DISCLAIMER: This story is based upon the series, Charmed, that was created by Constance M. Burge. All Charmed characters are the property of Spelling Productions. This story has references to events in my previous R&H Chronicles stories, Requiem and The Fallen One.
DEDICATION: To the memory of those that died on the RMS Titanic, one hundred years ago, on April 14-15th, 1912.
THE PLACE: PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA
APRIL 14th, 2012
"Ugh, that thing sure looks repulsive." Hannah Webster said as she looked at the object sitting on Rex Buckland's desk. The two of them were currently in Rex's study of their apartment, looking over his latest acquisition. It was a small idol that looked like it came out of some late night horror movie. "Where did it come from?"
"Well, it was originally made by the Druids of ancient Britain." Rex replied as he picked up the idol. "However, this little gem was not found in Britain, but rather on the Titanic."
"The Titanic!?" Hannah asked. "What was it doing there?"
"Many rich and powerful people travelled on the Titanic, Hannah, as you well know. One of them was John Jacob Aster, and this idol belonged to him. He purchased it from a private collector in Britain and was bringing it to America on the Titanic."
"He died when the ship sank, according to that Titanic documentary we watched the other day." Hannah said.
"Indeed he did." Rex replied. "Him along with many other rich and powerful people of the time."
"That documentary was interesting. It sure told the whole story, Rex."
"Better than that movie you insisted we watch after." Rex said.
"Hey, Leo and Kate's characters should have ended up together." Hannah replied, defending the movie. It had always been one of her favourite films, even in her Warlock days.
"Yes, quite." Rex said as he replaced the idol on his desk. "Anyhow, the latest deep sea exploration of the Titanic found this idol on the floor of the Purser's Office, where the wealthy passengers, such as Mr. Aster, had valuable objects stored. I was lucky to acquire it."
"Hey, there's writing on it." Hannah said as she spotted some strange symbols on the idol.
"Yes, but I haven't gotten around to translating it yet." Rex said. "The idol is in quite good shape considering it's been sitting at the bottom of the North Atlantic for a hundred years."
"That's right, today is the one hundredth anniversary of the Titanic disaster." Hannah said suddenly.
"Partially, Hannah. It hit the iceberg on the evening of April 14th, 1912, but didn't actually sink until the morning of the 15th. It was the worse maritime disaster of its time."
"I can imagine what it must have been like for those poor people." Hannah said slowly.
"It was a horrible way to die, Hannah. Rex said and stood up. "Anyway, I'm hungry. I'm going to fix myself a sandwich. You want anything, Hannah?"
"Nah, not at the moment." Hannah replied as she picked up the idol for a closer look.
"I'll be right back, then." Rex said and headed out of the study.
"The Titanic." Hannah said as she studied the idol. "Part of me wonders what it would be like to actually be there, on that last day." Once Hannah had finished saying those words, she felt the idol began to shake in her hands. What the hell? she thought as she saw the eyes of the idol begin to glow. Hannah was about to call for Rex, when there was a blinding flash of white light, blotting out everything.
Once he had finished making the sandwich, Rex headed back to the study. "Well, Hannah, I..." He broke off when he saw that the study was empty, Hannah was nowhere to be seen. "Hannah?" he called, but there was no answer. Rex then saw the idol lying on the floor, like it had been suddenly dropped. I have a bad feeling about this! he thought to himself.
THE PLACE: RMS TITANIC, NORTH ATLANTIC
THE TIME: APRIL 14TH, 1912
"Easy, Miss, don't try to get up too fast." the unfamiliar voice said.
What? Hannah thought as awareness returned to her. The man that had spoken had a British accent, but it was definitely not Rex. She opened her eyes and saw a man she had never met, wearing a uniform that looked familiar somehow, standing over her. Looking around, Hannah saw that she seemed to be in an Infirmary of some kind, but she had no idea how she had gotten here or where she was. "Who are you?" she asked the man.
"I'm Dr. William O'Loughlin, I'm the Ship Surgeon." the man replied. "And you are?"
"Hannah Webster. Wait, did you say ship? We're on a ship!?"
"Of course we are." O'Loughlin said. "Where did you think we were?"
"San Francisco." Hannah said truthfully.
"Well, looks like you did a little too much celebrating last night, Miss Webster. Maybe that explains were we found you."
"Where did you find me?"
"In the Purser's Office." another man said as he entered. "Is she well enough to be questioned?" he asked O'Loughlin.
