Panting, gasping for air. A moan. Faster, and faster. A deep exhale. Relief.

Beca shot up from the bench she was lying on, blowing the smoke out quickly from her cigarette. She looked around, concerned about the commotion she heard bolting past her. Someone, some woman, ran past where Beca was relaxing. The clicking of her heels echoing loudly against the ship's deck.

Beca always had a card up her sleeve. She moved around a lot, always moving forward. She was homeless, but certainly not disappointed. As long as she had the air in her lungs, she was going to do what she wanted, and what she wanted was to live. Really live. When you really live, you have to be creative. You have to look out for yourself. This kept things interesting, and also somewhat fun. Earlier that very day, she wasn't even sure she'd be on the back end of the world's grandest ship. She wasn't aware that she would be enjoying the smoke she bummed off of a stranger she met in Steerage. She had no idea the night would be this clear, this quiet, this peaceful.

Crying. Faint crying. Jingles against steel. Slow, deep breathing. Sniffle.

She was with her buddy Jesse that morning, walking in and swindling the doorman to a pub. Taking a seat with her pal pretending they were late to a poker match. What were their options for getting back home anyway? This pub was just outside where the ship was docked, where the ship was collecting its passengers. Beca knew the area's cheats and con artists for the time she stayed. She knew where action took place, and she knew the stakes they created.

"You're really going all in on this one?" Jesse shot Beca.

"When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose." Beca shot back behind her cards.

They both returned their gaze to the money on the table, including two tickets to Titanic–the miracle ship taking its first voyage to America. The two men sitting with them were very confident they would win extra money for their voyage, and in order to keep the two American's betting, they added their tickets on top just to make it juicier. Little did they know, Beca wanted those tickets and nothing more. This was her plan all along. She wanted to get back home, and wanted her friend to do the very same.

Silence.

Beca looked ahead, in the direction she heard this woman run. She was already fairly close to the back of Titanic. She knew this person couldn't have gone anywhere else, really. Unless she wanted to fall off the damn–

"Shit!" Beca gasped.

Beca got up quickly, flicking the ash from her cigarette and walking forward. She could hear once again gentle sobs growing louder as she moved to the end of the deck. Nothing, however, was quite as striking as the fiery red hair she saw blowing in the dark wind. She knew several redheads from Ireland but this color was intense, and hypnotizing. She had stopped in her tracks, taken aback. She shook this off momentarily, especially when she registered that this woman was on the other side of the railing, leaning over the freezing ocean churning beneath them.

Fight or flight. Beca took a slow breath. She knew that this woman was in hysterics. She knew that a sudden approach could scare her, or possibly cause her to jump immediately. Slow and steady. Beca began walking closer to the redhead, taking the time to draw out one last pull of her cigarette. Beca was clever. She knew how to talk someone over. This situation was a bit above her pay grade. She was truly worried about this woman, though. She couldn't stay away after seeing this–what kind of person would?! She thought deeply for just another moment, studying the back of this woman's deep green gown. She must have belonged in First Class. She may not even bother with a smaller, penniless woman. How could BEca get through to her and get her back to safety? She put her hands in the pockets of her faded trousers after flicking the cigarette out of her hand.

"Way to wreck a beautiful night, Miss." Beca said, seemingly absent-mindedly. She stood a few feet from the woman, completely still.

The redhead gasped, and turned her head to see Beca standing behind her. She saw the dark-haired woman in a poor man's suspenders, looking to the side, out over the water–not at her. Chloe turned her head back out to the ocean.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" She shouted.

"I was enjoying my last cigarette–it wasn't even mine! Do you know how hard it is to enjoy this beautiful evening on such a crowded ship? No one was out here–damn."

Chloe was incredibly confused. Was this stranger actually annoyed that she hadn't jumped? Or that she was around at all? Look at what she was doing for Christ's sake! What a rude, unkind woman.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry for disrupting your evening, Miss!" Chloe spat, looking out.

There were a few beats. Chloe wasn't sure why she hadn't gotten a retort. She slowly turned her head again to see if this woman was still there.

She was! The short, arrogant, inconsiderate brunette was still there. Most of all, she looked bored. Bored!

Chloe rolled her tear-stained eyes and scoffed.

"I told you to go away! You're just standing there like a crazy person!"

Beca smirked.

"That's what everyone says Miss, but with all due respect, Miss, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here." Beca quipped.

"Great. I've ruined your precious quiet time, and now I'm being called names. I should just–"

"It's just so loud again. All your thoughts in your redhead, it's annoying. Disrupting, you know. And now I have to do this?!" Beca sighs dramatically, stretching the suspenders out and back in, in mock frustration.

