The Way We Were

"And now, we raise our glass to the recently christened Commander Jeremiah Halsey! May he continue to serve with distinction! Here's to good health and embellished caps. Cheers!"

The sound of four glasses being clinked together and bouts of laughter followed the declaration.

"You know what, Hornet, you're unfit for formal proclamations," Halsey commented, a little embarrassed because of how some of the patrons were looking at them; though he guessed it was less about how loud Hornet was and more about her rather daring way of dressing for the occasion. Or maybe it's the other way around. Either way, she was drawing attention, and not in a good way.

He had to admit, though, the black dress and shorts―a combination he had never heard of and never thought would be possible―looked good on her.

No, not just her, he corrected himself; even Yorktown, who's also clad in a black dress, though hers was a more formal-looking one, and Enterprise—the odd one out in her Chinese dress—looked positively stunning.

"And you say 'christened' as if Jerry here is a ship," Yorktown chastised her sister in jest, only for Hornet to laugh it off; even Enterprise let slip a small laugh.

"Sorry, big sis, just messing around, y' know," she responded in her typical flippant manner. "I've never thought Atlantic City could be this exciting. And geez, I've never been to a fancy restaurant like this!"

"Not too fancy, actually; but still, I'm expecting you to behave, Hornet, even though mom―I mean, the Vice-Admiral cannot join us today," Halsey reminded her, but his lighthearted tone only succeeded in getting Hornet to stick her tongue out at him.

"Yeah, right; more importantly, though, Jerry hasn't told us what he thinks about how we look."

"Huh? Th-that's not necessary, don't you think?" A suddenly frantic Yorktown waved her hands, her face flushed―though definitely not from the alcohol she had just consumed―causing Hornet to groan. Enterprise, on the other hand, was unexpectedly receptive to the idea.

"Well, I would like your opinion, though; this is my first time wearing this kind of dress."

"If I may be honest," Halsey began, casting a consoling look at Yorktown, whose face appeared to be even redder than an overripe tomato by now, "you three are looking great; very stunning, if I may add. You three, indeed, have grown to become wonderful ladies."

The consequent response from the three sisters was as he'd expected; Hornet was grinning from ear to ear while Enterprise flashed a subtle, pleased smile. On the other hand, Yorktown hid her face with both palms and mumbled something unintelligible.

"Oh, bro, never knew you're that smooth. You swept big sis off her feet," Hornet whistled and laughed at her sister's embarrassment and inelegant reaction; it earned a distressed moan from the older woman. Yorktown then turned to Enterprise for support, only to find her sister looking just as amused.

"Come on, sister. It's not something to be embarrassed about."

"But…you…I…your face was red too!"

"True, but I'm not overreacting. Come on now; you are making a fool of yourself."

"…Ugh, fine. Sorry, Jerry," Yorktown straightened herself out, wondering when did her sisters start to get so mischievous―especially Enterprise. Sometimes she can even be worse than Hornet in that regard.

"Well, nothing's wrong with getting embarrassed like that; my ma, she was worse. She was close to dashing away when pa tried to ask her to marry him, or so I heard, anyway. It's a funny story, nonetheless," Halsey dismissed the apology, earning a small laugh from Yorktown.

"…You're right. It is a funny story."

Hornet was about to chip in when the big band started playing one particularly jaunty swing tune, and some of the patrons began to converge on the dance floor in pairs. As she watched the couples dance, a sly grin crossed Hornet's face, which Enterprise noticed but chose to ignore.

"Jeee-rrrrr-yyyy-! Come oooon, let's dance!" Hornet slid closer to Halsey, encircling her arms around his right. The firm grip pretty much told him already she most likely wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Dance?" Furrowing his brows, Halsey repeated as if wanting to make sure he heard that right.

"Yes, dance. It takes two to tango, you know?" Hornet pleaded, making her best puppy dog impression even though she was already beginning to pull him off his seat. She noticed he didn't offer any resistance despite his reservations—at least, not so much if his groaning can be counted as "resistance."

