Hey all! It's me again with another chapter of this passion project AU, I hope you're all doing well!

This chapter is slightly shorter than some of the others, but in terms of separating the story out into chapters, this made the most sense to end a chapter. I hope the content makes up for it anyway!

Today is also a bank holiday in the UK so I've had an extra long weekend to write thankfully! I also have next Monday off as that's the Coronation bank holiday we're getting because of Charles being crowned on Saturday, so hopefully with any luck I'll have more chapters posted in no time! (And I am, of course, writing every evening!)

I won't babble too much in these beginning notes, but before you read, please be warned that this chapter contains some actions that could be viewed as domestic abuse in a relationship, and it also contains a mildly sexual scene that involves a nude female (if you've seen the film, you ALL know exactly what I mean, hehehehehe)

With that in mind, I hope you enjoy!

Sunday April 14th dawned as a bright and clear day; sunlight splashed across the various decks and in through every window that morning, and before long passengers were leaving their cabins to spend some time in the sun even though the hour was still early.

On a private promenade deck in first-class, Achilles and Tina were having breakfast; both of them were silent as Chastity poured coffee for them both, the tension between them palpable. It was only once the maid had finished pouring and returned into the suite that Achilles looked at his fiancé with a rather displeased expression. "I had hoped you would come to me last night."

Tina slowly stirred her coffee with a spoon, carefully considering her words. "I was tired."

"Yes, well, your exertions below decks were no doubt exhausting," He said coldly.

She stiffened in her seat at his tone, though she continued to regard him with a cool expression. "I see you had that undertaker of a manservant follow me," She commented disdainfully, putting her cup and saucer down on the table. "How typical."

"You will never behave like that again, Tina," Achilles ordered sternly, as if talking to a small child. "Do you understand?"

Rage licked at her insides at being told what to do. "I'm not a foreman in one of your mills that you can command," She retorted before she could stop herself. "I'm your fiancée."

"My fiancée?" For a moment he looked surprised by her words - and then he suddenly exploded, sweeping the breakfast china off of the table and overturning it with a crush. Before she could move, he was standing over her and gripping the armrests of her chair so that she was trapped between his arms, unable to escape. "My fiancée! Yes, you are, and my wife! My wife in practice if not yet by law, so you will honour me!" He lowered his face closer to hers, and she could smell the mixture of coffee and cigarettes on his breath as flecks of spit flew out with his words. "You will honour me the way a wife is required to honour a husband… because I will not be made out a fool, Tina. Is this is any way unclear?"

Tina shrunk into her chair, quickly shaking her head. "No."

"Good." He suddenly smiled, as if they'd merely had a pleasant conversation together. "Excuse me."

With that he straightened up and stalked away to enter the stateroom without so much as a second glance; as he left, he passed Chastity, who was frozen in the doorway and wide-eyed. As soon as he was gone, Tina let out a shaky breath and found herself beginning to hyperventilate before she could stop herself.

"Miss Tina!" The maid rushed over quickly, holding her skirts so that she wouldn't trip.

"We…" Suddenly Tina clambered out of her chair and knelt down at the mess on the floor where the breakfast things had been knocked. "We had a little… accident…"

Chastity started to clean the broken china from the floor, shaking her head. "That's all right, Miss Tina-"

"I'm so sorry, Chastity," She apologised tearfully, trying to help even as tears glazed her vision and made it difficult to see. "Let me help you…"

But the maid put a hand on her arm, stopping her, and waited until the other woman had turned her face to look at her properly. "It's all right, Miss," She reiterated softly. "You're okay."

Tina inhaled shakily, dropping the broken glass in her hand and falling back to sit on the floor, all the while with Chastity's hand on her arm to steady her; neither of them said anything as she took a moment to sob, the sound echoing on the now empty promenade deck.

After the mess at breakfast had been cleaned, Chastity had immediately begun helping Tina get dressed for the day; she was just in the middle of helping with her corset when the bedroom door opened. Both women looked up in fear before realising that it was merely Seraphina standing there - not Achilles.

The older woman took one look at the two of them, taking in her ward's red eyes and the anxiety painted on the maid's face, before clearing her throat. "Tea please, Chastity."

Chastity immediately let go of the bindings of the corset, did a small bow, and went to leave. "Yes, ma'am."

Tina watched her go forlornly, suddenly feeling a gnawing in her stomach as her guardian shut the door and looked at her; Seraphina's steely gaze met hers for a few seconds before she sighed. "Come, turn around."

The young woman did as asked, holding onto the bedpost as Seraphina positioned herself behind and began to pull at the corset strings tightly; neither of them spoke for a moment, the tension in the air uncomfortable as they both debated what to say. Finally, the older woman gave a small sigh and gave an especially hard pull at the strings.

"You are not to see that boy again," She commanded quietly. "Do you understand, Tina?"

She understood perfectly - but still she felt fire rear inside of her at being ordered like a child. "Don't give yourself a nosebleed, whatever you do."

"This is not a game," Seraphina reminded her sternly, and the tug she gave on the corset strings made the younger woman gasp. "You and your sister's situation is precarious enough as it is - you know your parents' money is gone."

"Of course I know it's gone," Tina snapped, turning to glare at her. "You and Percival remind me every day!"

"Your parents left you both with little more than a legacy of bad debts hidden by a good name," She reminded her ward. "Your parents were good people, I won't dispute that, but their name is the only card we have to play right now." When the younger woman didn't say anything, she sighed heavily. "I don't understand you, Tina; it's a fine match with Tolliver, and it will make sure you're settled for the rest of your life - and your sister will be too. It will keep her safe and allow her to live the life she deserves."

