A:N/ Hi Everyone! I am sooooooooo sorry for the late update. I have been incredibly busy. I wanted to extend my gratitude to all of those who reviewed and helped me with my poll. I now know what I want to do. I am so excited that this story has reached 5,000 views! I never would have expected that. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Afterwards, why not leave a review? They encourage me and help me become a better writer. Please excuse any grammar errors. Don't forget favorite and/or follow this story! Well…enough about me here it is….Chapter Twelve!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Anne.
This chapter is dedicated to BrownEyedGirl87! Thanks for your ideas and suggestions! I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)
Chapter 12
The glorious sunset encased the scene like a beautiful painting. Rose and Jack began to passionately kiss. I couldn't help but smile. In my heart, I knew both Rose and I had made the right decision. After a few moments of gazing at them, Tommy blurted,
"How long are they going to keep kissing like that?" I muffled my laughter.
"I thought you liked kissing." I whispered.
"I do, but I only like doing it with you."
"Oh, I see how this is…"
"Who's there?" Tommy and I turned to see Jack staring straight at us. We crouched down on the floor behind some of the Titanic's machinery. Unfortunately, we were too late.
"We see you!" He hollered. Tommy helped me up from the ground before we sauntered over to towards them.
"Well Jack, it looks like we were being watched." Rose winked.
"Well, you can thank Anne, for that." We all laughed. That was when we heard the trumpet announcing dinner was ready. I couldn't help but remember the reaction Molly had to it last night. It still made me grin.
"Do you guys want to eat dinner together?" I asked.
"Actually, I wanted Jack and I to spend some time alone."
"But what about Cal?" Jack asked.
"Yes Rose, weren't you and Cal, invited to the dinner in Captain Smith's honor? " I questioned.
"I told Cal I did not feel up to going. So, my mother volunteered to go instead. Dinner and brandies in the smoking room should keep him occupied for the next several hours."
"But you can join us if you would like." Jack offered.
"Oh no, you two go on ahead and have fun. We'll meet up later. Besides, I have my own company to keep." I winked at Tommy as he smiled back.
"Very well," Rose reached for me and we embraced. "Goodbye Anne, Tommy."
"Goodbye," I replied. Jack and Rose then began to saunter away, hand in hand.
"They seem very happy together." Tommy whispered.
"They really do." I leaned over the railing, staring at the sky. "Can you believe how all of the brilliant colors of the sunset just seem to fit together?"
"It's amazing. Say, why don't I treat you to a Third Class dinner? It's my treat." I laughed.
"Tommy, the dinner is free!"
"Well, just know that if I had to pay for it, I would." His statement only made me laugh harder.
"I would be honored to join you." Tommy held out his hand. Happily, I took it. As the sun was setting, so was my old life. For the first time in forever, I felt free.
"Good Evening Fabrizio!" I greeted, as I set my tray of food onto the table. The food upon my tray was nowhere near the quality of the food in First Class, but it was better than most on other ships. Its warmth and hearty smell made me feel like I was in the English countryside once , to me, the food didn't really matter. I was with many of the people I loved, and who loved me for who I was.
"Hello Anne!" Fabrizio replied. Helga smiled at me as Tommy and I took our seats at the table. "I trust you two have had a pleasant afternoon." I looked at Tommy.
"It is now," I retorted. My comment made Tommy's Hazel eyes light up.
"Say, where's Jack? I haven't seen him since earlier this afternoon."
"He's with Rose. They were going to spend some more time together." Tommy replied.
"Oh, I see. So, Anne…How are you enjoying your meal?" I glanced up from my tripe and onions.
"Honestly, it doesn't really matter. I'm with the people that I care about the most." They all smiled.
"I can agree with you there." Tommy retorted. After stuffing food into our mouths for a few moments, Helga finally asked Fabrizio,
"Ha….Have….yo…..you t…told the….them yet?" My eyes widened.
"Told us what?" I muffled, still eating the food in my mouth. Fabrizio smiled and gazed into Helga's eyes.
"Well, we wanted to wait for Jack and Rose. But I guess we could tell you now. I've decided to go with Helga's family to their farm." My mouth gaped open.
"You're going to do that? But what about Jack?"
