A/N: I must say I'm completely surprised how people are responding to the story. I'm glad you all love it. I'm happy that I decided to wait until after my first story to continue with this one and decided to rewrite the first chapter. I hope you all continue to enjoy it, even though it took three chapters to write about seven hours' worth of time. I predict there will be one more chapter after this before we wrap up the first day of the voyage.

Arnold had positioned himself at the base of the grand staircase shortly before the doors of the dining saloon were to open. Exteriorly, he displayed a sense of calm and regal. On the inside, he felt his internal organs twisting into knots. His hope was to escort Helga to dinner and make an attempt to sit next to her.

While he waited for her arrival, he spent time saying hello to other passengers. They would make small talk, discussing matters of business and others of the sort. He had just finished up talking with Mr. Allison when he noticed blonde hair at the top of the landing. Arnold smiled as he saw Helga walking down with her father and Olga.

She was about halfway down when Helga saw Arnold smiling at her. Helga bit her bottom lip to remain calm. The lip soon slid out from her teeth and morphed into a scowl when she saw who was standing next to him.

"Arnold, darling!" Rhonda greeted him. Arnold internally groaned when he heard the haughty voice next to his ear. The last person he wanted around was Rhonda, even if they were to sit at the same table. Nothing would give him more pleasure than to ask Rhonda to leave, but his good nature once again prevailed.

"Nice to see you again, Rhonda," he replied. He looked beside her and realized they weren't the only ones there. "You too, Lila."

"Oh Arnold, I'm ever so happy that you feel that way," Lila answered, smiling an innocent smile. At least, as innocent as she could make it.

"Arnold, won't you be a dear and escort Lila to the dining room?" Rhonda asked on behalf for her friend.

"Oh," Arnold became flustered. He could feel his expectations crumbling down. This was his only chance to settle this. "I would love to, Lila, but I'm afraid I was going to ask Helga-"

"Ask Helga what, Football Head?" Arnold jumped at the new voice. He turned to see Helga standing there. Her lips were pursed and eyes were narrow. Even though he could tell Helga was unhappy about people talking about her, Arnold still found her beautiful.

"Helga!" he screeched, then cleared his throat. "I was about to ask you um… um…" Arnold was trying his hardest to let the words come out, but they became stuck in his throat. Lila looked to Rhonda with fear. She could feel her chances to be with Arnold for dinner were slipping away. However, Rhonda remained calm.

"Arnold wanted to ask if you had any objections to him escorting and sitting next to Lila for dinner," Rhonda interjected. Lila internally sighed, thankful her friend was able to come to her aid. Soon, that innocent smile that was worn morphed into one of triumph.

Helga looked over at Arnold. To say she was disappointed was a gross understatement. She had hoped to sit next to him and they would have witty conversations with one another, with it ending in him falling in love with her. But that cannot be, now. She could not object without admitting her true feelings, and she refused to admit them to Rhonda and Lila.

"Why would I care who Arnold escorts or sits next to at dinner, Princess?" she challenged to Rhonda. "He can do whatever pleases him, and if that is sitting next to Lila, then let him sit next to Lila. I couldn't care less." That last sentence stung both blondes. Helga immediately regretted saying it, and internally kicked herself for it.

Arnold now realized Helga doesn't think of him the same way he does, and she probably never will. It was silly of him to ever think she would. He decided right there it was time to stop pursuing someone who was not interested in him, especially since there was someone next to him that has blatantly shown him that she admired him.

"Lila, I would be honored to escort you." He extended elbow to her. Lila gleefully wrapped her arm around his and they walked to the dining room. Even though Helga maintained her nonchalant expression, her heart was crushed to see Arnold walk off with Lila. Rhonda beamed with excitement as she prepared the next part.

"Helga, dear, I know someone on board who would love to escort you," Rhonda informed. Slowly, a scowling Helga turned to face the privileged snob. She knew better than to trust Rhonda.

