Alabama swayed back and forth over the calm, Gulf waters, humming happily. No abyssal sightings for several days, and beautiful weather had put her in a good mood. "Alabama, please stay in line." Her sister's chastising voice sounded over her radio. The younger South Dakota class battleship spun around and smiled at Massachusetts, who followed a few meters back. "Just being careful for submarines, is all! Ya can't be too careful, ya know?" Alabama's voice trilled over the radio. She giggled, watching Massachusetts rub her temples. "You know as well as I that there hasn't been a sub sighting in forever." The older sister lectured. "And besides, we have those radio controlled birds watching our backs." Her thumb hiked to a glint in the sky, the drone flying over-watch for the two of them. "Now let's just hurry and get back." She checked her watch. "I'm beat, and need a shower." Alabama turned to blow a kiss at the circling drone. "oh ho hoo! Are ya gettin' cleaned up for a Valentine's night out?" Massachusetts eyelids narrowed. "What." "Don't play coy with me, sugar." Alabama's giggles were starting to get on her sister's nerves. "You've gotta hot date, don't ya, Mamie? I bet you-know-who is watching us ri~ght now!" Massachusetts' face turned a light shade of red. She hated that pet name. Even some of sailors and soldiers had gotten into the habit, to her chagrin. Usually a stern look would put an end to it, thankfully. "If I *was* doing anything myself tonight, it wouldn't be any of your business, and I'll probably being keeping up with you anyway, you damn troublemaker." "Oh hey, Mamie’s got a date tonight?" A new voice flowed from their radios. "Is it Casey? You should totally go for it." Massachusetts sputtered and spat, as Alabama hugged herself from laughter. "Lionfish! What are you doing on comms?" Massachusetts tried, unsuccessfully, to compose herself. Her face looked like it could glow in the dark. "Me an Nev are letting Casey and the others take a break. Nev's napping so I was bored. Speaking of Casey, I hear he's gotta surprise for you when you get back." "What!" "Oh please, please, *please* tell us." Alabama gasped for breath. Her sister's face was priceless. "Roses, chocolates, the whole nine yards, the whole nine yards? He's a good catch, ya know. You oughta show him some leg. He's always staring at ‘em. Personally I think he has good taste." Massachusetts could *hear* Lionfish's shit eating grin through the microphone. "Lionfish!" Black smoke poured from her stack in a billowing cloud as she overheated. "What? Just ask your sis. He-Hey! Ow! Ow! Sto-" Lionfish was cut off with a thud, then several seconds of silence. "Hello?" Alabama called out. "Lionfish?" "She's tied up at the moment." "Nevy! You're awake!" Alabama clapped. "Yeah. The little trouble maker is taken care of. You two nearly home?" "Nearly so! Elle was just telling us what Casey had planned for Mamie when we get back." Alabama responded excitedly. "Please don't call me that..." Massachusetts pleaded in defeated. "That jack-wagon is finally making a move? 'Bout time. I was wondering why he said he needed to take off. He's cute, Mams, you should go for it. It's Valentine's after all." "We'll pick you out the *cutest* outfit when we get back!" Alabama's added. Her voice laced with giddiness. "Your date's gonna be absolutely *marvelous*!" "Oh my god, will you people just shut up." Massachusetts groaned into her hands, thankful the shore line finally coming into view. ___ "Alright, looking good guys." Casey stepped back to watch the men work. While the girls had been distracted, everyone else had been working quickly and quietly to convert the hanger into a dining area. Round tables covered in pink tablecloth dotted the large room, and a small stage dominated the area. "Now let's get the sound system going, and the decorations up." Sweet slapped his friend on the back. "Not bad, my man. This is gonna be great. I'm surprised you were able to keep this a secret from the ship-ladies." The shorter man shrugged. "It wasn't hard. With Bama and Mamie out patrolling, and Nev doing whatever she does, the little snot was the only one to worry about." Sweet let out a deep laugh. "She's an attack sub, sneaking's in her nature." "It's in her nature to be a pain in the ass." Casey grunted. "Well I for one look forward to you embarrassing yourself on stage during karaoke." Sweet grinned. "You got kicked outta the church choir, remember?" "Bullshit." Casey sent a elbow in his friends ribs. "I left for Annapolis, dummy." "Uh huh, yeah, and they were mockin' your outta tune ass the whole time you were gone. They still use you as a example of what not to be." Sweet jabbed back. "You