Catherine was sleeping peacefully in her Queen sized bed under the nice warm silk sheets. The morning rays of the sun where seeping into her stateroom through the two portholes that she had on one wall.
She slowly opened up her sleepy eyes seeing that it was going to be a beautiful and glorious day. Catherine sat up and to her surprise she did not feel the boat swaying from one side to another. It was almost like she was back at home except for the fact that when you looked out the window you saw water and not the courtyard.
Catherine rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and glanced over at the clock that was on top of the mantel of the fireplace. It was 9:30 in the morning and almost time for breakfast. The last thing she needed was her mother yelling at her because she was late for breakfast.
She hopped out of bed and went into the bathroom looking at her reflection in the oval mirror hanging above the porcelain basin. Catherine hated what she looked like in the morning. Her mother used to say she was beautiful day and hideous by night.
Catherine turned on the cold water and splashed some in her face to try and wake her up a little. She was still puzzled by why her mother had not awoken her earlier. She usually did, unless her mother finally realized that she was a grown woman and could live her own life. Which Catherine knew her mother would never learn. She walked back out into the main room and picked up her brush that was on her vanity along with an assortment of make up and perfumes. She brushed out her long blonde hair a hundred times to make sure that all of the kinks and knots where out before putting it up into a bun.
Catherine then got dressed into her long sleeved blue dress and placed a shawl over top incase it was a bit windy out on the boat deck so early in the morning. She grabbed her white satchel and peeked into her mother's room. Not to her amazement she saw that the room was empty. This was Catherine's big chance to go and explore the ship without her mother breathing down her neck.
Sara and Sasha were sleeping soundly in their nice warm and cozy bunk beds on the below decks. The sun was also shining into the small stateroom of the four women. August and Neleh decided to come and bunk with Sara and Sasha for the voyage. The two young ladies got along well, and so did the two girls.
Sara felt something or someone tugging on her white night gown. She slowly opened her eyes figuring that it was her daughter but saw the red eyed and blotchy face of Neleh instead.
"What's the matter Neleh?" Sara asked as she sat up in her bunk.
"August's not in her bed, I'm scared" Neleh whimpered as she buried her face in her teddy bears fluffy stuffed head.
Sara grabbed Neleh's chin and smiled at the little girl causing a small smile to appear across her lips "Don't worry we'll find her. She couldn't have gone face since we are on a ship, there are only so many places she could be" Sara said soothing the little girl.
Sara hopped down from her bunk and went over to the other side of the room and shook her daughter awake. She got both of the girls dressed and her self as well. The two girls slept on one side of the room while the two adults slept on the other.
Before the three of them went on a hunt for August Sara glanced at her new friends bunk. She noticed that the sheet didn't even looked to have been slept in so she probably didn't even come back to the room after the party last night. Sara had a pretty good idea of who she was with, now they just needed to find out where they where.
While Catherine was exploring the many different rooms on the ship she ended up walking by the first class dinning room. She stopped for a few seconds and looked inside to see if she could see her mother anywhere. She didn't see her sitting alone unless she made some new friends and was eating with them. Surely her own mother would be able to stick out from the rest of the rich woman in the room.
When Catherine didn't see her any where she decided to head up to the boat deck and see if her mother was taking a morning stroll around the ship before heading to morning tea.
Catherine went all the way up the grand staircase until she reached the very top. She went outside a door and the windy sea air almost blew her right off her feet. She wasn't prepared for the weather to be that cold during the voyage. Although they where traveling across the North Atlantic where many icebergs are suppose to be floating around.
She walked down the boat deck a little ways seeing many young and old couples all bundled up in there fur coats and hats as they took a morning stroll down the boat deck. Catherine also saw many children chasing after each other for fun and also to keep them warm in the almost freezing weather.
Catherine spotted her mother near the railing on the starboard side of the ship talking with a young gentleman. She walked towards them seeing that her mother had spotted her coming towards her.
"I've been looking all over for you, I would have thought you would be in the dining room having your morning tea by now" Catherine said to her mother smiling at the gentleman.
"Catherine I would like you to meet Mr. Thomas Andrews he is the mastership builder of the Titanic." Her mother replied changing the subject.
