It's been a week since the Titania disaster and life has not gone back to normal for anyone, especially not for Rose. She had not spoken a word to anyone since she had received the news that Jack was gone. What could she say? Everyone else wanted to give up hope. They wanted to accept that Jack was dead, swept away to sea, laid to rest in a watery grave.

But not Rose. She refused to believe that. If Jack was truly gone, she would know it. She would feel it through the bond that they shared and that bond said that Jack was alive. He was just missing.

She had tried to convince the others of that. She had tried to tell them that there was no need to grieve. They just needed to band together and search each and every island until they found the one where Jack and Julie had washed up on. But no one would listen to her. They'd just look at her with pity in their eyes, thinking that she was too deep in denial and remained in their grief. So she had stopped talking to any of them at all. They wouldn't believe her, so there was no point. She didn't understand why they wouldn't believe her, why they would rather accept that Jack and Julie were dead. But maybe it wasn't for her to understand. She just wished that they did, so that the authorities would be pressed to look for Jack elsewhere. Did people forget that the Bahamas had more than one island?

The senior class had yet to return to school, which was just fine with Rose. If she didn't attend school, she didn't have to face the fact that Jack wasn't there. That she wouldn't be picking him up or sitting with him in English class, or secretly watching him help students in art class. She wouldn't have to face that he wasn't there at all. It also gave her time to think of a way to go find Jack herself. So far, she had been spending her days on the internet, chatting with people from the Bahama islands, asking them for help, asking them to search their beaches or keep an eye out for anyone that matched Jack's description. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to do something to find him. No one else was.

It was Wednesday and Trudy, Helga, and Annabelle decided to stop by and check in on Rose. They knew that she had been avoiding them and on some level, they had been doing the same. But tomorrow was the memorial service and they couldn't let Rose not be there. Phil and Beth would want to see her, plus they were hoping that the service would force Rose out of her denial and accept that Jack was gone.

Ruth answered the door with a sigh and motioned for the girls to go up to Rose's room. They found Rose signing off of skype, where Rose had been showing a picture of Jack to a girl in Nassau, who had reported that some debris from the ship had washed up on shore. There had been no reports of any survivors from the tragedy, but she was going to look into it.

"Rose?" Trudy knocked on the door, not sure if she or the other two girls would be welcomed. "It's me, Trudy. I have Annabelle and Helga with me. Can we come in?"

There was a pause, then Rose opened the door. The girls were taken aback by how she looked. Her red hair, usually nicely combed, was pulled up into a messy bun. She wore a large black sweatshirt with black jeans and was as pale as a ghost. She also had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. There was no sign of make-up anywhere.

"Come on in," She mumbled stepping back into her room, which was brightly lit and had all kinds of articles about the Titania disaster and places where debris from the ship was still washing up.

Trudy was dismayed. It was like an obsession. "Rose, what have you been up to in all this time? We haven't seen you in days."

Rose shrugged, sitting down on her unmade bed. "What everyone should be doing. Looking for Jack. Look at these articles. Debris from the ship has washed on on different islands, not just Freeport. Jack and Julie could be on any one of these islands, lost and confused...and no one is looking for them because for some reason everyone wants to think that they're dead."

"Rose…," Annabelle sighed, sitting next to her. "You know I'd love it if Jack did survive. He saved my life. I'd do anything to see him again...but there's been no sign of him or Julie. Don't you think that they would have shown up by now if they had washed up on another island?"

"Not if no one knew who they were. Anything could have happened," Rose shook her head, getting up and pacing the floor. "I mean, look at these articles I've collected. A piece of door paneling was found on the beach of Nassau. A woman's shoe washed up on the other side of Freeport, a portfolio, probably Jack's, was found on Blue Lagoon island! They could be anywhere!"

"Jesus, Rose!" Helga sighed, shaking her head, feeling horribly for Rose. She was going to be an even bigger mess than Fabrizio when she finally did accept reality. "All of this...I don't know what to say..."

"Don't say anything. It's pretty clear that you don't believe me. That you think I'm deep in denial, but I'm not. Jack is not dead. I would know if he was. I would feel it. I'd feel his absence but I don't. I still feel him right here in my heart," Rose placed a hand over her chest. "He's still here. I just have to find him. I just wish the rest of you would believe me and help. But I understand if you can't."

"Rose...tomorrow Phil and Beth are having a memorial at their house. You will come, won't you?" Helga asked, nervous about what the answer would be. "Phil and Beth, they'd love to see you there. You don't have to believe he's gone...just be there to share memories and stuff. Support each other in this difficult time..."

Rose frowned. Attending that memorial...would it be giving in? Admitting that Jack was gone? Could she do that? "I don't know..."

"You don't have to believe him gone, Rose. Just come and talk about him, share your memories. Celebrate his life," Trudy joined in, a grim smile on her lips. "You can tell him all about it when he comes back. Tell him how everyone got together and discussed their best memories of him. He'd get a kick out of that."

Rose sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "He would. He's always so modest. Always wondering why everyone loved being around him. He never got that...that..."

"He was the glue that held us all together," Annabelle sniffed, bowing her head. "He saved me. Bonded with Derrick. Best friends with Tommy and Fabrizio..."

"Took care of my best friend when she needed it," Trudy nodded, agreeing with Annabelle.

"And was the first one of us who made friends with my Fabri. He took him under his wing and was there for him when he had no one," Helga joined in. "We all miss him so much..."

"That is why I don't understand it. Why are all of you are so quick to dismiss the idea that he survived? Why is it so much easier to think him dead?"

"It's not that it's easier, Rose. It's not. It's just that...hope can be dashed," Trudy explained. "We just don't want our hopes dashed."

"I guess I can understand that. I guess I'll just believe for all of us and when I find him, it'll be a big welcome home party for him and a huge celebration for everyone else..."

"That's a good way to look at it, Rose," Annabelle smiled, squeezing her friend's hand.

"In the mean time…," Trudy began, bringing the conversation back to tomorrow's memorial service.

"Until then...I'll go along with the rest of you. I'll go to that memorial service...and I'll share my memories of Jack. But that does not mean that I accept that he's dead. I can't accept it as long as I feel him in my heart..."

"We understand, Rose. We do and we won't ask anymore from you than that," Helga hugged her, thankful that she at least got that much from Rose. Fabrizio was going to be so relieved to see her there and she believed that Rose's presence will also help Phil and Beth Dawson as well.

…..

That night, Rose sat outside on the veranda, staring up at the night sky. The stars that Jack had always pointed out as his parents and sister were shining brightly. Rose had to smile to herself, noting that there were only three. If Jack was really dead, he would be with them, making it four stars.

"I see that it's just the three of you up there," Rose sighed, deciding to speak her mind to the stars. She didn't expect an answer. Heck, no one may even be listening, but it made her feel better. "I take it that Jack is not up there with you. I know that you must miss him. Goodness knows, I certainly miss him down here, but you can't have him. Not yet. I know that you're aware that he's still alive somewhere out there. You may even be looking down on him now. If so, just remember that I need him here. He's been my angel this past year, and I know that usually angels go elsewhere when they're finished with a mission. But I'm not finished yet...I still need him here with me. So please...make sure he comes home safely. Julie too, because Beth and Phil, it'd kill them to lose their daughter, so bring her home too. Thank you..."

She fell silent after that, not knowing what else she could say. Yes, she felt silly but she also felt that her pleas had been heard and that everything will be alright in the end. All she needed was a little faith and a little patience.