better be on your A game if you wanna woo a certain battleship." Casey refused to look his friend in eye. "I don't know what you're talking about." Sweet wrapped a thick, trunk-like arm around his buddy. "Come on man, don't be playin'. We *all* see how she eye's you when you ain't lookin'." "She's probably trying to kill me with her mind." Casey struggled against Sweet's grip, but the bigger man tightened his hold. "She wants somma that white meat." Sweet grinned evilly. "She's staring at dat ass!" He laughed and grabbed Casey's rear. "How about this white meat's gonna kicked your ass?" Casey grunted, struggling to wrestle out of Sweet's grip. "Sure thing, tiny. Now calm down and quit making a scene." Casey finally felt the eyes of the enlisted boring on them. "The hell are y'all lookin' at?" Sweet laughed again, and loosened his grip. Casey pushed the big man off and turned back to the others. "You jerks get this finished. I'm gonna go grab the food." He stomped away from the sound of enlisted snickering behind him. ___ "Can you untie me now?" Lionfish rocked back and forth on the tent's plywood floor. Nevada shot the subgirl a lidded look. "Really? Just break the ropes already." Her fairies played with the controls of the video feed behind her. Lionfish paused for a second. "I was just seeing if you would." The ropes snapped like thread as she flexed with her shipgirl strength. "Yeah, sure." Nevada turned back to her faerie crew. "Have you guys figured out how to get HBO yet, or not?" Tiny, irate squeaks answered her. "Ok, fine, sheesh." Lionfish stretched, her face twisting into a yawn. "Welp, I'm gonna take a walk." She hopped to her feet, and headed out the entrance of the tent. "Casey wanted us to stay here and keep watch." Nevada picked at her finger nails. Lionfish looked from the bored battleship, to the flickering screen as the fairies played with the settings. "I think they'll be alright, as close as they are." Nevada grunted, flicking gunk from her nails, as Lionfish walked out. ___ Casey pulled back into the parking lot from his errands. The back of the government F-150 was filled with groceries, and other party supplies. Several waiting soldiers grabbed everything from the bed as soon as the truck stopped moving, moving quickly to the hanger and the large BBQ grill nearby. He made sure to grab the last bags himself, being careful to keep them closed. He quickly followed the men to the large, metal building. "Whatcha got there?" Casey nearly dropped his packages as Lionfish popped up behind him. "Wha! Who! Dammit! Lionfish, aren't you supposed to be keeping watch with Nevada?" He recovered quickly, spinning to hide the bags behind himself. "She's got it under control. They're almost home, and she's trying to get HBO to work on the TV screen." She tried to peek around him, but he dodged her every move. "She's doing what? No. No! Go stop her dammit, that equipment is worth millions!" He pointed wildly in the direction of the recon tent. "She'll be fi~ine." Lionfish shrugged. "I don't think she realizes you can't get cable on everything yet. Now, what's in the bag?" "You'll see later, now *please* go stop her." Casey pleaded with the prying submarine. "Ok, fine. But I'm still gonna find out what you're up too." She flashed him a devilish smile, and sauntered lazily back to the tent. He debated for a second to follow her, but decided to go hide the bags instead. There was no way Nevada could ruin the equipment by herself, right? Goddammit. He'd check as soon as the gifts were hid. ___ Casey raced back to the tent after handing the shipgirl's gifts over to Sweet. His feet skid to a stop at the entrence flap. Erratic hands all but ripped the zipper from the fabric as he tried to get inside. "Oh, hey, you made it." Nevada waved at the disgruntled officer. "Pull up a seat, The Young Pope is about to come on." She leaned her folding chair back on two legs. Lionfish leered at him, sticking her hand in a bag of chips, a crumb ringed shit-eating grin plastering her face. Sweat dripped from Casey's face. His eye's slowly drifted to the monitor on the table. Sure enough, the show's title screen played on the screen. Casey opened, then closed his mouth. "How?" "Don't worry too much about it. It took some doing though, I tell ya." Nevada's eyes stayed fixated on the screen. "Just... fix it when you're done. We're eating in the hanger tonight, so make sure make sure the others aren't late." Nevada grunted affirmatively as he headed back out. ___ Casey and Sweet waited on the shore for the returning shipgirls. "We're ba~ack!" Alabama hopped back onto dry land, her rigging disappearing in an instant. Massachusetts followed quietly behind