Chloe laughed for a second, scoffing. She shook her head. They both remained silent. Suddenly, Chloe furrowed her eyebrows.

"D-do what, exactly?" She slowly turned her head back to the shorter woman, eyeing her cautiously.

Beca was feeling her hook nibble. She took a slow step forward. She shook her head.

"This one time, I was what–maybe 11 years old? I was living in Wisconsin at the time. Have you ever been?"

Chloe continued staring.

"Nevermind. Anyway they have crazy winters there. Like freak winters. I was young though, and at the time, snow was the best! I loved it. I didn't have many friends out where my folks lived. We were far away from everyone. I got real good at playing things alone–like situations using my imagination, you know?"

Beca took another slow step forward as Chloe looked back out over the water.

"What?" Chloe sighed.

"Nothing weird or raunchy ma'am, I was a kid. If you want to know some role-play games I can–"

"GOOD GRACIOUS, t-that's not what–"

"I apologize." Beca raised her hands in defense. "You seem like an indoor girl, probably a bit sheltered." Beca bit the inside of her cheek.

Chloe was growing incredibly frustrated at this strange girl. How dare she bring up something like sex in such a moment?! However Chloe DID notice a small butterfly quickly move through her stomach. She shook her head and closed her eyes, leaning further out from the railing.

"Look, the icy water is what I'm getting at. That day, I fell through some thin ice while playing 'hunter and gatherer' one afternoon. And water down there, like right down there where you are leaning?"

Chloe opened her eyes and moved back against the railing. She looked at Beca again, noticing the stranger was much closer, and moving to stand beside Chloe. She watched the chocolate-haired woman look out over the water, noticing her sharp angled profile. She was very pretty.

"It feels like thousands of knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think–at least not about anything but the pain." Beca said quietly, placing her hands on the railing. "And now I'm going to have to suffer that again when I jump in after you. This sucks."

Chloe arched an eyebrow, and bit her lip. Was it really that painful?

"Well. The fall alone might kill you–so I wouldn't be too concerned with your discomfort." Chloe said, challenging.

"Maybe. Regardless, it's not the way I would have liked to end my night."

"Then leave! What's keeping you here? I didn't ask you to jump in after me! I don't need your heroics. You don't owe me anything! You don't even know me!" Chloe yelled, looking directly at the woman on the other side of the railing.

"But I'd like to." Beca said simply, turning to meet the fiery girl's gaze.

"You jumping makes that go away for me. In turn, you would have struck out with me tonight. You already disrupted the peace and quiet, you would make me wet–and not in a good way–"

Chloe blushed.

"-And I wouldn't get to know you. How is any of this fair?"

Chloe sniffed, another tear falling from her face.

"I guess I'm hoping you come back over the railing and let me off the hook here." Beca said, kinder than she had been acting.

She watched the wheels turning in this redhead's mind. With a breath of her own, Beca reached out her hand slowly.

"Come on, take my hand. You don't want to do this." She pleaded quietly.

Chloe felt scared, and deep down, she knew she didn't want to jump. Well she did, but she didn't. She was lost. In another way, she wanted to come back over just to have the chance to get back at the brunette for being so annoying. The ginger let her guard down a bit, and slowly turned to look at the delicate hand being offered to her. She accepted that she would come back over. She slid her hand into the other's, and started to turn completely around.

Beca took her hand tightly, and let out a small sigh of relief.

"I've got you, come on."

Once the woman was completely face-to-face with Beca, their faces inches apart, Beca was completely struck with this woman's beauty. Her light blue eyes, her soft complexion, her deep red-stained lips. She even noticed a small scar on the woman's forehead. It was beautiful. Beca was quite certain this woman was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Was she even real? It was incredible.

It was also, overwhelming.

Beca shot a quick breath out, steadying herself again. The redhead was looking directly in her eyes.

"B-beca. Beca Mitchell. I'm–Beca. Well actually it's Rebecca but that's too girly for my liking. Rebecca Mitchell. Gross." She cringed internally.

The beautiful redhead let out a small laugh–and immediately Beca knew she wanted to hear that laugh forever.

"I'm Chloe Beale." She smiled.

They looked at each other for a few moments longer.

"Chloe." Beca repeated, nodding. Smiling.

"Okay Chloe, just take a step up, I've got you. We can do this. One step at a time. Do you trust me?"

Chloe did, somehow. She couldn't explain it. She couldn't really explain anything tonight.

"I trust you."

Chloe slowly took her first step up, worry spreading across her face, looking down at the bottom of her skirt and heels.

"This is why I don't do dresses. They can be so inconvenient." Beca smirked, trying to keep the woman's fear at bay.

