An hour after the family reunion, Jack stood on the balcony of his bedroom, staring at the view and smoking a cigarette. Even though everything had gone well with the reunion, he couldn't stop his heart from pounding in his chest. Things still felt unsettled; Jack didn't know why. Perhaps it was because Rose still wasn't in perfect health, or because he was trying to figure out a way to propose to Rose properly, and he couldn't think of a proposal worthy of her.

Suddenly, Rose's arms wrapped around his neck, kissing his cheek. "See?" She whispered, moving her arms to wrap around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "Everything went well."

Jack nodded, trying to believe that himself. "You're right," he told her, as well as himself. "Everything'll be fine now. We're safe, you can recover, and then we can do whatever we want." He turned to look at Rose, pulling her closer and planting a kiss on her forehead. "It's late, and we've had a long day. You should go to sleep."

"You do too, Jack," Rose told him.

Jack smiled, touching her cheek. "I have to talk to my parents, but then I will." He leaned forward, planting a soft yet loving kiss against her lips. "Thank you for supporting me throughout all of this. I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you, and I can't wait to make you my wife."

Rose grinned, tears appearing in her eyes. "I love you too, Jack." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him one last time. "Good night."

Jack watched her walk off, wishing he could go with her and sleep with her in his arms. But even his parents, the most open minded people he knew, would not allow an unmarried man and woman to share a room. Just another reason he wanted to marry Rose.

Trying to put his longing for Rose away for a while, Jack headed downstairs. He thought he would find his parents in the reading room, but as he descended the stairs, he heard his parents voices coming from another direction. From Jack's father's office.

"William, don't you think you're being unfair?" Jack recognized his mother's voice. "Rose is a lovely girl. Jack loves her. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at her."

"I'm not disputing that, Anna," Jack's father responded. He heard the sound of ice hitting glass, and deduced that they were drinking brandy in the office, a weekly tradition Jack remembered from when he was a child. Every Friday night, his parents would retire to the office and have a drink while talking about whatever was happening in their lives. It was the one time each week where no matter how busy they were, they could reconnect and talk. Jack had always admired that about them, their ability to stick together no matter what obstacle they faced. "I'm just suggesting that while we know our son loves her, perhaps Rose's intentions are not as honorable."

A moment passed, giving Jack ample time to fill with anger. How dare his parents doubt Rose! After all, she was the only reason she and Jack had come back to Boston. She had saved his life multiple times in the short amount of time they had been together, and she had given up her entire life for him before she even knew he was wealthy. Of course, his parents didn't know any of that, and he wasn't ready to tell the story of Titanic yet, and Rose likely wasn't either. So he would have to find another way to prove to them that Rose had no ill intentions.

"Your father said the same thing about me," Anna replied, and Jack knew that his father would listen once she pointed that out. "He wanted to test me, to announce that the family business had taken a hit and that all of your money was gone. If I would stay with you for that, I could marry you. And do you remember what you said?"

William hesitated. "I said that love was not giving tests and ultimatums, and that sometimes you had to just trust that someone's intentions were good without proof," he replied, and Jack couldn't help but smile. He knew his parents loved each other, and it was that love that taught Jack exactly what to look for. "And I was right. But so was my father. He was trying to protect me."

"I know, darling," Anna's voice had softened and lost its angry edge. "I know he was. But your father was wrong about one thing. While parents always want to protect their child from pain and suffering, sometimes, you can't. And eventually, you have to let them make mistakes and learn from them." William let out a loud sigh, loud enough that Jack could hear it from where he was standing. "You and I both know Jack is the best judge of character. If he picked Rose, if he fell in love with her, it's because she's special. You know that."

Jack stepped from his position and moved closer to the office, knocking on the door gently. Both his parents turned to face him; his father looked down at his drink, while his mother looked up at him and smiled. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Of course you can," Anna smiled, patting the empty chair next to her, and Jack sat. She had Jack's ability to tell what someone was thinking or feeling. "What's bothering you?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing," he forced a smile, knowing that it wouldn't fool his mother, but hopefully she'd see that he didn't want to talk about it. "For the sake of full disclosure, I overheard your conversation about Rose," he watched his parents look at each other. "I will not be testing her, I will not be tricking her or lying to her. I love her, and she loves me. That's all you need to know."

Anna reached over and took her son's hand. "I understand, Jack. And so does your father. But you know how this world works. You know we are privileged, and while some people may not care about that, others may be jealous or resent that privilege and wealth. All your father wanted was to protect you from the latter."

Jack nodded. "I know that," he answered. "Listen, Rose and I have been through a lot together. She has saved my life multiple times, and I've saved hers. Besides, she didn't know who I was until long after she agreed to spend the rest of her life with me. I hadn't proposed yet, sure, but that's just a technicality."

