"And I have your word that no Iris Orthodoxy ship will be harmed?" Algerie cast a furtive glance at the door to the radio room and tried to stay calm. This transmission had gone on far too long, and at some point, someone was bound to notice the outgoing and incoming signals. But she had to secure the terms for her sisters before she could let this go. "No Pawns, no slavery, nothing."

"Of course, of course," the confident voice of Littorio reassured her. "As long as they come quietly, they will not be harmed. If they resist, however…"

"They won't," Algerie promised. "They'll come quietly."

"And the Royal Navy? Won't they rush to defend their precious Ammiraglio?"

She snorted dismissively and shook her head. "Don't care. They can surrender or die, makes no difference to me."

There was a brief pause as Littorio thought it over. "Is Illustrious there?"

Algerie's brows furrowed in confusion. What did that have to do with anything? "No...why?"

A sad, soft sigh emanated from the speakers, barely audible over the background noise. "I had hoped to see her again. Ah, well. Perhaps I can trade some of the Royals for her if they survive…"

Algerie rolled her eyes. She never understood Littorio's fascination with that carrier, but at this point, she didn't really care. As long as it got her what she wanted. "We have an agreement, then?"

"Si, si," Littorio absentmindedly assented. "Although I do have one last question…how do you feel about bikinis?"

Of course, while all this was going on, I was on the roof, making up with Dunkerque, and rekindling our relationship. We stayed up there until the stars came out and it came time for both of us to get some sleep, with a promise that we would have at least one more date before the counterattack began.

When I awoke the next morning, I felt a flurry of emotions whirling around inside me. Anxiety for the coming attack, if we could win, and at what cost. Excitement at the prospect of another date with Dunkerque, along with the thought of spending yet another day with her at my side. And finally, relief. She and I had fought, and about something serious, and managed to come out stronger for it. Not only that, but opening up to her was like being cut from an anchor that had been weighing me down. I felt lighter, happier, free.

I idly wondered what culinary joys I would be discovering with her that morning as I rounded the corner to the kitchen, only to find her already there. She had a massive pile of doughnuts on the counter and had just taken a bite of one, closing her eyes as she sighed happily. "Ahhh...sweets can really take a girl to heaven…" When she reopened her eyes, she saw me standing there and immediately jumped, her face flushing beet red. "B-Bernard?! How long have you been here?!"

"Somewhere between the third and fourth Rapture," I grinned, and as she began to look absolutely mortified, I shook my head and said, "I just came around the corner. I was actually wondering what we were going to make for breakfast as part of our cooking lessons, but it appears you've beaten me to it."

"Ah," she said, the color beginning to fade from her cheeks. "I thought the cooking lesson would be part of our date tonight."

I raised an eyebrow at that suggestion. "Not what I was expecting, but I trust your judgment."

She smiled coyly, stepping closer to me, taking my hands in hers. "A valid concern, but what if I told you the lesson was how to make a romantic dinner for two and the location of the lesson was my apartment?"

My eyes widened at the implication, and my heart began to beat faster. This time, it was my turn to blush. "O-oh. That would certainly cast things in a more...intimate light."

She gave me an innocent smile, despite knowing damn well it was anything but. "So, no objections then, mon Amiral?" I'm honestly surprised she didn't bat her eyelashes at that point.

I shook my head an emphatic no, still feeling the hot flush on my cheeks. "None at all. I was looking forward to our date, but now...doubly so."

Her smile broadened. "Good. That makes two of us. Now, let's get you some crullers and coffee before your stomach interrupts us for a third time."

I chuckled as I followed her to the kitchen counter, grabbing a plate and a mug to start loading up breakfast. "I get the feeling the longer I'm around you, Dunkerque, the less I'll have to worry about going hungry," I teased. "Gonna have to start watching my weight."

She laughed her low, melodic laugh as she added a few of the crullers onto my plate. "Oh, I'm sure we can find a few new ways to keep you active, mon Amiral."

At this point, I'm fairly certain all of my blood had managed to pool in my cheeks, but I still managed to put on my most charming smile and flirt back. "You certainly have a way of getting my blood pumping."

"Smooth talker," she cooed, leaning in to plant a kiss on my cheek. "Come now, let's eat and get ready. We have an assault to finalize."

It was, admittedly, damn hard to get tonight out of my head, but once we'd had breakfast and really got into the planning stages, I had managed to completely refocus. The idea of someone being hurt, or worse, sunk, because I wasn't paying complete attention has a rather sobering effect. I also stopped by Algerie's quarters and squared things away with her before our final briefing on the assault. She seemed rather eager, albeit a bit nervous. Understandable, given the fact that she was going to be in charge of the scouting force, and how dependent we would be on her as a result.

