Chapter 32: Reunion

Peter can't believe his eyes. He came into the office that morning with the help of Carl. He expected to be greeted by solemn faces, perhaps a few tears and questions. Questions about where he's been, if Sybil is alright, when was Emma lost, what was life like aboard the ship, how did he escape while so many others perished, how many people survived?

Instead, he found a bustling office, busy and full of happy people. He never expected to be greeted by Mr. Jamieson with a hug.

"Welcome back son,"

"T-thank you?" Peter says in confusion.

"We're glad to see you alive, please tell me, is little Sybil alright?"

"Yes…yes she is… She's staying with my sister and her husband."

"What happened to your leg?"

"I was shot aboard the ship…"

"My goodness!"

"I'm okay and I'm healing, but it's been slow"

"We're glad to have you back,"

"How are things going here?" Peter asks, limping along with his crutch.

"Very well, we're expecting a few more case files in the next little while, perhaps even some from survivors for damages against the White Star Line!"

As Mr. Jamieson goes on and on. Peter is confused by the mood, he'd think there would be some respect for Emma's memory and the one's from Titanic, many people lost loved ones including himself. Instead, everyone is acting like the king is coming to town or America just won gold in the Olympics. His world has been nothing, but misery since he lost Emma and yet the business couldn't be doing better. It's as if they are benefiting from such a horrible tragedy.

He interrupts Mr. Jamieson's speech.

"I don't know if you know, but…Emma and I got married on the ship, the only problem is there is no documentation of it and all the witnesses are most likely dead, so there is no way for me to inherit the company, so everything goes to Sybil. I'm sorry…"

"What do you mean son?" Mr. Jamieson frowns.

Both of them make it towards Mr. Carson's old office.

"You do know that Emma…"

The door opens and the words stop in Peter's throat.

Peter's heart drops and he almost falls over in shock. Standing in front of him is his wife, very much alive. She looks just as beautiful as when he first saw her, two years ago. Her hair is pulled up to keep it out of her eyes and she is picking up something from the floor of the office.

He finally manages to choke out a few words.

"Oh, my Gawd…Emma?!"

Emma turns, her heart also drops and tears flood her eyes.

"Peter!"

She rushes towards Peter and embraces him with both her arms, not caring about the pain she might experience, so hard that they both topple over onto the floor. Tears are now pouring down her face. She gasps, she can barely talk, she just pulls him forward and kisses him. Peter doesn't hesitate to kiss her back, he squeezes her hard, thinking she might be a figment of his imagination and she will vanish if he lets go.

When they break apart from the kiss.

"Emma…" Peter says exasperatedly. "Are you really here?"

"I'm here," she says through the tears. "And I'm not going anywhere, not ever again."

"How… How…you're…you're…?"

"I'm alive and well," she says with a smile. She strokes his face as Peter, who begins crying too. She kisses him again.

"How did you…the ship… How?" Peter sputters.

"I promised I'd find you again didn't I?" Emma smiles. "Forever and Always."

"Alright you two, let's stand up before you both have to go to the hospital again," Mr. Jamieson says. Emma can tell that this reunion scene is not very professional, especially in front of clients.

He helps both of them up from the ground. Many people in the office are staring, but also smiling. Emma doesn't want to let go of Peter's hand. She grabs his crutch for him and helps him to a chair in the office. Mr. Jamieson closes the door.

"It's alright, everything is okay, go back to your jobs…" he calls out.

…

Later on, Emma and Peter are hugging again in front of the office, waiting for Carl and Holly to bring Sybil. Both of them are still crying.

"I can't believe you're really here," Peter sobs. "I thought I'd lost you…"

"I promised I'd come back to you didn't I…" Emma says.

"But how? Your name wasn't on the list!"

"I was unconscious for a couple of weeks after the tragedy," Emma explains. "I was also bleeding in the shoulder."

"I was going to ask you; how did that happen?"

"Well, when I got separated from Jack and Rose in the ship, I had to make my way up the decks, which were filling with water I might add. Some officer found me and took me to the lifeboats. I was watching one of them being lowered when I saw someone with red hair jump back on the ship,"

"Was it Rose?"

"It was her. I met up with them and we were going to try to stay on the ship as long as possible. Anyways, we were making our way towards the stern when a shot rang out and hit me in the shoulder. I ended up going overboard…"

"Oh, my gawd!" Peter gasps.

"I managed to wake up and swim away from the ship as it went down until I found one of the lifeboats floating nearby, one that was capsized. Anyway, I swam underneath it and stayed there until it almost sunk in the water. I wasn't alone either. Harold Bride, a wireless operator on the ship joined me. Eventually, we climbed on top of the boat with several other men. We kept it afloat until another lifeboat picked us up. I went unconscious after that and woke up in the hospital…"

Peter can hardly believe what he's hearing. He felt unbelievably guilty for not trying to find her harder. He also felt selfish that he was the one safe in the lifeboat and not his wife. What Emma had been through, did not seem humanly possible and yet here she was, standing in front of him, alive and well. He kisses her on the cheek.

"You're so brave, I can't believe you did all that!"

"It was you and Sybil that kept me going, I knew I had to get back to you so…"

A car honks and pulls up in front of the office.

"Aunt Emma!" Thomas yells as he jumps out of the car before anyone can stop him. He wraps his arms around her legs.

"Hello Thomas," she grins.

"Mommy said you were with Jesus…" he blurts.

"Well, I am not… not yet anyway," Emma smiles.

"Oh, Emma!" Holly shrieks, she brings little Sybil with her. Holly wraps her arms around her sister-in-law.

"Hi, Holly,"

"I can't believe it, I just can't believe it, when Peter called us to say bring Sybil and that you were alive. We couldn't believe it."

