Hello all! I apologise for the delay but I've been ridiculously busy with work and other things unfortunately - but come on, let's be honest, I was *never* going to abandon a fic about Titanic, let alone a Newtina Titanic one! :D It just takes a while to write chapters sometimes due to life and other things getting in the way - I hope that it means the chapter is better for taking the time to work on it instead of just rushing!
Fun fact: I went to watch Titanic the Musical about a week and a half ago, and it was amazing! I had no idea that it was a thing until I accidentally saw an advertisement for it a couple of months ago while perusing pamphlets at my local inn while having dinner with family, and I'm so glad that I went to see it! Honestly highly recommend it for anyone interested in the sinking, even though it's not strictly 100% historically accurate (but it's a musical so we'll allow it some artistic license there), or anyone who loves musicals! It apparently premiered on Broadway six months before James Cameron's movie came out, which I thought was interesting - two different forms of entertainment about the same shipwreck releasing/premiering on the same year is such a coincidence!
This chapter features the scene with the soundtrack that this whole fic is named for, so I highly recommend you listen to the song "Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave" during *that* scene.
Unlike the other chapters, this one isn't named after one of the chapter names on the DVD - mostly because the scenes involved all had scene names like "Cal Spurned" and "Get on the boat, Rose" XD I figured it might be an idea to just name it after the piece of soundtrack the whole fic is named after, so here it is!
This chapter is, as always, not beta read and there are probably errors but hey ho! A quick warning that this chapter features a few deaths - including an important side character. From this point on, actually, there's going to be a lot of deaths (1500 to be exact) so... yep. That's a warning.
Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the chapter!
On the portside, Newt, Tina and the rest of their group burst out onto the boat deck from the crew stairs just aft of the third funnel. All of them were relieved to be out of the interior of the ship and one step closer to getting to safety - until they noticed the empty davits nearby.
"No," Tina whispered in disbelief, heart sinking. "The boats are gone!"
"There are still people on board," Theseus muttered, looking around quickly as if the answer would appear out of thin air. "Surely they haven't sent all of the boats out yet? They can't have!"
Just then she noticed Colonel Gracie chugging forward along the deck, escorting two first-class ladies. "Colonel!" She called, rushing over to him. "Are there any boats left?"
Gracie was staring as he turned to her, clearly shocked that she was not only still onboard but also at her bedraggled state. "Yes, Miss Goldstein… There are still a couple of boats all the way forward. This way, I'll lead you!"
But she didn't wait, instead grabbing Newt's hand so that they could sprint past him together; the older man watched, speechless, as they disappeared from view with Theseus, Tommy and Lally close behind. As they pushed their way through the crowd, they briefly heard the sound of violins and cello cheerfully still playing on even as pandemonium erupted around them.
One of the violinists sighed. "What's the use? No one's listening to us anyway."
Wallace Hartley merely gave a small grimace that barely passed for a smile. "Well, they don't listen to us at dinner either. Come on, let's play. Keep us warm." He paused as the others readied themselves and their instruments, looking to him for instruction. "Orpheus."
As they started to play the lively fast music from 'Orpheus in the Underworld', the group passed by them; Tommy shot a half-amused look to the others, shaking his head. "Music to drown by - now I know I'm in first-class."
On the other side of the boat deck, on the forward of the starboard side, water poured like a spillway over the forward railing on B-deck; on the boat deck, Murdoch and his team were now attempting to load one of the collapsible lifeboats, though there seemed to be barely any passengers around waiting to be loaded. Nearby, Achilles was leaning against the railing and watching with an almost bored expression.
"Where is everyone?" Murdoch questioned one of the other crew.
"They're still aft, sir," He informed him, pointing to emphasise his point.
Sensing his chance, Achilles slipped his hand into the pocket of his overcoat and withdrew something from it that he then proceeded to push into the waist pocket of Murdoch's greatcoat. "Do we have an understanding then, Mister Murdoch?"
The other man looked down, realising that there was now a fresh stack of bills in his pocket; his mouth set in a small frown, but he nodded curtly. "As you've said."
As the officer walked away, a rather satisfied Achilles settled himself to wait next to Bruce Ismay, who was steadfastly not meeting anyone else's eyes. A minute or so later, just as he was debating checking his pocket watch, Abernathy came striding up to him with a rather grim expression on his face.
"I've found her," He informed his employer quietly, so no one else would hear - not that anyone was listening, given the panic surrounding them. "She's just over on the port side, waiting for a boat… with him."
Achilles' smirk disappeared completely; before he could so much as think, he heard the calls behind him for more women and children. Ismay, who was making a show of attempting to help people on board, shouted, "They're all onboard, sir!"
"Anyone else then?" Murdoch called, glancing over.
Achilles looked longingly at the boat; it was exactly what he wanted, what he had paid good money to bribe for, and the sensible part of his brain told him to get on…but something stopped him from moving, and he knew exactly who was to blame. Tina Goldstein was his fiancée, after all, and he had been searching all evening for her - that was also what he wanted, he realised, to have her come grovelling back to him when she realised that her steerage boy could offer her nothing, that her silly teenage daydreams were nothing more than nonsense.
"God damn it to hell!" He huffed, turning away from the lifeboat and gesturing to Abernathy. "Come on."
Abernathy was dismayed as he started to follow after his employer, casting one last longing look to the lifeboat as it prepared to be lowered. "...Shit."
The two men disappeared as they took a shortcut through the bridge to get to the port side of the ship; meanwhile, Bruce Ismay looked at the half-filled lifeboat and back up the deck of the ship - with the exception of a few crew members, no one else was around. Sensing his opportunity, he quickly clambered into the collapsible lifeboat and sat down, staring straight ahead. To his right, he was aware of Murdoch staring at him, perhaps in disgust, and couldn't bring himself to meet the other man's eyes.
The officer paused for a dreadfully long moment, debating whether he should say something in the silence that followed - but it wasn't his place to do such a thing, and he knew that should Ismay live, he would deal with that guilt for the rest of his life, a fitting punishment for such cowardice. Finally, he cleared his throat and lifted his arms to conduct the people on the davits. "Take them down! Keep it steady!"
And all the while, Ismay merely closed his eyes and thanked God that he was saved.
The atmosphere on the port deck was, to say the least, much less calm; Lightoller was still holding his pistol in his hand as he directed women and children into Boat Two, trying to force the men back. When people tried to push forwards, he fired two warning shots into the air - the effect was instantaneous, everyone backing away and falling somewhat quieter.
Tina found herself shivering, despite the fact she still had the blanket draped around her shoulders like a shawl in addition to Newt's arms holding her. Twenty feet below, she could hear the sea pouring into the doors and windows of the B-deck staterooms - perhaps including her own - and the roar of water cascading into the ship.