Tina shook her head, all of the hurt she had been suppressing suddenly bubbling to the surface and threatening to spill over. "Why is this being put onto my shoulders?"

"Because you're the eldest," Her guardian reminded her, and there was pity in her eyes. "And because you know that if you don't, it will be Queenie who'll suffer - because you'd much rather face an arranged marriage yourself than put her through that. You'll do anything to protect her, even if it's at the expense of your own happiness, because that's the person you are, Tina."

Angry tears threatened to overflow as she balled her fists up, sadness and frustration blending dizzily together and making her feel sick. "It's so unfair."

Seraphina merely smiled sadly at her in a way that conveyed many years of knowledge and experience. "Of course it's unfair: we're women. Our choices are never easy."

The divine service that Sunday was held in the first-class dining saloon; at the front of the room, Captain Smith was leading them all in hymn as the pianist played the tune to "Eternal Father, Strong to Save". Near the front were Tina, Seraphina, Percival and Achilles; nearby, Abernathy was standing to the side so that he could keep an eye on Tina, as he'd been instructed to, but thankfully the girl had been on her best behaviour all morning.

Protect them by thy guardian hand
From every peril on the land.

O spirit, whom the Father sent
To spread across the firmament
Oh wind of heaven, by thy might
Save all who dare the eagle's flight.
And keep them by thy watchful care
From every peril in the air.

Meanwhile, Newt was making his way down the Grand Staircase, a hop in his step and a smile on his face; he noticed Thomas Andrews by the clock, scribbling something in a notebook, and he cleared his throat. "Hello, Mister Andrews," He greeted politely, slowing down so that the man would see him.

Andrews looked up and smiled in a surprised but pleased way. "Hello, Newt."

At the bottom of the stairs, Newt looked around furtively; after a moment, he heard the sound of singing from the direction of the dining saloon and immediately made his way over. Before he could reach the door, however, the two stewards who were standing guard were stepping forwards. "Sir-"

"I'm sorry," Newt said quickly, not particularly sorry at all. "I just need to talk to somebody for a second."

"Sir, you're not supposed to be here," The steward huffed, grabbing him by the soldiers to hold him still; the young man tried not to shudder at the unwanted contact. "You need to go-"

"No, I just need to speak to someone," He insisted, though he took a step back so that they wouldn't have their hands on him anymore. "I was just here last night, don't you remember me?"

The steward frowned disapprovingly. "No, I'm afraid I don't - now you're going to have to turn around and leave."

Through the doors, Newt saw that Achilles' valet was approaching and gestured to him. "Look, he'll tell you!" As Abernathy opened the ornate doors and closed them behind him, he looked at the other man beseechingly. "I just… I need…"

"Mister Tolliver continues to be most appreciative of your assistance," Abernathy informed him coolly before reaching into his pocket. "He asked me to give you this in gratitude."

He held out two twenty dollar bills, to which Newt frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't want your money. Please, I just want-"

"And also to remind you that you hold a third-class ticket," Abernathy continued, and despite the fact he was shorter than the other man, he appeared to be looking down his nose at him. "And that your presence here is no longer appropriate."

"Please, I just want to speak to Tina for one second… Please… "

The valet looked at the two stewards and held out one of the bills to each of them. "Gentlemen, will you please see that Mister Scamander gets back to where he belongs - and that he stays there?"

The one on the left looked at the bill with wide eyes before nodding eagerly. "Yes, sir!" He turned to the third-class man, taking him by the arm just as the other steward did the same. "Come along, you."

Newt cast one last despairing look over his shoulder as he was hustled away, hoping that Tina would see him from inside the saloon and come out to stop this - but all he saw was Abernathy watching with a satisfied smirk on his face, hands behind his back and eyes glinting.

Inside the saloon, Achilles had been keeping an eye on things; he also smirked to himself, pleased that the silly boy from steerage had been taken care of. Beside him, Tina continued to sing the hymn, completely unaware of what had transgressed outside.

O hear us when we cry to thee,
For those in peril on the sea.

After service that morning, Thomas Andrews had been leading a small group for a tour around the ship; this small group included Tina, Seraphina, Percival and Achilles chief among them. Currently they found themselves inside the ship's gymnasium, a room that was filled with various machines; a woman nearby was pedalling on a stationary bicycle in a long dress, looking rather ridiculous. The gym instructor, Thomas McCawley, was a rather bouncy little man dressed in white flannels, and he was eagerly showing off the modern equipment.

"Over here, we have the stationary bicycle - it's very effective for keeping fit!" He told them, gesturing to where the woman in the long dress was exercising before showing them a machine with a saddle on it. "And over here the electric horse: this, of course, is also extremely popular!" He bent down to turn a switch on, and the machine started to undulate. "And we even have the electric camel."

In the middle of the room, Achilles was sitting on a stationary rowing machine, working the oars with a well trained stroke. "Reminds me of my Harvard days!" He chuckled cheerfully before stopping and standing up.

"Ah, yes. This is our new rowing machine," McCawley introduced proudly before turning to Seraphina, who was looking around in mild curiosity. "Care to try your hand, madame?"

Seraphina looked at him, only slightly surprised, before tilting her head. "Don't be absurd - I can't think of a skill I should likely need less."