"Yes, she is, Mr. Murdoch." the surgeon replied.
"Good." the man said and turned his attention to Hannah. "I'm William Murdoch, First Officer."
"Hannah Webster." Hannah replied. Now that she was more aware, she realized that the names of these two men sounded familiar somehow, but she just couldn't quite place them yet.
"And where are you from, Miss Webster?" Murdoch asked.
"San Francisco."
"Are you travelling alone? Or is there someone we can contact?"
"Uh, I'm alone." Hannah said. Best not to say too much until I know more about what's going on here. she thought. Where the hell am I? The last thing I remember is holding that weird idol, then it started shaking, the eyes starting to glow, and ZAP, here I am, wherever 'here' is.
"And what were you doing in the Purser's Office, Miss Webster, when it was locked." Murdoch asked. "There was no sign of forced entry, yet there you were."
"Yeah, I really don't remember." Hannah said, hoping to buy time. "I must have really had too much to drink last night."
"Still we have to inquire." Murdoch said. "We have a lot of rich passengers on board, and it won't do us good if they felt their possessions were not secure."
"Yes, I understand..." Hannah began, but then her voice died away as she spotted the name of the ship on a life preserver that was hanging on the wall. RMS Titanic.
"Miss Webster?" Murdoch asked, wondering why Hannah had gone suddenly silent.
"Titanic." Hannah said slowly. "This is the Titanic!"
"Yes, I know the name of this ship, I am the First Officer, after all."
Good God, I'm one hundred years in the past! Hannah thought. Out loud, she asked. "What is today's date?"
"April 14th, of course." Murdoch replied.
April 14th, great, in less than twenty-four hours this ship will be at the bottom of the Atlantic. Hannah thought as she looked at both Murdoch and O'Loughlin. The names of both men now clicked in her mind, she had heard them mentioned on the Titanic documentary that she and Rex had watched. Both men would perish when the ship sank. Needing time to gather her thoughts, Hannah did the only thing she could think to do, she pretended to faint.
"I think we should let her get some more rest." O'Loughlin said.
"Right, but I'll want to talk to her some more later." Murdoch replied as both men moved away.
When she was sure she was alone, Hannah opened her eyes and took in her surroundings in more detail. The Infirmary looked pretty much like one on an early 20th Century ship would look. Okay, Hannah, time to think. How did you get here? Obviously that idol was magical, and it sent me here. Why? Well, I was thinking of the final day of Titanic. Could that be it? Could that idol have read my thoughts and sent me here as a result. Okay, now I have been in the past before, and Rex can use the Time Key to come and get me. Hannah then realized that this thought had one big flaw. Rex has no idea where or when I am. I have to get a message to him, but how? He's a century in the future and thousands of miles away. Clearly I'm not going to get any answers here. Very slowly, Hannah got up out of the bed and crept out of the Infirmary.
PALO ALTO
APRIL 14TH, 2012
"I'm sorry, Rex, I got nothing." Kira, the Seer, said as she sat on the living room couch of Rex and Hannah's apartment.
"Are you sure?" Rex asked.
"Believe me, if Hannah were in the Underworld, there would be a lot of talk going on there. All I'm picking up is business as usual."
"Well, I guess that washes that idea out the window." Rex said slowly. He had been so sure a Demon had grabbed Hannah, but now that had turned out to be a dead end, so he was back at square one.
"What exactly happened?" Kira asked.
"Well..." Rex replied and went on to explain how he had gone to the kitchen to get a snack and had then returned to the study to find Hannah missing. "That is why I assumed a Demon had taken her, it's happened before."
"Well, that's not the cast this time. Sorry I couldn't be more help." Kira said sadly.
"Which brings us back to my original reason for calling you here. Where is Hannah?" Rex asked, more to himself than to Kira.
