Chapter 38

June 14, 1912

Jack, Rose and Marion shared the measly bed as best they could. Mr. Williams had the couch, while Jesse slept on the hardwood, at the foot of the bed; using his jacket as his pillow, his arm resting atop his forehead, his beautiful hair spread out on his jacket, and his mouth was slightly open, but no sound came. Rose was the first to wake up, then slowly looks around, as if she was in a dream of sorts, that she might be back in her dreadful room again. Instead she was greeted by the sight of Jack's beautiful face. She smiled, and her heart soared with happiness, knowing how lucky she was. Rose tries to move slowly; instead she wakes Jack up. His blue eyes slowly looks up, and he smiles.

"How did you sleep?" Jack asked, as he slowly sat up on the bed.

"Much better in a long time." She says, heart beating, and gave him a small smile. Jack brushes his hair from his eyes, smiles at her for the last time, then slowly gets out of bed. Marion soon wakes up, and sees Jack stretching. She slowly climbs out of bed with a yawn, then stretches. Jack helps Rose from the bed while Marion nearly trips over her new-found boyfriend, who was still sleeping peacefully and soundly on the floor. She gave Jesse another small playful kick, but he didn't budge. Mr. Williams rolls around in the couch, before snorting and returns back to his sleep. Marion looked at him, before she turned back to Jesse, then slowly kneeling down over him. She carefully and slowly strokes his beautiful face as he remains peacefully asleep.

He's so beautiful... So peaceful... Just like a doll... Marion thought, as she looked lovingly at this young man she had just barely met just hours ago. She noticed Jesse was unlike any of the men she had seen before. He looked delicate, but was very muscular for his size, as she noticed his bicep bulging through his shirt. Otherwise, almost everything she noticed on Jesse looked very... feminine; even princess-like. It was almost as if she was staring into a mirror, at Jesse's face. Thoughts began to race through her mind; the biggest one was looking at his father, then back at Jesse. How can this be?...Is he even... Marion shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her head. She returned her attention back to her sleeping beauty of a prince. She could barely hear Jesse's breathing, but she can see his chest moving up and down with the rhythm of his breathing- Marion flinched a bit as Jesse smacked his lips, and closed his mouth as he swallowed. She pushes her hair back, then slowly places her head on Jesse's chest, to hear a steady beat of his heart. She lifted her head, then while still leaned close to Jesse, she slowly ran her fingers through his soft silky hair as she appears to lean over for a kiss. She slowly takes his arm from his forehead, exposing it, and clasps his hand while still stroking his beautifully soft, dark hair, and staring intensely at his delicate, flawless facial features...

Jesse begins to slowly wake up, but was still half asleep, barely noticing Marion kneeling over him, as if he were in a dream of sorts. Mr. Williams sits up on the couch, yawning and coughing loudly, which startled Marion from her thoughts. He began rubbing his eyes to adjust to the morning light, and starts coughing, before getting up to go to the bathroom to wash up for the day, where he also coughs and hawks up phlegm as Jack and Rose cringe at the sound the man was making. Jesse blinked a few times, then stretched as he let out the most beautiful yawn Marion has ever seen; while his body was protesting from sleeping too long on the hardwood floor.

"I'm getting too old for this…" Jesse yawned and his shoulders cracked as he stretched, as Jack, Rose and Marion laughed, while Jesse winced as his joints popped. He rubbed his eyes, and blinks a few times to adjust for the light, before he groaned as he slowly sat up on the floor, with Marion helping him sit upright on the floor. Soon Marion hugged Jesse once more from behind, then buries her face in his shirt while he tried to put on his shoes. He groaned once more as he tried to bend forward to tie them, as Marion still held Jesse in a tight hug. Meanwhile Jack and Rose flopped on their bellies, places their heads on their hands, then watched as Jesse finally finished tying his shoes, then turned to meet the girl's eyes behind him. Marion saw both of Jesse's beautiful eyes, before his hair covered one eye as he looks back at her, and she blushes. She blushed even more as Jesse ran his fingers through his thick, messy hair, showing both his eyes once more, and gave a beautiful, half-smile at her. Jack tries to do the same, but Rose laughed and brushed his hair away from his eyes, and they both hugged and kissed once more. Marion and Jesse were still hugging each other on the floor when Jesse's father emerged from the bathroom, looking similar to Teddy Roosevelt, compared to Jesse's svelte figure.