Sensing that interest was waning in this area, Andrews stepped forwards and gestured for the group to follow him. "The next stop on our tour will be the bridge - all of you, this way, please."

As they left, Tina noticed a large hanging punch bag; whilst Seraphina and Achilles walked onwards, she gave it an aggressive hit, channelling all of her anger from the morning into it. It did little to make her feel better, though she supposed one would have to do it repeatedly.

"You've got a good strong right hook on you," She heard someone chuckle; when she looked over her shoulder, she realised it was Percival, grinning to himself even as other people looked bewildered by her actions. "Remind me never to get you angry, Tina."

As she took his arm, she grimaced to herself. "Surely you know that by now."

"Of course I do," He agreed fondly, giving her hand a pat. "I raised you, after all - and I feel sorry for the poor fool who inspires your ire who doesn't know it." As they walked out onto the deck, his smile faded slightly and he slowed down his steps so that the others would be ahead, unable to overhear. "Are you okay, Tina?"

Tina hesitated; she wanted to tell him the events of that morning, the way that Achilles had lost his temper and flipped the table at breakfast, how scared she was of angering him further, how desperately unhappy she was with the whole arrangement. Percival had always been good to her, she remembered, and whilst Seraphina had never been cruel or unkind in raising her, it was undeniable that notoriously stern and well-respected Percival Graves had a soft spot for her.

Don't you worry about a thing, Tina , he had told her once as a child when she came to him in tears after accidentally breaking one of Seraphina's best plates, I will always help, just say the word .

She could tell him and perhaps he would find a way to end her engagement - he had been instrumental in arranging it of course - but then what? It wouldn't solve any money problems, it wouldn't assure safety and security for herself and Queenie, and it would be incredibly selfish of her to throw away her responsibility on account of such a trivial thing as happiness.

"Yes," Tina said softly, giving him a small smile. "I'm absolutely fine, Percival - how could I not be?"

"She's a goddess amongst mortal men, there's no denyin'. But she's in another world, Newt, forget her - she's after closing the door!"

But Newt was ignoring Tommy as he walked, climbing the steps to B-deck and stepping over the gate that separated the third and second-class passengers. He was followed closely by Theseus and Lally as well as Tommy, all of whom were trying to talk some sense into him with very little success.

"Newt, please," His brother began, reaching to grab him by the shoulder; he was merely shaken off. "You need to listen to us - we're trying to help you. With the exception of last night, when you were invited , you know that if you're caught wandering about on the first-class part of this ship, they'll arrest you."

"I've already been arrested once, it's fine," Newt said dismissively, moving furtively to the wall just below the A-deck promenade.

Lally winced, shaking her head to herself as she anticipated what was coming. "Oh boy…"

"Hold on, you were arrested ?!" Theseus questioned in disbelief. "Newt, what do you mean you've already been arrested once? What the bloody hell have you been doing?! Newt!"

But his brother was ignoring him, glancing around the deck above. "Besides, it was them who closed the door, not her. Alright, it's clear - help me up."

Theseus looked like he was about to argue more, but at his girlfriend's look he sighed and nodded to Tommy to help. "Of all the ridiculous and insane things you've done…"

"Ah, he's not bein' logical, I tell ya," Tommy muttered, taking hold of Newt's foot to give him a boost.

"Love is never logical," Lally mused, watching as her friend clambered rather nimbly over the railing and onto the first-class deck.

Just as he disappeared from view, one of the ship's officers came strolling by; he took one look at the three steerage passengers and immediately frowned, starting forwards and gesturing aggressively. "Here you, get back where you belong!"

"It's alright, we're going!" Theseus said hurriedly, and the three quickly went back down the steps. "If Newt gets caught, I'm going to kill him..."

Meanwhile, up on A-deck, Newt looked around quickly, hoping he hadn't been noticed yet. Nearby a man was playing with his son, who was spinning a top with a string; a quick glance showed that the man's overcoat and bowler hat were sitting on a deck chair nearby. Calmly, so as to not arouse any suspicion, he moved towards the chair and picked up the coat and hat; as he walked away, he slipped the coat on and quickly covered his unruly hair with the hat - it was not a terribly decent disguise, but at a distance he would pass for a gentleman.

Alright, Tina… where are you?

Up on the bridge, the tour group found themselves in the chartroom; just as Andrews was explaining why there were two steering wheels, Harold Bride, a young junior wireless operator on the ship, hustled in and skirted around the group to hand a Marconigram to Captain Smith.

"Excuse me, sir," He interrupted, giving the group an apologetic look as he handed the sheet of paper to the older man. "Another ice warning. This one's from the Noordam ."

"Thank you, Sparks," Captain Smith said, glancing at the message before nonchalantly putting it into his pocket; when he looked up, he noticed that Tina looked concerned and so smiled reassuringly at the group. "Oh, not to worry. Quite normal for this time of year. In fact, we're speeding up - I've just ordered the last boilers lit."

Andrews scowled slightly at this news but said nothing, instead motioning for the group to follow him towards the door; it was only once they were on the boat deck that he seemed to relax slightly. Noticing this, Tina cleared her throat and moved to walk next to him. "Mister Andrews? Forgive me for interrupting..." He looked surprised but didn't say anything, giving a polite nod to indicate that he was listening. "It's just that I did the sum in my head, and with the number of lifeboats times the capacity you mentioned…forgive me, but it seems that there are not enough for everyone onboard."