"She didn't know?" Jack's father asked, and Jack shook his head. "Jack, I understand. And you know I really do, because your mother and I were in the same situation. I just want you to think about this before you make any rash decisions. Think about the life you've been born into, the life you want, and the life you'll have by spending the rest of your life with Rose."

"I have," Jack told him. "I knew when I met Rose that she was incredible, and a few days later I had fallen in love with her. And every single day after that has just reinforced what I already knew."

William sighed, looking at his son. He saw so much of himself in Jack: his happy-go-lucky attitude, his ability to see people as they are, not just based on what they have, and the way he felt all of his feelings so strongly. "I'm sure that's true, Jack. And I don't doubt that. But falling in love is a powerful thing. Falling in love is easy. It's staying in love that can be hard, and working to build and maintain the relationship and life you want." Jack nodded, listening to his father. He knew how much he had to learn from him; he had kept Anna happy for years and had built a wonderful life for them all. "I'm not suggesting you test her or lie to her. If you don't want to, if you don't think it's necessary, I am not going to force you. But I am asking you, Jack, please think about this. Take some time, get to know each other more, and then we'll discuss a proper engagement and wedding." Jack thought about what his father was saying, wishing he could say that his father was wrong. But he knew that he wouldn't fall out of love with Rose, and that if waiting would get his parents to agree to their marriage, perhaps it was worth it. "Do you think that's fair?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, that's fair." He rose from his chair and walked toward the door. "Good night."

"Wait, Jack," Anna called after him, and Jack peeked his head back into the office. "It's good to have you home, darling. We missed you. So much. And so did Betty."

Jack smiled. "I missed you too. All of you." He walked over and kissed his mother's cheek, then shook his father's hand and gave him a quick hug, a more affectionate exchange than most sons had with their fathers, but Jack was closer with William than most sons were with their fathers. "Good night. I'll see you both tomorrow. And Father…" William looked up at him. "I'll think about what you said." He gave one last smile, then closed the door behind him.

xXx

Rose padded across the cold wood floor of the hallway, down to the bedroom where Jack was staying. After everything they had been through, she couldn't bear to spend a night without Jack. She knew this was customary, that this was the way things were done. Still, she couldn't do it. She didn't know how to sleep without being wrapped in Jack's arms. And she absolutely had to know what Jack and his parents had discussed.

She arrived at the door, knocking quietly. "Jack?" she whispered, not wanting to wake him. "Are you awake?"

Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Rose?" He narrowed his eyes, trying to see her in the dark. "Are you okay? What are you doing awake?" He moved to the edge of the bed, reaching out his hand to take hers.

Rose took his hand, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I couldn't sleep," she told him, staring into his eyes. She wondered how his blue eyes were still bright even in the darkness of the room. "W-Whenever I have bad dreams, I can look over at you and see that you're alright. And then I can go back to sleep. But without you there…"

Jack's heart broke for her. "Come here," he whispered, laying back on the bed. Rose laid down in his arms, wrapping hers around his frame. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I will always be here. And soon we'll be married and we'll never have to say goodbye again." He stroked her arm, kissing her forehead. "But for now, just stay and sleep. You need to rest and get better."

Rose smiled, closing her eyes for a moment. "I love you," she whispered. She propped up her head, kissing Jack softly, wishing they could have more time to themselves. "What happened with your parents? DId you discuss the wedding?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, we did," he saw her interest pique, and knew it would disappoint her that they needed to take more time. "My father is concerned we're rushing into our marriage, and that we'll regret it. It's not about you, I promise. He's just… he's always been more cautious, and he wants to protect me."

"I understand," Rose answered. "I mean, I'm disappointed that we can't get married as soon as we wanted to, but… he has a point, doesn't he? If we knew we'll love each other forever, I suppose there's no rush."

"They don't know that your last name is Dewitt Bukater. They don't know anything about where you came from," Jack told her. "And I'm worried that if my father finds out, it could make him worry about your intentions and possibly not support our marriage."

Rose propped herself up on Jack's chest so she could look at him. His arm adjusted so that he could still hold her. "If he decides he doesn't think that us getting married is a good idea and he doesn't give us whatever lavish wedding we're expected to have, we can just go to city hall and get married. I'd marry you anytime, anywhere. All that matters to me is that at the end of the day, you're my husband, and I'm your wife." Jack smiled, stroking her cheek and playing with one of her curls. "If he does decide that he doesn't support us, would it change your mind?"

Jack shook his head. "Of course not," he assured her. "I know you, Rose, and I know you don't care about any of the things my father is worried about. And if he knew you, he would too." Rose smiled, kissing Jack's bare chest. "I love you, Rose."

"I love you too," she whispered, kissing him one last time before relaxing in his arms and closing her eyes.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit short! It's just where I had to end it for plot purposes. Also, I'm trying to upload a one-shot but the site is glitching a bit and making it difficult. In any case, stay tuned for that!