October 14th, 2020 - Mobile - 07:30 Hrs - HMS Belfast

It was a grey and miserable morning when Belfast rolled out of her hotel bed, slowly she stumbled into the bathroom before looking at herself in the mirror. To anyone else, Belfast looked like her normal self, if a bit sleep drowsy, but Belfast could see the fear in her eyes, after all, today was the day she'd been regretting since the trip had begun, and there was no way to prevent it. Sighing at what the day would inevitably bring her, Belfast consigned herself to her fate by starting what had become her morning routine. First, she rinsed out her mouth and brushed her teeth to wash away her morning breath, which thanks to the rum she'd been drinking before going to sleep, just in case the nightmares returned, was noticeably pungent. Then she showered and dressed in what had become her usual attire, before quickly repacking all her belongings into her bag, pulling the last zipper closed just as there was a knock at the door.

"Belfast, you awake?" Walker asked through the door as Belfast got to her feet.

"Yeah, just finished packing," Belfast replied as she picked up her bag and headed for the door, finding Walker waiting for her on the other side.

"You got everything?" Walker queried, receiving a nod from Belfast in return, "Right, well we better get going, we've got you on a flight at one, so we need to get a move on," he noted as he started towards the lift, with Belfast following.

"Oh, where are going to meet..." Belfast began only for Walker to answer before she could finish.

"She'll meet us at the museum since thanks to Texas being restored, we're going to do the summoning on Alabama, which means we can get her and Drum whilst we're at it," Walker answered as he pressed the elevator call button, Belfast already knew this, which had given her some small crumb of comfort that Texas might restrain herself in public, but in private, that was anyone's guess.

"Yeah, It's hard to believe that she's in such bad shape," Belfast mused, as the lift doors opened. She was genuinely concerned with the state that Texas had gotten into since she had been retired in 1948, especially that since then, Warrior and the SS Great Britain, ships that were far older and in the case of Great Britain actively being left to die on a beach, had been in better condition when they had been finally saved in the 1970s.

"Well, at least they're finally doing something about her," Walker noted as the pair stepped into the lift, with Walker pressing the button for the lobby, "But, I have to agree that neglected her maintenance, guess you're lucky that the people who saved you knew to hand you over to the Imperial War Museum when the money got tight," He added, receiving a look from Belfast, having not expected Walker to know that particular fact, "What? I did my homework after you showed up," Walker explained, prompting a sigh from Belfast.

"Yeah, you could say I got lucky again," Belfast mused, as the lift doors shut behind them.

October 14th, 2020 - Mobile, Battleship Memorial Park - 08:11 Hrs - HMS Belfast

The weather hadn't improved much when the pair arrived at Battleship Memorial Park, but fortunately for the press and the small crowd gathered, the weather appeared to be holding for the minute. Getting out of the car, Belfast quickly scanned the assembled crowds at the foot of the boarding ramp to Alabama's stern, looking for one face in particular, only for a familiar voice from behind to give her an answer.

"Looking for me?" the voice asked, prompting Belfast to turn, finding the owner of the voice standing near a second car with Canadian plates, which must have pulled up after Belfast had arrived. Finding a familiar form of a destroyer, with long dark ginger hair flowing out from under her naval cap, a dark navy naval jumper with its white maple leaf on its shoulder with a matching skirt and tights, and its plimsoll style boots, exactly what she had worn when Belfast had last seen her off the coast of Korea, 70 years ago.

"Haida, still the same I see," Belfast replied calmly. Haida, after all, was one of the few spirits that Belfast knew, was on good terms with her, since unlike Texas, Haida had seen the monster of the war, and the mess that she'd been after her second breakdown in 1945.

"Yeah well, I didn't get a new wardrobe when Salem came and got me," Haida replied, moving a strand of hair off of her face, "At least, you look better than the last time I saw you," she added, and not just meaning Belfast's new outfit and hair cut.

"Ladies if you would mind, the weather's forecast to break soon and the press is getting impatient," Walker inputted, prompting a chuckle from Haida.

"Ha, over the threat of drizzle? None of them has been in a storm in the arctic, whilst having your top half covered in ice then!" Haida smirked, prompting a smile out of Belfast, who had forgotten the destroyer's sense of humour, which tended to clash with her status as the 'fightiest' ship in the Royal Canadian Navy.

"Yeah, but they're complaining to the brass, who are complaining at me to get a move on, so can we please do that before they demote me," Walker pleaded, prompting Haida to glance at the Canadian officer who had accompanied her, who simply gestured towards the boarding ramp.

"C'mon Haida, let's help the yank out" they replied, prompting Haida to roll her eyes, before making her way towards the ramp, with Belfast walking next to her, putting on a calm expression to hide how terrified she actually was, having to force herself to head towards Alabama instead of running as fast as possible in the other direction.