"About half, actually," Andrews informed her, stopping and giving her a small smile. "Tina, you miss nothing, do you?" He gestured behind him to show her the davits as he continued. "In fact, I put in these new type davits, which can take an extra row of boats inside this one, but it was thought - by some - that the deck would look too cluttered. So I was overruled."

Achilles scoffed, slapping the side of one of the lifeboats as he passed. "Waste of deck space as it is on an unsinkable ship!"

Tina couldn't help but feel somewhat worried by this; Andrews gave her another reassuring smile as he began to walk again, moving ahead of her. "Sleep soundly, young Tina. I have built you a good ship, strong and true. She's all the lifeboat you need." He strolled to the front of the group as she lagged behind, now speaking to the rest of the passengers. "Now, keep heading aft! The next stop will be the engine room!"

As they passed a lifeboat with the number seven on it, a gentleman who had been leaning on the rail straightened himself and walked up behind the group; Tina gasped when she felt someone tapping her on the arm, turning her head quickly to see who was touching her. To her shock, it was none other than Newt, clad in a coat and bowler hat; he motioned for her to come with him and, casting a glance back to the group to make sure they hadn't noticed, followed him as he opened a nearby door. She ducked in under his overstretched arm, and realised that she was now back in the gymnasium - it was empty now, the gym instructor gone, and the two were alone.

"Newt, this is impossible," Tina sighed as he closed the door behind them before turning to meet her eyes; for a moment they both just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable, before she moved to go past him to leave again. "I… I can't see you-"

"I need to talk to you," Newt insisted quietly, taking her by the arm and stopping her near one of the rippled windows; with the light filtering through behind her, she looked stunning.

She bit her lip, watching as he removed the hat from his head. "No, Newt, no… Newt, I'm engaged. I'm marrying Achilles… I love Achilles." Her voice sounded false and hollow even to her own ears.

Newt saw through her lie immediately. "Tina…" He struggled for a moment, trying to come up with the sufficient words to describe how he was feeling; she was beautiful standing there, somehow even more beautiful than the night before, with her dark hair half-up and pinned back with an ornate butterfly comb, and the simple dark blue outfit she had elected to wear today suited her far more than any other dress he'd seen her in before. "You… You have a strong, pure heart and- and you're the most amazingly astounding girl - woman - that I've ever known. And-"

"Newt, I can't-"

"No, please," He insisted, stopping her from moving away. "Please, just let me try and get this out. You… You're amazing, you're…" He paused, shoulders deflating somewhat. "I'm not a fool, Tina, even if people think I am. I know how this world works. I have barely any money in my pocket, I have nothing to offer you and I know that. I understand, but I'm too involved now." He leaned in slightly closer, gazing at her beseechingly. "If you jump, I jump, remember? I can't just turn away without knowing that you're going to be alright. That's all that I want."

Tina felt the tears coming to her eyes at his words, all of the emotions that she'd been trying to keep hidden suddenly swirling up again; Newt was so open and real, she thought, not like anyone she had ever known in her entire life. She wanted nothing more than to tell him that she felt the same, that the past couple of days they had spent together had been the happiest of her entire life - but she couldn't, she couldn't do it, not when she remembered her sister and what was required of her.

"You're making this very hard," She said instead, trying to keep her voice neutral. "I'm fine. I will be fine. Really."

"Really? I don't think you will be, Tina." His blue-green eyes seemed to pierce her, his doubt clearly written across his face. "They've got you trapped, Tina, like a butterfly in a glass jar, and you're going to die if you don't break out - maybe not immediately, because you're so strong, but…" Tentatively, his hand reached up to touch her cheek, and her breath hitched at the feeling of his calloused yet gentle fingers. "But sooner or later that fire that I love about you, Tina, that fire is going to burn out."

Tina swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's not up to you to save me, Newt."

"You're right," He agreed seriously. "Only you can do that."

She allowed herself another few seconds to enjoy the feeling of his fingers on her skin before reaching up with her gloved hand and pulling them away. "I'm going back," Tina told him, avoiding his eyes. "Please, Newt, for both of our sakes, leave me alone."

Newt said nothing as she left the gymnasium, not stopping her; once she had gone, however, he slumped down against the wall and lowered his head, rubbing his eyes furiously at the tears that threatened to overwhelm them.

Of course she went back, He thought miserably, what can I give her that they can't?

The most elegant room on the ship was the first-class lounge; it was styled in a Louis Quinze Versaille style, and a popular place for the wealthiest to take their tea. That was where Tina found herself later that afternoon, seated on a divan with a group of other women and Percival around her: Seraphina, the Countess of Rothes and Lady Duff-Gordon were talking as they took their tea whilst she sat silently, still as a porcelain figurine whilst the conversation washed around her.

"Of course, the invitations had to be sent back to the printers - twice!" The other women gasped mildly at Seraphina's words, as if this were a tragedy. "And then there was the dreadful bridesmaids' gowns, let me tell you what an odyssey that has been! Tina decided that she wanted darker colours, despite knowing full well that they weren't appropriate for a wedding…"

As she droned on, Tina found her gaze drawn across the room to another table where a mother and daughter were also having tea; the girl was only about four years old, wearing white gloves as she daintily picked up a cookie. Her mother tutted and made her drop the cookie before correcting her on her posture; it was painfully obvious that the little girl was trying so desperately hard to please, her small face serious as she carefully draped a napkin over her lap. It was eerily similar to many afternoons she had spent with Seraphina, being corrected over and over again on how to sit, how to sip from her cup, how to behave - and no doubt this was how Seraphina herself had been conditioned as a child to behave too, a relentless cycle that passed from mothering figure to daughter.

