Author's Note:

This fic is dedicated to the 1500 souls that lost their lives 100 years ago. I only own my added subplot and my OC. The rest is owned by James Cameron, especially the dialogue that was borrowed from his original draft of his fantastic movie. I have been fascinated with Titanic ever since I saw the film fifteen years ago so I thank Mr. Cameron for the wonderful service he has done the world by taking us on that maiden voyage and making Titanic live again in our hearts. And since I've always been fascinated by the modern day side of Titanic as well, this is where the inspiration from this fic came from. So without further ado, here's the summary.

Dr. Rebecca Lovett a marine archiologist, joins her older brother Brock searching the remains of the Titanic for artifacts. While Brock is searching for the famed Heart of the Ocean, Rebecca manages to get her hands on Thomas Andrews blueprints for the titanic. But when the ghost of Thomas Andrews starts haunting her, Rebecca is the only one who can see and hear him. Can she help the famed shipbuilder find peace? Or will they find something unexpected?

flames and kisses,

Mlle. P. Fox

1993

She felt out of place. Then again she always felt out of place. Her mother always said that she had been born in the wrong time. Maybe that's why she was in the line of work she was in.

"Becca!" came the voice of her brother. Becca smiled at her tall handsome brother. He was a good fifteen years older than her. And despite the slight gray at his temples and the pronouced crows feet, Brock still looked like the sun soaked kid from Florida. His tan certainly stuck out like a sore thumb admist the pale native english of Southhampton. And since she almost never strayed from her lab back at the University, she actually looked as she belonged with her pale skin. She certainly didn't look like his baby sister.

"Hey Brock." Becca smiled giving her brother a hug.

"Hey kiddo. How was the trip?" he asked.

"Long. Even longer considering I was so curious about what was so important that I had to take a sabatical for it." Becca said.

"Come on let's sit down." he said gesturing to a small wooden table. Becca sat down, absorbing the small pub as she did.

"You know this pub The Grapes? Six crewmen are said to have been drinking here when they missed the Titanic sailing out." Becca commented.

"I know that's why I chose it." Brock replied. She furrowed her brow at him and laughed,

"Since when are you interested in the Titanic?"

"Since I found this." Brock replied pulling out a folder from his knapsack. She opened it and saw an old receipt.

"Careful. It's eighty years old..." Brock said. Intriqued, Becca looked at it and saw it was a recepit of purchase from a jeweler in Paris. A purchase for a 56 karet blue diamond called le couer de la mar'.

"The Heart of the Ocean? Brock..." groaned Becca.

"Come on Becs, this is the chance of the lifetime!" Brock said.

"I'm not helping you become a grave robber!" Becca snapped standing up and storming out of the pub.

"Rebecca!" Brock called after her gathering his artifact and chasing after her. He found her walking down the cobblestones in the dark night air.

"Three thousand miles just so that you can try to con me into joining you on one of your crazy treasure hunts!" Becca ranted.

"Becca...this isn't a crazy treasure hunt. I fully intend to donate all Titanic artifacts we find to a museum." Brock insisted blocking her path.

"Except the Heart of the Ocean right?" Becca nodded.

"No that will go too...for a generous finders fee." Brock said with Becca joining in for the last part of the sentence. Becca sighed and moved around him.

"Ever since we were kids you were obessessed with treasure hunting. Ever since you found that dubloon on the beach. But this isn't pirate gold Brock. the Titanic should be a memorial. And I will not help you desicrate it's memory as you hunt for some lousy diamond." Becca said.

"Becca don't you get it? that's why I need you! You're the marine archeologist. You know how to perserve these artifacts. And they do need perserving Becs. I talked to a buddy of mine who is a marine biologist. He says the Titanic and everything down there is turning to rust. There won't be a Titanic to remember for much longer. If we can pull up artifacts we can honor the memory. Now I got an investor and a crew but you're the best archelogist I know. I need your help Becs. Come on I know you've been dreaming of going down there every since they found the wreckage five years ago." Brock pleaded blocking her path again.

Becca looked up at him and sighed. He was giving her the big puppy dog eyes. And he was making sense. Darn him.

"Crap." she replied.

Six months later...

She was flying...over the ocean waves...over the Kaldesh...down into the water...down past the darkness. The great ship loomed before her, like a skeleton in the darkness. Suddenly in a flash of light the ship was restored and the remnants of the halls repaired themselves to their former opulant glory. She found herself in the smoking parlor with rich wood paneling and nautical details. And there before an opulant fireplace with a small mantal clock was a man. A tall man with gray curly hair and broad shoulders that just as he was about to turn to her, vanished before her when the room darkened and water came rushing through the windows.

Becca gasped in fright as she woke from the dream. But seeing she was safe in her bunk again, she sighed and flopped back down. Suddenly a knock came on her door and she shouted,

"Yeah..."

A dark haired man poked his head in and said,

"Becca, they're back!"

"Okay Bobby...I'm coming!" Becca said tossing back the covers and brushing past him.

"Uh...Becca?" Bobby interrupted.

"What?" she asked spinning around and putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't you want to put some pants on?" he asked with a snicker. She looked down and blushed seeing she was in nothing but her t-shirt, socks and boyshort underwear. She pulled her t-shirt down over her botttom and replied,

"Right..."

