Part fifteen – I.N.J.M.W.

"Sir, what are your plans for the holidays?" asked my secretary as she was packing it in for the break that we were going to be enjoying from the twentieth December this year to the fourth of January next year.

Sitting back in my office chair I look off to the side as I say to her, "I had wanted to head to Davenport this year to be with my sisters, mother, and aunts, but there isn't enough time for me to cross the Atlantic, twice, and be back in time for work."

Ontario runs a hand through her brown hair and offers me a warm smile as she says, "Sorry to hear that, Sir, but I'm sure you'll find something to keep you busy."

With a nod before I reach into my desk and take out a wrapped gift and I place it down on my desk as I say, "Happy Christmas, Minotaur."

She tilts her head to the side as she lifts it up and says, "Thank you sir, but you know that I'm named Ontario here."

"You're right, but this should help with that." I say to her with a smile and add, "Go ahead and open it now."

She gives me a sideways look and pulls off the wrapping paper to see a black box with a seal of the RCN on it. As she takes the lid off I see her eyes start to water as she lifts out a gold pentagon that has a crown on the top of it, in the center a bull's head below the word, Minotaur. She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand before lifting out a document and reading it out loud between happy sobbing, "In recognition of recent events and by the request of His Majesty King James VIII of the United Kingdom, the Royal Canadian Navy hereby restores the name of HMCS Ontario to HMCS Minotaur."

Once she was done wiping her eyes she came over and wrapped me in a tight hug, and started sobbing again into my shoulder, I rubbed her back and asked, "That's okay right?"

She squeezed me tighter and sobbed out, "It is, thank you so much, Sir! You have no idea what this means to me!"

Still rubbing her back I say to her, "Good, I honestly had no idea what to do for you this year for everything you've done for me over the last few months."

She lets go of me and takes a step back, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands before looking at the crest and smiling before saying to me, "It was nothing, and I was glad to help. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know."

I place a hand on her right shoulder and smile at her as I say, "Go and have a good holiday, Minotaur, and I will see you in January."

She nods and salutes before coming back in for another hug as she whispers to me, "I will, Sir, and thank you!"

Rubbing her back again I say to her, "Your welcome, now I'm sure you have someplace you want to be."

Stepping back again to place everything back in the black box before lifting it to her chest as she says, "Yes Sir, have a happy Christmas sir."

I nod and add, "Thanks, you too. Now off with you."

She spins on her heel and hurries out the door, tripping and going bow into the ground, leaving me shaking my head and chuckling quietly. She gets herself up off the ground and says, "I think I should see about getting something done about that… anyway, good night Sir!"

Once she was gone, my smile faded and I sat back in my chair and sighed, this was going to be a long two weeks. Spinning my chair around so I could look out the window at the snow-covered port, at least the sky was clear and the moon was out reflecting off the snow, it made everything surprisingly bight. Part of me was starting to like this place, especially on nights like this and it was starting to feel like home here. I moved to stand at the window, looking out at the snow-covered hulls, Minotaur was going to be in for a surprise the next time she went out to her hull and saw that the name had been replaced with Minotaur. I was glad I was able to do this for her, even if I had to ask my soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Speaking of which, that had been a strange hunting trip, we all knew he was going to ask for her hand, but he'd been delaying it for as long as he could for some reason, well, I knew the reason anyway. When I had called and talked to him about that request for Minotaur, he asked me if I was going to be in Davenport for the holiday. And when I had to inform him that I would be unable to attend it, he asked me of all people for Dominion's hand on the phone. I shake my head at the memory, I had told him that I wasn't in a position to deny that to him and he insisted that tradition demanded he asked her closest male relative for permission to ask her for her hand this holiday. I let out a sigh and place a hand on my window as I say, "At least I know Dominion is going to have a Happy Christmas this year."

