Chapter 42: Safe
"What do we do now?" Rose asks as all four of them climb back into the car. "I can't go back to the hotel, that's the first place Cal will look for me."
"You're not going back to him are you?" Jack asks.
Rose leans forward and kisses Jack.
"Not ever again, but I do need to go for some of my things, like my maternity dresses and my money."
"Your money?" Jack asks in confusion as Emma pulls onto the road.
"I pawned off most of my jewelry to save some money for myself. I was going to leave very soon. After the disaster, I knew I couldn't stay in this life, so I pretended to be the lady my mother wanted me to be and secretly I was planning my escape. It got more desperate and urgent when I found out I was pregnant."
"Well, you guys can't go anywhere until Rose's ankle heals," Emma says. "So you're welcome to stay at our place."
"Really?" Jack says in shock.
"Really," Emma smiles. "There is plenty of room for everyone, plus you guys can see how much Sybil has grown. She's really close to crawling."
Rose smiles, despite how much her ankle hurt. She finally felt safe, glad that she was almost free of Cal and first class society and she and Jack could start a life together, do what they pleased, explore the world.
Jack suddenly remembers something important.
"Wait, Emma, take a left here, I need to go get a few things."
"O-Okay," Emma says confused. She does as Jack asks, following his directions until they pull up to a church.
"What are we doing here?" Peter asks.
"I've been working here, restoring the paintings and statues inside. I've also been living here."
"Oh Jack," Rose says sympathetically. She hadn't thought about how Jack basically had no one to help him and he was trying to get his life on track, all on his own.
"It's okay, I was inspired to paint those paintings and I was able to heal, plus I saw Molly again."
"Molly?" Rose gasps.
"She came here to ask for sponsorship from the church and found me. She was going to tell me where you were when she got the message that her cousin had a heart attack, I haven't seen her since."
"Me neither," Rose says. She calculated that Molly must've met Jack after she had been in Philadelphia, otherwise the woman would've told Rose of Jack's survival.
"I just have a few things to get and to say goodbye to someone who has given me a lot of guidance."
"Okay," Emma says. "We'll wait here."
Jack kisses Rose before going up the steps of the church. He walks through the darkened church, giving off a more sinister vibe than ever before. He finds his way to his room and begins packing what few things he had, to begin with. He gathers everything in his arms and takes one last look at the tiny room. It definitely wasn't perfect, but it had kept him safe and warm for over a month. He would always be grateful to this church for helping him heal and allowed him to express his passion. He took one last look at the golden ceiling before going behind the altar to find Father Bill.
To Jack's surprise, there was a light in the pastor's office, as if the man had been waiting for someone.
Jack knocks on the pastor's office door.
"Come in,"
Jack opens the door. Father Bill looks up with a smile and takes off his glasses.
"I was wondering when you would come back to say good-bye," Father Bill grins.
"Good-bye?" Jack asks in confusion.
The pastor nods to the pile of clothes he had in his arms.
"I just came to say thank you for everything," Jack says. "You were really there for me when I needed it most and you never turned your back on me. I don't know if I'll ever repay you."
"Just remember that God is always watching over you and if you ever need to talk to him, he is there," the priest grins.
"I will, I cannot thank you enough for all your kindness," Jack says, feeling himself tear up a bit. Father Bill had been the father figure he'd been lacking for many years now and was grateful that the holy man had helped Jack open up his heart and follow his true path.
"Kindness comes in many forms, do not ever forget that," Father Bill says.
"I won't I promise. I will write whenever I can."
The priest grins once more and hands Jack and envelope.
"The last of your money," he explains. "And my address, write to me whenever you want."
He stands up and Jack offers his hand for a formal good-bye.
The priest, however, pulls the boy into a full hug.
"God bless you, my child," he says gently. "
Jack returns the hug, a few tears escaping his eyes.
"May I follow you out to meet this girl?" the pastor asks.
"Of course," Jack says and leads the man out of the church, down the steps and towards the waiting car.
Rose, Peter, and Emma are confused by the sudden presence, but Jack introduces them to him.
"This is Father Bill, he helped me when I needed it most."
Father Bill shakes everyone's hand, kissing Emma and Rose's. He reaches into the car and holds Emma's hand.
"May you always be happy my child, no matter how hard life may seem,"
"Thank you, sir," Emma smiles, happy to have such warm advice from such a holy man.
The pastor turns to Peter and puts his hand on his shoulder.
