"Yes."

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding, and Yorktown giggled at the relieved look on my face. I felt the blush creep across my cheeks and I glanced down at the floor and shrugged. "It's been a while, and I'm always nervous the first time."

"I'll keep that in mind," she teased, and my cheeks got hotter.

"S-so, anyway," I said, moving past that as quickly as I could, "When do you want to do this again? I think I could have everything set up by next weekend."

"S-set up?" Yorktown stammered. "What did you have in mind for our date?"

"Dinner, dancing, a night under the stars, that sort of thing. I kinda figured we wouldn't have time during the week and I don't want to rush everything for tonight." I shrugged. "I just want to make sure if we do it again, we do it right."

A warm smile crossed her face and she closed the distance between us to take my hand in hers. "That's awfully sweet of you, Commander. Thank you." Without any further warning, she leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek. My heart fluttered at the simple gesture, and I leaned back to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek in return. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks grew even redder, and at this point, I was beginning to wonder if the blush would become permanent on both of us.

"By the way," she continued, "How bad was I?"

"Not that bad," I reassured her as I leaned back against the kitchen counter, "You didn't try and start fights with anyone, or cause any sort of international incident. You just seemed a bit tipsy, and when you started showing signs of being really drunk, we decided to head home. I think the biggest thing was that you were looking everywhere for Hamman. Never ran into her."

"Until this morning. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

I chuckled and shook my head. "It's alright. I'd rather you have friends who cared about you getting home safely than ones who didn't, even if she's a tad overprotective."

"She has a hard time expressing herself, but we've been working on it." She smirked softly and peered into her coffee. "...I guess it's something we could both work on a bit."

"Something we could all work on, I think. Well, maybe Akagi could work on it a bit less…"

Yorktown giggled and leaned up against me. "Oh, I don't know, sometimes I admire her honesty. Although her tact could use work."

I chuckled and took a sip of my coffee. "Putting it mildly," I quipped. We stood there, sipping our coffee and enjoying the feeling of holding one another until Yorktown broke the silence.

"Commander?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing today?"

As it turns out, what I had planned and what my secretary had on my docket(or so she claims, she coyly hid the planner when I asked to see it) was radically different. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Any time I get to fly is preferable to being cooped up in a stuffy office filing reports, and when that time is spent with Yorktown, well, it becomes that much more enjoyable.

So a few hours after finishing our coffee and saying our goodbyes, I found myself back at the old airstrip, decked out in my flight gear, waiting by Yorktown's summoned SBD. As I waited, I idly wondered what she had me standing by for, what surprise she had planned in store for me today.

That question was answered as soon as she stepped out of the hangar. Instead of her usual blue and white dress, she was wearing a form-fitting flight suit that did a wonderful job of accentuating her curves. Her hair was tucked beneath a flight helmet, with only a few errant strands of silver hair peeking out from around the sides and bottom. "Ready, Commander?" she asked as she approached.

It took my brain a few seconds to realize she had asked me a question, and when I managed to shut my jaw all I could do was nod enthusiastically. She giggled in response and asked. "You do remember what you said last time you flew, right? That the next time I'd go up there with you?"

"R-right!" I exclaimed, finding my voice. "Yeah, yeah, I remember that, I just didn't realize you'd change into something so...flattering."

Yorktown smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Commander, if I didn't know any better, I think you'd say I look good in anything…" she whispered as she brushed by me and climbed aboard the dive bomber. Looking over her shoulder, she grinned at me. "You coming?"

She didn't need to ask twice. I quickly hopped up after her and climbed into the cockpit. We strapped ourselves in and I began the preflight startup sequence…

Much like last time, it was a relatively smooth take-off and climb to our operational altitude. As soon as we were at ten thousand feet and leveled off, I slid the cockpit canopy back, enjoying the wind on my face. Once again, the view from such heights is breathtaking, and we had a commanding view over the whole base, the surrounding hillside, and the vast blue ocean beyond. I glanced behind me to see Yorktown peering over the side, taking in the sights as they slowly crawled by beneath us.

