A New Fate

Managed to write another chapter ahead of time before bed.

Hopefully, I can write more in the coming days ahead.

Special thanks to those who leave reviews, especially to Josie Robbie. Thank you guys so much!

Enjoy Chapter 6!

Chapter Six:

What Can You Live With

Thunder echoed across the land of southern Minnesota as heavy rain poured upon the ground and anyone caught outside in its wake. The clouds created a dark, grey atmosphere, with no light to be seen. The hard ground was quickly becoming mud, as did the roads. It was clear that travel was not wise.

A young boy of fifteen years hid under a bridge, being sheltered from the rain as he ate from an apple and read from a book. It appeared that nothing seemed to worry him, not even the weather.

The apple he had stolen from a nearby farm, using the rain as cover to do so. He knew that one apple would most likely go unnoticed and even if the farmer knew what had happened, it would be too late. But the book was another story. That one he found in the garbage while traveling through a village from Chippewa Falls.

The very thought of his hometown brought a shadow over his head, a sadness that always rushed back into his heart at just the mere thought of anything having to do with that place.

And with memories of Chippewa Falls also came the night of the fire. The night his-

He shook his head, stopping himself from finishing the thought. Instead, he pushed his nose into the book and continued to read, finding a distraction in the chapter he was on.

He had been on his own for the last few weeks. Or was it months? He had lost track of time to even remember anymore. It had become easier that way.

Suddenly, his head jerked up at the sound of footsteps. Listening to his surroundings, it was hard to differentiate from the sound of the rain and that of the sound of boots. His heart raced, anxiety rushing through him as he wondered if it was the farmer or some stranger who saw him as prey.

The last thing he wanted was to abandon his hideout in such a time as this, he felt so at peace.

He heard the footsteps again and quickly rose to his feet, trembling.

Then the footsteps stopped and only the sound of rain remained.

Believing whoever it was gone or that it was part of his imagination, he sighed and turned around to sit back down. Fear pierced his heart as he came face to face with a man just a few feet away from him.

Gasping, he nearly fell to the ground as he stumbled backward, immediately freezing in place as his heart was hammering against his chest.

The man wore a heavy rain jacket that was fastened around him, stretching down to his ankles. He also wore big boots and thick pants, with a hoody over his head. In his hand, he carried a briefcase and a small bag over his shoulder.

Nearly a minute of silence passed between them.

"What…" the boy managed to find the courage to talk, "… what are you doing here?"

The man continued to stare at him, as if he were deep in thought, "Getting out of the rain. Hope you don't mind if I use the bridge for a bit. A little rest while waiting for this storm to end will do me so good."

He sat down on the ground, laying down with his arms behind his head.

"Um, okay," the boy calmed down, sitting down a good distance from the mysterious man. "My name is Jack… Jack Dawson."

The man turned to him, "Name's Taylor Huston. So, what is a young boy like you doing out in the middle of the nowhere? Won't your parents be worried?"

Jack Dawson looked away, pain-stricken all over his face, "They… they've recently passed."

Had he been looking at the man named Taylor, he would have not seen a surprise or shocked expression, only sympathy.

"I'm sorry."

Jack nodded, "I've been on my own for a while."

"No other relatives?"

"Not that I know of. The last thing I want is to be thrown into an orphanage."

"At the very least you would have had a roof over your head."

Jack scoffed, "So would being in a jail cell, doesn't matter if you don't have the freedom to live as you please."

Taylor regarded him with admiration and respect, "Freedom is indeed a great gift, but the greater gift is what we decide to do with it. Don't misuse it for anything that can take it away. Too many have made that mistake."

Jack frowned at him, surprised and taken back by how he spoke to him. He didn't treat him as a child, like other grown-ups did, aside from his parents.

The thought of them felt like a knife in his heart.

"Where you headed?" Taylor asked.

Jack shrugged, "Just out west, probably southwest. I would like to go someplace where it doesn't get too cold during winter. Been considering California, an area called Santa Monica."

Taylor nodded, "Not a bad place to avoid the cold weather."

"What about you?"

"I'm heading to Deer Lodge, Montana."

Jack laughed, "What's out that way? Work?"

"Nah, just visiting the area. The sky is beautiful there, especially at night."

