A/N: Firstly, thank you all so so much for all of your beautiful reviews! It honestly lifts my heart knowing that you all are enjoying this story! I wanted to apologize for taking so long to update as I am a nursing student so my schedule hardly allows time to write at all anymore... being an adult is not fun, haha! I have no clue why I ever wanted to be one so bad.

Also, I completely forgot to mention this in my first two post, but this story is for my lovely best friend Aerin! She has just returned home from Army BCT with an injury, and hopefully she will heal and be able to return to training to serve this country along side me! This story would not exist without her constant encouragement and help, and I love you with all my heart! I could not have asked for a better best friend.

Odette heaved in a hefty breath of biting, fresh night air, sucking in the quiet of the darkness that surrounded her, free of clouding cigarettes and rancid alcohol. The woman had arrived at the deck of the Titanic, where she promptly scurried down the length until she reached the back railing near the enormous propellers. With it being so late in the evening, Odette had only passed by a few passengers who, thankfully, took no notice of her at all. Now she stood at the railing's edge, her round eyes searching through the obsidian. In the far distance, Odette could see a mass darker than the sky itself and dotted with twinkling lights brighter than the stars, showcasing the remnants of Cherbourg Harbor.

Odette felt a great weight lift from her thin shoulders at the sight as a comforting realization came upon her. Despite what her husband might have thought, Odette, indeed, had not missed the departure from France. And yet, the heaviness she felt had not completely gone, and she was confused by this. This would be her final time seeing France. Odette had longed for the day she would say her final goodbye to her homeland for many years now. It was not only a promise to herself, but to someone else as well; a promise to someone she had once held very dear to her heart. It was a promise to escape. So why did she still feel so… heartbroken?

"Collete, my dear," she whispered, the name of a ghost lingering on her parted lips like suffocating smoke, "we are free, now. What more must I do..?" Odette waited for an answer she knew would never come, though she remained quieted. There was no other sound than the thrashing waves below her feet and rich laughter echoing through the chilled air, and yet she stood still and listened further.

When it was apparent that there would be no response to her question, Odette felt herself grow suddenly very dizzy and she placed her hands against the freezing railing to steady herself. Her knees quivered and her head swam as scorching tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, though she was quick to fish out a handkerchief from her pocket to dab away the wetness in an attempt to save her makeup. She inhaled a thick, settling breath and her eyes clenched close as she searched her mind, which was nothing more than a jumbled mess of things she did not care to remember. Her body grew increasingly heavy and she felt herself begin to lean forward, trying to feel some form of stability, though it was to no avail. A sob bubbled up her throat and Odette was quick to cover the sound with the white, little cloth clutched within her trembling fingers. When she removed the handkerchief and went to dab at her eyes once again, she suddenly paused.

Odette hadn't realized just which cloth she had taken from her room, but now that she had a moment to look at the thing, she felt her mind go blank. She ran a dainty thumb unconsciously over the smooth, cream colored silk that felt much like water within her hands. The stitching was a baby blue that lined the edges and dotted the corners with flowers. In the bottom right corner, just above a lily in elegant cursive, were the initials C. C. B.

The woman's emerald eyes strayed from her hands and instead landed on the outline of the harbor once more. A stray tear she could not bring herself to catch trailed down her rosy cheek and along her chin, where it then dripped and landed on the blue lettering of the cloth with a silent, salty splash. Her fingers twitched and she clinched her grip, tightly pinning the handkerchief to her pale palm. Her brow furrowed and blossomed into a new look of a sturdy obstinacy. As quickly as she had found herself lost and so confused, Odette suddenly felt as though she knew what to do. The woman took a step back from the railing and lifted her right arm into the air, the little white handkerchief fluttering in the wind.

Odette's left arm moved against her side like a wave before reaching around herself where she, then, gently gripped her opposite arm, preventing herself from reaching out any further. Her right foot took a step forward with pointed toes, then came back. She lifted herself up onto her toes and her right leg kicked out again, then came to a bend against her thigh. Her arms outstretched at her sides, balancing her as she spun herself in a half circle and stopped again. Without warning, chains as thick as her arms appeared around her. The chains wound and coiled themselves around her fragile body, attaching her to large, metal balls that weighed her down and threatened to pull her into the depths below. Even so, the woman continued to dance.