"Jack can take care of himself. He's very independent, believe me. Besides, he's got Rose. He's with the love of his life. You should have seen him earlier this afternoon. He was so depressed Tommy and I didn't think he'd ever come around."
"But Helga, what about your parents?" Helga started to say something, but Fabrizio interrupted her.
"It doesn't really matter. If I can't stay on the farm, I'll live nearby. That way, we can see each other more often. And who knows, maybe in a few years, we'll be married and have some kids."
"Well…it looks like things are starting to go right for all of us." Tommy remarked. Fabrizio, Helga, and I smiled, for we couldn't agree more.
Over the next hour, time seemed to evade us. We enjoyed the rest of the meal bantering about the voyage so far, and the dreams that would ensue afterward. I felt as though these were the conversations I craved to have with my own family.
As we talked, I could see a twinkle in Helga's eyes. It was a twinkle that never lost Fabrizio's gaze. I was happy for Fabrizio and Helga. I knew that they were destined to be together. I only hoped the same could be said for me and Tommy.
When dinner was finished, my appetite had been satisfied.
"Would you care for some dessert?" Tommy asked.
"No, thank you." I replied. "I am stuffed."
"So…What do you want to do now?"
"Well first, I'd like to change out of this dress. This corset had been squeezing my insides, making it hard to breathe all day. Would you like to come with me? We could talk for awhile over some coffee. I thought that after that, we could see what Jack and Rose are up to." Tommy was silent for a moment before responding.
"Alright, let's go!" I said my goodbyes to Helga, and Fabrizio. We weren't sure how long we would be upstairs, so we told them not to expect us if another dance party took place. After many hugs and smiles, Tommy took my arm as we headed upstairs.
"Well, here we are! What do you think?" I asked Tommy, as I opened to door to my stateroom. It was nicely decorated. It wasn't as big or spacious as Cal and Rose's suites. But it was warm and cozy, perfect for some private conversations.
Tommy's eyes lit up. A look of awestruck glistened his face.
"I've never seen a fancier cabin in all of my life." I glanced over at my maid Sarah, who straightening up the room.
"Sarah, please go and bring us two cups of coffee. I believe the coffee is being served in the lounge." Sarah obeyed, and left the room. Until she returned, Tommy and I talked about our day leading up to this afternoon. He told me he had enjoyed the church services given down in Third Class. He also admitted that I was right. Tommy had indeed woken up with an awful hangover.
After a few minutes, Sarah returned with our drinks. I then excused her for the night. When she left, Tommy remarked,
"It's a good size for a cabin."
"Well, it is definitely not as spacious as Rose and Cal's, but it has all the latest fashion trends going for it. Besides, I do love the architectural detail on walls and the pink curtains by the window."
"I think it's too girly for my taste." My mouth widened.
"Too girly? Well, it just so happens that I actually like the pink." We both took a seat as I poured some more coffee into my cup.
"Well, if we ever get married, promise me that there won't be a single pink curtain in our house."
"So, are we already talking about marriage?" Tommy took a sip of his coffee.
"Perhaps, maybe in a few years time. But first, we need to get to know each other better." I smiled.
"I agree. So, what do you see in your future?"
"Well, I hope to earn enough money to provide a stable home and life for my family. Maybe a few years down the road, I might open my own Irish pub, right in the middle of downtown Chicago."
"So you're still going to Chicago?" I asked.
"That's the plan. I need a job. That's the whole reason I'm coming over here in the first place. What about you?" I thought about my dreams for a few moments as I took another sip of the bitter drink.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with my life. I had planned on going to college and getting my education. But that seems so far away now."
"Nothing is ever too far away if you believe in it."
"I guess," Tommy set his cup down and took my hand.
"Come on, Anne. If you could have your fairytale ending, what would it look like?" I looked up in surprise.
"I didn't think you liked fairytales. They're full of fantasy, something I didn't think you'd be interested in."
"Well, Ma used to always tell us stories before we went to bed. Sometimes the stories would be fairytales, usually about great Irish warriors rescuing a princess of some sort. I don't remember most of them. But to me, we all of have fairytales, something we hope will come true. I think we all want to live happily ever after in different ways." I smiled.
"I guess for me, I've always wanted to find a husband that loves me for who I am. I'd love to become an author, have a few kids, and eventually, build our dream home, so we can enjoy our grandchildren."
