Chapter Seven
Trigger Warnings: None
Both Rose and Ruby made their way over to the table where Regina and Cora were seated. "Hello there, ladies. How're ya two doing?" The glare she received from Cora bordered on murderous, "We were doing just fine until you came to interrupt our peace and quiet." Ruby backed away, "Okay, so you don't want to hear about tonight's special event then?"
Cora furrowed her eyebrows, "Special event? What special event?" Ruby shrugged, "Oh, so now I am welcome, because I know something you don't?"
Cora merely smirked, "Indeed. So, tell me, what do you know? What is this special event neither I nor my daughter know about?"
Ruby smirked in return, "Well, Mrs. Mills, if you want that piece of information, I want something in return." Rose had to keep herself from bursting out laughing at Ruby's antics. Although it did work, because before she knew it, Cora replied, "Very well. What do you want?"
Ruby smiled, quite mischievously, all the while Regina sat staring at the three women around her. "In return for this piece of information, I want a few moments of Regina's time." Rose saw her friend's startled look. Clearly Regina had not expected this. Cora's reply was none too kind however, "Absolutely not."
Regina had a pleading look in her eyes as she looked at Cora. It was clear Cora wouldn't cave for Regina, though. So, Ruby jumped in, "Well, then you'll have to find out for yourself what this special event is all about. It was some good information I had, but clearly you don't want it, Cora." Ruby made to walk away, when Cora called her back. "Wait. Fine. Just give me this information you have. And it better be as good as you claim it to be, Ms. Lucas." The threat was clear.
Ruby nodded, "Very well, Mrs. Mills. There is a ball to be held tonight. I have been told that we should all dress our best." She purposely held back that it was a ball in Regina's honour. It was supposed to be a surprise after all. But Cora just arched a brow, "A ball? And we only hear this now?" Ruby sighed, "Yes, Mrs. Mills. Most passengers are not happy with the late announcement. But would you miss the ball over it? Balls are a great way to socialise, don't you agree?"
Cora had to concede to that, "I suppose you are right." Then she turned to Regina, "I expect you back in an hour." Regina nodded meekly, "Yes, Mother." Then she felt both Rose and Ruby take each of her arms, taking her with them.
— Line Break —
As she was being dragged away, she had to admit she didn't understand half of what was going on. "So… why were you so determined to get me away from my mother? Surely you realise that this was a foolish idea?"
Rose and Ruby really wanted to hit their friend in that moment, "We were determined to drag you away from her, because she is isolating you. We want our friend back, thank you very much. Now, what do you say we go and make the most of that hour we have?"
She nodded meekly, "Yes, of course. But you have no idea wh-" They shushed her before she could finish her sentence. "Don't. Now tell us, what would you like to do?"
The young woman looked around her, unsure of what to do now. She had quite literally been beaten into submission and every word she said had consequences. "I…," she hesitated. "I don't know. So long as it's not anywhere near them, I'll be fine."
"Near whom?", Ruby inquired, assuming that Regina had meant Cora and Leopold, but not feeling quite sure.
"What do you mean, near whom? Those steerage people of course. Look, I appreciate your efforts at cheering me up, but I'm fine. I chose my fate and I know the consequences, it's what I deserve. And if I never have to see any of those rats again, it'd be too soon," she hissed, and both Ruby and Rose were taken aback by the toxicity spilling from their friend's mouth.
Before any of them could open their mouths to speak though, the young woman ran off, leaving Ruby and Rose to scramble to catch up.
"This isn't her," Rose panted, when it became clear they had lost her. "Tell me something I don't know," Ruby responded, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"It's obvious that she's trying to push everyone away, to keep us from interfering. So, if she won't listen to us…," Rose trailed off. "We'll have to find someone else. And I know just the right person," Ruby interjected.
"Robin," they said in unison.