"But this is not a tango dance…"

"They're the same difference! Come on, I just wanna have fun with ya. What good is a celebration without a dance?"

"…Fine, if you want this that badly, I'll give, though if you want to see me embarrass myself that much, you might as well try and make me strut around in nothing but my underwear."

"Not me, but I'm sure big sis Yorktown would love to see that!" Hornet exclaimed with a playful glance directed towards her eldest sister as she swiftly pulled Halsey away towards the dance floor while Yorktown was still processing what she said. When she did, she promptly buried her face in her hands again, mumbling, "geez, Hornet."

Wordlessly, Enterprise turned her attention to the pair on the dance floor. Sure enough, Hornet turned what was supposed to be a swing dance into her own improvisation rather quickly, with Halsey trying his best to keep up. His efforts resulted in him nearly crashing several times into his giggling partner, who found the whole thing amusing instead. The others, distracted by the commotion, didn't share the sentiment; but true to form, Hornet didn't care in the slightest.

"Don't you wish you could be like Hornet?" Enterprise tore her attention away from the two and looked at her sister squarely in the eyes, causing Yorktown to flinch before scrambling to regain composure, or rather some semblance of it. She managed to do just that by emptying the content of her glass in one go and then another.

"…So, um, excuse me…? What do you mean, Enterprise?"

"Don't you wish you could be like Hornet?" A nonchalant Enterprise repeated before calmly taking a sip off her own glass, eyes still fixed on her sister.

"Like…Hornet?" Yorktown intoned, getting an inkling of what Enterprise was trying to convey. She certainly knew what Hornet was like—ever so honest, ever so candid. She says what she wants to say and does what she wants to do. But to be like that…does she really want it?

Yorktown found herself unable to formulate an immediate answer, and it disturbed her more than she liked.

"Of course, I won't force an answer out of you. I only wanted to suggest that you have to be honest with your own feelings. At least acknowledge them," Enterprise offered, only for Yorktown to respond with a nonplussed look.

"My feelings…?" Yorktown uttered as she looked away from Enterprise's intense yet sympathetic gaze. She knew Enterprise meant well, but how her younger sister looked at her made her feel really small. Feeble. Bare.

"Sorry if I impose on you too much, but I've seen how you were around Jerry lately…you seemed…different."

"How…so…?" Yorktown meekly challenged as she poured herself another glass and quickly downed it, though inwardly, she already admitted Enterprise was most likely right.

"Let's see…you suddenly get flustered easily whenever he compliments you. You've been happier when the two of you are together… you're also becoming more attentive to his well-being…"

"That…I just really care about him, alright? I mean, we're like brothers and sisters…right? It's perfectly normal…I…"

Her gaze softening, Enterprise gently set down the glass she had been holding for a while despite it being empty as her sister clumsily slumped over the table, unable to finish what she wanted to say.

"Sorry; I will no longer bother you about it anymore then," Enterprise concluded with a small measure of guilt, only to be met with silence. She took it as a sign that the talk was over, but she was proven wrong moments later.

"…Have you been reading all those sappy fictions Hornet forced on you, after all, Enterprise…?" After a while, Yorktown finally spoke; Enterprise noted that her voice was suspiciously off, and she was still avoiding her gaze.

"…No, why…?"

"Because all those things you said, meanie. Why…are you asking me this and that…?"

"Because…" Enterprise paused, moving the half-empty bottle away from Yorktown as she sluggishly reached for it. The act prompted a whine from the older woman, but she gave up trying to snatch it back rather quickly.

"Because…I care about you, you know…?" Taking a deep breath, Enterprise finished.

"…You could be wrong about all this…"

"Maybe, but my point still stands."

Moaning, Yorktown pressed a palm onto her forehead and held it there for some time, which Enterprise guessed was the effect of the alcohol starting to kick in; she beckoned a waiter over and told him to take the bottle away.

