AARON & JACKSON

-1912: The Aftermath-

"New Lives Part II"

With teary eyes Hazel walked into the room, her hands were clasped together in front of her and they held her handbag firmly. Both boys' eyes widened, completely stunned to see her there, it was something they had never expected to happen.

Jackson looked intensely at her as he began to cry silently. "Mum?" he asked shakily as if not believing what he was seeing as he stepped over to her.

Hazel wiped her eyes and smiled at her son and Aaron. "Thank god you're both alright" she told them and Jackson wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Aaron frowned immediately as he watched on, she was pleased he was alright? He never thought he'd hear that one. He watched as Hazel and Jackson separated. "You…too Hazel" he told her then cleared his throat. "I-Is Samantha alright?"

Hazel looked toward Aaron and nodded. "She's fine, just warming up still…we all are"

Aaron looked down at the bed sheet over him as images flashed into the forefront of his mind; he shut his eyes tightly in an attempt to ban the images he'd rather forget. He shook his head and opened his eyes again wide.

"As soon as I saw the survivor list from the water and your name on it Jackson…w-well both you know" she smiled nervously. "Aaron…I-I had to see if it was right, I had to see for myself and here you are" she placed her hands over her mouth as she battled with her emotions. Jackson placed his hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright mum, we're fine"

Hazel nodded and composed herself then quickly apologised.

"I'm so glad you're okay" Jackson told her and she nodded and smiled in reply then pulled him into a hug again.

Aaron watched for a few seconds but looked away again and let out a sigh, a disheartened feeling fell over him, he felt bad for coming between them, despite the cracks that were already forcing them apart. But still she was his mother and he was her son. Aaron however loved the bones of Jackson and couldn't ever let him go. Selfish? Aaron pouted. Maybe, but it was his happiness at stake.

Jackson's words grabbed Aaron's attention and he looked over to them again. "…ever want to lose you mum, I know you don't approve of who I' am but I love you so much. I need you in my life mum, please?" he pleaded as tears ran down his face.

Hazel was emotional too and she searched her sons eyes then glanced over toward Aaron who had pure love in his eyes for her son Hazel smiled at Jackson. "One day at a time eh? Soft lad" she smirked as she stroked his cheek.

Jackson smiled at his mum, then wiped his eyes and let out a breath to calm down. "I erm, I wanna go and check on Samantha if that's ok?" he asked in general but looked at Aaron who simply smiled and nodded. "Mum, can you stay with Aaron? I don't want him to be on his own" Silence passed between them for a few seconds before Hazel began to speak.

"If that's alright with Aaron?" she asked.

"Oh y-yeah, course it is" Aaron told her.

"Alright then" Hazel smiled and began to walk over to the chair by the bed. "She's just on the deck; the sun is shining its quite warm"

Jackson gave a nod before he left the room as Hazel sat down in the chair. Aaron lay looking up at the ceiling and Hazel sat looking towards the door of the room. Hazel swallowed hard; this was not about her anymore. "How are you feeling Aaron?" she asked in a kind, genuine tone that even Aaron couldn't miss.

He frowned, he'd have at least expected some warnings, threats even once Jackson was out of ear shot but what he did get was a hint of the gentle woman she could be. "I'm alright thanks Mrs. Rhodes, thanks to Jackson, he saved me, more than once" he smiled.

"Hazel, call me Hazel. You really love my Jackson don't you?" her eyes assessing Aaron's.

"Yeah, with all my heart" he replied with an affirmative nod.

"Well then" she said as she got to her feet and walked over to a cabinet where a jug of water was sitting on top. "I'm happy" she concluded.

Aaron smiled as he fiddled with the bed sheet and hadn't seen it yet and he certainly wasn't expecting himself to react in such a way but when he looked up, a clear plastic cup with water in was within a few centimetres of his hands and he was horrified, he began to panic and sweat. Aaron was frightened and he swiped the cup from Hazel's hand, drenching himself in the process. "Oh god!" he shrieked painfully as he covered his face with his wet hands and dropped his head back into the pillow. "I-I'm so sorry…I dunno what-" he swallowed hard and wiped his hands down his face.

"Hey" she soothed him as she stroked his hair. "Don't you worry about that, it's just water"

"Th-That's the problem" he panted, his chest raised and fell quickly, his panic clearly evident.

