The sun broke through the sky early that morning. I pulled on my robe and made my way out into the sitting room. The deck that I had failed to notice the day before was now filled with my mother chatting and a tiny blond female. I figured she was our maid who had decided to finally show up. When I entered the deck my mother smiled and motioned towards a seat in front of her.

"How did you sleep darling?" my mother sipped on her tea.

I shrugged and slipped into a chair "I didn't sleep well last night. I must have dozed off between three and four in the morning though." I smiled at the blond girl who was now placing a tea cup in front of me on the table.

"Perhaps the fight you had with Raoul kept you up." My mother sipped her tea and raised her eyebrows "I know you don't want to think about it Christine, but when I was your age I was married and I had you already." She placed a hand on mine "You have to give Raoul an answer soon darling. He's being patient to you, but I can tell he'd like an answer."

I sighed and moved my hand "I know mother, it's just… I don't believe that he's the right one for me. Whenever I get married I want it to be for love." I looked at her and smiled "Like you and father did" I stirred a sugar cube into my tea and sipped at it.

My mother removed her hand from the table "Christine, you can't be so picky. Raoul is perfect for you and you'll be well off once your father and I are gone."

I looked at her and placed my tea on the table "He's not perfect for me mother, He's perfect for father."

At that statement we both let out a hearty laugh and finished our tea. The tiny blond helped my mother and I into our corsets and into our dresses. My mother wore a simple crimson red gown, I however wore a periwinkle blue natural waist lined dress it was made of silk and was adorned with large roses on the fabric. A lace collar dropped down from my neck and ended at the middle of my bust, a darker periwinkle blue jacket accented the dress with a belt that had a rose on the front. I loved the dress as it made me feel like I was a walking flower arrangement and I loved those dearly. I decided that I would wear my hair up so that the hat would fit better. The hat was a large straw type hat with the same color poof on the right side that was fairly large.

"My dear" my mother smiled "I've always loved this color on you. Spin for me would you?" she questioned and as I spined my coat tail wrapped around me causing me to laugh slightly "Now Christine, Your father and I are going to be eating breakfast in the dining hall. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

I looked at her and shook my head "Thank you mother, but I'm not that hungry this morning." I smiled and walked out the door with her "I think I'm going to explore the first class deck for a while before I get my tour."

My mother smiled and placed her hand on my cheek "Alright, join us for dinner at the Café Parisian, it's on B deck. I'm sure your tour guide would show you the way." My mother smiled and removed her hand from my cheek "Please ask him if he'd like to join. I'd love to meet Mr. Andrews if he is your guide." She smiled and made her way down the deck.

I smiled and made my way towards the edge. I leaned on the railing and clasped my hands together looking out at the endless sea in front of me. I looked down into the sea below and smiled as I saw two dolphins dancing along the side of the ship. "So beautiful" I whispered before moving away from the edge and making my way further down the deck. A father and son were playing with a spinning top and a few ladies were sunbathing, other than that the deck was empty.

I turned down a corridor and went down a staircase. I passed people who were walking in their swimming outfits. I smiled knowing that there was a swimming pool aboard. I loved swimming in the south of France when my family went on vacation and I was sure that I would love it aboard the titanic just as much. I passed the swimming pool and turned down a hallway that twisted and turned in all directions. I could see how it was easy to get lost on the ship, she was gigantic. I made another turn and moved further down the ship. The conditions of the room weren't as beautiful as they were up in first class, so I assumed I had hit second class.

When I hit third class is when I had started to panic. The plush carpeting was gone revealing bare floor painted red; the doors looked like they led to smaller rooms than the second class but that wasn't why I had started to panic. Amidst all the doors I somehow got tangled up in the passageways and staircases of the third class.

"Hello?" I called as I walked down a narrow passage way with a door at the end. Two passageways were on either side of the door "Hello!" I called out again. I heard a noise coming from behind the door, men's voices so I assumed it was a secret club for the men "Can anyone help me?" I called and reached the door "Please!" I begged and reached for the door handle.

