We welcome 2010 somewhat reluctantly. I only have a handful of months left before I go back in time, and I intend to make the most of every moment. Once again, I'm packing my bag for school and making sure I have all my homework with me. I did it all at the beginning of the holidays, so I didn't have to worry about it later. But now, things will get tough. All my teachers will want me to study for my subjects, but I fear that the only teacher I will impress is my history teacher. I'm studying so hard for that lesson, and that's not just because of the time travel thing.

"Emma, please don't tell me you're taking three biographies to school," Jane says when she picks up my bag.
"They're all books on the Stuart and Georgian eras. Those and the Victorian era are the ones I know the least about, but it also seems those are the eras in which we're the quietest. I wonder why that is."
"We didn't want to cause too much noise," Anne explains, "so we kept ourselves to ourselves until in 1895 you decided you wanted to start learning maritime law. It took you an entire year to find employment, and you were thankful White Star Line agreed to hire you in September 1900."
"Okay," I say. "Thanks, Anne. At least I know I don't need to worry about those times as much." That is a huge relief. There is less I need to focus on, and I can look at the topics I love. Still, it's worthwhile to have an idea of what I'm getting myself into.

I head into the living room, where Harry and James are comparing notes before they return to Project History. "Need a hand?" I ask.
"I think we're good, but thanks," James says. I leave them to their notes and walk into the kitchen to get a cup of tea.

Mum and Mummy are already there, sitting and talking at the kitchen table. "Hey, Emma," Mummy smiles, "you all packed?"
"Yeah. I still can't believe this will be my last year at Park Vale."
"Yes, it will be,' Mum agrees, 'so you better make the most of it." It's doubtful my older self will happily go back to school after spending several hundred years living through history and learning everything herself. It's the last thing that would be on her mind. "Neither of us has much time left here."

"Two more officers will come through this year," Mum says. Shoot, I almost forgot about that! Two more officers... who could they be? "Charles should be one of them, that's if they're going from who died first to who died last with the surviving officers. The other will be a complete mystery." I nod as I think about it. More of my past is coming through. That is putting more pressure on me to get history right. If I don't... I shake the thought away. I'll be fine; I must be okay.

I head up to the attic, forgetting about my tea, and find Clyde drawing. "What're you doing?" I ask.
"I'm drawing the basis for a painting," Clyde says, "I'm creating fictional characters, and I'm going to give one of them a Sontaran blaster."
"Very good. Mind if I join you?"
"Sure. I always like company." I sit beside Clyde and pull out a history book on the Tudors. Whatever I learn about the Tudors now will help me in a few months. It is what I will go through first, so I need all the help I can get. I guess I'll need as much help as possible with all of history. If my books turn blank, I'll be on my own and can only rely on my memory for guidance.

It's a couple of hours later that the queens find us. "You still studying there, Smithy?" Anne asks.
"Stop calling me Smithy."
"Come on, it suits you."
"I don't think it does."
"Anyway, last night before school. What do you want to do? Play a game, go on the computer?"
"Nah, I'm good."

Jane gets a notification on her phone. "Queens, I think another officer just came through."
"It's rather late. Where are they?" Clyde asks.
"Mortlake Crematorium in Richmond. Guys, that must be Charles Lightoller!"
"Good old Lights made it through," Anne smiles. "We better go and get him— and alert Major Kilburne that he's got another student coming."
"How do you think he will react to that?" Clyde asks.
"He probably won't be too impressed, but I don't think the officers control when or where they come back."
"Right." Clyde returns to his drawing as the other queens run out, and I get a notification come through on the group chat.

SilverSeymour: CHARLES LIGHTOLLER BACK. GET TO MORTLAKE CREMATORIUM IN RICHMOND.
SpanishQueen: We're on our way
MurdochHybrid: Good luck

Clyde starts another drawing, and I notice he glances up at the photograph of the Titanic officers often. "What are you drawing now?" I ask.
"I want to do a painting of the Titanic officers. It seems fitting if we're right and Charles Lightoller is coming through."
"You're right. Harry came through looking like he did on the Titanic, so it's likely that will also happen with Charles."
"And all the other Titanic officers that survived the sinking."
"Exactly."

Eight officers would have come through by the end of 2012. We will house eight officers here unless some of the queens start moving elsewhere. That could happen. If it doesn't, Mum and Mummy will have a space problem on their hands unless we move to a bigger house. We're already running out of room, and there are only two adults, a teen who is actually a child, two queens, one future queen, and two Titanic officers. That's already eight people living here. Can we fit a ninth? I guess we'll find out later. I pick up my book again and continue reading. As the queens left me behind, I cannot do much more. I hope they come back soon.

