Author's Note: Hope you like this story...:D It's another one of my favorite scenes...
Disclaimers: Don't own anything - they all belong to James Cameron and history...:D
The screams and cries of the distraught passengers were all that could be heard in the dark, cold night. The deck was crammed with a swarm of people waiting to get on the lifeboat, hoping for a chance to survive this dreadful night. The lifeboat was already packed, but the officer was still loading more people on, even though there was still a whole ship load of people stuck on this sinking ship. The majority of these people may not live to see another day. Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller grabbed a little blonde haired girl from her father.
"Give her to me," Officer Lightoller said. "Take her."
"Daddy!" the little girl cried as she reached out for her father.
The officer placed her into the lifeboat with her mother and her younger sister, the three of them looking up at him with tear stained faces.
"It'll be fine, darling. Don't you worry," her father reassured her, though there was a hint of fear heard in his voice as he knew he would not being seeing his family again.
"Daddy, get in the boat!" the little girl begged, tears streaming down her face.
"It's goodbye for a little while, only for a little while," he reassured her as he looked down at his children with sorrowful eyes. His heart broke knowing that he will never get to see his daughters grow up. "There'll be another boat for the daddies, this boat's for the mummies and the children. You hold mummy's hand and be a good little girl."
Rose watched the little girls in the boat sobbing and turned to find a young couple clinging to each other.
"Don't leave me," she begged.
"Please, you have to go," he said, his voice urgent. "I love you."
"Let her through, I say!" Officer Lightoller shouted as he helped another woman board the lifeboat. "Thank you, step aboard."
Rose felt like a ton of bricks fell on her heart. She could not bear the thought of having to leave Jack on the ship to die. She knew that the odds of him making it out alive was very slim and she was starting to feel as if her whole world was about to fall apart.
"Miss?"
Rose looked up and found a middle-aged man standing before her with an envelope clutched in his hands.
"If you're saved, would you please get this to my wife in Des Moine, Iowa?" he placed the envelope in her hands and gave her a sad smile. "She just celebrated her fiftieth birthday and I — well, you're not going to believe that, of course. You're going to think that she's thirty-five. Everybody does. They'd say 'is that your daughter' and I'd say, 'no, I'm just lucky … I'm just a lucky man."
Rose turned around and looked up at Jack with determination in her eyes. "I'm not going without you," she said as she clung onto his shirt, not wanting to be separated from him.
Jack looked down at her, incredulous. "No, you have to go – now!" he urged.
"No, Jack."
"Get in the boat, Rose," he persisted, his eyes pleading.
"No, Jack."
She shook her head, refusing to go. She did not want to leave him, especially not now. Not after all that they have been through together. She felt her heart break as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Yes, get on the boat."
Jack looked into her eyes, pleading with her. He had never felt love so strong as he did with Rose. He wanted to make sure that she survived this. She did not deserve to suffer through a painful death. He loved her so much, he would give up his own life to ensure that she lived. She was well worth it.
"Yes, get on the boat, Rose."
This time, it was not Jack who spoke those words. The voice was deep and familiar and they both turned to find Cal scrutinizing Jack as he held her in his arms. Rose felt her heart drop at the sight of him. She never wanted to see him again, yet here he was, ready to claim his prize. Cal's dark brown eyes bore into her soul, but they did not shine of love – they glimmered with jealousy and pride.
Cal glanced down at Rose and noticed her shivering against the cold. A worn blanket was wrapped around her shoulders and her once bouncy curls were now slump and wet. Her face, usually warm with color, was pale from the chilled air.
"My God, look at you!" Cal said, his voice sincere. "You look a fright!"
Rose ignored him and instead turned to face Jack, her emerald-blue eyes shining with love and longing. She could not bear the thought of leaving him, irregardless of there being only one lifeboat left. He was her world and she needed to be with him. At this moment, nothing else seemed to matter but her love for him. Just then, she felt Cal yank the blanket away from her shoulders and she turned to look at him, confused.
