Chapter 3

It was like Jack had seen his whole life played out before him, an endless array of cotillions, parties and yachts. As Sarah had said, there would be a wedding, children, a home, business transactions and everything jack could possible want. Jack wondered why his life had to be so predictable. He was unbelievably bored with everything only now when his mind wandered back to that woman down in third class he saw earlier today. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He just really wished he knew her name at the very least.

Sarah and Ruth talked on about the wedding details such as color schemes and the guest list, all of Philadelphia society would be in attendance. Nathan was already talking about his plans for his son-in-law Jack.

"I plan on taking Mr. Dawson under my wing," Nathan boasted to several other business men. Nathan was a well-polished groomed man. His square face was stern and dull, not a hair out of place and always freshly shaven, "I will teach him everything he needs to know and bring him unto my team."

"He's only a boy," one man pointed out, "he's much too young."

"So he will learn," Nathan replied, "he has become something of a son to me. He is to marry my princess when we return home."

"You're a lucky man Jack," another man replied, "She's quite a catch everything a woman ought to be."

"Hear, hear," the men chanted.

Blah, blah, blah Jack thought. He also took offense to everyone acting like his real father no longer existed. Of course that was how Ruth had wished it to be. Sure, when the scandal broke out everyone berated the name of Fredrick Dawson. He had found a new woman, a 19 year old girl and had an affair for some time. Jack remembers holding his mother at her broken heart. He had truly broken her heart, that much was certain. However Jack was very fond of his father, he was the one who taught him how to be a man. Only he like Jack was questioning, chose to leave it all behind for himself instead of staying in the prearranged marriage between him and Ruth all those years ago.

"Excuse me gentleman," Jack said standing up, "I think I'll go for a walk among the stars."

The other men chuckled at him; none of them truly appreciated seeing the sky as Jack did. They were too preoccupied in their skyscrapers and glittering cities to notice.

Aimlessly Jack wandered out onto the deck and made his way to the very back lighting his last cigarette along the way. He always kept his gaze up towards the sky. The wind chilled him; they were definitely heading into colder waters. He pulled his jacket around him and layed down on the bench. From out here in the middle of this ocean, with no cities around him he felt incredibly peaceful but lonely. Like his soul was just sleeping, awaiting for someone to light a fire within his heart the way he felt when he was drawing in his brown leather book. If only…

The sound of rubber soled shoes running frantically along the deck is what caught Jacks attention first. He sat up and saw the fiery red head run past him in broken sobs. She collided with the railing with the back of the ship in front of her. Jack could hear her quiet sobs as she climbed up the railing. Was she going to jump? Jack slowly rose puffing his cigarette. He now had a chance to study her up close. Her hair had these wonderful natural curls, her dress was nothing to impress but to Jack she looked so real. Like she had a history to tell, not like those highly polished self-absorbed girls he hung out with. Just like what he felt before he felt drawn to her, as if he could stay away.

She finally made it all the way over the railing and turned away facing the wide ocean ahead of her. It wasn't a beautiful grave, the Titanic was the only beacon of light in miles. Jack knew the water down there would be freezing and dark. He couldn't let her do it. He felt like he would have no choice but to jump in after her if he did. Just as she began to lean over the railing…

"Don't do it," Jack implored keeping his distance as to not frighten her.

"Stay back!" She demanded with a shaky voice, "don't come any closer!"

"Come on," Jack said holding out his praying she'd take it, "just give me your hand I'll help you back over."

"No, stay where you are! I mean it!" she tried to explain, "I'll let go."

Jack almost felt like chuckling, she sounded like a child threating to do something naughty if she didn't get what she wanted. Jack lifted his burnt out cigarette gesturing that he wanted to throw it over the edge and took one step closer to her, "No you won't."

She looked offended, "What do you mean no I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will or will not do, you don't know me!"

So she had a mind of her own, Jack thought, "Well…you woulda done it already."

"You're distracting me go away!" she yelled out tried to sound authoritative.

"I can't," Jack admitted, "I'm involved now, and if you jump I'm gonna have to jump in there after you."

"Don't be absurd you'd be killed!" she said shocked at his words.

"I'm a good swimmer," Jack replied recalling the summers spent in the pools with his father.

"The fall alone would kill you," Rose said looking back down to the water.

"It would hurt," Jack admitted and began unlacing his shoes, "I'm not saying it wouldn't. To tell you the truth I'm a lot more concerned about that water being so cold."

She paused and looked out scared and curious, "How cold?"

"Freezing, maybe a couple degrees over," Jack explained unbuttoning his jacket, "you ever been ice fishing? You know that's where you-"

"I know what Ice fishing is!" she yelled at him frustrated.

"Sorry," Jack replied as he began placing more clothes on the floor. He knew wet clothes would weigh him down, "you just seem like not much of a nature girl. Anyway me and my father, I fell through some thin ice and I'm telling you…water that cold like right down there, it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think…at least not about anything about the pain. Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after you."

Through his whole speech the girls face seemed to go paler as she looked down at the water nervously.

"Like I said, I don't have a choice," Jack replied now down to his socks and button up shirt, "I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the railing and get me off the hook here."

The girl look unresolved, "you're crazy."

"That's what everyone says," Jack shrugged, "but with all due respect miss, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here. C'mon, give me your hand, you don't want to do this."