"Women and children only!" Lightoller called again, taking a man who tried to follow his wife by the shoulders with a stern glare. "Step back, sir! Only women and children!"
Newt bit his lip before turning to his brother and friends. "I think perhaps you three should check the other side," He told them meaningfully; Theseus and Tommy both looked confused, but he saw understanding alight on Lally's face.
"Come on," She said briskly to the two men. "Newt's right, it's far too crowded over here - let's try the other side."
Tina felt herself being jostled by the crowd, her heart thudding so loudly in her ears that she could barely hear anything; behind her, Newt was attempting to get the officer's attention so that he could get her onto the lifeboat, though he didn't seem to be having much luck. As one tearful woman stumbled onto the boat with her children, her husband nearby choked with emotion, another man approached the young couple. "Miss?"
She looked over at him, surprised that she was being spoken to; he merely smiled tightly at her, the pain clear on his face.
"If… err…you're saved, could you please get this to my wife in DeMoines, Iowa?" He asked softly, passing her a folded piece of paper that he had clearly only just scribbled his message onto. "She… Well, she just celebrated her fiftieth birthday and I… You're not gonna believe that, of course, you're gonna think she's thirty-five, everyone else does…"
As he rambled on about the wife he would never again see, she found herself being pushed further forwards until she was near the front of the crowd waiting to be loaded onto the boat; she was aware of Newt's presence behind her still, his hands never leaving her shoulders and arms, but she knew that time was running out for them. She watched as Lightoller grabbed hold of a small girl with pigtails, ripping her from her father's arms before depositing her onto the boat with her sister and mother; the girl cried out for her father, bottom lip wobbling.
"Daddy!"
"It'll be fine, darling," Her father called weakly, trying to reassure her. "Don't you worry… It's goodbye for a little while…only a little while! There'll be another boat for the daddies - this boat is for the mummies and the children." He watched helplessly as his daughters both sobbed, fat tears rolling down their freckled cheeks, trying to remain stoic even though he was clearly overcome with emotion. "You hold Mummy's hand and be a good little girl."
Tina turned around, looking up at her lover. "I'm not going without you."
"No, you have to go," Newt insisted immediately, though she could see that he was anxious. "Tina, I mean it, you have to go right now."
"No, Newt…"
"Get in the boat, Tina," He instructed, but she was shaking her head still. "No, please, just listen to me, you need to get on the boat."
"Yes, get on the boat, Tina."
Both of them were shocked when Achilles Tolliver suddenly appeared, having pushed his way through the crowd; instinctively, Tina stepped closer to Newt and pulled her blanket tighter around herself. Her lover was also staring at the man, unpleasantly surprised to see him once again, and he put an arm around the woman in front of him almost protectively.
Achilles, meanwhile, was looking Tina over with wide eyes; she was shivering in her wet dress, wearing little more than a blanket, a most shocking display. "My God, look at you - you look a fright!" He reached over and yanked the blanket from her shoulders, balling it up and practically throwing it at Newt; the British man caught it, a frown crossing his features when the other man shrugged off his coat and threw it around the woman's shoulders instead. "Here, put this on."
Barely thinking, she numbly shrugged into it - she knew he was doing it for modesty sake and not because he was concerned about her being cold, but it was still warmer than a now-damp blanket. She flinched when Achilles suddenly started touching her hair, clearly trying to be loving but instead making her skin crawl; thankfully this seemed to be the last straw for Newt, who quickly pushed his way between the two and gently moved her towards the lifeboat.
"Now go on," He urged. "I'll get the next one."
"No," Tina argued stubbornly, though he could see that her eyes were starting to grow misty with tears. "Not without you!"
Neither of them cared that Achilles was watching them, nor that his jaw clenched tightly at the sight of the emotion between them; Newt's entire focus was on her, trying to drink in every last detail of her before she disappeared again. "I'll be alright… No, listen, I'll be fine - I'm a survivor, so please don't worry about me. Now go on, get on."
"I have an arrangement with an officer on the other side of the ship," Achilles suddenly stated, leaning in close to them. "Newt and I can get off safely." His eyes flickered to the other man. "Both of us."
Newt noticed this look, and for a moment his expression was hard to read - but then he turned back to her and smiled reassuringly, clearly putting on a calm exterior for her sake. "See? I have my own boat to catch."
As she hesitated, a horrible feeling churning in her stomach, Achilles gave an equally false smile. "Go on, hurry - they're almost full."
Before she could think of a way to argue with them both, one of the officers was grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the waiting lifeboat. "Step aboard, miss!" He ordered brusquely, moving her easily; she was aware of her lover's hand on her elbow, helping her step up onto the solid edge of the taffrail. "That's it, step aboard, please! Step lightly!"
It was all a rush, everything blurring together - the father calling more desperate farewells to his daughters, people clamouring to escape the sinking ship, the shouts of the officers - and as she stepped down into the boat, Tina looked back over her shoulder; Newt was watching forlornly, never taking his eyes from her even as she drifted further away from him. Instinctively, she reached out her hand for him; blinking back tears, he reached out too and took her hand in his, their fingers lacing together tightly for one last moment - and then Officer Lightoller was pushing him back, ordering for the men to clear the row so that the lifeboat could be launched, and she was being forced to sit down between two other women.
"Lower away!" Lightoller shouted urgently. "Easy now! Lower away!"
The small boat gave a shudder as it began to descend, and those on board gave gasps at the sudden jerk; as it slowly began to lower, Tina looked back at Newt anxiously, wondering when she would next see him. He merely gave her a half-hearted but comforting smile, glad that she was now safe - but she knew him, knew that he felt exactly the same as she did at being separated again. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as he stood at the rail with the man she had once called her fiancé, both of them watching her; neither of them looked at each other, the tension between them palpable.
"You're a good liar," Achilles said in a low voice.
Newt swallowed the lump in his throat. "Almost as good as you." A long and uncomfortable beat passed between them, and he found himself clutching the edge of the rail so tightly that his knuckles were beginning to turn white. "There's… There's no arrangement, is there?"
"No, there is," The older man stated coolly. "Not that you'll benefit much from it." When the other man looked over at him, he gave him a rather condescending smile, like one might a toddler. "I always win, Newt. One way or another."
It seems as though my luck truly will run out, Newt thought dejectedly, quickly turning back to look down at Tina - he didn't want to waste a second of his view of her, of the last time he would see her: he wanted to be able to picture her in his final moments, to be able to smile and think of her even as he inevitably perished. He wanted to remember the liquid fire in her brown eyes, the way her hair blew softly around her face, the way she was gazing up at him like she was trying to drink him in as much as he was her.
I love you, he thought fiercely before he could stop himself, I love you and I'm sorry I never told you that, I should have said it at least once… I thought we'd have more time.