"I'd forgotten how much I missed this view," her voice crackled in my ear and I smiled.

"Glad I could help you get reacquainted with it," I replied, and began to bank slowly over the green hills and rocky outcroppings that surrounded headquarters. "Anywhere you'd like to go in particular."

"Go? No, but I want to practice something with you if that's okay."

I raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she had in mind. "Shoot."

"Would you like to try some formation flying?"

"If you think I'm ready."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you were." The raised eyebrow went even higher. Coming from Yorktown, that was a surprisingly confident statement.

"Alright, then," I said, checking the straps on my harness and straightening myself in the pilot's seat. "What do I need to do?"

"Just sit tight and give me a moment." There was a momentary pause, and then the space just off to my left began to shimmer and glow, coalescing into a pair of SBDs exactly like the one we were in. "Okay, I want you to go ahead and maneuver into formation, just off the lead plane's right wing."

"Copy that," I answered, and gingerly eased the plane to just behind and to the right of the center plane, and parallel to the other wingman just off his left side. From there, we practiced flying in formation, staying with your wing leader, and maintaining proper distance. It was a little rough at first, and there was a lot of overcorrection, but eventually, I began to get the hang of it. We hadn't started any combat maneuvers, but I was feeling more and more confident banking, diving, and climbing through the skies on someone's wing.

We had just leveled out of one of those said climbs when I noticed several specks in the sky. At first, I thought they may have been birds, but I noticed them growing larger and larger and heading directly for us.

"Uh, you seeing this Yorktown?" I asked her, gesturing towards the incoming dots. "Got a group of unknowns closing on us, three o'clock."

"I see them," Yorktown replied, her voice hard. "Take the lead, safeties off. I'm going to try and ping their IFF."

"Copy that." I complied with her orders and nudged the throttle forward, watching the other two SBDs drop back on either side of me. "Weapons hot."

"Come right to zero five five."

"Zero five five, aye." I pulled the bomber into a tight turn until the unknown dots, now clearly planes of some type, were directly ahead of us. "Any ID yet?"

"Waiting for the return…" there was a pause, and when her voice came back, the relief was evident. "It's Hornet."

I let out a sigh and toggled the safeties back on, slumping back in my seat a bit. "What's she doing out here? Wasn't she supposed to be doing that training with the Royal Navy?"

"Probably wondering what we're doing out here. I don't think she got the updated flight plan before she left for training."

"Ah." The quartet of planes ahead of us sharply banked left, giving us a good view of their barrel-shaped fuselages and stubby wings, allowing us to clearly identify them as F4F Wildcats. The four fighters matched our heading, and then reduced speed until we were only a dozen yards behind them. The lead fighter waggled its wings, and I returned the gesture, wondering if this was just Hornet saying hello or if she was trying to get our attention. The fighter wing banked to the left, and when I didn't follow, the formation lined up in front of me again and repeated the gesture.

"I think they want us to follow them."

"Might as well, I'll see if I can get Hornet on the radio."

"Roger that," I acknowledged, and followed the Wildcats this time, allowing them to lead us out over the harbor and towards the ocean. I did a quick check of the map board and noted they were leading us out towards the training area.

"I've got a hold of Hornet, patching her through," Yorktown announced. "Go ahead Hornet, we're both listening."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Hornet's voice echoed in my ears. "Kinda glad you guys wandered our way. Belfast brought Illustrious along without telling me, and I sure could use a hand. I'll clear the skies and you go for the target. Whaddaya say?"

"Uhhh...I'm gonna go ahead and defer to my flight instructor on this one," I demurred, not entirely sure I wanted to drag Yorktown into a combat scenario just yet.

"If you can keep the fighters off of us, I think I can guide the Commander in. But just one run."

