The first day of the course has arrived and Kate is unsure how to feel. Normally she would just go in and do what was needed to top the class, including hours of study, but this time she has her boyfriend in there teaching them as well. He told her not to worry about it, just be herself. It was not helping that she spent half the night awake thinking about it. Her alarm goes off and she gets ready for her morning jog with Mike and Bill, something that, come tomorrow, all the students on her course will be doing with them.
0845 hours roll around and Kate is making her way to class, she is always early. Mike and Bill left her at 0800 hours to get organised for the first day.
Mike and Bill are setting up for the day ahead. As Mike is going through the list of students he recognises a name and mutters "oh great", causing Bill to turn and address him.
"Mike, what's wrong?"
"We have Lieutenant Nikki Caetano in this lot."
"Do you know her?"
"Yes, she use to be the Navigator on Hammersley until she left two years ago."
"So why the 'oh great'?"
"Kate and her together in the same class, do I really have to say more?" he replies, shaking his head.
"Oh poor Mike going to get ganged up on, is he?"
"Lets put it this way, Kate's ADFA nickname is very true and Nikki has learned a few things from her too. We're going to have to step up the game play this time around, because these two know their stuff, and they won't mind putting us through our paces either."
They talk some more and as it gets closer to 0900hours students start to file in and take their seats around the room. Mike notices Kate walking in and they share a smile between each other as Kate takes a seat towards the middle. Not long later, Nikki arrives and notices Mike is here teaching. She takes a seat towards the back and then recognises the familiar posture of one Kate McGregor. She moves to were Kate is and taps her on the shoulder, exchanging a surprised greeting and hug once she turns around.
"Lieutenant Caetano, Lieutenant Commander McGregor, you two can catch up later we have a class to start," Mike says in his officer's tone. The rest of the group are not sure what to make of what is going on. Some of the students know that he is Commander Flynn but others are not sure who he is, and no one knows his connection to the two students he addressed. Kate and Nikki become quiet and look at Mike, who shakes his head at them. This is going to be very interesting, he thinks to himself and he starts to re-plan some of the case studies and other things.
Bill kicks off the morning by introducing himself, then Mike does the same. They get each student to stand, say their name, rank and how long they been in the Navy. Once that is all over, Bill gets them all to come up and collect the necessary folders and other information needed for the course, including the timetable of what is happening when. During the introductions Kate recognised another name from when she was at ADFA, someone who used to poke fun at her and nicknamed her 'Princess Perfect'. She was not totally sure if she was going to enjoy sharing a class with this person, but then again she had Nikki, Mike and Bill around her.
Before long lunch time rolls around, Nikki and Kate head off with the rest of the class to get lunch. After they sit down, they are joined by a couple of other students from the class and spend their lunch break talking.
"Right class, this afternoon we are going to go over a few things about working partnerships," Bill addresses the group, unable to resist a little fun with his old friend. "As you all should know, Commander Flynn here has spent ten years working on patrol boats. In the last five years, along with Lieutenant Commander McGregor and the team on HMAS Hammersley, they have had the highest capture and success rate out of all fourteen patrol boats that we have in use. This shows what an excellent partnership can be like..." As Bill carries on talking, Nikki pokes Kate in the side and Mike, if he was able, would be saying something to Bill about this. For the students, this illustrates how he knows Kate, but they are still trying to figure out where Nikki fits into the picture.
At the end of the afternoon class, Mike informs the class that they are due on the track at 0600 hours for the compulsory morning run. When everyone is dismissed, Kate and Nikki stay behind to talk to Mike.
"So what do I owe the pleasure of an after class visit?" he asks with a curious glance.
"Oh, I'm just forewarning you that I am going to be dragging as much info from Kate as I can about you two," Nikki says with a smirk on her face.
"Just make sure you leave her enough time to study," he says as Bill watches on, helping Mike pack up and get ready for the morning.
"Come on, she doesn't need to study, she could pass this with her eyes shut."
"Nikki, we all know what Kate is like. She will want her head in those books as much as she can."
"Well I'm not sure I will. I did, well do, have the best teacher at my beck and call?" Kate replies.
