Kat - Thank you for reviewing! More coming up!
LestatzLuvr - Thank you! Thank you!
Becky - Thanks! Glad you like it!
Chapter 4 The Meeting
Jack Dawson lay on his bed in his luxurious cabin, thinking about the boy he had seen staring at him on the viewing deck earlier. He still wasn't sure why he had called out to the boy, but the boy had bolted as soon as he had done. Probably scared, after all he himself was in first class, where the boy was nothing more than a gutter rat, a steerage passenger. Maybe that was why he was staring, he was in awe that he was on a ship with such people, but why did he seem drawn to the lad?
At the same moment in time, Ben was sleeping peacefully on the bunk above Tommy's without a care in the world. He was heading back out into the horizon, he was free, he could travel around and he'd already made two brilliant friends in Fabrizio and Tommy, even if Tommy was slightly protective of him. He guessed that it came from him travelling alone and them sharing a cabin. Or maybe Tommy was just like that, or even worse, he felt sorry for him, was pitying him, so he'd decided to look out for him in an attempt to make it better. Ben sure hoped not! He hated people's pity and charity. He could manage quite alright by himself, thank you very much! He had been doing it since he was nine and was happy doing it.
Rolling over Ben murmured sleepily and half opened his eyes. Looking out the small porthole they were lucky enough to have, he knew that it was far too early and that dawn wouldn't break for another few hours. Ben was used to waking up every few hours. Out on the streets it was a survival instinct and he would wake every few hours, or at a sudden noise, which could mean trouble, or at a change in temperature, which could affect his health. His senses where used to this and done it automatically, so he guessed that a sudden noise must have awoken him. He shut his eyes again and fell back into a doze.
Two hours later he woke again to see that Tommy had fallen off his bunk and was hopping around the cabin alternatively rubbing his foot and his head. Ben couldn't help it, he broke down into sniggers and memorised the image so that he could sketch it later. This reminded him that he still had the scenes he had memorised from the party last night to sketch. He had one of Tommy being dragged off to dance by a pretty young woman with an look of utter shock on his face, one of Fabrizio playing cards and once of a little girl who he had danced with called Cora.
Once more Ben shut his eyes and drifted off into sleep and about an hour later he opened them again, to discover that the other three occupants of the room still fast asleep. He climbed down off his bunk, grabbed his rucksack and once more headed up to the viewing deck. He knew that Tommy would probably have a fit when he discovered that he wasn't in the cabin when he woke up but that could be dealt with later.
Once up on the viewing deck he sat in the place he now considered his own and began to sketch the memorised scenes. He drew them with amazing accuracy, as if the people were posing for it while he drew, even though it was just from memory, which was why he was actually quite a good artist, but he didn't share that he had this skill with many others, though he had a feeling that Tommy would know that he could draw before the voyage was over and they parted ways. That was if they parted ways in the end, he had a feeling that was Tommy would insist on dragging him along where ever he was going. And heck! Knowing Tommy he would probably know that Ben could sketch before the sunset that night!
And speaking of the sun it was finally starting to rise above the horizon, painting the sky in a blanket of pink and it looked magnificent. Not many passengers, however, had woken up early enough to come up on deck and witness this delight as it was only about quarter to six in the morning. However, Ben did notice one other person on deck, standing quite close to him, watching as the sun appeared bit-by-bit, ready to give another day of service in light and heat to those down on earth.
With a startled gasp, Ben recognised it as the first-class man he had seen on the deck last night, the one who had called out to him as he left. He made to leave now, only to have the man call out to him again. He was about to break into a run when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the man and saw a stern face staring back down at him and he gulped audibly. How was he going to get out of this one? Tommy was going to kill him.
"Haven't you ever been taught not to turn your back on and ignore your elders and betters?" he was asked in a surprising soft voice which still held a taint of malice as the hand on his shoulder transferred to his ear and he was pulled along towards the first class promenade deck.
Once Jack had got the boy back to his own private deck he let him go and sat down. The boy instantly walked over to the railing, to where he could see the sea and the waves.
And freedom in Ben's mind. What did this man want from him? He had to get out of this place. He didn't want to be here, this man couldn't force him! Who did he think he was, dragging him to this place like that, by his ear! He was suddenly glad that it was early and nobody had seen what had happened. Mind you, Ben doubted that the young man would have done that to him if his fellow upper-class passengers where there to witness it.
He was startled out of his thoughts by the man's voice. "Front and centre, you!" he was ordered.
