Rose had a good feeling. It wasn't an ecstatic feeling, like a today was the best day ever feeling, but she was almost eploding with contentment. The meal with Jack had been the perfect thing to get her mind off of, well, everything. He was so calm the entire time, even though he wasn't used to that kind of lifestyle. He had made her laugh and smile, and it was a nice change from the depression she had felt for the past year.

Jack and Rose had just finished their food, and were sitting back in their seats, stomachs quite full. Rose wasn't able to keep the smile off of her face as she gazed at Jack. She knew he noticed, but he didn't say anything, he just sat there with a slight smile playing along his lips. Rose looked down suddenly, not wanting to think about how the shape of his lips against hers was the perfect feeling.

"It's gotten late hasn't it?" Jack commented suddenly, causing Rose to look up at him.

"It has," Rose said, glancing all around them, it was dark but the pavilion they were on was covered with little twinkling ball lights. "I hadn't noticed."

"What do you say we had back to the motel?" He asked, standing up. Rose nodded. Jack quickly came to stand behind her and pulled out her chair for her to stand up, looking a little unsure of himself. Rose smiled. If any other man besides Jack did that, she would have gotten angry, but Jack was so gentle and thoughtful when he did it, instead of thinking Rose was incapable of standing up on her on.

"Thank you," she told him sweetly. He just grinned back, and she stood up. They made their way out of the diner, after paying for the meal. As they walked towards the motel, Rose enjoyed looking at the still busy streets, despite it being late. There were blinking lights and soft music playing and people everywhere, mostly couples.

Rose felt her smile dimming a little as a particularly happy couple walked by, giggling and holding hands. She remembered when Jack and she had been that way, running around and laughing. It hadn't lasted long, and Rose would do anything to get it back that way.

Jack seemed to notice her attitude change. "Something wrong?"

Rose forced a smile back on her face. "No, no, just...a little overwhelmed."

Jack nodded. "I understand. My first night alone was pretty scary for me."

"It hasn't been too bad," Rose said without thinking.

"Hmm?"

Rose felt her face getting warmer...again! It was getting old, she should be used to bantering with Jack. But...she wasn't, because he was supposed to be dead.

"I said...it hasn't been too bad...because I met you, and you know what you're doing...I mean, living homeless..."

"I suppose," Jack said, thankfully not noticing her being flustered. "After I found Fabri, I was a lot less lonely and able to do better on the streets. I guess having someone there with you, giving you company, makes being homeless a less unpleasant experience."

Rose tilted her head. "Yes..."

They walked in silence for a bit more, when suddenly Rose had a strong urge.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we...would it be okay...if we went down to the dock?" She asked, hoping Jack wouldn't refuse, thinking she was crazy.

"Sure," he said, surprised. They changed the direction they were walking as Jack guided her through Southampton to their new destination.

"Might I ask why?" Jack asked as they walked.

Rose thought for a minute. "I...I don't know...I just, I've always been drawn to the water, I guess."

It was more than that. Ever since Jack had died, she had always come to the ocean and it would calm her. It might seem a little backwards, since the ocean is what killed him, but it made her feel closer to him, like she could reach out at any moment and touch him. It was Rose's final stop before going home at least once a week, usually more. And even now, with Jack beside her...she felt as if she needed to share that with him, even if he didn't understand why.

Jack just nodded, and soon they reached the Southampton pier. Rose slowly walked ahead of him, gazing at the sparkling black water shining in the moonlight. It made her sad, how she had come back to prevent Jack's horrible fate, but hadn't been able to save everyone else.

She walked silently out on the dock, and knew without looking back that Jack was following her. She leaned over the rail and stared down at the cold water that was the grave of her old life with Jack. As Jack stood beside her now, she had the strangest urge to lean over and touch it.

The next thing she knew, she was leaning very far over the rail, and heard Jack's sharp intake of breath.

"Rose...that may not be a smart idea–"

But just then, Rose slipped from her position and fell into the freezing water. It was also then when she realized she didn't know how to swim.

"Jack!" Rose coughed, thrashing around. The water wasn't terribly deep, but it was dark and she couldn't touch the bottom. It was also taking her back to that fateful night a year ago...

"Rose!" She could hear the sounds of Jack frantically pulling off his coat and untying his boots in a rush.

"Hang on!" Rose could see Jack climbing over the rail of the dock, face filled with fear. Rose could feel herself slipping under, growing tired, the coldnese of the water biting through her skin. Her ears were ringing and she could feel her dress weighing her down. She barely heard the splash of Jack diving in next to her, and she saw black spots in front of her eyes, unable to keep her head above the water.

"Jack," she sputtered weakly. Rose began to sink, and she shut her eyes to prevent the stinging as the water closed above her head. Her lungs were tight, she felt as if they would explode. Suddenly, she felt Jack's arms lock around her body, pulling her upward, his legs kicking frantically.

As their heads broke above the water, Rose took a huge gulp of air, clinging to Jack. He held on to her as tightly as he could, pressing her right next to his chest. It was obvious that Jack had swimming experience, and he had her to the dock in a matter of seconds. He gently pried her off of his shirt and rolled her under the railing of the dock so she was lying on the hard wood. Rose heard him heave himself up next, dripping wet.

