A New Fate

So sorry for the delay in updating this story. Got busy with work and have been tired when I have free time. Well, I finally got some days off and was able to write some more.

I'm glad I decided to split this chapter from the last one because this got pretty big, despite my predictions on how big it would be.

Anyway, enjoy Chapter 5!

Chapter Five:

The Truth

The cold wind brushed against them as the Titanic pushed through the Atlantic, the sound of the ocean crashing with steel echoed around them, and the darkness of the unknown stretched out before them.

The moon was a waning crescent, but the stars stood out like as a source of light, with no clouds in the sky.

Taylor stared at Prometheus, the man he had been searching for the last three years. A part of him could hardly believe that he was here, let alone on one of the greatest ships known.

Prometheus stared back at him, interest in his eyes.

Despite the cold air blowing against them, they barely felt it.

Taylor sighed, "Let's get the obvious question out of the way. 'What are you doing here?"

Prometheus frowned, "I'm fixing the timeline. I'm Merging the potential Split back together before it can be complete."

He shook his head, irritated, "No, I fixed the problem years ago."

"How?" Prometheus shot back. "Everything was fine until you came into the picture."

"Me?! You're the one who came here just before the Time Lock!"

Prometheus shook his head, "I responded to the Time Lock before it was engaged. I came to investigate the possibility of an anomaly."

Right then, Taylor began to put the pieces together, or at least some of it.

"It's because of Jack, isn't it?'

"In a way, yes."

Fear rose in him, "If you're here to kill him, you'll have to kill me first."

Prometheus frowned and then laughed, "Kill him? You're not as bright as I've given you credit for. If I had wanted him dead, I would have killed him last night."

"What do you mean?! Of course, that's why you're here! To finish the mission that I refused to accomplish!"

Now Prometheus was taken by surprise, "Mission? What m-?"

Then it dawned on him, pieces of the puzzle he had finally coming together for him.

"Let's start at the beginning, with Jack Dawson. In the report I read, it said that Jack Dawson's grave was found outside of Minneapolis two years after the death of his parents. I'm assuming you helped fake his death. But what I can't understand is… why?"

Taylor considered his options, wondering if it was wise to attempt to lie to him. He might be able to dance around the subject and not lie directly, but Prometheus would easily see through anything he said. They were trained to do so, but only one of them had decades of experience. And the last thing he wanted was to be caught doing so.

"After the success of my fourth mission, I was ordered to report to Klein Reeves for another assignment. He told me that I was expected to accomplish a mission to prove my loyalty to the Time Guardians and the to the Elders. He ordered me to kill Jack Dawson to prevent the sinking of Titanic."

"Prove your loyalty? You were already accepted by the Elders, no one was questioning your loyalty."

"Reeves said otherwise."

Prometheus shook his head as he began to put the pieces together, "You have no idea."

"What?"

"We'll come back to that. First, answer my question… why didn't you kill Jack Dawson?"

Taylor stared at him, trying to understand what he was getting at.

"When I joined the Time Division of the Guardians, I did so because I wanted to save lives. That's all I wanted to do was help others from threats beyond their control. And that's exactly what I did."

He paused.

"But the order to kill Jack… it was wrong."

"So, doing what is necessary is beyond you?"

"No! I'm willing to kill if it's necessary. I may regret my actions being necessary, but I will accept them to save others, as long as my victims are the ones who intend to cause harm. But Jack… he was just a boy.

"What wrong did he do to deserve such a fate? Even if he was to become a terrorist, I knew that I could change it. All he needed was guidance, someone to help him. So I choose not to go through with the order. But I knew something needed to be done, so I faked his death by burying a John Doe in a marked grave with Jack's name on it. It proved to be enough to fool the Time Division, even Reeves. But…"

"But then the Time Lock happened."

Taylor nodded, "When the Time Lock happened, I feared that my actions would be discovered, that it was related to me. But then I saw you and realized that it must have been you who caused it to happen."

Prometheus sighed, "None of this was me. It was you."

Taylor's eyes widened, shock freezing him.

"What? But- How?!"

"You really don't understand what is truly going on here, do you?"

"No, I don't!" his anger overflooded his confusion.

"Then allow me to explain, Klein Reeves has been manipulating you!"