Odette spun again with her spine arched and her left foot stretched behind her while her right arm hovered over her head of dark hair, which had begun to unravel from its braids. She took a few, carefully calibrated steps, her feet propelling her into another tight circle as her eyes trained on the handkerchief. Then, the ball and chains attached to this wrist slipped and fell into the dark ocean below. Odette's eyes fluttered shut and a small smile grew at the airy feeling of her newly freed appendage.

The woman took a fluttering step back and she threw her left leg around herself, twisting her body as another set of chains fell and she slowly lowered herself to the floor. Odette rolled into a sitting position, her right leg curled beneath her as the other stayed slightly bent with her foot flat on the floor. Her toes curled from within her left shoe, relashing in their freedom.

Odette felt herself begin to lean to the left as the chains carried her arm down, down. She kicked herself off of the cold floorboards and she twirled, the chains on her right leg finally dropping. Odette ran on the tips of her toes and her fingers ran through her hair, freeing her curls from their pins and sending a cascade of shimmering onyx locks to tumble over her freckled shoulders. She leaped forward like a spear through the night, her blue dress swirling and glimmering under the dull light of the lamps and starlight.

Pale, unwavering fingers danced along her collar bones, searching for release from the chains that grew ever tighter. She propelled herself further, pirouetting, her hands collapsing around her throat. She could feel the rusty metal rutting against her smooth flesh, cutting into her flower skin. Her eyes squinted tighter as a silent cry of desperation played along her pink lips. Her back arched further and further, the ball of steel growing ever so bigger and dragging her.

She stopped, her chest heaving and glittering with a thin sweat. She opened her eyes to see the silhouette of her left hand against the moon above, and she watched as the chains slowly disintegrated and turned to dust. The fingers of her right hand still lingered around her neck, the remainder of the chains rough against her fingertips when compared to the cloth. Her back straightened and her left arm dropped to her side, her body tingling with a freeing privilege her neck had not received. At that moment, Odette suddenly realized that she had begun to cry.

"Madame?"

The soft voice that spoke from behind her thundered in the night, nearly causing the woman to yelp. In her startle, Odette jumped on her toes and spun so quickly that she nearly tripped. Her hands flailed out behind her until they fell onto the railing and she steadied herself. Odette held on to a gasp and she blinked through her newly blurred vision, searching the shadows for whoever had snuck upon her. She could see the black silhouette of a man, though she could not make out a face. She began to call out, though realized she was speaking French and swiftly corrected herself. "Who's there?"

The stranger took a few short steps forward, his head ducked low. The first thing she could make out were the buttons gleaming on his suit, followed by his hands held to his chest, clutching a cap. Then the light of the overhead lamp fell upon his face and Odette released a breath she did not know she was holding. "Just me, Madame."

"Yes," she answered, the tension in her shoulders somewhat relaxing. "The nameless First Officer."

The corner of the man's lips twitched into a small, lopsided smirk. "I'm not nameless, Madame."

"Neither am I." Odette didn't altogether mean to, but the response was quite curt. Then, the woman realized the heat of her cheeks was not from exertion, but of embarrassment. How informal of her to be caught dancing in the night without an escort - and by an Officer, at that! Odette let out a huff and she turned, forcing herself to face the ocean. The crisp wind gushed against her exposed flesh and she felt strands of her hair kiss her cheeks. Only then did she remember that her hair had come undone. Odette could only imagine what a fright she must have appeared as. Her fingers quickly brushed her hair over her shoulder, searching for the pins she hoped were still there. To her dismay, there was not nearly enough to hold all of her hair back.

"Mind if I help?" She heard the officer ask, and although the suggestion was quite kind, Odette only felt herself become further flustered.

"Indeed, I do mind. A woman's hair is her own to fix."

"Yes it is, though a little help every now and then couldn't hurt."

She supposed this was true, however, she couldn't help but to wonder what her husband might think of another man running his fingers through her hair. The thought made her inwardly recoil and her muscles tensed from beneath her skin once again. "I assure you, Officer, I'm quite fine." The man nodded at that.

Although Odette had wanted the opportunity to speak with this man again, she now wanted nothing more than for him to simply leave her be. Her feet shuffled uncomfortably and, once she realized there was no saving her braids, wrapped her arms around herself and she rested her elbows against the railing, her trembling not only caused by the cold. Instead of walking away like she hoped, the officer strolled right up next to her and he placed his elbows against the railing, mimicking her. Odette shifted ever so slightly and she turned her head away from him. "May I ask why you've come out here?" He continued to pester.

"No, you may not."

