Northwestern pulled into Dutch in a daze. Her veins carried a heavy dose of grief through her body. Hours earlier, Cornelia had radioed her with the tragic news. "They found a life ring, they found debris indicative of a crab boat going down." Destination, her closest friend, had succumbed to the Bering Sea. For her, the first reaction was shock. She had just seen her! Time Bandit had just seen her in the shipyard in Seattle. She was the next boat in line behind him to receive much needed repairs. To think she would be on her way up here and sink was just unthinkable. But it happened.

Northwestern was so distracted she didn't notice her path was blocked until it was almost too late. Stopping quickly, she looked up to see Wizard standing there. The old veteran was listing to starboard, favoring several dents on her port side. The constant storms had given her a beating. Her ice blue eyes were dark, matching Northwestern's. "After you've offloaded, come and see me alright?" She asked. Northwestern nodded, only half hearing her words through her haze of grief but understanding them all the same. "Okay." She replied. Wizard nosed her flank as she went by. It was only after she tied up at the processor that she remembered. Destination was Wizard's daughter. The old vet had at least 3 known batches. The first two, Foremost and St. Patrick, had been lost to the sea years earlier. Destination had been the last shipling Wizard ever had before menopause took that ability away forever. Now she had no more children. She'd outlived them all. Northwestern's heart went out to her grandmother. Every boat was friends out here and each loss hurt, but since it was family... If the processor noticed her client's unusual quietness and sudden, quick departure she didn't comment on it.

Once finished with her final offload of the season, Northwestern made a beeline for Wizard's dock. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me." The old ship said. "I'm not old enough to be hard of hearing." Northwestern replied. Normally, the quip would get a smile and a 'what?' type of response as Wizard faked not hearing her. Now, not even the corners of Wizard's mouth upturned. Northwestern gave up trying to raise her spirits and instead settled in beside her. "If you had, I wouldn't have pressed the issue." Wizard assured her, as she lit up a cigarette. "I'd hoped you would." Northwestern replied. "You shouldn't be alone at a time like this." Wizard took a long drag as she sighed. "Ain't that true." She turned to her. "How are you holding up?" Northwestern was beyond shocked. She just couldn't believe her ears! "How can you ask me that?" She replied. "How can you possibly? She was your DAUGHTER! And you're asking how I'm doing?!" Wizard's gaze didn't waver as she still waited for an answer to her question. Northwestern growled. Her grandmother had her guard up, a wall to prevent the world from seeing her feelings. She'd never broken it down before but now was a good a chance as any. Wizard needed it to come down, whether she liked it or not. "I must look pathetic for you to ask that." She sighed. "Just a little bit." Wizard agreed. "I'm, well, I'll be alright." Northwestern said. Wizard nodded. "And you?" Northwestern pressed. "Same." Wizard replied curtly, her voice a shade softer than normal. She turned away, her eyes fixed on some far distant point.

It brought out Northwestern's temper. "No, you are not doing this!" She growled. "Not doing what?" Wizard asked, surprised as she turned back to her. "That wall. Your wall, you're not putting it up now of all times!" Northwestern hissed. "I don't know what you're talking about." Wizard said. "Yes you do. You're hiding your thoughts, again! You did it with Phil, you did it with Sig. But you are not doing it with me!" Northwestern growled. "I FORBID IT!" "You think it's easy for me?" Wizard asked, a low dangerous edge entering her voice. Northwestern winced, worried she'd crossed some sort of line. It wasn't often that Wizard lost her temper but when she did it wasn't pretty. But she knew she was right, Wizard needed to get it off her chest so she held her ground, staring almost defiantly back at her grandmother. "You think any of this is easy? She wasn't just my daughter, she was my last child! And I can't have any more. She was it. I've-I've outlived them all." Wizard's eyes were closed tight, she was close. Northwestern could see that wall starting to crumble. "You still have me." She said. "I'm here." She was mindful of Wizard's bruises as she cradled the larger ship's head. "Northwestern..." Wizard tried to protest. "You asked me here so you could comfort me. Well you don't get to do that until after I've done it for you. Destination deserves better than your stoickness, Wizard. Just this once, let your feelings show, for her." Northwestern begged. She didn't need to say anything. The wall was already coming down.

Northwestern felt it when Wizard's tears came. Slowly at first, then as if on a chain reaction they began to rain down on her hull like a torrent. Wizard's whole body shook with terrible sobs and occasionally a muffled wail would escape the grieving mother. Northwestern said not a word, letting her body speak for her as she offered her shoulder to Wizard as her grandmother had done for her so many times before. Her own tears came, brought on by seeing her proud grandmother brought down by grief. She didn't want to see Wizard's pain but it was necessary, for her sake. Northwestern rested her head against Wizard's shoulder, feeling her curl around her instinctively. She suppressed a smile. Even in the depths of her own grief, Wizard found a way to comfort another. That was one of the things that made her so special in Northwestern's eyes. Wizard's anchor was right in front of her and she planted a kiss on its cold surface. Wizard quivered, reciprocating by brushing her muzzle along the side of Northwestern's bridge. Northwestern rubbed her head up and down gently on Wizard's side and that's when she lost it. Wizard lost any assemblence of control. She gathered Northwestern against her, holding her granddaughter tight as she cried harder than she ever had before. No ship on the Bering Sea had ever seen Wizard shed even a single tear, even during some of the most tragic seasons on record. Let alone see her cry like a shipling. Northwestern felt guilty, forcing out her grandmother's pain like this but Wizard always seemed to know what she was thinking, and how to solve it. "You did the right thing." She rasped. Northwestern closed her eyes, hugging Wizard tight. "I love you." She sniffled. "I love you too." Wizard replied, such tenderness in her voice it stopped Northwestern's heart for a moment. Wizard cradled Northwestern against her, firm and commanding as she stated in no uncertain terms that she wanted her granddaughter to stay right where she was. And yet gentle at the same time. She was a paradox sometimes. Much like her late daughter. The resemblance had been uncanny. Destination was her mother's child, just as Northwestern was with her mother. She held Wizard through the night.

In the morning, when the crews of both ships came by they found the pair fast asleep. Wizard was lying completely on her side, a position that indicated her severe exhaustion and grief. Northwestern was curled up against her, huddled against Wizard's massive keel like a shipling to a mother. Her nose was pressed against Wizard's cheek and both ships, despite the clear tear stains, looked almost happy in their sleep.