Okay, so I originally planned this chapter to be like three chapters. As you can see, that didn't work out so now we have a super, super long chapter which means 40 reviews because this was originally 3 chapters.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
So without any further ado, I present to you, The Sinking... Part 1.
"You can smell ice, you know, when it's near," Fleet said to Lee as the bow swept along the blackened ocean through the night. The two lookouts were trying to keep warm in the twenty-two knot freezing wind by swinging their arms and stamping their feet.
"Nonsense."
"Well, I can," Fleet insisted.
Barely audible over the roar of the furnaces, the stewards asked the stockers if they had seen Elena, but they just shook their heads and got back to work.
Klaus stood at the open safe, glaring at the drawing of Elena, and his face was distorted in rage and fury. He reread the note: Darling, now you can keep us both locked in your safe. Elena.
Elijah looked over Klaus' shoulder at the drawing. Klaus crumpled Elena's note. He took the drawing in both hands, knuckles white as he glared at it, as if to rip it in half. He tensed to tear it.
"Wait." He stopped, turning to his valet who smiled, "I have a better idea."
Electric torches lit up the hold as the two stewards entered, the torches played the beams around the hold. They didn't know why they had to look down here for the first class girl. They doubted she had gotten this far away. Why would she even come down here? It was too dark and dreary and nothing like any place any first class girl would want to be.
Damon and Elena ran out onto the deck, escaping into the cool air. His cabin had been warm, far too warm. Still, that didn't stop him from pulling his young wife to him, kissing her with such genuine passion that it made her head spin.
In the crow's nest, Fleet nudged Lee again, pointing down.
"Look at that, would you."
"They're a bloody sight warmer than we are."
"Well, if that's what it takes for us two to get warm, I'd rather not, if it's all the same." They both laughed, but it was Fleet whose expression fell first. He glanced forward again and did a double take, the color draining from his face. A massive iceberg was right in front of their path, five hundred yards out. He reached past Lee and rang the lookout bell three times, then grabbed the telephone calling the bridge, waiting precious seconds for them to pick up, never taking his eyes off the black mass ahead.
Sixth Officer Moody walked unhurried to the telephone inside the enclosed wheelhouse, picking it up.
"Is someone there?" Fleet yelled frantic.
"Yes. What do you see?"
"Iceberg right ahead!"
"Thank you," Moody hung up, and called to Murdoch, "Iceberg right ahead!"
Murdoch saw it and rushed to the engine room telegraph. While pulling the signal to Full Speed Astern, he yelled to Quartermaster Hitchens, who was at the wheel.
"Hard a' starboard!" Moody was standing behind Hitchens. "Hard a' starboard. The helm is hard over, sir."
Chief Engineer Bell yelled out to the engineers, "Full astern! Full astern!"
The engineers and greasers scrambled to close steam valves and start braking the propeller shafts to a stop.
In boiler room six, Leading Stoker Frederick Barrett was standing with Second Engineer James Hesketh when the red warning light and stop indicator came on. "Shut all dampers! Shut 'em!" he yelled.
From the bridge, Murdoch watched in horror as the berg growing right ahead of them. The bow finally started to come left, since the ship turned the reverse of the helm setting. Murdoch's jaw was clenched as the bow turned with agonizing slowness. He held his breath as the horrible physics played out.
In the crow's nest, the lookouts braced themselves.
The bow of the ship thundered ahead, and then with a crunch, the ship hit the berg on its starboard bow. Under water, the ice smashed in the steel hull plates, scraping and bumping along the side of the ship, and rivets popped as the steel plate of the hull flexed under the load.
In number two hold, the two stewards staggered as the hull buckled in four feet with a sound like thunder. Like the berg was a sledgehammer beating along outside the ship, the hull plates split and the sea poured in, sweeping them off their feet. The icy water swirled around the Renault as the men scrambled for the stairs.
On B Deck, Alaric woke with a jump. In an instant, he knew something was very wrong. Slater and Stevie were in the room, buzzing around, neatening things up.
