Still blushing over her embarrassing collision with her subordinate Shōkaku, Enterprise ran out onto the wooden planks comprising the carrier pier of the Yokosuka Naval Base. The Big E paused to regain her breath, and quickly spied the dazed Yorktown with singed clothes and thermal burns on her arms, legs and side, indicating heavy damage to her body. The lightly damaged Hornet, and the Fletcher class girls, with worried frowns on all of their faces, all pitched as one to assist Yorktown up onto the dock. The holed carrier's flight deck, and island-shaped backpack laid in shambles on the deck.
New Hampshire, if Enterprise Remembered the Battleship Escort her sister's were assigned by her and Admiral Takeda correctly, guarded the docks as her teammates helped the disabled carrier up. The Montana-class battleship, with her four 406 mm triple turrets pointed seawards tossed a resentful glare towards the horizon. She was attired in a white Navy shirt with a matching skirt about knee length, and a USN peaked Lieutenant's cap featuring an insignia featuring a gold eagle, starred & striped shield, and crossed anchors behind. Several other DDs and a pair of cruisers with her kept a guarded watch for further Abyssal attacks,
The Admiral carrier's heart started to beat again as she realized her precious sister was still alive! She cried out in relief and deep worry as both her sisters were injured, "York! Hornet!" She ran over and took Yorktown's arm.
"Oh, Hey Lil'E," Yorktown muttered woozily to her little sister, who also ironically happened to be her CO. Despite her attempt at defusing the tension by tossing off a casual remark, the pain in her deep blue eyes was obvious.
"Hey Big Sis" the blond Hornet remarked, adjusting her hat and glasses, even though one of the lenses was heavily fractured.
The Occidental Admiral sighed unhappily, "You've both gone far beyond the call of duty. Look, I'll get a damage report from New Hampshire. You two haul your keels over to the repair docks, now."
"You got it sis," the other two siblings chorused, a sluggish two finger-scout salute from the elder and a crisp salute from the younger.
Enterprise Nods, before looking at the four destroyers of Oakland's Unit "You four make sure they get there, please, then go get some food" the Carrier begs, causing a Salute from each destroyer,
"We won't let you down, Admiral" one of them, Hudson, says before dropping her salute and running off behind the two carriers she and her sisters were tasked to corral into the docks like a pack of shepherd dogs. Turning around after watching the destroyers and her sisters leave, Enterprise sees The Montana, Oakland and San Francisco all standing at attention
"Report,"
"Mission successful, Admiral, Enemy airfield bombed and shelled to oblivion, ma'am" New Hampshire Says as Enterprise's eyes narrow
"Then why did your Captain and commander need repairs" She Asks. Causing Oakland to speak up
"My fault ma'am,darn fighters and bombers broke through my AA wall," The Light Cruiser answers
"And why were you watching the entrance to the port?" Enterprise demands
"We were also pursued back by some enemy BB's, CA's and DD's, ma'am" San Francisco answers sharply.
"Alright, Go get some food and if your damaged go to the Docks, dismissed" Enterprise says
"Ma'am!" The Battleship and Cruisers say, saluting, before walking off. As they walk off, talking amongst themselves Enterprise lifts her Enfield, takes a breath as she pulls back the cocking mechanism, slams it forward, puts the trigger in her left hand, looks down the sight, moves into the wind, and launches a scout squadron.
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Waiting a few minutes for her planes to return, makes her slightly anxious, then she hears the sound of piston engines ring in her ears, sighing a sigh of relief, she turns against the wind again, flight deck straight as each Hellcat hits the deck, it's fae being happy to be back home on its Carrier, with the deck crews clearing the deck of each fighter, the pilots come over and rub up against her cheek, say hey a couple of times, confirming what she was suspecting, had there been any abyssals tailing her sisters, they turned back once they realized their prey was well within friendly waters, sighing the Big E turns around, and walks to the mess
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Having already eaten the two burgers Sangamon had given her, she begins poking at the salad said oiler had also given her, while she had been hungry, she realizes she didn't eat as much as she usually does...
"Yorkie...Horn-e...please...Be safe...." she mutters to her self, not noticing the brunette carrier who sits down across from her, massive plate carrier in hand
"Hmm?"
"Oh hey..." Enterprise Says, her red eyes causes the Brunette Carrier to freeze
'Shoot! I thought I was talking one of the other Americans, I didn't think I was talking to The Grey Ghost!' Akagi screams in her head
"Are you alright, you look like you've seen an Ghost...." Enterprise says, setting her hand on the other carriers forehead
"Oh right, you still fear me for my actions at Midway, don't you?" She says, as she sits back down and Akagi flinches again
"Granny!"