It struck Tina then that she was not only looking at her past, but her future too: any future daughters she had would undergo the same strict routines, the same stifling rules that came with being raised in the upper-class of an Edwardian society. She imagined herself having to sternly correct a small girl on how to sit, scolding her for being curious or anything other than the perfect doll that society expected girls and women to be, and how that little girl would look up at her wanting affirmation that she was perfect, that she was doing exactly what was expected of her; the thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

She couldn't allow this to be the future - no matter what it cost to change it.

"I'm sorry," She said calmly as she stood, and all of them looked up at her interruption. "I'm feeling rather warm - I think I'll go and take some air on the boat deck. Excuse me."

None of them stopped her as she left the room, merely watching as she walked out - it was only once she was out of sight that she picked up her skirts and began to hasten her speed. She had no idea where she was going, what exactly she was doing, but she had to do something-

"Tina, wait."

She halted at the sound of a deep voice calling her name, and she was only somewhat relieved when she turned and realised it was Percival who had followed her from the lounge. "I'm just-"

"Tina." His voice was oddly gentle as he moved closer to her, his grey eyes strangely soft. "Neither of us are idiots, so let's not insult ourselves by pretending otherwise. I know where you're going - or, rather, who you're going to."

Tina lifted her chin, meeting his firm gaze fearlessly. "You won't stop me; I'm doing this whether you give me permission to or not."

"I know. I raised you, remember?" He gave a small chuckle, shaking his head to himself, before taking both of her hands in his and growing serious. "I saw how you looked at that boy last night, how you seemed happier with him for a mere few hours than you ever have all this time in this engagement, and I've noticed how miserable you've been all day away from him." He smiled almost sadly at her. "When you were with him last night, I saw that girl I raised again - that stubborn and smart girl who's so full of life and happiness. I realised that I've missed that girl - that I don't want her to disappear again."

She was wide-eyed at his words, stunned at the sentiment of them. "Percival…"

But he merely patted her hand and smiled even more. "I'll tell Seraphina and the other ladies that you're indisposed so they won't come looking for you, and I won't breathe a word to Mister Tolliver or Mister Abernathy… Go on, Tina. Go and find him. We can sort everything else out in good time."

Tina couldn't stop herself from giving him a small hug, overwhelmed and emotional at the kindness he was showing her. "Thank you, Percival," She managed, only just managing to hold back her tears.

As they parted, the older man took a moment to fondly brush some loose dark hair behind her ear, much like he had when she was a child, before indicating the stairs ahead with a nod of his head. "Alright, go on now, before it's too late: make it count."

If she noticed the glassy shine to his eyes as she watched her leave, she thankfully didn't mention it.

As dusk fell, it lit the Titanic like embers of a giant fire whilst it steamed ahead, looming in the low light; at the apex of the bow was Newt, leaning against the railing as he looked out at the water below morosely. The chill wind blew through his hair, clearing his head somewhat, but it did little for the ache in his heart; he closed his eyes, trying to force thoughts of her away but failing miserably.

"Hello, Newt."

He turned quickly at the sound of the familiar voice behind him, heart racing when he realised it was none other than Tina herself; her hands were clasped in front of her, wind blowing her hair wildly about her face. His eyes drunk her in hungrily, and he was unable to stop himself from smiling at the redness of her cheeks, her sparkling brown eyes that reminded him of fire in dark water.

"I changed my mind," She said softly, moving towards him slowly. "They said that you might be up-"

"Come here," He interrupted gently, and she stopped rambling immediately. "May I have your hand?"

She looked somewhat confused but took the hand he offered; a jolt of electricity ran through her as he pulled her closer to himself, and for a moment she wondered if he was going to kiss her - but he merely grinned.

"Close your eyes." When she hesitated, he gave a small chuckle. "Please, I promise this is worth it, just humour me." Tina did so, and she felt his free hand settle itself on her back to guide her forwards. "Hold onto the railing… that's it. Keep your eyes closed, don't peek yet."

"I'm not."

He grinned to himself. "Alright, now step up onto the rail." Slowly, he helped her step up onto the bars at the bow of the ship, close enough behind her that she could feel his entire body pressing up against her own - the sensation made her inhale sharply. "Hold on… that's it, keep your eyes closed." She giggled, somewhat nervously, as he took both of her hands off of the rail and into his own. "Do you trust me?"

Despite the fact she'd known him for a mere few days, she didn't even need to think about her answer. "I trust you."

New slowly raised her arms so that they were outstretched on either side before letting go and lowering his hands to her waist to hold her in place; with her shawl around her shoulders, blowing in the wind, it looked like she had wings, he thought. "Okay, Tina… open your eyes."

Tina did so slowly, and she gasped; all she could see before her was water, nothing but clear ocean and the dusky sky ahead as the Atlantic ocean hissed below. It was as if there was no ship beneath them at all, that they were soaring over the waves with the wind blowing about them gently. "I'm flying!" She managed, beaming widely - it was unlike anything she'd felt before. "Newt, look!"

As she leaned forwards, arching her back against him, Newt could only grin even more at the wonder in her voice; like this they were floating weightless far above the sea, and he found himself humming a gentle tune into her ear. She smiled dreamily at the sound, leaning back even further against his chest and delighting in how he pushed forwards slightly against her; his hands moved from her waist as his arms stretched out like hers, and they met hers. Their fingertips gently touched, almost tentatively, before intertwining, caressing through and around each other like the bodies of two lovers; he tipped his face forward into her blowing dark hair, letting the scent wash against him, until his cheek rested against her ear.

