A/N: Hey! Good news: I'm not dead! I'm just deadly busy with university these days... Hehe... This chapter is much smaller than the rest of these, I just wanted it to be a short of "bridge" chapter, connecting the Titanic with the rest of the story... Took me 14 chapters, but now the interesting part of the story begins :) You'll find out more on the next chapter (which I'll start writing asap). Also, this chapter is dedicated to my best friend, Maggie, for reasons that she knows :) Have a nice read :)

April 18th 1912

It was such a tempting afternoon for us to stay indoors. Plus, I needed to see the sun, take a stroll on boat deck... Ever since we boarded the Carpathia, I keep thinking of the sinking the more and more... How it happened... Why weren't we better equipped... Why didn't more people survive... Given a chance even...

There were still no news on Jack... Three days on that ship and yet, no sign of him... All I needed was the reassurance... Then I could go on living my life the way it was planned... Just that reassurance, that comfort...

I couldn't let go of these thoughts. Even now, as I was walking on the first class boat deck, having Rebecca in my arms... Her attention wasn't centred, neither on my curls, nor on the little toy I was holding. She was focused on the sun rays, the shine they left once reflected on the waves. Although being already close to the railing, I took a few steps closer to it, simply to give Rebecca a better view. It's amazing, how she can become amazed by the things I'd never pay any particular attention to...

Soon, I heard it: her tiny scream of joy! Her tiny head lying on my shoulders, letting out these excited sounds, I suddenly felt her letting go of me a little. Just to touch the waves, feel the shine...

"Oh no, no, Rebecca! You can't do that!"

That didn't seem to disappoint her, however. Her glance still on the waves, she kept expressing her amazement at the sight. That's when I took my first step further from the railing. Rebecca's surprise didn't go unnoticed:

"One day you'll be able to touch that shine, dear." I told her. "But not now, when Mommy is still holding you!"

Instinctively, I handed her her toy. It was an old and much-used teddy bear. Nothing compared to the one she had lost on the Titanic. It was enough to give her pleasure, though, never minding that it was only merely half her size!

With Rebecca occupied, I continued my stroll on boat deck. Of course, there was always the same, familiar image... Survivors mixing with the rest of the passengers, not hiding the tragedy that had hit most of them. Some continued to mourn over their loved ones, just like on April 15th, while others tried to take it all in. I belonged to the latter group... As soon as I had reached the first class entrance, I noticed a few officers standing nearby. I stopped, since Rebecca once again noticed the sun rays on the waves, and unwillingly overheard their discussion. They were talking about the disaster... Of course... Once again... I'd have gone inside, hadn't a name caught my attention that very moment: J. Dawson.

He had perished on the sinking...

I didn't stay to hear more. Nor had I thought at that particular moment, how could a third class passenger be the topic of a discussion between the crew men... One doesn't stay to hear the whole story once he finds out the truth about a beloved one..

I didn't want to go to the state-room... There was a possibility that Mother would be there and I didn't want her to see me crying... Otherwise, she'd start talking again... Of my obligation, of what is best for Rebecca...

I turned the other way. I'd remain on deck. Maybe I could blame the wind for the tears in my eyes...

It was raining by the time the Carpathia reached the harbour of New York. To the naked eye, it looked as if it was just another ship, bringing its passengers safely to their destination. In reality, it was more than that. Certainly, the sinking of the Titanic had made headlines. Definitely, there would be journalists waiting for the ship to dock.

I was staring at the Statue Of Liberty, the only person not protected from the rain and one of the few that was wearing the same outfit as the day the Titanic sank. Rebecca was safe and sound in the cabin, Trudy taking care of her.

How ironic that was! I had thought, hoped, that it'd be the start of a new life... For Rebecca, for me... A life in which Jack and I do would as we dreamed, would raise Rebecca the way she deserved... Now, nothing seemed to have changed. I'd still have to marry Cal, Rebecca would still grow up living an already planned and boring life... Cal had made it obvious, he'd never let me "repeat my mistake again", as he called it... I trembled at this thought. Whatever he had in mind for me wouldn't be any kind, that was for sure... I kept simply wishing, even now, that his threat wouldn't become a reality, that my daughter wouldn't be taken away from me...

I was wearing a new coat, one that I was given. The diamond was safely hidden in there. I couldn't give it back to Cal, as I did with his coat... How easy would that have been otherwise... If only I had found a way to hide both my daughter and me from Cal and Mother... Now it is too late... We've reached New York... As planned...

It was all an awful blur... Journalists appearing out of nowhere, flash lights appearing right in front of our eyes, questions being shouted one after the other... Mothers were holding their children tightly. Some of them were hysterical and just wouldn't come down. Some women were panicked, some men shouted at the journalists to make way... As desperately as we tried, we couldn't find a way out... They were everywhere...

"The vultures!", Cal kept uttering with clenched teeth. He was trying to make way for us to leave the odd parade. His one arm around my shoulders, he was pushing both journalists and policemen. For once, I felt thankful for his physical strength... However, I could hear Rebecca crying behind me, in Trudy's arms... I don't know when she started, too many noises being heard at once... Pictures of us would be in all the newspapers by tomorrow. Was that the reason Cal was holding me protectively instead of pulling me or pushing me around?

Sometime, we finally managed to escape that madness... There was a car waiting for us, one that belonged to Cal... Instead of spending the night at a luxurious hotel, like so many other first class passengers, we'd be driven directly to Cal's mansion. At least, there would be plenty of privacy there, but I know privacy for no good thing, with Cal being only a few meters away from me... However, I did as I was told...

The Hockley mansion in New York was an extravagant building, as is the Hockley's lust for showing-off. A building that resembled the style of the 18th century, with a huge gate and an endless garden... This has officially been Cal's mansion ever since he turned 21. I have no good memories from the time I had stayed in that house... And something told me that this time wouldn't differ...

My suspicions became a reality, by the time I set foot in the house. Mother had ordered the servants to show her to her room, while I was shown mine... I had searched everywhere for another door, maybe one that'd connect my room to another... I had found none... Instinctively, my legs begun to tremble... Cal had planned out everything to the very last detail... Yet, there was no cradle in my room... Trudy had been with me, placing Rebecca on the bed to sleep... Until a servant had come over... He asked Trudy to take the baby and leave, the nursery was downstairs...

Oh, no, no! Cal had kept his threat... He'd come to me at night, I knew that... There'd be no way to lock him out... He'd have the key, as always...

Once more, there was nothing left for me to do but wait... Wait and hope... Maybe it was just my mind playing games... Maybe he wouldn't come to me... Maybe he'd leave me in peace, just like he did on the Carpathia... I'd just have to wait...