Kate's past, Mike's future
AN: Please remember I don't have a SP beta, so please excuse me for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :P
Chapter 1
Mike sat in the Captain's Chair looking out into the morning sky. All around him, his crewmates were bustling around him. He wasn't happy with NavCom's recent decision. Due to budget cuts, he was keeping his rank, but staying on Hammersrly. Normally, this would mean a good thing. That is until he looked to his right. There sat the reason for his worry. Kate McGregor was fast at work, switching from the Radar to a clipboard of paperwork beside her.
"Anything on the Radar X"
"No sir, radar clear"
They had been on the water now for five days, looking for a description of the pleasure cruiser, The Northern Sky. It had given off a May Day call and then vanished. When the call first came in, a lot of the crew looked towards their XO, since the voice sounded English and not Australian. It was a woman by the name of Alisa, and she said they were under attack by a foreign fishing vessel. Then there were the gun shots and everything went dead. Now they were searching for them.
"Sir, I just picked something up on Radar"
Mike walked over to where Kate was on Radar"
"What do you think X?"
"Around the right size sir and they are going pretty fast, could be them"
"Do we have them on the EOD yet?
"Should be able to in a bit", replied 2Dads as he was turned from his seat. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths until 2Dads responded "It's them sure". Before Mike could respond, Kate gave the call for boarding stations and was up out of her seat. But Mike had a bad feeling. "X, a word in my cabin?"Kate looked a bit shocked but then complied. As they entered his cabin, Mike shut the door behind them.
"Kate, I have a bad feeling on this on"
"I know, so do I, but we still have to respond. Want me to proceed with extra precaution and double plating?"
"Yes X, and stay in constant contact, I have learned as you have to trust my instincts"
As Kate went to leave, Mike lightly gripped her arm. The look he passed her was one she had come to recognize over the past few months after the incident where they had all thought he died, just to find him battered and bruised, tied up on a pleasure craft. The look said 'be careful and I love you'. Her small smirk said that she would and left the cabin. After shutting the door behind her, Mike let out a long breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He hoped his gut instinct was wrong this time.
Before leaving the ship, Kate had given the Captain's request to the crew and they were on their way. The RHIB cut through the water quickly and soon approached the Pleasure cruiser. There were obvious signs there had been gun fire. When they boarded, they were met with two men, Body Guard looking types, both armed.
"Sir, we are the Australian Navy, put your weapons down!" yelled Kate as Dutchy and 2dads lifted their weapons.
A man walked out behind them and took one look at the Boarding crew and touched both men on the shoulders. They lowered their weapons, as did Dutchy and 2dads. "Sorry about that", he man said, after walking around his bodyguards. "We thought you were those ingrates attacking us again"
"No problem Sir, we are the ship that received your May Day call. We have our Medic here to check everyone out and escort you back to base where the AFP will take you statement and help us find the men that attacked you. How many are on board?"
Soon after, Kate checked in. "Charlie A-2 this is X-ray A-2, we have boarded with minimum resistance and Swain is checking everyone's injuries"
"That's good to hear X, get a description of the vessel that attacked them; NavCom wants them caught as soon as they know where to look. Apparently you have some important people on that ship"
'No kidding', thought Kate as she responded. "Roger that Charlie A-2". As she went to ask the skipper of the vessel about the description of the boat, a much older woman came out and gasped as she looked at the X. No one understood why and the X rushed over to her, thinking something was wrong. "Ma'am, are you ok? The woman just looked at her shocked for a moment then had tears running down her face as she responded.
"You don't even recognize me, but I would know you from anywhere Ducky"
Everyone was shocked at first, but no more than Kate when the woman spoke again.
"Kaitlin Louise McGregor, Born April 21st 1974, and yes I know you. I know your eyes because they are my own. I can't your alive; we had prayed but never knew for sure"
The man from before got up and walked over. "Grandmother, your mistaken, this isn't Katie, Katie is dead" But when he looked to Kate, he saw her face was devoid of all color. It wasn't until Swaino walked over and placed a hand on Kate's shoulder that he asked.
"Ma'am, how do your know our XO LT. McGregor?"
The man and woman on board was shocked to hear Kate's name and rank, until the older woman rushed at Kate, wrapping her fragile arms around Kate's waist and crying. The younger woman walked up to Kate. "Where were you born Lt. McGregor?" All eyes were on Kate, as she answered. "England, but my mother brought me to this country when I was nine, why do you ask Ma'am?" The woman gasped, and ran off inside the ship, screaming she had to call 'Dad'. The crew stood there, just as confused as Kate was until the older woman spoke up.
"Kaitlin, I am Louise McGregor. My Son is Alistair McGregor. Do you remember who he is?"
Kate gasped as she heard the names and the crew then turned their attention to her. Swain asked her if she was ok, and she shook her head no. He was about to remove the woman when she stepped back and put hands on either side of Kate's face and turned to everyone.
"We thought she was dead, but she's not. We never thought to look here. But here she is, my eldest grand daughter, alive and well, and in the Navy"
The Boarding Party looked shocked at their little discovery. This was their X's family, this is where she came from, and to boot, they realized the trauma Kate and her family went through at the hands of Kate's mother. As they watched the scene in front of them unfold, they were all asking themselves the same question. 'Was exactly happened to their XO after she came to Australia?'