Hammersley
Kate is sitting in her cabin thinking. Thinking about what Mike had said to her.
Why was it so hard for me to tell him to stay? Why couldn't I do it, why did I throw it back at him? All he did was ask me for one good reason to stay and I couldn't say anything to him at all. She thinks to herself and she rest her head on her hands, as she sits at her desk.
He's rung but every time we approach the subject I change the subject I don't want him to regret staying by blaming me because I told him to stay. We've talk about everything else but his job. I can't even ring him he rings me. She says to herself.
Back at Mike's place.
"Sir, Commander Mike Flynn speaking do you have some free time to speak to me?"
"Of course Mike what can I do for you?"
"It's about me returning back to Sydney this weekend; I don't think I'm ready to return to work yet."
"When do you think you will be your doctors have stated that you can do light duties."
"I know that Sir but I'm thinking of taking some leave."
"How long for?" Marshal is not at all surprised to hear this request from Mike, not after the talk he had with Brian his counsellor.
"I'm not sure how long I will need off." Mike hears tapping on a keyboard. And there is silence on the other end of the line.
"Ok then Mike take as much time as you need and I will work it all out at this end. Going by what is on your record you've got about twelve weeks you can take that includes pay."
"Hopefully I want need that long to decide Sir."
"To decide what Mike?" Steve asks wondering if Mike himself has come to the same conclusion as Brian.
"Mike you can tell me you know." Steve says and Mike hears the chance in tone to the more friendly tone he uses a tone that Mike's if he says something Steve won't use it against him.
"I need some time to sort out some personal issues and I can't make a decision about my job until my personal issues are dealt with." My demons, Kate live in general. He thinks to himself
"Ok Mike just ring and let me know what you decide and when."
"Will do Steve and thank you." Mike says as he hangs up the phone.
NAVCOM
Maxine is working away on her laptop when it chimes to inform her a new email has come in, she quickly flicks screens and so she can see who it si form and how urgent it is.
From: Captain Steve Marshall
Subject: Commander Mike Flynn
Commander Maxine White
I have just been speaking to Commander Flynn and he has requested a personal leave for an unknown set period of time. I have already informed Sydney that he will not be returning this week to commence as a tutor on Monday as was planned. As Commander Flynn was under your command at the time of injury his leave will need to be noted by your office as well and that Commander Flynn until he returns back to active duty you will stay as his Commanding Officer until he is reassigned a new position.
Thank you
Captain Steve Marshall
Maxine quickly types back a reply to Steve and before she gets a chance to ring Mike about Kate walks in.
"Kate how's it going?"
"Tired the crew and I could do with a 24hr shore leave ma'am." Kate says and Maxine can hear the tiredness in her voice. "Look I understand that we are needed up there too, but if my crew keep working like they are there is going to be an accident of some forum. All I'm asking is for twenty four hours for them to go see family, friends and sleep in a normal bed. Plus gives the guys a chance to do some maintance on the engines." Kate says back trying to give Maxine a damn good enough reason to have Hammersley docked for 24hours. Maxine decides to agree to it.
"Ok twenty four hours down time but you guys will be sailing tomorrow at 1800 hours back to Port Moresby with some more supplies."
"That is fine ma'am." Kate replies and the two talk for another twenty minutes before Kate inform the crew of their leave and heads home herself to enjoy a relaxing bath, DVD and her own bed.
Kate arrives home and goes to her freezer and pulls out one of the meals that Lisa had so kindly done up for her. For Kate these were a blessing as it saved her from having to buy some food to cook dinner and also due to being so tired she could have a proper meal and not take out.
As she is sitting down on her couch with her dinner and the movie playing she hears knocking on her door.
"Coming." She yells out as she places her food down on the coffee table in front of her before walking to her front door she takes a quick look through the glass panel on the side and notices it is Mike.
"What are you doing here?" She says to him once the door is open.
"Maxine informed me you had some leave." He says not sure how she is going to be since her greeting wasn't as expected from her.
"That was nice of her so why are you here?" her tone of voice showing no signs of being happy he just showed up at her house, as she leans against the door frame.
"Well I take you don't want me here then, I'll just give you these and leave you too it." He says as he moves his hands from behind him passing her a bouquet of mixed wildflowers and the gift he had brought for her. She takes them but is stunned that he came bearing gifts as she happened even noticed he had his hands behind his back the whole time they had been talking. She stands there her mouth wide open as he starts to walk away from her.
"Mike." she calls out just as he gets to his car, he turns and looks at her and she sees the sadness in his features.
"Come inside please." She pleads with him. As she now feels bad for treating him how she did when he comes around and surprises her and brings something other than wine to her house. She turns and leaves the door open hoping he will follow. He stands by his car thinking if he should go but then decides there is nothing to lose by going inside. He enters the house and closes her front door behind him.
