The wedding day arrived without any mishaps of any kind. Everything arrived on time, from the lavender bridesmaids gowns, to the three tier red velvet cake with fluffy white frosting and two small bride and groom figurines on the top. Everything was absolutely perfect...at least that's what Cal and Rose thought. Ruth of course was not happy that her plans had been tossed out the window.

Cal was finishing fastening the gold cufflinks that he had been given the night before by his father and stared at his reflection. He was rather handsome in his tux and tie, his brown hair combed back in it's usual style. His brown eyes shone with a happiness that he had no idea that he could feel. Today was it. The day he'd marry the woman that he had loved ever since their first meeting. He hoped to be the husband that he had promised her he'd be. He hoped to give her the life that she deserved.

Nathan walked up behind him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, a proud smile looking more like a grimace on a face that rarely smiled. "She's a fine girl, Caledon. She will be a great asset to you."

Cal nodded. Of course she would be. Rose was beautiful, elegant, smart. Exquisite. He was indeed a very lucky man and he was going to do all he that he could to make her happy and make sure that the melancholy that had over taken her on the European trip would never return.

"Ruth had raised her well. I am sure that she is well aware of all that is expected of her as a Hockley bride," Nathan continued.

"Of course she does, father," Caledon chuckled, adjusting his tie, making sure that it was perfect.

"I can see it now. After your honeymoon, you will take your place in the Hockley hierarchy. She will attend all business dinners and galas with you and charm the partners, her beauty will help close some pretty hefty business deals. I cannot tell you how your mother's beauty and charm had helped us become even richer than we are now," Nathan chuckled, causing Cal to inwardly bristle.

Once he too had thought the same as his father. He had seen Rose as a tool to help the business become even more successful. But now, he knew that she was much more than that. She was not some ornament, meant to lure business men into making deals with him. She was a human being with thoughts and dreams and wants of her own and he had finally admitted to that. He was never going to treat her in the way his father was suggesting again.

"But mother and Rose are both human, father. They're not just ornaments that we use to close business deals."

Nathan laughed at this, patting his son's shoulder. "Of course they're aren't! They're too provide us some fine heirs as well! With your business savy and Rose's intelligence, you ought to provide the family with some fine boys to continue the family business."

Cal sighed. His father just didn't get it and on his wedding day, Cal wasn't too obliged to help him. Besides, his father was old and stuck in his ways. He'd never be able to get him to understand what Cal had discovered onboard Titanic. It was sad really, when he thought about it. He had to wonder what dreams that his own mother had ignored in order to be what society deemed her to be? What kind of woman would she have become if she had someone like he was with Rose. Someone to help her realize what she was meant to be.

"Son, let me give you a last piece of advice about women. They like to be controlled and told what to do. They definitely don't like...well...the more carnal duties of marriage. The less refined women do, but ladies like your mother and Rose...well...it may take some...force to get them to comply with making a suitable heir. Do not be afraid of using your dominance to make it happen. Sometimes these ladies can be like children. They need a man to show them the way," Nathan chuckled.

Cal was appalled at what his father had just said. He couldn't believe that he had just said that and so nonchalantly. Like it was an everyday, mundane fact of life. It didn't only make him sick, but furious, because that wasn't only Rose, but his own mother that his father was talking about. It gave him insight about why some mornings his mother had been rather quiet, or slow to move. On why she sometimes seemed afraid of his father. He inwardly shuddered, thinking of how he had almost become just like the man.

"Come along. The wedding will be starting soon and you have to be on that alter," Nathan chuckled, unaware of his son's changing opinion of him.

It was sad that on the happiest day of his life, Cal came to lose all respect for his father. He had thought that nothing could change his esteem of the man, but unfortunately that was not true. Once he had wanted to be just like Nathan Hockley. Now, he wanted to be the exact opposite.

…..

Cal stood at the alter, his eyes roaming over the guests. It wasn't all of Philadelphia society, but there was a good portion of it in attendance. Together, the two families had enough relatives and friends to make the wedding a big event.

He watched as Ruth came running out from the door where Rose will emerge and took a seat on the bride's side of the church. The smile on her face was almost maniacal. Yes, he and Rose had taken control of the wedding, but her overall plan was coming to fruition. Rose was marrying into a prestigious family and Ruth was saved from a downgrade in social status. Everyone was happy.

Including Rose.

Her hands trembled with nervousness as she made her way down the aisle behind everyone else. She kept her eyes ahead on Cal as she walked down the red carpet. This was it. She was heading towards her future. The rest of her life, and she really couldn't be happier. The depressed Rose that had been rescued from falling into the ocean was gone and in her place was a woman looking forward to her marriage. Who really did love the man that he was going to marry and looked forward to exploring the world with him. The fact that the man turned out to be Cal was extraordinary.

