The Turbulent Road Ahead
By SigmaStar79
A/N: Thank you so much for the support everyone. I am so glad everyone is enjoying this so much. Again, I tip my hat off to my wonderful Beta, Sez, who without, this story would not be half as good. Thank you so much for being my beta. You are heaven sent and a blessing
Dedicated to everyone who has followed this story so far! Thank you all so much
Chapter 14
Maxine had heard on the news at work that Christina McGregor Perkins had been attacked at home and was almost killed by her ex husband Gerald Perkins. She almost smiled at that, but knew it wasn't her place. She was mad at Kate, not her sister Christina.
Looking at her screen, she sent the files she needed to Command Central in Cabrera. She felt a lot better now that that was done. She had obtained paperwork from the hospital stating that Kate was five months pregnant, so, Maxine altered it, so it read three months pregnant, stating she knew for a fact they had not been together at the time originally stated. She knew that would cause problems for Kate. She just knew the baby wasn't Mike's kid. If she proved Kate a liar, then she would finally win.
Feeling it was finally time, Maxine got up and walked out of her office. Walking through the halls of NavCom, she felt at peace for the first time within the last year. Kate was about to be removed from her life and home, Mike was finally going to be hers, and Ryan and Mike were serving together on the same boat so she knew Ryan was safe.
Once she reached her car, she reached for her keys to unlock the door when she saw someone walking behind her in the reflection of her mirror. Turning around, she greeted the friend she hadn't seen in so long.
"Frances! How are you?"
Kate was beside herself when her sister was brought into her room. Catherine knew from the look on Kate's face that her father and Mike had not filled her in. After making sure Christina was comfortable and settled, she sat down and told Kate everything. As Kate fought the tears from coming forward, she carefully climbed out of bed and into her little sister's bed.
Seeing her sister lay down beside her, Christina broke into a brand new set of tears. Kate felt useless, but knew she was helping by just being there. Holding her sister as her tears fell, Kate felt hatred enter her heart for the first time since she thought Mike was dead. A horrid man had hurt her sister beyond words and it would be her sister that faced the consequences for the rest of her life. It didn't seem fair, but knowing her father was out there with Mike's father and brothers gave her some form of comfort. That man would not get away with hurting Christina again, even if it meant her putting herself in danger to kill him herself.
Catherine watched the display and smiled. Kate was already a wonderful big sister and aunt and she knew she would also make a wonderful mother. Sitting back, she decided to help Christina's children with their homework. All four had refused to leave the hospital stating that if their mum was here then so were they. Catherine had to appreciate that kind of devotion.
Andrea and Sarah weren't stupid. They had overheard their grandfather talk to Uncle Mike's dad and brothers. They knew who was responsible for hurting their mother, and they weren't happy. But if anyone knew Gerald Perkins better than their mother, it was them. Their father was ruthless and cruel. There were things their mother had never told their grandfather in fear he would lose his mind in hatred. But what no one knew better than them was that when their dad started something, he was going to finish it. Their dad was coming back; it was only a matter of when.
Pete found out the Cairns tropical zoo held birthday parties and quickly called them up. Thankfully, they could organize a last minute birthday party which Pete was thankful for and he booked it with his credit card immediately. Glad to have that done, he went online to a toy store and bought several toys and video games for the boys; before going to another site to buy decorations. After all was said and done, he had paid a pretty penny, but it was worth it.
Remembering Shamus's words about Andrea's birthday being next month, Pete quickly went back online to look for girly gifts. If Andrea's birthday is next month that meant Sarah had turned 12 two months ago. He didn't want the girls to feel left out, so he got on and signed up to be able to bid on auctions. He ended up wining a beautiful garnet and gold cross for Sarah and a diamond and gold cross for Andrea. Paying for his purchases, Pete felt very proud of himself.
Looking up at Mike, he saw that Mike already had a long list of things to do with items needed for the jobs under each one. Pete had to shake his head at Mike being so gung-ho over the house. But then again, he was finally getting the woman he had loved for so long and was becoming a father as well. He could understand why his best mate wanted everything perfect.
