Falling in Love Again
Present day…
Rose looks at the picture of Jason, Jack, and Jake and sighs happily. She had made him so happy that day. Even though it had brought up feelings that she had thought would remain dormant forever. She sighed as she remembered the day she discovered herself falling in love with Jason Calvert and how she had dreaded it…
The night was stormy and Jason and Rose were setting on her couch, reading the local paper and talking about the days activities. It was two months since Rose had told Jason the truth about Jack and since then they have grown very close. Jason was over at Rose’s practically every day. She of course thought it was because he wanted to see Jake as much as possible, but that wasn’t the case at all. Jason was over there all the time because he wanted to see Rose and spend as much time with her as possible.
At first he had felt guilty for his feelings for Rose. She of course was Jack’s true love and the mother of his child. In fact, he was going to forget about it and put as much distance between himself and Rose as possible, but then he had the dream…He remembered it so clearly. He was on board a ship…the Titanic he presumed…and there was Jack, standing at the bow. His eyes were as bright and blue as ever and he had that devil may care grin plastered on his face.
"Jack," Jason breathed in shock.
"I brought you here to tell you it’s alright," Jack grinned.
"What’s alright?"
"Come on Jason, this is me, Jack. We were always able to tell what each other was thinking. You’re in love with Rose and you’re not sure if it’s right, but it is. Trust me. I wouldn’t have brought you to her if I didn’t think so."
"But Jack…she’s yours. I couldn’t possibly…"
Jack’s voice was stern. "She’s not mine Jas. She never was. She doesn’t belong to no one except herself. Besides, I’m dead but you’re not."
"But what if she doesn’t feel the same way?"
"But she does. She’s just scared. You have to reassure her…tell her it’s alright. That it’s what I want," Jack said. "I’ll try my best to tell her, but my powers here are growing weak and I won’t be able to contact her through her dreams for much longer. That’s why it’s so important that you and her get together…so she can let go and be free from the past."
"But Jack…"
"Jason, I don’t have much longer. I have to save my strength for Rose, but do me this one thing will ya?"
"Anything."
"Promise me you’ll take good care of them. That you’ll raise Jake to be a good man and take care of Rose and love her as much as I do."
"I already do love her Jack," Jason grinned sheepishly. "But I promise Jack. I will take good care of them and I’m going to make sure that Jake knows everything there is to know about his father. I promise."
The dream begins to break up and Jack begins to fade out, but before he goes he whispers a thank-you. That’s when Jason had woken up all sweaty. Jack’s last words stay in his head and he knew it wasn’t an ordinary dream. Jack wanted him and Rose together and Jason was going make sure to honor his cousin’s wishes.
Jason looks at Rose longingly. Her red hair was falling over her shoulders as she bent down to give Jake his toy. He reaches out and tucks her hair behind her ear. She looks up surprised at the touch and the electricity it caused.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I’m sorry I startled you like that."
"That’s okay," Rose whispered, her face so close to his, she could feel his warm breath brush her face and when she looked in his eyes…she saw desire…raw burning desire. No one had looked at her like that for over a year and seeing it now had brought up something in her that she had thought was dead. "Jason…"
"Rose," Jason takes her hand. Looking in her eyes one more time, he kisses her gently. A warm sweet kiss. Tingling with pleasure and desire, Rose kisses him back and moves a little closer, not wanting the moment to end. She hadn’t felt this way since the last time Jack had kissed her. Jack! What was she doing?!
"Stop!" Rose quickly pulls away from the kiss, her cheeks burning furiously.
"Rose," Jason stammers.
"I think you better go now," Rose gets to her feet and moves to the door.
"Rose…"
"Leave Jason! Leave now!" Rose demands, pointing out into the hall.
"Ok," Jason sighed heavily and exits the room, then he turns around before Rose could close the door. "But you’ll know where I’ll be when you want to talk about what just happened."
Rose slams the door and her hand flies to her mouth. "Oh Jack, what have I done?!" She runs to her room and falls on the couch sobbing. The horrible feeling of guilt refusing to go away. She falls asleep like this.
The ship was blinking in and out, like it was having trouble staying in the same dimension as her. She walks through the ship til she reaches what looks like a fading oil painting of the bow and there standing out clearly was Jack. He didn’t smile. He fact he looked rushed. He quickly strides to her and takes her into his arms.
