Chapter 38: Lavender Helps on Sick Days

Slowly, the members of Anglerfish Team opened their hatches and stared at the destroyed T-34-85 ahead of them, followed by Carpaccio and Koume. They let the realization that they won sink in for a moment before Yukari excitedly broke the silence. "We actually won!" she cheered.

"We did it!" Saori followed.

Koume and Carpaccio high-fived each other. "We got the winning kill!" Carpaccio cheered.

"Nice shot!" Koume complimented happily.

"Great work, Wolf Team," Miho said, "and you guys too." She knelt down into the turret to give her crewmates a cheerful smile.

Hana sighed contently. "What an exhilarating match…" she whispered.

But far away from them, on top of her damaged T-34-76, Katyusha stared tearfully at the scorch mark across the front of her tank below her. A few tears slipped down her face that she rubbed away with her sleeve. "No… no I won't cry…" she murmured.

Unbeknownst to her, Nonna had left her IS-2 and climbed on top of the T-34-76. She held out a small pink handkerchief for Katyusha. "Here you go," Nonna offered.

Katyusha took the handkerchief roughly. "I'm not crying!" she snapped before wiping her eyes with the cloth. After she was done, she looked up from her tank to see one of Oarai's commanders approaching her. She was a little taller than her, but still short and childlike for her age.

"You're Pravda's captain, right?" Noriko asked, looking up at her.

Katyusha frowned. She probably wants to gloat… since that's all we did before the match… she thought bitterly. Regardless, she slowly climbed down from the T-34-76. "Yes, I'm the captain," she replied.

Noriko smiled and reached out a hand to Katyusha as she stepped onto the ground. "That was a great match. You probably would have beaten us if we didn't get the jump on you at the end," she complimented.

Katyusha's eyes widened with surprise. Is this some kind of trick or is she being genuine? She thought. She reached her hand out hesitantly to shake Noriko's hand. "T-thank you," Katyusha replied shyly.

Further north, at the outskirts of Utqiagvik, the damaged eliminated tanks were lined up at the preparation lot to be reactivated by the officials so they could be taken home. Before that though, a pair of Panzer VI Tigers were parked side-by-side. William climbed out of the M113 that transported his crew back to the preparation lot when he saw Katrina standing in front of her T-VI-100. As he approached her, he could hear her whispering to herself. "Even when we have better equipment, I still couldn't outright beat them… maybe I just suck at this," she berated.

"I don't think that's true," William said, causing her to jump.

Katrina quickly turned around and stepped back. "How long have you been there!" she spat.

"I just got here," William answered. He smiled and reached out his hand. "I just want to say, that was a great match," he said.

Katrina scrutinized his offered hand with a glare. "Oh, I'm sure since you won again, just like every other time!" she fumed. Suddenly, her eyes fell. "But last time I just had a Panzer III Ausf. E… now I have a Tiger, but I still couldn't beat you."

"I'd also like to apologize," William added, causing Katrina to look up with a hint of surprise. "I went too hard back in Oregon. We didn't see you as opponents, but rather more like empty targets. It wasn't right and I'm sorry," he apologized, "we paid that price today. I mean, you and the KV-2s knocked my entire squadron out. You should be proud of that."

"Huh? But we still lost?" Katrina whimpered.

"So? You still did well, knocked out a lot of tanks, and you made it all the way to the semi-finals. That's impressive. When I came to Oarai, I wasn't even sure we'd make it past the first round. As a transfer student fighting in a new foreign country making it to the semi-finals is an accomplishment," he praised, "your individual efforts are still impressive even if the larger team doesn't win."

"T-thank you…" Katrina whispered.

"I'd like to put our past behind us," William said, reaching his hand out again, "I'd like to fight alongside someone like you, you've got a lot of skill and potential. I don't make the final decision, but I'd like you and your crew to join us for the final round."

Katrina slowly nodded and accepted his offered hand. "Alright Prussian, you have a deal."