"Please to meet you Miss Catherine, you're mother and I where just talking about you" Mr. Andrews replied and kissed Catherine's hand.
"I can just imagine the things she said about me" Catherine mumbled but covered it with a smile.
"Would you two care to go on a grand tour of the her right now?" Mr. Andrews offered.
"We would be delighted to wouldn't we Catherine?" her mother asked.
"Yes of course" Catherine replied and gave her mother a fake smile.
"Well then we shall begin at the bow, or the front of the ship. We will go to the bridge so you can meet our Captain"
The three of them began walking down the windy boat deck towards the front of the ship to meet Captain Smith and the rest of the crew.
Down below Sara, Neleh and Sasha were having no luck finding August anywhere. They checked the dinning room, the smoking room, the lounge, and all that was really left was the poop deck. It was the only part of the boat deck that the third class people where allowed to venture on the whole ship.
The poop deck was located at the very stern on the ship and even some of the first class people that have dogs take them for walks along there just to show how low the steerage passengers where aboard this ship.
Sara had each of the girls� hands in each of hers as they headed through the smoking room towards the door that led to the poop deck. The cold sea air hit all three of them like a ton of bricks. They couldn't believe how much the temperature had dropped in two seconds.
All of them scanned the deck to see if they saw August anywhere until Neleh let got of Sara's hand and ran into the crowd of people. The last thing that Sara needed to do was loose Neleh as well and Sasha and her ran after her.
They stopped when they saw that she was running towards August who was leaning against the railing neat the very back of the ship talking to a man. Sara recognized him as the man that August was dancing with the night before.
"AUGUST ELIZABETH ANDERSON!" Neleh screamed and August looked into the crowd to see her little sister stomping over towards her with Sara and Sasha not far behind.
"Neleh?" August said and saw the scowl across her sister's face knowing that she was in big trouble.
"You scared me half to death this morning when you weren't in your bunk!" Neleh said and then broke down into tears not caring that she was interrupting something.
"I'm so sorry Neleh, I promise you that it will never happen again" August apologized and gave her sister a hug.
"And who do we have here?" the man asked as he crouched down to be eye-level with Neleh.
"My names Neleh, and this is my friend Sasha and her mother Sara"
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you all"
"Mama what's that?" Sasha asked as she pointed to the mountain ranges across the ocean.
"That's Ireland dear, where going to be stopping to pick up some passengers that are coming aboard at Cherbourg." Sara replied.
"Maybe you'll find a boyfriend. My mama says that Irish men are cute and that she loves their accents" Sasha blurted out.
Sara blushed and covered her daughters� mouth before she said anything else. She looked at the man and smiled a silent apology for her daughter's rude behavior.
The man laughed and said "I remember you, you were at the party last night weren't you?"
Sasha stuck out her tongue and tickled it across her mother's palm knowing that she would remove her hand. Sara moved her hand away at the disgusting feel of her daughter's tongue brushing across her hand and Sasha gave her mother a scowl.
"A party! Mama you told me you were going out on the poop deck to read and you didn't want me to come along because I would get cold and bored!" Sasha yelled causing a scene to occur in the middle of the deck. She let go of her mother's hand and ran into the crowd of people.
"SASHA!" Sara screamed after her daughter but she didn't stop.
Sara turned back to August, Neleh and the mystery man with a scared look on her face. "I'm sorry she's usually not like this, if you excuse me I have to go get her" Sara said and was off on a hunt.
Catherine, her mother and Mr. Andrews were in the bridge looking out at the crystal, calm, blue sea out ahead of them. Captain Smith was just coming in from the wireless room after hearing reports of ice fields in the water up ahead.
He noticed that Mr. Andrews was having a small tour this morning and decided to head over towards the first class passengers and introduced himself.
"Ah, and here's our Captain now" Mr. Andrews announced as Captain Smith joined the small group of people.
"Hello there Mrs. and Ms. Willows, I hope you find the accommodations and the voyage so far to be to you're satisfaction" Captain Smith asked.
"Yes this ship is marvelous; I must say you are doing an excellent job at keeping such a huge ship under control. When I woke up this morning I didn't even feel any swaying" her mother said and smiled. Catherine just rolled her eyes at her mother sucking up.
