- --------- - --
Time filtered back to the young men sometime in the late morning or the early afternoon. Harold was the first to wake up, feeling incredibly refreshed, and he lay still to get his bearings for a period before standing and stretching. James was still in the land of dreams, and Lowe saw no need to disturb his friend as he pulled his uniform jacket from underneath Moody's, shrugging it on. The Welshman had hoped that he would awaken in his cabin on Titanic, but for now he did what he always did best and made due with what he had.
A quick glance out the window startled him, however. Instead of the darkened streets, there were automobiles driving along the road, and people in the period dress he was most familiar with. His heart leapt as he nearly pounced on Moody, shaking him insistently. "James!"
Moody woke up with a start, blinking in confusion before focusing on Lowe. "Huh...?"
"Come look!" Apparently Harry was quite thrilled with his find, and literally pulled Jimmy from the bed and to the window, pointing.
It took a moment or two for the scene to sink into the younger man's mind, but after he took it all in, from the streets to the garb, his face broke into a wide and bright grin. "We're back in 1912! By Jove, this is terrific!"
"Well, old chap, what do you say we try to figure out where the Titanic is?" Lowe's dark eyes twinkled as he asked this, all the while heading for the door.
"Absolutely," Moody answered, without a moment's hesitation. He grabbed his coat, not even putting it on before following Harold out. On a whim, however, he stopped at the door where Hornblower and Kennedy had taken up when last he knew, wondering if they were there as well. Truthfully, he would have liked to have them to be.
Inside the next room, Horatio had finally woken, stiff as a board. Standing, he noted Archie sleeping on the other bed, an arm over his eyes. Smirking, the Third Lieutenant stretched, his bones popping and crackling, and with a wince, he moved over to the window in hopes to judge what time of day it was.
Figuring he could go out and search for the Renown, he rubbed his hands together in an attempt to keep them warm, and drew back the light curtains. Craning his head to see down on the street, he was welcomed by an automobile zooming down the road. Jumping back a pace, he rubbed his eyes and looked again. "What in bloody blazes is that?!" he exclaimed, letting his eyes follow another of the horseless carriages. "Archie! Archie, wake up! I think we're under siege!"
Shocked awake by the words, Kennedy sat up, letting his hands move back to push him up. "What?! What do you mean under siege?"
Horatio pulled him up from the bed by the arm, though not harshly, and dragged him stumbling over to the window. "Look for yourself!"
Squinting in the bright light of the sun, he glanced down at the street to see what Horatio has seen. "What the hell are those?"
"I'm not quite sure," the older man replied, "but they're certainly not English. Get your coat, man, and let's get out of here before they find us!"
Turning, Archie grabbed his jacket and hat quickly, pulling them both on in a rush of disorder, before moving to the door and pulling it open, ready to throw a punch if anyone was behind it.
Quite unfortunately, Harold and James were on the immediate other side of the door. Lowe gave a grin, not knowing that he was in danger of a bloodied nose. "Morning, gentlemen."
Nearly pulling back his fist to strike, Kennedy was checked by Hornblower who put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Archie, it's just the other two."
Visibly shaken, Archie nodded. "Right, right..." Pausing, he turned behind him and looked at the window and then back again. "We have to get out of here! We're under siege and I think they're probably out for blood. There isn't any way in the name of God I'm spending any more time in some prison in the middle of no man's land--"
James frowned in an attempt to look serious, but he couldn't hide the shaking in his shoulders that signified a barely contained laugh. Harold was a little better at containing that, and he smiled, interrupting Archie almost gently, "Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Hornblower, we're not under siege... we're back in 1912, or damn close to, and in England to boot."
Stopping in mid-motion the youngest man gave the oldest a somewhat submissive look. "I've never been in 1912...."
The look Harry gave him in turn was quite nearly affectionate and certainly reassuring. "Relax, there's nothing to it. We're not at war, nor are we in any sort of danger."
Moody nodded in agreement. "We have to try to find out what happened to the Titanic, if you gents care to join us. We can show you around."
Horatio nodded as well, finally putting his hat on and touching it in respect. "If you'll lead the way, then, sirs."
"Yes, sir," James answered, starting his way down the steps. The rest of the men fell in line, and Lowe stopped to pay the tab on the rooms above with Horatio.
The innkeeper looked between the two men, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. He didn't remember checking them in the night before, but then, his wife usually handled the late comers. Heck, though, he knew he would have remembered if he had. After a pause, he ventured, "Brothers?"
"Twins to be exact." Archie grinned. "They work for the circus."
Lowe bit his tongue, but only just, thankful that the innkeeper was not the same man who had checked them in from whenever they had been. "Yes, sir, that's right. Though he's younger than I by an hour or so."
