Titanic

LATE NIGHTS

Rose crosses the A-Deck foyer, sighting Jack and Emma at the landing above. Overhead is the crystal dome. Jack has his back to her, studying the ornate clock with its carved figures of Honor and Glory. It softly strikes the hour. Whilst Emma is sitting on the floor looking up at the sky.

Rose goes up the sweeping staircase toward them. He turns, sees her and smiles. He offers a hand to Emma which she gladly takes and turns to both of them, "Want to go to a real party?"

Crow led and alive with music, laughter and raucous carrying on. An ad hoc band is gathered near the upright piano, honking out lively stomping music on fiddle, accordion and tambourine. People of all ages are dancing, drinking beer and wine, smoking, laughing, even brawling.

Tommy hands Rose a pint of stout and she hoists it. Emma is doing shots with an old man and yelling at him in russian. Jack meanwhile dances with 5 year old Cora Cartmell, or tries to, with her standing on his feet. As the tune ends, Rose leans down to the little girl. "May I cut in, miss?" Jack leans down as well, "You're still my best girl, Cora."

Cora scampers off. Rose and Jack face each other. She is trembling as he takes her right hand in his left. His other hand slides to the small of her back. It is an electrifying moment. One that Emma doesn't miss and she drowns another cheap shot whilst the two miss her hurt expression to lost in each other's eyes.

"I don't know the steps." Rose confesses, "Just move with me. Don't think." The music starts and they are off. A little awkward at first, she starts to get into it. She grins at Jack as she starts to get the rhythm of the steps. "Wait... stop!"

She bends down, pulling off her high heeled shoes, and flings them to Tommy. Then she grabs Jack and they plunge back into the fray, dancing faster as the music speeds up.

The scene is rowdy and rollicking. A table gets knocked over as a drunk crashes into it. And in the middle of it... Rose dances with Jack in her stocking feet. The steps are fast and she shines with sweat. A space opens around them, and people watch them, clapping as the band plays faster and faster.

The tune ends in a mad rush. Jack steps away from Rose with a flourish, allowing her to take a bow. Exhilarated and slightly tipsy, she does a graceful ballet ployer, feet turned out perfectly. Everyone laughs and applauds. Rose is a hit with the steerage folks, who've never had a lady party with them.

They move to a table, flushed and sweaty. Rose grabs Fabrizio's cigarette and takes a big drag. She's feeling cocky. Fabrizio is grinning, holding hands with Helga. Emma is slightly tipsy and in a gloomy mood but still gives a smile that no one notices is fake. "How you two doin'?"

Fabrizo grins like a madman, "I don't know what she's say, she don't know what I say, so we get along fine." Tommy walks up with a pint for each of them. Emma chugs hers, and Rose quickly follows, wanting the impressed stares on her. "You think a first class girl can't drink?"

Everybody else is dancing again, and Bjorn Gundersen crashes into Tommy, who sloshes his beer over Emma's fancy dress. She laughs, not caring. But Tommy lunges, grabbing Bjorn and wheeling him around. "You stupid bastard!!"

Bjorn comes around, his fists coming up... and Emma leaps into the middle of it, pushing them apart. "Boys, boys! Did I ever tell you the one about the Swede and the Irishman goin' to the whorehouse?" Tommy stands there, all piss and vinegar, chest puffed up. Then he grins and claps Bjorn on the shoulder.

"So, you think you're big tough men? Let's see you do this." In her stocking feet she assumes a ballet stance, arms raised, and goes up on point, taking her entire weight on the tips of her toes. The guys gape at her incredible muscle control. She comes back down, then her face screws up in pain. She grabs one foot, hopping around.

"Oooowww! I haven't done that in years." Jack catches her as she loses her balance, and everyone cracks up. Emma returns the smile Rose sends but truly she knows Rose is showing off, trying to impress Jack. She is all for feminism, but the constant looks she sends Jack waiting for approval just shows how much growing up in the aristocratic life has affected her.

No matter how much she tries to be like one of them, she will always have the riches, the easy life and will never truly understand the hardships of having a different social class. Never understand how she has to beg and work for money, for food. Or how no matter what a man does to her no one will ever believe her because she is not protected by money.

She likes Rose, she likes how she doesn't discriminate because of riches, and tries to do things differently then societal norms. She only wishes that Rose wasn't trying to take the one person she has left.

The door to the well deck is open a few inches as Lovejoy watches through the gap. He sees Jack holding Rose, both of them laughing just as Emma sees a light shadow behind the door snapping her from her thoughts but before she can see who it was its gone.

The stars blaze overhead, so bright and clear you can see the Milky Way. Rose and Jack walk along the row of lifeboats. Still giddy from the party, they are singing a popular song "Come Josephine in My Flying Machine". "Come Josephine in my flying machine. And it's up she goes! Up she goes! In the air she goes. Where? There she goes!"

They fumble the words and break down laughing. They have reached the First Class Entrance, but don't go straight in, not wanting the evening to end. Through the doors the sound of the ship's orchestra wafts gently. Rose grabs a davit and leans back, staring at the cosmos."Isn't it magnificent? So grand and endless."

She goes to the rail and leans on it. "They're such small people, Jack... my crowd. They think they're giants on the earth, but they're not even dust in God's eye. They live inside this little tiny champagne bubble... and someday the bubble's going to burst."

He leans at the rail next to her, his hand just touching hers. It is the slightest contact imaginable, and all either one of them can feel is that square inch of skin where their hands are touching.

"You're not one of them. There's been a mistake." Rose looks at him in confusion, "A mistake?"

"Uh huh. You got mailed to the wrong address." Rose burst out laughing, "I did, didn't I?" A comfortable silence washes over them before Rose points suddenly, "Look! A shooting star."

"That was a long one. My father used to say that whenever you saw one, it was a soul going to heaven."

"I like that. Aren't we supposed to wish on it?" Jack looks at her, and finds that they are suddenly very close together. It would be so easy to move another couple of inches, to kiss her. Rose seems to be thinking the same thing. "What would you wish for?" After a beat, Rose pulls back. "Something I can't have." she says with a sad smile, "Goodnight, Jack. And thank you."

She leaves the rail and hurries through the First Class Entrance. "Rose!!" he calls after her, but the door bangs shut, and she is gone. Back to her world. And only once she's gone does he remember that he's forgotten all about Emma and left her all alone.

a/n: hi readers, next chapter is going to focus a lot on Emma and different characters. also I have changed Emma's face claim to Amanda Seyfried because i think she fits her better. thanks for reading!