A/N: Took longer than planned to get this one up as I decided to change the arrangement of the chapters to better fit my timeline. Enjoy and drop a review, if you please!
Rose rushed towards her room, tears still wet on her cheeks, heart still pounding in her chest beneath that dreadfully heavy pendant. She could feel Thomas' lips against her own even still, the ghost of their last kiss. She was young, but Rose was no fool. She could see in his eyes that Thomas knew he would not make it off this ship. He was far too kindhearted, and too much of a gentleman to fight his way onto a boat when others may be saved in his stead. How she wished he would fight for a place, but that was not who he was, and she loved him even more for it.
Reaching her door, Rose fumbled through her many layers to find her cabin key. She hurried to the armoire and pulled out her most sensible shoes and warmest stockings, speedily pulling them onto her feet. She snatched up her wool coat, not as think or warm as the one Thomas had tucked her in to but certainly warmer than anything her mother was sure to have. Taking it, she ran to her mother's room.
"Mother! Wake up!" Rose went to her mother's bedside and shook her. "Please hurry!"
Ruth sat up, slightly startled at her daughter's presence. "Rose? What on earth is the matter?"
"We have to go now." Rose had set the sketch book down and was scouring her mother's wardrobe for the warmest clothes. She turned back with the thickest clothes she could find and the wool coat she had brought. "Here, put these on. You'll be warm, even if you get wet."
"Wet? Why would I get wet? Rose, what is going on?"
Rose sighed heavily and looked at her mother with a pained expression. "This ship is sinking, and fast. We have to get to the lifeboats before they're all gone."
Ruth sat shocked for a moment. "But this ship can't sink, she's unsinkable."
"Every mountain is unclimbable until it is climbed, every ship is unsinkable until it has sunk." Rose said, a bit cynically. She began to grab the few things of value they had: her father's photo, her mother's pearls, and placed them in a purse. "Get up, Mother! We've no time to waste!" She pulled her mother out of bed to help her out of her night clothes and into a slip and thick stockings.
Cal flounced into the room without bothering to knock, as per usual. "What on earth is all of this ruckus? Why are you out of bed, Rose?"
"This ship is sinking, Cal. And us with it if we don't get to the lifeboats." she pushed her mother toward the bathroom to change seeing her dreadful fiance had no respect for the woman's privacy.
"Oh please, this ship can't sink. You are just being childish." He flopped down lazily onto the settee and reached for the book Rose had left resting on the table. Completely ignoring the serious expression she wore.
"Well, you are wrong, Cal. But if you want to drown I won't stop you." her mother emerged and Rose set to helping her into the coat.
Cal flipped through the book of sketches with disinterest. They were of a child and he couldn't be bothered to care until he saw one with Rose and the child. He flipped a few more pages, still finding his fiancee on the paper. When he reached the first drawing of a naked Rose sleeping half covered by tousled sheets, his blood boiled. Someone had seen her naked, wearing nothing save for the blue diamond he himself had given her, and by the looks of all the drawings, had taken her to bed. Glancing at the corner of the pages, he saw they had all been signed.
T. Andrews
April 14,1912
Cal saw red. "You little whore!" he snapped at her, holding open the book to show a full bodied drawing of her likeness.
Rose felt the blood drain from her body and looked to her mother who was white as a sheet herself. There was no denying her involvement with Thomas any longer. 'Though now, none of it matters, does it?' she thought sorrowfully.
"You were just with him, weren't you?! That's how you know we're sinking!" He looked at her again, just realizing what she wore. "Is that his coat? You dare to slide out of his bed, don his coat, come slinking back here and think I would not notice?!" Cal tossed the book aside and grabbed Rose's arm with an iron grip. "Did you think I would let you get away so easy?" his voice was once again calm, but in a malicious way.
Rose felt as though her wrist would break under the pressure he held her with. She did not feel terrified as she knew she probably should. Her boldness got the best of her "You hadn't noticed thus far."
"Am I to believe you planned to continue this little liaison?" his voice was still steady but the rage roiling in his eyes betrayed every ounce of hatred he felt.
She scoffed "I was planning to leave you in New York return to Belfast with Thomas."
He looked at her incredulously, not believing a word he was hearing. "You would rather whore yourself out to that old man than marry me?" Cal was not used to rejection and it showed on his face. He looked hurt and Rose almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
She looked up at him with malice seeping from eyes, "Rather his whore than your wife." she spat.
