Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic

Chapter 6: You've Got a Friend in Me

Second Aft Deck

Rose kept a hand on her cloak, trying to keep it closed. It didn't matter as much about being in her scullory dress, as much as it mattered about her identity being kept a secret.

No one could see her...no one could know, except Jack.

She finally caught sight of him, sitting next to his friends on one of the benches. Suddenly somebody caught her eye, and motioned for Jack to turn around.

Jack caught sight of Rose and blanched. She wasn't supposed to come down here yet! If Tommy had squealed...

Jack walked up to her and realized that she didn't seem to know where she was. He breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know.

Walking up to her he smiled. "Well...did somebody send you down here to fetch a pail of water?" he grinned.

Rose chose to ignore the remark. "No, I came to look for ye actually...I need to speak with you...upstairs" Jack looked back at the others.

Tommy raised his fists in the air. 'go get 'er' Jack rolled his eyes. Tommy was an idiot sometimes.

Poop-Deck

As they got to the poop deck, Rose seemed to be struggling for composure. Jack waited patiently for her to say something.

"Jack I feel like such a dummy... It took me all afternoon to get the courage to come and find you..."

Jack smirked. Why did he have the feeling that Mr. Andrews had sent her to apologize for her recent behaviour?

"Well, here I am" he said. "Aye, here you are" Rose smiled slightly. There was a lull in the conversation before she spoke again.

"I-I wanted to thank you. Not just for calming me down, but for saving me as well."

Jack looked dubious. "Well, I was just a bystander. Mr. Andrews is the one who really saved your neck."

At the mention of Mr. Andrews, Rose's cheeks turned bright red.

Jack saw this and smirked. Whoa... those two've really got it bad! he thought, looking at Rose's face.

Jack was disruppted out of his thoughts by a warm wet feeling on his cheek. Rose had kissed him... just a quick peck on the cheek, as a sister would give a brother.

Nevertheless, Jack blushed.

"Thanks, Jack" Rose smiled at him genuinely.

Blushing harder, Jack coughed. "Oh, uh...y-you're welcome, Rose"

There was another lull in the conversation before Rose spoke again.

"Jack, I know what you must be thinking... poor little Irish girl...what does she know about life in the real world?"

Jack looked at her, taking pity on her.

"That's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was, what could have happened to make this girl feel as though she needed to take on a man's responsibility."

"It wasn't me persay, it was them...Mr. Hockley, and Gabriella Macy...She treats me like a slave, and he...well..."

Rose shook her head.

"Ya know, he came to my room earlier Jack...he wants me to marry 'im. I'm scared of 'im"

Rose shook her fist in the air. "As for Gabriella, well...I'll show them both... they'll be sorry!"

Jack smiled. "Uh huh, sure they'll be sorry...course, you'll be locked up in the brig, sick to your stomach from that pail of dirty water."

Rose lowered her head in shame. "Oh, that... well, Mr. Andrews and I talked about that... I'm not supposed to do that anymore."

Jack decided to change the subject. "That guy last night...what's the deal with him?"

Rose cocked her head confused. "Guy? Oh! Mr. Lovejoy... he's a friend of Mr. Andrews and Mr. Ismay" she said quietly, thinking of the mysterious stranger who'd led her gently away from Mr. Hockley last night.

Jack was curious. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Rose giggled, which threw Jack off a little. What had he said? Rose shook her head. "No...I don't know him." she blushed.

"Not like I know Mr. ..." Jack smiled. "Mr. Andrews?" he prodded. Slowly, heisitantly, Rose nodded her head.

Jack smirked. "You're blushing as red as your hair, you know" They both laughed.

A passing steward glared at them, since they weren't first class passengers, but Rose glared at him anyway.

"So this Hockley guy, you feel like your a sitting duck just waiting to see what he'll do?"

Rose nodded. "Exactly!"

Jack shrugged. "So stay away from him"

"It's not that easy..." Rose said, looking down at her hands. "Wherever I go, he'll find me"

Jack rolled his eyes. "It is that easy...just tell Mr. Andrews that the guy won't leave you alone"

Rose nodded quietly, then nodded to Jack's sketchbook. "Can I see that?" she asked.

Jack offered it to her. Since they were sitting down, Rose easily flipped through the pages.

"Jack, these are very good! Really, they are." She smiled at the one with the little boy and girl playing with a ball.

Jack shrugged. "Well, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree."

Some loose sketches fell out, stolen by the wind. Jack scrambled after them... catching two, but the rest were gone, over the rail.

Rose looked horrified, shutting the book quickly. "Oh no! Oh, I'm so sorry! Really, I am!"

Jack shook his head. "Well, like I said, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree."

He flicked his wrist, shaking his drawing hand in a frenzy.

The young artist grinned. "I just seem to spew 'em out. Besides, they're not worth a dime anyway...I can always draw more"

For emphasis he threw away the two he caught. They sailed off.

Rose laughed. "You're screwy in the head!"

She turned her attention back to the book, turning a page. It was blank...as well as the rest of the pages.