In the distance, the sound of faint singing caught their attention. "Instead of spa we'll drink down ale, and pay the reckoning on the nail. No man for debt shall go to jail from Garryowen in glory!" Patty and Nora sang as they marched up to the lot. The rest of the team that had been knocked out followed them.

"Hey Willy, you never mentioned you had a friend at Pravda!" Patty exclaimed as she skipped up to him.

William groaned while Katrina snickered. "Willy huh? I guess I'll have to use that sometime," she teased.

"Please don't" William groaned. "Anyway, she's not really a friend, more like…" he trailed off.

"Eternal enemy," Katrina answered for him, "our schools in Oregon were pretty fierce rivals in Sensha-do, even if we were hopelessly outmatched."

"That's what you get for fielding Panzer IIIs with the 37mm," Joseph commented.

"Hey, it's all we could afford. I've taken a look at how much Pravda spends on the T-VI-100 and it alone would have eaten up our entire budget in a single month. The only thing that doesn't cost a fortune is the ammo. Soviet 100mms are freaking everywhere," Katrina replied.

"You know what? That's fair," Ross added his two cents.

"I can relate," Yuzu said, "we're pretty shoestringed ourselves. We should be able to support 25 tanks though."

"Don't worry, I keep this baby well cared for," Katrina bragged while patting the hull of the T-VI-100, "she won't give you any problems."

Yuzu's eyes lit up. "Does that mean you're going to be our transfer crew from Pravda?" she asked excitedly.

Katrina blushed. "Uh, yeah well… I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself… but William said he'll put in a good message for me to your captain," she stammered.

The sound of a column of tanks approaching grabbed everyone's attention. "Speaking of the captain," William said as the Panzer IV led the Semavente 75/18, the PT-1A, M4 Sherman, and Gun Carrier Mk. 1 onto the lot.

Ross quickly rushed over to the Panzer IV as it came to a stop, but he had to be careful not to bounce Natalie too much. Miho jumped down from her cupola excitedly when she saw them approaching. "Great job, Miho!" Ross exclaimed happily.

Miho blushed and smiled. "T-thank you, you fought well too," she complimented.

"Mama, mama!" Natalie babbled and reached out to Miho.

Miho suppressed a squeal of excitement and took the little girl into her arms. "She called me mama," she whispered with love, "I'm happy you see me that way sweetie."

Ross smiled and hugged them both. Suddenly, Miho blushed and looked up. "R-Ross, there are people watching!" she whined.

You could practically see the hearts in Saori's eyes. "That's so adorable…" she squealed.

Mako rolled her eyes. "Of course, you'd think that," she mumbled.

"Come on Mako," Hana lightly scolded, "aren't you glad that Miho is with someone that makes her happy?"

"Don't get me wrong, I am," Mako said, "but she," she paused to point at Saori, "takes it a bit too far, so I need to bring her back to Earth."

"I suppose that's fair," Yukari joined with a giggle, "she is a bit of a hopeless romantic."

"Yukari!" Saori objected with a pout, "I'm not hopeless…"

Aya turned to her friends with confusion. "What's a hopeless romantic?" she asked.

"It's someone obsessed with the idea of love, but can never get a partner," Ayumi answered.

Azusa raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Actually, I think that's right. How'd you know that Ayumi?" she asked.

"I watched a romantic comedy movie a few nights ago that brought it up," Ayumi answered.

"What?!" Karina exclaimed, "you watched a movie without us? Why didn't you invite us?"

"Can I not just have some me time?" Ayumi asked rhetorically, "yeesh!"

Katrina sweatdropped. "So… interesting group of tankers you have," she said.

"You don't know the half of it," William added. He nudged Katrina forward. "Well, go introduce yourself to the captain! I bet she'll like you and let you on the team."

"What?!" Katrina protested, "I can't just approach her so suddenly!"

"Of course you can!" William argued, "Miho's real friendly. She doesn't bite."

Katrina frowned and sighed. "Fine, fine," she relented. She made her way through the crews and approached Miho, who had separated from Ross's embrace but still held his hand. "Excuse me," she said as she stepped forward.

