Nav was trying to convince Bomber to be her made of honour but Bomber was denaying it.
"Are you sure you want to I be your made of honour and not Hannah? ET will choose Buffer and it would be normal to you chose his wife." Bomber said as she and Nikki were standing in galley.
"I don't like her. We have never been friends Bomber. Please will you be my made of honour?" Nikki said and made puppy face using her last adut.
"Of course! I'd be delighted to be your maid of honour." said Bomber and gave her friend a big hug. "I'm so exciting that you and ET finally are getting married after having a secret relationship for such a long time," she added. Nikki smiled happily.
"I can't wait," she said. "Every day when I'm out at sea away from him, I miss him so much," said Nav and played with her engagement ring that was hanging in a chain around her neck.
"I just never figure out how Mike never realise you two were together till that bad accident." Bomber said and laughed. "But I still think you should ask Hannah." she added not looking into Nikki.
"I told you, I want to my friend be by my side there, not some stranger. I don't know her too much. She is avoiding crew and you saw it. Since Buffer become our CO we barely saw her twice." Nikki answered and take a sip of her navigator brew.
"And it is my wedding anyway. Pleasing Buffer will never be my priority for my wedding. That's my and Josh's night, nobody else's." she added. Nikki smiled to Bomber, then she turned around to take her coffee back to the bridge. In the door way she almost walked into Spider.
"Sorry Ma'am." he said, quickly stepping aside. Nav smiled at him. As soon as she was gone, Spider sent Bomber his best smile. "Hi Bomb, you look happy. What's up," he asked.
"Nav chosen me for her made of honour." Bomber said and smiled. Spider laughed loudly.
"So there will be funny dance on end." he said laughing.
"What do you think with that Spider?" Bomber asked.
"Well dance between made of honour and best mate of groom." Spider said laughing.
"What?" Bomber asked getting angry.
"Sorry mate but it is on." Spider said laughing. "Auch." he added when Bomber hit him with tea towel.
"Um, congrats on being the maid of honour is what I meant." said Spider and laughed again. "I still miss ET on the Hammersley but." he added quickly when he saw a dangerous glimmer in Bomber's eyes.
"Yes, it feels a bit weird to sail without him." she agreed - glad to get a chance to change the conversation away from Buffer. "It is hard for Nav to sail without him." she said with a sigh.
"Yes it is probably." Spider said with sigh. Hard steps from outside were heard. "I will go on bridge and stay away from him." he added.
"From who?" Bomber asked but Spider already was out. She sighed but her answer just came in her galley. "Sir." Bomber added and looked into her and saw a reason why Spider practically run out from galley. Buffer again was in bad mood. She sighed knowing it will be on crew to deal with that.
"There's a problem with the EOD." he said in an annoyed tone. "None of our electronic equipment work after ET left. Where is that damn replacement of his hiding out." he asked grumpily.
"I don't know, Sir. Dave might be down helping Charge and his boys," suggested Bomber. Buffer turned around and walked with firm steps towards the machine room.
Bomber sighed with relief when he went out. She really didn't want to be kicked out from ship because of his bad mood. When he was in that kind of mood everyone were avoiding him, especially she. And even Swain, who was ship's XO and his cousin was Buffer's wife was avoiding him. Bomber sighed again.
"Why they all have to bring their private problems here on ship?" Bomber said aloud.
"You said something?" Buffer asked as he returned something. Bomber become pale.
"No sir..." she murmured not looking into him.
"I have got ears, you know," he said with a shadow of a smile in his eyes. For a second Bomber could see the old Buffer in him, but then his hard stare returned
"I was thinking of Nav, Sir. She misses ET so badly that she can hardly talk about anything else but him." she said meekly. "By the way, I think I saw Dave heading for the bridge with his tools. He is probably starting to repair the EOD, Sir." she said. The trick worked. Buffer turned around without another word and headed back to the bridge. Bomber couldn't help it, but gave a sigh of relief as he walked away.
"You look relieved Bomber." Bird said as she walked in galley.
"After you get hurt your leg you should to stay in bed." Bomber said and looked into Bird with smile. "Well I was on step to be kicked out again. I commented something and I am having more lucky than a brain sometimes." Bomber added with one more sigh what wasn't sigh of relief. "What is wrong with him? He is sometimes same as before and then he becomes so grumpy." Bomber added with one more sigh. "I don't know what to expect from him. And tonight I am on first night watch together with him and I don't even know what to do what to say. Nothing. I want all good Buff to return. Buff who was leaving his problems on shore. Buff who was friendly, charming and always ready to help." she added and sigh this time it wasn't sigh of relief. Thing what she didn't know was that Buffer was standing right behind her and his mood was probably even worse than couple minutes earlier.
