TOMORROW'S APRIL
Chapter Six
Tearful Explanation
Rose ran her hand across Jack's neck as their
lips parted, pressing her forehead against his. She sighed and turned her eyes
upward, gazing into his own. He smiled down at her, running his hands through
her hair, relishing in the emotional silence around them. For a moment, he only
studied her, transfixed, but then his hands began to trace over her face, her
arms. He saw the same awe mirrored in her eyes, and the light there, seemed to
be returning with more vigor as the seconds ticked by on the bedside clock. Her
cheeks were flushed from the heat of the lamp above them, and the stains of
forgotten tears still shone on her face, yet to Jack, it seemed she had never
looked more beautiful. The enormity of her presence was taking its wonderful
toll on him, and his heart was throbbing in his chest, beating the same rhythm
it had felt the very first time he'd seen her-
A little laugh escaped Rose's lips as she
studied him in the same way. Jack moved closer to her once more, pulling her
head toward his.
"What is it Rose?"
"We're staring at each other Jack- do
you know how long we've just been sitting like this?"
Jack smiled at this, moving his lips toward
hers. "I feel like I've been staring at you forever, Rose," he
whispered, before closing the final inch of space between them.
Rose pulled on his neck strongly, deepening
the kiss as his hands slid down her back. Her mind exploded with joy- pure joy,
unlike any she had felt since, well, since the last night on Titanic, before
the iceberg....
She felt the thick fabric of his shirt under
her hands, and then the strength of his arms, his shoulders. His warmth was so
comforting, so welcoming- like coming home, once and for all.
The heat from the light over the bed was
burning her still damp face, and she hesitantly pulled back, slow to end the
kiss. Jack looked at her questioningly, and she smiled, running her hand over
his shoulder.
"Oh, Jack, I just need to wash my face-
all these tears. I'm sure it's as red as a beet."
"But it looks beautiful like that."
Jack smiled and kissed her once more, then pointed to the marble sink across
the room. "There's a sink right there." Rose followed his gaze to the
ornate wash basin, and the even more decadent mirror above it. Her eyes glazed
over for a moment as she took in his room for the first time. Jack's heart
fluttered, and he was suddenly nervous- as to what she'd say about....
"You're in first class, Jack?"
The expression in her eyes, as she turned
back to face him, was one of question, almost of confusion. Her eyes were
clouded over now- and he swallowed hard, reaching out to her. She readily
accepted his grasp, but turned her head to the side, as if in anticipation of
his answer.
"Yes...." his words fumbled, and he
looked down, searching for just the right words for this situation. They'd just
found each other again, hadn't they? Just moments before- and now he was
frightened that Rose was disappointed in him-
"Yes I am Rose......but
only....because.....Oh God, Rose I'm sorry. I just.....I know what you must be
thinking...but everything went wrong with the tickets, and this was only day I
could..."
"Jack, shh." Her voice suddenly
seemed the stronger, and with loving concern in her tone, she placed her
forefinger on his lips, silencing his mumblings.
"Jack, I just asked a question. That's
all. I'm just surprised- but you know what else I am Jack?"
Jack's eyes rose to face her and she moved
her hand to his cheek softly. "What, Rose?" He asked this carefully,
stroking her other hand, that still held his.
Rose's eyes searched his tenderly. She
smiled, "Jack, I'm happy, that's what I am. I'm shocked and excited all at
the same time. When I look into your eyes- God, I'm thankful- thankful with all
my heart that we found each other again. I never even thought this was a
possibility. I love you. I love you, and this doesn't matter to me. Just like
it didn't matter to you before. I'm proud that you can be here, that you are
here."
Jack smiled, and Rose could see tears in the
corners of his gorgeous blue eyes. He pulled her to him fiercely, all the
while, silently thanking whatever had brought them back into each others' arms.
"I love you Rose, I love you. I
shouldn't have thought this would matter. I somehow convinced myself that it
was a betrayal to you, to me...to us," he mumbled in her ear.
Rose rubbed her hand up and down his back,
smiling to herself. "You must be doing pretty well, Mr. Dawson." She
pulled back and grinned brightly, teasing him playfully. "Jack, this isn't
a betrayal. You're still JACK. Nothing can change that for me."
"I'll tell you everything, Rose.
Everything about these past eight years."
"Me too, Jack.....just promise me one
thing?"
"And what's that?" Jack smiled,
wiping away his tears quickly.
Rose leaned down, snuggling her head into the
nape of his neck.
"Just promise me, that you'll never
start carrying around a safe."
This received a hearty chuckle from Jack, and
he only pulled her closer to him.
