That evening, at dinner, Rose contemplates what she is going to do that evening. She wants, more than anything, to have that first conversation with Jack, but she doesn't really like the idea of getting that dropping feeling in her stomach that she'd gotten when she had slipped on her dress and fallen.

Then, when she thinks of something, she is beginning to wonder just how daft she is that she didn't come up with it sooner. It's simple really. She makes Jack put his clothes back on before he helps her over then she holds up her dress. She laughs out loud at the simplicity of the idea causing her mother's head to snap towards her and she whispers, "What in Heaven's name is funny, Rose? You shouldn't laugh like that on your own accord. Have you learned nothing?"

"Oh, Mother, don't make such a fuss. I simply had an entertaining thought."

"Did you not learn in finishing school that you shouldn't speak or react unless spoken to and at the proper time?" Ruth shakes her head, "I expect better of you."

Rose mutters under her breath, "You always seem to expect more of me," then says to her mother, "Yes, Mother."

Satisfied, Ruth turns to engage in another conversation. Rose inwardly sighs and thinks, "A year away from her isn't enough to be able to stand her now. Jack was wrong in saying that I wouldn't have jumped. I would have. Death would be better than an entire life of this."

...

Once dinner is over Rose hurries back to her room and sits down in front of her mirror. She's made herself cry for acting before by simply thinking of Jack and how she'd lost him. She lets the memories rush over her. The flooding water, his frozen hand in hers, his peaceful face when the life had left him. The memories of that awful night consume her and the tears begin to stream down her face, leaving streaks of mascara on her face. Her shoulders begin to shake and she looses complete control of her actions as she tears at her hair, yanking her necklace off with a scream of anguish, and hurling her hand mirror at the vanity, just barely missing the mirror. Rose places both of her hands on the edge of the vanity, shoulders still shaking, and she looks up at her marred reflection in the cracked mirror. She whips her head away from her reflection and turns to run away towards the stern of the ship.

In her flurry she begins to loose her line between what is acting and what is real. She runs to the stern of the ship, pushing through the people, stopping at a low metal pole before slowly approaching the stern. She is still not in her right mind as she climbs over the railing and carefully turns around. It is not until she looks down at the water with her arms fully extended that she snaps back to reality with a gasp and realizes what she is doing and that, had she not just come back to her senses, she was going to let go.

She takes a deep breath to calm herself just as she hears a so very familiar voice, "Don't do it."

Her head whips around to see the love of her life, with his shaggy blond hair falling slightly in his face, his face full of concern, and his arm slightly extended in front of him. She almost forgets herself in him, but quickly recovers saying, "Stay back!"

Jack takes another step, "Don't come any closer!"

Jack continues walking forward, "Come on just give me your hand. I'll pull you back over."

"No! Stay where you are! I mean it! I'll let go," She turns back to face the water, which looks very cold and far down now that she's not planning to jump in it.

Jack carefully takes another puff of his cigarette and motions that he's going to throw it over the rail before doing so, making sure not to startle Rose.

He moves so he's almost next to her but still some distance away, and stuffs is hands in his pockets. He looks her in the eye and says calmly,"No you won't."

She turns her head more towards him and says, "What do you mean no I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do. You don't know me!"

Rose feels bad for yelling at him but understands why she had said it, she had enough people telling her what to do and what not to do. Jack lift his shoulders slightly and says in a voice that makes her just want to give up all attempt of waiting and kiss him, "Well, you woulda done it already."

"You're distracting me. Go away!" Rose turns back to the ocean, thinking, "Please don't. Stay with me and never leave me."

"I can't. I'm involved now. You let go and," he begins to shrug his coat off, "I'm gonna have to jump in there after ya."

Rose scoffs, "Don't be absurd. You'd be killed."

"Imma good swimmer," Jack places his right foot on the huge anchor next to Rose and begins to untie his shoe.

"The fall alone would kill you."

"It would hurt. I'm not sayin' it wouldn't. To tell you the truth I'm a lot more concerned about that water being so cold." Jack finishes with his boot and moves onto the next.