As the ropes went through the pulleys and the boat lowered, all sound seemed to fade away; Tina glanced around, noticing Lightoller still giving orders by the movement of his lips while the blood pounded in her ears. The man who had said goodbye to his daughters was sobbing on the deck whilst his wife and children waved goodbye from the lifeboat with heartbroken tears in their eyes; the man who had given her a note for his wife was rubbing his eyes and shivering in the cold night air, knowing he was near the end. She quickly looked back up to Newt, noticing that despite his best attempts at composure, despite his small nod at her to assure her that this was the best choice, his hand was trembling where it was clutched onto the side of the rail, tears in the corners of his eyes as he watched her descend further and further away - and she had never felt such pain in her life, such unbearable pain; she was briefly aware of the tears clouding her own vision, but she blinked them away furiously, not wanting them to ruin her view of him.
A distress rocket fired off and suddenly burst behind Newt, outlining him in a halo of light as the sparks streaked down across the black backdrop of the sky - she noticed him swallow the lump in his throat, choked with barely disguised emotion as the wind fluttered through his hair. He had never looked more beautiful, she thought, more achingly beautiful and wonderful and vulnerable than in this very moment. Just as he had seen her , seen the real her even when she put up her walls and tried to pull away, she knew that she could see the real him even as he tried to put on a brave face for her sake - just hours earlier they had joined not only in body but also in soul, and she knew that his pain matched her own…and his fear. For the first time since they'd met, she was seeing him genuinely afraid .
No … this is wrong.
She didn't want to be one of the crying women or children who would never see their loved ones again, didn't want to wait on this lifeboat wondering if he lived or died, waiting safe but alone for rescue - she didn't want this to be the last time she saw him, didn't want to be apart from him, not like this. They had saved each other on this ship, after all, had agreed to stay together - and she didn't want it any other way: live or die, she wanted it to be together.
Suddenly she was standing up and moving, pushing past the women and children huddled together; on the deck above, Newt very nearly pitched himself overboard in shock to stop her. "Tina! Tina, no!"
He knew what she was going to do half a second before she did it; his heart lurched as she climbed onto the gunwale before flinging herself off of the lifeboat towards the side of the ship. She only just managed to catch the rail of the A-deck promenade below, scrambling in an attempt to climb over it in a way that wasn't too different than the night he had helped pull her back over the stern rail - but he wasn't there now, he thought in hopeless terror, wasn't there to pull her back and save her.
"Stop her!" Achilles shouted, but it was too late; some of the gentlemen on the promenade were now helping her over the rail and back onto the ship instead of the lowering lifeboat.
Newt leaned over the edge, desperately trying to keep his eyes on her for as long as he could. "Tina! Tina, what are you doing?!"
"Stop her!"
"No, Tina!" But she was gone, out of sight and running down the deck - and Newt bolted before he could think twice, pushing past people and running just as fast as she had below. I have to find her, he thought desperately, the only thing on his mind, I have to find her, have to find her…
He didn't know how he knew where she would go - it was just an instinct, something he knew somehow, or perhaps it was just logical given the location. He banged through the doors to the foyer without stopping to apologise to anyone nearby, practically sprinting down the stairs of the Grand Staircase and past the clock-
-and it made sense, he thought deliriously as he saw her come into the A-deck foyer, it was poetic that they should find each other here by the clock: after all, that was what he had written to her at dinner just a mere couple of nights ago, to make it count and meet him at the clock-
They met at the bottom of the stairs, colliding in an embrace that left them both dizzy. "Tina!" He gasped, holding her tightly to himself and never wanting to let go; she gave a relieved cry as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head, to her cheek, to as much of her face as he could reach as he all but lifted her off of her feet. "Tina…"
"Newt…"
"That was bloody mad!" Newt scolded half-heartedly, pulling away to gaze at her earnestly. "Why on Earth would you do that?! Why?" But he was kissing her again, still holding her tightly against himself and clearly not angry in the slightest. "You're bloody mad, Tina! Why did you do that? Why?!"
Tina stared back at him tearfully but firmly, her hands trailing over his face, through the part of his fringe that hung in his eyes, over his shoulders, every part of him that she could reach. "You jump, I jump, right?"
This woman… Newt was unable to stop the wet chuckle that escaped from his throat, deciding right then and there that she was the most impossible and incredible person he'd ever met, would ever be likely to meet - and he wouldn't have her any other way. "Right," He managed, somewhat teary-eyed as he kissed her again before burying his face into her shoulder, unable to believe that she was with him again. "Tina…"
"Oh god," She choked out, arms tightening around him. "I couldn't go, Newt, I couldn't do it… at least I'm with you…"
"It's alright," He murmured to her hoarsely. "We'll think of something."
As the two remained locked in their embrace, uncaring of the rush around them, Achilles was watching from the landing above; the fact that she was willing to die for this man, this absolute gutter scum… He was so overwhelmed by a rage so all consuming that it eclipsed all other thought, made him see nothing but a hot red in his anger. He was only briefly aware of Abernathy coming up behind him; the shorter man looked down, noticing the couple, and huffed derisively before putting a restraining hand on his employer and beginning to pull him away.
They had nearly reached the foyer door when Achilles suddenly whipped around, his hand pushing aside his valet's jacket and grabbing the gun there from its holster; before Abernathy could stop him, he was running along the landing and aiming his gun at the couple below. Face contorted with rage and hatred, he pulled the trigger and fired.
Newt saw the man take aim from below and immediately pulled Tina towards the stairs going down to the next deck; seconds later, the carved cherub at the foot of the center railing exploded, showering the couple with wooden pieces. Another bullet blew a divet out of the oak panelling behind Newt's head a mere second later, the noise making his head ring - but he didn't let go of Tina's hand, his only real thought to get her as far away as possible from the older man.
Achilles was rather quick as he ran down the steps behind them, determined not to let them escape; just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he went skidding across the floor as his foot landed on one of the pieces of the shattered cherub statue that he had shot just seconds before, and the gun clattered across the marble floor. Reeling almost drunkenly, he hurriedly got up and retrieved the weapon before continuing his charge at the couple.
"Come on!" Newt urged her anxiously, and then they both ducked as another shot fired in their direction; Tina gave a small scream as more shots narrowly missed them, all the while never letting go of his hand. They were taking the stairs two at a time now, and in no time at all they found themselves at the bottom of the grand staircase - to their shock, it was already flooded several feet deep in freezing cold water. With barely a second's hesitation, they ran straight into the water and began slogging their way across the room to the nearest door, hoping that there would be some dry footing in the dining saloon where the floor began to slope up slightly.
Achilles skidded down the bottom of the stairs just in time to see the young couple splash through the water into the dining saloon, and as he reached the bottom step he fired twice more after them; both of his shots missed significantly, hitting the water and making large gouts of water spray up around them. Desperately, he pulled the trigger again - but the chamber merely clicked uselessly, empty of all of the bullets that had been loaded into it that night. As he looked at the gun, he suddenly realised just how high the water had risen in a matter of seconds, now up to his waist and increasing rapidly with every moment; the sound of metal and wood groaning terribly shook him from his thoughts, the situation catching up to him quickly.
