Author's Note: Okay, so I know that in real life Officer Lowe slept through the berg collision. But in this he doesn't. He's pretty much switched places with Sixth Officer Moody.

*Seventeen*

Honeymoon Cut Short

Zipper laid in Officer Lowe's arms. Her head on his chest. Both attempting to catch their breath.

"I love you." She said again. She wanted to make sure he knew it, in case anything happened to her. She reached up and kissed him again.

"Having a good time?" She asked, an evil grin on her face.

He laughed. "Hey, I said it would be the best day of our lives remember?"

She smiled, then kissed him again.

He glanced at the wall clock. It was already 11:10pm. He was late. "Blimey." He exclaimed. "I have to get to work."

Zipper laughed at him as he tried to get out of bed, and tripped over his shoes.

"That's not funny." He acted hurt.

"Sorry." She stifled back another laugh.

He looked at her a moment, then laughed himself. He leaned down and kissed her again. "I'm sorry, but I'll be back in the morning. Okay?"

She nodded her head. Although she knew there may not be another morning.

She watched him dress in his officer's uniform. Laughing a bit when he knocked more rice to the floor.

"I love you." He mouthed the words before departing the room.

She looked at the clock. Ten minutes had passed. Only twenty minutes until the collision.

"Maybe I should warn them. Tell the lookouts." She spoke softly to herself. "No, that would change everything. I can't do that." She quickly answered herself. "I just have to try to make it. But, I can't let people die if I can help it. God, what am I supposed to do?" She continued the conversation with herself.

She sat up on the edge of the bed. She put on a blue dress, without the corset. She knew metal gets tighter in the cold. She still wore the bracelet, hair clip, necklace, and handkerchief that had been given to her.

She walked out into the corridor. Lovejoy and Cal speedily walked past her. She knew they had discovered Rose was missing. She walked in the other direction. Going no where in particular. Just looking at all the detail. Taking it all in.

She ran her fingertips along the fine white-washed wall. Falling in a sort of dream state.

Meanwhile, in the officer's quarters Lowe rushes in. Thirty minutes late.

"You're late, Lowe." Murdoch said in a stern voice.

"Sorry, sir."

Murdoch's expression softened. "I'm just kidding. Get to work." He laughed.

Lowe left to get a cup of tea, to keep him warm in the cold night air. Tonight was exceptionally cold. He didn't know why.

Murdoch walked out onto the bridge. He looked down at a couple swinging each other in circles. They started kissing, so Murdoch turned, laughing to himself.

Up in the crow's nest Fleet and Lee were on lookout.

"I can smell Ice ya know. When it's near." Lee said, wrapping his arms around himself trying to keep warm.

"Really? What's there?" Fleet asked a bit nervous.

Lee held out a long dramatic silence. "Nothing." He laughed. "Clear."

"Bugger." Fleet said disgusted.

They heard laughter from the deck. They too, spotted the lovers down on the bow section of the ship. Still kissing.

"Look at that, would ya?" Fleet said pointing down at the two. Lee leans over to see.

"Bet they're a bit warmer than we are." Lee laughed.

"Well, if that's what it takes for us to get warm. I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you, alright." Fleet said turning towards the horizon again.

Then he sees an image that he'll not soon forget. Rising from the icy blue Atlantic. A huge white iceberg. Looming there in the darkness, like death itself. The ships bow directly lined up with it.

"Bugger me!" Fleet shouted. He grabbed the warning bell, it's tone echoes down to the deck.

Where First Officer Murdoch turns around immediately and sees the horror.

Fleet picks up the phone and immediately calls down to the quarters. He never takes his eyes off the berg. "Pick up, ya bastards!" He shouted into the phone.

Officer Lowe comes out, holding his cup of tea. He flips the switch to the phone. He immediately hears Fleet's frantic voice. "Is there anybody there?!"

"Yes, what do you see?" Lowe asked calmly.

"Iceberg, right ahead!!" Fleet shouted.

Lowe swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "Thank you." He managed to say. Lowe runs to the door to inform Murdoch. "Iceberg, right ahead!"

Murdoch races back to the officer's quarters. He raced to the engine control room. Immediately switching the controls to stop.

"Hard a' starboard!" Murdoch commanded.

"Hard a starboard!" Lowe shouted to Quartermaster Hitchens who is behind the wheel.

Murdoch runs back to the bridge to watch as the terror ensues.

Meanwhile in the engine rooms. "Full astern!" Bell shouted to his crew. "Full astern!!"

"Shut all the dampers! Shut them!" Stoker Frederick Barrett shouted.

All the workers begin to shut the dampers. Bell spins the wheel releasing the steam. Then reverses the engine.

Still on the bridge, Murdoch clenches his teeth as he watches the iceberg growing larger and larger by the second.

The Titanic doesn't turn. Murdoch holds his breath. As the lookouts brace themselves. Slowly the ship starts to turn.

"Come on, come on. Turn. Turn." He sees the bow moving slowly. "Yes." He said hopefully.

A crew member by the bow rail. Runs towards the port side. "She's gonna hit!" He shouts up to Murdoch. As he feels the shudder of Titanic. The crushing of ice and metal echo on the wind.

Murdoch rushes back in, knocking a man's tea from his hands. "Hard a' port!" He commands. In and attempt to save the stern.

He rushes to the watertight doors indicator. And pushes the button, closing them all at once.

The workers below decks, struggle to get out beneath the doors as they close, locking them in their graves.

Back in the crow's nest. Lee thinks everything is alright. Fleet knows differently. He didn't believe the ship was unsinkable at all.

"Oy, that was a close shave wasn't it?" Lee asked.

"Smell ice can ya?" Fleet asked, disgusted. "Bleedin' Christ."

Back in the officer's quarters. Murdoch turns to Sixth Officer Moody.

"Note the time. Enter it in the log." He said stiffly.

"Yes, sir." Moody left to do what he had been commanded to do.

Captain Smith rushed out of his cabin. Tidying up his clothes as he goes.

"What was that, Mr. Murdoch?" He asked.

"And iceberg, sir." Murdoch said, still in a shock like state.

Captain Smith presses past him, walking out to the bridge.

"I put her hard a' starboard. And ran the engine's full astern. But she was too close. I tried to port round it. But she hit and I-" Murdoch trailed off.

"Close the water tight doors." The Captain instructed.

"Doors are closed, sir." Murdoch replied.

Murdoch follows Smith to the starboard wing. Murdoch points to where she hit. Captain Smith looks down at the bow's deck. Chucks of ice scattered all over it.

"Find the carpenter. Get him to sound the ship." Smith instructed.

"Yes, sir!" Murdoch replied and set off the find Mr. Andrews.