The bold claim only made him more confused and angrier.

"How dare you! Reeves made it perfectly clear that Jack would somehow cause the sinking of the Titanic, so he sent me to prevent that! He and the Elders may have seen fit to kill Jack but I found another way, the Time Lock is proof of that!"

"Taylor!" Prometheus' voice rose. "Listen to me now and listen to me carefully! You have been lied to, manipulated, and given false information! Klein Reeves has been in league with the Forsaken!"

Everything went numb to him, barely comprehending the words he had just heard.

"Wha- No! You're lying!"

Prometheus felt sympathy towards him, "It's true. Reeves has been their spy for some time now. When he started to be, no one knows. I originally thought you were in league with Reeves, but it has become clear to me that you were nothing but his expendable pawn."

Taylor shook his head, angry tears filling his eyes, "No!"

"Before the Time Lock went into effect, the Elders discovered that Reeves had been sending time-travelers on a series of missions that had been causing Splits in so many multiverses. Our fears were confirmed when Reeves was seen meeting with Kronan."

Taylor barely heard him as he slowly processed the information, his heart hammering against his chest, fully numb to even the freezing cold weather. He remembered back to his meeting with Reeves all those years ago when he was given the assignment to kill Jack Dawson. It was all starting to dawn on him the reality of what all this meant.

"Taylor?"

Prometheus' voice echoed in his ears.

"You mean… I… was the cause of… all this?" his voice shook with shock and fear.

Prometheus nodded, "Yes."

His knees nearly gave out, only managing to find support next to a cable.

"Good God…" he began to slightly pant. "My mission… was based… on a lie?"

Prometheus closed his eyes and nodded, "Yes. We were able to confirm that Reeves gave the unsanctioned order, we just didn't know who carried it out. I only figured it out once I began investigating the cause of the Time Lock. But last night, when Mr. Dawson helped me rescue Miss Bukater, I realized that the real reason for the Time Lock was because of the uncertainty if Jack would stop Rose from committing suicide."

Prometheus paused, a realization coming to him as he laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"It's ironic. Reeves sent you to kill Jack to prevent the Titanic's sinking to cause a Split but you're value of morals prevented his intentions from happening. I think even without my help last night, Jack would have saved Rose from falling over."

The realization hit Taylor as he began to put the pieces together now.

Reeves had lied about there ever being a possible Split to begin with. Jack was destined to board the Titanic and save Rose from suicide, ensuring that the Titanic would strike the iceberg and sink. This universe was just the same as the others, there was nothing wrong with it. All he did was slightly change a few things just enough to cause a Time Lock.

Fear pierced his heart.

If he had followed through with the order five years ago. Then…

"Damn you, Reeves!" he spat, turning back to Prometheus. "How many Splits has he caused?"

Prometheus looked down, "Thirty-eight. They've been disrupting the megaverse so much that it's nearly revealed the Infinities to them. If anymore are caused, they may get the locations to the ones they need."

Taylor nodded, "And Reeves?"

Prometheus shook his head, "Unfortunately, he escaped before we could arrest him. I was only able to come to this timeline before the Time Lock was complete, so beyond that, I don't know the true state of things. The number of Splits may even be higher, for all I know."

Taylor nodded, "So, what happens to me?"

Prometheus regarded him, "Normally, a time-traveler who disrupts the timeline to Split is to be brought back as a criminal. But in your case, the circumstances are different. Reeves manipulated you to kill Jack Dawson, which you did not do. And while your actions did put a Time Lock into effect, it was your decision not to kill Jack that prevented a Split in the long run.

"As far as I am concerned, Mr. Huston, you're a victim of false information. I will explain everything once we ensure that this timeline is fully restored and upon our return to the Time Division. I will see to it that you are not charged with anything, even your actions in faking Dawson's death. The Elders will understand and may see fit to even raise you in our ranks."

Taylor knew he should feel proud and relieved but something heavy was weighing down on him. A realization that slowly sunk in the more he thought about it.

"But… what about Titanic?" he asked.

Prometheus' face fell, sadness filling him, "You know the answer to that."

Taylor let go of the cable, heart racing at the realization, "No! I… that's… all those people-"

"That's how it happened before, so that's how it'll happen again. It's the only way to prevent a Split.