"I hope you enjoy your time together!" He called furiously in the direction of the dining saloon that Tina and Newt had disappeared into, retreating back up the steps and out of the rising water.
As he stepped out of the freezing cold water and his valet walked down the last few stairs to him, Achilles suddenly remembered something - and then he started to laugh, unable to help himself despite the situation.
"What could possibly be funny, sir?" Abernathy questioned, raising his brow.
"I put the diamond in the coat," Achilles said before pausing; when he spoke again, he was shaking the gun frantically in the direction that the couple had just run in, wild with fury. "And I put the coat on her!"
For a moment neither of them spoke, the man's revelation sinking in the silence between them - but then Achilles looked at his valet with a rather sickly expression, eyes glimmering.
"I give it to you," He decided, pressing the pistol into the younger man's hands and starting to go back up the stairs. "I give it to you … if you can get it!"
As his employer stumbled away back up the staircase, Abernathy looked down at the gun in his hand thoughtfully. "Bastard," He muttered softly, being careful not to be overheard.
The ship creaked and groaned around him as he thought hard about the events of the evening and then made up his mind; taking some ammunition from his jacket pocket and reloading the firearm as he went, he slogged down into the water. It sloshed sluggishly around his waist, icy cold even through the multiple layers he was wearing, as he crossed the growing pool into the dining saloon to hunt for the couple - across the room, something dangerously sparked but he paid it no heed.
He couldn't have given two shits about the diamond, quite frankly - but he was annoyed by the first-class girl and boy from steerage that he had spent the better part of the night chasing after. They would not get away this time, he vowed, not even if it meant he had to shoot both of them dead - it would be all too easy to assume that they had both drowned as the ship went down, and no one would be the wiser.
Newt had not wasted any time as he pulled Tina across the dining saloon, weaving amongst the empty but pristine tables and towards a door at the other end of the room that most likely led to a galley or more stairs. It was only once they reached the ornate double doors that he released her hand so that he could attempt to open it - but to his dismay, no matter which way he tried it, it remained firmly stuck.
As he rattled at the door uselessly, pushing all of his weight against it in an attempt to shoulder it open, Tina spun around at the sound of water trickling in from the staircase - and to her horror, she realised that they had a far worse problem than ice cold water on their hands.
"Newt!" She whispered desperately, whipping back round to him and tugging him away. "Newt, I think he's coming!"
He stopped pulling at the door and looked at her incredulously. "But… But Achilles, he said-"
"It might be him or it might be Abernathy," She muttered quickly, and her wide terrified eyes immediately set him on edge too. "I don't know, but someone's coming through the water, I can hear them, and I don't know who else it could be…"
"Alright, alright," He said, quickly taking her hand again and pulling her towards the middle of the room. "Come on, stay with me."
Less than a minute later, Abernathy entered the dining saloon, his pistol in hand and eyes tracking the room rapidly; as he moved among the sea of tables and ornate columns to search for them, he listened carefully for anything other than the sounds of running water and the noises of the ship as it flooded. A clatter of silver captured his attention as a silver serving trolley rolled downhill towards him, bumping into tables and pillars as it went. A cursory glance backwards told him that the water was following him into the room, advancing in a hundred foot wide tide: the reception room was now a roiling lake, and the grand staircase was submerged past the first landing - there was no going back the way they had come. Satisfied that there was no escape for them, he hurried forwards towards the doors at the other end of the room and attempted to open them - as he had suspected, they were locked, probably by the stewards earlier that evening.
Smiling smugly to himself, Abernathy turned back around to move along the tables once more, gun held in front of him; overheard, the lights sparked and then blew out, leaving the room slightly dimmer. The ship continued to groan and creak, more carts stacked with cutlery and empty dishes began to rattle, sliding along the aisle and into the water nearby; in one far off corner, the ebb and flow of the rising water was beginning to lift the china and glassware off of the tables completely so that they floated uselessly at the top.
As the short man moved from row to row, carefully examining the room for his prey, Newt and Tina watched from where they were crouched behind a table; the water was advancing swiftly their way now, and once they were sure the valet was facing away from them, they quickly crawled over to the next row of tables so that they were ahead of it. She clutched his arm as they settled behind the next table, and he quickly laid his hand over hers; he could tell that she was terrified of the man, and he couldn't blame her quite frankly - he was certain that he would be bruised where he had been punched just hours earlier. Within seconds, they had to move along again: the tide was rising rapidly, and soon it would be impossible to move without splashing and drawing attention to themselves.
As they crawled silently along once more, now holding hands, Newt decided that he would have to do something - for her , because he couldn't allow anything to happen to her, even if it killed him.
He was sure to look her in the eyes as he let go of her hand and pressed his finger to his lips, the universal signal to stay quiet; when she nodded, he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Wait here," He mouthed desperately; she frowned but gave another nod, clearly understanding and agreeing. Satisfied that she was going to remain safe for now, Newt carefully peered around the edge of the table and quickly moved away - he vanished from her sight within seconds, stealthily making his way in the direction of the other side of the room.
Abernathy was now drawing closer to her, looking along the tables of each row with a scrutinising glare before moving to the next. "I know you're here, Goldstein," He called silkily. "There's no use prolonging this… It's only a matter of time…"
Tina pressed herself against the back of the chair she was behind, trying not to wince as the water pooled around her knees and chilled her very bones; by the sound of his voice, he was far too close for comfort and only a matter of minutes from finding her. Before he could make his way towards her, there was a distant noise from elsewhere across the room, like glasses being clanged together before hitting water; seconds later, the sound of glass shattering filled the air as it was thrown against a hard surface.
What in the name of Deliverance Dane is he doing?, She thought in terror, heart pounding even more aggressively in her chest despite the fact Abernathy was moving away from her now. He's going to get himself hurt - or even killed - just to save me!
The groan of the metal of the ship seemed to be vibrating in her ears, and a sudden spark caught her off guard; without thinking, her body gave an instinctive jolt and one of her hands slid down the back of the chair she'd been leaning against, hitting the surface of the water with a horrible splash.
Across the room, Newt watched from his hiding spot as Abernathy turned around immediately, following the noise like a bloodhound - and his heart dropped. Within seconds, the valet was standing over Tina with a smug smirk on his face; Newt didn't even think twice as he stood up and rapidly moved towards them, not concerned in the least for his own safety and his only thought to stop her from getting hurt.
"Well, well," Abernathy sneered, aiming his gun at her. "I've been looking for you, Miss."