"Oh, you're from Pravda!" Miho exclaimed. Ross tensed up, expecting some sort of provocation from Schwarzadler's old rival.

Katrina noticed this and rolled her eyes. "Calm down Prussian boy, I'm not here to cause trouble," she quipped. She sighed and turned back to Miho. "I'm the commander of the T-VI-100. I come from a school that's had a pretty deep rivalry with Schwarzadler so that's why your boy is on edge."

"W-well it's nice to meet you…" Miho prompted nervously.

"Katrina," she answered before offering her hand. "I suppose it's good sportsmanship to congratulate the victor, so good work."

Miho let go of Ross's hand to shake Katrina's. "Thank you," she said.

"Anyway, that's not all," Katrina said, "I had a talk with William and I want to bury the hatchet, so may I join Oarai for the finals?"

Miho's eyes lit up. "Of course! We would be happy to have you," she exclaimed.

"Damn, William wasn't lying, you really are pretty friendly," Katrina commented with a small smile. "It's refreshing, some people take Sensha-do so seriously they forget about that."

Miho nervously laughed, but as if on cue, she could feel a pair of cold eyes staring at her from a distance. She looked behind her for a moment and saw a pair of figures in the distance that seemed to be scrutinizing her.

Mother… Miho thought sadly. She snapped away and tried to turn her attention back to Katrina and her friends.

Shiho stared across the icy, snowy tundra at the edge of the spectator's area, where the preparation lot could be seen not far in the distance. Outwardly, she seemed utterly stoic and emotionless, but a deep conflict burned in her heart. I assumed she was reentering Sensha-do to redeem herself… but is she only doing it to run around with that boy?

Why should it matter? Shouldn't you be happy that she's happy?

I have a tradition and family honor to uphold.

You're misinterpreting her message.

No, you are!

"Mother," Maho softly spoke up.

Shiho broke from her stare and turned to Maho. "Yes Maho?" she replied.

"I have a request," Maho said, "may I bring one of the Panzer IVs out of the reserve inventory?"

"For what purpose?"

"We need a Flakpanzer for the finals," Maho answered.

After some time, all the tanks were recovered, and Katyusha was free to approach the prep lot high atop Nonna's shoulders. "I must admit," she began, "I wasn't expecting you to put up much of a fight, especially after the snow began to set in and you began to take losses."

Miho looked up at the opposite captain above her. "Well, we almost did… but…" she trailed off.

"It doesn't matter," Katyusha said, "you have earned my respect, and that isn't easy, but you better win in the finals, or Pravda will look even worse with this defeat!"

Miho had to giggle. "I'll do my best," she assured.

"Good, and treat Katrina well, she's one of my best commanders, so I expect her to come back with a positive report of Oarai," Katyusha stated.

Katrina's eyes widened and she blushed from the praise. "One of the best? Thank you…" she muttered.

"I will," Miho reassured, "I value everyone on the team, and even if it's only for one match, I'm sure Katrina will fit in well."

Katyusha gave Miho one final smile. "Alright, well then, we must depart, but I'll come to the finals to cheer you on Mihosha," she said, "next time we will crush you though!"

Everyone waved goodbye and Pravda's tanks were loaded up and taken to the Kiev. Even Natalie raised her little hand to wave before she sneezed cutely and rubbed her nose. "No, no, here," Ross doted while taking out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.

Oarai's tankers stood in a long line to wave them off with Katrina at the end. "I'll be back soon, and I promise to come back a better tank commander than ever before!" she shouted.

The last of the trucks hauling the damaged tanks and the remaining operable tanks left their sight, leaving Oarai alone at the prep lot. "Well, I guess that's it then," William stated, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

"I guess so," Joseph followed. A quick breeze sapped a little more warmth from the team. "Damn, it's really fucking cold. How is this place so cold when it's always day?"

"It's northern Alaska, what do you expect?" William replied. He yawned and took a look at his phone clock. "Midnight?! It's practically noon!" he exclaimed before laughing. "Welcome to Alaska."

