Chapter 1- Afterward

Disclaimer: One of my favorite movies but I own no characters except Alex and Fabrizio JR

AN: Hope you like this version better

Rose stepped off the Carpathia, glad to be on dry land, and looked up. She was standing in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.

" Can I take your name, love?" Rose turned, standing behind her was one of the crew of the Carpathia.

He must be taking names of the survivors of Titanic so they can compile a list of the dead, Rose thought. Well, I 'm not going to let my mother know I'm alive. That's the last thing I need, her on my back all over again. Jack was right, I'll suffocate if I go back to that life. I just lost the man I love. If my mother's alive the only thing I need is for her to tell me I never really loved him. I know just the way I can honor him too.

" Your name, love."

Here goes. " Dawson, Rose Dawson," she answered confidently.

" Thank you," responded the sailor walking over to the next person, probably to do the same thing.

Rose again began to gaze at the statue. If only Jack could see this. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. It was supposed to him and me getting off here, not just me, not alone.

She felt she'd somehow betrayed Jack, her living and him dying like that, in that freezing cold water. If she'd only taken the lifeboat, then Jack could have been on the door, and he would have lived. He would have been on the boat that went back. She would have been in another one, and they would have met on the Carpathia. They would have found each other again and been able to do all the things they had planned. They could have left her mother in all her haughty glory of surviving and created a family and a new life in this country. A fresh start, just the two of them.

It was all her fault she had ruined Jack's life. If he had never met her, he might still be alive. If he had never won those tickets he wouldn't have even been on Titanic. If he didn't know how to play poker he wouldn't have even bet money on the game to win the tickets. If she hadn't been trying to commit suicide he wouldn't have saved her. Cal wouldn't have invited him to dinner, they would have never known each other. But no matter what way you looked at it is was still all her fault.

" Oh, stop blaming yourself, Rose," the woman scolded herself.

" Did you say something, ma'am?"

Rose jumped startled by the sudden voice in her ear. She flicked her eyes from the statue and turned to face the voice. " No…I …I…uh, uh… was just admiring the statue."

" Sounded like you were talking to someone," the man answered amused.

" Is anyone here? How could I possibly be talking to anyone? I already told you I was admiring the statue!" Rose snapped. Then feeling remorse and regret for snapping at someone she had only just met Rose apologized," I'm sorry. You just startled me is all. I don't think I ever caught your name."

" You didn't give me a chance to give it. Anyway, the name's Calvert, Robert Calvert."

" Rose Dawson," Rose smiled sadly to herself. It came so easily to her, now if it could have only been legal.

" Are you okay?" Robert asked not sure if something was wrong or not.

"Yes, fine. Just thinking. I hate it when memories catch up with you," Rose muttered.

" Me too," Calvert stated attempting to understand Rose. Though sensing he never fully could. " Would you like to go out for something to eat?"

" No, I think I'm just going to find someplace to spend the night. I just want to go to sleep and forget about this entire night," Rose said as the memories once again stabbed her memory, and she began to think about all the publicity Titanic would receive in the paper tomorrow and in the coming weeks. Survivors would be asked to speak for the newspapers and people would be running everywhere around the city looking for lists of loved ones or the loved ones themselves.

" I know a shelter just a few streets from here if you want to go there. It's just a few steps from my house, so at least you'll know someone in the area."

"Thank you, but no thank you," Rose answered still not quite ready to give up her elegant way of life.

" You sure talk pretty brought up for a steerage passenger," Calvert noted.

" My mother was brought up in first class, " Rose lied using the story her child would have had to use as an excuse if she had married Jack.

" I see so you're a half-breed," Calvert laughed. " Would you like to sleep at my house then?"

" No!" Rose was offended at the freshness of this total stranger. " I can manage on my own, thank you." She gave a smile to the gentleman before walking away showing there were no hard feelings. She just wanted to handle things her way.