Epilogue

TWs: None but read at your own risk

Notes: Well, we have come to the final part, folks! After four and a half years. I have been churning out the last chapters at an insane rate and I hope they were satisfying. Hopefully, the ending will satisfy you as well. I have considered many different endings and ultimately decided this was the best one. Let me know if you want a chapter with the other endings I considered.

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When aboard Carpathia, Regina had not dared to ask the steward if there was a Robin of Locksley on the list. Not only did she think she would be unable to handle the answer, she was also too concerned with the twelve-year-old that had been left in her care.

At the Waldorf-Astoria, she had once again run into Caledon Hockley, who had been allowed to testify to what happened that fateful night, and the inquiry into the disaster had begun at the Waldorf-Astoria, which was his reason for being there.

The following day, they had set out for Philadelphia. Regina's father had promised to take care of the debts in Ruth's name so she could start over with a clean slate. Regina moved back into her old room at the Mills estate and Henry got his own.

While Henry was now officially registered as a Mills, that also meant learning to become part of the Philadelphia society. He had been assigned tutors for education and was ready to enter the society in no-time. Regina herself was there for Henry as well as she could, becoming his sole mother figure, while trying to keep Emma's memory alive. They had sent a letter back to England, to Emma's parents. It had taken a while to get a response, but eventually they agreed with Emma's parents to meet with them some time in the near future.

When the realisation really set in that her mother was gone and she was never going to be able to speak to her again, Regina had fallen into a bit of a negative spiral. Fortunately, Ruth was there for her. She came over regularly when she did not have to work, and Ruth and her father seemed to get along quite nicely. It was also Ruth who had suggested to her father that he could teach his daughter about finances and keeping up the estate.

That was a lifeline for Regina because it turned out she had quite the talent for numbers and the workings of the economy. Before long, she was managing the financial matters of the Mills family on her own and she set apart funds for Henry's education and their trip to England. The money her father paid her, she used to provide for herself and Henry, so that they were essentially their own household. Regina had also become a respected member of Philadelphia high society, demanding respect from men and women alike. Ruth became something of a mother figure to her. Rose and Ruby wrote them often, telling them about their adventures together.

Time passed quite quickly, and Regina desperately tried to forget about the trauma of that fateful night. Some nights, she still woke up from nightmares, as did Henry. In March of 1913, Regina and Henry undertook a trip to England aboard the newly refitted RMS Olympic. Fortunately, this trip did not end in disaster and Henry got to spend some precious time with his grandparents. Looking out over the ocean, she had wondered what happened to Robin, feeling guilty that she had not asked if his name was on the survivors' list.

When they returned to Philadelphia in April of that year, her father had presented her with a letter. It had a Pittsburgh stamp on it, immediately indicating from whom it came. Regina met with him the week after, at a coffeehouse. She sat down across from him and wondered what could possibly come from this.

"Mr Hockley," she greeted Cal, who arched an eyebrow. "Oh, so we're back to formalities are we, miss Mills?" He asked.

Regina rolled her eyes and said, "We do not have to be, but we have to at least keep up appearances for our fellow society members, hm? They aren't aware we have met before." She ordered her own coffee, and he ordered his. "So," he started his question, "how have you been? From what I hear you have done quite well for yourself."

"I have been doing well, thank you. Sometimes we are still haunted by that fateful night, but the nightmares are becoming less and less frequent. My father has been allowing me to run the estate. The money it earns me goes into providing for Henry and myself. Last month we undertook a journey to England aboard the Olympic to meet with his grandparents," she said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Independence is treating you well," he acknowledged. "You look healthy and dare I say happy."

Regina nodded. "Thank you. I am. So, how have you been doing then?" She asked.

"Battling demons," he admitted, "but overall fine. I convinced my father to give me time to find the right woman to marry. Although he does keep bothering me about it."

"Oh, does he? So that is why you are here, hm?" She teased.

Cal chuckled. "Of course not, that's preposterous," he said. "I don't know you very well, but well enough to know you wouldn't stand for that."

