Rose had to fight to control her breathing and keep tears from falling as she stepped out onto the back of the caboose. Why did Jack want to contact Cal? What would cause him to push her away? Rose shook her head and clenched the rail with her fist. She needed to stop thinking about Jack. But how could she? He still affected her the same way he did on the Titanic.

Rose began to worry that Jack was only interested in being friends. She sighed. Why was that something to worry over? If he was alive, that was really all she needed. Just having his presence in the world again was more than enough.

But she couldn't deny the missing piece inside her that was growing more and more noticeable each day she spent with Jack, unable to tak him in her arms and hold him, unable to kiss him, unable to love him and have a future together.

She was dimly aware of the trees surrounding her and the tracks beneath her as she let some tears be released, gone into the breeze. Then she stopped, took a deep breath, and went back inside.

Jack was laying back on the pile of hay, already having fallen asleep. He had a slight smile on his face that put a smile on Rose as well. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

But what about his earlier dream? He had said they were at the front of a ship. Did...did he dream about their first kiss? Was he getting...memories of a past life? Jack had also dreamed about seeing her for the first time, on the poop deck. What did this mean?

Jack rolled over in his sleep suddenly, mumbling about something unintelligable. Rose gazed at him for a few moments and then sat down beside him. Watching Jack sleep was one of the most refreshing things she had done in a while. He was so perfect when he slept...and she could almost imagine that it was after a long night together and he was about to wake up with a smile on his face after seeing her. She sighed again, and shook that thought out of her head. She had no idea what Jack felt now.

Jack began to move around more, his mumblings getting louder. He reached out, seeming to be trying to find Rose. Suddenly, he found her wrist and pulled her to him. Rose let out a quick breath of air but didn't try to escape. His head lolled around, and he mumbled more.

After this, he didn't move as much, only just on occassion, but Rose didn't dare move. She would lay like this for hours if she had to, she didn't want to wake Jack up. After Jack had laid in a quiet sleep for a while, he clasped Rose's hands tighter and began to shiver. He began to thrash around and Rose began to get nervous. Whatever he was experiencing in this dream was bad.

She gently nudged him, trying to break away from him to see if he would wake up. He groaned and pulled her closer.

"Jack," she whispered, pulling harder. He just hugged her tighter. Rose was amazed at how strong he was.

"Jack!" She said louder, not wanting him to wake up to find them in this position, but needing to wake him up. After she had no response, she shoved him lightly so she could end his apparent misery.

His eyes opened and he gasped. "Don't let go of that promise, Rose. Never let go."

Rose began to breathe quicker. What...did he just dream about that caused him to say that? She pulled away from him suddenly, as if she had been burnt. Jack just stared after her.

"You know," he accused. She glanced at him, confused.

"Know...what?"

"You know about these dreams I'm having," he told her, sitting up. He didn't even look groggy. "It's something about us being on the Titanic together and avoiding your fiancé and the ship sinking...but you know!"

"Jack..."

"You seemed like you knew me when you first met me...you have been acting weird every time I tell you something about the ship, and...even your last name...Dawson. It all fits together doesn't it?"

Rose felt her eyes widen. He knew. She had been using him and he knew. What does she say?

"Jack," she started, but he interrupted.

"And don't say it's too difficult to explain. Don't lie to me, Rose."

She took a deep breath, gazing at his blue eyes. She couldn't lie to him, even if she wanted to.

"It started the day the Titanic departed from Southampton. I boarded with my mother and my fiancé, Cal. Don't ask me how I boarded if I'm here now with you, I'll get there," she told him, then looked up at him, gauging his reaction. His eyes had widened a little, but he nodded.

"Okay...then what?"

"We didn't know each other...and my world was collapsing all around me. I didn't like the life I was trapped in, the world of prestige and riches. I didn't like being the perfect daughter, the perfect fiancée to a man I didn't particularly love. The engagement was a convenient way out of debt. That first night after the Titanic left...I tried to throw myself off the ship."

