Apologies for the delay. Lots and lots of things kept cropping up. But chapter is here now!
And a double feature too, since I wanted to do something for Pearl Harbor Day (sadly missed it, but still)
Also: This. An index I'm starting to work on of my original designs, from the old SI. And I do mean original. Before I really got into the fandom and accompanying fanon and cliches. Useful for those who may want to use them themselves.
Chapter 30
I wonder what's going on?
Bright red eyes looked up at fluffy clouds floating through the calm Pacific sky, a gentle breeze blowing them right along. A breeze that brought a wide smile to the owner of the red eyes, as it blew her short blonde hair around wildly. Her skirt ruffled against her lean legs, as she kicked them over the side of her island. If anyone could actually
see her, they would probably do a double take at that.
At the sight of a pair of pale legs sticking out over the side of an aircraft carrier's island, without a care in the world. Considering who the
Admiral of this carrier was, that was even
more valid now.
Not that
she cared.
"Enterprise, how many times have I told you to not do that?" After all, Admiral Halsey's voice sounded more bemused than annoyed by this point.
Tilting her head back, Enterprise turned her bright smile on her Admiral, as he looked down on her, "It's relaxing though!"
"You are on duty, last I checked." Halsey was distinctly unamused, raising one eyebrow. His bullish features didn't
quite scowl, but they didn't quite
smile either.
It did serve to make Little E blush, even if she didn't move from her perch, "No one can see me up here, sir."
The fact that no one could see her at
all was left unsaid, of course.
And did absolutely nothing to sway the Admiral, "The principal of the matter, Enterprise."
Sighing, Enterprise pulled herself up from the railing. She did
not pout as she turned to look at her Admiral, with her bright red eyes giving the best 'puppy' eyes that she could manage. "You aren't mad at me, are you, Admiral?"
It was probably telling that she could do something like that. Leave alone that anyone else trying that on
Bull Halsey would get them chewed out at the minimum, Enterprise had not been able to act so...
easily...with him before. She had always been so nervous, talking with him. Afraid she would do something to upset her Admiral, and make him not love her.
Silly, but...
"No." Halsey bit out a sigh of his own, looking down on the little carrier in front of him. "But damnit if you don't try my patience, Enterprise. You remind me of Margaret."
"Who?" The curious carrier looked at her Admiral, raising her own eyebrow.
"My daughter."
Enterprise opened her mouth to reply, before closing it. Her shoulders slumped, if only slightly, as she turned her eyes away from her Admiral with a little whisper.
"Oh..."
She had known he had children, but it hadn't occurred to her he already had a
daughter. Enterprise still liked to think that
she was like a daughter to her beloved Admiral. The closest to a father she had ever, or would ever, have. But if he already had a daughter, one of his own blood, why would he look at her like that? She never doubted he loved her. Worried she'd do something bad, yes, but never doubted
him.
But that didn't change the spurt of worry that ran through her system, when she thought about how he may look at her, now. Did he see her as someone trying to take the place of his own daughter? Someone who was going to compete with her?
Does he love me like that
...? Or am I just some...
"Enterprise."
Halsey's gruff voice had her flinch, the little carrier turning her head back around. The look that greeted her wasn't quite
disappointment, but it certainly felt that way, when she saw it.
"I'm sorry Admiral," Enterprise brought her hands up, shaking them in front of her body. Curse her nerves! "I didn't know you already had som..."
The Admiral only sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Enterprise,
stop. You aren't her, and you shouldn't try to
be her."
Hands limply falling to her side, Enterprise's eyes widened. "Yo...you...?"
What she couldn't get out, was the fact her Admiral had known
exactly what was worrying her. How?
"I am far from a fool, Enterprise," Halsey continued to pinch his nose, as he walked to stand next to his carrier. The Admiral placed his hands on the railing beside Enterprise, sighing even as he removed one of those hands from his nose. "I am also far from the best father in the world, but a fool I am not."
"You're not a bad father!"
