Jack Dawson was bored as he sat next to his cousin on board a plane heading to LA. It had been a week since the sinking. A week of being stuck on an uncharted island, surviving on nothing but water, berries, and fish with only his surly cousin for company. He sighed, remembering how he had woken up on the beach, his cousin not too far away from him…

His head had been pounding and his mouth dry. He had gotten onto his feet, looking around at his surroundings, trying to find any sign of civilization.

"Hello!" He called out, his voice hoarse from disuse. "Hello?! Is anyone alive out there?! Hello?!"

There was no answer, but he wasn't ready to give up hope yet. Maybe they were too far away from a town or village? Maybe they would have to walk in order to find help. He sighed and looked over at his cousin's still form. Looking at her made him think of Rose and the others. Where were they? Were they on any other part of the island? Were they even still alive? Oh god, he hoped so. He didn't even want to consider a life without Rose in it.

A groan from Julie brought him out of his thoughts. She was alive, thank goodness. He rushed over to her and helped her sit up.

"What in the hell happened?" Julie moaned, her hand clutching her pounding head. "I feel like I had just been hit by a freight train..."

"Huge waves washed us overboard," Jack explained looking around at the palm trees swaying in the wind. "And we had gotten washed up on this beach...I tried calling out for help, but no one answered.

"Great. Just great. I knew that I didn't want to go on this stupid trip," Julie grumbled.

"At least we're still alive, I suppose. I don't know about the others...there's no sign of them..."

"Oh please. You're more worried about her than anyone else. Admit it," Julie frowned, still angry with her cousin for his silence for the past month. She had never treated him in such a way and it had hurt that he wouldn't even look at her for so long. She got that he was angry, that she had crossed a line, but still...they were family."

"If that was true, I wouldn't have left her side to try to help you, now would I?" Jack snapped, annoyed by the comment.

"Why did you try to save me?"

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. Julie could be so annoying, ignoring the obvious. "We're cousins. That's why. I couldn't let that wave just take you. No matter how angry I was. I don't have much family and I didn't want to watch the family I did have perish like that."

Julie bowed her head, her blond hair hiding he face. "Oh..."

Jack sat next to her and looked out at the ocean, trying not to panic and stay calm. Staying calm and keeping their heads was the only thing that was going to get them back home. "We better go and see if we can find help or the others..."

"And if we can't?"

"We'll just pretend that we're on that show Lost and wait for someone to rescue us," Jack shrugged getting to his feet and heading for the tree line that led deeper into the forest.

"Let's just hope that there's no smoke monsters and we won't need you to go down in some hatch and declare that rescue is not Penny's boat," Julie snorted, following Jack, hoping that they would find someone to help them.

But it turned out that the island was completely deserted and there was no sign of any living person inhabiting theland. Discouraged, the cousins decided to keep close to the beach and hope that someone came by. Neither of them looked forward to spending their lives on the island, never seeing their family and friends again.

It was on the fourth day that Julie apologized for all that she had done to Rose. That she had let her anger get the best of her and she had needed someone to blame and Rose had been it. Jack forgave her, tired of holding a grudge and just wanting to concentrate on rescue. He had learned to build a fire and fish for food while Julie gathered fruit, water, and firewood.

Finally, after a week of waiting, just when they were about to lose hope, a fishing boat found it's way to the island. They had picked Jack and Julie up immediately, sailed them to Nassau Island where Jack and Julie caught a shower and a real meal and was booked on the first flight back to LA. Jack had tried to call home, but he had always gotten a busy signal and Rose never answered her phone, which worried him…

"What are you thinking about?" Julie asked, disrupting Jack's troubled thoughts.

"I was just remembering all that we had gone through this past week...and the fact that Rose had not answered her phone. What if something had happened? What if she had gotten swept away? What if they all had? You read that article….there had been some casualties..."

"We were the casualties. Look, you're worrying too much. I am sure that Rose is fine. With all that's happened, plus thinking that you're gone, she's probably too busy crying into her tea or something to talk on the phone. She's still alive, just like Derrick is. You'll see," Julie reassured Jack, happy that they had reconciled and could be of some comfort to one another. She promised herself that for now on, she will treat Rose with kindness and respect. No more resentment. No more blaming her for things that were never in her control.

"I hope you're right, Julie. I mean...I can't lose Rose. I just can't..."