As his finger reached for the trigger, Newt grabbed him from behind and the two slammed forwards together into a nearby glass pane, shattering it completely; they both straightened up, still grappling wildly - despite not being an adept fighter in any sense of the word, it suddenly didn't matter to Newt, for his only thought was to get the other man away from Tina, to keep her safe, and he would do it by any means necessary. Abernathy fired two shots loudly into the air, and Tina winced even as she stood up to try to help, but it seemed that the shots had both missed any kind of mark completely; she watched as the two men slammed together into a table, crashing over it before toppling to the floor and into the icy water that was now rapidly flowing around them. Newt managed to jam his knee down on the smaller man's hand, breaking his grip on the pistol, and kicked it away; this only seemed to enrage the valet more, as he lunged angrily at him with a murderous look in his eye.
"Newt!" She cried, quickly looking around for something to use that could help him that wouldn't be too heavy to lift but would be strong enough to do some damage. "Just… Just hold on!"
Abernathy was up first, dodging underneath the taller man's arm and righting himself into a standing position; as he staggered uneasily, offset by the tilt of the ship, he managed to shove him backwards and completely into the water. Newt was gasping for air when he came back up, drenched from head to toe and shivering as he looked up at the other man.
"You little shit," Abernathy murmured softly, stepping closer to him. "All of this… and for what? For that whore?" He sneered down at him in an almost lecherous way. "Perhaps Mister Tolliver won't mind if I have my way with her after all…"
All he could see was red, his entire body thrumming with hatred. "You're not going to touch her," He spat angrily, trying to find the strength to get back up.
Abernathy was smirking widely. "Or what, Scamander? What are you going to do about it?"
But before either of them could do anything about it, there was a sudden crash and a sudden shower of broken china. Newt blinked in surprise when his adversary fell to the floor, moaning in pain and clutching his head, only to be stunned when he saw Tina - she had crept up behind the man and used a plate to attack him, it seemed. He was greatly relieved when he noticed that despite being out of breath and - of course - soaked once more, she was no worse for wear.
"Are you alright?" She asked anxiously, quickly helping him to stand up.
"Me? Oh, I'm fine," He managed with a small grin, even though his body was aching terribly. "Better than fine, actually… You know, I think you're the most brilliant woman I know. Mad, but brilliant."
She gave a half-hearted huff of laughter, but their jubilance didn't last long; Abernathy was groaning now as he struggled back up, the wound on his temple bleeding sluggishly, and he appeared to be looking around for any sign of his weapon. He quickly took Tina's hand and pulled her back towards the doors they had tried earlier, wading through the water as quickly as he could.
Just as Abernathy located his pistol and pulled it out of the water, Newt threw his entire weight into the double doors; the wood splintered as it crashed open, and the young man staggered slightly from the force of it. Tina frowned as she checked him over, clearly worried for him - but when she glanced over her shoulder she realised that the valet was now aiming at them with his firearm.
"Go!"
The bullet missed them by mere inches, splintering the wood of the wall behind them as they disappeared from sight and into the galley; they wasted no time as they ran uphill through the corridor, past a cabinet filled with fancy plates and other cutlery, until they found themselves at two sets of stairs. Without thinking, Tina started to climb the steps that went up - but to her surprise, Newt grabbed her hand and shook his head before leading her to the left where a set went downwards.
"What are you-?"
"Trust me," He whispered quickly, leading her down to the landing before urging her to crouch with him.
After a few seconds, they could hear footsteps above them, following the way they had come; Abernathy paused before running to the steps that led upwards, climbing them two at a time. The couple waited silently, and it was only when the sound of his footsteps receded that either of them allowed themselves to properly breathe.
"How did you know?" Tina asked uneasily, heart pounding in her chest.
"What? That he would go that way?" Newt gave a small shrug. "It's the obvious choice really - who wouldn't go upwards on a sinking ship?"
An almost delirious laugh escaped Tina before she could stop it. "Apart from us, it seems."
The ship gave another long creaking groan, effectively destroying any humour of the situation - and then they both heard it, the sound of high-pitched crying from somewhere down below. They both turned towards the sound immediately, going down the last few steps and onto the E-deck corridor; it was already starting to fill steadily with water, about a foot deep in some areas, and it was mostly deserted.
Mostly, that was, save for the lone tiny figure standing about fifty feet away next to a suitcase: the little boy couldn't have been any older than three years old, and he was standing ankle deep in the water and against the wall of the corridor as he wailed.
Newt looked at Tina, and he knew even before she spoke that she was thinking the same thing as him. "We… We can't leave him."
He swallowed thickly and nodded in agreement; he cast one last longing look at the promise of escape up the stairwell, wondering if it would still be there in the time it took to help the child, before turning back and running down the hallway with Tina close behind him. The boy was still crying in distress as Newt hurriedly scooped him up into his arms, calling out for someone who didn't seem to be coming back for him, and he felt a pang in his heart for this poor child. To his horror, the doors closest to them were now creaking and groaning, water spraying through the available gaps right up to the ceiling as they cracked from the tons of pressure they were under.
"Back, back to the stairs!" He called to Tina, and they hurriedly ran back the way they had come.
Within seconds, he realised that he was losing his grip on the child - both he and the boy were wet from head to toe, meaning that things were far too slippery for comfort. Not thinking twice, he adjusted his hold on the screaming child in his arms, using one hand to cradle his head in an effort to keep him upright and shield him from the sight of the corridor flooding further. Just as they reached the stairs, a torrent of water came pouring down like rapids - in seconds, it was already too powerful for them to go against.
"This way!" Tina shouted quickly, taking the lead as they rushed towards the other end of the hallway.
It was like a battle as they fought to make their way down the flooding corridor, each footstep causing blasts of icy water to spray around them as they went. As they approached this end, however, it became clear that they couldn't go any further this way either; waves of water were crashing through the gate there, impossible and dangerous to try to get through alone, let alone with a child.
"Back! Go back!" Newt shouted, barely audible over the sound of the water now.
They went back the way they had just come, this time aiming to take a turn into a cross-corridor; just as they reached it, however, an older man appeared and seemed to be searching for something. He glanced around before noticing them - and then he started to yell angrily in Czech, suddenly grabbing the boy from Newt's arms and giving him a shove for good measure before running to where the child had been found in the first place.
"Wait, no!" Tina exclaimed desperately. "Not that way, don't go that way!"
"That's the wrong way!" Newt shouted as he went after them, though it was to no avail. "Sir, please, not that way-!"
Just as the man bent to pick up the suitcase at the end of the hallway, still holding his child in one arm, the double doors in front of him blasted open and a wall of water thundered into the corridor: both he and his child disappeared instantly, swept away completely. Newt quickly took Tina's hand and pulled her around the corner just as the wave blasted past them, foaming from floor to ceiling; as they ran together, they could hear the water gurgling and gaining on them rapidly like a locomotive, and overheard the lights gave a flicker before disappearing completely, leaving them in the dark. Just as they reached a stairway, the roar of the waves overtook them and they both were pulled down completely by it.