Those words came rushing out of her mouth before Enterprise really knew what she was saying, prompting her to clamp her hands over her big mouth. She was
certain that her face was every bit as red as her eyes now, as she looked up at her Admiral's unreadable expression.
She couldn't keep her mouth shut now that she could talk to him, could she? It was just like when she talked with her sister and couldn't stop talking when she really should and...
"Hmph," Halsey's grunt finally shifted his face into an ever so slight smile. His hand moved from the railing, to rest atop Enterprise's short blonde hair. "You're a good girl Enterprise. But you're too trusting."
Even as she leaned into the comforting touch, the young carrier frowned, "Sir?"
Halsey didn't say anything at first, seemingly content to rub Enterprise's hair, as his gruff features looked out at the horizon. At the cluster of escort ships surrounding his carrier...from proud Northampton to little Cassin. And even Lady Lex, off in the distance. Halsey's eyes took in all of them, while his confused carrier stared up at him.
His expression as hard to read as ever.
"You have no idea what kind of father I am," his voice was as harsh as ever, even if a bit
softer in tone, when Halsey talked again. His eyes remained locked on his battlegroup though, while his hand continued to rest atop Enterprise's hair. "I'm sorry to say it, but you truly
don't know a damn thing about how I am, outside of the navy."
"But..." Enterprise tried to speak up.
Because it didn't
matter to her what her Admiral was like outside of the navy. Why would it? He loved her, enough to see her and talk to her. That was enough...wasn't it?
"The Navy
is my life, Enterprise. I haven't seen Fan in years," the Admiral shook his head, sighing deeply. "That is as much my fault as her's, as much as I want to say it's because she is
different. And if it were anyone but you, I'd say it
was her fault."
Finally turning away from the fleet, Bull Halsey turned his sharp features down on the carrier, raising one single eyebrow.
"Because I am
not a good man, Enterprise. I'm an asshole, at the very best of times. I don't like admitting mistakes or failures. I only admit this to
you, because you're my
ship. I can put a damn sight more trust in you than anyone else."
Those words had Enterprise flushing bright pink, as she stuttered out a reply, "A-admiral...I..."
Halsey just grunted in amusement, removing his hand from her head, "A man can trust his ship, Enterprise. His ship will never betray him or let him down, and I knew that before I had any idea what was actually true. Can't say I trust old Sara quite like you, but then, that girl is infatuated with James. Even if neither of them care to notice it."
If there was anything Enterprise knew, it was
love. She had seen that from Sara too, but she wasn't quite sure if it was
love or her seeing her Admiral as a brother or something like that.
She was young and a
carrier. She wouldn't know
romantic love if it shot her bow off.
That said...
"I trust you too, Admiral!" Enterprise forced her shaking shoulders to calm down, as she snapped to attention. Her intense red-eyed gaze boring into her Admiral, who merely raised his eyebrow up once again. "And if I may say so, I think you're a good man!"
"Oh?" Halsey asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You care about your men, sir," the little blonde continued, not once breaking her gaze from her Admiral's bullish features. "You treat them with respect, and you don't take anything as a joke. You push them hard, but you don't run them ragged. You...you..."
Her gaze didn't change, but Enterprise's voice began to trail off, as her face flushed a deeper red.
"You care about
me..."
And that was all that mattered to her, in the end. She didn't care if her Admiral was an asshole or if he pushed people hard. She didn't care if he was a hard ass who didn't take no for an answer.
I don't care how his family life is...I know he cares about me
.
Was it selfish of her? Probably. But she couldn't bring herself to really
care about that. She loved her Admiral! He was her father, or close enough to one.
"You know, Enterprise?"
Eh?
Admiral Halsey had uncrossed his arms, looking down on his loyal carrier. His intense gaze far outstripping her own, even with his more natural eye color. "I will never understand why you act so attached to me. I'm not your father, you know that."
Enterprise couldn't help a soft cry coming up from her chest, as she nodded, "I know..."
"But I
am your Admiral, and I'll be damned before anything happens to you on my watch. It baffles me that you love an old sea dog like me so much, but I won't stop you. Just..."
