Chapter Seven

Jack and Rose had slept beside each other, his arms around Rose's shoulders, and Rose's head leaning against Jack's shoulder. Ruth, on the other hand, slept on Rose's bed as Jack and Rose slept on Jack's bed. It was now early morning of April,18,1912, and Rose was the first to wake up. She looked up and saw Jack's sleeping face facing her. Rose smiled and carefully slipped out of Jack's warm embrace. As she did so, Jack mumbled something, but didn't wake up. Rose smiled and gently kissed his cheek as she got up and stretched.

Rose noticed that most of the beds were empty and made. She also looked around and noticed that half of the survivors weren't in the infirmary anymore. Most of them were probably out on deck, while others were still asleep or unconscious. Rose decided to go out on deck for awhile and get some fresh air, before Jack wakes up. Once she got out on deck, she noticed that it was crowded from the survivors that were once in the infirmary. Rose gave out a small smile, as she was glad that they have survived. She was also glad that Jack had survived. She wouldn't know what she would've done if Jack had perished on that dreadful night.

As Rose was making her way towards a deck chair, to sit down, she noticed two little girls sitting on the deck floor with their mother, crying. One girl had a doll close and the other was just in her mothers arms, crying for her father. Rose took a closer look and realized that they were the same children that went in the lifeboat that she once did, before she jumped back on the ship to be with Jack. She remembered their father telling them that he'll be gone for a little while, and that there would be boats for the daddies, but they had to get the mommy's and the children in the boat first.

Rose remembered when Jack had told her to get in the boat, and she refused, but she ended up in the lifeboat when an officer pulled her onto the boat, leaving Jack on the sinking ship. Rose remembered the look on Jack's face as she was being lowered. Tears were glistening Jack's once happy eyes, and his face was miserable, as if he knew that he wasn't going to see her again. Just by looking at him that way, Rose knew she couldn't stay on the lifeboat, alive, as Jack was on a sinking ship. Rose knew she couldn't let Jack die on the ship alone. She would die with him, if she has too. She saw the little girls crying up to their father, wanting him to be with them, as Rose wanted Jack to be with her.

Rose hadn't realized that she was crying, until the mother looked up at her and noticed Rose staring down at them and tears streaming down her face. Rose gave her a weak smile as she made her way towards the deck chair. She sat down and covered her face in her hands as tears were running down her cheeks. She cried to those who perished on the ship, to those who had lost their loved ones on that dreadful night. She didn't realize that the mother was now beside her, with her two children. She didn't notice that the lady wrapped her arms around her, in attempt to comfort her.

"It's okay." The mother said, rocking her back and forth as if she was one of her children. "Everything will be okay."

Rose looked up and found the mother comforting her. Rose immediately wiped the tears away and tried to smile, but failed when more tears came cascading down her cheeks. Rose looked at the two children and smiled down at them, knowing how it felt to lose a father; for she had lost hers only a year before. Rose then looked back up to the mother, and saw her smiling. Rose smiled back, and wiped the remainder of her tears away, trying to calm down from the crying.

"I'm sorry." Rose apologized. "I didn't mean to disturb you from your grieving. I truly apologize, it's just that I was in the same lifeboat as you and your children were, and I remember what your husband was telling your children and I remember...my..." Rose just covered her face with her hands and cried. The mother hugged her and rocked her back and forth, to comfort her.

"Shhh. It's okay." The mother said, trying not to cry. "He's gone, though. That's why we're crying. He's gone." Rose pulled away from the hug and looked at the woman.

"I'm so sorry." Rose said.

"It's okay." The woman said. "At least I have my two little girls with me." The woman looked at her daughters with pure love.

"I'm Rose." Rose introduced herself. "Rose Dawson."

"Isabelle Erickson." Isabelle said, smiling. "And these are my girls, Erica and Jocelyn." Isabelle introduced her daughters to Rose. "Go on, girls. Say hi."

"Hi." The girls said, sadly, but a bit cheery.

"Hi." Rose smiled. The one with the doll, Jocelyn, smiled and went closer to Rose. Erica just stayed where she was, her face still gloomy. "Oh, sweetie, it's okay." Rose said, bringing Erica into a friendly hug.

"My daddy's gone. He's gone forever." Erica cried as she hugged Rose.

"Shhh." Rose comforted Erica. "Don't worry. He's in a better place now. He's in heaven with all the angels and he's watching over you right now."

"Really?" Erica asked. Rose nodded.

"I know my daddy is." Rose said.

"You're daddy died too?" Erica asked. Rose nodded.

"He died a year ago. And I miss him very much, but I know that he's watching over me." Rose said. "And he's right here." Rose placed her hand over her heart. "Always and forever. And you daddy is with all of you, always and forever." Rose said, placing her hand over Erica's heart. Erica smiled and threw her arms around Rose's neck. Rose hugged her back and let Erica cry on her shoulder. "Shhh. It's okay, Erica. Just remember to not be sad all the time. You have to stay happy for your daddy. He wouldn't want to see you and your sister sad all the time. I don't think he would want to see your mommy said also, so try to make her happy, okay?" Erica and Jocelyn nodded. Rose smiled and got up. "Well, I better go back inside the infirmary to see if my...my husband is all right." Rose said, wondering if calling Jack her husband was really a good idea.

"Okay." Isabelle said. "It was nice meeting you, Rose."

"You too. Goodbye." Rose said, as she walked back in the infirmary to see if Jack had woken up.

