*Chapter 20*

Elsewhere, Smith informed Bride and Phillips that they needed to send out CQD, a distress call, to other ships, so that they could come and rescue Titanic's passengers.

Smith walked out, and ordered Lightoller, Wilde and Murdoch, his senior officers, to start uncovering and swinging out the lifeboats, so that they could be ready to launch.

Smith, having burned out, of all the happy spirit in him, looked over the current situation from the bridge. He was truly distraught now.

He had been absent, on the most critical part of the voyage, and his ship was sinking. Fast.

Noelle was looking about for a lifeboat to get into, but couldn't spot any close ones. The only ones that were being launched at that time were the ones on the starboard side, and Noelle and the girls were on Port.

Claire, rather dreary at this point, suddenly lit up, when she heard a familiar voice.

"Get these davits cranked in! Get the falls hooked up!" Murdoch was demanding orders now. He had seen the water gurgling up the bow of the ship.

Claire's head shot up automatically, and she searched with her eyes, frantically to see Murdoch. Finally, he came into clear view now, attempting to free one of the boats on top of the officers' quarters. Claire rushed up to him.

"Will! Hi!" Claire shouted. Murdoch looked down at Claire.

"Hello, darling. I'm kind of busy now, as you can see, but I'll be with you in a minute, ok, Claire?"

"Ok," Claire replied, and in front of her mother, and other onlookers, wrapped her arms around Murdoch's neck, and kissed him quickly.

She stepped down, and stood again by her mother, and Clara. Clara wasn't looking, but Noelle was absolutely shocked. She was standing there, wide mouthed, speechless.

She scoffed several times, but couldn't manage to say anything. When Claire was close to her, Noelle hissed, "When we arrive in America, boy, are you going to be in a lot of strife, missy!"

Claire smirked. She didn't care. Clara sat down on a deckchair, waiting patiently for a boat.

"Well, Clara, I hope you're not as bad as Claire, falling in love with an officer." Noelle stood up straight and brushed the creases out of her dress.

Clara had to laugh at that one.

"We are swung out and ready, sir." Lightoller informed Smith.

Smith was still in shock, and mumbled something out.

"Hadn't we better get the women and children, into the boats, sir?" Lightoller was desperately trying to hear what Smith was saying, over all the noise of the steam being let out of the funnels.

"Women and children first, yes." He finally said.

"Yes, sir."

Lightoller stepped towards the crowd closest to him, which happened to be the crowd that Clara, Claire and Noelle were in.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! STEP THIS WAY PLEASE, THAT'S RIGHT, COME TOWARDS ME. Thankyou. Good."

Lightoller gestured for the crowd to come towards him, so he could start loading the boats. The loud noise finally died down, and he was able to speak normally.

"For the time being, I shall require only women and children."

Clara realized it was Lightoller, just like Claire had realized it was Murdoch, and pushed to the front of the crowd, to speak with him.

Lightoller glanced down at Clara, thinking it was just another passenger, and looked away, but when he realized that it was, in fact, Clara, he peered at her."

"Charles! Charles! Oh, thank god you're alright."

"Yes, Im fine."

"May I stay with you, until you leave?" Clara asked sweetly.

"Clara? What?! No! I have a job to do, and that job is to load passengers, such as yourself, into lifeboats, and I can't do that, if you're hanging off me all the time!" Lightoller had to get this out to Clara, for her sake, not as an act of anger. Not to upset her.

Clara started a sob. She was very offended by what he had said.

Lightoller noticed this, and, while trying to do his job, managed to speak with Clara at the same time.

"Clara, I love you. Truly, I do. Even at this moment. But at a time this busy, we have no time for sweet talk, ok?" Lightoller tried to persuade Clara, but she backed away.

Noelle, seeing Lightoller express his love for Clara, left her absolutely shocked. This was a double take! She had twins, after all.

Who were in love with ship officers, of all people.

Noelle snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Clara backing away from her only opportunity to hop into a lifeboat.

"Clara, come on. I'm sorry. Please, can you get into the boat, for me?" Lightoller tried his best to comfort Clara, but she resisted him.

"Goodbye Charles. Mother, and Claire alike." Clara ignored Noelle and Claire's yells to get her to come back.

She just kept strutting off, until she reached the B-deck foyer.