DAWSON EVERLASTING
Chapter Eleven

It had been two weeks since the Dawsons’ departure. Rose had spent those two weeks in her room, claiming to have a headache. The headache would intensify whenever Cal dropped by, preventing her from sitting 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 Dawsons 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 the past two weeks. You have a lot of time to make up for, young lady."

"I’m glad he’s leaving." Rose stood and stared out the window. "I don't 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 Bukaters were going broke. A union with the rich Hockleys was the only way to save themselves. "You know our situation! You know that Hockley will save us if you comply with 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, others 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 around Great Aunt Sylvia. The room reeked of sickness and death, and everyone was as 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 were not in her future. But it was also disturbing. She’d never know the natural rest that her aunt now enjoyed. There was something unnatural about that. Something disturbing. She’d watch as death claimed 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 wary of.

Present Day

The still afternoon air was disrupted by the loud roar of an approaching motorcycle turning onto a dirt road, leading to what used to be the Bukater manor. But that name was long forgotten. Now the mansion stood empty. Rumors of ghosts and witches were now the house’s legacy. Parking in front of the house, the rider took off his helmet. It was Jack Dawson. As young and handsome as he had been ninety-one years earlier. He hadn’t changed a bit.

He hadn’t meant to stay away this long, but Angus was skittish. He had wanted to be sure that there was no one else alive that would recognize a Dawson. So Jack had 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 hope 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 were probably long dead…all except for Rose. She had to be somewhere on this planet. She had drunk from the spring. He had seen 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 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 sign 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’d been dead for a good fifty 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 find him lost in his tears over a woman who 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 had seen 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 come back. After all the years of waiting, she had been beginning to think that he hadn’t wanted her after all. 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 beautiful as ever. "My name is Rose Bukater. Distant relative of Rose DeWitt Bukater. Rose DeWitt Bukater has 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 had been 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 has died so long ago, and I was all alone…waiting for you. Ninety-one long years of waiting. I loved you…hated you…wished for you. But you never came. Why?"

Jack bowed his head in shame. He knew he should have gone with his instinct fifty 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 fifty years ago 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 ninety-one years. "I love you, too, Jack. Can you please take me from this Godforsaken 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 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 Dawsons 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.

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