Legends

Chapter 20~Reunion

Admiral Carroway nursed the growing headache he had developed since Normandie reported in to him over two weeks ago. Apparently Queen Mary had self-summoned and it was Normandie's job to escort her to the base. But the liner, in her intimate (no not a typo) French wisdom, decided to interpret his orders as not taking a simple plane ride but instead the longer route. Thank god the canal had been widened in recent years. Even so, the pair were still at least a day out. He could still hear Titanic's howls of jealousy.

Titanic had taken to the docks every morning since she heard of Mary's summoning and muttering some very uncomplimentary things about the French's bedroom habits in French. Carroway had a sneaking suspicion there was something more than just jealousy bothering her. Although most in command would tell him to ignore the feeling, Carroway had been commanding shipgirls for too long to dismiss it out of hand. Lest he increase his migraine medication.

A knock on his door and a Carroway groaned. He knew each shipgirl by their knock. He should have known better than to underestimate a card carrying member of the Blue Riband club, let alone two of them. "Enter." He commanded.

Normandie came in and following her... "Staring is not becoming of a United States Navy admiral." Carroway thought. It wasn't so much Mary's beauty that caused his lapse. All shipgirls possessed a natural draw to them. Instead, Holloway was struck by how much Mary's human figure resembled Titanic's. The two could almost pass as twins. Carroway felt his earlier suspicions rise.

"Big U?" He spoke to the third liner in the room who was watching her fellow Riband holders carefully.

She started when she was called. "Yes Admiral?"

"Find Titanic and bring her here." He asked.

"At once sir."

Once she had left, Carroway returned his attentions to the two liners. Some formalities had to be maintained. "Report." He ordered.

Mary's WW2 RNR uniform had a ridiculously short skirt that ruffled about her legs as she snapped to attention. "RMS Queen Mary reporting for duty sir!" She was very professional as was expected for such a prestigious ocean liner but as with all shipgirls there was a catch. Even sensible Olympia turned out to be not so sensible after all. Carroway shuddered. The noise complaints were still coming in. Who knew her submarine partner could be so loud.

A fresh knock and gathering what remained of his wits, Carroway straightened at his desk. "Enter." He ordered. In swept Big U with all the hyperactive speed he had come to expect from her. Following more slowly and far more gracefully was Titanic.

The British liner looked professional as always. Carroway found her lack of antics refreshing although it probably helped to have been human for over a century. Sheesh wasn't that a headache. Carroway's poor summoning scientists were still scratching their heads at how a kanmusu could summon herself long before their was a war to fight. Then again it was the Titanic so...

"You called for me Admiral... oh." Titanic stopped short when she saw Queen Mary. The older liner was clearly nervous and everyone shifted as they felt the tension in the room. Even Normandie took a step back.

Everyone that is except Queen Mary who for her part was eying Titanic in an appraising way. She tilted her head to the side as if she was thinking or perhaps browsing her memories, archives whatever it was called. Then her eyes widened and tears began to fall from them. "Mom?" She asked, almost in a whisper.

Normandie and Big U's jaws dropped to the floor in perfect sync. Titanic's eyes also teared up as she managed to reply in a choked up whisper "Hello sweetie."

Carroway had a surge of sympathy for his summoning scientists who were sure to reside in a mental asylum after this. He also felt his headache transform into a migraine and made a note to increase his medication ASAP. Seeing how Titanic held out her arms, clearly nervous and unsure how to proceed but Mary plowing right into it with such force it nearly knocked the older liner over, Carroway decided his migraines were worth it.