Brought out of her overnight slumber by the loud ringing of her alarm, the day would start out just as every day would start. Silencing her alarm, Sheffield got up without hesitation to start her day at 0430 hours. The morning sun had not yet begun to peek over the horizon, but that did not matter to Sheffield, who adhered to a very strict schedule and was seldom bothered by the early hours. She began her morning routine, feeling irritated about what a waste this day would be. She was given the day off, and not at her request. In fact, she felt that the Commander had practically ordered her to take leave for the day.
After receiving a summons from the Commander, Sheffield headed to his office with due haste, as it was seldom that he called for any of the Royal Maids outside of their scheduled activities at his office unless there was a serious issue.
"You wanted to see me, Master, "greeted Sheffield in her usual monotone, her face just as stoic and devoid of emotion as usual.
The Commander regarded her for a moment before responding. "Yes, Sheffield, thank you for your prompt arrival. I wish to inform you that I am granting you a personal leave for tomorrow. You have the day off. I have already cleared it with Belfast."
"I beg your pardon, Master. I did not request leave. Why am I being given tomorrow off? I have my duties to attend to." Sheffield kept her emotions in check, but she was none too happy.
"Sheffield, you know the significance of tomorrow, and I know that you haven't quite come to terms with it. You need to. That is why I'm giving you the day off. You've been hyper-focused on your duties, but that's only a distraction."
"I am fine. I do not need you becoming a pest…I mean a concerned Master involving yourself in my affaurs. Pardon that slip of the tongue." She knew damn well what he was referring to but didn't appreciate the idea that she needed this, implying weakness.
The Commander gave her an unimpressed look. "I'll make it an order if I must. I'll leave that choice up to you."
Sheffield silently cursed the Commander before backing down and accepting her master's gracious offer. "Very well, Master. Thank you. I will see you in two days."
"Take care, Sheffield. Dismissed."
So, here she was, up at her usual time, with no duties to attend to. She always kept her dorm room and kitchen area spotless. It was a point of pride for her. After getting her tea kettle on the stove, she started to make herself some breakfast. Afterwards, she would have something to clean up. Once she had prepared and consumed her morning meal and tea, she cleaned up, but that did not take long for a Maid of her caliber. It was 0500. It was too early for gunnery practice, though the thought of waking up the base at this hour in a panic due to her cannon fire was amusing to her. Instead, she decided to do maintenance on her secondary turret handguns. That would take some time, and she always found her gun maintenance to be enjoyable and relaxing.
Of course, Sheffield was extremely good at everything she did, from cleaning to cooking, to fighting, to espionage, to well, you name it. So naturally, she had disassembled, cleaned and reassembled her pistols twice and only an hour had gone by. And she had been taking her time. The sun was beginning to rise, so she decided to take a morning walk down to the docks to visit her hull. Very few shipgirls were up and about this early, so her walk was free of distractions, letting her focus on the sunrise and the changing colors of the sky. She appreciated the beauty of sunrises and sunsets. Passing through the base square, she only encountered Baltimore, out for a morning run, each waving in acknowledgement of the other.
Before long, Sheffield had reached the docks and was walking towards the gangway to her hull, a Town class light cruiser, of the Southampton subclass. Across the dock from the HMS Sheffield was the HMS Belfast, also of the Town class, but of the Edinburgh subclass. She took a moment to examine Belfast's hull and the recent paint job it had received, before boarding her own hull and checking on all her own systems. She may be on a forced day off, but if the Sirens decided to cause trouble, she would sortie at a moment's notice and she needed everything within her hull in order. She remained there for some time, carefully checking all instruments, all weapons, boilers and turbines. Once she was finished, she departed her hull and headed back to her dorm, but not before taking one last look at the Belfast. The sight of the other cruiser was trying to dredge up a memory, one that Sheffield did not want to think about. Feeling unsettled, Sheffield regained her focus and hurried back to her dorm.
Upon returning, she decided to try a little reorganizing of the kitchen and the main living space, anything to help pass the time on this dreadful day off. Going into one of the cabinets to pull out the various pots and pans, Sheffield noticed something in the back, that she had forgotten was there. It was a set of candy molds that her roommate Edinburgh had obtained, though Sheffield was certain she had to have had them custom ordered. The molds were in the shape of small pistols.
