AFTER TITANIC

BOOK ONE
Chapter Twenty-Two

Molly is just sitting down to a nice cup of tea while Ruth is out shopping for groceries. She can't help but enjoy this time to herself. She liked Ruth sure enough, but there were still times when she wanted time to be alone and contemplate her life and how she could have done things differently. She is taking another sip of tea when the doorbell chimes.
"Mrs. Brown, there's two young people at the door for you," Sylvia the new maid Molly had hired enters the room nervously, knowing how Mrs. Brown liked being alone at this time of day and didn't appreciate being disturbed.
"Well what's their names?" Molly asked, sitting up in her chair. Surely it couldn't be her children. She had just visited with them yesterday and they had told her all was well with them. Things couldn't have changed that fast could they?
"A Jack and Rose Dawson Mrs. They said you wouldn't mind seeing them," Sylvia explained, all the while nervously wringing her hands.
"Why Jack and Rose are here! Why didn't you just say it was them girl!" Molly stands up in excitement. "Well don't just stand there! Invite them in!"
Jack and Rose. She had almost forgotten about them. If it weren't for Ruth and the strange connection she had felt with Jack Dawson...she probably would've forgotten them.
"Hi Molly," Both Jack and Rose greet as Sylvia leads them into the room.
"May I get you two anything? Some tea perhaps?" Sylvia offers.
"No thank-you. We're fine," Rose smiled, running over to Molly to give her a big hug.
"Oh Rose darlin', it's so good to see you. It's been too long," Molly hugs the girl tightly. "And I see Jack has been taking good care of you."
"I try my best," Jack laughs, coming up for a hug of his own.
"And Jack Dawson. You get more and more good-looking everytime I see ya. It's a good thing I'm a old woman or I'd have to steal you away from Rose," Molly laughed, hugging both of them tightly. They were like her own children...in fact, she considered both Jack and Rose her adopted son and daughter.
"There's no danger of that," Rose laughed good-naturedly.
"Oh I don't know Rose. I always kind of leaned towards older women," Jack joked, getting a mock punch in the arm from his wife.
"So what brings you two kids to these parts?" Molly asked. "Hopefully to reconcile with your mother Rose?"
Their expressions quickly change from smiling to serious. They reminded her of when she had first found them after they docked in New York after the Titanic tragedy.
"What's the matter? Why the serious faces?" She asked.
"We're here to see a doctor..."Jack started.
"A doctor! Is it the baby?! Is something wrong with the baby?!" Molly tenses her muscles ready for the bad news.
"No molly. The baby's fine. It's Rose," Jack sighed.
"I'm going crazy," Rose suddenly bursts into tears.
Jack puts his arm around her shoulders and holds her tight. "No Rose. You're not going crazy. You just have issues you to get over and just need extra help to get over them."
"Wait a minute you two. What's going on here? What do you mean you're going crazy Rose?"
Rose doesn't answer. She just moves closer to Jack, as if being closer to him would protect her from all the bad things in the outside world.
"Jack?" Molly turns to the young man for answers once she saw that Rose was no in the condition to share information.
"We're going to a shrink here in town. He was recommended by a doctor friend at home."
"A shrink? Why are you taking her to a shrink?" Molly asks, her eyes full of confusion. "She seems pretty sane to me."
"She is sane. It's just that Titanic is still haunting her. Really it's haunting both of us. That's why we're going to see this doctor together. Maybe he can help us get through this," Jack explained. He couldn't reveal everything to Molly because he still doesn't know everything. Rose refuses to tell him what she saw at the lake and why she kept telling him she was sorry.
"I'm a headcase Molly. That's why I'm going to this doctor Alman. He's probably going to put me in a insane asylum," Rose sobbed.
"No Rose. He's not going to do that," Jack soothed his sobbing wife.
"Jack's right Rose. I know Dr. Alman and he's a good man. The only thing he'll do is listen to you talk about what's happening to you and give you some advice. Maybe some medicine to help calm your nerves. You'll be fine," Molly places a firm hand on Rose's and squeezes reassuringly.
"See Rose. Molly knows him. She wouldn't let you go to someone she doesn't like now would she?" Jack pulls her away from him to look her in the eyes. His gaze is firm and full of confidence and most of all love.
Rose just sniffs and shakes her head. She even tried to atttempt a smile for him. "Oh Jack...Molly...I'm so scared. I'm scared of what he's going to say."
"Don't worry about what he's going to say Rosie darlin. The only thing serious he'll tell ya is that you need plenty of rest. That's about it," Molly comforted. "Besides, you'll have Jack there right beside ya and if you like...I'll go with you too. I have been through Titanic right along with you, plus I'ved talked about it with him myself and I'm not in a asylum or anything."