Whatever Halsey was going to say was lost in his throat, as Enterprise jumped forward, wrapping her arms around his broad chest.
It was far from the first time she had done so, and would be far from the last.
But it still had him bouncing back on his heels slightly, letting out a sigh that Enterprise could feel, as she burrowed her head into his chest. Admiral Halsey didn't move his arms around her. And she didn't really expect him to, either. The day that Halsey hugged her was the day the world ended.
Enterprise was just fine with what she had though.
"Thank you...Admiral..." her voice was barely above a whisper, as she held tightly to her beloved Admiral.
Halsey didn't say anything.
That was fine though. Enterprise was perfectly content to bury her head against his chest, sighing happily at the feeling of being able to
hug her Admiral. No matter what happened in the future, she would never- could never -get enough of this feeling. Love.
Just like what she felt for her sister.
"This said, I will be court-martialling anyone who tries to make a move on you, if James manages to convince the President."
The complete and utter deadpan tone to that tore Enterprise's thoughts from her sister, and had her nearly lose her footing in shock.
"A-Admiral?!"
Her Admiral merely smirked at her, not saying a word.
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"You're going back to the Atlantic without saying good bye to your sister?"
Tilting her head back, strands of red hair falling in front of her face, USS Yorktown sighed heavily. Her equally red eyes looked out at the harbor, crowded with vessels coming and going from various missions. Even with Admiral Richardson gone, actions at Pearl Harbor never quite calmed down. With all the work the man had ordered done, that was doubly true.
Not that Yorktown really cared about that, as she turned her eyes on the source of the question.
"Utah, I don't really have a
choice but to do it. You know that," Yorktown's voice held a tinge of annoyance to it, when she looked out at the old battleship-turned-target-ship.
She couldn't see Utah herself, but Yorktown knew exactly what to expect. A small little smile crossing her face, crinkling the age lines along her eyes. Grey hair falling over slim shoulders, as the old warship shrugged.
"Maybe, but do you know when you will see Enterprise again?" Utah's voice was placating. And everything Yorktown could care less to hear at the moment.
"Of course I don't, the Navy doesn't tell
me these things." The redheaded carrier groused, as she smoothed down her dark blue uniform top, the silky fabric rustling in the wind from her tall tripod mast. Sometimes she wished she wore the tighter dress that Sara or Lex used.
And then Yorktown remembered how nice the freedom of movement she got from her lighter clothing was. Sure, the wind liked to blow around her blue tunic, that only barely covered down to her midriff. But the looseness and the lack of sleeves gave her so much more freedom of movement.
The same could be said for the scandalously- if her Captain ever saw it -short skirt that covered her hips, barely reaching to the middle of her thighs. Her completely bare legs, save for short socks that peaked out from her red-rudder heels, hanging over the side of her mast, as she relaxed well away from her crew.
Utah's small sigh got the carrier's attention back on the old warhorse though.
"You know, you remind me of Pennsylvania sometimes. So very headstrong, even when it involves your sister. That Arizona and Enterprise are so similar doesn't help."
Yorktown blinked her red eyes, before narrowing them at the motherly battleship, "I'm not
anything like that old bi..."
"My daughter, and yes, you are."
The smooth cut-off had Yorktown fuming, even as she jumped to her feet, pacing along the length of her tall mast. "Anyway, do you have a
reason for calling me? Other than poking fun at my personality?"
There was silence, save for soft, almost impossible to hear giggles from Utah. Yorktown resisted the urge to glare again.
She could hardly deny she had a temper, honestly. The way she had reacted after the training exercise before learning the truth was one point where that came true. She didn't regret snapping at Sister Sara or Admiral Thompson, particularly. It
had been unfair.
But that didn't mean she couldn't recognize that she was very much a
fiery redhead.
"I was just curious, what I should tell Enterprise, when she returns."
When Utah finally spoke, it had Yorktown nearly falling off her perch, as she came up completely short. "What?"
"As I said, I will let Enterprise know you left. Is there anything you want me to tell her?" Utah's voice never lost the motherly tone, and wasn't even teasing anymore.