Edinburgh enjoyed making candies and chocolates for everyone, though she had a particular fondness for the destroyer Echo, who adored her. Echo also loved Edinburgh's sweets and Edi would give treats to the little destroyer whenever she could, the look of glee on Echo's face making it all worthwhile. She also had a bit of a competitive streak when it came to her younger sister, the Head Maid, Belfast. Belfast always seemed to overshadow Edinburgh, much to Edi's chagrin. But if there was one area that Edi could best Bel, it was in the kitchen. This was something of which Sheffield would routinely remind her roommate. A few years ago, just before Valentine's Day, Edinburgh challenged Belfast to a little competition to see who could make the better chocolate, as many shipgirls would make chocolates to give to one of their friends or sisters for the occasion.
Belfast had accepted and they had to agree on who would be the judge. For the first year, they had asked Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth to be the judge. Elizabeth, known for enjoying sweets was more than happy judge the competition, for the glory of the Royal Navy. Given Edinburgh's history with Elizabeth, of which there were a few mishaps, Belfast was certain that Elizabeth would rule in her favor. She was genuinely shocked when the Queen declared Edinburgh the winner, though admitting that it was a most difficult decision and that it could have gone either way. Edinburgh beamed at Belfast with her big goofy grin in triumph, but Bel wasn't ready to give up.
"Congratulations Edinburgh, well done. But I will not give up so easily. What do you say to best two out of three?"
Edi was a little disappointed that her sister wouldn't let her have this, but knew she could beat her again, so readily accepted. The next round would be the following Valentine's Day. For the judge, they asked none other than the Knight Commander herself. King George V was the perfect choice, completely impartial to both maids. She was a fan of all things culinary and a lover of all things delicious. After enjoying numerous samples of both sisters' culinary treats, George had declared Edinburgh the winner.
When Edinburgh gave Belfast a mischievous look along with her grin, Belfast simply smiled back and responded with, "three out of five?"
It was a little over a year ago, when the third and final chocolate battle would take place. Belfast could select the judge, of whom she picked Omaha from Eagle Union, a cruiser known for her appetites. But at this point, Edinburgh was less concerned about her little sibling rivalry and had something else planned. She had prepared a triple batch this time, one for the competition, one for Echo, and one for someone else. It was a day that Sheffield would never forget.
After an unfortunate incident involving Sirius, Dido, Warspite and Queen Elizabeth, caused a lot of extra work and deep cleaning for Sheffield, the weary maid returned to her dorm, greeted by the smell of freshly made chocolate. "I trust that I don't have another mess to clean up. That last one with Dido and Sirius was…a bit much."
"Don't worry Sheffy, I've taken care of it! Well…most of it, but I'll finish. You look drained. Is everything okay?"
"I'm just tired. It was a long day. And I can still hear Her Majesty's voice ringing in my ears. She was most unhappy with what transpired, but finally Lady Warspite was able to calm her down and we could get to work in relative peace…mostly. Sirius kept asking about punishment and Dido was crying."
"What happened?"
"Ask again later. I would rather not think about it right now. So, who is your judge this year? And is Belfast going to actually admit defeat when you win again?"
"She picked Omaha and honestly...I think she will. I doubt her pride could handle 4 losses to her big sister!" Edinburgh had grabbed a container and walked over to Sheffield. "I made more than usual this year. Would you like some?"
"Thank you, Edinburgh. I think I would." Sheffield was reaching into the container to pick a chocolate and was taken aback, her eyes going wide. "Chocolate guns?" She looked up at her long-time friend to see her grinning and a slight twinkle in her eye. "Did you make these…for me?"
Edinburgh blushed slightly under Sheffield's eye. "I did! B-but it's not what you might be thinking. I wanted to do something nice for you, to let you know how much I appreciate you and to be honest, you are very important me to, Sheffy. I consider you my dearest friend."
Sheffield enjoyed some of Edinburgh's sweets while her friend continued.