"Mike you didn't have to get me this." She says as she turns to face him holding the gold bangle with diamonds inset into the gold in her hand.
"I know I didn't have too."
"Mike this must have been expensive, I can't accept it." She says as she continues to hold it in her hand.
"It's yours. I know you don't wear much jewellery and it hadn't gone unnoticed that you do tend to wear the last one I brought you eleven years ago a lot even when we weren't together you still wore it." He says as she steps closer to hoping she won't back away from him.
"Mike I can't take it it's far too much." She says trying to give it back to him but his hands end up going around hers and his touch sends a shiver through her body, Mike feels the jolt of electricity go through both of them as he in cases her hands within his.
"It's yours honey, read what is engraved inside of it and you also should go eat your dinner before it gets cold." He says having noticed her dinner on the coffee table and the smell. The all to familiar smell of his mother's home cooked meals. He moves away and sits on her couch as she stands there and reads what has been engraved into the bangle.
To Kate with all my love Mike
She stands there reading it over several times before putting it on and moving to sit down beside Mike. She looks over at him and he sees her glassy eyes.
"Sorry did I do the wrong thing?" he asks worried that his simple gesture had, had the wrong effect on her.
"No. It's lovely Mike but..."
"No buts now eat." He says to her. As he points to her dinner she picks up her plate and starts to eat her meal as they both sit there in watching the movie that Kate had playing.
Once she had finished eating she places her plate back down on the coffee table before moving closer to Mike's side and curling up into him, he moves his arm so it wraps around her shoulders pulling her closer to his side. As he goes to breath in he smells the combination of sea air, salt and her vanilla body wash and he relaxes more, for Kate being able to take in his scent, the smell of his aftershave mixed with his own body smell gets her heart beating that little bit faster, she snuggles in closer to him as they both sit there watching the DVD together.
Sometime later the sound of a ringing phone and Mike moving his body wakes Kate up for an enjoyable sleep.
"MMM" She groans out as Mike's answers the phone and she listens in to what he is saying. It is not long later that he says his goodbyes to whoever it was before planting a kiss on Kate's head.
"Sorry that the phone woke you."
"It's ok who was it?"
"Mum just making sure everything was ok." He says as he keeps an arm around her.
"What time is it?" she asks as she tries to move off him but he won't let her, as his arm tightens around her waist.
"Nine." He responds after looking at his watch, he flicks the volume back on to the movie he is watch on her television.
"Hey can you let go please I need to go bathroom." She says after trying to get out of his hold and him not letting her move.
"Sorry." He says sheepishly to her not realising she needed the bathroom.
"It's ok." She says after getting up as she goes to place a kiss on his cheek he moves and their lips touch in the kiss. Neither pulls away from each other. His hand moves up to cup the side of her face, reluctantly he pulls away and rest his forehead against hers, he notices her eyes are closed.
"MMM that was nice." He says. "Hurry up go bathroom and then come back." He says as she goes to move away.
Not long later she returns to the couch and goes to sit down beside Mike but she notices that he is now lying on the couch.
"Mike did you really drive over here?" she asks as she was sure he was still on the crutches and should be still on them.
"Yes I did."
"And what does the doctor think of you driving and not using your crutches?"
"Doesn't know."
"Michael Flynn you've got to do as you're told otherwise this leg will be useless if it doesn't heal properly. You won't be able to get back out on the water."
"So." He says as if not returning to the water isn't an issue for him.
"Come on Mike I know how much the water means to you."
"It use to but not anymore." He says as if it isn't anything new to him and this throws Kate. She never heard him speak like this about his job and not being able to be out on the water. There is silence between the two. She not sure what to say to him and him hoping she won't push the factor.
"So when do you return back to Sydney?" She asks this being the first time since he told her about it four days ago has she brought it up.
"I'm not." She looks up him having snuggled back into his side at some stage during their conversation. He notices the shock expression on her face.
"I've taken some leave."
"Why?" she says her voice quiet all of a sudden.
"Because I need time to sort a few things out."
"What things?" she says her voice semi muffled by his chest as she places her head on his chest.
"This mainly." He says as he moves his hand between the two of them "I don't want to return to work till we have worked out what is going on between us."
"Oh." she says surprised and shocked that he is putting them before his job. "Why?" she then asks. "Why now?" she says as she moves away from him and sits up. He goes to move and when he moves his leg he gets a sharp jolt of pain which she notices on his face that he hurt himself.
"You ok?"
"Yea just moved my leg the wrong way." He says as he starts to rub his leg.
"Do you need something for the pain?"
"No thanks. I can't take anything anyway. Well not yet." He replies this informs her he has already taken something before arriving at her place.
