Author Note: This is a story that was one of my babies from years ago, and I think it deserves to be polished up since I've now found my writing voice so please be patient.

I don't own any of the characters and have always had an unhealthy obsession with both CSI and the Titanic. It was only a matter of time before those crossed paths. I'm not coping any of James Cameron's Titanic, this story is my own ideas, just with 'borrowed' characters and a real life maritime disaster I do not plan to belittle.

Please do enjoy and R/R as you wish. I do at times need validation from complete strangers just as much as the rest of you.

B

Updated 03-21-19: I really love this story and I think it has great potential, so this is why I am spending some time in updating it even though it has been on here for years. I am also procrastinating a massive editing project for one of my other stories that makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

A Night to Forget

A Love to Remember

- Saturday April 13th, 1912 - 11:00 AM -

Having time for oneself was always just as important as spending time with family in the Sidle household. This was the first time in eight years, Sara was able to indulge in alone time since her sister's passing. Greg had graciously offered watch Sasha for a few hours, and Sasha was delighted to spend some quality time with the man she now called her 'new daddy'. Alone in her cabin, Sara pulled out her ragged journal from her carpet bag. It once belonged to Alice, writing down anything that came to mind when she was pregnant with Sasha. The first half of the book was filled with stories and poems all speaking of a little girl, as if her sister knew from the minute she was pregnant she was having a daughter. When Alice died, Sara needed to sell numerous family air looms in order to buy food, or rent, but she refused to part ways with her sister's journal. When Sasha was a baby, she would spend her nap times continuing where Alice left off, writing anything that came to mind. Sometimes it was poetry, or dreams, or even just venting session, angry at her sister for leaving her with a colic riddled infant. As Sasha got older, Sara read to her from the journal, trying to do anything she could to keep her sister's spirit alive with them.

As she lay on her daughter's bunk, the brown tattered leather journal opened with only a handful of blank pages left. She would need to get a new journal when she reached New York. The dark ink from her fountain pen looked like melted licorice as it the tip grazed the paper so fluidly, like she was writing with paint. Sara used to tease her sister all the time about her escape into her journal. She would say her sister lived more make believe than reality. Sara found solace in imaginary games with friends, where Alice found writing as a way to escape the sadness and horror surrounding them...

...There have been only a handful of times in my life that I have ever felt the level of happiness I feel right now. I have loved many people over the years, but never as deep as my love for Greg. He is wonderful with Sasha, such a kindred spirit that never seems to dampen. My bright spot of each and every day, is absolutely infatuated with him. Her eyes dance with excitement as he plays games with her, or teaches her how to draw and always hangs on every word he says. Alice would be so proud of her little girl, and I hope now more than ever she was watching over us on our voyage to a new land...

Sara set down her pen, smiling at the last sentence she wrote. The past few days have been a whirlwind of excitement, as if the Titanic had some mystical power bringing people together in their shared dream of starting anew life in a new land. Was it possible this spell would be broken once they docked in New York? She did not want to entertain the thought of this blossoming romance turning into a fling. She cared for Greg too much to be heartbroken, and Sasha, she would be devastated that the first man she had opened up to decided to leave her once they make port. Sara closed her journal, tightening the cap back on her ink bottle and tucking them back into her carpet bag for safe keeping. She walked over to the porthole in their room, leaning against the chilled steel wall, staring at the calm blue sea ahead of her.

It finally felt that it was her turn to have her dreams come true.

- 12:00 PM -

The sun brightened the living room, dancing across the walls as she sat, slowly rocking back and forth in her wooden rocking chair, eyes closed and hand rested upon the growing bump under her white night gown. She was humming a sweet lullaby, the only thing her father used to sing to her when she was little. The door to the nursery opened as the click of men's dress shoes echoed in her ears, making her smile wider, knowing who was coming to join her in this sanctuary.

"Catherine? Are you okay?" Gil asked.

Catherine looked back from the mother and young girl at the table across from them and smiled at Gil. They were seated in the Persian Cafe, enjoying a light lunch with tea and biscuits. The room was quite full with patrons of high tea and abuzz with chatter of young women seated together. Catherine cleared her throat, grounding herself in the present as she took a sip of her tea.

"I'm fine," She replied, ignoring the look in Gil's eyes. She had seen that look many times from her mother when she was not satisfied with the answer to a question.

"Is your mind known to wander?"

"So it seems," She breathed, meeting Gil's gaze, "I can't stop thinking about Edward. He will never leave us be, but I also cannot bare to loose you."

Gil placed his tea cup back down on his saucer, reaching across the table to stroke Catherine's bruised wrist with this fingers. She pulled back slightly, denying his touch. "Catherine you have my word, he'll cause you no further harm. If required, I will be at your side day and night to make sure he never touches you again." Gil stated, grabbing her gloved hand, squeezing it for reassurance, "I promise I will keep you safe."

