Please don't forget to review! I would truly appreciate it. I only can improve with your feedback. They are greatly appreciated in every aspect. It gives me the motivation to continue on this journey! Thank you very much for reading!

Disclaimer: Anna Lyn Connor and other unknown characters belong to me. Everyone else (who is NOT in the movie) is real. Any of the enjoyable characters of James Cameron's movie belongs to him, along with all of the legalities and technicalities.

Author's note: My goodness, this was such a long chapter! At first I was afraid of how short it was, but now, it is well over four-thousand words. This chapter, needless to say, was a difficult one to write because the consistency of the emotions. My attempts to make her real!

Thank you to Starlight63, Raven the Guardian, Sachita for reading, and reviewing (I send virtual hugs to each one of you. :D) and to everyone also! Thank you for all of your profound support! It means a lot to me!

Asides from that, enjoy!

- - -

"You know, offering a small sense of conversation doesn't hurt. All you know now is only her name and by Mr. Moody vivacious proclamation about her martial status, you also know that she is also currently un-betrothed, and un-courted!" Lightoller said as he leant nonchalantly against the banister of the bridge's wing. Even though he was on his off-hours, he couldn't pass up the chance to bother his dear friend William Murdoch on a matter of the greatest concern: making strong ties between him and a certain Anna Lyn Connor.

"Don't you have better business to tend to rather than bother me with your nonsensical talk about the impossible?" Murdoch didn't like to be questioned on his interests. However, he did find Anna Lyn Connor to be an interesting creature of all aspects, and Murdoch found himself wondering about her history, and even what her favorite dance was. Lights wasn't the only one who was curious of that woman, but it was in his nature to instigate provocatively rather than have a cordial exchange of questions.

"Now don't be like that, Will! Just by how you were looking at her—yes, very discreetly, I might add—it was intending at lot more than just mere curiosity!" Murdoch turned his back to Lightoller and faced the wall of the bridge. He didn't want to hear Lightoller tell him about his folly, and his foolish thoughts of ever courting the exquisitely interesting Anna Lyn Connor.

Regardless of how forward his friend may seem at the current moment, Murdoch couldn't help as he gazed at the whiteness of the wall suppress a knowing smile as his heart clenched tightly with a familiar feeling he hadn't felt since his last failed courtship with a woman by the name of Ada. The feelings that he had forgone and vowed to never feel again were rekindling gently within his heart and swirling within his stomach. "Tell me now, Will!" and yet Murdoch was silent. "Don't let me take out the shaving cream!"

"Lights, I—"

"Mr. Murdoch!"

The two officers standing side-by-side turned at the eager voice of Officer Lowe as the gate creaked and clanked loudly, and two muffled stomps of loafers resonated clearly against the wooden walls.

"Mr. Lowe? Back so quickly?" Murdoch asked with slight turn of his eyebrows.

Anna Lyn Connor trotted like a child behind Lowe before talking her place beside the friendly looking Mr. Lightoller, who greeted her with a wide grin.

"There's been a brawl in the third class corridors. I felt it was priority to report it to the master-at-arms…" Mr. Lowe said in a rehearsed solider-like tone. His back was rigid, and his head was held high. Murdoch just simply nodded firmly at him, and waved the fifth officer towards the interior of the bridge. The large frame of the master-at-arms could be seen leaning against the navigation room. Lowe saluted in a reply before stalking off towards that direction.

Murdoch watched his departing back before turning almost timidly towards Anna's direction who was staring at him for all of his profound glory and manliness. Their eyes met slowly, and Anna's cheeks flared like a thousand set of suns.

Lightoller couldn't stand the stupid tension between the two of them, and took the initiative to break it. "Why are you blushing, Miss Connor?"

"Lights!" Murdoch cried at his question which made Anna blush even more as Murdoch came to her defense.

"I am merely curious to know why her cheeks are bestowing such a wonderful blush!"

"Mr. Lightoller, you are crowning an old maid. You do not need to flatter me to get my good graces. I think you are quite amiable!" Anna cried as the heat of her cheeks seared through her skin, making her perspire in nervousness. She offered a soft smile as a finisher.

She battled her better conscious to either act as if this was a regular social situation of the dance hall, or merely act as a naïve woman who wishes to obtain everyone's good graces. For Heaven's sakes, she was a three and thirty year old woman who knew more about the marriage bed than an average naïve little girl at the dance hall!

