It was Christmas Eve. The day had arrived and the base was in full holiday cheer.

Of course, they'd had Christmas the year before, but with the Americans present, everything seemed that much more lively. Especially where the Kongou's were involved.

"Merry Christmas, Desu!" Kongou cheered as she slung herself over Arizona's shoulders from behind. The Pennsylvania class woman only offered what could be interpreted as a half sigh half laugh in response as she allowed Kongou to let go before turning to look at the woman.

Immediately taking notice and electing to ignore the Santa outfit that the battleship had elected to dress herself in for the occasion, Arizona simply pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You know Christmas isn't until tomorrow? Right?" The dreadnaught asked.

"Dess."

"And dressing up like you have is a tad overkill."

"Dess." Kongou said as her smile grew ever wider.

"You've dressed your sisters up just like you haven't you." Arizona surmised.

"Dess." Kongou said, her smile once more widening.

"You want me to tell Haruna how good she looks in said outfit I assume?" Arizona asked with resignation.

"Dess." Kongou said, her grin now bordering dangerously between radiant and nuclear.

"Lead the way." Arizona answered with a sigh. She figured she was going to regret this at some point, but with Kongou, you could only regret so much before it started to become the new normal.

She watched as Haruna's eldest sister bounded her way across the Base, the feeling of the season putting the extra spring in her step. Or, at least Arizona assumed that's what it was. Though, she wasn't exactly sure what to think as she watched the battleship run about dressed in the Santa outfit like she was.

"She couldn't at least get a longer skirt?" Arizona muttered to herself as she trailed after the woman.

"That is not really in Kongou's way of doing things." A voice Answered her from the side. "You are dating her sister. I'd figure you'd have known that by now, Ja?" Tirptiz finished as she met pace with the dreadnaught.

"Dating a Kongou is an experience in of itself. Even if Haruna is the most tame of the four." Arizona replied, looking at the battleship. Tirptiz nodded somewhat, stuffing her hands in her coat pockets.

"You don't fancy yourself capable then?"

"I don't fancy having to deal with a new level of Wat every new day. With Haruna, at least she keeps things normal for the most part." She Answered. "But even she makes me stop and think every so often."

"She is a Kongou. And they take very much after their older sister."

"Sometimes, I worry that may be too much." Arizona told her. "But putting that on pause for a moment, are you looking forwards to the coming weeks? We're less than two weeks from your Admiral arriving on Base. Excited to have more ships of your own country?"

"I find myself both excited and apprehensive about their arrival. On one hand, it's a chance to once again see my sister. On the other, I do not wish the relative order of the base to be shattered by those of my own country." She said. "And in the standings of things, I'm not sure Strasbourg will fare too well if the number of us German ship girls jumps up too high." Tirptiz Answered.

"Strasbourg has been doing pretty well I'd like to think with your presence. I don't think she'd have that much of a problem."

"She will." Tirptiz Answered. "She's only so well with me partly due to the fact that we never met out on open water and part to the fact that it's just me. But when my Admiral arrives and begins building the German fleet to full capacity, it will only serve as a reminder that her own country won't be present for a good while." She told the battleship. Arizona nodded, seeing the reasoning behind her words for a moment before glancing at Tirptiz.

"You've come to care an awful lot for what she thinks, haven't you?" Arizona asked with an amused smile. Tirptiz closed her eyes with a sigh.

"I suppose I have. Not to the point that you care for Haruna, I assure you. But I do worry about her. It seems even likely that the British will have a fleet before she has even another girl of her own nation."

"Assuming the Gateway doesn't decide to play around more." Arizona Answered to her statement. "Which, is completely likely knowing this base's luck with such things."

"I suppose you may have a point." Tirptiz admitted. Arizona only let the smallest of smiles show at this admission, but made no point of converging on it. Instead, Tirptiz and she found their attention being garnered by Hiei, dressed identically to her older sister, bounding across Base. And following along was Washington, shaking her head amusedly.

"Kirishima?" Arizona asked.

"Haruna?" Washington returned.

Tirptiz just laughed.

The three battleships walked on to the last point they'd seen Kongou and Hiei vanish behind, the corner of the building being their destination.