And had Yorktown blinking slowly, as she crossed her arms over her impressive bust, "Hm..."
Bluster aside, temper aside, Yorktown felt her heart clench at the thought of leaving her sister. Little E had been by her side their entire lives, and the thought of leaving her sister behind didn't exactly appeal to her all that much. Enterprise had matured
so much since she was able to talk to Admiral Halsey.
But Yorktown still worried about her sister. She wouldn't be the
big sister if she didn't.
"I'm proud of her," all the bluster had left her voice, the redhead sighing softly. "I really am. Little E is getting so...so..."
"Big?"
That wasn't exactly the word she would use, but Yorktown nodded anyway, "Yeah. I know she can handle herself now, but I still don't like leaving her alone like this, y'know?"
Utah didn't reply to that, but Yorktown knew she probably felt the same. If not moreso, considering she had taken on the role of being the 'mother' to all the battleships now.
"Just...just let her know that."
Still, it didn't stop her from spinning on her heel, not wanting to let Utah see her face. Even if the battleship couldn't possibly see her from this angle. Because she didn't want the sad look crossing her pretty features to be seen. Ha. All that talk, and it didn't change one bit how she worried about her sister, did it?
Never had.
"I will."
Even so, a small smile crossed Yorktown's face, when those two simple words echoed in her ears.
She was going to be stuck in the Atlantic, far away from her sister. For who knew how long. But at least Enterprise had people willing to watch out for her, when her big sis Yorktown couldn't do it.
Guess I'm going to see Admiral Thompson again, soon...
"The fact I can see a woman in my ship that isn't a nurse, Admiral Thompson, makes me wonder if I'm going bloody insane."
Captain Harrington's voice was completely deadpan, even as he stared at the impossible sight in front of him. Where a book had once been floating, now stood a tall blonde woman. One covered in bloody bandages around her
very much customized Royal Naval uniform. A woman who was a good bit taller than Admiral Stark, who stood in front of her, seemingly resigned to what he saw.
Not as much as the young Admiral across from him, though.
"Well, I was surprised that Hood was here too," Admiral Thompson's reply was easy, but Harrington still narrowed his eyes at it.
There was something about that...
"If I hadn't seen her appear out of nowhere, I would be suggesting you snuck a woman aboard, before I thought she was
Hood," The Captain shot back, his voice gaining a bit of a harsher edge to it.
Could he really be
blamed for that though? He had just seen a woman, one bandaged and clearly hurt, appear out of nowhere in front of him. After the young Admiral had asked him if there was ever any feeling like someone was watching him. Which...well...
It would be a lie for Harrington to say he had not felt that way, at least with Hood.
"Well, at least you can actually
see me now, Captain." The woman, on the other hand, had a distinctly
sour tone to her own voice, when she spoke up at last. Her bright blue eyes looked at Harrington with an annoyed expression crossing her face, as she unceremoniously dropped the book in her hands. Just to cross her arms over her modest bust. "Lord knows how much effort I went through to try and get you to hear me!"
Harrington just frowned, "You...did?"
"Of course I did! Bloody wanker, you ignored everything I said!"
If it had been a member of his crew who spoke to him like that, Harrington would have smacked them down- figuratively speaking of course -within seconds of the word 'wanker' leaving their mouth. In this case...not only was it a
woman cursing at him, which was a novel experience, it was a woman who was apparently the
ship. One who was certainly beautiful enough to be the lean Hood, were she not...
Oh.
Oh. Dear.
"The damage," the British man completely ignored what Hood had said, settling instead for looking over her body. Not with lust, but with a calculating eye. "Head and arm wounds, leg wounds...that's from the battle, correct?"
"Eh?"
Hood's reply was quite eloquent, even as it brought a chuckle from Admiral Thompson. Harrington's eyes returned to the American Admiral, who- if he was being honest -just looked
relieved more than anything else.
Like he had been worried.
"You're taking this better than I thought you would," Thompson's voice held a fair bit of amusement as well, as his eyes drifted over to the silent Admiral Richardson. The older man continuing to pour over the damage reports from Hood. "I mean, Admiral Richardson didn't believe me so easily."