Struggling to keep his head above the frigid surge, Newt gasped for air and frantically looked about him. "Tina?!"
Somewhere ahead of him, he heard her terrified response. "NEWT!"
The flood swept to a locked gate at the end of the hallway; as the water rushed through the gaps, Tina found herself thrown against the metal bars with a painful clang - seconds later, there was another crash and Newt was beside her with a small groan. Neither of them had time to be relieved that they weren't separated or dead, however, as the water was gushing around their necks, pushing against them fiercely - it wouldn't take long for it to drown them completely.
Thinking quickly, Newt felt around the walls on either side of them and managed to find the edge of a cabin doorway to grip onto. "Come on!" He urged her, voice extremely strained and weak. "This way!"
It took great effort to resist the force of the flood as they fought their way back up the corridor, moving unsteadily by pulling themselves along using the edges of the walls and the pipes overheard. Thankfully, just a few feet back there was another stairwell; Newt reached it first, managing to grip onto the bannister to anchor himself before turning back to Tina, who was struggling to not be swept back.
"Come on!" He exclaimed, reaching out his free arm for her. "Give me your hand!"
"I can't!" Tina called back in fear, feeling her current grip on the wall begin to slip. "Newt, I can't-"
"Yes, you can!" Newt insisted frantically, reaching towards her as far as he could without letting go of the bannister. "I've got you, Tina, I promise! I've got you!"
She hesitated for only a second before lurching forwards - his hand immediately caught hers in a tight hold, his long fingers lacing with hers, and he pulled her towards him. As soon as she was close enough, he manoeuvred her so that she was in front of him and then let go of her hand; with a strained grunt, he pushed her up out of the current of the water and onto the steps. She gasped at the feeling of the air hitting her clothes and turned around to look at him. "Newt-"
"I'm fine!" He assured her as he started to heave himself up. "Get the gate open!"
Wasting no time, she hurried up to the closed gates at the top of the stairwell and immediately tried to pull them open. As Newt came up the stairs behind her just seconds later, however, it became painfully obvious that they were locked and unlikely to open without a key.
"Mercy Lewis!" She cried in frustration, giving it a shove.
Newt gripped the bars too, rattling them uselessly; to their horror, the water was starting to swirl up behind them now, and it was certainly only going to get higher. "Help!" Newt called fruitlessly, hoping with every fibre of his being that someone - anyone - would be close enough to hear them over the rushing water and noises of the ship. "Help!"
"Please!" Tina shouted, hitting the lock as if this would make it spring open. "Please help us!"
The water was now swirling around their ankles, lapping underneath the gap of the gate and into the corridor ahead; as they banged on the steel frantically, a steward suddenly came running down the landing and headed for the stairwell opposite them, casting them a quick glance but not stopping. "Wait, sir!" Newt pleaded desperately, voice growing hoarse from shouting. "Sir, open the gate, please! Please!"
"Please!" Tina begged, reaching her arm through the bars. "Please help us!"
The steward hesitated as he looked at them but especially at the young woman, who was so terribly young and so terrified in her drowned state; he turned back around for a moment, taking a step up the stairs as if to leave - but then his conscience got the better of him. "Oh bloody hell!" He cursed, running back down the steps and slogging into the rushing water on the landing to get to them. He quickly pulled a key ring from his belt and chose one at random to attempt to unlock the padlock, his hands trembling terribly.
As he chose another key, the water rose up to their knees; Newt glanced down at it anxiously before looking back to the steward - there wasn't nearly enough time to try all of those keys. "Come on, please!"
"Jesus," The steward mumbled, unsteadily moving to another key. "I'm… I'm trying, just…"
The water was now up to all of their waists, frothing around them; seconds later, as the man attempted to try another key, the lights flickered and shorted out, plunging the landing into total darkness with a final dangerous spark that was far too close to him for comfort. As he flinched, his wet hands fumbled with the ring of keys - and then they slipped through completely, falling into the churning tidal wave below.
"I'm sorry," He apologised, giving the couple a sincerely guilty look as the water rose over the padlock of the gate. "I dropped the keys… I'm so sorry."
With that he turned away, hurrying back to the stairwell against the current and leaving the couple behind. "Wait, no! Please!" Tina begged. "Please come back! Don't leave us here! Get more help if you must, but please-!"
Newt knew that even if the steward did go for more help - which he highly doubted - then it would be too late; they had maybe a minute more before they drowned completely, trapped behind the gate. Thinking quickly, he knew there was only one thing for it; he took a deep gulp of breath before sinking below the freezing water and diving down to the floor, his entire body screaming in protest at being submerged head to toe once more. The cold temperature burned his eyes as he struggled to look around, not helped in the slightest by the darkness of the corridor and flickering sparks overhead as he felt his way to the gap between the floor and bottom of the gate with his hands. Groping blindly, he attempted to find the keys that the steward had dropped, hoping that they hadn't been swept away and had instead weighed heavy enough to sink; as he pressed his face to the metal bars, a glint of silver caught his eye and tentative hope filled him. His lungs started to hurt from the effort of holding his breath, and he desperately reached his arm out as far as it could go, hand sweeping out to try to reach the set of keys; after a few sickening moments where the keys narrowly escaped him, moving away from his touch, he finally managed to hook a finger into the key ring and grasp it tightly.
When Newt came back up, gasping for air and clutching the keys in his hand, the water had now risen to shoulder-height. "I've got them," He managed, showing Tina. "Do you know which one it is?"
She looked at them, struggling to see properly with such little light, and tried desperately to remember if she'd ever seen one of the crew lock or unlock the gates before; the lock was small, so surely it had to have a small or thin key? "The sharp one, try the sharp one!"
He found the desired key and reached through the bars of the gate, around to the padlock while his other hand rested beside it to try to help guide the key; he had to find the lock by feel as it was now completely too dark and everything submerged in water for him to see properly. This, coupled with the fact that his hands were shaking from both the cold and fear, meant that it took a number of tries for him to find the right place to put the key - and when he did, he felt it jam against his fingers.
"Oh no," He panicked as the water splashed around their necks. "No, it's stuck!"
"Newt-"
"It's stuck!"
Their heads were now bobbing right up to the ceiling, seconds away from being submerged completely; Tina cried out in fear, frantically reaching out for Newt in the hopes that if this was where they died, it would at least be together. With a final effort, he twisted the key as hard as he could against the lock - and he felt a satisfying click as the lock turned and the gates began to part.
"I've got it!" He exclaimed, pulling it open immediately. "Go, go on, Tina! Go!"