"Ah, how amiable is Lightoller, you've yet to learn, Miss Connor," Murdoch injected, trying to keep his focus on the conversation rather than noticing the cute turn of her nose, or the temptation of her lips and neck.

Before Anna could stop herself, she timorously proclaimed: "I leave it to you to tell me, Mr. Murdoch?" For certain, my dear readers that she was awkwardly shy around the man of her interest, but it doesn't exactly stop her from turning on her youthful charms to provoke the correct answers or purely act as an agreeable company.

Murdoch felt his own cheeks flare with such ardent desire. His ears became heated in a boyish manner. "Y-you have to know him for yourself, Miss Connor! H-he comes with many tricks and more shaving cream than an average sailor!"

Lightoller laughed as Anna Lyn's head whipped around in gullibility, her eyes questioned fervently as if she was a schoolgirl. She wasn't playing such a farce to conceal her swirling emotions, she was truly curious to see if Lightoller was as devious as he was famous for. "Is that true, Mr. Lightoller?"

"Mr. Murdoch is an honest man. It is best to believe him!"

"What in the world would you need all of that shaving cream for?"

"You never know when your whisker needs trimming or a junior officer's pillow to fill!" He then winked at Anna whose eyes squinted in pure delight. An expression Murdoch took noticed, and quickly grew fond of. "You are free from my list of targets, though, Miss Connor. I have no reason to fill your pillow with shaving cream—"

"But it is wise to keep on your guard!" Murdoch offered before Anna laughed in amusement. She hadn't felt at ease in years, and now that she was in some sort of security within these two amiable strangers, she believed she deserved such happiness.

"Please, sirs, you tease!"

"How would we then make a lady laugh and feel comfortable?" Murdoch added shyly as her laughter echoed weakly after his proclamation. He nearly clasped his mouth with his gloved hands. But her next onset of sweet blushes and thankful smiles put his raving nerves at ease about her perception of him.

"Your master-at-arms permitted you to be so kind to treat a criminal stowaway in such a manner?" Her voice was soft, and even Murdoch knew that it was mostly intended for him rather than both him and Lightoller.

However, Lightoller had to intervene. "Now, Miss Connor, a criminal stowaway seems terribly severe, why not a tolerable sea adventurer?" Lightoller offered.

"We are not living a life of an H.G. Wells novel, Mr. Lightoller."

"We can dream, can't we, Miss Connor?" Murdoch said to the back of her head. His gaze followed the contours of each curl that was pressed messily against her head, and shifted as she turned to meet his private gaze. Lightoller watched intently as the two of them share a curious looking smile. Their silence wasn't heavy, and by the way that Murdoch didn't pace back and forth between two feet, or Anna's hands not fidgeting behind her back, Lightoller knew that they were comfortable with each other than their first meeting hours ago.

Anna opened her mouth slightly, but it took her a few moments to speak as she thought of the right thing to say. "At my current position, I believe that I am living that dream."

Bull's eye! Lightoller cried to himself. Her sentence not only hinted heavily on their current predicament, but also a lot on her budding feelings for him. Lightoller, of all people, didn't find the works of human emotions strange. He, of all people, knew very well how two souls could find such comfort within the curiosity of each other. He, of all people, went through the same thing his friend was going through this very moment.

Murdoch gave her a small smile as Lightoller cleared his throat to signal that he was still in their presence. Anna snapped out of her trance, and turned away once she realized that she was staring at him with eager eyes.

"Why don't I take Miss Connor—"

"Call me Annie—Anna would also be appropriate—please, I beg of you. Mr. Moody and Mr. Lowe have their privileges. It is only right that you have yours also."

Lightoller nodded. "I beg your pardon--Annie, for the rest of her tour as you finish the rest of your shift. She is, after all, in your responsibility, but I think it is best that she gets familiar with the officers' quarters so her stay would as comfortable as anyone else's?"

"Ah, spoken like a true employee of the White Star Line," Murdoch mocked. "Wouldn't want to tarnish the company's good name?"

"It is wise to keep up with protocols," Lightoller agreed.