Rounding the corner, they were greeted to the sight of Hiei and Kongou proudly gesturing to their two younger sisters. Younger sisters in question though looked about ready to die of embarrassment.

Haruna's cheeks were flushed red and all her eyes could meet were the floor as she tugged at the hem of her skirt, willing it to stretch farther as she looked anywhere but Arizona.

Kirishima wasn't much better. Her head was held high, but her face was about the same shade as Haruna's, and she only stole brief glances at Washington.

The fact that the two were adorning Santa hats, a fact that was not the same for the two eldest of the Kongou's, was a fact that only served to further increase the amusement of the two American battleships and their German companion.

Arizona stifled a laugh as she approached Haruna, only serving to further flush the battleship red. The standard wrapped her arms around Haruna's waist, kissing her forehead, as her chest exploded with laughter. Something that served to calm Haruna's nerves. Albeit somewhat slightly as she pressed herself to the woman as she felt her embarrassment persist.

Washington walked up to Kirishima with a smile, the littlest Kongou unable to meet the battleship's gaze. In turn, Wash tilted Kirishima's face up to her with a gentle few fingers and leaned into her, placing a kiss on the woman's lips. Kirishima's shade of red darkened immediately, but didn't pull away from the embrace.

The oldest Kongou's let out combinations of squeals and overly excited desu's in response to this, Tirptiz only standing next to the two.

"You know, one day, that's gone be you two as well." Tirptiz said, prompting Kongou to crack a grin in response.

"Only the Admiral will have my love!" She encouraged. Tirptiz only shrugged at that.

"I don't know about that." She replied. "After all, your two youngest sisters have fallen to American battleships. Who's to say that it won't happen to the two of you as well." She said.

The two eldest Kongou's grew eerily quiet eerily fast. Tirptiz only smiled in glee at that fact. After all, Tirptiz was one of the few on Base who had ways to quiet the four. Rather effectively too boot.

As they gave the four a few minutes of relative peace, the three only watched the snow fall for a while.

The silence was shattered however when Juneau rounded the corner.

"Hey, have you guys....." she trailed off as she spotted the two pairs of battleships. "Is this a bad time?" The cruiser asked somewhat amused. The two pairs parted, somewhat reluctantly, as the total of seven focused on the woman.

"June, what is it?" Arizona asked, trying not to let her own aggravation with the sudden interruption become apparent. June only watched them a moment before shaking her head.

"We can't find the destroyers." She Answered Finally. And suddenly, just like that, she had their unkept attention.

"What do you mean you can't find the destroyers? Whose gone? All of them?" Washington asked.

"The Gleaves, the Shira's, the Akatsuki's, Hoel, the Fubuki's, the Mutsuki's, And Hatsuharu. We also can't find the Casablanca sisters." Juneau told them. "We asked Shimakaze and Amatsukaze where they were and they didn't know." She explained. Arizona gave a slow huff as she rand a hand through her hair.

"Alright, Let the Admiral-"

"Can't find her either. Or the Captain. Or the General. Or the Marine. Or Houshou or Langley or Irako or Mamiya or Yancey." Juneau explained. "We can't find any of them and we've no idea where they've gone. We've got half the Base looking for them but no one's found a thing." She explained. Arizona hummed in thought a moment before nodding.

"Alright, the seven of us will search the extra dorm buildings." She said as she brought up a hand, one of her fairies already present. "Take her with you, and let us know immediately if you find anything." She said. Juneau nodded as she let the Fairy drop into her open hand, moving her to her shoulder before dashing off. At that, the seven battleships immediately made way for the American dorm buildings.

"So... we've just happened to misplace the entire American command portion of Yokosuka, every single one of the Cafe's workers, the two most motherly carriers on base, three of the most childish carriers, and over half the destroyer population in one whole day?" Tirptiz Answered with a hum. "I wish Christmas had come around sooner." She laughed. Arizona shook her head as the seven made way for American portion of Yokosuka as fast as they could.

When they reached the three empty buildings, Arizona split them up.