Rose fully expected the blow she received. Her face stung where he struck her open-handed against her cheek. He threw her by the wrist onto the floor with a thud before storming out and yelling for his man, Lovejoy. Rose didn't want to even think of where he was going in such a state.
Hands around her shoulders attempting to help her to her feet surprised Rose. What further surprised her was the fact that it was her mother trying to pull her up.
"Oh! My Rose, my baby, are you alright?!"
Who was this woman? She couldn't be her mother, surely! Rose couldn't remember the last time her mother called her "baby". Lost for words, she only nodded and rubbed her face.
Ruth turned and picked up the book Call had Tossed to the ground. Rose held her breath and waited for her mother to fly off the handle as Cal done. But she only thumbed through the drawings with unbidden interest. "He's quite talented. These of you and the child are quite life like.: she flipped to what Rose assumed was the first of the drawings from earlier in the night as she saw Ruth flush profusely. Ske kept looking through the book, though. When she finished and handed Rose the book back, Ruth sighed heavily. With tears in her eyes, she said, "I'm so, so sorry my darling. I know nothing I say can ever make up for how I've treated you."
Rose shook her head and took her mother's hand. "I forgive you, truly." She pulled her mother to the door, grabbed the life vests setting atop the wardrobe and passed one to her "Put this on. It's time we leave this ship."
She paused just a moment longer to grab the mink muff her mother was fond of, it being the only sensible thing in the woman's wardrobe as it would at least keep her hands from the biting chill.
Rose led Ruth through the chaos outside. The deck was crowded by White Star Line employees skittering about like worker ants. There were very few guest passengers out, and those present were milling about, seemingly completely unphased. As impending catastrophe would not apply to them.
As if disaster cared about social status.
'Chaos is a cruel mistress, and a willful bitch' she thought, letting a rueful laugh escape.
She continued her charge ahead toward the lifeboats, a hand locked tightly around her mother's arm. She was glad to have had forethought enough to avoid going through the inner halls, heading through their private promenade and straight to the 1st class decks and bypassing the congestion and panic that was surely ensuing within the great vessel.
Pushing past a deckhand losing ropes, Rose bumped in to one of the wealthy men, causing his glass of no doubt expensive alcohol down the front of his dinner jacket.
"Watch where you're going, young lady!" She rolled her eyes with a scoff and began to walk on when he blocked her path. "I expect an apology!"
"You will get a bloody nose if you don't move out of my way, sir." she ground out, attempting once more to veer around him, her mother trembling behind her.
"Excuse me?!" he sputtered, appalled. He blocked her way once more and reached for her arm.
Rose wasn't having it. She reared back and swung at his face, landing a quick blow to his nose and, hearing a satisfying crunch of it breaking, continued down toward the first set of lifeboats loading. He belted out a painful groan and spat expletives in her direction. She turned her head to see him holding his in the air, pinching his nose to stem the flow of blood ruining his pristine white shirt. "I did warn you," she tossed over her shoulder.
Those who witnessed the confrontation gave her a wide berth, staring as she tugged her mother down to the boats.
"Pass me the muff and purse, mother, and step on in, I'm right behind you." Rose helped Ruth to step up and over into the boat. It wasn't half full and already the deck hands were preparing to send it off. "Wait please, there aren't enough boats for even half the passengers." she said to the officer as she stepped unassisted onto the lifeboat.
"Miss, it would be more comfor-"
"Do not presume to tell me our comfort is more important than the lives of those that will certainly be lost." she fumed, the rage in her eyes matching her fiery hair. "More will be saved if we sit closer together. And it will be warmer, anyhow with us clustered together." the glare she leveled him with was a warning, daring him to challenge her on this. "We can fit at least 30 more women and children, we will wait."
And wait they did, for he had seen how she handled the man who had stood in her way and did not wish to have that wrath brought down upon his head. When the boat was filled and their descension to the icy water below began, a shot rang out. Not the firing of the emergency flares or the rocketing fireworks, but a gunshot.
A chill ran down Rose's spine. "Ship of Dreams … now they'll only call her a nightmare."
A/N: Kudos to anyone who can tell me where I borrowed "Every mountain is unclimbable until it is climbed, every ship is unsinkable until it has sunk."