"Get my jacket ready. Prepare Damon and my passports, papers, and money and put it in my wool coat. Don't forget Damon and Elena's certificate of marriage," he ordered the servants.
"Yes sir, right away sir," The servants answered, scrambling to prepare the things.
Their kiss broke as a chunk of ice sailed past them, the giant burg blocking the sky like a mountain. Fragments broke off it and crashed down onto the deck and they couple had to duck and jump backwards to avoid the flying chunks of ice.
One the bridge, Murdoch rang the watertight door alarm, quickly throwing the switch that closed them. "Hard a' port!"
Barrett yelled to the stokers where went scrambling through the door as it came down like a slow guillotine on them men, "Go lads! Go! Go!" Then, he dived through the closing door into boiler room five as the door rumbled down with a clang.
Damon and Elena rushed to the starboard rail in time to see the iceberg moving aft down the side of the ship. They shared a worried glance.
The alarm bells still rang mindlessly, seeming to show Murdoch's inner state of shock, and it was apparent he was still trying to get a grip on what just happened. On the maiden voyage of the biggest ship in history, he had ran the ship into an iceberg.
When Murdoch spoke, it was stiffly to Moody, "Note the time. Enter it in the log."
Captain Smith rushed out of his cabin and onto the bridge, tucking in his shirt.
"What was that, Mr. Murdoch?"
"An iceberg, sir. I put her hard a' starboard and run the engines full astern, but it was too close. I tried to port around it, but she hit...and I-"
"Close the emergency doors," the Captain ordered.
"The doors are closed," Murdoch told him. They rushed out onto the starboard wing, and Murdoch pointed. Into the darkness aft, Smith looked and then wheeled around to Fourth Officer Boxhall.
"Find the carpenter and get him to sound the ship," the Captain ordered and Boxhall ran to find the carpenter.
In his stateroom, Tyler tossed and turned in his dream before he fell from his bottom bunk into icy water. "Bloody 'ell!" he yelled. He stood and the floor was covered in freezing water with more coming in. He pulled on some dry clothes and boots quickly and his thickest jacket. Tyler started pounding on doors. "Up! Up! Everyone up! It's flooding! Everyone up!" He yelled before running to the stairs. The alarm spread quickly in a multitude of languages and Tyler ran to find Damon and Alaric in first class. Even though they had offered to let him stay with them, he had refused. Now he was wishing he hadn't.
A few of people had come out into the corridor in their robes and slippers. A steward hurried along, reassuring each of them.
"Why have the engines stopped? I felt a shudder," a woman asked the steward, eyes wide and worried.
"I shouldn't worry, ma'am. We've likely thrown a propeller blade. That's the shudder you felt. May I bring you anything?"
"Excuse me," a man dressed in semi-worn clothing. Tyler rushed past the steward and banged on Alaric's door. "Ric, it's me! Open up!"
Alaric opened the door and welcomed Tyler in quickly. Thomas Andrews brushed past the frighten woman and the steward, walking fast and carrying an armload of rolled up ship's plans.
Damon and Elena were leaning over the starboard rail, looking at the hull of the ship.
"We better go wake, Ric," Damon said to Elena.
"Could it have damaged the ship?"
"It didn't seem like much of a bump. Even so, we should probably be careful." Behind them, a couple of steerage guys were kicking the ice around the deck, laughing.
Below deck, the steerage crowd clogged the corridor, heading aft away from the flooding. Many had suitcases and duffle bags, some which were soaked.
Bruce Ismay, dressed in his pajamas under a topcoat, hurried down the corridor towards the bridge. An steward came along from the other direction, getting the few concerned passengers back into their rooms.
"There's no cause for alarm. Please, go back to your rooms." Klaus and Elijah stopped in their tracks. "Please, sir. There's no emergency-"
"Yes, there is. I've been robbed," Klaus said cutting him off, "Now get the Master-at-Arms. Now, you moron." The steward ran to get him.