"Why thank you Mrs. Willows, We are slowly down to allow the passenger ship from Cherbourg filled with passengers come aboard. Hopefully you will see some people that you know, I couldn't help but see you two dinning alone last night"
"Yes I hope so as well" Catherine chimed in as a crewmember came up to the group. He whispered something in the captain's ear and the captain nodded his head.
"I'm sorry but I am needed below decks, hope you enjoy you're voyage and I hope to see you again some time soon" Captain Smith said and then left with the crewmember.
"Mr. Andrews" Catherine asked as they where walking around the deck once again to head into the Grand staircase.
"Yes Catherine?" Mr. Andrews said turning towards the young lady.
"I couldn't help but notice the amount of life boats that you have on the boat deck and with the calculations I did in my head it seems that there aren't enough for everyone aboard. Why is that?" Catherine asked and saw the scowl that appeared on her mother's face. She knew she was in for a talk after this tour was finished.
"Nothing gets by you does it Catherine? Well if you must know the reason it would have to be that if we did have enough for everyone aboard the ship then the deck would look and be too cluttered. To make more space on the boat deck we had to remove half of the lifeboats. Don't worry we will never need to use them aboard an unsinkable ship" Mr. Andrews explained and they followed him inside.
"We wouldn't need to worry anyway Catherine, it's woman and children first. We would be safe and sound," her mother said.
"Does that include the woman and children down in the lower decks as well?" Catherine asked beginning another brawl with her mother.
"No my dear, they go by class. You wouldn't want to put first class with third, that would be totally unethical"
Catherine couldn't believe what her mother had just said. All her mother ever cared about was the money and her ranking in the social ladder. "I cannot believe you just said that, just because they are less fortunate then us does not mean that they need to be treated like animals,� Catherine rebutted.
"Now ladies let's not fight," Mr. Andrews said trying to reason with them but then thought better of it and just stayed out of it all together.
"Catherine, they are animals, have you ever seen what they look like and what they act like, I don't think they should even be allowed to travel on such a magnificent ship like this" her mother said not paying attention to Mr. Andrews.
"Oh mother shut up, all you ever care about is money and where you stand on the social ladder. Well you have to learn that I am not like you! Maybe I have a mind of my own and I don't need you to be in it!" Catherine yelled as many passengers turned their heads towards the two women.
"Catherine Anne! How dare you use that tone with me!" her mother gasped.
"I'm sorry Mr. Andrews but I cannot finish this tour, your ship is wonderful and I will make sure that I do see the rest of it." Catherine said and walked off. Right now she needed to be as far away as possible from her mother.
Sara was frantically searching every corridor that the third class passengers where allowed to venture down before they where stopped by a metal gate separating them from the second and first class.
She checked the smoking room where she saw many other children playing but not her daughter. She went into the dinning room and didn't see her anywhere in there either or the lounge. The only place that was left was she and August's stateroom.
Sara opened up the door to her cabin and prayed that her daughter would be inside. Her prayers where answered when she saw Sasha sitting on her bunk brushing out her dolls hair. Sara quietly closed the door behind her and sat down beside her daughter.
Sasha turned away from her mother burying her face in her hands and began to cry once again. Sara hated seeing her daughter like this and scolded herself for lying to her in the first place.
"Sasha, I know your upset with me for lying to you but I did it for a good reason" Sara tried to explain as she rubbed her daughters back trying to calm her down.
"Why Mama why!" Sasha balled as she sniffled.
"Because they�re where many people at the party that could have hurt you. The last thing I ever want to do is put you in danger, you know I could never forgive myself if something bad happened to you"
Sasha looked up from her hands and whipped away the tears that where rolling down her flushed cheeks. She couldn't stay mad at her mother forever, and knew that her mother was trying to protect her so she wouldn't get hurt. "I guess...I guess I forgive you as long as you promise to never lie to me again," Sasha said as she looked at her mother.
"I promise. Now why don't we go up to the boat deck and watch as the people board the ship? You can take Francesca with you if you want."
"Alright this will be lot's of fun!" Sasha yelled and jumped into her mother's arms with a huge smile on her face.
