l Chapter One l

Rose walked out to the deck of Titanic, on a cold, breezy night, her beautiful, white face stained with tears, her heart pounding several beats a minute, her stomach turning in knots of anxiety. She wasn't sure what she was doing as she slowly walked to the deck of the Titanic, but she knew she wanted nothing more than just to die, die at that moment and be free of her hurt, her pain, her fears. This was the second time she was contemplating death, the first time, Jack saved her, but this time, not Jack, not her mother, not Lovejoy, not even Cal knew she had secretly fled her cabin room to go hang off the railing of the RMS Titanic, to plunge to her death. It was all so complicated for Rose, she didn't love Cal, she didn't want to get married, she wanted to be free. As she slowly climbed over the railing and held on, while staring down into the dark, blue waters of the ocean, tears streamed from her eyes. She was ready to let go—until—

Will Murdoch had been given the rest of the night off, after being up all night and day for a day and a half, in his duties as officer on the Titanic. He walked out to the deck to smoke a cigarette and stopped in his tracks when he saw who was in front of him. He saw Rose, hanging on to the other side of the railing, looking as if she were minutes from plunging to her death, into the icy waters of the ocean. Murdoch gasped and immediately ran over to the railing where she was.

"What do ya think you're doing, miss!" Murdoch yelled in his British accent.

Rose looked back at Murdoch with eyes that were filled with surprise, her face held a look as if she were a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"Stand back!" Rose yelled with a slight, shaky voice. "Damn it, how is it that someone always knows when I'm doing this!"

Murdoch looked at her with a confused frown.

"Miss, what are ya doing? You're not supposed to be on there." Murdoch said in a slightly calm voice.

Rose shook her head and frowned angrily.

"Oh I know I not! Do you think I'm dumb or something!"

Murdoch frowned more.

"Well what ARE ya doing on there?"

Rose sighed and closed her eyes briefly.

"Its him isn't it?" Murdoch asked, although he already knew the answer to his question.

Rose looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Him who?"

Rose knew exactly who Murdoch was referring to, but she wanted him to reveal it, just to be sure.

"Caledon Hockely, I believe his name is." Murdoch said in a cold-like tone of voice. "I've seen you with him, and him with you, that bloke wouldn't know what love was, if it bloody well smacked him in the face."

Rose looked down and frowned, she could feel more tears filling her eyes.

"I don't love him." Rose said in a low voice. "He's so controlling, so—obsessive, so—"

"Abusive, eh?" Murdoch interrupted.

Rose looked at him with a confused frown.

"How did you know?"

Murdoch shrugged as he walked closer to the railing where she was standing, he felt he had been talking to her long enough, for him to be able to move close enough for her not to even take notice.

"I've seen it, love." Murdoch blurted out almost in haste. "I've walked the halls of first class, and have passed your room and have heard your crying, him beating you."

"Once he even punched me in my jaw," Rose said sadly. "He kept punching until I blacked out. He's so cruel."

Murdoch looked down, sighed and slightly frowned.

"May I be honest, love?" Murdoch asked.

Rose glanced at him and shook her head with a slight frown and then nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

"Why do ya stay with him? There are plenty of other lads who would be knocking down doors to be with ya. He doesn't deserve ya."

Rose stared at him and smiled briefly and looked away.

"That's sweet of you to say, Mr. Murdoch." Rose responded. "I—I'm afraid to leave him, to be honest."

Murdoch looked down at her hand and slowly reached out and touched it, the warmth of his hand seemed to vibrate through to her cold, hand.

"He's a lucky man, Mr. Hockley is." Murdoch said in a low voice. "But ya don't need to do this, love. Don't end your life like this, there's a better way, if ya want, I—I'll help ya find a better way, but don't do this, ya don't want to."

Rose looked at him and resisted the urge to laugh. She simply smiled briefly.

"Now you sound like Jack." Rose said in a low voice. "He's trying to save me too, but in his own—way."

Murdoch looked away and sighed.

"Yeah, I've seen ya with that other lad." Murdoch said with a hint of bitterness. "Dawson's his name, I believe."

Rose looked at him with a smirk.

"Just how long have you been watching me, Mr. Murdoch?" Rose asked almost with a hint of amusement.

Murdoch looked her dead in her eyes and shrugged.

"For a while now, I tend to watch those whom I sincerely like."

Rose stared at him, as her smile began to fade. She thought he was joking at first, but the longer she examined his face, his stare, she knew he was serious. She looked away and nodded slowly with a serious expression.

"Can you help me back over please?" Rose asked. "I think I'll save my impending suicide for a later day."

Murdoch laughed briefly as he wrapped his big, strong arms around her toned waist and helped her back over the railing. He could smell the scent of her beautiful summer breeze scented perfume.

"Good, love, lets hope you hold it off, lets say—permanently?" Murdoch said with a brief smirk.

Rose looked down and smiled briefly as she stood beside him.

"Well, um, thank you for the talk and for helping me back over, Mr. Murdoch."

"You can call me Will," Murdoch said with a shrug.

Rose nodded with another one of her beautiful smiles.

"Will, it is."

Murdoch nodded and turned and walked away. He briefly closed his eyes and frowned. He wanted to stay there with her, in the days he had been watching her on the Titanic, he had taken a real liking to her, and now he had a chance to start something with her, and he chose to just walk away.

"Mr. Murdoch—I mean, Will, wait." Rose said quickly.

Murdoch stopped and turned around, as he took out a cigarette and began to light it.

"Um, I really don't want to go back to my room with Cal," Rose began, "and if I go anywhere near third class, Lovejoy will surely be down there to spy and to go back to tell Cal and so—"

"Ya wanna go for coffee in the dining room, then, eh?" Murdoch asked before taking a puff of his cigarette in a cool "James Dean" type of way. "Ya know, just til you're ready to go back and face that hideous big-faced fiancée of yours?"

Rose laughed and looked down briefly with a look of relief almost.

"Yes, that be nice, Will, can we?"

Murdoch nodded and held out her arm for her to walk up to him and put her arm under. As she did, they walked away off the deck towards the dining room.