Hi, so here is another chapter and this is a long one and quite a lot of significant ground is covered in this one so enjoy. And also...Jack, Rose, Fabrizio, Helga and Cora are back!

Also I don't subscribe to the world view that a woman can't understand that her husband has a past that runs out of his control. So if you are looking for the Olivia/Isabella cat fight then you aren't going to get it here.

I think a couple more chapters of the Tommy/Isabella POV and then we will move slowly back to Jack/Rose/Fabrizio/Helga/Cora's point of views.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine.

Please Read and Review.


Drifting Back

Chapter 8-Getting To Know You

Isabella and Olivia share a moment as the older woman gently breaks the news of just what is wrong with the younger one. Tommy goes to see Jack and comes back to the surprise of his life.


Olivia made them a bed downstairs.

She disapproved of letting two unmarried people sleep together. This was 1912 and she did not run that kind of house. But she didn't think putting Isabella in with the girls and Tommy in with the boys was going to help. It had been a draining day for them all and though the children had warmed up to their new…sister…she didn't think it was fair to dump her children on Isabella all at once.

And if truth be told she didn't want Tommy telling the boys more stories.

As Rosemary pointed out as they washed the dishes the damage was already done. Besides…they were two adults who had survived a tragedy the likes of which she couldn't comprehend. There was very little she could do to stop them from being together. She wasn't sure what she was to this girl but she knew she wasn't mother and she was not interested in being one either. Maud Ismay was still the ghost in her marriage and the dark haired daughter was the same if only in living shadow. Olivia would be a friend, she would be a companion and a confidant but she could not order this girl around like she could her own. She could not mother this girl like she did her own. She wasn't sure how it would go down, if it was wanted, how it would work. To be totally honest she wasn't entirely sure if the girl would want a mother. She seemed intent on doing everything alone but it would be a woman with a heart of stone that didn't want to sit her down, feed her up and tell her that she was pregnant.

Because it was obvious. To be honest just looking at her it was obvious. Olivia had, had eight children she knew what a woman in the early stages of pregnancy looked like. She also remembered the first time she had been pregnant with John and how scared she had been. She had not been totally confident her marriage would survive. So that night as she brushed her hair she knew that she had to get the girl alone and prepare her for what was going to happen next.

Teddy slipped into bed next to her staring at the ceciling for a long time. Only when she was done brushing her hair did he speak.

"Livy…I didn't…I didn't know"

"I know" she said quietly. "I know you didn't."

"You know what the boy told me? Bruce Ismay had told her that she was an unlovable creature. That he had kept her around because his mother had begged him too. That if he'd had his way he'd have thrown her to the streets and left her to rot because nobody else would want her"

Olivia hissed. The nameless, faceless Bruce Ismay had never had a kind thought in her mind for what he had done to Teddy alone but as a mother she could not understand how someone could say that to a child. Because though she was a woman in the eyes of the world there were moments tonight at dinner when she had looked at Isabella Ismay and seen the child that she had been.

"I hate him" Teddy said and the vitriol in his voice was enough to stagger her. "I know I shouldn't say it but…Christ I hate him so much I could…if he shows up here…I was thinking if he comes looking for her I will shoot a hole through his head and happily hang for it"

There was nothing Olivia could say to that. Teddy had not gotten this dark with his thoughts since the early days of their marriage when she had known that the big ugly mess of his past was playing on his mind. She'd had nothing to say then either.

What could she have said?

What could she have said now?

"Teddy…"

"I was there Livy…I was right there…I'd have took her in, in a fucking heartbeat weather she was a baby or a ten year old child I'd have…I'd have taken her in and loved her and raised her and you and I could have still been together and…all this time wasted and…"

He turned his head abruptly and looked away and she knew that he wanted to hide his face. Cautiously she let him, Teddy had a fierce pride and it was one of the things that she loved him for. For him to break down like this…it was rare…it showed how deep the hurt went and she suffered with him for the loss and then the return of the child he had lost so much time with.