The mother and daughter left their cabin and headed down the hallway towards where the entrance was to the boat deck. As they where running towards the boat deck they bumped right into a young man who was coming down the stairs. He ended up dropping his two suitcases on the ground and one popped open as clothes flew all over the floor. Sara and Sasha bent down on their knees and helped the young man pick up his belongings that where scattered all over the place.
Sara and the mystery man made eye contact and Sara's heartbeat skipped a few and then went back to normal. She felt like she was looking into the face of the most handsome man she had ever met in her entire life. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. His lips were slim that Sara just wanted to leap over there and give him a kiss. Sasha saw that her mother was love struck by the man she had just accidentally bumped into moments ago. She tugged on her mother's shirt causing her to loose her balance and fall to the hard cement floor. The man saw and stood up extending his hand out to Sara. Sara grabbed a hold of his smooth hand as he pulled her up back on her feet. Sasha stared in awe at the awkward silence that was happening between her mother and the man.
"I'm so sorry about hitting you, my names Sara by the way and this is my daughter Sasha" Sara finally said breaking the ice between them.
"Don't worry about it, my names Greg. I could use a little help finding my way around this place, I just got off the passenger boat and I'm a little lost already" he said in a strong Irish accent which Sara fell in love with.
"Of course, Sasha could you carry his small suitcase"
"Yes Mama" Sasha replied with beams of excitement in her eyes. She might have just found her mother's soul mate, and it was by accident.
"So what brings you two on the Titanic? If you don't mind me asking,� Greg asked as he followed Sara.
"Where going to be going to live with my grandparents. They said they would let me live with them if I go back to school. I always wanted to get into the field of Detectives, that stuff always interested me as a child. How about you?" Sara asked.
"I want to become a musician in New York. Hopefully be able to make my own record of all my songs some day. I'm going to be living with my parents. They decided to take the trip over on The Carpathia and gave me a third class ticket on the Titanic for my birthday." Greg explained.
"What kind of instrument do you play?" Sasha asked becoming noisy.
"Sasha! Now be polite and stop being nosey,� Sara snapped.
"It's alright, I play the bagpipes. I brought them along with me would you care to hear a song sometime?" Greg asked the little girl.
"Yes of course. You know my mama loves Irish men, she says there better than the British men she's dated in the past" Sasha blurted out.
"Sasha!" Sara scolded at her daughter and then turned smiling up at Greg. "She has a big mouth doesn't she? Um what cabin is yours?" Sara asked trying to change the subject.
"E 37 I believe, and for the record I love English woman better than Irish" Greg said with a wink.
Sara blushed and then realized that he had just hit on her. "Well what a coincidence, your cabin is two away from ours. If you would care to go to dinner with me and some of my friend your more than welcome. You'll get to know the place a little better"
"I would be delighted. I would be the luckiest man on the ship. I would have two lovely ladies escorting me instead of one or none"
The girls dropped Greg's luggage off at his door. Sara and Sasha where about to leave when Greg grabbed Sara's hand. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the hand for a thank you and gave Sasha a kiss on the cheek. The girls walked the little ways back to their cabin with smiles on their faces. Sara might have just found her soul mate.
Catherine was sitting on her mother's bed dressed in her white evening gown. She was patently waiting for her mother to come back from the tour she went on with Mr. Andrews. She knew that the look on her mother's face when she left the tour was one that meant she wanted to talk.
Moments later her mother entered her stateroom surprised that her daughter was sitting on her bed waiting for her. She closed the door behind her and went over to her closet where she pulled out her pink evening gown she was going to wear to diner that evening.
"Catherine, you and I need to talk" her mother said as she got undressed.
"I know, that's why I'm sitting here,� Catherine said looking away as her mother changed into her evening gown.
"Your behavior today was very unacceptable, you should be ashamed of your self for saying such rude and demanding things in front of Mr. Andrews and the other passengers that over heard your yelling"
"Apologize! If anyone should apologize it should be you! You're the one who said people where animals!" Catherine shouted.
"Catherine! If you don't apologize to Mr. Andrews at dinner then you will be sequestered to your stateroom for the rest of the voyage! Are we clear?" her mother retorted.
"Yes mother" she mumbled.