"Boss, you do know we don't have that long before the baby is born right?"
Mike looked up at Pete with a surprised look on his face and a pencil stuck sideways in his mouth. Removing the pencil with a smile, Mike responded.
"A lot of this I am going to hire someone to do. Like the basement. I want someone to go down and check the electrical work, make sure it is up for putting a family room, office and laundry down there. The painting we can do ourselves. Putting the baby's room together will be my pleasure alone since I'm daddy and decorating is something my mother and sister in law have taken over, so yeah. All new major appliances are a must, I don't want anything blowing up or breaking down on us. Then there is the front and back yards. I want to plant a garden and set up a swing set and redo the front and back porch. You know, make sure the wood is good and sturdy. A fresh coat of white paint would do there with some weather proofing and putting up a swing in front. I also want to fix the fences, maybe put new ones up. Then there is Ryan's little surprise."
"What surprise is that boss?" asked Pete with a smile. He knew Mike favored the boy and was curious on how he was going to reward him over helping them.
"I'm giving him a choice. My place or Kate's old place"
Pete looked shocked. Mike was giving one of the places to Ryan. His look must have been funny because Mike gave a chuckle.
"I found Ryan asleep at his desk on the way back to port. The boy has been collecting evidence against his mum, checking in, trying to finish his college courses to be an officer, and looking for a place to live and where to store all his stuff. Go look at his locker and personal space. Almost everything from home is stored on board besides his furniture. He is running himself bare and thin and I can't let that continue. He needs his own place. I talked to Kate today and she was actually thinking the same thing. We are giving him the option once we are back on shore."
Pete shook his head and laughed. Mike and Kate were two of a kind. Always helping others before themselves. Just then both their computers alerted them to a new Messenger request. It was a conference video chat request from AnBaby98. It took them a moment before Pete realized it was Andrea and told Mike to accept. Neither man expected to see Andrea raise a finger to her lips quickly then tell someone she was doing her home work. She tugged on her ear, showing them she wanted them to listen as she typed to both.
AnBaby98: Listen, mum was raped by dad. Mum is scared she is pregnant since it is the right time for it to happen. She is scared Pete wont like her anymore. But the police are here because Dad was seen nearby. They are here letting Mum and Aunt Kate know what is going on. Mike's mum called Grandpa and Mr. Flynn along with Uncle Mike's brothers and they are setting up a perimeter. But I know dad. He won't stop till he has completed what he has set out to do. I think he is trying to force mum and us to go back to him. He did it long ago when he purposely got her pregnant with me, and then with Sarah. I don't think he knows about the boys yet. Are you on your way back yet?
Mike and Pete looked at each other. Mike ran out the door as Pete told her to let her mum know he still wants her no matter what and that Uncle Mike had gone to see how long till they reached the destination the SAS needed to go. Andrea sent a smiley face back and Pete smiled. Andrea was definitely a smart little girl.
Mike came back and the face he gave was not promising.
"Our ETA is 0800 tomorrow. It is 1700 now, we are nowhere near close"
"Damn" Pete said out loud and Andrea giggled. Pete gave a small smirk at the girl's reaction and then to her typed response.
AnBaby98: Bad X, and here I thought I would not hear another bad word today lol
Pete and Mike laughed at that. Then they noticed Andrea grab her ear and unplug her headset while giving the quiet smiley. Pete and Mike were listening in.
Back in Kate and Christina's room, Shamus and Joe were not happy. Steve had just made it back and was waiting for Canberra to call him back with his orders. Now instead of one wacko, they had two.
"What the hell are we going to do? The police said we should stand back and let them do their jobs, but these are my babies. I am partially responsible for them being alive; I can't stand back and do nothing"
"I know Shamus, but we are helping here. By standing guard, nothing can get in here to them. One of us needs to reach Mike and have him set up a security alarm system in the new house"
"I will later when the girls are awake. I know Kate will want to talk to him. Have you seen the news?"