"Not interested," she spat. Helga was about to leave when she felt Rhonda pulling her back.

"I insist," Rhonda said. "He works with my father. He is quite the gentleman." Helga looked at her as if bugs were crawling out of her ears.

"If that's the case, then why don't you let him escort you?" Rhonda merely smiled, although on the inside, she was groaning. Rhonda knew Helga was stubborn, but she didn't expect it to be this difficult.

"Mr. Ismay already offered to escort me," Rhonda explained. "Not to mention, my friend has mentioned he has admired you from afar for many years. He could even take your mother's seat since she is still under the weather. At least, that's what Olga said."

The earlier part of Rhonda's speech struck a chord with Helga, causing her to ignore the statement about her mother. She knew well how he felt. Perhaps this new guy will be able to distract her from having to see Arnold with Lila. Sighing, she accepted defeat. "I guess I can let him escort me tonight," Helga muttered. "But only tonight!"

"Wonderful!" Rhonda beamed, trying to disguise the malicious smile trying to creep on her face. "You will absolutely love him. And here he comes." The two women looked at the crowded staircase. Helga looked around to find the man to whom Rhonda was referring. Just then, Helga could hear a wheezing sound behind her. She turned to see a tall lanky man. He had sandy blonde hair and wore glasses. "Helga, dear, this is Brain. Or more commonly known around the office, Brainy."

"Uh," he wheezed. "Hi."

"Why do they have to be so stubborn?" Gerald asked Phoebe. With their employers at dinner, they knew it was time to get some food for themselves. Both servants attempted without success to get the employers to confess their feelings. Now they sat in the servant dining room surrounded by all the servants from first class, exhausted by their losses.

"I have no idea," Phoebe replied, playing with her food. "And to be honest, I really don't want to talk about it right now. It's giving me a headache."

"Okay then," Gerald obliged. "What do you want to discuss?"

Phoebe glanced from her food to the dark-skinned valet. "How did you manage to get employed by Mr. Shortman?" she asked. "I don't believe I have ever heard the story."

"You haven't?" Gerald answered with a question. Phoebe shook her head no. "Well, it is an interesting story, to say the least. My family was living in New York, in a neighborhood on the island of Manhattan. My father was unable to work because of a bad knee, so it was up to my older brother and me to bring in money. My brother, Jamie-O, worked as a newsie. I, on the other hand, worked a… less than reputable job."

"What did you do?" Phoebe asked, inquisitively.

"I would steal," Gerald confessed with ease. "I was an excellent pickpocket. I would be able to get billfolds, watches, jewelry. Most of it I sold off for money. My family didn't know what I did, nor did they ask. All that mattered was there was food on the table."

"Oh dear," Phoebe muttered softly. "You don't do that now, do you?"

"Don't you worry," Gerald assured. "I gave up that life when I met Mr. Shortman. Someone told the police I was selling off stolen products. They were chasing after me and I ran into a bar. I sat in a stool and ordered a drink. I saw the police come in and I got nervous. The man next to me saw them as well and he gave me his cap to wear. I put it on and kept my face hidden until they left. I thanked the man next to me and he asked me my story. I told him everything. He was sympathetic about my life. He introduced himself as Mr. Shortman and offered me a job as his valet. I would be paid generously and he would place my family in some housing he owned in Harlem as long as I don't steal anymore. To this day, I haven't gone anywhere near anyone's pockets."

"You're right," Phoebe said. "That is quite a story."

Gerald got a bit nervous. He was unsure of how Phoebe would take what he just said. But he knew that he needed to be honest about his past if he were to ever have a future with Phoebe. "I hope I didn't scare you."

Phoebe remained quiet for a moment. She took the time to absorb everything she was just told. It was a shocking to hear Gerald's criminal past. She never thought that someone like him could ever do something illegal. But Phoebe could understand the circumstances. He was just trying to help his family, and she couldn't chastise him for doing that. And for as long as she knew him, he never attempted to steal anything from her or anyone in high society. Also, Phoebe knew Gerald wouldn't still have his job if he had continued his former occupation. It was apparent that Gerald cared about his family, and he wouldn't risk a good job that could land them in the streets.

