Was once called Falling Into The Dreamcatcher's Arms but has now been renamed An Officer and A Gentleman, based on who the story is based around. Hope this is okay xD
I have decided to rewrite this as I believe this fic, which is my most popular, deserves renovation and a bit more TLC, just placing the same S & D and hope you enjoy XD.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except Freddie, Sarah, Benji and Lily Wilde, Tommy Andrews, Catie and Emily Murdoch, Andrew and Richard Lightoller, the rest of the charcters that appear in this fic either belong to James Cameron, or history.
Summary: Meet Helen Andrews, wife of Thomas Andrews, the master shipbuilder, when she and her husband travel on the Titanic, Helen is trying hard to keep up appearances at the dinner table with the likes of Bruce Ismay and all the first class arrogance, until she bumps into one Henry Wilde, and, over the four days of Titanic's existence, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with this mysterious character, but even so, she loves Thomas more than anyone could know ,however Henry makes her see the world in a new light, and she will remain eternally grateful to him for that. She is torn between two that fateful night, whether to love her children's father, the Gentleman, or love the Officer. And, she, ultimately, has to choose who to grieve for.
Hope you enjoy the new, improved and hopefully better story.
Here goes guys.......
N:B: Just to warn, I have changed the age of Mr. Andrews...he's 31 in this.
One: An Altogether Different Type of Proposal
April 9th 1912
3:15 pm
Helen Andrews held the long, thin needle to the light as she struggled to thread the sewing tool with a miniscule, graceful line of gold fibre strands.
She flinched away as she pricked herself with the needle, causing her fingertip to bleed slightly, she winced "Why do the small ones hurt the most?" she asked herself as she wrapped a small strip of cotton material round her finger, tying it into a neat bow.
She sat back into the sofa and laughed, why was she wiling away the time by sewing anyway? She should be checking that the last minute preparations were all ready in advance of her trip.
She rarely left the British Isles now, since becoming a mother, she preferred to stay close to her children whilst they were still very small.
How she found herself going over to New York travelling via the world's greatest ocean liner she would never have guessed.
The answer, however, woke up next to her every morning.
It was him.
Helen sighed and placed her sewing back in its box for when she returned home. She stood up and tugged at her blouse, this blouse was her favourite, and she wore it whenever possible.
All around her she could see that all the families' personal belongings were being packed away gently for the great voyage. Even though this place wasn't her home, she loved this house all the same, no matter who lived here.
As she walked through the halls, the family governess, the young Eleanor Lane, known as either Miss Lane, or Lala to Helen's daughter, caught her attention.
"Oh, Ma'm, would you like the Miss Elizabeth's good nightgown to go in with her luggage or would you prefer her to have her usual gown?" Miss Lane asked, her beautiful red hair unravelling from its tight bun at the back of her head.
"I think Elba will settle for her usual nightgown, thank you, Lala" Helen laughed gently, affectionately placing a hand on Miss Lane's shoulder "As long as you're there, I'll doubt she'll be bothered."
Miss Lane nodded and scurried back up the impressive stairwell, to the small number of rooms that the young Andrews family had occupied whilst they were staying in Southampton with the Ismay household.
Helen sighed and wandered into the library room, where a great portrait of J. Bruce Ismay hung over the magnificent fireplace. All around the room were immense shelves filled to the brim with great authors such as Dickens, Conan Doyle, The Bronte Sisters, and Carroll. Helen traced her finger along the many colourful spines, some dark red, others green, the rest brown or blue. She loved books, they were places where everything was set in stone and nothing could go awry.
Not like the real world.
Helen picked up a copy of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre , a book which Helen much liked, favouring the tale of forbidden love and harsh reality and the mysterious figure that was Mr. Rochester. She smiled as she flicked through the pages, remembering in an instant the turbulent dialogue and ardent caresses between characters.
She smiled, her cheeks warming as she reminisced of her childhood days when everything was beautiful and carefree.
She didn't look up as eldest daughter of the Ismay family drifted into the room, wearing a simple lingerie day dress, her dark brown hair tied into a loose bun, on her ring finger glinted a small gold diamond . Just 3 months stood between Margaret Ismay and her impending marriage, and, Helen wondered as she stared at the woman who was little over a year younger than her, would she be marrying her banker husband for love, or would it be a heartless marriage created just for status?
