A/N: As of now, this chapter takes the place of the previous question I asked. I recognize that not all will be comfortable or see it as agreeable, but the general consensus of those who answered me seem to be willing to give me the chance to write this story as I wish.

That means a lot. It really does.

Though some of you seem to think that I'm simply planning to turn this into some sort of stereotype cliche ten person harem.

If I wanted to write a story like that, I'd do it elsewhere.

3's the magic number.

So I hope you'll keep following this story.

If not, I guess this is where we part ways.

That aside, it's back to the story.

Oh, and Ninety K. Holy Shit. You guys da real MVP's.

Here's to another Ninety!

—/—\—/—\—/—\—

The water before her was as still and smooth as glass, reflecting the sky above her with ease. Clouds blew overhead as the welcoming breeze gently blew the surface along it's way, almost as if it didn't even notice her as it went. It blew through her blonde hair with ease, whipping it around wildly somewhat before settling down, her hair falling back down to her back as she looked out over the reflective horizon.

She didn't know where she was.

But she knew where she'd been.

She knew what had happened.

She knew it all.

She clenched her fists at the thought, wanting nothing more than to scream. But in the end, she knew it would nothing to help her situation, to help she herself. It would do nothing to solve her current status. As she slowly, but eventually allowed her fists to unclench.

She took a wide look around, finding the reflective horizons stretching for as far as she could see. Even to her, they betrayed nothing of use to her. Nothing of note. Every direction she looked, it was all the same.

All empty.

"You fought well." A voice said, being carried with the wind as it went. The woman frowned at the saying, looking down at her reflection in the water's surface.

"I died. I don't even know if any of em made it off." She returned. "Supposed to be a battleship beyond all others and the first real gun fight I find myself in, I go down eight minutes after it started." She grimaced, her face contorting with mixtures of sorrowful rage. The breeze around her blew again, as if surrounding her a moment before the voice, faintly that of a woman, she could just make out.

"Mmmm, yes, you did come to your end. But you were far outnumbered and you went down swinging, an ending that most would ask for if they had to pick." The voice replied. "And you are far from a failure. No one else from your group has made it here, giving thought to the fact that you were enough. You sated them enough. You saved lives." The voice said again.

"I brought them down with me." She fired back. "Not to mention Johnny." She sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"They knew the risks." The voice returned. "They knew the chances of not coming home were great, but yet, she sailed by your side proudly in the end. She, your loyal escort. And you, her oversized charge." It said with some amusement.

Battleship New Jersey scowled at that.

"Fuck off, would you?" She asked in no soft tone. "The way you're talking makes me think that you're glad I died." Jersey hissed. The voice laughed in return at that, the breeze around them seeming to flutter around her at the sound, softly spurring on the reflective surface of the water below Jersey's feet.

"Not at all, not at all." It came back. "I simply find it amusing. After all, you'd think the bigger one to be the escort. Yet, you've got fifty thousand tons on her and still she was your escort. It's amusing. David and Goliath truly." It told her. Jersey scowled for a moment, wanting to do nothing than punch the owner of the voice in the face promptly. But after a moment, even her own lips twitched upwards in some agreement.

"Heh."

"See?" It Asked for confirmation.

"Shut up." Jersey fired back after so. "Why all of this anyways? What's going on? What do you want from me?" She asked.

"Surely you know already. Surely you hear it. And if not, you must know why Missouri went to Japan." The voice inquired. "Surely you must have an idea of why you're here." She said.

"No." Jersey said almost immediately. "I just died. I probably went down with all hands and you're telling me that want me back? They wouldn't! They can't! Even they wouldn't ask someone like me back."

"Except that's exactly what they're doing. Regardless of your fate, regardless of your actions, you are still most decorated battleship in your nation's history. Expecting them not to ask you back is a fool's errand and one I find myself surprised that you would even give consideration to. To them, are you still a warrior. Your crew rests with you. They are bound to you eternally. And you would have them quiet their voices at a time like this? You would have them keep to themselves when your country is still bleeding? When your people? When they scream out? Of fear? Of danger? For blood? For vengeance? You would deny them that right?" The voice asked, almost in a demanding fashion.

Jersey scowled.

"Like I said, I went down swinging. Ask Iowa or Wisky. Someone who didn't damn their crew to Davy Jones." The battleship returned, shaking her head.

"Even Arizona?" The voice asked quietly.

Jersey fell quiet.

