Dear Fate

Olivia looked out at the harbor with a heavy heart. Out there somewhere were her parents and her new fiancé. She would be meeting him for the first time today, and she was very anxious. Since she found out that Tommy had died, she had no other choice but to go through with the wedding. She couldn't very well leave without a plan, and so she was stuck.

She left the top deck and made her way to the infirmary, going to check on Holly's progress. Her young friend had finally recovered after four days of being in the hospital wing. Today, they would leave the Carpathia together more than what they were when they left England. No longer were they mistress and maid, or even friends. No, today, they would be leaving as sister's almost, the bond they now shared unbreakable.

Olivia walked into the infirmary to see Holly sitting on the edge of the bed, laughing at something Harry, who was sitting in the chair beside the bed, was saying. Olivia walked over to join them.

"Hey, Liv," Holly said when she saw her.

Harry looked up at her and smiled as well, making to stand up and offer her his seat. She waved him off with her hand, gesturing to him to stay seated. She perched herself on the edge of the bed beside Holly.

"We're getting ready to dock. I'm sorry you had to miss the first glimpse of New York," Olivia said to Holly sincerely.

Holly shook her head and smiled, "It's fine. I will be seeing it rather soon, I suppose."

"Well, if you like, we could go up there now?" Harry suggested.

"That would be wonderful, thank you Harry," Holly smiled at the older man.

He grabbed her hand and helped her stand from the bed, only letting go of her hand to turn around and help Olivia just the same. Together, the three of them made their way out of the infirmary. Since they'd lost everything in the sinking, Holly had nothing to take with her except for the large wool coat she seemed to have an unusual attachment to. The nurse had tried to rid the girl of it when she'd first been brought in, but the young girl refused, only calming down when she was assured she could have it back. Olivia didn't see what was so special about the coat; it was rather large and mostly ruined since it had been in the water for so long.

She'd hardly been paying attention and when she looked up, she realized she'd lost Holly and Harry in the crowd. Sighing, she looked back to her feet and didn't look back up until she had run into someone.

"So sorry," she mumbled, not bothering to look up.

"Miss Hamilton?"

Olivia's head snapped up, not daring to believe the voice was really there. But sure enough, when she looked up, she was staring into the warm brown eyes of James Moody.

"J-James how- what- no! You were dead! Your name wasn't on the survivor list!" Olivia exclaimed.

James looked at her in confusion, "I gave my name the second I came onto the ship. I was one of the first rescued. I've been looking for you and Holly for four days! Speaking of which, where is Holly?"

Olivia ignored his question, going over in her mind the survivor list in her head. Granted, she wasn't looking for his name, but surely she would have noticed it had it been there. Suddenly, she burst out into a peal of laughter. James looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head.

"Hayes Mooney. You're Hayes Mooney. I remember it was the last name on the list and I thought it was a rather odd name, but it makes sense now! They must have misheard you when you gave your name!" Olivia laughed.

James cracked a smile and suddenly Olivia felt a hundred times better.

"Come, good sir, for we must go and find our friends," Olivia smiled at him.

He returned it and together they walked up to the top deck, looking around for their two best friends. James tapped Olivia's shoulder and pointed. Olivia turned to see Harry and Holly looking over the side of the ship, Harry pointing at something below and Holly listening intently. Olivia and James made their way over to the pair.

"Holly, Harry, I have a surprise for you that I think you are going to quite like," Olivia said, barely being able to contain her excitement.

They both turned around to face her and it was almost comical how fast their facial expressions changed from confusion to relief and then to pure and unadulterated joy.

"James!" Holly whispered happily, throwing herself into his arms and burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Harry was grinning at his best friend so widely that it looked as if his face would split in half.

"How- I don't understand," Holly tried, pulling back but staying firmly locked in James' arms.

Olivia launched into the story about how she had seen the name 'Hayes Mooney' on the list and how the steward must have misheard James.

"So you been here all along, mate? Where you been?" Harry asked, clapping his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Looking for you three, actually. Where have you been?" James shot back playfully.

Harry's smile dropped slightly for a second, looking over at Holly in concern, "Hospital. This one almost got herself killed in that freezing water. Thankfully there was a big strong man there to save her life."

James looked at Holly in surprise, scrutinizing her face to see if there was any lasting damage, before turning to Harry with a smile and thanking him.

"No problem. Now, how did you manage to- you know?" Harry asked, having a hard time with the word 'survive'.

"I was in the water as the ship was going down. Somehow, I'm not even sure how, I got close enough to one of the surrounding lifeboats and they pulled me aboard as I was alone," James explained, his arms still wrapped tightly around Holly's waist.

He smiled down at Holly once more and she smiled right back at him. Harry and Olivia watched on as the two continued to snuggle. It brought a warmth to Olivia which she could not describe. It didn't last long, however, as the warmth was replaced by a coldness. Olivia stared at Holly and James and thought about her own love. How Tommy had died, probably died saving Holly- NO! Olivia pushed the thoughts away before they'd fully formed.

She turned back to the group to see Holly and James in their own little world still and Harry looking at her in concern.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Of course. Just thinking how my wedding won't be the only upcoming one," she smirked at Holly and James, who didn't seem to hear her. She frowned at the wasted joke but then she heard a laugh to her left.

"I suppose not. I wonder if they'll be able to hold off until we disembark," he said with a smile.

"We disembark in twenty minutes," Olivia said in confusion.

"Exactly," Harry smirked.