Regina smiled. "That's right," she said. "So, you wanted to get to know me. What is it you wish to know?"

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The next time Rose and Ruby came by it was summer. Rose had just told everybody about her upcoming performance on Broadway when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, Regina excused herself to open the door. She hadn't expected to find Robin here and she had to do a double take. "Robin…?" She eventually asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I uh… I came to find you because I was wondering if we could talk?" He responded honestly, though he barely met her eyes. Regina blinked before regaining herself and asking, "Yes, of course. Would you like to come in?"

"If it's no bother…," Robin hesitated. Regina rolled her eyes. "If it was a bother, I would not have asked. Come on in," she said as she stepped aside to let him in.

Regina led him through to the sitting room, where Robin sat down on one of the sofas. Regina asked Robin if she could get him anything, tea, or coffee maybe or something else.

Robin chatted with Rose and Ruby while Regina fetched refreshments and they were talking about something or other when she returned. Regina sat down across from Robin. "So, what brought you here today?" She asked. Robin had expected that question and replied, "Well, I… I have spent the last year procrastinating. Wondering if you'd turn me away if I showed up out of the blue. But now that I am due to be wed soon, I needed to leave the past in the past and deal with what we left unresolved."

Regina blinked, somewhat surprised to hear that he was engaged. "You are getting married? Congratulations," she said eventually. Robin smiled and said, "Thank you. I love my Marian very much. We weren't planning on getting married so soon, but she is with child. Which is also why I have to close this chapter once and for all. I wanted to see if you were okay, and it appears you are. How are you doing? What happened after the last time I saw you?"

Ruby and Rose quickly excused themselves to leave their friends to talk. "My mother committed a last act of bravery and took care of Leopold and his creepy valet before she perished that fateful night. We found out that Emma hadn't survived the disaster, so I have been taking care of Henry. At least, as well as I can. My father has been letting me run the estate and he and Ruth get along very well. I predict it won't be long until something comes of it. Nevertheless, I want you to know that I am very grateful for all you did back then. You helped me find my independence, which is allowing me to live the way I do now. So, thank you for that, I suppose. And how did you survive?" Regina said.

Robin scrunched his nose. "It's good to hear that you have found your freedom and independence. You don't have to thank me for it though. And well, the very last lifeboat had fallen onto the deck the wrong way up, and climbed on top of it, together with a couple of officers. We stayed that way with about thirty of us for the whole night until the crews of lifeboats 4 and 12 heard officer Lightoller's whistle. I was lucky to survive that night," he said.

Regina's face flushed. "Onboard Carpathia I wanted to know if you survived, but I didn't think I could bear the answer, so I didn't ask. All this time I have wondered if you might have, but I never quite found the courage and it is already difficult enough to forget the trauma of that night. The screams and then the silence – I still have nightmares and I was one of the first people to be saved," she said.

"You aren't the only one dealing with trauma from that night, so I don't blame you. I have seen what you were like back then, so I can imagine the knowledge would have been too much. Marian and I met a couple of months after the disaster and she had quite a bit of trouble dealing with my trauma in the beginning," Robin said.

"Well, I am happy that you have found someone like her. I really do wish you all the best. If there's ever anything I can do for you…" Regina said.

"You're well-connected, yes, I figured. I heard a couple of rumours that you have made quite a name for yourself, even among the upper-class men. And there is this other rumour, but I don't know how much of it is true…" Robin replied. Regina frowned, somewhat confused about what he could mean. "And which rumour is that?" she asked. Robin shrugged, "Something about your rumoured dalliance with Hockley?" he asked.

"Oh, that," Regina replied.

Robin frowned and asked, "So it is true? You and Hockley – the man Rose was due to marry? I thought he was just as bad as the other guy. What changed?"

Regina could only sigh. She had expected the question, but the explanation was not as straightforward as many. "Well, yes, it's true. Though it is not as straightforward as you might think," she said.

