AN: Thanks for your reviews! This chapter is very similar to the movie with a few changes. Enjoy!
Jack and Rose rushed to the side of the ship, looking at the iceberg passed. The shaking had stopped and the deck was littered with huge chunks of white and blue ice. Rose felt her heartbeat steady as the iceberg disappeared from sight. One the deck a few men began to kick around the ice, laughing as they did so.
"That was a scare, huh?" Jack asked, looking at her.
Rose nodded. "Do you think it could have damaged the ship?" she asked. Jack shrugged his shoulders and looked back down at the water. Rose quickly reached down and picked up a small chunk of ice, ignoring how cold it was. "It didn't seem like much of a bump. I think we'll be alright." Before Jack could turn back to face her, Rose quickly slipped the ice down the back of his shirt.
"Oh! Shit Rose!" Rose began to laugh. Jack grabbed her waist. "That's it, you're going overboard."
"No!" Rose cried, laughing. "Jack no!" He laughed with her and then kissed her softly.
"You think you're so sneaky huh? Just wait, I'll pay you back for that," he threatened jokingly.
"Oh okay. I'm scared just thinking about it," Rose teased. "It's getting crowded out here," she said.
Jack nodded. "You're right. Do you wanna head back?"
Rose shrugged. "Not really. I've been cooped up for too long." She wrapped an arm around Jack's waist. "Normally I would be getting ready for bed at this time," she said. "A lot of nights I would just lie there awake. Before I married Cal I would stay up and read or write stories."
"You write stories?" Jack asked, looking impressed.
Rose nodded with a small smile. They began to walk along the deck. "I have for a very long time. It all kind of came to an end when Cal and I married. He just didn't understand why I did it, not to mention that he thought it was stupid."
"It's not stupid," Jack said, resisting the urge to add that Cal was stupid. "Why did you give it up? Did he forbid you to do it?"
"No," Rose chuckled. "I just didn't have as much time to write. And for a while there, I was just so depressed and angry that I had no desire." She sighed thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll start again."
"I hope you do," Jack told her. "What do you like to write about?"
"Whatever comes to mind. Romance, adventure…things like that."
"We make quite a pair huh? A writer and an artist," Jack said. "I look forward to reading your works." Rose smiled and blushed.
They rounded a corner and noticed a bustle of activity on the boat deck. Rose felt suddenly nervous and squeezed Jack's hand. "What's going on Jack?"
"I don't know." He watched the activity for a moment, noticing that the officers were uncovering lifeboats. "Wait here, let me go check okay?"
"Okay."
Rose leaned against the railing, watching Jack walk toward the Officer Lightoller. Her stomach felt wobbly, a combination of nerves and nausea. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
"This is horseshit!" Jack hollered. "Rose!" Her eyes snapped opened and her heart began to beat rapidly. A pair of officers had Jack in their grip and the Master-at-Arms was handcuffing his hands behind his back.
Rose began to rush to Jack. "Stop!" she hollered. Just before she reached him, Lovejoy stepped directly in front of her.
"We've been looking for you Miss," Lovejoy said with a cocky sneer on his face. "Your husband has been very worried. He'll be relieved at your return," he went on, feigning relief.
"What? I'm not returning with you!" She tried to step around him, but Lovejoy grabbed her arm.
"Let her go!" Jack yelled.
"Let us both go! Why are you arresting him?" she demanded of the Master-at-Arms while struggling to free her arm from Lovejoy's grasp.
"Kidnapping," he replied. "Come on lad," he said, beginning to drag Jack away.
"No!" Rose screamed. She felt Lovejoy's grip loosen just enough that she was able to yank her arm away. She managed to make it to Jack before Lovejoy was able to grab her again. "He didn't kidnap me!" she protested. "I left my husband. I left with Jack, voluntarily," she explained to the Master-at-Arms.