"Hey there Sammy, what's up?" As the Tiny destroyer tackles Enterprise, and setting her stern down in the Carriers lap
"Mama and I came for refueling ops, Mama's over there getting food from auntie Sanga!" The Escort Destroyer says, before pointing over to a blonde Escort Carrier, Who, as if she heard her self proclaimed daughter's statement, visibly sighs as she carries plates of food for her and Sammy over to the table
"Hey mom..." Gambier Bay says, still looking embarrassed at the smaller escort's proclamation of their relationship, and sitting down next to the other American carrier, as Sammy moves from the cuddles she was getting from Enterprise, and slides over to the larger escort standing up slightly, before sitting back down, this time on the CVE's lap, and begins to nap, using her mother's chest as a pillow and begins muttering
"Ah love....Ya....mama....." Sammy says, her southern accent poking through as she loses consciousness in her mother's chest
"Night honey, see you in five minutes when your starving."
"So how was your day? You two seem tired?" Enterprise asks concerned
"I taught Carrier ASW, and Sammy taught the DD girls ASW so....." The Escort Carrier answers, causing Enterprise to nod
"She's taking a nap?"
"Yup."
"Good, subs are deadly, especially to us and battleships," E says, finally starting to eat her salad.
"So, Akagi? Why do you all still fear me?"
"E-Eh? W-We don't" Akagi stutters out,
"You freeze ever time you find out your talking to me, as does Sōryū, though I assume it's because of Yorkie?" Enterprise asks, gaining a nod "Kaga is still challenging me every time we see each other to see who's the better carrier, and doing timed drills. Hiryū still thinks we're rivals...when really it's ZuiZui and I, considering all the engagements..." The Blonde Fleet Carrier says, muttering the last part, before taking a bite of her food
"Well, I'd say it's because your reputation with the girls that survived longer, and your hand in our sinking's, and according to the late war girls, you got scarier with each friends and family member you lost, and how many times you died and came back, or so we thought" the Pride of The IJN Says
"Oh, well..." E says, finishing her last bite of salad-how she even got to that point after just taking the first, the other Carriers will never know,- before focusing for a second, within seconds, one of her fairy's appears out of her sleeve with a miniature bowl of ice cream, as the fairy hands it to his carrier, it upsizes to a regular sized bowl
"Here," The Carrier says, handing it to the Red Carrier "Take it before Sammy wakes up and tries to take it, or the DD's do" Enterprise says with a smile on her and a finger to her lips,
"T-Thank You!" The Gluttonous Carrier says, before Happily eating the Icy treat
"Well, I've gotta go get York and Horn-e's dinner, see ya later Gambi" Enterprise says, kissing the top of the Escort Carriers head, before Softly patting the DE on the head, and walking over to Sangamon
"W-Whose Horn-e?" Akagi's asks, as Gambeir Facepalms and says
"It's...Just what Mom and Aunt Wasp call Aunt Buggy, Aunties York and Lex find it hilarious, considering they call her Horne, or it could be cousin Horn-E, with the E part of her nick being for 'Essex'. But it's probably Aunt Buggy, considering the only American Fleet Carriers on base are Yorktown-Class. Elly might be deploying here with Forres and Minitoga, though."
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"Hey Yorkie, Horne, hows it going" Enterprise asks her sisters, the younger of which slightly blushing
"Not much, Lil'E, just the darned Abyss trying to recreate Midway, with those airstrikes and torps..." Yorktown says, looking her sister in eyes
"THEY WHAT?" The Grey Ghost shouts, her eyes seemingly becoming more violent
"Don't worry, E, Oakland's girls got'em with depth charges" Hornet says to her elder sister
"Those four fought like hell to get us all home, and here we are, two carriers in the docks with heavy and light damage, no other causalities, Snuggle-bug here will be out of the docks soon enough" Yorktown says with a mischievous grin at the last part
"B-Big Sis!" The Youngest Of the Four Yorktown sisters shouts out at her eldest sister
What? You can't deny that you've hugged E, Yellow or I in the docks while asleep or when you remembered Santa Cruz in a nightmare, and don't deny you haven't cuddled with our DD's, it's a capital ships nature to cuddle their escorting DD's, The CL's and CA's, not so much, but still, snuggle-bug, Your our baby sister, it's our job to tease you," Yorktown says, looking at her baby sister
"Yeah HornE, you know how I feel about The Taffies, just 'cause they see JerJer as their mother too, doesn't mean they don't come see me when their scared, plus, remember Ari? You do realize every time she's deployed with Fletch And/or Mo, she has a habit of either joining the Fletcher puddle, or breaking into Mo's room, just to be under their protective AA screens, that's our nature to, just cause we're carriers, doesn't mean we don't fear airstrikes" The Big E says to her little Sister
