Author's Note: This one took me a while… I wrote it four times before I got all of the characters in nature and not acting irrational for how they were portrayed in the movie… I hope I stayed true to their character…
P.S. I decided to give her wish. :D
Disclaimer: See chapter one… :D
"Take it back," Jack growled, pressing his forearm into Cal's throat as he released one solid punch to his cheekbone. A bruise welled up instantly as Cal attempted a smug smile. "She's. A. Whore." Jack's face turned red with his anger and his fist reeled back, about to let go of his anger on Cal when Rose curled her hand over Jack's.
"Jack, stop." He turned to look at her, eyes wide, to see an angry look on her face. "Don't sink to his level. He wants you to hurt him bad enough so he has something against you. Don't let him win."
She had a point. Jack rolled his body weight off of Cal before standing and turning to face Rose. "Rose… I…" She shook her head disappointedly, looking down, before making eye contact. She mouthed, "It's okay," before looking down at Cal as he tried to stand.
"Bastard," he muttered, smoothing his jacket and running his hands through his greasy black hair. He glared at Jack, stepping forward as if to intimidate him when Rose stepped forward. "Leave us alone, now, Cal." He looked taken aback for a moment before he took a step closer to Rose, his hand clenching into a fist.
Rose's expression didn't change. "Just because you had the nerve to hit me once in private doesn't mean that you'll do it again in public. You wouldn't. You don't have the balls." Cal seemed shocked for an instant before Jack grabbed Rose and pulled her back, squeezing her to his chest. "Be careful," he warned, and Rose wriggled free of his grasp.
She walked up to Cal, standing toe-to-toe with him and looked up at his swelling face. "Leave us alone." The words were laced with poison as she spat them at him before defiantly shoving him back. Finally, after an intense stare down, Cal turned and stalked off without so much as a glance behind him.
Jack enveloped Rose in a tight hug from behind burying his face in her mess of red hair. "Damn it, Rose… Why the Hell do you have to be so damned brave? You had me scared shitless." Rose's legs shook under her out of the sheer adrenaline that had just been running through her body. "I need to sit down," she muttered as her legs gave out, leaving Jack to hold her body weight.
He picked her up, suddenly, cradling her in his arms and carried her over to a bench where he sat down with her in his lap. "You're so brave," Jack whispered, staring down at her lovingly. "You have no idea how frightening that was…" she whispered back, her eyes blinking lazily, trying to stay focused on the features of his face in order to stay awake.
"Do you know that this is the first time we've been alone, together, since last night?" she asked sleepily. Jack grinned wildly. "I know." There were no other words needed between the two as the gazed at each other. Suddenly, Rose's eyes glazed over and she blinked tiredly.
"You must be exhausted…" Jack whispered, lifting a hand to stroke the matted hair out of Rose's porcelain face. She could only nod as her eyes fluttered closed. He planted a kiss on her nose as she drifted off into a finally peaceful sleep.