Ben turned around slowly and deciding that he didn't have much of another choice he went and stood in front of the man, who pulled him in between his legs. Ben shifted position slightly so that he was holding his sketchbook behind him with two hands, where he felt that it was relatively safe.
Now that Jack had the boy where he wanted him he realised that the lad hadn't answered his earlier question. "So, are you going to answer my earlier question? You might as well, because you're not going anywhere anytime soon. So hasn't anyone ever taught not to turn your back on and ignore your elders and betters?" Jack asked.
Ben decided that it might be better to err on the side of politeness and answered, "No sir, I've been on my own for three years sir, but there are people on this ship who are probably worried about me now," and with that said Ben dropped the polite act and bolted as fast as he could down to the cabin, where he found Tommy.
"Whoa! What's up with you and where have you been?" Tommy asked and Ben came hurtling into the cabin, slightly panicked.
"I've been up on deck, and you know last night that I thought a first-class passenger had something against me? Well now I know they do because he just hauled me up to his own private deck by my ear and I only just managed to get away!" Ben blurted out.
Tommy just gaped at him as he finished. "What on earth did you do to attract attention to yourself last night? And what where you doing up on the deck at this time, most people have only just started moving!" he asked once he had regained his voice.
"For one, I done nothing to gain attention, I just happened to make eye contact with him once last night, and that was it! For two, I was up on deck this early to watch the sunrise over the waves!" Ben told him, still not at all calm. He climbed onto his bunk and put his sketchbook back into his rucksack, which was still lying on his pillow where he left it.
Jack, meanwhile was making his way into the first class dining area. He would catch up with the boy again later, no doubt he would go back up onto the deck, he seemed to like it up there.
Walking into the room, Jack was immediately greeted by two friends he had already made on the voyage; Caledon Hockley and his fiancée, Rose. He was invited to eat with them and Rose's mother Ruth. He gladly accepted, it was not much fun eating alone and anyone could tell by looking how in love Caledon and Rose were. It was clear that Caledon would give Rose the world if she asked for it. Or if she didn't, in that matter.
Ruth was asking him if he had his eyes on any young lady, to which he answered that regrettably he didn't and that he was travelling alone. He was then promptly invited to dine with them that evening, and he couldn't turn down the offer.
Caledon was also thrilled at this turn of events. Jack Dawson was the richest man aboard the ship, and having him dine with them would make him look extremely good. Not that Caledon Hockley was short of money. He already had a beautiful engagement present for his Rose.
Presently breakfast drew to an end, with everyone going his or her separate ways. Jack headed back up to his private deck to see if he could catch that steerage boy again.
Ben was in fact on deck, but not near the front of the ship. He was on the third class deck, sat near Tommy and Fabrizio. Cora, the little girl he had danced with at the party, was also near by and Ben was sketching her and her father, although they didn't know it.
He was doing his very best not to let Tommy and Fabrizio see what he was doing, he had told them he was studying. Presently he heard a voice. "You have a lot of talent." He glanced up and saw Tommy and Fabrizio deep in a game of cards and Cora and her Father hadn't moved. So who had spoke? He glanced around and couldn't see anyone. He shook his head to clear it.
"How's the studying coming along over there?" Tommy called to him.
Ben put the finishing touches onto his drawing and put it in his folder before answering. "I'm giving up!" He put his sketchbook back in his rucksack and went and joined Tommy and Fabrizio. "Whatever you're playing, deal me in!"
And from his hiding place, Jack frowned disapprovingly as Ben began to gamble, though mostly he won.
All to soon, though not soon enough for Jack, it was time for lunch and Tommy and Fabrizio headed below deck. Ben went and stood by the rail, telling them that he'd be down in a minute. With that, Cora and her father also left.
Seizing his chance, Jack grabbed the boy by the hand and managed to pull the boy back to his cabin. Ben was too shocked to make any fuss until they were back in Jack's cabin. Anger overflowed him, this was the second time that this man had practically kidnapped him! And he wasn't standing for it! Not at all.
"Don't even think about starting up," the man told him dryly and Ben shut his mouth with a snap.
Then he opened it again. "And why in all hell do I have to do as you say?" he hissed.
"Language!" the man scolded him and gave him a light clip around the ear. "And on the question of you obeying me, one because I out rank you and two because I can make your stay here very unpleasant!"
"And what do you want with me?!" Ben asked, folding his arms and glaring.