"It's midnight?!" everyone shouted.

The top of the world is a strange, strange place.

The next few days passed slowly as the Zuikaku carefully made its way out of the Arctic Ocean. The team took the next day off after the match. No matches would be held in July while the national finals would kick off the August Summer Break for the Japanese school year. Without much to do, Ross laid down on his living room couch wrapped up in a warm blanket with Natalie laying on top of him with the TV on in the background. A lazy Sunday was in order!

The day was progressing nice and slowly, which was great after the chaotic match the day prior. Ross gently stroked Natalie's hair as she napped peacefully on him. However, Natalie started to get warmer and warmer. Ross turned from lazily watching the TV to look at her. His eyes widened when he saw her face, which was starting to flush, and the outer edges start to pale. He sat up gently to not disturb her and looked over her with concern. Is she getting sick? She seemed fine this morning… he thought. He carefully got up from the couch and took her to the bathroom. By this point, Natalie drowsily woke up, but she didn't yawn or stretch. She just seemed… there.

Ross opened the medicine cabinet above the sink and pulled out a thermometer. "Open your mouth sweetie," Ross requested. Natalie didn't really respond. She just stared at him while she lay in his arms. Ross started to worry and gently prodded at Natalie's mouth to get her to open it. "C'mon Natalie… there you go," he whispered as she slowly opened her mouth. He carefully positioned it under her tongue and pressed her jaw up carefully to press her tongue down on it.

It took a minute, but soon the thermometer beeped and he took it out of her mouth slowly. He looked at the temperature and his concern only grew. 102 degrees… he read. "Let's get you in bed. Hopefully, this just passes," he whispered. He changed her into a breathable, but warm onesie and put her in her co-sleeper. She slipped back into a quiet sleep once he laid her down. Ross frowned as he watched her sleep. After a moment he sat down on his bed and pulled his phone out.

Hey, just so you know, Natalie has a fever and looks pretty lethargic. I'm hoping it's nothing serious, but I thought you should know. He typed and sent the message to Miho and his friends.

Almost immediately, Miho sent a response. Do you want me to come over?

If you'd like, but she's probably going to be asleep for a while. Don't knock, the door is unlocked, he replied. After a few minutes, he heard the front door open slowly and quietly. Light footsteps came toward his room and Miho peeked inside. "Hey," she greeted with a whisper. She stepped into the room with a little Boko bear in her hands. "I figured Natalie might want this Boko. It's her favorite one that's in my collection," she explained.

Ross smiled sadly. "Thanks, I'm sure she'll be happy to see it when she wakes up." He took it from Miho and set it on the bedside table.

"When did she start showing symptoms?" Miho asked.

"The fever only started a few minutes ago. I think she might've been a little sluggish this morning, but nothing serious," Ross replied.

Miho nodded. "I hope she gets better soon," she whispered as she watched Natalie with concern in her eyes.

Ross stared at Miho's eyes for a moment. Her concerned feelings seemed to radiate from them. It reminded him of…

Those two weeks… Ross thought bitterly. For those two weeks after Natalie was born, Lisette was her mother, not just an envelope of money and he began to remember how she looked at Natalie. Something about that look of concern seemed… off. Lisette shared that same look, but nothing was wrong during those two weeks. They were probably the best of their lives.

Why was Miho sharing that look now? Ross shook his head and groaned. I'm overthinking this… it's just the stress getting to me… he thought.

"Are you okay?" Miho asked, turning to him. The look disappeared. She was concerned, yes, but for him as his girlfriend, not as a mother.

It's gone now… why did they share that stare? A young blonde girl with turquoise eyes looking over a small newborn baby burned into his mind with that same look. He remembered that night before she left. She looked at Natalie the exact same way. But why?

Ross snapped out of it. "Well, I'm…. yeah I'll be fine," he answered.

"You sure?" Miho asked.

Ross sighed. "Yeah, I'm not the one that's sick."

"Okay, you just looked out of it for a bit there," Miho commented. They sat in silence for a bit, not really knowing what to say.