Murdoch smiled at his comment before turning to the watch Anna. "I believe you will be in good hands, Miss Co—" She shook her head to stop him. "Anna." Murdoch almost smiled as he said her name. He limited himself to keep his excitement at bay as he rolled her name off his lips. He was older, wiser…and he wasn't going to rush and make the same mistakes as before.

Come what may…

Anna smiled as Lightoller laughed. "Have faith that I shall not harm or threaten her in any ways with shaving cream. If she approaches me in a threaten manner, then however, is a promise I can no longer keep."

"I need not to worry, right, Mr. Murdoch?" She smiled sweetly at him yet again, making his heart race. "You'll come to my rescue?"

"As valiantly as a knight would."

"Let's go Miss Connor before he breaks out in song!" Lightoller led her away from their little sunny spot on the bridge's wing. Murdoch waited for them to disappear around the corner before he started whistling a cheerful tune that echoed faintly through the bridge, enlightening everyone of first officer William Murdoch's current demeanor.

"Why are you being nice to me, Mr. Lightoller?"

"Charles, please, and needless to say that your suspicion maybe under the fact that Mr. Andrews put you under Mr. Murdoch's care, and he expects us to treat you as a guest rather than a criminal. On the contrary, it is also in our good intentions to treat you as kindly as one possibly can. We officers are bred as gentlemen, Annie. You've shown us that you are not vulgar, but a lady of class and breed, and your verses are as sweet as any. When we see such a lady, regardless of her status or criminal record, we treat her as a lady she is. We have every bit of manners of the social society embedded within us; even Mr. Lowe has his own set of quite amiable manners!"

"Your long and quite flattering injection doesn't seem to answer my question fully. Charles, if it is out of pity, I would like to hear of it."

Lightoller sighed. "I don't call it pity…"

"Sympathy is pity, Charles!"

"If you want to know the honest truth, Annie, I can hardly give one because I cannot come up with a true reason why I and everyone else on this ship should be nice to you. Yes, it is true that you should have been escorted off the ship were we still docked in Queenstown. However, since we were not, what else could we do? Call it pity as you may, but to me, anyone who has that much courage to stowaway on the Titanic gets my personal approval regardless of how horrendous their outcome maybe."

"How optimistic of you," her voice was laced deeply with sarcasm.

"Aren't I?" He chuckled deeply. "On the more serious note, Annie, even if you pay off your fare and any charges pressed against you, those are outcomes waiting in the future. As for the present, you are a lady of breed, regardless of your—excuse me—tattered appearance. It would not be wise to hinder a woman of such breed from achieving her dream that is uncommon to our ever so cumbersome society. On the more important reason, you took an interest in my good friend Will, and I can confidently say that he feels that same way about you too, Annie!"

Anna turned away from his piercing glance as they made their way down the white hallway. Due to the cramp distance of the two parallel walls, Lightoller was leading slightly in front, leaving her to stare at the side of his face most of the time. "You kid, Charles."

"I kid you not, and playing coy doesn't make you seem innocent or oblivious of your feelings. I was in love once, too, you know, Annie!"

Anna made an utterance of both disbelief, and annoyance. "First it was Mr. Moody, and now you. I had expected something of Mr. Moody because he is young, but you Mr. Lightoller? The poor boy fell for my trick of acting as if I am a naiveté. But I'm slightly guilty for the fact that I was actually eager for his quite obvious hints."

"That boy needs to learn to be more discreet," Lightoller breathed while shaking his head.

"I can say the same about you, Charles! You are truly a brave man to confront a woman you hardly know of her feelings for another man she also hardly knows."

"Well, this voyage is short! If I had all of the time in the world to play matchmaking, I would definitely be more discreet in my tactics. But time is of the essence, dear Miss Annie!"

"You can't expect me to love Mr. Murdoch in a week, Mr. Lightoller!"

"I don't either, but a promise to see each other again after the ship docks is good enough to reassure of a hopeful future between the two of you!"

"How are you so sure of my feelings?"

"You'd just proclaimed that you were eager for Mr. Moody's hints. I dare say that is affirmation in itself." As a recitative, he motioned to the left. "And to your left is the bath—come Miss Annie, it doesn't hurt you to try."

Anna looked forlorn at Mr. Lightoller as they stopped into front of the Marconi shack. Lightoller gave a small boyish grin as she shook her head. "It is the impossible. Emotions are things easi—"

"You both are exactly alike!" Lightoller groaned in despair.

