~ The Next Morning ~
Theme Song: "A Life So Changed" ~ Titanic Soundtrack
It had been several hours, since the Titanic sank and disappeared completely under the water, killing one thousand seventeen people. The ones that had survived, were ushered on board another large ship—The Carpathia, included in those who survived were: Ismay, Officer Lowe, Molly Brown, Ruth, Spicer Lovejoy, Caledon Hockley, both Cal and Lovejoy fought hard and strong to maintain survival, from the time they left off of Titanic, during the time they were in the lifeboat, fighting to stay in and not be taken under the water, with those who had fallen off and out of the lifeboat and onward; and-and yes, even Rose Bukater, but not Jack Dawson. As Rose sat on the bench on the deck of Carpathia, with a blanket around her, she was grieving silently, she was grieving over the fact that she had lost Jack to the sea. They had managed to get off Titanic—but not into a boat. So as they waited in the icy waters of Titanic, with her on a wooden board and him floating in the ocean, Jack died of hypothermia. However, he made her promise that she would go on and live—for him, and with that, he went and so did she. He died and she was rescued, and now she was alone—alone without the man she truly loved and she was also without any direction, as to where to go, how to go or even where she'd lie her head, once Carpathia docked. She was in love, madly, deeply and truly in love with Jack and losing him was the cruelest fate for her—what was she to do now? Where was she to go? She had no options now—well maybe except one…
As Cal and Lovejoy walked back into Cal's room on Carpathia, after going to get breakfast, Ruth was sitting in a chair in the room, she looked beyond depressed and beyond grief stricken. She didn't know whether Rose was alive or not, whether she made it or not. As she tried for hour on hour to run around the ship, looking for Rose, to no avail, finally Cal and Lovejoy forced her to get onto a lifeboat and worry about saving her own life. As Cal walked over to her and sat down beside her on the sofa. He gently touched her hands.
"Ruth, don't you want to go get some breakfast or something?" Cal said sympathetically. "I mean its been a rough night, you need something in your system."
Ruth looked down and frowned as tears clouded her eyes.
"NO, what I want is my daughter." Ruth said between tears. "Oh God, Cal, what if my daughter is dead!"
Immediately, Ruth covered her face in her hands and broke into loud, severe tears. Cal quickly pulled her in his arms and hugged and consoled her warmly.
"Shh, shh, please don't cry." Cal said warmly. "Maybe—maybe she didn't die."
Lovejoy stared at Ruth as she was being consoled by Cal. Lovejoy was sure he couldn't give a hoot if Rose was alive or not, not after how she treated Cal. However he did feel great sympathy for Ruth, it wasn't her fault, her daughter was a cruel, vindictive, selfish woman.
"How about Cal and I go looking for her?" Lovejoy said.
Cal looked up at Lovejoy with an eyebrow raised. Cal wasn't too keen on looking for the woman, who made it very clear that she hated his existence, however, Cal had taken a liking to Ruth and to see her cry in pieces over Rose, actually did something to his heart—which was remarkable to him, because usually it was only him and him alone that he cared about—so maybe something was changing within him. Cal looked at Ruth and nodded as Ruth looked at him with red, wet, crying eyes.
"Yes, we'll go look for her, alright?" Cal said warmly. "I promise, we'll find her and who knows, maybe she survived?"
"She's strong, just like her mother." Cal said with a brief, bitter laugh.
Ruth hugged herself to him once more.
"Oh Cal, please find her!" Ruth said between tears. "Please find her, she's my only daughter, I couldn't live with myself if I knew she was—she was—dead."
Cal nodded and frowned with hurt that he himself had.
"I will, I promise." Cal said in a low tone, as he slowly got up and lightly pushed her off him.
"We'll be back in an hour or two, Ms. Ruth." Lovejoy said with a nod.
Ruth nodded before Cal and Lovejoy quickly exited the room. Ruth secretly prayed, prayed, hoped and wished her daughter truly was still alive, she loved her daughter, despite how Rose felt about and towards her and Ruth needed Rose to be alright.
It had been almost two hours and Cal and Lovejoy had been all over Carpathia—it seemed and they hadn't found Rose. As they stood in the middle of the deck of the ship, Cal sighed and briefly closed his eyes with a frown of hurt.
"She didn't make it, Lovejoy." Cal said in a low, hurt voice, as he opened his eyes, eyes that were lightly clouded with tears. "I know she didn't. We would have found her by now."
Lovejoy looked at Cal and noticed the hurt in his face. Lovejoy frowned with slight confusion.
"Well it serves her right, don't you think?" Lovejoy said. "The woman USED you, Cal and then tossed you aside like you weren't anything."
Cal looked at Lovejoy and sighed and nodded with a serious expression.
"I—I know, I know Lovejoy," Cal said, "but it's hard, its hard to just let go like that. I LOVED her Lovejoy, it—it's hard."
"After ALL that," Lovejoy said with disbelief, "after all that she did to you, you STILL love her?"
Cal looked down and nodded with a hurt expression.
"Yes, it's crazy I know." Cal said with a brief, bitter laugh.
"I still love you too Cal." A low, hoarse voice said from behind Cal and Lovejoy.
Cal's closed eyes, suddenly blinked open, his heart almost stopped as he recognized the voice instantly. He spun around and looked behind him and saw Rose, standing there, draped in a blue blanket.
"Rose!" Cal called out, with a cracking with tears voice.
Lovejoy turned and looked at Rose and sighed with a shake of his head. He couldn't believe this, he was actually hoping the woman hadn't survived, it would have been what she deserved for her actions, in his mind.
Cal quickly hugged Rose tightly and Rose faked a brief smile and hugged him back. She still detested him in every imaginable way, but she needed him, she needed to use him just once more, maybe suck him dry of some money once they left off Carpathia and then once she had enough money, she could leave him and go live the life she and Jack had spent hours the previous day talking about.
"Oh God, I thought you were dead, Rose!" Cal said through light tears, very light tears. "Thank God, you're alive, sweet pea!"
Rose lightly pushed him away and looked at him with seriousness.
"Cal, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I left you." Rose lied. "I want to come back to you. I realized I was wrong."
"Oh COME ON!" Lovejoy yelled angrily. "That's complete bull! Where's that Jack Dawson boy! What he died and so now you come crawling back to Cal!"
"Lovejoy, STOP it!" Cal snapped angrily.
Rose looked at Lovejoy angrily. She knew he could read her like a book, he was a PRO at detecting lies, so she had to be careful with her lies.
"Actually he did die." Rose said with a voice she was trying to keep strong. "But that's neither here nor there. I realized I was wrong for leaving Cal. He was changing and I didn't even see it."
Rose looked at Cal with warm, loving eyes.
"Cal, I'm sorry." Rose lied. "I love you and I realize that, please take me back."
"Cal NO!" Lovejoy yelled quickly. "Don't! She's not sorry! Come on, I can see, she's completely bullshitting you!"
Cal looked at Lovejoy with anger. He didn't need this from Lovejoy—not now.
"Lovejoy stay OUT of this!" Cal snapped.
"But Cal—" Lovejoy said before Cal interrupted.
"NO! Lovejoy, I said NOT NOW!" Cal snapped angrily.
Lovejoy sighed loudly and shook his head as he stormed off with frustration. Cal looked at Rose with warmth and love. He really did love Rose and he really wanted to take her back, no matter what she did to him. He wanted her—but he was torn, he wasn't sure whether to take her back and get his feelings and his heart trampled over and hurt again or to refuse her, under the realization that she actually didn't love him and never would. The decision would be a hard one and a difficult one that Cal had no idea how he'd make…..