Jason’s Grief
Present day…
Rose picks up the picture of Jason and Jack together and closes her eyes in another memory. She had told the small group that she had told no one of Jack, not even Lizzy’s grandfather…which was true, since Lizzy’s grandfather was Jack himself. So how could she possible tell him something he already knew, plus the fact that he was dead. But she had eventually told Jason. She had no choice…Jack was his cousin and he deserved to know the truth…she couldn’t bare to see his pain the day she told him. She remembered it like it was yesterday…
April 15th, 1913
Rose sets in her rocking chair, rocking Jake to sleep and remembering Titanic. A year ago. It all happened a year ago. She had lost the love of her life a year ago. It seemed and felt like it was yesterday. It still hurt a lot when she thought of Jack. If it wasn’t for the knowledge that he was always with her in spirit…she would’ve gone insane. Jason’s presence was also a great help. He came over and helped her with the baby and told her funny stories of his visits to Chippewa Falls.
She gets up to put the baby to bed when there’s frantic knocking at the door. She opens it to reveal Jason, his eyes are red from crying and tears were still streaming from his eyes. Sobs still rake his body as he stands in her door way. In a way, it was kind of ironic, he reminded her of herself one year ago and of course last night…the anniversary of most of the horror her and Jack had experienced and the hour of Jack’s death.
"Jason?" Rose asked, stunned. "Why you look a frieght. Come in. What happened?" Rose ushers him into the apartment and sets him on the couch. "No wait, let me go fix us some tea and you can tell me all about it."
Jason just nods and continues his sobbing. Fifteen minutes later, Rose was seated on the couch next to Jason, a warm cup of tea in each of their hands. "Now, mind telling me what’s gotten you all upset?"
Jason looks at Rose, his blue eyes full of tears.
"It’s Jack. I had hired a private detective a couple of
months ago to look for him. I was going to find him and insist
that he’d come home."
"Oh Jason…why didn’t you tell me?" Rose
asked, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. She had no idea
Jason was searching for someone who could never be found again.
"…I don’t know. It was something private. Plus, I wanted to surprise you by introducing you to the one person I was closest to," Jason forces a smile.
"What did the private detective come up with?" Rose asked, afraid to ask.
"He had talked to a couple swedes in Southampton and showed them Jack’s picture. They got this look on their face, he said. It was a look of sorrow…they said they had known him and that most likely he was dead," Jason sobbed. "They said they had played a game of poker with Jack and this Italian fella named Fabrizio. A third class ticket aboard Titanic was up for grabs. Jack of course won. He was always a pro when it came to poker," Jason chuckled slightly. "But anyway, the last he saw of Jack was when he and that Italian guy darted out of the pub to catch the Titanic. Of course, you know what happened one year ago today. The Titanic sank…taking along with it most of the men and practically all of the third class passengers. Any chance of my finding Jack alive is very very slim."
"Oh Jason…"
"But anyway, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to send out that detective in search of all third class survivors. Anyone who may have known my cousin. Anyone who could tell me how his last days were spent and how he died…nobly I hope. In fact, I’m going to go call that detective right now," Jason sets down his tea and begins for the door.
"Jason wait!" Rose tries to stop him.
"I’ll be back Rose! Just wait here," Jason runs out the door and back to his apartment.
Rose sits in stunned silence. Jason was in search of survivors to tell him about Jack. Little did he know that there was one who could give him a first hand account of how Jack spent his last days.
"Oh Jack. What should I do," Rose’s voice caught on a sob.
"You know what to do Rose. I can’t tell you, but you know," Jack’s voice again speaks in her ear.
"Stay with me Jack," Rose bites her lip. "I need your strength if I’m going to relive this again."
"I’m always here with ya Rose. Never doubt that."
Just then a warmth goes through Rose and stays with her, even when Jason returns, the warmth never leaves. Jack was giving her his strength. He wanted her to tell Jason the truth. he wanted her to tell Jason about Titanic.
"Well the detective said he’ll get right on it," Jason grinned happily, his tears still drying from his eyes.
"…Jason…call the detective back and tell him his services are no longer need," Rose takes Jason’s hands.
"What? Why would I do that? I want to find out about my cousin…"
"Because there’s someone right here who can tell you first hand how Jack Dawson had spent his last days, and she’d do it for free. No matter how much pain it caused her," Rose fights back her tears and let’s Jack’s strength flow through her.
"Rose…I’m not getting you," Jason’s
confused. Why was Rose doing this? Didn’t she want him to
find out what happened to Jack?
