Chapter 5

April 12, 1912

The next morning Jesse is down in the cargo hold, kneeling next to the car as his head was buried under the engine hood of the Renault. He gets up, then reaches for a rag to wipe his hands. He places his hand on top of the car's radiator, accidentally knocking over his wrench that sat on top of it. It made a loud clanging as it falls through the engine bay, then finally clatters to the iron floor of the ship. Somewhere deep in the cargo area he hears a metallic door opening, then closing, as Jesse takes a careful look at any damages he might have done to the car.

Must be the owner or the steward again, he thought, as he buries his head back into the engine bay, after he retrieved his tool from under the car. Instead it was Jack, as he makes his way through the various crates and boxes. He had his hands buried in his pocket, and smiling a bit. He looks at Jesse, just as he was looking up from the car. He got up, hit his head on the hood, while Jack grimaced. Jesse rubbed his head, then looked at his hand for signs of blood. He found none, then grabbed a rag nearby as he started to wipe his greasy hands in it. Jack noticed Jesse had barely any oil or grease on him, even though he had on a white shirt, a lighter colored pants, and his sleeves were rolled, revealing his toned and tanned arms. He blows his dark hair out of his brown eyes, and wipes a little sweat from his brow.

"Eric told me you were down here," Jack says, as he began to feel extremely nervous once more, as it was just the two of them down there in the cargo hold. Jack finally averted his gaze to the car, then asks, "So, what you got here?"

"Oh this? It's a Renault Type CB Coupé de Ville. A passenger wanted me to take a look, what needed to be done and whatnot. Its his personal car. Beautiful car, haven't been too familiar with these. But like they say, it's never too late to learn anything." He laughs. "You know how to start one of these?" Jack's heart begins beating faster, as he obliges, then slowly climbs in.

"Don't do anything yet. I got to prime these cylinders first." Jesse says. He opens a cap, then pours fluid into each of the four cylinders, and closing the cap again, thus repeating the process 3 times for each of the remaining cylinders. He puts the bottle back in the car, then instructs Jack to lock the brakes so the car doesn't move. He then moves to the front of the car, pulls out the crank handle and gives it a slow quarter turn. He repeats this process a few times until he is sure there's fuel and oil mixed in each of the four cylinders, as instructed by its new owner.

"I'm only familiar with the American stuff, like Ford, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, and to a lesser extent, Studebaker, but for this particular car I'm not sure I'm doing this right. The owner told me to do it like so." Jesse laughs, holding the crank handle over his shoulder.

"Okay, hang on, while I start this thing." Jesse puts the crank handle back into the engine, and gives it all his might at turning the engine. The engine starts, sputters at first, then finally comes to life. Jesse claps one time then whoops, then raises his arms outwards. Jack claps for his new friend, happy that he helped get a car started. Jack wants to learn about automobiles more now after doing this.

"This is a good reason you came down here, because this is a two-person job, in case the car ran away from me. Though the scariest thing here is do it wrong, and it will take your arm off. The second is the car running over you." Jesse says. Jack laughs, then playfully honks the horn.

"Ow, my ear!" Jesse laughs, putting a finger in there. Both men listened to the beautiful puttering sound that emitted from the Renault engine, which was a wonderful break from the ship's own rumbling engine and roaring boilers in the next room over. Even though the young first-class woman from a day ago is still in his mind, Jack is starting to feel a little bit toward Jesse.

...

The third class dining galley was full of life, of different languages that filled the large room. Of the seven hundred passengers, this galley could fit half of the passengers. Among them, Jesse, Karl and the Cartmell family were seated at the table, with chairs affixed to the floor, and only swiveled, as they ate a hearty meal of roast pork, steaming potatoes, and vegetable soup. Jack, Fabrizio, and Tommy soon entered the galley, but were dismayed to find it full of people. The air was filled with smoke and the aroma of food as Jack tried to find his new friend, among the crowds of people. He soon saw Jesse, his hair swaying as he helped Cora cut up her food pieces, and her parents watched with awe, while he nearly made Karl drop his biscuit into the steamy soup. As soon as Jesse was done, Karl gave his friend a playful punch on his shoulder, before he returned to his hearty meal. Tommy knew something was up with Jesse, as if he didn't belong with the third class. He was more like those of second, or even first class, as if he was sent down to see how these people lived.

"I don't know, boyo. He doesn't look like he belongs." Tommy says, cupping his hand as he lighted a cigarette, as he watched Jesse sitting back down, and taking a drink from a glass. Jack looked at his Irish friend. "First class scum, he is." Tommy scowled, while Jack shook his head. Meanwhile, Fabrizio looked around the crowded room, until he saw the same young girl, who was sitting next to her family. Before Fabrizio could make his move, both Jack and Tommy pulled him back.

"Not so fast there, boyo." Tommy says, as they dragged Fabrizio back out into the corridors, only to go back to their rooms to wait out the next dinner.

...

Later that evening, Jack is laying on a bench, smoking a cigarette. A few hours earlier, after dinner he and Jesse had gotten into a small argument, so Jack is at the poop deck by himself, and Jesse is back in his cabin. As Jack lays there pondering what had happened earlier, he takes a drag of his cigarette, and looking at the stars above. When he does, a young woman runs past; that same young woman he saw a day ago, and was clearly looking upset. He gets up, wondering what she was up, and decides to investigate. As she climbs over the railing, Jack clearly knew her intentions were up to no good, so he slowly makes his way to her. With his heart beating in his ears, he calmly says "Don't do it"

The young woman, who was clearly distraught, yells at Jack, "Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

Jack: "Come on, just give your hand, I'll pull you back over-"

"No, stay where you are, I mean it, I'll let go…"

Jack takes a last drag of his cigarette, then proceeds to tell her by gesturing he throw his cigarette overboard, but clearly wants to pull her back over. After a few seconds of pausing he says to her, "No you won't".