"Washington and Shima. Take one. Hiei and Kongou, take another. Me, Haruna, And Tirptiz will take the third." She ordered. Given that none of them knew exactly what had befallen the destroyers

The group split up, going to their assigned buildings. The group of three readily crossed the courtyard to the dorm building that sat next to the one they actually did use. Throwing the door open, Arizona gestured to the stairs, the other two getting the message.

Tirptiz and Haruna immediately took to the stairs as Arizona herself began to search the first floor, throwing the first door on her right open. Not sure what she was expecting to find, she stepped in.

And all that greeted her was a bare dorm room. Gritting her teeth, Arizona went about searching the rest of the first floor as she could hear doors on the floor above her being opened as well.

Thoroughly searching the rest of the first floor, she eventually arrived at the bathhouse. Taking no time, she threw the door open in a flurry, not really expecting to find any of them. And when she didn't, she closed the door with a sigh, turning back. That's when Tirptiz and Haruna came back stairs, shaking their heads at the battleship.

"Damn. Alright, let's hope the others had better luck." She Answered as the three made their way outside once more, finding the other two groups already leaving their buildings. Gathering once more, they shook their heads as well.

"Nothing on our end." Washington said.

"Or ours." Hiei confirmed. Arizona muttered to herself for a moment before someone called out to her in a flurry.

"Arizona!" Enterprise called, being followed Kaga, Akagi, Lexington, Ryuujou, And Cabot. "Have you guys found anything? Do we have any idea of where they are?" Enterprise asked rapidly.

"No. Our search came up empty. How about you guys?" She asked, which Came to Enterprise shaking her head rapidly.

"No. We searched the perimeter of the base but we came up with nothing." She told them. "How do we lose this many people?" Enterprise asked.

Before Arizona or anyone could answer, they were greeted with the sight of Myoukou, Haguro, Nachi, Ashigara, Ise, Hyūga, Sendai, Naka, And Jintsuu approaching, meeting up with them.

"Please tell us that one of you has found anything." Nachi begged. The group that had already gathered shook their heads at the question.

"Okay, there's gotta be some logical explanation behind this." Ise suggested. Cabot shook her head.

"When are the Gleaves or Casablancas logical? When did they start that?" The carrier asked. Ise narrowed her eyes, fixing to say something when Arizona stepped in between the two.

"Whatever you're about to say, save it. We don't have the time for the two of you to get into a scuffle. We've got to find them now." Arizona said. That was when she suddenly stopped for a moment as if listening to something, before sighing. "Ishigara's calling everyone on the hunt to come to him." She said.

"How do you know that?" Lexington asked.

"I gave June one of my fairies. Told her to let me know and apparently Ishigara's making it an order. So we gotta go." She explained.

Ten minutes later found the group of 23 arriving outside the Japanese HQ building, along with just about every other ship girl at Yokosuka that wasn't apart of the missing group.

When they started to all ask questions at once, Ishigara rose a hand to quiet them as Nagato and Mutsu stood at his side.

"It has come to my attention that most the base's population has fallen under the mysterious assumption that some of the Resident ship girls, Captain Algerona, Admiral Johnson and her family have gone missing. Who is under this assumption?" He asked.

He watched as nearly every single ship girl present Rose their hands. Ishigara let out a sigh at this, one of amusement, but a sigh none the less.

"Who reported them missing to begin with?" He asked.

A few moments of tense silence passed between the collective fleet for a moment before eventually he had his answer. Yuubari was ever so slightly raising her hand at the question. Closing his eyes for a moment, he opened them a moment later.

"I see. Have any of you here taken a few minutes to hold a conversation with Nancy Johnson in her time here?" He asked. When some of the ship girls rose their hands, such as Myoukou, Lexington, Akagi, And North Carolina. "Then you should know without a doubt that she is entirely devoted to her family. With this, comes many traditions that she has given them. And she's got a lot to do with Christmas in particular."

When some of the girls began to speak, he put up a hand to quiet them a moment longer. "One of these traditions is the making of cookies the day of Christmas Eve for those around her. So, I ask Yuubari, when you reported those missing, did you check the Mess Hall kitchen beforehand?" He asked. Some eyes widened in realization as others breathed out sighs of relief as the cruiser shook her head ever so slightly.

