Jean let out a sigh as she sat in a chair watching the sleeping girl before her, Massachusetts was asleep on a hospital bed her right arm in a sling and Jean knew the whitehaired girl's left leg and side were wrapped in a bandage but covered by the bed sheets.
Massachusetts had passed out on the way back to the base as Jean had been carrying her back and had yet to wake up, Jean noticed a stray strand of white hair on Massachusetts face, Jean got to her feet she walked over and sat on the bed next to the eagle union girl and brushed the stray hair behind Massachusetts ear, Massachusetts stirred slightly and turned her head to the side but remained asleep.
Jean had a spark of hope when Massachusetts had moved but it died when Massachusetts remained asleep, Jean let out a breath as she felt the suffocating feeling she'd been feeling since she'd entered the room 'Why did you do that?' Jean thought to herself as she took Massachusetts unharmed hand in her own as she felt her eyes sting and weight pull on her shoulders and heart.
Just then she heard the door open "Behind the curtains." Jean heard Vestal say and the blonde could hear a pair of feet walking towards the bed, the blonde turned and saw Dunkerque and Richelieu pull the curtains back.
"Jean, are you ok?" Richelieu asked quietly.
"I'm fine." Jean said turning her attention back to Massachusetts.
"What happened?" Dunkerque asked.
(Five hours earlier)
"Remind me to tell Ajax we need to have a serious talk about what's small fry!" Exeter shouted over the radio.
"Only if you can tear her off the commander first!" Jean shouted back as she let off another salvo from her guns seeing one of the Sirens explode, before glancing over at Massachusetts who was carrying her injured arm.
Jean felt her anger bubble at the sight, but she also felt her heart twist "Massie you, ok?" Jean asked over the radio.
"I'm fine!" the eagle union girl replied.
Just then Jean heard Javelin shout come over the radio "Jean Bart, behind you!"
Jean turned to see a Siren aiming their weapons right at her about to fire, she didn't have time to turn and fire and even if she did her guns still weren't ready to fire yet.
"Merde!" Jean swore just as the guns were about to fire, but just before the Siren fired the blonde heard Massachusetts shout her name before she felt a pair of hands push her forwards, Jean heard the Sirens guns fire and felt the beams fly past her head before she landed on her face in the water.
The next thing Jean knew was an explosion going off behind her and a scream following, the blonde turned to see Massachusetts laying on the water groaning, Jean felt a fire ignite in her heart and she turned back to the siren with her guns now loaded "You Merde!" Jean shouted as her guns roared and the siren disappeared in an explosion.
With the threat gone Jean rushed to Massachusetts side "Massie!"
As Jean reached Massachusetts, she could see the whitehaired girl's side was cut open and her leg was burned.
"Jean." Massachusetts coughed. "Are you ok?"
"I should be asking you that, what were you thinking?" Jean said looking over the whitehaired girl.
"I wasn't going to let you get hurt." Massachusetts sighed.
"Idiot." Jean muttered before lifting Massachusetts up 'You could have died; I could have lost you.' Jean thought feeling her stomach churn at the thought of losing Massie "Come on we are getting you out of her."
"I'm fine." Massachusetts said before groaning as she was brought fully to her feet.
"Yeah right, come on." Jean said lifting Massachusetts into a bridle carry before moving out and shouting for the others to follow her.
(Present time)
Jean felt an impossibly heavy weight pushing down on her heart once she was done recounting the battle, she felt suffocated "Can you two watch her for me please, I need some air." Jean said before leaving the room without waiting for a response from the other two girls.
Jean walked quickly out the building, once outside the blonde felt the cold air, Jean let out a breath before leaning on one of the pillars by the entrance for support 'That idiot, she could have died!' Jean moaned in her head as she felt her insides churn at the thought.
"Are you ok Jean?" Jean turned a saw her sister looking at her with a concerned look.
"I'm fine." Jean sighed "And I thought I asked you to keep an eye on Massie."
"Dunkerque's watching her." Richelieu said quietly "You looked like you could use you big sisters help, so talk to me."