A few minutes later, (and wearing jeans) Becca met her brother as he was climbing out of the hatch from the Mir 1 submersible.

"Well?" Bobby asked.

"No ice yet Bobby." Brock sighed.

"The investors are getting nervous..." Bobby told him.

"It's eighty years of ocean floor over a mile wide. This expedition could take years to find one little diamond." Becca said in defense.

"It's not a little diamond Doc. It's 56 carets. That makes it a big diamond." said Lewis Bodine, their ROV pilot.

"Becs right guys. There's a lot of ground to cover. Just tell the investors to be patient alright?" Brock told Bobby.

"Right. And Petre? Get this thing gased up again. Test all the equipment. Dive two is gonna happen tonight." Becca told a passing crewman.

"Yes Doctor." he replied in a thick russian accent.

"You know Becs...we could find the diamond faster if we..." Brock cleared his throat and began.

"We're not increasing the number of dives Brock." she replied.

"Oh come on! Why not?" Brock groaned.

"It's a five hour round trip and takes up way too much fuel. And the wreck sight is too fragile for more than two subs at a time. So the answer is no!" Becca said.

"Not even for a bribe?" Brock said.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like a dive down to A-36 suite..."Brock offered.

"Thomas Andrews suite? You found it?" Becca asked. Brock chuckled. For as long as Becca had been obsessed with titanic, she had been fascinated with the ships builder, Thomas Andrews. there was a pull he had on her that couldn't be explained. Sometimes Brock thought his sister had a crush on a ghost.

"I'll tell you where it is if you agree to let us increase the dives..."Brock said.

"That's blackmail." she said.

"That's business Sis." he shrugged. Becca looked at Lewis and Bobby and sighed.

"Crap." she said before continuing on her way.

"Ha ha! We're getting closer boys!" Brock said.

"But you are showing me that suite right now Brock Nathanial Lovette or I'll deck you!" she threatened with a betraying laugh.

"Right behind ya Sis." Brock said.

Hours later, Becca was sitting next to Lewis who was using the 3d technology and the remote control hands to guide the robot through the Andrews suite.

"Anything in particular we're lookin' for Doc?" Lewis asked.

"I'll let you know when I see it..." Becca said her eyes scanning the screen. The ruins were gray with decay and full of sand and sediment. The lights on the robot moved over an old brass bed and a wardrobe. Rusticles hung from the ceiling and crawled up the walls. The small robot shifted aside the remains of a table where they saw some rolled up papers lightly bounce around.

"Hello." Lewis said.

"Gotcha..." Becca said with a smile.

Climbing out of the sub, Becca searched the decks for her brother only to find him talking on the phone. She waved Bobby over with an excited grin.

"Please tell me you found the diamond?" he asked.

"It's just as good. I found Thomas Andrews' personal blueprints for the Titanic in his cabin!" Becca replied.

"Wow...that's great! We might actually learn something about the old girl without having to rely on pictures for the Olympia." Bobby said.

"Not only that, but we can have a great insight into the mind of the man who built the Titanic. Think of what this could mean Bobby! " Becca asked.

"I am. But Dave and Barry aren't just paying for history here Becca..." Bobby began to lecture. But Becca stopped listening when she looked over Bobby's shoulder and saw a strange man leaning aganist the Keldysh's railing. He was tall and handsome, with curly gray hair and dressed in a suit with a long duster coat. His brown eyes locked with hers in confusion.

"Hey! Who's that?" Becca asked pointing to him. Bobby looked behind him and saw no one. He shrugged.

"I don't see anyone." he said.

"Don't see him? Bobby I know it's dark out but he's right..."Becca said looking again. Only she stopped talking when she saw the man had vanished.

"Huh..." she said.

"It's been a long night. Why don't you turn in?" Bobby suggested.

"Not until I see those blueprints." she said turning back to the task at hand, trying to put the incident of the stranger behind her. She instructed the team to bring the artifacts inside and to start clean up and preservation on the blueprints immediately. As the hours past, the more and more excited she got. Handwritting was revealed and so far it matched up perfectly to Thomas Andrews. One by one the techs and crew went below to get some rest, leaving Becca alone in the lab. The blueprints uncovered now, Becca couldn't stop looking at them. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard someone walking past on the metal decks. She looked up and her eyes went wide seeing the strange man again!

"Hey!" she called. The man stopped his walk and looked at her. He waited for her to come out of the lab and onto the deck.

"Good evening." he said with a slight Irish brough. ignoring him (and the way his voice sent shivers down her spine) she snapped at him,

"This is a rescricted area. You shouldn't be here."

"My apologies. I'm not sure how I survived but it's a miracle that I did. Please Miss you must get the captain of your vessel to plot a course for the Titanic." he said.

"The Titanic?" she asked.

"Please miss! We struck an iceberg and she sunk. Two thousand souls are freezing to death." he said with passionate conviction.

"Okay who are you?" Becca asked.

"Thomas Andrews but please Miss we're wasting time." he said. To his wonder she began to laugh.

