"When your soul finds the soul it was waiting for

When someone walks into your heart through an open door

When your hand finds the hand it was meant to hold

Don't let go!"

-Demi Lovato, Heart by Heart

Sammy went back up on deck with Fabrizio and Jack, where the sun was glinting off the ocean and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Jack and Fabrizio were so incredibly happy-go-lucky that Sammy considered herself happy to befriend them. They were the most real and carefree men she'd ever known. The three of them decided to explore some more before mealtime.

They ran all the way down to the bow of the Titanic and leaned on the ropes, taking in the breathtaking natural beauty of the open ocean. Jack leaned over and looked at the water. The ocean was sparkling like the Lake of Shining Waters in Anne of Green Gables. She closed her eyes, relishing the smell and sounds of the salty sea.

Jack looked down and saw a group of dolphins. "Hey, look, look, look! Look, look! See it?" he said happily. "There's another one! See 'em? Look at that one! Look at that one! Look at him jump!"

As if to illustrate Jack's point, one of the dolphins executed a spectacular jump. "Cool!" Sammy crowed. "Woo-hoo!" yelled Jack. He whooped again happily. Fabrizio pointed to something in the distance. "I can see the Statue of Liberty already. Very small, of course!"

"I'm the king of the world!" Jack shouted, pumping his fist into the air. Sammy laughed as the other two whooped, yeehawed, and howled like wolves. They were clearly having a ton of fun, and she herself was grinning in happiness. To win tickets on a ship this nice was sheer dumb luck, even if Titanic was doomed.

The rest of that day was spent exploring the ship, or the parts of it that were allowed to steerage anyway. There was the third class general room, where everyone seemed to hang out and pass the time. Next was the third class smoking room, but she was turned away by the stewards on the grounds that it was a men-only zone. Sammy was amazed at just how big it was. She had read that Titanic was as long as three football fields but seeing it was a whole other story. She kept getting lost among the veritable maze of steerage corridors.

Dinner that night was especially scrumptious. Gruel turned out to be some kind of oatmeal that didn't taste half bad, and the bread accompanying it was delicious too. Sammy liked playing on the Steinway and she was very fond of the books in her travel bag too.

She slept fitfully that night, despite how comfortable her bed was. She was plagued by dreams of icebergs, screaming, and lifeboats. Finally, around five AM, she accepted that sleep had evaded her and went to the washstand to clean up a bit.

She brought some fresh clothes, a soap cake, and a pair of comfortable shoes to the communal third-class bathtubs. As she washed and dressed, she felt loads better.

April 11, 1912

9:00 AM

Breakfast was ham and eggs, potatoes, milk, fresh bread and butter, and smoked herring. Sammy didn't realize just how hungry she was until the steaming hot food was served. She clamped eyes on the coffee being served and said a silent prayer of thanks. Oh, goody. Mama needs caffeine. She and Helga sat together and got to know one another better, despite the language barrier and Helga's heavy accent.

Finally, the group managed to find a Swede named Bjorn Gunderson. He spoke Swedish and Norwegian fluently, having had a Norwegian cousin back in Stockholm.

Helga and her family were headed to Minnesota to try and start a dairy farm. When Helga asked about her own journey, she had to think fast. "Honestly, I just want to go home. I haven't seen New York for several years now, and I really miss it," she told them.

Mr. Dahl, whose first name was Olaf, started to say something. As soon as he had finished, Bjorn began to translate. "He said that he understands how you feel. He misses Norway as much as you miss your own home. But the few jobs that are available are scarce back in Tonsberg," he explained, his own English heavily accented but still understandable.

Through Bjorn, Sammy managed to hold down a decent conversation with Helga and her parents. Helga was eighteen, and she wanted to help her parents on their future dairy farm. Her mother Johanne enjoyed sewing and other forms of needlework.

She taught Sammy a few basic stitches, and that kept her busy for quite a while.

Two hours later, as Titanic was docked in Queenstown, Ireland, Sammy met Jack and Fabrizio on the steerage deck, and the three friends crossed the full length of the ship over by the stern. Sammy was reading a copy of A Little Princess, Jack was sketching a little girl being shown a view of the ocean by her father, and there was a kid and his brother playing with a small ball. Fabrizio struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to him, a curly-haired dirty blonde man in a bowler hat and a brown coat.

