To The Stars (Titanic Fanfic)

[InsertNameHere]

I recently re-watched Titanic, and fell in love over again. What if Jack survived? This fic picks up as the rescue boat arrives looking for survivors. Apologies for not much sneezing in this first part. I hope you enjoy!

“Jack… There’s a boat Jack…”
They were going to be saved.
She rubbed his icy hands but there was still no response.
“Jack…”
His lips were blue, his face a deathly porcelain.
No. No, no, no.
“Jack..!”
His clothes were frozen solid to the floating wreckage, and her addled brain scanned him for any sign of life. He couldn’t be dead. There was a boat, they were going to be saved. After all that they’d been through, he couldn’t have left her. He couldn’t have just slipped quietly away while she’d stared at the stars.

Tears began to slip down her cheeks, when in the corner of her eye she noticed the boat moving away.
“Come back…” she tried to yell, only a cracked whisper passing her lips. She caught a glimpse of a corpse nearby, a whistle frozen to it’s lips.
Surely they’ll hear that…

Prising her hand from Jack’s frozen one, she lay, torn between leaving him and her salvation.
“Please, Jack…” She begged, kissing his knuckles with numb lips.
Bowing her head in heartbroken defeat, Rose readied herself to let go.
“I’ll never let go, Jack.”

One more kiss.

Wait. Could it be?

It was there, she was sure of it. A slight cloud leaving his parted lips. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her? Moments passed like hours, until she saw another slight puff of vapour, trailing into the night air. He was breathing.

The boat was leaving.
Jack was still frozen to the wreckage.
In a desperate hope, Rose launched herself into the icy water, struggling over to the whistle, daring to look back for a moment to check that Jack was still clinging to the wreckage.

Hours seemed to pass as Rose blew that whistle, waiting for the boat to turn around.
“Come about!”
The words filled her with more warmth than she though possible as the light shone on her face again. When she was sure her rescuers had caught sight of her, she paddled frantically back over to Jack.

***

“We’ve got you, Miss.” She fell onto the bottom of the boat, breathing harshly.
“Wait”, she forced out. “Wait, Jack too.”
Her saviour’s light flooded Jack’s icy face, and a look of sadness swept over him.
“It’s too late, Miss.”
With all the strength she could muster, Rose forced herself shakily to her feet.
“No…he is alive. Pull him up!”
“I’m sorry, Miss, I-“
“You pull him onto this boat this instance, or I will be getting him myself!”
The officer’s bleak face nodded, before turning and ordering his men to hoist Jack aboard.
With his stiff, icy body clad in blankets, Rose curled up next to him. The warm puff of his breath against her cheek was faint, but there.
“We’re saved, Jack. It’s going to be okay.”

The next time that Rose opened her eyes, the sky was streaked with a deep orange. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Pushing herself up, the glorious sight of the Carpathia loomed in the distance. They were saved.
Jack.
Rose almost daren’t look. Had he even been alive when they’d pulled him from the water? It was all so hazy. What if he was…
No, she wouldn’t think that like, she couldn’t.
Inhaling as hard as her frozen chest would allow, Rose looked down, and the ice in her heart began to thaw.
Jack was alive.
His eyes at half mast, they met hers and suddenly Rose’s tears began to flow freely. He was so weak, he could barely manage a smile. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly as his blue lips quivered with the effort. No matter how hard she tried, the words just wouldn’t come out, so instead she grasped both of his icy hands in hers and held them to her lips as she sobbed.

***

They had been on the Carpathia for almost a day before Jack could muster the strength to stand unaided. He was still slow moving, but he was getting there. The effort it took to stumble back from the bathroom took everything he could muster, but the sight of Rose sat there, perched on the step with a faded blanket around her made him feel a little stronger. When she caught sight of him, a smile blossomed on her lips as she held up the blanket for them to share.

“Are you okay, Jack?” she asked, immediately blushing at her ridiculous question.
“I…I’m just *cough*…just fine, Rose”, he forced out, his voice barely a shaky whisper as his shallow breath rattled in his chest.
Biting her lip, Rose laid her head on his shoulder.
“We made it, Rose. We meh…hehh….heeeeh-CHTTISSSHHH!!!”

