After checking in, Rose and Jack made their way to room 216. Jack placed a hand on Rose's arm, stopping her from entering the room. She looked at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"We should keep with tradition, don't you think?" Jack grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter.

"What tradition?" Rose frowned, confused about what Jack could be talking about.

"This tradition," Jack scooped his bride up into his arms and carried her into the hotel room. "Carrying the bride over the threshold!"

"You are insane!" Rose laughed, clinging to Jack tightly as he carried her over to the bed and gently sat her down

He settled down beside her with a big grin. "I thought that you knew that already."

"I thought that you might have outgrown it. I'm glad to see that I'm wrong."

"You're very wrong," Jack chuckled. He looked around the room, noticing the white wallpaper and the pink carpet. The bed sat on the left wall, with two nightstands on each side, each one containing a lamp on top of it. A small sitting area was just at the foot and a door leading into the bathroom was on the right wall. It was the perfect room for an impromptu honeymoon. "So, how does it feel? To be Mrs. Dawson for real?"

"Refreshing," Rose giggled, resting her head against his shoulder as she intertwined her fingers with his. "I hated lying to everyone. For the first time, making friends, I felt like the biggest liar telling them that we were married when we weren't."

"It was only to avoid scandal, Rose. Besides, it really wasn't anyone's business."

"But they were still going to ask. I should have just used my real name from the start. It's not like anyone here knew of Caledon Hockley or of the Dewitt-Bukaters. There was no need for me to hide, especially after reaching Chippewa Falls. It's just that...I was used to it at that point. Rose Dawson had really become my name after a year of wandering."

"It's a name you were always welcomed to. Married or not. You became a Dawson the minute you jumped back on Titanic for me."

Rose smiled, gently touching his face. "I was yours the minute you talked me back over that railing, Jack. Honestly."

They gazed into each other's eyes, not for the first time reveling in each other's presence. It's like they just couldn't get enough of each other's presence after a years-long drought.

"Are you hungry? We can get something to eat. I saw a cafe right next door," Jack broke the silence that had fallen between them.

Rose was about to say she was fine when her stomach spoke up before she did with a low rumble. "Oh god, that was so embarrassing!"

Jack just laughed, pulling her up with him as he got to his feet. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. Kind of cute actually."

Rose just rolled her eyes. "If you say so. So what do you have in mind for our first meal as husband and wife?"

"I don't know. What would you have if you married Cal?" Jack wondered, locking the door and taking Rose's hand as they continue their way to the cafe.

Rose pursed her lips, trying to think. Her life with her mother and Cal seemed like a million years ago now. It was like it was a life someone else had lived, not herself. It was strange to feel that way. It had been her life...but now it was just a distant memory. "I don't remember what mother had planned for the wedding dinner…but it was probably something extravagant like lobster bisque or lobster Thermador with some kind of vegetable and tons of desserts. Oh and champagne. One cannot forget the champagne…"

"Caviar?" Jack arched a brow, remembering Rose's rant about hating caviar.

"Eww, probably that too!"

Jack laughed. "Don't worry. No danger of running into caviar here."

"Thank god!" Rose giggled as they reached the cafe.

Before they entered, Rose couldn't stand it anymore, she needed Jack's arms around her, just for a few minutes. She pulled him away from the door and claimed his lips in a passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and moaning delightfully as his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. After a few minutes, the need for oxygen ended the kiss, but their arms remained around each other as Rose rested her head against his shoulder.

"I know I'm being inappropriate right now, but I couldn't help it. I needed your arms around me," Rose sighed, closing her eyes in pure, blissful happiness.

"I'm not complaining. I don't care what anyone thinks about us. Besides, they're probably jealous. Especially the men. They're probably wondering how a drifter like me got such a beautiful lady to love him as you do," Jack smiled, running his fingers along her silken curls.

"By just being you. Kind, compassionate, talented, and oh so handsome."

"Oh so handsome, huh? Cal was handsome."

"But he was a horrible person, nothing like you. What's sad is he would never be able to see that. If he had been like you, things might have worked out. But he was mean, arrogant, and always taking my mother's side in everything. He'd even order my meals for me and then ask me if that was what I wanted as an afterthought."

"Rude bastard," Jack kissed the top of her head. "You won't have to worry about him anymore, Rose. I promise. He is out of your life."

"Good. I don't miss him. I don't miss any of them...well except for his sister and her friend. They were sweet girls. You wouldn't think Sarah would be related to someone like Cal. I feel so sorry for her, having to be stuck in that family. Thank god I had escaped."

"Maybe she will too, someday. You can never know what the future may hold."

"I hope so. She deserves to be happy, just like I'm happy here with you," Rose smiled, meeting his lips in yet another kiss.

…..

