Mike and Kate had just arrived back at Mikes place after being at the hospital to have Mike checked over from his beating he got at the hands of Cavanagh and his men.

Once through the front door Mike goes and sits down on the couch while Kate goes at gets changed out of her Whites. When Kate comes back out to the lunge she notices Mike asleep on the couch and decides to wake him and get him to move to the bed.

"Mike wake up"

"Mmmm" reply's Mike

"Mike why don't you go to bed and sleep there much more comfortable than your couch" reply's Kate

"Will you still be here when I wake up" askes Mike

"Yes I will be" Kate says

Mike heads off to his bedroom to sleep. When get gets there he changes into boxes and a T-shirt and jumps into bed and goes off to sleep.

Back in the Lounge Kate sits down with some reports and paperwork that need to be finished off and to also write her report on the day's events. She is struggling to concentrate on it all she just keeps going over and over to herself that this would never have happened to Mike if she had not dropped his call the night before. Next thing Kate hears knocking on Mike's door. Kate gets up to answer it thinking who would be coming over at this hour the crew were all at the hospital and Swain is not due till tomorrow to check on Mike. As Kate opens the door she notices Maxine at the door. They are both shocked to see each other.

"Um, Hi Kate I did not expect to see you here at Mikes place" Kate motions for Maxine to enter

"Well Swain and the doctor at the hospital thought it be best if someone stays with him to monitor how he copes with sleeping and also to make sure he rests" reply's Kate both woman walking to the lounge where Kate has paperwork all spread out.

"So I decided to stay with him give me a chance to do my report and finish off the paperwork from our patrol some of it will need Mikes signature. Do you want a coffee Commander White?"

"Yes please Kate but Maxine is fine outside work" Kate nods and goes off to the kitchen to make her and Maxine a coffee. Maxine follows Kate to the kitchen. She notices how well Kate knows Mikes kitchen and where he keeps everything.

"Kate, how are the crew dealing with the events of today" Kate hands Maxine her Coffee

"Well since having Mike returned alive has helped but I do think some of them will need to talk about it. I told them that I am here for them and the Navy has people they can go see as well. But I think it be a few days before it all sinks in to them all on how close we came to never seeing him again and that our job can be like that sometimes." Kate try's to stay carm while telling Maxine all this but Maxine can tell for Kate it is more personal but Maxine at this stage has nothing to go on well proof of more than a working relationship.

They both head back to the lounge.

"Kate there is a fear amount of paperwork here do you guys not do it when out on Patrol."

"Yes we do when time permits paper work when on patrol but sometimes we do bring it home and most of this are reports from the crew and that re the last 24hours and today's events which I have to write up into my report to give to you re what happened today"

Maxine nodded her head.

"Well Kate I better be off when Mike gets up tell him I been around to check on him and for him to ring me when he feels up to it"

"Sure thing Maxine will let him know" Maxine starts heading towards the door she turns around to look at Kate and then says "Kate don't forget to rest yourself you did an amazing Job out there today under the circumstances"

"Yes I will rest soon I just want to get my report done before I do" Kate watches as Maxine turns and then leaves Mikes house.

Kate turns to try and write her report but she just ends up in tears. Mike wakes up and can hear faint crying coming from within his house and he is puzzled by what he is hearing so he goes in search of the source. Mike finds Kate on the couch with him knees up in her chest crying. Mike goes around and sits beside her and brings her into a hug Kate does not even realised what has happened till she is laying on Mikes chest crying.

"Honey what is wrong" Kate just keeps crying, struggling to come to terms with what nearly happened and her guilt over the events of the day. They sit like this for a while. Just enjoying being in each other's arms. Something that nearly came to an end for both for them.

"It is my fault it all happened" Kate says. Mike looks down at her and moves her face so he can see her face and eyes he can see the guilt and fear in them

"No honey it is not your fault"

"But I dropped your call last night. If I had confronted you re the Co list for Hammersley instead of thinking that you thought I was hopeless and unable to take control of her maybe you would not off been beaten up so much"

"Why would you think I would think you are hopeless to take command" Mike looks at Kate puzzled

"Well I saw the list on your desk when I went and got the boarding tape. So I decided since u don't trust me to take control of the boat why stay. But then Knocker told me that you had made the list and put me at the top. As you rejected her list."