"Look, I know that I can complicate things from time to time and that I sometimes make things difficult for you, but you always stand by me. We have been on so many missions and sorties together, and I have come to rely on you more and more, always counting on you to see things through. I guess that's not the best quality in a friend, so I wanted to do something to show you just how much you mean to me and…I'd be lost without you, Sheffy. Since you like guns so much, I thought you would like these." Edinburgh's cheeks were still red from baring her heart and soul to her comrade, her friend…her dearest friend. Edinburgh did have a tendency of wearing her heart on her sleeve.
"Your chocolate is delicious as always and I am most appreciative of this and the sentiment behind it." While her words were most sincere, Sheffield's face still wore its usual stoic expression.
Edinburgh's expression turned to one of concern, wondering if she had gone too far with her little confession. Hesitatingly, she began to speak. "Sheffy…I…it's okay if…" Before she could finish, Sheffield cut her off with her raised hand.
"Fret not, dear Edinburgh. While I'd rather not express my feelings most of the time, do know that I also consider you to be my dearest friend. It is almost as if you and I balance each other out, covering up the areas where we are more vulnerable. I enjoy having you in my life and if anything were to ever happen to you, I would be truly devastated. If anyone hurt you, I would hunt them down relentlessly and make sure they understood the depth of their mistake." The only hint of what Sheffield was feeling at that moment was the slight softness of her voice.
Edinburgh's face began to brighten. "Wow…you really do mean that don't you?"
Still maintaining her deadpan expression, Sheffield responded with, "of course, please believe me, Edinburgh. I put 30% emotion behind those words."
Flabbergasted, Edinburgh could only respond by shouting, " Sheffy!" This of course got Sheffield to respond with one of her very rare smiles, as the corners of her lips curled up, before she laughed. Before she knew it, Edinburgh and practically leapt at her and thrown her arms around her, embracing her friend in a deep hug. Usually not one for that kind of contact, the warmth both from the physical contact and her own feelings was enough to override her instinct to pull away and separate, instead hugging Edinburgh even tighter and relishing the moment.
Thinking back on that evening brought a small smile to Sheffield's face as she looked at the candy molds, figuring out what to do with the rest of her mandatory day off. Even though she wasn't nearly as good at chocolate making than Edinburgh or even Belfast, Edinburgh had shown her how she made hers, so Sheffield decided that she would do her best to try to replicate her friend's recipe and maybe, just maybe do it justice.
Leaving her dorm, she headed out to the base commissary to pick up the ingredients she would need. Lots of ingredients, as she was certain this would take a few tries to get right. After picking up her groceries and stopping for a quick lunch of fish and chips, she headed back to her dorm to begin her little endeavor. After preparing her afternoon tea, she was ready to begin.
Her first attempt was as she would put it, "Unacceptable." The texture was off as was the flavor, and so she had discarded that batch and started over. The second try was a bit better, though she couldn't describe the result as any better than, "Adequate. But insufficient." By the third attempt, she had things figured out and remembered how Edinburgh went heavier on certain ingredients than others, which provided a richer flavor. After a few more tweaks, she had decided that this current batch was, "Close enough." She carefully pouring the sweet liquid delight into her gun shaped molds, before placing them in the freezer to set. After taking the time to clean up after herself, she moved the chocolates to the refrigerator to finish setting. A short while later, the candies were ready and she pulled them out, ready to sample her work, to see if it measured up to Edinburgh's. She gently bit into one, savoring the flavor, enjoying the texture and realizing that it was very close to her friend's chocolate. It brought another of those rare smiles to her lips. She had succeeded…more or less.
As she ate another piece, she walked over to the corner desk, taking notice of two things. One was a photo of her and Edinburgh, taken that past Valentine's day by Belfast, after Edinburgh won her third…and final chocolate competition. Belfast graciously admitted her big sister had truly bested her own abilities and she was proud of her. As Sheffield reached and picked up the photo, that day still on her mind, her eye caught a look at the calendar and the date. May 2nd. The one thing she was trying so desperately to not think about. It had been a year since it happened. And inside, the stoic maid was beginning to crack, emotions coming to the surface that she had buried so long ago, along with several memories that demanded her attention. She began to tremble.