His thoughts drifted to Jack, Fabrizio, Tommy, and even Rose. Others like Molly Brown, Andrews, and the third class entered his mind. His conclusion arriving at the same destination, with no answer to their fate.

"What… what happens to Jack? Did he… survive…before?"

He was trying to control himself.

Prometheus lowered his head, "I'm sorry but I do not know. Any information on Jack is solely based on the Titanic, not after. Regardless, that isn't your concern."

"Of course, it concerns me!"

"Don't let one life get in the way of our mission. Last night's events kept the timeline from being Split, everything is back on track."

"Even if Titanic sinks, Jack's fate can't affect what comes after that much."

"You thought that before and he turned out to be an important chess piece in its sinking. It was by pure luck that things went the way they did."

"And what about the rest of the people on this ship? Can you stand by and let them die?"

Prometheus shook his head, "Do you think of me as an emotionless monster? I don't wish to do this anymore than you, but we have to ensure that the Titanic sinks to restore the timeline. That includes its tragic nature. If not, it'll only cause more disruption in the megaverse and may be enough to give the Forsaken what they want."

"How is this one a game-changer to the rest?"

"One might be all that is needed!" anger rose in Prometheus. "You took an oath to uphold all timelines and to protect them from events such as this! Now, keep it!"

Taylor wished to argue back, but he was at a loss of words. He couldn't think of anything. Because deep down, he knew his choices and the consequences of each one.

Prometheus sighed, "I know this is difficult for you to understand right now. But I promise you, you will understand one day that we cannot allow the lives of the few to outweigh the lives of the many. That sometimes, our need to save everyone will cause more harm than good. Regardless of what happens to Jack, you'll have to do the one thing you don't want to. You knew the risks when you became one of us."

Taylor breathed heavily as he tried to push his emotion down, "But I never thought it would be this hard."

Prometheus nodded, "We never do until we're faced with decisions such as this."

Silence passed between them.

"How…" he forced the words out of his bitter mouth, "… how do you want to do this?"

Prometheus gave him a small smile, "All we need to do now is ensure that Titanic sinks like it's supposed to tomorrow night. Once the ship collides with the iceberg and begins to sink, the Time Lock will begin to deactivate. Even if we are in the water, we can still use the briefcases to time-travel out of here."

Taylor nodded, "Very well. I'll… I'll meet you back here tomorrow to see any final preparations needed."

As he turned to walk away, Prometheus called out, "Taylor... You're making the right decision."

He stopped and turned to face him.

"It may not feel like it, but you are. Not only have you shown true morals and wisdom, but you've proven yourself able to make the toughest of choices. My regret is seeing what the toll will do to you. But it will make you stronger."

Taylor stared at him, feeling proud by his words but also infuriated with them as well. He felt angry, sad, terrified, and satisfied, all at the same time. He had no idea how to respond to that except…

"Understood."

Without looking back, Taylor walked away, deep in thought about the revelations he had learned and the realizations that rose to the surface of his mind. He felt as if the weight of a far bigger burden was settling on his shoulders, darkening his face.

The sound of music was alive and loud in the third-class living quarters. Men beat on the drums, played with their guitars, the piano, and other musical instruments that helped bring the entire room to life in the peaceful evening.

Men and women danced, while others sat at the tables, eating and drinking. Some even smoked to their hearts' content. Others were telling stories or making jokes, yelling over the loud music and laughter. Children ran around, giggling as they played their games.

Tommy was among a group of men at a table, playing a game of who could drink their beverage the fastest and hold their liquor. Fabrizio was dancing with Helga, placing his hand on the side of her hip, teasing her as she smiled and stared deep into his eyes, letting him lead. Meanwhile, Jack was dancing with Cora.

Rose smiled and felt her heart race with excitement, looking in awe at the crowd around her. At first, she was embarrassed by how so many looked at her as if she were an angel descending from Heaven to be among them in such a beautiful dress. But soon, everyone turned away from her, allowing her to breathe and feel at ease. She even began to feel like she was one of them.

She beamed at watching Jack dance with Cora, the little girl she saw him with earlier that morning, drawing on one of the pages of his portrait book. It amazed her how he got along with kids such as her. Even the young boys trusted him, though they dared not to try and steal from him.