"On the contrary," Phoebe replied, startling Gerald. "I'm flattered that you were honest with me. Most people would be too ashamed to admit something like that. And you were able to take on an honest job and become an honest man. That takes bravery, and I admire that very much."

"Really?" Gerald asked. Phoebe nodded, sincerely smiling at him. "In that case, there's something else I want to confess." Gerald instantly got nervous, but he knew he had to do this. He saw how Arnold can't be honest with his own feelings, and Gerald didn't want to always wonder. "Ever since we met, I've always had a sort of… fondness towards you. You are bright, clever, and absolutely beautiful. I have never met anyone like you before. Every time we run into each other, I get excited. And the more we talk, the more I adore you. I guess what I'm trying to say is I…"

Gerald choked on the words. Phoebe had a concerned expression on her face. "You what, Gerald?" she wondered.

Gerald took a deep breath. "I love you."

Tears formed in Phoebe's eyes. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She had longed to hear those words from Gerald, and now her wish had come true. "Oh, Gerald," she wept. "I love you, too."

Gerald beamed at the reciprocated affections. He was immediately glad that he confessed his feelings. "Why don't we get out of here so we can have some privacy?" he suggested.

"Sounds lovely to me." The two got up from their table and left for some alone time to revel in their mutual love.

Roars of laughter and applause filled the third class common room. The quartet of comedians had just finished up their first set for the passengers. It appeared to be a victory for the four roommates. Their set included multiple trips, slips, slaps, and falls. The funniest segment was when Eugene slipped on a wet surface and ran into Harold, flying them across the room. Somehow in the process, Harold's pants became undone. When he stood up, the pants fell to the ground, exposing his undergarments. Harold looked down at the sight he was displaying, quickly picked up his bed, and yelled 'Mommy!' at the top of his lungs as he ran off. At least, he would have if he didn't slip along the same surface Eugene did. He fell on his rear end and slid across the floor. The space between his legs soon collided with a pole.

When the set was over, passengers who were musicians began to play some music and the other passengers danced around, after making sure everything was cleaned up from the comedy skit. Harold was sitting down, holding an ice pack to his injured appendage. Eugene was also icing his injuries. Stinky was sitting next to him, eating some lemon pudding he managed to find in the dining room. Sid collected all the money they made from their skit and began counting it.

"We made twenty dollars," Sid announced. "So that will be five dollars for each of us. Not bad for our first night."

"Gosh, they sure did like us," Eugene strained to speak. He had flipped over a bar and bruised his upper abdomen, just below the ribcage.

"You would think we would have made more with what we went through," Harold replied in a high pitched voice. He groaned as the pain increased as the ice melted.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice asked. All four men looked to see a young woman standing at the end of the table. She was one of the housekeepers for the third class. In her hands was a new pack of ice. "You sound like you're in pain." She offered Harold the new pack and took the old one away. "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask. My name is Patty."

Harold was unable to utter a syllable. In front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She had brown hair that matched her chocolate brown eyes. She was well-endowed and had hips more than capable birthing children. When Harold remained mute, Patty excused herself, leaving the men to their business.

"Harold, what the bloody hell was that?" Sid exclaimed to his larger friend.

"Yeah, Harold," Stinky chimed in. "How come you didn't say nothing to that pretty lady?"

Soon enough, Harold was able to speak again. "I think I'm in love," he admitted.

The first class dining room consisted of multiple tables and green upholstered chairs. The floor was made of blue linoleum tiles with red and yellow patterns. The china was basic, with the White Star Line logo printed on them. The guests chattered to the people next to them. That is, everyone but Helga.