Rose looks down at the water then swallows and looks back up at him, "How cold?"

The wind is blowing Jack's hair in his face but he ignores it, much more concerned about this girl who he's determined to save, "Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over."

He finishes taking his boot off and puts it down. He stands up and puts his hands in his pockets again, "You ever, uh, ever been to Wisconsin?"

Rose's head snaps towards him, "What?"

"Well, they have some of the coldest winters around. I grew up there, near Chippewa Falls. I remember when I was a kid," his eyebrows raise at a bad memory, "me and my father, we went ice fishing out on Lake Wissota-Ice fishing is ya know where you-"

Rose interrupts him, acting annoyed, "I know what ice fishing is!"

She gives a exasperated sigh and Jack raises his hand in a surrender type motion, saying, "Sorry," he motions towards her outfit, "You just, ya know, kinda an indoor girl," he raises his eyebrows and sighs, "Anyway, I, uh, I fell through some thin ice," Rose stares at him, "I'm tellin' you. Water that cold,' he looks down at the water, leaning on the rail,"like right down there, it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can breathe, you can't think, at least not about anything but the pain. Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after ya."

Jack pushes off the railing to stand up straight and he begins to take off his last layer, leaving him in his shirt and suspenders, "Like I said, I don't have a choice. I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the rail and get me off the hook here."

Rose looks away from him, "You're crazy."

Jack smirks and leans towards her, "That's what everybody says, but, with all due respect, Miss, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here."

Rose doesn't respond and Jack slowly sticks out his hand, "Come on. You don't wanna do this."

Rose shakily takes his hand, terrified of falling into the water and failing not only Jack, but everyone on this ship. She turns to face Jack, resisting the urge to kiss him, cry, and spill out her soul and troubles to him. Jack smiles, "Phew. I'm Jack Dawson."

Rose sighs and says, "Rose Daw-Dewitt-Bukater."

Jack laughs, "I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down."

Rose gives a small laugh through her tears of joy, sadness, and fear that are beginning to spill down her face. Jack says, "Come on."

"Wait. You should put your things on first. If someone catches us like this..."

"No. I'm not just gonna leave you on that side the railing. What if you fall or decide to jump once I can't jump in after you? No. Come on."

"Mr. Dawson. You can trust me, I won't jump. Please, I won't be caught with you like this, I'm sorry."

"And I won't be caught with you on the other side of the railing like this, I'm sorry."

Rose laughs, "Well you are stubborn, aren't you, Mr. Dawson?"

"Not usually, no. But I won't let you stay there. Come on, now."

Jack gives her hand a small tug and Rose sighs in defeat, "Very well."

Rose lifts her foot and places it on the next rung of the railing. Just as she is beginning to put weight on it remembers what happened last time and looks down just in time to see the mesh of her dress caught on her shoe. She gasps and jerks her foot off the railing, tearing the mesh of her dress in the process, just barely managing to keep her lower foot on it. Jack's head snaps down so he sees what happened and he gulps. He lets out a small nervous laugh, "That was a close one."

She laughs a little, "Yeah."

"Come on, you can trust me. I won't let you fall." Jack helps her all the way over the railing.

As soon as her feet touch the ground she looks at him, "Now, please, get all your belongings back on before we're caught."

Jack laughs, "Of course, your highness."

Rose rolls her eyes as Jack begins to put all his things back on. She shifts her feet a bit nervously and rubs her arms in a pitiful attempt to keep warm.

As soon as Jack is done he notices her beginning to shiver and goes to take off his coat but hesitates, "I-I'd offer you my coat, but would that be considered...scandalous?"

Jack nods towards her engagement ring. Rose looks at it then back at Jack, "I...I think it would be fine, but you needn't do that for me. I'll be fine, perhaps I should go back."

Rose regrets the words the moment they leave her mouth. She thinks, "Wonderful job, Rose. Now you've blown off the man you love and a chance to finally talk with him after a year of him being dead."