"Oh Molly will you go with us?" Jack's voice is now hopeful. "I really think that will help."
"Why certainly. When is the appointment?" Molly asked.
"This afternoon at three. Is that okay?" Jack asked, pulling Rose into another hug.
"That's perfectly fine. But in the mean time, you two kids need to rest. I'll have Sylvia fix up your rooms while I fix you a snack. You two must be starved after that bumpy carriage ride," Molly laughs, leading Jack and Rose into the kitchen.
That's when Ruth came through the door, two maids with their arms full of groceries trailing behind her. "Make sure you put the flour in the cabinet this time. The last time you left it on the counter it fell on the floor and got everywhere."
"Yes Mrs.," one of the maids nods.
Ruth is about to give another order when she finally notices Jack and Rose, who are quietly watching her entrance.
"Rose...what are you doing here...I mean...I'm glad to see you..." Ruth is taken off guard. She wasn't expecting Rose to get in contact with her anytime soon.
"Hello mother," Rose stands up and greets her mother with a voice void of emotion. "We just came by to say hello to Molly and run a couple of errands. We'll be here until tomorrow morning, then we're heading back home."
"So you're not here to see me?" Ruth is hurt. Why does her daughter refuse to forgive her? Why can't she just forget about the past and start anew?
"I'm sorry mother. I know you must be disappointed," Rose looks away.
"But that doesn't mean you two can't talk," Molly interrupted. "In fact Rose, this may be the time to make up with her. Come Jack, let's make sure they're putting the groceries away right."
"Sure Molly," Jack catches Molly's reasoning and gets up to follow her into the kitchen, leaving Rose alone with Ruth.
"Rose..."
"Not now mother. I can't talk about this right now. I can't take your guilt trips," Rose turns her back to her mother.
"Guilt trips? Rose...I have no intention of laying a guilt trip on you. That's the last thing I want to do. I just want us to start a relationship. I want to be a real mother to you. Is that so wrong?"
Rose doesn't answer. She keeps her back turned and hopes Jack and Molly return soon.
"I have accepted Jack Rose if that's what you're wondering. He's a fine young man and I'm glad you found each other. I was wrong for trying to keep you two apart on Titanic. I was afraid and desparate Rose. You know that."
"Mother stop it! Stop it right now! I don't want to talk about Titanic with you! Not now, not ever!"
"Rose..." Ruth is confused by this outburst. What did she say to make Rose so angry.
"Just leave me alone!" Rose runs past her mother and into Jack's arms when he and Molly come out of the kitchen to see what all the shouting was about.
"What happened here?" Molly asked, walking up to Ruth and lays a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't know. I don't even know what I said. I was just apologizing for my behavior on Titanic and she yelled at me. I don't know what I said," Ruth stammered.
"I'll take her outside to get some air," Jack leads Rose to the door and gives Molly a look that said it was okay to tell Ruth what was going on with Rose. "It's ok."
Molly nods in understanding and leads Ruth into the sitting room. "We need to talk...about Rose. Jack just said it was okay to tell you what was going on."
"What's going on? What do you mean? What's wrong with my daughter?"
"...She's having a hard time getting over what she went through on Titanic."
"What do you mean? We went through it too and we don't get angry over nothing do we?"
Molly sighed. Ruth has come a long way, but at times she was still so stuck on herself that she didn't see the big picture. "Ruth, it was worse for Rose and Jack. All we did was get in a lifeboat and watch the ship disappear into the ocean. But Rose and Jack...they were right in the heart of everything. They ran through that sinking ship, then when it sank they were right in the heart of that screaming mass of dying people. In fact, they almost died themselves. But something like that you just don't get over. It stays with you and it's sticking with Rose like glue."
"I don't understand."
"Jack brought Rose here to see a head doctor. To help her get pass Titanic...to put it in the past. Now I don't know the exact details of what happened, but I do know that it was serious enough for her to go talk to this doctor," Molly explained. "Now I want you to go easy on her Ruth. No talking about that ship at all, you hear?"
Ruth quickly nods. Anything for Rose. Her poor daughter...being haunted by such a horrible and senseless tragedy.
"Is everything okay here?" Jack asked, escorting Rose back into the room, her eyes red from crying.
Molly nods. Ruth just gets up and hugs her daughter tightly. "I'm sorry Rose. And don't worry darling. Everything will be ok," To Ruth's surprise, Rose hugs her back. This action spoke volumes to Ruth. Rose did forgive her...for everything and she was sorry for the outburst.
"Jack, why don't you take Rose on up to bed. It's the third room on the left. I'll send Sylvia up with some hot tea and sandwiches for you both," Molly suggests.
"Sure," Jack nods, talking Rose's hand and leading her upstairs..