— Line Break —
Panting, she held herself upright against the wall. Everything hurt, but at least she was away from the two women who knew her all too well. Who could see through the mask she had decided to wear. And right now, pushing them away was better for everyone. She would escape punishment, Rose and Ruby wouldn't be dragged down by her and no one from their friends belowdecks could get hurt. They were better off without her anyway.
She found herself walking down the aptly named Grand Staircase and hoped she wouldn't come across too many people. Just as she reached B-deck, where she was about to go back to their staterooms, someone took her by the arm and dragged her into a shaded corner.
Offended, she looked up at her assailant. "And just what do you think you are doing? Do you think you have any right to drag a lady into a dark corner, hm? I could have them arrest you for assault, you know," she said defiantly.
"I know you can," he said, "but you won't." He said it with such confidence that she wondered where he'd got the courage to speak to her like that.
"And what makes you think that, Robin?"
He smiled victoriously. "Because, if you were going to, you'd have already done it. And because I know you care too much to let such a thing happen."
"Don't pretend to know me, or my feelings, rat," she sneered. She hoped it would drive him away, send him running down to his friends. "I think I know much more than you realize. Because I know you. I see you. Right now, you're feeling scared and alone, you're in pain – both physically and mentally – and you're trying to push us all away so you can wallow on your own and dig your own grave by staying in that gilded cage your mother and fiancé put you in. And you are probably telling yourself that it's for the best, that this is what you deserve and that we're all better off without you. Well, guess what, we're not. And while you may tell yourself that you're fine, we can all clearly see you're not. Everyone sees your pain, your suffering, and all we can do is slowly watch you die. We want to help, Regina, but you refuse to let us. It's bloody agonizing! The only person who can save you is you, but please know that we're there for you. That I am there for you. Please," he practically begged.
If looks could kill, the man would probably be charred to a crisp right now. "Well, I don't need you." She made to walk away, but he held on to her, spinning her into his arms, trapping her. He saw as her pupils widened. "Maybe. But maybe I need you," he said. Before she could protest and wriggle out of his grasp, he kissed her, and for a few moments, she allowed herself to believe that she could have this. But then came the stone hard realization that this could never work.
Before it could go any further and put everything in jeopardy, she bit down on his lip. Stunned, he stumbled backwards with a pathetic shriek. Taking advantage of the situation, she walked out of his grasp. "Don't ever do that again, or I'll have you arrested. Now leave me the hell alone and don't let me see your face again," she sneered, before walking down the hallway to her stateroom, tears already running down her cheeks.
She almost didn't see Leopold, who quickly noted her presence with alarm. "Regina dear, are you all right?" She shook her head. "N-no," she hiccupped. His dark eyes seemed to soften, if only just a little bit. "Oh dear. What happened?"
"I – I was on my way here, and someone just – as… assaulted me," she managed to get out between tears. Leo's eyes were full of fire. "Really. Who was it, what did he look like?! I'll have the piece of scum arrested!"
She fell silent. Should she tell him, or let Robin go? "I… I don't know," she said eventually. "I didn't see his face – it all went so fast…" The soft look returned to his eyes. "All right. Perhaps it's unwise to go out there on your own, though – I'll stay with you next time, okay?"
She nodded silently, slowly drying her tears. "Please Leo, please just make me forget…"
A salacious smile worked itself onto his face. "Your wish is my command, my Queen."
— Line Break —
Down in Third Class, a heated discussion was well underway.
"You did what?" Rose shrieked.
"I – I kissed her. I panicked, I'm sorry. OK?"
"Goodness gracious," Rose muttered. "you were supposed to coax her into trusting us, let her know that she had a choice. Not try and force her into another choice. The only thing you likely accomplished with that stunt is driving her into their waiting arms!" She stomped off, needing to blow off some steam.
Robin had deflated under the young woman's gaze. Jack placed an arm around his friend, knowing that the other hadn't meant to jeopardise the whole mission.
"So, what now?" Emma asked the obvious question.
"I don't know," Ruby said. "I'll talk to Rose."