Jean rested her back on the pillar with her arms crossed, she didn't want to talk she wanted to get her hands on the siren and rip them apart with her bare hands, blating it with her guns felt too merciful for its crime.
She wanted to go back in time and stop Massachusetts from ever being hurt and in that state to begin with, just the idea of the battleship not being ok made her heart burn with anger and frustration at herself for being so careless and letting the siren get the drop on her and not stopping the whitehaired girl from diving in to safe her 'I didn't need saving you idiot, I wasn't hurt I could have take one hit from a measly siren, I took multiple hits from you didn't I?' Jean said in her head with frustration and she felt a weight pull on her heart and shoulders again.
"Jean." The saint said quietly pulling the blonde out of her musings, the saints hands holding on to one of Jean's that had unconsciously grabbed a fist full of her jacket.
"Jean, I'm your big sister just talk to me." Richelieu pleaded "I just want to help you."
"How would you feel seeing Dunkerque like that?" Jean sighed.
"Like my world was ending." Richelieu said quietly "I'd want to turn the clocks back and make sure it never happened."
"Exactly how I feel now." Jean growled leaving her head back slightly with her eyes closed as she felt them stinging slightly.
"Why did she do that?" Jean asked the questions she'd been asking ever since the fight again "I hadn't taken a hit but she was hurt and yet she still dived in to stop me taking the blast and took it herself."
"She did it because she cares deeply about you." The saint replied, "Your important to her, just like you and Dunkerque are to me and how she is to you."
"How do you mean?" Jean asked opening her eye to look at her sister.
"Jean, we are sisters." Richelieu smiled "Plus you do act different around her than anyone else, I've never seen you so willingly hug someone in public like you do when you her Massachusetts and I've seen those shy glances you give when you think we aren't looking."
Jean let out a huff as she felt her cheeks warm slightly at her sister's word. But the saint was right, ever since she'd stayed over at Massachusetts her heart always picked up a little bit when the two were around each other, her gaze always tended to linger on the whitehaired girl whenever she saw her in the distance and that cute smile Massachusetts had made her heart stop and then beat faster and louder than a charging bull running through a hall.
"I never could hide things from you, could I?" Jean said opening her eyes to look at her sister "I don't know what it is about her but something about her just…makes me smile and feel safe."
"Aw, so have you told her yet?"
"No."
"Why not, you clearly like her?"
"I just can't seem to find the write words to say, I think about it and I just clam up." Jean groaned "Plus I don't know how she feels, she could just see me as a friend and I don't want to lose her as a friend." Jean bitterly.
"You know if you don't, someone else might."
Jean felt her insides boiling at her sister's word, Jean wasn't sure who was angry at more the Siren that had hurt Massachusetts or this faceless person that was trying to win the white-haired girls heart, but then the image of Massachusetts rejecting her crossed her mind to and her veins instantly turned to ice "Still…" Jean muttered only to be interrupted by a hand touching her shoulder; the blonde looked up to see her sisters smiling face
"I have faith it will work out in your favour." Richelieu said with a smile.
"You do a quick prayer when I wasn't looking to get some divine knowledge or do you know something I don't?" Jean asked confused.
"I can't tell you that or it won't happen."
Before Jean could respond the two heard a pair of footsteps come up besides them, the two looked and saw Dunkerque standing in the doorway, Jean felt a rush of fear run up her spine as Dunkerque began to speak "Sorry to interrupt, but she's awake and asking for you."
Jean turned to look at her sister who just gave Jean a nod "Go on we'll see you later and I'll be praying for you two."
Jean gave her sister before she rushed back inside. Once she entered the room slightly out of breath, she could see Vestal talking to Massachusetts.
"Jean!" Massachusetts said upon seeing the blonde enter and Jean felt a sense of relieve wash over her.
"May I continue?" Vestal said firmly as Jean walked up to the bed.
"Sorry." Massachusetts said quietly, but Jean could see the Eagle Union girl was keeping an eye on her.
"As I was saying, your injuries should be healed in a few days, but you are to stay off your feet for a few days, though I will need to arrange someone to watch over you just to be sure."
"I'll do it." Jean spoke up her heart flickering.