He took her hand once she reached it and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Both of their eyes were brimming over with love and excitement for what was ahead.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two families," the priest began.

Everything happened in a fog of happiness and joy for both Cal and Rose. They said their vows, exchanged rings, and when they were declared man and wife, Cal lifted her veil and kissed her like she had never been kissed before. The kiss was a promise. A promise to help her fly into her dreams and a promise to help him realize his own. That one kiss, it spoke volumes. It spoke words that couldn't have been uttered any other way.

They separated at the sound of applause. Cal pulled her closer and allowed the joy of the moment to overcome him. Looking at his bride, he knew that he wasn't going to be anything like his father and men like him. He was going to be the husband that Rose deserved. A loving, kind, and faithful man that loved her more than he could ever love anything else, including his father's money.

Rose also knew that the old Cal was gone. She saw that as she stared into his eyes. In his place was a man that she was proud to say was her husband and looked forward to whatever fate had in store for them.

…..

Napa, California

Rose was in the small beach house that Cal had rented for them. They were a month into their honeymoon and already Rose was in love with Napa Valley with it's delicious wines, vineyards, and beautiful sunsets. She was sitting on the porch in what had become her favorite chair and watched the sunset as she sipped on some wine that Cal had purchased just that morning.

So far, married life has been wonderful. The stress and tension she had seen in Cal that morning that they had arrived for the gala, had disappeared completely. All signs of the old Caledon Hockley was gone. In his place was this loving carefree man that listened to her talk about her dreams, that held her every night, and made sure that their love making was just as enjoyable for her as it was for him. He was thoughtful, creative, and loving. He was her best friend. Any doubts or regrets that she may have held had disappeared completely. Cal was what she wanted, once and for all.

"Sweetpea! Sweetpea!" Cal called, running upon the porch, a manilla envelope clenched in his hand, his brown eyes bright with excitement.

"Darling?" Rose got to her feet to meet him. She had to smile, loving how he looked like a little boy who had just received a new toy for Christmas. "What do you have there?"

"Big news, sweetpea. Big news for the both of us," Cal took her hand, his smile wide and happy. "I have just purchased the rest of our lives!"

"Pardon me?"

Cal laughed. "I had just made a purchase of a lifetime."

He opened up the envelop and pulled out a deed and some pictures. "What you are looking at right there is the deed to Hockley vineyards."

Rose blinked. "Hockley vineyards? I...I don't understand..."

"Well you see, during those tours we took and finding out all the money that can be made from wine production...I thought, what a grand venture. A chance to make my own money and get out from under my father's influence. We can live here in California. Raise our children in sunshine and ocean breezes instead of the pollution and gloom of Pittsburgh! We'd live off the money that our wine will make!"

"But your inheritance..."

"Well...after much thought, I realized. It just doesn't matter. Not when it means keeping my family out of the toxic atmosphere of high society Pittsburgh."

Rose stood there, her mind processing everything. She had to admit...she liked it. She liked the thought of living far away from her mother and actually being the lady of the house and not have to pretend to like the very people she did not care much for. She liked the idea of living off their own money. "Oh Cal! I love it! I really do! But what about your father? He will not be happy with this. Do you think you can stand up to him?"

"Don't you worry about my father. I'll make him see things my way...and if not...well...it's my life. Not his."

A rush of excitement swept through Rose. She squealed happily and wrapped her arms around Cal and kissed him deeply. Their tongues wrestled with each other before she pulled away and gazed lovingly into his eyes. "I love this, I love you. We're going to make this work."

"Yes we will. We'll build our own legacy for our children. One that we can be proud of," Cal kissed her again, feeling the same excitement she felt.

Neither Rose, nor Cal knew what the future would hold for them, but they did know that they'll come through it just fine, a long as they were together. They loved each other completely and shared each others hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams that they passed on to their children and their children's children.

One hundred years later, Lizzie Hockley sat down with her dying grandmother, who told her the love story that built an empire and as that grandmother went to join her husband, their legacy lived on in the vineyard they cultivated and the family that they had raised.

It was the story of how a pompous son of a steel tycoon, had opened the heart of a wilting Rose.

(A/N: That's it for my one and only Cal/Rose story. Sorry if the last chapter seemed rushed, but I was out of ideas. I'm pretty satisfied with the storyand I think I got across how things would have changed if Rose had opened up to Cal and he was willing to listen and change. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, faved, and followed, and read this story. The support had meant a lot. I hope that you stick around and check out my other Titanic stories. I'm planning a Tommy story that I will probably start posting once I get When Angels Cry and probably The Lucky Ones finished:) Thank you again for taking this short ride with me:))