"It was much simpler back then…" Yorktown murmured with her head down and her voice trembling, "…Why couldn't we just go back to the way we were…? When thoughts like this would never even cross our minds…?"

"Would you…?" Enterprise responded—though her sister was certainly asking nobody in particular—with a question of her own.

Once again, Yorktown was unable to find an answer.

"…We don't need to go back; He's always been kind, even after…everything that happened. No matter what you feel about him now or in the future, I don't think Jerry will end up hating you for it," Enterprise gently said while taking hold of her sister's hand, causing Yorktown to look up and back at her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"…Then…what should I do…?"

"…Just keep on being there for him. I'm sure …the answer will come to you in the end."

"…If you put it that way, Enterprise…maybe…maybe I could try."

"Don't forget, Hornet and I will be there too. We will support you just like always."

Wiping her eyes, Yorktown murmured her gratitude just as an annoyed-looking Halsey returned to their table, followed by Hornet, who, unlike him, was cheery.

"I'm not dancing with you ever again, Hornet," Halsey said as he rubbed his sore forearm. The pain was admittedly negligible and wasn't even the source of his irritation; instead, it was the unceremonious end to his and Hornet's dance session, in which she tripped and fell on top of him. That earned them both judgmental looks from the other dancing pairs—he was sure he wouldn't forget that anytime soon.

In any case, he was glad his mother-in-law wasn't there, or they would never hear the end of it.

"Yeah, yeah. Uh, sis, is big sis Yorktown okay…?" Hornet questioned when she saw how red Yorktown was and that she was massaging her head with one hand.

"Oh, just a touch intoxicated. That's why I told the waiter to take the bottle away," Enterprise laughed a little as she replied, even though Yorktown had already asked her—pleaded, even—not to tell anyone; upon hearing that, Hornet lost all her cheer.

"Aww, what gives? I still wanna drink…Are we still in the Prohibition era or something…?"

"Hmm…If that's the case…I can take her outside for some fresh air. Should help her feel better," Halsey suggested, thinking that he wanted to be somewhere else at the moment after that incident anyway.

"That's a good idea, don't you think, sister?" Enterprise nudged Yorktown softly, and though she got even redder than before, she eventually relented and rose from her seat.

"Okay, Jerry, take me out of here…Maybe I do need some fresh air…" Yorktown said, slightly wobbling as she walked towards Halsey, ultimately stumbling forward just in time for him to catch her. Shaking his head but still smiling, he led the stammering woman out to the boardwalks by hand, feeling her clinging to him rather tightly.

Much to his surprise, he did not mind it at all.

"You know, sis, you look so damn pleased; I wonder why," Hornet said as she took a seat and noticed how Enterprise was smiling as she watched the pair go. The smile was uncharacteristically wide and self-satisfied, not the typical light one Enterprise would usually have when she felt inclined to smile.

"Oh, nothing much; I'm just thinking…our sister will be alright after all."

***

Yorktown, as Halsey noticed, did not let go even though her steps had steadied to a degree as they strolled the Boardwalk. But he still didn't mind.

Their pace was without aim, but Halsey was content with simply keeping Yorktown company if it could help her feel at ease. That he did enjoy the cool night breeze in that summer of 1938 and the sound of waves breaking on the shore certainly helped—as did the fact there were people like them all around, holding onto one another, ensuring that he didn't feel out of place.

"This feels nostalgic, isn't it? It's been a long time since we actually take a walk around the seaside like this," Halsey said, breaking the silence that prevailed ever since Yorktown had stopped her profuse apology. Yorktown turned to him, her face was flushed still, but a small smile was now gracing it.

"Aah...It is, isn't it? It's...a long time ago," Yorktown trailed off, her smile wavering and soon disappearing completely.