Helen smiled gently at Margaret, who inspected Helen with dark hawk-like eyes. She softened though when Helen mentioned her wedding "Are you looking forward to your big day?"
"Yes, I am. Mother and I have been to arrange the bridesmaid dresses, though she overruled me, I wanted a pale pink and she decided on a light blue", she leaned back in the armchair and placed a hand on her collarbone, stroking the silver pendant which hung round her neck.
Helen instinctively reached for the locket which hung around her neck, it was a gold ruby and paste bow heart shaped locket which had an intricate border around it, on the back of the locket was Helen's married initials, HBA, Helen Beatrice Andrews. Helen opened the locket and inside were two pictures, one of her sweet children, and the other of Thomas.
She remembered he, Thomas, had given it to her for a Christmas present the previous year, and she had never taken it off for a day since. She stroked the black-and-white picture of Thomas, caressing with her delicate nail his slender cheek bones and beautiful lips. She planted a kiss of her finger and pressed it into the picture of both her little ones and her beloved and shut the locket again.
Looking up she noticed that Margaret was staring at her, the girl smiled and said "I never thought you were much, Helen, but, looking at you, I realise you are what I should aim to be".
"You needn't aim to be me, Margaret, I haven't amounted to much" Helen shook her head gently.
"Did my father speak to Mr. Andrews, he said he has a proposal for you both?" Margaret said, cocking her head to one side.
Helen backed away, her mind suddenly telling her things. What proposition did Bruce Ismay have lined up for her and Thomas?
She smiled as she took her leave from the library, ascending the stairs as she prepared for her evening with the Ismay's.
6:32 pm
"Come in!" Helen gently responded to the knock at the door as she adjusted her pink diamond and topaz drop earrings.
She smiled as she saw, via her mirror, Thomas enter, adorned in a tuxedo.
He smiled warmly at her "You look beautiful, my darling", he walked up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek, breathing in his scent as he said "I haven't seen you or the little ones all day. I've missed you".
She fell into his arms as he rocked her like a baby "I've missed you too, darling".
He held out his hand to assist her getting up.
She took it and rose to her full height, letting Thomas take in her beautiful dark purple dress which glittered with rhinestones on a fitted bodice which skimmed off her corseted torso.
"Amazing" he breathed "Simply amazing".
Helen smiled and kissed Thomas on the cheek "Come, darling, let's go".
Thomas walked slowly down the stairs with Helen on his arm "I've been wondering what Mr. Ismay will be wanting from us".
"So have I" Helen murmured gently as they turned into the wonderful ornate dining room in which Bruce Ismay and his wife Julia waited for them.
"Ah, Thomas!" Bruce smiled "Helen, you are looking lovely, my dear!"
Helen cringed as she felt his prickly moustache on her cheek.
As she sat down, Bruce began "You may have heard, Helen, but I would like to announce our proposal to you both".
"Go on" Thomas nodded gently.
Helen feared the worst and immediately grabbed Thomas' hand below the table. He took her palm in his and squeezed it gently.
"Well, since our George is growing fast, as is your darling Elizabeth. Julia and I wondered whether you would be interested in seeing your little girl married to our son, when the time comes, of course!" Bruce barely stopped for breath as he sipped champagne.
Helen's eyes shot open, she looked to Thomas, and he glanced at her momentarily. Patting her hand he answered "Bruce..my friend, it's a bit early to be thinking about that isn't it?"
"No, no, no" Bruce smiled "No time like the present. So?" he asked as he poured champagne into Helen's crystal glass "What do you say?".
Helen tightened her grip on Thomas' hand, she looked at him with a pleading look in her deep amber eyes.
"Helen and I will discuss it after the voyage" Thomas said simply, smiling warmly at Helen as Ismay shrilled "Fantastic! Now, Thomas, how have the officers been after the reshuffle?"
"Well, Bruce, as one would expect, they, meaning everyone except Mr. Lightoller, have been very content with the shuffle" Thomas answered.
"Have you heard, ladies?" Bruce asked "Mr. Henry Wilde has been drafted in for the maiden voyage, one of the most experience officers in the company, he is, much more so that the Mister's Murdoch and Lightoller" his moustache twitched into a smile.
Helen turned away from the conversation and looked forward to the maiden voyage.
Hope you enjoyed.
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