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Hockley Estate

Boredom reigned supreme for Sarah Hockley as she stood between her mother and father as she watched her brother present his new fiancee with a necklace made of a thousand diamonds, or at least that was what it looked like to her. It must have cost their father millions of dollars, probably even more than the heart of the ocean that now was at the bottom of the sea. Her father had been furious when he had learned that not only had Cal taken the necklace without permission, but had lost it at sea in the Titanic sinking. He had made Cal almost wish that he had joined the expensive jewelry at the bottom of the ocean.

After six months of mourning the death of poor Rose, who Sarah had adored and still did to this day, Cal brought home a new conquest. Her name was Isabella. She was quite beautiful with her platinum blond air, ice-cold blue eyes, and stunning figure, but that was where her beauty ended. If there was ever a female Cal, Isabella was it and Sarah detested her! Unfortunately, her father loved the woman and had made it his business to tell Sarah she should strive to be more like Isabella.

Hmph, he had never been that fond of poor Rose, who had been beautiful, and kind, but melancholy. It was like someone had sucked the spirit right out of her the minute she became engaged to Cal. It had been obvious that Rose did not even like her brother. That the match had been a forced one. But Sarah had adored her. Once away from her brother, Rose showed that she was a fun, kindred spirit to Sarah and she missed her dearly.

Applause rang out as Cal announced their engagement and toasts and cheers were had. Once that was over, Sarah made her escape out into the garden, needing to get away from the crowded atmosphere. She wanted some time alone to think. Think of a way to escape, because surely this engagement was sure to be more successful for her brother than the last, which meant that their father was going to turn his attention to her and that was something she did not want.

She did not want to be like Rose. She did not want to be forced into a loveless marriage. But she didn't see any way to escape it. It scared her and made her want to weep.

"Sarah, are you out here?" a familiar voice spoke up, following her out into the garden.

Sarah sighed in relief to see it was her friend, Leah Greenfield. The girls had been best friends since before finishing school. They had been inseparable, especially after the news of Rose's death. It had been Leah that helped Sarah mourn her lost friend. She had been the only one that Sarah had dared to talk to about Rose. Everyone else had wanted to forget that Rose had ever existed. After the memorial service, the name Rose Dewitt Bukater had been banned from the house. It had been so easy for Cal and the rest of them to forget the lovely redhead, but it wasn't so for Sarah. She'll never forget Rose and whenever she needed to reminisce about her, Leah was on hand.

Leah was a pretty girl with honey-blond hair, forest-green eyes, and a quiet disposition. Nathan Hockley had wanted to match her up with Cal once, but Leah's father had heard some rumors and had refused the match. He wanted his daughter to marry for love and he knew for a fact that Leah would never love someone like Cal. Sarah wished that her father was like Leah's, but again that was an impossibility.

"I'm over here!" Sarah beckoned her friend over.

"What are you doing out here instead of being in there congratulating your brother?" Leah asked settling down on the bench beside her friend.

"I needed some air. Rose always found these things so boring. She would have abhorred all of this. Especially that gaudy necklace."

Leah snorted. "I wonder what she would have thought about that heart of the ocean necklace that he had purchased and lost."

"She would probably hate it...even though it was quite lovely."

"So...why are we sitting out here away from the party?"

"Because it's boring and I needed to be away from it for a while. I needed to think," Sarah sighed, her gloved hands twisting at each other. "Now that Cal is engaged again and had announced it to the world...father is going to start looking for me a suitor! Oh my god, Leah, I am terrified! I don't want father to pick me out a husband!"

"Oh Sarah, I'm sorry...but maybe you're assuming wrong. Maybe your father will pick out someone nice?"

Sarah gave her friend a pointed look. "My father thinks Cal is a perfect gentleman. That nothing is wrong with him. I can just imagine who he'll pick out for me. I'm going to end up like poor Rose!"

"Sarah, maybe not," Leah frowned, feeling sorry for her friend.

"I can't let that happen, Leah. I can't risk it. But it will happen if I remain here…," Sarah chewed on her bottom lip, a wild idea beginning to form.

"Well, what are you going to do, Sarah? Run away from home?" Leah hadn't been serious. After all, Sarah was from a high social status and knew nothing about taking care of herself and making a living. There was no way she could survive out there on her own with only a finishing school education.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm going to do and you're coming with me! We're going to do what poor Rose had only dreamed of! We're going to run away and live our lives as free women! Free to be who we want, where we want, and with who we want!"

"Sarah!"

"It's going to be great, Leah!" Sarah happily squealed, hugging her friend tight.

"Sarah, this is crazy! You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I am! Just give me some time to plan it, okay, but be ready to leave when I say and not a word to anyone!"

Leah frowned, not at all sure that Sarah's plan was a good one, but she didn't have it in her to refuse. Besides, maybe this little adventure would get some of this wildness out of her friend's system.