Tina's heart was pounding as she turned her head towards his, their lips dangerously close; still holding his hands, she lowered her arms and turned further until they were eye-to-eye - his gaze was soft on her face, and she knew in that moment that he wanted exactly what she did. Slowly, she leaned in at the same time as he did, and their mouths finally met in a tremulous kiss; he gasped into it, like a thirsty man might drinking water, wrapping his arms around her from behind as her head tilted back and she surrendered to him, to the emotion, to the inevitable. As the passion built between them, she reached an arm back and tangled her hand in his hair, pulling him further in, and it was all he could do to let her - just as she was opening herself to him, he felt himself doing the same for her, willing to give her everything she wanted, anything she asked of him.

As the sun set before them, the ship soared onwards into the night without fear and the two embraced on the bow rail, the breeze blowing past them softly.

1996

Tina blinked as she seemed to come back to the present; she glanced at the footage of the wreck on the screen, of the bow rail, the sad ghost ship deep in the abyss, and sighed. "That was the last time Titanic ever saw daylight."

Luna was nodding to herself, considering everything she had heard. "So… we're up to dusk on the night of the sinking. Six hours to go."

Behind her, Ron snorted from where he was leaning against the wall. "Incredible, isn't it? There's Smith, he's standing there with the iceberg warning in his fucking hand-"

"Ronald!" Hermione hissed, indicating where Tina was sitting.

"Sorry. He's got the warning in his bloody hand, and he's ordering more speed."

Harry considered this from his seat next to Ginny. "Well, he had twenty-six years of experience working against him, right? He probably thought that they'd see anything big enough to sink the ship in time to turn."

"The ship was too big," Ginny added, quickly changing the tape in the minicasette recorder. "It's rudder was too small, can't corner worth shit. Everything he knew was wrong."

Tina was ignoring the conversation, looking down at the art-noveau comb with the jade butterfly on the handle in her hands - the very one she had worn that day as she toured the ship with Thomas Andrews, the one in her hair as she had been held in the arms of a third-class steerage boy on the bow of a ship hours away from disaster. She turned it slowly, lost in her thoughts as her grandson sighed and scratched his head; her great-granddaughter sat beside her, watching her carefully.

"Nana?" Ellie asked quietly. "Are you okay to continue?"

The old woman looked at her and gave a small nod; as everyone in the room stopped immediately, watching her in anticipation of what was to come, Tina turned her eyes to one of the monitors showing the ruins of a suite - her suite…

1912

The suite that Tina brought him to was like something from a dream: everything was beautiful woodwork and satin upholstery, the very picture of excess and wealth. Newt found himself overwhelmed as he looked around, clutching his sketchbook and materials under his arm tightly.

"Will this light do?" He heard Tina ask, and he turned away from the fireplace to look at her; at his slightly confused look, she raised her brows. "Artists need good light, right?"

"Oh. Yes, that's true," He agreed with a smile; out of the corner of his eye, he noticed some of the paintings that were propped up around the room, and his eyes widened in awe. "Monet!"

Tina looked up from folding her shawl, surprised as she watched him crouch next to a painting featuring lilypads on water. "You know his work?"

"Of course," He murmured, looking up at her as she over to him. "Look at his use of colour here… isn't he amazing?"

"I know," She said, excited that he saw the art in the same way that she did. "It's extraordinary." As he went to stand and examine more of the pieces around the room, she went into the adjoining walk-in wardrobe closet and to a large safe; he watched in fascination as she spun the dial, inputting the combination. "Achilles insists on carting this hideous thing everywhere," She mused when she noticed him watching.

"And should we be expecting him anytime soon?" Newt asked, somewhat anxiously as the safe unlocked with a clunk and she removed a box.

"Not as long as the cigars and brandy hold out," Tina muttered dryly, removing something from the box before closing it and putting it on the side table.

He was surprised when she held the necklace she had removed out to him, and he inhaled sharply at the sight of it; it was a ridiculously large blue gem surrounded by smaller diamonds, and it felt heavy when she pressed it into his hand. "Oh, this is… this is nice," He managed nervously, worried he might damage it in some way. "What is it? A sapphire?"

"A diamond, a very rare diamond." As he held it carefully, gazing at wealth beyond his comprehension, she moved closer to him so that they were mere inches away. "Newt, I want you to draw me like one of those French girls… wearing this."

His eyes didn't leave the jewel, clearly still entranced by the mere sight of it. "Alright."

Tina took a deep breath, gathering all of her courage before she could change her mind. "Wearing only this."

At this, Newt turned to her with wide eyes, mouth falling open slightly in shock; to his surprise, she appeared completely serious. "O-Oh. Right. I see."

Some time later, Tina found herself preparing in her bedroom; she carefully removed the ornate butterfly comb from her hair, shaking her hair out as she gazed into the mirror. To her own eyes she looked far too thin, too plain without the ostentatious outfits that hid her body, and whilst she had always known that she was not the beauty her sister was, it still made her ache somewhat - she wanted to be beautiful for this, for him, and she could only hope that he wouldn't laugh in her face when he saw her like her fiancé had on a few occasions. At the thought of Achilles, she suddenly remembered the ring on her finger and looked down at it; the diamond was ridiculously large and heavy, something she had never liked but been forced to wear so that everyone knew she was taken - knew she belonged to Achilles Tolliver and no one else. Without thinking twice, she removed the ring and threw it down on the boudoir - she didn't care to see where it ended up as it spun on the wood, knowing that she was not going to wear it ever again on her finger any longer. It felt strangely satisfying to get rid of it, and it gave her a sudden boost of confidence as she undressed herself.

