Title: The Crossing
6/41
Author: BmblBee
Paring: S/X
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: The Bee owns none of the characters or products named and
makes no money off anything. Sad state of affairs.
Warnings: Bad language, strong sexual content between M/M.
Second warning: Although I did do a lot of research, this story is not intended to
be an exact historical account so please don't scream and pounce on a detail or
two that may not be entirely accurate.

Credit: The snippets at the tops of the pages are from a web site entitled "Titanic,
A Time Line of Events". Earl Chapman on the Titanic Discussion List originally
published this chronology of events. Chapman modified it slightly in 1997. The
1997 version formed the basis of this timeline.

Summary: AU. It is the spring of 1912 and Xander Harris, who has been living
with relatives in Ireland, is heading home. As a gift of love, he was booked
passage on the maiden voyage of the Titanic with the promise that it will be the
adventure of a lifetime.

Author's note: This story is NOT a retelling of any of the Titanic movies.
It is the tale of one man and one vampire forgotten by history and the destiny they
both find on this doomed crossing.

Spelling and punctuation checked by the gracious Silk_Labyrinth




As always, thanks to Petxnd for the wonderful banners and the valued friendship.


Xander sat on the edge of his small bed in a cabin that his ticket called a stateroom.
It was a misnomer. The entire space was no more than possibly 8' wide by 10' long.
It had a bed that was barely a cot and a wall of shelves. It also had a window. A
round port hole that looked out into the vast, unknown, limitless world beyond.

What it did not have was a roommate. He was one of the ones who, because of the
price of his ticket, was not forced to share his room with another person. It was a
privilege. An extravagance. He was overwhelmed to think what Paddy must have
spent and sacrificed for this.

Most people would have thought the room small, cramped and claustrophobic.
Xander thought it the very definition of luxury. The floor was carpeted to protect his
bare feet from the cold and the walls smelled of the pure rich lemon oil that was used
to make the wood shine like glass. The bed had white fresh sheets and blankets and
he was stunned when the realization hit him that this was the Titanic's maiden voyage
which meant that he was the first to ever sleep here.

The overwhelming knowledge of it all nearly brought tears to his eyes. He was part
of history. He smiled as he swung his feet inches from the floor and listened to the
constant low hum of the massive boiler engines that ran the ship.

He had adhered to the habit of a lifetime and come to his sleeping quarters directly
after dinner. It was what he did with his parents home to avoid their evening drunken
bickering and it was what he did at Paddy and Emma's simply because it was their way.

But now, sitting here, with his shoes off and his suit jacket hung on a hook by the wall
closet, he reached into his vest and pulled out the pocket watch Paddy had given him
as a departing memory and he checked the time.

It was a half nine and Xander was twitchy. With the round port window open he
could hear the far off melody of music playing and the voices of people laughing,
talking and living the adventure of an Atlantic crossing.

Why the hell was he sitting here, alone in the dark when there was so much going on?
It was a question that came to him like a bolt of lightning and he was absolutely giddy
when he realized there was no legitimate answer.

Surely Paddy hadn't given him this wonderful gift only to have him sleep it away. He
would be cheating Paddy if he stayed here. There would be plenty of time for sleep
when they docked in just a few short weeks in New York. Till then, he was on the
ocean and the trip was his oyster. What was to stop him from digging for the pearl?

Immediately, Xander leapt to his feet. He dove back into his shoes and he snatched
the woolen suit coat off the hook. He knew it wasn't much protection from the cold
air on deck, but, fuck it, he thought. I can be warm when I'm old and grey.

With no other hesitations, Xander dashed from his warm stateroom and he rushed up
the hallway toward ballrooms and areas that sparked with the electricity of activity.


Spike held the woman close, his arm protectively gripped her shoulders in a lover's
embrace and he leaned in as though whispering a sonnet of poems and promises. As
he did, he glanced all around them, his face in a demon's distortion to enhance his senses
and he assured himself that there were no other passengers nearby. When he was
certain they were alone, he nonchalently lifted the body and pitched it overboard
where it landed in a silent splash.