He barely managed to angle himself away in time as he sneezed loud and uncovered, punctuated with a groan at the burning in his throat and the pounding in his sinuses. Her perfect porcelain face was staring up at him with worry and surprise in her eyes
.
“God bless you!”
Embarrassment snuck up on him as he averted his eyes, looking down at the deck.
“I’m sorry, Rose, I didn’t mean t-hehh-TCHISS!! Heehh….hehh…” The force of the sneeze made his head bob forward aggressively as his free hand hovered an inch in front of his nose and mouth, preparing for the oncoming sneezes. Rose stared at him almost bewildered, completely frozen as she watched his body convulse with each powerful sneeze, his cheeks blushing pink and his nostrils flaring as his watering eyes spilled down his cheek.

“Hehhh-CHTISSHHH! Hih-TCHISSS!! HETCHHHIIIWWW!!”

“Good Lord! Bless you!” Rose finally stammered.
Jack coughed a few times, harshly and wetly, his hand still clamped over his lower face as he turned away from her, sniffling wetly.
“Jack..?” Rose asked, quietly, a hand on his shoulder before she noticed his thick sniffles, and fished around for a handkerchief, berating herself for not offering him one sooner.
“Here, love”, she soothed, pressing it into his other hand.

With his back still to her, Jack blew his nose heavily into the handkerchief, ensuring he was cleaned up before turning back to her.
“I’m sorry, Rose”, he wheezed, breathing shallowly through his chapped lips, his eyes still spilling over slightly from the exertion.
“Come now, no more of that, eh?” she smiled, brushing away a rogue teardrop from his cheek with her thumb. The heat radiating from his skin didn’t go unnoticed, and she moved to place her hand against his forehead. He caught her hand before it got there and kissed her knuckles shakily.
“I’m fine, Rose. It’s just a s…slight chill. The doctor said…I just need to stay…*cough*….stay warm and rested.”

She rearranged the blanket around them and lay her head back on his shoulder, sighing softly, allowing herself to let her eyes slip shut.
Jack kissed the top of her head, before resting his cheek against her auburn curls, closing his eyes.

In truth, hadn’t even been within the vicinity of a doctor since they’d been on board the Carpathia. Jack hated them. That being said; he felt bloody awful. He hadn’t felt truly warm since before the Titanic was hit, yet he was sure that he was running a fever. His throat was raw and his head felt stuffy, throbbing with every painful breath. His chest felt tight, his lungs as though they were frozen solid. And his nose refused to stop running, despite being so stuffed up it was almost impossible to breathe.

But one look at the dozing girl and Jack knew it was worth putting up with to save Rose from any worry.

 

[InsertNameHere]

A second part - this is still very much a work in progress, and my first venture into the fanfiction section of this site. Please let me know what you think!

*****
 

Rose woke with a start in the middle of the night.
Squinting through the moonlight, she quickly saw the reason she had been ripped from her dreams. Jack was curled tightly in on himself, a sheen of sweat misted on his brow, shivering violently. After arriving in America, they’d caught their first bit of luck and were now nestled in a modest room above an inn. It was drafty and cramped, but they had a roof over their heads at least. For that they were thankful.

Jack hadn’t improved much. His “chill” – as he had put it – had blossomed into an unforgiving flu, leaving his poor body wracked by hacking coughs, and a constant fever to boot. Not to mention his poor nose. Jack’s waking moments – of which there had been few that hadn't been plagued by delirium since arriving at the inn – had been plagued by the most terrible sneezing fits, leaving him lightheaded and gasping for breath. Rose was convinced that the dusty inn room wasn’t helping matters, but that would have to be rectified once Jack was well. So here they were, Rose looking forlornly at the poor man curled beside her. He looked so small. It almost broke her heart.