Letting out a few choice words in his native Italian, "It's worse than I thought," Damon said, watching the officers scramble around.
"We have to tell Mother and Klaus." Damon looked at her strangely. "She's still my mother and he used to be a decent man. He wasn't always the way he is." Damon shook his head, not understanding how his wife had such a huge heart.
"Elena, you tell them, I'll tell Ric and Tyler."
"Come with me, Damon, please, I jump, you jump...right?" she asked uncertainly to the prince. He sighed.
"Right. But let me be clear, if they don't come, I'm getting you off this ship whether they're coming or not or if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you off myself. If they don't come the first try, I'm choose you."
She nodded and walked towards the door. Damon followed Elena through the door inside the ship. Things were relatively calm inside the first class foyer as Elena and Damon crossed it, entering the corridor. Elijah was waiting for them in the hall as they hastily approached the room.
"We've been looking for you, Miss." He followed the pair into the room, smoothly slipping the diamond necklace into the pocket of Damon's overcoat. Klaus and Isobel were waiting in the sitting room, along with the Master-at-Arms and two stewards. Isobel closed her robe at her throat when she saw Jack. Elena spoke.
"Something serious has happened."
Klaus smirked at her and stood, "That's right. Two things dear to me disappeared this evening. Now that one is back…" he looked to Damon, "…I have a pretty good idea where to find the other. Search him."
The Master-at-Arms stepped up to Damon, "Coat off, mate." Elijah pulled at Damon's coat and Damon looked appalled, shrugging out of it. The Master-at-Arms patted him down.
Elena turned to Klaus, "Klaus, you can't be serious! We're in the middle of an emergency, and you-" Steward Barnes pulled the Heart of Blood out of the pocket of Damon's coat.
"Is this it?" Elena looked stunned. Damon looked so as well, muttering something in Italian that she couldn't quite make out under his breath.
"That's it," Klaus said, taking the necklace from the steward. The Master-at-Arms looked at the diamond, and nodded.
"Right then. Now don't make a fuss." He started handcuffing Damon.
"How dare you put your hands on me!" Damon snapped at the man, livid. "Don't believe it, Elena, don't." She shook her head.
"He couldn't have."
"Of course he could," Klaus said calmly, "Easy enough for a professional. He memorized the combination when you opened the safe."
Elena remembered standing at the safe. Damon had stood behind her, looking around the closet, but never at the safe until she mentioned it. He couldn't have done it. He had followed her into her room even, helping her pull down the box that contained her wedding gown, not the one that she was supposed to marry Klaus in, but the one that she had married Damon in. She wondered what that would say if she told them all that right now, that she'd never marry Klaus… because she was Damon's wife.
"But I was with him the whole time," Elena insisted.
When Klaus spoke, his voice was low and cold. "Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on."
"They put it in my pocket!" Damon yelled, angry for being accused of such a thing.
Elijah held up Damon's coat. "It's not even your pocket, son." He read the tag, "Property of D.F.G.M.G.S."
"Yes," Damon said, "Property of Damon Francesco Giuseppe Maria Giovanni Salvatore."
"Maria?" Elijah asked with a laugh. The men in the room all chuckled.
"My mother was half French and grew up in France, thus using French way of naming to give me my name. Francesco is my cousin, grandfather, and great uncle, all depending on which Francesco you pick. Giuseppe is my father. Maria is my aunt's name, my godmother. Giovanni is my father's younger brother, my godfather."
They stared at him, unable to make sense of what his godparents and parents and random family had to had to do with anything. They were still stunned that he'd own up to having the name Maria in his name.
"So how did the diamond get in your pocket?" Elijah asked.
"How am I supposed to know? I didn't do this!" Elijah and the Master-at-Arms dragged him out into the hall. Elena's eyes were wet, but not for the reason anyone would think. Her mother mistook her tears and wrapped an arm around her.
