Author's note: You see, I was smart this time. I wrote this chapter before I posted the last one so the wait wasn't THAT long… though maybe it was… Hope you're enjoying the story. Chapters may start getting shorter, if that's okay with you guys. Lemme know—reviews are always welcome. :D

And, just so you know, I have EVERY INTENTION to finish this story. I know it's not getting very far, and updates may be few and far between, but I'm doing the best I can at the moment… No promises, except that this will be finished… Eventually.

(In case it hasn't been made very clear, Tommy Collins is Fallon and Halley's older brother.)

Disclaimer: See any previous page.

~Jillianna

I felt my face growing hot for the second time today. This was not good. Not only did Halley know that Fallon had been in my damned room, but now I knew that Fallon was engaged. I suppose I was the most confused in the room. That is, until Halley spoke again.

"I suppose you know where Fallon is," she reasoned, squinting her eyes at me before looking down at her hands which were neatly folded in her lap. "I don't expect you to tell me, though. But I would like to know what's going on. I may not be ignorant, but I don't really get what's going on between you two. Care to enlighten me?" She looked up at me, crossing her legs under her white dress.

Opening my dry mouth, I hoped something would come out, but nothing did. I shifted uneasily on my feet, glancing at the engagement ring on the floor. "Fallon's engaged?" was all I could come up with after almost a minute. Halley looked rather surprised, her eyebrows arched in mock interest. "You mean… she didn't tell you? Oh," she looked back down at her hands and frowned.

Holding back the urge to reveal Fallon's hiding spot, I walked forward and bent down, picking up the engagement ring. I glanced under the bed and caught a glimpse of Fallon's hand, which I imagined was covering her face in embarrassment. I stood back up, feeling Halley eyes on me.

The ring was nice—a slender silver band with vines etched on the sides and a beautiful white diamond in the center. Too bad the thing probably cost more that what I made in a year…

It was then I realized the door was still open. Maybe it was the fact that my mind was screaming for an excuse to look away from the ring. Or maybe it was the fact that someone's voice was echoing down the hallway. Whatever it was, all I knew was that I just barely dove to the door and slammed it closed before I heard William Murdoch's voice echoing through the wall.

"Harry, we know you're in there!" he sang and I heard the stifled laughs coming from Charles Lightoller. "Shut up!" I called back. "I'm indisposed at the moment." Again, muffled laughter. "Indisposed or with a girl?" I heard the sound of Halley gasp and I knew that she had finally put all the pieces together in her mind. Damn, she was smart…

"That question is both inappropriate and none of your business," I retorted, watching helplessly as Halley crawled over my bed and peered under it. I heard a hushed cry, which I suppose could have come from either Halley or Fallon. "Please leave," I called, "Or I'll inform the Captain of your disturbances."

This time, the laughter wasn't stifled or muffled as I heard it sail down the hallway. Relieved that they had left, I turned back to the trouble unfolding in my room.

"I cannot believe you!" Halley screamed sitting heavily on Harold's bed. "You just wait until our parents find out. I can't believe what Hell you put me through for kissing a man while you're… you're an engaged woman spending the day in a damned sailor's quarters!"

I finally came to my senses, realizing what was going on here. "Halley!" I gasped, ignoring the fact that she'd just insulted Harold while he stood in the corner of his room, watching the battle unfold between my sister and I. "I am your caretaker on this voyage. I can't imagine you'd ever speak this way to our mother or father… or even Tommy! You are going to march yourself right back to our stateroom and you'll be lucky if I let you out before Monday for talking to me like that."

"Fal-" she began to protest but I grabbed her arm tightly. "Now!" I screeched, and she ducked her head. "Mr. Lowe, I apologize for any distress my sister or I have caused you…" Halley whispered and I turned to Harold who had a rather shocked look on his face, hidden under the beet-red complexion.

I swallowed hard and gave him a pained and what I hoped looked like an apologetic expression. I could tell he tried to fake a smile as I turned away, opening the door and leading Halley out, not daring to look back.

As soon as we were back in the safety of our stateroom, all Hell broke loose. "How could you embarrass me like that?" I cried almost as soon as the door closed behind us. Halley turned, ripping her arm free of my grasp, her eyes wide as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"How could I embarrass you like that? How could you embarrass me like that? You're cheating on Charles, the man who loves you, and you have to nerve to accuse me of embarrassing you? Trust me, Fal, you're the only one embarrassing you."

Before she could go on insulting me, I let my rampaging emotions get the better of me as the back of my hand connected with Halley's cheek. The sheer force and unexpectedness of the slap was enough to cause Halley to stumble backwards and onto the ground as she stared at me, her glassy eyes wide. She looked so little and innocent and afraid, and I instantly regretted it.

"Fal…" she whispered, pulling her legs under her body, hiding them in the folds of her white dress. I swallowed hard, biting my lip as I watched her small hand move up to her delicate cheek, her fingers gently touching the red mark on her cheek. "Halley…" I began, shaking my head and advancing towards her slowly. Her head snapped up to stare at me, her eyes wide. "Don't touch me…" she whispered, shaking her head violently. "Leave me alone…"

Before I could react, she was on her feet and out of the stateroom. "Halley!" I called after her, standing in the doorway as I watched her turn a corner at the end of the hallway. "Dear God…" I muttered, looking down at my hands and wondering what had possessed me to hit her.

The door across the hall opened suddenly and the young redhead appeared. "Everything alright?" she asked inquisitively, tilting her head in question. I swallowed hard again. "Oh, yes… Everything's fine." I watched her eyebrows furrow as though she didn't quite believe me. I expected her, as first class misses are raised to do, to nod in agreement, ask no further questions and turn away from the situation. This girl, however, had apparently not been bred in such a manner.

She glanced behind her into her stateroom before coming closer to me and lowering her voice. "Is it your sister? Do you need help?" I faked a smile, attempting to mask my shock in this confrontation. "No, everything's quite alright, thank you. And Halley's fine—thank you for asking." With that, I nodded, and stepped back into my room, not daring to look back at the young, curious redhead.

And that night, I cried myself to sleep.