Chapter six:

Without warning, the front door thrashed open. Ruth picked up her skirts and went to the hallway, Trudy accompanied her a step or two behind whilst holding an upset Elizabeth, who took no comfort from the stranger's arms which she was held in. A quick rock of her body ensured that she was soothed for just a second or two before her cries came once more.

Ruth's sharp eyes fell on Jack Dawson. His body stopped before his head could register anything else. His clothes were still ripped, his body bruising from his earlier fight with Hockley, but he wasn't deterred, in fact, he was implicitly determined. When he came eye to eye with Ruth, he felt how he fell so pathetically beneath her expectations; how the dirt which sat on his boots was worth more.

The wailing cry of his daughter filled his ears. Trudy held the infant closely to her own chest, in some attempt to bring comfort as she rocked her as best as she could. She wore a look of fright upon her face as she glanced between Ruth, behind her and Jack.

''What's wrong? Where's Rose?'' Jack glanced about. First the length of the hallway and then inside the dining room. There was no body about. Not even Cal.

Trudy glanced to the stairs, tears lined her eyes. ''Upstairs.''

Jack came to Trudy, caressing the baby's face. He saw just how red the child's cheeks were, with tiny gums exposed as her screams pierced the air. ''How long has she been like this?'' His eyes demanded an answer.

''She's hungry. Mr. Hockley gave strict instructions to ensure that she didn't nurse. But the poor girl is-''

''Feed her.'' Jack ordered, anger bubbling and rising even more than before. This was one thing which Jack would not let go. To deny his child her milk was beyond belief. Trudy nodded at his instruction. He could tell her reluctance to follow it but she knew what was best for the baby.

His eyes fell on Ruth; the woman who had once been full of fire, opinions and such force, she stood simply with her arms folded across her heavily beaded chest. She wore the day's events on her face; her eyes were sunken and tired. She didn't even cast a single glance to the baby.

''Do you have no remorse at all? That is your grandchild!'' He pointed his finger to Trudy holding the child. He knew that with one single instruction from the head of the house, the child would have been sent off to the wet nurse for her feed and yet she stood beside a wailing child, knowing that hunger would be driving the tiny girl mad.

''I will take her to the wet nurse. Mr. Hockley will be mad.'' She told him timidly.

Jack softened as he watched Trudy. She was the only one who was willing to do anything in this. ''Don't worry about that. I will deal with him.'' Ruth remained silent. ''Fetch her back to me, once she is through feeding.''

''Yes, sir.'' Trudy scurried off as the cries grew faint as she went. Jack's heart went with her but he knew that he must focus. At least for the moment, the baby was safe and away from Cal.

The icy stare which Ruth possessed had melted into something else. Jack narrowed his eyes at her, his body shaking violently. He knew never to hit a lady, nor would he ever stoop that low now but Ruth Dewitt Bukater was a woman he could detest with his life. His glare to her seemed to cause her to crack in some way.

''She is going to jump,'' she muttered so quietly, it was almost inaudible, ''Caledon, he refused to call for the help which she needs. She needs the doctors.'' Tears fell from her eyes and she made no attempt to cover them. What use was it? She hadn't called the authorities as Cal had stopped her. No body know about any of this and yet here they were, all running about with no instruction and no expectations of what to do. ''Rose was up at the window, she was going to jump with the child, she allowed Trudy to take the child to the nurse but then Cal refused. He will not allow any of it.''

Jack listened but he didn't stay to comfort her. He had no need to. He ran down the corridor which led to the stairs, his feet taking him up the stairs two by two. He wasn't even thinking straight; his mind was controlled by his body. He had to get to Rose. The events of the day played over in his head as he searched the first bedroom and then another, shoving doors open and not even bothering to close them. He heard the two voices, mixed together, one louder, the other screaming back. Rose.