"Are you sure, I could get someone…"
"No, its fine." Jean said defiantly, her sister's words coming back to her mind at Vestal mentioning someone else taking care of the white-haired girl.
"Ok if you're sure," Vestal said standing up "You'll be staying here tonight Massachusetts and I'll go let the Admiral know and have her arrange some time off for you Jean Bart, if anything looks off you tell me at once got it."
"I will." Jean nodded "Do you think you could give us a minute?"
Vestal let out a sigh as she got up to leave "Just until I get back from talking to the Admiral, she needs her rest."
"You don't need to do this you know; I don't want to be a burden to you." Massachusetts said as Vestal left.
"You're never a burden to me Massie," Jean replied, before smiling at Massachusetts "And it's ok, I want to help you, you are my friend after all."
"Well if you're sure, then thanks, I feel better already." Massachusetts smiled and Jean felt herself smile to along with a flicker in her heart and relief having not seen that smile since they had got involved in the battle.
"You're welcome and I'll be sure to take good care of you."
"I'm sure you will." Massachusetts smiled before she looked Jean over "Are you ok though; you look a little worn out, did you eat dinner?"
'You're never going to stop that are you Massie.' Jean thought as she shook her head, as she moved to sit on Massachusetts bed her side toward the white-haired girl "No, I was here all evening."
"Why?"
"I was worried about you of course." Jean said slightly frustrated.
"Jean I'm fine, you don't have to worry, especially if it's effecting your health."
"I should be the one saying that to you." Jean sighed.
"How do you mean?"
"I mean you diving in to save me when you were already hurt, you complain about be reckless yet you do that. I took a beating from you, I think I can take a surprise attack from a messily Siren, so why did you do it?" Jean said sounding angrier then meant to as saw Massachusetts flinch slightly.
"I just didn't want to see you hurt is all." Massachusetts said quietly looking down slightly and Jean felt her heart twist at the sad look on the girl's face. "Your important to me and when I saw that Siren behind you, I just acted on instinct." Massachusetts finished with a slight sniff.
Jean felt her heart skip a beat slightly as her scowl melted away "I don't want to see you hurt either, especially on my account." Jean said as she gently took Massachusetts unharmed hand and her "Your important to me too, my mood eases up when you're with me, I nearly lost my sister and friends before Massie, I don't want to do that again, especially with you, so if your ever hurt let be your shield to keep you from harm I don't mind it especially for someone I hold close, honestly I'd see it as a privilege."
Jean saw Massachusetts blush slightly 'She really is cute like that.' Jena thought at the sight.
"Ok I won't be so reckless in future, but only if you're not either, otherwise I'll force you to stop and drag you back if I have to, my little Privateer."
"I'd almost be disappointed if you didn't stop me." Jean said with smile which got bigger as Massachusetts returned the smile, the two just stayed quiet a moment enjoying each other's company.
Then Jean felt the hand that was holding Massachusetts hand move, Jean looked and saw Massachusetts bring Jean's hand up and then bring it to her lips and gently kiss the back of Jeans hand "What was that for?" Jean asked her cheeks getting hotter than a boiler room.
"It's a thank you for helping me back, my little Privateer." Massachusetts said with a smile though Jean could see a small darkening of the white-haired girl's cheeks.
Before Jean could say anything, the hospital doors opened signalling Vestals return "Jean Bart, it's time to leave." Vestal said as she approached the bed.
"Ok." Jean said as she stood and gave Massachusetts a smile "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then Massie."
"See you tomorrow, Jean." Massachusetts smiled back.
Jean turned to leave then an idea popped in her head "Oh, before I go!" Jean said before turning back to the eagle union battleship and leaning down and kissing the girl on the forehead
"Jean?" Massachusetts asked with a strong blush on her cheeks.
"That's my thank you for saving me." Jean said quickly before leaving a similarly strong blush on her own cheeks.
So this is my last chapter of the year.
So what did you think, this one was a little bit of pain honestly as i had to rewrite it a few times i was going to have it as a jealous Jean but then i thought this was better.
Also yes Ajax and Admiral are a couple in this series.
Advice and Critisim are welcome. See you next time and Happy New year to you all.