"Alright, then why did you flee the ballroom?" Odette gawked at that, her eyes going wide at the accusation. The man only shrugged. "You didn't say I couldn't ask that."

"Well, you can not, Monsieur. That's far too bold a question. Even so, I did not flee."

"My apologies, Madam Odette, but that is as it appeared."

"It appeared incorrect. And do not address me in such an improper manner."

"If I may be so bold, you did give me your name."

Odette could not hold back a scoff at that. "Yes, and yet it seems as though I've yet to learn your name, so why must you use mine?"

From the corner of her eyes, which so desperately wanted to fully regard the man at her side, she could see a coy smirk playing against his handsome features. "The fact of the matter is, you have yet to earn it."

Odette did turn to him, then. Her mouth dropped open ever so slightly at the comment, though the twinkle in his blue eyes gave her the sense that she would laugh. "That is rather bold of you."

"I think it's rather reasonable, Madam Odette."

A short chortle escaped her and Odette had to cover her mouth with her cloth in order to compose herself. Once she had, she forced a smooth nod. "So, how would one come about earning your name, Monsieur?"

"It's quite simple, really. All I need is a story."

Odette cocked her head and raised a brow. "A story?" She repeated.

"I'm a sailor, and a sailor needs a good story."

The woman shifted so that she was facing him completely. She placed her pointed chin against her palm and her green eyes searched the man for any sign of jest, yet despite his grin, he looked honest. "You're being serious?"

"I am, indeed," he nodded with a chuckle.

Odette hummed as she mulled his request over. Her lips quivered into a coy smile and she nodded again, agreeing to humor the man. "Alright. What sort of story would this sailor like to hear?"

"You could start by telling me a bit about yourself. A bit about your family and where you hail from. Or, why you've been crying."

Near instantly, Odette felt a sharp, freezing stab to her chest and her smile faltered. The once natural, easy atmosphere was sucked straight from her lungs and she caught her breath, though the young woman was quick to clear her throat. She repositioned herself against the rail, forcing down the growing ache against her shaking heart and her hands reached up to wipe away the drying remnants of her tears. She took a moment to think of her next words, choosing them ever so precisely. Then, she narrowed her eyes at the man and her brow raised in a sudden suspicion. "Might you have a tatouage?"

"Pardon?"

"A tatouage. It is, ah," she trailed, searching her thoughts for the best translation. "Art on your body."

"A tattoo?" Odette brightened and she nodded. "Oh. Well, I'm sad to say that I am barren of anything of the sorts. Why might you ask?"

The woman shrugged simply, her smile faltering as she was slightly disappointed with his revelation. "With how audacious of a man you are, Officer, I'd assumed you'd have one. Or two."

To her surprise, the man laughed. It was low and rumbling, like the sound of thunder from a distant storm. It was nothing like the hearty, boisterous bellows of the first classmen she had grown accustomed to, and she found that she was drawn to his sound. The man shook his head and crossed his arms loosely over his chest. He leaned back lightly on the balls of his heels, taking in the woman completely with his ocean eyes. "I'm honestly that bold?"

"You are presumptuous."

"Dauntless?"

"Discourteous, even."

"Or simply chivalrous."

"Odette, is that you?" a new voice suddenly spoke and Odette recognized it instantly as belonging to Clovis. Her heart leapt into her throat while a cold, clammy sweat formed along her numbed body like an incapacitating blanket. It was nearly impossible for the woman to gain the courage to look behind her, for her body wracked with trembles that refused to let her move from her current position. Still, with what little muscle she had, Odette forced herself to turn. Just as she feared, her husband along with Frédéric and Marcel stepped from the shadows. With the light of the deck, Odette could see the clear frustration held within her husband's confused face as his eyes bounced between Odette and the Officer.

Odette began to speak, yet she felt as though she would choke on whatever words she should conjure up. Before she could swallow that suffocating lump in her throat and spout out some excuse, Clovis stepped forward and snatched at her arm, yanking her against his side roughly. To any onlookers, Clovis merely seemed to be a man protecting his wife, perhaps from the cold weather or the lone man she had been found alone with. From the heavy weight of his fingers against the tender meat of her upper arm, Odette knew Clovis was angered.

"Odette, my love, you know I do not like it when you wander. Especially with strange men," he chuckled easily. Although what was said was spoken surprisingly even, Clovis was doing a poor job at concealing the accusations in his voice and the side glare thrown at the Officer did little to aid the charming facade he displayed.

