Luck (Is Believing You're Lucky)

Author's Note: My first Sea Patrol fanfiction; Kate/Mike pairing; Bomber/2Dads friendship (though you can pair them if you squint). The title is a reference to Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," the male lead of which bears certain similarities to 2Dads XD - Becky; PS. Prior Warning: Some parts are extremely cliche!

"That bastard. Thinks he can drive up here in his fancy car and just boss us all around!" 2Dads growled, taking long, quick strides through the dark car park.

"2Dads, wait up!" Bomber whispered harshly, running after him. "What do you think you're doing?"

2Dads clocked a quick glance over his shoulder and grinned in the usual mischievous way. "I'm just making sure he knows he won't be missed, Bomb," he laughed, and then suddenly he had a Swiss army knife in hand. "Word is he's eating at that 5-star gig on the dock, and that he's parked that pretentious tin can of his over here somewhere…"

"Whoa, 2Dads, stop right there," Bomber cautioned him, looping her hands around his arm and tugging him to a halt. "Aside from the obvious, let's-not-deface-the-General's-property plea… Do you have any idea how much it'll cost to fix anything you break on that car?"

2Dads gripped her elbow conspiratorially. "Come on, Bomb; I'm not planning to get caught." And then he was off again.

"2Dads—!"

"Ah! Here she is! What a beauty…"

"2Dads, this is a bad idea—"

"Shh, someone's coming!"

Bomber bit her cheek anxiously as 2Dads pulled her behind a car and ducked. "It's just—" Bomber froze mid-whisper as she recognized familiar voices.

"I had a great night, Mike."

"Is that…?" she began uncertainly.

2Dads whistled quietly. "That's the XO!"

"Shh!"

Kate smiled up at Mike as they paused by a nearby car Bomber knew she should have recognized as the XO's. "I wish you'd have let me pay for dinner though. At least half—"

Mike chuckled, leaning against her car, an elbow on the roof. "When in the years that I've known you have I ever let you pay for dinner?"

"I hope you're not about to suggest that men pay for dinner, women cook it?" Kate supplied skeptically.

"Oh yeah, 'course," Mike replied with a good-humoured laugh. Then, more seriously, with the arm resting on the car, he reached out to cup her chin sweetly. "I miss your cooking when we're at sea."

Kate smirked lightly. "Don't tell Bomber that."

"I miss watching you make it," he added quietly.

"Soon," Kate promised, reaching up to touch his hand on her cheek affectionately. "Now I should go. I've got business to finish up on the Hammersley early tomorrow."

Mike didn't bother protesting that tomorrow was supposed to be their last day of shore leave, instead straightening back up and asking, "Are you alright to drive?"

"I'll be fine; I'm not far."

"You don't want to get a taxi…?"

"And give you another opportunity to boost your chivalrous ego and pay?" Kate laughed. "Not a chance. I'll see you in the morning."

Mike grinned and opening her door for her, exchanging a quick couple of cheek-kisses as she got in. "Say hi to little Delilah for me."

Kate laughed and agreed that she would, the minute she got back on ship, and Mike shut the door, watching as she drove away.

"Dude, she's gone; move," 2Dads muttered impatiently after a few minutes, causing Bomber to jump in and shush him. Mike however, didn't seem to have heard and took another minute or so before leaving.

"What was that about," 2Dads asked, shooting a suggestive grin at Bomber as they emerged from behind the car. "Looked like a date to me."

"Get that smug grin off your face, 2Dads," Bomber said firmly, the criticism evident in her tone. "Clearly we have just witnessed something that we were not supposed to have witnessed so lets just—"

"Bomb, we just witnessed something that wasn't supposed to have happened," 2Dads exclaimed happily, resuming his search for the General's car, army knife in hand. "We could bang them so hard for fraternization!"

Bomber's eyes widened slightly. "2Dads, they were just having dinner!"

"Come on! That exchange? They may as well have been married!" He paused, turning to look at her with childish excitement. "Hey, who do you think Delilah is? Do you think they have an illegal kid on board the—"

"2Dads, you're insane!" Bomber exclaimed derisively. "Delilah is a toy. A teddy bear in the X's room." She held off his laughter with a stern look. "Old and of huge sentimental value."

"Don't tell me— if we control the bear we control the X?"

"2Dads, don't be such a—!"

"This is it!"