Catherine smiled, pulling her hand away and taking a sip of her tea once more. She refused to look at Gil, glancing out the window behind him, to the boat deck, overlooking the ocean. When she looked at the horizon, there was no land for miles, no ships, no ice burgs, not even a bird in the sky. The Titanic was alone in this ocean, alone how Catherine was for years even though she grew up surrounded by people. Catherine shook her head free of her thoughts, catching Gil glancing at something behind her. Her back stiffened, wondering if it was Edward coming to make good on his threat.

Instead it was a young woman carrying her infant wrapped in layers of warm blankets. Catherine was still having a hard time imagining herself doing that exact thing nine months from now. In fact, the thought was disturbing. A child, another human being, was not something she was prepared to take care of. She could barely keep her own head above water, how was she expected to care for an innocent infant? A child deserved so much more then what she was prepared to give.

Catherine frowned turning back to Gil, "I will never be like that woman. She's happy to have her child, whereas mine is a constant reminder of a mistake I cannot undo."

"People make mistakes, it is in our nature, just like the instincts for motherhood."

Catherine smiled, her cheeks red with embarrassment, "You're too kind Mr. Grissom. I believe you are mistaken to the type of woman who sits before you." She stated.

"Oh?"

"I do not need a man to make me happy, I need a knight prepared to battle the dragon that keeps me chained to my post."

Gil smiled, his eyes glinting with praise, "Now, I believe you're the one being too kind Miss Willows." He refuted sipping his tea. "You've already escaped the dragon once and I am quite certain you can do it again, with or without me at your side."

The last time she believed she had escaped, Edward had followed her to a place he knew she could not run from. Revealing himself to her mother was not a coincidence, it was a methodical move, like placing a King in check in a game of chess. He was going to be everywhere she went, except for one place; D Deck General Room. One thing Edward loathed more than loosing Catherine was mingling with people he deemed to be beneath him. A visit to D deck would lighten the mood and give her a break from constantly looking for his shoulder, afraid for his ugly mug to appear.

"Where have your thoughts taken you to this time?" Gil asked, eyeing her smile.

"Would you like to go to a party?"

- 2:30 PM -

Before joining the group in the General Room, Sara took her time getting ready. She only had two other dresses in her suitcase, one that was in better condition than the rest. It was blue, almost the same shade as the sky, with lace fringes on the short puffy sleeves and hem. It had a purple sash that tied around at the back and was low cut, making this the most revealing article of clothing she owned. Deciding against the stockings, she put on a pair of scuffed black boots that she tied taught. She removed the braid from her hair and brushed out her thick mane, watching it flow over her shoulders in the mirror. It was not like her to wear her hair down, but she was in need of a chance. Sara gave herself a final look over in the mirror, splashing some cold water on her face and pinched her cheeks to give them colour before venturing up to D deck.

The heads that turned and whistles that followed her down the corridors leading to the General Room made Sara smile, blushing with embarrassment over the amount of attention she was getting. The further she ventured the more confidence she gained, her heart pounding against her chest, hoping that Greg would be pleased. The cloud of cigarette smoke was thick, hanging still in the air as the stench of beer and sweat flowed throughout the room, expelling into the hall when she pushed open the door.

As she looked out into the crowd of loud, obnoxious drunk men playing cards, and women cackling like old hags, she searched for her group. As she pushed her way towards the dance floor in the center of the room small arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing tight. Sara looked down to see Sasha's big, brown eyes staring back up at her.

"I missed you mama!" She called, nuzzling her face into the folds of Sara's dress.

"I missed you to Sasha, where are the rest of them?" She yelled to be heard over the bagpipe music.

"Come with me!"

Grabbing her mother's hand, Sasha guided them over to the far left hand corner of the room. Sara could see August draped in David's lap, legs hanging over his thighs, swinging in time with the music. Neleh was sitting at the table playing a game of Go Fish with Greg, her eyes narrowed on the young man as she tried to decipher if he was fibbing or not in their last turn. Sasha let go of her mother's hand as she joined them back at the table, picking up her cards ready to take part once more.

"Better watch this one, she's a card shark." Sara said catching Greg's attention.

He looked up, his smile broadening at Sara standing in a different dress, her hair down and eyes bright, looking refreshed from her time to herself. Greg threw his cards into the middle, throwing his hands up in the air as a forfeit as the girls whined.

"Now girls, it would be very rude to leave a beautiful woman waiting." Greg whispered with a wink.

"Come on Neleh, let's go dance!" Sasha said, practically pushing her friend out of her chair to go join the dance floor forgetting all about their game.

"You look ravishing Miss Sidle." Greg said, kissing Sara on the cheek.

Sara giggled as she looked over to the band playing in the corner, "Do they ever stop?"

"Would you care to dance?"

"I would be delighted too, Mr. Sanders." Sara replied, coiling her arm around his as they took off towards the crowd in the middle of the room.