"One run's all we'll need, sis! We'll be over the target in five minutes, so you two might want to get ready. Good luck, and good hunting. Hornet out."

Once we'd heard Hornet disconnect, Yorktown asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"You wouldn't have said yes if you didn't think I was ready, right?"

I thought I heard her laugh, but the wind and the crackle of the radio swallowed most of it up. Her verbal reply was loud and clear, however. "Absolutely."

"Then let's do this."

The next five minutes seemed to last forever and be gone in a second at the same time. Yorktown gave me a crash course in the finer points of dive-bombing, mostly how to arm the payload and how to deliver said bomb. It seemed like a lot of information that we covered, but before we knew it, we were over the target.

In this case, the target was a mass-produced Ark Royal, her maneuvering controlled remotely by Sheffield. Since she was mass-produced, the bombs we would be using were live ammunition, and as such, we had to take extra precautions not to injure anyone. We also had to take care not to crash into anyone. The sky was about to get very crowded, and if we weren't careful, we could blunder into someone with a live bomb strapped to our underside. While the loss of a few drone planes would be unfortunate, I'm much more vulnerable to being blown to bits and not being reconstituted. With all that said, I felt more than a little excitement when I saw the carrier on the ocean, surrounded by her kansen escort.

"Target in sight," I announced and no sooner had the words left my lips than a hail of AA fire filled the sky. Tracer shells and flak bursts seemed to fill the sky, causing the SBD to shudder and shake violently. I kept the plane on-course, however, still scanning the sky for any sign of Illustrious' fighter complement.

Right on cue, Yorktown called out, "Bandits, nine o'clock high!" and I glanced up to see a group of Sea Hurricanes diving down on us. I banked hard left, the training rounds ripping through the space we had just occupied as I continued my evasive maneuvers, still heading towards the target. Yorktown opened up with the rear turret, scoring a hit on one of the Hurricanes, the fighter billowing black smoke and falling away. My drone wingmen fired on the enemy with their rear turrets as well, the massed gunfire temporarily driving the Hurricanes off, but not for long. The four remaining fighters regrouped, and then as one, pounced on me.

"Where the hell is Hornet?" I howled as I put the Dauntless through loops, hard turns, and small dives to try and throw off my pursuers. But even with Yorktown's skill on the rear guns, they were relentless. Just when I thought they were going to shoot us down, Hornet's voice came over the radio.

"I gotcha, Commander, don't worry!" Her Wildcats soon put her words into actions, diving out of the sun, guns blazing. Two Hurricanes exploded into flame and tumbled out of the sky almost immediately, and the other two broke off their attack, turning to engage Hornet's planes in a dogfight. I used the opportunity to open the throttle and gain some distance from the swirling melee.

Of course, as soon as Illustrious' fighters were no longer nearby, the Royal Navy opened up with everything they had again. I have to admit, even knowing these were training rounds that wouldn't blow me out of the sky, it was still a nerve-wracking experience. With every shudder and shake, I was worried we'd be declared "dead" and that would be the end of this exercise. Still, the carrier grew closer and closer now, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I began my run.

"Into the attack," Yorktown's voice whispered over the radio, and I nodded. I pushed the Dauntless into her dive and the engine begin to scream as the altimeter rapidly spun down. I opened the dive brakes and focused my attention on the bombing scope, keeping it aimed directly on the Ark Royal's flight deck. The entire airframe shuddered and bounced, and I was pressed back against the seat. All the while, Yorktown was cooly calling out the altitude and giving me last-second instructions. "Roll ten degrees to port. Three thousand. Keep the nose up. Two thousand. Right there. Fifteen hundred. Keep it right there." When the carrier nearly filled my vision, she cried out, "Now!"

Without hesitation, I yanked hard on the bomb release lever and felt the Dauntless lighten as the thousand-pound explosive left the aircraft's belly. "Bombs away!" I yelled as I yanked back hard on the stick with both hands. The g-forces felt like they were crushing me as I fought to keep consciousness, tunnel vision setting in as the plane pulled out of its steep dive. As the plane leveled out, the darkness surrounding my vision cleared, and I tried to glance behind me to assess the damage.