Moody nudged Kennedy, leaning aside to whisper, "Quick thinking... my compliments, Mr. Kennedy."
"Thank you, Mr. Moody," Archie replied just as quietly.
"Of course, sir," Hornblower continued on for Harold, unable to resist a chance to take a little back from Archie for his comments the night before, "but the real marvel are these two men who are really women. You've heard of the bearded lady, haven't you? Well, she's shaved." The lieutenant gestured to Kennedy, flashing a smile.
Harold followed on behind that, choking down the laugh that was threatening to burst out from his throat, "Quite a spectacular sight, isn't it my good man?"
The innkeeper looked at Archie and James, who were both by now extremely red-faced with embarrassment, and eyed them up and down for a moment before looking back at Lowe and Hornblower. He couldn't tell, but he'd be damned if he'd let that slip. "An excellent job, fellas, but I c'n tell they're ladies."
That was basically the last straw for poor Harry, who put the money down and made for the door as quickly as he reasonably could without ruining the given story. Horatio, being the more controlled of the two, managed to nod at the innkeeper before walking out, leaving Archie and Jimmy to stand with their mouths open. By the time that he made it outside, Harold was leaning on the side of the inn, laughing so hard that not a sound came from him. After a moment, the Fifth Officer managed, "Brilliant... just brilliant," before falling into that helpless laughter again. Hornblower was worse for the wear, not even able to get out a reply.
Archie, watching Jimmy walk out in horror, blinked and looked to the innkeeper who was grinning at him. Leaning forward a bit, he talked quietly, "That's all right, they've both been slightly crazy since the Queen Mum had her way with them." Nodding, he smiled and walked outside as well.
James, in the meantime, was busy punching Lowe in the arm. Unfortunately, it only made Harold laugh harder, and finally Moody gave up with a slight chuckle himself. He had to admit, it had been a wicked joke to pull, but a clever use of psychology. He looked to Horatio, tempted to give him a bruise to remember it by, but decided against it for lack knowing what his reaction would be.
Kennedy still had the smug look on his face when he joined. Nodding to the other two men, he looked at Horatio squarely before shrugging and tackling the older man, knowing he couldn't hurt him, but certainly could make him think again before testing wits against a superior adversary.
Moody watched the friendly scuffle for a moment, tossing a grin at Lowe, who was starting to settle down. It hadn't taken him long once he was outside to ascertain that he was indeed in Liverpool, and it wasn't a long walk to where he could find out what had happened with the Titanic. The White Star Line office was only a matter of a mile or so.
He didn't need to go quite so far.
The paper didn't immediately register with him as he gave the newsie a coin in exchange. He looked at the date and felt relief, though it wasn't the 11th it was still 1912, and then he looked at the headline and it actually didn't process for a good minute. He wasn't aware that he had stopped in the middle of the street, and the blaring of horns couldn't make it into his stunned mind.
"The Unsinkable Titanic Sinks Off Newfoundland!"
The paper dropped from Moody's unresisting fingers as the horror became a real feeling, grabbing his heart and throat in an icy grip. He might have spoken, but he couldn't think let alone say anything -- suddenly everything seemed silent and frozen. He only faintly felt a hand touch his shoulder and heard words spoken. He didn't know what they were.
"Jimmy?" Harold frowned in worry, looking at Moody's vacant and near catatonic stare with concern. "James!"
Looking up from brushing his uniform off, Horatio heard Lowe's worried voice and looked to where Archie had been, only to realize that his young companion was already at the heels of the other two. Running over, he tried his best to assess the situation. "What's the matter?"
"I don't know," Lowe muttered, reaching down to pick the paper up that had dropped. One look at the headline was enough to nearly stun him into the same state, and he literally gasped, "Good God in Heaven..."
Taking both of them by the shoulders, the past set of the group led the present off the street and onto the sidewalk. Waiting to make sure that Hornblower had everything under control, Kennedy went back to the newspaper, nearly getting run over in the attempt before finally retrieving the chronicle and beginning to read just out of the way of the cars.
"It's our fault," Moody mumbled, near in tears from his discovery. "Two officers short and she might not have gone down."
"Don't talk like that!" Lowe answered, a bit sharper than he intended. His hands shook as he took his hat off, running a one hand through his hair in anxious tension. After a moment, he looked back at Archie, almost afraid to ask, "What does it say?"