The door opened up suddenly and a man appeared "missus such as you shouldn't be down here."

My stomach dropped as I saw the sight of the man. His face was covered in coal and his clothes were practically rags. His hand, which was now tightly gripping mine, was also covered in soot, making my hand the same color as his.

"Please…" I begged "I need to get back to the deck. I'm lost."

The face smiled showing brilliant white teeth against a dark brown face "Ah missus, yer gona have ta pay the consequences fer wonderin down dis far in da ship." A dark chuckle erupted from his throat "OY! Seamus! Look what we caught ourselves!"

The man named Seamus walked over whipping a few fingers down my face "Aye" he grinned. His teeth weren't as white as the first guy's but they were better than what I imagined "What'cha doin with 'er boss?"

The man grabbed my chin forcing my head up. He looked at me intently "Rich she is." He scoffed and looked at Seamus "Think we'd get a pretty dollar fer 'er?"

I wimpered as his grip on my chin tightened "Please, let me go." I said through gritted teeth.

"Ye hear that Geraldo?" Seamus laughed

"Yes, the Young lady would like to be let go."

The voice startled Geraldo so much that he let go of my chin, which was now covered in soot and red marks. The voice had also startled Seamus that he had ran back into the room that I would have went to.

"Sir." Geraldo said standing up straight.

"So Mr. Summon what were you going to do with this young lady here?" The man crossed over to me and stood in front me as if he was being my personal barrier.

"Well er.." Geraldo scratched the back of his neck and I watched intently. What was he planning to do with me if the man in front of me had not come to my rescue? I didn't want to know "Ye see sir, I was going ta take 'er down to the broilers. Show 'er how em worked. Ya know ship stuff."

The man nodded and clasped his arms behind his back. I watched intently "I see. Mr. Summon, if I were you I'd take special precaution not to get back on this ship. The captain will most certainly hear about you assaulting a first class passenger and not only a first class passenger but a lady." Geraldo mumbled something incoherent and moved quickly back into the broiler room. "As for you Ma'am"

I looked at him, my stomach twisting into knots. This was the man that I had sat next to at the table last night, only he looked different. I noticed a scar that moved from the edge of his left eyebrow down past his eye, but his eye didn't seem damaged at all. "I was exploring the ship when I got lost." I noticed myself shaking so hard that it was unbelievable. "I didn't mean to come down here honest! I called out for someone to help me and they came…" I buried my face in my hands and let out a sob.

"Ma'am…" The man put a hand on my shoulder, which was practically engulfed under his hand.

"Ch—Christine" I sniffled. "Please, Call me Christine." I looked up at the man and into his eyes which were a deep blue.

"Christine…" He seemed to soften a little at the sight of me crying "I'd be happy to show you back to your cabin if you'd allow." He pulled the hankerchief out his breast pocket and handed it to me.

I graciously took it and wiped my eyes "Thank you." I whispered "I'd love to go back to my cabin but" I paused "Last night at supper I was promised a tour of Titanic. I'm afraid that I might have missed the tour." I chewed on my lip and looked at the man "You said you knew the captain?" I wiped my eyes again as he nodded "Well, I was wondering if you could tell him I am still interested in the tour."

He led me to a corridor and gave a slight shrug "I believe I was supposed to be the one giving the tour to a Miss Daae. You're not her are you?"

I smiled slightly and nodded "Yeah, I am." I looked at him "Might I ask who you are sir? I believe I sat next to you at supper last night, I fear I didn't catch your name."

He looked at me and led me down another corridor "I'm First Captain Holloway." He glanced at me "But you may call me Erik."

I smiled and looked at him "That's a lovely name, Erik." I scuffled behind him "May I ask where we are going?"

He turned around and smiled slightly "We are here." He gestured to a large golden lift with a bellboy inside.

My stomach did flips and my face lit up "A lift?" I questioned "I've never been on one." I laughed "My mother" I looked up at him as he ushered me in "Always said that a lady was to take the stairs to keep her figure." I raised my eyebrows and looked at him "If I may be bold, but a corset does the same thing."

