Chapter 1

The cold water brushed over the door, sending chills up and down Rose's body. She shivered, then cursed herself immediately; if she was cold, she couldn't even imagine the excruciating pain Jack was in.

It would kill him, Rose knew. She wracked her head to find a way to save them both, but nothing came to her. The only thing that would save him was if they could both fit on the door.

The door.

It might have been too small for them both to be on at once, but if she went into the water, Jack could climb onto the door and warm up. It could keep them both alive until someone came to rescue them. "Jack," she cleared her throat, her voice hoarse. "Switch places with me."

Rose couldn't tell if Jack was shaking his head, or shivering so intensely it looked like he was. "No," he said, his voice shaky. "You'll die. We'll both die."

"No we won't," Rose objected. "You can warm up, and it'll buy us time until someone comes to get us." She had to believe that someone was coming to save them. She had to. "Please, Jack, I couldn't live with myself if there was a way for us both to survive, and we didn't try."

Rose rolled herself off the door, then helped Jack up. The water was colder than she'd remembered from before, but she forced a smile as Jack wrapped his arms around himself, getting warmer. "I'm switching with you in a few minutes," Jack told her, and Rose just smiled in return.

After a moment, Rose saw a light. "There's a boat," she realized. "Jack, there's a boat." They exchanged smiles, then both turned to the boat, calling for it to come back. "They can't hear us."

"There's a whistle… in that steward's mouth," Jack said, his voice still shaking so much he could barely speak. "We need to get it. That's the only way they'll hear us. We're both too weak to scream."

Rose nodded. "I'll do it," she told him. "You're too weak. Stay where you are." She pried her hand from his frozen grasp, swimming over to the steward and taking the whistle, blowing it as strongly and as much as she could.

"Come about!" A voice from the boat yelled, and Rose continued blowing the whistle until the light was on her. "There she is. Let's go."

The boat approached her, coming over to get her. "T-Take Jack first," Rose said weakly. "He's on the door over there. Take him first." They went over to him, taking him onto the lifeboat.

"We have him, Miss," the steward told her. "It's your turn now."

Carefully, they pulled her onto the boat and quickly wrapped her in a blanket. She looked at Jack, cold and asleep on the floor of the ship. "Jack, open your eyes," she told him, kneeling down and placing a hand against his cheek. "Wake up, Jack. Please."

Jack opened his eyes and gave a weak smile. "I'm here, Rose. I'm okay," he assured her. "We're both going to be okay." A tear slid down Rose's cheek, and Jack reached up to wipe it away. "Come here," he whispered, opening his arms to her. Rose collapsed into his arms, wrapping hers tightly around him, resting her head in the crook of his arm. "We survived. We're okay. And we'll get through this."

xXx

The Carpathia was smaller than the Titanic, and not nearly as nice, but it was safe, and that was all that mattered to Rose. She and Jack were alive, they were safe. Rose repeated that to herself over and over.

But they weren't safe, were they? They were still on a ship, perfectly capable of sinking just as Titanic did. Even if it didn't, they still had to worry about Ruth or Cal finding them. And until they docked, there was only so much distance they could get from them.

Both Jack and Rose had been rushed to the infirmary, since they both spent time in the water. Jack had warmed up quite fast, a real miracle considering how much time he had spent in the water. Perhaps it was his childhood, the fact that he had spent time outside, in the cold and rain, or perhaps he was just lucky. But whatever the reasoning, they were both happy with his speedy recovery.

Rose, on the other hand, was not recovering as quickly. "She might have pneumonia," she heard the doctor whisper to a nurse. "We can't do anything for her but keep her warm, give her warm fluids, and hope she survives."

Jack sat at Rose's bedside at all times, refusing to leave even to sleep. "Jack," he heard her whisper, her voice hoarse. "You're still sick. You need to rest." Jack simply shook his head, picking up Rose's hand and holding it in his. "You're being stupid."

"I can be stupid, as long as I get to sit with you," Jack smiled, kissing her hand. "I'm fine, Rose. I promise. I'm fine, you'll be fine. And soon, we'll get off this ship and have the rest of our lives together." Rose started to cough, and each one cracked Jack's heart. He could tell she was in pain, and he blamed himself for not letting her stay on the door. Jack watched her, wishing there was something he could do. "You need to sit up," he told her, realizing that it was her position that had caused her coughing. She couldn't breathe. "Here, let me help you." Jack stood, helping her sit up. He kept his arm around her, rubbing her back softly. Finally, Rose could breathe smoothly. "Good girl."

Rose smiled, relaxing a bit. "Lay with me," she said quietly. Jack smiled and carefully climbed into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I tried to get you extra pillows, but they don't have any more," Jack told her. "They have a lot of patients in the infirmary, not to mention the survivors that are healthy, and then the original Carpathia passengers."