"I beg your pardon?" Anna gasped as he startled her.

"He said the same thing about the situation! Why can't the impossible be the possible for once in this stark and insipid society?"

"Well, because it is, Mr. Lightoller! This 'stark and insipid' society has its reasons for its lackluster charm," Anna said in an even tone as her amazement turned into annoyance.

She wasn't one to be pushed, scolded or cheated. Being a lady of three and thirty—even though she bore no children—she had enough dignity to flare in temper when she was being pushed to do something that she wasn't entirely comfortable with. Yes, there was part of her body that told her that she had nothing else to loose but her heart, and go along with Lightoller's plan. But the other half, the more stubborn, I-Am-A-Dignified-Woman-half, was much stronger in its convictions.

The Marconi boys turned from their work as they heard the commotion right outside their door. Harold Bride looked between his second officer and the new woman bizarrely. It wasn't common to see a woman standing in the officers' hallway. Not even maids were seen often on the bridge. The officers fetch their own teas, and coffees, so the appearance of Anna Lyn Connor was something new for both Harold Bride and Jack Phillips.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Lightoller?" Bride asked slowly when the two of them lapsed into silence.

Lightoller allowed his smile to drop slightly into a small one, and breathed softly. "You truly have nothing to loose, and neither does Will."

Anna blinked from his statement. When she was about to question him about Mr. Murdoch, he turned away from her, leaving her hands perched slightly at her mouth. "I don't mean to take some time away from your busy day, boys, but this is Miss Anna Lyn Connor."

"Ah, so the rumors are true!" Phillips smiled cheekily. "There is a stowaway on the Titanic."

"Incredible!" Bride cried in amazement as he gazed at Anna Lyn. To him, she looked as if she was just a regular, unimportant woman of the lower class society. How could such a woman have such valor to not only stowaway, but obtain genial hospitality from the Bridge crew? Bride betted that it was her looks, and silent charms that got her those things.

"A pleasure miss!" Phillips said as he leaned forward to shake her offered hand.

"Truly!" Bride echoed as he took his turn.

"How?" Phillips asked, interestingly.

"Now, I don't think that is a good reason to ask of our guest, Jack! Next question!" Lightoller proclaimed to save Anna from exploiting unnecessary details. The woman beside him was thankful for his good intentions.

"Why, then?" Phillips tried again.

"Another bad question. Next!" Lightoller answered for her.

"How about, are you enjoying the company and the ship so far, Miss Connor?" Bride tried as Phillips ponder a devious way to ask Anna Lyn of her objective.

"Ah, that you can answer, can't you, Miss Connor."

"Unless you would like to answer for me, since you had done it for a few questions already." Anna crossed her hands in a mock annoyance as her lips bestowed a tiny smile. It was best not to be crossed with Mr. Lightoller. Not because of his threats of shaving cream, but she may need an ally as her emotions would continue to swell like the ocean around them.

"I shall let you answer this one."

"I'm starting to like her already," Phillips mumbled as Lights shot him an ersatz expression of anger.

"If you exclude Mr. Lightoller, then yes, I am enjoying my company and the ship very much."

"Where will you be staying?"

"As of this moment, I have no idea where I am going to sleep. Mr. Andrews will find me a place to stay. For now, I am just a trespasser of the bridge."

"We would offer if we have an extra berth—"

"Please, I wouldn't want to impose. It's alright unimaginable that I am still allowed to walk along these halls, let alone take quarters in one of the berths here! I would rather sleep in the broom closet!"

"Mr. Moody beat you to it! As the sixth officer, you are assigned to a room with the size of a broom closet! Poor Mr. Moody!" Bride lamented with a large laugh. Lightoller couldn't help but force a laugh.

"I wonder if he minds a roommate…" Anna mumbled with a small laugh.

Lightoller shook his head in disbelief, and waved his hands for them to bring the attention back to his all supreme manliness; which he has quite a lot under his belt. "We must get moving along with the tour before Miss Connor is due back in Mr. Murdoch's care. You know how he is when he is kept waiting, right boys?"

The two Marconi boys made a face and sighed. "Good luck, Miss Connor! You're going to need it with, Mr. Murdoch!" Phillips said with a defeated sigh.