"Yorktown? Something wrong?" Halsey inquired as he felt Yorktown's arm slipping away from his, wondering if he had wronged her somehow-she sounded hurt as she spoke. He watched as she walked towards the railing separating the Boardwalk and the coastline, seemingly staring into the dark horizon.

"Just thinking...how many years have passed? I could still remember that time...when you were just a young ensign...and I..We...were not even full-fledged KANSENs. And then we met."

"Oh, I see. Yes, it's been...what, twelve years? You were just a teenager back then. A little shy, but you're level-headed and reasonable for your age. I admired that, you know," Halsey replied as he joined her, catching a glimpse of red returning to her face when he did.

"Oh, you...did?"

"Yeah. Hornet's carefree, and Enterprise's single-mindedly committed, so you balanced them out. "

"I see..."

"Well, a lot has happened since then, you're right. And people around you changed. Hornet has become a little more serious now, and Enterprise has become more sociable."

"They are, aren't they," Yorktown laughed. Hornet indeed had learned not to get herself into trouble, and seeing Enterprise opening up to her peers was a joy in itself. Still, she couldn't help but notice that he didn't mention her at all and wonder.

"But you see, your change was what struck me the most. How you became more and more confident in leading your sisters, Yorktown."

Yorktown blinked at that. She didn't feel like doubting Halsey, but she certainly didn't feel confident right now.

"Ah, maybe you didn't notice, but that's how I see it. You're no longer hesitant to take charge, rein them in when needed, and most importantly...you are no longer hesitant to be there for them and listen to their troubles."

Yorktown closed her eyes, considered the words. If she were to describe it, they and her lingering doubts were battling.

In the end, the former triumphed, and she smiled, realizing that she indeed had changed along with her small family.

He, too, was family. And he, too, had his life changed—as someone who had loved and lost a love.

It all felt like yesterday—the wedding. Everyone was smiling.

"...She would love this sight. I'm sure she would love to spend the night with all of us."

Yorktown bit her lip as she winced, though certainly not from the sudden gust. His pained, cracking voice felt like a discordant chord that was unpleasant to the ears. And despite the passage of time, she could remember the last time he spoke like that.

It all felt like yesterday—the funeral. Everyone was in tears.

"Do you...miss her?"

She almost regretted it—asking the question—right away. The resultant pause lingered too long for her to consider a normal reaction.

"...I'm sorry. I...don't know what's gotten into me, blurting out like that. I guess...it's just because I took her here for our honeymoon..." Halsey turned to Yorktown, who barely managed against flinching at the look he gave her. A vulnerable look unfitting of a Navy officer.

"Jerry, you don't have to—"

"I missed her. But I also know she wouldn't let me do that for long. I should move on and not dwell on it. And because of that, I want to thank you, Yorktown."

Only after she felt the tightness within her chest and a crawling heat on the sides of her face did Yorktown realize his hand was on top of hers.

"Eh...?"

"You, Enterprise, Hornet—you helped me to do that. You gave me the consolation I needed. You know, I should've said this a long time ago, but somehow, I never found the right opportunity until tonight. Glad you asked."

He let out a laugh after he spoke, one without gravity, as if the gloom before was never there to begin with.

"I'm happy you did," Yorktown looked at Halsey's hand on hers and placed her other one on it. For a moment, she had thought of relenting; but then she realized how foolish she was to believe that her action would be met with rebuff when all she got was a warming smile.

Enterprise was right—he had always been kind, Yorktown remembered. And then she promised herself—right now and tomorrow, and the days after—she would continue to be kind to him, whatever the feelings driving it. It didn't take much thinking on her part.

After all, to be there for the other—that's how they had always been, and there's no need to look back. Not even when the world around them changed to the march of time.

Before she knew it, Yorktown was giggling.

"So, are you feeling better now?" Halsey inquired, though he figured soon after the question was rather pointless.

"Oh, yes, I'm feeling better."

"Well then, want to head back?"

"Actually, I'd love to stay like this a little longer, if you don't mind."

"Oh no, I don't mind."