Titanic

Chapter Nine

"Who was the man, who saved you? He seemed nice," Elizabeth asked sitting on the end of the deck chair Rose was lounging on.

Rose looked up at her friend and smiled glad she could join her like she had asked. She wanted her advice on him before she went to meet him after.

"Jack Dawson. He only saw me and my actions before he jumped to help me. I was taken back but he meant no harm. I'm meeting him after this to say thank you again," Rose said looking up at her friend.

The older woman wore a suggestive smirk on her lips. It made Rose roll her eyes. She didn't know what she was thinking but she was hoping it wasn't something troublesome.

"It's this evening he's joining us for dinner yes?" Elizabeth asked. Her eyes scanning the deck below to catch a glimpse of this mystery man but she couldn't see him anywhere.

Rose nodded her head. She was apprehensive about Jack joining them but she was sure a few people would make him feel welcome.

"Right, well I best be off. I promised Molly I'd have tea with her," The blonde asked standing up and straightening her dress. They'd meet again tomorrow anyway. Just the two of them after the tour.

Rose nodded holding up her pinky making her friend laugh before locking her own with it and shaking their hands. She patted rose on the shoulder before she walked away.

"Oh! And Mrs. Andrews, happy anniversary," Rose called making the woman stop and smile at her before she continued on her way, dodging passed a group of children.

***

Molly could tell that Elizabeth's mind was elsewhere as they sat for tea. She wasn't quite sure what had happened to her nice in the last few days but she certainly seemed different.

"Molly... if anything ever happened to Thomas or I, you'd help raise Heather right?" Elizabeth asked out of the blue. She moved her eyes from the view from Molly's suite to the woman herself.

Molly set down her teacup. Dumbfounded by the question Elizabeth just asked. She was utterly confused as to where it had come from.

"Now where on earth is this coming from? Nothing is going to happen to either of you," Molly spluttered wondering if her niece knew something.

"I'm- I'm just speaking hypothetically. You're strong. You're everything I would hope my daughter would be. My mother and Thomas' mother, while they are brilliant women who married good men, they're not as strong," Elizabeth said looking to her daughter before looking back at the woman.

"Of course I would help raise her. I love her like she was my own granddaughter. What's goin on in that pretty head of yours?" Molly asked concerned as she tried to read her face.

"It's... ever since we boarded the ship I've had an uneasy feeling. I don't know why. And Thomas has done everything to ease my mind but it doesn't stop the nausea and the worry," Elizabeth confessed. She hated to think that Thomas could see it plainly.

"It's just new. That's why you're worried. I believe Thomas has built you a strong ship. It will be okay," Molly promised holding her hand and rubbing her thumb over the younger woman's knuckles.

***

"There's sometimes I wish we could do our wedding all over again," Thomas smiled watching his wife as Lucy helped her tie up her corset. 

She looked at him in the mirror, a smile pulling on her lips. She thought that too sometimes. But then remembered the stress and thought different.

Elizabeth arched her eyebrow wondering if he was being serious. He clearly hadn't seen the stress between mothers that she had seen.

"On second thought, we should've eloped," Thomas chuckled making his wife laugh loudly. She nodded her head as he collected his evening coat from the hanger.