He casually looked over the railing and watched it quickly drop beneath the surface of
the water. It was simply the cycle of life, he told himself. One human body had fed both
him and the fish in the ocean. In fact, he reasoned, not only had he been physically
provided for but he also spared some poor, witless human male the shame of being
trapped into marriage with an apparent working girl who had offered him her long
gone virginity.

Spike snorted in disgust. She had carried the scent of two men in her as well as the
trace of a vile social disease that, unbeknownst to her, had already robbed her of her
ability to reproduce. Humans were such a complicated species. He then turned his
back on the water and gave her no more thought.

Spike smiled. His demon facade slid away, replaced by the handsome features he
had brought with him from life and he headed toward one of the outer deck stairways
that led up to the second class level. The night was young, his stomach was full and
a spot of drinking, dancing and merry making was exactly what he needed. He also
might catch a glimpse of the young man he met on the deck earlier.

Although he held no ticket, his manner of dress and attitude gave him unquestioned
access to come and go as he pleased without any of the crew questioning him. That
and the fact that all areas of the ship were public, he never needed an invitation.
Traveling on the Titanic was clearly the best idea he had had in ages.

Xander moved quickly down the long hallways past the other small, private cabins.
He nodded politely to the other passengers he passed and responded to the litany of
"Good evenings" in a like manner without slowing or encouraging further comment.
He remembered from his earlier explorations, that the starboard side of the ship
was the area of public concern.

It was where the massive dining room was where he had eaten and it was where there
were men's smoking rooms. Liquor was served while men of business discussed the
world's finances. It didn't interest Xander.

There were game rooms where couples played ping pong or card and board games
while laughing and joking with other young people, some of which neither spoke
nor understood the language being spoken. Xander passed by those too.

He continued on down, hunched and holding himself against the cold night air.
He listened as the soles of his shoes slapped on the wooden planks of the decking
and he noticed that the temperature must have dropped considerably as there was
now a thin sheen of ice coating the railing.

Directly ahead, Xander could see the bright lights of the dance hall and what sounded
like a thousand voices laughing, talking and shouting. There was a band playing jazz
and the closer he got the more thrilled he became at the thought of joining in on the
biggest party on the ocean tonight.

Running the last few feet, Xander grabbed the cold handle of the door and jerked it
open. The instant he stepped in, he came face to face with....

"Alexander! You have looked for me, no? You have come to dance with me!
I knew you would come. Hurry, we are over there. We have a table. We will
sit with my sister Monique and her fiance, Harrold. Come, we will drink and
dance."

Xander cringed and despite Yvette's solid grip on his arm and her best attempt
to tug him into the room, reluctance had Xander's feet glued to the floor.

"Well, there you are. I thought I had missed you."

Xander spun around and found himself face to face with the handsome stranger he
had met earlier on deck. Unexpectedly, his heart lurched in his chest as he stared
directly into the most incredible blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Ah, no. Um, missed me?"

Spike laughed easily and slapped Xander companionably on the back as Yvette
stepped back and scowled, hoping her most evil stare would cause this trespasser
to rethink his plans. It didn't

"Yes. We agreed to meet here for a drink and a bit of conversation about that
business proposal I had. You haven't changed your mind have you?"

Even as slow on the upswing as Xander usually was, he could read a save when it
was all but spelled out for him. He grinned in relief and gratitude at the gorgeous
man and gave him a light punch on the arm.

"No, of course I haven't. I've been waiting on you. Come on, let's find a seat. Oh,
sorry Yvette. Thanks for the wonderful invitation but this is man talk. Boring stuff.
Tell ya what, maybe we will catch up with you later."

Without waiting for her reply, Xander and Spike strode happily into the hustle and
bustle of the dazzling ballroom.