Written by Jacky Sparrow
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel light when you're gone away
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel light when you're gone away.

She caught his eye from the stern as the last passengers boarded the ship. They stared into one another's eyes from a distance for a while before he turned away and stepped onto the Titanic. She knew what the glint in his eyes meant--desire. Violet took a deep breath as he glanced back up at her before continuing on after he had given his ticket to an officer. Violet wore the only decent dress she owned, a long, flowing gown of purple silk that cut across her shoulders. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back in flowing, gentle twists and curls here and there.

I wanted you to know that I love the way you laugh
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away
I keep your photograph ; I know it serves me well
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

Violet approached the man as he stood leaning against the railing at the bow, looking somewhat frustrated and angry.

"Hello, Cal," she said tentatively. He swung around and smiled at the sight of her. She returned the smile, a little shyly. Cal cocked his head a little to the side, raven hair falling over to the other side of his face. Violet couldn't look him in the eye even though she felt the love. She kept glancing at the wooden deck.

When he extended a hand for her, she jumped a bit. "Come here, Violet," Cal encouraged in a soft voice. She stepped forward nervously, and accepted his hand shakily. "Don't be nervous," he said softly, almost lovingly, which was not a tone that suited Caledon Hockley.

He led her up to the railing and stood behind her, gently snaking his arms around Violet in the most natural of ways, as if his arms were meant to hold her and she was meant to be held by him. Cal's head rested on her shoulder, staring out over the ocean with her gaze.

"I've needed to talk with you," he began. "You know Rose has gone with the gutter rat. So, I've decided I want to court you." Violet tensed a bit. Court was such a strong word to her.

"Court? Me?" she asked uncertainly. He laughed a bit.

"Yes, court you, young Violet. I've never felt this way about anyone before, not even Rose. I just need to hear you say you love me, too," Cal said in a low voice. The deepness of his voice and the rumbling of his chest made her shiver, and she did as he wished, but also what she knew was true.

"I-I love you," Violet stumbled.

"Do you really?" Cal asked. She turned slightly to be closer to him.

"Yes. I love you," she said, confidently this time.

He turned her around and stared down at her. Violet felt intimidated by him somewhat because he was taller than her, not to mention stronger. But even though his touch was gentle, she still looked away nervously.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.

"Violet? Look at me," Cal pleaded more than commanded. She looked up into his dark eyes, and they leaned in closer.

"I…thought...you…didn't…like...third…class," Violet said, as they grew steadily closer.

"Well, you are a special exception," Cal replied, one hand on her waist while the other stroked her face softly.

"My parents have never let me be with anyone before."

"They'll have to let you go now, because I'm not letting go." There was silence for a few seconds while Cal smiled, studying Violet's face. "I might kiss you," he said softly.

Violet just stared into his eyes and nodded.

They leaned in closer. He claimed her lips slowly, gently, kissing lightly at first until the kiss deepened.

*****

"Violet!" Cal yelled, running up the deck in search of the dark-haired girl. Chaos reigned on the decks of the Titanic, which were steadily becoming steeper and steeper, faster and faster. "Violet!" He crashed into an old woman and helped her up, continuing his search. "Violet!" Cal's voice became desperate. "Dear God, please let me find her," he whispered.

The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high you steal my pain away
There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain.

Violet's eyes widened in terror as water leaked into her family's room. They had sealed themselves in there, knowing that there was no hope and wishing to die together. Her heart was beating so fast in her throat that she thought she would faint, and her breathing was quick, uneven, and came in short gasps.

The lights flickered once more, and she looked up at the ceiling.

Her mother was praying and holding all of her younger brothers and sisters in her arms, crying. Her father had a comforting hand on her shoulder.

But Violet accepted no comfort. She listened to the panicked shouts and screams of the people on deck. Then one voice rose through a vent.

"Violet! Violet!" it cried over and over.

She strained her ears to make sure she was hearing right, then recognized the voice. "Cal!" Violet shrieked. She'd nearly forgotten him in the trauma of her family.

"Who?" her father asked in confusion. But Violet was already fighting the ship's slant towards the door as fast as she could. Stumbling, she grasped the doorknob.

"Violet, where are you going?" her mother cried in dismay and terror.

"I'll come back soon!" Violet answered. She opened the door and a rush of ice cold water crashed into her legs. She gasped, but pushed into the long hall nonetheless, choking for air. She looked to the right, the quickest and driest way up to the deck. The water was up to mid-thigh, but Violet fought her way against the slant, forcing her numbing legs to move quickly. The water got shallower and shallower as it met the slant, and finally, the clicking of her heels echoed in the halls as Violet ran up the hall towards the stairs. She hurried up the stairs, only to find that a gate was closed and locked at the top. Violet cried for help, but there was none. She figured she would just have to take the coldest way.