Bomber's heart dropped at the sight of the expensive white Cadillac. "I'm begging you 2Dads, don't touch it. You've been in far too much trouble before to get away with this one!" She flinched at the sound of the knife scraping metal. "…W-What are you writing?"

"I think a simple 'bastard' will do the trick," 2Dads replied cheerfully.

"2Dads, this is a mistake!" Bomber whispered, glancing around them fearfully as 2Dads crouched by the door. "2Dads!"

"Shut up, Bomber; you'll get us caught."

"2Dads we need to run, now!"

"I'm almost— hey!" 2Dads cried as Bomber yanked him up by his collar. "Run!"

"Wait, my knife!"

"I've got it, 2Dads!"

"Then come on!"

Bomber shook her head disbelievingly as 2Dads tugged her out of the car park. "2Dads, that was so close. Someone almost saw!"

"But they didn't!" 2Dads replied, panting a little as they walked down the street away from the car park.

"That was honestly one of the stupidest things I've ever seen you do… even if the General doesn't suspect its a navy bloke, he's still going to be in a rubbish mood, all the worse for us the day after tomorrow when shore leave lets up!"

"But then for us its one more day of that stupid training program, and we're done. Him, he'll have those scratches a lot longer!"

"Jesus Christ, 2Dads," Bomber sighed, and 2Dads prepared himself for another verbal lashing, but when he looked up she was smiling. "I can't wait to see his face Monday," she admitted.

"Pity we couldn't wait around to see it now…" Bomber raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "I'm kidding, Bomb. Thanks for being a good sport."

Bomber scoffed lightly. "If he finds out," she warned, "I wasn't even here." The two grinned at each other slowly and Bomber met the hand 2Dads put up for a high five. "I still think you're an idiot," she assured him, and they parted on good terms at the end of that street.

"2Dads, we've got you and Bomber on the security tape! Did you honestly think you could get away with scratching 'bastard' on the General's car in plain sight of car park security!" Kate exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the desk in front of him.

"Ma'am, he clearly deserved it!" 2Dads exclaimed defensively, causing Kate to scoff.

"2Dads, I don't think you even understand the seriousness of this situation!"

"But Ma'am—!"

"Bomber, you I'm surprised at. I thought you were keeping that temper of your under wraps!"

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am," Bomber replied feebly. "I don't know what came over me."

"Over y—? X, you've got the tapes from the car park, you know that Bomber didn't lay a finger on that car!" 2Dads protested, in a rare moment of loyalty.

"Actually, I don't know that," Kate replied sharply. "The car obscured the two of you from the camera until you ran away."

"Then fingerprint the fucking knife! Bomber didn't touch that car!"

"But I touched the knife, 2Dads," Bomber replied resignedly. "When you dropped it."

"Bomber, I'm sorry."

Bomber just shook her head and looked back at Kate. "What's going to happen to us, Ma'am?"

Kate shook her head, sighing. "The General isn't pressing charges," she admitted, glaring as their faces brightened up. "This time. And I think that that in itself is a miracle. Now if this sort of thing happens again, 2Dads, you know you're out of the navy."

"Yes Ma'am!" 2Dads replied jovially.

"So it had better not happen again, do you hear me? You'll be seeing the CO for the registering of your punishment on Monday, both of you."

"U-Understood, Ma'am," Bomber replied gratefully, when 2Dads said nothing. "Thank you, Ma'am."

Kate nodded firmly. "Never again, Bomber."

"Absolutely not, Ma'am!"

"You're dismissed." Kate narrowed her eyes as 2Dads jumped up to leave too. "Not so fast, 2Dads. I want the knife," she demanded.

"Uh, no offence, Ma'am, but no way," 2Dads replied, crossing his arms across his chest defensively.

"The knife, 2 Dads, and be glad it's not your gun you're handing over."

"Ma'am, I can't," 2Dads insisted. "It's got huge sentimental value. It was my granddad's knife—"

"2Dads, you've been lucky so far, but this could go a whole other way if you don't give me that knife right now."

"2Dads, don't be an idiot," Bomber chastised him from the door. "Ma'am, I picked up the knife last night. I'll get it."

Kate nodded toward the door, and commanded 2Dads to stay put.

"Ma'am, this isn't fair!" 2Dads complained. "That knife is all I've got of my granddad. My dad would kill me if I lost it!"