"Well, I'm here…" Emma reaches her arms out and Holly puts Sybil in her arms. "Thank you for caring for both of them."

Tears well up in Emma's eyes and she embraces her infant sister, so happy to be with her again. The last time she saw her sister, the ship was going down and Sybil was asleep in her arms. It hurt so much to give her over to the officers to be put in the boat. But now, the bright-eyed tot is in her arms again. Emma kisses her sister a million times. Sybil, at first, is confused by all the yelling and screaming, but when she sees who is holding her, she squeals and grabs at her big sister. Emma clings to Sybil as if she will never let go again.

"Forever and always," Emma sobs happily. "I missed you so much!"

Holly is crying too, so happy to see that her brother's wife is, in fact, alive and here, to be reunited with her brother, forever. Now she's sure the old Peter will come back and everything is in the past. Carl puts his arm around his wife and kisses her on the cheek.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Thomas asks.

"Because I'm so happy," is the answer.

Emma holds Sybil tightly and Peter pulls them both in, kissing Emma on the cheek.

"Our family is together again," he says.

The six of them pile into the small car and go towards the Carson household. The entire way, Thomas asks them questions and Emma does her best to answer them, her head on Peter's shoulder and Sybil in her arms. She has never felt so happy in a long time, overjoyed to be with those she loves the most, here to stay.

…

"What is the big surprise?" Peter asks as Emma guides him down the hall, her hands over his eyes.

"You'll see…" She says excitedly.

The entire family is now home and Emma is eager to show everyone her project. Emma asked Holly to cover Sybil's eyes, just to add to the suspense.

Emma forces Peter through the nursery door and the others follow close behind.

"Okay…" Emma says.

She lifts her hands. Peter gasps and looks around.

"It's so pretty!" Thomas yells at the top of his lungs. He immediately goes after the toys on the floor.

"Thomas!" Holly screeches in embarrassment, still trying to hold Sybil.

"What do you think?" Emma asks.

"I think it's beautiful," Peter says.

"Wow!" Carl says, bring up the rear. "You did all this yourself?"

"I had some help from the Jamieson's but yes, I did it all."

"It's amazing!" Holly says in awe. She can't help but look at all the fresh furniture and the lively coloured walls. "I've never seen such an amazing piece of art!"

Emma blushes. "It's okay, but the real critic here is the one who will be living in here…"

Emma takes her sister from Holly and holds her sister up to see everything. She brings Sybil over to the wall to look at all the pretty images. Sybil reaches out in curiosity and touches the willow tree. She screeches with delight at all the pretty colours.

"I think she likes it!" Carl says with a big wide grin.

"I can't believe you did all this!" Holly says.

"It certainly wasn't easy," Emma smiles.

Peter reaches over and puts his arm around Emma's waist.

"I knew I married the most amazing woman in the world," he smiles and the two go in for a deep kiss.

Emma looks over at her brother's family.

"Why don't you all stay for the night?" Emma suggests. "It's too late to drive back to SoHo tonight anyways."

"Oh, Emma we couldn't possibly…"

Emma smiles at Holly. "I won't take no for an answer, I see it is a way to repay you for caring for Peter and Sybil this past month…please?"

Holly looks over at Carl and then they look at their son who's playing with all the assorted toys on the floor.

"What time is dinner?" Carl grins.

…

The night is calm and quiet. Emma is walking back and forth on the nursery floor, rocking her sister to sleep. She hums softly, so happy to have her sister back. Now she would fulfill her promise to her parents, to raise Sybil as her own and give her a loving home. Sybil sighs contently in her sleep, most likely pleased to be back in familiar arms. Peter watches his wife from the doorway, a smile on his face.

"I cannot believe you're standing here…" he whispers. "When I watched the ship go down, I…"

"Let's not talk about that right now…" Emma cuts in. She sighs and puts Sybil in her new crib. She looks down at her angelic sister, sleeping peacefully now.

"Did you know if Jack and Rose…?" Peter starts.

Emma shakes her head and the tears come up. She puts her hand to her face to contain the tears. She had been so stressed and so occupied with putting her life back on track that she forgot to mourn for her friends. Two friends who showed her how to have fun again, two friends who were there for their wedding, two friends whom she risked her life helping them so they could have a chance at love. Two friends from such different worlds, coming together in the most unlikely way…and it seemed like in vain. Two friends' whose lives ended too soon. Emma puts her hand to her mouth to muffle her sobs. Peter is immediately at her side, allowing her to lean into him.

The pain was slightly numbed now that she had her beloved Peter to lean on, but Emma still weeps very hard for her friends. Jack and Rose. Rose and Jack, two people whom she would never see again. Peter too feels heavy in the heart, sad that two lives were ended so tragically. The two stand in the middle of the nursery, holding one another up, crying, mourning for what might have been.

Eventually, Peter suggests that they go to bed, as his sister's family were already fast asleep in two of the guest rooms. Emma looks up at Peter and kisses him hard.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" Emma whispers.

"I was going to ask myself the same thing," Peter smiles gently. Emma can't help but smile too.

They kiss again and then walk to their room. They dress for bed and then curl up in each other's arms.

Emma and Peter lay quietly as the moon casts a pure white glow through their window. They think about everything that they have been through in the past few months, the good and the bad. Everything seemed so uncertain and quite scary, especially for the young adults that they were. Everything seemed to happen so fast and many of the events that had happened were beyond their control. When could they begin to live their lives the way they wanted?

Emma rolls into Peter's arms.

"I love you…" she whispers.

"I love you too." He answers.

"Forever and always?" she asks.

"Forever and always."