Greg lead Sara onto the dance floor, grabbing her hand and pressing his body against her's. They waited for the count, before joining in, smiling as they followed the other partners in circles, moving with grace and ease to the Irish music. They danced in tight circles, keeping in time and in sync with the other couples, never missing a beat. Sara eyed Sasha and Neleh a little ahead, twirling each other with big smiles and loud laughter.

The room was spinning as they picked up pace, Greg leaning in and kissing her on the nape of the neck while never faltering a step.

"You are quite the dancer." Greg whispered in her ear, nipping it gently with his teeth.

"And you are quite the charmer." Sara replied as they crises-crossed the dance floor, changing positions with another young couple.

Greg winked, "You haven't seen anything yet." He grabbed Sara's hand tightly, lifting her off the floor and spinning her around in the air. This caused Sara to laugh, catching the attention of her daughter, "I could get used to hearing that laugh." He said as the music stopped.

"I could get used to you." Sara replied, pulling him in for a deep, longing kiss as the dancers cheered and demanded an encore from the band. The music began again as Sara broke her lips away, "Care for another dance?" She asked eyeing Sasha and Neleh off to the side, giddy with anticipation.

Greg followed her gaze and smiled, "With pleasure," and they began to move once more.

- 3:00 PM -

"Catherine, where exactly are you taking us?" Gil asked.

Since leaving the Persian Cafe, Catherine had been ushering him down the halls, basically dragging him behind her. She was so excited and determined to get to their destination that she had not even bothered to explain exactly where they were heading. When they reached D Deck Gil was even more perplexed, as the sounds of bag pipes and harmonica's began getting louder.

"This is the General Room, where the Third Class passengers go to drink, play cards, and dance their troubles away." Catherine replied.

"Why do you want to go there?" Gil asked perplexed.

"Because it is the last place we would run into Edward."

Gil did not argue, even if it was against his up bringing to be down here mingling with the lower class passengers. If his Uncle had found them down here he would have his head for escorting such a beautiful well to do woman as Catherine to a place where rules and obligations are non existent. However, from the broad smile and bright eyes, Gil could tell this was where Catherine wanted to be right now, a place she felt she could be herself and not worry about her mother, Charles, or Edward for that matter.

Catherine pushed open the door to the General Room breaking into a sprint and dragging Gil to the outer circle of the dance floor. They watched, mesmerized by the other couples dancing to the music and having what seemed like, the time of their lives.

"Would you care to dance Mr. Grissom?" She asked.

Gil was in a state of suspended stupor as he looked around the room. The passengers, regardless if they were dancing or not, were all smiling, drinking tall glasses of beer and playing card games. Men, women, and children were all in the same room, enjoying Gaelic music and being carefree. The cloud of smoke put the one in the Smoking Lounge on A deck to shame. They stood out in their formal attire, as many heads turned their way in confusion for a moment before returning to whatever they were doing.

"Mr. Grissom, I asked if you would care to dance?" Catherine repeated, placing her hands on her hips.

Gil looked to Catherine "Dance?" He repeated, his palms beginning to sweat.

"I'm sure you're just as great on your feet as between the sheets." Catherine purred in his ear, squeezing his hand, "Come on." She stated pulling them onto the dance floor.

Gil was preparing for people to start yelling at them, demanding they leave and return to their part of the ship, but none of that happened. It was quite the social experiment, which tickled the scientific part of his brain. He knew that if any one of these people were caught overstepping their boundaries, the affluent passengers aboard would be outraged. It seemed their was more of a stigma to be a poor person in a sea of rich, than the other way around. The looks they got were more of interest and fascination, especially the men eyeing Catherine in her green dress and beautiful eyes. Even if it was her other, attributes, they were more concerned with.

A young couple came around, dancing in the circle in time with everyone else and accidentally bumped Gil in the back. He was about to say something when Catherine rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I know that woman, she has a young daughter."

"How do you know them?" Gil asked.

"When we left Liverpool we were standing at the Stern together waving our good byes. I've been hoping to run into them again." She explained grasping Gil's hand in her's, getting ready to dance.

"Is that why you ventured down here before?"

They began to move to the beat of the music, joining the rhythm of the other dancers with ease. All those classes his mother insisted he took as a child had finally started to pay off. Catherine closed her eyes allowing Gil to guide them through the crowd, loosing herself in the music. When she opened her eyes she noticed Gil was concentrating on his foot patterns as his hand pressed against the small of her back, pulling her in closer.

"Don't think, just do." She whispered feeling his body begin to relax.

They circled the dance floor, as Catherine let out a giggle, finally feeling free since boarding the Titanic. Gil watched the proper young lady he had fallen in love with transform into an expert dancer, allowing her to lead them across the dance floor, changing spots with the young couple as Catherine and the young Irish woman exchanged smiles of recognition. Catherine could tell Sara was genuinely happy, and she wondered if that will happen to her some day. As the music ended they stopped, giving the band a round of applause, catching their breath.