Jack smiled, "Sounds nice. I would have to pay a visit there sometime."

Taylor looked at him, deep in thought, like as if he was conflicted with himself, "Do you intend to live this way forever?"

"What?" Jack was taken back.

"This life of traveling. Do you intend to do it forever?"

Still stunned by his question, he quickly recovered, "Well, I don't intend to get married or raise a family, if that's what you're getting at."

Taylor regarded him, "Why not?"

Jack shrugged, "Don't really care about it. I want more than just a regular life, settling in one place and never getting to see the world. I want adventure, excitement, the thrill of life, to never know what will come tomorrow. The idea of settling for less just seems… terrifying."

"Because you fear what awaits you or because you don't truly know?"

"I highly doubt there's anything mysterious about a regular life."

"You'll be surprised."

Jack raised his brow at him, "And how would you know?"

Taylor's face fell, a shadow casting over him, "Let's just say that… I once had a relativity normal life. A job, family, friends… people to care about…."

Jack immediately regretted asking, feeling sympathy towards him.

Taylor stared off into the distance, mesmerized by the rain, "You may feel that such a life holds no interest to you now, but in the future… you might feel different, once knowing what it means."

Jack frowned, "I don't understand."

"That's my point."

They continued to sit in silence, listening as the storm began to calm down.

"It would seem the way is clear now."

Jack nodded, rising to his feet, "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Huston."

"Please," he extended his hand. "Call me Taylor."

Jack shook his hand, "Then call me Jack. I wish you good luck in Montana."

Before he took a step away from him, he paused when Taylor spoke again.

"Why don't you join me?"

Jack turned to him, "What?"

Taylor shrugged, "Well, you seem like you could use a companion. Come with me to Montana, then we can make our way to California before winter arrives. After that, we can decide if our paths are worth traveling together on."

Jack felt excited by the offer, but also scared.

How could he know if the man was a predator or some serial killer? Or worse, someone who kidnapped young men and women like him for trafficking? Was it by coincidence that he just so happened to find him?

Anxiety began to rise deep within, so insecure and unsure.

But then he wondered why he didn't attack him when he had the chance. If he was a target, then he would have killed him or knocked him during the storm. He had so many opportunities beforehand.

No!

He instantly decided that the man was no threat to him. Just the way how he talked to him felt genuine and kind. Plus, he had a thing for reading people and nothing about him sent off any red flags.

Jack smiled and nodded, offering his hand, "It would be my pleasure."

Taylor smiled back and accepted his hand, "Likewise."

Jack awoke, staring up at the ceiling as he laid on the comfortable bed, hearing Fabrizio and Tommy snore in the bed right next to him. He turned and saw that Taylor's bed was empty, already made. He leaned up and saw that the bathroom light was off, with no presence of anyone inside.

He frowned and looked around the room.

'Where is he?'

He began to worry about his friend. Remembering how distant and quiet he was when he came back to their room last night, finding him sitting at the edge of his bed, with a dark look in his eyes.

Right after dropping off his tuxedo to Mrs. Brown, Jack walked back to his room, deep in thought about what Rose had said, feeling concerned and a little heartbroken.

He shook his head, trying to push such thoughts from his mind. She was a first-class woman, engaged and way out of his league. It wasn't like there were in a relationship. The time he spent with her and the other first-class passengers was nothing more than a show of gratitude for saving Rose's life. He was only invited because Rose had suggested that money was not enough.

But… there was so much more than that between them.

The hours they spent talking to one another, their glancing at one another during dinner, the dancing and drinking during the party.

And just earlier when they were watching the stars together.

He saw something in her eyes throughout that entire day, something he had never seen before. And he felt something deep inside of him. A feeling he had never felt before.

He knew he had to do something. Something to help her. Last night was no coincidence that she suddenly wanted to end her life. It was all built-up frustration and anxiety, all over the course of her entire life.

All because of them.

But, at the same time, he couldn't do much about it if she was the one telling him to leave her alone.

It was mind-boggling. He had no idea what to do.

Reaching the door of his room, he turned the knob and walked on inside, finding Taylor sitting at the edge of his bed, staring at the floor.