"Thank you for the psychoanalysis, Bomber," said Buffer with his voice full of irony. "Now, if you are done gossiping about me behind my back, it would be good if you could come and take your shift at the helm," he added in a dangerously calm voice. Bomber's face was red as a tomato. "I'm so sorry, Sir, I didn't mean ... Um, I'll go right to the bridge, Sir," she stuttered while Bird focused all her energy at her coffee mug while she bit her lip in order not to smile. Bomber almost ran out of the galley feeling like the world's biggest idiot. On the bridge, Nav and Swain were standing close together looking at Nav's phone, while Dave was working on fixing the EOD and RO was busy making notes while listening to the radio. Bomber replaced Dutchy by the helm. "Hey Bomb, have you seen ET's new profile picture on Facebook," asked Swain and came over with Nav's phone in his hand. The photo showed a smiling ET on a beautiful beach with his arms around Nikki. "That's an amazing photo, you both look so happy," said Bomber and tried to smile. She was still feeling a bit shaky after her run-in with the CO. "Thanks," said Nav and smiled proudly. "Hey Buff, have you seen ET's new profile pic," asked Nav in her sweetest tone when Buffer entered the bridge. "Nav, you know damn well that no phones are allowed on the bridge," started Buffer, but then he looked at the photo and smiled at her. "That's a great photo, Nav. I will make sure to like it as soon as I go off duty," he said with a wink. Bomber tried not to sigh. Buffer's behaviour was so unfair! She knew that Buffer always used to have a soft spot for Nikki, but it was pretty obvious that he treated Nav completely different from herself. "What have I done to offend him that much," she wondered to herself for the hundredth time.
"Welcome to my world Nav." Bomber said silently with sigh.
"You have something to add Petty officer Brown?" Buffer asked angrily.
"No sir. Nothing. I just said that they look very pretty together. Nothing more." Bomber said and felt her face became red again.
"If you have something to say then tell me that in face!" Buffer yelled that everyone looked into him.
"Yes I have." Bomber said.
"Okay. Come to my office now," said Buffer with thunder in his voice. "Nav, take the ship." he added. Swain sat down at the helm as soon as Bomber stood up. Her and Buffer both marched off the bridge. "Oooh, someone is in trouble." said RO while looking up from the radio. "Bloody hell, they both have some temper." said Dave.
"I really wonder what that was all about." said Nav. Swain just shook his head.
"Oh Buff," he said to himself. "I know Hannah is my cousin, but she really is a difficult woman. But you shouldn't take it out on the rest of us that you married the wrong woman." he muttered.
Bomber knew she overstep but he was such a wrath last couple days and she knew she can lost her job but she didn't care.
They entered into his office and he shut a door.
"So? Go ahead. Tell me." Buffer said pissed.
"Tell you what? That you changed? That you became such a pain on all of us and we don't even know what we have done. What have I done to you?" Bomber asked angry and looked into him. "What have I done to you be like that to me?" she added trying not to sound hurt with his behaviour.
Buffer sighed. "I am sorry, Bomb." he said. The anger had vanished from his voice just as quickly as it had arrived earlier. "You are right, I know I am too irritated and annoyingly difficult to deal with. I guess I should say thank you for having the guts to tell me face to face. I always respected you Bomb, you are a brave woman and a fine sailor." said Buffer. Bomber felt surprised. It l
ooked like she still could get through to him and that the old Buffer was still in there somewhere. "I am sorry too, I know I overstepped." she said quietly. "But I think the whole crew want the old Buffer back." she said with brutal honesty. Buffer looked at her.
"Yeah, I know I haven't quite been myself lately. I'm sorry, I'll try to behave now rationally." said Buffer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the bridge," he said and opened the cabin door for her.
"Sure." Bomber said and went out and then looked into him.
"Something more?" Buffer asked and looked into her.
"Yes...no.." Bomber said and smiled and went away.
Buffer went back to the bridge. "Glad you are back, Sir." said RO. "We have spotted a suspicious FFV. It doesn't respond to my radio messages, just keep steaming at full speed towards international waters." he explained.
"Sounds like someone is doing illegal fishing." said Buffer. "Let's teach them a lesson." he added.
"I have plotted the course, Sir." said Nav. "We should catch up with them in approximately 25 minutes." she said and gave Swain the coordinates.
"Ok." Buffer said and take binoculars and went on deck. 25 minutes later they arrived on place.
"Hands to boarding station. Hands to boarding station." came from PA.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: here is one more story from me. Enjoy in it. Please read and review
Thanks for reading