"You're a great dancer." Gil stated kissing her on the cheek.

Catherine lowered into curtsy, "You haven't seen anything yet."

The band started up once more as bag pipes squeaked and the drum was a low rumble, Gil unable to resist tapping his dress shoe in time with the beat. Catherine grabbed Gil's hand, leading him off the dance floor and over to a small table that was currently unoccupied. Her feet throbbed and felt swollen in her heels not made for dancing. She rubbed her stocking feet as Gil knelt down, draping his suit jacket over the chair and placing one of Catherine's feet in his palm.

"I believe you have not been completely honest with me Mr. Grissom." Catherine muttered, eyes closed relishing the foot massage.

"Oh why do you say that?" Gil asked.

"For someone to be as graceful as that on the dance floor, they must have had lessons as a child."

Gil blushed as he switched to her other foot, "My mother insisted I take lessons. Can't say I've ever had a need for them until today."

"Never? Not even at one of your parents boring soiree's?"

Gil took a seat across from Catherine, watching the others dance with so much energy it made Gil woozy. Never would a party be so lively up in First Class.

"I never met a woman who would like to dance with me. This may be hard to believe, but I was not the most popular child growing up."

It was then they caught a glimpse of the young man who had accidentally bumped into them the dance floor. He was carrying over two tall glasses of beer, a peace offering of sorts. He placed the glasses down on the table and stood, looking from Gil to Catherine a bit nervous.

"For bumping into you Sir." He stated apologetically.

Gil smiled as he stood, resting his hand on the young man's shoulder. "It was quite alright young man, thank-you for the beverages, Miss Willows and I appreciate it after our exhaustive venture." He said extended his hand for a shake, "I'm Gilbert Grissom, pleased to meet you."

The young man returned with a solid hand shake of his own, "Greg Sanders, the pleasure is all mine. Miss Willows, Miss Sidle wanted me to tell you how wonderful it was to see you again and to thank-you once more for your assistance a few days ago." Greg said turning to Catherine, kissing her hand.

"Thank-you Mr. Sanders, please let Miss Sidle know that no apology is necessary and I would be happy if you both joined us." Catherine replied, her mouth salivating at the beer.

"I will relay the message, enjoy your time in our neck of the woods, have a good day Mr. Grissom," Greg paused and smiled again, "Miss Willows." He made a small bow before disappearing back to his table across the room.

Catherine watched where the young man went, seeing that they were on the other side of the hall with another couple and two little girls. She watched Sara stand at Greg's return, him saying something that made her smile. Catherine broke gaze, not wanting to see rude and grabbed the glass off the table raising it in her direction as a sign of good faith.

"Catherine, I'm sorry, but you cannot drink that. Not with a baby inside you." Gil replied as Catherine pouted placing the glass back down.

"Is there anything fun about being with child?" She sulked.

Gil smiled, placing a comforting hand on her knee, "The gratification of bringing another life into this world. You are doing something I will never be able to partake in, which in itself is quite fascinating." Gil brought his glass to his lips, downing half the beer in one gulp. "Have you never seen a man drink before?" He quipped wiping the foam from his lips.

"Well no, not like that at least," Catherine replied. "You sure are full of surprises Mr. Grissom."

Catherine eyed Greg as he Sara's daughter out to the dance floor. She smiled, thinking of Gil doing that with their future children. For the first time since learning of her pregnancy, she found a bright spot in what was to take place in nine months. Her stocking feet started where tapping in time with the music again as a very bold idea came over her. She stood from her chair, dashing to the other side of the room as Gil took off after her, following the flow of green.

There was an unused, wooden platform, it looked to be a hatch for something, about three feet off the ground and ten feet long. It was the perfect replacement for a stage. Catherine approached it as she grabbed the hem of her dress, raising it over her ankles allowing Gil, who had caught up with her, help her up. Perplexed at what outrageous thing Catherine was thinking, Gil watched as she began to move her stocking feet in time with the music.

"Catherine, have you lost your mind!" Gil yelled, but she wasn't listening, either by choice or she could not hear him over the music.

A small crowd began to form around them, clapping to the beat and cheering her on. It wasn't every day someone from First Class comes down to Steerage and puts on a show. Children butted their way to the front, mesmerized by the lady dancing up a storm. She let the beat of the music take her as her feet kept in time, the hem of her dress twirling around her feet as the stocking began to wear thin against the wood. Gil had been pushed off to the side by the crowd, his white shirt drenched in sweat. A few of the children began to imitate Catherine, hopping up on the platform to join her. It was big enough as she smiled at them, grabbing the girl's hands and dancing in a large circle.

As she rounded the circle her eyes caught something out in the sea of steerage passengers. It was a black mist floating throughout the crowd. There were only two people that would be down here in suits; Charles and Edward. As they rounded again, she got a better view, seeing his slick blonde hair, feeling her stomach drop. His green eyes locked on with her's as he advanced through the crowd towards them.

