A/N: I'll try to make this note short and sweet. I've only ever written humour stories so this is really different for me. I first saw Titanic when I was eleven and was obsessed for I think… maybe a year or two? I just forgot about it because my brother made fun of me for that. Then about two years ago from now (when I was fourteen) I remembered it and started liking it again as I came across this website and thought it was fantastic.

So, I decided that I'd finally try fanfiction myself and actually write something serious for once. This story is particularly hard for me to write because considering what a great movie Titanic is, I wouldn't wanna mess up the emotion by writing this story wrong so I feel like I have to put myself in the positions of the characters and have them say things that would actually sound like something they'd say. I'll try not to make some things seem too corny and I apologize in advance if there are any corny parts. But what can I say? The genre is "romantic", just like the movie so…

Yeah. Maybe review? 'Cause I won't be sure whether or not you'll like this story and I'll probably stop. So review, or else! Ba ha ha ha haaaaaaa.

ONE MORE THING. Tell me, in your reviews what you would like to see in the story… like situations and whatnot. Should Jack and Rose ever encounter Cal again? How about Ruth?

Well that's it. Enjoy.

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CHAPTER 1: DETERMINATION FOR SURVIVAL

"Jack! Jack! Jack!" Rose yelled as she came up to the surface, gasping for air.

She had been holding onto Jack's hand a few moments ago underwater, just as the ship had gone down, plunging into the depths of the dark, icy Atlantic. The sinking ship had caused an undertow, sucking down both Rose and Jack with it.

She had been holding onto to his hand as tightly as she could, struggling to stay with him, to no avail. The current was much too powerful and they were separated. She kicked to the surface and gasped for air as she kept on calling out his name, hoping to find him. The freezing waters made it hard for her to breathe and what made it worse was fear of not being able to find Jack.

"Jack!" She shouted again and again.

She was surrounded by hundreds of terrified people moaning, trashing and screaming in agony. She noticed one man who was without a life jacket and had a look on his face that showed he could bare no more of the torture and hadn't been able to keep his sanity. He looked at Rose and lost it. He grabbed her and pushed her underwater, trying to stay afloat, even if it meant drowning someone.

Horrified, Rose screamed and pushed to the surface, trying to free herself from the insane man. She re-surfaced but was pushed yet again underwater. The next time she was able to come back over the water, to her relief and joy, she saw Jack. He swam over to her and had an angry and protective look on his face as he stared at the man that was drowning Rose. He grabbed him and punched him hard in the face, knocking him out and making him release his grip on Rose. Jack's brow formed into a worried look as he looked over at Rose, him too relieved that he had found her.

"Rose, I need you to swim! Swim!" Jack yelled, trying to get his voice heard above all of the screams and trying to help Rose keep her focus.

"Keep going, Rose! Swim Rose! Come on, you can do it!"

They both swam in between wailing people, clawing through the water. They were a little far away from the people and Rose spotted some debris floating around that looked to be a wooden door with carvings all over it, obviously a door from the first class area.

"Jack, over there." She pointed, as he followed her gaze.

He spotted what she meant, and they both swam over to it.

"Come on Rose, get on."

Jack pushed Rose up onto the wooden door and attempted to pull himself onto it as well, but it tilted and started submerging and he let go. He helped Rose back onto the piece of debris and held a facial expression showing that he knew what it had come to. He had to save Rose's life and he would have to stay in the water, sacrificing his life for her own. He wasn't upset about it, he loved Rose so much and if it came to this, he was prepared to die for her. She had so, so much to offer the world.

With a slight nod of his head, as though understanding what he had to do, he swam around the debris so that he was facing Rose who was lying on her stomach and he gripped onto her hands.

"W-What about you?" Rose asked him, worried for Jack. She loved him and she did not want him to freeze.

"I'll be fine. I'm a survivor, remember?" Jack smiled weakly. He knew the truth but he was trying to comfort Rose and the wooden debris was clearly only big enough for her.

"No, Jack. There's s-still some room for you. We've gone this f-far already and I don't want to l-lose you. You can still get on."

"I'll push it under, there's just enough for you." Jack said, not wanting to put her life in danger.

"There's a way we can fit on it together. Jack, climb up a little on this end here to keep it balanced…" Rose said and Jack finally gave in and did as he was told.

Rose started crawling backwards slowly to make room for Jack until there was enough for him to get on. She then instructed him to climb. He obeyed and started moving towards to middle of the piece of wood near Rose. He hugged his knees to his chest to stay warm, as did Rose and held on to her hand. They were facing each other very closely and just stared into each others' faces.

"Y-You know, you were right. I didn't think I'd f-fit." Jack stuttered, the cold finally getting to him and making it difficult to speak.

She smiled slightly.

"Now w-what?" It was getting difficult for Rose to speak as well and she was shivering uncontrollably.