"Do you think that could be us? Do you think that could be our future?" I contemplated the idea for a few moments in silence.
"I do, I really do believe that could be us. Tommy, I love you more than anyone I've ever known. I know we just met a few days ago but I…I feel like somehow…We were meant for each other. Do you understand what I'm saying? I mean, I know it might be a rash conjecture but…Something tells me that I'm right."
"I feel the same way." I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad he understood.
"I am so grateful to have met you. You and Jack have taught me so much in such a short amount of time. For the first time, I feel like, I don't have to be afraid to be me." Tommy leaned towards me. When our lips touched, I knew it was like heaven. He made me feel so careless, so wonderful; I didn't want it to end. When our lips parted, Tommy remarked,
"You know, I think…That's a good thing." I grinned.
"I think so too." We kissed for the next few minutes, soaking in all of the wonder and blissful oblivion. For the next hour, we continued discussing our plans and interests. Since our relationship was serious, we both felt like it was best if we got to know each other better.
By the time we had finished, the cups of coffee were nearly empty and its remnants had grown cold. I left Tommy for a few moments to change out of my church attire into something more comfortable. A cool breeze swept over me as I adorned one of my flowy blue dresses.
Since I hadn't gone to a fancy dinner, nor was I quite ready for bed, I felt that I was wearing the proper attire. The dress has an empire style waist that was tied with a pastel yellow sash. I usually wore this during the springtime, but I needed to relax in some comfortable attire.
As I examined myself in the mirror, decided to leave my hair down. I liked how the dark brown curls draped over my shoulders. I freshened up my makeup before twisting the door handle.
When I opened the bathroom door, Tommy's blond curls stood straight up on his head as he gazed at the sight of me. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh come on, It's not like I changed my hair color!"
"You're so…beautiful. I've never seen you with your hair down like that. And the dress fits you perfectly." I sauntered over to Tommy, and smiled as I gave him a kiss.
"Come on, we don't want keep Jack and Rose waiting forever, now, do we?"
"I guess you're right." Tommy retorted. I grabbed my coat from the washbasin and we shut the lights off as Tommy closed the door.
Rose's suite was just down the hall. Surprisingly, there weren't that many passengers roaming the halls. I came to the conclusion that they had either decided to turn in early, or go and enjoy the orchestra playing in the reception room.
"Come in!" Someone shouted, as I knocked on the door. When we swung the door open, Jack came plodding in from Rose and Cal's private Promenade.
"Hello Jack!" I greeted as we hugged.
"It's good to see you. Rose and I were wondering if you forgot about us."
"Oh no, Anne here, would never forget you." Tommy replied. Jack and Tommy shook hands as I peered around the room.
"Well, believe me when I tell you this, it's getting cold out there." Jack declared.
"Where's Rose?" I asked.
"She's in the bathroom getting dressed. She should be out in a minute." I had a puzzled look on my face. But before I could ask anymore, Rose opened the bathroom door.
Her curly, red hair rested against a free-flowing light purple dress that had hints of green and pink. She looked so glorious, like an angel. Jack's eyes widened as he gazed at her.
"You look nice," He remarked. Suddenly, we heard a knock on the door.
"Miss Rose?" Someone hollered. I automatically knew that it was Lovejoy. Immediately, Rose grabbed Jack's hand. Without hesitation, I took Tommy's arm and led him into the adjoining bedroom.
"My drawings!" Jack whispered, realizing he had left them behind.
"Just forget about them!" I replied. "We'll get them back later." As soon as Rose shut the door, I heard Lovejoy open the other. We scurried as fast as we could to the door that led out to the hallway. As quietly as I could, I shut the door.
"Whew!" Tommy exclaimed. "That was close!"
"Just act natural." Rose instructed. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we sauntered down the hallway. A huge grin appeared on Rose's face. That was, until I look behind us. Lovejoy was right behind us and gaining speed.
"Go, Go!" Rose shouted. Immediately, chaos ensued. Jack, Rose, Tommy, and I began dashing towards the elevators, our only hope of escape.
When we arrived, the lift operator was about to close the door.
"Wait! Wait for us!" I shouted. We all dashed into the elevator lift. Jack shut the door behind us.