The girl looked upon her face and Jack came to realize up close she was beautiful. Far more than Sarah could ever be. He lips were thick and reddened from the cold along with her full cheeks. Her eyes were deep and full of sadness, it made Jack wonder why was she sad. He wanted to know more. Slowly she reached out her hand to him and carefully turned around. Their first contact made Jack's stomach flip with excitement, her hands were cold.

"I'm Jack Dawson," Jack smiled truthfully for the first time in a while.

Jack: Whew! I'm Jack Dawson.

"Rose De Witt Bukater," Rose introduced herself while she wobbly climbed up the railing.

Jack placed his other hand on her waist to help her balance more, "I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down."

She chuckled delightfully with a small smile that Jack only had the pleasure of seeing for a moment. As she raised her other foot to step on the rail within an instant she slipped dangling off the back of the ship. Rose's desperate screams made Jack's heart spiked to his throat as his gripped furiously onto Rose's wrists. Rose's life was now in Jack's hands.

"C'mon! C'mon," Jack grunted struggling to stabilize her.

Rose attempted once again to grab onto the railing but her slipped again and shrilly cried out, "Help! Help me please!"

"Listen to me! Rose look at me!" Jack demanded wanting her full attention with her eyes buried within his Jack felt as if there was nothing he couldn't do, "I've got you alright? I won't let go, now pull yourself up c'mon!"

Together the two of them amidst her screams the two of them pulled together as she began climbing up the bars. When Jack had the opportunity he wrapped his arms around her flail body pulling her back onto the ship. The two of them stumbled clumsily onto the deck with him falling on top of her.

Rose was shaky looking up at the handsome man that had just saved her. Now she had the chance to really study his face, he was young with a child's spirit hidden in him. The way he was looking at her, both of them panting heavily from anxiety, suddenly a bonded trust grew between them. They didn't even notice when a few officers same upon the scene looking at them. It now occurred to Jack that the skirt of Rose's dress had traveled up during the fall and his boots and jacket were lying nearby. The two knew that this did not look good.

"You stand back!" The officer demanded of him, "Welch, fetch the master of arms!"

The officers separated Jack and Rose while the officers fetched a blanket for her. She sat nearby with an officer asked if she was well while another officer gave Jack scowling looks. Within a few minutes Nathan, Mr. Lovejoy and a few other business associates where there walking straight past Rose to Jack.

"Mr. Hockley," the officer guarding Jack said surprised suddenly straightening up, "May I help you sir?"

"Yes! Explain to me why you have my son-in-law under arms?" Nathan demanded angrily.

"This is- He's-" the officer asked now getting flustered and embarrassed.

"Yes he is and whatever he is accused of I can assure you they are false, now let him go!" Nathan barked as the officer stepped away from Jack.

Nathan began looking around the scene and noticed Rose for the first time who gave him a sheepish look, "Who is she?"

"Rose," Jack said watching her and saying her name like a prayer.

"We came upon the scene to what looked like your son was…was taking advantage of the young lady," the officer nervously explained.

"A scandal!" Nathan proclaimed. Nathan always loved a good fight, even if he never even really believed in his cause, he just wanted to win.

"Gentlemen!" Rose cried out stepping up into the group of men, "It was an accident!"

"An accident?" Mr. LoveJoy asked suspiciously.

"Stupid really, I was leaning over and I slipped" Rose said weaving a tale, "I was leaning far over to see the uh…the uh…"

Nathan rolled his eyes not even bothering to look at her.

"The uh…" Rose still tried.

"The propellers?" Nathan asked impatiently still not even bothering to look at her.

"The propellers!" Rose exclaimed, "I was leaning over to see the propellers and I slipped and I would have gone overboard but Mr. Dawson saved me and almost went over himself."

"She wanted to see the propellers," Nathan replied sarcastically, "like I always said, women and machinery do not mix."

"Was that the way of it?" the officer watching jack asked as everyone turned to him.

"Yeah," Jack retorted, "that was pretty much it."

"Well then the boy's a hero," one of Nathan's associates beamed, "good for you son well done! Well now that that's settled its back to our brandy eh gentlemen?"

The group began to disperse.

"Come on darling," the officer watching Rose said, "I'll escort you back to third class."

Jack felt a wicked spike of jealousy as the two began walking away.

"Wait," Jack called out to her as everyone turned to look at him, "perhaps you could…could join us for dinner tomorrow night."

"Jack," Nathan said giving him a questing look.

"Come now," Jack said trying to talk his way through this. He couldn't setting with this one moment being his only encounter with Rose, he need more, "it's only one dinner. To compensate for what nearly could have been a tragedy."

"Oh very well," Nathan said rolling his eyes as went on with his associates back to first class.

Jack stood behind as Mr. Lovejoy was one of the few last to leave. Jack whistled at him.

Mr. Lovejoy regarded him smugly.

"Can I bum a smoke?" Jacked asked him.

Mr. Lovejoy reached into his pocket pulling out his cigarettes. Jack took one in between his teeth and the other behind his ear.

"You'll want to tie those," Mr. Lovejoy said indicating towards his shoes, "curious, the lady slipped so suddenly and yet you had time to remove your shoes and jacket.

Jack just simply returned the same grimace that Mr. Lovejoy shared for him.