AFTER TITANIC

BOOK ONE

Chapter Thirty-Four

One week later...

It's the day of the wedding. Rose is nervously pacing the floor of the room she's sharing with Eliza. She knew it absurd to be nervous about renewing her vows with Jack. They already were married so there was nothing that could go wrong. Really it was Eliza she was worried for. What if Lee and Mrs. Hathaway had found out about the wedding. They'd never let it go off.

"Rose please stop pacing. You're making me nervous," Eliza giggled. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. In just a couple of minutes, Maxwell and I will be husband and wife. We're going to be twice as happy as you and Jack."
"I hope you're right Eliza. I want nothing more than for the two of you to have what Jack and I share."
"Room for two more in here?" Molly pokes her head through the door.
"Sure Molly, come on in," Rose smiled.
"Oh Rose, you look absolutely gorgeous," Ruth exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes as she sees her daughter in the fancy wedding dress they had brought just a week ago. This was what she had always dreamed for her daughter. A big lavish wedding to the man she loved. Even though last year she was willing to marry Rose off to a man she despised. "Jack is going to be pleased when you walk down that aisle."
"Oh Ruth, you know Jack would think Rose was beautiful if she had nothing to wear but rags. He loves her so much. The same goes for Maxwell and you Eliza," Molly laughed.
"Thank-you Molly," Eliza said, her voice a little melancholy.
"Why Eliza, what's wrong?" Molly asked, concerned. "This is your wedding day girl. You should be happy, not in tears."
"Oh Molly, it's just the fact that my mother isn't here. I always thought she'd be here to support me on my wedding day. But she's not. In fact, she despises Maxwell. She'd never support my marriage to him.
"Give it time darlin. She'll come around. Believe me when I say this, because I never thought I'd see Ruth there be happy to see Rose marrying Jack Dawson. So miracles do happen," Molly hugs Eliza. "But if it's your mother you miss, I'll agree to stand in for her. How's that?"
"Thank-you Molly," Eliza hugs the older woman. "This means a lot to me."
"I know darlin, I know," Molly hugs Eliza even closer. "And don't worry about your mother. Just give her time. She'll come around."
"The music is starting," Ruth announced. "We better take our seats and you two better get walking down that aisle. Your grooms are waiting."
Jack stares out at the guests piled into the fancy hall of the Netherland Plaza. He couldn't believe how many people had actually showed up to this wedding. About five hundred in all and Jack didn't even know most of them. He hoped this didn't bother Rose. He knew how she felt about big fancy weddings, but this was how his grandfather wanted it, and since the old man was dying...Jack couldn't say no. But all their friends were there and that's what he wanted. He even spotted his two best friends from Chippewa Falls setting in the middle row giving him the thumbs up sign. And he could almost see his friends from Titanic way in the back and his parents also, silently standing up, waiting to see him and Rose renew their vows. But of course that was his imagination. They were there, but Jack couldn't see them....not really.
"Nervous Jack?" Maxwell asked.
"Nah. Not at all. I've done this all before," Jack smiled. "But how about you? This is your first time."
"Not nervous at all. Just frightened to death," Maxwell laughed. "But I'll be fine."
"Here they come," Jack whispered as the wedding march starts.
Jack's breath is taken away as Rose comes down the aisle. She was dazzling. Her eyes shone with happiness and love. He knew at that moment that there was no other woman for him but her.
Rose stared straight ahead at Jack. The last time he looked that handsome was when he met her at the bottom of the grand staircase on Titanic. But he was more handsome to her now because she knew for sure that his heart belonged to her and always would.
"Hello Rose," Jack smiled as she reached them, remembering that was the first thing he said to her last year when they were first married.
"Hi Jack," Rose smiled back at him.
"Dearly beloved," The preacher began. In five minutes Eliza and Maxwell were husband and wife and Jack and Rose had reconfirmed their love and devotion to one another. All four of them were extremely happy until all the commotion started with Lee Conway and Marge Hathaway barging into the room
"She's mine Calvert," Lee wobbly points a gun in their direction. "You can't have her!"
"Lee put down that gun!" Molly demanded, standing up. "Marge get control of him!"
"Shut up Molly. This is no concern of yours!" Marge demanded.
"Who are these people and what are they doing here!" Emmanuel stands up.
"Jack," Rose grabs Jack's arm, frightened as she notices her mother holding the twins. What if something happens and they get hurt?
"It'll be ok," Jack squeezes Rose's hand.
"Get away from her Calvert!" Lee once again demands.
"It's too late Lee. We're married. She doesn't belong to you anymore," Maxwell replied. "I suggest you put the gun down and go back to Chippewa Falls. You weren't invited to this event."
"Well there's only one thing to do then," Lee glared up at the podium, still clutching the gun. "If I can't have her...well then you can't either."
Before anyone could make another move, a shot rings out and pandemonium breaks out.
"Jack!" Rose calls as she realizes that he's not holding her hand anymore. Where was he? Why did he let go of her hand. She's about to go find him when her foot bumps against something heavy. She looks down to see her beloved unconcious, blood soaking his white shirt.
"Jack!" Rose screamed in horror, immediately dropping ddown to her knees, bringing all the commotion to a stop. "Oh no Jack!"
"Rose!" Ruth runs to her daughter's side and places a supportive arm around her.
"Mama! It's Jack! He's...He's..."
"He's going to be fine," Ruth replied in her sternest voice. "He's going to be fine Rose. He wouldn't leave you and the children. He wouldn't."
Rose could only look at her mother and then back down at Jack and burst into tears again. Why was this happening to them and why was it happening now? They were so happy. They had a whole life of happiness ahead of them. Now all that happiness was replaced with uncertainty.
"The ambulance is on their way," Molly came running up to them. "Don't worry Roseie. He'll be fine."
"Where did that blasted Conway go?" Ruth growled.
"No one knows. Him and Marge had both disappeared," Molly sighed. "And that poor old man...he's as pale as a ghost."
"That's Jack's grandfather," Rose sniffs as she looks up to see Katherine gripping her grandfather's arms. "He was so happy that Jack had returned. In fact,this wedding was more for him than for us. He wanted to see his grandson get married...before he died. I should go to him. Jack would want that," But Rose doesn't make a move to leave Jack's side. She couldn't. As long as she had Jack's hand in hers, there was hope that he'd make it.
"I'll go to him," Molly attempts a smile. "Don't worry Rose. Everything will be fine."
As soon as Molly left her side, Rose fainted into her mother's arms, and didn't awake until morning.
Jack woke up in his tiny stateroom aboard Titanic. What was he doing here? Where was Rose?
"Don't worry boy-o. She's safe," Tommy Ryan appears in front of him along with Fabrizio. "She's not here with the rest of us."
"But I am," Jack sets up. "What does this mean? Am I..."
"Dead? No Jack. You're not dead. Not yet anyway," Tommy laughed. "But you will be here with us for a while. We all thought it was the best place for ya. Better than the dark place anyway."
"But how about Rose?"
"She's safe like I said. She wasn't hurt. But you can bring her here when she's asleep though. Let her know you're all right. But only when she's asleep," Fabrizio said. "Actually, since you're not officially dead, we'll have to bring her here for you. But you still get to talk to her."
"Poor Rose," Jack sighed. "She must be going through hell right now. How about my grandfather?"
"In shock. But we can bring him here too if you want. Even though I'd think that'd make your parents a tad bit uncomfortable," Tommy smiled.
"My parents?"
"Hello son," Jonathan and Emma Dawson appear in the doorway. "We've missed you."
"Pa! Ma!" Jack's eyes light up as he runs to his parents and embrace them. "I have so much to tell ya!
"Well let's go out on deck and you can tell us here," Emma Dawson lovingly smiles at her son and leads him out of the room.
"Think he'll be ok?" Fabrizio asked staring after his friend.
"Of course. We just have to keep reminding him where he really belongs though. We can't let him forget."
Fabrizio nod in agreement and both leaves the room.