"I promise Rose."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rose splashed the cool water over her face
several times, closing her eyes to it. Her hands came to rest on the edge of
the sink, and she leaned against it, lifting her head and slowly opening her
eyes. She smiled to herself, to her reflection and shifted her gaze, still in
the mirror, to Jack, who was moving across the room. She watched quietly
through the glass as his hair fell in his face, leaning down to open his
suitcase. She followed the graceful movements of his hands as he unzipped it,
and stared for a moment, biting her lower lip in thought.
He caught her eye as he stood up, swatting
the hair from his face, and smiled wildly at her expression. She widened her
eyes, stifling a giggle as she turned toward him, her hands now hanging palms
upward from the sink.
"What is it?" Jack smiled, stepping
forward, almost tripping over his suitcase like before. Rose let out a laugh as
he stumbled-
Jack regained his balance and moved quickly
toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"What are you laughing at Rose?" He
kidded, sliding his hands down her arms to her wrists. which still clutched the
ivory sink.
Rose smiled for a moment, but then a her face
took on a serious tone, and she looked up at him, making sure all of his
attention was on what she was about to say.
"How wonderful it felt to see you in
that mirror, Jack Dawson. That's what." She swallowed and leaned her
forehead to the tip of his chin.
Jack sighed and kissed her head, running his
fingers over her palms.
"Oh, Rose..." Jack lifted her hands
from the sink gently and pulled her close. Rose thought about only hours
before, when he'd done the exact same thing- when she'd felt his hands on her
wrists, saving her all over again-
"Rose, what's wrong?" Jack pulled
back, searching her eyes.
"Nothing Jack- just...I can't believe I
was there again- at the railing... I could have lost you again. If you hadn't
been there...."
"Rose, shh....listen to me. I WAS there,
and that's all that matters. I don't know why you were there again either, but
I know that there's no way I wouldn't have been there, Rose. Trust me."
Trust me. Trust me.
"I do trust you Jack.....I always
have....." Rose tightened her grip on his body, pressing her face into his
chest. Her fists clutched his shirt as she spoke, slightly muffled.
"I know you heard me yell Jack- when I
called your name, when I screamed for you. I'd just....I....I couldn't take it
anymore. Not being able to share with you.....all that I'd done; not being able
to be with you through.....everything...."
Jack smoothed her unruly hair with his hand,
thinking a moment before speaking.
"Rose, I know how that feels. Because
everyday that I wasn't with you....I felt this emptiness, inside. And it never
went away, Rose- not until tonight.....not until tonight. Something made me be
there tonight, at the rail- and I know what it was."
Rose looked up, studying him. "What,
Jack?"
"Fate. Rose, it was fate that we met on
Titanic- destiny. Because we were meant to be together, and nothing can change
that. And fate has brought us back together again- no matter how
ironically....:"
Jack's voice was fading as tears sprung up in
his eyes once more. For a moment, the two were silent, rocking back and forth,
contemplating what he had just said.
"Fate, Rose Dewitt Bukater," he
mumbled in her ear. Rose gasped at this, realizing only then that he still
didn't know- still didn't know what her name now was.
"Jack, it's not...it's not Dewitt
Bukater anymore." Rose pulled back tentatively, watching his reaction.
Confusion reigned on his face, and his eyes traveled down the length of her
arm, to her hand. There was no ring in sight-
"What, Rose? What...what is it? You
weren't, Rose, you weren't married were you?"
"Jack," Rose placed her hands on
his face delicately and smiled gently, "no, I wasn't. I could never even
comprehend that. No, the reason is...Jack, no one has called me by that name
for eight years. Because...because I changed it to Dawson the day the Carpathia
docked in New York."
Jack's piercing blue eyes froze, and one
single tear, unnoticed, slid down his face. A strand of his golden hair was
sticking to his cheek, and Rose brushed it away gently, watching his reaction
closely. He looked down at her lovingly, and she could just make out a smile
beginning to form on his lips.
"You....You did?" He croaked,
running his hands absentmindedly through her hair, over her neck.
Rose grinned sheepishly at him. "Yes, I
did Jack....I wanted to be a part of you....I wanted..."
But Rose wasn't able to finish her sentence,
as Jack pulled her almost impatiently to him, pressing his own lips to hers
hungrily. The tears in his eyes seemed banished now, and for the first time
since he'd pulled Rose back over the railing, his hands had stopped trembling-
The best way, it seemed, to transmit all the pride, all the love he felt at
that moment, was through this kiss....
He ended the it hesitantly, leaning forward
once more before taking her entire face in the palms of his hands. Rose held
her breath as she stared back into the depths of his eyes.
"Rose, we have a lot to catch up
on."