Ross's phone buzzed. He opened up and read the message. It was from William. Do you need me to pick up anything when Joseph and I are done at the garage?

Ross quickly tapped his response. Buy some infant Tylenol, please.

Will do. Joseph suggested putting a cool washcloth over her forehead might help. Apparently, that's what his parents told him to do if his siblings got sick.

"I guess that makes sense," Ross said.

"What does?" Miho asked.

"Joseph suggested that I put a cool washcloth over her forehead," he answered while getting up.

Miho stood up as well. "I'll go get it," she offered, "you can stay here with her."

Ross sat back down. "Thank you," he said gratefully. Miho left the room for a bit and returned with a bowl of cool water and a washcloth. Ross gratefully took the bowl and cloth and set the bowl on the bedside table. He dipped the cloth in the water and let it soak for a moment before taking it out and wringing it out well so that it didn't drip. After folding it, he draped it over Natalie's forehead.

Natalie seemed to relax a little and her face began to look less flushed. Ross gently probed the thermometer under her tongue again. After a moment, it beeped and he withdraw it. "Still 102…" he muttered with a sigh, "I suppose it wouldn't really change her temp too much."

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Miho assured.

Ross silently nodded in response.

The next morning, Ross woke up to find Natalie in the same state as she was the day prior. He sat on the edge of his bed and checked her temperature, which was still 102 degrees Fahrenheit. He sighed as he wiped off the thermometer with a sanitizer wipe and set it back on the bedside table. He pulled out his phone and called Yoshiko's number. After a moment, the call connected.

"Hey Yoshiko, it's me, Ross," he greeted somberly, "I won't be bringing Natalie over today. She's come down with a fever."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that," Yoshiko replied.

"Thank you, that's all," he said. He sent a quick text to his friends saying the same thing and got a few sympathetic replies, which made him smile a little. He stood up and stretched before leaving his room and knocking on William's door quietly.

William opened the door groggily. "What's up?" he asked tiredly.

"Natalie's still feverish so I'll be staying home today. I need to go email my teachers at the computers downstairs. Could you watch her for just a few minutes?" Ross requested.

"Sure, I can do that," William answered and stepped out of his room.

"Thanks," Ross said as he began leaving to head downstairs.

"No problem," William said, walking over to Ross's room.

Ross closed the door behind him as he left his apartment. Coincidently, Miho left her apartment at the same time. "Good morning, Ross. I got your text," she greeted.

"Cool, I'm just going to email my teachers quickly to let them know I won't be in class today," Ross replied.

Miho nodded in understanding. "That's a good idea. I'll make sure the rest of Leopard Team is kept on track at practice today," she assured.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Try to keep Jody from going crazy. I know she adores Natalie, so she'll probably be pretty restless," Ross said as they began walking down the stairs.

"I'll do that," Miho said, "Hana has a flower arrangement showcase tonight so would you like us to stop by afterwords with some flowers? I think some help promote healing."

Ross smiled appreciatively. "I'd appreciate that. I'm sure Natalie would too."

"Okay, we'll stop by after the showcase then," Miho said. Before they parted, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you, see you tonight."

Ross blushed. "I love you too," he replied. Miho smiled at him before turning around to leave. Ross watched her for a moment before sitting down at one of the public computers. "This should be fun…" he mumbled.

At the gun range, the Panzer IV slid to a stop on the dirt field in front of the concrete block targets. The turret turned to level its gun on one of the targets. Then, the gun fired, sending a high-velocity shell toward the target. The shell slammed into the target almost perfectly and exploded. Miho nodded approvingly. "Good work guys," she praised.

However, Hana scrutinized the shell mark on the target. "I think I could do a little better…" she scrutinized.

"Let's give the others a chance to fire," Miho said. Mako shifted the tank into reverse and moved the tank out of the way to let another team practice stopping and firing.

The newly restored Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P) lumbered forward. Yukari poked out of her hatch to watch it approach the gun range. "Wow… to see a real Porsche Tiger in action! This is like a dream!" she squealed excitedly.