Frowning, he approached and sat right next to him, bumping his shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Taylor continued to stare at the ground, hands folded, remaining silent.

Jack immediately felt worried, "Hey, come on, what's wrong?"

Taylor sighed and turned to him, "I… I don't know."

"Well, tell me."

Taylor shook his head, "Tomorrow is the day the Time Lock will be lifted, and… I'm not sure what to make of that."

"Will it result in a Split?"

Taylor shook his head, "No. It appears that everything has been set into motion to Merge back together, even without my interference."

"Well, that's good news. Now you can time-travel again. No more chasing after Prometheus, right?"

Taylor sighed, "That's one positive."

Jack frowned, "How is that the only one? The problem is being fixed, after three long years. Your mission is complete. Or it soon will be."

Taylor looked away, hiding the fear and guilt that covered his face.

"I saw you with Miss Bukater," he looked back at him after managing to push his emotions away.

Jack blushed.

"I haven't seen you that happy in… well, ever. Out of all the girls you've courted, none of them have had this effect on you."

Jack laughed, "We're not courting, she's engaged. I was just… showing her a good time. She really needed it."

"Any chance it went into 'overtime'?"

They laughed, feeling the dark shadow lift over their heads for a bit.

Once they calmed down, Jack's smile fell as he fumbled with his fingers, nervous to ask the questions he had.

Taylor noticed this and bumped his shoulder, "Hey, what's on your mind?"

Jack sighed, "I… Well… Shit, I don't even know where to start!"

"Just make an example or start at the beginning and work your way from there."

Jack took a deep breathe, "What do you do when you know something is wrong but can't do anything about it, because others say it's wrong of you to try and do something about it?"

Taylor narrowed his eyes, thinking hard, "That depends. I'm correct to assume that this has something to do with Miss Bukater?"

Jack nodded.

"What's the problem that she has?"

Taking a moment, he began, "Last night, when Mr. Craig and I saved Rose, we 'omitted' some things. Rose didn't end up over the railing by accident… she was going to jump."

Taylor remained silent, showing no hint that he already knew. He just nodded.

"And it wasn't because of just some nervous breakdown over nothing, it's because she's trapped! Trapped in this life of confinement and lies! I saw the fear in her eyes when she was about to go back to her to fiancé tonight! It was the same fear I saw when I was trying to convince her not to jump!

"But when we were together… I see this spark of life inside of her. This amazing gir- woman is buried beneath so much bullshit that her own mother forces her through, and I can't help but want to do something about it! But…"

Jack did not realize that he had gone on a small rant and was panting.

Taylor nodded, sadly, as he patted his shoulder.

"I just… I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if I'm being selfish or selfless by having such thoughts, because I don't want today or tonight to be the only memories, I have of her. And I don't want them to be the only good memories she will have in her life.

"When I think of her… my heart races. I even blush for Christ's sake! Just saying or hearing her name makes me excited! I can't stand the thought of her marrying that no good, son of a bitch that everyone bows down to!

"I just… I don't know what it is I am feeling but I know it is real."

Taylor listened and smiled, tears forming in his eyes as the realization sunk in.

"What should I do?" Jack looked him in the eyes, pleading.

Taylor's heart broke at seeing the look on his face, all his own worries and problems fading away for the moment.

He sighed and tightened his grip on Jack's shoulder.

"I cannot answer that. Only you can. But I can give you some advice."

Jack felt some relief and hope lessen the weight on his shoulders.

"When I was a young boy, my mother used to have this saying, 'The only thing worse than living alone, is living with someone who makes you feel lone'. At the time, I never understood what she meant. It took me years to finally get a grasp of what she was trying to tell me.

"In life, we must choose very carefully who we spend our lives with. That we must take care of our relationships with others through how we treat them and how we act. That our decisions matter more than we can ever realize.

"Once I realized that I also came to realize that there is always a choice in every action we make. And that they come with consequences, whether if we realize it or not. So, the real question is, 'what can you live with'?"

Jack frowned, "What?"

"I mean, what consequences can you live with the most? Can you sit by and allow Rose to be dragged through this miserable life? Or will you make a fool of yourself by trying to force a decision upon her? Or… will you offer her a choice, one of her own free will to act upon, that no one has ever done before?"