"Good, now let's go eat"
The two woman walked down to C deck by the grand staircase and met up with Mr. Andrews once again.
"Ah Mrs. and Ms. Willows, you both look splendid this evening. Would you mind if I escorted you both to my table this evening for dinner?" Mr. Andrews asked a he held out each of his arms for them to wrap around.
"Yes that would be splendid wouldn't it Catherine?" her mother asked glancing at her daughter.
"Yes of course, I'm sorry for stomping of and yelling in front of you Mr. Andrews today during the tour. I hope I didn't embarrass you?" Catherine apologized.
"It's quite alright Catherine, now let's go and eat"
The three rich people walked the short distance to the fourteen-seated table in the middle of the dinning room. The walk seemed like it took forever since they kept stopping and talking to everyone that Mr. Andrews knew and introduced them to.
They took their seats and Catherine was seated in the middle of Mr. Andrews and Mr. Bruce Ismay, the owner of the ship with his wife beside him. Her mother was seated on the opposite side of Mr. Andrews, as was Madeline Aster with her husband John Jacob Aster beside her.
Catherine glanced across the table from her and met eyes with a young and handsome man. He had short brown hair and hazel color of eyes. He, like every other man wore a black tuxedo. He was seated beside Ms. Molly Brown and Captain Smith. He smiled at her showing off his perfect teeth and Catherine smiled back.
After there huge dinner that included four different servings of food a man that Catherine didn't recognized stood up and asked all the men if they wanted to go and join him in the smoking room for a brandy. Of course none of the men would want to pass that up and left with him leaving the woman alone at the table to talk.
To Catherine's surprise the young man did not go join the other men and go talk business and politics while they play poker, smoke cigars and drink them selves to sleep.
Catherine walked out of the room, not telling her mother where she was going. Although her mother wouldn't even notice she was gone since she was engulfed in a swarm of rich ladies who where now her new found �friends�. All they really were, were manipulating, backstabbing, filthy rich women who couldn�t last one day without a servant waiting on them hand and foot.
She went over to the railing on the Promenade deck that was just outside of the nice warm dinning room. She looked out at the clear, calm water imagining that if she jumped right then and there her mother would probably be happy or not even notice she was gone until they docked in America. Catherine held on to her white shawl she had around her shoulders so the wind wouldn't pick it up and whisk it away.
Catherine heard the sound of men's dress shoes clicking across the wooded deck coming towards her. She had a pretty good idea about whom it was that was coming to join her at the railing. She was about to leave when she thought that the company might be a good thing.
"Is this spot taken?" the man asked with an American accent.
"No, not at all" Catherine said turning towards her guest and recognized him from dinner. "You where the young man that sat across from me at dinner right?" Catherine asked.
"Yes, my names Gil Grissom and yours would be?" he asked as he grabbed Catherine's gloved hand and kissed it.
"Catherine Willows, it's a pleasure to meet you. You�re American are you not?" Catherine blushed when his lips touched her hand. Even though she was wearing gloves she could feel the heat from his touch warm up her entire body.
"Yes, and your English, I can tell by your accent. It's a pleasure to meet you as well"
"Why where you in England or where ever you where?"
"I was in Ireland painting. I'm going back home to live with my parents. Why are you going to America?" Gil asked.
"I'm going to be studying science at the University of New York. My mother doesn't want me to go but the second I'm off this ship I'm going my own way with out her butting in on my life every 5 seconds." Catherine replied with her teeth chattering and her nose frozen.
"I'm going to study science as well, my parents said that I had to do something real with my life. They agreed to pay for my schooling if I stay with them." He said and noticed that Catherine was shivering to death. "You look cold, would you like to go inside and warm up?"
"Why don't we go to my stateroom? My mother won't be back for a while so we can warm up...together...in private" Catherine suggested and kissed him.
She didn't know why she did it but she did and was glad it happened. When she touched his lips it was like she was all-warm inside. Catherine grabbed his hand and walked back inside and headed up the grand staircase to B deck. She walked down the corridor and opened up her stateroom door.
She kissed him again not wanting it to stop. She shut and locked the door behind her along with the adjoining door so she didn't get any surprise guests. She shut off the lights and they stayed that way for the whole night.
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