Brooklyn coiled around her sister's neck, pinning her to the bed. Honolulu's protests were muffled in her sister's bosom, striking at Brooklyn's shoulders with repeated fury. The blanket fell to the floor with a light thump, kicked aside by Honolulu's flailing legs. Many tides have gone since Brooklyn last held her sister, she'd be damned to let go now. Each strike at her shoulders bruised more than just her skin, chipping away at the hard exterior she wore around her heart like shells impacting the sides of her armored belt.

Honolulu's lungs burned, her limbs too tired to keep up the resistance. 'It's not fair, after all this time,' she thought, grabbing at the locks of hair that draped over her sister's back. 'What gave her the right to barge in here, to hold her anger hostage? The younger Brooklyn trembles, burrowing her face deeper into her sister's chest.

"I'm sorry…"

A voice that once held world leaders captive, came off shaking and vulnerable. Squeezing even tighter, Brooklyn nuzzled into Honolulu's crown. Unlike the plushie she neglected back home, Brooklyn would not let herself keep making the same mistake. Too many years have passed for her apology to have any meaning, but she still felt the need to say it.

"I'm sorry, Lulu.. " Brooklyn whispered again, her voice scratchy like her throat was lined with sandpaper. Forgiveness, a fleeting hope she knew to be undeserving, but yearned anyway. Those years of absence, in a time when her sisters needed her most, she ran from the stranger she thought to be wearing Helena's face. "Work" let her distance herself from ever having to face reality, and before she knew it, the last of her sisters had left their home port and she was left alone.

"Not fair sis…" Honolulu said, muffled, still smothered in her sister's breast. Feeling the crown of her head dampen from what she thought were tears, her own staining the front of her sister's uniform. A catharsis washed over the younger Cruiser, finally returning her sister's embrace.

Rays from the late afternoon sun fought through the curtains blanketing the two sisters in a soft warm glow. Their shoulders heaved from their quiet sobs as they stayed holding on to each other. Curling up, Honolulu replaces the warmth of her fallen blanket with that of her sister's, taking in her scent of the ocean and gunpowder. Who knows how much time passed as their sobs turned to soft breaths, their eyes shut with the events of the day catching up to them.

The distinct aroma of freshly brewing coffee wafted into Honolulu's nose, stirring her from her sleep. She found it difficult to move, with Brooklyn's arms still wrapped tightly around her head. Honolulu slowly wriggled free, gently untangling their hair from each other, careful as to not rouse the still sleeping Cruiser.

A faint light spilled into the room from the bottom of her bedroom door. The distinct sound of clinking glass disturbed the otherwise quiet suite.

"Louis?" Honolulu cracks the door open, scratching at the soreness at the top of her head from where she laid on one of her twin-tails. Peeking out of her bedroom, she yawns, "what are you doing here so early?"

"Oh, hey… didn't mean to wake you."

The voice was not that of her sister, but of the girl Brooklyn had brought with her. Releasing a sigh, Honolulu had forgotten she had offered her the other bedroom.

"...hey…" Lulu says back, avoiding the girl's eyes.

Val looked to be tending to a bizarre contraption resembling that of a chemistry set. An open flame licked at the bottom of a brass container, a glass next to it slowly filled with what Honolulu thought to be coffee.

"Would you like some?" Val asks with a nervous smile.

"Coffee?" Lulu answered with a tilt to her head.

"Yeah. I brought some beans with me from the mainland."

"And that thing too?" Honolulu pointed at the peculiar old fashioned appliance.

"Cool huh?" Val beamed, "it's a Belgium coffee maker, I found it yesterday at that neat shop by the docks!"

"Neat shop by the docks…" Honolulu parroted to herself.

"I've been to many thrift stores in the past, but I've never seen one with such a crazy and weird collection. And that shop keeper is probably the cutest thing in the world!" Val gushed.

"..." great, hopefully Akashi didn't rip this poor girl off,' Honolulu thought as she took a seat at the counter.

"Cat girl's are so unfair!" Val clenched her fist, "it should be illegal to be that cute!"

"Oh, that one's totally illegal," Honolulu muttered to herself.

