Queen Mary was curled up at her dock. Since she'd arrived back in Southampton a few days earlier she hadn't once bothered to eat or drink anything. Her ribs were beginning to show and if she kept this up much longer she wouldn't be able to sail anywhere. Food stains marred her black hull from people passing by. Word of her former relationship with Normandie had gotten out following her outburst in New York, now no one wanted anything to do with her. Some would call her a fag, others a whore but Mary ignored them all. She no longer cared anymore. The secret she'd kept for so long was now out and she was the one who was paying for it, United States had seen to that.

Said ship sailed into the harbor now, sounding her famous whistles twice. Several ships returned her call but a few gave her dirty looks. Clearly they weren't happy with her performance in New York either. Gibbs certainly wasn't and the sleek ocean liner still had tear stains from when he scolded her.

Queen Mary didn't want to talk to United States at the moment so she curled up and pretended to be asleep as the American docked nearby. Once her passengers had all disembarked she sailed over to the elder liner. Queen Mary had her eyes shut tight but she could hear United State approach.

"I would've thought you above trying to hide, Mary." United States said.

Knowing she'd been caught, Queen Mary shifted her weight so she was more facing the ocean liner.

Eyes still closed she asked "What do you want United States?"

"Queen Mary, we need to talk." She answered.

"About what? There's nothing more to talk about." Queen Mary replied and turned away from her again.

"Yes there is." United States snapped back. She gave the British ship a nudge. "I never knew Normandie was your mate, I thought my mother was heterosexual."

Now this got Queen Mary's attention. "What?" She asked, this time straightening up as much she could to face the younger liner.

"Normandie was my mother, Mary. I was born four months before she died." United States answered.

"She-she never told me." Queen Mary whimpered.

"How could you have known? She became pregnant with me after you left New York that last time." United States replied.

"Who-who's the father?" Queen Mary asked.

"Tempestuous." United States replied.

"Come here, let me look at you." Queen Mary said, motioning with her bow.

United States sailed up next to her British rival. Queen Mary looked her over intently. To the British liner, United States' basic profile just screamed Normandie. Just add the third funnel and she'd be a spitting image of her mother. Queen Mary was stunned not to have seen this before. She saved the eyes for last. The green orbs were exactly how Queen Mary remembered them.

"You have your mother's eyes." She said.

United States smiled that gentle smile that Queen Mary would recognize anywhere and that was enough for her. The great British liner fell against the American, sobbing.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't know!" She cried.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm here now. I've got you." United States whispered reassurance, cradling the other liner at her side.

A kid riding his bike tossed a tomato at Queen Mary where it landed with a splat on her hull.

"Faggot!" He shouted at her.

United States bared her teeth and the kid and waited until he left before she turned her attention back to Queen Mary.

"They-they always do that now." The older liner said with a hiccup. "I'm nothing but a freak to them."

"That's not true. They're just too ignorant to understand that love is love, however you perceive it." United States answered. Nuzzling her, she added "You're no freak to me, Queen Mary."

"Just like your mother, you're exceedingly kind." Queen Mary managed a small laugh.

"Tell me about her." United States begged.

Queen Mary cocked an eyebrow, a bit of a twinkle in her eyes as she said "I'll tell you sure, if you take me out to dinner young lady."

United States tossed her head back and laughed. "Now that's the Queen Mary, I know." She said.

As the pair sailed off, neither noticed the third liner covered in starlight. "I'll always love you Mary." She murmured to the British liner before turning about and vanishing into the fog.