Jack shrugs his coat back on, attempting to mask his disappointment from Rose, "Alright. T-That would probably be best. I'd offer to walk you back but I don't think that would be allowed."

"I'll be alright," Rose sighs and looks up at the stars, "In all honesty I don't even want to go back."

Jack immediately takes his coat off and offers it to her, perhaps a tad to quickly he thinks at Rose's near imperceptible smirk, "Then here you are."

Rose takes the coat with a smile of thanks and slips it on, breathing in Jack's smell, which she had been denied for so long, "Thank you, J-Mr. Dawson."

"Jack. Please, call me Jack."

"Thank you...Jack," saying the name out loud makes Rose's heart flutter and glow. Funny how, only three days ago, hearing that name felt a dagger in her heart.

There's an odd silence for a moment before Jack says, "Well, it seems you've had quite the night. Do you wanna sit down?"

Jack motions towards a bench not too far away, in the middle of the deck. Rose nods, "Oh, yes please."

As they walk, Jack asks, "So...this is a bit of a personal question...but would you care to tell me what it is that got you feeling like this?"

Rose sighs and looks at her feet, "Look, I know what you must be thinking, 'Poor little rich girl, what does she know about misery?'"

"That's not what I was thinking," Rose stops and looks at him. Jack continues, "What I was thinking was, 'What could have happened to this girl to make her think she has no way out?'"

Rose takes a breath before speaking and continuing to walk, "Well...it was everything. My whole life and all the people i-" Before she can get any further, she trips on the torn mesh of her dress and falls onto the deck with a gasp and then a small scream. Rose had just the luck to not have quick enough reflexes to break her fall, so she slammed the side of her head on the deck.

Jack immediately kneels down on one knee beside her, "Rose! Are you alright?"

Rose turns onto her back with a groan and her hand comes up to her temple, "Tonight is really not my night, is it?"

Jack laughs a little and holds out his hand to help her up, "I guess not. Is your head alright?"

Rose takes his hand and pulls herself up into a sitting position, "I hope so."

Jack helps her up and gets her over to the bench and sits her down before sitting down next to her, "Here turn your head, let me have a look at it to make sure your alright."

Jack holds her arm with one hand so she can't somehow fall of the bench and tentatively touches her head with the other. Rose winces and Jack says, "It looks like you have a bruise, but nothing more. Don't worry, It's where your hair is, so no one should notice."

Jack leans a bit closed to confirm his claim that it's simply a bruise. Just then, the sound of a man's gasp and running feet cause the two of them to look up. They see Cal running towards them followed by two crew men and a few men from first class.

Jack recognizes Cal as the man with Rose earlier that morning. He looks at Rose and sees that with the way her head is turned and how he is leaning toward her, it looks as though he's trying to kiss her and she's trying to avoid it. The disheveled dress and hair, missing jewelry, and makeup lines from crying add to the picture. The only thing out of place is Jack's coat on Rose. Rose's sees it all as well and lets out a small groan and a sigh. Jack knows whatever is about to happen can't be good. He mutters, "Shit. This should be fun. Apparently it's not my night either."

Cal looks furious, "What is going on here?!" The coat clearly has him confused as well but his blame for the situation immediately falls on Jack. He points at Jack, "Get away from my fiance, you bastard. Stand up!"

Jack immediately obeys and puts his hands up so as not to further anger the man. Cal turns to one of the crewmen, the master at arms, "Handcuff him. Now!"

The crewmen do as they're told and Cal goes to Rose and helps her stand up, though he hesitates in touching the third class jacket. As soon as she is standing, Cal hurriedly takes the jacket off and throws it at the master of arms, who catches it. Cal then wraps Rose in a blanket from the ship, "You poor thing, what in Heaven's name happened?"

Before Rose has the chance to respond Cal moves away from her and over to Jack, "Well, do you plan on telling me what it is you were doing to my fiance? What made you think you could put your hands on her?"