"Alright kids. We'd best better leave now. There's no telling when that Mr. Hockley or that son of his will find us, but if they do…" Mr. Williams says, as the sounds of a belt was being put on, followed by a small burp.

The four kids looked at each other, then realizes he is right. Jack knew he and Jesse were nearly killed for simply being in the way of Cal, and for freeing Rose from the society she hates, and is now almost free. Marion knew she lost her job with the Dewitt Bukater's, but also wants the freedom Rose is in. They were capable of Cal's sudden outbursts; even Jesse's father knew Mr. Hockley at the plant, and he was much worse there.

"Jesse, do you think Eric-?" Jack began.

"No good. He lives across town. His parents live in Pittsburgh, though we may have a little chance there as well. Only places I think are safe for now is back with my sister or out in the country. Your choice, but we need to move." Jesse throws his jacket on, then packs his suitcase. He knew Cal doesn't know Eric at all, which is a good thing, but if Cal knew they were still in town, eventually he will find them; and his older brother Matthew is hardly at home sometimes. They quickly got out of the hotel before flagging down a horse-buggy cab to the train.

...

Jesse and Marion sit at the table, as Jack and Rose sit on the opposite side of the newly formed couple. Jack tries his best not to stare at Jesse so much, as Jesse digs in his pants and jacket pockets, hair moving about wildly. Eventually he looks up, hair covering one eye as he gives Jack a small smile. Despite Rose being at his side Jack becomes more nervous at the sight of Jesse, especially when he has his hair covering his eye, and that small smile he gives. Jesse shakes his head, and at the same time he brushes his hair with his fingers. His small smile plays across his face until he sees something in the corner of his eye.

"Oh crap!" He says, as he saw Cal trying frantically to push his way through the crowds of people on the platform. Jack looks at Jesse, then turns to where he was looking, and also sees Cal. He had a worrying look on his face as he knew Cal would be on the train anytime now. Just then two police officers wrestled Cal away from the train as it finally steams away from the platform. Cal could be seen shouting obscenities while the two police officers subdued Cal, as the train steamed away, back to New York. In the distance, Jesse could see clearly Cal was hauled away into the train depot, and possibly to the local jail.

"That was a close one. Do you think he recognized us?" Jack asks, fear still in his eyes, and he was breathing a bit faster, his chest heaving with each breath he made.

"I'm pretty sure he recognized us, but to him; it's like seeing a ghost. It's what we are to him, for now." Jesse says reassuringly, flicking his head, then runs his fingers though his hair. Marion rests her head on Jesse's shoulder, then looks up at him. Jesse puts his fingers in her hair, stroking her soft hair. Then he holds her tight around her shoulders. What Rose had told her about Jesse, is that he is much more beautiful in person than trying to describe this young man in detail, and she wants to spend her life with this wonderful man herself. Jesse ran his hand through Marion's hair for the final time, then kisses her head, before he looks out the window, overlooking the vast fields as they left Philadelphia for the last time. Jack looks back at the city skyline from his seat, then back at Rose. He strokes her hair the same way he saw Jesse do to Marion, and goes in for a kiss. Mr. Williams sits in the opposite aisle from the kids; he is watching as Jack kisses the woman he loves, and his son becoming even more mature than he already is. He knew his son is far mature for his young age, very stoic even. He then sits back, takes his hat and covers his face with it, then goes in a sound sleep, as the train steamed and whistled through the fields en route to New York.

...

