Lieutenant Kate McGregor was used to big ships. In fact she loved the comfort of big ships. You could be anonymous but still have a reign of control. But now she had been transferred to a new ship. It had to happen as she had not been shy about making her career progression known and to move up the ladder she needed to experience different bases and different ships.
She arrived at HMAS Cairns. When she first received her orders from fleet command she thought there must be a mistake. Cairns was the base for the patrol boats and survey ships. Both of which she had no interest in serving on. She was greeted by a commander Marshall who informed her she would be the executive officer and boarding officer of HMAS Hammersley which was under the command of Lieutenant commander Mike Flynn.
Mike Flynn why did that name sound so familiar to her. She had been in the navy since she was 18 had gone through AFDA and was named best Navy Cadet for her class. Her mind went through a mental list of everyone she could remember in her graduating year, the year above and the year that entered after her. People she had met on courses and training. Even all the officers she had served with. But was unable to place the name to a face.
Her world came crashing down the car came to a stop next to a small ship with the hull number A202. The HMAS Hammersley was a small cramped Freemantle patrol boat.
"Sir..."
"Lieutenant, Hammersley is being decommissioned in 6 months. That's all you have to serve. You can put in for a transfer after that point"
"sir"
Getting out the car she see the CO on the flag deck talking to another female officer. Well that meant she would be sharing a cabin. She hoped she wouldn't be a talker. Seeing her epaulets she realised she was a lieutenant like her. How this was possible she barely looked 25.
She walked to the gangway and was greeted by Mike Flynn. As soon as her appeared in her eyeline and she saw his face it all came flooding back. He was some one she met at Watsons Bay 5 years ago.
"crap" she muttered under her breath. That was the navy for you. You never knew who you might meet and where you might meet them
Saluting she held out her hand in a formal manor for a hand shake.
"Sir Kate McGregor"
"good to have to on board Lieutenant" he shook her hand back. He too had recognised her. He was running a course she was enrolled on and she always had a answer for everything or questioned everything. It was one of the things that he liked about he. But he left things in a bad way and he hoped that they could put the past behind them and get on for the sake of doing their jobs.
They didn't get a chance to speak privately to each other until dinner when she embarrassed her self by dressing in her smarts. She left her cabin. Bumping straight in to him. He totally dismissed the past like it never happened or he didn't want anyone to find out. He even had the nerve to say he never thought he would see her again as she was a "big ship" person and he loved the patrol boats.
She returned to her cabin. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry. Sitting on the chair she pulled open the photo album she had from home with her personal pictures. There was one she had hidden behind one of her cousin. Pulling it out she stared at it. The two people in the picture looked so happy and in love it was hard to believe one of them was her. Leaning back in the chair she pulled out her music player and lifted the headphones over her ears. Setting it to shuffle she pressed play. The first song that came on was perfect for the situation.
Mike sat in his cabin he too had not wanted any dinner. Sitting on his rack he picked up the framed picture he had of Hammersley from when he first served on the ship as a junior sailor. Opening the back he pulled out a second hidden photo. It was the same one Kate had just been looking at. He wished he had left things on better terms but he knew her career was important to her and if they were together they would never see each other and he would have to give up patrol boats or she would have to give up big ships. One of them would have to take a shore post as big ships and patrol boats operated from different bases on different sides of the country.
Switching his iPod on to shuffle he pressed play and waited for the music to begin.
Both Kate and mike had unknowingly listened to the same song. It was a old classic from the late 80's. It was a little cheesy but still a good song. It suited the mood perfectly.
"If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that'll hurt you and you'd stay
I don't know why I did the things I did
I don't know why I said the things I said
Love's like a knife it can cut deep inside
Words are like weapons, they wound sometimes "
okay so I got the idea for this fic after listening to the song one afternoon (I have it on my music player) and I was reminded that the video is filmed on the USS Missouri. so I like the navy theme. I though what actually happened with Kate and Mike at Watsons bay.
please let me know what you think
I don't own the lyrics to If I could Turn back time !
duckmadgirl x