"Arizona feels no different than you do right now. And she didn't go down swinging, something that bothers here even months after of being among the living once again. But she fights. She does her duty. Even with the past looking over her shoulder at every waking moment, ready to pull her back into memories of fire and hell. But still, she fights. She had more reason than anyone to turn the call away, yet she was the first to raise her guns and let them sing. Others followed, others joined." She said.

Jersey remained quiet.

"Even Little old E."

Flickers of memories passed through her mind, an old flame fluttering about.

A warmth in Jersey's chest built that she hadn't felt in decades.

"I shouldn't be surprised." Jersey offered, chuckling somewhat as she looked up to the clouds as her hands went to her hips.

It was always you E.

He always did like you better.

But he wasn't the only one.

"No you shouldn't." Came the Reply. "That's not who you are. You are a warrior of your nation. Built from hardened steel, forged over through wars and more alike. Turning your back on your people is not who you are, nor has it ever been. So why start now?" The voice asked.

Jersey frowned.

"They're just gonna get all worried for me. Mo especially." She said.

"As if you would expect anything else. But if I can not convince you, perhaps there is someone who can." The voice said. And at the same time, someone placed a hand on Jersey's head, ruffling her hair somewhat. Turning, Jersey found someone standing before her.

Jersey, like her sisters, was a solid six foot six.

Like all Iowa's.

The figure before her stood at seven foot four.

"Kiddo, I dunno what you think you're trying to sell yourself here. But you and I both know Mo's not gonna feel better until she's holding you in her arms." The giant of a woman said, looking down at Jersey, her pale gray eyes watching the battleship from under her cover.

"Momi, I don't need-"

"What you don't need right now is a swift kick in the behind. But I'd be more than glad to offer that up as well if it'll get you thinking straight. Yeah, you sunk. Yeah, you went down swinging. But you're being offered a second chance to live again. To fight alongside those you haven't seen in decades." Momi offered as she stood there, arms crossed as the white officer's greatcoat hung from her shoulders. It was nearly as tall as she was. "And I swear to Secnav Jersey, if you don't do this because you think Mo won't want you there, I'll fuckin smack you here and now."

"Momi, I-"

Momi raised a bandage wrapped arm, more than ready to promptly smack Jersey upside the head as her gray eyes narrowed at the Iowa. Jersey rolled her eyes, prompting Momi to smack her as promised. Jersey scowled.

"Fuckin hell Momi!" She called as she rubbed her face.

"I'm not about to let you just sit around here and wallow in your grief like some stuck pig. You're the Black Dragon. If you wanna go around wallowing like this, go do it with the fleet. Because I'm not about to sit here and watch you." She said. "And that aside, don't roll your eyes at me. Our country needs all the guns it can get. And so does the world. You say they that they wouldn't want you. I say differently. You say they don't care. I see differently. I had to do the same to Arizona when the call first came. Tried to tell me she wasn't the one. Tried to tell me she wasn't the pick. I told her she was wrong and sent her on her way." She said. Jersey only grumbled.

"Old age has made you a bitch." The battleship muttered under her breath.

Momi's lips split into a grin, the burns her face adorned stretching somewhat as she did so.

"A bitch, huh?" She asked with a gravelly chuckle. "If that's the best you can come up with, maybe the Jersey I knew really is dead." She said, reaching into her coat before pulling a cigar from it, sticking the item in her mouth before lighting it, taking a breath of smoke. Immediately, the overwhelming scent of burning coal filled the air, taking over any natural scent of the water or fresh ocean air. "You're the black fuckin dragon, hun. I will haul your ass to the Gateway if I need to, sit you down with whoever's in command, and explain to them how the proudest battleship of our Navy ain't nothing but a baby back bitch now a days."

New Jersey didn't say anything for a moment, Momi offering a sigh as she pulled the cigar from her mouth for a moment, glancing at it before looking to J.

"Old age really has gotten the worst of you." Jersey said after a moment, looking to the taller woman. Momi only offered a sad smile.

"I watched Arizona as she died, J. That shit messes with you." She said. "But that aside, generally, as someone who cares for you like I do, like your sisters do, I really think that you turning your back on this, you're gonna regret it." She said after a moment. "I spent decades talking with Mo about you. I spent decades listening to how she adores you and looks up to you. She's already lost you once. Don't make it a second time, J. Sides, Illy and Tucky need to know their older sister as well."

"What?" Jersey Asked suddenly, looking up to the woman, almost as if she'd misheard her.