"What's the plan now Teddy?" she said after he wiped his eyes.

"Plan?"

"Yeah…plan. Because we've got an English girl downstairs with her Irish lover and they both seem to be sticking around. Plus we've also got their friends which include another girl from England, an American, an Italian and a Norwegian. Plus a small child to boot. To say nothing of eight of our own and your parents. So yeah if we are going to do this then we need a plan"

"I don't know" Teddy said running a hand through his hair. "I suppose it's up to her now isn't it? I mean…I would like her to stay. We could…we could give them the little shed that we turned into a guest room last year when your sister came to visit. I mean it's got everything they need"

"Yes" Olivia said carefully because it did providing that the two people downstairs stopped at one child and she was willing to bet that if the girl had inherited Teddy's ability to get someone pregnant by looking at them that they wouldn't.

"But you should speak to her and see what her plans are. She came here for a reason, my guess is so that you could be in her life but she's taking her directions from you. And we should press on with the wedding. I would like to help with that"

"Why are you and my mother so obsessed that we see her married? I know you enjoy planning weddings but seriously woman? The girl's literally just fallen into our lives"

Olivia thought of the baby in Isabella's belly and decided that her mother in law was right. Her husband had, had enough shocks for one day.

"It's a female thing" she said finally and Teddy seeing the look on her face (and knowing from experience that she wasn't going to elaborate with this one) mercifully let it drop.

"Children held it together well"

"Please" Olivia said with an eye roll. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to them, certainly the most exciting. Besides…you saw that dress. Nobody could hate a girl wearing that dress"

Teddy looked at her for a second and then he kissed her. She knew what he was trying to say with that kiss and she let him. She didn't need her husband to tell her that he loved her. She didn't need to be jealous of the girl downstairs of the ghost of her mother. She had been once but that was in the past. She and Teddy had a love that had sprung up gently not some fast paced whirlwind.

It was enough.

Always, it was enough.


Tommy had woken her up just as the rooster crowed. Well actually the Rooster had been what had woken her up because it was an honest to God rooster crowing. Tommy had winked at her and then thrown her, her dress.

Technically they had done nothing last night both of them too tired and too drained to do anything other than sleep but as she had dragged herself out of bed she had to concede the point. Winning over these people was something she wanted to do and looking as if she'd tumbled through the sheets as they came down to breakfast was not the best way to do it.

"I'm gonna go and tell Jack that he can stand down. Also apparently they are all coming for dinner tonight."

"You think they'll mind?"

"Mind? First decent meal we've had since the Titanic. No I don't think they'll bloody mind. Besides some company other than ourselves is good for us right now. Keeps everyone's minds of the ship. God knows it keeps us awake even without seeing it splashed across every newspaper"

There was something to that, that told Isabella that Tommy and Jack had been speaking the night before.

One by one the children came down and then their mother and grandmother. Tommy made his excuses and then bowed out kissing her and then winking at the stunned expressions on Rosalie and…was it Eugenie's faces. Both of them dissolved into giggles and Isabella stared at them for a second. Brought up in the seclusion of her Uncle's home she'd never been like that. A silly little girl without a care in the world. It was both heart warming to see and yet it was hard to imagine because she was only now beginning to understand the depths of which she had lost out on.

The money was nothing, nothing compared to this.

"Sit down dear" Rosemary said pointing at the seat she had been last night. "Pancakes will be with you in a second. And have some coffee or…" she turned around. "Do you English girls prefer tea? Should I get some for tonight?"

"I don't think it will matter" Isabella said honestly. "To be honest I've actually come to enjoy coffee more than tea. And after the Titanic, Rose will drink anything if it's hot. She was in the water"

"Bloody—"

"CHARLES"

"Sorry Ma. So where were you?"

She paused after taking a sip looking at them. The older ones were all looking at her avidly.

