Discalimer: No, this all belongs to James Cameron, not me. I wrote this because I saw Titanic again, (why I keep watching it, I don't know because believe it or not, Jack dies at the end, EVERY TIME! So this is how I seek closure after watching JC's traumatic movie-the nerd way: writing.) So...Enjoy!

Happy Idiots

"Miss…miss!" cried the man, shining his light into the confused face of the redheaded woman. But she continued to blow on the rescue whistle until they had grabbed her and pulled her up out of the icy water.

"No!" she cried, as someone began uncurling her fingers from the whistle. (No one wanted to drag the whistle's owner into the boat and upset this woman, and the four other survivors from the water, any further.)

"No, NO!" she cried, "I need help! We need help…you're not done yet, go back for him!"

"Miss!" cried the man, putting his large hands on both her shoulders and looking her straight in the eye.

"It's Rose!" she yelled right back at him, "...and you didn't finish your job!" she accused. The woman began to hurl herself back towards the water but the man's hands held her firmly in place.

"Rose," he said quietly, "please understand how very sorry I am about this; but whoever it is, he is most likely dead…"

"He isn't! He can't die…!"

"…Everyone is suffering from losses right now but the truth of the matter is that a lot of souls have gone now and no amount of help will bring them back," said the man, still speaking loudly. "You must think of how he is in a better place now and how this is the time to be strong…"

"No, you don't understand," said the woman, her voice suddenly calm and sure, "Jack's right there," she pointed, "and he's still alive…But he won't be much longer if you keep talking to me like an irrational five-year old!"

The crew worker looked up at his partner. They would not leave a man behind if he was still alive, but if they went over to the body and found just that—a body, no soul left—it would only upset their five passengers further. He sighed. It was a chance they'd have to take.

"Bring her 'round to port, Mr. Benson," the man said, now aiming his light at the floating mass the woman had indicated.

"Right Charlie," Benson muttered. The woman was right. There was a man floating upright in the water, holding limply on to a headboard of sorts.

His eyes were closed.

Charlie closed his own in weariness and then turned to look at Benson. Benson shook his head grimly.

We should turn around now, said the headshake. There's no hope for that one.

"See," said the redhead, Rose, "look, look!"

"Look here, miss..." Benson started, exasperated.

"I am looking, but…" began Charlie gently.

"Wait," said one of the other passengers, who hadn't said a thing since the slight cry she'd signaled them with from the lethal water, "there's a little fog around his mouth…no turn your light that way again...see?" Charlie did as he was told and slowly swiveld the searchlight, not hoping for much. But when the light was at a certain angle he saw the puff of vapor around the man's nose—he was breathing!

"See!" cried Rose, her eyes shining, "I told you, I told you! Get him out now…now!"

Still not daring to believe this, Charlie helped Benson get close enough until Dick, their man in the back, could reach in and grab the unconscious man under the arms. Carefully helping Dick pull him in, while Charlie did his best to restrain Rose—it would beyond ironically terrible if they capsized now—Benson helped to lay the unconscious man out in the bottom of the lifeboat, the four other people scrambling quickly out of the way.

Dick looked up at Charlie and Benson from the stern of the little lifeboat. The man had been in the water for some time and other than the slight puff of breath that continued to irregularly come from his nose, there were no other responsive signs. How had this woman known he was alive? Only by seeing his breath in the icy air through the searchlight had Charlie been able to see any signs of life. Glancing up at Rose, Charlie wondered briefly if she had had no idea whether or not the man was alive but had begged them to help him anyway. Either way, if the man woke up, it would be a miracle. He seemed to be completely shut down; seconds more in the water and he would surely have been gone.

Charlie reached for a blanket in the bottom of the boat and threw it over the man while Dick reached beneath the blanket to wring the his shirt out. Rose, staying low, moved over to crouch by his side and grabbed his hands. They made one final pass through the horrifyingly silent slick of bodies before returning to the other lifeboats.

The passengers stayed quiet except for Rose, who had curled up for warmth next to the man beneath the blanket. She was constantly whispering to him as she alternating between rubbing his hands and face. It didn't bother Charlie: he was glad that the woman seemed happy even if he was almost sure it would be short-lived. If the man died, which was probably going to happen, at least she could have these few more minutes, hours, possibly a day of hope. Just happy idiots, right?

"I told you, Jack," he heard her whisper "we can both die when we're old now." Charlie closed his eyes in weariness, his heart nearly breaking for this poor, determined girl. Happy idiots…

A/N: Please tell me what you think, I'm still really new to fanfction and I want to know how I'm doing. ;) Should I continue this? I want Jack to take Rose back home to his family which has had its own problems since Jack left. I know his family died in the movie but I really like one of the characters I made up for him.