Two old men stood with their backs to Rose, admiring the Renault, discussing its many comforts in low, cracked voices. As they turned around, she recognized them despite the changes many decades had brought upon their faces.

"Jack and Jack," she greeted them.

"Rose," they said in unison.

Jack Dawson opened the door to the upholstered back seat and politely helped Rose inside.

"Would you still have wanted me when I became like this?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"Yes." Despite his wrinkled face and white, wispy hair she felt a warmth at seeing him again. His eyes were the same, and she realized she still saw his old self when looking at him. In her mind, he would always be that boyish young man she had fallen in love with. "We would have been good for each other, I think. With you, I would have lived the life I dreamed of, and you would have become more aspiring, not just meekly accepting the role society had designated for you."

"What about me, then?" Jack Sparrow squeezed himself in on her other side, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. He had lost almost all his teeth and the two remaining ones were brown. Probably all that sweet rum's work. His long hair was iron gray and as usual held back by a red scarf under his pirates' hat.

"Definitely." She desired him even now, as strange as that was. "With you I would have had so much fun. And annoyance. An adventurous life, never knowing what the next day would bring."

"What if you could have neither of us?" asked Jack Dawson. "I'm dead, and Sparrow cares only for his ship. What would you do then?"

"Nothing. I would be with my friends, maybe marry if I fell in love with another man and he loved me too – but there is nothing wrong with living alone. I don't need a man to make me happy."

"Then I shall escort you out, love," said Jack Sparrow, taking her hand in a frail grip.

She passed through yet another door and nearly bumped into Edward Smith, captain of the Titanic, who was looking through a round window where an iceberg floated past the ship.

"Good day, Captain," said Rose, smoothing out her pants. Now she wore the men's clothes she had used aboard the Barnacle. "Is this the end of the Locker?

"That's right, Miss DeWitt Bukater. Over there are the stairs with the clock, and you will find they go two ways; up and down. You are entitled to go up, if you so choose."

"Really?" Did he imply she was worthy of Heaven? Rose felt her lips quirk up.

"Oh, don't look so smug, it's none of your doing." The captain's white beard waggled when he chuckled. "You are entitled to go up because the entrance ticket has been paid for you."

"Paid? By whom?"

"The Captain, of course! Not me, obviously, because I'm dead. I'm talking of the Captain of Heaven. He loves you more than both those Jack's put together. He paid the price so that no matter what you've done you're forgiven. Can you accept that?"

"Yes." She felt a surge of warmth, a mingle of embarrassment and happiness. How could she not have realized? Then another thought struck her. "But if all is forgiven, why did I have to go through all those tests?"

"Because for you, going up the stairs is not the only choice. Now, get on with you, someone's waiting for you by the clock."

Rose looked up and with a sharp pang she saw it was Jack Dawson, young and handsome again, just like he had looked when he was alive.

She ran up the steps, two at a time, and Jack turned to meet her, a boyish grin brightening his face. He looked real in a way she could not quite explain.

"Is it really you?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "Not another ghost?"

"It's me." His smile widened. "And are you you?"

"Yes!" She blinked to hold back the tears burning in her eyes. Her heart burned with so many emotions she could not even sort them. Was she happy, or sad, or in love, or ashamed? Then his arms were around her and he smelled just as she remembered, his slim body felt the same and when he kissed her hungrily, so did his lips. It really was he!

"But why are you still here?" she asked when they finally broke the kiss. "It was a long time since you... passed away." She swallowed hard at the memory of his frozen body sinking to its grave at the bottom of the ocean.

"I just came from the seven terraces. There were a few things I felt I needed to settle. You too?"

"Yes." She swallowed again as a crushing wave of guilt hit her. "But I... I did not come here directly. It's hard to explain."

"Tell me." He smiled encouragingly.

So she did. With the clock ticking behind them she told him everything that had happened since they parted, not even leaving out her night with Jack. Her other Jack.

"You forgot me fast, didn't you."

Another wave of guilt hit her, but then she saw he was grinning wider than before.

"I'm only teasing you." He took her hand, stroking her fingers reassuringly. "I have learned not to be jealous or angry."

"I'm sorry I let go of you so soon."

