AFTER TITANIC

BOOK ONE:

Chapter Nineteen

Rose yawned as she wakes up with Jack leaning over her abdomen singing Come Josephine in my flying machine to their unborn child. Just by the look on his face, she could tell he was already in love with the child and felt warmth spread through her. She loved knowing that no matter what gender their child turned out to be, the child will be loved unconditionally.
"Good morning Jack," Rose interrupts the singing. Jack looked up in surprise to see Rose awake.
"Good morning love. How did you sleep?"
"Wonderful, and how even more wonderful to wake up to my beloved singing to our unborn baby," Rose smiled, stroking his hair. "I love your voice. It's so soothing. Now I know why the baby seems calm all the time now."
"Rose, you flatter me," Jack stands from the bed fully dressed. This is the first time Rose notices this.
"Jack? You're dressed. Where are you going?"
Jack doesn't look her in the eyes. "I'm going to go look for a job, we're going to need one."
"But I have a job Jack. There's no reason for you to look for a job just yet. Besides, that'll take time away from your drawing," Rose protests, remembering what happened the last time Jack went looking for a job. She was blackmailed to leave him. What if that happened again? What if Cal showed up and...forced her to leave with him? "In fact, I'm late for my job! Oh my goodness, I know Mrs. Hathaway is furioius," Rose scrambles out of bed.
"Rose, you're not expected there," Jack sighed, not sure what to tell her about what went on that morning. "Eliza stopped by and we had a talk."
"A talk? What do you mean a talk?"
"...I told her that you were too tired to work today. I mean with your mother being in town and all, you'd want to spend some time with her," Jack takes a deep breath, knowing he had just made a big mistake. He had just done with Rose what she had wanted to escape from. He had made a decision that wasn't really his to make.
"You did what?" Rose declared, not believing her ears. Jack had done the one thing that she had expected him never to do. How could he make such a decision for her? It wasn't his place. "How could you do that Jack?"
"I thought you needed the rest. You've been under a lot of pressure and in your condition..."
"Forget about my condition! You still had no right! This is my life Jack! You don't own me!"
"You're right Rose. I don't own you. But that is my baby you're carrying and I'm not going to let you endanger it's health just because you feel like you owe that woman something!"
"This is my baby too Jack. I know what's good for it. And I don't owe Mrs. Hathaway anything, but I do owe Eliza a lot. Without her Jack...who knows where I'd be," Rose turns her back on her husband, trying to hide the hot tears in her eyes. How can he be so cruel to her? "And I would never endanager our baby."
Jack didn't say anything; he just stares at the floor in silence, knowing that he h ad hurt her terribly, something he thought he never could do. "Rose...I have to go. We'll talk about this later tonight when I get home."
Rose doesn't answer him. She can't even look at him. She winces as she hears the door slam behind him as he leaves the house. Finally letting the tears out, she falls onto the bed and cries. What was happening to her and Jack? Had they lost all trust they had in each other? Could it be rebuilt? Getting up, she gets dressed and leaves the house for Chippewa Park. Maybe being outside in the fresh air will help her clear her head.
Staring out at the road, she spots a young couple around her and Jack's age, in a tight embrace. Tears well up in her eyes as she remembers that it was just yesterday that Jack had hugged her like that, now she didn't even want him to touch her with the way he was acting.