When they got back a couple of minutes later, it was Rose who broke the tense silence.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I overreacted. I still don't agree, but we can't change anything now. So, let's all just get ready for a first-class ball. We will just have to make the best of a bad situation. Okay?"
They all hummed their agreement. Only Henry spoke up.
"So, perhaps it's just me, but do we actually have a plan for during the ball or are we just going to wing it?"
Ruby chuckled. "Well, it's not that concrete of a plan, but we do have a goal. Because, despite the fact that we only officially invited Regina, we can't prevent Cora – Mrs Mills – or Leopold – Mr Blanchard – from showing up. So, it's very likely that they'll be accompanying Miss Regina. Our goal is to get her away from them and let her have fun. How we're going to do it, no idea, but that's the mission."
Henry smiled his toothy grin. "And considering the fact that I'm the kid, I assume that I am going to have to be the one that charms her away from them, right? And what if I accidentally call her Mrs Blanchard – just to see her reaction?"
Rose gasped. "Well, if you want to get a reaction out of her, sure, but I don't know if it's wise to trigger her like that."
Henry hummed but otherwise remained silent.
That evening, in the First Class Lounge up on A-Deck, the evening party commenced. First class passengers slowly came into the room, all dressed up in their finest evening wear. Tables were set out for people to gather and talk, as well as eat. In-between the tables, lounge chairs and sofas, there was room for people to dance. The musicians occupied the space in front of the bookcase in the centre of the lounge, so as to provide the best acoustics without taking away any room to dance.
Emma had taken to talking with Captain Jones, while Ruby made sure to keep an eye on Henry, who in turn was very focused on the people entering the lounge, often in pairs, sometimes alone and sometimes entire families or groups of people who stuck together, but he was mostly keeping an eye out for the Mills women and a certain Leopold Blanchard.
One of the first to arrive were Rose and her mother Ruth, who took a seat with Ruby and Henry. On the other side of the lounge, Robin and Jack appeared to be deep in conversation.
They too, could often be found sneaking glances at the doors, while Jack side-eyed Rose a lot, although it appeared she didn't notice. Henry watched as Rose got up and greeted Caledon Hockley, her fiancé, who had just entered with his manservant Spicer Lovejoy. He also saw how Jack flinched upon the man's entrance.
And while the musicians played, and the Golds, Guggenheim and the Duff-Gordons all entered, there was as of yet no sign of the guest of honour. But it was still early, and more and more passengers, including Mr Andrews and Mr Ismay, entered the lounge. So far, the people were at least willing to show up.
And no one had seemed to notice that there were a couple of 'steerage rats' in their lounge. Drinks flowed freely, people talked and ate, and at some point, a few couples finally dared to use the space to dance. It wasn't the liveliest music, mostly waltzes, and Henry quickly started to get bored, but he still held out hope that Regina would show up.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, all eyes turned to the doors and rightfully so. Walking through the door, came a man, flanked by two women.
He seemed to be about the same age as Hockley, and on his arms were Regina and her mother. While Mrs Mills dressed much more conservatively, though still commanding, her daughter had gone with a burgundy overdress made of chiffon with a low V-cut and short sleeves, while her underdress was made of black satin and the V was stitched up with lace. She also wore a black sash around the waist, that had silver embroidery on it. She was terrifyingly stunning.
Not just because of her looks, but also because of her icy cold stare that seemed to make even the most confident passengers look away. Either she was an excellent actress, or she had completed her transformation into a terrifyingly cunning and monstrous woman who could, and would, shred you on the spot if you so much as dared to challenge her.
Yet, Robin was mesmerized. He found himself unable to look away. Her icy stare was just a mask, he knew. All their efforts couldn't have been for nothing. The girl they'd met on the afternoon of April 11 was still in there somewhere. She had to be. Especially because he noticed her flinching when she saw that all of her friends were here, even though they weren't technically allowed in here. She still cared. She had to.