Once the final briefings and planning had been finished, I released each kansen for the rest of the day, to make any last-minute preparations before tomorrow morning. A large group headed off to the cathedral, to pray for everyone's safe return and a victory over the Sardegnians. Algerie notably declined, heading off somewhere on her own. Dunkerque headed to the base kitchen, to go make "pre-battle treats" for everyone. As for myself, I stayed in the office, made sure everything had been filed and logged, and that there were standing orders ready in case I didn't return. Once that was complete, I decided to check up on Jean Bart and Richelieu, suspecting the Cardinal had gone to spend a few moments with her sister.

As it turned out, I was correct, and found Richelieu in the medical wing once more, silently praying for Jean Bart's recovery. This time, however, she failed to notice me until I quietly knocked on the open door to get her attention.

"I hope I'm not intruding," I began, "Mind if I come in?"

The Cardinal shook her head and patted the chair next to hers. "Not at all," she answered. "Please, take a seat, mon Commandant."

I slipped inside, sitting next to her with a sympathetic smile. "I wanted to come check on you two, see how you were doing, and to give you my thanks for your help yesterday. I owe you one, there."

A soft smile crossed her elegant features and she bowed her head slightly. "I'm glad I could help. I trust you two were able to work things out?"

"We did," I nodded. "I think we made a pretty significant breakthrough, actually."

"That's good!" Her smile died as she looked back at Jean Bart, still lying motionless in her hospital bed. "Now if only my sister would wake…"

"Still no changes, huh?"

"Non," she shook her head sadly. "Nothing. I just wish there was some way to get through to her."

I looked at the sleeping pirate and asked, "Have you tried talking to her?"

"Talking to her?" she repeated in a confused tone, "She's in a coma."

"I know. But I've heard stories of comatose people being able to recognize and remember things that were said around them. Maybe if you say something to her, she'll come around?"

Richelieu looked over at me, a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Do you think it will work?"

I shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."

She looked over at Jean Bart, staring at her for several long moments before speaking again, her voice as soft and as frail as I've ever heard it. "...what do I even say?"

For me, the answer came immediately. "Tell her everything you'd say to her if you had only one more chance before she left for good. Everything you'll miss about her, everything you're sorry for, everything you didn't mean, and everything about her that meant so much to you. And then ask that this won't be the last thing you say to her."

She peered at me and then nodded slowly. "You sound as if you speak from experience."

The old pain came back, but this time duller, more muted than before. It was a welcome change of pace. I nodded back and gave her a sad, wry smile. "Something like that."

She smiled back, echoing the pain in my expression. "Very well, then. I will tell her, and I hope, one day, you will tell me about...your own struggles."

"One day," I replied as I stood up. "But not today. I'll give you two some privacy. Until tomorrow, Cardinal."

"Until tomorrow, mon Commandant."

The sun had already set by the time I knocked on Dunkerque's door, the last red rays fading into the darkening purple of twilight. I desperately wanted to adjust my tie, to make sure I was presentable but with a bottle of wine in one hand, and my overnight bag in the other, I simply had to wait the long, torturous seconds it took for Dunkerque to answer and trust that all was well.

The door opened just enough for my beautiful kansen to peer around it, the hesitant smile on her face blossoming into a full-blown grin when she sees me. "Ah, there you are, Bernard," she greeted me, fully opening the door to allow me in. "Glad to see you found the place alright."

I smiled back as I walked in, taking a moment to glance around the apartment before returning my attention to my gracious host. She was wearing a black dress that both flowed over and accentuated her curves, the skirt stopping just above the knee. Atop the dress, she wore an apron emblazoned with the symbol of the Iris Orthodoxy. "Yep," I absently said, somewhat distracted by her outfit. "The directions were easy to follow, and if I may be so bold, you look amazing in that."

"You are too kind, mon amour," she demurred, her eyes glancing down for a moment, then back again as she saw what was in my hands. She gave me a playful smile and said, "And I see you have brought gifts."

It took my brain a second to catch up with what she was talking about, as enamored by I was by her beauty. "Oh, yes, right!" I softly exclaimed as it clicked into place, earning a giggle from her. I hefted the wine bottle, holding it out for her to take. "Thought about flowers, but I thought wine would be more appropriate, considering this is also a cooking lesson."

"I think it is an excellent idea," she smiled as she took the wine, glancing at the label. "Oh, and this will pair perfectly with dinner. Very nice vintage, too…" Her rosy eyes turned back to my hands, gesturing to the bag still clutched nervously in them. "And that?" she asked, her expression still playful.