The sky out the window was still dark, with the first morning's glow just peeking over the horizon. Yet the girl across from her was smiling brighter than the sun, seemingly filled with boundless energy. Even the perpetually smiling St. Louis had to allow some time to build up to her normal levels. Honolulu always had trouble handling people like her younger sister and Val. But just who was Val really?

The girl in the kitchenette looked awfully plain, normal even, much like most humans. Her simple brown eyes were magnified slightly by her dark rimmed glasses coupled with her short messy ponytail gave her a somewhat nerdy look. She did look the part of an advisor, Honolulu guessed as she tried to piece together what her relationship with Brooklyn truly was.

If St. Louis's conversation with her was any indication, the two were fairly close.

"Is… there… something on my face?" Val asks, brushing her messy bangs with her fingers.

"No! I… uhh…" Honolulu mentally kicked herself, not realizing she had been staring a second ago, "I'll t-take one… a c-coffee I mean."

"Y-yeah sure!"

The girl looked lost, scanning the cupboards behind her.

"Over there," Honolulu pointed, "in the corner."

"Ah, thanks."

Honolulu watched closely, unaware of how close she was to the edge of her seat, at the old-fashioned coffee maker as it rose a little higher from the flame. The early riser's lifeblood drained from one container, presumably into the brass one.

"Sugar?"

Maybe it was from waking so early or the fact she was so mesmerized by the peculiar appliance, but Honolulu couldn't process Val's words quickly, choosing instead to parrot her question, "Sugar? Uh… one…"

With little waisted movement, she poured the aromatic liquid into separate mugs. Lifting a spoonful of sugar from a tiny container she dipped it into one of the mugs, stirring it, looking practiced like she'd done this a thousand times.

"Enjoy," Val smiled, placing the steaming mug in front of the Light Cruiser.

There was something about the smell that reminded Honolulu of her eldest sister's namesake, her old homeport. The longer she held it under her nose the stronger her nostalgia became.

Many hours were spent being pulled down 5th Avenue by St. Louis, for her many shopping sprees. Being treated like an experimental mannequin for her sister's wide range of fashion. She wasn't the only one put through the ringer though, as Boise shared her plight, probably to a greater extent given her dislike for large crowds. Phoenix only liked tagging along to sate her amusement, up until she too started getting the dress up doll treatment. Helena was fully complicit in the whole ordeal, using her SG Radar to find "perfect" outfits, aiding in Louis's escapades. The two truly were the perfect storm, at least for the people caught up with them in a shopping mall. Brooklyn though, she was always off in the back making sure her sisters never got too out of hand and blow all their money in clothing. She really did miss those days.

"Did I screw up?"

Val's voice snapped Lulu back to the present. The girl fidgeted in place, twiddling with her fingers.

"Screw up?" Lulu looked down at her still steaming mug realizing she hadn't even taken a sip yet, "oh, n-no! I… I was just…" she scrambled, bringing the mug up to her lips quickly.

It burned, but despite that, "it's good!" Honolulu said, sticking out her sore tongue.

"Really?!"

"Y-yeah!" She said, before taking another sip, cautiously this time. The warmth slowly spread down into her core, her remaining taste buds alight in delight.

Val clasped her hands, her face brightened up almost immediately, "that's a relief!"

Honolulu was no stranger to coffee, and the stuff they're supplied with at this base was well above whatever rations most frontline bases get, but whatever Val just brewed really was one of the best cups she's had in a long time.

A light yawn came from the threshold of Honolulu's bedroom, a still half asleep Brooklyn emerged into the light.

"Brook!" Val clasped her hands together, "just in time! The coffee just finished!"

"Thanks…" she replies before yawning again, "I could really use a cup right now."

Brooklyn took a stool next to her sister at the countertop, with the two actively avoiding eye contact.

"Right! One Brooklyn special coming right up!" Val hurriedly poured a few teaspoons of sugar and some creamer, before sliding the mug towards her fiance.

The trio each held a mug in hand, taking small sips every so often. Val discreetly bounced glances between the two sisters as they sat quietly beside each other, each finding something interesting to look at at the opposite sides of the room. At the very least, they weren't actively trying to distance themselves, though, the still air that surrounded them was almost suffocating.

"You guys slept well?" Val asks in a small voice, wanting to retreat between her shoulders as if bracing for whatever circumstances that question would bring about.