Jack opens his mouth to respond and hesitates, looking at the coat with a half smile and a looks of mild confusion, "With all due respect, Sir, why would I have given Ro-Ms. Dewitt-Bukater my coat to wear if I was attempting to take advantage of her? Also, how would I know her name?"

This infuriates Cal further and he lunges at Jack saying, "Enough of this! Answer my question."

Rose walks up to him and puts a hand on his arm, "Cal! Stop, please! It wasn't what you think."

Cal looks at her, bewildered, and sputters, "Please don't tell me you were perfectly fine with this gutter rat taking advantage of you."

"Oh no, Cal, it was nothing of the sort. I had been leaning over the railing and I slipped. I was leaning far over, to see the propellers. Mr. Dawson here saved me, he almost went overboard himself. I was freezing so he offered me his coat, I think you'd rather me wear that then get hypothermia. Then, while walking to the bench I tripped on my torn dress and hit my head. Mr. Dawson was simply making sure it was alright. I assure you, it was nothing more."

Cal backs off Jack a little, still visibly doubting him, and the master of arms asks Jack, "Was that the way of it?"

Jack looks at Rose with interest and Rose gives him a look, begging him to go with it. Jack gives a slow nod and swallows, "Yeah. yeah, that was pretty much it."

Archibald Gracie, who had been watching, speaks up, "Well, the boy's a hero then! Good for you son, well done!"

Gracie turns to Cal and a few other men who had been on the search for Rose, "So it's all's well and back to our brandy, eh?"

Cal gives a hesitant nod and, with a slight shake of his head at what he sees to be Rose's stupidity, he buys the story.

Jack is uncuffed and given a moment to rub his wrists, which are red from the cold of the freezing metal bars on his wrist, before getting handed his jacket. Cal turns to Rose and rubs her arms, "Let's get you inside, you must be freezing!"

He takes Rose and begins to walk inside without a second thought for Jack, but Gracie whispers to him, "Ah...perhaps a little something for the boy?"

Cal looks at Jack for a second, "Oh, right," he turns to Spicer Lovejoy, his valet, "Mr. Lovejoy. A twenty should do it."

Rose looks at him with a shocked expression and scoffs, "So, is that the going rate for saving the life of the woman you say you love. I'd think she would be worth more if you did love her."

Cal gives her a look, but there are other high society men around and he can't risk his reputation. The only way to keep it perfectly intact is to appease Rose, "Of course I love you, Sweetpea. If it pleases you, I'll do something else. Hmm, what to do."

Jack watches the encounter while putting on his coat, surprised that Rose is standing up for him.

Cal thinks for a moment before giving a nod, "I know."

Cal turns to Jack and walks over to him, "Perhaps...you could join us for dinner tomorrow evening, to regale our group with your heroic tale.

Jack keeps his eyes one Cal and hesitates before answering flatly, "Sure. Count me in."

It's clear Jack isn't all to excited about the idea. Cal smirks and says before turning away, "Well, it's settled then."

He mutters to Gracie, "This should be interesting."

Rose watches Jack through the gap between the men until Cal takes her and leads her inside. Rose regrets that she'd been stupid enough to fall after finally getting a chance to talk with Jack after so long.

...

Later that night, Rose is sitting in front of her vanity, listening to a music box and observing the little dancer inside. Her thought, however, are not on the dancer, but on Jack and the events of the night. Perhaps it was a good thing, they'd been caught. Had they not, she wouldn't have dinner with him nor the party.

Rose's thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door, which opens before she responds. Cal is standing in the door, holding a box that she knows must contain "The Heart of the Ocean."

She gently places the mirror down and looks at him. Cal leans on the door frame and says, "I know you've been melancholy. I don't pretend to know why."

Rose suppresses a snort of a laugh, which Cal thankfully didn't notice, and he walks into the room saying, "I intended to save this for the engagement gala, next week," he leans on her vanity, closing the music box an moving it aside,"but," Cal opens a latch on the box, "I thought," he opens it to reveal the overwhelming necklace,"tonight."