"2Dads, you haven't lost it," Kate replied seriously. "You forfeited it the minute you used it to deface the General's car! Now once again, you need to be grateful for the leniency you've been shown."

"This is it, Ma'am," Bomber claimed as she entered the room again, passing a knife similar to the one 2Dads owned over to the X, who barely glanced at it. "Dismissed, both of you. The CO will be in contact with your punishment, so don't waste your last day of shore leave."

"Yes, Ma'am," 2Dads replied, the mischievous grin returning to his face.

Bomber glanced at him nervously and followed him out.

"Can I have my real knife now, Bomb?"

"Can't you wait 'til this has blown over, 2Dads?" Bomber begged. "If the X sees you with that knife so soon after she's confiscated mine, there'll be trouble for both of us. By the way, you owe me a new knife."

"Okay, but I need mine now, Bomb; give it to me," 2Dads urged, and Bomber conceded, leading him down to her cabin and rifling around in a drawer for it. "Here. Granddaddy's knife."

Giving it a melodramatic kiss, which Bomber couldn't help but smile at, 2Dads patted the knife contentedly and turned to leave.

"Hey, uh, where're you going?" she asked falteringly.

"I got a date," 2Dads claimed, grinning as he flicked through the settings on his Swiss army knife, settling on a lock pick, "With a girl named Delilah."

"You'd think they'd be a little more grateful," Mike mused seriously as he and Kate wandered down the hall toward her rack. "It could have gone a whole lot worse for them."

"I just can't believe that Bomber would— Bomber?"

"Oh, XO!" Bomber exclaimed loudly as she saw her approach.

"Were you waiting for me?" Kate asked, nodding toward her door, when Bomber looked confused.

"Oh yeah, I was," Bomber replied, catching on. "In fact, I was hoping you would come down to the galley with me, and uh—"

"Bomber, I'm actually just about to head off. This is my last day of shore leave too, you know?" Kate replied evasively. "I just need to get into my room…"

"Please, Ma'am? Just for a minute?"

Kate glanced over at Mike hesitantly and he waved her on. "I'll go make sure everything is right for us to leave and meet you back here."

"Thanks, sir," Kate agreed, and allowed herself to be dragged away by Bomber.

Twenty minutes later, Mike returned to Kate's cabin and, seeing the door ajar, let himself in, only to find Kate fussing about a room turned completely upside down. "Kate, what happened," he exclaimed, closing the door hastily and drawing her into his arms as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's ridiculous," she whispered waveringly, trying to free herself. "I just— I can't find Delilah."

"In this mess I'm not surprised," Mike tried to laugh, gesturing around them as he released her.

"No, no, I made this mess looking for her, Mike," Kate insisted. "She should have been right there under my pillow!"

"Kate, you need to calm down."

"Mike, I know it's stupid, but that bear—!"

"I know, Kate, Delilah had a special meaning for both of us."

Kate sank onto her rack, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand, and Mike was just about to sit down beside her when there was a knock at the door. Seeing the panicked look on Kate's face, he rose to answer it, barely opening the door a crack as he stepped outside to face Bomber.

"Where's the XO," she asked anxiously, and Mike frowned.

"She's not feeling very well, so if it's not important—"

Bomber glanced through the crack and barely glimpsed Kate, overcome by a new wave of silent tears on her rack, and desperately trying to clean herself up. "Oh my God…"

Mike glanced behind him anxiously. "Bomber, what is it, if you don't mind?" he asked quickly.

"I knew it was a low thing to do, but I didn't think—! I just helped because I didn't want to see him in any more trouble!"

Mike shook his head, misunderstanding. "She's not upset about what you did to the General's car—"

"No, I'm not— I'm talking about the bear, sir; the white one in the too-big pink dress!"

The expression on Mike's face changed entirely and he closed the door completely on Kate to prevent her from hearing. "Bomber, do you have any idea how important that bear is to Kate?"

Bomber's face screwed up in a panic and she shook her head quickly. "No, I mean— I knew it was special but— 2Dads just—!"

"2Dads has Delilah," Mike repeated disbelievingly. "Where is he?"

"He was going to pitch it over the side of the boat, sir!"

Mike knocked on Kate's door quickly, saying to Bomber, "You stay with Kate, I'll go after 2Dads," and Bomber had barely time to catch her breath before Mike was gone and a red-eyed XO had opened the door.

