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Chapter 3.

Later that night Grace and Jack stumbled inside the cabin laughing hard, and a little drunk. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw an unknown woman lying in Will's bed.

Both Will and Karen woke up at the same time when Grace and Jack stumbled inside. Will was wide awake immediately and jumped down from the top bed to be able to explain to the other two.

"Can we talk just outside?" Will said to them and turned to Karen and saw that she was awake too. "You try and go back to sleep, alright?"

She nodded and seemingly tried to go back to sleep, closing her eyes. Will pushed the other two just outside the door, pulling the door with him but failed to make it close properly.

"Will, what's going on?" Grace asked.

"She was beat up by her husband" Will said.

"What?" Grace blurted out.

"Yeah, she was. I saw it with my own eyes. She's really scared and I don't think she should go back 'cause it's obviously not the first time he's done it either."

"Will you can't interfere with other people's business, not on this ship anyway" Jack tried to make Will come to his senses. "You can't keep her here, he'll come and look for her and then you'll be accused of kidnapping or something."

"You don't understand Jack" Will said. "I can't let her return."

Karen was laying in Will's bed, listening to the conversation outside. Her eyes welled up with tears again. She knew the blondeish guy was right. She had to go back, otherwise Will could be arrested for taking her away and she knew her husband, he could have that arranged. She silently got out of bed, trying to straighten her clothes and hair and took the blanket and walked out the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" she heard Will's voice behind her back.

She turned around and saw the three people looking at her. She knew her face wasn't pretty right now, heck it never was in her eyes.

"Going back to my cabin" she said with a weak voice.

"No you're not" Will said firmly.

"I have to go back, otherwise he will get you arrested for something, I know him. He can make it happen."

She walked away to her part of the ship and to her cabin, scared but ready to face whatever lied ahead with Stanley.
Will saw her walk away and his heart just sunk. Grace saw his sad look and walked up to him, putting her arms around him from behind.

"It's for the best" she whispered in his ear.

He wasn't to sure, but he knew that he had to let her go for now but if he ever saw her getting beat up again, he would make sure she would never go back to him again, he would make sure that that Stanley Walker never hurt her again.

Karen walked slowly, ignoring the looks people around gave her. She shouldn't be in this part of the ship. This part was only for third class passengers. She knew she looked to fancy for them in her black dress that she tried to hide under the blanket. She also knew that they must look at her funny because of her face. She knew she had a black eye and a cut lip and several cuts and bruises.

She got to her cabin and entered it. Inside she saw Stanley sit in a chair in front of the fireplace. He had his head resting in his hand, eyes closed. She snuck to her bedroom to change into clean clothes and to try to conceal her injuries with some make-up. Hiding bruises had become an art to her. She was really good at it, even though he rarely hit her in the face. She always covered up her body too whenever she knew she had bruises on her.

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her and she looked behind her, it was Stan. He just stood there, watching her put on her make-up.

"I'm really sorry baby" he said. "I don't know why I get like that. Are you alright?"

She didn't answer him at first, but then a few seconds later she said:

"I think I got a broken rib."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does it hurt much?"

"Yes."

He walked up to her, sat down on a chair next to her and laid a squareshaped box on the table in front of her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's a gift for you. I know I don't appreciate or deserve you, but I hope this will ease some of that."

She was hesitant first, but then she slowly opened it and she gasped when she saw the content. When she opened the lid it revealed a diamond, a big, pinkish, heartshaped diamond in a necklace. She gently stroked it with her fingertips. It was smooth, no sharp edges, no edges at all. It was not cut like that, but rather clean, smooth, rounded edges.

"I thought about what I could give you that would mean the most" Stanley said "and I finally found out what I could give you, my heart. This diamond symbols that."

She got tears in her eyes. It was a really beautiful diamond.

"We should get to bed, it's late" Stanley said.

She nodded and went to bed. Stanley laid down beside her once had changed into his silkpyjamas. She was lying on her side with her back against Stanley when she felt him snuggle up to her, putting his arm around her waist and his face in her hair. She sighed out of relief that he hadn't yelled at her or hit her again.

"Will, don't worry. She's a grown woman and can take care of herself" Grace tried to calm him down.

"You didn't see him hit her" he answered her.

He sat on his bed, where Karen had been lying just minutes before. The sheets were still warm.

"Will, you're gay" Jack said when he saw the look on Will's face.

"I know that Jack" Will said with anger in his voice "but if I would change, it would be for her."

"Come on Will, even if you were straight, she's way out of your league" Grace said, a little grumpy after hearing him say who he could change for.

"I know that, but ..."

"No buts, Will forget her. You did what you could, now let her go" Grace said.

"What if he kills her?"

"You can't do anything about it. You are a third class passenger, she's a first class passenger as is her husband, who do you think they will believe if you get arrested? Them as a matter of fact" Grace said.

Will looked like he wanted to say something else, but he kept quiet. He knew they would never understand.

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A/N I don't know ... hmm ... not good I know ... R&R anyway people..