Jack was dumbfounded, frozen in place as he processed everything at once. Suddenly, everything became clear to him as the weight was fully lifted off his shoulders. Seeing a way forward that held no doubt.

He now knew what he needed to do.

Wiping the tears from his tears, Jack pulled Taylor into a hug and said, "Thank you."

As he got up, he approached the bathroom, ready to change out of his clothes.

"Jack."

He turned around.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, remember to give her the choice. It's about her."

Jack smiled, "Always."

Remembering their conversation from last night made him smile, feeling more confident about what he needed to do.

But first, he needed a bath and a game plan to get to Rose.

As the morning sun reached across the room and touched Rose's cheek, she smiled and opened her eyes. Rising from the warm comfortable bed, she stretched and got to her feet, ready to dress for dinner before Sunday service with the first-class.

Right on time, Trudy entered.

"Good morning," Rose greeted her.

Trudy smiled back at her, mischievously, "You know, if this boy is going to make you smile so much, I would highly recommend more alone time between the two of you. I heard it was quite the party last night."

"Trudy!" she exclaimed. "Don't go putting such scandalous thoughts into my mind!"

"Why? Is my plan working?"

"You are the worst!"

"Well, you're not married yet, no shame in that."

As Trudy helped her dress, her smile disappeared at the realization that if she already knew about where she was last night and the party, then that meant they knew as well.

And with that in mind, she remembered what she had said to Jack before heading to bed for the night, a dark reminder that may have been the last time she would see him.

And just as she made her way to the breakfast table on the outer deck of her their suite, all traces of her smile from waking up was erased.

She didn't even acknowledge Cal as he came to the breakfast table and took his seat with a newspaper in hand. She could feel his eyes on her, the kind she was used to when her mother did the same.

But this time, it was different. It felt different.

As Trudy poured coffee into her cup, she smiled up at her, not wanting to talk before Cal did.

Once Trudy had offered the same to Cal and was refused, both her and the man serving the two were given the nod to leave.

Rose looked up at him as the two left, offering a small smile that did not reach her lips before looking away, feeling so vulnerable under his gaze.

She took a sip of her coffee as Cal finally spoke.

"You didn't come to me last night."

Shock and fear rushed through her, knowing what he meant. It was the same complaint he hid behind gentlemen-like wording whenever she refused to come to his room at night.

She held her cup and small plate in her hands, "I was tired."

Cal seemed to tremble for a second, only able to regather himself, "Well, your exertions below deck were no doubt exhausting."

She knew that this would come up eventually, despite her hopes for the contrary.

Anger filled her, "I see you had your undertaker of a manservant following me."

Cal closed his eyes and immediately reopened them, looking calm enough, "You will never behave like that again, Rose. Do you understand?"

Never before had she felt so infuriated and vulnerable, but she also felt a fire deep within burning bright to fight back.

She sat her cup and plate down on the table, "I'm not one of your mill foremen who you can command around."

She felt pride at seeing a hint of anger behind his eyes as he looked down.

"I'm your fiancée!"

His head slightly jerked up, the anger behind those eyes growing as he seemed to tremble.

"My fiancée," he whispered, laughing a little as his voice rose. "My fiancée."

Right then, she knew she had crossed a line.

"MY FIANCEE!" he shouted, quickly rising to his feet as he slammed his fist into the table, making the dishes bounce, startling her. "YES, YOU ARE! AND AS SUCH, YOU ARE MY WIFE IN PRACTICE, IF NOT YET BY LAW, SO YOU WILL HONOR ME!"

He took the table that stood between them and threw it across the room, crashing against the wall as the dishes shattered. Food, coffee, and tea split all over the floor.

Rose felt her body freeze as she gasped, her heart racing at the sudden outburst. She felt tears forming in her eyes and her body beginning to tremble in fear. The fire she felt burning being extinguished.

Cal rushed forward and placed his hands on the arms of the chair, getting up close to her face, his dark eyes staring deep into hers.

"You will honor me the way a wife honors her husband! Because I will not be made a fool of!"

Rose sank into her seat, wishing she could disappear. She desperately wished that Jack was there with her, holding her hand as he did last night.

"Is that in any way unclear?"

Her body was trembling uncontrollably at this point as if she were freezing.