The force of the water helped push her through the now open gate, and she thanked God that Percival had thought to include swimming in her and Queenie's education because this landing was now also nearly completely flooded - in order to get to the other side and to the stairs that the steward had taken a mere minute ago, they would have to dive below the surface and swim underneath a set of overhead pipes. She took a deep breath, keeping her eyes closed as she felt her way in order to not bump her head on anything; when she came back up, spitting out water, she realised that she was alone.
"Newt?" She called frantically. "Newt, can you hear me?!"
On the other side of the final pipe, he suddenly burst out of the water with a shuddering exhale; he could barely see through the wet mop of his fringe over his eyes, and he had to anchor himself to the pipe in order to take a moment to catch his breath. "Ti- Tina?"
"I'm over here," She managed, extremely relieved. "Come on, the stairs are just up ahead!"
Newt briefly disappeared as he sank back down again, reappearing within seconds behind her and taking her hand; within seconds, they were climbing up the stairwell and - mercifully - out of the freezing tide of the water once more. They appeared to have been extremely lucky, it soon transpired, as they found that the stairwell was completely abandoned and seemed to go all the way back up to the higher decks.
"How high are we going?" Tina asked as they hiked up another set of steps, trying not to shiver.
"As high up as we can," Newt instructed, casting a look behind him; he could hear the churn of the water still, and it would undoubtedly rise up the decks, but they appeared to be able to outrun it for now. "Just keep going up."
As they climbed stairs after stairs, not stopping even as they grew breathless and tired, the ship's dying groans echoed horribly in the air around them - the couple could only hope that they would survive longer than she would.
By the time Achilles came reeling out of the first class entrance and onto the boat deck, wild-eyed and vaguely panicked, crowds had started to form around the officers; somewhere the band was still playing on deck, their waltz music wafting over the ship. Meanwhile, on the roof of the officers' quarters, Lightoller was attempting to get Collapsible B down from the roof, using a pair of oars to try to slide it down to the deck. Within seconds the weight of the boat snapped the oars, sending it crashing and landing upside down, only just missing some of the passengers waiting below. Just aft of the bridge on the starboard side and closest to Achilles, another officer was struggling along with a number of crewmen to drag Collapsible A to the davits with very little luck; before Achilles could try to get to them, however, he found himself being blocked by at least three dozen people, all of whom were clamouring and shoving to get ahead.
Trying to get a better view ahead of the crowd that had now formed, he clambered up onto a nearby deck chair to attempt to look around; as he straightened up, he heard the weak whining sound of a child crying and turned his head in the direction of it. A little girl who was perhaps only about two years old was tucked away alone in a small alcove on the deck, looking around beseechingly for her family; when her eyes met his, she looked up at him desperately. Achilles quickly tore his gaze away, jumping down from the chair and pushing his way to the front of the crowd with some force - he had no time for snivelling children, especially not now. Once at the front of the gathered passengers, he attempted to signal to the officer who was in charge but - to his distaste - was promptly ignored.
Nearby, Theseus, Tommy and Lally were being shoved forward by the crowd behind them despite all of their attempts to stay where they were; one of the crew brandished a gun, waving it in the air and yelling at everyone to stay back, but it just seemed to make the crowd more agitated. Several people were yelling and shouting at the officers as they fought to get to the boat, threatening to rush it; a moment later, the pressure from behind was so great that it pushed one unfortunate man off the edge of the deck and into the water ten feet below.
"OI!" The officer snarled, pointing his Webley around at them all. "Stop pushing and get back right now!"
Tommy was livid as he met the other man's glare. "There are still women and children here! Will you give us a chance to live, you limey bastard?!"
"The ship is literally sinking from under us!" Theseus snapped, gesturing to the water flooding the forward decks. "You need to get people on the boats!"
But the officer was not backing down, his finger on the trigger. "I'll shoot any man who tries to get past me! Get back!"
Just then, Achilles shoved his way to the front of the crowd; he took one look at the officer before straightening up and slipping his hand into his jacket pocket for some spare notes. "Sir, I actually had a deal, you see, with one of your other officers-"
"You're going to bribe me?" The officer was shaking his head in disgust. "Your money can't save you anymore than it can save me right now. Now get back or I will shoot!"
Achilles was shocked as the other man gave him a shove, unable to comprehend that for once his money was useless. One of the crew who was loading the collapsible onto the davit quickly looked around at the crowd uneasily. "Any women and children?"
Theseus immediately moved Lally in front of him, even as she tried to pull herself from his grasp. "Yes, there's a lady right here!"
"Theseus…"
"You're getting on that boat," He said seriously, though she could see the fear in his eyes. "Now go on, quickly, before-"
All of a sudden a man rushed forwards, attempting to bypass the officer in order to get to the lifeboat; the officer shot at him, the bullet ricocheting and missing him by an inch. As the man fell backwards in shock, unharmed, someone in the crowd behind Tommy lurched and shoved him forwards.
There was a sickening crack as the officer turned and shot again - only this time he did not miss.
Tommy collapsed backwards, and Theseus only just managed to catch him in time before his head could hit the wooden decking; Lally was on her knees beside their friend in seconds, checking him over and gaping in horror as red blossomed on the chest of his white lifebelt rapidly. "Tommy! Tommy, no…"
Theseus was helpless as he held the other man in his arms, watching as the life flowed out of him; his hands were coated in blood as they trembled, the slick feeling making his stomach lurch. "Tommy, mate, just stay with us… stay with us, Tommy…"
The entire crowd had fallen eerily silent, watching in horror as the Irishman's blood trickled onto the deck beneath him; some were gazing at the officer in fear, whilst others were purely sickened by his actions. The officer stared down at the man he had just shot, all of the fire and fight gone from him in a matter of mere seconds, and when he glanced at his fellow crew he realised that none of them were looking him in the eye.
"Theseus…" Lally's voice was soft with undisguised emotion as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "He's not breathing - he's gone."
"You bastard!" Theseus snarled at the officer, still clutching his friend in his arms. "You fucking bastard!"
The blood now ran down the tilted deck towards the officer, the crushing realisation of what he had just done a heavy and unbearable weight on him: how could he go on knowing that he had killed an innocent man? How could he live with himself, knowing that he had taken a life that he had been in charge of saving? If he survived this night, he would be branded a coward, a murderer, a villain…
With one final look at his men, the officer gave them a smart salute and put the pistol to his temple.
"NO-!"
The crowd screamed as a third and final gunshot rang through the air; the officer dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut, toppling over the edge of the boat deck and into the water several feet below, where his motionless body bobbed in the black water. The remaining crew were visibly shell shocked as they hurriedly rushed to get more people onboard the lifeboat, calling above the confusion for more women and children whilst also attempting to hold the men back.