Deciding that she needed to snap out of it, Rose took a deep breath and placed a hand upon Jack’s cheek. His skin was burning hot and damp with sweat. A sob wracked his body and she felt hot tears roll over her fingers. Another nightmare. Pulling herself closer to him, she gingerly carded a hand through his dirty blonde hair. She'd never had to take care of someone before, but there was only one person she could imagine guiding through sickness. Jack. It surprised her how much she enjoyed taking care of someone; how naturally easy it felt.

“Hush, Jack. It’s okay…”

When a cracked sob came again, she shook his shoulder.

“Jack, it’s okay. Come on, wake up for me.”

Heavy breaths forced their way past his lips as his eyes slid open, glazed over and unfocused.

“It’s okay, Jack. It was only a fever dream, that’s all.”

He stared at her with a confused look for a moment before his features crumpled into another wracking sob.
Rose pulled him close and stroked his hair, feeling his warm breath against her neck as his tears dampened her nightgown.

“Hush, darling. It’s okay. It was only a dream. Hush, now.”

Slowly his breath began to even out as he fell into a more restful sleep. Prising herself away, Rose crept out of bed, returning with a damp washcloth. Delicately, she sponged his forehead, stroking his hair and singing softly whenever he squirmed away.  

“Come, Josephine, in my flying machine,
Going up she goes… Up she goes…”

***

“Good bording.”

Rose blinked her way into the sunlight, met by Jack’s smiling, albeit weary, face.
“Good morning”, she breathed, reaching up to stroke his rosy cheek. “Your fever has gone down some since last night. At the most, I'm not terrified that your mind will cook itself...”
Jack’s eyes narrowed, his aching lungs pulling in a shallow breath before he erupted with two harsh sneezes into the blanket.
“God bless you”, Rose offered, pressing a light kiss to his poor stuffy nose.

The vacant expression returned, as Jack’s blushing nostrils flared, and he swiftly pushed himself up, swinging his legs over to place his bare feet on the cold wooden floor. With both hands steepled over his nose and mouth, he waited, doubled over, as his breath hitched painfully.

“Hehhh...hehhh...heeeeh-CHTTISSSHHH!!! CHTTISSHH!! CHTSSHHH!! CHTSSCHH!! Hehhhhh-CHISSHHH! Ehh-hehh-heeeeh-CHTISSHHH!!! Ugh…”

Throughout the fit, Rose knelt on the bed behind him, her red curls flowing freely. Her hand was pressed against his back, his shirt soaked through with sweat. Every time he convulsed forwards, she felt the muscles in his back tense. Closing her eyes, she tried to suppress the heat rising in her belly from the feeling of his strong body jerking involuntarily, berating herself for feeling excited despite Jack’s illness.

“Good heavens! Bless you, sweetheart!”, she soothed, offering him a clean handkerchief, which he accepted gratefully. Rose couldn’t help but wince as he blew his nose harshly, punctuated by a wet, hacking cough and a groan.

“Right, come now!”, she announced when he was done, gently turning his head to face her and brushing away the tears under his watering eyes. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes and into a nice warm bath.”

Jack opened his mouth to protest at her mothering, but stopped when her delicate finger pressed against his chapped lips.

“-And then it’s straight back to bed with you, Mr Dawson.”

Jack smiled and brushed back a curl from her cheek. She looked exhausted.
A pang of distress flowed through him. She had been through enough - giving up her fiance, her family, her home comforts - and all to be sat in a drafty, dilapidated inn, nursing a sickly, shadow of a man. Rose deserved so much more. She deserved the stars.

“Rose, you busdn’t worry. You deed to get somb rest. I cad take care of it. Of both of us…” And with that, he stood as if to prove his point.

What he hadn’t anticipated was for the room to start spinning. The colour drained from his face as he closed his eyes and attempted to swallow the nausea past his raw throat. Jack was vaguely aware of a hand against his waist and another around his shoulder, of which he was thankful.  His shaking legs buckled, and he allowed himself to be guided back into a sitting position on the bed.

In reality, it was a rather gracious-less flop.

