Chapter Text
Mischa watched the Titanic from her lifeboat, squeezing the life out of her teddy bear. They had rowed away from the ship, far enough away that the crewman said they wouldn’t be pulled under when the Titanic went down, but still close enough to see. The lights were still on, the only way to see what was happening.
She couldn’t take her eyes off it, not knowing that her brothers might still be on board. They had said they would find another lifeboat, but she’d overheard another passenger on this lifeboat whisper that there weren’t enough lifeboats, and the ones Mischa could see didn’t look full.
What if they didn’t get on a lifeboat?
Chiyoh had found herself leaning against Beverly slightly, tired even though the night was far from over. Everything was so uncertain, so unknown, and Chiyoh found all the variables weighing on her mind. She had no idea what the rest of the night would hold in store, and it would be hours before help arrived, if there was any on the way.
Beverly turned her thoughts away from the ship, away from her husband who was still on board. There was nothing she could do now. She took to asking Mischa about her teddy bear, hoping to distract her slightly.
It was going to be a long night.
***
Hannibal, Nigel, Will and Adam arrived on deck, wet and tired from their swim through the lower decks of the ship. They had just rescued Adam, and knew they were running out of time. There was no time to stop, catch their breaths, or just have a moment together. They had to get off the ship, and soon.
The lifeboats were still being launched, there was still a chance for them all to escape, at the very least. One problem - it was women and children only. There had to be a way.
There was a small commotion coming from one of the lifeboats being lowered - a first class woman was shouting up to the crew member in charge of lowering the boat.
“Hold it there! We’ve only got one sailor in this boat!” She shouted up, as the lifeboat stopped. Every lifeboat needed at least 2 crewmen, 2 people who knew what they were doing.
The officer in charge turned to the passengers gathered on deck, mostly men at this point, including Hannibal, Nigel, Adam and Will. “Are there any spare hands here, any seamen? ” He asked the crowd.
Will stepped forward, holding Adam’s hand tightly. “I know my way around a boat.” He had worked on plenty, and would like to have his own, one day. He could help, he knew it.
The officer looked at Will, realising no one else had come forward. “Alright then. Hop in.” Luckily the lifeboat had barely even been lowered, it would be easy enough to carefully jump in the boat from here.
Adam looked at Will. Was he really going to leave Adam here? They only needed a sailor, and Adam wasn't one.
“Is there room for my brother? I won’t leave him.” Will asked, still holding tight to Adam. He knew Adam looked young, and hoped that would help his case.
The officer nodded, then motioned for them to get in the boat. He didn’t have time to argue.
“We’ll find you, I promise.” Hannibal said, Nigel nodding with him. They couldn’t say much more here, not in public and not when Will and Adam needed to hurry up and get on the lifeboat. A short promise would have to do.
Will and Adam nodded, taking one last look at their lovers, before stepping into the lifeboat and sitting as it was lowered.
Relief spread through Will. They were on a lifeboat, so they were at least safe from the immediate danger of the sinking. He had looked after Adam, he had done his job.
Adam sat in the lifeboat, thankful that he’d been allowed to stay with Will. That was one worry off his mind, for now. Lifeboats were good, they were safe. He was safe, with Will. Now they just had to wait, and hope Hannibal and Nigel were okay.
***
Hannibal and Nigel stayed on the deck, not entirely sure what to do right now. The ideal thing would be to find a lifeboat, but there were still women and children around, and they refused to take the spot of any of them. They had been raised better than that.
The lifeboats were still being launched, a bit more frantically now as the Titanic started to list.
Nigel turned his head suddenly, hearing something. It sounded almost like a baby crying, amongst the cacophony of people panicking, the crewmen shouting, and the band playing.
He walked towards the sound, Hannibal following him, until he came to a small part of the deck separated by a wooden railing.
The sound was 2 young children crying, scared and confused at what was going on. One was only a baby, the other, a girl, looked about 3 or 4, holding her little brother or sister.
Nigel knelt down, extending a hand. How anyone could leave these children, he didn’t know. But, he had no idea how they came to be here, so he put the thought aside. “Come here, let us get you to a lifeboat.”
Hannibal knelt next to Nigel, his heart breaking at the thought of the 2 children being left behind. They had to help, even if it was just to put them on a lifeboat, with Nigel and Hannibal themselves staying behind.
The girl looked at them with big eyes, before stepping towards them. Her arms hurt from carrying her little sister, and she handed her off to Nigel, Hannibal picking her up in his arms.
“I’m Hannibal, what’s your name?” He asked, putting her on his hip. She reminded him a lot of Mischa.
“Anna.” She never took her eyes off her sister, who had stopped crying now she was in Nigel’s arms. “My sister is Laura. What’s happening?”
Hannibal held her closer as they approached the last few lifeboats being launched. “The lifeboats are being launched, and we’ll get you and Laura on one, okay?”
Nigel and Hannibal gently pushed their way through to where the lifeboat was being launched. There was still space in it, thankfully
“We’ve got 2 kids here, they aren’t ours but they need to get on a lifeboat.” Nigel said, talking to the crewman who was launching the lifeboat. “We found them in the corner, crying.”
There was too much going on, too many people still on board and there was room in the lifeboat. “Get in, look after the kids, go.” The crewman said, gesturing for them to hurry up.
Nigel and Hannibal didn’t hesitate, they got in the lifeboat with Laura and Anna still in their arms.
As the lifeboat was lowered, Hannibal tried to comfort Anna. “We’ll find your family, okay? You’ll be okay now.”
Hannibal and Nigel looked at each other, as the lifeboat rowed away from the ship. They both knew they had gotten lucky tonight, very lucky. They had gotten away from the worst of it, now they just had to sit here, with Anna and Laura, and wait.
***
Everyone in the lifeboats watched as the Titanic went under, hearing the screams of those still on board. It was a sight to behold, as much as they could see in the middle of the ocean in the dead of night.
The Titanic was gone, leaving the survivors behind.
***
Everybody reunited on board the Carpathia, hugs and tearful kisses being exchanged as they found each other again.
Hannibal, Will, Adam, Nigel, Chiyoh and Beverly, they had all survived, by some miracle.
When they landed in New York, they all disembarked to start their new lives together, as a family. Adam was worried about what that would look like, but after the events of the last few days he knew he didn't want to be without Will or Nigel.
Anna and Laura’s family was found, leading to another tearful reunion, and a slightly sad goodbye with Hannibal and Nigel, who had looked after them on board the Carpathia.
Bedelia and Jack were never found, assumed to have died in the sinking.
Hannibal bought a house in the countryside, big enough for them all to live in together. He counted his blessings every day that he woke up with Will in his bed, making sure to never take it for granted.
Adam adjusted well to their new life, with Nigel by his side. Will had never seen him so happy, had never been so happy himself, with their new family.
Nigel couldn't believe that he got to wake up every day next to Adam, and often found himself just staring as he slept. It had come true, their plan.
They were together, that's all that mattered.