"Aw man you had me going there for a second...So seriously. Who are you? Did Lewis hire you?" she asked.

"Nevermind. I'll find the captain myself. What sort of vessel is this anyway? What company is it with?" he asked over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Wait a minute! You're not going anywhere pal until you answer some questions." Becca said stomping up and blocking his path.

"I've told you all you need to know Miss. Please we're wasting time." he said trying to control his temper.

"Ok I'll play along. Sorry to tell you this Mr. Andrews...but you're about eighty years too late. The titanic sank on April 14th 1912. And over 1500 people lost their lives. So why don't you tell Lewis that mocking them by hiring some two bit actor to play a joke on me is not funny." she said in anger.

"1500?...eighty years?" he asked in shock. He put a hand to his forehead and turned to the railing.

"It can't be true." he finally said.

"Look it's over okay? go to Lewis and tell him the joke didn't work." she said.

"This isn't a joke miss. I am Thomas Andrews. And the last thing I remember is hearing the roar of water rush in around me as Titanic floudered." he said.

"So what does that make you then? A ghost?" she scoffed folding her arms.

"Hah! I'm as much as a spirit as you are a lady." he snapped. She didn't know why she was insulted. What he said was nothing scandallous. Certainly not the worst language she heard on this ship. But it was the rude tone he used that made her snap. She raised her hand to slap him across the face. Only to recieve the shock of her life when her hand went through him like vapor. She gasped in horror while he looked at her hand in shock. Then he looked into her eyes and raised a hand to her face. When his hand went through her face she couldn't help but let out a terrified scream. Then she fainted.

"Becca?" called Brock rushing up to the deck with bobby and lewis on his tail. To his own wonder the ghost of Thomas Andrews vanished as Brock knelt beside his sister's still form.

"Becca? Rebecca? What's wrong? Come on Becca snap out of it!" Brock urged her gently slapping her face. Watching overhead from a gangway above them, Thomas Andrews was coming to grips with the fact that he was indeed dead...dead and buried with the Titanic and 1500 other souls.

***

"Ooh..." Becca groaned as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey...welcome back." Brock said with a smile.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You screamed and then fainted. Klunk! Care to fill us in on the details?" Lewis said dryly.

"What scared you up there Becs?" Brock asked helping his baby sister sit up in her bunk.

"Brock...do you believe in ghosts?" she asked. Brock exchanged a look with Bobby and Lewis.

"Not really. Why? Rebecca did you see a ghost?" Brock asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired and imagined the whole..." Becca began. She froze when Thomas Andrews walked through the door of her cabin.

"Thing..." she finished watching him snap his fingers in front of Lewis' face.

Brock looked in the same direction and said,

"What? Are you seeing something now?"

"Uh...I think I'm just tired and I need to rest." she managed to squeak out while watching Thomas wave a hand before Bobby's face.

"You're probably right. Come on guys. I'm exhausted myself." Bobby said.

"You're sure you'll be okay?" Brock asked in concern.

"I'll be fine brock." she said giving him a small smile.

"Call if you need anything. I'll be back to check on you later okay?" Brock asked.

"Okay." she nodded as the three men walked out. Leaving her alone with a ghost. Oy.

"Is that your husband?" Thomas asked.

"Brother." she replied.

"Ah yes. I see the family resemblance now." he nodded. She got off the bed and said,

"This is really happening isn't it?"

"So it is. And for some reason. You're the only one that can see and hear me." he said.

"Great..." she mumbled.

"I...I didn't catch your name." he said.

"Dr. Rebecca Lovett." she said.

"Doctor?" he asked raising a brow.

"Women have come a lot way in the last eighty years." she smiled.

"I see. so Dr. Lovette...what is the purpose of this vessel out here?" he asked.

"We're a research vessel. We're combing the ocean floor for the remains of the Titanic." she replied.

"I should think that should have been done by now after eighty years." he said.

"Well actually there was a mix up in the final coordinates given in the report and the actual place where titanic landed on the ocean floor. They only found the wreakage about eight years ago. That and the technology to dive down there safely was only created a few years ago." she said.

"Really? How? The water is so deep." he asked.

"You sure you want to know all this?" she asked.

"What else am I going to do? Rattle some chains?" he asked.

"Come on then. I'll show you." she said leading him out. But while she went out the door, he went through the wall.

"Will you stop that!" Becca hissed in the hall.

"Sorry." came the sheepish reply.

Thomas followed Becca above deck where she showed him and explained how the small subversables worked and was able to take a three man crew below the waves to view the Titanic below. And then she showed him the lab where he saw the artifacts that was saved as well as the video footage of the wreck as it was now. That was what captured his interest the most. Becca thought his eyes looked so sad as he gazed upon his creation.

"I knew every bulk head, every rivet, every porthole Dr. Lovette. How did I fail her?" he asked.

"You didn't. We know it was a freak accident." she said gently.

"An accident? Oh it was so much more Doctor. so much more. Will you excuse me Doctor? I need to be alone. Go get your rest." Thomas said.

"Alright. Goodnight Mr. Andrews." she said.

"Goodnight Doctor." he replied. Becca cast one last glance at the mournful ghost before leaving him in the lab.