"Nooooo, but how was I supposed to think of that? But wait, what does The Admiral's mother have to do with the destroyers?" The cruiser asked.

"Because the tradition is that she make cookies for those around her and important to her family. And given that Anya is her daughter, she recognizes that you all hold importance to her. And given that to feed an army, which you all practically are, I would guess that she recruited an army of her own." Ishigara Answered. Some of the girls only facepalmed at this as others, Tenryu and Atlanta to name a few, shot Yuubari dirty looks.

"You guess Admiral?" Ise asked.

"No, my bad on speaking there. I know. I was there not fifteen minutes ago, and all the girls assumed to be missing are there, I assure you." He said. When the various ship girls gathered about seemed to take his word, he nodded. "Is that all?" He asked.

When the majority of the girls nodded in turn, Ishigara excused himself back into the building, Nagato and Mutsu following along.

Shaking her head, Maryland began to make way for the Mess Hall. She'd not seen Anya all day, and she needed to make sure that the woman was alright. As she went though, it was clear she wouldn't be going alone.

"Mary, are you alright?" Atlanta asked as she and her four sisters, Tenryuu, and Tatsuta made pace with the Colorado class. Maryland nodded at that, arching a brow at the question.

"Yes? Why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

"Because a month ago, you were the Kongou of the Americans. And now, you barely show any more emotion than Kaga does on a daily basis." Tenryuu said. "It's both odd and mystifying." She told her. Maryland rolled her eyes as she walked on.

"I'm fine." She huffed.

"Look, Mary, we know that you changed after the Admiral got hurt. But she's fine now. Well, her arm is mending. But she'll be fine in another few weeks, dude." San Diego said as she glanced to the battleship. "You can't let this get to you like this. Especially when Anya makes a full recovery." The cruiser told her.

"You know how lucky she was? That Kentucky didn't do something more serious to her?" She asked in response, periwinkle eyes glancing to the group of cruisers.

"It was a dislocated shoulder and a few broken ribs, Mary. You need to let it go." Juneau told her.

"It was just a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs. It could've so easily become a broken arm. Or one of her ribs could've punctured something far more vital. The Admiral..... Anya's not like us." She said, glancing to the group. If the collective group of cruisers noted the fact that this was the first time any of them had heard Maryland use their Admiral's first name, they didn't say anything. "She can't heal like us. A dislocated shoulder? That's two hours max for me in the docks. For her, it's a month minimum. And that's if everything goes well."

"I mean, you've got a point Mary. But that's no reason to act like the world's ending." Reno told the battleship. Mary only rolled her eyes.

"But it almost did for her. What would you have done if Kentucky had ended up killing her?" Mary asked, turning to look at the five American cruisers. Tenryuu And Tatsuta were staying quiet. This wasn't their argument.

"Mary, she didn't-"

"Answer the fucking question!" Maryland snapped, now outright glaring at the five. If the battleship noticed that they were garnering attention from the other ship girls passing by, she paid them no mind. She kept her gaze focused on those before her. The five Atlanta sisters only looked up at her in surprise for a moment.

"I mean... well I guess Kentucky would have to be dealt with then..." Atlanta finally Answered. But she found herself mildly uncomfortable under the gaze that was normally so friendly.

"Dealt with is an understatement." The battleship replied. "Scrapped would be more suiting." Maryland suggested, her voice taking a tone that made Atlanta's spine crawl and her sisters wish they hadn't heard.

"Scra- Jesus Mary! Do you realize what you're saying!?" Atlanta screamed. "No one was killed! No one died! The Admiral's going to be okay!" The cruiser insisted, drawing even more attention to the group.

"For now! But how long until another one of us. Either out of anger. Just joking around with her. Or not even realizing it. How long is it going to be until one of us does something we can't take back. Do you know for sure that it won't?" Maryland asked, looking Atlanta in the eye.

"Well, I mea-"

"Do, or do you not know." Maryland repeated again. It was clear that the Battleship was not interested in hearing maybes or possibles. After a moment, Atlanta furrowed her brow before sighing.

"I...I don't." She Finally Answered.

"And do you know if it won't be you? Or one of your sisters?" Maryland asked, pushing the question, her tone still that of a dark one.