Jack could feel her tremble in his grip and he hated himself. He hated himself for putting her through this situation, literally freezing to death. She looked like she was in so much pain and that broke his heart. He wished he could take it all away and put it on himself instead, in spite of the pain he was already feeling, but he didn't care. He cared about her. She was a first class redhead beauty, like a porcelain doll. She was much too fragile to go through these conditions. If it weren't for him, she would be safely in a lifeboat. He remembered what had happened when he had tried to get her on a boat.

"No. Not without you."

She had been so determined to stay with him and she had almost made up her mind that that's what she was going to do. He loved that about her. She was so independent and had such a strong fiery spirit inside her. He hadn't really convinced her to get into the life boat, but convinced her enough so that she didn't fight against Lightoller when her grabbed her and helped her into the boat. Jack then remembered, as he caressed her cheek gently with his free hand since the other hand was holding onto hers, why she was on the floating debris with him instead of being in a lifeboat, at least warmer than they were now.

"You jump I jump, right?" She had answered his question with tears dripping down her cheeks and a smile slowly spread on Jack's face because what she had told him yet again amazed him.

And that had been the answer to why they were lying on a wooden door, literally freezing to death in the middle of nowhere, not sure whether or not there was a boat coming back to rescue them. He at least had to try and convince her that there would be, to give her hope and something positive to think about.

"The boats will come back for us, Rose." Jack gulped, "Hold on just a little longer… they had to row away from the suction… but… now they'll be coming back." Jack too was shivering uncontrollably, his hair starting to frost a little.

He kissed her hand and took her other hand in his, rubbing them together to comfort her and help her stay warm. Rose looked at him in horror as he only had but a skinny little shirt on and attempted to warm him too by rubbing his arms and back, but at the same time trying not to make too much movement to risk tipping themselves back into the freezing water. She doubted she'd have any strength left to climb back onto it. She had but little hope that they were going to survive. She lay there with Jack and awaited her doom.

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Jack and Rose were drifting under a trillion blazing stars. As time ticked by, there was less and less noise and at the moment, all that they could hear were still a few faint screams.

"Return—the boats…!" came one distinctive random yell out of the few others that remained.

"It's getting quiet." Rose stated, her voice starting to wear out. It was depressing thinking about it and hearing it, but it was true. She tried blocking out the haunting screams but they just kept on going… and going…

"It's just gonna take them… a couple minutes to get… th-the boats organized." Jack said, breathing hard, the cold was really making it hard for both of them to speak at this point.

Rose, however, knew that there weren't going to be any boats. They've waited too long. She looked over Jack and saw Chief Officer Wilde who had been blowing a whistle furiously a few moments earlier, but now appeared to be peacefully sleeping. Already, the freezing weather and water had engulfed him.

"I don't know about you but…" Jack raised his eye brows to look at her face. "I intend to w-write a… strongly worded letter to the W-White—Star—Line about all this." Jack he drew out a breath along with a fierce shiver, before smiling then gently shutting his eyes as he was totally exhausted and just wanted this torture to be over.

Rose attempted to smile at his comment but just couldn't because her cheeks were so numb. He always tried to lighten the situation, no matter how bad it was. What would she do without him? He helped her get this far already and was doing everything he could to comfort her and help her. God, she loved him so much, and she was really sure that he loved her too although they'd never told each other. And they didn't have to; they were soul mates; able to understand each other so telepathically. There was this almost magnetic bond in between them that linked them together. They were truly meant to be together. She could communicate so easily with him just with the eyes; it was like reading each other like you'd read a book. As frightening and as unfair as it was to everyone who was supposed to have boarded an "unsinkable ship" and was supposed to have a good time on the most luxurious liner in history, she knew what was coming to both her and Jack. She desperately didn't want to believe it. How unfair it was for them. They had just fallen in love a mere two days ago and had but only a few hours to share their love with each other that their lives were already going to be taken away from them. By the way things were looking, she doubted there were at all any boats coming back so she would tell Jack what she needed for him to know. He had to know. She would have to tell him now because the odds were against them surviving. It was the most difficult thing for her to say, because she meant it with all her heart. This was it. It was now or never.

"I love you, Jack."

At those words, Jack glanced up at her and felt warm and was amazed. Of course he had known that she loved him and had never really thought about it that much, but now as she said it, the reality of it all finally sank in. She loved him. But why would she feel it important for him to know it right at this moment? "Oh God," Jack thought, "She's… she's giving up!"

He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Don't you dare give up on me Rose! It's not over yet."

It wasn't over yet.

"Don't you do that…" Jack began in an assertive, hoarse voice, that sounded almost as though he were angry with her for even thinking that thought. "Don't you say your goodbyes… Not yet… Do you understand me?"