Hazel opened her mouth to speak but didn't eventually as she began to try and comprehend the enormity of Aaron's experiences that previous night. "Do you want me to get Jackson?"

"Oh, no" he shook his head. "Please, he doesn't need to know alright…I'll be fine" he nodded to her and smiled.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes just please don't tell him, he's recovering too he doesn't need this as well"

Hazel objected to that but she would do as he wished.

….

The deck was cramped with Titanic survivors but Jackson and Samantha were walking around everyone as they spoke. "I never thought I'd see you again" Samantha told him.

Jackson nodded and squinted as he turned to look at her, the sun was right in his eye line. "There were times when I thought I'd never see daylight again"

Samantha nodded, she understood. "I was in that lifeboat and I watched it all…still the actual experience of it must be somewhat different"

Jackson nodded as he reflected on the night's events. "It was like a nightmare coming to life…"

"D-Do you want to talk about it?" she asked him as they could now walk side by side.

Jackson blew out a deep breath. "There's not much to say really…it was the ultimate fight for survival, every man for himself"

"Except-"

"it wasn't…I had to help Aaron survive…h-he's younger, he was frightened, not to say I wasn't because I was, I really was…at one point I got locked in a room in the lower decks and it was filling with water, I nearly drowned, I couldn't do anything but Aaron…" Jackson said with a smile. "Aaron saved me, he never left me, he got the door open and we were together again, I will always be grateful to him for saving my life"

Tears ran down Samantha's cheeks as she was listening to Jackson's story.

"But he saved me long before then" he explained as he looked out at the water. "We made it to the back of the ship but Aaron lost his footing and slid to the bottom again, I was terrified, I couldn't lose him, the screams the panic it was all there, the chaos but I had to move and I did" Jackson continued and turned to face her, his own tears now evident to see. "I found him again briefly, when the ship split he was right in the middle of it, and he jumped into the water, I never saw him again until a while after she'd gone down"

"H-how is he now?"

"Oh he's fine I think, he took a bang to the head and he was cold, all of us were, but we're ok now…we can start our lives"

Samantha wiped her tears away and smiled. "I wish you all the luck in the world Jackson, I really do"

"Thank you, Samantha. What are you going to do now?"

"Well, apparently my parents have been notified of the sinking, they're making their way to New York, they should be there for this ship to arrive"

Jackson nodded and bit his lip. "I'm sorry Samantha, truly I' am"

"We've been through this Jackson"

"I know, but I need you to know again, I never meant to hurt you"

Samantha smiled. "I know, you're a gentle, kind man…you wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally"

Jackson shook his head in agreement. "I better get back to him" he explained as they both stopped walking and faced each other properly.

"Here we are again" she said sadly.

Jackson simply stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "I don't know if we'll ever see each other again but just know I'll never forget you, despite everything you've been a huge part of my life and I can never forget that Sam"

Sam pulled away from the hug and held onto his hands tightly whilst she smiled at him. "Have an amazing life Jackson, look after yourself and Aaron…I've seen how much he loves you"

Jackson smiled slightly and nodded. "I will"

"Goodbye Jackson" she said quietly as she pulled her hands away and walked off.

"Bye" Jackson replied. In a split second an emptiness filled him, the end of an era, that's what it felt like, but he'd never forget just like he'd told her. Now he had to get back to the new era, the new life he'd craved for, for so long.

….

Jackson walked back into Aaron's small room and was greeted with the sound of conversation. "Well, this is new" he grinned.

Aaron turned to look at him. "Just giving her the highlighted version of my life"

"Probably a good idea, some things might shock you mother"

"Well I beg to differ" Hazel told him.

"Maybe another time" Aaron told her quietly. "If you both don't mind actually, I'm tired…might sleep before we reach land again"

"Oh…okay, sure" Jackson replied with a hint of concern for him, not at his words but in the way he sounded. "Come on then mother, we'll be outside if you need us"

"Yeah sure"

Jackson was definitely concerned, Aaron didn't seem himself, and obviously he wasn't expecting him to be full of life but maybe just a little. As Jackson closed the door and stood in the corridor, his mother held his arm. "Concerned?"

"Yea- mayb…" he sighed. "I dunno" he told her as he sat down in a chair.

"Well…you should be…that's all I'm saying" Hazel said as she sat beside him.

TBC…