"Strange men?" Odette finally found her voice, even through the quivering croak that came with it. She quickly swallowed and ducked her head as all eyes were suddenly upon her, though she continued to struggle with gathering her courage to continue speaking. "He is not a strange man, he's the First Officer of the ship. The man who helped me with my bags." Her clarification did not do as she hoped and settled the agitation in Clovis. His grip still sat settled tightly against her skin and his reddening face still grew beneath his forced smile at the Officer.

"Ah, yes. Good evening Officer," Clovis beamed through tight lips. "I do hope my wife has not caused any further annoyance to you. As I've mentioned, she has the tendency to wander, both in mind and body," he ended with a short, forceful laugh.

The officer smiled and nodded with his own short chuckle, but it came out far more bland than what must have been intended and his expression remained unreadable. "The girl didn't bother me much," he said, his eyes flashing quickly to Odette then back to Clovis. "I just had a question for her, is all."

"Is that right?" Clovis peered at Odette to gauge her reaction. He received none as Odette had sealed her features and stared blankly at the floorboards of the grand ship. From the corner of her eye, Odette could have sworn she saw his jaw clench. A heartbeat passed, then Clovis took in a sharp intake of breath and returned his piercing gaze towards the Officer. "And what might a petty sailor such as yourself have to ask of a first class woman?"

That caught both Odette and the Officer utterly off guard. There was no possible explanation Odette could give that would have set her husband at ease, and by the look of the rounded blue eyes of the Officer, he had been struck blank the same as her. "Well?" Clovis suddenly snapped. Odette kept her eyes downcasted, not daring to look anyone in the eye as she searched for an answer. Her mind raced with all the different excuses as to what an Officer could possibly ask of her, but nothing seemed logical. She must have waited a second too long for Clovis's liking as his fingers tightened further against her arm and he yanked on her, causing her to stumble over her feet. "What did this man ask of you?"

"Nothing," she nipped back while steadying herself against his side. "He asked nothing of me."

"Odette, darling, you were clearly speaking with him. Now tell me, what did this man ask of you?"

Odette took in a sharp breath, trying to settle her rambling heart. She had an idea of what she had to say, and yet she did not know if she had the heart to. One look at the Officer, however, and she knew she had to speak. After all, it was her ignorant behavior that caused this situation, and it would do no one good to have the Officer troubled any further by her actions. She told herself this over and over again, even as her heart pinched painfully at the hurtful words she began to speak. "This man asked nothing of me, I did not allow him the opportunity to. After all, how could a lowly working man have any importance to question me?"

Everyone remained silent for many moments. With the words said aloud, Odette found herself locking her eyes onto the Officer, and he returned her gaze in a seemingly unbreakable eye contact. Odette felt her heart absolutely crumble within her hollowed chest as she watched the slow creeping of hurt swallow the man's features whole, then turn cold. Her lips parted ever so slightly as silent words of an apology begged to be heard, yet she quickly concealed the sounds between the teeth that clamped upon her bottom lip.

"Oh!" Clovis gasped and she sound startled Odette. Finally allowing the bridge of eye contact with the Officer to fall, she looked to her husband. Odette quickly found herself taken aback at the utterly delighted look upon her husband's baffled grin. "It seems as though my wife is not quite as dull as she leads me to believe," he let out a harsh bark of laughter which was quickly followed by Frédéric's and Marcel's. Clovis finally released his grip on Odette's arm and instead hooked his elbow around her thin, rigid shoulders, leaving the spot where his fingers once held her to burn in the open night air.

To her further surprise, the Officer choked up his own chuckle. It was short and dull, and it brought her attention back to him. "Yes of course," he said, his beautiful eyes now gray and blank, "my mistake. You two have a lovely rest of your evening."

Odette did not understand the new feeling that overtook her so suddenly in that moment. It was as though she had plunged herself into the dark depths of the ocean below, with the weight and chains dragging her limp body deeper and deeper by its deathly grip upon her throat. Her head felt airy as she lost the ability to breathe. Her chest began to tighten and she felt herself grow close to panic, though she was somehow able to hold on to some form of sanity, even as tears began to form with an indescribable pain.

"Darling, you did not let me finish," the words were out before she knew she had the ability to speak, and it startled her. Despite the overwhelming feeling that desperately tried to encase her, the small sentence made her feel somewhat lighter and more alive. With this realization, Odette was speaking again, every word strung beautifully confident and steady in a voice that fell on her ears so unlike her own. "The officer had not asked me a thing, for it was I who began the conversation. You do remember I love the ocean and am so intrigued by boats, yes?"