Reading out clearly, but quietly, the youngest began to speak, "'In a shocking turn of events, the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic sank off the coast of Newfoundland on the 15th of this month. After striking an iceberg, she went down in less than a two hours, claiming over 1,500 lives. Captain E. J. Smith was performing his final Atlantic run before retirement along with a specialized crew chosen to work with him specifically. It is reported that the Captain went down with his ship along with Chief Officer Henry Wilde of Liverpool, First Officer William Murdoch of Southampton, and...'" Archie looked up from the paper at Moody, eyes filled with concern, and a look of apology gracing his strained features, "'...and Sixth Officer James Moody of Grimsby...'"
Horatio looked up in time to see Archie as the last words were read, then moved over towards him to see for himself. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, you bloody fool, I can read," the younger man snapped, immediately regretting it the moment it slipped from his mouth. Shoving the papers into Hornblower's hands with a quiet apology, he then stepped back as if they were poison.
Lowe was livid as he leaned over Horatio's shoulder to read it for himself. He stepped back once he confirmed it. "I refuse to believe this! Mr. Moody is the junior most officer, and I damn well think he would get off that floating death trap before any of the rest of us!"
"Harold," Moody said, quietly, as he stood straight from where he had been bent over, hands on his knees, trying to come to grips with the double shock. Deliberately he pulled down the black uniform jacket. His jaw knotted for a moment, and he swallowed hard, but his stance was very much that of an officer and gentleman. "At least it shows that we were there, so at some point we must get back to Titanic."
In the background, Kennedy paced somewhat feverishly while Horatio looked up at the two officers from the doomed ship. "Well, sirs, we cannot let something like this happen."
Lowe nodded in avid agreement. "Damn right, old man!"
James looked between the two for a moment, a humorless smile crossing his face. "Sirs, I have a feeling it's not our decision to make." He nodded to himself, as though coming to a conclusion, then looked back up with a strained look of calm. "There are worse ways of dying," Archie immediately came to mind, but he pushed the thought back, "and in the service of saving lives is not a bad way to go."
Finally stopping, Kennedy looked over at the other three before speaking up again, his eyebrows knit together. "Might I possibly have a word with you, Mr. Moody?"
"Certainly," James answered, stepping over to Kennedy and following him out of earshot of the other two.
"I hope you'll understand me when I say that I cannot allow you to just sit back and accept this, Mr. Moody..."
Moody gave him a sad little smile, resting a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "I don't think that I have much of a choice, Mr. Kennedy. If I didn't make it off of Titanic, there had to have been a reason -- Mr. Lowe is right, I would technically be the first officer to leave, but something must have prevented that."
Looking down at the ground, Archie searched his mind and heart for a long moment before looking up at Moody. "In that case, then there was some reason that I gave my life." Pausing a moment, he looked his companion directly in the eyes. "For God's sake, man, I'm not going to let you die!"
"How could we prevent it?" Moody shook his head, unable to hold Kennedy's intense look for more than a moment before looking at the ground. "And more importantly, should we?"
Knotting his jaw with determination, the twenty-three year old looked towards Lowe and Hornblower a few steps away. "Should we? Fifteen hundred is bad enough, but I'll be damned if I'm going to lose a friend if I can do something about it."
Moody seemed about to speak when Lowe walked over, Horatio a step behind, and both men had a look of mirrored and persuasive determination. Harold looked at Archie for a moment, then James. "Somehow, gentlemen, we are not going to let the Titanic sink. If there's any way in Hell that we can prevent it, we will."
Hornblower nodded in agreement, "I agree. We might be out of our time, but I'm sure both of us will do what we can to help."
Lowe held up the paper. "Mr. Hornblower and myself have decided to try and get every paper pertaining to this that we can find and try to figure out as much as we can about what happened and how to prevent it."
"A bold undertaking," Moody murmured, tossing a sideways glance at Archie.
"Perhaps we should find a place to stay until we're finished with this, then?" Kennedy offered, pulling at the edges of his hat.
"Though not in the same inn, if it's all the same to you gentlemen," James said, trying for humor, no matter how weak. He noticed where the intent duplicates hadn't that the garb of Horatio and Archie was drawing glances, and the idea of finding somewhere out of the public eye made good sense.
"Sounds as good of an idea as any," Hornblower conceded, indeed not noticing the onward glances.
"Some place quiet, if you don't mind," Archie added, softly.
Lowe looked around for a moment, further getting his bearings before setting off with an expectant glance back. There was a great deal of determination in his step, as a man with a mission might walk. Moody noted his direction, realizing where he was heading -- some places were better than others for sailors, and all sailors of England and Great Britain knew of them -- then fell in behind.
Waiting a moment behind for Kennedy, Hornblower walked with him a few steps behind the other two. "Perhaps we shouldn't be--" He started to talk, but was cut off by a stern look from his companion.
"I won't just sit by and let these things happen, history be damned." Waiting for Hornblower to nod, he nodded as well and replaced his hat, remaining with his longtime friend.