've done everything I said I would. I even became and actress. I got back on a ship. I went horseback riding, the real way. I did everything I never thought I could do. How am I sacrificing by marring a man that has supported me without restrictions?"
"Your letting the fires die too soon. You're only what? 21 now. It's still too early for you to just lay down and stop fighting."
"There isn't anything to fight for Jack."
"You've changed. I imagined a million times what I would have done had I knew you had lived. How our lives would be perfect. There is no such thing as true love."
"No, there is true love. It is what we have, but it happened with fate against us." She brushed his cheek with her gloved hand. "I meant what I said. I love you. I always will."
Jack pushed her hand away. "Go and make your pretend family. Pretend that everything is perfect. You said you were an actress right, well you've made your whole life just another stage to perform on."
He walked away from her, leaving her to hold back her tears of hurt.