A delicious coolness was pressing against his face, and finally Jack blinked the room back into focus. There was Rose stood before him, a stern expression on her delicate features as she palmed his forehead. Jack let out a crackled sigh as Rose’s hand moved to press her knuckles against his sweltering cheek.

“Now, you listen here! You are terribly feverish, and sound as though you have the most dreadful cold. Your lungs are congested. You’ve barely eaten. You're hardly sleeping - and when you do, you toss and turn with the most awful nightmares. And this relentless sneezing is exhausting you. I have already almost lost you, and I will not have you risking that again. So, you are going to rest and let me take care of you, and-and…” Rose trailed off and let out a heavy breath she didn't know she'd been holding in. She suddenly realised how worked up she had become, almost shouting at the poor man who was now staring up at her with a puppy-esque expression on his ashen face.

Jack couldn’t miss the pain in her eyes, or the tears rolling down her cheeks that his love apparently hadn't even registered. He clasped her shaking hand in his and kissed her knuckles.
“Okay”, he croaked, staring into her glassy reddening eyes. He kissed her knuckles again. “Okay”
Rose sniffled back her tears and nodded briskly, “Good”.
“HEH-TCHHHIIIWWW!”, Jack sneezed harshly into his free hand, not letting go of hers, and glanced up at Rose with a small apologetic smile that threatened to turn into laughter, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. His jovial - albeit congested - chuckle broke free at the sight of Rose trying to bite back a giggle.

Rose couldn’t help but crack up at their completely ridiculous predicament, sniffing back her tears as her wholesome, tender-hearted laughter filled the tiny room.



 

 

 

[Elyze]

This is a wonderful story, well done! I am eagerly looking forward to more

[sickprincess]

THIS IS THE FIC I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED. Oh my GOODNESS. Your writing is beautiful and you captured Jack and Rose perfectly!! I can't wait for more! (I'd love to see Rose catch a cold as well...) 

[sneezelover3]

Amazing!!! 👏

[justaquirkygirl]

This is sooo good. More please!

[Privatedancer]

This is great 

[InsertNameHere]

Thank you all for the lovely comments! Here's the next part. Hope you enjoy!



 

It took more effort than she’d originally anticipated to get Jack into the bathtub, but together they managed it – despite a few stumbles.

“There!”, Rose announced proudly after she’d gotten him settled into the steaming water, rolling up the sleeves of her dress and perching on the floor beside him. Jack closed his eyes and leaned back, letting out a groan of ecstasy. The warm water soothed his aching muscles and warmed his bones. Another moan escaped his chapped lips as Rose sponged his constricted chest.

The steam was definitely helping to clear his stuffy nose, and he sniffled gratefully. His relief was short lived however, as that torturous tickle recurred. Jack concentrated hard, trying to will the impending fit away, but the steamy room made that impossible. Rose brushed the damp hair from his forehead, clicking her tongue when he screwed his face up and clamped his lips shut, despite his flaring nostrils.
“Don’t try to fight them, darling.”
She watched his jaw slacken, and his lips shakily part as he tried to manage a frantic nod.  
“Ughh…hehhh...hehhh...heeeeh-CHTTISSSHHH!!! Hhh-CHTTISSHH!! CHTSSHHH!! CHTSSCHH!!”

The violent sneezes echoed around the small bathroom, and Rose attempted to lean back, away from the water sloshing over the sides of the tub and onto her lap.
“Bless you”, she offered, knitting her brows together as Jack pawed at his running nose, that far away look still in his eyes.

“Oh G-God…huhh…HUCHTSSCHH!! CHTSCHHH!! I…hehhh…hehh-CHTTISHHH!! I can’t st…st-HACHTIISHH!! Caaahh…can’t stohhh…huhhh…stohhhp-CHTTSSHHH!! CHTISSHH!! CHTISSHH!! CHTISSHH!! CHTISSHH!! Hehhhh….hehh-CHTTSSHHH!! CHTISSHH!! CHTISSHH!!”