He ran to the room where the voices were resounding. He thrust open the door without even thinking. His legs weakened when he saw Rose; at the window. She stood about four feet from the ground on the ledge with her hands held onto each side of the window, her body facing forwards, her skirts billowing behind in the cold January breeze. As soon as she set eyes on him, something changed. Once they had locked together, he felt something, too. Nothing else mattered. His heart began to race faster and suddenly she was been lowered into the life boat, he was watching her, not wasting that last glance...she was almost out of sight, yet there she was right in front of him. Memories of their last time together flooded him. He wanted to panic but he knew not to. He had kept it together when she had threatened to jump from the Titanic, this was a moment which mattered so much more.

''I thought you had left us.'' Cal didn't take his eyes from Rose. He broke the moment between Jack and Rose. ''My fiancée and I, were just in the middle of something rather-''

''Jack, Elizabeth she-'' Rose's voice cracked. ''She is-''

''Rose, our daughter is safe and well.'' He told her calmly and firmly. Elizabeth. Her name. Rose had named her, something beautiful. He turned to Cal. ''I made sure of that before I came back here.'' Jack ensured that Cal heard every single one of those words. He was the father of the child. He was the one with control. He would have more power than Hockley ever would in those instances...

Just as Cal had managed to regain some control, Jack came back into the situation. Cal knew he wouldn't have gone so easily, but once he had worked Rose then Jack surely would have been much easier to dispose of. Narrowing his eyes, Cal saw the change in Rose. Her eyes had dried, her grip on the damned window was looser. The woman had no intention of letting go, and yet something inside Cal had believed that perhaps she had indeed caught the melancholia during pregnancy and now it had taken over her...

''A telephone call to the doctor is in order, Rose.'' Cal stepped closer to her, this time he was no longer afraid that she would fall, that she would jump or do anything except use her life as a way to ensure Cal had been under her thumb. ''You may have fooled me, once...''

Rose gripped the sides of the window tighter. Her breathing grew erratic, as he come forward. ''Stay away from me.'' She felt the lump rise in her throat as she tried her best to swallow it away. His presence near her made her nauseous.

''Or you will jump?'' Cal smirked. ''Like you have been threatening for the better part of the afternoon when all we have achieved is the teeth chatters from the damned cold you're letting in.''

Rose glanced to Jack, who stood silently by the door. His face was so, nonchalant. Rose's teeth chattered as she glanced forward out of the window at the drop below. She thought of her daughter, her vision blurred as she watched Jack. The moment when he had walked in...he felt something too. She knew it.

''I will jump.'' She said once more. Her voice full of emotion.

''Go on then.''

Cal came next to Rose. His hand grasped her leg, snaking beneath her skirt and heading to her knee when she jerked it up and her foot planted on Cal's face, kicking him backwards with such force that he fell to the floor. It was a move he hadn't anticipated. Rose felt her body start to shake as his touch had angered her.

''Call the doctor. That is all you can do isn't it?'' Rose choked, moving the hair from her face as it blew. ''I am afraid that is all you are capable of Mr. Hockley. Allowing doctors to examine me, deeming me 'insane' when the one who lost his mind a long time ago was you!'' She scrambled down from the window as best as she could. Cal struggled to his feet, he wasn't hurt, his ego was the thing taking a bruising more than anything.

''Rose, shut up!''

''No, I will be heard. Jack, will hear this.'' Rose stepped closer to Jack, rounding around the crib which Elizabeth had laid in pretty much isolated for days. She had been left alone to do nothing but wail. ''I had nothing, I felt alone and you knew that! You made sure that I only had you. And now, I have everything. Elizabeth will not go away. I am her Mother. I gave birth to her. I carried her within my body and I suffered, for you.''

''No, you have nothing, or no one. The child will leave.''

Rose pressed her lips together.

''No, she will not be sent away. She will go with me. With us.'' Jack's jaw was tight as he found his voice amongst the shouts of the others. ''You have no ruling over that.''

''I have every-''

''No. You have nothing.''