"That's okay," Rose replied, clutching Jack's shirt in her fingers. "I have my Jack pillow." Jack chuckled, and Rose rested her head on Jack's chest. "I'm so glad you're alright. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you." She held him close. "Tell me something good," she told him. "Tell me something that can take my mind off the fact that we're still on a ship, and that my mother and psychotic fiance are searching for us."

"All right," Jack paused, thinking about what to tell her. "I love you," he told her, and Rose looked up at him. "I love you with all my heart, I love the way you don't care who someone is or how much money they have, you care about how they treat others. I loved you even when you told me that you loved me, but I didn't want to tell you if I would die immediately after. But I do, Rose. I love you."

Rose smiled, leaning forward to kiss him. "I love you too, Jack," she whispered, kissing him once more. "When I asked you to tell me something good, I never expected this." She took Jack's hand in hers. "What are we going to do when we get off this ship, Jack?"

"We'll figure it out," Jack answered, lazily tracing his thumb over her hand. "We can stay in New York for a while, just while we recover and figure out what we want to do. And then… we can do anything you want. We can travel, we can settle down, whatever you want."

Rose closed her eyes and smiled blissfully. "All I want is you," she told him, and he leaned forward to kiss her. "Is there anything you want to do? Anywhere you want to go? Do you want to visit any family?"

Jack shook his head. "You're my family now, Rose," he told her, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "You're all I need. Ever."

"Jack," Rose began, and Jack knew she was nervous to ask him something. "What if Cal finds me? What if he and Mother try to drag me back?"

"I won't let that happen, I promise," his blue eyes pierced hers in the most wonderful way, the way they did when he was fully sincere. Not a flicker of doubt was in his eyes. "If they find you, I'll protect you. They're not coming between us again, especially when you're sick." Rose smiled, leaning back against Jack's chest. "Rest. I'm not going anywhere." She closed her eyes and slept.

xXx

Rose opened her eyes and squinted at the sunlight pouring through the windows of the infirmary. She felt herself still leaning on Jack, so she looked up at him. His eyes were shut, and his head was leaning against the wall behind him. She smiled, relieved that he was resting, and carefully leaned back into his embrace.

The fact that they cared so deeply for each other after only three days amazed her. She had never seen him sleep before, never seen him open his eyes in the morning and smile at her, never seen him so tired that he was falling asleep. But now they had time to do everything they wanted to do, and they had the future they wanted. Thinking about that future was exactly what was keeping Rose going.

Wanting to see Jack's face, Rose pulled away ever so slightly. His eyes were still shut, hiding his beautiful blue eyes, his lips were parted ever so slightly, tempting Rose to lean forward and kiss them, and his hair was tousled from his sleep. His cheeks were slightly pink, which Rose was thrilled about, since he had been pale and cold for so long.

Every time she closed her eyes, Rose could see Jack dying in the water, his eyes closed, his hands cold, and his cheeks pale. He's alright, Rose reminded herself. He's alive, and he's healthy. She reached out to touch his cheek, just to remind herself of that. As she did, Jack's eyes opened, and he smiled down at her.

Rose smiled back. "I'm sorry I woke you," she told him, though her hand stayed on his cheek.

Jack shook his head. "I can't think of a better way to wake up than by you," he told her, his hand secured on her waist. "I'm glad you slept. You needed it." He looked at her and could tell something was bothering her. "What's wrong?"

"I can't stop thinking about it," Rose said quietly. "The screams, the dead bodies, the freezing water, the paleness of your cheeks and the way you were shaking. I almost lost you." Rose touched his face, trying to remember that he was still there.

"But you didn't," Jack reminded her. "Look at me, I'm healthy, I'm warm, I am absolutely fine. Feel me," he put his hand on top of hers. "I'm all right, Rose. I'm fine. And you'll never, ever lose me." Rose coughed again, and Jack could hear the thickness of her cough. "You have to take care of yourself right now, sweetheart." Rose tried not to smile at the pet name. "It's been days, and you're not getting better. We dock tonight, and we have to find somewhere to go. They might send you to the hospital, we'll see. But my point is, you can't worry about me right now. You have to worry about you."

Rose coughed again. "With what money, Jack?" she asked. "We don't have any money. We can't pay for a hospital stay, and we can't stay wherever the survivors are staying because of Mother and Cal. So… what are we going to do?"

Jack shook his head. "No no no," he rubbed Rose's arm softly. "You don't get to find other things to worry about. I'll worry about everything else, and you get to worry about recovering."

"That's the life I ran from," Rose said softly, looking away from Jack. "Everything being decided for me, everything being figured out without me. I don't want that life anymore, Jack. I want to be part of the conversation, not shunned from it."

"You're right," Jack soothed her. "I'm sorry. I never meant to do that. I just mean, I want you to take care of yourself. And I don't want you to get sicker because you're worrying about things that I could be worrying about." He tried to calm her down, to make her feel better. Clearly, he had triggered a fear that was deep down, and he tried to fix it. "Look, once you're feeling better, you can worry about everything right along with me. But for now, please just try to focus on your health. If not for yourself, then for me. Because I need you, and I need you to be okay."

