WriterFreak001:

If you're reading this note, it means you've survived the first chapter of the revision. YAY! That means so much to me to have you reading my new version as opposed to my old version. :)

For those of you who loved the old version, I promise I won't change it too much, but I felt like the story was rushed in a lot of places so I'm going to draw it out a little bit more. Please don't hate!

The Scorpion

Written by WriterFreak001

Chapter 2:

First Glance

~ SCORPION ~

The first night on the Scorpion was incredibly and undeniably dreadful, but the next morning was absolutely the worst! Not only did Paige have to suffer through her fiancé's stabs at her taste in art as she instructed the staff where to mount her favorite pieces, but she also had to endure through another boring, uneventful dinner while her mother gossiped with other first-class passengers. She laughed and howled and bragged about silly nonsense, making Paige want to continuously gag and vomit, but she could barely move a finger without bringing attention to herself. Both Drew and her insufferable mother had tried, multiple times, to engage her in their ridiculous conversations, but she stayed as quiet as a mouse and droned out the chatter around her.

A little while later, just to spite her mother, she lifted her cigarette and lit it carefully before casually and uncaringly smoking its fumes.

"You know I don't like that, Paige," her mother said sternly without looking up from cutting her meat. "Smoking indoors and in the company of others is highly disrespectful."

"Don't be a nag, Mother. I'll do what I want." Paige flashed a knowing smile and continued with her cigarette. She was not going to let her mother rule her life every single moment of the day. She could take a drag if she wanted to. Her mother wouldn't dare cause a scene in front of her friends.

Out of nowhere, however, Drew immediately whisked her cigarette away, stubbed it out and laughed loudly before nodding to the waiter. "We'll have the lamb. Rare, with a little bit of mint sauce." He turned to Paige and smirked, "You like lamb, don't you, sweet pea?"

Paige dramatically rolled her eyes as a distinguished, Italian, middle aged man raised an eyebrow at her fiancé. "Are you going to cut her meat for her too, young man?"

Drew scoffed at the older man and withdrew his arm from Paige's shoulders. She mouthed a small 'thank you' to the Italian, and he winked in return. He then turned his direction towards Mr. Elia, the managing director of the White Star Line, and flexed his large knuckles. "So, who came up with the name, Scorpion? Was it you, Richard?"

Richard Elia smirked as if he was expecting someone to ask him that. "I wanted a name that conveyed power and size and durability. Nobody wants to mess with a scorpion, so the name seemed to fit."

Paige looked up from her food and blinked at Richard Elia, "Do you know of Dr. Freud, Mr. Elia?" She waited a beat for him to respond, but he merely shook his head. She slyly grinned. "His ideas about male preoccupation of power and size might be of some interest to you."

"My God, Paige," her appalled mother snapped. "What's gotten into you?!"

Before Paige could answer, the Italian snorted, and Richard frowned, giving the other man a glare. "Have something you'd like to say, Mr. Cabe Gallo?"

Cabe rose his hands in mock defense and shook his head, but his smile did not disappear. "Nope. Nothing at all."

"Excuse me," Paige abruptly rose from her seat, unwilling to give her mother a straight answer. She just couldn't, anymore. No matter what she would say to either defend or explain herself, her mother never listened, and Drew would always laugh at her. They made her feel stupid and belittled, and she was done. So done with them. Swiftly, she walked away, wanting to escape that sickening atmosphere as soon as possible. To hell with them. They could sink in their riches and spoils for all she cared.

Paige was tired of living a lie her mother imposed on her, and she wanted out! Effective immediately! She didn't want to live this fraudulent life anymore; the more her mother pressured her, the more she wanted to scream.

But what was the point when nobody would find the time and day to listen to her?

Paige Dineen was drowning in a world she didn't want to live in, and she was alone in it.

"Hey," Walter softly knocked against a door and smiled brightly as his older sister, Megan, immediately stopped folding laundry and exhaled a quiet gasp. The sheet fell from her hands, and she bolted out of the laundry room and threw her arms around him. The weight of her enthusiasm sent them both flying across the hallway.

Megan chuckled as she helped her baby brother back to his feet before giving him a much gentler hug. She could, perhaps, be the happiest woman alive right now. "I can't believe you made it!" Megan squeezed Walter's face with excitement before wrapping her arms around him again. "You had me so worried!"

"I'm not sure why you let yourself worry. Didn't I tell you I'd find a way on this ship?" Walter asked, honestly. He hadn't seen her in almost three months since he found out she was employed by the White Star Line to assist a first-class family during their travel to America. He stepped back to look at her. "You look good… Is the family you're serving treating you well?"

"Of course, they are," Megan swatted at her brother's arm. "What kind of question is that?"

Walter shrugged. "A question."

Her face suddenly softened as her eyes found his face for what seemed like the first time that afternoon. She frowned. "Walter… you're thinner than usual…"

"I am?" He honestly hadn't noticed.