"Why do women believe men?" From inside the sitting room, they could hear voices and knocking in the corridor. "I had better go dress." Isobel said, getting up and leaving the room.
Klaus went over to Elena, staring at her coldly for a moment, before slapping her clear across the face. "It is a little slut, isn't it?" He grabbed her shoulders roughly. Elena cried out. "Look at me, you little—"
There was a loud knock on the door before the door opened and their steward put his head in, "Sir, I've been told to ask you to please put on your lifebelt, and come up to the boat deck."
"Get out. We're busy," Klaus ordered. The steward walked in and got the lifebelts down from the dresser.
"I'm sorry about the inconvenience, Mr. von Swartzchild, but it's Captain's orders. Please dress warmly. It's quite cold tonight." He handed Elena a lifebelt and she gave him a grateful expression, "Not to worry, Miss. I'm sure it's just a precaution."
"This is ridiculous," Klaus said, angry about the interruption, believe their was no reason for it. But still, he stepped into the closet and unlocked the safe, sliding on his overcoat and putting the Heart of Blood in his pocket. He pulled two stacks of bills, still wrapped in bank wrappers, from the safe and tucking them in his pocket.
Elena, heart pounding and body trembling, rushed into her room. She undressed quickly with Bonnie's help, changing into a more practical dress, which she put her coat over. She took down a small bag, placing her wedding dress and shoes, along with her engagement ring from Klaus in there. She'd be able to sell the ring for money, if she lived. It was worse than her and Damon could have ever thought if they were having people put on their lifebelts. She wasn't going to lose her wedding dress.
On top of it, she packed her dress that she had danced with Damon in only the night before, and the dress she had nearly committed suicide in. The shoes underneath that. They were sentimental to her, those dresses, and she'd rather sink with the ship before she lost them.
Now, all she had to do was find where they took her husband.
A large number of first class passengers had gathered near the staircase. They were impatient and getting indignant about the confusion. Margaret Brown snagged a passing young steward and asked the question everyone was wondering, "What's doing, sonny? You've got us all trussed up and now we're cooling our heels."
The young steward passed away, stumbling on the stairs, "Sorry, mum. Let me go and find out."
The jumpy piano rhythm of Alexander's Ragtime Band came out of the first class lounge a few yards away. The bandleader Wallace Hartley had assembled some of his men on the captain's orders to help allay panic.
Klaus' entourage came up to the A-foyer. Klaus carried the lifebelts as if it were an afterthought. Elena looked angry under a calm, almost bored façade. With her, she had the small bag that held a few clothes and shoes, one of them being her wedding outfit, a brush, and some jewelry. She didn't want to have to wear the same clothes after the boat sank and she wasn't going to leave the most sentimental things of her and Damon's short relationship on the dying liner.
"It's just those English doing everything by the book," he said, not believing there was a real emergency.
Isobel turned to Emily, "Go back and turn the heater on in my room, so it won't be too cold when we get back."
Thomas Andrews entered, looking around the magnificent room with a heartbroken expression fixed over his features. Elena saw his look and walked over to him, Klaus following.
She spoke to him in a quiet voice, "I saw the iceberg, Mr. Andrews. And I see it in your eyes. Please tell me the truth." Her eyes were searching his, begging him not to begin lying to her now.
"The ship will sink," Thomas said devastated, looking miserable.
"You're certain?" she asked him.
"Yes. In an hour or so...all this...will be at the bottom of the Atlantic."
"My God," Klaus whispered, the thought only just occurring to him that maybe this was real.
"Please tell only who you must. I don't want to be responsible for a panic. And get to a boat quickly. Don't wait. You remember what I told you about the boats?" Thomas told Elena with urgency.
"Yes, I understand. Thank you." Elena nodded. Thomas moved off to urge others to put on their lifebelts and get to the boats and Klaus still looked stunned. She followed him, and Klaus watched as she asked Andrews something. Looking around quickly, she ran off before Klaus could react.