When Henry saw the trio enter, he knew that his task was going to get difficult. He noticed how Robin's gaze seemed stuck to the woman, and how both Ruby and Rose looked simultaneously relieved and concerned.
"Okay," he said more to himself than to the others. "Time to shine." He got up and walked over to the table where the trio had taken a seat. "Good evening, sir, ma'ams. My name is Henry Swan, and my mother is over there, talking with Captain Jones. Would you by any chance be able to tell me where I can find a young woman by the name of Regina Mills?"
The man frowned, speaking up. "Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, son. But what could you possibly want with my wife?"
Henry feigned shock and turned to the younger of the two women. "Oh, so you are Miss Mills. Or is it Mrs Blanchard now, because Mr Blanchard just referred to you as his wife?" He frowned, looking confused. "I am terribly sorry for not recognising you, ma'am."
Regina herself frowned too now. "It's still Mills. My fiancé is just a little eager for the ship to dock in New York."
Then the icy stare returned, and Henry knew that he didn't have much time. "But the question remains, young Mr Swan. What could you possibly want from me?"
Henry simply smiled. "Nothing much, ma'am. Just a dance. You are after all the guest of honour." The young boy watches as she casts a look at her mother and the man she's supposed to marry, as though she is asking for permission. Fortunately, there's no way these people don't want to keep up the pretences, so there's absolutely no way they'll say no.
Regardless, it's still painful to see the once so free woman looking for permission to fly. Even if it's only for a few minutes. And that shows why they have organised all this for her. When Henry casts a look around, he notices a couple of pitying gazes, but no member of the trio seems to notice or they just actively choose to ignore it.
Eventually, she seems to get the permission she had silently been asking for, and she allows the young boy to lead her to the dancefloor, while Rose and Ruby smile on proudly.
"Did you mean it?" She asks, as they waltz, and he actively avoids her toes. "Did I mean what?"
"Well," she blushes, "when you called me the guest of honour. Did you mean it?"
He grinned widely, knowing he'd accomplished his first goal. "Of course I meant it. You are the guest of honour. Ruby and Rose organised all this," he gestured around vaguely, "just for you."
That seemed to shatter the last of her defences and a smile broke through. Then again, she had never known how to be defensive with him because he was a kid. "All of this is f-for me?"
Henry nodded in affirmation. "It is. We wanted to show you that you deserve good things even if you don't think so. And to show you that we care – that it doesn't matter if you're hurt, or lonely or whatever else, because we will still love you anyway. That no matter what you choose, we're all here for you."
She narrowed her eyes, furrowing her brows as she gave him a lopsided smile. "When did you get so wise?"
He shrugged. "I didn't. It's all part of my script. But it's true, nonetheless. You have no idea how painful it is for others to see you hurt, and then you push us all away because we want to help. Look around. People are either looking away because they can't watch you hurt, or they are looking at you, begging you to let them in, let them help."
She withdrew from him as soon as he finished saying his piece. "It's not up to you to save me though."
Henry sighed. "No, it's not. Only you can save yourself. You are the one you've been waiting for. You are the phoenix, Miss Regina. And you can either choose to rise from the ashes, or you can stay where you are. But we're not giving up on you. Operation Firebird, remember?"
It was at that moment that the song ended, and Mr Blanchard cut in, so he could dance with his fiancée. Henry, for his part, took his seat with Ruby and sighed. He had done his part, just as he had been assigned. Now, it was up to Regina to choose which path she wanted to take.
— Line Break —
Author's Notes: Well, there is chapter seven. Finally. It's been 84 years, but I am determined to finish it one way or another even if it takes a long while yet. But at least we're underway again, and I have some inspiration. Please do check out the poll on my FFNet profile and vote for which characters absolutely MUST survive this fic, or alternatively, tell me which (up to) five characters in the comments MUST survive this fic according to you. I'll be using the data to determine the eventual ending, so please do so! Also, please let me know what you thought of this chapter and what you'd like to see in any chapters after this one.