"That's exactly what Mr. Hockley told us you would say," Lovejoy interceded. "It seems that Mr. Dawson here convinced you to leave your husband." Lovejoy grabbed her by the arm again as the Master-at-Arms pulled Jack further away. They both struggled in vain and watched in fear as they were torn away from each other.
"Let me go!" Rose yelled at Lovejoy. "You can't do this!"
Lovejoy stopped and looked at her. "I'm simply following Mr. Hockley's orders," he said. "It would be wise for you to stop struggling and yelling," he added.
Rose let out a defiant sigh. She wanted to break free and go find Jack but she could feel Lovejoy's fingers digging into her flesh every time she struggled and it was beginning to hurt. Rose was sure that by morning she would have a few bruises. She stopped struggling and hoped that perhaps Lovejoy would again loosed his grip enough for her to pull free and run. However, he kept his grip firm and constant.
The entire way back to the stateroom, Rose's brain buzzed. For a little while, she had forgotten about the iceberg and the lifeboats, but now they thrust forward into her mind. Was the ship sinking or was it merely a precaution? The ship was unsinkable, wasn't it? She recalled what Mr. Andrews had said that morning when Rose questioned him about the amount of lifeboats and felt fear settle within her. If the ship did in fact sink, half of the people of the ship would die.
Where was Jack? Where did the Master-at-Arms take him? If the ship was sinking, surely they wouldn't lock him up with any chance of escaping? Rose swallowed back the lump that formed in her throat at these questions. She prayed that the ship was fine, that Jack would be okay and that eventually they would find each other.
"We're almost there Miss," Lovejoy said. Rose snapped out of her thoughts and realized that they were in the hallway where the stateroom was located. A surge of adrenaline surged through her as she began to wonder if Cal had found the drawing and the note. Lovejoy pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. When the door was open, he finally released her arm only to usher her inside.
Ruth was the only one in the room when Rose entered. She was pacing a bit with a glass of brandy in her hand. When she saw Rose, she stopped and stared. Rose noticed that Ruth was shaking a bit, as evidenced by the brandy sloshing in the glass.
"Rose. What have you done?" Ruth asked with disgust. "You're a married woman. Do you have any idea of the danger you have put us in? Do you even care?" she continued, her voice rising.
"That's enough Ruth." Cal commanded suddenly from the doorway, startling them both. Cal's hair was disheveled, his tie was gone and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. "Why don't you give us some privacy so that I may talk to my wife?" He looked to Rose. "We have a few things to straighten out."
Rose shivered at Cal's tone of voice. She recalled the way he had screamed at her this morning and cornered her in her chair. He was furious then, but now, he looked so beyond furious that she couldn't even begin to describe what he was. For the first time in years, Rose didn't want her mother to leave the room.
As soon as Ruth's door closed, Cal started to speak, but couldn't find the words. Instead he slapped Rose across the face as hard as he could. Rose's head snapped to the side and she stayed like that for a moment, willing the tears not to fall.
"It is a little slut, isn't it?" Rose said nothing as she slowly turned her head back. Angry at being ignored, Cal grabbed her roughly by the arms and shook her a bit. "You look at me when I'm talking to you!"
There was a sudden knock on the door followed by a steward entering. "Mr. Hockley –"
"Not now, we're busy," Cal snapped at him.
The steward ignored him. "I've been told to inform you to put on your lifebelts and come up to the deck."
"I said not now," Cal repeated through clenched teeth. He let go of Rose who held her hand over her cheek. It was warm from being slapped and she was positive that he had left a mark.
"I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but its Captain's orders," the steward said. He went and retrieved the lifebelts from their cubby in the wardrobe. "And please dress warmly, it's quite cold out tonight," he called out.
"This is ridiculous," Cal hissed as he rolled his eyes. He turned on his heel and walked toward Ruth's room to alert her.
The steward placed the lifebelts on the couch and saw Rose still holding her cheek. His mistook it for fear. "Not to worry Miss. I'm sure it's just a precaution." Rose nodded slightly as he walked away.
