Most of this chapter takes place on a friday, and the ship hit the berg on a sunday so that leaves two more days before the sinking.

Chapter five

The wind was blowing strong in Lily's ears and she fell into a numbness that blotted out all sound. She was regretting her little slip up with James. The way he was looking at her said it all. He had probably read every article in the newspaper that mentioned her name and perhaps had snipped out the black and white photo's of her after deciding how wonderful they would look if they were framed and hung on the walls of his house. The pervert.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, but James didn't seem to have noticed. He was looking at her with a mixed expression on his face, a muddle of confusion and astonishment. Embarrassment and fear took a hold of Lily, but so did anger and that was all she let show.

"What!" Lily snapped. "Stop staring at me like that, it's very rude!"

"You're Lily Evans though, right?" James said excitedly.

Lily really didn't want to say anymore to James and decided it would be a waste of her time if she stood in his presence any longer. She shot back another angry retort at James and then stormed off, towards the first class decks. It took James a few seconds to fully register what had just happened before he rushed off after Lily calling her name.

"What!" Lily snarled as James took hold of her arm and turned her around to face him. Lily tried to wrench herself free, but his grip was too strong. "Let me go!"

"Lily, no, look, please don't yell," James said breathlessly. "I need to talk to you about some - "

But Lily had just managed to jerk her arm away from him and she took off as fast as her shoes would let her, up the white metal staircase and onto the first class decks. She could hear James clambering up the steps after her, but the two officers that had thrown him down previously were still standing near the stairs and when James saw them, he went back down looking disappointed.

Lily gave him one last sharp glare, telling him if he ever tried to get near her again, she would call the proper authorities on him and make sure he was locked up for the rest of his days. Well, maybe not that long, that would be a bit too harsh. Did Lily even have that much power? Maybe... Lily had always thought she had more power than she deserved and didn't like to pull herself up from others.

Well, hopefully James wouldn't dare bother her again and she wouldn't have to alert anyone. Wistful thinking that turned out to be.

Typical, Lily thought, whenever she wanted something to go her way it never did. Well of course one will always want something to go their way, but Lily knew when she really wanted and needed, desperately needed, something to go her way, it never did. And boy did she need it now.

During the next day, Lily could have sworn she had seen flashes of James around the first class area. In the dining hall, in the hallways, on the decks, and even in the woman's poetry room.

Lily didn't say anything at first, thinking she was just being paranoid. But after catching a glimpse of messy black hair vanishing behind one of the bookshelves in the library, Lily knew who she was dealing with and was now aware that all her previous's sightings had indeed been correct.

But now that she had gotten a better look at him, what should she do? Drop her book and run out of there fast, or corner James behind the bookshelf? Tricky...but Lily didn't know how to get rid of him, so if she cornered him and tired to tell him to stay out of her way, then that would certainly be much better for her. On the other hand, she had already told him precisely that and he didn't exactly listen did her?

"Hi, Lily!"

Lily jumped and whirled around and was face to face with James.

"You," she breathed.

"Lily, please listen to me - "

"That's Miss Evans to you Mr." Lily hissed before turning away from him and marching off in the opposite direction, into the hallway opposite. James rushed off after her.

"No Lily - I mean Evans - please, you have to - "

But Lily, moving surprisingly fast owing to her heels, was already out of earshot.

"Good Heavens Lily! Don't slam the door like that, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry mum," Lily muttered, as she brushed past breathlessly and collapsed on her bed. "I've been having a rough couple of days."

"You've been having a rough couple of days?" her mother retorted. "And you think I've just been lying around enjoying myself? Do you have any idea how much planning this wedding of yours requires? I didn't think so! And you aren't helping a bit!"

"You never take any of my suggestions!" Lily said. "And the last time I offered something you threw me out of the room!"

"When? I never did such a thing!"

Lily closed her eyes and breathed in deep. If there was one thing she hated, it was people not remembering what they said some time ago, or thinking that she said something that she knew perfectly well she didn't.

Write down what other people say so you can prove them wrong when they deny it later.

Ah, inspiring words, the best advice anyone had ever given Lily. Though she couldn't quite remember who had told her this... That's it Lily, keep a notebook on you at all times.

Lily was known to have a bad memory. That's why no one took her seriously when she was recounting events. Okay, sure she didn't remember what had happened to her before she ended up in the orphanage, but for crying out loud that didn't mean she couldn't recall what book she'd read the day previous.

"Lily are you coming to tea?" her mother peered in through the door at Lily, still lying on the bed.

Lily shook her head. "No, bad headache..."

"Alright, but I expect you to have decided on at least what flowers you want."

"I don't care, roses."

"Well, put a little thought into it at least. This is the day you'll remember for the rest of your life. The night that will stick out in your mind forever and you want it to be perfect don't you?"

"Yes mum..."

"Alright, I'll be going now. And if you see either of your sisters would you tell them where I am?"

"Yes mum."

Lily's eyes opened as the door clicked shut behind her mother and she lay on the bed for several minutes more, wondering what to do.

"Ah Lily I was wondering when you'd get back in."