RMS TITANIC
APRIL 14TH, 1912
Having made her way to one of the ships main decks, Hannah stood and peered out at the endless vista of the Atlantic Ocean. Although she couldn't see it, she knew the iceberg was out there somewhere, just waiting for its deadly rendezvous with the Titanic. Hannah had briefly considered, and then quickly rejected, trying to stop the sinking. She knew that this historical tragedy was a fixed event, and could not be altered without severe consequences to the space/time continuum. Besides, they would never believe me anyway. she thought. Before the Titanic sailed, many doom criers came out of the woodwork with predictions that the ship would never complete its voyage. They would just lump me in with those people, and if I told them I came from a century in the future, they would lock me up and throw away the key. Hannah recalled the time she and Rex had journeyed, via the Time Key, to ancient Britain to witness Queen Boudicca's ill-fated uprising against Roman rule. Despite being sympathetic to Boudicca's cause, Rex knew that history had to be allowed to follow its course, no matter how he personally felt. Well, the same rule applied here and now for Hannah, history must unfold as it was supposed to, and that meant the Titanic had to sink. However, that does not mean I have to be on it when it does. she thought. Hannah's thoughts were interrupted when she saw two women, who had come walking down the deck, looking at her in an odd way. "May I ask what you're staring at?" she inquired.
"Just the way you're dressed." one of the women said. "Very unusual for a lady."
Damn! Hannah thought to herself as she realized her 21st Century clothes would stick out in 1912. In the trip to Ancient Britain, Rex had altered the Time Key so the two of them would project an illusion of wearing period clothing. However, this jaunt to the past had not been planned, so Hannah was pretty much stuck with the clothes on her back. "Uh, it's the latest fashion in San Francisco." she said, hoping the women would buy it.
"Well, it will never catch on in Paris." the woman replied and she and her friend went on their way.
That was close. Hannah thought. Still I better do something about this fast. The last thing I need right now is to keep drawing attention to myself.
Half-an-hour later, Hannah emerged from the quarters of one of the rich passengers of the Titanic, wearing a period dress and holding her own clothes under her arms. Having figured that these people would have several changes of clothes, Hannah had used her powers to transform herself into a small kitten. Then she had used the ships vents to travel around in, visiting various quarters, and, after having made sure they were empty, examining the women's clothes, until she had found a dress her size. I just hope whoever owns this dress won't miss it. Of course, several hours from now, she's going to have other worries than a missing dress. She had decided to hide her own clothes. It didn't matter what happened to them after that, they would soon be at the bottom of the ocean anyway. Luckily, I don't have my cell phone, or any 21st Century devices. I could just imagine some deep sea exploration of the Titanic turning THAT up. After checking to see that no one was watching, Hannah slowly made her way down the corridor, wondering where to go next.
PALO ALTO
APRIL 14TH, 2012
After having said good-bye to Kira, Rex had returned to the study to ponder his next move. Okay, if a Demon didn't grab Hannah, then what happened to her? I was only in the kitchen for a couple of minutes. Whatever happened, it happened fast. he thought. His eyes kept coming back to the Druidic idol that had been recovered from the wreck of the Titanic. Hannah had been examining it the last time he had seen her. Could that be a connection? Legend had it that some of the Druids of ancient Britain had wielded magical powers of some sort. Rex remembered the writing on the idol that Hannah had noticed. Perhaps this idol will shed some light on what happened to Hannah. I'll get started on researching it at once. Now having a lead to follow, Rex got right to work.
RMS TITANIC
APRIL 14TH, 1912
Hannah had returned to the main deck, when she found herself face to face with five children, two boys, three girls. They seemed lost. "Hello, what are you names?" Hannah asked.
"I'm Sergei Kerensky." the oldest boy replied in a Russian accent and gestured to the other children. "This is my brother, Yuri, and my sisters, Yulia, Natasha, and Svetlana. Forgive them, but they don't speak English as well as I do."
"I'm Hannah. So, you five are on your way to America?"
"Yes, we are joining our parents there." Sergei said.
"You're from Russia, right?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, we are. Have you ever been there?"
"Once." Hannah replied. "I even met your Czar." Hannah knew that, at this point in history, Nicholas II was still on the throne of Russia.
"You met the Little Father?" Sergei asked, his eyes going wide. "How did that feel, if you don't mind me asking."
"It was enlightening. He's a good man, and his family is wonderful." Hannah said and added in her mind. Of course, by the time I met them, in 2009, they were ghosts that had been Earthbound for decades ever since they were, or will be, murdered in 1918. Not that I can tell you that, of course.
"I wish I could have met him. I love him and his family."
Yeah, unfortunately not many Russians will be feeling that way just a few years from now. Hannah thought grimly.
"Well, it has been nice to meet you, Hannah, but we must be going to lunch now." Sergei said. "Our tutor, whom we are travelling with, is expecting us. Perhaps we'll meet again."