Rose begins to sob a bit, then she stops. The vacant look of
grief is replaced a piercing gaze, a gaze that looked into his
soul. Only one person had that gaze…but that person was
dead. "Listen to me Jason. I know how Jack died because I
was with him."
"You were? Rose…I’m not getting you."
"I met Jack aboard Titanic. I was a first class passenger and he was third…"
So Rose began the magical dream that turned into a horrible nightmare. She went through everything, including the renault and Jack’s getting framed for the necklace. When she got to the end, where she had claimed the name Dawson as her own, Jason was seated in stunned silence.
"So that’s it. That’s how I met and fell in love with Jack and stayed with him up until he died," Rose sniffs back her waiting tears.
"Why didn’t you tell me this before…when you first found out I was his cousin?"
"Because it hurt so much to even think of him, and it still does. But I’m telling you now because it’s what Jack wants. I know it is. I feel him with me everyday. I sometimes even see him in my dreams."
"Rose…Jake…Is he Jack’s baby?" Jason asked already knowing the answer. He rmembered that conversation between them months ago in the hospital room.
Rose simply nods. "He’s all I have left of him now."
"May I hold him? For just a little while. I need to feel that connection with Jack…please."
"Of course. Let me go get him," Rose nods,
disappearing into her room to get the gurgling baby and reenters
the room. "Here you go."
Jason sobs as he takes his little cousin in his arms. Jason gasps
as he realized the baby he must have held a thousand times had
Jack’s eyes and smile, even a shining blond fuzz was on top
his head. "I never really noticed how much he looks like
Jack."
"Does this mean you’re not mad at me Jason? For not telling you about Jack sooner?" Rose asked cautiously.
"Why would I be mad at you for Rose? You’re Jack’s true love. The woman he died for. You must have been very special for him to go through all that."
"He was the special one. He took my hand and showed me how to fly. He set me free from the bounds I was tied with and he gave me this beautiful little boy," Rose lovingly gazes down on her baby. "And he brought me a good friend that was close to him…someone who could share stories of his boyhood with his son."
"I miss him Rose," tears again stream from Jason’s eyes. "He was my best friend…I never even got a chance to say good-bye."
"It’s never good-bye with Jack Jason. He’s always with us…even now. How do you think I got the strength to talk about Titanic when it hurts me so much?" Rose places a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It came from Jack. He lent me his strength."
"Rose…"
Then Rose gets the idea. Show him the pictures…the pictures of her and the faint image of Jack…that should make him see that his beloved cousin would always be with him.
"Jason…I have to show you something," Rose gets up off the couch and gets the picture of her on a horse. "Look at this. Look real close or you won’t see what I’m trying to tell you."
Jason stares intently at the picture and gasps in surprise when he finds the faint image of Jack. "When was this taken?"
"Not quite a year ago. But it was after Titanic. This was one of the pictures that told me Jack had never left me."
"Oh Rose…you must have been so happy when you noticed this," Jason grinned happily.
"Talking of pictures Jason, I have yet to take yours. You holding Jake like that…it’d be perfect."
"Oh Rose no. I’m a mess. There’s no way I can let you take my picture," Jason refuses, standing up as Rose gets her camera.
"Oh nonsense. You look fine. Come on, just one picture with you holding your little cousin. It can be a new picture to put up on that mantle of yours," Rose laughed.
"Ok," Jason sighed in defeat. "Where do you want me?"
"Over by the couch with Jake," Rose motions, holding up the camera. Jason smiles just as the flash goes off.
Two weeks later…
Rose rushes over to Jake’s apartment with the newly developed pictures.
"Rose what are you doing here?" Jason asked once he opened the door.
"I thought you might want to see this," Rose hands Jason the picture Rose had taken of him in her apartment. Jason gasps when he examines the picture and notices Jack standing beside him, a hand on his shoulder, looking down at Jake.
"It’s Jack," Jason gasped.
Rose nods. "I knew you’d want a copy, so I made you one."
"Thank you Rose," Jason takes her in his arms. "Thank you so much! You don’t know how much this means to me!"
"I get a pretty good idea," Rose smiles, leaning deeper into the embrace. Catching herself, she pulls away. She didn’t want Jason to get the wrong idea. "I better go. It’s getting late and Jake’s waiting for me."
"Night Rose," Jason returns his attention to the picture.
"Night Jason," Rose smiles, watching the gleam of fresh tears in his eyes. She knew she had done something good…even though it had brought her pain and caused her to have unwelcomed feelings to a man who was so close to Jack.