"Here," Cal shoved the blanket into Jack's arms and took off his black overcoat. "Put this on. Come."
Rose felt the sudden chill of the wind hit her skin as Cal held the coat in his hands, waiting for her to take it. When she did not make a move, he stepped forward and placed it around her shoulders, looking over at the ocean, embarrassed.
Jack gave Cal a suspicious glare, knowing he was only here to secure Rose for himself. He watched as he grabbed Rose's face, caressing her matted curls despite her obvious detest of him touching her. She kept moving away from him, cringing at every touch before Jack pulled her away from him. He could not stand the way he was touching her. He held her close to him and stared into her eyes, determined to get her on the lifeboat. He glanced over and noticed the boat was filling up quickly.
"Step aboard!" Officer Lightoller instructed as he loaded more passengers onto the lifeboat.
"Yes, we'll pray for you darling," the mother cried, looking up at her husband with tear-filled eyes knowing that this will be the last time she will ever see him.
"Go on, I'll get the next one," Jack lied, a look of urgency on his face.
"No!" Rose refused, her voice firm. "Not without you."
"I'll be all right," he reassured her, even though he knew that his chances of surviving this are very unlikely. He needed to get her on this boat and he would do anything to ensure her safety. "Listen, I'll be fine. I'm a survivor, all right? Don't worry about me! Now go on, get on!"
Jack could feel every touch of her hands as she desperately clung onto him, making his heart break even more as he knew he will never get to see her again. He had to fight back his tears as he looked down at her, wanting to give her the strength she needed to get on the boat and survive this fateful night.
Cal watched as Rose held onto Jack for dear life. It gutted him to know that in a matter of days, a man like Jack was able to steal his Rose from him. He could see the love in her eyes when she looked up at him and it made him sick to his stomach. Despite all this, he still loved her even if she would never believe it. He wanted to get her safe on the boat and he knew there was only one way he could convince her.
"I have an arrangement with an officer on the other side of the ship," Cal said. "Jack and I can get off safely – both of us."
Cal gave Jack a stern glare, determined to get Rose to safety, whatever it cost him. He was going to win Rose back and Jack will be left to die on the ship. There was no way he was going to let her run away with some low-class gutter rat.
Jack looked over at Cal, then lowered his eyes, knowing that it was a lie. He took in a breath and came to accept that this will be the last time he will ever get to hold Rose in his arms. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and turned to face Rose, forcing a smile. This was his chance to get her on that lifeboat.
"See? Got my own boat to catch."
Rose looked at him, not fully convinced that he will get out of this sinking ship safely. She turned to face Cal, a hint of confusion in her eyes, and noticed him nod to her.
"Go on," Cal said as he glanced over at the lifeboat. "Now, hurry. They're almost full."
Rose turned to face Jack, wanting to memorize his face and cherish the feel of him next to her before she felt a pair of arms pull her away from him.
"Step aboard, Miss," Officer Lightoller said as he helped her on the lifeboat.
"Come on, hurry!" Cal said, a hint of urgency in his voice while he watched her get on the boat.
Rose felt Jack's hand grip on her arm as he helped her balance over the gap between the sinking ship and the lifeboat.
"Step aboard, please," the officer urged.
"Be Daddy's good girl, all right?" the father said, his voice cracking against his tears.
"Step lively!" the officer ordered, being mindful that Rose did not fall over.
"Keep back, keep back, I say!" a crewman ordered, keeping the passengers onboard the lifeboat in tact.
Rose turned and stretched out her arm, grasping onto Jack's hand which gripped hers tightly. She gazed over at him and found her vision blurred from her sudden tears. Rose let out a cry as she tried to keep a hold of Jack's hand, but had suddenly felt his hand slip away.
"Clear the row, please!" Officer Lightoller said, pushing Jack away.
Rose sat on the lifeboat and looked up, finding that the officer was preparing to lower the boat.