"Yes and I'm trying to keep Catherine from seeing it. She is already upset over the whole thing. She doesn't understand how someone can rape and attempt to kill the mother of your children. I mean good grief, I can see he's angry, but a brown snake, Shamus! I know that upsets you"
"Hell yes it upsets me Joseph, but I also need to keep my head. This jerk isn't done, I can feel it. I don't know what he has planned, but there is something else. The problem is it is probably in front of me face and I can't see it"
"Could he be after the girls? The court papers did mention the girls"
"Yeah but it didn't mention the boys"
"What if he didn't know about the boys at first?"
"Oh sweet heavenly lord, he's angry over the boys. He don't know they're his sons"
"What would he do Shamus? What would he do to the boys?"
"He'd kill them unless he recognized his own blood, or if the girls get captured and tell him they are his as well. Either way, it's not good because he was never placed on the boys' birth certificates. Christina didn't even give them their father's names. After she came here, she gave the girls our name as well as the boys to protect them. She didn't want anyone knowing they were the offspring of a terrorist. She was planning to change her name too, but with four children, she never got around to it since it was so expensive to do."
"You don't think…"
"What Joseph?"
"He forced her Shamus. Your daughter was so upset she was talking in a different language. You told me that was how he got the kids in the first place. Was there a calendar in her house…"
"In her room there was one. She was like Kate. She kept a record in case she had to go to the doctor."
"Shamus, I hate to say this, but he knew Mate. He knew she would be fertile right now"
Shamus cursed and Andrea watched with sad eyes as her grandfather once again started to sob. She was as worried as her grandfather. She knew her dad was a bad person.
AnBaby98: Dad knew Uncle Mike. He raped her on purpose. Not to mention there were things missing from the house.
Mike and Pete just looked at each other. Mike knew that Pete liked Christina. He also knew Pete would stop at nothing to hurt Christina's ex if he laid one finger on her or the kids. He looked at his screen as he heard Pete typing to Andrea.
Buffer: It's going to be ok Andrea, I promise. What was missing from your house?
AnBaby98: Pictures of me and Sarah. One picture of us girls holding the boys when they were born and a recent family picture of Mum and all of us kids. The last picture was a family portrait; Grandpa, Aunt Kate, Mum and then us four kids. I remember hearing grandpa saying it was outdated when we found out. Aunt Kate said the picture was only taken four months ago. Grandpa said it was outdated because Cat, you and Uncle Mike are not in the picture.
Mike and Pete looked at each other again after Andrea's response. While they felt good to be included, they also understood something else.
Navy4Life: Andrea, the boys look like you girls. It is not going to take much for him to see that. The fact he took a picture with Kate in it has me worried. He might not just be angry about not being told.
Buffer: Maybe we can use this though. Andrea, send me the latest family picture you have on your net book.
AnBaby98: Ok Pete
Andrea sent the picture and Pete put it into the Photoshop folder. He changed the back ground, and he told Mike to send him a picture in his whites. Mike did one better and got dressed in his whites and Pete posed him then took a picture. Pete went and grabbed his whites and returned to Mike's cabin and did the same. He then combined the pictures. He had to smile at the finished product.
Now instead of a white background with Shamus McGregor standing in the background with his hands on Kate and Christina's shoulders with Andrea and Sarah sitting in front of Kate and Christina with their hands on the boys shoulders; It was HMAS Hammersrly in the background. Everyone was in the same position, except this time Mike was behind Kate with an arm around her waist, his hand on her stomach advertising they were having a baby. Pete was standing behind Christina with an arm around her waist. Since Kate was wearing her Navy Whites in the picture, he altered the boys clothing for small Navy uniforms and hats on the floor in front of them. He changed the colors of the girl's shirts and the color of Christina's Dress. When he printed it in ComCen, RO had just about a fit until he was shown the final result. RO had just grumbled about unprofessional use of his work space and Pete smiled. Same old Robert.
Reentering Mike's cabin, Pete handed the picture to Mike to look at after sending a copy to Andrea. Mike laughed and told Pete he made it look so professional. Andrea's mouth dropped and yelled at her grandfather. When she showed Shamus she was actually talking to Mike and Pete, Shamus gave Andrea a disapproving look before looking at the picture Pete had made. That seemed to do the trick as Shamus started laughing.