If possible, Robins frown only deepened. "It is not?" He asked. Regina took a deep breath, knowing that she was not going to escape his inquisitive gaze. "It is not. He is the one who told me about my mother's final act. He was there after I had to tell Henry his mother wasn't coming back. We are… a lot alike. And yet I held out on him until I could be absolutely sure he was genuine in his interest for me. I may or may not have made him wait a year," she said.

Robin chuckled and asked, "A year? And are you happy now?" Regina nodded in affirmation. "Happier than ever, though I am holding off on anything too permanent for now, for Henry's sake," she said. "I do not want anything to change for Henry right now, because he is finally doing well, and his happiness is my first priority."

"Does he know?" Robin asked. "How happy you are, I mean?" Regina frowned, unsure where Robin was going with this. "Well, yes, I suppose he does," she started, before asking, "why?"

"Because perhaps you should talk to him about it, then. He is nearly fourteen, is he not? Surely Henry can tell you if he objects to your union, can he not?" Robin asked.

"I – yes, you may have a point, thank you. I shall take it into consideration," Regina said. "Do you have a place for the night, or should I prepare one of the guest rooms for you, I am sure my father wouldn't mind?" She asked, knowing that it would be close to impossible for Robin to travel back today.

Robin swiftly declined the offer. "I have a place to stay for the night. I will be returning to Boston early tomorrow morning," he said. "Besides, I wouldn't want to bother you."

"If you are certain. But at least stay for dinner then," Regina said. Robin just rolled his eyes. "If you insist, how can I say no?" He replied. That night, Robin and Henry were reunited, while Regina had to introduce Robin to her father as well. Her father had brought Ruth along for dinner, who of course also remembered Robin from the year before although she had only seen him at the party. Titanic felt like such a long time ago now, though it was spoken about at dinner now, because it was the one thing almost everyone at the table had in common.

Only Regina's father seemed a bit lost, but he could string certain events together from what he had been told. Henry asked Robin about those final hours, especially because Robin had spent those hours with Emma. So, Robin's final hours aboard Titanic were also Emma's. Of course, Robin only spoke of Emma's heroic actions. Although it seemed highly unlikely she had done anything unheroic.

Rose and Ruby spoke with Robin about their travels, and it almost felt like no time had passed since they had last seen one another. Of course, things were different now, but it was amiable, nonetheless. It was getting dark out when Regina's father offered to have his driver take Robin into town, an offer that Robin could not refuse. Robin was also told that should he be in need of a job, he could get in touch. It was almost like they were one big family now, with Robin extending invitations to his upcoming nuptials. Although it was very likely to just be a small church ceremony.

After they had all said their goodbyes and promised to stay in touch, Regina sent Henry up to bed and read him a story. But it wasn't a story that Henry wanted to hear.

"Mom, are you happy?" Henry asked, almost childishly. "Of course I am happy, sweetheart. I am happy wherever I am with you. You know that, right?" Regina said.

The first time he had called her 'mom' had been at the beginning of the new year and she had asked him if he was certain. Regina never intended to replace Emma, after all, but Henry saw it differently and told her that although Emma was his birth mom, Regina was his mother in all the ways it counts now, when Emma was no longer here.

Regina tried to keep Emma's memory alive, of course, but she had allowed him to call her mom now, even though it still felt a bit weird because she was only six and a half years his senior.

"I meant with Mr Hockley," Henry clarified.

"Right," she said. "Well, the answer remains the same. Yes, I am happy." Henry smiled softly. "Does that mean you will marry him?" Henry asked.

Regina could barely hide her shock. "Would you – would you be okay with that?" She asked, when she regained her composure. Henry snorted. "Well, if you would let us spend some time together, I could at least get to know the man, but I think I would be all right with it, if it made you happy," he said.

"I think the first thing could be arranged, but are you certain? It would mean a lot of change. For both of us. We might have to move – or move back and forth a lot. And-" Regina was about to say a lot more, but Henry cut her off and said, "So long as it means we are all happy, it matters not, or does it?"