her. "Nothin' to report. No creepy crawlies, no nasties, no Abyssals, no nothin'!" Casey nodded. "Good to hear. You girls have been doing great work these past few weeks." "Hell yeah!" Sweet's boisterous voice carried over the waters. "Now you two kids go get cleaned up. We have a special something for you girls tonight." Alabama seemed to light up like a searchlight. Casey fought the desire to shield his face from her beaming smile. "A surprise? On Valentine's Day? I knew it! You hear that Mamie, let's go!" She grabbed her sister by the arm, dragging her to the hotel before she had a chance to argue. The two men watched the retreating figures as they jogged back. "So, Case, you gonna keep watchin' the view, or are we gonna go finish getting ready?" "Oh, fuck off. Come on." ___ "Mamie~? Are ya about finished with the shower?" Alabama gently knocked on the bathroom door. "It's almost time to go." Massachusetts stood with her eyes closed, letting the hot water sooth her sore muscles. The fatigue drifted from her head along with the steam. "A few more minutes." Her fingers massaged her scalp, running through her sandy, blonde hair as the shampoo rinsed away. She shut off the water with a sigh, and grabbed her towel. As soon as she touched the handle, the door swung open, revealing Alabama in a ridiculously short, red silk bathrobe. Worried blue eyes contrasted with the thick, white rejuvenating cream that covered her face. "Thank goodness you're done! Quick, help me pick out an outfit." Massachusetts stepped back as two black dresses were thrust in her face. A few seconds later, she came to a realization. "They are the same outfit. In fact, its the same black dress you wear *every* day." Alabama's eyes widened in shock, and Massachusetts placed her hands on her hips. "Big Sister, surely you can't be seriousness!" She held up one dress, then the other. "They're completely different. This one is a darker shade of black" she held up the one in her right hand. "And this one has more frill around the skirt. The difference is night and day! Mamie, sometimes I worry about your sense of fashion." "Noted." Massachusetts pushed passed her sister. "Just take the 'darker' one." Her sister held up the dress, and smiled. "I agree! It'll make my eyes stand out more! Now let's hurry. We gotta go make sure Nevy and Elle are ready." ___ Nevada greeted the South Dakota sisters still wearing her athletic shorts and a loose t-shirt. She held up a finger when Alabama opened her mouth. "Before you say anything, I'm not going. You two have fun." Massachusetts jammed her shoe in the door's path. "Whoa, hey, no. Not today. If we're going after a patrol, you can handle tonight. We have tomorrow off anyway, so work's not an excuse." Massachusetts pushed her way into the room. "Holy shit, woman, do you ever clean? You're a battleship of the U.S. Navy, you're better than this." Empty pizza boxes and beer cans littered the living area. "Sorry, *mom*." Nevada grunted. "But I'm still not going." Her chair squeaked in protest as she plopped into it. "But you have to!" Alabama pleaded. She held up a shopping bag. "We got you a cute outfit and everything!" "Outfit? What? Why?" Panic edged Nevada's voice. "Oh, you'll just *love* it." Sarcasm dripped from her words as Massachusetts locked the door. "It's *so* much classier than that cowgirl getup you always wear." "Here, take a look!" Alabama held of a long, red dress that shined under the light. "Lionfish got your sizes for me." "What? How? That little *bitch*!" Nevada shrunk into the chair, as the two South Dakotas loomed over her. "Wh-what about Mamie? Where's hers? She's just wearing her normal uniform!" "I agreed to go shopping with her tomorrow, in return for wearing what I want tonight. Nice try." A smug grin cracked Massachusetts's face. "Now, let's get this over with, yeah?" ___ "Oh Nevy, you look just lovely." Alabama fawned, putting the final touches on her prisoner's hair. Nevada looked at herself in the mirror. A bright red, strapless dress hung tightly to her frame. A scandalous split ran up the side, nearly up to her hip. Her sandy blonde hair was combed down from it's usual pony tail, covering half her face. Massachusetts nodded. "Not bad at all. It suits you." She handed the standard battleship a pair of white, elbow length gloves. "Oh shut up." Nevada growled, snatching the gloves from Massachusetts's hands. "I'll get you back for this, and your little submarine, too." Cans and glasses rattled and clinked as she stomped to the door. "Let's go get this over with." Alabama and Massachusetts shared a smile, and chased behind. Looping their arms through hers, the fast battleships guided the grumpy standard to