11
It’s been two weeks since the Dawson’s departure. Rose spent those two weeks in her room, claiming to have a headache. The headache would intensify whenever Cal dropped by, preventing her from setting with him or anything else. Really, he was the last person she wanted to see. All he wanted to do was interrogate her about the Dawson’s again. She couldn’t live through that again. Not now, when she had no idea when she’d see Jack again.
"Rose," Ruth softly knocked before entering, not caring if Rose gave her permission to enter or not. "Cal is downstairs, requesting your company. I do recommend that you oblige. Headache or no headache. He’ll be leaving tomorrow and you’ve already lost points for refusing to see him in the past two weeks. You have a lot of time to make up for young lady."
"I’m glad he’s leaving," Rose stood from the bed and stared out the window. "" don'’ want to see him again. Once was enough."
"Rose!" Ruth’s mouth dropped open in shock at her daughter’s words. This was unacceptable. The Dewitt Bukaters was going broke. A union with the rich Hockley’s was the only way to save themselves. "You know our situation! You know that Hockley will save us if you comply to his wishes. Rose, for your father and myself…accept Cal’s proposal."
"No," Rose turned away from her mother. She knew that she was disappointing both of her parents, but they had disappointed her too many times. "I will not marry Caledon Hockley and I will not be seeing him again."
"You are being incredibly selfish, Rose!"
"It’s the way you raised me. Think of myself first, other’s last. You only have yourselves to blame."
Ruth glared at her daughter one last time before storming out to give Cal the bad news.
Relief filled Rose as she turned back to the window. She had stood up to her mother and won. Caledon Hockley was now out of her life forever.
~*~
Two days later…
Silence filled every corner of the room as the family gathered into Great Aunt Sylvia’s room. The room reeked of sickness and death and everyone was quiet as mice…especially Rose. Sylvia was her favorite great aunt and had been ill for well over a year now. Now it was almost time for the elderly woman to leave this life. After twelve months of pain…it was finally time for her to rest.
As Rose watched her aunt slip away, she wondered if she had made the right decision in drinking from the spring. In a way, it was comforting to know that sickness and death was not in her future. But it was also disturbing. She’ll never know the natural rest that her aunt now enjoyed. There was something unnatural about that. Something disturbing. She’ll watch as death claim the members of her family, while skipping her by altogether. She wasn’t sure if that was really something to look forward to, or something to be weary of.
~*~
Present Day…
The sill afternoon air was disrupted by the loud roar of an approaching motorcycle, turning onto a dirt road, leading to what used to be the Dewitt Bukater manor. But that name’s long forgotten. Now the mansion stood empty. Rumors of ghosts and witches are now the house’s legacy. Parking in front of the house, the rider took off his helmet and we see that it’s Jack Dawson. As young and handsome as he was 91 years earlier. He hasn’t changed a bit.
He hadn’t meant to stay away this long, but Angus was skittish. He wanted to be sure that there was no one else alive that would recognize a Dawson. So Jack waited and waited…missing Rose more and more each day. Finally, Angus had let up on his fears and Jack was allowed to return to Treegap in hopes that Rose was still there and still wanted to be with him.
Looking up at the dark house, Jack frowned. It was empty. There was no doubt about that. The occupants probably long dead…all except for Rose. She had to be somewhere on this planet. She had drunk from the spring. He saw her do so himself. Maybe she was in what was left of the woods, wanting to stay in Treegap, but out of sight. Taking in even more of his surroundings, Jack decided to take a walk. See just how much of his former home had changed while he searched for any signs of Rose’s presence.
Taking a deep breath, he got off the motorcycle and began to walk, looking for any signs of Rose. To his great dismay, he found that sign in the clearing of the spring, which seemed to have dried up over the years. It was a headstone with Rose’s name on it. According to the grave, she’s been dead for a good 50 years now. Tears seeped from Jack’s eyes as he knelt before the grave, lightly touching the smooth marble. What had happened? She had drunk from the spring. She shouldn’t be dead.
"Oh Rose…I’m so sorry. I waited too long," Jack wiped at his tears, fighting to keep control of his grief. It wouldn’t do him any good if someone was to come up and found him lost in his tears over a woman that had died years ago. But she was gone. His beautiful, strong-willed Rose. Gone from him forever.
"Jack?" a familiar voice spoke from behind him, full of shock and hesitant hope. Frowning, he turned around, not knowing what to expect…not even daring to hope. He couldn’t handle the disappointment if it wasn’t her.
His fear of disappointment was groundless. The voice did in fact belong to Rose, who stood there as young and beautiful as the last time he saw her. She stared at him as if she was afraid to believe that he was really there…as if he was a figment of her imagination.
"Rose…you’re here," Jack wiped at the fallen tears, the heavy grief he had felt lifting. "The tombstone…"
"Yes, I had it put there so people wouldn’t be suspicious," Rose sighed, still unable to believe that he had finally came back, after all the years of waiting, she was beginning to think that he didn’t want her afterall. That he had changed his mind and decided to remain single and free. She was taking one of her daily walks to the former spring when she came upon him, as young and as beautiful as ever. "My name is Rose Bukater. Distant relative of Rose Dewitt Bukater. Rose Dewitt Bukater had been long dead."
"Smart," Jack nodded in approval. "You had me fooled for a minute," He chuckled, hoping to break the awkwardness between them. He frowned, thinking of the times when there was no awkwardness between them. Times when they were free of worries and only had each other and their love.
"I don’t know why. I did drink the water," Rose smiled, amusement shining in her eyes.
"Yes you did," Jack nodded, not knowing what else he could say. Inwardly he cursed himself. Why was he having such a hard time talking to her? "Rose…I…"
"Why did you take so long Jack? Everyone had died so long ago and I was all alone…waiting for you. 91 long years of waiting. I loved you…. Hated you…wished for you. But you never came. Why?"
Jack bowed his had in shame. He knew he should have gone with his instinct 50 years earlier, when he had wanted to go back for Rose, but was prevented from doing so by his overly cautious father. "Angus…he wasn’t sure if it was safe. I would have been here 50 years earlier if he hadn’t stopped me. I am so sorry Rose. Please, forgive me."
Rose looked at him in silence, just drinking in his beauty and his presence. Oh how she loved him still. All her anger was gone, replaced by relief and love. "Oh Jack, of course I forgive you. Just promise to never leave me again."
Jack laughed and wrapped strong arms around her small frame. Staring into her eternal green eyes, he fell even deeper in love with her. "I promise to love you forever and never leave you again Rose."
Smiling Rose sank into his arms, feeling safe and loved for the first time in 91 years. "I love you too Jack. Can you please take me from this forsaken place now? I never want to see this town again."
"Sure," Jack smiled, leading her to his motorcycle. "So…where do you want to go?"
Rose giggled as she slid behind him, holding tightly to his waist. "Well…someone had promised me Paris once. Think you can still make it happen?"
"Of course little lady. Just hold on and enjoy the ride," Jack laughed, before speeding off into the sunset.
Jack and Rose married as soon as they reached New York. Of course all the Dawson’s were there, eagerly welcoming Rose into the family. As Jack and Rose Dawson stood atop the real Eiffel tower just a few days after their wedding, they knew that their love was everlasting and eternal…just like they were.
THE END