"No." Atlanta said as she looked away from the battleship.

"My point. Made." Maryland Answered in what could be taken as a growl before turning from the group.

"Well, how do you know it won't be you that hurts her next?!" Oakland demanded, hand on her hip. Maryland only stopped walking, turning half way, as she looked the cruiser in the eyes.

"I'll give myself to the Abyssals before I see that come to fruition." She Answered cooly before turning and continuing on her way to the Mess Hall.

The seven cruisers only watched the battleship go for a moment before following along, this time at a distance from the woman.

Reaching the Mess Hall, Maryland made her way inside, walking through the front portion of the building to one of the doors that would lead her to the kitchen. Given that none of the Kitchen staff besides Liz were on Base at the moment, she figured it would be rather empty to how it would normally be.

The kitchen itself was big enough to hold at least 140 people. Fair, given that the staff was over a hundred.

Where the Mess Hall itself was wider than it was long, it was the opposite for the kitchen. Multiple counters sat in rows from the wall bordering the Mess to the back wall, giving ample room for food preparation. Pressed against the walls around the room however were various tools, such as ovens, microwaves, refrigerators and the like. Just the facility one would need to feed a fleet of hungry ships reborn into women.

Maryland walked into the kitchen, the first thing she came across was that one of the stand alone counters was dominated by the supposedly missing escort carriers and destroyers. Each armed with a bag of icing, they were decorating cookies as fast as they could be produced. Which, was pretty fast. Excusing the moments when one of the cookies would go missing from the decorating table.

The battleship found the five Cafe tenders transporting cookies from the ovens to the cooling tables and then from there to the decorating counter.

She found Nancy organizing the entire thing.

And she found Anya, Sofia, and Daisy rolling dough for the baking. Well, Sofia and Daisy were. Anya was sitting with them, but not doing much in the way of helping given her arm. When she spotted Maryland approaching, she offered her a smile amidst the Christmas music in the background and the constant chatter from those around her.

"Snickerdoodle?!" Anya asked as she offered the battleship a cookie. When Maryland made no move for it though, Anya pressed on. "Come on. I made it myself and I'm gonna be real bummed out if no one likes them." She said. Maryland watched the woman before shrugging her shoulders, brushing her hair behind an ear as she leaned down and took a bite from the cookie Anya was holding before pulling back, a hand in front of her mouth in case crumbs dropped free.

Anya smiled in success as she popped the rest of the cookie into her mouth, giving a smile that somewhat resembled a chipmunk up to the woman.

Maryland had to admit, the cookie was good. Though she wasn't sure if that it was well made. Or other reasons.

She then blinked.

"Are the destroyers icing Snickerdoodles?" She asked. Anya shook her head.

"They're icing Sugar cookies. We've got those, Snickerdoodles, Ginger snaps, Chocolate chip, Oatmeal raisin, Chocolate cores, and M&M." Anya as she finished swallowing her bite of Snickerdoodle. "So, how's the outside world?" She asked.

"The Base thought we'd lost the destroyers." Maryland Answered. Anya arched a brow at that. "And you and your family. And the Captain. And five of the carriers." She explained. Anya arched a brow as she watched the seven cruisers enter the kitchen, coming to stand around the destroyers as they began to chat with them. Meanwhile all the while stealing glances back at Maryland, something Anya took immediate notice of.

"How did they think we lost so many?" Anya asked as she looked back to Maryland. The battleship shrugged at the question.

"Yuubari started a manhunt without checking the kitchen. She had most of the Base going too." The battleship replied. Anya nodded at that somewhat as she glanced to the battleship.

"You didn't believe that I was missing, did you?" She asked. Maryland shrugged at the question in response. Shaking her head, Anya pulled out a seat for the battleship, something that the woman gladly accepted. Anya glanced to the battleship, green eyes meeting periwinkle, as if to silently ask the question.

Are you alright?

Maryland watched  her Admiral a moment longer before she looked away, periwinkle leaving green. The Admiral let her chest fall as she exhaled a breath as she glanced back at the cruisers, who were now watching her with a worried expression.
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"You know, if you girls don't get to sleep on time, Santa won't come and visit you." Anya said in a motherly tone as she watched the six ship girls lounging about in their one large bed. Six pairs of various colored eyes glanced up at her with sudden worry.