"I got into a lifeboat with my friend Helga and a little girl called Cora. Tommy and our friends, Jack, Rose and Fabrizio were on the ship when it sank. Tommy got to a disposable lifeboat. Fabrizio managed to cling to an overturned one and Jack and Rose got to a door. They stayed there until help arrived"

John gave a low whistle.

"Wow" he said popping a piece of egg into his mouth. "Was it cold?"

Isabella gave a slow smile.

"Yes" she said finally deciding to be honest. She didn't think she could be anything else but honest about the Titanic. It was an insult to the memory of the good men, woman and children who had died on the ship if she was less than honest about it. "It was…when people hit the water they were screaming. Then the cold got them. That was the worst part about sitting in that boat and watching it all go to the bottom of the ocean. You had no choice but to watch and listen as people desperately tried to find a way to survive all the while knowing that they—"

She cut herself off abruptly looking away and blinking. She didn't know how to keep talking about it but she knew that she had to. The memories of that night that seemed to stretch on forever were burnt there. Every agonising second.

She turned back when she was sure that she had her expression back under control to find that they were all watching her with various degrees of shock and sympathy. She wondered if anyone had ever told them the story of how it was. She ran a finger under her eye.

"Sorry"

"Don't apologise" George said and she jumped not noticing that he and…her father (?) were there.

He patted her on the shoulder as he passed and she watched as her father descended the last step taking his seat and watching her with wary eyes.

"Don't ever apologise for talking my girl" George continued. "Sometimes it does the heart good to talk about tragedy and that's all you can do. And one day…it might get easier to talk about it"

Isabella snorted but said nothing. She didn't think she would ever be alright with talking about it.

She felt someone looking at her and she turned jumping a little. It was four year old girl who was watching her. She raised her hands a little as if she wanted to be picked up. Isabella shot Olivia a look and the older woman nodded encouragingly and so she lifted the child up and sure as the sun was up the little girl tucked herself into Isabella's side not before sticking a small hand out and pointing at herself.

"Lilibet"

Lilibet?

"Lilibet"

The girl nodded solemnly.

"Me. Lilibet"

Oh.

Isabella smiled and pointed at herself.

"Isabella"

Lilibet nodded and then she tried to work the word around her mouth.

"Isa"

"Err…close enough"

"Did they get the dogs out?" another one of them said. It was another girl and Isabella tried not to feel Lilibet burrowing in at her side.

"The dogs?"

"On the ship"

Isabella paused. In truth she suspected that the dogs had all drowned in their cages unless JJ Astor had let them all out when he had taken his—which come to think of it was not out of the realm of possibility but she didn't think the truth would be helpful.

"I don't know" she said carefully. "I did see some dogs on the Carpathia so I think they did get off"

The girl beamed showing off her gap tooth.

Isabella really had to start learning some names.

"So" Olivia said once all the children had scampered off to school. "That went well"

Isabella smiled. "It did didn't it?"

"Oh I'd say, once Charlotte-Anne and Lilibet like you the rest are fairly straightforward."

She smiled.

"You do have a wonderful family Mrs Patterson"

"Olivia dear. The last person who called me Mrs Patterson was the priest. And they are your family too"

"You don't…mind…"

The woman put down the dishes and then turned leaning on the kitchen counter.

"No" she said in such a tone of conviction that Isabella couldn't help but be stunned by it.

"Really?"

"Really. Isabella…your mother and I have co-existed quite peacefully in Teddy's heart for a long time. I am not some jealous teenager who wants her man's attention on her all the time. I knew when I married him he had a past. I knew what came with that past. I didn't enter this marriage blind."

Isabella took another sip of coffee. It was so refreshing to hear that she didn't have to fight it out with this woman. Women should stand together not fight each other. World already tore them down enough.