"Don’t cry my sweet Rose. There’s nothing to cry about," He soothed, his voice still rushed and a bit strained.
"Oh Jack how could I have let it happen? I didn’t mean to betray you," Rose sobbed.
"But you didn’t betray me Rose," Jack soothed, his voice growing more urgent. "listen Rose…I don’t have much time and I need to say this. I need you to go on with your life. You can’t mourn me forever. This thing with Jason…it’s what I want. I told him that too when he was feeling guilty."
"You talked to him?" Rose pulls away from Jack.
"Yes. I had to. Rose, I need you to go on with your life…love someone else. You can’t go through life mourning me…you have to get married and have a lot more babies. Remember?"
"But Jack…I love you. How can I possibly love anyone else."
"But you already do Rose. Search your heart. What does it tell you?"
"…I love you"
"And Jason? What does it tell you about Jason?"
Rose is silent for a couple of minutes as she searched her feelings and didn’t like what she came up with. "Jack…"
"You love him don’t ya Rose?"
Sobbing, Rose nods. "I’m sorry."
Jack laughed. "Don’t be sorry Rose. Don’t you ever be sorry for falling in love again, because that’s what I want for you Rose. Now more than ever. Rose…I won’t be able to visit you like this anymore."
"What?"
"I’ll always be with you, but we can never be together like this again until it’s your time to join me. That’s why it’s so important to me that you fall in love and start a family with someone else. Do you understand?"
Sobbing, Rose nods. "I’ll at least have the pictures won’t I?"
"Of course," Jack grins. "You just won’t dream about me anymore. Take care of Jason Rose. He’s still grieving. He hasn’t had as much time as you. Be there for him…and love him well."
"I will Jack," Rose touches his face gently. "I love you."
"I love you too Rose and never forget your promise and that I’m with you always. This isn’t good-bye."
Rose just smiles as he leans down and softly kisses her as the Titanic blinks out of view. For one moment it’s just him and her. Two people deeply in love with one another. She didn’t want it to end. She even steps closer, but as soon as she does his lips are gone. She can no longer feel them. She opens her eyes to see him staring at her sadly.
"I love you Rose Dawson.," He holds his hand up in a wave.
"I love you more," Rose sobs silently, holding up her hand in a wave of her own.
Then he’s gone, leaving her there in the darkness.
She knew now what she had to do and what she wanted to do. She had to wake up and go talk to Jason. She had to keep her promise to Jack.
Jason gets up off the couch and answers the urgent knocking on the door. He opens it to reveal Rose and Jake. Rose’s eyes were red from crying, but he saw something new in them. It wasn’t anger…but he was afraid to even guess what the other possibility was.
"Rose…" Jason answers, but is cut off when Rose steps up to him and gives him a passionate kiss of her own, he of course immediately responds.
"I love you Jason Calvert," Rose breathed once they had broken away from the kiss.
"Rose…I love you too. But what about…"
Rose cuts off his sentence by placing a finger over his lips. "This is what he wants. What he’s always wanted. If we don’t follow through with our feelings…I’ll be breaking my promise to him."
"And so would I," Jason takes her in his arms once again and kisses her like he’s never kissed anyone before. "I love you Rose Dawson. Will you marry me?"
Rose grins happily. "Of course I will."
Present day…
Rose looks at her wedding picture to Jason. He was so handsome that day and she was on cloud nine. She remember when they had developed the film and both of them had examined it closely. And of course they found what they were looking for. Jack was behind them, a grin plaster on his face, his eyes shone with true happiness. They had both layed in each others arms that night crying with joy that he was there to give his blessing. Jason had spoken aloud that he was going to take good care of her and Jake and was going to be the best husband in the world.
Rose gasped when she heard a faint I know. Jason had heard it too by the unshed tears that had suddenly appeared in his eyes and the smile of pure happiness.
"He’s with us Rose," Jason had whispered wonderously.
"I know. He always is," Rose smiled at her husband, happy to have found someone who loved Jack as much as she did.
Rose smiled at the memory. "Oh Jack, your cousin loved you so much. I do hope you two got to spend time together after his time had arrived." She moves on to another picture.