Rose smiled, leaning forward and kissing him. "I know what you meant," she told him. "And I promise, I'll focus on recovering. And I'll always, always be with you." She kissed him again, then leaned her head against him. "I'm going to rest now, because I need to get better."

Jack smiled and kissed the top of her head, his arms tightening around her. "Thank you."

xXx

"Are you ready to dock?" Jack asked. Rose was wearing a warm dress that one of the Carpathia passengers had donated to the Titanic survivors. Cal's coat was still on, since it was warmer than anything else. Rose didn't want to still be wearing it, but Jack insisted, since she was still ill and needed to stay warm.

Rose nodded at him, smiling. "I told you that I wanted to dock with you, and I still mean it." She stood next to him, his arm securely wrapped around her. "We haven't spent any time together on dry land, we haven't ever been a real couple. We've spent our entire relationship running and hiding. But that said, I want you to know… that I'm in this. I love you, Jack, no matter what happens next."

Jack smiled at him, stroking her cheek. "I love you too."

He leaned down to kiss her, but was interrupted when a steward came over and cleared his throat. Jack and Rose both looked over at her, noticing his discomfort. "Can I take your names, please?"

Jack began to answer. "Ja-"

"Dawson," Rose interrupted him, smiling up at him. "Jack and Rose Dawson." Jack smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head. The steward walked away, leaving Jack and Rose alone together. "I meant what I said, Jack," she told him. "And… it would probably help if my real name isn't on the survivor list."

Jack nodded. "That's a good idea," he told her. "Come, let's get inside, before it makes you sick."

xXx

The flashes of the cameras continued in Rose's mind even after they were indoors and in safety. Perhaps that was good, since it meant a break from the memories of Titanic, or perhaps it was simply salt in the wound, another trauma to add to her repertoire of nightmares. Only time would tell.

"I can't believe they didn't send you to the hospital," Jack answered as they walked down the hallway of the hotel. Jack had told her that as much as they both wanted to avoid Cal, they both needed to be somewhere warm, especially Rose, who was still recovering.

Rose shrugged. "I'm doing better, I'm getting better," she reached over and took Jack's hand. "There's nothing that they could do in the hospital that I couldn't get here: a bed, a bath, and soup. Plus, none of the doctors are as handsome as you are."

Jack laughed and brought Rose's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Here's the room," he pointed, opening the door to find a lovely suite with a large bed, a bathroom bigger than Jack's entire stateroom on Titanic, and a reading room that rivaled the one in Rose's stateroom. "Wow, this is lovely."

Rose smiled, though her chest started heaving, and her breathing grew heavier. "Rose, are you all right?" With all of the craziness from the last few days, with the moving and the pneumonia and the relief of both of them being alive, Rose hadn't really thought about everything that happened. Now that they were both in their room, safe from everyone who wanted to hurt them, standing on solid land, everything began to sink in.

Jack rushed over to her, putting a hand on her cheek and the other on her waist. "Okay, you're okay," he said quietly, realizing what was happening to her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her in his warm embrace. "I know it's hard, I know it's scary, and I know everything is so fresh right now. But we're going to get through this. We're going to be okay."

Rose wrapped her arms around Jack, holding him close as she cried on his shoulder. He was real, she reminded herself. He wasn't going anywhere, and he wasn't leaving her. She had him, and she would have him for the rest of their lives. Still, she couldn't help feeling him slipping through her fingers, freezing in that water. "I'm afraid to let go of you," Rose choked out.

"You don't have to," Jack told her. "You never, ever have to. I'll always be here, I'll always be with you… forever." He gave her a comforting squeeze, thankful for the fact that he had her now, that they were going through all of this together. "We need to rest. You need to rest. Let's go to bed." Rose squeezed him for an extra second, then released him and followed him toward the bed. "Uh… if you don't want to share a bed, I can take the floor, or the couch in the reading room."

Rose hit him with a pillow. "Don't be silly." She found the bag that they had taken with them from the Carpathia, with some sleepwear, some extra layers, and other basic essentials, then went to change into her nightgown. She came back with her hair loose, the nightgown so large that it didn't show her figure. She looked over at Jack, noticing that he was still dressed, the red rings from his handcuffs still bright. "I'm glad we got the handcuffs off, you don't deserve to be treated like some prisoner."

Jack smiled. "Here, get in bed," he pulled back the covers, helping her in. He couldn't help but notice that she looked frail, thinner than she had on Titanic or even after the sinking. He tried his best to hide his concern, simply pulling the blanket over her, kissing her forehead, and disappearing into the bathroom.

By the time Jack returned, Rose was asleep, her expression more relaxed than it had been for days, her breathing more even as well. Quietly, Jack slipped into bed next to her, trying not to wake her. She stayed asleep, but seemed to sense his presence, moving closer to him until her head was against his chest. "I love you," he whispered quietly. "I love you so much."