"Illinois and Kentucky crossed over with Mo. So, instead of one little sister waitin on your slow ass, you've got three. And let me tell you, I doubt Iowa would appreciate you just up and leavin em like that. She might even shoot you the first second she gets the chance. I know I would if I had sisters." She said. Jersey offered only a sigh at that, her hands going to her hips a moment before looking to Momi again.

"What kind of mother even are you? Calling someone you see as a daughter a bitch?" She asked. Momi shrugged her massive shoulders as she brought the cigar up to her lips.

"I never asked to be a mother, ya know. But they just started handing me you little shits and I had to adapt." She said as she took a puff of smoke, breathing it out through her lips and nose. "It's not all been that bad though. Watching you girls grow up into the warriors the nation needed you to be was a pleasant surprise to be sure. But that road goes two ways." She said as she glanced up at the horizon, where the rising sun was coming in over the horizon. "And besides, I call em like I see em. I'm Old J. I stopped giving a fuck a long time ago. You know that." Momi Answered as she pointed her cigar at the battleship.

The second oldest Iowa sighed.

"You think I'll regret not going?" She asked.

"Not going, not joining those you haven't seen in decades. Leaving Mo to wonder if you're ok, not getting to know your youngest sisters? Not offering your own guns to sing with theirs? Yeah." Momi said as she brought the cigar back to her lips. "You'll regret it. And you'll regret it hard." She said with a long puff of smoke, sending up a new wave of the coal smell into the air around them.

Jersey offered a sigh at that for a moment, closing her eyes before looking back up to Momi, who simply puffed at her cigar.

"You're really not gentle on someone who just got sunk, you know that right?" She said.

"Shit, J. If I was gentle on everyone who got dealt a bad hand or a twisted end, half our fleet wouldn't accept the call. Yorktown. Hornet. Arizona. Juneau. Atlanta. Tucky. Illy. No one would come back who didn't sink or was scrapped or broken up. I'm here to move things along, not be a shoulder to cry on. You'll find that on the other side." Momi said with another puff from her lips before lowering the cigar. "Look, in the end, you do what you wanna do. But I'm telling ya kiddo, right now straight away, what you just went through? This is something you need, I promise you." She said, reaching up with a bandaged hand and ruffling her hair. "Like I said, it's your choice in the end. But don't leave them wondering what if's." She said.

Jersey's chest puffed a moment before sighing, rubbing her face.

"You're still not a very good mother." She said. Momi rolled her eyes, clamping her cigar between her teeth before wrapping an arm around Jersey's head and driving her knuckles into the battleship's scalp, glaring at her somewhat.

"Like I said, I've had to deal with you little shits all my life. Excuse me if my patience has worn thin over the years. California was a headache on her own, let alone the other seven. Goddamn Tennessee didn't know how to shut up. And don't even get me started on Maryland, the little smart ass. I don't need to add you to that list too, J." She said as she dug her knuckles into the top of the woman's head, her strength laughing at J's. Much to the chagrin of New Jersey.

Didn't stop the Battleship from laughing as she tried to get the woman off of her to no avail.

"Momi, come on!" Jersey laughed as she did so. "Don't make me call you by your nickname! I'll fuckin do it! I know you hate it!"

Momi clamped her teeth around her cigar as she laughed. "You little shit! You call me that and you'll have bigger fish to fry!" She said in return as she only dug her knuckles into the battleship's skull more and more, prompting even shrieking laughter from the Iowa.

It took minutes for the Iowa to eventually pry the woman from her person, Momi still laughing as she took her cigar in her fingers, letting out a massive amount of smoke from her mouth, blacker than most could handle.

"Fine, Fine, Fine! Just be glad my sister was so fond of you or this might have turned out differently!" Jersey laughed as she backed away from the towering woman, straightening out her outfit and dusting herself off. Sighing a moment, she eventually let her arms drop to her sides as she resigned herself to her fate. "Hey, you there?" She called.

The ocean breeze blew by her, stirring the crystal calm surface below her.

"I am J." The voice came again. "I take it you've decided then, no?" It asked with a sense of amusement.

"Only cause you fuckin sent Momi after my ass." She said. "That's a cheap shot and a half and frankly I'm a little disappointed that you had to resort to using her of all things." She said as she crossed her arms. The voice laughed, howling in laughter a moment as Momi puffed away at her cigar.

"Cheap shot or not, she got the point across. So, you gonna go?" It asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll fucking answer the call. But I'm a battleship. We don't go anywhere without escort." She reminded it.