"Rose?" Eliza comes up to her, noticing her friend in tears. "Are you okay?"
Rose looks up at her friend, her sympathy clear in her eyes.
"Did something go badly with your mother?"
"It's Jack," Rose sniffs, wiping away her tears. "...He...he was so mean to me this morning."
Rose spilt out all the details of that morning's arguement, tears once again flowing out of her eyes as she repeated Jack's words. "I can't believe he said that."
"Me neither. What could've gotten into him?" Eliza's voice is thoughtful. "I mean...I've known Jack for years and had never known him to be temperamental or possesive. He's not Lee for goodness sake."
"Maybe he's taking lessons from Cal," Rose sniffed.
"Your ex-fiancee?" Eliza asked curiously.
"Jack told you about Cal?"
"He just said that you'd know what it's like being forced to marry a man you didn't love," Eliza sets down next to her friend. "Tell me about him Rose. What was Cal like?"
"He was mean and awful. He was abusive, and he acted like I was some kind of trophy, something for him to show off at parties to his friends and colleagues. He would tell me what to do what to wear what kind of people to talk to...he was awful. Lee ten times worse," Rose bites her lip. "And out of the blue my sweet perfect Jack turned into him this morning. Making decisions for me that i can make for myself, and accusing me of endangering our child..."
"Oh Rose, I'm sure Jack didn't mean any of those things. He's just worried that my mother is pushing you to the point that you'll lose the baby. He thinks she's doing that because you're a Dawson and she hates the Dawson's with a passion. I'm afraid to say he may be right."
"What?"
"Rose, haven't you seen it? Ever since she found out that you were Jack's wife, she's been working you to death. And Jack's right, it's not good for the baby. If she doesn't let up...you could lose the baby."
"So you agree with Jack?"
Eliza solemnly nods. "In fact Rose...I don't think you should return at all...at least not until the baby's born. Mother can find help elsewhere."
Rose nods. Maybe Eliza was right, but that didn't excuse Jack's behavior this morning. She trusted him with her life and he had hurt her where it would hurt most. She doesn't know if she could ever trust him not to hurt her again.
"Eliza!" an angry voice calls, causing both women to look up in surprise to see Lee Conway angrily storming towards them. "Where have you been! You're late for breakfast!"
"Lee...I just stopped to talk to rose. I was on my way," Eliza's voice quivers with fear as her fiancee roughly grabs her arm.
"Stopped to talk to rose? Stopped to talk to Rose! What were you doing stopping to talk to Rose when you're supposed to be meeting me?" He gives her a violent shake.
"Lee stop! You're hurting me!" Eliza cried, trying to break free from his tight grasp.
"Good! Maybe next time you'll think about what's more important when you're meeting me!"
Rose couldn't set there and watch this anymore. She had to do something. She couldn't let this brute treat her friend like this. "Stop it! Let her go!" Rose gets up and tries to break Lee's grasp on Eliza just to be violently pushed to the hard ground. Rose gasped in pain as a sharp pain shot through her stomach.
"Rose!" she hears a familiar voice call to her. She looks up to see Jack at her side, his eyes showing no sign of anger at the fight they had earlier, she saw only love and concern.
"The baby..." She whimpered, waiting for another pain to grab her at any moment. She's certain that her baby's life was in danger. "Jack...the baby..."
"You son of a bitch," Jack turns on Lee.
"Why Eliza, isn't it your old boyfriend? Why isn't he coming to your rescue?" Lee smiled cruelly. "Is it because he likes your new friend better?"
"Lee...please...." Eliza sniffed, a single tear streaming down her cheek, worry about Rose showing clear in her eyes. "Rose needs help."
"Go on then, but this isn't over," Lee growled letting go of Eliza and stalking out of the park, not even bothering to look at Jack and Rose, who's still kneeling on the ground, her hand on her stomach,scared to death that she may lose the child she's loved since she found out about the pregnancy.
"Jack...is she ok?" Eliza comes over to them, afraid to face Jack. He must be so angry with her for putting Rose and the baby in danger, and really she didn't blame him. If it weren't for her...Rose and the baby would be fine.
"Eliza...are the Calverts still in town?" Jack asked, gently stroking Rose's hair, trying to calm her the best way he could, being careful not to show how scared he also was. He had to be brave for Rose. Be confident that their baby would be fine. "Or has your mother ran them out of town yet?"
"Yes, they're still in town, but I'm sure mother would be able to handle..." ELiza began just to be interrupted by Jack, determination shining in his blue eyes.
"Go to them and tell Dr. Calvert that he's needed at the Dawson place. Tell him it's urgent."
"But Jack...my mother..."
"I don't want your mother. I want a doctor. A real doctor," There's now a hint of anger on Jack's voice. He didn't want to be contested at this point. "Eliza please. Do this one thing for me. For Rose. Do it for Rose."
Rose doesn't say anything, her head is now cradled on Jack's shoulder, hot tears courseing down her cheeks. All she can think about are the hopes and dreams she had for her baby. How she hoped it would look like Jack and have his sunny disposition.
"Okay Jack. I'll go get Dr. Calvert," Eliza sighed. "It's the least I can do."
"Thank you," Jack smiled, his eyes still grim. She owed them so much. How could she refuse such a simple request?
Taking one last look at Jack and Rose, she notices that the tension of the arguement Rose told her about was not there. All she could see is what she wished she could have. A loving husband kneeling next to his wife concerned for her well being. She can't help but be envious that it was Rose who was Jack's wife and not her.