Not long after their mutual confession, Edinburgh was assigned as an escort for a convoy bound for the Northern Parliament port of Murmansk. Normally, Sheffield would have requested and even outright demanded to be assigned to the escort as well, so that she could watch Edinburgh's back. That was not to be the case, as both Sheffield and Belfast were out of action, both having been injured on patrol, their hulls requiring repairs. As such, Edinburgh would be going by herself, along with several destroyer girls as the other escorts.
Sheffield had pulled off from her maid duties to head to down to the docks to see her dearest friend off, as well as deliver her some personally made goodies for at least the start of the voyage. When she arrived, she saw Belfast exchanging words with Edinburgh before hugging her big sister. When Bel noticed Sheffield walking their way, she bid her sister her final farewells, wishing her a safe journey and a quick return. Bel smiled at Sheffield as she got ready to head back to the command building. "I'll give you two a moment. Please don't take too long, there is still much to be done at the dorms."
Sheffield nodded with her reply. "Of course. I won't take long. I'll be back shortly."
As Belfast walked off, Sheffield turned to Edinburgh and then spoke. "I don't like this. I would rather you not be going without me. But I guess the needs of the Royal Navy and our allies say otherwise."
"Ah, don't worry Sheffy, everything will be fine. I'll get the convoy there and be back in no time. But I too, wish you were coming along. Now, why did you have to go and get hurt on your last op, huh?"
Sheffield gave her an unamused look. "I assure you, I find light duty to be a most disagreeable situation. While maid work is fulfilling, there are pests out there that need to be dealt with. After all, garbage will pile up if you don't clean it." But then Sheffield smiled. "But of course, I know you jest. Here, I made these scones for you. I hope you find them satisfactory," handing Edinburgh the bag of baked goods.
Edinburgh gave her friend a goodbye hug, even though the public display of affection made Sheffield uncomfortable. "Thanks, Sheffy. Again, I'll be back before you know it."
"Do take care of yourself Edinburgh. And watch your back as I won't be able to watch it for you."
Edinburgh grinned as she boarded the ramp into her hull, waving back at Sheffield. "I will! See you soon!"
Once Edinburgh had disappeared inside her hull, Sheffield started leaving the docks, but not before taking one last look at the docked vessel that was HMS Edinburgh.
The memory began to fade, soon to be replaced by another memory that Sheffield had tried to keep locked away. By now, her trembling had given way to tears, free flowing from both eyes. The pain she had been avoiding by burying herself in her maid duties and her own missions and sorties was breaking through her internal barriers, her mental walls crumbling, demanding that she deal with it. Sometimes, even the most hardened of warriors can't resist the call of the heart and the emotions that come with it…stronger than any weapon, and capable of piercing the strongest armor.
Several weeks had gone by, and Edinburgh was due back into port any day now. Convoy QP-11 had already departed Murmansk and was heading to the base with Edinburgh and her destroyers escorting it home. Sheffield had been assigned to duty at the dorms, where she had spent the entire morning cleaning the various rooms. She was interrupted by Suffolk.
"Sheffield, there was a call for you. The commander has requested your presence at his office."
It was unusual for the commander to summon any of the Maid Corps unless there was an emergency. "The Master only calls for one of us in an emergency. I'll head over there immediately. Can I trust you to finish here for me?"
"Of course, Sheffield! I'm on it!" While Suffolk sounded enthusiastic, Sheffield was certain she would end up re-cleaning that dorm. She headed to the commander's office with due haste. When she arrived, she saw Belfast waiting in the secretary's office. Belfast was equally surprised to see Sheffield.
"What are you doing here, Sheffield?"
"I was informed that the Master had requested me here. Given how helpless the Master can be sometimes, I figured it couldn't be good. What brings the Head Maid here?
Belfast rubbed her chin with her gloved hand. "I was also summoned by the Master. This is most intriguing."
"We shall see." While the maids had been talking to one another the secretary ship, Renown, had phoned the commander, letting him know that both maids had arrived."
After hanging up the phone, Renown, addressed the two maids. "The commander will see you both now."
Belfast gave a courtesy knock before opening the door and both maids entering. "Master you wished to speak with me…us?"
