EPILOGUE

Summer, on a beach in Portugal….

The crystal waters sparkled in the sun as Amanda walked along the shore with her bucket of seashells. Out of the countries she had seen so far, Portugal was her favorite. The food, dancing, scenery, and now the beach had been nothing but breathtaking. She found a spot and unfolded her sheet to sit on. It had been afternoon, and hardly anyone was around.

She looked out into the horizon and watched the waves ebb and flow. The serenity of it all had been a welcomed treat after the last few months. She had been working countless hours interning for a major historical advisor in downtown Philadelphia for quite a while and right at the beginning of summer, she had been awarded a very prestigious position at one of the maritime museums in New York City. It had been both an overwhelming and exciting experience to say the least.

After having to go through the stress and workload from the internship, she was treated to a summer of touring parts of Europe. It would be the one of only few instances of down time she would have in a while. Considering her beginning her new job the following September, and William having been offered the position of Chief Officer of the newest passenger ship Monterey, she really wanted to cherish the time away from hustle and bustle of city life.

She had closed her eyes for a moment when she felt something wrap her from behind, making her squeal. "William Murdoch, I am going to kill you!" She laughed. He laid her down upon the blanket and kissed her passionately on the mouth. She reached up to caress his cheek, feeling the stubble of new hair coming in, which she didn't like.

"You need to shave." She said, breaking the kiss. She looked up at him while putting a hand over her eyes. The sun was brutal that time of the day. He rolled his eyes. "And you need to come in and get some rest. It isn't good for the baby to be out in the heat for so long." He rubbed her once flat stomach affectionately.

"Will, I am only a couple of months along." Ever since she had been told by their doctor that she was pregnant with their first child, Will had become overprotective. He had been adamant about her staying at home while he was away but she would not have it. He finally relented and trusted her judgement.

She had been surprised at how quickly her and Will became expectant parents. Last month, she had fallen ill and passed it off as a stomach ailment, however, over the course of a week, she was not getting any better. Will became concerned and practically had to threaten her if she didn't go to the doctor. Because of the workload and stress of the internship, she told the doctor she was probably stressed, but when he asked her when her last cycle was, she was clueless. It didn't come as a surprise considering how many times they had each other since they were married. It seemed like they never got enough of each other.

"So? I still can't worry?" He laughed. She sat up and scratched her nose. "You keep worrying you will end up in the asylum." She answered. "We aren't supposed to be doing any worrying whatsoever while away, you made that perfectly clear."

He sighed. "That was before we found out you were carrying my child inside you." She snapped her head up at him, "Your child?" She took the bucket of shells and poured them over his head. "You forget who has to carry it until January." He rolled his eyes as he took his hand to comb out the sand from the shells out of his hair.

"You ready to be a Chief Officer?" She casually asked. She noted the glint in his eye when she said those words. If there was anyone who deserved the title, it was him. He had overcome a lot after the sinking; after getting married and all that, he started to have real severe nightmares. They mainly consisted of the night that Titanic hit the iceberg followed by the sinking. He voiced his guilt and his continued grief over the crewman and passengers that had perished.

Last month, Amanda had suggested him to see a psychotherapist to talk out his sorrows to. He promised that he would work out his struggles on his own and vowed to try and forgive himself. She would always remind him that he was a hero that night and many people were alive thanks to him. He had put more people on boats than any other officer on that ship. On the other hand, she had some pretty weird dreams herself, mainly before the wedding. They were so profoundly vivid that she would wake up in the middle of the night and have to write them down. The most severe was of her dying from a gunshot wound, and Will killing himself after she died in his arms.

"I am, I wouldn't have taken the offer if I wasn't. I just hope that this ship will stay afloat." He laughed. She smiled and laid her head on his chest. "This ship isn't transatlantic. It is only going up and down the east coast." She noted. He kissed the top of her head. "Still I worry." He rubbed her back. "I wish that Lights could have moved here and taken the offer of First Officer."

She looked up at him. "You know he wasn't going to go without his wife, she had been adamant about staying in England when we visited them last week." He took a piece of her hair and twirled it around his finger. "She wants children." He smiled as he envisioned Lights being a father. "I would pay to see him change a nappy."

"You never know, he might be a wonderful dad." She smiled. "I know you will be." He took her into his arms and kissed her. "I hope the baby has your looks and can carry on the Murdoch name." She rolled her eyes. "I take it you want a boy." She looked at him. He looked away and smiled. "Maybe."

After a moment of staring out at the waves, she took his hand into hers. "I love you Will, I am so happy everything had worked out. God has us where we belong." He kissed her cheek and hugged her.

"Together." He whispered.