Out in the sitting room, Newt quickly moved some of the furniture into place so that it would be ready for her; he moved the divan so that it faced the fire at an angle, guaranteed to light her in the best way possible, and plumped the pillows on it so that she would be comfortable. Satisfied, he then pulled one of the chairs to next to fire so that it faced the chaise and then moved one of the small marble tables next to it; trying not to think too much of what was about to come, he set out his pencils carefully, opened his sketchbook on the next clean page, and sat down to quickly sharpen his tools with a small penknife.

He was still working on one of the pencils when the door opened, and he looked up immediately; Tina entered the room, wearing a gauzy black silk kimono that left very little to the imagination, and smiled somewhat nervously at him. He noticed that the Heart of the Ocean sat on an an expanse of exposed creamy skin that peeked out from beneath the fabric of the robe; he smiled back at her, hoping to put her at ease - she would not be the first young woman who was somewhat nervous about being sketched by him, and he really wanted this experience to be as pleasant as possible for her.

"The last thing I need is another picture of me looking like a porcelain doll," Tina told him assertively, moving forwards with something small in between her fingers; he watched as she dropped it onto the table in front of him and realised it was a dime. "As a paying customer, I expect to get what I want."

Newt grinned as he put the coin aside, mentally telling himself to find a way to return it to her later - he was not doing this for the money, and he didn't want her to think that payment was all he wanted. He didn't have much time to think about this, however, as she stepped back and slowly began to part the robe; her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest as the fabric dropped from around her body to the floor in a pool of black silk, and she found herself entirely bare before him.

What if he doesn't like what he sees? She thought anxiously when he didn't say anything, What if he thinks I'm not attractive enough like those girls?

Newt, meanwhile, was so stricken that it was almost comical; he was unable to take his eyes from the woman in front of him, heat rising through his body and to his face at the sight of her. He had thought her stunning whilst clothed - unclothed, she was like something from an old Renaissance painting, something religious and holy that he had never believed in before but was starting to rethink at the sight of her. Part of his brain screamed at him to get up and kiss her, to take advantage of this moment and worship her body like she deserved - but the more sensible part reminded him that she had commissioned this portrait, that she was putting herself in a vulnerable position by baring herself to him like this, and that he had to be professional.

After all, he reminded himself sternly, she's trusting me not to take advantage of her - trusting me to be a gentleman.

That thought brought him back to himself, and he cleared his throat before gesturing uselessly to the divan. "Over, um, the bed- the sofa," He amended hurriedly, silently cursing himself at his slip.

Tina merely gave a small nod, moving to settle where he had indicated; as she lay down, making herself comfortable, she looked to him for more direction. "Should I just-"

"Yes-"

She lowered her arm, somewhat confused. "Tell me when it looks right-"

"Wait, put your arm back the way it was," He interrupted, and his cheeks were so red that his freckles weren't visible anymore. "Right, that's it… And your other arm, your other hand, put that right by your face there." He gestured to show her what he meant, and she copied quickly. "Okay. Now… head down, and try to keep your eyes on me." He settled his sketchbook over his lap, licked his lips, and looked back at her. "And, please, try to stay still if you can." Tina laughed quietly but remained still; she could feel the blue diamond on her breast, uncomfortably heavy, but she did her best to ignore it and instead focus on the man in front of her.

As their eyes met once more, Newt inhaled deeply to prepare himself, picked up a pencil, and carefully began to sketch; she watched as his freckled hand moved, the long fingers that were holding a conté crayon moving deftly as he created a shoulder and the length of hair with two efficient lines.

"You're so serious," She mused as his bluish-green eyes moved between her and the page in front of him; he smiled, gently shaking the reddish-brown mop of his fringe from his eyes.

Despite the nerves coursing through him, he drew her with sure strokes and secretly thought to himself that this was perhaps the best thing he had sketched in his entire life - her languid pose, her beautiful hands, the way her eyes burned like fire in dark water in a way that reminded him of salamanders, just like she herself burned with her passionate spirit. He could quite happily only ever use her as his muse for the rest of his life, he decided, only ever sketch her for as long as she would let him. As he carefully made the curves of her breasts, he had to bite his lip at the sudden desire that coursed through him even as he remained committed to his work - he was only human, after all, and he couldn't imagine any red-blooded male would be doing much better at resisting arousal than he was if confronted with the naked beauty in front of him.

Tina stifled a small laugh at the almost-pained expression on his face. "I believe you are blushing, Mister Big Artiste." She teased, delighted at how his cheeks grew redder even as he grinned to himself. "You know, I can't imagine Monsieur Monet blushing…"

"That's because he does landscapes," Newt reminded her, well aware that she was being affectionate with her teasing. "Just relax your face a little bit more - no laughing."

"Sorry," She apologised, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself - as amusing as it was to joke about how red and flustered he was, she really didn't want to distract him as he worked either.

As he shaded and smudged to create the shadows that fell over her skin and hair, his eyes were soft but fearlessly direct as they studied her - and she had never felt more alive, more desirable, more wanted in her entire life, than in this very moment with him.