"Of course not, this is all completely insane," Richardson didn't miss a beat, nor did he look up. "No matter how many examples we get, that doesn't change."
"Quite," Harrington nodded, a small smile twitching at his own lips. "And I am left wondering what you Yanks have been hiding from us all this time. Our Navy is the greatest in the world, but we've never
once come across something like...this."
"Greatest in the world my arse..."
The whisper from Hood wasn't
quite as quiet as she may have hoped, but other than a disapproving glance, her Captain let it slide. For the moment, at least.
Because Thompson shifted uncomfortably, his smile falling off his face, "Well...we didn't know until recently either."
"And he was the first to know." Richardson dryly commented, still not shifting position.
"...yes, that too." The young Admiral's shoulders slumped, as he let out a deep sigh. "Neither Sara or I really know how that happened to begin with, but here we are. Until now, it was just a few of us. I'm
hoping that between knowing that ships outside our own have spirits and that Admiral Stark knows..."
"You can make a proper case, yes," Harrington cut him off, with a single raised eyebrow at the expression that got. "What? It is not
that hard a guess to make, Admiral Thompson. After all, I would not want
my commanders to throw me out of the navy."
Considering the glances shared between the three American Admirals, the British man considered that a good guess to have made. After all, it certainly explained why their Chief Naval Officer was present. Convince him, and there was an in directly to the American President. Who, if Harrington remembered properly, was rather a Navy man himself.
Hm.
"You would be correct to assume that, yes," Admiral Stark's soft voice spoke up, the Admiral quiet up to that point. His hand pushed the round glasses he wore up his nose, as his eyes trailed over to the youngest Admiral in the room. "And, on that note, I believe we have taken up enough of your time. I have...quite a bit to process. Admiral Richardson?"
That question finally got the gruff man to look up from the papers, the overhead light gleaming off his glasses, "Yes, Harry?"
"Send a report to the dockyard and our guests. The least we can do for this is making certain that Hood gets proper repairs."
Richardson nodded, "Of course."
Harrington watched as the Admirals began to move to the door, only Thompson sending a look back at Hood, who was silently fuming where she had been from the start. The look in the young man's eyes...there was...
"Admiral Thompson?"
The question had the young man stopping in his tracks, turning bright green eyes on the British officer, "What's wrong?"
"I will make certain that Hood is treated well, and that the Navy treats this seriously." Harrington replied, nodding his head ever so slightly.
And once again, he had read the American rather well. Thompson's shoulders slumped, as a small smile crossed his face. He inclined his own head, sending one last glance at Hood, before following his superiors out of the room.
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Whereupon Harrington felt his shoulders slump, as he brought a hand up to brush his own dark hair back. Blue eyes trailed over to Hood, who had not budged from her position. In fact, now that the Americans were gone, she seemed almost...worried. Strange.
Shouldn't she be
more comfortable, now that their off-again, on-again allies were out of the room? She only had her Captain to talk to now, after all. And Harrington had never made it a particular
secret how he felt about Hood. He missed Repulse, sometimes, but that didn't change much. He had been quite vocal at many different times about how Hood needed to be treated better. That she was falling into disrepair and they needed to do more for such a beautiful and important ship.
Surely that counted for something?
"Hood." Harrington's voice was soft, as he turned fully towards the old battlecruiser, walking up to look at her. "Is something the matter?"
Well, something other than the damage clearly visible on her, now that Stark was out of the way. Damage that had Harrington wincing, at the thought of how much
pain she had to be in, at every moment of every day.
"Captain," Hood started, of course, her shoulders flinching back. But her blue eyes soon locked onto her Captain, as she leaned forward, intense expression crossing her bandaged face. "You never heard anything I said, right?"
Harrington nodded, "No, I haven't."
A short pause followed that statement, before the Captain chuckled lightly.
"Well, I have
thought I heard things sometimes. But I always thought it was my imagination or the stress of being promoted to Captain our Pride. You aren't an easy job to take on, Hood."