Thoughts of Jack as an older man entered her mind. She could see him with a young boy and girl, playing with them in the backyard of a decent home, chasing them across the green grass. She could image a swing that hung from a large branch of a tree in the background. A beautiful meadow in the countryside of America and a lake with swans. And watching them from afar, she could see a woman coming to join them. A woman with red hair and green eyes.

Rose shook her head, pushing such thoughts from her mind as a man leaned against the table, opposite of her, speaking to her in Swedish.

"What?" she asked as Tommy made his way to his seat next to her, sitting four large, filled cups on the table.

"Talar froken Svenska?" asked Swedish man.

"I'm sorry, I can't understand you," she replied, motioning to the loud music before accepting her beverage of beer. Once setting it down, she began to clap with the rest of the crowd.

Startled by the sound of glass breaking and a man falling to the ground, she turned toward the commotion, expecting to see a fight breaking out between a couple of drunks. Instead, she found a group of men, laughing as they helped the man who had collapsed back to his feet, who immediately demanded another round at their game. She laughed in amusement.

As the music drew to a close, everyone stopped dancing to clap and praise the men behind the instruments of music, chanting for another go.

Jack slowed down his moments with Cora as he led her to the table, allowing them to rest for a bit.

"I'm going to dance with her now, alright?"

Cora nodded, smiling knowingly at him.

Jack turned to Rose and reached out to her, "Come on."

Rose's face fell, confused and slightly embarrassed, "What?"

"Come dance with me. I want to see what you can do."

"Jack, I can't!" she protested.

"It doesn't matter if you don't know how, I can lead," he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Jack!" she had no choice but to follow. "Jack, wait."

They stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by other dancers as the music resumed.

"Jack, I can't do this."

Jack smiled, sending a rush of electricity through her body as she felt his hand reach behind her back and the other taking her hand.

"We'll have to be a little closer than that," he pulled her against them.

It slowly dawned on her that her chest was against his, making her heart race and her face blush. She knew that she shouldn't be so close but yet, she wanted to be. Her heart and body yearned to be even closer to him. To feel his heartbeat against hers.

"Like this."

She swallowed at seeing his face so close to hers, his lips just inches away.

"A little too close… don't you think?"

Jack laughed, "That's the idea."

Cora watched from the table she stood next to, trying not to look so jealous at the girl who was against him. While she would never admit it, she realized that she had a small crush on the man with who she had formed a bond within just two days. But even in her jealousy, she couldn't help but feel proud of Jack for winning the beautiful girl to his side.

It was like a love story out of a romance novel her mother used to read her before bedtime, only she was witnessing it before her eyes. A testament that it was real.

Jack saw her expression from the corner of his eye and turned to her, "You're still my best girl, Cora."

Cora smiled at him, despite knowing that he only said that to make her feel better, she knew it was only a matter of time before the girl in his arms would take that spot. But a part of her was happy for that, recognizing that Rose was perfect with him.

As Jack got into the sway of things, Rose struggled to follow him.

"Where I come from, they call this the Polka dance."

"I don't know the steps."

"Me neither," replied Jack. "Just go with it."

Rose couldn't help but nervously laugh, deciding to trust in his advice.

"Don't think," he said, making her exclaim. "Let the music influence you. Taylor taught me that back in Los Angeles when I had my first dance."

Rose immediately felt jealous at knowing that someone else got to dance with him before she did. She even wondered if the faceless girl was his first kiss.

She shook her head, 'Why am I thinking such things? I'm engaged.'

She looked into his eyes, following his every move.

Tommy watched them with a smile and a cigarette, 'Way to go, Jack!'

Even Cora watched in awe at the two of them, wishing she were taller to be able to be as fast as they were together.

As they moved faster and in sync with everyone else, Rose felt her anxiety wash away and be replaced with a rush of excitement. She was laughing and able to keep up with Jack the whole time. They were moving like a perfect set-piece that never swayed from one another.

Soon, Fabrizio and Helga joined in with the rest of them, dancing right next to Jack and Rose.

Despite some protesting from Rose on occasion, she followed his lead and laughed as they came close to bumping into other people.

