A/N This chapter is basically Lottie and Rosa's conversation after they have discovered each other. A little more about Philip comes to light. Anyway please R&R.

Chapter fourteen ~ General Room.

Rosa set off down the corridor, trying to ignore the water that lapped at her feet. She stopped for a few seconds to gather her breath. She leaned against a door, blinking her tears back. She craned her neck to see round the corner, there was no one there. The stairs loomed in front of her, she clambered up them, and shot across the to the third class general room. A group of steerage passengers had gathered, some were wearing life jackets and cuddling suitcases, others were crying, but none knew what was happening.

"Lottie!" Rosa screamed to make her voice heard over the rabble. "Lottie! Philip! Lottie!"

She looked round, trying to pick out faces in the scared crowd. She sank down on to one of the benches and caught her breath once more.

"Rosa!" There was a sudden shout. "Rosa." Lottie appeared next to her, she looked just as scared and flustered. "What's going on?"

Rosa didn't answer, instead she responded by throwing her arms around the surprised woman.

"Now I know we're doomed." Lottie said, as they broke apart, she clutched to Rosa's shoulders. "Now you tell me."

"What are you doing here? We should be on deck getting into a boat."

"The stewards told us to wait here." Lottie explained.

Rosa shook her head. "No, no you don't understand. We can't wait. We have to go, we have to go now."

"You're not making any sense."

The ship suddenly lurched, causing the occupants of the general room to look up in panic.

"Lottie, Titanic is sinking."

Lottie stared at her dumbfounded. "No, no the steward. . .you're the one who doesn't. . .the steward said. . .we'll be on our soon just you wait and see."

"Where's Philip?" Rosa asked, looking round.

"He went back to his cabin for something. Look Rosa I've got a confession to make. . ."

"Not now!" Rosa yelled. She grabbed her arm and pulled her, but Lottie refused to move. Rosa sighed in frustration, she pushed herself up onto one of the benches and shouted for silence.

"Titanic is sinking!" She yelled, the crowd fell quiet, instantly. "We have an hour to get away from here, or we're all going to die!"

She jumped down, grabbed Lottie's hand and dragged her from the room. "No, no!" The twenty year old cried. "Not without Philip, he said he'd come back for me."

Rosa kicked the door, angrily. "Are you stupid? Now do you wanna live or do you wanna die? 'cause personally Lottie, I don't wanna die right now, not here, not like this, I've found something to live for, an' I'm gonna hold onto that with all my might!"

Lottie stared at her, tears were sparkling in her once dull eyes. "Well," she sniffed. "I've found something to live for, too. An' I'm not gonna leave him to save my own skin, 'cause that's cowardly, an' it's not me. Besides what's my life without him?"

"Lottie, you've only just met the man!" Rosa screeched.

Lottie shook her head. "That's what I was tryin' to tell you. I knew him back in England, we arranged to meet here."

Rosa gasped. Mrs Smith's ramblings were starting to make sense. "But you're getting married. . ." She exclaimed.

Lottie shook her head again. "I never had any intention of doing anything of the sort." She said, determinedly.

"Then you're a fool."

"Am I Rosa? Am I?" She said, smiling deliriously. "I'm throwing away a lot. Comfort, security, my family. . .I were scared at first. . .but you. . .you taught that those things don't matter. . .you and Mia taught me that. I can't leave him."

"And I can't leave you." Rosa said, softly.

"Go! Like you said, we should be in the boats."

"I promised your mother I'd look after you, an' I will. Just like Conrad promised to look after Mia."

Lottie smiled. "I'm not a child."

"No, but you're stubborn like one. Let's go find Philip, and get outta here."

The panic had started to set in, the general room began to empty, there were cried of pain and frustration when they reached the locked gates, and doubled back to find another way.

"Is there a another way?" Lottie asked, as they were dragged along in the crowd.

"There damn well better be!"