The commander was sitting in his high back chair, facing the wall behind his desk, his back to the two maids. When he spoke, he sounded very subdued. "Please take a seat." Belfast and Sheffield sat in the chairs in front of the desk, waiting to find out what was so urgent. After a few more moments had passed in silence, Belfast spoke up. "Master, is everything all right?"
The commander finally turned to face the two maids, his face heavy, his body looking worn out. In his hand was a report that it he seemed to have been agonizing over. He took a deep breath, before exhaling slowly, trying to calm himself before he spoke. He gestured to the report in hand as he spoke.
"I have received some…difficult news. The official after-action report will soon be submitted to HQ at which point, the news will be made known across the base and within Royal Navy. I felt that you two should hear this from me before the report gets out. You deserve nothing less." He set the report down and looked both cruisers in the eye before continuing, noting the concern on Belfast's face while Sheffield continued to look on with her typical neutral expression. "Convoy QP 11 was intercepted by Iron Blood forces. A submarine spotted the group and attacked only days after they left Murmansk. Edinburgh was seriously hurt by torpedo attacks and was forced to turn back to Murmansk to seek emergency repairs. Before she made it back, an Iron Blood destroyer group intercepted her. I'm terribly sorry to report that we lost Edinburgh."
Sheffield felt as if she had just been smacked by a battleship caliber shell. The news caused an adrenaline spike, and she jerked her head back slightly while her eyes went wide. In the other chair, the highly composed and focused Belfast physically shook, gasping in shock, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes also widened in response to the dreadful news that the commander had just delivered. Belfast looked over to Sheffield who in turn met Belfast's gaze when she noticed the head turn. Belfast's eyes were already full of pain and while Sheffield tried to keep her face neutral, her eyes betrayed her, Belfast seeing the sadness that had already settled in.
The commander continued. "Even in her nearly crippled state, she didn't go down without a fight and gave as good as she got. She took one of them with her. She was a true testament to the Royal Navy and those she served with." By now, even the commander was shedding a few tears. He had always been very fond of Edinburgh. "Belfast, as her sister, I wanted you to know what happened to her and I wanted you to hear it from me and not from base gossip. Sheffield, I…I know from Edinburgh that the two of you were very close. I figured I owed you the same courtesy as Belfast. Again, I am so sorry to have to tell you this…both of you. If either of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
By now, shock was beginning to set in for Sheffield. She sat there with a thousand-yard stare, eyes piercing the wall in front of her, while her mind started racing. She had tuned out her surroundings, aware that Belfast was saying something to the commander, but not hearing or understanding any of it. She immediately began to blame herself for this tragedy…that somehow, the outcome would've been different if she was there with her. Then she regained her focus, pushing those thoughts down and cleared her mind with the discipline she was renowned for. Regaining her stoic expression, she finally spoke up, ready to be done with this ordeal. "Will that be all, Master?"
Taken aback not only by Sheffield's question, but also the neutral tone with which she had asked it, the Commander could only respond with a weak hand gesture directed towards the door before finally speaking up. "Yes. Dismissed. Both of you." With that, the two maids left the office and the Commander returned to his own work, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.
Remembering how she felt with that news and how she had previously forced herself not to react to it was only making her current emotional breakdown worse. She had buried it, all of it, and refused to think on it, focusing on the next mission, the next task. She had never grieved for Edinburgh, her dearest friend, and now, all that guilt she was feeling had returned, fueled by what she was feeling now. She again looked at the photo of the two of them, eyes full of tears as she clutched it to her chest, her broken heart demanding her undivided attention.
She felt guilt for having been injured herself and being under repair when Edinburgh departed on what turned out to be her final mission. A mission that everyone was sure she would be back from in no time at all. The ONE mission where Edinburgh went out and Sheffield wasn't there with her, watching her back. All their covert operations together, all their prior sorties and commissions together, it was only when they weren't together that something happened to either of them. Edinburgh had been there when Sheffield needed her, of that, she could always be counted on. Sheffield got careless and got injured, and as a result, Edinburgh left without her. Something dreadful happened to her and what Sheffield had once confessed to her had come to pass. Edinburgh's sinking had truly devastated Sheffield. By now, Sheffield tears had turned to heavy sobs, the inexorable wave of emotions she had locked away overwhelming her. And as if she wasn't in enough pain, another feeling presented itself in the midst of her breakdown…the horror of a line she very nearly crossed.
