Disclaimer: The only characters that I own are Anna Morris and her parents. Any other characters in this chapter are not my own. This story is purley a work of fiction, yet is based to a large extent based upon real events. No offence is intended.
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William McMaster Murdoch stood with his back to White Star Line's Liverpool Office, taking a moment to sort through his whirling thoughts. He was a tall and solidly built Scots man with a handsome face and a cheerful and wily disposition. He had recently been First Officer aboard White Star Line's Olympic, a behemoth of a ship, but had been given the news just a few days ago that he was to be Chief Officer aboard her larger and far grander Sister ship, the newly built Titanic. The thought of this was what was occupying his sharp mind, and he wondered who he would be serving with for the foreseeable future. He knew of one appointment, Senior Officer's Assistant, which brought a smile to his face, but who the rest of the crew would be was a mystery to him.
As if in answer to his thoughts, a hand dropped onto each of his shoulders, making him jump, startled. Two men, laughing at his skittishness, appeared in front of him. He rolled his eyes at them and grinned, greeting his old friends with a firm handshake each.
"Good to see you Lights, Davy, to what do I owe the displeasure of your company?"
Charles Herbert "Lights" Lightoller, still grinning was quick to answer "Just getting our tickets to Belfast. You are looking at the First and Second Officers of White Star Line's newest monster." Pride and excitement were evident in his rich, deep voice and his bright blue eyes sparkled with their usual warmth and mischief. He was a tall and handsome man with broad shoulders and a slim yet strong build.
David "Davy" Blair, a tall man with a wiry build and like Lights, had a mischievous disposition, tempered by professionalism piped up "What are you doing here Will? I thought you were First on Olympic."
Will gave his friends a knowing smirk and answered Davy's question. "Looks like you two troublemakers had best get used to calling me Chief!"
"Well I'll be damned" chuckled Lights "looks like we three'll be causing mayhem together for the foreseeable future. Should be great fun."
"God help the junior Officers though." laughed Murdoch. Suddenly he felt something hit the back of his head, and a feminine voice piped up from behind the three men "Don't think for one moment that you three miscreants will be torturing us Junior Officers, not while I'm around."
Into view came a short, slight and beautiful young woman, who was easily dwarfed by the men she addressed, but her vibrant personality more than made up for her small stature.
Lightoller immediately spun around and pulled the young woman into his arms and exclaimed "Anna, it's been far too long young lady!" Anna happily returned the embrace and laughingly replied "It's good to see you too Lights, I've missed you!"
He loosened his grip on her and held her at arm's length, and just looked at her. Her hair was the same shining and vibrant crimson that he remembered; her green eyes were just as bright and full of life as they had always been.
They grinned at each other for a moment, before Davy pulled her to him and swept her off her feet. Giggling at her friends antics, Anna threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek before saying "It's nice to see you too Davy, although you're looking a bit grey!" He set her on her feet again and frowned, "Do I really?" Anna just grinned impishly at him and turned to look at Will who smiled at her then held open his arms and she gratefully accepted the hug.
"Hello squirt" he mumbled into her hair, before releasing her. Lightoller and Blair regarded her for a moment before Lights broke the silence,
"Let me guess, you're on Titanic as well?"
"Of course" came her reply "and my job there is to keep you three troublemakers in line."
"And she means it" groaned Will. "She was Senior Officers Assistant on Olympic as well, and she never let us get away with anything."
The young redhead rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. "You know you love me really Will, you all do, so don't bother groaning about the fact we're serving together again because you know it doesn't fool me for a moment."
At 26, Anna Morris was the youngest of the four, and at that the only female Officer serving with White Star Line. Not only that, she was connected to the company that built, White Star Line's ships, Harland and Wolff. Her Great Uncle, Lord Pirre, was Chairman of the company, and her mother's younger brother, Thomas Andrews was both Managing Director and Master Shipbuilder for the firm.
Anna had run away to sea 12 years ago, after her mother had promised her hand in marriage to a wealthy businessman three times her age and in Anna's opinion was even less pleasant company than a shark with toothache.
One night after she had told him exactly what she thought him, he had hit and called her his "little whore". Later that night she cut her hair short, borrowed some boys clothes and had left, with no intention of returning, at least until she was 21, and of age.
She had run to the White Star Line docks in Liverpool, and joined the crew of the Medic, as an apprentice, under the name "Andrew" Morris. It was then that she first met Murdoch and Lightoller who were Second and Fourth Officers of the ship.
Within 8 months, the two men discovered that "Andrew" was in fact Anna, after she had fallen down a flight of stairs during a violent storm and had broken her ankle and dislocated her shoulder. Instead of being angry with her, they went out of their way to help her, understanding why she couldn't go home. Between the two of them, over the next 4 years, they helped her to complete her apprenticeship. At some point during those four years, they introduced her to Davy Blair, and from then, the four were firm friends. Anna had helped to cover for Lights when he met his wife, Sylvia, on the way to Sydney, one voyage, as he wooed her, and was a witness at their wedding.
Their bond was unbreakable.