"I'm so cold." Rose said, shivering. She was listening to what he was saying, but her attention span grew short because all she could think of was the pain the freezing water was causing her. His words echoed through her mind.

"Water that cold, like right down there, it hits ya like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe… you can't think… least not about anything but the pain."

Jack had been right, not that she doubted him for a second.

"Listen, Rose. You're gonna get out of here…" Jack told her, himself believing his powerful statement. She was so strong, of course she would survive. "You're gonna go on… and y-you're gonna make… lots of babies," he continued, managing a lovely grin, "and you're gonna watch them grow… You're gonna die an old—an old lady, warm in her bed." Rose felt so emotional at his words and so badly wanted to include him in her life. It was so unfair. She felt like crying but didn't have the strength to. Jack continued with his touching and heart-felt words. "…But not here. Not this night. Not like this… Do you understand me?" The last few sentences were whispered with such meaningful determination in was incredible. He swallowed and his already frozen throat was aching. The cold was engulfing both of them and they felt suffocated when trying to breathe or speak.

Rose desperately wanted to believe Jack, but everything seemed so hopeless. She could see her breath in front of her face and she was shivering tremendously. She couldn't think of anything else other then how unbearably cold it was.

"I can't feel my body."

Jack just went on with what he was saying, his eyes now shining with tears as he so badly wanted her to survive and to make her understand his feelings for her. He changed his grip around Rose's arm and spoke with the passion of his words shinning in his eyes,

"Winning that ticket, Rose, was th-the—best—thing that ever happened to me." Jack was really having trouble to get the breath for saying this as his words sounded choked up in his throat like he was trying to restrain a sob. "It brought me to you…" he whispered and smiled, "And I'm thankful for that, Rose… I'm thankful." Rose smiled back at his touching words. To her, it meant everything, like an implicit "I love you".

His voice was trembling as he was shivering from the cold and his lips were blue. As he talked, Rose could feel his breath on her face. The freezing temperatures weren't making it any easier for him to keep focus as it was working its way to his heart but he had to finish what he was saying, for Rose's sake.

"You must… You must…" Jack attempted to start, before repositioning himself a little and grasping tightly Rose's hand with both of his, "You must do me this honor. You must promise me… that you'll survive. That you won't… give up…" Jack again, was choking up at his own words, tears still glistening in his magnificent eyes.

The tears started to form into Roses eyes too and as much as she wanted to cry, to let the tears flow, but she wasn't able to because her throat hurt so much. She gulped to hold back her tears and let out gasping sobs as she saw how much effort this was taking out of Jack just to say this.

"…No matter what happens… no matter how hopeless…" Jack let out painfully with a big breath, "Promise me now, Rose… and never let go of that promise." His face was painted with determination for her to survive.

But she didn't want to go on without him. She couldn't live without him. She wouldn't be able to live without his love, the touch of his gentle artist's hands, his tender lips, his smile, his piercing gaze, his… oh his everything! She needed him. Turning her gaze back to his tear-filled-turquoise-eyes, she could see them pleading for her to promise him. This was obviously hard on him too since he wanted her to survive but did he expect her to survive without him? She was in pretty much the same situation as him and he'd be able to survive too… right? She had to promise him though… she had to do it for him.

"…I promise…" was the hoarse whisper that was all she was able to manage. She promised her most meaningful promise she had ever promised. (XD)

"Never let go…" Jack whispered making sure she would remember this forever and that she would keep her promise.

"I'll never let go, Jack… I'll never let go…"

He seemed satisfied with her answer and smiled reassuringly at her and he held on tighter to her hand.

"…and neither will you." she finished with a quivering voice.

Jack glanced back her in bewilderment. Rose did care so much about him. She wanted him to survive too. But this was about her, not about him. Hell, he didn't care what would happen to him. He just wanted to make sure that she would live. He looked into her eyes and saw that she was pleading him to survive with her and he couldn't stand her giving him that look, so he thought it was only fair, since he had made her promise.

"Jack… you jump, I jump."

"Right. W-we're getting out of this together."

Rose smiled as a few tears managed to slip down her cheek, but instantly froze a few seconds later, against the chilly air and her frozen skin. She pressed her forehead against Jack's as he gently smiled at her after kissing her knuckles. She was determined to survive with Jack, one way or another.

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It seemed like hours of excruciating pain but it really couldn't have been that long. Every minute that ticked by was long and nerve-wracking. Their bodies were much too weak at this point to even bother screaming of the pain because it just simply was too cold and their bodies were numb.

Rose stared at Jack and saw that he had dozed off. He looked like he was peacefully sleeping… with almost the same complexion of that officer she saw floating a few feet away from them… "No!" her mind screamed. He surely wasn't dead since he had promised her he would survive. "He must be sleeping", she made herself believe. And it was true since she saw his breath coming out of his nose, she was relieved at that, and in the state they were both in, it wouldn't really help to look and see whether or not his chest was rising and falling since they could only take shallow breaths.