He did not remember, for Odette had never mentioned such a thing. She was unsure as to how such a plan had come upon her, but it tumbled from her mind and into the wind so effortlessly that Odette did not waver a second, and she faintly wondered why such an idea had not occurred to her sooner. She simply had to rely on her husband's ignorance. To the woman's great relief, Clovis nodded past his look of concealed confusion and she was able to continue. "I know how terribly busy you are, and I did not wish to bother you with such a trivial request, so I thought I might ask the officer for a tour. It is a fair suggestion, is it not?"

The corner of Clovis' mustache twitched as he fought to keep his smile, even as his mind worked to decipher her meaning. "Odette, dove, what benefit would a woman such as you have with knowledge of a ship? It's man's work! I doubt you'd understand it at all," he chuckled rather awkwardly, his eyes flashing to his friends as if in search of some explanation they may have had for his wife's odd request.

Seeing his falter, Odette held on tightly, not daring to let her only chance to speak freely pass her by. "Oh darling, I beg of you! It will make me so happy, getting to see just how something as magnificent as this ship can float on water! I'll even bring Simone for company. I'm sure she will simply adore a tour as much as I would!"

Clovis shifted his weight and he cleared his throat, his confidence dwindling quickly before her eyes. He wanted to deny her request, maybe even send her to her room and keep her there for the remainder of the voyage, hidden away from the rest of the ship so he would no longer be bothered with such trivial matters his wife suddenly seemed so attracted to. Despite not knowing how to say this in a somewhat elegant way, Clovis continued searching for the right words. It was then that the Officer spoke for him. "It really is no bother for me, Monsieur. I've done tours before, it's nothing I'm unaccustomed to. I can give you and your company a tour, if you'd like."

At first, Odette was shocked to see that the Officer was actually willing to do such a thing. She hadn't thought much of her offer, or that it would carry any actual weight. It was simply her way of defusing the situation. Her green eyes flickered to the Officer, searching him for any giveaway that there was no other meaning behind his words other than simply being a gentleman, nothing more. Although his demeanor was calm and collected, the small upturn of the corner of his lips and new spark in his eye when they passed by her own was all the confirmation Odette needed to prove to herself that he was just as intrigued by her offer as she. With this giving her a new pep, Odette suddenly bounced on her toes and she snaked her arms around her husband eagerly, her usual calm person now filled with what she could only describe as a feeling of champagne bubbles in a glass. "Oh, darling, he's accepted!"

Clovis was caught. Not only was his wife practically begging him, but the Officer had encouraged her. By this point, the deck had grown with wondering company as dinner had ended and passengers were in search of some fresh air. Some had begun to snoop rather boldly at their interaction, whispering among one another as to the possible altercation between the passengers and a Titanic Officer. And with first class passengers, nonetheless! Clovis simply could not say no with such an intrigued audience. Just as she suspected, Clovis gave a curt nod and said, "we will happily accept the tour, Officer. My wife and I greatly appreciate the offer."

"Wonderful. I'm free tomorrow morning at nine," the Officer responded with a smile that seemed a bit too bright to not be genuine. "We can meet here if you'd like."

Before Clovis had the opportunity to change his mind, Odette raised to the tips of her toes and placed a kiss against her husband's chin, her dainty hands grasping him a bit tighter as if to keep him tethered to his acceptance. Clovis blinked dumbly at the action, obviously startled at such a bold move Odette was not normally accustomed to. He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket, his body going straight and rigid. "Yes, well," he mumbled and coughed shortly into his fist, "tomorrow at nine then."

With that, Clovis took his wife's hands within his own and he bid the Officer farewell, obviously done with the entire conversation. As he steered her in the direction of the doorway where Odette had run through in such a sour mood in what seemed like hours ago now, Odette peered over her shoulder with a smile that refused to leave her lips. It faltered ever so slightly seeing the Officer had already turned to leave as well, though this did not stop her from calling after him once more. "Officer?"

Almost too quick to be considered innocent politeness, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "Madame?"

"Your name. May I have it?"

The Officer smiled at the unspoken insinuation, and the small cocked eyebrow he gave her sent her heart fluttering. "It's William. Officer William McMaster Murdoch." With that, he tipped his hat and the small group dispersed. Even as the chains continued to drag Odette with her husband like some dog on a leash, it somehow felt less suffocating.