"Is that how you got to be able to drive here and not use your crutches? You swallowed something good and strong for the pain?"
"Yes but my crutches are in the car, just hard to use them and carry the flowers and your present." He says as he rubs parts of his leg to help with the pain that is running through his leg. Kate gentle takes his leg and lays it over her lap so that he is sitting with his back against the side of her couch his right leg over her lap and his left placed so it hangs off the side of the couch. She unzips the side of his tracksuit pants and moves it up his leg and starts to gentle rub his calf making sure not to rub where his main wounds is on his leg.
"Unusual for you to wear these?" she says to him.
"Yea jeans are too tight need something loose around my leg. Plus make it easier for when I need it to be checked out." He says as he lies his head back enjoying the feel of her hands on his leg.
"That feeling good?"
"Mmm" he replies back with as well as nodding his head in agreement to her.
"You want to know why?" he asks her a few minutes later his leg feeling less sore and the muscles relaxing after his walk without his crutches.
"Yes, why now? Why not before."
"Well last time someone decide to end things." He bites back at her, then immediately regrets his words and tone of voice he had used.
"Your right you did try and I..."
"Don't Kate we all make mistakes." He quickly says cutting her off. As he now looks at her reaching out to gentle touch her face.
"When I was seeing my shrink today we went over so many different things and I came to the realisation, well the shrink and dad's help. That this job, my career; your career has always been the issue here. Always been what has either caused us to break the rules then split, of not be able to do anything than get what two nights of passion in five years. I was serious before about leaving if it meant we got everything we talked about and I'm still prepared to do that." He says as he gentle caresses the side of her face as he leans forward as he talks to her, she turns her head to look at him. "So I took some leave. Then the only thing we have to work around is you and your roster while we work on this." He says and his hand moves to the back of her head and neck and then pulls her just the little bit further towards him, his lips finding hers and him leaving a gentle kiss on her lips. They pull back and look at each.
Can we really do it this time?
I think we can but I do think we need to set some rules
They say to each other without using words.
"I have an unknown length of leave time. There is no rush here so don't feel pressured to make your mind up tonight." He says as his hand stays on her neck his thumb and fingers gentle massaging her neck.
"Come here he says as he moves his leg off her lap and pulls her into his side, her tears now falling and he can hear her crying. "Shh honey its ok." He says as he gentle rubs her back, as he lies down the best he can with Kate on top of him.
"I thought I'd stuff this up to much for you to even think of sorting this out." She says in between soft intakes of breath from crying.
"I nearly didn't but I had someone kick me up the behind for being like I was towards you. I understand you were trying to protect me but I don't want you doing that anymore unless it's my life that is on the line. You mean more to me than my career and maybe I needed this accident to happen to finally see that and sort myself out." He says to her as she moves and places a kiss on his lips that deepens quickly by both of them.
"So if I kiss you I'm not going to be breaking any rules then?" She asks him as she moves herself up his body some more.
"Nope not at all right now we can do anything and everything and not be breaking any rules." He says and that is all she needs. She allows her heart to lead her not her brain. She knows she should be doing this but right now all she wants to feel him, touch him, taste him. Have him anyway she can.
"Will you stay tonight?" she asks, he wants to say no but he also wants to continue enjoying the time they have together.
"If I stay I will need my crutches from the car and the bag that is in the boot." He says as he passes her his car keys. She gives him another passionate kiss leaving him with no doubt at all about how she feels.
As she walks out to the car her brain starts going over things.
You idiot you shouldn't have asked him to stay it will only lead to one thing.
You should be taking this slow and steady, jumping into bed with him this quickly will only lead ot heart break like the last few times it has happened.
Not long later she re-enters her house with his items in hand, she locks the front door and passes him his crutches which he takes and them makes his way to the stair case and hobbles his way up the stairs as she turns off the lights within the house and then heads up herself, finding him just starting to sit down on her bed. He lays the crutches down beside the bed and as he sits up fully again Kate is standing in front of him she reaches to his top and helps him remove it and he doesn't stop her but does talk.
"Kate you're sure about doing this tonight?"
"Yes." She says so firmly that it leaves no doubts in his mind that this is what she wants. As she then starts to kiss him. Mike being the only man in her life that has ever been able to get her from being totally mad and angry at him to wanting to make love to him within minutes of each other.
An hour later they lay together in bed with the sheet over top of them. Kate total snuggled up into Mike's left hand side, his hand gentle tracings circles on her back. Before long she is falling asleep the gentle caresses from him on her back, her body being total sedated from their passionate love making and his scent helping easily get to sleep for the first time in a long time.
Mike hears her breathing change as she lies on his chest. He says I love you to her before kissing her head and drifting off to sleep himself.