Catherine let go of the little girl's hands, jumping down off the platform with the assistance of a couple of young men. Gil pushed his way back through the crowd, seeing the look of horror flash in her eyes.

"Catherine, what's wrong?" He asked concerned.

Before Catherine was able to respond Edward was before them, nostrils flared. "Mr. Grissom, I would like to introduce you to Edward Anderson." She muttered as Gil stepped between them.

"Catherine, I thought we had an agreement," Edward spat, pushing past Gil and snatching Catherine's already bruised wrist. "You are to come with me, now!"

Gil pushed Edward back allowing him to release his hold on Catherine's already tender wrist. "She is not going anywhere with you Edward."

Edward laughed, "She's bewitched you, you fool! Do you know she is with child? My child." He stressed with a snicker thinking he had won.

Catherine smirked, "You're threats are useless Edward, Mr. Grissom knows the truth."

"You've lost her Edward, and the sooner you begin to accept that, the easier it will be." Gil replied.

"We'll see about that."

Without warning Edward threw a right hook followed quickly by a tackle, sending both men to the ground, Edward on top of Gil, pinning him to the floor. The crowd had parted as Catherine shouted at the men to stop, hoping that someone would intervene. Gil raised his arms to block Edward's punch as he grabbed the man's neck and sent him sailing to the ground, the crowd erupting into a cheer. Edward's head bounced off the floor, dazing him for a moment as Gil punched him square in the nose, causing a rush of blood to flow from his nose.

Not wanting this to escalate any further, Catherine grabbed Gil's raised arm, seeing he was ready to strike once more. Instead he locked eyes with Catherine, taking him out of his violent haze. Gil had never punched another man before, never seeing violence as a way to solve issues, but in this particular case, Edward deserved more than a punch.

"We need to leave!" She yelled, dragging him to his feet and through the crowd. She looked over her shoulder as she watched Edward stand, shoving off the help of a few kind steerage passengers, range in his eyes, his white dress shirt stained with blood.

Catherine pushed the doors open to the D Deck main corridor, knowing that Edward was right on their heels.

-\-

Greg watched Catherine get up on the small platform and begin to tap dance to the music. It did not take long for his dance partners Sasha and Neleh to get interested in what the rich lady was doing and pulled Greg over, requesting to get a front row seat. He looked over his shoulder back at the table to see Sara engaged in a conversation with August while David was off catching some air on the boat deck. He shrugged, seeing no harm in bringing the girls over to see the spectacle as Sasha explained that she knew her.

As soon as they reached the platform, Sasha and Neleh climbed up top with five other girls and boys, joining Miss Willows in the dancing. He laughed, clapping to the beat as they all joined hands and skipped in a circle. When he looked over the crowd he waved to Sara who was scouting the dance floor for them. Sara waved, as Greg saw another man dressed in a tuxedo walking through the crowd. It was a rare oddity that Miss Willows and Mr. Grissom were down with them, but a third First Class gentleman coming to join the party was unheard of. He seemed to be searching for the young couple, but he paid no attention to him, returning his attention to Sasha and Neleh. That was when he noticed the young woman's glimmer of excitement gone.

Not long after she broke away from the young girls who continued dancing in a circle Mr. Grissom came to her side, just as the third man grabbed the woman forcefully by the wrist, pulling her away. Greg was about to intervene when they fell to the floor, breaking out into a full on fight. Greg knew better than to get involved, knowing that if the Master of Arms was called, he or any other steerage passenger would be taking the blame for this. They would believe a rich bastard over a puritan poor man any day.

Within seconds the altercation with words had become an all out brawl as Mr. Grissom tackled the other man to the ground, punching him hard once. Greg saw Mr. Grissom throw a punch, the blood oozing from the other man's nose as the crowd started to form around them instead of the dancing children. It was over as quick as it started, as Miss Willows and Mr. Grissom made a break for the door to the general room and towards the boat deck. The other man was on his feet quick, blood smeared on his face and shirt from a broken nose, pushing through the crowd after them.

"Greg!" Sara yelled, meeting up with them at the platform as Sasha and Neleh stopped dancing. "What on earth just happened?" She asked concerned.

"Someone is after Mr. Grissom and Miss Willows. Who ever he was, she's quite afraid of him." Greg explained.

"My God, I hope they will be alright?"

Greg smiled, bringing Sara in for a kiss, "I'm sure they'll be fine darling." He said leading them through the crowd once more.

-/-

Catherine and Gil almost ran head first into two young men entering the General Room during their daring escape, they apologized but did not stop, knowing Edward would be hot on their tale. They turned down the corridor, making their way towards the lifts in the hopes that would put some distance between them. As the lifts appeared at the end of the hall, they saw an elderly couple being assisted into one, while the other was already in use. There was no time to wait, if they stopped Edward and Gil would be at each other's throat once more.

"Now where?" Gil asked out of breath.