"Lower away!" he shouted, waving his hands down while the crewmen started lowering the ropes.
Rose let out a cry when she felt the boat jolt down, but soon focused her attention to Jack who looked down at her with a sullen expression on his face.
"Slowly, keep going! Keep going," the crewman instructed as he kept watch of the other crewman lowering the boat. "And lower away evenly, lads! Easy, lower away!"
Rose looked up at Jack, her heart breaking the more she was getting farther from him. She noticed that they were talking, but she could not make out the words. The only sounds she heard were the crying of the passengers on the lifeboat, the officer shouting orders, and the steady flow of the rope lowering them down to the water. She glanced down at the passengers surrounding her, then up at the pulley, and finally back to Jack, her face pale and sorrowful. Tears glistened over her eyes as she took in deep, even breaths to calm the rapid beating of her heart.
"You're a good liar," Cal stated while he glance down at Rose, a sense of pride on having had his way.
Jack looked over at him, his expression grim. "Almost as good as you," he admitted, returning his gaze back to Rose.
"Easy now!" the crewman ordered. "… and lower away!"
Jack swallowed the thick lump that formed in his throat before he managed to find his voice again.
"There is no . . . uh, there is no arrangement, is there?"
Jack turned his head again, looking up at Cal who simply stared down at Rose as if she were a prize he had just won. He sighed and looked back down, focusing his attention on the woman who stole his heart from the moment he first laid eyes on her.
"No, there is," Cal said, his voice scratched from the cold. "Not that you'll benefit much from it."
Jack looked over at Cal who glanced back at him with eyes as cold as the iceberg, his expression stern.
"I always win, Jack," he said.
"And lower away evenly, lads!" the crewman shouted as the lifeboat continued to lower down further from the ship.
"One way or another," Cal gave him a stiff smile before turning his attention back to Rose.
Jack lowered his gaze and let realization sink in. He will not be seeing Rose again. He took in a breath and turned his attention back to Rose, feeling his heart shatter the closer the lifeboat got to the water. His vision was soon blurred by a sudden rush of tears as their eyes met. There was nothing in this world that meant more to him than Rose. She became his whole world in the short time that they have known each other. She was his destiny and he would do anything to ensure that she will get to live a long, happy life.
Rose looked up at Jack and felt her heart sink to her stomach. Everything was moving so fast, yet slow at the same time. She glanced over at the pulley and saw the rope carrying the lifeboat down towards the water. Tears filled her eyes as she looked around at the sad faces that surrounded her, knowing that this will be the last time any of them saw their loved ones that were stuck on the ship – doomed to die. She looked back up and felt her world stand still the moment their eyes met. It almost felt like she was dreaming, but when she pinched her wrist, she felt the tragic reality start to sink in. This is going to be the last time she will ever see him and those incredibly blue eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she fought back her tears when she noticed him giving her a nod of reassurance – as if letting her know that she was doing the right thing. Was she doing the right thing? Was she willing to lose the one man she truly loved, just so she can live? Her mind began replaying all the precious moments they have spent together.
Don't do it . . .
Stay back! I mean it, I'll let go . . .
No you won't . . .
I've gotcha, I won't let go – now, pull yourself up!
Jack Dawson . . .
Rose DeWitt-Bukater . . .
I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down.
I feel as if I'm standing in a crowded room, screaming at the top of my lungs, and no one even looks up!
Do you love him?
Pardon me?
Do you love him?
Jack, Mr. Dawson, I have sought you out to thank you and now I have thanked you . . .
And you've insulted me . . .
So, what are you, an artist or something?
You have a gift, Jack. You do. You see people.
I see you . . .
And?
You wouldn't have jumped . . .
Say we'll go there sometime – to that pier, even if we only ever just talk about it . . .
No, we'll do it. We'll drink cheap beer, ride on the roller coaster 'til we throw up, and we'll ride horses on the beach – right on the surf. Now, you'll have to do it like a real cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff . . .
You mean . . .one leg on each side?