My cheeks flushed as I lifted it slightly, the once-light bag now suddenly feeling like an anchor in my hands. "O-oh!" I stammered, my nerves beginning to get the better of me. "I, uh...I brought an overnight bag in case things got a little...more intimate...so we could just head down to the docks in the morning together." Something just occurred to me at that moment, and my heart began to race. "That is if I'm not being too presumptuous…"

She giggled softly and shook her head as she walked over to me, cupping my cheek with her hand as she leaned in for a gentle kiss. "Not at all, mon amour," she reassured me. "That was exactly my intention when I invited you over, and I think it's a wonderful idea. Now, put that in the bedroom and come join me in the kitchen. I've prepared everything we'll need for our lesson."

I quickly made my way down the short hallway to what I correctly assumed would be her bedroom and tossed the bag in, making sure it landed somewhere that neither of us would trip over it later, then hurried back to the kitchen. Dunkerque was waiting for me there with an extra apron in her hands. "You should probably take off your jacket and roll up your sleeves for this one."

As I hung my jacket over the back of a nearby chair and rolled up my sleeves, I tried to peer around her, to see what exactly was on the menu. She caught me trying to sneak a peek and clucked her tongue. "Now now, Bernard, you'll see what it is soon enough."

"Can't blame a guy for being curious," I chuckled as I finished rolling up my sleeves. She offered the spare apron to me with a smile and I tied it on, ready to begin the lesson.

"Your patience will be rewarded, mon amour, I promise you," she replied, her tone leaving little to the imagination as to what that reward might be. "All set?"

"All set."

"Then let us begin. Have you had popovers before?"

For a second, I thought she was calling the breakfast treat by the wrong name, but I quickly realized she was talking about something completely different and shook my head. "I've never even heard of popovers before. What are they?"

"It's a very light, airy baked good," she explained, "Sort of like a dinner roll, but eggier, lighter. You'll like them."

"You haven't let me down yet, so I'm willing to go on a little faith," I said, drawing a surprised, yet victorious, smile from her.

"Only a little?" she teased.

"Old habits die hard," I shrugged and my smile died somewhat as something occurred to me. "In all seriousness, though, it really is one thing I've learned from you and the other Iris kansen-to have faith, but it has been the hardest lesson to learn."

Her smile changed, becoming compassionate and warm as she nodded knowingly. "I understand. Faith is something that challenges all of us, no matter how devout or how steadfast our devotion is. It is a lesson that we are always learning."

I bowed my head respectfully to her and said, "Once again, I am so lucky to have such a beautiful and learned teacher."

She laughed and shook her head, her silvery hair rippling. "Such a charmer. Now, onto our cooking lesson. Have you used a blender before?"

"I have, actually," I answered, much to Dunkerque's great surprise. "Margaritas," I explained, answering her unspoken question.

"Ah. Well, we won't be making drinks in it, but the principle is the same." She gestured over to the assembled ingredients sitting around the appliance. "To begin, we're going to blend the eggs, milk, and butter…"

A little over half an hour later, we sat down for dinner at the small table in Dunkerque's dining room. In addition to the popovers, which were still steaming, we had made red smashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and filet mignon. Once again, I was amazed at how easy she had made it look, and how easily I had taken to it. I smiled over at her, and she smiled back, looking stunning in the flickering glow of the candlelight. My wine glass in hand, I held it aloft and out to her as I said, "To a beautiful evening with a beautiful woman. To us."

"To us," Dunkerque echoed and tapped her glass against mine. "So, what do you think of the meal?"

I looked over it again and shook my head in disbelief. "I still can't believe we were able to put this together. It looks amazing, and I'm pretty sure it'll taste as good as it looks."

"Let's find out," she grinned at me and cut into her filet, holding the morsel of food up to inspect it before taking a bite. Her grin broadened and she nodded approvingly. "Simply heavenly."

I wasted no time in following suit, slicing into the steak with surprising ease. Inside was a perfect pink center, glistening with juices, and the aroma that wafted up to my nostrils made my mouth water. I took a bite and immediately sighed happily. The buttery, savory, and almost impossibly tender hunk of meat practically melted in my mouth. "Oh my god," I muttered, "That's so good."

Dunkerque merely smiled back and we continued to eat our meal in relative silence until our plates had been cleared. Taking a sip of wine to clear her throat, she was the first to speak up. "Not to bring down the mood, but how are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"A little nervous," I answered, shrugging slightly. "That plan has a lot of moving parts, and if even one of them is compromised or just outright fails, we're going to be in a lot of trouble. If everything goes off without a hitch, we've just secured the Mediterranean for Azur Lane, possibly for good." I chuckled softly. "For what it's worth, I felt confident enough to tell this plan to High Command instead of just going for it."

