Chapter 4: In which we reencounter…

I do not own Jack, Rose or any of the others. They all belong to James Cameron (genius!).

The next morning surprised her asleep on that same bench. The night before, Jack, in a display of chivalry, told her to sleep there while he settled on the ground with a blanket as a mattress and another as a cover. Rose protested, of course, but she soon realized that Jack could be as stubborn as her. The difference was that he never lost patience.

Her left hand leaned to the floor next to Jack's, and she just needed a minute to remember that they had fallen asleep holding hands, gazing at the stars. She smiled tenderly.

But her smile lasted only until she incorporated. When she lifted her back slightly, she again heard that sound of creaking wood, and let out another involuntary groan. She put her hand on her waist and rubbed a bit to loosen up, but every move she made hurt. Sleeping on a bench was definitely not novelistic. She decided that, if it was possible, she would not sleep in one of those again. Never. Even the ground seemed a better option.

Jack's quiet and deep breathing became more regular, indicating that he was also waking up. Rose turned her head to look at him and smiled again. He covered his mouth to yawn, and then blinked several times, getting used to the bright sunlight.

"Good morning" Rose said.

"Good... good morning" Jack answered, yawning again.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Like a baby. And you?"

"Mmhh, it depends on how you qualify "well"" she said, moving and groaning again when she heard her joints creak. Jack laughed. Rose frowned in mock anger.

"Sure, it's easy for you, Look! You sleep like a log. In both senses."

Jack laughed even harder, took Rose's face in his hands and kissed her lips, effectively silencing her.

"Thanks for the compliment." he said smiling. Rose stayed stunned by the kiss, looking at his piercing blue eyes that seemed to cross her soul, and almost instinctively she bent timidly and kissed him again. Jack, taken almost by surprise, replied with sweetness and both closed their eyes, savoring the moment. Rose put her hand on his neck to pull him even closer, not wanting the kiss to end, and literally it finalized only when the two ran out of air. As their mouths separated, Jack got to his feet and helped her to sit on the bench.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Starving. We barely ate last night."

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, the two ate some onion soup and warm bread. The soup was served in a coarse metal bowl, which gave it a strange flavor, and the bread was a little hard, but Rose swallowed it like one of those first class dishes.

"No." she said, when Jack pointed that out "I couldn't eat like that in public. Women always have to eat like birds, so they won't "scare the men", as Rachel said."

"Who?

"Rachel. My governess. She was also something like my etiquette teacher, always telling me what I should do or not in public. Between my mother and her, my childhood was a martyrdom."

"Could you tell me? Well..." Jack seemed to be searching for the right words "I want to know more about you."

"I understand. But only if you tell of your childhood afterwards."

"Deal."

"Alright… I was born in Philadelphia, in February twelfth, eighteen ninety five. About fifty seconds after my birth, my mother gave me a governess, Rachel McAlison, to educate me well and teach me to be a "proper lady". When I was thirteen, my father… well, he got sick." she stopped, no doubt reliving the memories. "We found out he had been hiding that he had consumption."

"I'm sorry." Jack said.

"It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago." she answered. "He had an attack in Christmas Eve. Since then, things were never the same. Mother was never the same again." She clicked her tongue and breathed deeply. "I didn't meet Cal until I was sixteen, in a cotillion party. He started following me around, escorting us in all parties, sending me flowers… Mother was already rubbing her hands for his fortune."

Jack let out a short whistle.

"Your life seriously seems to have been a martyrdom" Rose laughed wryly.

"I bet yours wasn't." she said, somewhat sadly.

"It wasn't a paradise on earth, but it was not bad" he said, as thinking "Chippewa Falls is in the middle of nowhere, but it's a nice place to grow up. My mom said I learned to draw as soon as I realized that paper and pencils existed." Rose smiled. "When I was fifteen, there was a forest fire that hit our house. They managed to get me out, but they couldn't save themselves. After burying them, I hopped on a train and I have not return to Chippewa Falls since then. Then I traveled around Los Angeles, New York, Paris... In a small town in Italy, Monte San Savino, I met a boy named Fabrizio De Rossi..."

In that moment, his voice broke. Fabrizio. His image appeared in his head, like a ghost chasing him. He had so many dreams of going to America, so much hope... Now he didn't even know if he was alive.

"Jack?

Rose's voice pulled him out from his thoughts.

"Fabrizio was your friend, who traveled with you on the..."

"On the ship. Yes."

Rose pursed her lips and lowered her voice.

"Do you know if he's alright?"

His silence was more than enough. Rose looked at him sadly, wishing she could do something to cheer him. Seeing him so sad was torture for her, who just wanted to make him happy. Rose had no friends who had died in the sinking, fortunately. She could not understand how he felt. But she could comfort him.

"Do you want to go and see if there's a survivor list?" asked "Maybe he is alright, or in the ship's infirmary. We'll have to go there later, too, and ask someone to check on you. " she added as an afterthought.