I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You never know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You have to learn to take life as it comes at ya . . . to make each day count . . .
So, do you want to go to a real party?
I'm too involved now . . . you jump, I jump, remember? I can't turn away without knowing you'll be all right . . .
It's not up to you to save me, Jack . . .
You're right, only you can do that.
Leave me alone . . .
Hello, Jack. I changed my mind . . .
Do you trust me?
I trust you . . .
I'm flying, Jack!
I want you to draw me like one of your French girls, wearing this . . . wearing only this . . .
Nervous?
No, put your hands on me, Jack . . .
When the ship docks, I'm getting off with you . . .
This is crazy!
I know! It doesn't make any sense. That's why I trust it . . .
Rose, you know I didn't do it! You know me!
I'm sorry . . . I'm so sorry!
No, not without you . . .
I'll be all right. Listen, I'll be fine. I'm a survivor, all right? Don't worry about me. Go on, get on!
Rose looked up just in time to see an explosion of white sparks burst high above the sinking ship and watched it dissipate moments later. The sound of her heartbeat rang loud in her ears as she locked eyes with Jack, feeling her whole world crumble the further she got from him. She blinked back her tears and glanced down, noticing that they were in level to the deck right below Jack. She looked up one last time and made her decision. She got up and made her way through the survivors that were seated in the lifeboat and took in a long breath before jumping off the boat. She could hear screams of protest coming from behind her, but she caught hold of the ship's rail and felt a pair of arms pull her back on the ship.
"ROSE!" Jack shouted, glancing down at the deck below him and watched desperately as Rose clung onto the side of the ship.
"Stop her!" Cal demanded while someone managed to pull her in. He felt anger fill his heart knowing that she jumped back on a sinking ship, to be with him.
"Rose, what are you doing?!" Jack watched Rose being pulled in and felt his heart sink when she was no longer in sight. He reached his hand down towards her as if he could reach her from the distance between the decks.
"STOP HER!" Call yelled again.
"NO!" Jack dropped the blanket he was holding and pushed his way through the swarm of people that surrounded the deck so that he could get to Rose.
Rose ran as fast as her legs allowed her, not caring who got in her way. All she knew was that she needed to be with Jack. A rush of tears slid down her cheeks as she managed to get to the entrance of the grand staircase where she caught sight of Jack running to her. They both collided into each other and Rose let out a cry as she buried her face against his chest.
"Rose!" he cried while he pulled her into his arms. He grabbed her face and kissed her over and over again, his fingers brushing through her matted red curls. "You're so stupid!" He pulled away so that he could look into her eyes before kissing her again. "Why'd you do that, huh?" He was so relieved to have her in his arms again, but he was scared to lose her all the same. "You're so stupid, Rose," he repeated, looking at her with fear and love in his eyes before pulling her in for another deep kiss. "Why'd you do that? Why?!"
Tears blurred her vision as she reached over and placed a hand over his cheek which was wet with tears of his own. She took a moment to stare into his eyes and felt relief fill her heart knowing that she was with him again.
"You jump, I jump, right?" she looked up at him with a smile, reminiscing the time they first met.
Jack closed his eyes briefly and let out a sigh of relief. "Right," his voice croaked as he caressed her face and kissed her before holding her tight in his arms.
"Oh, God, I couldn't go," she cried while she clung onto his shirt. "I couldn't go, Jack."
"It's all right, we'll think of something," he reassured her. He simply relished on the feel of having her in his arms again and felt his heart fill with so much love for her, it was overwhelming.
Rose looked up at him with relief shining through her eyes. "At least I'm with you."
He placed a kiss on her forehead and held her against him, not wanting to ever let her go. "We'll think of something," he promised.
No matter what it took, he will make sure that Rose will survive – even if it meant that he will have to sacrifice his own life to ensure hers. After all, their love has surpassed all boundaries and he knew that there was nothing in this world that could ever come between them.
THE END
A/N: Review!