"Nervous Bel?" Haida whispered so that no-one else could hear her. Haida, like the other D-Day veterans, was fully aware of the threat that Texas had made to Belfast, and after the efforts, she'd gone through for her final bombardment mission, the threat was almost certainly real. Belfast meanwhile simply gave Haida an 'um-hum' in reply, partially so no one could hear her, but mostly because she was terrified she'd let slip exactly how petrified she was, "I can see why you asked for me now," she added quietly, as a loud cheer broke out amongst the crowd as the pair reached Alabama's deck before sitting down under the barrels of the battleships number 3 gun turret, with Walker and the Canadian officer remaining at the top of the boarding ramp, giving the pair some privacy, "Relax Bel, I'm sure Texas has mellowed since D-Day" Haida offered before extending her hand to Belfast, who despite not believing a word Haida had just said, forced herself to take the destroyers hand, close her eyes, and concentrate until she made the transition, opening them to find a figure no one recognised standing in front of them.

"Hey there, we were wondering when someone would come and get us," figure greeted as Belfast and Haida got to their feet, noticing the pennant number BB-60 embroidered on the right side of her top, Identifying her as Alabama.

"You must be Alabama," Belfast replied, prompting Alabama to smirk, Alabama was slightly shorter than an Iowa, even having a similar outfit to New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Kentucky, except in Alabama's case, hers covered more of her body than the Iowa's, with red hair in twin tails and blue eyes.

"What gave it away?" came a second, much more familiar voice prompting a sense of imposing doom to start creeping up Belfast's back, who turned to find a second figure standing behind her, wearing an all too familiar white button-down shirt, with a long red neckerchief tied around her neck, a pair of navy blue button Jeans, a pair of brown leather work boots with dark brown hair flowing out from beneath a brown Stetson, with the unmissable letters 'BB-35' printed on it, "Hello Bel, it's been a while," Texas deadpanned, her dark blue eyes fixed on the light cruiser in question.

"Oh Tex, play nice, I only know you're pissed because they have you stuck in that drydock," Alabama teased, not realising that Texas's frosty greeting was over something worse than a stint in drydock.

"Right, hey Al, you mind if I speak to Belfast alone for a minute?" Texas asked, causing Belfast's heart to sink, knowing exactly where Texas was heading with her 'private chat'.

"Eh, sure, I'll keep Drum occupied so she doesn't bother you, ok?" Alabama replied, as she walked over to the submarine in question, who was standing someways off.

"Um, ok, but can Haida come with us, Tex? since she'll want to hear what you have to say," Belfast requested, hoping that Texas would at least allow her to have someone help her up when Texas inevitably knocked her down.

"Eh, if she wants," Texas replied, glancing at Haida, who simply nodded before heading for Alabama's superstructure, with Haida and Belfast, who felt like someone being marched to their firing squad, hurriedly she thought of ways she might prevent what she knew was coming, only for nothing to come, and so instead took the only choice she had left, and as the three entered Alabama's superstructure, she made her choice clear.

"Ok Tex, free shot, but do me a favour and hit me in the gut, otherwise, the others will see the mark" Belfast declared, throwing open her arms to give Texas a clear path to her exposed midriff, Texas's face however simply changed from one of hidden anger to one of confusion.

"What the hell? What's with the whole 'I'm sorry' act, lose it and let's get this over with," Texas demanded, having expected Belfast to put up some sort of fight, not for her to willingly letting Texas hit her. Haida, however, chose this opportunity to speak up.

"Tex, it isn't an act, Bel has actually changed, I saw it in Korea, she was a mess, all wrapped up with hating herself for what she'd done!" Haida explained, getting an 'are you serious?' look from Texas, "I swear on the honour of Texas she's being genuine" she stated, getting a surprised look from the battleship, swearing on someone's life was one thing, but the honour of a state that had declared her an honorary member was another thing. Texas at this news simply returned her gaze to Belfast, the anger in her eyes was still there, but not as much as had been before.

"Ok Bel, since Haida's willing to defend you to that level, I'll cut you a deal, I'll let your past actions slide, if you prove to me you've changed, by flying straight and true, because if you screw up again, I'm going to do more than punch your lights out, are we clear?!" Texas proposed, leaning over Belfast to make clear her point.

"Crystal," Belfast answered calmly, hiding surprise that she wasn't picking herself, if not her teeth up off the floor. Texas meanwhile simply grunted before heading for the door.

"Well c'mon then, Al and Drum will be wondering where we are," Texas stated before passing through back onto the open deck, Belfast however simply turned to Haida and mouthed a thank-you to her. Haida however simply glanced at her, smiled slightly and then followed Texas outside, leaving Belfast alone to collect herself, before returning to the deck.

Authors Notes

Ok, so there are probably two burning questions you would like answering, 1) Why didn't Texas punch Belfast? and 2) What the hell I been doing instead of getting this chapter written? well for the latter, let's just say life has been throwing me a few curveballs the last few weeks, with some added issues regarding family life which have been a drain on my willpower, which led to me doing anything other than writing this chapter.

As for the former, well there's a very good reason why Texas didn't punch Belfast, the idea no longer worked after I learned that Texas would be moved to Mobile for repairs (probably but most sources are putting money on Mobile being the place, at the time of writing) so I had to bin that idea and come up with a plan B, which might seem like a cop-out, or (hopefully) a well-executed fake-out/switcharoo, (so please don't be angry).

Anyway feel free to post reviews as always, and if anyone annoyed that I skipped a particular museum ship, relax I'll inevitably get around to them later on in the story (I just want to move the plot away from just summoning American ships).