"Do not forget who you are and keep a smile on your face and you will always find your way,"
Peter nods and shakes the pastor's hand once more.
Father Bill turns to Rose, leaning into the car and takes her hand. He squeezes it affectionately.
"May you be at peace my child, never stray far from your path and keep him safe."
Rose's eyes fill with tears.
"I will I promise."
The pastor backs out of the car and allows Jack to slide in. Jack shakes the pastor's hand once more before closing the door.
"Be safe my son, and remember that you always have love."
Jack smiles widely at the priest. The man steps back as Emma starts up the car again. All the passengers in the car wave as the car speed down the road. Father Bill waves back and Jack keeps his eyes out the back window until the church and the pastor disappears from sight.
He would always remember him.
…
When everyone gets home, Jack helps Rose up the steps of the Carson/Whitman home. There is still a light on, indicating Holly is still awake.
Holly gets up to greet her brother and his wife as they come through the door but is shocked by the extra company.
"Holly, this is Rose and Jack, two friends we met on the Titanic. Rose and Jack, this is my sister, Holly," Peter introduces everyone.
Holly shakes Jack's hand and with difficulty shakes Rose's. Despite the introduction, Holly was still a bit lost.
"How about I make us some tea?" Holly says quickly. "Then you can explain everything to me."
Everyone agrees and Jack helps Rose to one of the living room sofas. Peter builds up a fire in the fireplace and Emma checks on Sybil and Thomas.
Rose likes Emma's house. It's big, but not extravagant. It's simple and comfy, perfect for raising a family. When Emma comes back, she hugs Rose, happy to see her friend again. Jack sits with Rose, his arm around her the entire time, feeling very comfortable. He too liked Emma's home and hoped that one day he and Rose could have a house like this to raise their child.
Holly brings in the tea on a tray and everyone helps themselves. Once everyone is settled in, Holly asks what the hell happened tonight?
Peter repeats his story to his sister and the others about being in the lifeboat and on Carpathia and explains what he and Sybil had been doing since the disaster. Emma went next, talking about how she escaped from the ship and managed to pull herself up under one of the life boats. Her waking up in the hospital and then trying to put her father's company back together to when she and Peter were reunited. Rose told them about how she and Jack met, how they fell in love and the daring rescue that both she and Emma managed to pull off. She then gives details about how the couple rode the Titanic down into the ocean and how Jack nearly died making sure Rose was safe. She told them about Cal finding her and her being under constant watch, her plan to escape, her friendship with Wendy and the discovery of her pregnancy.
"Wendy!" Rose gasps, forgetting completely about her friend. "She must be so worried and if Cal…"
"You can call her tomorrow Rose," Peter says reassuringly. "I'm sure she'll be okay. She's a tough gal from what you've told me."
Jack then told everyone about waking up in the hospital, getting a job in the church and painting his pictures, which earned him a lot of money. Then they all took turns explaining how they ended up at the dinner and the terrible fall that took them to the hospital.
By the end, almost everyone is in tears, from happiness, sorrow, shock, laughter and everything in between. It had been a long time since the house had been filled with laughter and Emma was so grateful for finding her friends again.
Soon, everyone begins to yawn and decide it's time to call it a night.
"I'll lend you some of my nightgowns Rose," Emma says. "And clothes if you need them. If nothing fits, we still have some of my mother's clothes in storage."
Rose smiles and tears up again, so thankful that fate brought the four friends back together.
"Thank you, Emma," Rose says.
"You can borrow anything that fits, Jack," Peter adds. "Or some of Emma's father's clothes."
Jack smiles too.
"Okay, I think it's time we hit the hay," Holly says with a grin. "It's been quite the night."
"A night to remember," Peter agrees.
Emma shows Jack and Rose their room, one at the end of the hallway, allowing the reunited couple some privacy. Jack carries Rose into the room and lays her on the bed. Emma and Peter both bring clothes for their guests and give another round of hugs before the married couple goes to bed.
Alone, at last, Jack and Rose change from their evening wear, carefully due to Rose's injury and snuggle under the covers. Rose begins crying.
"Why are you crying Rose?" Jack asks.
"I'm just so happy, this is the happiest moment of my life. I love you so much."
Jack gently reaches over and wipes the tears from her face and then kisses her.
"I love you too."
Jack turns out the light and climbs back into bed. Jack puts his arms around Rose and kisses her cheek as they lay in bed.
"Where to miss?" he whispers in her ear.
"The stars," Rose answers.