She managed to shake her head and say, "No."

Cal half-smirked, "Good. Now, excuse me."

He walked away, passing a worried Trudy who had rushed in upon hearing the commotion, keeping her distance from the man who was fuming.

Rose kept her eyes on him, worried that he may change his mind and return. She felt a slight huge breath of relief upon seeing he was out of the room and that Trudy was there. Then she turned her attention to the mess on the floor and gasped.

"Oh, Miss Rose!" Trudy ran to her, making sure to keep her formality in check. "Are you okay?"

She knelt beside her, checking for any abuse.

Rose got up and knelt to the floor, trying to clean up the mess, beginning to pant as everything settled in on top of her, "We had an accident."

Trudy's heart ached for her, "It's alright. We'll take care of it."

"I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you."

Trudy took her arm and made her look up at her, "It's alright, Ross. None of this is your fault. You hear?"

Ross began to sob and collapsed next to her chair, making it move as Trudy wrapped her arms around her.

"It's alright," she caressed her hair. "Let's go ahead and get you into your Sunday service dress. Let the others handle this."

Rose calmed down and nodded, being helped up to her feet as they walked back to her cabin, passing a couple of servants who nodded to him, offering their silent sympathies before cleaning up the mess.

They remained silent the whole time as Trudy helped her dress, lost in their inner thoughts about what had happened.

Trudy was sad for her poor Rose and angry about Cal, refusing even to allow the bastard to have any formality in her mind. Though, she felt, even more, angrier by thinking of his first name. She would have to think of a suitable nickname for him later.

The more she thought about how Rose woke up these last two mornings, the more she was growing to like this Jack Dawson. Somehow, he left quite the impression on Miss Rose and claimed a special place in her heart in just two days. Something no one else, not even Mr. Hockley could do.

She wanted to say something to her. Anything to lighten the mood. She even wanted to encourage Rose to go find Jack again and just be with him. But a part of her knew that it would only make things worse.

Only silence seemed to be the answer.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Mrs. Ruth Bukater walked in.

"Trudy, tea!" she commanded.

Slightly bowing, Trudy walked out of the room as Ruth closed it behind her.

Rose turned to her mother, knowing why she was there and dreading for the speech that was going to come with it.

As she walked towards her, she turned around and allowed her to help dress her. She felt her anger and frustration by the way she tightened the strings and straps, forcefully making sure she felt each one.

"You are not to see that boy again. Do you understand?"

Rose glared towards the wall in front of her.

"Rose!" Ruth raised her voice, feeling her daughter's inner defiance. "I forbid it!"

Ross sighed, "Oh, stop it, mother. You'll give yourself a nosebleed."

Glaring at the back of her head, Ruth forcefully turned her around, "This is not a game! Our situation is precarious. You know the money is gone."

"Of course, I know the money is gone. You remind me every day."

"Your father left us nothing but a legacy of bad debts, hidden behind a good name. That name is the only card have left to play."

Rose leaned against the railing of the bed, trapped between it and her mother.

"I don't understand you. It's a fine match with Hockley. His wealth will not only wipe our slate clean but also provide for generations to come. And it will ensure our survival."

Rose stared back at her mother, unable to comprehend her desire for wealth over her, "How could you put this on me? Do you not care about my opinion? About my feelings?"

Ruth frowned, confused by her reaction, "Do you think of me as an emotionless doll? Of course, I care about your feelings and the understanding of this crush you have on this boy. It's the kind of crush all young girls always find in a young handsome boy like him."

She paused, taking a sharp, deep breath as she came back to reality from the memory that tried to push its way through, "But boys like him are tricksters, using their charms to lure girls like you into their good graces. And before you know it, you end up as another conquest in bed, pregnant with their child and left behind like a piece of trash. That's the life he will leave you with."

Rose felt angry at her mother's words. How dare she accuse Jack of such a thing! She barely knew him. He wasn't the type at all. Even his own friends were good people.

"You don't know a thing about him!" she spat.

Ruth scoffed, eyes wide, "Stop being so ridiculous, Rose! Of course, I know him! I've seen many others like him! I see them every day! What you're feeling right now is nothing more than lust for a handsome boy!"