"Hardly-"

"Not at all-"

The two sisters spoke at the same time. Whipping their necks around to stare down the other.

"H-hardly?!" Honolulu spat out.

"Y-yeah well…" Brooklyn stammers, "I can still barely feel my arm right now!"

"And whose fault do you think that is?! Do you know how hot it got?! And were you trying to suffocate me?! I thought I was gonna die in there!"

Val couldn't help but snicker at the two bickering sisters, "sorry sorry," she tried to hide her trembling lips behind her mug

"You guys really are sisters!" She said between bouts of giggling.

"Of course we are!" Both sisters said in unison, before their cheeks flush from embarrassment.

"Sorry," Val starts to calm down, "it's just that I always thought there was barely any resemblance between you guys."

"Yeah… I could see how you would think that," Brooklyn takes a sip from her coffee.

"But I see it now!" Val points to the top of her head.

"What…?" Honolulu said back, confused.

"I couldn't see it before because you were always wearing a hat when I saw you in the pictures I've seen, and when I met you, but-" Val re-emphasized the top of her head, "-it's your hair!"

"But I'm the only blonde…" Brooklyn runs a hand through her own hair.

"No, not the color! Your cowlicks!"

"..." Honolulu and Brooklyn both stared at the stray locks of hair that sat happily on the other's head. They always refused to come down, no matter how much work they put into their hair in the past.

"See!" Val looked almost proud at herself for her observation.

"Well… I guess it is kinda a Brooklyn-class staple." Brooklyn scratched at her cheek, self conscious of a feature she's always taken for granted, all because no one has really pointed it out so explicitly.

"But who cares if we don't really look alike? Honolulu shot out, pressing down her protruding hair, "she's still my-"

The younger Cruiser rested her chin on the palm of her hand, facing away, hiding her reddened cheeks, -...sister."

"And I'll always be…"

Honolulu couldn't quite make sense of the feelings bubbling up from inside of her as she clenched the handle of her coffee mug. Always… she repeated in her mind, it was so ironic that she wanted to laugh. To laugh so hard she'd cry. She wanted to scoff, like she's always done at such absurd statements, but the weight pressed upon her head, stroking her hair gently, dispelled that train of thought. Always… she hummed in her mind again, even in the chance they were nothing but empty words, it did bring a level of comfort that she had been longing for.

Brooklyn giggled to herself, watching the tips of Honolulu's ears turn red as she buried her face into her arms on the counter, whining quietly all the while.

"Aww~" a voice by the entrance to the suite startled those in the room.

"L-Louis!" Honolulu stammered out, "when did you-"

"Ufufu~" the busty bluenette hid a giggle behind her hand, "oh~ not too long."

"Helena's not with you?" Brooklyn tried to peek around her sister standing by the door.

"She ran off with Cleveland just a little while ago."

Brooklyn's gaze was fixated at the center of her mug, watching the last wisps of steam dissipate into the morning air. Even from a blank slate, Helena would always be Helena. Even back in the day that girl was constantly occupied with something, either of her own making or getting caught up in the various happenings along whatever base she happened to be at. And when Cleveland was around she would never be too far behind.

"They're still joined at the hip, huh?" A small smile showed on Brooklyn's lips as she traced around the rim of her mug.

"And I doubt that would ever change," St. Louis giggled to herself once more, before joining her sisters at the counter.

Val quickly adjusted the knot of her apron, before grabbing for another mug, "Coffee?" She asked the younger Cruiser, already prepping for another batch. The calm warmth that blanketed the room, the light chatter of the Shipgirls in front of her, and the punchy aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, all reminded her of home.

A small chuckle escaped her lips, amused by the flustered faces of Brooklyn and Honolulu as their teasing sister leaned into them pressing for details of what happened last night.

If the smile Brooklyn let show as she hooked around the necks of her younger sisters was any indication, she was right where she belonged.

A small pang rang out in Val's heart the longer she watched, like an outsider looking in. Feeling for the ring on her finger, all she could wish for, is to one day be a part of their lives.

Sorry about the late update and this chapter was on the shorter side, but my friend wanted to read what happened between Brooklyn and Honolulu so I ended delving into that for a bit.

So that means the Massachusetts focused chapter is happening next chapter.

Again, if you have any criticism and feedback on how the story is developing, please let me know!