"Perhaps." Hannah said and watched the Kerensky children walk away. Soon she began to reflect. Hmmmm, not only is Nicholas II still on the throne of Russia at this point, but Kaiser Wilhem II is still on the German throne and Franz Joseph is still Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Little do these three men know that in just two years, the First World War will begin, which will mean the end of their empires. None of them are aware of the hurricane of history that is barreling towards them all.
A short while later, Hannah made her way to the ballroom, where she saw an elegant party going on. Looking around, Hannah recognized many famous faces that were mentioned in the Titanic documentary. Benjamin Guggenheim, John Jacob Aster (who owned the idol that had gotten her trapped here in the past), John Borland Thayer, Jacques Heath Futrelle, William Thomas Stead, and many others. So much money and power right here. Hannah thought as she watched the party. However, none of that will help them in the end. They are all dead, they just don't know it yet. Hannah was thinking truthfully, for of all the famous men she had recognized, not one of them would survive.
PALO ALTO
APRIL 14TH, 2012
Although it had been slow going, Rex was finally making progress on his research on the idol. From what he had been able to piece together so far, the idol had belonged to an obscure Druidic sect that had disappeared around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain. For that reason, little was known of this sect, but it was rumoured that they had dabbled in magic. The idol had been discovered in 1895 by an amateur archeologist who kept it for seventeen years. In 1912, due to financial difficulties, he had sold it to John Jacob Aster, just before Aster's ill fated trip on the Titanic. Okay, now I know the modern history of the idol now for the ancient. Rex thought and tuned his attention to the ancient writing that was on the idol.
RMS TITANIC
APRIL 14TH, 1912
Hannah was still wandering the decks of the Titanic, thinking of ways to get off the doomed ship before it was too late. If only I could turn into birds, instead of cats, I could just fly off. The sun had gone down and evening had arrived. I wonder how much longer before the iceberg shows up. Hannah was so lost in thought that she didn't see William Murdoch and the group of men with him, until she had practically bumped into them.
"Well, hello again, Miss Webster. I was just looking for you." Murdoch said.
"You were?" Hannah asked and then noticed the group of men with him. This can't be good. she thought.
"Yes, after you disappeared from the Infirmary, I decided to check the passenger manifest. Funny, but there is no one by the name of 'Hannah Webster' listed. That can only mean one thing."
"Let me guess, I'm a stowaway." Hannah said dejectedly.
"Correct." Murdoch said and noticed the dress Hannah was wearing. "I suppose you stole that from one of our passengers."
"Okay, you got me, Mr. Murdoch. What will you do to me?"
"You'll be locked up until we reach New York." Murdoch replied. "At which point, we'll hand you over to the appropriate authorities."
Yeah, except this ship is never gonna reach New York. Hannah thought.
"Have you anything to say, before we take you into custody, Miss Webster, or whatever your name is?"
"Look, Mr. Murdoch, you must believe me that I am not here to cause trouble." Hannah said.
"I see. Rather you just thought you'd make this trip for free." Murdoch said, folding his arms.
"Yeah, I guess that's it."
"Sorry, but the law is the law." Murdoch said. "I must take you into custody now."
"Yeah, I'm sorry too, but I can't let that happen." Hannah replied as she turned and ran away as fast as she could go.
"After her!" Murdoch commanded and he and his men charged off in pursuit of Hannah.
Oh this is bad. Hannah thought as she ran. If only I could get out of their sight, just for a second, I could turn into a cat and elude them. Should I risk it anyway, most of these men will be dead soon, so will it matter if they see me change? Hannah was still considering this option when she ran onto the forward deck. She was just about to transform, when she saw it looming out of the darkness in front of the ship, the iceberg. From far away, Hannah heard the shout of "Iceberg, right ahead!" and she felt the ship lurch as it tried to turn away to avoid the collision. It's too late. Hannah thought grimly and was then knocked off her feet as she felt the impact of the Titanic ramming the iceberg, even as it tried to turn to avoid it. That's it, game set and match, this ship, and most of the passengers and crew are doomed. The question is, am I doomed with them?