"You did a good thing Ruth," Molly smiled. "You two may be back on the road to recovering your relationship. Just remember to take it slow."

Up in the guest room, Rose and Jack are on the bed, Rose's head is resting on his chest as he strokes her hair and sings her their song. "Come Josephine in my flying machine...and it's up she goes. Up she goes."
"I love you Jack," Rose whispered, her eyes growing heavy.
"I love you too Rose," He smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of you."
"Why is this happening Jack? Why can't I just let it go?"
"I don't know Rose. But that's why we're going to this doctor so he can help you let it go and go on with your life. But Rose...what happened out there on the lake? What did you see that scared you so much?"
Rose doesn't answer. She just buries her head in his chest and begins to sob again at the memory of Jack's dead body floating in those icy waters. She knew it was a hallucination, but it had felt so real to her. And even though she was in Jack's arms right now and he was very much alive, it still felt real to her. "I can't Jack...it hurts so much to even think about it."
"Shhh Rose. It's ok. You don't have to tell me right now. We'll save it when we're in the doctor's office. He'll be able to help you more there," Jack holds her tightly and strokes her hair. He wants to make all the sadness of Titanic go away and never return, but he knew that it would take more than his love and support to make that happen. His wife needed help...and frankly, so did he. He still can't stop feeling terribly guilty about Tommy and Fabrizio's deaths. "It'll be okay Rose. Just get some sleep. The both of you need it."
Rose drifts off to sleep, breathing in his scent, hoping to take him with her into the dreams that haunt her when she dares to close her eyes.

They're in the Renault, they had just gotten through makeing love. Rose strokes his hair and stares into his eyes. He was so beautiful and so...cold? Why was he cold? Sure the cargo room was cold, but their lovemaking had warmed her up. In fact, she was burning hot.
"Jack?" Rose asked, furrowing her brow. "You're so cold."
"Aren't you?" Jack asked, his freezing breath lightly touching her cheek.
Rose shakes her head and notices that ice had begun to form in his hair. "Jack?"
Suddenly they're not in the Renault anymore. They're in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic and Titanic had disappeared under the ocean.
"Rose...I'm so cold," Jack was by now shivering violently. All Rose could do was cling to her beloved and try to give him some of her warmth.
"It's okay Jack. We'll get out of here," Rose begins to shiver herself. "Jack."
He doesn't answer. She can't even feel him breathing anymore. "Jack?"
She looks at him and screams. He was now a frozen statue, staring at her with those cold accusing eyes, asking why she couldn't stop this from happening to him.
"Jack!"
"Rose wake up!" Jack shakes her awake. She was screaming his name hysterically, tears streaming from her closed eyes. "You're dreaming Rose. Wake up!"
"Jack!" Rose bolts awake to stare into a pair of concerned blue eyes. "Jack?"
"You was having a nightmare," Jack explained, pulling her into a hug.
"It was so awful," Rose cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "You were so cold."
"Rose!" Ruth bounds into the room. "I heard screaming. What happened?"
"She had a nightmare," Jack answered, trying his best to calm down his sobbing wife.
"Was it about...?" Ruth questioned, moving over to the bed to put a warm hand on her daughter's head.
Jack just nods his head.
"It's ok Rose. You're safe now," Ruth rubs her daughter's back. "You're safe."
"I'm always safe. It's Jack who's..." Rose leaves off. She didn't mean to spill so much about her dreams. She never wanted Jack to know that she dreamed he had died out there on Titanic.
"What Rose? What happens in your dreams?" Jack asked, squarely looking in her tear-filled eyes.
Rose simply shakes her head and reburies her face in Jack's chest. She can't tell him. She just can't.
"Rosie darlin' it's time for your appointment," Molly announces cheerfully appearing in the doorway. "The car's waiting outiside now."
"Oh no. I don't think I can do this now," Rose sobbed.
"Don't worry Rose. We'll be right there beside you," Jack reassured her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Promise?"
"I promise. And you know me. I always keep my promises," Jack smiled, his blue eyes laughing.
"Do you want me to go with you too?" Ruth asked cautiously, not wanting to push herself on Rose.
"Why don't you stay here Ruth and keep the home fires burning. We should be back in a hour or two," Molly interjects, seeing the shock in Rose's eyes at her mother's suggestion.
"Sure," Ruth nods, feeling a tinge of jealousy that Molly was going to be there to support Rose and she was not. Rose was her daughter after all. She should be by her side at this difficult time.
Ruth follows them downstairs and watches them get in the car and disappear down the driveway, her worry over Rose's welfare rising in her chest. She hopes this doctor could help her daughter get past this. She wanted a normal life for Rose so much...she'd do anything to make it happen.

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