"Good gracious," says Rose as she reaches out to touch the stone.

Cal gives a small laugh at her reaction, "Perhaps as a reminder of my feelings for you."

"Is it a-"

Cal cuts her off, "Diamond? Yes," Cal takes the necklace out of the box and places it around her neck, "56 karats to be exact. It was worn by Loui the XVI," they look at the necklace in the mirror and Rose brings her hand up to touch it, "and they called it, 'Le Coeur de la Mer.' The-"

"Heart of the Ocean."

Cal laughs a little, "Yes."

Rose sighs, "It's overwhelming."

"Well, it's for royalty. We are royalty, Rose," he kneels next to her, "You know there's nothing I couldn't give you, there's nothing I'd deny you," They look at each other, "If you would not deny me. Oh, open your heart to me, Rose."

Rose looks at the stone in the mirror again, "You know, I don't think that's true, Cal."

He looks a bit hurt but hides it, "What do you mean?"

"What I want is something you can not-will not- give me."

"What it that, Rose?"

"I don't want riches or gems. I long for Freedom. Someone who supports my dreams and doesn't laugh at them. Someone who I can trust to never harm me in any way, neither physically nor mentally."

Cal gives a small scoff, "Freedom? You have freedom, Rose. You aren't in chains or anything of the sort."

"That's not what I mean, Cal. I'm physically free, mostly, but I am being forced into a marriage that I never wanted and I'm not free to pursue my dreams. Anyway, it's not like you even could do much about that, you'd have to love me a ridiculous amount to damage your reputation so. Just forget I said anything."

Cal sighs, "As you wish, I hope I've cheered you up some."

Rose gives a small nod. The gem did cheer her up, it reminds her of her time with Jack, the time when he drew her.

Cal has almost reached the door when he hesitates, "What did you mean when you said someone you can trust to never harm you?"

Rose freezes, she didn't mean to let that slip, "I-I-um-I meant more mentally. Whether you intended to or not. Anyway, it doesn't matter. As I said, forget I said anything."

Cal hesitates before giving a quick, small, nod and exiting. Rose lets out a small groan, what could she have messed up in saying that. She unclasps the necklace and places it back in the box, returning it into the safe, before retiring to her bed and thinking of how things could get messed up from here.

...

The next day Rose goes to find Jack in the steerage common area. He had just said goodbye to little Cora and he watches her as she walks away with her parents.

As Rose walks down, the people stare at her like she's a princess and a hush falls over the room. Having grown accustom over the past year to fitting in with these people, she feels extra uncomfortable under the stares.

Fabrizio sees the girls and taps and stands up to meet her. Rose smiles, "Hello, -no, Jack?"

Rose blushes profoundly at her mistake. Jack gives a crooked smile, "Jack, please. I don't need any of those formalities. Much too proper. And, hello again."

Rose gives a small smile,"Could I speak to you?"

Jack nods,"Yeah," but makes no move, thinking she's going to just start speaking.

Rose realizes this and adds, "In private."

"Yes, of course." Jack gathers up his things into his portfolio and, taking it with him, "After you."

He hits Tommy playfully on the shoulder as he walks by. Tommy and Fabrizio stare after the two, floored, with their mouths hanging open.

Up on deck, Rose questions Jack about his past and they discuss silly little things. Eventually Jack says, "Well, Rose, we've walked 'bout a mile around this boat deck and chewed over how great the weather's been and how I grew up, but I reckon that's not the reason you came to talk to me, is it?"

"Jack, I wanted to thank you for what you did last night. Not just for talking me out of jumping, but for your discretion."

"You're welcome."

"Look, I know what you must be thinking. Poor little rich girl, what does she know about misery?"

Jack stops and places his hand on one of the ropes attaches to the smokestacks, "That's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was, 'What coulda happened to this girl to make her think she had no way out?'"

Jack looks at her, his eyes full of concern and kindness. Rose responds, "Well I-it was everything. It was my whole world and all the people in it. And the inertia of my life plunging ahead and me powerless to stop it."