Rose's face was turning redder than her hair, "I may not know what I feel towards him, but it is not lust. I've felt what that was like before and this is so much more than that."

"What is wrong with you?! You fail to see the good in what we have, to appreciate the life we get to live right now. Are you willing to throw it all away? For this boy who saved you from slipping over the railing? He's a steerage at heart, using the other man's money to travel the world and do what he wants without consequence."

"He's kind, polite, truthful, dares to see the beauty in the world that the rest of us ignore, and he cares! That is what I've witnessed from him these last two days. That night he saved me; I saw how much he truly cared about my well-being. He didn't even know who I was, but he cared regardless."

"He is not one of us."

Rose laughed, "On that, we agree. Which is why I trust him."

"Why are you being so selfish?"

Rose's mouth turned into an O-face, "I'm being selfish?!"

Ruth stared back at her, shocked beyond belief, "Do you wish to see me working as a seamstress? To be a mistress to another man?"

The look on her mother's face melted away her anger.

"To see our things sold at auction? Our memories scattered?"

Her voice broke, turning away as she brought her hand up to her mouth.

Rose closed her eyes, feeling conflicted.

"It's so unfair."

Ruth laughed, turning to look back at her, "Of course, it's unfair. We're women. Our choices are never easy. We don't marry for love or happiness, only for the wellbeing of ourselves and our children."

Reaching forward, she took her daughter's face and pulled her forward, kissing her on the cheek.

"I'm doing this for not just my sake, but yours as well."

Rose rolled her eyes.

Ruth glared at her, "Does that amuse you?"

She shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes, "No, it's a very good reason, I'll give you that. Only, it's easy for you to be making all the decisions while using me as an excuse for why to satisfy your own desire."

"Easy for me, is it? Easy to see our life crumble before my eyes, to find any solution to our problem?"

"When have you ever done something that wasn't for my benefit or for the both of us? Something that forced you to put your own desires on the line?"

Ruth backed away, trembling, "You think I haven't sacrificed to have the life I have now? I married your father when I could have chosen another path. Another life. But I knew what that life meant for me if I did. It meant hardship beyond measure. To work hard for money that wouldn't amount to anything, no matter how hard I tried. I chose this life because I knew what the consequences were if I didn't choose it. I sacrificed more than you can ever imagine, and I will not see it be in vain!"

Rose was shocked by her mother's sudden outburst, her fierce determination that rose from deep within.

"Everything I do, I do because I know it needs to be done. There's no other choice but to see things happen as they are supposed to. No matter the cost."

"Even if it means ignoring my feelings? What could be if I wish to follow them?"

"Yes, even that. Because one day, you will understand, Rose."

"Understand what?"

"That we must sacrifice our own desires for the greater good. That our needs cannot outweigh the needs of the generations that will come after us. This is the right decision, Rose. You just can't see it because of this boy."

Ross was at a loss, unable to respond. Instead, she turned around and allowed her mother to finish helping her dress.

Soon, Trudy arrived with the tea, just before they headed off for Sunday service, followed by Cal and Lovejoy. She purposely kept her distance from Cal.

With every step she took, she felt the fire deep within burning out, dimming as darkness followed.

Taylor stood at the entrance of the chapel, looking through the glass doors at the cross that was nailed to the wall.

It had been a long since he had attended church services. He had been so busy with his duties as a Time Guardian that he barely had time for anything else. He figured why not attend now that he had the time, with Prometheus was no longer his concern.

A part of him felt uneasy, feeling like an outsider as he entered. But the moment he took his seat and set his eyes on the cross, all of his nervous feelings washed away.

He saw Rose, Hockley, Mrs. Bukater, and many others enter, followed by Captain Smith, who took his place on stage.

He rose with the rest of them as the singing began, picking up a paper that had the lyrics to the songs they would be singing. A little outdated for his taste but still better than most music in the future world he came from.

Jack hurried down the stairs, passing Thomas Andrews.

"Hello, Mr. Andrews!"

Andrews looked up from the paper he was reading, having been pulled out of the worship service to attend to some issues. He smiled at the young man, instantly recognizing him.

"Hello, Jack. Good to see you again."

"Hey, is Rose in there?" he pointed towards the chapel.