Theseus quickly undid the ties on Tommy's lifejacket, removing it from his friend's body before throwing it over his own head and tying it securely around himself. "Get on the boat, Lally, I'm begging you…"
"You think I'm going to leave you here?" She questioned scoldingly. "I'm not going anywhere without-"
"Lally." He put his hands on her arms, gazing into her eyes forlornly. "Please. I need you to get on, I need you to be safe. I can't… I can't lose you too."
Lally's expression changed at his words, clearly conflicted. "Theseus…"
"I'm going to find Newt again," He vowed. "His girl will have gotten on a boat by now, and I can't stand the thought of him being alone. I'll find him and we'll figure something out, and then we'll all meet up when the rescue ship comes." He cupped her cheek with his hand, voice cracking slightly. "Go, Lally. Go."
Eulalie Hicks was not someone who cried often, being someone who had built a reputation of being able to hold her own against any man in any kind of situation, and she was the most fierce woman he'd met - but now two tears were streaming down her cheeks as she leaned in to kiss him one final time, gripping his hands in her own as if it would stop them from being separated. He was certain that he was crying too despite himself, even as he closed his eyes and tried to commit every last detail of her to his memory. When they parted, he gave her one final embrace and let out a shuddering exhale.
"You had better find him," She managed to choke out as she pulled away. "Find Newt or I'm going to murder you, Theseus."
"I will," He croaked, watching her make her way to the crew loading the boat.
Meanwhile, Achilles had managed to make his way back against the crowd, having been shocked into action by the terrifying sight of the officer's lifeless body hitting against the wall of the ship below. To his immense relief, the crying little girl was still tucked away in her little alcove and wailing miserably; he quickly bent down and scooped her up into his arms before running forwards once more, forcing his way through.
"I have a child!" He proclaimed loudly so that everyone would hear him. "I have a child!"
McElroy, the purser who was assisting loading the boat, heard this and quickly ushered the crowd away. "Clear a path here!"
It appeared that having a terrified and screaming child did just as many wonders as money did, for many of the other passengers allowed him to push past them and up to the crew; as soon as he reached McElroy, he looked at him beseechingly and clutched the little girl close. "Please…" He murmured, forcing himself to sound on the verge of tears. "I'm all she has in the world."
McElroy's mouth formed a thin line, clearly not truly believing this for a second - but then he gave a curt nod and stepped aside to let him board. As he brandished his gun in the air to keep the other men back, Achilles made his way to the edge and looked at the women expectantly; Lally stared at him for a moment, her brown eyes hard and full of thinly veiled disgust, before standing up and moving over to him. "Here, give her to me while you climb in."
He didn't hesitate to pass the child over, and Lally sighed sadly as the girl continued to cry loudly, sitting down with her in her arms. "Where's your mother, hmm?"
It was unlikely that the girl understood - she'd passed the child and her family briefly a few times whilst wandering the ship, and they seemed to speak exclusively in Czech or some other foreign language that she herself didn't know. Even so, it was nicer to ask and to talk to this frightened child than to simply ignore her in this state.
Achilles quickly clambered onto the lifeboat among the women, taking a seat opposite her; casting a furtive glance at the officers, he motioned for the child. "Give her here."
Lally frowned but knew that now was not the time to cause a disruption: things were crazy enough as it was, and the last thing anyone needed was for her to create a row. Somewhat reluctantly, she handed the little girl over to him and watched as settled her on his lap; he hesitated as she continued to wail hysterically, her little pink face scrunched up, before awkwardly patting her on the back. "There, there."
As much of a coward as this man was, Lally thought to herself, he had still saved a young and innocent life: it was for his own gain, to guarantee his own place on a lifeboat, and it was the lowest of lows to use a child to save his own skin - but he had saved her all the same. That thought alone was enough to keep her from voicing any snarky comments or from calling him out for what he was in that moment.
Instead, as more people were loaded onto the lifeboat, she focused her thoughts on her boyfriend and his brother; it was likely that as a girl from first-class, Tina was already safely on a boat and awaiting rescue, which meant that Newt would now be alone. Despite not being particularly devout when it came to religion, Lally couldn't help but close her eyes and send a prayer to the Almighty.
Please keep Theseus and Newt safe - that is all I ask of you, Lord, that you protect them on this night and that you watch over Tommy Ryan's soul now that he has joined you in your kingdom.
I imagine that this story now has two or three more chapters at the most until it's finished - we're so close to the end now that it almost seems unreal! It'll be nice to finish it because I haven't finished a multi-chaptered fic for a dreadfully long time, and I also want to work on my Newtina-TLOU fic (yes, I am still very much working on it - the next chapter is in progress as we speak!) I think I have the next chapter planned out now, I know where I'm writing up to/where the next chapter will end, so fingers crossed I get it done reasonably quickly!
The moment in the chapter where the husband asks Tina to give is note to his wife is a deleted scene. The scene where Newtina fight Abernathy is also in fact a deleted scene from the film, and it's widely considered to be one of the deleted scenes that actually needed to be cut - I'm someone who believes most of the deleted scenes should have been kept in, but this one is one of the exceptions because while I can't complain about seeing a 90s-era Leo DiCaprio in a wet shirt fighting someone, there just isn't the time for it when you consider how fast the ship is sinking and also the pacing of the film. I debated long and hard as to whether or not to put it in right up until I posted this chapter, but in the end my hatred of Abernathy won out XD (Abernathy is my personal punching bag and has been ever since I found out about what his actor - who I met and praised the shit out of in 2019 for being so kind - did)
Interestingly, a lot of Titanic fans also dislike the chase scene leading up to the deleted scene - some people think it's quite cartoonish, him chasing them down the stairs with a gun, and I kind of think the only reason it wasn't cut is because James Cameron needed a way to get Jack and Rose back down to the lower decks of the ship instead of just heading back up to the boat deck. I think the fact that the deleted fight scene came straight after that chase also contributed to it being cut, because it's a *lot* of hero vs villain action to be going on in about seven minutes of runtime and doesn't really fit the overall vibe of the film. Or maybe that's just me, who knows?
Some of you may have noticed that I heavily changed the scene where Murdoch shoots Tommy and then shoots himself; the reason for this is because Murdoch's family were *not* happy when the film came out, claiming that this moment was false and slandered his legacy, painting him as a cowardly villain. James Cameron ended up having to apologise to the family and has even said since that he shouldn't have shown it as being Murdoch who did this; according to Jonathan Mayo's book, an officer *did* commit suicide after shooting a passenger, but no one can say definitively who it was (which is why I opted to just say "an officer"). Personally, I've never viewed what he did in the movie as cowardly or villainous - it's always appeared to me to be the actions of a desperate man in a difficult situation, and I honestly can't blame any of the crew's actions for anything that night because they hadn't received any training on how to load lifeboats, they didn't have enough boats etc. It was just a disaster waiting to happen quite frankly.
Anyway, as always, all of your lovely reviews, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!