"The stairs," Catherine replied, grabbing Gil's hand leading him towards the Grand Staircase.

Catherine grabbed her dress, pulling the hem that swept over the floor up over her stocking feet, feeling them slip slightly on the polished wood. She was thankful to not be doing this run in the heels she had left in the General Room. Her heart pounding in her chest, taking the stairs two by two. As they reached C Deck Catherine looked over the banister seeing Edward approach the stairwell, beginning his ascent. As they made it to B Deck Catherine cut left, skirting past Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff Gordon who were waiting for a lift. The elderly couple was startled, as if they had just seen a ghost. As she approached her stateroom, Charles was just exiting and Catherine was never more glad to see him than at this very moment.

"Catherine, what the hell -" Charles began as Catherine gripped his forearms hard, nails digging through his sleeves.

"Mr. Anderson is close behind, very upset and bleeding." Catherine explained out of breath. "Please, make sure he does not enter my stateroom."

Charles nodded, opening the stateroom door for Catherine and Gil to duck into as Edward's foot steps pounded on the stairwell. "I will make sure the matter is taken care of." He stated with a wink as Catherine gave him a peck on the cheek before closing and locking the door.

Edward appeared at the top of the stairs, his wild eyes, white dress shirt stained pink like a carnation with blood, blonde hair askew. His horrified appearance caused Lady Duff Gordon to shriek, looking as if she was about to faint. Charles adjusted his collar, cracking his knuckles as he met Edward in the foyer. Edward saw Charles, stalking towards the man, finger wagging in his face.

"Charles, I demand to speak to Miss Willows this moment!" He yelled, no longer caring if this caused a scene.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I haven't seen her all day." Charles replied coyly. He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking Edward's advance towards the hall behind him.

Edward knew Charles was lying. He always suspected the man had secretly wanted more than an employer relationship with Catherine, seeing the side glances and inside jokes they shared. Rage pumped in his veins as he ran at Charles, hoping to tackle him to the ground. Charles, who was anticipating this, stepped slightly to the left, wrapping his arm around Edward's neck, sending him to the floor with a thump. The commotion and visible fear on passengers alerted one of the crew to go and fetch the Master of Arms.

Edward kept struggling under Charles's strong grip as Charles had his knee pinned on Edward's back, squeezing his neck tighter, hoping he would slip unconscious.

"You're done being a nuisance to Miss Willows." Charles growled, holding him down.

Within moments the Master of Arms had arrived, breaking up the two men on the ground.

"What seems to be the trouble here?" The man asked.

"I'm Miss Willows's manservant and this gentleman here was disturbing her. When he tried to attack her I had to subdue him." Charles explained.

The Master of Arms looked to the crew member who had brought him to this commotion, "Was that the way of it?" He asked. The boy who looked to be just shy of fifteen, looked at Charles then at the other man on all fours, coughing to catch his breath. The boy quickly nodded, catching the glare from Charles, "Alright, down below we go." The officer said as he pulled out his handcuffs from his waist.

"Don't listen to that man! He's a liar! When my father hears about this you will be out of a job!" He protested, yelling at anyone who would listen to his threat. The Master of Arms slapped the cuffs on his wrists tightly behind his back, causing even more of a scene in the hall.

It was then Catherine opened her door, smiling at Edward as he tried to break free,

"We're not done!" Edward spat, blood speckling Catherine's chest.

"Was this man bothering you Miss?" The Master of Arms asked, pulling Edward back.

"Yes officer, I was just out enjoying some fresh air when this man attempted to attack me. Thank goodness for my manservant or I could only imagine what could have happened." Catherine replied with a snicker.

"Alright let's get you down to the holding room. I promise he will not bother you for the rest of the voyage Miss." The Master of Arms replied, carting Edward off down the hall.

Catherine heard her mother's laugh from the lifts as she grabbed Charles and ducking back into the stateroom. Gil was sitting on the couch, pressing a cloth with ice cubes in it to his left hand that was swelling from the sucker punch he delivered down on D Deck.

"Bastard, should be tossed overboard. Are you and Mr. Grissom alright?" Charles asked eyeing them both.

"Yes, thank you Charles, but we have another problem." Catherine replied.

"What now?"

"I just saw Mother exiting the lifts, it will be moments before she arrives, I do not want her to see Gil like this."

Charles sucked in his breath, "Bullocks, you sure make life interesting kitten." He stated with a snicker.

Catherine smiled, "You need to get him out of here before she arrives. Seeing Edward being carted off by the Master of Arms should give you a few moments to slip away unnoticed."

Charles nodded, helping Gil off the couch, seeing his knuckles swelling and turning blue. "Your first time in a fight I take it Mr. Grissom?"

Gil nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yes, is it that obvious?"

They heard a shriek from the foyer, most Lady Willows witnessing the ghastly sight of Edward handcuffed and bloodied. That would keep her occupied for a few moments.