"Go down, quickly, quickly! All the way down, all the way!" Rose screeched. The lift operator pulled lever all the way down. Rose even placed her hand over his for the assurance.
As the lift began moving down, Lovejoy crashed into the gate. He slammed his fists against the iron bars in defeat. I gave a wide grin as I waved at him. Rose gave him a hand signal, before waving goodbye, making all of us giggle.
When Lovejoy disappeared from view, we all broke into bouts of laughter.
"Did you see the look on his face?" I asked, choking on my laughter.
"It was priceless!" Rose remarked. As we approached E deck, Jack opened the gate and stepped out too early, tripping,
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine,"
"Come on, you three! This way!" We dashed through several hallways, and down some stairs, all the while laughing with huge, priceless smiles on our faces. Jack even ran into a steward. In an instant, cups and pieces of china splattered to the floor.
"Sorry," Jack apologized. I began to pick up the cups when the steward assured me,
"I got it Miss," I thanked him and ran to catch up with the others.
Finally, when we didn't see Lovejoy anywhere behind us, we stopped to breathe.
"Pretty tough for a valet, this fella." Jack remarked.
"He seems more like a cop." Tommy added.
"I think he was." Rose replied. "Cal's father hired him to keep his little boy out of trouble, and to make sure he got back to the hotel with his wallet, after he crawled through the less reputable parts of town,"
"Kind of like what we're doing now," Jack exclaimed, as he pulled Rose close to him. Just as they were about to kiss, I glanced through a small window to see Lovejoy staring straight at me.
"Umm…guys, look who it is." I shouted.
"Oh dang!" Jack shouted.
"Go!" Rose screamed. Once again, we picked up the pace and darted down the hallway.
"Come on!" Jack ordered. Tommy grabbed my hand and helped me along. We scrambled to find an exit. Rose tried a door, but it was locked. Luckily, Jack tried a door and it worked. "Over here!"
In an instant, Tommy shoved me inside. Jack slammed the door and locked it. Moments later, we heard a thump and someone trying the door. I breathe a sigh of relief; we were safe, for now.
But now, we faced a new problem. There was no other exit in sight.
"Now what?" Rose shouted. The noise coming from the machines in the room was making our voices barely audible.
"What?" Jack asked.
"Hey you guys, I think I've found a way out!" Tommy shouted. We all scampered over to the area Tommy was pointing at. Surprisingly, it was a trapped door leading down to the lower levels.
"Do you think it's safe?" Rose asked.
"Of course it is." Jack replied.
"We've got nothing better to do." I retorted.
"Come on you three, let's go!" One by one, we all climbed down the ladder. Jack kindly helped me down before helping Rose.
All of a sudden I heard the sounds of clanging shovels. With the colossal boilers towering over me, I realized we were in one of the boiler rooms. Heat saturated the room as sweat poured down all of the workers faces. Ash from the burning coal filled the air, making it hard to breathe.
Although ash and soot covered all of the workers faces, they didn't seem the least deterred. The way they shoveled the coal made me feel the pride they took in the ship, their ship. They put all of their heart and soul into their tasks.
"This is amazing!" I exclaimed.
"Hold up, what are you four doing down here?" The chief stoker asked.
"Uh oh, time to go." Tommy proclaimed. Rose took off with Jack right behind her.
"It could be dangerous! Come back here!" I didn't hear anymore because I was running right behind Jack. Tommy brought up the rear. I couldn't help but feel like I was a carefree child once again, going on adventures and broadening my horizons.
"Carry on fellas!" Jack shouted. "Just don't mind us. You're doing a great job!"
"Keep on going folks!" I shouted, laughing the whole time. We ran past several huge boilers, making our way around workers, wheelbarrows of coal and shovels. The air full of soot made it hard to breathe as we ran through the smoke and steam. But I felt as though I had taken my first real breath. I felt so jubilant; I didn't want this night to end.
Before I knew it, our party had come to an abrupt halt. Jack had grabbed Rose and began kissing her. I watched intently at the passion and heartfelt love they showed towards one another. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around to see that it was Tommy.
"Come on, let's give them some time alone." I nodded. Tommy took my hand and we ran towards another exit.
"Well, now that's what I would call that an adrenaline rush." I exclaimed when we had made our way out of the boiler room.
"I'll say," Tommy replied.