"It's a hit!" Yorktown shouted in answer to my unasked question. "Direct hit! And it looks like our wingmen made hits as well. Great job, Commander!"

I slumped back in my seat, catching my breath and smiling from ear to ear as I began to circle around to see the damage for myself. "Couldn't have done it without you, Yorktown," I panted. "You're a hell of a teacher. And a damn good gunner. Now I see why they call you the Fighting Lady."

Before Yorktown could make her usual humble comments, the radio crackled to life and a tinny horn sounded. "This exercise is now concluded. Having met its objectives, the winner is the Eagle Union. All ships...and Commanders...are to return to port for debriefing."

Hornet cut in on the private frequency we had been sharing, laughing and whooping. "We did it! Thanks a bunch, you two! I owe you a huge favor!"

"I'll hold you to that, Hornet," I grinned and steered us back towards home.

Compared with the events of that Sunday, the rest of the week was quiet and uneventful. There was some simmering resentment with the Royal Navy that Hornet roped Yorktown and me into the exercise, but considering that they had done the same by making Illustrious a last-minute addition, it was dismissed fairly quickly.

And in a way, it was an added blessing in disguise, as any talk of Yorktown's tipsy behavior at the party was quickly swallowed up by the stories of her and the Commander's daring dive bomber assault. Not many had known about our flying lessons, and now that it was out, the rumor mill was working overtime to guess how long we had been an item. Normally, I would take pains to squash those, but considering we had our first proper date in less than a week, it'd do more harm than good to try and debunk them. So instead, we buried ourselves in work, speeding the week along whilst eagerly awaiting the weekend.

Before we knew it, Friday night was upon us and we each hurried back to our respective quarters to get ready. After making a phone call to make sure everything was in place, I hopped into the shower, then quickly shaved and got dressed. While I went with my dress blues again, I idly wondered if Yorktown would wear the same outfit as well. After a quick inspection in the mirror to make sure that everything was in place, I headed out the door to the Eagle Union dorms.

Tonight was much quieter, with fewer shipgirls out and about than last weekend. I also didn't wait as long for Yorktown to come outside, and she was wearing a different dress, to boot. A dark, navy blue satin evening gown with a matching bolero that had been embroidered with silver stars. Her hair was back up in her ponytail from last weekend, however, and she still wore the silver anchor necklace over a satin choker, although this one matched her dress. And like last time, I couldn't help but stare at how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

"Good evening, Commander," she smiled, "You're looking at me like you haven't seen me in a week."

I cleared my throat and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Every time I see you all dressed up like that, it just...it takes my breath away. You look beautiful."

Her cheeks reddened, and she smiled back, entwining her arm with my own. "Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself."

"Heh. Must be from all those high-flying adventures we've been having recently."

She giggled and shook her head. "Silly. So where are we going?"

"Down to the market. I've got us a reservation at a very exclusive restaurant…" I hope, I added silently. "Shall we?"

"Of course."

I had called in Hornet's favor, and she came through for me with flying colors. Enlisting Hammann, Enterprise, Cleveland, and a few of the Royal Navy and Iris Libre girls, they had transformed the public dining area to a romantic little bistro for two. Lights had been strung between the buildings, and the only table remaining was covered in a tablecloth and moved to the water's edge, where we would have a beautiful view of the lighthouse and the ocean beyond.

Yorktown audibly gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to take in the startling transformation. "How did...when did you…?"

"Hornet," I answered helpfully. "Called in that favor she owed me, and once I told her my idea, she enlisted a few other girls and got this put together. I couldn't have done this without her. At least, not without you finding out, and I wanted this to be a surprise."