"I'm sorry to break this up, but we must get you out of here fast." Catherine repeated with urgency, giving Gil a kiss, "I'll see you in a while."

Charles just nodded, leading Gil through Catherine's bedroom to another door further down the hall. Charles turned to Catherine, remembering what it was he wanted to tell her before the commotion with Edward, "Before I forget, your mother requests you join her for dinner this evening." He heard the Salon door open as he slipped out into the hall with Gil.

- 6:00 PM -

The evening sunset was casting a orange-red hue across the sky, making the sky look like a painting. Celebrations were beginning down below as today marked the halfway mark in Titanic's maiden voyage. It was something to celebrate indeed, special dinner was prepared for the passengers and the news of the Titanic not only breaking records in size, but also in speed. At this rate, it seemed that nothing would be able to stop this iron beauty from reaching her destination in time for the morning papers.

Greg had Sara wrapped in his arms, a blanket around her shoulders as she shivered in the chilled air. They walked leisurely, enjoying the tranquility and silence for most of the passengers were getting ready for dinner. They approached a row of benches seeing Sasha was already sitting there with Neleh. They had their dolls wrapped in blankets, cradled in their arms and singing songs as if to lull them to sleep. Sasha looked at Sara, raising her arms to show her mother how well she was taking care of Francesca.

"Mama, did you do this with me when I was a baby?" Sasha asked.

Sara sat beside her, running her hands through her brown locks, "All the time, you loved being rocked to sleep." She whispered kissing her on the forehead.

"When you and Greg have a baby, will you do that to my brother or sister?"

Sara blushed, as Greg, stepped in, "By then you'll be old enough to rock them to sleep yourself,"

"I think your baby would have enough love to fill this ship, don't you think?" Neleh said, swaddling her doll gently in her arms.

Sara thought about what it would be like to have a child with Greg, their perfect little family in New York. The thoughts brought tears to her eyes as she wiped them, blaming it on the icy wind hitting her face. Greg noticed Sara's distant stare, kissing her cheeks to bring her back to the present, "Love is something we have endless amounts of." He whispered, nuzzling the tip of her red nose.

Neleh and Sasha giggled, returning to the task of tending to their dolls clutched in their arms.

- 7:30 PM -

Catherine sat across from her mother, sharing a small table for two in the A La Carte Restaurant on A deck. When Charles mentioned that her mother wanted to have dinner with her, she did not realize it meant just the two of them. After Charles had ushered Gil out of their stateroom her mother told Catherine about what she had seen out in the hall. Catherine acted surprised to hide her own adventures, stating she had not seen Edward since he was standing in their salon the day before. Her mother asked for them to have a quiet dinner together in order to talk about what will happen once they reach New York. Catherine desperately wanted to get out of the dinner, unsure if she would be able to keep a level head the entire time, but she knew if she declined her mother would be able to sniff out through her gossip bloodhounds the real reason for the events that transpired today.

She was able to tell her mother she would meet her at the restaurant, giving her a chance to stop by Gil's cabin and let him know that she would not be able to attend dinner with him this evening. Gil was understanding, still nursing his hand with ice, telling Catherine that if she needed an escape from her mother he would be in his cabin all night working on some research. Catherine gave him a kiss before heading towards the A La Carte Restaurant on A deck where her mother was already seated near the windows, sipping on a glass of wine.

Dinner started out fine, her mother asking simple questions on how she was enjoying the voyage so far and explaining theories that were running in the ship gossip mill about why Edward was carted off by the Master of Arms. Catherine kept quiet, moving pieces of beef around her plate, hardly touching a bite of the special meal that was prepared to congratulate to the White Star Line for reaching the halfway mark of the Titanic's maiden voyage. Lady Willows grabbed her glass of wine, noting that Catherine was not indulging in her's. It was a bit odd, but at the same time a bit welcoming that maybe for once her daughter was trying to act her age. She could see the sadness in Catherine's blue eyes, as she reached out, gingerly touching her daughter's hand.

"Are you thinking about your father again?" She asked watching Catherine snap her hand back, meeting her mother's gaze.

"He would have loved it aboard the Titanic. Father was always a man of great taste." She replied, stabbing a piece of beef with her fork and bringing it to her lips. The smell was nauseating, but she knew if she did not eat this now, there would be nothing until morning.

"Yes, he was. I wish we were making this voyage on much happier terms." Lady Willows replied, taking another sip of her wine, "You may think I am a monster, but your father's abrupt passing has left me with scars as well. One day, you will understand that everything I do, I do for you."

Catherine chewed on her piece of beef, forcing herself to swallow. This dinner was unbearable and she was counting the minutes to when she would meet Gil at his cabin for a night cap. Catherine wiped the sides of her mouth with the cloth napkin, remaining silent.

"I do hope they get this mess with Mr. Anderson sorted out quickly, its a shame he was arrested under false pretenses." Her mother continued.

Catherine dropped her fork on her china plate with a clatter, drawing the attention of a few near by patrons, "What are you talking about mother?" Catherine asked.