He let out a hearty chuckle, like he hadn't laughed in years. "Well miss, you certantly were bold." He clasped his arms behind him again and looked at the bell boy "Boat deck if you will."

"Certantly." The boy nodded and lifted us up.

I grabbed onto the solid gold railings and held my stomach. I wasn't sure that I enjoyed elevator rides too much. Finally the lift stopped and I rushed out and to the edge of the boat, trying to get my footing back "I most certantly do not want to ride one of those ever again." I glanced at Erik.

He surpressed a grin and nodded "If you wish."

I smiled slightly and finally wiped my hand off "Why are we on the boat deck? There are just life boats here."

He nodded "yeah, But it's at the very top of the ship."

I looked around "There are only twenty?" I looked at Erik "I did the math in my head, ten on this side; ten have to be on the other."

He nodded "yes, twenty."

I crossed my arms and clutched onto the handkerchief "How many can fit to a boat?" I walked along the deck running a hand along the boats.

"sixty per boat."

I chewed on my bottom lip "how many people on board?"

Erik looked puzzled "Two thousand four hundred and thirty five soul's onboard ma'am"

I inhaled sharply "There are simply not enough boats to handle them. Twenty four boats will only hold a little over a thousand. What if something happened? What if the ship were to sink?"

Erik patted me on the shoulder and smiled slightly "That's just it, Titanic will not sink. God himself could not sink her"

I chewed on my bottom lip. As grand as the ship was, as many water tight compartments I heard that she had, I was certain that she would sink if she had struck something. I was almost certain that nothing in this world would be able to stay afloat.

"Oh." I looked at him and smiled uneasily "shall we move on, Erik?"

Erik nodded and showed me the rest of the boat. We made our way to the swimming pool which he informed me was filled with Alanatic sea water. We also went to the workout area, and he showed me around to all six restaurants, although I knew I wouldn't be dining in the second or third class restaurants. He also showed me the grand dining room, which I had already been in.

A piano sat in the middle of the room where the four man orchestra had been playing previously.

"A piano!" I exclaimed a smile stretched on my face.

"You play?" He moved me towards the piano.

I snorted "I wish! My mother plays though, and I sing with her." I smiled and ran my fingers down the ivys "She told me she didn't want me to learn how to play because my voice was unlike any other she had heard and didn't want to quiet her songbird." I smiled and pushed on a key and jumped slightly as it echoed through the emptiness. "Erik…" I looked at him "My mother would like to know if you'd take the pleasure to join us for dinner?" Erik nodded, a silent reply.

"Before we make our way to…." He looked at me

"Café Parisan"

"Before we make our way to café Parisan you might want to wipe the coal off your face." He once again tried to surpress a grin, but this time he lost his fight and it appeared.

I laughed slightly and playfully slapped him in his arm "Why, you let me walk around this whole ship with soot on my face?"

He shrugged and opened his mouth to say something but then quickly closed it. "Lead the way madam." He said after a minute.

I made my way to the state room that my mother and I shared, Erik close behind on my heels. I opened the room and offered Erik a seat in one of the oversized chairs while I washed my face free of coal dust. While in the bathroom I noticed how easy it was to laugh with Erik and how we instantly seemed to click and talk like we were old friends. He had saved me from something that could have been terrible, so I owed him a great debt. If it wasn't for him, I could have been the one powering the titanic right now, and I wasn't talking about shovling coal.

I wiped the soot away from my face, making a mental note that I would thank Erik properly later, because I was sure that I didn't do it when he had came to my rescue. I applied some powder to my chin to conceal the red that was still lingering and added blush back to my cheeks, the way my mother had it.

"Let's go get dinner." I said leaving the wash basin behind in my room "I'm positively famished."

Erik nodded and we made our way to the Café. My mother spotted me before I had spotted her and made her way towards us in the crowded café.

"Christine," my mother smiled and enveloped me in a hug, "how was your tour darling?"