"Alright..." the Youngest says, before slipping further under the water, only poking the upper half of her face over the water, before resurfacing and looking up at Enterprise
"B-But your not scared of Airstrikes, right Big Sis?" Hornet asks Enterprise
"A bit..." Enterprise answers
"Wh-Alright..."Hornet says, before slipping further under the water, only poking the upper half of her face over the water, subconsciously pressing into Yorktown's side, as both hers and Yorktown's stomaches growl
"Ah! Right, I got you two some food from Sanga, here ya go" Enterprise says, setting the trays on the side of the repair pool as both of her sisters slightly swim over to the edge
"Thanks Lil'E,"
"Yeah Thanks Big Sis"
"Welcome, Hey... you two don't mind if I join you, right?" E says looking at her sister's
"No"
"I kinda wanna spend time with you, big sis..." Hornet says, dipping beneath the water as she chews
"Me too, E, go, get ready and hop in, waters fine~" Yorktown says with a laugh
Fifteen minutes later
Three of the four Yorktown sisters are sitting in the waters of the docks, the elder and younger eating their food, while the middle sister sits, talking with them
"Darn, Sanga's cooking is almost as good as Big Sis's and Missi's..." Yorktown says, causing Hornet to go on the attack
"Oh? Does Big Sister have a crush?" Hornet asks Yorktown
"No, if your gonna ask a question like that, what about you? Anyone you like?" Yorktown counters, causing Hornets face to burn red, her to slip beneath the water, and stick her hand out of the water, hold up three fingers and nod, Enterprise then grabs her from behind and pulls her up
"Well, at least your honest, unlike a certain someone," Enterprise starts, before looking at Yorktown "So, Who're they?" The Grey Sister asks
"Hey! I am being honest!"
"Yeah yeah, big sis"
"...A guy I met in a store, North, and Ryūjō..." Hornet mutters
"Oh..." Yorktown says, surprised
"Well, That's a situation..." Enterprise says to her sister, continuing to hug her baby sister to her chest
"What about you, Lil'E? Since we're telling each other things, any one you like?" Yorktown asks Enterprise
"One, maybe, I found something out about her, too, Shoukaku's really nice, and really, REALLY comfy... though even if she said she wouldn't file a complaint....I'm still worried..." Enterprise says looking towards space
"E, what'd you do..." Yorktown says to her sister
"I may or may not have rammed into her, and rubbed my face in her chest on my way to see you all at the pier..." Enterprise says looking at the water,
"E..." Yorktown says to Enterprise
"I didn't do it on purpose! I was focused on finding you and HornE...I don't wanna lose either of you..." The Carrier says, looking her sister in the eye, before suddenly finding the strands of her baby sisters hair
very interesting
"I love you all, I can't lose you again! I've already lost all my sisters and Mom once, and it still hurts, Yorkie, I had to live without Mama, Lex, You, Wasp and Horny for sixteen years, and twelve without Sara,
and eleven without Range, Yorkie, So yeah, I was a little focused on getting to that pier..." Enterprise says looking her elder sister in the eyes, tears forming at the edge of her eyes
"E...Are you ok?" Yorktown asks
"No...Not really, No..." Enterprise says, causing Yorktown to look at her sister, and Hornet to move her head from its position in her sisters chest, to look at Enterprise
"What's wrong, Big Sis?" Hornet asks
"I...Just don't wanna lose you all again...You never really noticed, Yorkie...Only Mom, Sara and Range noticed... you and Lex never noticed that, Yellow Jacket and HornE are excused, cause their my little sisters, however, You and Lex..." E says trailing off
"Never noticed even though we should've as your big sisters?" The elder asks,Causing E to nod
"Shoot I'm sorry E," Yorktown says as she shifts over and hugs her sister, and pulling Hornet in too, if only by accident
"I won't leave you again, E, I promise" Yorktown says to Enterprise
"Y-You can't promise that, big sis...We're at war, Hell, next sortie I could go down andI'm considered the luckiest Capital ship in the Fleet! Plus-" Enterprise says, before being interrupted by Yorktown
"But it gives me more motivation to stay afloat and come home, E, and you reassurance, which is something I should start giving you, and Even if I sank tomorrow, I'll always be here," The Elder sister says, placing her hand on right where the younger's heart is
"And here" She finishes, tapping Enterprise's forehead
"Same goes for you, too, Buggy," Yorktown says, poking Hornet between the eyes causing her to flinch and blink
"Sis?" Hornet says with a tilt of the head, as she once again, subconsciously melts into Enterprise's hug
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Edit:5/23/19
So, again, Thanks goes out to TamariMizu and Ashigara's Wolf on FFN
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