Afterward, Jack led her to a platform, where he began to tap dance with his feet, matching the beat of the music who noticed what he was doing and matched their tune with his.

As Rose watched in amusement, she took off her shoes and tossed them to a woman behind her, who caught them and set them down. Taking a moment, she began to follow in his footsteps, trying to match what he did.

Jack was left surprised and speechless as she beamed at him.

Once she was done, he danced for a moment before letting her do so again. Then they locked arms and began to dance around each other, being followed by others, including Fabrizio and Helga. Taking her hands into his, he made them spin in a circle, making them dizzy as their surroundings passed by them in a blur.

"Jack!" she screamed, laughing. "No!"

Jack laughed at seeing the nervous and exciting look she had in her eyes, loving the way they shined bright with life and happiness. It was a look he wanted to see for as long as he lived. He couldn't help but tease her to make her shine brighter.

Realizing that she needed a break, he slowed them down and carefully led them off the platform, leaning against a post for support as their dizziness began to fade.

Rose laughed, feeling her heart race like never before, only to go faster the moment she looked back into Jack's eyes. She saw something in them, something that made her body tremble, unable to make it out.

Time felt irrelevant to Jack as he looked deep into the eyes of the woman before him. All noise went silent to his ears and his surroundings blurred out. All he saw was Rose and Rose alone.

A part of him knew that what he was feeling wasn't right. She was engaged and he was a steerage, despite his first-class room above. But his heart yearned for her, as did his body. He wanted to feel her in his arms again.

It took them a while to realize that the dizziness had already worn off, shaking their heads as they laughed and made their way back to the table Tommy was at, who was in the middle of an arm-wrestling match with the Swedish guy. Cora was right next to him, cheering him on.

Reaching over the two of them, Jack grabbed their drinks and handed one to her.

As they drank, Jack stopped before he could make it halfway but was surprised to find Rose was downing hers without a second thought, taking large gulps. She had her fill just a quarter from the bottom, turning to Jack with a taunting smile.

"What? You think a first-class girl can't girl?" she laughed.

Jack couldn't help but laugh with her as he raised his drink to her, only an inch away from drinking before a drunk man bumped into him, spilling his drink on her chest.

Rose gasped, dumbfounded by what happened, but ultimately laughing at the fact that her mother's favorite dress was ruined, and that Jack's drink was spoiled.

Jack glared at the man, wishing to punch him but instead grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him away, "Get out of here!"

He turned to Rose, taking a napkin he had in his pocket to wipe the alcohol off her face and shoulders, "Are you alright?"

She smiled, taking the napkin from him as she wiped her soaked dress, happy that being damped didn't make it a see-through, "I'm fine."

They heard a crash, turning to see Tommy's hand against the table, having spilled the other two cups over. The Swedish man cheered with his friends, while Cora pouted that Tommy lost.

"Two out of three!" Tommy declared, putting his elbow against the table. "Two out of three!"

The Swedish man smiled at him as he put his elbow against the table, taking his hand.

Rose smiled, mischievously as she put her drink down the table, catching their attention.

"So…" she took Tommy's cigarette from his lips and brought it to hers, "… you think your tough men?"

She breathed in the smoke and then breathed it out before stepping back to Jack and handing him the outskirts of her dress, "Hold this for me, Jack. Hold it up."

Jack raised his brow at Tommy before doing as she told him, wondering what she was going to do.

Closing her eyes, she began to support herself on her feet, stretching her arms into the air, with the cigarette still in her hand.

Jack, Tommy, Cora, and the others watched in awe as she began to stand on the tips of her first toes, holding back the excruciating pain as she held out for a few seconds.

When she reached her limit, she cried out in pain and fell right into the arms of Jack, who was holding her like they were about to kiss.

Some began to clap, while others smiled at the two of them.

"You okay?"

Rose laughed, "I haven't done that in years."

"Well, you probably shouldn't do it that too much. Might end up crushing your toes."

Rose raised her brow at him, "My, my, Mr. Dawson! Are you worried about me?"

Jack held back a blush, "Wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't. Call it a word of advice from the wise."

"Well, you are a gentleman, that's for sure."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Rose laughed.