…..

LAX airport was as crowded as it ever was when Jack and Julie finally landed in LA. They walked right out of the airport and flagged down a taxi since they didn't have any luggage. Jack gave the directions for home, wondering what kind of reception that they were going to receive.

"Mom and dad will probably faint from shock when they see us," Julie rambled, feeling nervous. The last time she had seen her parents, they had been rather stern with her, warning her not to cause any trouble or fights. Now here she was returning, after being the cause of her cousin getting swept away by a rogue wave. Were they going to be happy or angry with her still? She didn't know if she wanted to find out.

"I'm worried about Rose...maybe I should stop by her house. Not let her hear it second hand that I'm not dead after all..."

"And leave mom and dad in limbo about your survival?" Julie frowned, not really wanting to face her parents alone, but not wanting to admit that to Jack either.

Jack sighed, feeling guilty for being in such a hurry to see Rose. Julie was right. Aunt Beth and Uncle Phil should be the first to know that he's not dead after all. That he survived.

It was too late for Jack to go to Rose's house anyway. The taxi pulled up in front of his house, which was a sight for sore eyes. He couldn't wait to sleep in his own room tonight. To be around his things, to have his life back!

Paying the driver, Jack and Julie got out of the vehicle and linked hands as they entered the yard and walked upon the front porch. Finding the door unlocked, they entered into a quiet, seemingly empty house.

"Wow, this place feels like a funeral home," Julie frowned, looking around, noticing how everything looked how it always was. The atmosphere though...it was just so...gloomy. "Where is mom and dad?"

They walked deeper into the house and into the kitchen, noticing that there was a lot of food laid out. Both of their mouths watered at the sight. They had eaten on Nassau and on the plane, but this was real, home cooked food and they wanted to sample everything.

Julie reached for a roll, but Jack pulled her back. "Let's find Uncle Phil and Aunt Beth first…"

"You're right," Julie nodded, and followed Jack out the back door.

That was where they found everyone, sitting in folded chairs, listening to a preacher talking on a small podium in front of a covered tabled with a vase of flowers and a picture of Jack and Julie on each end. It was obvious what was going on. It was a memorial service. For them!

The preacher's voice faded as he spotted them standing at the edge the aisle leading up to the podium. His eyes widened and a "Dear lord almighty," escaped his lips.

Everyone turned around to stare at Jack and Julie who looked and felt guilty for putting everyone they had loved through what must have been the hardest time of their lives. They had never meant for this to happen.

"Hi everyone," Julie nervously waved.

Phil and Beth were the first out of their chairs, running up and hugging the two teenagers tightly, crying and wanting to know what happened to them. Why hadn't they called? Where had they been all week? Why did no one contact them?

"We washed up on a beach on this uncharted island. A boat discovered us a few days ago. We tried to call, but either the line was too busy or no one answered," Jack explained, hugging his Aunt and Uncle tightly. He pulled away suddenly, needing to know. "Rose..."

Phil stepped happily stepped aside, motioned to where Rose was standing with wide eyes. Her face was pale, void of make up. Her red hair was pulled back into a braid, and she was dressed in a black dress that made her appear even more pale than she already was. She was the most beautiful thing that Jack had ever seen.

"Jack?" her voice was barely a whisper.

"It's me, Rose. I came home," Jack smiled, afraid to approach her, not wanting to spook her. "I'm alive. Surviving once again..."

Rose sobbed and rushed into his arms, clinging to him tightly as tears streamed from her eyes. "I told them! I told them that you weren't gone! That you wouldn't leave me! That I'd know...but they thought I was crazy, but here you are! I knew it! I never let go Jack! I never let go!"

Everyone stood aside and watched the happy reunion, tears falling from their eyes, wishing that they had listened to Rose after all. But that no longer mattered. What mattered was that Jack and Julie were home. That they were survivors after all.

(A/N: I took a lot of liberties with the wreckage of the ship and Jack and Julie's rescue. It may not be as realistic, when pertaining to the real world, but if you think about it, the story of Rose and Jack isn't very realistic either, no matter how romantic we think it is. Who falls that deeply in love in only three days?:) Anyway, thank you to everyone who is reading, reviewing and faving and following this story. It's been almost year now since I've been posting it and it's slowly churning towards the end. Only a handful of milestones left:))