While the young woman still clings to the other side of the railing, Jack proceeds to remove his outer clothing, despite the freezing temperature of the night. He even goes further as to removing his heavy boots, while saying "You jump, I jump". Meanwhile Jesse appears on the other end of the stern, standing next to one of the support columns under the aft docking bridge, with his arms crossed. He sees Jack and the young woman, from the day earlier. He takes a double take, and slightly gasps, as he thought he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. He uncrosses his arms, and puts them in his pockets, and still sees the star couple from where he was standing, and luckily the young woman turns around, hoping to get back on the ship as she was helped aboard by Jack.

This young woman, Rose Dewitt Bukater was her name, introduces herself to Jack, who then says, "I'm gonna have to get you to write that down for me" as if the name was long, then they both laugh.

Jesse makes his way towards the port side of the ship. With one hand on his chin, he leaned on the railing, ready to gaze out into the starry distance when he hears someone scream, then turns around. Jack was leaned over the railing, as if trying to grab someone. He got into action, and runs over, telling Jack, "Grab the other arm! I got this one!" Surprised, Jack does what he is told, and grabs Rose, who is flailing and screaming. Meanwhile, her screaming attracts the attention of nearby officers, who rush up on the stern deck to see what's going on.

"Hey, we're going to have to work together on this one!" Jesse says, and Jack nods.

"Rose, look at me! We're not going to let you go!" Jack says.

"Ready? Heave!" Both Jesse and with a little difficulty Jack manages to pull Rose back on board. Jesse puts his left hand under Rose's arm, while still holding his right hand with hers, and looks as if though he's about to go overboard himself. Jack still has Rose's left hand in both of his, and with all his strength, he manages to pull her back over. Eventually Jack hugs Rose once she's over the railing, and Jesse step aside, then collapses, breathing hard, and nearly falling against the stern anchor. All three of them lay on deck, from exhaustion, all trying to catch their breaths.

The three officers eventually catch up, saying "What's all this?" when they see Rose with a leg exposed, and Jesse, who tried to roll over, still breathing hard, then coughs. Jack gets up, at the same time the officer yells "You stand back, and don't move an inch!" Jack jams his hands in his pocket, then looks over at Jesse with a little worry on his face.

"Fetch the master at arms!" the second officer says.

After handcuffing Jesse to a nearby bench, opposite of where Rose was sitting, being helped by members of the first class, the master at arms then handcuffs Jack, while Cal mutters "This is completely unacceptable!" Then he walks over to Jack.

"What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancé?" he snarls. "Look at me, you filth!" and turns his attention to Jesse on the bench, "As for you, what made you think you could interfere…" he began, looking Jesse up and down, before being cut off by Rose.

"Cal." She began, as Cal continues, with a glaring look to Jesse, "You look familiar, I believe I have seen you somewhere…" Rose cuts in between them, as if to prevent a fight from brewing, like they did months prior.

"Cal, stop. It was an accident!" Cal looks flustered.

"An ac-accident?" Jack looks on, confused, while Jesse tries to stifle a giggle, but shakes his head and cracks a small smile, but then again, all he had seen was Jack leaning over the railing, so he listens on.

"Stupid really", she began, "I-I was leaning over and I slipped." Jack and Jesse looked at each other, bewilderment on their faces. Jack furrows his brow, while Jesse raises an eyebrow. Rose continues, continuing her story that she was trying to lean over to see the propellers, which she struggled to say the first time around. Someone corrects her, then she continues, how she leaned too far over, and almost went overboard. She then describes how these two men came to her aid, almost going overboard themselves, especially Jesse. Cal looks flustered. "She wanted to look at the propellers…" he began.

"Like I say, women and machinery do not mix." Col. Gracie says. The master at arms asks Jack to confirm that it had indeed happened.

"Was that the way of it?" Jack looks at Jesse, who only stood there, as if to tell him "Just tell him yes." Rose also gives him the same look, after she saw Jesse.

"Yeah," Jack says. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Well, these boys are pretty much the heroes tonight. Good for you lads. Well done." Col. Gracie says, after which he tells the people they should be getting back to their brandy. The officer uncuffs both Jack and Jesse, and Cal leads Rose away, back to the interior of the ship, while Jesse rubs his wrists from the heavy cuffs that were set on him. As they walk past, Gracie suggests Cal return the favor for the two men who helped Rose. Cal suggests to his servant a "20 should do it". However, Rose stops and makes Cal reconsider, by asking "Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?" Cal reconsiders, then goes up to them and asks to join them for dinner as a gratitude for saving Rose. Jack and Jesse look at each other, then agrees to the dinner.

"Good. Then its settled then" Cal says, then turns to Gracie, whispering, "This should be interesting." as they walk back towards the first-class part of the ship. Jack whistles to Cal's valet, and asks for a smoke. He hands his pack to Jack, who takes two, and surprisingly, tries to offer a pack to Jesse, who refused. Smoking was never his thing. He turns his attention back to Jack, looking at his disheveled clothes, and says, despite what had happened earlier, he still had time to remove his shoes and his jackets, and with that, turns and follows everyone back inside.

"Well, that's over with." Jesse says, bringing Jack back to reality. Jack turns to Jesse again, and tries to apologize for the argument they had hours earlier, but Jesse acknowledges this and brushes it off, laughing and saying not to worry about it. Jesse puts his hand on Jack's shoulder, then proceeds to tell him something, only to forget what was on his mind, and instead tells him good night, its cold and that this mess had been put behind. Jack's heart beats once more as he watches Jesse waved with two fingers upward, before brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, and he disappeared back into the ship.