"They can be in other circumstances." Chloe looked up and winked at the smaller girl.

Damn it. Beca was trying to hold this woman steady, not pass out.

A few more steps, and Chloe was able to start lifting her leg over–when her dress caused her to slip. She was high enough for Beca to grab onto her hips and pull her forward quickly. The inertia made them both fall backwards onto the deck–Beca holding onto Chloe as she went down. The redhead fell on top of Beca. They were on the other side now, safely.

In their fall, Chloe let out a loud scream–alarming some of the crew nearby. They ran towards the noise quickly. Just as they were approaching, Chloe was quickly getting off of Beca and standing back up, Beca doing the same awkwardly. The two men saw the girls.

"What's going on here! Ma'am are you alright?" They barked, and only addressed Chloe. To be fair, Chloe's makeup was running and she looked winded. Beca would let their difference in class go for the moment. Beca sighed and took a step away from Chloe as the two men swarmed her.

"Fetch the Master-at-arms!"

Moments later, Chloe was wrapped in a blanket sitting down, while Beca was standing in handcuffs. Chloe looked sheepishly at Beca. In return, Beca smiled lightly, assuring that this was fine. She was fine.

Suddenly, a tall, muscular man, with light brown hair and a tuxedo came running up to the group.

"What's all this?! Chloe?! Chloe Dear what happened?!" The man said, kneeling directly in front of her. He looked up and around to see the shackled woman, wearing dirty clothes inappropriate for a lady. This woman must have been trying to trick Chloe–maybe rob her. Harm her. Pretend to be a man to get away with whatever she was up to!

"How dare you touch my fiancee!" The man yelled, lunging towards Beca.

Beca looked at Chloe with wide eyes before this man tried to lay his hands on her.

"Don't look at her, look at me you filth!"

"CHICAGO! It was an accident!"

Chloe shot up and moved in between the two.

"An accident?!"

"-YES! It was an accident. It was, well it was stupid really…"

Chloe looked at Beca. Beca seemed confused, and she stayed quiet. She watched Chloe create an elaborate tale of how she was a silly woman wanting to look down and see the propellers of the ship.

"Women and machinery just don't mix, as you know!"

Beca chuckled quietly.

"And Miss Mitchell here saw me slip and she pulled me back over. She saved me! That's all. I was being silly. Careless."

The men looked at her, not entirely buying this. One looked at Beca, while Chicago let go of her shirt.

"Was that the way of it?" He asked Beca suspiciously.

Beca paused. Chloe looked at her and raised her eyebrows as if to say 'say yes you idiot!'

Beca nodded curtly to the men.

"Yeah–yeah that was pretty much it."

"WELL THEN! The girl's a hero then! Good for you!"

The women looked at each other with a silent thank you to one another.

"Now that all that's settled, we can return to our Brandy, eh gentlemen!"

Beca's cuffs were removed and she rubbed her wrists, annoyed. The group began to walk away. Chloe looked back over her shoulder at Beca, who was also looking at her. She turned to Chicago, stopped him.

"Nothing at all? Nothing for the person responsible for saving your future wife? You're unbelievable."

Chicago laughed.

"Oh goodness. Chloe is displeased. What to do…?"

Beca looked at this man with sudden daggers in her eyes. She didn't want anything. But she didn't want him speaking down to Chloe. Has this always been a thing Chloe puts up with?

"I know." Chicago nods. "Perhaps, Miss, you would like to join us for dinner tomorrow night. You can, you can tell us all about your heroic tale!"

Beca deadpanned this arrogant-seeming man. She took a few moments before responding.

It's not the most inviting invitation, and she certainly doesn't believe in putting time into things that aren't necessary. It was then that Chloe walked up to Beca. Beca was suddenly reset and thinking about how beautiful Chloe was. Like a damn switch.

"And you gave me heck about not getting to know me? Hmm. Disappointing." Chloe whispered, making sure the men didn't hear.

Beca squinted playfully at Chloe, making her smile.

"Sure, Sir." Beca said sarcastically to Chicago, not taking her eyes off of Chloe. "Count me in."

"Good, it's settled then." Chicago said, pulling Chloe's arm back towards him. Chloe gave Beca one more look before following him and the others back towards the cabins. Beca stayed there, watching her leave.

Beca won the tickets this morning, once again creating another adventure for herself. Another way to move forward. Beca didn't know that tonight she would meet Chloe. She didn't know that she would save Chloe. She didn't know that she would miss Chloe.

She didn't know that she would long to stay still.

The clicking of Chloe's heels. The shuffling of men's shoes. The deep laughter exchanged between men. The creeping silence of the empty deck.

The sigh that the brunette released.