"And this time will be no different... starting with... oh yes, this'll do nicely." The voice said after a moment.

"J?" A quiet voice asked from behind her and Momi, prompting the two to turn around. And as soon as Jersey landed her eyes on the girl, she already knew who she was

"Johnny." Jersey said immediately as she approached the destroyer, the girl with the blonde pigtails looking around for a moment, her green eyes eventually focusing in on Jersey. The battleship offered a sad smile at that, ruffling the girl's hair somewhat as she did so.

As an Arleigh B, John Finn came up to almost Jersey's stomach even, given that she was bigger than her past peers. But her eyes held a childlike wonder that was overcome with sadness at her situation.

"I tried J, I really did. I wanted to help so much.. and then they..." Johnny said, already trembling. Immediately, New Jersey pulled the destroyer to her, wrapping her arms around the girl, who immediately hugged her back.

"That wasn't your fault, Johnny. I'm the battleship. This one's on me. Found a gun fight that I couldn't win and you paid the price for it." Jersey sighed, hugging her a bit longer before separating from the destroyer. "So what say you and I keep the trend and make a go at what they're calling a second chance. Cause I don't about you, but my crew's got more than enough memories of bacon than I care to know and I'm just about ready find out what all the fuss is about." She said.

"Really?" Johnny Asked after a moment.

"O'course." Jersey Answered. "Can't go anywhere without my loyal escort." She said with a smile as she ruffled the destroyer's hair a moment before looking up. "Others?" She asked.

"Oh don't you worry. We're lining up quite the cast." The voice Answered. "You'll have your escort."

—/—\—

The Alarm cut through the dark of her room, the woman's green eyes slowly opening after a few moments. Hesitating barely, She Shut it off as she lazily brought her hand back to the destroyer's back that was currently sleeping next to her.

Not only that, but she could feel a strong arm wrapped around her middle and a soft breath on the back of her neck. She sighed somewhat sleepily, petting Bristol's hair in her sleep somewhat, laying there a few moments before she closed her eyes a moment.

Only to open them for real this time.

"Mary." Anya quietly spoke. When the battleship offered no answer, the woman only chuckled somewhat quietly as she did so. "Maryland." She tried again.

The Colorado Class battleship with an arm around her didn't even stir in the slightest in response to her name being spoken. Anya offered a quiet sigh at that a moment before pushing her head back somewhat, rubbing her head into Maryland's face, attempting to wake her that way.

After a few moments, she felt the woman's arm leave her middle as she lazily scratched at her nose a moment.

"Anya?" Maryland asked quietly. Anya chuckled tiredly at that.

"I gotta get up. I'm gonna give you Bristol." She said. Maryland offered a noise of Affirmative at that as she lazily propped herself up on an elbow, reaching over Anya and hooking a hand around the destroyer's waist, pulling the girl over Anya and to her, where immediately, the destroyer snuggled to the battleship, to no argument or disagreement from Maryland. She only put a hand on the girl's back before she settled back into sleep, readjusting only once before letting sleep take her again.

Anya watched the two a moment, offering a sleepy smile at the sight, before yawning quietly, holding a hand over her mouth as she hauled herself up to a sitting position, sitting on the edge of her bed, where she struggled to finally push herself up off of the bed and not just lay back down for five more minutes.

Rubbing her eyes a moment, she quietly and finally willed herself to stand on her own two feet, gaining her balance before making way for the bathroom, opening the door, stepping inside, and turning the light on then as she closed the door behind her.

They could sleep more if they wanted. She wasn't going to hold a grudge.

Not with Bristol's nightmares still going for another night.

She was starting to get worried somewhat.

They'd never made visits this many nights in a row.

The woman closed her eyes a moment as she leaned against the bathroom counter, standing there a moment, trying to fully wake herself up a moment, and not fall asleep in the process. There had to be something she could do for Bristol's nightmares. She didn't want Bristol to grow used to them.

She also wanted a night to just her and Mary.

She'd never say it openly, but she was starting to get aggravated somewhat.

Anya huffed.

The problem with Bristol's nightmares is that the destroyer could never remember what they pertained or what she saw. But considering sometimes, the destroyer woke up in the middle of the night shaking, looking around rapidly, Anya wasn't sure she actually wanted Bristol remembering them.

It'd all started with a ghost story.

Anya was pretty sure it'd moved long past that now.

She wondered if Liz might know any remedies for dealing with nightmares, making a mental note to ask the woman when she got the chance. She hoped she would.