"Ma'am…"

"2Dads, where's the bear?" Mike yelled, emerging on deck and catching 2Dads returning toward the stairs.

"The bear, sir? A bear on the Hammersley?" 2Dads joked, as usual with no sense of the gravity of the situation.

Mike strode forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shift. "2Dads, where is the bear?"

"Careful sir, I could have you had for assault," 2Dads merely replied coolly.

"2Dads, I swear to God—!"

"Already in the blue, sir. No can do," 2Dads replied, with a grin, stumbling as he was released.

And then Mike was gone, pitching over the edge of the boat.

"Hey, 2Dads! Where's the CO?" Bomber called, running up the stairs on the heels of the X.

"Gone in the drink," 2Dads laughed disbelievingly. "Must be some bear!"

"2Dads, if you dare to so much as knock on my cabin door again, I will—!"

"Ma'am, you need to take the army knife off him," Bomber interrupted soberly, to 2Dads' horror.

"Hey, listen, Bomber—!"

"I gave you the wrong one because that knife was special to 2Dads," Bomber explained, with a glare in 2Dads' direction. "But then he used it to pick his way into your cabin and… well, now I reckon he deserves to have it taken from him."

Kate didn't respond, rushing to the side of the boat and peering over the railing. "I can't see him," she whispered. "Jesus… Bomber, I need you to call CoastWatch and get a team in the water looking for him!"

"Right away, ma'am!"

"Hey, wait! Isn't that him over on the dock?" asked 2Dads, peering over the side of the ship too. "He's even got the stupid bear."

Kate was off the deck in seconds.

"For God's sake, Mike!" she cried, bringing her arms tight around him and the bear both. "Delilah's special, but hardly something to jump ship for!"

"I know, but uh…" Mike shook his head, holding the bear out to her, "…I couldn't bear to see you cry," he joked feebly.

Kate took the bear gratefully and immediately turned its bottom right paw toward her, lifting up Delilah's long dress to see it properly. "The marker's smudged," she whispered, tears forming again in her eyes. "God, I'm sorry, Mike. I'm so ungrateful. I just— You know, that message on Delilah's paw, it was…"

"It was the only time I was ever able to tell you that I loved you," Mike finished for her sadly. "I'm sorry I was always such a coward."

Kate shook her head bittersweetly, rubbing her hands up and down Mike's forearms quickly. "You must be freezing, Mike. Come have a shower back on the ship, and then we can go and I'll make some lunch."

"Sure, uh… I'll hold Delilah."

Kate raised an eyebrow at him but passed the bear over anyway and together they walked back toward the ship.

"You should have a shower too," he told her, not relinquishing the bear even as they came to her door. "I managed to get you all wet."

Kate cast the bear a curious glance, but nodded. "Give me half an hour."

"Perfect," Mike replied, still clutching the bear to his chest, and they parted ways.

"Uh, X?"

"Come in, Bomber," Kate called, her voice echoing from the bathroom.

Bomber closed the unlocked door behind her anxiously. "X?"

"I'm in the loo," Kate replied unnecessarily, opening the door slightly, and gesturing for her to come in before continuing to reapply her make-up.

"You look really nice, X," Bomber said honestly. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Kate," the XO corrected her, shaking her head. "We're still technically on shore leave. Is something wrong?"

"I just wanted to apologise," Bomber admitted. "It was totally out of line of me to… X, I'm really sorry."

"Kate," she repeated, recasing her mascara brush and looking over at Bomber. "I haven't got the energy to tell you off for this latest stunt right now, but I think you've got enough sense to know yourself that what you did was wrong. Right now, I'd just like to enjoy my last day of shore leave and leave it at that."

"I brought 2Dads' knife," Bomber offered, placing it on the counter next to Kate's make-up.

Kate barely glanced at it. "Just tell him I don't want to see it on this ship again," she acquiesced. "If it means so much to him, maybe he won't risk taking it back on board."

"I don't know, 2Dads is kind of all about risk…" Bomber admitted ruefully. "I should have known better than to have gotten caught up in it."

"Yes, you should have," Kate agreed. "But you know better now, and that's the important thing."

"Yeah, but the, uh, the bear's okay, right? The CO got it?" Bomber asked, and Kate hesitated before replying.

"The bear itself is fine… but the water washed away a very important message that had been written on one of its paws."