Unknown to them, Cal's bodyguard, Mr. Spicer Lovejoy was watching them from the staircase of the steerage living quarters, his eyes glaring at the two of them. He took note of how Jack was holding her and how Miss Bukater was laughing, as well as smiling up at him. He left a second after recognizing the situation, heading back to report to his master.

Heading down the stairs, Taylor barely noticed the man walking right past him, too lost in his thoughts to recognize that he was not of the third-class. If anything, he could have been walking right into a trap and would fail to see the warning signs. He felt numb and depressed, like his heart sinking deep into a dark void from within, sucking any light that he rushed to find comfort from.

So many things were rushing through his mind, trying to process so much in one moment.

A part of him questioned how he didn't recognize the warning signs that his master- his friend had betrayed him. Looking back, he knew what Prometheus said was true. It all made sense now.

He remembered the day he found Jack, just outside of Minneapolis. The moment he saw that lost look in his eyes, the hurt of losing those he loved… it took him back to a time when he felt the same. It was all he needed to know that this boy couldn't be the cause of a ship to sink. No chance. So, he made a choice to disobey his master and find another way.

He couldn't kill him that day. Not knowing that he was no threat. He couldn't live with himself if he had taken his life.

That was the biggest positive out of this mess. He found a friend, a brother out of all this. Of that, he was thankful to God for. It had been a long time since he felt some form of connection since that night.

His thoughts turned back to Klein Reeves, his heart filling with anger every step he took down the stairs.

While he was not willing to kill unless necessary, he felt a burning desire to see Reeves dead. The man who had sent him to kill an innocent for his own personal gain, a person who mattered to him. The same man who he had trusted.

Trust.

He began to realize how easily he has given it away. To someone who was in league with the enemy. The true enemy.

The Forsaken!

He shuddered at the thought of them. Only once had he ever seen them, but only from afar. He could remember their blue, purplish eyes. The dark cloaks they wore and the hidden faces that were concealed within.

The very thought of even combating them sent shivers down his spine. He hoped such a day would never come, but he knew that it was a matter of time before he and so many other Guardians would one day have to fight them from finding the Infinities.

He quickly realized that he had reached the end of the stairs, finally acknowledging the music and laughter coming from around him.

Taking in his surroundings, his heart sunk at the sight before him.

He saw men and women dancing as if there was no tomorrow. Children running around without a care in the world, oblivious to anything else. Couples kissing without the worry of anyone watching. Musicians playing their instruments without restriction, putting their hearts into their passion. He saw women chatting amongst themselves, men drinking and cheering together.

But most of all, he saw Jack among them.

He watched as he drank with Rose from their cups, laughing as she said something that nearly made him choke on his own drink. He looked so happy; more so than he ever did in the five years they had traveled the world together. But it was the look itself that caught his attention.

It was a look Taylor had seen so many times before, despite never having experienced it himself. He saw it in the way he looked at Rose, the way he treated her, and the way he considered her. It was a look that was burning deep within him, shining bright for those who could see it.

And he could see it in her eyes too.

He turned to Fabrizio, who was drinking with the woman known as Helga Dahl. The two smiled at each other as if they were the rarest thing ever.

He turned to Tommy, who was trying to arm-wrestle a Swedish man, losing to him as a little girl patted his back in order to comfort him.

The girl.

He looked to the girl of five or six years old, his attention captivated by her smile and innocence.

Suddenly, his stomach began to twist and turn, the sound of the music and the laughter fading from his ears. He heard nothing but pure silence as reality sunk in.

Tomorrow.

April 14th, 1912.

Titanic. Iceberg. Fifteen hundred people.

They were all going to-

Before he realized what was happening, Taylor was rushing back up the stairs and vomiting over the railing. He barely acknowledged the pain from his stomach and didn't see the disgusted looks on those who immediately moved away from him.

Once he had nothing else to empty from his stomach, he continued to lean against the railing, spitting out the bitter bile taste that lingered. Using a napkin to wipe away the drool on his face, he tossed it overboard, watching it as it landed in the icy cold water.

The very thought immediately triggered more realizations as he struggled not to cry out in terror.

He felt so helpless, so compressed by his anxiety and so trapped.

It has to be done.

The voice of Prometheus echoed in his head.