When Rose entered the infirmary, she found Jack sitting up, and eating his breakfast. Her mother wasn't lying on her bed and Jack looked...sad, as if he lost someone he really loved. Rose slowly went towards him and sat beside him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. He jumped and looked at her with wide eyes.

"It's just me, Jack." Rose said, caressing his face gently. "It's just me." She saw Jack smile and saw him wrap his arms, tightly around her.

"I thought it was all a dream." Jack whispered, holding Rose close to him, fearing that if he let go, that she'll disappear.

"I'm here." Rose said, hugging him back. "I'll always be here, remember that." Rose pulled away and looked into Jack's eyes. "I'll never leave you again."

"Promise?" Jack said. Rose smiled.

"I promise." Rose said, as she kissed him with all the passion in her. "I love you." Rose said as they pulled apart.

"I love you too, Rose." Jack said, caressing her red curls, which were tangled and were dead from swimming a few days ago.

Rose closed her eyes as she breathed in his scent, wanting to be in his arms forever. She looked into his eyes as she moved a strand of Jack's blonde hair and placed it behind his ear and smiled. She always got lost in Jack's eyes, feeling the intensity in them. Just by looking into his eyes, she knew that he loved her, that he would do absolutely anything to protect her from the cruel world. Rose just stared into Jack's eyes as he stared into hers. She didn't even realize Annie standing by the foot of Jack's bed, staring at them with a smile.

"Ahem." Annie coughed. Both Jack and Rose turned and smiled. "I brought food for you, Rose. This would be your last meal of the day, before we dock. I wouldn't want you to starve, you know." Annie went towards Rose and gave her the tray.

"Thank you Annie." Rose smiled, as she began eating her breakfast leaving Jack to finish his as well. Annie stood there and smiled. "Uh, if you still want to live with me in my apartment, just wait for me here when the ship docks, then I'll leave with you two." Rose looked up and smiled.

"I was just thinking about that, and I was wondering, does your apartment building have any apartments for rent?" Rose asked. Annie nodded.

"Yeah, they have one just across from me." Annie said. "It's a nice apartment. Has two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a bathroom. It's been vacant for a month now." Annie said, smiling.

"Great. Then Jack and I would like to rent it." Rose said. She turned to Jack. "You wouldn't mind, would you?" Rose asked, hoping that if she chose the apartment, that he wouldn't get upset with her.

"No, not at all." Jack said, giving Rose his famous smile. Rose smiled back and kissed him gently on the lips, before continuing to eat her breakfast. Jack watched Rose as she ate her breakfast elegantly, but hungrily. He smiled as he continued to eat his as well.

After twenty minutes passed by, Jack and Rose had finished their meals and put their trays on the small table beside them. Jack then put his arm around Rose's shoulder and brought her closer to him. Rose looked up at him and smiled lovingly. Jack kissed the top of her head and kissed her lips. He hugged her close as he kissed her. Rose placed her hand on his cheek and urged him to kiss her more passionately and Jack obeyed. They were suddenly interrupted when Rose's mother coughed to get their attention. They looked up and smiled.

"I just went up to first class to retrieve some of my little belongings I had with me." Ruth said. Rose smiled.

"Mother, Annie's apartment building has an apartment for rent, and Jack and I agreed to it." Rose said.

"That's wonderful." Ruth smiled.

"Would you still like to join us?" Rose asked.

"Oh, no." Ruth said. "I couldn't possibly intrude. I'll just find my own place to live. I'll be fine, I assure you."

"No, Ruth." Jack said. "We would like it if you would join us. We couldn't possibly let you live on the streets. We'll be happy to take you in, until you find you're own place to live or something." Ruth just smiled.

"Oh, Jack, thank you so much." Ruth said, as she went over and hugged him tightly. "You don't know how much trouble you've just saved me."

"No problem, Ruth." Jack said. "I'd be glad to help."

Ruth smiled as she watched Jack hold her daughter close, as if protecting her from the dangers of the world. Ruth was glad that Rose had found someone who loved her and cared for her, like Jack does. She knew it was true love, love just like Thomas and herself once had before he passed away. Ruth remembered how devastated and hurt Rose was when her father died. It's as if someone had taken Rose's heart away from her and just tore it up into pieces. That's how it was to Ruth also, but she hid her feelings from her daughter, fearing that she would worry over her, and Ruth wouldn't let her daughter do that. Ruth now saw her daughter in pure happiness, something that she hadn't seen since before her husband died, and love, something that Rose hardly ever shown to Cal. Ruth was glad that Rose had ended the engagement with Cal before it was too late--before her life was completely ruined. Ruth was glad that Rose was set free from her locked cage, which she was trapped in ever since her father died.

Rose looked up at her mother and saw that she was in a different world, as if she was having flashbacks. She just stared straight ahead, her face emotionless, but yet loving. Rose smiled and leaned her head against Jack's shoulder as he too, smiled up at her mother. After awhile, Ruth came back to reality and smiled back at her daughter. She then sat down beside her and held her hand lovingly. Rose smiled and placed her hand over her mother's, finally feeling loved by her, which she hadn't felt from her since the engagement to Cal. Rose was glad that she had ended the engagement to Cal before she ended up marrying him. Rose knew that if she did, she would be the miserable woman alive. But now, she had Jack. She had the man she loved. Rose looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and Rose leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling safe for the first time since her father's death.

A/N: How did you like this chapter? I know it's longer than the others, but I think it's good so far. Please, please review!!! (Thank you Anne and Mollie. I'm glad you liked my stories)