Anna bowed her head slightly as a thank you. "I will keep that in mind."

Lightoller turned on his heels, and backed out the door. Anna Lyn followed closely by and left the boys with one last smile

"You are welcome at the shack any time you wish, Miss Connor!" Bride said as she stepped out of the small shack. Anna Lyn Connor looked between both Lightoller, and the boys. She wondered how could they be so kind to her, but didn't dwell too long on the question. She was going to let that one answer itself as time moved on.

"Truly thank you…"

"Come Miss Connor!" Lightoller cried enthusiastically down the hall.

It caused Anna to roll her eyes. "And the knight in shining buttons beckons."

The Marconi boys looked between each other as she disappeared from their view, and their footsteps faded with each ticking of the Marconi telegraph machine behind them.

"I bet Mr. Murdoch would have her by the end of the voyage, eh, Sparks?" Phillips gave a wicked smile as Bride turned almost in a disbelief and frantic manner.

"He wouldn't, Phillips!! Mr. Murdoch has virtues!"

"A man can be easily broken with such a beauty," Phillips continued while picking up a handwritten note from the table.

"I don't think so." Bride brushed it off as nonsense before turning back to his work.

"I bet you two pounds…" Phillips tried.

"Make it three and I maybe tempted," Bride narrowed his eyes with one of his ears perched on the headphones.

Phillips made a sound. "You're pushing it, Sparks. I don't think Mr. Murdoch's situation is worth that much! Two pounds."

"Two pounds and a beer in New York to say that he will not have her by the end of the voyage."

"Deal!" Phillips cried triumphantly, taking Bride's hands confidently in his and shook it with good sportsmanship.

The two of them walked in silence a few steps as Anna fought with herself to try to start up a conversation again. It was a lot easier with the two Marconi boys because they didn't exactly know what was going on, but to generate a conversation once again with her interrogator-slash-cupid was working up quite a challenge for her.

"Mr. Lightoller—Charles…I," she gave an annoyed exasperated sigh as she struggled to find the right words to explain her raging feelings. Anna Lyn Connor stopped abruptly before Lightoller could open the door to the bridge. He turned back when he didn't hear her following him anymore.

"I didn't mean to impose the task—as you can call it—so heavily on you, Anna," Lightoller started sincerely. "It's just that…feelings sparked so strongly are usually left for the cold when not pushed the correct way…"

When he was about to continue, Anna shook her head slightly to stop him. "I've been so foolish in this fun and games, and so enwrapped in the agony of my past to not completely take hold of such a grand and beautiful opportunity that is presented for me." She stopped and laughed almost bitterly. "But—"

Lightoller pushed the door opened, and held out an elbow to Anna. "You want to see something, Annie? A reason to take that opportunity?"

Anna Lyn Connor passed second officer Charles Lightoller a strange look as she hesitantly took his elbow. "What are you saying, Charles?"

"Have you thought about what your future would be like if you went after everything that you'd ever wanted in this world?" He asked as they weaved around Mr. Moody, who was concentrated sternly at the horizon, and dodged beside the quickly stepping crew.

"Many times, Mr. Lightoller," She said quietly as she followed him like a diligent child.

"Have you ever imagined what your life would be like after, if we had thrown you off the ship, and/or overboard?"

"I didn't think as far as the rest of my life after my unfortunate ending. All I could think of was exile…"

Lightoller stepped out into the bridge's wing and smiled kindly at Anna Lyn Connor as he nudged his head towards a figure at the far end. "Have you ever imagined what your life would have been like if you'd never met him?"

Anna Lyn Connor followed his gaze to the back of the rigid looking first officer William Murdoch. From where she was standing, though away at a distance, she could still see that sharpness of the fold of his lapel, or the tuft of hair peaking from under his hat. The two qualities that she'd picked out about him made her smile softly, and Lightoller knew that he had finally hit the jackpot. He was no longer needed for this fun matchmaking game. He was now going to act as a referee for the rest of the voyage.

Feeling that he was being watched, William Murdoch turned, and broke into a soft smile when he saw Anna. And only Anna.

"I think I can," she started softly, not taking her eyes off him. "And it is one I would not like to live very much."

--

Please politely click that beautiful button down there and tell me what you think. Your reviews are my constant motivation to continue on this journey. Thank you very much for reading!