Jack stepped closer to Rose. Inside his stomach, nerves bubbled. He didn't know if she even wanted him, wished to see him again but at the moment they had only one collective thought. Elizabeth. Their daughter. Rose had come down from the window very soon after his arrival and that had to mean something. It had to.

Cal felt his body shaking with such adrenaline his teeth chattered. Just months before, he had a valet, some form of hired help to clean up this type of mess but now she was right, he was dealing with this alone. He couldn't alert anybody of this damned crisis. He felt inside his pocket, his gun was there but Jack knew that it was unloaded. Rose stood at the side of Jack, almost united, like one. She had gone to another man. Poor little Rose, who usually cowered in a corner. Now, Caledon Hockley stood alone. No back up. Jack stroked his fingers over Rose's hand, Cal watched, back and forth, back and forth, in a slow rhythm and by the look of Rose's breathing, Jack was bringing her comfort.

Then there was the cruel reminder; her virginity was no longer his to take. Jack had taken that. Her fear was no longer present. Jack Dawson had given her confidence, the chance to stand up to him. She wasn't scared of him no more. His authority had been broken. It was laughable but Cal didn't find it funny one little bit. Then out of nowhere, he was pushed over the edge. His body stiffened as he ran to Jack, about to break him apart from Rose. To see them together was infuriating. Jack had taken everything which he had worked for, spent money for and built up just for one man to come and knock it down.

Jack moved to the left side, pulling Rose with him, grasping her to him tightly. It was the closest they had been in so long. Rose pressed her face into his dirty chest, not caring about the dry blood. She could hear his heartbeat so fast and heavy and it seemed to match her own. His hands came up and landed in her hair, stroking in a circular rhythm around her crown and she closed her eyes as she leant against him. Oh, how she had dreamed of his touch for so long...

Cal went to try once more but Jack held up his hand. ''Nothing you do or say will stop this. Everybody will know what you are and what you did. The truth cannot be hidden any longer. I will make sure of that and so will Rose.''

Jack's words took Cal aback. He stopped his fight momentarily, his palms twitching.

''Bullshit.''

Jack shook his head. ''No. I have written a letter detailing everything to one person who I can trust.'' He glanced to Rose, his eyes boring into hers. ''This is over.'' She knew in that moment that he was talking to her. She wouldn't need to be afraid any more.

Cal laughed. ''Who would believe you?''

Jack smiled, knowingly raising his hand to Rose's face to stroke it. ''They will see the cheque which you wrote out to me. By the end of the week, the newspapers will be aware, the people will know. Wherever you go, they will know just what you are, what you did and your name will not be as precious as it once was.''

Rose's face told Cal that she was not aware of any of this. She cowered, almost behind Jack, comforted by his presence. Jack's bloodied face was not enough to ensure satisfaction. He needed to know he was lying.

''You wouldn't break our deal.'' Cal laughed.

''Yes, I would. For Rose and for our daughter.'' He grasped Rose's hand tightly. He was about to lead her to the door, when with one foot forward, Cal removed his jacket, pulling his arms roughly out of the expensive material and lunging forward to Jack. Quickly, he pushed Rose out of the way so that she was out of the door and he slammed it closed as she went. She shrieked, banging loudly from the other side, crying out for Jack. Jack grasped Cal's collar and pushed him against the door.

''Leave it!'' He spat, almost right in his face. ''This is over.''

Cal pushed Jack backwards but it was no use. Jack wasn't going to fight anymore. ''I say when this is over. You will not take my fiancée. You will not break the deal which we made.''

As Cal tried once more to connect his fist with Jack's face, he moved quickly so that instead he hit the back of the door. Pain thrust through his knuckles as Jack grasped Cal by the collar, once more and with one shove backwards he was down. Weak. Laid on the floor. Amongst the mess which he had caused himself.

Opening the door, he came face to face with Rose. Tears streamed down her face. He shakily took her face in his hands, caressing it just once. He pressed his lips to her forehead. ''Come on, let's go.''