PALO ALTO
APRIL 14TH , 2012
The writing on the idol had been difficult, but Rex had finally cracked it. Apparently, this idol has the power to grant its holder a one-time transport to any place they wish or desire. he thought. After that, the same person could not use it again. I guess it stopped the user from being too greedy. Perhaps this answers what happened to that Druidic sect, maybe they saw the Romans coming and used this idol to send themselves somewhere safe, which would explain their sudden disappearance. I guess we'll never really know for sure, of course. Still this does not help me locate wherever this thing sent Hannah. Rex was still thinking this over, when he spotted the additional writing at the bottom of the idol. I wonder what this is? he thought. The writing was faded and hard to read. Looks like I'm going to have to clean this up before I can read what it says. he thought to himself, hoping that this would be the clue that would lead him to Hannah.
RMS TITANIC
APRIL 14TH, 1912
After having been the center of a big chase, Hannah now found herself alone. They have more things to worry about now than one stowaway. she thought as she headed for the Purser's Office. She had remembered what Rex had told her about the idol and who had owned it, and where it had been kept. Also, this is where she had apparently arrived here in the past, according to William Murdoch, so the idol had deposited her near its current location. Perhaps she could also use the idol to return to her own time, before it was too late. Arriving at the Purser's Office, Hannah saw that no one was around, but she knew that could soon change. She would have to move fast. She tried the door and saw that it was locked. Luckily, I came prepared. she thought as she turned into a small kitten and used the vents to get inside the office. Once there, she reverted to human form and quickly found the Purser's log book. Hannah quickly skimmed through it, looking for the name John Jacob Aster and the number of the locker that contained his belongings. It didn't take her long to find it. Now, let's just hope my lock picking abilities haven't rusted. she thought as she pulled out the nail file she had acquired when she had decided on this course of action. Luck was with her and soon she had opened the locker and was holding the idol in her hands. You got me into this, now get me out! she thought hard, but nothing happened. The idol did not begin to shake, and the eyes did not begin to glow. Damn, it's not working. she ftlinethought in frustration. If only I could read that writing, then... Writing!? That's it! Hannah smiled as she held the idol in one hand and the nail file in the other.
PALO ALTO
APRIL 14TH , 2012
There, the writing is becoming more visible. Rex thought as he used solvent to clean the bottom of the idol. This writing looks more like it was scratched on, rather than carved, no wonder it was so faded. Now, let's see if... Rex's thoughts suddenly stopped as what was written on the bottom of the idol was suddenly clear.
H.W. RMS Titanic. April 14th-15th, 1912
H. W. Hannah Webster! Hannah is on the Titanic the night it sank. Rex thought. Well, we were discussing it just before she disappeared. She must have been thinking about it and picked up the idol. It read her thoughts and sent her there. At least I now know where to look for her.
Rex then quickly went online and took a crash course on everything there was to know about the Titanic disaster. About half-an-hour later, he had found what he was looking for. Hold on, Hannah, I'm coming!
RMS TITANIC
APRIL 14-15th , 1912
After having scratched her message to Rex on the idol with the nail file, Hannah had left it on the floor of the Purser's Office, where it would be found a century from now. Now she just found herself wandering the decks. As time went by, she began to hear it, the screams and cries of panic. And so it begins. she thought grimly to herself. They now realize the ship is sinking, and that they have nowhere near enough lifeboats for all of them. Nowhere near enough... Hannah decided that she owed it to history to bear witness to the tragedy unfolding around her, a tragedy she was powerless to prevent. Making her way back towards the upper decks, Hannah stopped short when she saw the figure of the Angel Of Death in front of her. "You sure don't waste time." she said grimly.
"Mine is an endless business." the Angel replied. "Before this night is out, I will collect many souls."
"Tell me about it."
"However, you shouldn't be here." the Angel said.
"I know, but here I am." Hannah replied. "Let's just say, I had an unfortunate trip in time and landed here."
"You know you cannot interfere with what is about to happen." the Angel warned.
"Oh don't worry, I have no intention of interfering, just surviving." Hannah said as she pushed past the Angel towards the upper decks.
The chaos was steadily growing as Hannah arrived on the main deck. Passengers were frantically running towards the lifeboats, which were slowing filling up. Nearby, the band had set-up and were playing upbeat music, hoping to lighten the grim mood. Well, they're not playing Nearer My God To Thee, at least not yet. Hannah thought as she slowly took in the situation. This is not a movie, and these poor people are not actors. No director is going to yell 'Cut!' and everyone will be safe. This is it, this is really happening!
Suddenly a familiar voice called out. "Hannah!"
Hannah turned and saw the Kerensky children cowing in a corner. She knew that something wasn't right. "What's happened?"
"Our tutor abandoned us." Sergei said. "He said we were on our own."
