Last For A Lifetime

Chapter One

*Characters like Jack Dawson, Rose Dewitt-Bukater, Cora and Bert Cartmell, Caledon Hockley, Ruth Dewitt-Bukater and anyone else from the original movie belong to James Cameron. I own all other characters that I create.

 April 15th, 1912                                                         Rose's POV 

Rose stood in the lifeboat, looking up at Jack. His face was framed in the white light of the distress rockets going off behind him and he was looking down at her.  "You jump, I jump" she whispered to herself. How could she leave without him? No, she wouldn't, she couldn't. Just as she was about to jump back on to the bright ship, she heard a soft cry. 

"Mama, mama".

Rose paused and looked, a little girl no older than five or six was sitting at the back of the boat. She had soft brown hair, blue eyes, tanned skin and she wore a brown coat and yellow nightgown under her life jacket. She was crying and shivering, and Rose felt sorry for her. She looked back up at the sinking ship and saw that she was too far down to be able to jump back. Stifling a sob, she pushed her way to the back of the boat and sat down next to the little girl. 

"It's ok, its ok" she whispered. Rose had never been around children much, but she somehow knew that this one needed her. She was clearly lost in the middle of the ocean with no parents. She must be terrified Rose thought. She put an arm around her and said quietly.

"What's your name"?

"Cornelia", said the little girl, "but everyone calls me Nellie or Nelia"

"I'm Rose, where are your parents"? 

"I don't know, she almost wailed "I was holding mamma's hand and then I wasn't, and I couldn't find her or daddy or my sister. Then a man grabbed me and got on a boat and now, I'm all alone".

Sounds like something Cal would do Rose thought.

"I'll stay with you until we find your parents, or we reach another ship Rose said gently "I promise".

Just then a woman passed Rose a large dark green shawl, "For you and your daughter". Rose didn't argue and wrapped the shawl around her and Nellie, she didn't like how the little girl was shivering. Nellie buried her head in Rose's lap as the lights on the ship flickered and went out. It was nearly vertical now and Rose could think of nothing but Jack and Nellie's family and everyone else trapped on board. Screams split the air and Rose covered Nellie's ears a child shouldn't hear this she thought. 

Rose would never forget those hours they spent in the little boat., the waves rocked them about, and it was bitterly cold. The screaming of the drowning passengers was the worst thing Rose had ever heard, but when it finally stopped Rose thought that might be worse. Now there was no one left in the water, just a few boats of scared cold people like herself wondering if they would end up like those in the water. 

Nellie slept a little, but Rose could not, she kept turning it all over in her mind, hours ago she had never been happier. She and Jack had been talking about their future, of running away to Santa Monica together and now. Jack was gone and Rose didn't know if she was going to join him or not. Just when the lifeboats passengers were about to give up hope that they were ever going to be saved, the sky began to brighten to a rosy pink. The first rays of sun lit the sky and the whistle of a nearby ship split the sky. Rose could see the name on the side R.M.S Carpathia. They were saved.

Once they finally got on board however Rose wasn't sure what to do. nellie clung to her hand and the whole deck was awash with cold tired Titanic passengers like them, stewards and stewardesses running about with blankets, hot soup and coffee. Rose and Nellie were lost in the sea or people until a soft voice called "come with me dear's". Rose was faintly aware of someone helping her into a clean nightgown, climbing into a soft bed and falling instantly asleep.