Kate sat on the bridge of HMAS Hammersley. It was coming up on 07:00 and the smells wafting through the corridors from the galley was divine. Sweet and sugary. It was shrove Tuesday and Bomber had laid on a extra special Pancake bar for breakfast. Fluffy pillow like vanilla pancakes, crispy bacon, maple syrup, fresh berries, fruit salad, chocolate, caramel and mixed berry sauces and squirty cream.

Walking down to the galley Kate joined the que for breakfast shortly followed by Nav. She could just see Spider and 2-Dads loading their plates with about 20 pancakes each and drowning them in syrup and all of the sauces on offer. They cleaned out the last of the pancakes in the hot plates

"thanks for saving the rest of us some boys" Nav called after them disheartened looking at the empty tray

" Not to worry Nav" bomber smiled loading the tray with a fresh batch "those were the first ones I made this morning. They have been keeping warm since half five" she grinned

"these smell amazing" Kate smiled picking up a couple of pancakes and topping them with the berries and chocolate sauce.

She walked passed the junior sailors mess. She could see 2 Dads emptying a can of squirty cream in to his mouth before trying to get spider with the cream. She turned on her heal heading towards the officers mess.

"Buffer" she called as she had just walked passed. Turning back round to face him

"Ma'am" he turned to look at her

"the juniors are in need of some combat training, can you organise a hand to hand combat training exercise for this morning please"

"yes ma'am" buffer smiled walking in to the junior sailors mess

Spider was slowly turning a shade of green and after starting fast shovelling the pancakes in to his mouth he had begun to slow taking little bites.

"SPIDER!" buffer pounced behind him "I hope your ready for the combat training the X had just ordered"

Spider gulped he could feel the pancakes rising up as if in a battle of their own.

Kate sat in the officers mess smiling to her self as she cut in to her pancakes.

"someone looks happy" Nav smiled as she walked in. Sitting opposite her friend "whats made you smile?"

"well 2-Dads and Spider are going to regret all those pancakes" Kate put a piece of her own pancake in her mouth.

"why?" Nav asked worried. It was unlike Kate to be like this

"well the juniors could do with some combat training so I have had buffer organise a session this morning for them all" she grinned

"oh you are the QUEEN of evil" Nav laughed

"whats this" mike asked walking in carrying a cup of coffee

"nothing Sir. I asked Buffer if he could do some combat training with the juniors this morning."

"and that makes you evil how?" mike asked pinching the last piece of pancake off of Kates plate

"Hey" she turned to look at him. " 2-Dads and Spider did a 20 pancake challenge this morning. Spider turned a lovely shade of green about 4 pancakes in" Kate smiled

"I don't think I want to know" Mike walked out grinning plausible deniability was the best way to go.

Kate stood on the bridge looking out at the calm seas. She could see Buffers Combat training exercise in full swing on the forecastle and 2-Dads and Spider slunk low near the back of the group not really doing much.

"SPIDER! 2-DADS!" Buffer shouted "are we too good for this"

"no buffer" spider spoke in barely a whisper "its just I don't feel so good" he was green around his gills,

"Well that will be all them pancakes" buffer cooed in mock sympathy. "2-DADS!" he shouted towards 2dads who had slumped to the floor. "Stand up Leader!" he shouted making 2dads jump to his feet. "give me 50 burpees, you too spider"

Watching from the bridge Nav Nudged Kate grinning. Watching Buffer put the juniors through their paces. Kate could see spider and 2-dads doing burpees as punishment. She did feel a little sorry for them. It was the one of the things she hated on the tunnel circuits she had to do on basic training. It worked every muscle and every muscle ached. Even from this distance she could see spider turning green.

Mike walked on to the bridge.

"everything alright X" he smiled

"Fine Sir. Nothing to report and nothing on radar." Kate slid out of her seat and handed him the binoculars.

Out on the deck Buffer had finished his training exercise and both 2 dads and spider were the same shade of green as the combat uniform they were wearing.

Kate walked on in to the galley to make her self a coffee and grab a snack. Bomber was buisy prepping for lunch

"any fruit out of the stores bomber?" she asked

"there's some of the berries from breakfast left X if you like" she smiled grabbing the salad ingredients for lunch and started chopping them

"its okay I'll just gab some biscuits " Kate called back

"fine" bomber replied

Spider walked passed the hatch poking his head through he smiled towards bomber.

"bomber whats for lunch"

Bomber put her knife down and scooped up the Lettice she had been chopping and put it in to a bowl .

"earth to bomber whats for lunch" spider called

"yeah I heard you spider." She smiled "we are having pancakes"

She watched as the green rose in spiders face. Covering his mouth he dashed for the nearest bathroom he could

"you are so mean" Kate called over her mug

"well that will teach him to be greedy. He left most of the pancakes he tried to scoff"

Kate walked out of the galley laughing.. if this is what they were like now then lent was going to be a barrel full of laughs especially with everyone giving up something. Or trying to.

hope you all have/had a fab pancake day and enjoyed a lot of pancakes. what did you have on yours? me I love chocolate sauce and cream. and are you giving anything up for lent? let me know what you think and as always please leave a review. 40 days and counting till we get chocolate eggs :)