"Arrrr. Yea well I never got a chance to tell you and I was about too when you told me you were asking for a transfer then you decided to ignore me. So I had no chance to let you know what I did"

Kate snuggles more into Mike.

"Mike I was so scared today. And when the sub blew up and we thought you were dead all I could think about was how hard I had been on you about us. Making you leave Hammersley and not me. I was so scared that the last thing we did was fight. And that I would never get the change to tell you I love you" Kate starts to cry again. Mikes eyes start to go all crystal.

"Kate, honey it is ok. We can get through this I promise. But I can't help it when Maxine prolongs things. Or sends hopeless people. It is not just my ship I am leaving them in charge of it is also your safety and that scares me, (mike pauses here crying not to start crying) and the crew after the last Co and what he did the crew is family to me and I wont to make sure that you guys are left with the best person." Kate looks up at Mike and can see he is worried and can tell he wants to say something else so she does not say anything waiting for him to speak again

"Thou the one thing that kept me going were you. I knew you would at some stage find me one way or another. And even more so when I got taken out of that sub it was a relief when that happened. I can't promise what Maxine will do and when a Co will be replace me but one thing is for sure I won't you. I need you and I have to stop running from my feelings for you"

"What do you mean running from your feelings for me Mike" Looks puzzled at Mike. Mike realises he must now tell her why he left 9yrs ago

"Kate the reason I left had nothing to do with you but more me. I fell in ….love with you. You had your whole life ahead of you and I was afraid of what would happen if I stayed and you got found out. It was more to do with my feelings I was scared on how I could feel the way I do for you so I left hoping they would go away but the day you stepped on to Hammersley and back into my life I knew that the feelings I was trying hard to lock away where still as raw as the day I left. I tried to forget and move on but no one seemed to match up to you"

"Mike next time you feel like running because of how you feel about me don't talk to me please it hurt me when you left no reason for it just some no e and nothing to tell me where you had been posted too. And Mike can you make me one promise please never leave me again I don't think I can handle loosing you again" Mike smiles and nods at Kate and they Kiss

They both sit on the couch in silence holding each other thinking.

The next morning. While standing in the kitchen sorting out breakfast for them both

"Kate I was thinking about us. I won't to give us a go and try and make this work. Why don't we spend shore leave as us Mike and Kate doing things we enjoy doing and when on the boat and out on patrol we try and be as professional as we can and have been. No matter wither you are my partner or my xo I will still worry about you the same and have done for the last 4yrs. So what do you think? It be just till Knocker and sort out a replacement CO"

Kate stands there thinking. Mike looks are her then sees her half grin that she uses. He moves over to her and wraps his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him

"So what do you think?"

"Sure why not try" Kate says with a big grin on her face, Mike leans down and gives her a kiss.

"But Mike we have to make some rules thou. You got to let me do my job and not stop me from going onto boarding's just because you are worried about me getting hurt. The rest of the crew will pick up on it and then we are both stuffed. We got to stay professional on this ok"

Mike agrees then the next thing they hear is a knock on the door. Mike walks off to answer it. Not realising Kate is still in her Pj's and he is still in his boxers and t-shirt from the night before. When he opens it he finds Swain there.

"Hi boss came to check on you and see how you are doing. Thou you were told to rest"

"I am doing a lot better today thanks Swain why don't you came on in. And please call me Mike when on shore"

"Mike who is at the door" Kate yells from the lounge

"Just Swain he is coming in checks me over" Mike replies as both him and Swain walk into the lounge.

"Thanks Mike I am in my PJs still you could have warned me so I could have gotten changed"

"It is ok Ma'am. I am just here to check Mike over and see how his night was"

"Swain call me Kate please. He seemed to sleep well last night no night mares that I heard of or know of. Well me off to have a shower and get dressed" Kate heads off leaving the boys to talk.