June 16, 1912

A day and a half later the train arrives in New York, steam escaping into the cool evening as the passengers disembark the train. Marion has her arms wrapped around Jesse's waist as he stretches, followed by Jack and Rose. Jesse's father brings up the rear. The five people make their way across the platform into the building, and once outside the terminal Jesse's father flags down a cab. Jack loads his suitcase in the trunk, and Jesse does the same, before managing to fight for the remaining last space of the rear seat, and was laughing. With the driver's arm stretched over the seat back, he looked back at his passengers, but he was even more perplexed by Jesse's feminine appearance. Jesse's father buys a Sunday paper from the vendor, and somewhere buried within the stories the Titanic inquiry has been ongoing in England about why the impossible has happened. His father reads through it, only to murmur in disgust that there was nothing worth reading in that paper, and that he wasted his few cents on it, hoping something would spark his interest. He knew there was an upcoming election in the fall, and he wanted to know where the presidential candidates stand in the polls. He threw the paper in the car, before taking out a small flask of liquor from his coat pocket and takes a swig of it, before climbing into the front seat. The driver turned, adjusted his hat, and pulled away from the station. They made their way among the busy streets, dodging cars, horse buggies, pedestrians, and trolleys until Jesse's father spotted something unusual as it approached them.

"Hey, Jesse. What is that thing?" he asked his son, as he knew more about cars than he did. Jesse fought as he tried to see what his father was pointing to, and Jack was also doing the same thing.

"I don't know. But it looks top heavy, might tip if you turned too hard-"

"That my friends, is the Baker Electric car, with them Thomas Edison batteries. Can go for quite a distance with them cars. Dadblast that Edison." the cab driver says, taking a cigarette and lights it in the car. The electric car whizzes past them, as everyone craned their heads to get a look at the tall car. A steam car rolled past, startling everyone in the gas-powered taxi, as it billowed steam and puttered past them, the driver tooting like a train as he sped off. They finally made it out of the hustle and bustle of the city and came into an open clearing.

"Here. Take a left." Jesse's father guides the driver. They arrive back at the house, with one light on, while the car was not parked.

"Home sweet home." His father says, as the kids grabbed their luggage from the car, while his father paid the taxi fare, not bothering to pick up his paper he left in the car. Jack carries Rose to the house bridal-style as Jesse slowly manages two suitcases, and his new-found girlfriend hung to his jacket as they made their way up the porch to the house, and as always his father bringing up the rear. At the porch Jack puts Rose back on her feet then knocks on the door. While they waited outside Marion looked at her new surroundings. Soon, Karl opens the door, and Jack and the company walk inside. He was glad Jesse and Jack had finally arrived but was shocked at the extra company.

"Where's everyone tonight?" Mr. Williams asks as he hangs his coat and hat on the tree.

"Oh, they went to Coney Island, or someplace like that. But they should be back soon." Karl answers back. Marion goes to the kitchen to prepare some tea, and while on her way there, she checks out the house, and Rose tags along. Karl sits on the chair, as the three weary men sat across from him. Jesse gets up, taking off his jacket and carries it in his hand as he makes his way up the stairs.

"I need a change." He says. The men watches on as Jesse runs his hand through his hair, disappears at the top of the stairs before they heard a door shut above them, while Rose and Marion prepare some light snacks and tea for everyone in the room. Rose heard Jack ask. "Did Fabrizio go with them?" Rose admired the simplicity of the small kitchen. It's not too large, but just comfortable. Marion made herself at home, as she was familiar with the layout back at the Bukater residence, so she knew where everything was in this simple kitchen. She also seemed to admire the small, cozy house.

Karl: "He drove them there. It was little Jack's idea, after his father came home, while I stayed back to 'hold the fort', so to speak." Rose filled the kettle, just as Marion had taught her back at the mansion, then places it on the stove. Marion pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"This is nice, isn't it?" She looked around, and Rose agreed, joining her friend at the table. "Raise a family. Make memories." Rose says, still admiring the kitchen. The place wasn't cluttered, all the dishes neatly stacked beneath the sink, food labeled and neatly put away in the pantry, and a simple coffee percolator on the stove. Mr. Williams could be heard hawking and makes his way to the front door, where he let it out outside. Both Rose and Marion cringed.

Meanwhile, Jesse puts on a shirt after he changed out of clothes he was in for the past few days. He cleans and straightens the bed, preparing it for Rose and Jack. Otherwise, his room was simple; it only contained a dresser, a small closet, across from there a window that greeted the morning sun, the bed beneath and the entrance to the house. He buttons his shirt as he comes down the stairs. Marion and Rose were serving tea, and Jesse makes his way back to the couch.

"Rose, Jack, you can have my bed tonight. The guys will probably manage little Jack's room again, and I'll sleep here." Jesse says, sitting down in the couch, then picks up his tea.