Elijah and the Master-at-Arms were handcuffing Damon to a four-inch water pipe as a crewman rushed in anxiously and almost blurted to the Master-at-Arms, "You're wanted by the purser, sir. Urgently."
"Go on. I'll keep an eye on him," Elijah said, pulling out a pearl handled Colt .45 automatic from under his coat. The Master-at-Arms nodded and tossed the handcuff key to Elijah, then exited with the crewman. Elijah flipped the key in the air and caught it, taunting Damon.
Lightoller had his boats swung out, standing in the middle of the crowd of uncertain passengers, all in various states of dress or undress. One first class woman was in a mink coat and barefoot. A first class man had only his pajamas and an overcoat. The maitre d' of the restaurant was in top hat and overcoat. Some were in evening dress still, while others had bathrobes and kimonos. Woman had their lifebelts over velvet gowns, topping it with their sable stoles. Another lady seemed to be wearing every piece of jewelry she owned, a man carried several books, and some even carried small dogs.
Lightoller shouted to the men, "Right! Start the loading. Women and children!" Alaric and Tyler offered to go on one of the boats to row, as Alaric told them they had both fought in the Boxer Rebellion as he slipped a wad of twenties into one officer's pocket, and though this was not true for Tyler, the officers shoved them onto different boats, telling the other men who tried to follow that the two men were officers.
Wallace Hartley raised his violin to play and he turn to his band and said, "Number twenty-six. Ready and-"
The band had reassembled, just outside the first class entrance, port side, near where Lightoller was calling out for the boats to be loaded. As they struck up a waltz, the ship seemed very safe.
"Ladies, this way," Lightoller said, indicating the boat, but no one moved. "Ladies, please. Step into the boat." Some ladies moved forward finally.
Klaus walked out of the doors near the band, Isobel beside him, looking stricken. Elena had ran off and he didn't know where.
"My brooch. I left my brooch. I must have it!" Isobel turned to go back to her room, but Klaus took her by the arm and refused to let go.
"Get in the boat, Isobel." Isobel saw his expression and knew that this wasn't a just drill.
The rows of portholes were angling down into the water and under the surface, they glowed green from the outside of the ship. One porthole was half submerged. Inside it, Damon stood, glaring at Elijah and looking nervously at the water rising up the glass.
"You know…" he said too cheerfully, "…I do believe this ship may sink." He walked over to Damon, a smile on his face, "I've been asked to give you this small token of our appreciation..." He stuck his gun to Damon's head before he punched him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, "Compliments of Mr. Niklaus von Swartzchild ll."
Elijah flipped the key in the air again, catching it, and tucking it in the pocket.
"And your name is what again?" Elijah froze, turning on his way to the door.
"Elijah Smith, of the London Smiths." Damon smirked suddenly.
"Nice to meet you, Signor Elijah Smith, of the London Smiths," he said sarcastically, "It's been a real pleasure."
At the stairwell rail on the bridge wing, Fourth Officer Boxhall and Quartermaster Rowe lit the first distress rocket. It shot into the sky and exploded with a loud thunderclap over the ship, sending out white starbursts, which lit up the entire deck as they fell. It looked as if the ship were throwing a large party.
Nearby, Margaret Brown was coaxing a reluctant woman to board the boat. Isobel turned to a woman beside her.
"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded-"
"Oh, Isobel, shut up!" She froze, her mouth halfway open, as Klaus grabbed her shoulders and shook her, "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats...not enough by half. Over half of the people on this ship are going to die. And quite possibly, your daughter will be with them."
It hit her like a thunderbolt just as a rocket burst overhead.
"Come on, Isobel, get in the boat. These are the first class seats right up here. That's it." Margaret practically set her in the boat. Another rocket burst overhead, and it was if a switch was snapped in Klaus, he turned to find his 'fiancée'.
"Lower away!" Klaus could hear Lightoller shouted.
Klaus ran through the first class entrance, running to the elevator.