"That son of a..." Hannah fumed and then looked at the frightened children. "Sergei, tell your siblings that you're all coming with me."
"Yes." Sergei said and told his siblings Hannah's words in Russian. The chatted in their native language back and forth for a few minutes, before Sergei turned his attention back to Hannah. "Where are we going?"
"Just trust me." Hannah said and began to lead the children towards the lifeboats. Maybe I can't save this ship, but I CAN save these children. she thought to herself.
The chaos was continuing at the lifeboats, with the cries of "Women and children first!" constantly being heard in the background as crew members tried to get the frantic passengers under control. As she arrived with the Kerensky children, Hannah saw William Murdoch nearby. She saw that he had recognized her, but chose not to do or say anything. Well, I guess one stowaway is not such a big deal now. she thought. Arriving at one of the lifeboats, that was filling up with women and children, Hannah announced to the crew man in charge. "These children are with me. I'm their Governess."
"Right, get aboard." the crew man said without batting an eye.
Soon Hannah and the Kerensky children were safely on the now full lifeboat, which was then lowered down. As that was happening, Hannah heard the band begin to play Nearer My God To Thee. "Looks like that old legend is true." Hannah sadly muttered to herself.
"What?" Sergei asked.
"It's nothing." Hannah replied as the lifeboat was rowed away from the doomed Titanic.
"Thank you for saving us, Hannah." Sergei said and hugged her. "I will never forget it."
Hannah was at a loss for words as she returned Sergei's hug.
When the time came, Hannah, and everyone else in that lifeboat, and the other boats, turned to see the last moments of the Titanic. Her rate of sinking had suddenly increased as her forward deck dipped underwater. Water sea poured in through countless open hatches and grates. The unsupported stern of the doomed ships rose out of the water. This exposed the propellers, and Titanic split apart between the third and fourth funnels, due to the immense strain on the keel. The stern remained afloat for a few minutes longer, rising to a nearly vertical angle with hundreds of people still clinging to it. Then it slipped down beneath the icy waters of the Atlantic, going, going, gone. After the ship had sunk, the screams of those left in the water could be heard, calling for the lifeboats to come back for them. But most of them won't. Hannah thought. They will be afraid of being mobbed by those desperate to get out of the water. Some will be rescued, but most will die of either drowning or hypothermia. Hannah then turned her attention to Sergei and the other Kerensky children. "We're going to be okay." she said in a reassuring voice.
"Promise?" Sergei asked.
"I promise." Hannah replied.
The RMS Carpathia arrived around 4.00 AM, the morning of the 15th, and began rescuing the Titanic survivors. During the rescue, and the voyage after to New York City, the Kerensky children never left Hannah's side. "I told you we'd be okay." Hannah said to Sergei and his siblings, once the Carpathia was under way. Too bad the same can't be said for the 1517 people that died on this terrible night. she thought to herself.
NEW YORK CITY, NY
APRIL 18, 1912
Once the Carpathia had docked, the survivors slowly disembarked. Waiting on shore were crowds of relatives, friends, reporters, and the curious. Among the survivors, Hannah and the Kerensky children went unnoticed, until a voice with a thick Russian accent called out. "There they are, my children!"
"Mama! Papa!" Sergei said to the middle aged couple that approached and hugged them. After that, Sergei said. "Hannah, these are our parents, Vladimir and Katya Kerensky."
"Pleased to meet you." Hannah said.
"Who are you?" Katya asked.
"She saved us, Mama." Sergei said. "Our tutor abandoned us, but Hannah saved us. She's an angel."
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far." Hannah said.
"If you saved our children, you are an angel." Vladimir said.
"Could all of you look this way please?" a reporter asked. When Hannah and the Kerensky's did so, the reporter snapped a picture of all of them. "Thank you." he said and walked away to get pictures of other survivors.
"I guess we'll be seeing a lot of that." Hannah said.
"A good thing too." Rex said as he arrived on the scene.
"REX!" Hannah said with delight and embraced her lover in a huge hug. "I was wondering if I would see you again. Did you get my message?"
"I did." Rex said. "And more. I'll explain in a moment."
"Who are you?" Sergei asked Rex.
"Sergei, this is..." Hannah began, and them remembered she was talking to people of 1912. "This is my friend, Rex."
"Hello Sergei." Rex said. "I understand Hannah saved you and your siblings."