I almost jumped when I heard my mobile start to ring, letting me know I was getting a video call. Raising an eyebrow I hit accept as soon as I saw the name, NJ. As soon as it connected she grinned at me and asked, "What'cha doin' for Christmas this year?"

"I had planned on going to the UK." I saw a little dryly.

"Then what are you doing in your office? You should've set sail two weeks ago then!" she teases.

Moving back to my window I sigh out, "I couldn't swing a month's leave already."

"Well, that sucks." She says before pausing, snapping her fingers, and saying, "You know what, you should come to Norfolk this year."

"Why?" I ask as I turn slightly and raise an eyebrow.

NJ is grinning at me as she says, "So you're not sulking in your office all alone for two weeks, that's why!"

"Pretty sure it'd be strange for me to head down there for two weeks, besides aren't your sisters getting together over the holiday?" I ask as I finish turning around and folding my arms across my chest.

"We do every year, last year was in San Diego, this year is Norfolk." She says, before putting on the puppy dog eyes as she adds, "Don't make me beg you to come and hang out with people on a holiday about being together with people."

"I'd hate to interrupt something between you and your sisters." I answer, trying to see if I could get out of this.

She grins even broader as she says, "It'll be fine. I might even get to see a flustered Momo out of this. But I'm not taking no for an answer, I'll come up there and tow you down here if I have to!"

Sighing and hanging my head I relent, "Fine."

"Great, I'll meet you at the docks when you get down here!" she says and kills the link.

Looking back up and to my phone, I groan out, "Guess I better find a place to do some last-minute shopping for people I don't know well."

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True to her word NJ was waiting for me at the docks just past customs in Norfolk, but rather than her black body glove and white jacket she was in the ugliest Christmas sweater I had ever seen and black leggings. That sweater honestly hurt to look at, I wasn't sure if it was red with green trees or green with upside-down red trees. Once I was through customs NJ came right over to me, linking an arm through mine as I slung my pack on my shoulder as she said, "You made it, great!"

Arching an eyebrow I ask, "You sound surprised?"

She shrugs and starts to lead me through the various corridors, not one stepping outside, as she said, "Well, I know that things went sideways when your ex arrived as part of that convoy." She paused and looked at me as she went on, "I wasn't sure if you were okay or not, since you wouldn't talk about it."

Looking off to the side I say to her, "A lot of dark things came out of me meeting with her, things I didn't know, and more stuff that made my entire time with her seem awful when I look back at it."

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad." She says and tugs on my arm a little.

"Worse, actually, but I don't want to dwell on that right now. I'm already sad that I have to miss out on my sister's engagement this holiday." I sigh out.

NJ all but squeals out tugging on my arm as she adds, "Which sister is it? Conqueror, Dominion, or Sovereign?"

"Dominion." I confirm as I adjust my pack that got out of places when NJ tugged on me there.

Nj whistles before saying to me, "Wow, I'm sorry you're going to miss that, you going to call her this holiday then?"

"I was planning on it." I say as NJ lets go of me and hop around a little before linking arms with me again as she said, "Oh that is just cool."

"So, since I'm here, aside from Mo, anything I need to know about your sisters?" I ask, just so I can get an idea of what I'm walking into.

NJ grins at me and winks as she says, "Thought I'd toss you out to them and see what happens."

"I hate you." I tease.

She grins at me and pats my cheek as she says, "You love it."

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When we got to her quarters I noticed that it was large, larger than even I was afforded and before I could even ask anything, I heard a voice I didn't recognize ask out, "NJ, is that you? Did you find what you went looking for?"

"Sure did, Iowa!" NJ calls back before looking over her shoulder at me and winking and adding, "And it was a ton of work to get it here."

"What'd you get NJ?" asked a voice I did recognize, Mighty Mo, from a side room.

Above us, on the second floor, I heard footfalls before a second voice I didn't recognize called out, "NJ! We all agreed, no men for this, kansen only remember?!"

