AFTER DISASTER
Chapter Twenty-Three

Jack was pacing around their bedroom when Rose came up. He looked angry, so she didn't speak to him. She just walked over to the bed and sat down. Jack didn't appear to notice her. He just walked around the room, trying to clear his head. He sat down in the armchair. For about an hour, nobody spoke. Not one noise could be heard except their breathing. Soon, thunder could be heard in the distance, and Jack got up to look out the window as it started raining. Rose took this as a chance to speak to him.

"Is it bad out there?" she asked.

Jack didn't look at her. He just shook his head. Rose got off the bed, walked over to him, and looked out the window.

"Jack, I know you're upset, but it's not worth not speaking to me."

Jack walked away and put his face in his hands. "I just don't know what to say," he said.

Rose walked over to him, putting one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," she told him. She kissed his cheek. "I'm going to bed."

She let go of him and walked back over to the bed, where she got under the covers and turned out the light. Jack nodded in the darkness and walked over to the bed, taking off his shoes and getting under the covers.

*****

Another month had gone by, and the end of November was near. Rose was now almost eight months pregnant and finding activities more and more difficult. But still, she and Jack made sure to visit Lynette and Martin as often as possible. They hadn't been able to in two weeks, but now, they finally could. Jack was putting on a shirt while Rose was brushing her hair at the vanity. Jack finished with his shirt and walked over to the vanity to give Rose a kiss.

"Sweetheart, your hair is a mess!" Rose exclaimed, trying to brush his hair.

"Rose, it's fine!" Jack told her, laughing and trying to get away from the brush.

Rose started laughing, too. "Jack, your hair is a rat's nest!" she said.

"Then I will fix it on my own terms," he replied. He stood in front of the vanity, licked his hand, and brushed his hair back.

"Oh, darling! That's disgusting!" Rose exclaimed.

"Says you," said Jack. He leaned down and kissed her cheek again. "You take forever to get ready, you know!"

"Well, you're not a woman. You don't have to look beautiful, you don't have long hair, and you don't have to wear a corset!" Rose told him.

Jack laughed and kissed her cheek a third time. "You don't have to wear makeup or a corset to look beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

Rose looked up at him and smiled. "Well, if we're going to go see Lynette and Martin, we'd better get going now!" she exclaimed.

*****

They made their way downtown, Jack wearing a black bowler hat due to a few wanted signs. They walked into the saloon and looked around to see that the place had been turned into a barbershop. Someone took off Jack's hat.

"Oh, my! Look at this horrid hair! It's so shaggy!" exclaimed a man.

"Hey! Get off!" Jack exclaimed, taking his hat back and glaring at the man. The man gasped.

"You're that man! That Jack Dawson man!" he exclaimed. A few men in the shop gasped, and Jack quickly put on his hat and grabbed Rose's hand.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, and they ran out of the barbershop.

"Stop them!" exclaimed a voice behind them, and they knew they were being chased.

"Through here!" Jack exclaimed, dragging Rose into an alley.

Jack found a hat outside on someone's porch and told Rose to put it on, as well as a scarf. He put up the collar of his coat and made sure the hat covered his face. They left the alley and slowly made their way back to Joseph's house.

"What happened?" Rose asked him.

"I don't know! I didn't know that the saloon had been turned into a barbershop!" Jack exclaimed.

"What happened to Lynette and Martin?" Rose asked.

"Sweetheart, I don't know!" Jack told her. "All I know is that Cal's gone too far." All of a sudden, George and Joseph came downstairs, Jack and Rose's suitcases in hand.

"You two are going to have to leave New York," said Joseph.

Chapter Twenty-Four
Stories