Jack and Maxwell Calvert come out of the bedroom, smiles on both their faces.
"Don't worry Mr. Dawson. Both your wife and child are fine. When she fell, the baby was surprised and wanted to let her know about it. It sounds like he's going to be quite a kicker," the doctor laughed.
"Thank you Dr. Calvert," Jack shakes his hand. "I'm glad you were able to come on such short notice."
"It's nothing Jack. Besides, it's not like I had an office full of patients. Almost everyone in town still believes those rumors the Hathaway's spread about us. They all think that my family are a bunch of quacks."
"Jack!" Rose calls, her voice showing a hint of fear.
"I better get in there," Jack looks towards the closed door.
"Jack...I may be presumptuous here, but I'd like to be Rose's doctor for the remainder of this pregnancy and exist her in the birth of the baby."

Jack looked the doctor over for a second. He wasn't much older than himself. Twenty-one, maybe Twenty-two even. Was he experienced enough in birthing babies? Then it occured to Jack he wasn't because of people like Marge Hathaway who still believed that having a midwife was better than having a real doctor. Well, it was a time of change, the sinking of Titanic had proved that. "Sure. I think Rose would like that...she'd be more comfortable with a doctor than a midwife."
"Jack," Eliza gasped, as she heard the doctor's question and Jack's answer. What was Jack doing? Why was he insisting on going against the town traditions?
"What is it Eliza?" Jack turns to her, his eyes blank of emotion.
"What about mother. You know she's planning on bringing that baby into the world. I mean, it's her job...she's..."
"I don't care what your mother was planning on doing. I'm doing what's best for my wife," Jack said. "Rose isn't from here Eliza. You know that. She's from upper class Philadelphia where doctors bring babies into the world, not the local midwife. She's used to that, and since this is her first pregnancy, I think we'll go with what she's comfortable with."
"Jack..."
"End of discussion Eliza. Dr. Calvert is Rose's doctor. He will be the one that brings my son or daughter into the world. Is this in any way unclear?" Jack's voice is firm and unmovable.
"No. It's not," Eliza looks away. "I better be going now. Mother's expecting me," Eliza turns to the door. "And Jack...tell Rose I'm sorry for what happened and i'll be over later to see how she's doing."
"Sure," Jack smiled for the first time that day. Maybe his anger was beginning to fade.
"I'll walk you out," Maxwell Calvert rushes after her, waving good-bye to Jack. "Thanks again Jack!" Then he was gone out the door falling in step with Eliza.
"Jack!" Rose called again, her voice now on the edge of tears.
"I'm here Rose," Jack went into the room and embraced his sobbing wife, who in return clings tightly to him, burying her face into his shirt.
"Where were you Jack? I called and called but you didn't come."
"I was just settling things with the doctor, that's all," Jack stroked her hair and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Don't worry Rose. The baby's fine. It was just making it's presence known. That's all."
"So it's still alive?" hope lights up her eyes, a smile lightly plays on her lips.
"Of course it's still alive. Look who it has for parents. Two Titanic survivors," Jack smiled, planting a kiss on her lips.
Rose laughs and hugs Jack even tighter. The arguement from that morning was forgotten. All she wanted to do was spend the rest of her life in her husband's loving arms.
But this wasn't so for Jack. The words he had said to Rose still played in his head. How could he have said that to her? And why has she forgiven him? "Rose."
"Hmmm?"
"..."I'm sorry...about the arguement this morning. I was just so worried about you. I've been worried for the past two weeks," Jack looks into her eyes. "Oh Rose, I love you so much and I want to make things as easy as I can for you. That's why I told Eliza that you wouldn't be in this morning. I just wanted you to be comfortable. And I didn't mean what I said about the baby. I know you would never do anything to endanger the baby's life."
"Oh Jack...I totally forgot about that arguement. But I forgive you. I know you didn't mean any of it. I knew that the minute you were by my side in the park."
They embrace, both relieved that they forgave each other and that the baby was safe. Rose knew how lucky she was to have Jack. She knew that if she had never sailed on Titanic...if she had never met Jack at all, she could be in Eliza's shoes right now. So no matter how many arguements her and Jack have, sheknew that he still loved her and would never purposely harm her the way Cal would've...the way Lee harms Eliza. That night, she thanked her lucky stars for Jack and their unborn child, because shek knew all too well that things could've been different.