She nodded. "Let me grab you something to eat from the kitchen." She started towards the elevator but, Walter reached for her wrist.

"I'm fine, Megs. Truly," He forced a grin. "I just… I haven't been eating much. But don't worry about me," he smirked, flicking the tip of his nose with his thumb, "I've been pretty well fed since I boarded the ship."

"Okay…, if you say so," Megan cocked an eyebrow, unsure if she actually believed him. Deciding to drop the subject for now, Megan switched topics. "So…," she smirked, "How was England? Did you meet anyone special during your trip?"

Walter shrugged slightly. "England is everything I've seen before, and no. I didn't. Not really, at least," he added as an afterthought, remembering that one woman, Janice. They had a short fling, but it didn't last more than a few days because he was more interested in designing his inventions than sleeping with her. They didn't even move past first base. "You know me, Megan. 'Meeting someone special,'" he curled his fingers in the air, "is just not something I'm interested in right now. My inventions… my ideas… they come first."

"I know, but… I worry about you, Wally…" Megan bit her bottom lip as she reached for her brother's hand and squeezed it. "Promise me, no matter what, you won't give up on falling in love. I'm sure you'll find someone someday…," Megan smiled warmly as she reached up with her free hand and caressed his cheek. "Anyway," she straightened herself, "as much as I would love to spend more time with you, I have to get back to work. The family I am assisting can be a little demanding."

"I hope they aren't keeping you too busy. You need to take care of yourself." Walter covered her hand with his and wrapped his fingers around hers. "If you ever need me to pose as a butler or something, let me know. I don't mind helping if you need me to run weird errands for you."

"That's sweet, Walter, but it's fine. I'm fine," Megan smiled softly. "The young woman I'm mostly working for is unlike the other first-class passengers. She doesn't treat me like I'm beneath her."

Megan took a step back from her brother and moved to pick up the material she had dropped. Folding it, she mischievously added, "She's really quite the gem, Wally."

"You say that about every woman you'd like me to meet," Walter rolled his eyes dramatically. However, even if his sister was trying to play matchmaker, he did wish to know who this woman was so that he could properly thank her for treating his sister with kindness. If only he wasn't in third class… But out of curiosity, Walter couldn't help but ask, "And what is this young woman's name?"

Megan cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Paige Maria Dineen."

Walter nodded, committing every syllable to memory. Paige Maria Dineen, such a beautiful name… He might not be able to meet her in person in order to extend his gratitude, but perhaps… perhaps he could write to her… Perhaps he could give Megan a small note to Miss Dineen, requesting a private meeting… She must know how appreciative he is… Walter mentally smacked himself. A letter?! That's a stupid idea, now that I think about it. If I gave Miss Dineen a note like that, I'd surely be arrested.

"Paige gives me simple tasks," Megan continued to explain, shaking Walter out of his thoughts. "What's even more spectacular and bizarre if you ask me is that she has even offered to help me clean and fold. She also let me off early last night so that I could get a good night's rest. Truly," the eldest sibling grinned, "I've never met anyone like her before! She's a real blessing. Especially compared to the last lady I served."

Megan suddenly smiled at the memory of Paige lending a hand to clean up a mess her fiancé had made. "I have a feeling we will be great friends. She even lets me call her by her first name without a title. Not to mention, Wally, she has a strong passion for art, unlike her unruly and harsh fiancé. I don't like her fiancé by the way;" she quickly added, "he's absolutely rude to her and doesn't care for her feelings one bit, and by the way she rolls her eyes at almost everything he says, I'm pretty sure she doesn't like him either." Megan placed the now-folded sheet she had picked up and gently smoothed it over the other laundry. She couldn't help but smirk at her brother, and he gulped audibly. He knew exactly what his little matchmaker of a sister was going to say. "I think you'd like her, Wally."

"She does sound like an interesting young woman," Walter muttered as he shifted his feet a little. His sister's eyebrows lifted, indicating she could hear him, so he spoke up and added, "Be that as it may, you're forgetting that I'm a third-class young man, and she's first-class lady. The odds of us ever meeting are infinitesimal let alone scandalous."

"True…," Megan slightly frowned. She really wanted her brother to experience love because she knew it was an amazing feeling… to love and to be loved in return… She prayed every night that her brother would find someone special; he really deserved it.

Walter quietly chuckled and squeezed her hand again. "Don't worry about me, Megs. I know what you're trying to do, and while I appreciate your valiant efforts in trying to set me up with an undoubtedly beautiful woman, I'm fine the way I am. Really."

"I just don't want you to die alone, Wally," Megan sighed as swung their arms side to side, her fingers still squeezing his. "It's unfitting, and the O'Brien name deserves to be passed on to the next generation, and you," she poked her finger at the inventor's chest, "are the only one who can continue the family line."