Damon pulled on the pipe with all his strength. It wasn't budging. He had been at this for over ten minutes. As water began to pour under the door, it burst open, and Elena stood there with a fire ax. She moved quickly as she could with the water covering to floor to him, kissing him.
"Thank God," he muttered, "What are you doing here?" She snorted.
"That's a stupid question. I'm here to rescue you."
"Do you know how to use that thing?" She nodded.
"Our gardener used it once when I was little to chop up a log that had fallen during a big storm. He showed me."
"Okay, just hit as hard as you can. I trust you," Damon said, closing his eyes and spreading his wrists as wide apart as they could go. Elena closed her eyes and swung.
When she opened her eyes and looked… Damon was grinning with two separated cuffs. Elena dropped the ax, her strength going out of her. He kissed her hard on the mouth.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand and pulling her forward out of the room.
Scotland Road, on E Deck, was the widest passageway in the ship, used by both the crew and steerage alike. Steerage passengers moved like refugees, heading aft. It was there where Klaus was looking for his fiancée. He figured she had to be down here, looking for the gutter rat and his friends. "Elena!" Klaus yelled, "Elena!"
A steward who had been herding people through steerage ran over to Klaus.
"Sir, sir! You need to get up to the deck." Klaus grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall.
"Look here, I'm trying to find my fiancée," he yelled at the man just as a wooden doorframe splintered and the door burst open under the force of Damon's shoulder. They stumbled through into the corridor. The steward broke free of Klaus's grip, running to Elena and Damon. Klaus huffed, not seeing them, and ran back up the stairs.
"Here you! You'll have to pay for that, you know. That's White Star Line property-"
Damon and Elena turned together and shouted at him, "Shut up!"
Damon took Elena's hand again, leading her past the dumbfounded steward.
From the lifeboats, the letters 'Titanic' were painted two feet high on the bow of the doomed steamer. Originally, they had been fifty feet above the waterline, but now they were slipping quickly below the surface. In lifeboat six, Isobel stared at the Titanic, transfixed by the sight of the dying liner. She was scared beyond belief. Her daughter was in there; her only daughter.
Another of Boxhall's rockets exploded in the sky overhead, revealing a half a dozen boats in the water, spreading out from the sinking ship.
"Now there's something you don't see every day," Margaret said softly, shaking her head at the spectacle. Isobel's eyes were wide and frightened and child-like in the rockets' light.
Klaus saw Elijah hurrying toward him though the aisle connecting the port and starboard sides of the boat deck, as did Damon, and Damon and Elena ducked back. "I looked below deck. She wasn't there."
"She's not on the starboard side either," Elijah reported.
"We're running out of time. And this strutting martinet…" he said, waving at Lightoller, "…isn't letting any men in at all."
"The one on the other side is letting men in."
"Then that's our play. But we're still going to need some insurance," Klaus started forward, "Come on."
He charged off, followed by Elijah. Boxhall fired up another rocket into the air.
Isobel rowed with Margaret Brown, two other women, and the incompetent sailors. She rested on her oars, exhausted, stunned to be doing such a task, and looked back at the ship. She wished she had a camera.
The liner was slanted down into the water, still ablaze with light. Nothing was above water before the bridge except for the foremast. Another rocket went off, and there were now a dozen boats moving outward from the ship.
As Klaus and Elijah crossed the foyer after retrieving any remaining items of any importance from the safe, where they encountered Benjamin Guggenheim and his valet, both dressed in white tie, tailcoats, and top hats.
"Ben, what's the occasion?"
"We have dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen."
"That's admirable, Ben," Klaus aid, walking on, "I'll be sure and tell your wife…when I get to New York."
Klaus and Elijah were walking aft with purposeful strides. They passed Chief Baker Joughin, who was working up a sweat tossing deck chairs over the rail. After the pair had gone by, Joughin took a break, pulling a flask of scotch from his pocket and downing it, tossing the empty bottle over the side then stood there, a little unsteady.