She tried to give Brainy the benefit of the doubt, but he barely spoke, and his wheezing sounded like he was snoring. She had long given up on pretending to be polite and flat out ignored him during the courses they were supposed to talk to one another. It didn't help that across the table, Arnold and Lila were engaging in conversation, although it did appear Lila was doing most of the talking. Helga saw Lila continually touch Arnold's hand, which made her blood boil.

During one of the earlier courses, Helga attempted to talk to Brainy about his life and his occupation, but she didn't get much out of him. All he did was wheeze and say either 'Uh, I don't know' or 'Uh, sometimes,' even if the answer didn't match the question being asked. She cursed herself silently for letting herself be coerced by Rhonda to sit next to this guy. That was the last time she would ever listen to Rhonda.

The only solace Helga found during dinner was the man to her right. It was the ship's designer, Thomas Andrews. He talked to Helga as a person, and not as a fragile woman, which Helga respected very much. Mr. Andrews discussed the design about Titanic. He even offered to take Helga on a tour of the ship the next day, which Helga generously accepted.

On the other side of the table, Arnold was not faring much better. He had stopped listening to her after she began gossiping about the other passengers on the ship. She never even let him have a word in edgewise, and her constant need to touch him was getting ridiculous. His other dinner conversationalist was not much better, but at least he was able to talk. Somehow, he managed to be seated next to Big Bob Pataki. All Bob wanted to discuss was business, and whenever Arnold disagreed (which was often), Bob would be in an uproar that would disrupt the entire table and cause Helga to hide her embarrassed face.

Approaching the end of the meal, Arnold was going through another course of endless prattling by Lila. He glanced over at Helga, who was poking at her food. It was clear she was upset. Arnold saw Brainy looking at Helga, wheezing to his heart's content. Helga adorned her infamous scowl, which Arnold couldn't help but be attracted to. Even though, Helga basically said she wasn't interested in him, he couldn't help his feelings about her.

"Arnold?" an offender voiced called. Arnold came back to reality and turned to see a visibly upset Lila staring at him. "Didn't you hear what I said?" she asked.

"Um, no," Arnold said sheepishly. "I apologize. What did you say?"

"I asked if you would like to accompany me on the promenade tomorrow," she said with a hopeful look in her eyes. He chuckled uncomfortably. He knew that if he said yes, he would just be leading her on, and he didn't want to do that. But saying no would make her even more upset, and he remembered what Gerald had told him about her visit to his room earlier. Still unsure of what he would do, he began to answer.

"Well, ahem, Lila," he began. "I would like to join you tomorrow-"

"That is oh so wonderful!" Lila interrupted. She was so thrilled that she kissed him on the cheek, catching him off guard. He didn't know what to say or do, but the look on the face of the blonde across the table said enough.

Helga's eyes widened at the display of affection. She was tolerable most of the meal with Lila's persistent flirting, but now she had enough. She placed her napkin on her plate and stood up. As per custom, every gentleman at the table stood up. "Excuse me, but I have a headache." She left the table before anyone could say a word. Helga ran up the staircase, wiping away any tears that were starting to form. She went into a random corridor and pulled out her picture of Arnold.

"Why does she dangle you in front of me? It tortures me that she has managed to capture your affection and I am left by myself, longing for your love. But I won't go down so easily." She put the picture back into its hiding place. "Lila Sawyer, you messed with the wrong broad."

A wheeze appeared from behind Helga. Frustrated, her hands balled into fists, and she threw one behind her with all her might. The sound of glass breaking could be heard, followed by a loud thump.

When dinner was over, most of the men decided to go to the smoking room and meet up with some of the passengers who had just arrived from Cherbourg. Arnold decided he had enough for the day and dragged himself back to his room. He removed his shoes and bow tie before entering Gerald's room.

"Hey, Gerald, I'm ready for- whoa!"

Arnold blinked his eyes, in complete disbelief at the sight in front of him. Gerald was standing beside the bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. On the bed, covered in blankets, was a nude Phoebe.

"H-hey Arnold."