Turning, Violet looked down the hall. The water had nearly reached the ceiling at the end and it was steadily drawing nearer to the foot of the stairs. She turned back to the gate and rattled it, screaming for help once more. No one came, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against the cold metal of the iron gate. A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she began to think that everything was hopeless. She would never see Cal again, and her family and she would die a horrible death, trapped under the water in this gigantic ship of dreams, which was now becoming a large aquarium of below freezing water with hundreds of dying humans as the fish.

"Violet!" She heard Cal's voice growing closer and closer.

"Cal!" Violet screamed, her head snapping up, her ears straining once more, and her hazel eyes searching desperately.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don’t feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.

Cal stopped. He'd heard Violet's voice answer him. "Violet! I'm coming!" he called.

"Cal! Help!" her voice answered.

Cal hurried down some steps to B-Deck, stumbling at the foot but regaining his footing and shooting off down the next flight of stairs as quickly as possible.

"I'm coming, Violet!"

Violet leaned against the gate once more and smiled. Cal had found her.

"Violet! Oh, thank God!"

She looked up. There was Cal, panting and running towards her from the stairs.

"Cal! I can't get out! And the hall's nearly flooded to the roof!"

Cal's eyes flashed in terror, and he rattled the gate furiously.

"We need the key," Violet said.

"Well, then, I'll get a steward who does have the key!"

"Cal, its no use," Violet reasoned with him. "It would be impossible to find one in time, if they're not all already in lifeboats."

"What do we do, then?" Cal's voice was desperate, and so were his eyes. She could tell. Caledon Hockley seemed utterly helpless.

"You go to the other side. I'll go through the hall," Violet concluded. It was going to be risky...very risky. And Cal knew it, too.

Cal stared into her eyes, reluctant at the plan. But he knew it was the only way. He put his hand through the gate to stroke her hair softly. "I'll be waiting for you."

Violet stared back at him, her eyes slowly filling with tears.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.

They leaned in to kiss briefly, and she turned, heading down the stairs quickly, a new determination coursing through her body. Violet splashed into the freezing water, but ignored the stinging, numbing pain it caused in her, trudging on as fast as possible. The buoyancy of the water at the end of the hall started pushing her towards the ceiling, and she grasped the pipes, pulling herself along, spitting out water every now and then. Gathering her courage, Violet took a deep breath and ducked under the water.

Her whole body numb, she panicked. Feeling for the walls alongside her, she started to push herself along quickly, not knowing when she would next be able to surface for air. She felt her feet touch the staircase and she swam faster, hoping to find an air pocket somewhere near the top of these steps. Sure enough, she surfaced and gasped for air, choking and trying to figure out where she was. The flickering lights were blinding her, and she couldn't see any visible entrance. Swimming to the end, a sudden current pulled her in, and she recognized the passage to the stairs.

Grasping the metal railing she knew would be there, Violet pulled herself onto the stairs and out of the freezing pit of Atlantic water. Turning into another hall, she ran to the C-Deck grand staircase and ran up to B-Deck, then met Cal in the middle of A-Deck's steps. She stumbled into his arms, her teeth chattering from the cold water and the freezing night air that was wafting down the stairs from the decks of the sinking Titanic, which was soon to be nothing more than a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean.

"Oh, thank God you've made it!" Cal exclaimed, kissing her. "Even your lips are cold, dear. Hurry. I'll get you some blankets, we'll get the last lifeboat, and everything will be fine."

"No, Cal. Don't," Violet pleaded, putting a hand on his shoulder as he turned with her other hand in his to get blankets and hurry up to the decks to find the lifeboat.

He looked at her questioningly.

"I can't leave my family."

"Well, I'll pay for them, too! Just please, Violet, don't stay here. Live with me," Cal begged.

Violet just smiled softly. "Caledon Hockley. This is so like you. But be realistic. Even money doesn't matter right now. This is the Titanic's last hour, and it's impossible for you to get me, my family, and yourself into a boat all in one. You'll just have to accept that it's my time. I've accepted it. I want you to live on. You have so much to live for."

"But it's not worth living without you!"

"Cal, please don't make this anymore difficult than it has to be," Violet pleaded, her eyes filling with more tears.

