Hey! (: Just a quick note before the chapter starts, I just wanted to tell u all that I'm going to be posting a new chapter once a week, and I promise that. U can look forward to a new chapter either each Saturday or Sunday, im not sure. It's just, weekdays I'm much too busy with school and stuff. okay enough with the author's note…enjoy!:D

[p.s. just a heads-up, I don't really know much about court and judges and stuff…so don't go too hard on me if there's some wrong stuff!]

Although the court hearing was only one week since Mr. Ismay took Jack under arrest, it seemed like forever. I couldn't even imagine staying away from Jack. Even though I didn't know him up until I met him on Titanic, I can't even remember my life in the past before it happened. The furthest back I can remember was when I caught him staring at me from the third class deck. His beautiful crystal blue eyes…his golden wheat brown hair blowing in the wind…

"C'mon Rose. Get up." Molly woke me when we arrived at the courthouse by automobile.

I was asleep? I didn't even realize I closed my eyes. Maybe that was why the visions of Jack were so vivid. Nervous, I sat up and smoothed out my hair. Then I looked down at the vehicle's floor and exhaled a long, sustained breath. I nodded and smiled faintly at Molly when I was ready.

Molly took my hand and helped me out of the car. I smiled and nodded at the driver, who drove away soon after. I was shaking nonchalantly and my palms were getting cold with sweat.

"You shouldn't worry about a thing, dear." Molly said in a calm tone.

Looking at her, I saw she was perfectly fine. Like she was about to take an afternoon stroll in a nearby park or about to visit a neighbor for a cup of tea. Calm and normal.

Molly stifled a laugh. "I'm only calm because I know nothing is going to happen."

I looked straight in front of me. Molly sighed and we walked through the front doors.

"Gentlemen of the jury, please rise to accommodate Judge Christopher Brown."

Rising, I looked around for Jack. Rage and anger replaced my longing when I saw my mother and Mr. Ismay standing at the table nearby. My hands curled up in fists and I breathed out a snarl. Molly put her hand on my shoulder as a reassurance.

"This court hearing is to testify against Mr. Jack Dawson in the killing of Mr. Caledon Hockley, is this correct?"
"Yes."
"Alright. You may be seated."

A trickle of sweat rolled down my temple and I breathed in and out slowly, kept looking at Molly for reassurance. A door closing led me to look straight up at the stand and smiling when I saw Jack there. I couldn't see anyone or anything around him. He looked right at me and smiled. I smiled back and mouthed 'I love you.' He mouthed the same back. My heart swelled with love for him and I forgot we were at a court hearing.

Jack stood at the stand and had one hand behind his back, the other on a Bible that the man was holding.

"Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God?"
"I do."

Hearing his voice made me happy again.

"Please answer the following questions. Where were you on the night Caledon was killed?"
"I was on the R.M.S. Carpathia, after Titanic sunk. Standing next to Miss Rose Dewitt-Bukater and Molly Brown."
"Are they present in this courtroom?"

He looked over at us and smiled.

"Yes, they are."

Molly and I listened intently to the rest of the questions Jack had to answer. He mainly got out that Cal committed suicide and that he didn't lay a finger on him.

"Can Rose Dewitt-Bukater come to the stand, please?"

Astonished, I slowly rose. I looked to Molly for content, and she just nodded. With shaking hands I walked to the stand, looking at Jack and Molly who smiled proudly at me. My mother was staring at me with disgust.

After we went through with the introductions part, he started asking me questions that made me even more nervous than I was in the first place.

"Was Mr. Hockley your fiancée when the incident occurred?"
"Um…well…kind of…"
"Was he or not, ma'am?"
I closed my eyes so I didn't need to look at Jack when I said it. "Yes. He was."
"Okay. Were you friends with Mr. Dawson when it happened?"
"Yes."
"Were you also having an affair with Mr. Dawson?"
Being hesitant, I had to answer yes.
"Were you planning on cancelling the marriage with Mr. Hockley?"
I didn't see how this had to do with Cal's death, but I answered yes anyway.
"That ring on your finger. Did Caledon give it to you? Or did Jack?"
I looked down at my ring finger and quickly hid it. Glancing at my mother, she was infuriated.
"Jack gave it to me."
Jack beamed and Mother looked like she was about to walk over to me and slap me in the face.
"Please tell us everything you know about the death."
"Well…Cal was…I mean Mr. Hockley was planning on killing J..Mr. Dawson in the first place. He was upset I was with him. Instead he shot himself."
"So Mr. Dawson didn't hurt Mr. Hockley at all?"
"No, he did not."
"Ah."

I could tell that he was on our side. Later he announced my mother up. What she said made me want to scream.

"Oh, lies. All lies!" She said, wiping away tears with a tissue.

"I was right there when it happened, and it was horrible! My Rose tried to stop him, but no. Mr. Dawson was too upset and so he grabbed the gun out of Mr. Hockley's hand and pulled the trigger! Oh yes, it was a horrible sight. A terrible, terrible sight!" She cried in her handkerchief.

"OBJECTION!" Jack and I both yelled from separate sides of the room. We looked at each other and smiled.

"Sustained." Judge Brown answered. "What is your testimony, Miss Dewitt-Bukater?"

I looked right at my mother, speaking with her and no one else.

"How could you do this to me, mother? This is low, even for you. You were there and you know Cal killed himself! Cal knew I loved Jack! I can say it right here in front of all these people. I LOVE JACK! And no matter how much you hate it, you're going to have to live with that! If Cal didn't kill himself, you or he would be blaming Jack for something else he didn't do! This is outrageous and wrong! I can't believe you'd be stupid enough to lie to a JUDGE! God, I wish you'd learn some sense! Just because the money's gone doesn't mean you can force me to marry a man I never was even the least bit attracted to. We just survived a SHIPWRECK that almost everyone died in and still, all you care about is money! Couldn't you just give it a rest!"

I sat down, satisfied. Molly and Jack were beaming, and my mother's eyes were widened. She couldn't even act like she wasn't guilty. This just made it more amusing.

"Is this true?"

Mother didn't know what to say. "Fine." She answered. "I lied."

The court ascended with surprised people talking to one another about how shocked and confused they were.

"Order, order please." Judge Brown said, slamming his gavel on his bench.

"Defendant Jack Dawson proven not guilty. Ruth Dewitt-Bukater found guilty of dishonesty."

"WHAT?" Mother screamed, startling everyone in the room. I smiled as I heard a click when they unlocked the handcuffs from Jack's wrists.

"For this I provide punishment of about three months in prison. This court is adjourned."

Mother screamed again as they handcuffed her and pulled her away. Laughing, I ran to Jack and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I'm never going to lose you again, Rose." Jack said to me, kissing my forehead. "This time that's a promise."