Klaus and Elijah heard gunshots fire into the crowd. "It's starting to fall apart. We don't have much time." He ran to Murdoch who was walking away, "Mr. Murdoch, I'm a businessman, as you know, and I have a business proposition for you."
Incredibly, in all the commotion, the band was still playing. Elena and Damon ran by them.
"Music to drown by. Now I know I'm back in first class," Damon said with a snort, "Like I didn't already know." Another rocket went off, lighting the skies. Then a hand grabbed Elena's shoulder and she screamed.
Klaus slipped his hand out of the pocket of his overcoat and into the waist pocket of Murdoch's greatcoat, leaving the stacks of bills there. "So, we have an understanding then?"
Murdoch nodded curtly. "As you've said."
Klaus stepped back satisfied, finding himself waiting next to J. Bruce Ismay. Bruce did not meet his eyes, nor anyone's. Elijah came up to Klaus at that moment. "I've found her. She was just over on the port side. With him." Elena was angry and Damon's hand was intertwined with Elena's and they appeared to be arguing.
"Women and children? Anymore women and children?" Murdoch called. Damon pulled Elena forward, out of Elijah's grip.
"I'm not going without you," Elena said.
"Get into the boat," he said when she began to protest, "No, get in the boat, Elena." With a huff, she stared at him, ignoring her soaked clothes and her shivering.
"Yes. Get in the boat, Elena." Elena jumped at the sound of Klaus' voice. She was shocked to see him, and stepped instinctively towards Damon. Klaus scanned her, seeing her shivering in her wet dress and shoes, a very inappropriate display. "My God, look at you," Klaus said, removing his overcoat and placing it on her and she numbly shrugged into it, "Here, put this on."
"Quickly, ladies. Step into the boat. Hurry, please!" Murdoch said, before he glanced at Klaus, "Anyone else, then?"
Klaus looked longingly at his boat. Damon took a seat in the nearly empty boat beside Elena, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her arms through the coat. Klaus' stuck his hands in his pockets and eyes went wide.
"Go get the diamond from the safe," he commanded Elijah, forgetting he had put the diamond in the overcoat that was currently on Elena. The valet nodded and went off back to the room. Klaus decided and sat down. Bruce Ismay stepped quickly into Collapsible C, starting straight ahead, not meeting anyone's eyes.
Murdoch stared at Ismay, and continued staring when he said, "Take them down."
The boat began to descend. When it touched the water and was released they rowed away from the doomed steamer. As the remaining rockets got shot up, the lifeboats got as far as way as possible. Elena buried her face in Damon's shoulder as she heard the screams of people jumping from the stern.
Elijah couldn't figure out how to get into the suite without being drowned, and so, he figured he could forgot about it, running back up to the boat deck instead, grabbing a screaming little girl and lying to one of the officers that he was her only relation in the world. In Klaus' parlor suite, water swirled in from the private promenade deck. Elena's paintings were submerged, some floating in the water. The Picasso transformed under the water's surface into new pieces as Degas' colors ran. Monet's water lilies came to life beneath the surface.
Two figures lay side by side, fully clothed, on a bed in a first class cabin. The elderly Ida and Isador Strauss, co-owners of Macy's department store, stared at the ceiling, holding hands as if they were Romeo and Juliet, waiting for death to take them into their next great journey together. Water broke down the door and poured into the room. It swirled around the bed, two feet deep and rising fast.
In a steerage cabin, a young Irish mother was tucking her two young children into bed. She pulled up the covers, making sure they were all tucked in nice and warm and cozy. She lay down with them on the bed, speaking soothingly and holding them as the water came in and overtook them.
A wave sank the bridge house into the water, shattering the window and killing Captain Smith who had been standing, holding onto the wheel. He disappeared in a vortex of foam.
