Rose quickly locked the crew door and they both pressed their ears to the door. "I have a feeling he could be down here" said Catherine suspiciously.
"Darling, why would he be down here in this rat maze?"
The voices were inaudible after that as Catherine and Nathan had passed the crew door, unaware that they had just missed Jack.
Jack indicated to a small steel stairwell and offered his hand to Rose, leading her down it. The boiler room was a dark sweaty, smoky hell. The workers toiled under the elements shovelling coal into the boilers, their faces ashen and hard. The noise was like deafening thunder, the acoustics of the room making it impossible to communicate without yelling. Jack and Rose ran through the boiler room laughing as they went. Some of the workers shook their head, others frowned, but most of them did not notice as they continued stoking the boilers.
Rose signalled to stop as both of them caught their breath. Her forehead glistened with sweat, but was lit by the amber glow of the hell furnaces. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, then kept his nose on hers and grinned. She kissed his nose quickly and then pulled him towards another door. They swung it open, relieved that it was a lot cooler inside than in the boiler room. The cargo hold was full of odds and ends, like an antique store. There was grand furniture and paintings, statues and luggage piled high. Amidst it all was Nathan Hockley's touring car, a Renault that Hockley was shipping to America. Jack politely held the door open for Rose, who clambered up the car and into the back carriage. Jack took the front seat and put on a Cockney accent. "Where to miss?"
"To the stars" she said, smiling.
She then playfully grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into the back with her. They laid intertwined on the back seat, their hearts matching speed with anticipation.
All was silent, but only for a moment as Rose guided Jack's hand to her body. He recoiled, not because he wanted to but because he wanted it to be right. "Are you sure?" he asked, running a thumb across the top of her hands. She exhaled slowly and nodded.
"Put your hands on me Jack."
With the invitation, the two began to undress each other. They kissed passionately, consumed by the heat of the moment. He was gentle in his touch, but Rose pulled him towards her wanting more. Jack cradled her back with his arm and proceeded to make love to her, the love between the two of them enough to take them to their own world again.
The two of them laid in embrace, not wanting to return to anything or anyone. Jack looked at Rose, concerned as she was trembling so violently. She assured him she would be fine, and she pressed her head to his chest. They eventually clothed themselves and walked hand in hand to an exit door, coming out onto the deck. They laughed loudly, recalling the confused expressions of the workers in the boiler rooms. Rose laughed and then her expression dropped a little.
"I don't want to say goodbye tonight Jack" she mumbled.
"Neither do I" he agreed.
"I don't want this cruise to end, because it means I'll have to say goodbye forever" Rose said, still unsure where she would fit in to his life.
Jack thought about this statement for a while and squeezed her waist gently with his arm. "You won't have to. When this ship docks I'm leaving with you."
She looked at him with a mix of bewilderment and glee.
"This is crazy" she smiled, holding him tighter.
"I know. It doesn't make any sense. That's why I trust it" laughed Jack.
He led her over to the side of the deck and pointed towards the constellation he spotted in the sky. "We'll be able to look at the stars together every night, we'll live happily. No Catherine, no Nathan, nothing keeping us apart."
"I like the sound of that" said Rose, her eyes closed as she imagined the life they could have together.
"We'd do what we love and we'd love what we do, and we'd be there for each other" Jack vowed, certain that being with Rose was what he wanted. It was what he had wanted from the moment they met. The two of them excitedly discussed their future together, blissfully unaware of the faint chime of a warning bell in the background.