"Wait. Where will she sleep?" Jack points at Marion.

"I'll sleep on the couch. That's what I did back at Rose's house." She says, then took ahold of Jesse's neck, and brushed her nose softly against his cheek. "We'll be husband and wife." Jesse blushed, then ran his hand through his hair. Still blushing, Jesse ran his hand through Marion's hair before going in for a kiss on her cheek. Marion returned his kiss on his lips, then reached for her tea. She puts her cup back down on the table, and puts her hands on Jesse's shoulder, and tries to squeeze them. Her smile had quickly wiped off her face as she tried unsuccessfully to squeeze Jesse's hard shoulders, while Jesse just sat there, not even noticing Marion trying to squeeze his shoulders in the process. Rose laughs, then tries to slurp hers, only to burn her tongue.

"Ow!" She exclaims, then puts her cup down on the table, nearly spilling it.

"Rose, are you alright?!" Jack asks, in shock over what had happened. He goes to the kitchen, pours out his tea in the sink, then fills it with cool water. He hands the cup to Rose, telling her to slowly lap the water like a dog, until the redness subsided. He learned this from his mother when he burnt his own tongue some years ago. Just then they heard a car putter in the drive.

"Ah, they must be back." Karl says, as he gets up from the chair, then disappears into the darkness outside. Inside the people could hear the happy sounds as the family makes their way up the stairs. Fabrizio is the first to arrive inside, carrying a giant teddy bear little Jack had won, while a few balloons were tied to his jacket. Little Jack's face is completely smeared from cotton candy and ice cream, and his clothes were completely stained from the sugary goodness. Karl brings in gifts and toys, and something that clattered in a wooden box, and Jessica and Jon were the last to enter, with a haggard-look on their faces. Jesse gets up to greet his sister and to help bring in any remaining items as Jon closes the door, ready to hang his hat until he sees a jacket and hat already hung there. Then he saw his father-in-law, then they both embraced. Marion watched, from her seat, with tears in her eyes, especially when she saw the young tot, looking up to Jesse.

"Never thought you'd drop by in town so soon." Jon says.

"Yes. I had to get away from that madness. I ain't going to be Mr. Hockley's associate no more." Mr. Williams says. "That man is something else." He continues to ramble on about Mr. Hockley, until Fabrizio offers everyone some sugary treats from the amusement, hoping to defuse the situation about Jesse's father and Mr. Hockley.

Jesse introduces the guests from the ship once more, and his girlfriend, as Karl brings out a crate full of Coca-Cola bottles they had also brought from Coney Island and passes them around. Mr. Williams hugs his daughter from behind as he watches his son and four other kids clink their glass bottles. Jessica was amazed at the crowd standing there, in her living room, how all those rejoicing and laughing had survived the biggest tragedy the world has ever seen. It truly felt like a party as Fabrizio helps himself to another cotton candy and soda, and Karl a hot dog. Rose gulps the bubbly drink as Jack watches on before letting out a huge belch.

"What? You think a first-class girl can't belch?" Rose looks Jack, then laughs. Everyone laughs and agrees. Jesse smiles as he pushes his thick hair from his face, while Marion was entranced by Jesse's almost fluid movements.

Despite the growing darkness the boys all agreed to go outside and to lay on the grass, and Rose and Marion follow their respective companions.

They all lay on the grass, in the front lawn of the house, admiring the stars above.

"Isn't this beautiful?" Marion asks, as she appears to try and grab at a star above, her head resting on Jesse's stomach, while he gently strokes her wavy hair. Everyone agrees.

"Do you think someday man will go up into space?" Jack asks, admiring the stars.

"Quite possibly. If the Wright Brothers can make their contraption fly for a few seconds, and if man can build the biggest ship afloat, then sure, why not. Who knows, we might even get to witness it in our lifetimes." Jesse says, one hand beneath his head, the other, on his girlfriend's chest, while she also held on to her boyfriend's arm.

Jack: "When we get old."

Jesse: "Bah!" Everyone laughs.

"You sound like how Scrooge would've said it. 'Bah! Humbug!'" Marion laughs, and everyone laughed harder.

"Scrooge. Who is this interesting fella?" Jesse wondered, furrowing his brows.