"Yeah, I suppose," Miho added without much energy as the Porsche Tiger with the cartoon mascot of a Leopard and Lion hybrid painted on the turret stopped and faced the targets far slower than the Panzer IV did. The turret rotated with a faint electrical whine and fired its 8.8cm Kwk 36 L/56 gun. The gun thundered to life and the shell blasted a target with a great amount of energy.

"That's not bad…" Momo commented from the Stridsvagn M/41's gunner seat. "It'd be nice if the Stridsvagn could carry firepower like that."

"Hey, Joseph, do you know of any upgrades we could do to our tank that could boost its firepower?" Yuzu asked, "we do have a bit of spare budget to work with."

Joseph crossed his arms atop the T1E1. "Do you have anything Yukari?" he asked.

Yukari racked her brain for a moment before she had an idea. "The Stridsvagn M/41 SII did have an assault gun conversion, the Stormartillerivagn M/43. It came in two variants, a 75mm gun version and a 105mm gun version. If you want my opinion, only the 105mm would be worth the conversion. The 37mm sabot shell has better penetration than the 75mm rounds, although you'd do more damage with the 75mm over the 37mm, but at that point, you may as well go all the way with the 105mm since its HEAT round is an absolute beast of a tank shell," she rambled. A moment of awkward silence followed her before she realized she was rambling again. "Oh jeez, I started rambling. Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it," Joseph replied with amusement, "so you'd lose the turret for a boost in firepower and become an assault gun."

Momo gave the idea some thought. "Let's do it!" Anzu decided for her, "sounds like fun."

"Uh, Miss President, don't you think we should give it some more thought?" Momo suggested.

"What's there to think about? Bigger gun, better damage. It's fairly simple," she replied while leaning back in her seat.

Yuzu giggled. "That sounds just like you, President," she said.

"Alright, we'll get that organized after practice. The July Break should give us plenty of time to convert your tank and do retraining," Joseph said, "now let's get to firing!" The T1E1 surged forward as Leopon Team moved out of the way, demonstrating the superior American power of its engine to its lesser hybrid brother. Both of its guns fired at the same time, showing off its superior firepower and might to the Porsche tank.

At least, that's how Joseph saw it. Nobody else really paid him any mind.

After some good time practicing, everyone returned to the garage, where they found a new team just finishing up settling into Garage 3. "Wow, this place is really filling up, we've only got one space left for another tank," Miho noted as Anglerfish Team parked in their space.

"You're right, and if we put the Type 89B or Elefant back into service, we'll be full," Yukari noted as well.

Hana climbed out of her hatch. "May I be dismissed, Miho?" she asked politely.

"Oh sure, we'll come to the showcase once we're finished with practice," Miho replied with a smile.

Hana bowed once she climbed down from the Panzer IV. "Thank you, I hope you'll enjoy it!" she exclaimed before grabbing her things and leaving.

"Alright, let's get to work," Miho said while climbing down from the commander's cupola.

The pristine glass doors of the exhibition center slid open as Hana approached. She paused momentarily to admire the structure. It had a lovely arched glass roof that formed a half circle over the building while the front offices were made from well-maintained red bricks that gave the building a modern look. She stepped inside and looked around the front room. To her right were the front desks for the hall's secretaries while the main doors to the hall were at the back of the front room while bathrooms and changing rooms were to the left.

An older lady was working at the front desk and looked up as Hana approached. "Oh are you here for the flower arrangement showcase?" she asked.

"I am," Hana answered.

"Great, can I get your name?" she asked.

"My name is Hana Isuzu."

The lady typed on her computer. "Alright, I have you on the participant registry," she informed. She opened up a filing cabinet and pulled out an ID card attached to a lanyard. Hana took the lanyard and draped it around her neck. "It's so good to see younger folk participating more nowadays. A few years ago, it was almost entirely us older folk that participated," she mentioned.