Looking up to that last voice I saw a young woman, late teens I'd say with red hair that all but blazed like fire, her hands we on her hips and she was leaning forward a little glaring down at me with red eyes. NJ waved a hand dismissively at her and said, "Come on Whisky, he was going to be all alone this holiday."

From down the hall I heard someone approaching, looking in that direction I saw her, she looked a lot like NJ, but with long black hair and red eyes, her head tilting to the side as she looked me up and down before saying, "Well, at least he's cute." She paused and looked to NJ before adding, "But Whisky is right, we all agreed no men, just kansen."

NJ rolled her blue eyes and called back, "But Iowa, it's fine," NJ paused and looked back at me as she added, "right Thunderer, you're one of us."

Everything went dead quiet. This Iowa lifted a hand to her mouth, Whisky's mouth dropped wide open, and I heard a crashing from the side room, seconds before Mo asked, "Thunderer?"

"Yes, Mo?" I ask back in a tone that suggested I wasn't entirely sure.

Sticking her head out of the side room and I see that she's in a sports bra and shorts, a towel around her shoulders before she goes bright red and smiles at me and asks, "What are you doing here?"

"I told you all, he was going to be alone this holiday." NJ says, putting her hands on her hips as she adds, "He couldn't get time off to go all the way to the UK to be with his family this year."

Mo is still bright red and she avoids eye contact with me as she says, "I'm okay with him staying here with us, it's Christmas after all and no one should be alone for it."

"To hell with that!" Whisky called back adding, "No men, means no men!"

"But he's kansen!" NJ protests, adding, "Me and Momo have seen his hull and rigging personally!"

Iowa finishes wiping her hands on the apron she had on and comes over to me, looking me up and down as she asks, "If you really are one of us, who are your sisters?"

Rolling my eyes I say, "Two are Conqueror class, Conqueror and Dominion, and one is Thunderer subclass, Sovereign."

"And where are they stationed?" Iowa asks as she adjusts the collar on my jacket.

"Conqueror is at the Atlantic fleet HQ, Dominion is in Davenport with the Home Fleet, and Sovereign is with the Pacific fleet at Midway." I confirm.

Iowa gives me one last sideways look before shrugging as she says, "His eyes are right for being kansen and he knows enough about who and where his sisters are, so I'll take him at his word." She paused and looked at NJ to add, "But try not to just drop things on us NJ, we're going to have to figure out sleeping arrangements now, we've only got four bedrooms after all." Again she paused and winked at NJ as she teased out, "Unless you were already planning on sharing a room with him?"

For the first time, ever, I saw NJ go bright red and moan out, "Iowa!"

Iowa laughed and patted my chest before whispering, "You could always keep me warm later."

Now it was my turn to go bright red as NJ grabbed me by the arm and said, "I'll bunk with Momo, he can have my room."

Iowa started to laugh as NJ dragged me away and I could see that she was still bright red in the cheeks. Once we were in her room, NJ started to clean out a couple of draws as she said to me, "Sorry about Iowa, she likes to tease me, like I like to tease Momo, and don't worry about Whisky, she's just prickly."

I start to unpack my stuff and I put out the four gifts on the bed as I say, "It's alright, I'm crashing this after all, sorry for making you give up your room."

NJ shakes her head as she says, "I offered, so no biggy." She pauses as she sees the gifts on the bed and asks, "What are those for?"

"Well, since I'm crashing this, I thought I'd be right that I bring something for each of you." I say as I start to take out my clothing.

NJ comes over and picks up the package marked with her name, giving it a little shake as she asks, "What's in it?"

"You'll have to wait to find out." I tease her.

She sighs and puts it down as she says, "Fiiiinee. Oh! You need to get your name in the hat for the movie pick tonight, and toss in a movie too."

Without waiting for me to respond NJ took hold of my arm again and dragged me to the door and just as it opened, we both saw Iowa standing there with a plan in her hand attached to so some string. NJ's eyes went wide and Iowa grinned as she put it over my head as she said, "Your pick there big guy, me or NJ."

