A/N: Yay, another update! We are quickly approaching the end of the day, so you better be prepared for anything that can and will happen. Normally I don't like to give spoilers, but I decided to be nice and give you one. There will be a confession of love that occurs in this chapter. I know, about time, right? Anyways, I do hope you like it!
"Are you sure he isn't mad?" Helga asked Phoebe as she dressed her. Helga was supposed to meet Arnold hours ago, but complications arose that none of them expected.
"He understands," Phoebe told her employer. "He wished you could have come sooner, but I told him what happened."
Helga scoffed. "Who would have suspected that Olga would have wanted me to help her with Mother? Normally, she likes doing that sort of thing herself so she could be fawned over what the perfect daughter she wants everyone to think she is."
Phoebe chuckled as she pinned up Helga's hair. "She does love being in the spotlight, doesn't she? But I am surprised she wanted you around, especially with all that happened between the two of you today."
"All she wanted to do was boast about how her and Lila did all sorts of activities that the two of us were supposed to do," Helga mentioned as she rolled her eyes. "I think she was trying to make me jealous."
"Are you?" Phoebe wondered. Helga snorted at the thought.
"Not at all!" Helga exclaimed. "All it did was anger me more that Olga took Lila's side over mine. She wants us to believe that we are such a perfect family, and yet when it comes time for her to stand with family, she stands on the other side of the line. It's ridiculous. Thank goodness she finally went to bed. I was about to think she would never leave."
"Does your mother know about the feud between you two?" Phoebe asked.
"She does," Helga sighed. "But she isn't going to do anything about it right now. She doesn't want to blow her cover that she isn't a drunk just yet."
"That's so sad," Phoebe replied as she placed a hat over Helga's head. "You would think that she would at least help you with Olga, or at least tell Olga the truth."
"She's a work in progress," Helga explained. "Just admitting the truth about her secret and helping me with Arnold is a start. Maybe we'll get lucky and something will happen to him soon so she will be able to stop hiding."
"Helga!" Phoebe exclaimed. "What a horrible thing to say. Though I don't blame you for saying it."
"I just hate seeing her like this," Helga said glumly. "And I really don't wish ill will on my father. But I do wish Mother would have the strength to at least divorce him. She shouldn't have to suffer for so long. To be honest, I don't know why she didn't think of that in the first place. What do you think Phoebe?"
"I'm not sure, Helga," Phoebe replied. "But I'm sure she has her reasons. Maybe deep down, she loves your father. I mean, she married him for a reason, right?"
"I guess," Helga said. "When we had dinner together, she told me about her life when she was younger. She lived in the Midwest, down in Texas. She came from cattle ranchers and her father would compete in cowboy contests. She would sneak practices before dawn and disguise herself as a man to compete. She's actually won several titles, one of them being bull riding."
"That's incredible," Phoebe said in awe. "I didn't know how vivacious your mother used to be. I'm guessing it all changed when she married your father."
"A few years after she did," Helga clarified. "He was so oppressive to her. It got better when Olga was born and all his energy went into her. But after I was born, it got worse. I wasn't the son he wanted, so of course he blamed Mother."
"How horrible," Phoebe said. "Do you think she partially blames herself as well?"
"She could," Helga said. "But now is not the time to discuss this. We can talk about it tomorrow after I see Arnold. Speaking of Arnold…"
A tap came from the door. Phoebe went to answer it. "Good evening, Gerald," she replied the door opened. "Are you here to escort Helga? Because we were about to come soon."
"Not exactly," Gerald said. "Arnold asked me to come and inform you that where you will be meeting is rather cold and wanted to make sure you are properly dressed. And from the looks of it, it appears you need some extra time."
Helga groaned. Was there going to be anything else to delay their meeting? "It's almost eleven already," Helga whined, then looked over to Gerald. "Just give us a minute. I have a wool dress I can wear."
Gerald nodded and left the room. "Hurry it up, Phoebe. Every time here is a precious moment gone from Arnold."
"Hurrying!" Phoebe exclaimed as she rushed to grab Helga's winter clothing.
Harold had grown concerned when he didn't see Patty at dinner. In fact, he hadn't seen her all day. After winning ten dollars in the eating competition during luncheon, he decided it was best to get some rest and to prepare for dinner. Sid and Stinky assured him that she was probably trying to figure out what was going on with Eugene. Harold figured they were probably right and took part in another competition. This time, he won fifteen dollars, earning them more than what they earned the first night. They even had enough to being Patty with them.
Harold had planned on telling her the news that evening. He figured she would be in the common room, keeping an eye on the passengers. As time went on and Patty hadn't shown up, Harold didn't want to wait any longer. He told Sid and Stinky he was going to search for her. They nodded, telling him that they were going to take the money they made the second night and play some cards. Before beginning his search, Harold quickly went down to their room and grabbed his coat.
He didn't have to search for long until he found her sitting on one of the benches on the boat deck. She was covered up in a shawl, but that didn't appear to be keeping her warm in such unexpected freezing temperatures.
"Patty!" he called, running over to her. He pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her. "What are you doing out here? You'll freeze to death."