Wow, that was a long chapter! Please, please, please review!
LestatzLuvr - Thank you! Thank you!
Becky - Thanks! Glad you like it!
Chapter 4 The Meeting
Jack Dawson lay on his bed in his luxurious cabin, thinking about the boy he had seen staring at him on the viewing deck earlier. He still wasn't sure why he had called out to the boy, but the boy had bolted as soon as he had done. Probably scared, after all he himself was in first class, where the boy was nothing more than a gutter rat, a steerage passenger. Maybe that was why he was staring, he was in awe that he was on a ship with such people, but why did he seem drawn to the lad?
At the same moment in time, Ben was sleeping peacefully on the bunk above Tommy's without a care in the world. He was heading back out into the horizon, he was free, he could travel around and he'd already made two brilliant friends in Fabrizio and Tommy, even if Tommy was slightly protective of him. He guessed that it came from him travelling alone and them sharing a cabin. Or maybe Tommy was just like that, or even worse, he felt sorry for him, was pitying him, so he'd decided to look out for him in an attempt to make it better. Ben sure hoped not! He hated people's pity and charity. He could manage quite alright by himself, thank you very much! He had been doing it since he was nine and was happy doing it.
Rolling over Ben murmured sleepily and half opened his eyes. Looking out the small porthole they were lucky enough to have, he knew that it was far too early and that dawn wouldn't break for another few hours. Ben was used to waking up every few hours. Out on the streets it was a survival instinct and he would wake every few hours, or at a sudden noise, which could mean trouble, or at a change in temperature, which could affect his health. His senses where used to this and done it automatically, so he guessed that a sudden noise must have awoken him. He shut his eyes again and fell back into a doze.
Two hours later he woke again to see that Tommy had fallen off his bunk and was hopping around the cabin alternatively rubbing his foot and his head. Ben couldn't help it, he broke down into sniggers and memorised the image so that he could sketch it later. This reminded him that he still had the scenes he had memorised from the party last night to sketch. He had one of Tommy being dragged off to dance by a pretty young woman with an look of utter shock on his face, one of Fabrizio playing cards and once of a little girl who he had danced with called Cora.
Once more Ben shut his eyes and drifted off into sleep and about an hour later he opened them again, to discover that the other three occupants of the room still fast asleep. He climbed down off his bunk, grabbed his rucksack and once more headed up to the viewing deck. He knew that Tommy would probably have a fit when he discovered that he wasn't in the cabin when he woke up but that could be dealt with later.
Once up on the viewing deck he sat in the place he now considered his own and began to sketch the memorised scenes. He drew them with amazing accuracy, as if the people were posing for it while he drew, even though it was just from memory, which was why he was actually quite a good artist, but he didn't share that he had this skill with many others, though he had a feeling that Tommy would know that he could draw before the voyage was over and they parted ways. That was if they parted ways in the end, he had a feeling that was Tommy would insist on dragging him along where ever he was going. And heck! Knowing Tommy he would probably know that Ben could sketch before the sunset that night!
And speaking of the sun it was finally starting to rise above the horizon, painting the sky in a blanket of pink and it looked magnificent. Not many passengers, however, had woken up early enough to come up on deck and witness this delight as it was only about quarter to six in the morning. However, Ben did notice one other person on deck, standing quite close to him, watching as the sun appeared bit-by-bit, ready to give another day of service in light and heat to those down on earth.
With a startled gasp, Ben recognised it as the first-class man he had seen on the deck last night, the one who had called out to him as he left. He made to leave now, only to have the man call out to him again. He was about to break into a run when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the man and saw a stern face staring back down at him and he gulped audibly. How was he going to get out of this one? Tommy was going to kill him.
"Haven't you ever been taught not to turn your back on and ignore your elders and betters?" he was asked in a surprising soft voice which still held a taint of malice as the hand on his shoulder transferred to his ear and he was pulled along towards the first class promenade deck.
Once Jack had got the boy back to his own private deck he let him go and sat down. The boy instantly walked over to the railing, to where he could see the sea and the waves.
And freedom in Ben's mind. What did this man want from him? He had to get out of this place. He didn't want to be here, this man couldn't force him! Who did he think he was, dragging him to this place like that, by his ear! He was suddenly glad that it was early and nobody had seen what had happened. Mind you, Ben doubted that the young man would have done that to him if his fellow upper-class passengers where there to witness it.
He was startled out of his thoughts by the man's voice. "Front and centre, you!" he was ordered.