Deep down, he knew that he was right. If Titanic was meant to sink like in the original timeline, then it was his duty to see to it that it was preserved. It was what he was supposed to do.

But…

His thoughts drifted to the people below. The third-class who held no special privileges as the first-class did, who had less of a chance of survival. Others like Molly Brown, Mr. Andrews, and Rose would most likely survive, due to their status, but the others…

He shook his head, trying to force this terrible feeling down. He hated the guilt that rose within, the disgust he felt for himself for thinking that somehow, someway… this was okay.

But reality also forced its way in, something he desperately clinged to as a source of relief, for justification.

It wasn't like he had a choice.

Prometheus was on this ship, looking to restore the timeline before it could Split. He couldn't do anything to change his mind, let alone ask him to turn against the code of their organization. He would most likely be killed for even mentioning it.

He had no ch-

"There's always a choice."

The female voice he hadn't heard in so long echoed through his head as if he had heard it yesterday.

Tears formed in his eyes as he began to pant, the image of her face reforming. An image he had long believed was lost.

"I have no choice!" he said to himself.

"There's always a choice," the woman's voice said from within. "It's just a question of what consequences you can live with."

Moaning, he struck the railing with his fist before walking off, ignoring the looks he was receiving from everyone.

As the night came close to midnight, Jack and Rose walked along the deck of the first-class ship, laughing and singing the "Come Josephine, In My Flying Machine" song together. Despite being a little drunk, they managed to walk straight and stay focused.

However, upon seeing the 'First-Class Entrance' sign, Rose's face fell, as did the joy in her heart, being replaced by dread. She turned to Jack, offering a small that didn't reach her face. She took off Jack's jacket, giving it back to him.

"Here we are," she said.

Jack frowned upon seeing the look in her eyes, "What's wrong?"

Rose shrugged, looking down, "I don't really want to go back. Tonight was the most fun I've had in years."

"Funny. One would think having all the money in the world would mean you get to have all sorts of fun."

Rose rolled her eyes, slapping his shoulder, "Don't pretend to be so naïve, you're smarter than that."

Jack laughed, "But seriously, what's wrong?"

Rose stared into his eyes before turning away, unable to bare his handsome looks. She lost herself in how she was going to tell him. The realization slowly sunk in as the excitement and fun wore off.

Looking up towards the sky, her thoughts disappeared upon seeing the beautiful sky above, in awe of the bright stars.

"Look," she said, walking toward the railing. "It's beautiful."

Jack looked up and smiled, "Yeah, it is."

He followed her to the railing.

"So vast and endless," she held onto a cable. "Yet the ocean itself is so small compared to it. And to also think, all those stars up there are not even dust in God's eye. Makes you wonder, what is man compared to nature? What is a ship, as magnificent as this, compared to the sea? What is a planet compared to the ocean above?"

Jack looked at her, smiling "I don't know. But I do know this, true beauty is within, not without."

Rose blushed, looking away, "Very true."

"And to be honest, there's been a mistake."

She turned back to him, "And what would that be?"

"You got mailed to the wrong address."

She laughed, "Yes, I did, didn't I!"

They looked back up to the sky.

"Look!" she pointed. "A shooting star!"

Jack rushed to her side, quickly seeing it before it disappeared.

"Wow!" his eyes were wide, making her chuckle. "That was a long one!"

They continued to stare at the sky.

"You know, my pops once told me, every time you saw one of those, it was a special soul going to Heaven."

"I like that. Should we wish upon it?"

Jack turned to her, "Why would I? I have everything I'll ever need. I'm more curious about you. What would you wish for?"

Rose paused as she stared into Jack's eyes, a hopeful wish already on her mind but too scared to say out loud. And a silly one at that.

"Something I can't have."

Jack laughed, "Well, that's the point of a shooting star. You're supposed to wish for something you want the most, no matter how impossible it may be."

Rose felt her heartache upon hearing that, knowing that even for a shooting star her wish wouldn't come true, despite how much she wanted it above all.

"You know, in Montana, Taylor took me to a town called Deer Lodge. While there, he showed me how big the sky looked compared to everywhere else we would eventually go to. But at night, the sky looks so beautiful without any clouds. It was like looking up at the world's biggest portrait ever made, always-on display for everyone to see. Goes to show that God is perhaps the greatest artist out of all of us."