Patty didn't reply, but simply looked up at the sky. Harold followed her lead, in awe of what he saw. "I've never seen so many stars before," he said as he sat next to her. The sky indeed was filled with stars, more than usual.
"What are you doing out here?" Patty asked, keeping her eyes on the sky.
"I was looking for you," Harold explained, looking at her. "I didn't see you at dinner or afterwards, so I came searching for you. There was something that I wanted to ask you."
Patty turned her head towards him. "What is it you wanted to ask me?" she asked, purposely not mentioning the reason why she was absent. She had spent the evening with Eugene, sneaking into first class estates and evaluating the valuables they plan on taking. When it was over, Patty went up to the deck to clear her mind and pray for a way to stop it.
"What is going to happen between us when we make it to America?" Harold asked flatly.
Patty took a deep breath. She was not expecting that type of question, nor did she really think about it. "I'm not sure," Patty replied. "I figured you would have went to California and I would stay with the White Star Line and head back to England."
"Is that what you want?" Harold asked her. She shrugged. "Well, what if I were to tell you that we didn't have to separate?"
"What are you talking about?" Patty asked, confused by what he just said.
"What if instead of me going to California, I go back to England with you? I could try and get a job with White Star Line and sail with you. And we could find a home near your parents so we can take care of them together."
Patty looked at him stunned. Never was she expecting that. She shook her head violently. "I couldn't ask you to give up your dream of being in moving pictures," she said. "You three have such dreams for a life in California. I cannot be the cause of the separation between the three of you."
"You wouldn't be," Harold assured her. "I've talked with them and they accept if I come with you. But there is another option. Instead of me going back to England, you can come with us to California. I've made enough money with my eating competitions to bring you along with us. I know you have your parents to worry about and I understand if you don't want to abandon them, but give it some thought. After all, we still have a few more days until I need an answer."
Patty sat there flabbergasted. "I don't know what to say," she whispered. "This is a lot to consider, Harold. I mean, England is my home."
"And I understand that," he replied. "Which is why I'm telling you now and not when we are on the docks. I wanted to give you the time to think it through so you know for sure. I love you Patty, and I only wish to make you happy, even if that meant never seeing you again."
Again Patty was dumbfounded. Never had anyone told her that he loved her. It was a new feeling to Patty, but she could tell he meant what he said. A small smile crept on her face.
"I love you, too," she said. "I just really need time to think this through." She gave him a small peck on the cheek and looked at the stars. She slightly frowned when she also remembered that there was also the situation with Eugene to figure out. She moved the thoughts to the side. She didn't want anything to spoil her night with the man she loved.
"What's that ringing sound?"
Once Helga was finished getting ready, it was quarter past eleven. Gerald waited outside the door to escort Helga to the location where Arnold was waiting while Phoebe stayed in Helga's room to keep an eye out for Bob and Olga. Helga and Gerald kept a close eye around the corridors, avoiding the heavy traffic that would be along the grand staircase.
Arnold stood outside on the first class deck, jumping up and down. It was partly due to nerves and partly due to the cold. He never expected for the temperatures to plummet so much. Gerald had told him the weather was nice during the day. But Arnold had already planned for this meeting and he couldn't back out of it. He wanted it to be outside for the romantic atmosphere, though it won't be as romantic with the air being below freezing.
Arnold smiled as he saw Gerald brought Helga out. It may have been only that morning since they last saw each other, but it might as well have been an eternity. Arnold swore she had become more beautiful in the past half day.
"Good evening, Helga," Arnold said. "You look lovely tonight."
"There better be a good reason why you brought me out here, Football Head," Helga snarked, her teeth chattering.
"I sure have missed your infectious personality," Arnold smirked. "Thank you, Gerald. You're dismissed for the night."
"Thank you, Arnold. Helga." Gerald went back inside and sighed in relief to be back in the heated ship. He hurried over to see Phoebe and give her a quick kiss before heading off the bed for the night.
"So I see you were able to escape Fortress de Pataki," Arnold joked. "How does being free feel?"
"It feels like I'm freezing my hind quarters," Helga remarked. "Honestly, why did you choose to meet out here? We couldn't go to the lounge or the Reading and Writing Room?"
"Not if you wanted to be around a lot of other people," Arnold pointed out. "I thought we could use some privacy. It just so happens the weather has helped us in keeping that privacy. So I heard you were detained for a few hours."
Helga chuckled. "You heard correctly," she replied. "Sheriff Olga wanted me to help Miriam in one of her drunken fits."
"I hope I'm being out of place here, but do you ever think of finding your mother some help with her alcohol problem?" Arnold wondered. "I mean, she's been drinking for as long as I've known her, and possibly longer. It would be a shame for her to miss out on life because she's always unconscious."
Helga laughed at his ignorance. "It turns out that Miriam is not an alcoholic. She's been pretending while actually drinking tea at room temperature because of how my father treats her."
"Oh, wow," Arnold muttered. "How do you feel about that?"
"I rather not discuss that right now," Helga replied. She walked over to the ship's railing and looked into the darkness that was illuminated by the thousands of stars in the skies. "I'm surprised that there isn't a wind tonight. The water is so calm. You have to see this. It's actually quite remarkable."