Hana smiled. "I think it's because people are less judgemental today. People can express their interests more. It's not that there are more young florists, it's that they aren't afraid to show the world their work," she commented, "I've seen it on the Sensha-do Team. We're still in a female-dominated sport, but I think there's a lot of boys who are interested in it."

"Oh my! You're on the Sensha-do Team? Just by looking at you, I'd never guess," the lady said, "good luck in the finals. Everyone in Oarai is excited by how far the team has gotten."

Hana bowed appreciatively. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, "I'm afraid I have to leave to get ready though."

The lady waved her off. "Of course, of course," she said.

Hana went to the changing rooms and changed into her event attire. It consisted of a graceful and traditional white kimono with patches of flowers decorating it. She put her hair up in a bun and tied it with a hair tie that resembled a blue flower. She smiled and admired herself in the mirror. "It's perfect," she commented. She put her school uniform into her bag and left the changing room. Then she went to the main hall, where various other florists or simple hobbyists were already setting up their spaces. She looked at her lanyard ID and found her space number. Near the center of the second row of spaces was her spot. Already, a pedestal was set up and a table to the side already had her flowers which were placed in various basic ceramic vases for storage.

On the pedestal though was something she had been working on for some time. It took a lot of time to learn pottery, time that wasn't plentiful with school and Sensha-do, but she had made it work and produced her first handmade vase. It was shaped like the basic shape of a tank, with the turret having its roof removed so she could fill it with flowers. A cannon was a bit short, but it worked. After all, some tanks did have small guns. She began to work in calm silence, placing beautiful flowers like roses and daisies together in the turret which was supported by other green structures. She placed vibrant fern leaves around the base of the flowers which provided support.

She was so engrossed in her work, that she didn't notice another participant was watching her from some distance away. Her face was almost perplexed. "They're beautiful," Yuri whispered. "But how can hands that operate a brutish tank create something so elegant?" she wondered. However, she turned her attention away from her estranged daughter and restarted her work on her own flowers.

After some time, Hana felt satisfied with her arrangement. Coincidently, as she wrapped up the finishing touches, the showcase opened to the public. People of all ages started streaming into the building. Being fairly close to the entrance, quite a few people stopped to take a look at hers. She nervously smiled and waved at them as they passed by. But she was most excited to see her friends and show them her work.

After some time, she saw the members of Anglerfish Team enter the hall. Their eyes met and they began to wade their way through the crowd. "I'm so glad you guys could make it!" Hana greeted them as they approached.

"Of course Hana!" Saori exclaimed, "We wouldn't want to miss something like this."

"I suppose you created this arrangement, Hana?" Miho asked, looking over the flowers.

"Yes," Hana answered, "I've been thinking about this design for some time, but this is the first time I've put all the pieces together."

"I never thought I'd see a tank-shaped vase for flowers," Yukari commented, "it reminds me of a Panzer IV Ausf. D."

Hana nodded. "I had to learn some pottery basics, but it was worth it. I couldn't find a tank-shaped vase anywhere in stores or online, so I figured I'd create one myself," she explained, "I think it helps express how Sensha-do has helped grow my passion for flower arrangement, and how you all have helped me grow as a person."

The rest of Anglerfish Team stood in stunned silence at Hana's admission. "I'm glad we've had that impact on you, Hana," Miho said with a bright smile.

"You've grown so much…" someone from behind said. They turned to see Yuri standing behind them. Anglerfish Team stepped aside cautiously to let her through to Hana but was ready to defend their friend.

"Mother…" Hana whispered. She began to feel anxious and had to resist the urge her clench her fists.

"Hana… I'm sorry. I was wrong," Yuri admitted, "I assumed Sensha-do would destroy your flower arrangement and cast shame on the Isuzu family. I never figured tanks could help produce something so beautiful." A tear fell onto her cheek. "But it seems… that it's helped you create your own style."

"It wasn't just Sensha-do…" Hana added, "it's the people around me. My friends, my teammates, and… and you too. I still use the lessons you've taught ever since I was a little girl. I'm just applying them differently."