I looked at her and smiled "Oh, it was wonderful. Mr. Holloway here took me on a lift!" I giggled as my mother Erik and I walked to the table. Being ever the gentleman he pulled my chair out for me and for my mother before sitting to the right of me, which just so happened to be between Raoul and I. "I can't say that I would do it again, but it was exhilarating!" I laughed.

My father smiled and extended a hand to Erik "Thanks for taking care of my little girl Mr. Holloway."

Erik looked at my father and shook his hand as well "No problem sir."

My mother took a sip of her water and eyed Erik over the glass. "So Mr. Holloway, what is it that you do aboard the ship?"

Erik looked at my mother "Well ma'am, I'm chief officer. I'm in charge of the ships cargo and the deck crew. Also," he paused and took a sip of water "excuse me, also in charge of safety and security which include things like training the crew in firefighting and search and rescue." He paused for a while "Also I'm in charge of taking watch at nights. Well—tonight at least."

My father looked at him "Such a responsibility for a man of..."

"Twenty-eight sir"

My father looked impressed and then took a bite of the food that was on his plate. I wasn't sure what it was but it looked like scallops. My father and I looked alike. He had a mop of curly brown hair which my mother fussed over constantly and deep brown eyes. His ancestors were from Spain but over time they had moved to England and resided there where they built their company from the ground up. I remembered my father telling me something about the business that I would someday inheret, but I didn't take much interest.

"Well Mr. Holloway" my mother broke my train of thought "Where do you come from? How can such a young man get such a high position on a boat?"

I looked over at her and smiled "Ship."

My mother chuckled "Ship."

Erik seemed amused and looked at my mother "Well Ma'am, I am from Southampton" he said proudly "Grew up at the sea. My father was a fisherman so I worked on boats my whole life, worked on other fishing boats throughout my life, got to my first cruise liner a few years ago and got promoted from there." He took a sip of his drink "I plan on being captain of the Titanic one day ma'am."

My mother smiled and looked at him "Such ambitions." My mother looked at me and gave me a smile.

"A captain is barely enough to support someone Mr. Holloway." Raoul chirped in.

Erik looked slightly confused "Well Sir, you obviously have not been a captain on a ship these days."

Raoul scoffed "if you'd excuse me, I've lost my appetite." Raoul put his napkin on his plate and got up, leaving the room.

I wasn't sure why Raoul was in such a grumpy mood, but I had a feeling it had something to do with Chief Officer Erik Holloway. The DeChangys were famous for their wonderful opera houses, and Raoul himself was famous for a certain French opera house disaster for which he never spoke of. I had heard that it was about a lady that had gotten pregnant with an illegitimate child of his, so he burned the opera down himself as the lady was found inside. But I found it hard to believe as Raoul had always been a gentleman to me.

As lunch progressed my mother got deeper in conversation with Erik. They talked about the time they would reach New York City, my mother told Erik she always wondered what it was like where as Erik said he would be back in England the beginning of may aboard the titanic. When my mother was tired of talking, she directed Erik to my father and they talked about my father's business and didn't steer much off topic of that.

"Mr. Holloway." My mother said tiredly "Would you be a dear and join us for supper tonight? You'd be a welcomed guest at our table. Mr. Bruce Ismay is joining us as well."

Erik shook his head "I'm sorry I'll have to decline ma'am. Afraid tonight I'm on watch, but I thank you for the invitation."

My mother frowned "well I'm sorry to hear that. Please don't forget to bundle up, it's supposed to be chilly out tonight." My mother placed her napkin on her plate "Now if you gentlemen don't mind, I think Christine and I will nap before tonights supper." My mother stood up.

I shook my head "Actually mother, I'm fine, I think Mr. Holloway was going to show me the rest of the ship, we didn't get to see much before dinner." I glanced over at Erik.

He nodded "I was, if that was alright with you sir?"

My father nodded "Yes, yes quite alright. Let's go Virginia." My father stood up and escorted my mother out of the Café.

I looked over at Erik and smiled "Thank you. I really would like to see more of the ship."

And with that Erik and I walked out of the café and he showed me the ship until I was able to get around it myself.