"The ship is'a nice, huh?" he said. "Yeah, it's an Irish ship," said the man in the bowler hat in a thick Irish accent. Fabrizio was confused. "Is English, no?" Bowler Hat scoffed. "No, it was built in Ireland! Fifteen thousand Irishmen built this ship. Solid as a rock. Big Irish hands," he said with pride toward his country.

He watched as an officer walked two dogs down the deck. Sammy got up and started to pet one of the dogs, a sweet and friendly Airedale Terrier, who seemed to enjoy the attention. "Well, hello there, sweet girl," she cooed, scratching the dog's ears. But the officer stopped her, claiming the Airedale belonged to the richest man on the ship, a John Jacob Astor. Sammy gaped at the officer. Her name was Kitty, she remembered. Awed and disconcerted knowing the sweet and friendly dog would not survive the sinking, she left well enough alone.

"Ah, now that's typical. First-class dogs come down here to take a shite," said the Irishman.

"Lets us know where we rank in the scheme of things," Jack commented. Bowler Hat gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Like we could forget? I'm Tommy Ryan."

"I'm Jack Dawson," Jack said, shaking the Irishman's hand. "Fabrizio," said the Italian. "Hi," Tommy greeted, shaking his hand also.

He noticed Sammy then, and he was so struck by her beauty that for the briefest moment, his breath caught in his throat. Long, luscious curly brown hair framed a sweet, pretty round face and cascaded down the small of her back like a chestnut waterfall. Her eyes were a beautiful snakeskin green color that instantly made him think of his Emerald Isle. Her clothes hugged her soft curves in all the right places, and he blushed a little, realizing he liked what he saw. Her skin was pale as milk. She was so beautiful but so damned small. She was a full foot shorter than him, and he had to have a good 20 or so pounds on her. There was a silence, and Sammy realized that Tommy was looking at her. "Hi, I'm Samantha. Those I like call me Sam or Sammy though. You may also," she said, sticking out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Tommy Ryan," he said quietly, shaking her hand.

Tommy turned back to Jack. "Do ya make any money with yer drawings?" His tone had gone back into gruff mode. But the steerage artist wasn't paying attention. Jack was staring at a beautiful redhead up on A deck, completely lovestruck. Fabrizio waved his hand, but it didn't work and he laughed. "Ah, forget it, boyo. Yer as like have angels fly out of yer arse as gettin' next to the likes of her!" said Tommy.

"Tommy's right, Jack, you haven't got a chance with her," Sammy pointed out. Jack snapped out of it and grinned. "Hey, a guy can dream!" Jack and Fabrizio went down to the general room to kill some time before lunch, leaving Sammy and Tommy to their own devices. Sammy decided to break the resulting awkward silence. "So Tommy, what's your story?"

"I'm from Belfast, but I moved there to Queenstown when I was sixteen. I'm 21 now," he said. "And what's yers?"

Sammy had once read that to tell a convincing lie you had to stay as close to the truth as you possibly could. "I was born and raised in the heart of New York City. My parents died in a car crash along with my brother when I was four. I moved to Southampton when I was seventeen and I've lived there ever since until Jack, Fabrizio, and I boarded. Jack and Fabrizio found me in a pub and won us our tickets in a poker game off some Swedish idiots who were drunk out of their minds. Jack and I are going back home and Fabrizio is going to America for the first time," she explained.

She was surprised to remember that save for the part about living in Southampton for a long time, her family really perished in that car crash. Stick to the truth, indeed! "So what's your story?"

"What do ya mean?" Tommy asked. "Come on now, everyone's got a story," Sammy pointed out. "All I know about you is that you're from Belfast and your age."

"All right then. I was born in Belfast in April of 1891. I had two sisters, Mary and Nellie, but they died in the same fire that killed my parents," he said, sadness in his eyes. "Our barn caught afire and killed everyone inside. I tried to help get 'em out but they were trapped. Sometimes when I'm alone, I can still hear the screamin'."

"How awful to lose one's whole family in one fell swoop. So you know, then? What it's like to walk through life alone," she said understandingly. "I know that feeling all too well, unfortunately."