Ben turned around slowly and deciding that he didn't have much of another choice he went and stood in front of the man, who pulled him in between his legs. Ben shifted position slightly so that he was holding his sketchbook behind him with two hands, where he felt that it was relatively safe.
Now that Jack had the boy where he wanted him he realised that the lad hadn't answered his earlier question. "So, are you going to answer my earlier question? You might as well, because you're not going anywhere anytime soon. So hasn't anyone ever taught not to turn your back on and ignore your elders and betters?" Jack asked.
Ben decided that it might be better to err on the side of politeness and answered, "No sir, I've been on my own for three years sir, but there are people on this ship who are probably worried about me now," and with that said Ben dropped the polite act and bolted as fast as he could down to the cabin, where he found Tommy.
"Whoa! What's up with you and where have you been?" Tommy asked and Ben came hurtling into the cabin, slightly panicked.
"I've been up on deck, and you know last night that I thought a first-class passenger had something against me? Well now I know they do because he just hauled me up to his own private deck by my ear and I only just managed to get away!" Ben blurted out.
Tommy just gaped at him as he finished. "What on earth did you do to attract attention to yourself last night? And what where you doing up on the deck at this time, most people have only just started moving!" he asked once he had regained his voice.
"For one, I done nothing to gain attention, I just happened to make eye contact with him once last night, and that was it! For two, I was up on deck this early to watch the sunrise over the waves!" Ben told him, still not at all calm. He climbed onto his bunk and put his sketchbook back into his rucksack, which was still lying on his pillow where he left it.
Jack, meanwhile was making his way into the first class dining area. He would catch up with the boy again later, no doubt he would go back up onto the deck, he seemed to like it up there.
Walking into the room, Jack was immediately greeted by two friends he had already made on the voyage; Caledon Hockley and his fiancée, Rose. He was invited to eat with them and Rose's mother Ruth. He gladly accepted, it was not much fun eating alone and anyone could tell by looking how in love Caledon and Rose were. It was clear that Caledon would give Rose the world if she asked for it. Or if she didn't, in that matter.
Ruth was asking him if he had his eyes on any young lady, to which he answered that regrettably he didn't and that he was travelling alone. He was then promptly invited to dine with them that evening, and he couldn't turn down the offer.
Caledon was also thrilled at this turn of events. Jack Dawson was the richest man aboard the ship, and having him dine with them would make him look extremely good. Not that Caledon Hockley was short of money. He already had a beautiful engagement present for his Rose.
Presently breakfast drew to an end, with everyone going his or her separate ways. Jack headed back up to his private deck to see if he could catch that steerage boy again.
Ben was in fact on deck, but not near the front of the ship. He was on the third class deck, sat near Tommy and Fabrizio. Cora, the little girl he had danced with at the party, was also near by and Ben was sketching her and her father, although they didn't know it.
He was doing his very best not to let Tommy and Fabrizio see what he was doing, he had told them he was studying. Presently he heard a voice. "You have a lot of talent." He glanced up and saw Tommy and Fabrizio deep in a game of cards and Cora and her Father hadn't moved. So who had spoke? He glanced around and couldn't see anyone. He shook his head to clear it.
"How's the studying coming along over there?" Tommy called to him.
Ben put the finishing touches onto his drawing and put it in his folder before answering. "I'm giving up!" He put his sketchbook back in his rucksack and went and joined Tommy and Fabrizio. "Whatever you're playing, deal me in!"
And from his hiding place, Jack frowned disapprovingly as Ben began to gamble, though mostly he won.
All to soon, though not soon enough for Jack, it was time for lunch and Tommy and Fabrizio headed below deck. Ben went and stood by the rail, telling them that he'd be down in a minute. With that, Cora and her father also left.
Seizing his chance, Jack grabbed the boy by the hand and managed to pull the boy back to his cabin. Ben was too shocked to make any fuss until they were back in Jack's cabin. Anger overflowed him, this was the second time that this man had practically kidnapped him! And he wasn't standing for it! Not at all.
"Don't even think about starting up," the man told him dryly and Ben shut his mouth with a snap.
Then he opened it again. "And why in all hell do I have to do as you say?" he hissed.
"Language!" the man scolded him and gave him a light clip around the ear. "And on the question of you obeying me, one because I out rank you and two because I can make your stay here very unpleasant!"
"And what do you want with me?!" Ben asked, folding his arms and glaring.
Wow, that was a long chapter! Please, please, please review!