Yuri put her hands over her mouth to stifle a gasp. She was on the verge of actually crying now. "Can you forgive me, Hana?" she asked.

Hana warmly smiled and reached her arms out. "Of course, Mother," she tearfully answered. The two embraced each other. Finally, their conflict was over.

Miho and the rest of Anglerfish Team observed them with smiles of their own. Once Yuri and Hana separated, Yuri turned to them. "And, I want to thank you all as well for having such a wonderful influence on my daughter," she said.

"Your welcome Miss Isuzu. Hana is a great friend, and we're happy to help and support her," Miho replied.

Yuri nodded appreciatively. "There is another person I need to apologize to, that boy with the baby girl. What was his name?" Yuri asked.

"There's only one boy on the team with a baby and that's Ross, but why do you need to apologize to him?" Hana asked.

"I treated them poorly when we first meet in Tokyo. I would like to apologize for that. Once we are finished here, may you take me to him?" Yuri requested.

"Of course! I'm sure he would appreciate that. Natalie is sick right now, so we should make it quick," Miho replied.

"Oh dear, his daughter is sick? That's terrible, "Yuri said when she had an idea, "I know, there's a shop at the back of the exhibition hall selling flowers. We should bring some for her."

Miho and Hana giggled together. "We actually had that idea too," they said.

Yuri smiled. "How considerate," she complimented, "let's go, I know just what will help cheer them up. Don't worry about the arrangements, the exhibition staff will look after them until we return."

Yuri led them to the back of the exhibition hall, where a small shop sold premade flower arrangements, vases, and options for custom arrangements. The group looked over the options attentively. "Lavenders are well known for their soothing fragrance, but we don't want to overdo it," Yuri explained, "a brighter arrangement will better help boost the spirits, and Lavenders aren't as bright as other flowers. We also don't want to overwhelm anyone with the scent."

"I see. Since she's just a baby she'd probably be overwhelmed if it was too strong," Miho noted.

Yuri nodded and found an arrangement that had a collection of scent-free flowers like sunflowers, roses, and hibiscuses with nice greens supporting the bottom. "I think this one would be an excellent choice. We can add a handful of lavenders ourselves," she suggested, pointing to the vase of flowers on the back shelf.

Hana and Miho looked over the vase and nodded in agreement. "I agree, it looks very nice," Hana added.

"Ross and Natalie will love it," Miho agreed.

Yuri smiled and purchased the arrangement herself as part of her apology to Ross for how she treated him. Next, she bought a few individual lavenders. The group moved over to an empty table. Yuri set the vase down and pondered on how to best arrange the lavenders. She settled on wrapping them around the base of the flowers on top of the leaves below them. The arrangement now has a beautiful band of purple wrapped around it that gave off a faint, but comforting lavender scent. "It looks perfect," Miho complimented.

Yuri smiled. "Thank you, let's go give it to them," she said. The group nodded in agreement and they set out to visit Ross. As they left the exhibition hall, they were met by the cool evening. A sudden breeze caused them to bristle up and shiver.

"Wow, it got cold quickly," Saori commented.

"Yeah, that's odd. I thought we were pretty far south by now," Miho added.

"Perhaps a cold front followed us from the arctic?" Yukari suggested.

The exhibition hall wasn't far from the residential section of the community, so the walk wouldn't be too long. As they approached the street the apartments were at, a horrible sinking feeling hit Miho like a semi-truck. Something is wrong. She assumed quickly. She started to speed up her pace, causing everyone to notice her.

"Miho, is something wrong?" Hana asked.

"Something's wrong, I can feel it. I-I don't know what it is, I just feel like we need to hurry!" Miho replied shakily.

Miho's suspicion was correct. As the apartment building came into their sight, a horrible scene came into view. "No…" Miho whispered as the group froze. The repetitious flashing of blue and red lights burned into Miho's mind as she stared in horror. Her world stopped momentarily before she took off running.

000

Next Time on Girls und Panzer: Tank Aces...

Chapter 39: Facing the Edge of the Abyss of Death