Rose smiled, "Do you always think of everything as portraits?"

"Well, it is my hobby."

Rose laughed, "Why Deer Lodge of all places?"

Jack shrugged, "I don't know. Taylor is very secretive about his past. But he has let slip some things to me. I know for a fact that the greatest person he has ever known in his life was his mother."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. I just know that she has long since passed away. I don't think he has anyone else in his life except for me."

Rose felt her heart squeeze at hearing this, 'I'm sorry."

"Nothing for you to be sorry about. It's all a part of life. We love and lose those we care about, but we always keep moving forward."

Rose smiled, "I like that. It sounds… harsh but peaceful."

Jack nodded, "I hope to return to Montana one day, to draw nothing but the night sky and sell a couple for a good price. With one of my own to keep."

"I hope you do, Jack. Maybe one day you can show me that portrait if you come to visit."

Jack frowned, "What are you talking about? We can go together, with Taylor and Fabrizio. And maybe Tommy if he wants to stick with us."

Rose's smile fell, "Jack… I don't think I'll be able to."

"Why?" it suddenly dawned on him. "You're afraid your fiancé and mother won't let you."

Rose nodded, "My world is very much different from yours. I don't have the freedom as you do. I just got a taste of that tonight, one that I suspect I will never taste again."

Jack felt anger rise within, but it melted away upon seeing the longing look she was giving him.

"Hey, come join us tomorrow. Fabrizio, Tommy, and I are planning something for Taylor. And I know Cora would love to see you again."

Rose looked away, struggling to hold back the tears, "Jack, I don't think I will be able to. If I can, I will. Believe me, I want to."

"Then do it."

"It isn't that simple."

"Life can be a series of hard decisions, Rose… but a decision like this is not one of them. You're not some puppet or slave they can just order around."

Rose turned to him, mustering up all the courage she could find as she placed her hand on his cheek, "I want to see you again, Jack. I do! But if Cal or my mother refuses to let me, then it's best I get goodbyes out of the way first."

Jack was speechless.

"Thank you for saving me last night. Both you and Mr. Craig have my eternal gratitude for not just saving me but for your discreet and willingness to keep my secret. And thank you for giving me an amazing time tonight. If we don't see each other tomorrow or after... please, just let it be. Keep your distance. I want you to know that today was the best day I've ever had in years. Possibly the best in my entire life."

She walked past him, heading for the door until she stopped, turning her head slightly.

"Goodnight, Jack."

He watched her walk away, managing to stop himself from chasing after her when he realized he had taken two steps forward. His heart sank as he watched her go inside, disappearing as the door closed behind her. He reached up to his cheek, still feeling the warmth of her hand that was once there, and the longing to feel it again.

A few minutes passed until he looked up towards the sky, staring at the spot where they saw the shooting star. Despite what he had said to her, he had one wish on his mind. One that began to make him question so much about himself and what he wanted.

I've incorporated another deleted scene from the movie that I wish was in the final cut. I won't say which, I'll leave that for you to figure out on your own.

I am trying to write more original scenes for Jack and Rose because I don't want this to just be a copy and paste of the movie. I want to explore and expand on some things between them. As much as I love the movie, there are some things that I believe can be improved.

I also wanted to give Cora some more page-time. I know she had a mother in the deleted scenes, but I never even knew that she existed until I saw the deleted scenes many years after watching the film for the first time, so I've decided to eliminate the mother, purely because I like that it's a father and daughter making their journey across the sea for America on their own. Plus, it also adds a little visual story telling about Cora's backstory. Also, when you take into account that if someone just watched the movie but never seen the deleted scenes, they would have no idea that Cora had a mother with her on the Titanic, so it made sense to treat it as such. I also have made Cora far wiser than her age (being 5 or 6) but it's mainly because she has been forced to grow up faster due to the death of her mother and the hardships both she and her father have gone through (in my story, that is).

I hope I delivered on the confrontation between Prometheus and Taylor, and that it has answered as many questions as it could. If any of you have questions, just leave them in the review section or Private Message me about them.

I originally thought that this would be a five-chapter story, but it has grown so much. I'm starting to believe that this may be a ten-part-chapter story.

Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you guys in Chapter 6!