"Violet, I'm begging you. Just come find a lifeboat with me, and if it really is impossible, then I'll let you go. It's only that I don't want to let you go when there could be a chance," Cal explained.

She stared into his determined eyes, and she couldn't resist. "All right. Fine. But we have to hurry," Violet said, taking a deep breath.

Cal smiled and kissed her cheek, then turned to hurry up the stairs to the deck, holding her hand.

They pushed through the crowds on the slanting deck. Violet heard pistols being shot off and knew that this was pure chaos. The majority of the people were crowded around what seemed to be the last boat that would be set off from the Titanic.

"Get back, sir!" the officers shouted over and over.

Cal pushed his way to the officer. "Would it be possible to bring this lady and her family aboard the boat, sir? I'm willing to pay a good amount of money."

"No, not a possibility in hell, sir. We'll take the lady, though. And whatever children she may be able to bring with her," the officer replied.

"You couldn't take either me or her father?"

"No, it’s strictly women and children, sir."

Cal turned to face Violet with desperate eyes.

"I told you it was hopeless. Now, will you let me die with my family?" she asked softly.

He stared into her eyes, but didn't answer. Instead, Cal took her hand and hurried through the crowds to a secluded area.

"Cal, what are you doing?" Violet demanded, holding onto his hand.

He put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her so her back was against the wall.

"Cal," Violet whispered softly. "What are you doing?"

Cal said nothing. He only gazed into her eyes. And for the first time ever, Violet noticed tears flooding into his dark irises.

"Cal, let me die with my family. I can't leave them for much longer," she said.

He just nodded. "I don't want to let you go...but I will." The tears started streaming down his cheeks, and Violet fought to control the lump in her throat.

"Thank you," she managed to say.

"Violet, I love you," Cal said, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I love you, too, Cal. Hopefully we'll meet in heaven someday."

"Maybe sooner than you think..."

"Cal, I want you to really try your very best to get on a lifeboat and live your life. Don't worry about me." Violet smiled.

He was silent for a bit. "I'll try. For you."

Violet had to sniff to hold back the tears as best as she could, though a few had already trickled down her cheeks. "So, I guess this is good-bye."

Cal just nodded. He couldn't speak because of the sobs that threatened to escape him. "I'll miss you," Cal finally managed to croak.

"I'll miss you, too," Violet answered.

They kissed for the last time, and, knowing that if she didn't force herself to go now, she would never get back to her family in time, Violet broke away from him and ran back down the stairs of the decks.

Cal stood there a moment, heartbroken and grief-stricken. Never again, he thought, would he see Violet's smile that was so beautiful to him. Never against would he feel her silky lips brush against his.

Regaining himself, Cal ran down the deck towards the lifeboat. If he would never see Violet again, then he wanted only to fulfill her last wish.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel light when you're gone away.

Her whole body was numb, yet she pushed what was left of her will to reach her family in their last moments together. Violet forced her eyes open against the stinging water and felt along the wall for her door. They were blurred images, but just enough was visible for her to find her family. Forcing the door open, and then closing it with all the might she had, Violet turned to face her mother and father, and Paula and Michael and Nikki. The water was only about two, maybe three feet from the ceiling.

"Violet!" Nikki cried, reaching her little hand out to the woman.

She waded forward and took the child's hand in hers. They were all so young. Paula was fourteen, Michael nine, and Nikki, sweet little Nikki, was only six years old. The thought of it wrenched Violet's heart horribly. How many more even younger than this would die tonight? She didn't want to think about it. Instead, she took Nikki in her arms and tried to comfort the little girl.

The family huddled together, murmuring to each other about the good times, and how they would all meet in heaven and everything would be all right.

Paula was crying. She'd always had a fear of death and didn't want to die like this. Michael was trying to be strong, but Violet knew he was also very scared. Nikki was sobbing hysterically, and Violet stroked her wet blonde hair in an attempt to soothe her.

Violet's parents were trying to remain calm and strong for their children, yet Violet could see the fear and sadness in her mother's eyes. The water was now less than a foot below the ceiling, and climbing faster and faster.

When the water was so high they couldn't stay up any longer, the family whispered one last good-bye to each other and held on tightly to one another's hands as they submerged under the freezing Atlantic water.

After a few minutes, Violet could feel their hands slacken as they passed into death, but still she held on as her heart thudded dully for breath. Her lungs felt as though they would burst for air. She felt in a haze. She saw black dots and started to fade.

I love you, Cal, was the last thing she thought, holding tightly to Nikki's limp body as she faded slowly into death's blackness.

You've gone away. You don't feel me anymore.

The End.

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