So here we are, twelve years after chapter 7. This is the epilogue.

Begin mini rant.

Yes, I know Cal sounds majorly OOC, but this is 29 years after the Titanic sank. He is definitely NOT the man he was on the Titanic. He's grown up, matured, settled down.

End mini rant.

Okay, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Twelve years had passed since Cal had traveled to California was Rose. He was now living in Iowa, in Cedar Rapids, a father of two more children, Jacquenetta Andrea Calvert and Thomas Andrew Calvert. Rose had sold her Californian home and used the money to buy her, Cal, and the children a nice quiet home in Iowa, away from prying eyes and the mentions of Rose Dawson and Caledon Hockley.

Rose had gotten her way on naming the children. Thomas Andrew after the ship builder on Titanic, who Rose had been friendly with on board the ship. Jacquenetta, Cal cringed to think, came from Jack's name, or a version of it. Still, he was happy.

For Christmas, he took his family up to New York. Thomas, age ten, wanted to become an actor and Jacquenetta, only seven, wanted to be a singer. It was Christmas Eve and he could hear footsteps coming in from the suite's living room where the children were staying to where they were, most likely to look out the window and see if they could spot Santa Claus.

"Shh Jackie," he heard, "We have to be quiet so we don't wake Mom and Dad."

"I am being quiet, Tom," he heard the little voice of his daughter say, "You're the one clunking around." Cal chuckled softly, careful not to wake his wife. In the bed beside him, she stirred softly. He brushed back her lovely curls and placed a soft kiss to his love's temple.

"Mmm, sleep now," she whispered, snuggling into him. He shook his head, despite that her eyes were closed.

"I can't. Jackie and Tom are coming this way." She made a noise in agreement, pulling at the covers tighter. Cal stepped from the bed, slipping on his slippers and robe. "Come on, you two," he said softly to his children as he caught them, "Back to bed."

They groaned. "Aww, but Dad!"

"We're going to miss Santa!" Tom said. Cal shook his head.

"Now, you know Santa won't come if you're both awake. You need to sleep for Santa to come give you gifts. Now back in bed, both of you."

"Yes, Dad," they both answered, crawling back into their beds, the suite's couch and a chair. Like the good father he was, he tucked them both in.

Cal left the living room, moving back into the bedroom where he crawled between the covers. "I was right, you know," he whispered to his wife.

"How?"

"My life is empty without you. The money, the factories, being a member of that society, it was nothing without you." He chuckled softly, smothering his face into her curls. "Listen to that, you've turned me into a love sick fool, Rose."

She lifted an arm and wrapped it around his torso, burying her face into his strong chest. The hands that had once slapped her, so very long ago, were gently running themselves through her hair. Cal was still Cal, just humbled, human. And more than that, he loved her. Somehow, she didn't find that she was doing anything against Jack's memory, rather, it seemed that her and Cal were continuing to honor it together, making each and every one of their days together count.

"As long as you're my love sick fool," she shot back, pulling back to gazing into his eyes. "I love you, Cal."

Cal leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. No ulterior motives, no pretenses, just them. "I love you too, Rose. Sleep tight, sweet pea."

She rolled her eyes at the long forgotten nickname, closing her eyes as she succumbed to the sleep. Somehow, she had known from the beginning that this is how it was supposed to be, her and Cal and their children. It just hadn't been the right place or right time yet. Cal hadn't been the right person yet. It had taken him nearly thirty years to become the person he was now, a far cry from the greedy, selfish man who had shot her and Jack into the sinking liner. They didn't mention those days, not anymore. They didn't mention Jack, or the Heart of the Ocean, or anything that had to do with the doomed ship. But now, it was the right time and they had the rest of their lives to look forward to together.

In a way, they had started fresh. Rose wrote a letter every so often to her mother, but Ruth, who had pushed so hard for Cal and Rose to get married in the first place, didn't attend their wedding, nor came to see her grandchildren, thinking Cal to be 'some come shop keeper' as Ruth wrote in her letters. He didn't mind though. He was perfectly happy with his job. Nathan Hockley got a team of lawyers to get Cal's son from his first marriage to Virginia, and his daughter from his second marriage to Beatrice. Cal heard that Nathan had groomed his now adult grandchildren to be able to take over Hockley Steel. Steel would be more valuable than ever, with war sweeping Europe once more and Japan pulling the United States into the war. Only about two weeks ago, the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and President Roosevelt made a speech calling December 7 "a date which will live in infamy". The United States was at war with Japan now, and he wondered how long it would be before his eldest son was drafted.

Cal smoothed his wife's hair, settling contently into the bed beside her and pulling the covers up to keep them both warm. As he drifted to sleep, he thought he saw a man outside the window, but sleepily shook that thought away as his eyes drooped shut.

From outside their hotel window, a man smiled as he looked in, though they were on the fifth floor. A man who was really more of a boy. Rose would be okay now.

The End.

Bonus points if you can tell me who the man in the window is and/or how old Cal and/or Rose are.

Make sure you tell me if you liked the story. If you thought it was the worst thing you ever read, tell me. I can take it (with three cartons of ice cream), just break it gently. :) Let's set the goal counter at 25-30 reviews total. Just two to seven measly reviews will make my week!

Thank you everyone who has read and reviewed. It's been a great journey and experience.

For other Titanic fics by me:

Too Late to Apologize- Titanic- Cal/Rose

Forever This Way- Vampire Diaries- Damon/Elena, some, very light Elena/Klaus - Titanic movie plot with a twist!