Within ten minutes the three of them headed toward the deck. Ruth complained about the fuss and Cal swore about the English. Rose followed behind them, her mind on Jack. She happened to spot Thomas Andrews and got his attention.
"Mr. Andrews. I saw the iceberg and I see it in your eyes. Please tell me the truth."
He took Rose aside, out of earshot of others. "The ship will sink."
"For certain?" Rose asked in disbelief.
"Yes." He looked up, almost panicked. "In an hour or two. All of this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic." Rose's hand covered her mouth in shock. "Please," Thomas begged, "tell only who you must. I don't want to cause a panic. And get to a boat quickly. Don't wait!" He hesitated for a second. "You remember what I told you about the boats?"
Rose nodded slowly as she realized that nearly a thousand people would die in a few hours or less. She prayed that Jack wouldn't be one of them.
…
Lovejoy placed the bullet in front of him on the table and watched as it rolled toward him. He caught it and repeated the action a couple more times. Jack watched in annoyance but what he really felt was fear. The waterline had already reached the porthole next to him. Rose had been dragged back to Cal against her will. The only positive thing he could find there was that she would safely make it off the ship. Unless Lovejoy unlocked his handcuffs, Jack didn't stand a chance.
"You know, I do believe this ship may sink," Lovejoy said. He stood and put the bullet back in the gun. He walked over to Jack. "I've been asked to give you this as a small token of our appreciation." Lovejoy held the gun close to Jack's head and for a split second Jack was sure Lovejoy was going to kill him. Instead, Lovejoy sucker punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind right out of Jack. "Compliments of Mr. Caledon Hockley."
Jack didn't notice Lovejoy swipe the key from the table as he left the room. He slowly began to catch his breath and finally stood. It was only then that he realized that he had been left to die.
It took a few minutes for Jack to catch his breath fully and in that time the waterline had risen about the porthole. Once he was able to, Jack began to call for help. He shouted as loud as he could and banged his handcuffs against the pipe. "This could be bad," he said to himself. The noise of water flowing into the room caught Jack's attention.
"Ah shit! Shit shit!" He began to pull at the pipe, hoping to break either it or the handcuffs, whichever got him free would be fine.
…
Rose stood by as women and children were loaded into the lifeboat in front of her. Some women clung to their husbands in fear and she felt a pang in her gut. She tried to resist the urge to place her hand over her stomach, but she gave in. She should be with Jack. She began to wonder if she would be able to find him in the frenzy.
"Any room for a gentleman, gentleman?" Cal asked smoothly.
"Only women and children and this time sir," an officer responded.
"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?" Ruth hollered. No one answered her. "I hope they're not too crowded," she said with a chuckle. Rose felt something inside of her snap.
"Oh mother! Shut up!" She grabbed Ruth by the shoulders. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats, not enough by half." She let go of Ruth. "Half the people on this ship are going to die."
"Not the better half," Cal said proudly. "You know it's a pity I didn't keep that drawing. It'll be worth a lot more by morning."
Rose looked at Cal and couldn't believe that this was the man she had married. She had often found herself annoyed with him, but now she was purely repulsed. It made her stomach churn. The full realization hit her: Jack was third class. Even if he wasn't locked up somewhere, he barely stood a chance of making it off the ship.
"You unimaginable bastard." She heard Ruth calling her to get on the boat and turned to her and found herself hoping that it would be the last time she saw either one of them. "Good-bye mother."
Rose turned and quickly walked away but Cal caught up with her in a few steps and grabbed her arm. "No! Where are you going? To him? To be a whore to a gutter rat?"
"I'd rather be his whore than your wife," Rose said fiercely. She turned to move away but his grip tightened.
"No! I said no dammit!" Without warning Rose made a hocking noise and spit, hitting him directly in the eye. Cal let go to wipe his face and Rose took off, determined to find Jack.