Lucy ran along the B deck promenade, dishevelled, and with her hair flying. She was crying, shaking with emotions she didn't understand. Hatred, self-hatred, and desperation. Some of the other passengers strolling by noticed her, but they weren't sure what to think or say or do. So they did nothing.
But Natsu was a different story. At that moment he was kicked back on one of the benches gazing at the stars that blazed gloriously overhead, thinking artist thoughts and smoking a cigarette. Then he heard the sound of heels clicking and turned to see Lucy running up the stairs from the well deck and right past him, not even noticing him. However he noticed the distraught on her face and an inner voice told him that he should help, so he followed her.
Lucy ran across the deserted fantail. Her breath hitching in an occasional sob, which she suppressed. Then she slammed herself against the base of the stern flagpole and clung to it panting, looking down at the black water.
She started to climb over the railing and faced out toward blackness. She stood on the figurehead in reverse, her hands on the railing both loose and firm, as though she was contemplating whether or not if she should let go.
"Don't do it!"
She whipped her head around at the sound of Natsu's voice. It took a second or two for her eyes to focus on him.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" She demanded.
"Listen to me, whatever trouble you're in or whatever has hurt you like this, it's not worth throwing your life away! Trust me!"
"Stay where you are! I mean it! I'll let go!" She told him.
"No you won't."
"What do you mean 'no I won't'? Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do! You don't know me!"
"That's true but I do know that if you were actually going to let go, you would have done so already. Am I wrong?"
His words caused Lucy to become confused now.
"Go away!" She snapped.
"I'm afraid I can't do that ma'am." He said gently.
"Yes you can! Leave! This doesn't concern you!"
"I beg to differ. Once I see someone putting their life at risk, it becomes my concern." Natsu took off his jacket and started to untie his shoe laces.
"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.
"Well if you really are intending to jump, then I have no other choice but to jump in and save you."
"Don't be absurd! You'll be killed!"
"I'm a good swimmer."
"The fall alone would kill you."
"It would hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't. But to be honest, I'm a lot more concerned about the water being so cold."
Lucy looked down at the water again. The reality factor of what she was doing now sinking in.
"How cold?" She asked.
"Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over. But I can take it. I've been to Mont Blanc, ever heard of it?"
"Yes, it's a mountain in the French Alps."
"Which also happens to be covered in snow and ice, with a wind so cold that it feels like shards of glass are cutting you. I spent a week up there so I can take the cold. Though I'm not sure how well you can take it."
"You're crazy!" She declared.
"That's what everybody says. But with all due respect, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you're about to do something that will kill you. I'm trying to save your life here."
"I don't want to be saved! Just leave me alone! Leave me to drown!"
"Come on now, you're upset and you're not thinking straight. Trust me you don't want to do this. So why don't you just climb back over the rail and get me off the hook here? We can talk if you want."
"Talk? Talk about what?"
"I don't know. Just talk." He moved closer and outstretched his arm to her. "Give me your hand."
Lucy was able to get a better look at him now and she could see that he was from the third class level, but a very handsome looking man despite his poor clothing, and his eyes appeared so honest and sincere. Those eyes somehow seemed to fill her universe and they were pleading for her not to throw her life away. She gave into to his pleas.
"Alright."
She unfastened one hand from the rail and reached it toward him. He took her hand firmly.
"I'm Natsu Dragneel." He introduced.
"Lucy." She said. "Lucy Heartfilia."
She started to climb back over the railing when suddenly her foot slipped and she fell, letting out a piercing shriek. Natsu gripped her hand tightly as he was jerked toward the rail.
"Help me! Help me!" Lucy screamed.
"I've got you!" Natsu assured her. "I won't let go!"
Lucy's screams were heard by one of the crew officers. Officer Erik Cobra to be exact. He was just doing a late night patrol when his ears picked up a shriek in the night. He hurried up the nearest ladder and toward the deck. During this, Natsu was using all his strength to pull Lucy back over the railing, he succeeded but the two fell together onto the deck in a tangled heap, spinning in such a way that Natsu winded up slightly on top of her.
Of course it was at that precise moment Erik arrived on the scene, sprinting across the fantail.
"Here now, what's all this?!"
Erik pulled Natsu off of Lucy, revealing her dishevelled and sobbing on the deck. He saw that her dress was torn, and that the hem was pushing up above her knees, showing one ripped stocking. This led to him drawing the wrong conclusion.
"This is so not what it looks like." Natsu said with his hands up.