Walter scrunched up his face and shrugged as he pushed away from the door frame and clipped his notebook underneath his arm. "Who knows, maybe the O'Brien line will die with me."

Megan rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "One of these days, Walter, I'm going to acquaint you with a beautiful woman, and you'll be begging to take back those words." She picked up the laundry basket she had been filling and added, "Now, if you excuse me, I have some beds to make.

Walter stepped away from the door and shoved his hands into his pockets as his sister – with the basket in her hands – weaved through the opening before turning left. "Do you need any help? I can carry those for you."

Megan craned her head towards him and flashed a brief, appreciative smile. "Thanks, Wally, but it's against the rules, and both of us could get in trouble if I let you carry anything belonging to a first-class family. Even if you pose as a butler. With your usual bad streak of rotten luck, they might think you're stealing from them."

"Well it's a good thing I don't believe in luck, then." Walter chuckled softly as his older sister sighed in dismay. "But… I'd rather not get you in trouble, so I'll see you around, okay?"

"Don't be a stranger, Wally," Megan winked. "I don't want to wait months to see you again."

"Don't worry," Walter smiled softly and gave her a brief hug, "You won't."

"I better not," Megan laughed as she carefully strolled down the hallway towards the elevator. Walter stayed where he was just long enough to make sure she wasn't going to drop anything and then, with a spring in his step, he pushed away from the door and swiftly headed towards the stairs leading to the poop deck, hoping to acquire some inspiration for a new invention.

…

He had been sitting on a bench along the railing of the ship for many minutes, oblivious to the world as he buried his nose into his notebook and sketched out a new idea to aid in industrious businesses.

"You know," Toby crossed his arms, capturing the inventor's attention, "as much as I applaud you for being capable of drowning out the world while voyaging on the world's fastest, largest ship, I think you should close your notebooks for a while and just enjoy everything this ocean liner has to offer. You're not an old fart, Walt; you're a young guy like me who deserves some fun."

Walter inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly as he carefully closed his notebook and gave his friend a pointed look. "You know me, Toby. Once I have an idea, I can't stop until I've written out everything it entails."

"You're stopping now," Toby smirked, and Walter rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disdain.

"The only reason I've stopped is because you're bothering me," Walter scoffed.

"Good," Toby plopped down next to Walter and grinned ear to ear, "Then my plan worked."

Walter avoided looking at Toby and added more focus to his notebook. "Just… give me five minutes. I should have everything written down by then."

"You could have finished a drawing of a naked woman in five minutes," Toby retorted, receiving another eye roll from Walter.

"I don't draw naked women," Walter frowned with pursed lips.

"But you used to…," the American shrugged and then gave Walter a wink. "I've seen the back pages of your invention sketch book, O'Brien. You can't hide anything from me, you know that."

"It…" Walter looked away as if he was embarrassed, "It was a long time ago. No need for any comments. Now if you're done here, I'd really like to finish jotting down my idea before it goes away."

Toby rose his hands in mock defense. "Fine. Fine. I'll leave you to your inventions, but promise me – please promise me – you'll do something other than work while you're on this ship. I don't care if you have a spitting contest or get laid. Just something other than work, okay?"

"Are you done now?"

"Only if you promise me you'll close your book after you're done with your invention idea." Toby pursed his lips and lifted an eyebrow as Walter sighed loudly.

"Fine. I promise," the Irishman huffed.

"Don't think about going behind my back, Walt. I've got eyes everywhere." Toby threw his hands about and began walking backwards. "And I mean, everywhere."

Toby spun around on his toes and trotted away as Walter absentmindedly flipped his sketchpad back open, but he didn't have a mind anymore to continue writing. His eyes swept over his surroundings after Toby left, and he spotted a beautiful woman overlooking the sea.

Immediately, he was mesmerized by her. She had honey hair pinned in a net of neat curls below her bright yellow hat, and her matching yellow dress complemented her figure wonderfully. She was leaning over the railing of the top deck, taking off her gloves, one by one, before tossing them away from her. She then took off her outrageously large hat, briefly held it in her hands, and then, like her gloves, she flung it away from her, seemingly not having a care of where it went. Walter, though he struggled with reading people, could tell she was upset about something, and even though he had no idea whom this woman was, he wanted to know her story.

He wanted to know everything about her.

She inhaled a deep breath and sighed softly before she turned slightly and caught him staring at her. Her dark, long lashes fluttered at him, and his mouth involuntarily parted, sucking in air slowly, as she pinned her bottom lip underneath her teeth. He mindlessly licked his lips, and, as if in response, her deep, red lips faintly opened.

But then a man came up to her, touched the small of her back and whispered something, prompting her to leave with him quickly.

And just like that, as she strolled away without ever looking back at him, the magic was gone.

WriterFreak001:

Chapter 2 finally re-written!

Please let me know what you think of this new version.

I'm really wanting to continue this story so please bear with me while I continue to revise each chapter.