Hooking her Net Book into the TV so everyone could see, Andrea showed the new picture to the room, which brought smiles to everyone. Not noticing that Kate ad Christina had both woke up, seeing the picture made both women smile. Christina more so when she found out Pete knew what happened and still made the picture. Then they heard Mike's voice loud and clear.
"Put the picture back in Christina's house after cleaning it up. Print out new pictures of the one missing and then put this one on the mantel. If Andrea and Shamus are right, Gerald will return to see what has happened. Pete is making another picture now with himself in it and a border. It will infuriate Gerald into making a mistake."
Just then, Pete nodded to Mike and Mike told everyone to be prepared for new photoshoped pictures. The first one was of Christina close up with Pete behind her. The second one was of Christina and Pete at a naval ball, both wearing white. The third was of Christina, Pete and the kids. The fourth was Pete and Christina on the back deck of Hammersrly with Pete in his ship's uniform and Christina in a yellow top and white capri's. Christina was shocked, but smiled.
"Are you sure Peter, there's a good chance"
"I know, and if I have my way, we will grow together as will the new little one. When he or she is born, it will have my name, not his"
Christina's eyes busted with tears of happiness and Pete just smiled at her. He knew she would love that. He wanted to make her happy, more than anyone else he had ever known. From the moment he saw her and they fought, he knew she was his kind of girl.
"I have also taken the liberty of handling the boy's birthday party plans. I emailed Andrea where to pick everything up and she and Shamus can handle the rest. You just get better Christina McGregor"
Christina was shocked he was taking such an active role in her children's lives, but was glad to finally have someone there for her and not be blood related. She had waited so long.
"Has anyone heard from Steve?" asked Mike.
"He called earlier Mike, when we were busy. The text he sent said the meeting went as planned.
They are looking into Maxine."
"Good" replied Mike. 'I know I will feel a lot better once I know you and Cat are safe."
Shamus smiled at that. He liked Mike the more he spoke. He was turning out to be the best thing for Kate.
"Mike, I want you to look into a security system at the new house" Shamus started, only to be interrupted by Mike.
"Already on my list Mr. McGregor, I have a lot of projects on my new list for when we get back. I will send a copy of it to Kate for you"
"Excellent Mike, I like your forward thinking. It will be helpful in the days to come"
"Thank you sir"
Just then, Mike and Pete heard the intercom speak out.
"CO and XO to the Bridge at the rush. CO and XO to the Bridge at the rush"
Mike and Pete groaned out and everyone laughed. They all said their quick goodbyes as Mike and Pete headed to the bridge. Something was wrong, again.
Sitting in her living room drinking wine, Maxine was pleasantly pleased. Her friend Frances Flynn had surprised her at NavCom and asked to speak to her in private. Going to her home, Frances had spilled everything about Kate to her. She was shocked to hear about the twins and one being passed on and the fact Kate was in fact five months pregnant. The fact Kate was at the naval hospital gave Maxine enough info to go after Kate, but she had to be careful since Christina was now at the same hospital.
"You sure she's five months?" asked Maxine one last time. She had to be sure.
"Yeah, and I'm not totally convinced it's Mike's baby. I want him to get a DNA test."
"Can't blame you there" said Maxine sipping her wine. "I don't like her either."
"Have you ever met someone so perfect you want them whipped from the face of the earth?" asked Frances.
"Yeah, her" Maxine responded and they both laughed.
"What I don't understand is why Mike is denying you two. You have no reason to lie to me and they do. Kate served under him, and that breaks the rules. You would think he would have slipped something on to prevent this sort of thing. It makes me think Kate planned this"
"Same here" responded Maxine. As much as she loathed to, the new information proved Kate was carrying Mike's child. That just seemed to piss her off more. She had to get rid of that child.
"I will see what I can do about getting Kate transferred far away from Mike, Frances, I promise. The accusation that my own son is against me is ridiculous. Ryan loves Mike like a dad and since I'm his mum he would want us together, not apart."
"I thought the same thing too, but just in case you should be careful. Mike has a big influence on Ryan and Kate has a big influence on Mike."