"I…I didn't want to disrupt your life I just…"

"You didn't" Olivia said interrupting her. "To be honest there's a part of me that thinks he might have tried to find you if he could. God knows he'd had dropped everything to try and find you before if he'd have known…when he heard Bruce Ismay had a niece in the papers…well…I think he might have known"

"Will he…he won't go and find my Uncle will he?"

The older woman pulled a face.

"Depends. If Bruce Ismay is stupid enough to come here then your father will defend you. Go looking for trouble? Well…I don't know. I think if your father was going to kill him he'd have done it a long time ago. We have eight children. He has nine if we include you. And he's soon to be a grandfather so I imagine when that shock dies down that will occupy his thoughts"

Isabella nodded and then…

"Grandfather? I did not know any of your children were married"

"None of them are"

"Oh."

She didn't judge. Who was she to judge?

"I didn't realise that any of them had someone special in their lives. Are they not…a bit…well…I suppose John maybe…"

"Girl seriously? Don't give John any idea's, he's a boy desperately trying to become a man way before his time as it is. And I wasn't referring to any of my children. I was referring to you"

Isabella nearly dropped her cup of coffee.

"Me?"

"You" the woman said with a smile. "I did think you didn't know but I've had eight children I know the signs. You and the boy were intimate on that ship weren't you?"

Isabella nodded. If she closed her eyes she could still see the fire in the room, the steam from the bath, the golden dress crumpled on the floor of the lit room and the rumpled sheets, she could still feel the sharp pain that melted into pleasure, feel Tommy's mouth on her, the desire that came with his quick fingers. That perfect moment etched in time.

"Figured as much. Well…I suppose we were all young and in love once. Guess you took one more thing off that ship with you other than what you were wearing"

Isabella blinked.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

She thought about it for a second. Actually she thought about it for a lot longer than a second. It did explain a few things, the mood swings, the nausea, the fact that she couldn't keep any food down, the dizziness, the tenderness in her breasts. The fact that her belly had gotten a little hard over the time since they had left the ship.

Holy shit.

"Holy shit"

"Yeah honey if your staying in my house the language has got to stop. I have young children to consider"

Isabella barely heard her.

She was pregnant.

Oh my God.

Her hand found her mouth and the other one found her belly and she looked up to see Olivia Patterson watching her with that knowing look.

"I can't be" she said finally. "I don't know…I can't be a mother"

"Well I don't think the baby inside of you cares either way what you want" Olivia said dryly.

"I…I don't know how to be a mother"

Olivia Patterson laughed in genuine amusement.

"Sweetheart nobody knows how to be a mother. It's a learn on the job thing. All you have to do is love that baby. And you will, the second they hand you the baby you will love it with your whole heart and that will be enough"

It wasn't though was it? It hadn't been for her mother. And now she and Tommy were going to be a family.

God she had never even asked Tommy if he wanted children?

What if he didn't.

Olivia came around and sat down next to her and gently as if she was unsure she tugged Isabella closer so that her head was resting on her shoulder. Isabella her hand still over her mouth rested her head there and then gently found that her body was relaxing. She was crying but it was silent but Olivia knew it and gently she shushed her.

It was the closest thing she'd ever had to a hug from a mother. .


"I'm glad it went well" Jack said as the group walked to the Patterson house.

"Yes" Tommy said finally. He wouldn't admit to anyone how afraid he had been that it would go sideways. He didn't know what to do but he knew that Isabella had been on the edge of a breaking point and he had been helpless to stop it. The sympathy that he had felt for the man whose world they had upended was felt in spades.

"I'm just glad we got an invitation to dinner" Helga said from where she was walking hand in hand with Fabrizio"

"It is good food yes?"

"Yes" Tommy said grinning. "But Fabi if your hoping for Italian food don't"

Fabrizio laughed.

"It's beautiful here" Rose said dreamily leaning her head on Jack's shoulder. "I…I know we said we'd see the world but this would be a wonderful place to come back to"

Jack just grinned at his wife pressing a kiss into the red curls.