"You and I both know that Mr. Anderson is not a violent man, the fact that he is being detained for assaulting Charles is beyond unfathomable."

Catherine wanted to reach across the table and strangle her mother. The nerve the woman had making bold statements like that made Catherine's blood boil. She had kept the road map of abuse from Eddie a secret from everyone, accept Charles. It was hard to lie to the man once he saw the bruises on her ribs after one night. It was her own mistake, asking him to help her undress for bed. Catherine begged Charles to say nothing to her mother or father, saying that it was nothing. Worried for her safety Charles confided in her father one evening after everyone had gone to bed. Her father trusted Charles, found him to be loyal since day one, and took anything he said to face value. The next day her father spoke with the Anderson's, breaking off the engagement between his daughter and son. He said it was because Edward was not the right fit to run his business in the event of his death, but Catherine knew the real reason why. It took her days before she forgave Charles for betraying his trust, until she was able to see the clarity under her rage. A week later, her father died, the one person who stood in Edward's way of courting Catherine.

Catherine saw right through Edwards plan. He played into her mother's greased palm, trying to to win her daughter back just in time to awarded half of whatever Catherine and Lady Willows were entitled to in her father's will. At first she was surprised to see him aboard the ship, but when the pieces started to fall into place it all began to make sense. Edward was the only one who knew she was with child before she left England, and if Edward wasn't going to get Catherine back with his charm, he would blackmail her into being his wife by exploiting the bastard son growing inside her womb. Thankfully she had Gil and Charles on her side, willing to protect her, to lie for her, to do whatever it took to make sure Edward never laid another hand on her or her family again.

"Edward is not who he appears to be mother." Catherine replied, hoping that would be enough to change the subject.

"I beg to differ. He was nothing but a gentleman when you and him were together. I never understood why your father suddenly changed his mind about the whole marriage. He was happy to have Edward as his son-in-law one day and the next, he broke off all ties with the Anderson family, personal and professional."

Catherine felt lightheaded, knowing that if she did not change the subject soon she was going to say something she would later regret. "Have you spoken to Charles to get his version of the events that happened?"

"Yes, he told me Edward tried to take a swing at him and he broke his nose. They fought in the hall where the Master of Arms took Edward away."

Catherine smiled, making a mental note to thank Charles for everything he has done, "Did he mention why they were fighting?"

"No, he did not."

"They were fighting because of me," Catherine replied, her mother wide eyed with intrigue.

'What do you mean because of you?" Her mother asked.

"I'm carrying his child." She said calmly, sipping her water as her mother's jaw dropped open. "I found out a week before we left Liverpool."

"How far along?" Lady Willows whispered, suddenly aware they were in public. Having a daughter with child out of wedlock was social suicide.

"Six weeks so the Doctor told me."

"Why did you not tell me. I would have requested you stay in England while I attended to the business in New York."

Catherine slammed her fist on the table as the silverware rattled, a few heads turned their way, "That is exactly why I did not say anything Mother. There's nothing left for me in England." She snapped.

"We must get this misunderstanding with Edward cleared up tomorrow. I will speak to Mr. Andrews in the morning." Her mother stated as Catherine tried to cling to any sense of sanity.

"My God you're bloody foolish at times. Edward threatened me, attack Mr. Grissom today, that was really how he ended up arrested." She seethed, removing her evening gloves, revealing her bruised wrist as her mother gasped, inspecting it in the candlelight. "Edward is an animal, and I refuse to have any further dealings with the man."

Lady Willows's pushed her daughter's wrist aside, going back to her dinner, "As hard as it is for me to see that, you are with child Catherine, you must do what is right."

Catherine pulled her wrist away, putting back on her gloves hastily, "I cannot believe you! Your own daughter is sporting fresh bruises from that, insect, and you are still caught up in the societal push back. Father knew what Edward did, that was the real reason why he called off the wedding. If he were here right now, he would slap you for what you just said" Catherine spat, pushing back from the table.

"You take that back right now Catherine." Her mother replied, tears stinging her eyes.

Catherine stood from the table, scowling at her mother, "No mother, sometimes the truth hurts." She started to walk past the table when her mother grabbed her wrist, squeezing tight. "Where do you think you're going?"

Catherine tried to break free, but the more she struggled the more pain shot through her arm. "It's none of your business." She snapped.

"Everything is my business Catherine, and to think you were fraternizing with Mr. Andrew's nephew in your condition, what the hell has gotten into you."

"Mr. Grissom and I are in love, and he will take care of me, and my child."

"I cannot let that happen Catherine, I forbid it."

"You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do. I am a grown woman and I will make my own decisions with or without your blessing."

With that Catherine broke free from her mother's grip, stalking past the Maitre d', past the looks of horror and intrigue of the other patrons in the restaurant, heading back to Gil's stateroom, back to the one man who appreciated her.

T.B.C