Okay, here's the Epilogue!

Wanda remembered very little of her and John's rescue. She remembered daybreak, the light bringing her back from the absolute darkness; the inaudible shouts of men around and above her, echoing like they were far, far away; and she remembered John holding her, staying near her, and threatening a crewman's life when he offered to take her on board a large ship without him. He wouldn't be separated from her, and for that, Wanda was grateful.

It was now near noon four days after the disaster, and Wanda was on the deck of a ship that she still didn't know the name of. It was smaller than the Titanic, but there were less passengers. Only seven hundred, of the two thousand something passengers survived the disaster, and Wanda was surprised to find that her father and brother were among them. She had seen her father search the steerage for her, but she had been well hidden by John, and she was happy by the thought that she would never see him again.

"Captain says that we'll be in New York in about six hours." John muttered low, his lips against her ear, and Wanda leaned into his touch. In the four days that she had spent on the ship that had rescued them, she hadn't been out of the Australian's sight. They had both been through a lot, and neither wanted to be separated.

"When the ship docks, I'm going off with you." Wanda murmured, soft enough that John almost missed what she had said. His arms wrapped around her shoulders protectively, and the young woman grabbed onto his shirt for comfort.

"Wanda. Oy'm a poor man. Oy have no money on me, nothing t' give ya. It'd be crazy." John explained, his voice bitter at his own predicament, and Wanda slipped her hand softly into his, and squeezed lightly.

"I know. The crazy's what makes it feel so right." She murmured softly, and before he could respond, she kissed him softly. "I know that it's going to be hard, and that I don't really know what I'm getting into. But I'm getting off this boat as Wanda Allerdyce, whether you like it or not." The blue eyed woman threatened softly, and John responded by placing a small kiss on her forehead, knowing that she was serious, and feeling happier than ever before.

It was raining as the Carpathia docked at New York's pier, full with the Titanic's survivors. Rogue remembered watching in awe as the ship sailed past the Statue of Liberty, and she was able to see the woman's smiling face against the dark night sky. She hadn't talked to anybody since she had been picked up in the middle of the ocean by a lifeboat that had gone back to check for survivors. They had come by her purely by accident, their real destination was the twisting tower of fire out on the water. The southern belle had watched in pure shock and surprise as the small lifeboat picked up the nearly catatonic figures of Wanda and John. They didn't see her, and for that, she was glad. She wouldn't have been able to handle that encounter.

Now the ship was docking, and Rogue could see the masses of people waiting to catch a glimpse of the Titanic survivors. The southern belle noticed several shelter organizations among the masses, and was glad. She would need a place to stay while she waited for her father. Though she hadn't seen the old man when the ship had gone down, she knew he would have survived, and swam to New York if that's what it took.

"You're name, Miss?" One of the crewmen asked her, holding a clipboard and paper. Rogue regarded the young man without interest, and glanced down at her hands, still wrapped protectively around her abdomen.

"LeBeau. Rogue LeBeau." She muttered softly as tears threatened to break away once more. The crewman nodded, and Rogue walked down the wooden plank. It wasn't the end. It was the beginning.