The battlecruiser just narrowed her eyes, her lips pulling back slightly in a grimace, "If you've never heard me, then you have
no bloody idea why I'm worried about you, do you?"
And
that had Harrington blinking slowly, even as he backed up slightly on instinct, "What?"
"Günther, Captain." Hood's words were slow, and filled with more meaning than Harrington had ever heard from a woman's lips. More anger and mistrust, for certain. "Why, in the name of all that is holy, would you be talking with a
Hun? After what they did to
me? And Courageous? Or Royal Oak?"
Oh.
Well, that explained a lot. Quite a lot, actually.
Guess I know why I kept feeling a chill whenever I wrote back to Günther. Hm.
"Hood, the man you're talking about is Admiral Lütjens," Harrington brought up a placating hand, trying to sooth the obviously angry battlecruiser. "We captured him after the battle. I've been talking with him, since we...have a strange friendship."
Wasn't that the truth. The implacable Günther was a difficult man to talk to. Leave alone get to know, especially from the position of being in a different naval service- enemies even -at that. That they were friends still surprised Harrington, all the time. Strange, strange situation to be in. At least it gave them more intelligence...
Even as it had Hood glaring at him.
"You're friends with a
German Admiral?" Her voice had lowered in pitch and tone, the old warhorse clearly holding herself back.
As if the way she had started to pace around the table, long legs brushing against the tattered fabric of her skirt
wasn't an indication of that, to be fair.
"Yes, I am," Harrington easily replied. Hood wouldn't hurt him. Of that, at least, he was sure. "I can't claim to explain
how it happened, but he's a good friend. Furthermore, I am under standing orders to try and get intelligence for the war effort out of him."
That, at least, had Hood stop her pacing. Bright blue eyes turned back on Harrington, as she placed her hands on her wide hips. Hips that would have any other man staring, enraptured by the gentle curves. If anyone tried to call Hood anything other than
beautiful with her wide hips and long legs, they were a bloody fool. Even covered in bandages, her face was attractive as well.
When it wasn't glaring at him, anyway.
Which...
"So, you're trying to get information out of the wanker?" Hood asked, seemingly just to clarify what she had heard.
Harrington just nodded, "Of course. Friend or no, we are still at war with Germany. Damn Nazi's are everyone's enemy."
Silence answered that, as Hood tapped her fingers against her hip. There was an almost metallic sound with each tap, like a hammerbeat against steel. Considering she was a warship...that probably shouldn't be surprising.
How
human the battlecruiser was...well, he couldn't say. Not yet.
It was only when Hood sighed, slumping into a chair with blonde hair falling in front of her eyes, that sound returned to the room, "At least you aren't a traitor, Captain. I worried."
"I would never betray King and Country," Harrington snorted softly, his own feet ghosting across the floor as she took up a seat in front of Hood. His eyes stared into her lighter blue, trying to read whatever hid behind them.
But Hood was far better than Thompson at hiding what she felt, if she were so inclined.
"And, if nothing else, I assure you Hood. I will never betray
you. I'm loyal to my country, my Navy, and my command. I was honored to be given command of such a storied warship." The young Captain shrugged his shoulders, a wan smile crossing his lips. "Well, even if I know I won't be seeing any more combat until you're back in proper shape. We'll need to talk about that..."
"Captain?" Hood's own voice had finally softened, a her hair brushing her cheeks. A small smile crossing her face. "You want to
talk?"
Harrington smiled back, "Well, of course I want to bloody talk. This is
quite an interesting experience. And there is no one who would know what is wrong with this ship, better than you."
Hood's face flushed slightly, but for perhaps the first time, a truly
genuine smile was on it.
"You've got
that right Captain. And let me tell you, there are so many things that need fixing it..."
As Hood began to rant about her condition, Harrington smiled at her. But in the back of his mind, he was already thinking about what would come next.
I will have to talk with the attache...this is something that needs to go back to London. I wonder...how can this help us in the War...?
And there we go. I hope everyone liked the chapter, delay or no delay.