Hesitantly, Sammy put her hand out as if to try to comfort him in some way, faltered, and squeezed Tommy's hand. Her hand was soft and warm, and she wore a bracelet on each wrist. A beautiful turquoise ring adorned long, slender fingers that were heavily lacquered in a deep purple hue. His hand was rough but gentle in hers and she liked the feel of his skin. "I'm so sorry."

The cool but cheerful mood had dropped from him by now, and now Tommy just looked sad and downcast. "It was a long time ago."

"They were your family. I don't think anyone with a heart that's not made of stone would ever stop grieving a lost family," she pointed out.

"Was that how it was fer you?" Tommy asked her.

"I tried for years to stop, but I just couldn't. Eventually, I finally admitted to myself that they'd never leave me, not really. I was a child when I lost my family. Daddy and my brother Max...they were gone in the blink of an eye. Mama managed to hang on a little longer. I was told years later that she died in the OR," Sammy said softly. Tears were brimming in her beautiful eyes now. "I still don't know why I survived and they didn't."

This poor lass looked so sad and deflated, it was as if she might cry then and there. Tommy itched to hold her, to comfort her, and stroke the sheen of her long brown hair. But she didn't cry. She quickly composed herself and shrugged. "But that's life for you, I suppose."

"I disagree. Life shouldn't just be about losin' loved ones and sadness. It should be about love and fun," said Tommy in a low, serious sort of voice. She looked at him in surprise. "I never would've had you pegged as the live-and-let-live sort."

There was a moment of silence during which Tommy puffed on his cigarette. "So what's Ireland really like?" Sammy asked, curious. "I've never been but I've always wanted to."

"There are lots of mountains and green rollin' hills in the Irish countryside. But the city I'm from, Belfast, produces most of the world's linen. Belfast is just along the River Lagan, and when me and the girls weren't workin' on the farm, we worked in a linen factory. After my family died, I moved to Queenstown and I lived there until I came on board the ship," he informed. "I miss home. I hope to go back someday."

"You'll have to take me along and show me your Emerald Isle someday," said Sammy dreamily, head in the clouds. She had always wanted to travel, but never had the financial means required to do so.

Tommy looked at her and smiled, and the sight made her go a little weak in the knees.

Sammy had a feeling Tommy was interested in her in a romantic sort of way. But it would have been insane to fall in love with someone from the past. And yet...Claire Fraser did it, she thought to herself. Still, she had to admit he was handsome, with his curly light brown, almost blonde (but not quite) hair and melted-chocolate eyes. He was muscular, and he was taller than her by a good ten inches or so. She found it comforting to be in his shadow. They were sitting so close, they were almost touching. Sammy was starting to feel a bit bored and uncomfortable, so she politely excused herself and went back to the general room.

Entertainment options for the third class weren't as sparse as she had originally assumed. The general room had benches where one could sit and read, smoke, chat, play cards, or play music on the plain but pretty Steinway piano in the corner. There were children running around and playing with dolls, spinning tops, and other toys. Young girls played hand clap games with their parents closely watching. Olaf Dahl, Helga's father, sat reading a Norwegian newspaper he had brought along for the trip. Helga was sitting next to him doing some needlepoint and her mother was sewing handkerchiefs. Jack was sitting at one of the tables sketching away. Card games also seemed to be pretty popular.

A little girl of about six or seven came running over. "Hi!" she said. "My name's Cora. I saw you sketching me and my daddy today."

"Hi there Cora!" said Jack. "These are my friends Fabrizio and Sammy." Cora perched herself on the spot next to him. "Can I draw something?" Jack nodded. He tore a sheet out of his sketchbook and gave it to Cora. Sammy gave her one of the pencils she kept in her skirt pocket. The little girl set her gorgeous doll aside and began to scribble away happily.

Leaving the three of them to their own devices, Sammy went back to her cabin in search of a decent book. One of her suitcases was filled with them. There was Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Ambassadors by Henry James, Howards End by E. M. Forster, When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart, The Net by Rex Beach, Pride and Prejudice, A Little Princess, Wuthering Heights, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. She became lost in the worlds of the books and became completely oblivious to her surroundings for the next two hours.

Author's Note: How did you enjoy these first two chapters? Please read and review, love you guys!