Jack forced a half smile, noting the effort she made to seem optimistic. Rose was not a very good liar. At least not for him. He could read everything she thought or felt in her eyes, and there wasn't hope. She just wanted to help him to feel better. He hadn't the guts to disappoint her.

"Okay." he murmured. Rose took him gently by the hand and raised him from the bench. A uniformed steward of the Cunard Line was standing a few feet away, offering blankets and tea to passengers.

"Excuse me." Rose said. "Do you happen to have a survivors list?"

"Of course, ma'am, but it is incomplete. You could wait until we land, when we will have collected all the names." the steward said.

"Thank you."

Rose walked towards Jack and gave him the news. Jack simply nodded and said "Okay" before falling silent again. The girl looked at him little longer, and she saw that he seemed to be in a faraway place.

"Want to go for a walk? The morning is beautiful." she said.

"Sure." he responded, barely paying attention. Rose finally closed her eyes and let out what she thought.

"Jack, please don't do this. Seeing you so sad kills me."

"You don't understand... Fabrizio had dreamed with going to America all his life. To find a better life, to support his family in Italy. I promised him I would take him to New York, just as you promised me that you would survive. If I hadn't told him and Tommy to go to the other side of the ship..."

"Shh..." she interrupted, taking his hand "Jack, listen. You couldn't know what would happen. You were trying to save their lives, and you probably did. This time I don't say I'm not lying. I really think so."

Jack did not respond. He was looking down and seemed to be processing what Rose said. She decided to change tactics.

"Besides... even if they didn't made it, do you think they would have liked you to blame yourself for that? Think about it... If you hadn't survived, and I had been able to make it, would you like me to sit there, crying for your death? I know you wouldn't, you would want me to go on. You said it yourself. To be happy, to fulfill my dreams. Tommy and Fabrizio would be honored if you do that."

She's right. That's what you did when your parents died. Go on, no matter how much it hurts. Jack raised his head and looked at Rose. Her eyes were moist at the edges, and she looked at him with love and concern. And you have her. You have Rose.

"Yes. You're right" he murmured, leaning over to stroke her cheek.

. . .

"You really said that?"

"What? To who?"

It was noon, and they walked calmly around the deck, holding hands.

"To Cal. That you'd rather be my… well, that you..."

"Yes. He stood there frozen, looking... I do not know how, stunned. Then he reacted, tried to stop me and I spat in his face. You have no idea of how wonderful it was, I felt able to do anything."

Jack listened, fascinated.

"That bastard deserved it. But, if I had been in your place, and not handcuffed in the office of the Master-at-arms, I would've broken his nose." Rose laughed.

"I know, but I had no time. I just wanted to distract him and go after you. By the way, why did the Master-at-arms let you there to drown?"

"He didn't leave me there, Lovejoy did. The Master-at-arms was controlling a peat in second class, or so they said, so he left Lovejoy there to "take care of me". A while later, when he noticed that the ship was sinking, he came up to me, hit me in the stomach and left with the key to the handcuffs."

"The man always gave me a bad feeling, even before he Cal sent him to spy on us. Once when we were in London, he..."

But they were interrupted by a blur of brown hair that hit Rose. A little girl fell on the floor.

"Ouch! Sorry, Miss." said a sharp little voice, while she pushed back her hair. The gesture revealed her round cheeks, full pink lips and chocolate brown eyes, which she opened in surprise when she recognized them.

"Uncle Jack?" she asked, standing up.

"Cora!" he cried, kneeling to embrace her.

"Uncle Jack! I knew you were alive! I knew you were alright! Daddy was right!" Cora squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"And I knew you were alright too."

"I missed you" the little girl said, snuggling against his shoulder "Daddy and I got out through a broken gate, and we got into one of the boats. What happened to you?"

"Well... it's a long history. Cora, do you remember Rose?"

Cora looked up and smiled.

"Oh, yes! You're the first class girl who came to dance with us."

"Yes, that's me" said Rose, smiling back.

"Your dress was beautiful that night. You looked like one of the princesses in fairy tales."

Rose let out a musical laugh, succumbing to the charm of the little girl.

"Thank you."

Cora turned her head to talk to Jack.

"Uncle Jack, am I still your best girl?" she asked. Jack frowned, confused.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because after the dance Fabrizio said you were in love. Is it true?"

Jack grinned.

"Yes."

"With her?" Cora asked, looking up to Rose.

"Yes. But don't be sad. That doesn't means that I love you less."

"I'm not sad. I like you two being in love. You look very nice together. But I was jealous when you went to dance with her. I'm sorry." she added, bowing her head.

"Oh, it doesn't matter, darling." Rose said, stroking her thick hair "I would have been jealous too, in your place. You don't find a dance partner like Jack every day."

Cora giggled.

"Yes, you're right" she agreed.