"Kate, I'm really sorry. Can you get whoever wrote it to rewrite it?" Bomber asked hopefully. "I mean, even if it's not the same…?"

Kate smiled sadly. "I couldn't ask him to rewrite it now," she said dismissively. "I mean, I'm sure he would if I asked, but what good is a confession of love from someone who doesn't love you anymore?"

Bomber shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wondering whether or not to ask the obvious question. "Uh, Kate…?"

"Yes, Bomber?"

"…Did the CO give you that bear?"

Kate, who had just picked up a tube of lipstick, put it back down again and met eyes with Bomber seriously. "A very long time ago," she admitted. "Though I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to tell 2Dads after all that's happened."

"Of course not, Ma'am!" Bomber replied quickly, then— "Uh, Kate… Are you sure he doesn't love you anymore?" She blushed. "It's just that… he jumped off the Hammersley to get you that bear. It obviously means a lot to him too, don't you think?"

Kate had barely opened her mouth to speak when another knock sounded at the door. "In the bathroom," she called, and Mike walked in, dry and dressed in a different pair of jeans and a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His hands were held quite obviously behind her back, and while Bomber noticed, Kate was too busy applying her make-up again to see.

"Almost ready, Kate?"

"Almost," Kate agreed, screwing the cap back on her lipstick and putting it down on the desk, as she turned, still rolling her lips to even out the colour. As she did so, he pulled out the bear and she froze.

"I hope you don't mind," he admitted, passing it over sheepishly, "But I thought I'd fix her for you."

Bomber smiled widely. "Hey, which paw," she asked quietly, leaning over Kate's shoulder, and, with a shaking hand, Kate pushed back the fabric that covered Delilah's bottom right foot.

"Kate, my grandpa gave my granny this bear before he died, and told her that no matter what happened, he would always love her. I know there were nights when it gave her great comfort, so I'd like you to have it and hold it in my place when I'm at sea. I will always love you, Kate. Mike."

"Uh, Bomber. Could I have a minute with the X please?" Mike asked, nodding toward the door uncertainly.

Bomber beamed her support. "Absolutely, sir! I was just leaving anyway!"

"I hope you don't mind," Mike repeated as the door closed. "Bomber let me borrow her hair drier to dry her off, and I just—"

"Mike, thank you so much," Kate cut him off reassuringly. "I'm glad to have her back, and she looks perfect."

Mike coughed quietly. "I hope you noticed that she isn't exactly the same," he mentioned, nodding toward the bear, and causing Kate to frown and read the message on the bear's paw again. Her mind jarred on the words "I will always loved you," but she was sure that that was how they had been written all those years ago.

"Try another paw," Mike suggested with an anxious smile, and Kate watched him as she drew Delilah's long dress up to uncover the other lower paw, glancing down only as he nodded encouragingly.

"Kate, I've never known how to let you go, and I know it'll be hard, but I don't want to anymore. Because I've realized that—"

"I still love you, Kate," Mike admitted, echoing the final line on the bear's second paw. "And I know it's probably stupid of me to hope that you might love me too after so long, but I'm here if you'll have me. That's all I wanted to say. I… hope I haven't ruined Delilah for you."

Kate stared uncomprehendingly at the new message, and smirked as she realized that Bomber had known when she asked if she was sure Mike didn't still love her. "I— I think you've improved her," she confessed with a smile, finally meeting his eyes. "Now come on, it's almost half-2 and I'm hungry."

Mike grinned widely. "You're not going to give me a kiss first?"

Kate blushed and looked down at the bear again.

"I was actually hoping you'd missed that as much as I have."

When she looked up she was smiling. "I have, but not on this ship, Mike," she admitted quietly. "…Later."

Mike's grin became, if possible, even wider at that, and he placed a hand on Kate's back to lead her out.

Down the corridor, Bomber and 2Dads traded a knowing smile.

"You're lucky that turned out so well, you know," she sighed disapprovingly. "It could've been a lot worse for us."

"Ah, but that's just one of the great things about being with me, Bomb," 2Dads replied, flicking through the settings of his army knife cockily, "I'm exude luck. I'm the luckiest guy alive!" Bomber raised an eyebrow disbelievingly and had started to walk away when he called her back. "Hey, Bomb…? Wanna get a drink?"

"…I told you, you're not that lucky, 2Dads."