Rose awakens in her room, a damp cloth draped over her forehead. What a nightmare she had. It was their wedding day and Jack had gotten shot. Then she glances at the chair where her dress stained with Jack's blood was draped and realized that it wasn't a dream. Jack was indeed shot and lying in a hospital room right now. She had to get there. She had to be with him so he'd know how much she loved him and needed him. She gets up and heads downstairs to find her mother reading to the twins the favorite book that Jack read to them every night.
"Mother?" Rose asked.
"I see you're awake. You've been out since yesterday afternoon. I was beginning to worry."
"Jack..."
"His condition hasn't changed. He's still unconcious. But the doctors did remove the bullet. It had just missed his heart. Which is good if you ask me. The doctor said he was a fighter and has a good chance of surviving this. That should make you pleased."
Rose nods. "Where's Molly?"
"At the hospital of course, keeping tabs on the news. Eliza and Maxwell are still asleep and Jack's grandfather is ok. In fact, he called last night to check up on you."
"So Molly was the only one there with Jack?" Rose asked.
"No. A couple of other people were there to. Friends of his of course," Ruth explained. Then she takes a look at her daughter's red eyes. Eyes that were red from crying. "My poor Rose. You were so happy...so carefree."
This mad Rose want to cry even more, but she didn't. She had to be strong this time around. She had to be strong for Jack.
"I'll be alright mother. I just need to get dressed, get a bite to eat and get over to the hospital to relieve Molly. It should be me by Jack's side. Not her. He's my responsibility," Rose forces a smile.
"Rose...we're here for you. Remember that," Ruth replied.
"Yes mother," Rose nods. "I'll remember." With that said, Rose turns and goes upstairs and changes into a white blouse and gray skirt. Drab colors, but that's how she felt. Drab. Without Jack, her world had changed from a world of vibrant colors to a dull gray.

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