"She did. She is an angel."
Perhaps that is not so far from the truth. Rex thought.
"Forgive us, but we must go." Vladimir said. "Once again, we are grateful to you, Hannah."
"Bye Hannah!" Sergei said and his siblings said the same in Russian.
"Goodbye." Hannah said and watched the reunited family walk away. Once the Kerensky's were gone, she turned to Rex and asked. "What did you mean by that 'and more' comment just now."
"I meant I had to wait for that reporter to snap that picture of you with the Kerensky family." Rex said and pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "I got this off the Internet, the site included pictures of survivors that reporter took. Here is one of them." He handed her the sheet of paper.
"Whoa!" Hannah said as she unfolded the sheet and saw the picture of her and the Kerensky's that the reporter had taken just a few moments ago. "I see why you had to wait, so this picture could exist for you to see a hundred years from now." She turned for a last look at the survivors still coming off the Carpathia and fell silent.
"Hannah?" Rex asked, concerned at Hannah's silence.
"It sucks, Rex, this whole thing sucks!" The now upset Hannah said. "I knew what was going to happen, and I couldn't do a damned thing about it."
"Hannah, a fixed event..."
"I really don't give a damn about that right now! People died out there, Rex, and I could only watch it happen. I made no difference here at all, none!"
"Hannah..." Rex said. "You remember I felt the same way about Queen Boudicca. I had to let her and her people get slaughtered, because history demanded it."
"Well, sometimes history just sucks. That's all I can say, it just sucks!"
"I know."
"Can we just go home now?" Hannah asked.
"Very well." Rex said as he pulled the Time Key out of his pocket. Oh dear, Hannah is not taking this well. I can't blame her, having to watch as so many died. I just wish there was a way to help her. Perhaps I can find a way when we get back to our own time, or at least I hope I can find a way.
NEW YORK CITY, NY
APRIL 21, 2012
"Rex, what is this all about?" Hannah asked as she and Rex arrived at an apartment of a woman Rex had gotten in contact with.
"You'll see." Rex replied and knocked on the door.
"Yes?" said a voice from the other side.
"It's me, Rex Buckland, the one you spoke to on the phone."
"Oh yes, come in." The door opened and Rex and Hannah found themselves facing a very old woman. "I'm delighted to meet you."
"Rex, what is going on?" Hannah asked as she and Rex followed the old woman into the apartment.
"Hannah, this is Hannah Macmillan." Rex said, gesturing to the old woman. "However, he maiden name was Kerensky."
"Kerensky?" Hannah said. "As in Sergei Kerensky?"
"Yes, he was my father." Hannah M. said. "He settled here in New York, and met and married my mother in 1925. I was born a year later."
"And your name is Hannah? Like mine?"
"My father named me after a kind woman who saved his, and the lives of his siblings, on the Titanic, when it sank in 1912. He never forgot her kindness and wanted to honour her, naming me Hannah did so." Hannah M. looked at Hannah. "You know, you greatly resemble her, or at least my father's description of her."
"Uh, yeah, I'm a distant relative of hers." Hannah said. "I was named after her as well."
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hannah M. said. "Would you two like some tea?"
"I'd love some." Rex said.
"Me too." Hannah added.
"Right." Hannah M. said and excused herself to make the tea.
"She was named after me." Hannah said, once Hannah M. was out of earshot.
"Yes, she was." Rex said. "I've noticed how down you've been since we got back from 1912, and I wanted to show you that you did make a difference, Hannah. This women is proof of that, not to mention her children, their children, and her ten great-grandchildren. Not to mention the families her siblings had. They all exist, Hannah, because of you saving those children on the Titanic that night in 1912."
"But... But, doesn't that mean I changed something?"
"Not that I have been able to determine. The time line seems to be secure." Rex said. "I think it's possible that you were always meant to travel back in time to the Titanic and save the Kerensky children. It was always part of history. Or perhaps the sinking itself was a fixed event, and could not be altered, but slight changes, such as saving the Kerensky children, are allowed. There is really no way to tell for sure."
"No, I guess there isn't."
"I hope this makes you feel better, Hannah." Rex said softly.
"It does." Hannah said, smiling. "As you said, I did make a difference by saving those children. That is good enough for me."
"Here is the tea." Hannah M. said as she returned from the kitchen.
"Good." Hannah said to the old woman. "We have much to talk about..."
REX AND HANNAH WILL RETURN!