It was taking too long for the boats the come back and she couldn't even feel anymore pain from the cold because she was so numb. It drove her nearly mad.

She turned her head towards the sky and just stared at the billions and trillions of stars up in that dark, far away, deep ocean of emptiness. She felt somehow relaxed staring at it, it was strange. Something then came to her mind that was almost funny because it was ironic: just a mere two nights ago, she had tried to kill herself but tonight, she was literally struggling to live. She wasn't thinking very much of anything but kept her gaze pasted on the heavens as the only sound that was heard was the gentle lapping of the water against the wooden door. In spite of everything, including her hoarse voice and the cold, she suddenly felt like singing, she didn't know why.

"Come Josephine," she quietly sung, "in my fly-ing ma-chine… and it's up she goes… up she goes… Come Josephine, in… my flying…"

She trailing off as she felt a faint light on her face and heard a vague, far away voice. The voice then became clearer and she tilted her head to the side, where the light and the voice were coming from. She could hear her slow, shallow breathing along with the voice.

"Hello! Can anyone hear me! Is anyone one alive out there! Hello!"

It still sounded vague to her but she didn't care. The realization that it was a lifeboat suddenly hit her. A boat had finally come. She and Jack were saved. Jack… She painfully ripped her hair that was frozen onto the wood so that she could turn her head back to face Jack. Her heart softened as she saw his once lively hair now frozen around his handsome face that seemed to indicate that he was peacefully sleeping. She hated to wake him, but it was for life's sake.

"Jack," she said as she gently placed her hand on his wrist and shook it.

He didn't stir.

"Jack," she continued a little bit louder in her worn out voice, "There's a boat…" She shook his arm a little harder this time and he barely opened his eyes, to Rose's relief.

His vision was blurred at first but started to focus as he saw just a bright light from a distance shining onto his face. The first thing he realized was the immensity of the cold and he drowsily sucked in a deep breath as he opened his eyes a little wider and turned his attention towards Rose who he remembered had called him.

"L-look, there's a boat, Jack." Rose said smiling a smile of pure relief and joy while pointing to the direction of the light and looking back at him, totally depending on Jack to tell her what next they should do.

Jack looked to where she was pointing and saw that it really was a boat. He was so relieved and completely overjoyed, just as Rose was, that they had made it through the sinking. They were going to live to see the next day. They had kept their promises. They were going to get out of there together.

"A boat…" he trailed off before slowly starting smiling and looking back at Rose.

"Come back! Come back" Rose attempted to yell followed by Jack, but their screams weren't even loud enough to hear fifteen meters away.

"Come back!" Jack yelled again a little louder than the last time, but hardly loud enough.

Feeling defeated, Jack looked around him for anything that would get the boat's attention, and then he spotted it: a whistle frozen to the mouth of the dead Chief Officer Wilde.

Jack cleared his throat quickly before instructing Rose on what they were going to do next.

"Alright, Rose, there's a wh-whistle… in the officer's mouth..." Jack began rather hoarsely "Slowly… let's slide down…"

Rose nodded her head and squeezed her eyes shut as she held tightly onto Jack's hand and prepare for the icy water to penetrate her pores again.

Jack, being so exhausted could barely move his limbs but managed to move them just enough to keep his ears and mouth above the water. Rose was practically dragging him behind her, even though she wasn't a very good swimmer and was just as exhausted as Jack but she had on a lifebelt so she was able to keep afloat and swim more agilely than Jack. When they reached the officer, Jack grabbed onto the deck chair that the officer was holding onto and ripped the whistle out of the officer's mouth. He proceeded to place it into his as he blew in it hard with every breath of air that was left in him and Rose just clutched onto the deck chair beside him and shivered so much, she was getting a headache.

Jack kept numbly whistling and wouldn't stop until the boat had finally rowed up to them and where about ten feet away when Jack suddenly stopped and dropped his head onto the deck chair, unconscious. Rose turned worriedly towards him.

"Jack!"

She yelled out his name but he wouldn't respond and tears formed in her eyes and threatened to fall.

"Get her in the boat!" yelled Officer Lowe.

"Come on miss! It's alright! I've got yer!" yelled another crew as he grabbed a hold of Rose under her arms and began to haul her into the boat with the help of a few more other crewmen.

"No! Please! He was blowing the whistle! You have to save him… he's alive!" Rose said with as she was laid down at the bottom of the boat and was covered with a warm plaid blanket.

"Get the lad! For the love of God, man, pull him in!" Chief Officer Lowe yelled.

Satisfied that Jack would be safe, it was all Rose wanted to know and she let her head rest against the side of the boat. Not being able to handle anymore of her pain and exhaustion, Rose shut her eyes and everything went black.