Looking up at the plant it took me a moment to recognize it, mistletoe, shaking my head from side to side I say, "You Eagle Union girls and your mistletoe."

Iowa winks at me as she says, "Fine then, pucker up big guy."

I was surprised that Iowa took the lead here, her lips were soft, like Illustrious' but they were only connected for a second before the kiss broke and she winked at me as she said, "Offer defiantly stands there big guy, you could keep me warm tonight."

"Aright, that's enough of that Iowa!" NJ all but shouts as she shoves Iowa out the door and closes it behind her, leaning against the door NJ looks at me, she as this look on her face of disappointment before it's covered up and she says, "Be careful around Iowa, she's been known to go after what she thinks is cute."

With a nod, I say to her, "Thanks for the heads up."

She smiles at me and opens the door again before pulling me by the arm as she says, "Let's go find that movie before Iowa is done with dinner."

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It's not that I don't enjoy Christmas movies, but this one; I don't know it's hitting a little close to home and my arm is falling asleep like the weight on my right arm is. I carefully slip out from under the weight and go to the kitchen to see Iowa working away at the dishes, she looks over her shoulder at me and asks, "Not enjoying the movie?"

Looking off to the side I admit, "It's a Wonderful Life, seems to be hitting a little too close to home for me."

She nods and tosses me a towel as she says, "Come here, you can help me dry the plates." Once I was over there and starting to dry some of the plates Iowa said to me, "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier, but I couldn't pass up bugging NJ."

"How would that bug NJ?" I ask as I put away one of the plates and grab another one.

Iowa looks at me and says, "Come on, you and NJ are an item, right? I mean she heads up north to see you most weekends, even brought you home to meet us."

I shrug and put away another dish as I say, "As far as I know, we're just friends."

Iowa scoffs and shakes her head as she says, "NJ fell asleep on you. She doesn't do that normally, with anyone."

Again I shrug and put away a dish as I say, "She's been a big help, getting me out and around town and not being a shut-in."

Iowa nods as she says to me, "I heard about the whole ordeal you went through from Washington and North Carolina." She pauses to look at me as she says, "Just don't close yourself off to the possibility, alright? I don't think NJ knows herself yet."

"Knows what?" I ask, honestly I had no idea what Iowa was talking about.

"That she likes you as more than a friend." Iowa says to me.

Blinking a few times as I slide another dish into the cupboard I ask, "Are you sure about that?"

Iowa laughs a little and looks back to the living room where Whisky was looking board, NJ was asleep on the couch and Mo was holding a pillow to her chest, eyes glued to the screen before she said to me, "I am."

Rising an eyebrow I ask, "How do you figure that?"

Iowa places a hand on my arm as she says, "Because every time I call her, it's always 'Oh, Iowa, guess what I did this weekend with Thunderer!' or, 'Any ideas what I should do with Thunderer this weekend?'"

I look back at the living room at the sleeping NJ and I say, "My mother asked me if I was seeing NJ when she met NJ several weeks ago."

"What did you tell her?" Iowa asked me.

"That we were friends, then she said 'If you say so.'" I say as my brow knits together.

Iowa smirks and laughs a little as she says, "Your mother sounds like a smart lady."

I nod as I confirm, "She is, and kind too, I don't think I'd have lasted as long as I have without her."

Iowa rinses the last dish and hands it to me as she turns to dry her hands and say to me, "But if you're not interested in NJ, be honest with her, alright?" As I look to Iowa she winks at me and adds, "Because I'd defiantly give the sheets a toss with you if you want."

I nod slowly as I say, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good, then finish up and go back to the movie." She says as she takes off the apron and heads back into the living room, leaving me wondering what to do with this new information.

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A/N: I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and special shout out to Dishwasher1910 for his outstanding Iowa design that I'm going with for Iowa in this story. Wow I also managed to bang this one out today, 16 might take a day or two though…