Standing there a moment longer, she looked at herself in the mirror for a little while, recollecting on the past years for her and her experience of this war. The war was nothing good for anyone and she wanted to wish it'd never happened.

But every-time her mind came around to that conclusion, some part of her reminded her that there was two girls laying her bed that she loved very much. And they wouldn't be here if the war hadn't happened. There was simply no if, and, or buts about it. It was a fact.

Her mind wandered back to the battle of San Francisco, standing aboard the bridge of her ship.

As Captain.

The only ship she'd ever served on so far in her career.

The John Finn.

And now she was a vice admiral.

This war had given her one of the fastest promotion records in the Navy's history. She was only an LT when she first laid eyes on New York.

And now she was a vice admiral.

It wasn't something she deserved, and she knew that. But the Navy had lost so many, had bled through so much to try and buy seconds, and turn those into minutes, and will those into hours. She tried to push it from her mind for the moment, and it seemed to be working.

"Heh. Kicked out of bed?" Sofia asked as she opened the door from her bedroom, leaving it opened given that she didn't have anyone still sleeping within. Clear, given by the fact that she left her light on. Anya rolled her eyes at that as she looked to the woman.

"No." She said a moment. "Needed to get up because otherwise I wouldn't." She Answered. "Bed's too comfortable." She explained. The Captain nodded in understanding.

"I get that, I really do." She said with a sigh. "Bristol sleep the night again?" She asked. Anya sighed, but gave a nod in response as she did so.

"Yeah. Her nightmares are becoming more and more constant. I was wondering if Liz has any remedies for nightmares and the like, so I'll have to ask her." She said. Sofia nodded.

"Huh. Do you not want Bristol sleeping with you guys?" She asked. Anya sighed.

"I'll give you one guess as for one night why Mary and myself do not want Bristol anywhere near our room." She said plainly. Sofia cackled immediately at that, leaning against the counter somewhat as she did so.

"Tough break." She offered in agreement. Anya nodded in turn at that as she sighed.

"I'm not trying to get aggravated with it all and I'm not going to. But it's hard." She said with a sigh. "But I also know it's not her fault." She admitted. Sofia nodded.

"So what're you gonna do?" She asked.

"I don't suppose you wanna let Bristol sleep with you for a few nights?" Anya asked, somewhat hopefully, glancing at the woman. Sofia chuckled somewhat at that, shaking her head.

"I asked what you're gonna do. Not how you're gonna drag me into it." She said. "And maybe actually figure out how loud the two of you are gonna be before you just start making guesses on where to put Bristol. And let me get some headphones, please. I beg of you. I do not need to know how much god's going to be involved in your relationship thank you very much." She said. Anya rolled her eyes.

"How loud do you think we're gonna be exactly?" She asked.

"Maryland is a battleship." Sofia offered. "She has the strength of a battleship. Do you know what that means for her fingers, exactly?" She asked with a hum, crossing her arms as she looked to the woman.

Anya blinked.

"Oh." The Admiral said for a moment. "Oh yeah." She Agreed slowly.

Sofia's face met her hand quickly enough.

"Of course you didn't." Sofia huffed. Anya only offered a chuckle in response to that.

"To be fair I've been a little busy and otherwise distracted honestly. All that's a side problem as opposed to running the fleet properly. But I'd say we're in a good place right now." She offered. Sofia nodded at that in agreement.

"That I won't argue with." She said with a sigh, stretching somewhat for a moment. Anya opened her mouth to say something when her phone started to ring within her bedroom, prompting her to immediately turn and go for it, opening the bathroom door as she made a dash for it, trying not to wake up the two anymore than she'd already done.

"Shit, Shit, Shit, shit." Anya cursed as she quickly grabbed the phone, Answered it in one go, and retreated back into the bathroom. "Hello? Sir?" She asked.

Sofia watched the woman hold the conversation on the phone a moment, watching her facial expressions go from curious, to surprised, to angry, to resigned in all of about forty five seconds.

"I see sir. Thank you. I'll let the fleet know." She said before hanging up. And Sofia watched as the woman made a motion that looked as if she was going to throw her phone. But when she had it above her head, she eventually just brought it back down to her side, resting the phone on the bathroom counter as she stood there a moment, her gaze unmoving from the plain white surface.

"Anya?" Sofia asked.

"We lost the New Jersey and the John Finn yesterday." She said, the day's date being Janurary 25th. Sofia blinked.

