Rosalind Potter - Deep at Sea

Chapter 4

It was the next day, and I was thankful I had not seen Cal. Ruth, on the other hand, was another matter. All she did was prattle on about keeping up appearances and whatnot. She reminded me of Aunt Petunia, and I hated it. Hated her.

I finally escaped her early afternoon and went toward the third deck, where I knew Jack would be. I could almost feel his soul calling to me, and I found him fairly quickly. His friends saw me first, and looked stunned to see me here, on the third-class deck. It was the dark-haired one who let Jack know I was here, by patting his arm repeatedly. He was writing or doing something in a book.

I walked right up to Jack and smiled, "Hello again Mr. Dawson."

You could see his surprise. It took him a moment to respond, but he finally gave me a dopey smile and said, "Hello again, Miss Katherine."

I smiled at his wonder and said, "Would you like to introduce your friends?"

He seemed to snap out of it and nodded. He pointed to the dark haired one first and said, "This is Fabrizio." He then pointed to the one in a hat and said, "And this is Tommy."

I smiled at them both and said, "Nice to meet you both. How are you liking the ship?"

Tommy shrugged and said, "'Tis better than all the others I've been on."

Fabrizio smiled wide and said, "Is good!"

I chuckled and said, "Glad to hear it." Inside, I was worried. These friends of his were his and they seemed important. Maybe I could help save them too?

I then looked back at Jack and said, "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

I could tell I shocked his friends, but he quickly got up and held out his arm saying, "Uh, yes. Of course."

I took his arm, and I felt it. I could hear his breath hitch, and I knew he felt it too. He was mine. And I was his. My magic led me here. To this time. To this ship. To him. His soul was calling mine, and I would answer. I vaguely remembered Sirius saying how Black magic was picky... but never wrong.

After a minute or two of silence, he coughed and said, "So...you gonna tell me your true name anytime soon?"

I smiled lightly at him and said, "How badly do you want to know?"

He hummed and said, "Truthfully, I was up last night thinking about it." I could tell that he didn't mean to say that aloud, as his eyes widened.

I giggled and said, "Potter."

He looked at me and said, "What?"

I laughed and said, "My real last name is Potter. Rosalind Katherine Potter."

He looked thoughtful and said, "So your first name is Rosalind? Rose...It suits you."

I gave a toothy grin and said, "Thank you! My mother's family all name their daughters after flowers." It was a quiet moment before I said, "I also want to thank you on another matter." He looked at me and I smiled tenderly, "You were concerned for my safety last night. Not many would be. You even tried to help me."

He snorted and said, "You didn't need it."

I shrugged and said, "It's the thought that counts. You could have just left me alone, not knowing either way."

Jack looked contemplating and said, "What made you go out there anyway?"

I looked down and said, "I felt trapped. Like some insect in amber. Those people are not my people."

Jack looked confused and said, "How are you with them then?"

I shrugged again and said, "I don't honestly know. And even if I told you what I think, I'm not sure you would believe me."

He stopped walking and said, "Rose...You can tell me anything, and I'll listen."

I loved the fact he used my real name. I looked at him in his eyes and saw nothing but honesty and concern. I then looked away and headed toward the side railing of the ship and said, "I am different, Jack. I woke up here, with no idea of the time or place I was in. My mother is not my mother. I have a fiancé who is a complete wanker," he choked on a laugh, although he also looked a bit disturbed, "and I have something that no one else here does."

He looked intrigued and said, "That all seems..."

I snorted, "Ridiculous? Far-fetched? Strange?"

He shook his head and said, "No... magical."

My eyes widened and I looked at him. Really looked at him. I then said softly, "Jack... do you believe in magic?"

I watched several emotions go through his eyes, before they gentled and he slowly stepped forward and took my hands softly in his, and said, "I do."

Holding his hand, skin on skin, I felt the electricity even more than before. I could feel myself tearing up, but I held back and smiled instead and said, "You're one of a kind, Jack Dawson."

We were quiet for a time, our hands just holding one another, before I sighed and said, "Can you tell me a bit about yourself?" I then see a book near his feet, and I said, "What's that?"

He looks down and shrugs, "Oh. It's my sketch pad."

I was surprised and said, "You draw? May I see?"

He nodded, and we went to sit on some chairs. I slowly went through his drawings and I was in awe. He was amazing, and I said, "Jack...these are quite good! Really, they are."

Jack's face blushes a bit and he shrugs off the compliment, "Well, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree."

I rose an eyebrow and said, "Paris? You've been to Paris?" He nodded and as I looked through them, and I felt my face heat a bit, but I smirked and said, "Well, well." They were nude sketches. I was surprised he had them, but they were magnificent. I could see Jack trying not to blush too hard, and I said, "These are from your life?"

Jack nods, then smirks, "Yup. That's one of the great things about Paris. Lots of girls willing take their clothes off."

I laughed, and as I kept going through them, I noticed there was quite a few of the same woman, "You liked this woman. You used her several times."

Jack nodded and said seriously, "She had beautiful hands."

I stopped looking at the art and looked at Jack, an eyebrow raised and said, "Beautiful hands huh?" I ignored his slight panic and blush and then went back to perusing his drawings and said slyly, "You did not have any love affairs with her?"

He laughed and said breathlessly, "No, no! Just with her hands."

I then looked up at him again, seeing the light in his eyes and the blush on his cheeks and said softly, "You have a gift, Jack. You do. You see people."

He looked at me seriously and said, "I see you."

I couldn't look away from his blue eyes, and I said lowly, "And? What do you see?"

He took a moment, and finally he said, "You would'a flown."

My breath hitched. He couldn't know. He wasn't magical, I could tell. How did he know? He then took my hands in his again and squeezed in reassurance.

I then sniffed, making sure my tears didn't fall, "One of a kind, Jack."