"Here you, stand back!" Erik said pulling out his pistol and aiming it at Natsu. "Don't move an inch!"
Soon the other sea men arrived, they restrained Natsu while Erik went to fetch the master at arms. Dan was called on to the scene and he brought along his bodyguard, a sadistic brute who called himself Bloodman, most likely due to the huge amount of blood that had spilled from everyone he had ever assaulted. When Dan heard what the officers suspected Natsu of, he was ready to unleash Bloodman on to the innocent young man.
"This is an outrage! An unforgivable outrage! I will not stand for this!" He roared in Natsu's face. "What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancee?! Look at me, you filth! What did you think you were doing?!"
"Dan stop it!" Lucy spoke up. "It was an accident!"
"An accident?"
"Yes." She chuckled nervously. "It was stupid, really. I was leaning over and I slipped. I would have gone overboard but Mr. Dragneel here saved me."
Erik and Dan both turned to look at Natsu.
"Was that the way of it?" Erik asked.
Lucy begged Natsu with her eyes not to say what really happened.
"Uh huh. That was pretty much it." Natsu fibbed.
"Well! The boy's a hero then." Erik said. "Good for you, well done!"
Erik shook hands with Natsu while Dan pulled Lucy to her feet.
"Let's get you in. You're freezing." He said.
"Ahem!" Erik coughed to Dan. "Perhaps a little something for the boy?
"Oh, right." Dan turned to his bodyguard. "Bloodman, a twenty should do it."
"Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?" Lucy asked.
"You're displeased." He said observantly. "Mmm...What to do?"
Dan looked at Natsu again, appraising him condescendingly, a steerage ruffian, unwashed and ill-mannered.
"I know. Perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow, to regale our group with your heroic tale?
"Free food?" Natsu's stomach was already growling at the idea. "Sure. Count me in."
"Good. Settled then."
Dan turned to leave, putting a possessive arm around Lucy and pulling her along as they walked away. Natsu watched them until they were far out of sight.
As for Lucy, she was taken back to her room where she undressed for bed. She had just put on her robe when she saw Dan standing in her doorway.
"I know you've een melancholy." He said walking toward her. "And I don't pretent to know why."
From behind his back he hands her a small black box. Lucy took it, numbly.
"I intended to save this till the wedding next week." Dan said. "But I thought that tonight, perhaps a reminder of my feeling for you..."
Lucy opened the box and found a ring inside. A golden one, 18th century style with a Diamond that was gold colored as well. The jewel was very pretty but so big and gaudy looking.
"Good gracious!" Lucy gasped in surprise.
Dan took the ring from the box and slid it on to her finger.
"Legend says it was once worn by Marie Antoinette. One of the few jewels recovered after the French Revolution. I couldn't picture any other engagement ring worn by you."
Lucy looked at the ring she now wore.
"It's...it's overwhelming."
"It's for royalty." Dan said. "And we are royalty. Just look at us."
He turned Lucy to look at the mirror, to see the image of the two of them together.
"There's nothing I couldn't give you. There's nothing I'd deny you if you would deny me." He said. "Open your heart to me, Lucy."
Of course his gift was only to reflect light back onto himself, to illuminate the greatness that was Dan Straight. It was a cold stone. Just like Dan's heart.
The older Lucy put one hand over the other, rubbing her fingers at the memory at how the ring felt.
"I can still feel its weight. If you could have felt it, not just seen it..." She sighed.
"So let me get this right. You were gonna kill yourself by jumping off the Titanic?" Weisz said almost flabbergasted, then he laughed. "All you had to do was wait two days."
"Weisz!" Shiki glared at him. "Show some respect, will you?"
"No, no, no. It's fine." Lucy waved off. "I can recognize the irony of it."
Shiki then checked his watch. Hours have passed and she had not mentioned the pocket watch, the bracelet, or the necklace. This was taking too long.
"Lucy, would you mind telling us about those three items I mentioned earlier?"
"Or tell us more about that ring." Weisz said. "From the way you described it, we could make a fine bundle on that. What did you do with it?"
But the old woman only replied with.
"I'm afraid I'm feeling a little tired, gentlemen."
Rebecca picked up the cue and started to wheel her grandmother out.
"Wait!" Shiki protested. "Can you give us something go to on, here? Do you even know who originally owned those jewels?"
"That's enough." Rebecca said. "She needs her rest."
"Tell you what gentlemen." Lucy said. "Let me sleep for tonight and first thing in the morning I'll tell you something about the blue diamond."
Shiki said no more after that and he allowed Rebecca to take Lucy out