Late one evening, Sheffield used her 'cloak and dagger' skills to obtain a copy of the official report regarding Edinburgh's sinking. While the information on the responsible submarine was lacking, she did learn which destroyers were involved in the final attack on her closest friend that had ended in her demise. Edinburgh took one of them with her. As expected from a member of the Royal Maids. Armed with the identities of the other two destroyers, she just needed the opportunity to engage them. Sheffield volunteered for every sortie that she could, especially if there was chance to engage Iron Blood forces. While many of these bore no fruit, nevertheless, her persistence paid off when her fleet spotted an Iron Blood convoy under escort. One of the escorts was one of Edinburgh's attackers.
As the escorts laid smoke screens to shield their convoy, they split up, attempting to divide the Royal Navy force to give the convoy greater chances of escaping destruction. Sheffield's quarry was fleeing alone to the south, so she radioed the rest of the fleet that she would pursue the lone destroyer. Since the destroyer was still barely in range, Sheffield fired with everything she had on her rigging. A couple of her shells hit home, damaging the enemy shipgirl's rigging, injuring the girl and slowing her down some. She tried to make a run for it, but as she exacerbated her injury, she slowed down further to where Sheffield could stay in gun range and cut her down with her superior firepower. This pursuit kept up for about 20 minutes with Sheffield constantly closing the gap. With no escape in sight, the Iron Blood destroyer came about and fired back with everything she had. Sheffield had anticipated her torpedo salvo, deftly dodging it before firing back with all 12 barrels of her 6-inch guns and her secondary turret pistols in both hands. Her fire was devastatingly accurate, and she had knocked the destroyer off her feet, her main gun broken, and her torpedo tubes disabled.
Skimming across the surface of the water up to the fallen shipgirl, Sheffield took a good look at her prey, while training her guns on her. The pink-haired destroyer stared back, her face full of horror and her eyes full of tears. She was desperately clutching something that looked like a stuffed toy. In between sniffles, she meekly cried out, "P-Please! Don't hurt me anymore! I am no longer a threat to you!" Sheffield continued to stare her down with her expressionless face, her eyes looking devoid of anything, let alone sympathy.
Her tone flat, she finally responded to her prey that was desperately trying to show that she was no threat. "You ask for mercy? What of the mercy shown for that cruiser that you had a hand in sinking all those months ago? She was no threat to you. She was trying to get back to port to treat her injuries. That didn't stop you and your two cohorts from attacking her. And I'm sure she didn't try to beg for her life either. She would have accepted her fate with the elegance and dignity befitting a member of the Maid Corps. At least she, my dearest friend, took one of you with her before she died."
Sheffield raised her pistol, aiming right in between Z25's eyes. Z25 cried out her last words in between sobs. "Ich liebe dich, große Schwester. Auf Wiedersehen." Knowing some German, Sheffield understood what the girl's last words were, crying out for her sister. She hesitated. She tried to refocus and finish what she started. No, you can't do this, she is helpless. She took aim again. Her hand and arm began shaking. She raised her weapon. No, I must do this, I will avenge Edinburgh! Z25 closed her eyes, still sobbing. Sheffield glared at the girl before lowering her weapon again her eyes narrowing. Do it. Do it! DO IT! She willed herself to pull the trigger but now her arm was shaking worse than before. Edinburgh's face suddenly appeared in her mind, still smiling as her words echoed in Sheffield's thoughts, "I'd be lost without you, Sheffy."
"I'd be lost without you." Sheffield then gasped, horror overtaking her as she realized what she was about to do. She was lost without Edinburgh. She had lost her own way and she was about to cross a line of which there was no going back. She slowly lowered her weapon, a look of shame painted on her features. "Killing you won't bring her back. Edinburgh would not have wanted that. And it won't make me feel better." Hearing Sheffield speak, Z25 opened her eyes to see the cruiser lower her gun before Sheffield addressed her for the last time. "Go home, home to your sister. Cherish the bond you two share and be there for one another. If we meet again, may it be when our nations are once again at peace." With that, Sheffield sailed away, leaving the terrified destroyer girl hurt, but alive.