"Are you serious?" She asked after a moment in a low voice. Anya nodded.

"Reports are unconfirmed at this point, but apparently the Abyssal in charge of burning New York to the ground lead a fleet into the Med and engaged her. The entire encounter was eight minutes. Jersey took a shell to her second turret that sent her ammo up in flames. John Finn just got obliterated by shell fire." She said.

"Survivors?" Sofia asked.

"Seven." Anya replied.

"And the John Finn?" Sofia inquired. Anya shook her head at that, looking to the woman.

"Seven. For both ships." Anya explained.

Sofia sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I guess that means we know what we're doing this morning." She said.

"Mhm." Was all Anya Answered with.

—/—\—

A knock at the door of their room woke her almost immediately. Holding a moment, Missouri's eyes slowly cracked open as whoever it was knocked on the door again. Sighing, stretching her one free arm that wasn't being used by one of her younger sisters, Illinois clinging to one side and Kentucky lounging about on the other as the three slept on one large bed, made out of the room's three original beds, she yawned.

"Who is it?" She called quietly, hoping whoever it was would be able to hear her.

"Admiral Johnson." Came the response. Missouri frowned somewhat at that, glancing at the clock, the red numbers showing her that the time was close to six in the morning. Sighing somewhat, she took a moment before looking to the door again.

"Admiral Johnson?" She called for confirmation.

"Can I come in Missouri?" The woman asked in a quiet tone. Missouri frowned deeper somewhat, glancing at the door.

There was something off about this.

Holding a moment, she sighed as she eventually sat up, prompting both Illinois and Kentucky to either roll to their other side, or crack open an eye, respectively. Scratching her head a moment, Missouri eventually nodded.

"Yes Admiral. Come in." She finally called. This prompted their door to swing open as Kentucky reached over for the light next to the bed, turning it on as Anya entered the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Immediately, Missouri and Kentucky noticed something wrong. Normally, the woman always had some sort of smile upon her lips, as if it was her natural appearance. Whether small or wide, the blonde calling herself their Admiral was always smiling.

In rare occasions, she would frown too.

But this was neither. The woman's lips betrayed no emotion.

Admiral Johnson's lips were pulled into a thin line. And her normal vibrant green eyes seemed to have been dulled. As she fully stood before their bed, Illinois starting to awaken at that point too, Kentucky frowned somewhat.

"Admiral?" The battleship asked.

Anya sighed.

A pit in Missouri's stomach suddenly tore itself open.

Anya rubbed at her face a moment before sighing. "Normally, I'd have asked you three to my office so I could say this. But no one else is awake and you three need to be the first to know. Yesterday at approximately twenty three hundred hours, Abyssals broke through the Gibraltar. They made it into the med." She explained.

The pit turned to chasm.

"Two hours later, they engaged New Jersey." Anya said, her tone calm and collected, but as her eyes met Missouri's, the battleship saw that was anything but the truth. "After an eight minute confrontation, New Jersey took a shell to her second turret that penetrated her armor and sent her ammo stores up." She said.

The chasm widened into an Abyss.

"No..." Missouri uttered, her tone betraying her usual calm. Quiet and haunted, she subconsciously gripped at the sheets below her. "No..." she breathed, unable to be completely sure if she'd heard the woman right or it had all been a dream. "No." She said again, her tone getting ever more present.

"Missouri." Kentucky tried, resting an hand on her older sister's shoulder, trying to calm her down. But Missouri continued to blankly stare forwards, almost as if she hadn't even noticed her sister trying to calm her down.

"Nonononononono...." Missouri began. Illinois at this point now looking to her sister with worry.

"Mo." Illinois said in a worried tone.

Kentucky and Illinois were both hurting of course, but they hadn't known Jersey. Not like Missouri had.

"It can't be." Missouri finally breathed. "It can't be... she can't be gone..." The battleship said, her breath shaky and uneven as she held her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry." Anya said, closing her eyes a moment. "The three of you are excused from all Base activities for the next few days." She said quietly.

Kentucky only nodded, not looking away from Mo, her hand still resting on the woman's shoulder as she held her close, Missouri already breaking down into tears.

Illinois only offered the woman a nod, closing her eyes a moment before looking both tiredly and sadly to her older sister, looking more than worried.

Anya promptly turned and left the room, opening and closing the door behind her.

Missouri's cries reached her through the door.

The woman ignored the tears lining her own eyes as she walked away, going for the stairs leading back to the first floor of the dorms.