1996

Tina's eyes burned much like the woman in the sketch's had, seeming so much younger all of a sudden. "My heart was pounding the whole time. It was the most erotic moment of my life…" She laughed to herself softly. "Up until then, at least."

Everyone was staring and listening in rapt, frozen silence - it was clear that her story had completely grabbed all of them. Even the men in the room were listening with wide eyes, taken in entirely by her words as she weaved her tale.

"What… What happened next?" Luna asked quietly, not wanting to break the spell that was cast over them all.

Tina smiled knowingly. "You mean, did we 'do it'?"

Rolf let out a small groan, covering his face with his hands at the sudden thought that he would have to listen to his own grandmother recount one of her sexual experiences: Ellie nudged him with a scowl, though she too didn't particularly want to hear this old woman discuss such a thing.

But Tina merely smiled even more, shaking her head. "Sorry to disappoint you all, but Newt was very professional…"

1912

Tina was wearing her kimono again as she leaned onto Newt's shoulder from behind, watching as he signed the drawing with his initials and smiling to herself; his sketch made her look more beautiful than she had ever imagined herself being, and as she gazed down at it she couldn't help but think that it was like an x-ray to her very soul.

"Date it, Newt," She murmured softly, her mouth so close to his ear that he could feel her words brushing his skin. "I want to always remember this night."

He grinned and did so, marking the drawing "4/14/1912" with a quick flourish before turning in his seat to hand it to her. "There we are, Miss Goldstein - your portrait."

"Why thank you, Mister Scamander," She hummed, taking it from him and leaning in to press her mouth against his as she did so; she laughed when he responded all too eagerly, their kiss deepening, but made no move to part from him.

We have time - all the time in the world if we wish.

A few minutes later, as he tidied the sitting room up, she made her way to the stationary that had been provided by the ship; underneath the red flag that marked the logo of White Star Line, she started to scribble a note. She was still writing when Newt came to her, looking curious. "What are you doing?"

Tina looked up and spared him a small smile before handing the jewellery box that held the diamond necklace to him. "I won't be a moment - will you put this back in the safe for me?"

"Oh, of course." He took the box, holding it carefully so that he wouldn't drop it, and made his way to the walk-in wardrobe that housed the open safe; inside he could see piles upon piles of money, more money than he or his brother had ever had in their lives, and he could only stare at it even as he slid the box in beside it. He couldn't even imagine what he would do with that kind of money, and no doubt the diamond necklace itself was worth even more than all of these paper bills.

For a moment, he allowed himself to imagine what he could do if he had this much cash in his pocket, how much one could make selling the diamond; he could have enough money to support himself, to help Theseus and Lally - enough to have something to offer to the woman he loved. Newt bit his lower lip at the thought; Tina was used to such wealth, such opulence, and he knew that it was a completely different world to the one he himself lived in. Her choosing to be with him would mean she would be forced to live like he and his brother did, with no funds, nothing but the clothes off their backs, and it wasn't a life that someone as wonderful as her deserved. It would solve so many problems if he had this money, these silly little pieces of paper that apparently meant so much to society, and it was unlikely that someone as rich as Achilles Tolliver would miss a few missing notes here and there - he had not been raised to be a thief, but it was undeniable that the prospect was there.

Newt exhaled heavily, lost in his thoughts as he looked at the money and wondered.

The gentlemen of the first-class were in the smoking room that night, enjoying cigars and brandies as they plated cards and chatted by a marble fireplace. Abernathy found it easy enough to locate his employer at the centre of it all as he entered through the revolving door from the Palm Court, at a table with Colonel Gracie and Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon; as soon as Achilles noticed the other man making his way towards him, he excused himself politely from the table and went to meet him so that they would not be overheard.

"So?" He prompted, keeping his voice low.

Abernathy hesitated, clearly not wanting to deliver what was undoubtedly bad news. "None of the stewards have seen her - they've checked all of the dining saloons, the decks, even the steerage general room, but…"

"This is absurd! It's a ship, there's only so many places she can be!" Achilles seethed in frustration, and though his voice remained quiet he was still forceful. "Abernathy… find her."

The shorter man gave a nod, taking a moment to straighten his tie. "I assure you I will… and I believe I know where to start."

So the two of the scenes used in this chapter are deleted scenes from the movie: "The Gymnasium" and "Sneaking Into First Class". Again, as with the film/script, I'm adapting certain bits to the characters, adding some things etc so it's not a line for line copy, so hopefully it all fits somehow!

This was somehow the easiest AND most difficult chapter I've worked on to be honest, and I've got a feeling that's how it's going to be going forwards!

I did wonder if Newt would be forward enough to touch her cheek in the "they've got you trapped" scene but then I remembered at the end of FBAWTFT when he and Tina said goodbye, and I was like "YEP LET'S GOOOO" XD

This is potentially a spoiler for the next chapter but if you know the story of Titanic, you know what's about to come anyway (other than the iceberg, I mean)... which means you know there's a certain scene in a steamed up vehicle. At the moment, this story is "M" for Mature, but the rating could easily change to be higher if, shall we say, that scene is elaborated on - in the film, it's more implied/the before-and-after and not the actual deed, but if people are interested then it's possible I might *elaborate* and not just cut away like the film does. I know not everyone is comfortable with that kind of content, however, so I'm very aware that it might not be for everyone. I suppose I just wanted to get a feel of how people feel about it before I decide how to write it up!

Anyway, reviews, comments, likes, kudos etc are always much appreciated!