Jack twitched a little. "You...wanted to kill yourself? It was that bad?"

Rose nodded sadly.

"Oh, Rose..."

"It's fine, that period in my life is over now."

"Well...then what happened?"

"You," she told him. He looked at her, confused.

"Me?"

"You. You saw me run past and came over and introduced yourself and somehow convinced me to climb back over that rail, I'm not even sure now...that night was very blurry," Rose admitted, laughing without humor.

"Then my fiancé invited you to dinner for helping me. Then we talked the next day and became better acquainted, after I called you rude and uncouth and presumptuous, of course. Then you invited me to a "real party" and we had the time of our life dancing to fast Irish jigs..."

"But...I was there. How?" Jack stopped her, leaning over.

"This was a year ago," Rose said, then took a deep breath. "I've traveled back in time."

Jack visibly shrunk back. "What?"

"I've been to 1913. I lived a year after the Titanic sank."

"Sank?"

Rose nodded mournfully. "Horrible, horrible night. And now...I have to witness it all over again."

"But I was on the ship too? Why did I not travel back as well?" Jack asked, oblivious to Rose's inner turmoil.

"You...you died," Rose said, voice cracking.

Jack froze. "I...died."

"Yes."

"When the Titanic sank?"

"Yes. That...that's why I came back. To save one of the 1500 dead souls that perished that night. Yours did not deserve to be a part of that count."

"You came back..." Jack muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "You came back...to stop me from getting on the ship. To save my life."

"Yes," Rose whispered. She didn't want him to find out, not this way. He gazed at her, and she was surprised to see tears in the corners of his eyes.

"You saved...my life because you didn't want me on that ship. Why? Why did you do it Rose?"

"Why did I do it? I have no idea how I came back in time, but the instant I realized I was back in 1912 I knew I had to stop you, it was very simple," Rose explained. "There really was no other choice."

"Why not? Why didn't you save any other passenger? Just because I helped you and went to dinner with you and danced with you doesn't make it–"

"I did it because I love you, Jack. And I couldn't live without you." There. She said it.

Jack's breathing stopped altogether. "You...you love me."

"Yes."

"How...?"

So Rose told him. She told him all the ways he tried to save her. She told him how he did manage to break her free of the chains of her rich world, how he had kissed her and made her the happiest woman in the world.

She told him how she wanted to get off the ship with him, how they hit an iceberg, how Cal had trapped him belowdecks, how she had cut him free, how they had gone down with the ship, how he had sacrificed his life to not risk Rose falling off the floating door, how he told her to never let go of her promise...

"Rose..." Jack had taken her face between his hands, wiping away the tears flowing from her eyes. "That's what I dreamed about...I had no idea. Why did you keep this to yourself? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want it to seem like you were forced to love me because of this tragic story," Rose sighed shakily. "I wanted our love to be natural...if it was ever what it used to be. I see I've ruined that now."

Jack sat up taller suddenly, stroking his thumb across her cheek. "What makes you say that?"

"I didn't want to guilt you into it, Jack," Rose told him, not seeing how he wasn't comprehending this. "I wanted you to decide your feelings for yourself."

"As I did," Jack said softly, and with that, he leaned closer to Rose, hesitating, giving her the option to pull away. She slower met his lips and they joined in a feathery light, chaste kiss. Rose melted into the familiarity of Jack's touch, the way he tasted was like finally being relieved of something after a very long time.

He pulled back and smiled at her. "That was very much my decision."

"But..."

"No buts," Jack said, placing his finger over her lips. "I've had this feeling inside me for days, arguing with myself over what was right and what was wrong, and I see I've been so stupid to wait so long while you were in pain..."

"Jack, what are you saying?"

He smiled wider. "I love you too, Rose."

She cried out suddenly and fell onto him, weeping tears of joy. He laughed and held her with his strong arms, the two finally back together and peaceful...for the moment.