Lily jumped and leapt off the bed as if she'd received an electric shock. "Oh," she breathed. "It's just you Rick..." Lily frowned the moment she said this. Normally she would have been far from relieved if she had found Rick snooping around in her bedroom, but Lily had been expecting James and was, for the first time ever, happy to see Rick. Well, not happy exactly...

"Get out of my bedroom," Lily growled through clenched teeth. "I've told you already to leave me alone!"

Rick crossed his arms and leaned against Lily's dresser calmly, a small smile creeping up his face. "You won't even speak one civil word to me, but you'll spend a whole afternoon mingling with two third class men on the decks."

"How did you know I - have you been spying on me!" Lily accused.

Rick frowned. "Oh come now, surely you wouldn't think I'd do something as horrible as that? No, I was just walking around the decks and happened to spot you. What were you doing down there?"

"None of your business," Lily glared, pointing to the door. "Now please get out before I stab you with a hairpin."

The smile slid off Rick's face and he straightened up. "One afternoon in your company is all I ask. Your mother has been asking me nonstop about what flowers or colours you want for the wedding and I'd like to have some answers for her."

"I don't want to talk about the wedding," Lily mumbled, walking over to her dressing table and picking up her hat. "But if it will stop you nagging me, I will agree to go up to the deck with you." She paused as she tied her the bow for her hat underneath her chin and the looked up at Rick. "But you must promise not to - "

"I won't Lily," Rick said, now looking irritated. He stuck out his arm though, for Lily to take. But she left him hanging and walked out of the room unescorted.

xxx

"Have you gotten any recent messages from Linus?" Rick questioned as he and Lily walked slowly down the promenade deck.

Lily lowered her eyebrows. "No..." She paused. "No, it's been a while since I've heard from him actually..." She shook her head. "Well he'd probably only contact me for something really important. He wanted me to enjoy this trip across the Atlantic. He knows I'm a bit stressed out and hopes that a bit of sea air would do me good. He doesn't want to bother me." She looked up at Rick. "I wish you didn't want to bother me."

Rick laughed, Lily scowled.

xxx

Where is it? James thought, frantically unpacking his luggage and flinging his clothes this way and that. Where on earth did I put it? I know I brought it with me?

"Er... James?"

James looked up and saw his roommate standing in the doorframe eyeing him strangely.

"Just - er - looking for something..." James trailed off.

"I came for my jacket," George said, looking at the room.

"I'll clean it up," James said hastily. "And I think I saw your jacket underneath the bed," he pointed.

"Right," George said quickly and strode over to the bunk. "I'm going back up to the decks."

"Right," James nodded, and continued tossing his belonging's out of his trunk.

George stepped gingerly over the discarded clothes on his way to the door. He turned to look at James one more time before he left. "You're not going to sneak back up to first class are you? Leave the girl alone. She doesn't want anything to do with you."

"I'm not going back to first class," said James, his head still turned away from George. "And you have no idea what that girl has put me through."

"Then why are you trying to get her to speak with you?"

"It's nothing, I can't explain..." James muttered and was very glad when he heard the door click shut behind George.

He couldn't tell anybody why he was really trying to speak with Lily Evans. No one would believe him and he might get sent to a mental hospital or something. But he need to speak to her. It was why he came here in the first place. He had been looking for her for all his life. He felt it was her fault she got lost here in the first place and he had to bring her back.

But she didn't even remember him. Well, James had to admit he didn't recognize her at first either. Plus it didn't help that she had lied about her name.

James's heart suddenly leapt. There it was, at the very bottom of his trunk. A picture. A very old picture of him and Lily standing side by side, both looking very young and rather impatient. No wonder I didn't recognize her, James thought. She looked so much different back then. For one thing she had long orange hair back then, which tumbled out messily over her shoulders. Now her hair was a dark, dark red, always neatly tied up in a tight bun. Her face was also rounder when she was younger and she had lost her freckles.

The small James in the picture looked at lot like the older James staring at the picture only much younger. He and Lily were standing quite a ways apart, both looking at each other angrily. They had never really gotten along. James had always thought of Lily as the rich, and spoiled princess and she had probably thought of him as a peasant.

James would have thought he'd have enjoyed life without Lily Evans, but when she did disappear he knew how and he knew why. It was his fault and he had to bring her back to her parents.

Though Lily, personality wise, was still the same as ever. Bratty and stubborn. James was now starting to regret coming here. What was the point if she refused to acknowledge him and there was no way he'd be able to tell her without her cooperation. What did he have to do? Sneak in there at night and 'kidnap' her, bringing her down here where he could tie her to a chair and force her to listen to him?

Let's call that plan Z, James thought, smiling slightly at the image of perfect Lily being at his mercy. He shook his head to get rid of the ugly thought and decided he would try to catch her alone tomorrow. Or maybe... James jumped up, suddenly excited. Or maybe he could follow her and find out where her stateroom was, and slip in the picture of them together. If she saw it she would probably want answers and she would know he'd be the only one who could give them to her.

A bit short, but I think the next chapter will be much longer. With more James/Lily action.

Review please!