"By the way…I don't know how much the children know about the Titanic but they ask questions"

"Great" Jack muttered. "Well that's the easiest thing to handle. Anything else?"

"Yeah Mum and Granny are not a fan of smoking and swearing. Maybe not mention you drew your wife nude before she was your wife as well. And Jack…no offense mate but maybe you and Fabrizio should keep the stories of your travels across Europe and the one legged prostitutes you met on the way to a minimum"

Jack cracked a laugh as the house came into view.

Isabella was sat on the porch swing wating for them. In fact all of them were wating for them.

"I do hope were dressed alright" Rose said. She had worn her lavender gown as it had been the best she'd had. Tommy grinned catching the envious looks the two girls were shooting her.

"I don't think they mind"

Dinner that night was a fun affair. Jack was charming to everyone talking about the places he had been (leaving out the one legged prostitute) and John, Charlie and Rosalie Patterson hung on every word. Helga and Olivia had started a stunted conversation about fabric and how nothing was better than good clean wool while Eugenie chimed in every few seconds. The younger children were all chatting with Cora who under the gaze of children her own age came alive again. Fabrizio who had charmed everyone under ten minutes was chatting to the grandparents about Italian food as best he could and already he could see Isabella's grandmother's brain almost turning over with new recipes.

All in all it was perfect. Even Teddy cracked a few smiles when Rose and Isabella started laughing through one of their stories. He was still looking at Isabella as if he expected her to disappear at a moment's notice but he thought that the man was relaxing a little more as the evening progressed.

"We really should discuss your wedding" Olivia said as they turned to desert which was a really good apple pie.

"We should?" he asked turning to Isabella. She caught his eye and grinned.

"Yes" she said and there was a lightness to her that he couldn't remember seeing before, at least not since the ship went down.

"Okay" Tommy said slightly nonplussed. "Mind if go outside and smoke"

"I'll go with you" Isabella said grinning.

"I'll go too" Jack said reaching for his own cigarette but Olivia Patterson spoke before he could.

"No you sit back down. Isabella go"

Isabella nodded pulling Tommy outside with her.


"What was that about?" Tommy said as the screen door banged shut behind them. It was night, the wind was low and the heat just enough. Isabella was almost lit by stars.

"I…I need to tell you something"

"Go on"

"Tommy…I'm…I'm pretty sure…well…Olivia is pretty sure but…I'm pregnant"

For a second Tommy stared at her trying to get his brain to commute but then it sunk in.

She was pregnant. Isabella was pregnant. She was…she was pregnant with his baby and he had…the room, that golden room, that golden moment and she had carried a baby off that ship with her.

Their baby.

Their little shipwreck baby.

A little bit of him and Isabella.

"Tommy are you alright?"

Alright?

"Isabella" he breathed looking at her. "That's…that's wonderful"

Her face broke into sheer relief.

"It is?"

Tommy laughed and then he kissed her cupping her face in her hands and kissing her lips, her eyes, her cheeks, her neck, every little bit of her he could meet and his hand found her still flat belly where their baby was being formed.

"I love you" he said. "I love you, I love you, I love you"

Isabella giggled. "I love you too"

There were things that they still needed to discuss but the joy was enough for him whoop. Isabella laughed and then they were kissing again.


"What's he wooping about?" Jack said turning to Fabrizio who shrugged.

"Does he need a reason?" Rose asked with a wan smile.

"No but he's got one" Olivia Patterson said into her mug of coffee with a smug smile on her face.

"He does?"

"Yes I should think he does. Eat your pie dear. I'm sure Isabella will explain it all when they decided to come back in"

And that was the end of that.


And there you go, I hope you enjoy and I will do my best to bring you the next chapter sooner rather than later.

Next Chapter-Theo and Isabella have a conversation about the past, the present and the future. And a letter is sent from one enemy to another.