The fit was making Jack dizzy, but the tickle seemed as though it would never cease. His hands were covered in spray as he attempted to shield his sneezes. The sneezing paused for a moment, and Jack took respite in the few moments he had to gather a few deep breaths, eyes closed tightly.
Rose grabbed a fresh handkerchief and returned to the side of the tub, heedless of the wet patch now spreading across the floor. Holding the soft white handkerchief in one hand, she put her other arm around Jack’s back to steady him.
“Is that you finished?”
Her answer came immediately as Jack’s lips quivered and his breaths became shallow and ragged, his pale face tilting upwards.

He managed a small, frantic shake of his head.
“N…n-no….”
“Here”, she whispered, gently tugging his wrist away from his nose. Jack let his hands drop into the warm water, as Rose held the soft fabric gently to his throbbing nose.

He took a deep, shaky breath and exploded with another violent sneeze, and Jack became unbelievable grateful that Rose was still holding him. The noise muffled into the handkerchief, and Rose felt the dampness seeping through the thin fabric. Jack pulled his hand from the water, clasping it over Rose’s to press the cloth tighter to his face.
“Hehhh-MMTPHH! MMTTPHHH! MMGTPHH! MMGTPHH! MMGTPHHH!”
His hand relaxed against hers and Rose gingerly removed the handkerchief, giving his poor nose a few gentle swipes.
Jack held his breath as Rose waited, handkerchief poised a few inches away just in case. His nostrils flared painfully, and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. By refusing to take an intake of breath, his final sneeze ended up as a painful stifle into his fist.
“HN-GXKT!!!”
Jack let out a groan of pain as his ears popped, and allowed his muscles to relax again.
“Blow”, Rose instructed. That took all his remaining energy just to produce a pathetic sounding gurgle.
Handkerchief discarded, Rose rinsed her hand in the steamy bath water and brushed Jack’s hair back once again, blessing him as he closed his aching eyes.
“Ugh, Rose…” Jack croaked, “I feel awful…”
“I know, darling. Let’s get you cleaned up and into some warm clothes. Then we’ll get you back into bed, okay?”
He swallowed, winced and forced a nod, letting the warmth seep back into his bones as Rose sponged him down.
“Will you be okay for a moment which I change the sheets? They’re soaked through after last night.”
Another nod.
He felt her soft lips against his forehead and leant against the back of the tub, fighting off the impending slumber.

While Rose set about readying the room, she heard the muffled sneezes echoing from the bathroom again and winced.

The poor dear.
 

Edited January 13, 2018 by InsertNameHere

[Shikee12.haley]

3 hours ago, InsertNameHere said:

The poor dear.
 

poor baby...send lots of love to this lil bean...and a lot of handkerchiefs as well

[20andsickfic]

this is sooooooo good I would love to see rose get sick!!!

[InsertNameHere]

Thank you all for the lovely comments! Here's the next part - apologies for not much sneezing in this installment.



 

It had been just over a week since they’d taken respite in the inn. Jack had seemed to be bounding back, fever free for almost two days. Although still bound to bed on Rose’s orders – just to be safe - , Jack had taken revelry in doodling beside her, capturing her beauty in charcoal. His favourite was a portrait of her sleeping silently beside him, and she had to admit that the finished product looked stunning. But then again, Rose was of that opinion for most of his work. By the time he was getting over his terrible illness, he had almost filled the meagre pad of paper he had barely managed to purchase. Not to mention his singular piece of charcoal, which now resembled a pitiful nub.

 Rose had gone to bed that night with a light heart. Things were looking up for once for them. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Rose was looking forward to a possible future for them.

It felt like moments later that the sunlight beamed over her eyes, causing her to stir. Blinking open her eyes, she stretched and admired how well rested she felt. It has been so long.

A soft sigh slipped past her scarlet lips, staring at the sun for what seemed like the first time in a hundred years.