Rose looked up at him from the book. "You have a gift, Jack. You do. You see people.

Jack took the chance and stared at her again...perhaps too long this time.

Rose blushed

"I see you." Jack said.

"And...?" she asked.

"You wouldn'ta dumped that junk on me." he grinned. They laughed.

Rose and Jack strolled the aft, past people lounging on deck chairs in the slanting late-afternoon light. Stewards scurried to serve tea or hot cocoa.

Rose giggled, girlishly and excitedly.

"You know, my dream has always been to become an artist... living in a garret back in Ireland, poor as I am now, and free!"

Jack laughed. "You wouldn't last two days."

Rose snapped at him mad as a hornet. "Listen, buster... I'm tired of people dismissing my dreams with a chuckle and a pat on the head!"

Jack winced. "I'm sorry. Really... I am."

Rose sighed.

"It's alright. There's something in me, Jack. I feel it. I don't know what it is, whether I should be an artist, or, I don't know... a dancer. Like Isadora Duncan... or a moving picture actress!

She takes his hand and ran, pulling him along the deck toward Daniel and Mary Marvin. Daniel was cranking the big wooden movie camera as she posed stiffly at the rail.

Marvin was getting exasperated. "You're supposed to be sad! Sad, sad, sad. You've left your lover on the shore. You may never see him agian. Try to be sadder, darling."

Suddenly, Rose zoomed into the shot and stroked a theatrical pose at the rail next to Mary. Mary burst out laughing. Rose pulled Jack into the picture and made him pose.

Marvin grinned and started yelling and gesturing.

Rose posed tragically at the rail, the back of her hand to her forehead.

Jack sat on a deck chair, pretending to be a Pasha, the two girls pantomiming fanning him like slave girls.

Jack, on his knees, pleading with his hands clasped while Rose, standing, turned her head in bored disdain.

Rose cranked the camera, while Daniel and Jack have a western shoot-out. Jack won and leered into the lens, twirling an air mustache like Snidely Whiplash.

Later, as the sun set, Rose wished she had the time...she had to make sure that she'd get dressed on time. She and Jack were on the A-deck rail aft, shoulder to shoulder. The ship's lights came on.

It was a magical moment...just perfect. If only...

Jack saw the look on Rose's face and his spirits dropped a little. She'd never see him more than a traveling companion...and why should she? She was beautiful, with fire in her soul.

But she was in love with another man...

Rose looked out at the dusky sky. "Why can't I be like you Jack? Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it?"

She turned to him.

He told her about going to San Monica, and Los Angeles, going on a roller coaster, and down to the peir.

Rose sighed. "Say we'll go there, sometime... to that pier... even if we only ever just talk about it."

Jack nodded in finality. "Alright, we're going. We'll drink cheap beer and go on the rollercoaster until we throw up and we'll ride horses on the beach... right in the surf... but you have to ride like a cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff."

Rose raised an eyebrow. Living in Ireland, she'd always ridden sidesaddle. "You mean one leg on each side?"

Jack nodded. "Sure. I'll show you if you like."

Rose smiled at him. "I think I would."

Rose looked out at the sea again. "And teach me to spit too. Like a man. Why should only men be able to spit. It's unfair."

The girl giggled. "I need some kind of defense against certain people." she winked.

Jack laughed. "Here, it's easy. Watch closely."

He spat. It arcs out over the water

Jack looked at her. "Your turn."

Rose screwed up her mouth and spit. A pathetic little bit of foamy spittle which mostly ran down her chin before falling off into the water.

Jack snickered. "Nope, that was pitiful. Here, like this..."

She went through the steps. Hawks it down, etc. Jack coaches her through it while doing the steps himself.

She let it fly. So did he. Two comets of gob flew out over the water.

Jack grinned. "That was great!"

Rose turned to him, her face alight. Suddenly she blanched. He saw her expression and turns.

Ruth, the Countess of Rothes, and Molly Brown had been watching them hawking lugees. Rose became instantly composed.

"Mum, may I introduce Jack Dawson." Rose's heart was pounding. She was definitely gonna get it later on.

Ruth was trying not to laugh. "Charmed, I'm sure." In truth, she was thankful. She had seen the way these two interacted. Rose had never had any siblings of her own. She'd grown up without a brother, and a father to show her the 'important' things.

Ruth had also heard from Mr. Andrews about Jack's heroic attempt at saving Rose's life last evening.

Jack had a little spit running down his chin. Looking down, Ruth tried not to laugh outright. This man Mr. Dawson may not be orthodox, but he did have a sense of humor.

They all jumped as a bugler sounded the meal call right behind them.

Molly Brown frowned. "Why do they insist on always announcing dinner like a cavalry charge?"

Looking out at the sun sinking lower into the sky, Rose approached her mother. "Shall we go dress, mum?"

Ruth nodded. Rose grinned over her shoulder at Jack. "See you later, Jack"

Jack grinned. He'd cheered her up. Now to get on with the plan!