Rose holds out her hand with her engagement ring on it. Jack takes her hand in his to look at it and she feels electricity from his touch. He says, "Gawd, look at that thing. You'da gone straight to the bottom."

"500 invitations have gone out, all of Philidelphia's society will be there...and all the while I feel I'm in a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs, and no one even looks up."

"Well, do you love him?"

Rose's head snaps toward him, "What?"

"Do you love him?"

"You shouldn't be asking me this."

"It's a simple question, do you love the guy or not?"

"This is absurd!"

"Why can't you just answer the question?"

"I don't know you and you don't know me and we are not having this conversation. You are rude and uncouth and presumptuous and I am leaving now. Jack-Mr. Dawson, it's been a pleasure," Rose begins shaking his hand, "I sought you out to thank you and now I have done so-"

"And you've insulted me."

"W-Well you deserved it."

Jack laughs, with Rose still shaking his hand," Right."

"Right..." Rose continues shaking his hand.

"I thought you were leaving."

Rose lets go of his hand, "I am."

She begins to walk away. Jack laughs, waiting for her to realize she doesn't have to go anywhere cause she's already in her part of the ship. Rose stops, "Wait. I don't have to leave. This is my part of the ship," she turns to Jack and points towards steerage," You leave!"

Jack laughs again and puts his hand on the rope again, "Well, well, well. Now who's being rude?"

Rose scoffs before her eyes land on his portfolio and she takes it, "So, you're an artist?"

Jack nods and Rose continues to flip through, "Well, these are rather good."

She sits on a the end of a chair and compliments the drawings as she goes along. At one point, Jack interrupts her, "Rose?"

"Yes?"

"I've had something on my mind all day and...can I ask you something?"

Rose raises an eyebrow, "As long is it's not live your previous personal question,"

Jack gives a small laugh, "Alright. Look, you can call me crazy, but I think I saw you before I boarded this ship...in a place I couldn't imagine someone...of your class going. Am I mental?"

Rose gives a nervous laugh, "I-um-"

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Rose looks down at the drawings in her lap, "Yes. Yes, it was."

"Why?"

Rose takes a shaky breath before squaring her shoulders and looking at him, "I think you've already asked your one question, Mr. Dawson. This is your third."

"You never answered the first."

"Look, I have a lot of things going on right now. More weight is on my shoulders than you could possibly imagine." The weight of the lives of 1,523 people.

"The engagement?"

"Oh, it's way more than that."

Jack looks at her pleadingly, "Why can't you tell me? Isn't there anything I could do to help you?"

"Oh Jack, if only there was. Some things I simply have to do by myself. I just can't explain it. I've seen and experienced things you can only imagine, as of now."

"As of now?"

Rose's face pales as she realizes what she might give away if this continues. She raises her voice slightly, "Mr. Dawson, this conversation is over. You've overstepped your boundaries. We either change the topic or you go back to steerage. The choice is yours."

Jack sighs, "Alright. Just know that you can trust me. You can trust me with anything."

Rose stares at him, suddenly entranced by his gaze, which is full of pain for her. She manages to say softly "Y-yes, alright."

Jack closes up the drawings in her lap, "Come on. Let's fine something more appealing to look at then my scribbles."

Rose laughs and allows him to lead her away.

A/N: I'm going to put a poll on my story for whether I should write a companion story for this, once I'm done of course, where Jack and Rose don't board Titanic.
This chapter was pretty similar to the movie but the next will have big differences and it gets a lot more different from there. I apologize for lack of updates on all my stories. Life happened and school happened. I'm trying my best.
Also, a shoutout to RoseWeasleyyDawson for being so supportive of me and my writings! She herself is an amazing writer, please go check out her amazing story, The Millionaire's Daughter. Thank you RoseWealseyyDawson for being so kind!

Edit: WOW! I just checked the views for this story and I'm so happy I'm crying. Thank you all so incredibly much!