Arnold walked over and saw for himself. "Hmm, you're right. In all my times sailing, I have never seen the sea so calm before. Nor have I ever seen this many stars at one time. Or in my lifetime."
"It is amazing," Helga agreed. Taking a deep breath, Arnold moved closer to Helga.
"It's beautiful out here, isn't it?" he asked. "Even if it is freezing?"
"I suppose one would think it is lovely," Helga replied softly. Arnold gave her a pointed look. "All right, it is beautiful, I'll admit it. Are you happy now?"
"Overjoyed," Arnold smirked. "But there is a reason I asked you out here."
"I hope it wasn't to catch hypothermia," Helga joked.
"No, that will be saved for a later time," Arnold returned the joke. "But in all honesty, this is something I have to tell you."
"Oh, goodness," Helga said softly. "You're being serious. That's not a side I'm used to seeing from you."
"Well, it is sort of a serious matter," Arnold said, taking some deep breaths. Why does this have to be so difficult? Maybe if I tell her the other thing first, then the second part will follow naturally. "First, I have something to confess. It was not a coincidence that I suddenly came on the Titanic. I originally was planned to be on a different liner, but then I found out you were going to be on this one. So I switched my ticket and came here."
Helga looked upon the blonde male in amazement. He switched his cruising plans because of her? Normally when someone said that, it was because they were making plans to avoid her, not the other way around.
"Well, don't you know how to flatter a woman, Football Head?" Helga remarked. "But why? I don't understand."
"Well…" Arnold began. "Heh, that is a very good question. And I have a good answer for that. Hehe."
Helga looked at him confused. "Why are you acting so weird?" What is he trying to say? This better not be something awkward like I'm the greatest friend he's ever had. If that were it, I swear I will toss him overboard, and I don't crew how cold it is.
"Sorry, I'm a little nervous," Arnold admitted. Just tell her! She needs to know, and it will be great to finally tell her. "I changed my plans for you because-"
"Did you hear something?" Helga asked. Arnold internally cursed at whatever distracted Helga, but he soon heard the same thing.
A distant bell rang three times. Not even went a minute went by before there was a screeching sound of metal and vibrations could be felt throughout the ship, though there were areas that felt nothing and continued on with their usual activities.
Phoebe felt a slight tremor from her position. It lasted a few seconds, then disappeared. When it didn't come back, she merely shrugged and continued reading, waiting for Helga to return to the room.
Gerald had fallen asleep in his room. He stirred from a slight tremble, but did not awake.
Sid and Stinky were in the third class smoking room, playing cards. Neither one felt anything as they continued playing their game.
Bob was also in the middle of playing cards. He was so focused on his hand that he didn't hear the other men discussing the strange disturbance.
Olga, Miriam, Lila, Nadine, and Eugene were all asleep, though Eugene was the only one not in his designated cabin. Nadine was the only one to wake from the disturbance as the other slept peacefully in their beds, awaiting for the next morning to arrive.
"What was that?" Rhonda asked as she bolted from her bed, still undressed from that afternoon. Apparently, she had spent the entire evening asleep, even skipping dinner. Rhonda could still feel the vibration that rumbled the room as it passed.
"It was probably just the engines," Curly muttered, his eyes still closed. He, too, was undressed. "I know Ismay has been pushing the captain for the ship to go faster. Go back to sleep, darling."
"What are you still doing here?" Rhonda asked, rubbing her eyes. "Don't you need to be working? You're going to be sacked if you don't get back to your post."
"I'll worry about that in the morning," Curly muttered. Rhonda shrugged and lied back down, cuddling close to him.
Helga and Arnold's eyes bolted out of their sockets as a wall of white slid right in front of their faces. "What is that?" Helga whispered.
"An iceberg," Arnold stated, still in shock. "This can't be good."
"Not if that's what we hit," Helga stated back. The two looked on as the ship moved on, mesmerized by the berg they had just passed.
"Well, isn't that a sight?" Patty said softly. Harold looked over to Patty, then towards the direction she was looking. Harold grabbed a hold of Patty's hand as they passed by a giant block before it disappeared into the horizon.
"I think we just found out the source of that noise," Harold replied. "Do you think we should tell someone?"
Patty shook her head. "It was probably just a nick," Patty said. "Besides, this ship's unsinkable. There's no reason to cause a panic about nothing." Harold shrugged and moved closer to Patty, gazing at the plethora of stars above them.
A/N: I hope you didn't really believe that I meant Arnold and Helga saying they love each other. That would mean I was being nice, and if you've survived this long with my story, you would know I am anything but, and my little joke just proved it.
So here we go; the moment we've all been waiting for, unless you have been dreading it, but you knew it was coming. I must admit, I've been looking forward to this part for quite some time. Who goes first? Who goes last? Who makes it out alive? We will find out in the next few chapters. If you haven't said your predictions, now is the last time to do so. Because as far as I know, the deaths could possibly begin the next chapter.
Also, not everyone felt a large vibration that is depicted in the movies. That is pure Hollywood suspense right there. According to eyewitness testimony, it ranged from not feeling it at all, to a slight tremor, to "as if passing over a thousand marbles."