Regina chuckled. "I suppose it would not, but I just – do not wish to compromise the happiness we already have and make things unnecessarily complicated," she said. Henry rolled his eyes in response. "I know I am the kid in this situation, so forgive me if I am wrong, but isn't holding out on your own happiness for my sake already making things unnecessarily complicated? Saying yes to being happy does not mean everything changes immediately, right? If Mr Hockley is a reasonable man, surely he would only want you to be happy as well, yes? He would move heaven and earth for you if he could, if he truly loves you," he said.

"You sound like such a grownup already. You are thirteen, not thirty. Where did that boyish innocence go? The boy that had an operation name ready for every eventuality?"

"Almost fourteen," he corrected. "And I don't know. Just have not had time to fool around like a kid anymore, I suppose. With all those trips with grandpa, the tutors, society stuff…" Henry trailed off, yawning loudly.

"I see," Regina replied. "What do you say we take a silly day tomorrow?" Henry chuckled, stifling another yawn. "What is that?"

"A day off to do silly things. No work, no school, no society stuff. Just us in comfortable clothes doing silly things together. To remind ourselves that it is okay to let loose and do crazy things every once in a while. As a reminder that we do not have to be perfect all of the time," Regina clarified.

"I like that," Henry said, before promptly falling asleep.

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The next time the entire group came together was at Robin and Marian's church ceremony at the end of summer. With only the six other survivors and Regina's father in attendance, it was a small ceremony, but each of the wealthy guests had brought a generous gift and pitched in for a festive day.

Regina, Cal, the Henrys and Ruth had worked together to gift the happy couple a honeymoon, while Rose had gifted them tickets to a Broadway show and train passes. Ruby had offered to take Robin and Marian shopping for clothes and baby supplies. They had dinner together that evening, before the group split up again.

Two years later, they came together again. This time for a double wedding. If they weren't already a big found family, they certainly were now. Rose and Regina had already felt like they were sisters, but they hadn't imagined it would one day be real, with Ruth marrying Henry. Regina herself also had not imagined she would find love in life. Let alone with the man Rose was once engaged to.

The three of them became their own little family, travelling around a lot, until Cal and Regina's father merged their businesses. Both families held fifty percent of the shares, and Regina oversaw the financial side. They would never have children of their own – Henry was enough for them.

Henry would go on to study at Harvard University, marrying a girl named Violet years later. Rose would meet her future husband on Broadway, while Ruby went into politics. Eventually, Regina's father retired and gave his shares to his daughter, who would give them to Henry.

Renowned for her financial prowess, Regina not only handled the business and family's financials, but also became a household name within the community for people who needed financial advice. The family would help families in need where they could.

Especially when the crash of '29 came around, they kept the damage to a minimum for as many people as they could. Something that was only possible because Regina was one of the few people who had seen it coming and had anticipated on it. The family would celebrate Christmas together every year, go on holidays together and commemorate the fateful events that had brought them all together in the first place. They mourned and celebrated together.

Because sometimes when tragedy strikes, something beautiful can come from it. Sometimes, true love can conquer tragedy. Even if that love comes around in ways you had not expected going into it. The true love of the people you surround yourself with, those you would trust with your life, those who only want the best for you. True love does not just come from romance, but also from family, from sacrifice and from the people with whom you share experiences.

This particular family found one another on a trip across the Atlantic, and despite the tragedy they endured, it only made them stronger. Instead of tearing them apart, tragedy had brought them together. They suffered losses but also gained much. For them, in many ways, Titanic ended up being the ship of dreams after all. Because against all expectations, it had brought them unsinkable love.

Fin.

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End Notes: Here we go. It took me over four years, but it's finished. Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews and if you have any burning questions, feel free to ask them. Such as why I brought certain people together or why each character's story ended the way it did, or whatever else you wish to know. I'd be happy to answer your questions.

Much love,

PhantomWritr