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"Well, I suppose we could go back to my room. We could go and talk some more before turning in for the night."
"But what about you're cabin mates?"
"I'm sure they're at the party, drunk as a pig. It'll be hours before they come back. By then, you'll be long gone." I contemplated the idea for a few moments.
"All right, I guess I can come for a little while."
"Splendid, let's go!" He took my hand and we began saunter towards Tommy's cabin.
There were so many hallways and passages that it took us nearly an hour to find Tommy's room. We had been so far down in the ship; we had to navigate through dead ends, and restricted areas. But finally, with our legs aching and our feet sore from walking, we made it to Tommy's room.
There wasn't much of a difference from Jack's cabin to Tommy's. It was certainly smaller, but it was nice and cozy. I peeked through the porthole, just above the waterline.
"Tommy, take a look at this." I scooted over to give him a chance to see what I saw.
The Atlantic's waters were as black as night. There wasn't any moon. But instead, thousands of stars sparkled in the sky.
"Wow,"
"I don't think I've seen more stars in the sky in my whole life. In London, the streetlights are so bright, I can't see the stars."
"Well, that's a shame." Tommy pronounced. "Everyone should see a view like this. You know, when I was younger, my sisters and I would always try to match the constellations. Then, we'd make up stories of why the stars were in that unique pattern. When I first found the big dipper, I told my little sister Cassie, that that was a pan an evil sorceress used to boil naughty children in to eat." I laughed so hard.
"Did she have nightmares?"
"For three straight weeks. When she finally confessed why, my pa gave me the biggest whipping I'd known at the time." I smiled.
"It reminds me of Charles, my brother. Whenever we went to my grandmother's for summer vacation, we would share a room. He would always tell me ghost stories late at night,trying to scare me, but he never could."
"Well, I guess it's just something brothers like to do, scare their little sisters." We both laughed. I glanced over to Tommy's bed, where I saw his Harmonica.
"Tommy, would you play something for me?"
"Anne, I told you, I'm not that good."
"You give yourself too little credit. Besides, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you play yesterday. Will you try again, please?" After bouts of begging, Tommy gave in. He started playing his favorite tunes, before harmonizing to some old Irish folk songs, all the while, enchanting me.
When Tommy finished the last note, I clapped.
"Bravo, Bravo! That was delightfully entertaining."
"Well thank you Anne. I guess you're right maybe I am…" Suddenly, a thundering jolt sent me crashing to the floor. Tommy fell against his bed. For the several seconds, the room shook as a grinding noise reverberated throughout the halls. Then as soon as it came, it stopped.
"Are you alright Anne?" Tommy asked, helping me to my feet.
"Yes, I'm fine," I brushed myself off. "What was that?"
"I don't know. Wait…" We both remained absolutely silent for the next few moments. "Do you hear anything?" I tried to discern any sound.
"No, nothing."
"That's exactly my point, the engines have stopped running." Not being able to hear the engines seemed very odd. I overheard earlier at lunch today that Titanic was trying to make headlines. There shouldn't be any reason why Titanic would stop, unless…Unless something was very wrong.
Tommy pulled a sweater over his head, grabbed his hat and began walking into the hallway.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I'm going to check to see why the engines have stopped." As we turned the corner and began trekking down a flight of stairs, it didn't take long for Tommy to have his explanation. At the bottom of the stairs, water was filling the hallway and slowly creeping up towards us.
"Go back!" Tommy ordered. He took me by the hand and began dashing back to his berth. I didn't know it at the time, but this was the beginning of our nightmares. Titanic was filling with water, and she was filling fast. And in a matter of hours, all of this splendor would be gone.
Because the Titanic would be at the bottom of the ocean floor.
A:N/ Hooray! Chapter 12 is finished! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for this being an extremely long chapter, but I needed it to end here. I hope you got a little more insight into Anne and Tommy's relationship. For the coming chapters, I need you to realize that I may not follow the exact wording of the script. I will try my best, but it's very difficult to do, especially during the sinking. As always, please review. I would love to get ten reviews if at all possible. I would encourage those who haven't reviewed before to please do! I welcome all encouragement and suggestions. Don't forget to favorite and/or follow this story if you haven't already. The next chapter should be posted soon. So until then! –C.M. Singer :)