"You succeeded at that, Commander," she said softly, still awestruck at the effort put into this. "I can't believe you did all this for me…"

"You are absolutely worth it," I replied, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it. "Regardless of what you've been through, or what you feel you do or don't deserve, you are worth every ounce of effort we've put into this and a thousand times more."

Yorktown threw her arms around me and buried her face in my neck, holding on to me tightly. Once I'd recovered from the sudden surprise hug, I wrapped my arms around her gently, not quite sure what had just happened. Only when I felt her shuddering softly in my arms, and the moisture against my cheek did I put it all together. "...Yorktown?"

"Thank you," she sniffled. "Thank you so much. Thank you for always being here for me."

"And I always will," I whispered and kissed the top of her head. "I promise."

"I know," she nodded and squeezed me tighter, almost uncomfortably so before she released me and took a step back. Despite the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks, her smile was as broad and as warm as I'd ever seen it. She quickly fished out a handkerchief from her clutch and began to dab her eyes. "We should probably head to see if we can get that last table," she joked.

"Right," I chuckled, playing along as I held out my arm for her to take. Once she did, I led her down the short staircase and over to the table. Standing close by, waiting patiently, were Hornet and Cleveland, dressed as chef and maitre d respectively.

"Good evening, sir and madam," Cleveland began in an overly formal, but clearly amused voice, a big grin on her face. "Welcome to Chez Waterline. How many are in your party?"

"Two," I answered, trying to keep a straight face as best as possible. Yorktown was barely stifling her giggles and Hornet was grinning like the proverbial cat that ate the canary.

"Excellent. We have one table available. Right this way, sir," Cleveland bowed slightly, then executed an about-face with an air of military precision I rarely see and "guided" us to our table. After seating Yorktown, I took a seat across from her and we both looked over at Cleveland, wondering what would come next.

"Here at Chez Waterline, our menu is preplanned, so I will tell you that your appetizer will be scallop risotto, which we will have out to you shortly."

I nodded approvingly, and then I realized something. "Wait. Risotto requires constant stirring, shouldn't you be in the kitchen, Hornet?"

Hornet just shook her head and waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. King George V's running the kitchen tonight, I'm just helping her and Cleveland out a little bit. I'm just wearing this because I didn't wanna wear a suit."

My jaw hit the table at the bombshell she just dropped. "You got King George V to cook for us? How did you manage that?"

"They lost a bet, so I decided to call it in when you told me your plan. Which, by the way, you owe me a favor now, Commander."

I could only nod in agreement at that. She'd already gone well above and beyond what I'd asked of her, doing her a favor is the least I could do. "Done and done."

"I'll hold you to that!" she grinned. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

Yorktown waited until Cleveland and Hornet had moved out of earshot before leaning in and asking "Did you plan all of this?"

I looked around and shook my head. "When I called in the favor, I told her I wanted a quiet little table by the water for dinner and dancing, some strings of lights to set the mood. Didn't think she'd go and grab KGV to make dinner. Although, now that I think about it, she's a good choice, considering the menu…"

"Oh? What's on the menu?"

"You'll see," I winked playfully at her.

"Ooh, a bit of mystery," she teased and winked back. Before our playful flirtation could continue, Cleveland returned with what looked suspiciously like a champagne bottle. Both Yorktown and I started to object, but the cruiser quickly cut us off.

"Don't worry, guys, it's sparkling cider. Completely non-alcoholic." With our fears allayed, she set down a pair of champagne flutes and filled them with the bubbly liquid. With another dramatic bow, she set the bottle down on the table and retreated to one of the shops that they had occupied to use as a kitchen.

Yorktown picked her glass up first, giving it a sniff just to make sure it really was non-alcoholic before holding it up to me in a toast. "To a beautiful night under the stars."

"To a beautiful night with a beautiful lady," I replied and tapped my glass against hers.

A/N-And another chapter is done! Almost done with Yorktown's story, stay tuned for the next chapter, and thanks for reading this far!