She giggled, leaning forward to rest her head on her hands. "And what did they say?"

"They had their concerns, but they trust me enough to let me go through with it."

"Good," Dunkerque stated with an authoritative nod. "I think you've earned their trust by now."

"And you," I asked, "How do you feel about tomorrow?"

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, her smile fading a bit as she searched her feelings. "About the same. Nervous, but hopeful. If we win, we will have managed to fully secure our home, or at least part of it, from the Crimson Axis. Reunited with our sisters, safe in our home ports at last...it was a dream that I almost didn't believe would actually happen…"

"The Iris/Vichya conflict loomed over everyone, to be honest," I agreed. "As I've said before, we never considered you to be our enemies. Just allies gone astray after a terrible, terrible mistake."

Dunkerque's hand strayed to her side, her smile dying completely as she remembered the terrible events of that day. Realizing what I'd done, I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Dunkerque, I didn't mean to make you relive that…"

She shook her head as she smiled softly at me. "It's quite alright, Bernard. As I have said before, if it is what got me to now, then some good came of it. But enough of these maudlin thoughts," she declared, getting up from her chair and extending her hand to me. "Would you care to join me on the balcony for some dancing?"

While she didn't quite seem as though she was over it, I wasn't about to start an argument with her and further bring down the mood. I smiled back up at her as I stood, taking her hand in mine. "It would be my pleasure."

She led us to the living room where a massive set of french doors gave us a breathtaking view of the city, all lit up against the night sky. I couldn't help but marvel at it while Dunkerque slipped from my hand, striding over to an old record player, her hand gently lowering the needle onto the spinning vinyl disc.

"You'll forgive a girl her eccentricities," she smiled at me when she saw me glancing her way. "But I think the little crackles and pops add a bit more character to the music."

"And I think a girl's eccentricities add a bit more character to her," I winked, and she blushed as she took me in her arms again. The music began to play, and we began to glide around the small space, looking into each other's eyes. Despite the smile on her face, and the gentle sway of her body, I could see in those rosy eyes there was something still on her mind, something else she wanted to say.

As I thought of a way to gently broach the subject, she sighed and rested her chin on my shoulder, her arms wrapping around me in a tender embrace. "Bernard, do you think if...if all this hadn't happened...Mers-el-Kabir, the Sirens, the Pawns, all of it...would we have still met?" she asked, her voice barely above a thoughtful whisper.

The question took me off guard, and I almost lost a step as I pondered it. As much as I wanted to say 'yes', to assure her that fate would have brought us together, I wasn't so sure. "I don't know," I answered honestly, feeling the pang of regret in my heart as I said those words. "I want to say yes, but if all those things don't happen, I'm not sure if we'd even meet… And I don't like the thought of that. I know it's been barely a week, but you've filled the parts of me that I didn't even know were missing, and I can't imagine a part of my life that doesn't have you in it."

She nodded, and I could have sworn I heard her sniffle before she spoke again. "I feel the same way. Perhaps I could have been spared such pain, but...if I only was able to meet you in the present because of my suffering in the past, I won't say things like 'I wish I had met you sooner.' However, I do hope that in the future, I will always be able to find solace in your embrace." She lifted her head off of my chin and looked me in the eye once again, her gaze full of hopeful love. "Bernard, can I stay by your side forever?"

"For as long as you will have me, mon amour," I whispered back. "I love you, Dunkerque."

"And I love you, Bernard. From now until eternity…"

Our lips met in a fiery kiss, the dance forgotten as we began an embrace of a much more intimate nature…

The next morning, we strolled down to the docks, hand in hand, our fingers intertwined with each other. More than a few of the kansen noticed something different between us, and we got a fair share of knowing looks, nods of approval, and playful winks. We blushed at the reactions, sharing an embarrassed grin, but still over the moon at our now consummated relationship. We strode up the gangplank, finally releasing each other when the time came to prepare the ship to get underway.

The holotable in Dunkerque's bridge flickered to life, and I began the checklist to make sure the fleet was assembled and ready while Dunkerque ran checks on her own systems. Once the final preparations were complete, we set sail, Algerie at the head of the scouting force, leading us to what would hopefully be the final battle of the Mediterranean campaign and securing Toulon for the Iris Orthodoxy, once and for all…

A/N-Well, here we are. Almost at the very end. Just one more chapter, one more battle, and this tale will come to its conclusion at long last. But will it be a comedy or a tragedy? Only one way to find out. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!