It was the night of Christmas Eve and most of the girls on Base had turned in early. Granted, not the Gleaves. All of her mother's talk had gotten the six to excited to go to sleep this night, something that had fallen to Anya to remedy. It had started out with Anya reading them a bedtime story, but that had had the opposite effect, the six only becoming further excited.

Eventually, Anya had just resorted to trying to talk them down, watching the six as she sat on the side of their bed.

"Really Admiral?" McCalla asked. Anya nodded.

"Santa doesn't like being seen by people. If you're not asleep." She said as she leaned in. "He won't show. I know, because when I was little, Daisy the Marine in there decided to stay up and try to spot him. We, her siblings, were entirely disappointed that we had no presents that year." She Answered with a shrug. "You don't want the other girls to get nothing, do you?" She asked.

Some of the six giggled at the idea of such a Marine like Daisy also believing in Santa, but Anya had their attention at this point.

"No Admiral." They eventually said in unison. Anya smiled at that as she nodded, pulling at the comforter of their bed.

"Then lets get the six of you tucked in properly so you can go to sleep." Anya suggested. Immediately, the six scrambled to get into bed properly, eventually all laying together as Anya pulled the blanket over them with her one arm. "Now, if I go, I'm not gonna have one of the others girls coming and telling me you're still awake, right?" She asked.

"No admiral." Came the six once again, this time at varying times. Anya smiled at that.

"Good. Goodnight girls." She said as she stood, making way for the door as she listened to them settle. When she was sure that they had, she flicked off the room's light and slowly shut the door, leaving her in the hallway of the dorms.

Taking a moment, She stifled a yawn of her own as she glanced about the hallway. Looking at the bottom of each door, she could tell that the lights were out in most rooms, meaning that her girls were asleep.

Giving a sigh of relief, she began to make way for the exit of the dorms, but found herself paused as one of the doors on her right began to open.

Noting the room as belonging to Oklahoma, Maryland, And Chicago, she gave pause as she watched it swing open to find none other than Oklahoma stepped into the hallway. Clearly dressed in pajamas, she had a coat on over it as she had shoes on. Not the normal attire for one who had already turned in on Christmas Eve.

"Oklahoma?" Anya asked, eyeing the battleship. The battleship startled somewhat before her gaze snapped to the Admiral, in which, she visibly relaxed.

"Admiral." Oklahoma spoke. "I apologize, I didn't realize that you were in." She Answered.

"I was getting the destroyers properly in bed." Anya replied. "Anyways, that's not my question. Can I ask why you look like you're about to head out? Half dressed at that?" She asked. Oklahoma hesitated a moment before let a sigh slip.

"Maryland hasn't returned to the dorms." The battleship Answered. Anya watched her a moment before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Do you know the last place she was seen?" Anya asked, watching the battleship. Oklahoma opened her mouth to answer, but thought better of it as she shook her head. Watching her a moment, Anya eventually let out a slight huff as she nodded.

"Return to bed, Oklahoma. I'll handle Maryland." She Answered.

"Admiral, I believe myself capable-"

"Oklahoma, ill handle her." Anya said, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I assure you, she'll be back in the dorm soon." She Answered before turning and going without giving the woman chance for a word edgewise.

Oklahoma only watched the Admiral left the building, into the cool Christmas Eve night.
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She watched as the waves lapped up against the shore, the waters of Tokyo Bay seeming to be far more tame tonight of all nights. She supposed it was fitting, given what day it was. But she paid little mind to that, she'd other things on her mind.

They just didn't understand. They didn't know what it was like. They hadn't watched as their world, their friends went up in balls of fire.

She could remember more vividly than she would prefer of that December morning.

If he'd been apart of her crew that day, would she be here? Here serving as her Admiral?

Periwinkle eyes glimmered in the pale moonlight, looking out over the waters. When she'd seen Anya take the hit from Kentucky, her world had come to a screeching halt.

The battleship knew that she'd jumped Kentucky, but she couldn't recall making the decision herself. Her body just moved on it's own accord, her muscles reacting on their own.