On the port side, the water picked up Collapsible B. The men worked frantically to detach it from the ship so it wouldn't be drag under. Colonel Gracie handed Lightoller a pocketknife and he sawed furiously at the ropes as the water swirled around his legs. The boat, still upside down, was swept off the ship. Men started diving into the icy water, swimming to stay with it and flip it.
Hundreds of passengers plunged into the freezing water. People screamed as the arctic sea hit their skin like a thousand knives. As men tried to climb into Collapsible C, Klaus grabbed an oar and pushed them back into the water, looking like a tuxedoed devil.
"Get back! You'll swamp us!" he yelled. Elena snapped out of her silence and shock and jumped at Klaus, taking the oar from him, hitting him on the head with it.
"Everyone in the boat to this side," she commanded, pointing to the port side about the collapsible. People ignored her. "Move! Make room!" she yelled at them. Most didn't listen. Damon stood. When he spoke, his voice was low and deadly, regal and commanding.
"I suggest you listen to her and move." Passengers moved instantly to accommodate some of the freezing swimmers.
Wallace Hartley watched the water rolling rapidly up the deck toward the back. He held the last note of the hymn in a sustain, and then lowered his violin. "Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight."
To be continued...
LONG AUTHOR NOTE! YOU ARE WARNED!
Whew! Very stressful writing this. Was it as stressful for you to read as it was for me to write? It was so long! Well, this should tide you over for a while.
Damon's name. Yes, his middle name is Maria. Do you have a problem with that? If so, here's some people for you o look up. Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta - Prince Louis, Count of Aquila - Francis II of the Two Sicilies - Prince Louis, Count of Trani - Prince Gaetan, Count of Girgenti - Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria - Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Siciles (Don Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain) - Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro - Prince Januarius, Count of Caltagirone - Prince Philip of Bourbon-Two Sicilies - Prince Gabriel of Bourbon-Two Sicilies - Infante Alfonso, Duck of Calabria - Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro - Prince Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies - Prince Casimir of Bourbon-Two Sicilies - Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria - Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro - Prince Pedro, Duke of Noto
Wow. Lots of Damon's "cousins" all have the name Maria in there name. For longest name, check out Prince Pasquale, Count of Bari. He had an older brother who's name was Prince Giuseppe. His mother was Maria Theresa of Austria and his father was Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. He also married a woman who wasn't a princess. (Gee, I wonder where my inspiration came from.)
Good news... We're moving into a bigger place with hug closets and multiple bathrooms so we can all have our own bathrooms now. And we're getting a new roomie, who's one of my oldest best friends which makes me absolutely ecstatic.
Bad news... What this means for you guys is sadly no more chapters for a little while. Yup, I know. I'm sorry. I've also been neglecting my other story while writing this and need to start writing the next chapter for that.
More good news... I'm over my cold, finally! I was a bit more focused to write this chapter.
Bad news... Because I am now focused, I would really appreciate knowing what you guys think of this chapter. Wait, how is this bad news?
Okay, the real bad news... we won't have Internet yet in our new house. :( When we will, I'll have to focus a bit more on school work.
Good news... I will be able to get the chapter out to you quicker with a little help on your parts. Review. I want to have 40 reviews before I post the next chapter.
So here's some starter prompts for everyone...
1.) I really liked how you...
2.) Titanic is sinking! Did you see that ship that sunk off the coast of Italy and the people described it as "Have you seen Titanic? It was just like that!"
3.) See number 2.
4.) I wish you hadn't made...
5.) Why couldn't you have made...
6.) I love... (add something that happened.)
7.) See number 6. Add character name instead.
8.) Should I have added Jack and Rose in the car and them running into Elijah instead of Elena and Damon? (I think that would have been funnier. That gave me a great idea for a cross-over story!)
9.) Make your own prompt!
10.) See number 9.
Now you really have no reason to not got and review. You have 10 (7) great prompts to review with. Remember 40 reviews minimum. (Through 45 would really inspire me to get the chapter up quicker, like before we move next Saturday quicker. It all depends on how much you want to read the next chapter.)
Review and tell your friends!