Eliza's eyes are wide open as she lies in bed that night. She can't help but think about the conversation she had with Maxwell Calvert that morning as he walked her back home from Jack and Rose's.
"Are you mad at me?" He had asked, his blue eyes gazing into hers.
"Why would I be mad at you Mr. Calvert? Who Jack wants to bring his baby into the world is his and Rose's business. Not mine," Eliza stares straight ahead. "It's my mother you should be worried about. If she didn't have reason to hate you before, she surely does now. That's money you're taking out of her pocket."
"Oh please. Your mother is quite wealthy according to Chippewa Falls standards. In fact, it's her that's taking money off my table. Not the other way around. I'm sure that the money missed from the Dawson baby would hardly put a dent in her lifestyle," Maxwell laughed.
"Laugh now Mr. Calvert, but my mother is going to make life very hard on you," Eliza warned, finally stoping to face him.
"She's already making life hard for me Eliza. She's been making my life hard ever since father moved the practice here. Thanks to her, we don't even make the regular salary that doctors should make. I can't tell you how many times she had advised someone not to come to us for their illnesses...and how many people had died because of that advice. But was it ever blamed on your mother? No. It was blamed on us. People thought our presence here was a curse or something. They somehow got the notion that no one here got seriously ill until we came to town. So it wasn't only our practice that was ruined, it was also our reputations."
Eliza was struck speechless. She had no idea what her mother had been up to for the past six years. "...I'm sorry...I had no idea."
Maxwell once again laughed at Eliza's apology. "That's ok Eliza. There's no reason for you to be sorry. It's not your fault. The only person at fault here is your mother, but hopefully with this new job, I can restore my family's reputation."
"It means that much to you?"
Maxwell nodded, his smile still there, but his eyes are now serious. "It's everything. If I can be the regular doctor for the Dawson's and show this town that I'm not a quack like your mother likes to refer to my family...that'll be a dream come true."
"Well then, I hope that dream comes true for you Mr. Calvert. After all my mother's put you through...you certainly deserve it."
"Thank you Eliza," Maxwell places a gentle hand on her cheek. "You don't know how much that means to me coming from you."
They stand there like that for what seems like an eternity, staring into each other's eyes...connecting. This was so strange for Eliza. She had never felt llike this before...not even with Jack. It was as if Mr. Calvert and herself were....meant to be together. But how could this be? Jack was her first love...plus she was engaged to Lee.
"Eliza," He whispered his voice soft and full of emotion.
She was having a hard time catching her breath. What was wrong with her? She had to stop this now. "I better go. Good-bye Mr. Calvert," Eliza breaks the spill and leaves him standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring after her.

What was she thinking this morning with Maxwell Calvert? So close to her wedding, recovering from the final confirmation that she had lost Jack forever...now this. Now another man comes into her life at the worst time he could enter it. And a Calvert...her mother would be furious if she knew. She can't tell no one...but she had to tell someone...she had to get this off her chest somehow. But who could she talk to? Who would possibly understand how she was feeling?
Rose. Of course. Rose would understand. Wasn't she engaged when she had met and fallen in love with Jack? Yes, Rose...her new best friend would know what she should do. she would listen and be sure not to whisper her feelings to a soul.
She gets up and is about to slip on a simple yellow dress wehn she realizes that it's way past midnight. Rose is most likely asleep. She can't possibly disturb her at this hour. She'll just have to wait until tomorrow.
Sighing forlornly, Eliza slips back into bed and falls into a sleep that's full of dreams with what life with Maxwell Calvert would be like.

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