"He's in a story my father read once when I was younger. He's this Charles Dickens' character. He despises Christmas." Jack says.

"Oh. That Scrooge?" Jesse says, still completely lost at who this person might be, but he shook his head, as he continues to look up towards the heavens.

"You've read Charles Dickens?" Marion was intrigued.

"Well, they were my father's-" Jesse could hear Jack's voice, though he began to drift off into a thought of his own, as he continued to watch the stars above.

The six of them spends what seemed like hours, laying in the grass, talking and laughing. They share amongst each other jokes and their life stories, and what they want to accomplish in the future. Up on the porch, Jessica looks on at the six people laying on the grass, and teared up just at the sight of her brother joining in the group. Jon comes out of the house, and puts his hands on his wife's shoulders, and began rubbing them gently, while he leaned his chin on top of her head. They soon go back into the house, just leaving the front door open, bathing the front yard in yellow light. Just then little Jack calls to them from the porch.

"Mommy says come back inside. It's time for sleep."

"Well, we better do what the kid says." says Jesse, laughing, then brushing himself from the blades of grass. They all enter back in the house, while Jesse's older sister tries to coax her son to go back to sleep.

"No! I want Uncle Dessy to tell me a bedtime story." he grumbles, as he knew his father was unsuccessful at telling stories.

Jesse laughs, "Arr. Alright me hearty matey. Let's go up to yonder bed, or you'll get scurvy." He hoists his nephew up and goes up the stairs, while Jack pushes his uncle's hair away from his eyes, then wraps his arms around his neck, as he slowly falls asleep on his shoulder. Marion follows right behind, hoping to learn something from Jesse when the time came. He goes to the kid's room, and tucks him in the bed. Jesse unsuccessfully tries to find his pirate patch; instead, he rolls up his sleeves, grabs a chair from the table, spins it around so he can lean on the back, and starts telling the kid pirate stories, each one slightly different than the last one. Jack, Rose and Marion all stand at the doorway, intrigued by Jesse's storytelling.

"…And that's how Blackbeard hides his treasure." Jesse says, finishing his story before growling into the kid's stomach, then tickling him. "Go to sleep, kiddo. I'll see you in the morning." Little Jack laughs, then rolls over. Jesse gently strokes his nephew's hair, then kissing him. He gets up from the chair, running his hand through his hair and pushes it back from his eyes. With his hand still holding his hair he looks over at the trio at the doorway. Rose has tears coming from her eyes, Jack smiles, then hugs Rose even closer, he too has tears in his eyes. Marion cried softly the entire time she was standing there. Jesse met her at the door, as she was greeted to Jesse's passionate kisses, while she ran her hands through Jesse's soft hair. Marion hugs Jesse for the final time, before he left for the living room below, and that's when everyone decided to call it a night.

"I'll lend you girls some of my nightgowns." Jessica says, rummaging through her closet, as the girls entered the room. "Here are some of my clothes if you need them as well. If there's not one that fits, I'll see if my mother's clothes are any better." Rose and Marion smiles and tears up, grateful that fate had brought them.

"Thank you." Rose says, tearfully. Marion goes in the bathroom to change, then hugs Jessica and Rose before heading down to the living room to sleep with Jesse. Jon walks in, stretching and yawning. He peels the sheets on the bed, then sitting on it as he removes his shoes, before sliding under the covers.

"Good night dear." He says.

"I think its officially time to hit the bed." Jessica says, smiling. "It's been quite a night."

"A night to remember, indeed." Jon agrees, before turning out his lamp. Jessica leads Rose to Jesse's room, where Jack is already getting ready for bed, and allows the couple privacy, as instructed by Jesse. Karl and Fabrizio had already gone to sleep in little Jack's room. Jessica hugs Rose and Jack for the last time before closing the door. Rose slowly crawls into the bed, and starts crying softly.

"Why are you crying, Rose?" Jack asks, a little worried.

Rose: "I'm so happy. I love you so much."

Jack slowly reaches over her, kisses her and wipes her tears. "I love you too." he says, then walks over to turn the light out, before crawling back in the bed. He places his arm around Rose, then kisses her cheek as they lay in Jesse's bed.

He whispers in her ear. "Where to, miss?"

Rose: "To the stars."