*Chapter 31*

Just then, an immigration officer walked up to the group, and asked them for their names.

"Excuse me, but why do you see the need for us to give you our names?" Clara asked, acting all proper.

"Oh, well, I suppose you lot don't want to be the last people on the survivor list, them." The officer shut his folder and turned to walk away.

"Wait! We'll tell you our names! Only if you let us look at the list," Claire said, as if she were making a deal.

"Alright then. Can I take your name, please, love?"

They all went around the group, stating their names.

"Claire Annabella Sherbrooke."

"Micheline Eleanor Diore."

"Clara Pearl Sherbrooke."

"Charles Herbert Lightoller. Oh, uh, I was second officer of Titanic," he pointed out.

"All right then. Here you go." The officer handed Claire the folder, and patiently waited.

"Micheline, Mr Lightoller, is there anyone you need to look up?" Claire asked, questioningly.

"Oh, no of course, Im right." Lightoller replied, stepping back a little.

Micheline shook her head.

"S. Look under S!" Clara hissed, when she found Claire looking under other names.

"Oh my god! Aha! Look! Clara!" Claire yelled excitedly.

"What? What is it?"

"NOELLE LORIELLE SHERBROOKE!" Claire yelled in Clara's face, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Yes! She's alive!" Clara laughed, and danced around in circles, hand-in- hand with Claire.

"Ok, ok. Look for M. I wonder if Will survived?" Claire said, hurriedly flicking through the pages of the folder.

Clara shot a nervous glance at Lightoller, who walked over to her, and rested his hands on her shoulders, from behind.

'Oh, no.' Clara thought. 'But she has to find out sooner or later. How could she not remember him committing suicide? She saw the whole thing!'

Suddenly, Claire stopped running her finger down the page, and looked ever so slowly at Clara.

Clara was trying to keep a straight face.

"Why isn't he on the list?" Claire asked, cautiously, so slow, as though she were pronouncing words. She handed the folder back to the officer, who hurried away.

"Um, who?" Clara asked, as though she had no idea who Clare was on about.

"Will."

Clara and Lightoller looked down.

"He died, didn't he?" Claire said, about to burst into a ball of emotions.

Clara and Lightoller, still looking down, remained silent.

"You two knew, the whole time. And you didn't say anything? You know how much hope I'd had in me, thinking that he was alive and well?"

"Claire, we" - Clara tried to explain herself.

Claire raised her hand up, indicating silence.

"No. It's all right. Don't try and explain. You know how lucky you two are, to have each other? At least Will told me that he loved me. You know, we'd only known each other for what? Three days? And it was absolutely love at first sight, just like you two. I never believed in love at first sight, but now I do. He made me believe. I wish he was here!" Claire burst into that ball of emotions, crying more than ever, and Clara and Lightoller held he the whole time.

After about five minutes of blubbering, Claire looked up.

"I guess he was a little too old for me, though. How'd he die?"

Lightoller decided to explain.

"Well, he was trying to control a whole group of men trying to swamp the boats, and a man was accidentally pushed forward. William had told everyone that if someone pushed past him, they would be shot. So, not thinking at all, he automatically shot the man, and it took him a while to realise what he'd done. The work was just getting too hard for him to cope with. You could see it in his eyes. Then, he put his hand to his head, as to salute, and then, you jumped right over the crowd and tried to stop him. He told you that he loved you, and then he shot himself in the head, flipping overboard. After that, you fainted."

"I did?" Claire asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, so when we were on the collapsible, and you asked which of the officers were alive, and we didn't mention Mr Murdoch, it was rather odd seeing you so calm about it. We thought you would go all hysterical," Clara exclaimed.

"I must've lost my memory, from fainting." Claire said, trying to remember.

Just then, an announcement sounded from several megaphones, from the captain of Carpathia, startling Claire and Clara.

"All passengers please note. We will be arriving in New York tomorrow morning. Please ensure you are ready to leave by 9:00am. Thankyou."

"Ooh! I've never been to America! Im so excited! I might even catch onto your accent, Claire!" Clara said, happily.

"Yeah. I'd like to see that." Claire yawned, Lightoller following after her, as yawns were contagious.

"It's getting late. You two should best be off to bed," Lightoller said, placing his arms Clara's shoulders.

"Oh, Charles, where are you sleeping?" Clara asked, hanging onto his hand.

"Well, probably in the officers common room, I should say."

"I want to be with you. Please, may I stay?" Clara asked, in her sweet voice.

"I suppose you can." Lightoller looked at Claire. "You can come as well, if you like."

"Yeah. Thanks."