She knew that it wasn't right. That it wasn't fair for her do so. But her anger had flared, and old wounds had come surging back to the surface. From a place that she considered better concealed than those of Arizona and Oklahoma.

Watching as the snow was swept away by the wind, twirled through the air only to be laid upon the still water's surface, she observed as it was melted away under the pale light. But as the wind swirled and swept along, she caught the subtle scent of strawberries.

"What?" She asked to no one in particular. But she knew that she was no longer alone.

"Oklahoma said that you weren't in the dorms. That you hadn't come back yet." Anya said, watching the woman, green eyes studying her. Maryland only spared a glance at the woman for a moment.

"I'm alright." She said. Anya watched her a moment before making her way through the snow, over to the battleship as she stood at her side.

"If one more battleship says that to me, I'm gonna have a heart attack." She said, growing quiet. After a few moments of the silence between them, Anya glanced up at the woman. "Atlanta and her sisters told me of your outburst today. I don't think they themselves realized it, but it had them pretty frightened." She said. When Maryland said nothing, Anya sighed. "I knew me getting hurt was bothering you, but I never knew it was this bad."

Giving the woman a look, Maryland turned her view back to the water of the bay. After a moment, she finally spoke. "If he had been with me that day, that December morning." She said quietly. "There May have been a chance that you never came around. That you were never born."

Anya watched the battleship a moment, taking in her words before she looked out over the bay herself amidst the chilly air and the snow.

"I think he would've been fine." She finally Answered, drawing a look from the battleship, prompting Anya to offer a small smile. "If he'd had you as his ship that day, he would've come home just like any other. Next day or not." She said. Kicking some snow to the side, the woman eased herself to the ground, sitting there as she motioned for the battleship to join her.

Watching her Admiral a moment, Maryland eventually nodded, relenting as she took a spot next to the woman.

Resting her arm on Mary's thigh, she held it open for the woman, which was gradually responded in turn with Mary slipping her hand over Anya's. Smiling, Anya closed her hand, clasping the two together.

"Maryland, you're acting like this because you're afraid that you're going to be the one to hurt me in some way, are you not?" Anya asked, looking to the battleship. When Maryland didn't answer at first, the blonde woman sitting with her lightly squeezed her hand.

Eventually, Maryland offered a short nod in response, not vocalizing her worst fears. Nodding in understanding, Anya looked out over the waters for a while.

"Do you know I how I know that it won't be you?" The Question Finally Came. Maryland looked at the woman as if asking a silent question, Anya smiling in response. "It's because no matter the antics you've gotten up to, no matter the trouble you've gotten into, you've always been careful around me. Ever since the morning we met, you've always walked on glass around me, as if you were afraid the slightest motion in the wrong way would send me spiraling."

"Admiral, I don't know how to be careful. I'm a ship girl. I'm a battleship. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's breaking things." Maryland said in response, shaking her head the woman's response. "It's just luck that I haven't hurt you before. Just plain dumb luck." She said.

"No, luck's nothing to do with it, Mary." Anya offered. "I believe you to be in better control than even you realize most of the time." She said.

"I'm not even human." Came the response. In return, Anya lifted her hand from Mary's and placed it above the woman's heart, being able to feel the heartbeat there.

"That's human." Anya said. "That is very much human, Mary. And to me, that's what matters." The woman said, growing quiet for a time. "Mary, you've got realize that the threat of me getting hurt on the job is a good one. I'm not strong like you ladies. I'm not as fast. And it's going to happen, as what went on with Kentucky showed. But that's a risk I'm going to take at the end of the day. There's nothing either of us can do about that." She said as she looked at the woman. "And I don't want you dwelling on it."

Maryland went silent at this declaration, only watching the waters before them for a time.

Eventually, Anya began to get up, sparing a glance to the battleship.

"You need to get to bed soon." Anya Answered. "I don't need a battleship catching a cold. Not tonight. Not on Christmas Eve." She said as she turned to go. Before she did however, she turned to look at Maryland once. Watching a moment, she shook her head, her own thoughts in a flurry.

Anya figured that sometimes, there were things better left unsaid.