A swallow curbed her merriment. A sandpaper roughness streaked her throat, bringing tears to her eyes. Clearing her throat against the morning dryness, she swallowed again, feeling the same harshness creep upwards, wincing against the sticky wetness of her sinuses. This feeling she had known only a handful of times. She could not burden Jack with the fact that the was soon to be stricken down with his illness. Instead, she swallowed once more, winced, and painted on a smile, rolling over to embrace her love.

Rose was met only by a cold pillow. Shooting upright, and instantly regretting doing so as a shooting pain rocketed through her skull, she allowed herself to scan the room. Beside her she found a note.

“Rose

I have gone to sell my works to pay for our rent here. I will be back soon.

Jack.”

The almost curtness of it struck her. Then her worry for him. Then the pain of feeling unwell and no one being there.

He'd left a note, gone to sell some artwork.

She groaned inwardly, and tried to contain her worry. Sniffling back what would she was sure would blossom into a dreadful cold, she buried her head into the duvet, wishing for sleep to take her.

****

Hours later, Rose woke with a start. Rain lashed heavily against the window frame, spilling droplets into their tiny room. The wind was whistling fiercely, as she wrapped the blankets around herself. The feelings boiled over inside of her.

Where in the hell is Jack?

She must have slept the entire day away, and suddenly…. a key turning in the lock.

Sitting upright she was met by the drenched figure of Jack, propelling his way into the miniscule room with a broad smile emblazoned on his gaunt face.

Jumping up, she raced to him, holding his sodden body to hers. He wrapped his arms around her in confusion.

“Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick!”
He held her close as she buried her face into his neck.
“I sold some drawings!” He beamed as she pulled back to stare him in the eyes.
“I…I….hehh-HUCHTSSCHH!! Huh-CHTSCHHH!!” Jack muffled the sneezes into the arm of his sodden jacket.

Rose reached up, brushing back his damp hair and palming his forehead, feeling the retuning fever.

“I-“
She cut him off immediately.
“Jack! You’re soaked to the bone! You’re terribly hot!”

He took her trembling hands in hers, with a quivering smile.

“I’b okay. I’b bore thad okay!”

His hand ventured to his pocket, bringing out a series of coins and drenched notes, pressing them into her hand. She took them, looking down almost incredulously at the money. Meanwhile his hand was carding through her red hair.

“We’re godda be okay!”

A pause. His proud beam left his face swiftly as she struck him lightly to the chest.

“You imbecile! You could have been dead! And you’re feverish again and still sick and could have died an…huhh-chuueuchh!” Rose sneezed delicately into the sleeve of her nightgown, wincing.

Without missing a beat, Jack continued, “I’b okay and we’re always goindg to be okay bec-“  

“HUHH-chuueuchh!”

“Bless you darlidng!” His brow furrowed in confusion and concern, sniffing thickly to clear his congestion. “Are you okay?”
Rose smiled and delicately swatted his hand. How could she stay mad at this man? Especially with those puppy dog eyes.
“I’m fine, it must just be the dust in here. Get yourself dried off and into warm clothes, and-“
“And back into bed?”
A lighthearted chuckle escaped her lips and she nodded.
“You must be a mind reader, Mr. Dawson!”

With that, she leaned up on her tip-toes to kiss his warm cheek, before tucking his earnings safely away in a drawer. Pausing to run her hand over the bundle of damp notes, she clicked her tongue at her rudeness.

“Jack?” she said aloud, turning her head to him. He was half naked, gooseflesh across his milky white arms as he dug around for a clean shirt. My lord, he’s handsome.

“Mm?”

“Congratulations, Mr. Artiste.”

A light chuckle left his perfect smiling lips, and he dropped the shirt, making his way back over to Rose. Wrapping his arms around her waist, she pressed her hands against his warm, bare chest, idly tracing over the faint scars he’d gathered from a rough life.

“And thank you.”

Jack pressed a soft kiss into her red hair.

[Elyze]

Jack is such a cutie. I love this story so much I also adore his stuffy talk 

[Shikee12.haley]

Awwwwww

[Arty]

Omg. This is the ending i needed in this movie! Is there more?

[InsertNameHere]

More to come, just trying to overcome the dreaded writers block!