It's a couple of hours until the queens return, and they have a Titanic officer in tow.

BeheadedBoleyn: House meeting, living room, now.

When we get there, we see Charles Lightoller standing in the middle of the room, looking very out of place in his White Star Line uniform. His blue eyes scan each of us in turn as we walk in, and I notice Clyde and Rani share a look. It isn't the first time we found a Titanic officer, but it will not be the last. "Everyone," Jane says once everyone arrives, "this is my husband, Charles Lightoller."

"Husband?" Rani asks. "You're too young to be married!"
"I'm over five hundred years old, Rani. I'm not too young."
"Oh, really?" Rani stands up. She's slightly taller than Jane, but Jane doesn't let Rani's height scare her.
"Yes. Queens, back me up."
"She is the same Jane Seymour that served me in the 1520s," Catalina agrees, "so, Rani, your argument of Jane being too young doesn't count. Now, if it was Emma as she is at school, then yes, that would be a little problem. But it isn't with the rest of us because we're all either near or over five hundred." Rani glares at Catalina but doesn't say anything. Jane takes that as the moment to continue talking.
"I already talked to UNIT, and they will happily let Charles start at Project History either tomorrow or in September. We hope by then the second officer will come through."
"I can confirm who the second officer is," Charles says. "Is Emma's older self here?"
"No, she's at sea. She left when Sky disappeared."
"Oh, I hoped to tell her when she was here."
"She'll return in a couple of weeks. You can tell her then."
"I will tell you when she arrives, then." Charles doesn't say anything more about the new officer but instead starts asking about school and our mock exams. And yes, he heard from Will that I hadn't revised.

After dinner, I go to my room to calm down before the months- no, centuries ahead. I won't get a chance to relax again. I'll need to remain alert and on my toes. If I get even a sense that something will go wrong, I'll need to step in. I must get history right. If I don't, I might never exist. I take a deep breath and try to stabilise myself. I cannot let my mind go down that route. I will lose myself in the most critical parts of my life if I do. I need to keep my head, not lose it. Come on, Emma, keep it together.

I find my diary. I chucked it under my bed one time and lost it for a week over Christmas. But now that I found it, I can write down what happened. Charles is back, and I have months to record everything about my modern life. When I come back, I will not be the same person. I'll never be the same person again. Even when William comes back, I will never return to the person I originally was in the 21st century; too much time would've passed. Too much would've happened. The best thing I can do is accept what will happen and continue shaping myself and becoming the best version of myself I can be. But how will I know when that will be? Besides, I made myself immortal. Immortals never deal with the consequences of their actions- but I will. I'll feel guilty for everything I do, whether it is something I'm supposed to do or not. I'll always blame myself for things that were not my fault.

Someone knocks on my door, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I call, and put my diary on the nightstand. Harry opens the door and walks in, followed by James and Charles. "This is starting to become a habit."
"Well, you're one of the few people we can be around," James points out, "and Charles wanted to chat with you, too."
"Okay," I smile. We're about to start talking when Mum pokes her head in.
"You still up, Emma?" She asks. "Only I had the crazy idea it was a school day tomorrow."
"Our fault," Harry says, then he turns back to me. "We'll let you have a good night's sleep, and we'll see you in the morning." We say good night, and the Titanic officers leave to find their room. The three of them have to share a room as we're running out of space in the house. Maybe Mummy should have thought about that before she said she'd happily take in all the Titanic officers. Mum comes in.

"You okay, Emma?"
"Yeah, fine. Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine, perfectly fine."
"You're rambling."
"I know."
"What's up?"
"Nothing!"
Mum sits beside me. "When you ramble, there's usually something on your mind. What is it?"
"Just the usual worrying that I'll never get history right."
"That sounds typical for you. But you'll be great. I already lived through it, and you do brilliantly."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I'm your mother, that's what I'm here for." She hugs me, and I hug her back. "You'll be okay, Emma, I promise."
"Thanks, Mum." Mum kisses my cheek and stands up. "I better get ready for bed."
"I'll let you do that. See you in the morning. Love you."
"Love you, too." Mum shuts the door behind her, and I turn back to my diary. I better write about everything that happened since Sky disappeared. If I don't, I might forget something critical. I cannot do that.