Sheffield's sobs continued. Her heart was aching. She desperately missed her friend, and she almost executed a fellow shipgirl. No, not an execution. It would have been cold-blooded murder. She was ashamed of her actions. She had told no one. Several more minutes went by before her sobs began to lessen giving way to free flowing tears. "I miss you, Edinburgh. And I'm sorry." Soon after, her wave of emotions subsided. She regained control of herself, drying her eyes and blowing her nose. She was still looking at her framed photo, unaware that there was someone outside the door to her dorm. Someone that had heard much of what Sheffield was going through. There was a knock at the door.
Bugger! How am I to hide this? Sheffield replaced her photo and quickly went to the bathroom to rinse her face off. There was another knock. Bollocks! She went to the door and smoothed out her uniform before opening the door. She did not expect to see Belfast standing there.
"Belfast? Do you require something of me?" While Sheffield had regained control of her voice and her face was as stoic as ever, there was no hiding it from Belfast. Her eyes were still red and puffy from the crying, her cheeks still flushed. And she had heard it.
"Sheffield…are you okay?" Belfast cared about all her subordinates, but this was genuine concern for a friend and her tone was soft.
"I am fine. Did you need something?"
Belfast's face was gentle and caring. She knew what was happening and that Sheffield preferred to keep her feelings to herself. But Belfast needed her to know that she wasn't alone. "It is okay to be sad, Sheffield. It is okay to miss her. I miss her terribly. That's why I'm here. I was planning on preparing Edinburgh's favorite meal to honor her. I came here to invite you to join me, to celebrate her memory, together."
"Am I to assume that you have been standing out here for a while?" Sheffield's tone and face were neutral, though what she didn't voice was her displeasure at her privacy being somewhat violated. But that wasn't what Belfast intended, and she knew it. She could hardly hold it against her.
Belfast looked away, guilt on her face. "I have. Given that it's not like you to…unload in that fashion, I didn't want to interrupt you. I should have left and come back later, but I must admit that I am very concerned for you and wanted to be sure you're okay."
"I am better now. You may as well come in for a moment." After Belfast entered, Sheffield gave her an accusatory look. "So, was this day off your idea or the Master's?"
"Both. I know you and I know that you had never taken the time to grieve for her. But I also knew that this day would be difficult for you and me. I knew that the moment the Master told us of Edinburgh's loss, with the way you reacted. That is why I wanted you to have some time to sort out your feelings."
Sheffield, not one to have interference in her life was perturbed. "Why was that so important to you? Why did you feel it necessary to force me into this situation? My feelings are my own and I had them under control…at least until today."
Belfast's face changed to one of hardened resolve. "You hide your emotions well, Sheffield, no one can deny that. But don't forget that I also know you very well. The signs were very subtle, but there, nonetheless. I could see the slowly increasing angst starting to consume you. While you have always taken to your duties with the utmost enthusiasm, your increasing need to stay busy, to stay focused started to give it away. I also know about your little covert operation into the Commander's office to obtain that report."
Sheffield was taken aback. "W-wha…how?"
"It is the Head Maid's duty to look out for the wellbeing of all under her supervision. As I have stated before, I have been concerned about you for a while."
Belfast continued while Sheffield listened on, wondering just how much the Head Maid had pieced together as she seemed to dismantle Sheffield with her words. "As to why I thought this important enough to 'force you' into this situation, I look no further than your sudden decline in sorties, following your prior rapid increase. The way I see it, something happened on your sortie where you intercepted that Iron Blood convoy. I don't know the details beyond the general report of you chasing down a destroyer for an extended period before returning. One of the girls in your fleet noticed a change in your demeanor afterwards. For you to decide to solely hunt down a lone destroyer, I could only deduce that it had to do with that report, and that she was one of them, and that something happened out there. But that angst I mentioned before was still there after you returned. Whatever you were searching for, you did not find it on the battlefield."