His face turned serious. "Rose, when I said to never let go I was talking of life, not of me. Remember how I told you you would die an old lady in your bed? For you there's another choice. Someone has come to bring you back, and now you have to either let go of me – or follow me. You can't have both." He pointed up the stairs. "And that's where I'm going."

Rose saw a bright, white light shining down on her. She had to avert her eyes, but yet she felt a strong desire to get closer to it.

"Even if you leave now you'll get here later," he continued. "And I'll wait for you. It'll be fun, you can tell me of your kids and all the exciting adventures you had." He meant it, she realized. He really wasn't resenting her for what had happened.

"Oh Jack!" She kissed him again, a farewell kiss this time. "You really are an amazing person."

"Just reformed. Up there we'll all be like this." He grinned. "I can see you've made your choice." He squeezed her hand, and dropped it. "Good luck."

He took a step upward, and then another one.

"I will never forget you, Jack!" she called after him. And then he was gone, enveloped by light and warmth.

Rose sighed and turned to walk back down when she saw another man standing at the foot of the stairs, regarding her calmly.

"Jack..." she whispered, again feeling the pressure of guilt. "You... you saw that?"

"I did." He looked a bit different from when they had parted after the summoning of Calypso, cleaner, calmer – almost like when he visited his daughter. His triangular hat was gone, but the red scarf at least remained, for which she was almost grateful. She needed him to look real.

"I didn't go with him," she said, walking down another step but hesitating to join him. He did not appear 'reformed'; she was fairly sure he could still feel jealousy.

"I'm glad you didn't. But then, I've always been a selfish bastard." He smiled wryly as he reached up to take her hand, pulling her closer until she stood on the floor before him.

"You're not mad?"

He shook his head. "How could I be? You're clearly mentally unstable, choosing me over Mr Pretty Boy."

She laughed, but at the same time feeling her chest grow tight. What had it cost him to come here and look for her? Only to find her kissing another man.

Jack cleared his throat. "Sorry if this will sound cheesy, but... I practiced a li'l speech."

"I'm all ears." Rose tried to look serious and failed. Oh Jack! He was so like himself, even here at the end of the world.

He fell on one knee, still holding her hand. "See... I've kind of fallen for you, Princess Rose. Like– lovewise, savvy? And I own no shining armor, so I can't save you from a tower. But I was hoping you could save me. You know. Be my angel, and that."

"I can't," she said earnestly. His lips turned down in disappointment, but she quickly continued. "You must save yourself. That's how it works."

He rose on his feet again, pondering her words. Then he put his arms around her. "Well then. I'll try."

"That's a good start. One step at a time." She hugged him back.

They remained under the stairs for a long time, just hugging, not speaking. Then he took her hand and led her through the final door, out on a sandy beach. The air was warm and tiny crabs came crawling up to them, following in their wake as they walked hand in hand towards the glittering sea ahead.

"Those buggers have taken a liking to me after last time I was here," he said, poking at one of them with his toe and yelping when it pinched him.

At the shore a small dinghy waited for them, and inside it sat a familiar pig.

"What happened to the Black Pearl?"

"I had to make a sacrifice." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She's only a ship, love. I let her go." He helped her aboard and pushed the boat out a bit before jumping in next to her.

"You chose me before the Pearl?" She could hardly believe it was true.

"M-hm." He extended one of the oars.

"Wow. There goes your free pirate's life down the drain. With the rum."

"What?" He dropped the oar into the water with a splash. "I must have heard wrong. You meant the rum would go down my throat, right?"

"No, I meant the drain." She smirked. "Stop gaping Johnny, and get this boat going. Hector wants to see your house and meet your daughter."

"Alright then, horrible woman. So he shall." He grinned as he set sail, humming to himself: "Yo ho yo ho... Drink up me hearties yo ho!"

The wind caught the dinghy's tiny sail and soon they were on their way. Just your average family; a woman, a pirate and a pig, beginning a new adventure together.

A/N:

Thanks a lot to all who followed, read, favorited and commented! It means very much to me.

This is the end of the story, really, but I've added an epilogue with a little snippet from the future. :)

Image Credits:

Screenshots from the Titanic, screenshot from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and a public domain pig picture.