Maxine had to admit she was right and quickly went into her office and started deleting all her journals and logs about Kate McGregor. Frances watched and sat with her in her office, shredding personal and professional papers and feeding them to the fireplace in the living room. Friends helped friends and she was determined to have Mike with a decent woman, someone his own age, not some tramp from the wrong side of the tracks.
After they finished that, they made sure everything was cleaned up at Maxine's house before they both headed to NavCom. They needed to destroy evidence there too. Clean up and close up loose ends. It was time to end Kate McGregor and now Maxine had someone on the inside to help her.
Frances Flynn.
Sitting in his apartment hotel suite, Gerald Perkins looked over the pictures he had quickly taken after his encounter with his ex wife Christina. He had almost forgotten how well the woman could fight, and she had improved over the years. Having her under him screaming again had been a pleasure in itself. He always loved the way she begged as she cried. She had done the same thing when he was purposely impregnating her with their second daughter Sarah. When he searched her room and found her cycle calendar, he almost cheered for joy. He would get his wife and daughters back, and impregnating her again was only the first step in doing so. He knew the pills they gave rape victims didn't work on his beloved Christina, she had tried them with Sarah and they hadn't worked.
When he had started looking for them, he had come across some interesting information. Shamus had found his long lost older daughter alive and well in Australia. After looking into Shamus's business dealings, he found he also had dealings in Australia. Finding Christina in charge there was just his luck. Finding out her older sister was Navy was a set back.
Now he was sitting in the living room of his suite looking at yet another surprise about Christina. A Family picture of Christina, his daughters, and two little boys. When he first saw the picture, he was angry and took it out on Christina in bed. Every rough thrust was a punishment of her betrayal. He had thought she had let another man touch her and set children within her. Now looking at the picture more closely, he knew he was wrong.
While Christina and Andrea had Shamus's hair, his blonde hair had been given somewhat to his youngest daughter Sarah. Her strawberry blonde hair and green eyes were a gorgeous combination. Both girls seemed to have his nose. Now looking at the twins boys in the picture, he was looking at the same green eyes, the same strawberry blonde hair. But unlike their sisters, they both had his mouth. Andrea and Sarah had gotten their mother's perfect lips, but Christina's sons had his. They had his forehead, his build. He had produced sons.
Thinking back, he remembered the day he had gotten out of jail early. He hadn't called Christina, just had his sources trace where her and the girls were and went there. She was his wife and he had been without her for too long. Finding out she was finishing school and working for her father, he had decided to be nice. He cooked dinner for them, but Christina arrived home late with the girls both half asleep. Seeing her walk in tired but happy, he sat back until she saw him. She had been so shocked she almost dropped the girls.
That night he hadn't thought about it, he had just helped her put the girls to bed and then took her into their bed. He had loved her like a starving men loves food that night. He craved her, needed her. He had wanted and craved her from the moment he had seen her at the Ceili, the celebration her mother had been named after. She had been 12 then and her body and eyes had smitten him since then. He knew he had to have her, so he teamed up with two other boys who wanted a chance at her two friends and set the trap. Silly girls should have known to never put their drinks down during a party. It had been to easy that night and after the first time tasting her sweetness, he was hooked. He had to claim her, and he did, several times that first night. Unbeknownst to him, they had conceived their daughter Andrea that night and he had considered himself blessed.
Now looking at the boys in the photos it was like seeing that first night over again in his head. Like when they made Andrea, they had made these boys. Two perfect little boys. He almost cried in relief. He had wanted sons, and he had them. Looking back at the picture, he vowed to get them, even if it meant hurting Christina's family to get them. He knew he had already placed the seed for another within her, and as he sat back and drank more of his wine, he imagined another little boy or girl. Then a thought crossed his mind. A thought that angered him.
Christina had come home early. She had also been seen with another man. He had to go back to the house, but he couldn't tonight. Instead he stood up and walked over to the window overlooking the city and the naval hospital his beloved and children were currently at. He would wait till tomorrow night to go back to Christina's house. Then he would look for evidence of the other man. If he had touched his wife he man would pay with his life.