She laid there, shivering and gasping, on the brink of unconsiousness. She heard Jack quickly come over to her and check her pulse. He seemed dissatisfied with what he found and quickly placed his jacket over her. Rose immediatly begin to drift off, the warmth and heaviness of his coat causing her to close her eyes. She knew she would be alright.

xXxXx

Jack paced around the room, filled with worry. This was all his fault, he should have grabbed Rose before it was too late. He had carried her to the motel as soon as she had drifted off, nearly sprinting to get her somewhere warm. She had been shivering and her pale skin ahad a blueish tint and was cold to the touch.

He had laid her carefully on the bed, and taken his coat off of her, but she was still deathly cold, so Jack did the only thing he knew would help. He took her clothes off. He didn't look at her of course, but Jack still knew what he was doing, and his face was probably still bright red. He had then placed all of the blankets over her, and she seemed to be getting warmer. Or maybe that was just him.

He paced now, telling himself to stop thinking that Rose was naked under the blankets. What was the matter with him? He had seen many, many women before, he had drawn them even. But none...none were quite like Rose. Jack knew that just after a day of knowing her. She was different. Just like him.

He looked over at her, and he could see that she was still shivering a little. Slowly, he walked towards her. What should he do? Then he remembered what he and Fabrizio used to do under the bridge in the winter. Body heat. He hesitantly sat on the other side of the bed, next to Rose, then laid down next to her, his face flaming. There were still layers upon layers of blankets in between them, but for some reason, Jack could feel the intamacy between them at the moment.

A sharp breath from Rose reminded him of why he was in the position in the first place. He scooted closer to Rose and started rubbing her arms, hoping the friction would be enough to warm her up all the way. Her shoulders automatically tensed, even while she was asleep. But soon, as Jack continued to rub her arms and shoulders, they relaxed, and Jack even thought he saw a small smile on her face. He could feel she was warming up, too, and was relieved.

Soon Jack figured Rose was warm enough, and stood up, hoping she would be fine. He decided to take a bath to calm his nerves. As he walked into the bathroom, he flipped on the switch and looked around. He froze when he noticed the tub. It had knobs on it, and that could only mean one thing. Running water. Jack could feel his eyes widen. He couldn't even remember the last time he had that luxery.

Slowly, he turned on the water, to the hottest it could go. He hoped the sound of the running water wouldn't wake Rose. Eventually, the tub filled up and Jack got in. The water seared his skin, but he didn't care. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in years. Clean, warm water. Jack sank deeper in the water as he felt it over him. He could get used to this.

Then he felt guilty because he was taking advantage of Rose's money. She seemed willing enough to dish it out to him...but why? Why was she so insistant on all of this? Jack scratched his head. He didn't want to think about this right now. He allowed the tub water to wash over him again.

Soon, the water became cold and Jack figured he was probably a human prune by now. Carefully climbing out of the tub, he pulled the drain. He was a little hesitant about letting all that water go to waste, but he told himself that he could do little luxeries like that now. It still felt a little weird, though. Jack dried off with a provided towel and pulled his clothes back on. He hoped Rose didn't mind that he had to wear the same outfit every day, it was all he had, a vest, suspenders, a cotton shirt, a collared shirt, and a jacket. It was all he could afford.

Just then, he heard Rose stir in the other room. He hurried out of the bathroom, running a hand through his damp hair. Rose's eyes were just opening, and she squinted at the new surroundings.

"Jack?"

He came next to her.

"I'm right here, Rose," he assured her. She looked up at him.

"You saved me," she said. Jack shrugged.

"It was nothing."

"Nothing? You saved my life! I don't know how to swim! But...you barely know me. Why did you risk your life...to save mine?"

Jack frowned. Why did he? He could have easily let her drown and be on his way.

"Because...that's just wrong. I wasn't about to let you die," he told her as honestly as he could.

"Well...thank you," she said. She began to sit up, but froze. Jack squeezed his eyes shut, having forgotten that she was not wearing clothes.

"Jack..."

"I'm sorry!" Jack was extremely embarassed, and felt the need to justify his actions. He wasn't some pervert. "It was just...you were really cold, and your clothes were sopping wet and freezing, and it's just...you warm up faster..."

Rose just laughed awkwardly. "Well...thanks, I guess."

Jack covered his face with his hands.

"I suck at this," he said aloud.

"What? It's fine...really," Rose said. "Are my clothes dry?"

Jack shook his head. "I hung them up outside, but last I checked, they were still wet."

Rose coughed suddenly, and continued to cough. Jack quickly ran to the bathroom and filled a little cup with water and brought it back to Rose. She drank it gratefully.

"Thank you, again, Jack," she said once she had stopped coughing.

"Maybe you should go back to sleep," Jack told her, concerned.

"Only if you do, too," she told him. "Have you been up this entire time?"

"Yeah," Jack said sheepishly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I'll be fine. Really," she said, smiling slightly.

"If you say so," Jack said. "Are you sure?"

Rose nodded, urging him to sleep. Jack was actually pretty tired, so he didn't object. He made his way over to the couch by the bed, which he hadn't moved back since he had drawn on it this afternoon, and was too tired to move it now. He nearly fell on top of it and fell asleep almost instantly, after hearing a whisper cut through the dark.

"Goodnight, Jack."