Sheffield could only stand there, completely dumbfounded as Belfast read her like a book. After a moment, her shame had risen once more. "My intentions during that sortie were despicable. I very nearly committed a most heinous act before a simple memory of Edinburgh brought me back to the realization of what I was about to do and that I was lost without her." Belfast genuinely wanted to help her, so there was little reason not to trust her. Belfast had never betrayed anyone's trust, nor would she ever.
Belfast placed a hand on Sheffield's shoulder. "That is why you needed this. That is why you needed to grieve her loss, because by not doing so, by your own admission, it nearly consumed you." Sheffield pondered Belfast's words, wondering just how and when she started to know her so well.
"And what of you, Belfast?"
"I admit this day has been difficult for me and that I still mourn for my sister. But I made my peace with it a while ago and will continue to live my life and celebrate it with those around me in the memory of those who are no longer with us."
Sheffield said nothing while Belfast looked at the photo on the desk. "Ah yes, Valentine's Day, last year. The day I finally admitted defeat in our little chocolate competition. I can smell it. Did you make some?"
Sheffield gestured to the container with the chocolate. "It turned out well. It tastes almost exactly like Edinburgh's. Help yourself."
Belfast raised an eyebrow. "Chocolate guns? How befitting of you, Sheffield."
Sheffield's lips curled up into a small smile. "Edinburgh acquired those, from where I do not know. She made me those same little guns with the same batch the same day she bested you for the third time."
"You're right, it does taste like Edinburgh's. You did well. You honor her with this. You should be proud."
"Take all you want. I will be disposing of the rest."
Belfast frowned at her fellow maid. "How wasteful. And a poor end for a fine treat. I can think of someone who would love to have these if you don't want them, "said Belfast with a wink.
"Ah, of course. How careless of me." Sheffield regarded Belfast for a moment, before speaking again. "Thank you, Belfast. I did need this, though I would never have admitted to it before. I appreciate that you always have the best interests of the Maid Corps in mind. " Her expression was soft, and another rare smile began to grace her features. "I accept your invitation and offer my assistance with the preparation."
The Head Maid smiled again, before approaching Sheffield and embracing her. An embrace that Sheffield returned. "Splendid. Let us be on our way."
Sheffield grabbed the container of chocolate guns on her way out. "I will see you there shortly. I need to deliver these first."
She walked downstairs to the destroyer wing, stopping when she reached the door with Echo's name on it. She knocked.
The small destroyer girl opened the door and smiled, greeting her cheerfully. "Miss Sheffield! Hello! How are you?"
"I am well, Echo. Here, I thought you might like these." She handed the box over to Echo who quickly opened it and her smile grew even wider.
"Chocolate! Mmmm! I love sweets! Wait, are these little guns? They're cute! Hehehe!" She grabbed one and bit into it. "Wow, this is really good. It reminds me of the chocolate that Edinburgh would make me." The mention of Edinburgh made Echo's smile fade somewhat, sadness slowly coming across her features.
"That's because the recipe is Edinburgh's. She shared it with me. It took me a few tries to get it right. She also got the gun molds to make those. She had made these for me once. Seeing them inspired me to make this. But since I am not as fond of sweets, I figured you would enjoy this more. Edinburgh loved making sweets for you."
Echo was sad for a moment, but after eating another, she pepped right up again. "Thank you so much, Miss Sheffield! It's really good. And I think Edinburgh would be proud of you!"
"You don't need to use the 'Miss' with me, Echo. Sheffield is fine. Perhaps I will make some more in the future. Please enjoy them. I must be going as I have another commitment." Sheffield turned to leave, but not before Echo insisted that she take one of her little creations with her, because it would be rude of her not to share.
"Bye, Mi…Sheffield!" Echo grinned as she waved.
Sheffield headed back upstairs to the Head Maid's dorm, giving a courtesy knock on the door before entering, where Belfast had begun the meal preparation. "So, how did it go? Did she like them?"
"Yes, she did. That was the right call. And while I've never been particularly amused by the destroyer girls and their energy, I think I can see why Edinburgh liked her so much."
"She's a good girl. Well, I've only just started. Would you chop the vegetables while I prepare the meat?"
It was the first of what would become a tradition between Sheffield and Belfast to honor the memory of their loved one, while their shared pain led to a strengthening of their own friendship.