Rated PG-13
© 1999 Michelle Kinder @ mkinder98@juno.com
based on some characters
and situations originated by James Cameron
Rose held steadily onto Jack's hand as he helped her down from the railing. Her heart was racing, but the warmth radiating from
his eyes showed her the truth of their situation. He smiled at her, "Won't your mother want to know why I'm with you again?"
"Why should it matter to her?" She questioned, still unaware of the lengths her overbearing mother and possessive fiance had
gone to ensure Jack would never see her again.
Jack realized he should tell her. He wasn't telling her to make the others look bad, but to also let her know how much he had to
overcome in order just to talk with her in the gym, hoping she would see how much she meant to him. "They had that valet or
whatever he was keep me away from you."
Sighing, Rose took his hand, leading him toward the first class entrance as she spoke. "Both mother and Cal tried to use furious
gestures to convince me to have nothing to do with you, but I couldn't anymore."
He could imagine Cal's anger and harsh temper as he made it perfectly clear to Rose to worship him. The thought slowly enraged
Jack, but he drew in a deep breath to block the emotions. Nothing was going to ruin their happiness now. When his mind came
back to the present, he noticed Rose's clear eyes staring into his with wonder. "And, you're engaged."
With a laugh, she responded, "Really? I didn't think I was anymore."
Her laughter spread to Jack as his mouth dropped in awe. She slid the diamond engagement ring from her finger and prepared to
throw it off the side of the ship. He watched her, expecting her to at any moment, but instead, she gazed into the jewel for a
moment as if mesmerized and he saw the sadness well up in her eyes.
"Are you all right, Rose?"
Her brow furrowed as she turned the ring from side to side, examining every facet of the diamond. "I can't part with it just yet,"
She saw Jack's surprise, "My father bought it for my mother when they were engaged. Mother allowed Cal to give it to me, but
now it's all I have left to remind me of my father." A tear slowly rolled down her cheek and Jack quickly hugged her, loving the
feelings that emerged through him at their contact and wanting to comfort her.
Rose's arms encircled him in response. She hadn't said she would be giving up everything to be with him just yet and Jack knew
he couldn't ask that of her right then any ways. It was completely unreasonable to expect anyone to give up their world entirely at
one moment. "Then maybe you should keep it someplace special, but if you're not engaged you might not want to wear it on your
finger."
The fire in her eyes and the smile of mischief returned as she gazed up at him. Jack took a deep breath. God, she was beautiful!
Every emotion he just felt on the bow were slowly building in him and he prepared to lean in to kiss her again. However, Rose
shocked him by raising herself onto her tiptoes and kissing his lips. "It feels so good to have someone who actually understands
how I feel." She shared. "Come with me."
He obeyed her request, slightly laughing and feeling tipsy even without the presence of alcohol. Just being near Rose sent him
walking on the clouds. "Your wish is my command." His voice teased her. "What will await us there? More surprises?" And plenty
more opportunities for them to be together, he silently hoped.
"Jack, I have an enormous favor to ask of you," She began as the idea dawned on her. There grew something special and unique
in her heart toward Jack within those last two days and her mind flowed over every ounce of their conversations. The one that
remained the most dominant was the one in which they discussed his special gift. Rose wanted to experience his eyes upon her
as they had been while declaring he saw her on the deck again. She wanted to create a moment they both would never forget in
their lives together and at the same time, a memento to always remind them of it. "Please, make a portrait of me."
His hand grasped hers harder and he began to sweat with nervousness. More than anything he would love to stare at her and
display the wealth of beauty she possessed on paper. His artists' mind analyzed her features and tried to think of a specific pose
that would do her appearance the justice it deserved. "Nothing would give me greater pleasure." He answered her, his emotions
almost bubbling over the surface.
They entered the first class decks as the subjects of incredulous stares and gasps. Jack was actually getting used to them since
meeting Rose. Only at one point in their relationship had they ceased and that was the previous night's dinner. However, that
completely unimpressed him if not for the way Rose looked while walking toward him from the staircase or the deep and flirtatious
glances they exchanged through the meal. Now, he seemed undisturbed by them, more intent on his moment with her and on the
fact, they were arriving at a room to which she removed a key.
"Is this the proper thing to do?" He asked, suddenly feeling nervous and hesitant.
She smiled, "Trust me."
"Promise?"
As she opened the door and led him in, her smile transformed into laughter that rolled over Jack like a warm, autumn breeze. "It's
quite proper I can assure you," She teased as he followed her in, his eyes awestruck by the splendor of the decor. "This is the
sitting room."
Jack's mind was reeling. Everything about the situation was becoming more and more amazing. He suddenly felt insecure about
how Rose must have interpreted the decor of third class the night before as he caved into the opulence of first class. The sitting
room alone was three times the size of his room that he and Fabrizio shared with the other two men. His eyes surveyed the room,
inspecting it and finding not one trace of dust. Incredible, he thought.
"Will this light do?"
Her words startled him momentarily. "What?"
Rose's eyes showed her concern, "Don't artists need good light?"
Now, he remembered what she was alluding to. The scene around him had made him temporarily forget the favor she asked of
him. Still, his playfulness emerged while teasing her about her living conditions. "Zat is true, but I am not used to working in such
orreble conditions."
Apparently, she understood his humor better than Fabrizio ever had, but his attention was suddenly focused on a painting across
the room. He moved to it, astounded by the fact Rose owned a work that would cost him his life. "Oh, Monet!"
The exuberance in his words was equally matched in her tone. "Do you know his work?"
"Of course. Look at his use in color. Isn't he great?"
"I know. It's extraordinary."
Even their taste in art was the same. Finally, they both found someone who adored the same passions and shared the same
traits.
Rose had moved into a bedroom and Jack's eyes continued to absorb the room. He heard the CLUNK and heard her laugh softly,
obviously recalling something that amused her. "Cal insists on carting this hideous thing everywhere."
That was when he noticed the safe, harsh in the room's starchy atmosphere. Still, the mention of Cal reminded him they were in a
place that wasn't just for Rose. She shared it with that other man who could probably care less about any Monet painting, not to
mention any concern or feeling of the unbelievable woman he watched. Fearing the tyrant's arrival, he searched for possible
escapes as she reentered the sitting room. "Should we be expecting him anytime soon?"
"Not as long as the cigars and brandies hold out." Rose sneered, annoyed, as she handed him the huge blue stone she carried
with her.
His eyes gazed in awe at the gem as the light reflected in it. "That's nice. What is it? A sapphire?"
"A diamond," She replied very dully, which shocked Jack, "A very rare diamond." He sighed, mesmerized by the enormity of the
stone. For a moment, Rose waited, forcing her nerves to grow calm again and attempting to squelch the butterflies in her
stomach. This was why she invited him to her room, what she wanted them to remember the night by. Still, it was something she
had never done before and her heart was beating with wild fear. "Jack, I want you to draw me like one of your French girls," There
she said it. His French girl had looked so beautiful and languid, the way she prayed Jack saw her, the way she hoped she
appeared. But she knew Jack would be curious how the diamond came into play, so she quickly added, "Wearing this."
To Jack, the request seemed simple enough. The diamond might as well have been a crown since he felt like a peasant in the
presence of a magnificent princess. His mind's eye tried to visualize her sitting demurely on the divan, looking straight ahead. He
hadn't heard the statement really about the "french girl". "All right."
Oh, no, Rose thought. He didn't fully understand exactly how she meant for him to draw her. This time there was no way she
could look at him without blushing as she repeated her request with a slight more emphasis this time. "Wearing ONLY this."
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