Andrews nodded, but he reached out taking him by the sleeve of his shirt.

"Not that I'm trying to stop you, but it would be impolite if you interrupted service at this time. They rarely open up the doors once the singing starts."

Jack nodded, "I was actually thinking of joining."

Andrews couldn't help but laugh, 'The boy is in deep.'

"Well, at the very least let me help you get inside. Come with me."

Jack followed him to the door of the chapel.

The two men stationed there smiled at Andrews but frowned upon Jack, holding up their hands to stop him.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the third-class chapel is on the other side of the ship."

Andrews up his hand, "He's with me."

The two men nodded, reluctantly as they allowed Jack in with him, opening the doors slowly so they didn't interrupt the service.

Andrews led Jack to the backseats, standing beside him as he handed a paper to him. As Jack took it, the two began to sing with the rest of the first-class, while Jack stared at the back of Rose's head. His heart urged him to go to her but forced himself to stay put.

Mr. Lovejoy frowned upon seeing Jack Dawson in the chapel but refrained from taking any action due to the presence of Mr. Andrews right next to him. Instead, he was forced to watch the boy, waiting for the moment to strike.

Taylor frowned, sensing something was off. It took him a moment to turn his head and search the room.

His eyes widened as he saw Jack, standing right next to Mr. Andrews.

He cursed internally, angered that he would pull something like right now. This was not what he meant when he told him he should confront her one last time.

He saw Lovejoy, realizing that Mr. Hockley's bodyguard was waiting to make his move.

As the worship was on its final song, Andrews excused himself, deciding that his presence had served its purpose. He whispered in Jack's ear that he had duties to attend to and left through the doors.

The moment Mr. Andrews left, Lovejoy smiled and made his way to Jack.

Upon seeing Lovejoy heading towards his friend, Taylor abandoned his seat and raced against time to beat him, while doing so stealthy.

Jack realized that he was in trouble the moment he saw Lovejoy walking towards him. Before he realized what was happening, he was being dragged by the collar to the double doors and pushed out of the chapel.

"Hey!" he marched up to Lovejoy, only to be stopped by the two doormen.

"Mr. Hockley and Mrs. DeWitt Bukater are still appreciative of your assistance, but your time here has now become inappropriate. They asked for me to give you this, as a token of their gratitude."

He placed a twenty-dollar bill in his hand before pulling him close and whispering into his ear, "As well as to remind you that while you may be staying in a first-class room, you are nothing more than a steerage."

Anger rose inside Jack, ready to shove the money back at him, before a figure appeared and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him away.

Rose slightly turned her head, watching from the corner of her eye as she thought she saw Lovejoy dragging someone out of the chapel. Her heart urged her to go see who it was, hoping that it was-

She shook her head, not allowing herself to think his name. She knew she needed to forget him. To move on and leave him be.

Pushing his name and face from her mind, she resumed singing.

"The hell do you think you're doing?!" Taylor growled as he dragged Jack away.

Jack tried to pull free, "Let me go! I need to speak to Rose!"

Taylor looked back, watching as Lovejoy smiled and walked back into the chapel.

"You'll never get close, and it's foolish to do something like this, especially with so many people around. You couldn't have waited till after the service was done?"

"That was the plan!"

They went around the corner and Taylor pushed him up against the wall, catching the attention of several people who immediately continued with their business.

"Jack, when I said that you should talk to her again, I meant when it was convenient for you two to be alone. Hockley and Rose's mother will never let you near her again, let alone give you two some privacy. You need to think this through."

Jack sighed, "What do you suggest?"

Taylor backed away from him, deep in his mind. Suddenly, his head shot up.

"I got it!"

"What?"

"Once I'm done explaining, go back to the room and get Fabrizio and Tommy, they'll be needed for this."

Jack nodded.

"Here's the plan."

Took a while to write but we are getting to the good stuff. I am changing things up but I figured why not experiment a little bit and have some fun.

Added some more dialogue for Ruth DeWitt Bukater in her scene with Rose, even sprinkled in some backstory to her. I hope I'm giving more for Trudy to do this time around, as well as Thomas Andrews.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this. Remember, review or private message me any questions, and I will answer them for you.

See you guys in Chapter 7!