the party. ___ Massachusetts had to admit, she was enjoying herself. A festive atmosphere filled the hangar, as couples moved to the music pouring from the speakers. Others sat around the nearby tables, or huddled around the buffet. Children ran around in scattered groups, playing hide and seek or peek-a-boo between adults legs. Alabama happily served BBQ to guests, sauce covering her face from enjoying a piece for herself every few minutes. Nevada, thankfully had loosened up as well. With Alabama's "encouragement", she had taken the karaoke stage and swept the crowd of their feet. Everyone was entranced by her hidden singing talent, and couples danced to her soothing, silvery voice. Scanning the crowd, she spotted Lionfish dancing with Joseph, the young Army private that her sister seemed to always keep at arms length. The subgirl nuzzled against his shoulder as they swayed to the music. The two made a cute couple, Massachusetts decided. She watched as Joseph whisper something into Lionfish's ear, then pull away. Lionfish raised her head, a curious look on her face, then hers *and* Massachusetts's eyes widened as he went in for a kiss. Massachusetts grinned. It was good to see him taking the initiative for once. "They're cute, aren't they?" Massachusetts jumped, almost spilling her punch as Casey appeared next to her. "Sorry about that." He chuckled, pulling a bouquet of roses from behind his back. "Here, these are for you." An awkward second passed, before Massachusetts accepted the flowers. "Thank you, but you didn't really need to get me anything..." She hid her blush in the petals. "You, all of you, I mean, threw this party for us, after all." "To be fair, we got all of you girls flowers. And chocolate, but don’t tell your sister yet.” He smiled. They watched the crowd swell back and forth for a few more minutes. Casey coughed. “Well, it's not the only thing I got you." He pulled a small box from his back pocket. "It's not much, but this is a personal thanks from me. You're a bigger help in herding this operation than you think. I can't begin to describe how much I, I mean we, need you." He coughed at the slip. Massachusetts wordlessly accepted the small black box, still keeping her face hidden behind the roses. "Sooooo." Casey rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "Are ya gonna open it?" Massachusetts jumped. "Yes! Of course, thank you." She set the bouquet on the table, still avoiding eye contact. She fumbled with the ribbon for a moment, before finally removing the lid. "Alabama said you would like it..." Casey added, sheepishly. "It's, it's beautiful." Massachusetts held up a small silver cross and chain. It glimmered in the festive lights. "I love it." A small smile formed on her face. "I know you don't like flashy things, but I think it suits you. You want me to help you put it on?" She nodded, turning her back to him. The metal chain was cool on her neck, but his warm hands felt nice. The latch closed, and she turned back to face him. Her fingers brushed the tiny cross fondly, as she looked back at Casey. "You look beautiful, Massachusetts." His dumb smile was adorable, she decided. "Thank you, 'sugar'." She giggled, and grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulling his face to hers. "But call me Mamie, alright?" They lips met, and for a few moments, it was only her, and Casey, and the music. Mamie knew it had only been a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity before they separated, holding each other's hands. They stared into one another's eyes for a few more seconds, neither willing to speak first. "It's about damn time." Their heads whipped around to find both Lionfish and Joseph leering at them. "They're like a couple of middle school kids, don't you agree?" Lionfish elbowed her partner. Joseph laughed. "Definitely! Get a room, you two!" Massachusetts viewed the young intruders with lidded eyes. "Did I just hear a certain submarine say they want extended patrol duty? I believe that's what I heard, Lieutenant Casey." "I think so. And I bet Captain Sweet has *just* the extracurricular activities for Private Joseph, here." "Oh hey, what's that? I think I hear Bama calling for seconds." Joseph turned back to the buffet. "Yep! I hear it too, let's get outta here before all the foods gone." Massachusetts watched as the couple ran off, dodging through the crowd. "They're good kids." Casey laughed, once they were out of ear shot. "So, where were we?" He turned back to the battleship girl in front of him. "I think you were going to ask me to dance." Mamie smiled. "That sounds about right." He smiled back, and offered her a hand. She took it, letting him lead her to the dance floor.