"Hey Bill, did you here that? Kate thinks you are at her beck and call," Mike says.
"Better not tell Lucy, she might join her."
"Ah, we better not get these two and her together in the same room."
"Pardon?" A voice asks from the back of the room. Another officer is standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, Kate looks over with a huge smile on her face.
"Lucy, Mike was just saying that we three ladies should not be allowed in the same room."
"Well did he, Kate? I think we need to talk about that," Lucy replies, walking towards the group where Kate introduces her to Nikki.
"Bill, I think we are out numbered now, we should leave," Mike says, and they both start to leave.
"Ah, not so fast you two," Lucy replies. Nikki and Kate start to giggle at how the two grown men stop in their tracks
"Damn," both males say at the same time, as they turn and look at the ladies.
"Bill, have you asked these two about Saturday night?"
"I did pass it by Mike. He said he would talk to Kate later and get back to me."
"Good..." Lucy starts talking to Kate and Nikki, Mike and Bill leave the three of them to talk.
An hour later Mike and Bill are sitting down enjoying a cold drink in the officers rec room.
"See, I told you it would be a bad idea getting those three together in one room," laughs Mike.
"Yes, I see what you mean now. I wonder if they are still in the classroom or have migrated elsewhere?"
"I say the cleaner would have kicked them out and they will be talking in one of the rooms or back at your place."
"Please not my place. It's bad enough we live here on the base, without having those three at home talking."
"We might have to put some restrictions on them if they don't do it themselves."
"I doubt they'll listen to us." They both laugh at the thought.
The spend some more time talking about different things, Mike is enjoying having someone to talk to in general. The next time Mike looks at his watch it is dinner time, Bill heads home to his wife and Mike heads to the dining room to get his dinner. When he walks in, he does not notice Kate or Nikki anywhere when he scans the room. He takes his mobile out and sends Kate a text asking where they are. Not even 60 seconds after he clicks send, he gets a tap on his shoulder.
"Right here," Kate replies with a smile.
"Good, wouldn't like you to miss out on dinner."
"What about me, Sir?" Nikki tries her sad look on Mike and he chuckles in response.
"Nikki, how could I forget you?" he replies while passes them plates so they can dish up what they want. They get their food and then head over to sit down and eat together
"Ah, so I'm now worthy of your company, am I?" Mike says to them when he notices they sit down beside him. The girls just laugh at him, then Phil, another senior officer, joins the group. Mike introduces the two ladies to the other officer and they get talking. The girls are left sitting there while the guys get them all dessert.
After dinner, Mike heads off with Phil to a meeting for all senior staff and tutors. Kate and Nikki say they are heading off to study, but Mike reckons there will be more talking than studying.
"Come on Mike, Princess Perfect is bound to study."
"One thing Nikki has taught Kate is how to relax and enjoy herself. She will study, but those two will spend time catching up first, only when it gets hard will they hit the books. Both of them are totally capable of teaching the class without Bill and I being there, though the students wouldn't like it."
"Why's that?"
"They're both hard taskmasters. You stuff up and God help you, they are not afraid of using toothbrushes as punishment. The two of them are like peas in a pod. At first they didn't get along, but it didn't take long for them to gel and then learn a few things from each other. They could run Hammersley with their hands tied behind their backs and blindfolded." They keep on talking while walking to the meeting.
In the meeting there is talk about events and other necessary information, and then the Commanding Officer of HMAS Watson informs the group that Mike's girlfriend is on base, and is in the course he is co-running with Bill. He advises them that Bill is doing all the marking on her work, and not to worry if they see her with Mike as it is already been approved by the brass.
Mike asks why he had to bring it up and he said Captain Steve Marshall requested it be mentioned to all senior staff, just in case something comes up. The first thought that comes to Mike's head is Maxine, and of course he has no idea what is going on back in Cairns with her. After the meeting Mike is given some cheek by some of the staff, that he was able to keep it quiet this long while he was here. Others speak up and say they already heard the rumor about Mike and his XO, via Maxine. Only those who know Maxine well enough knew about it, which then Mike decides he should let Steve know about.
Once Mike leaves he heads to his room and emails Steve the information he got tonight. He follows that with a text to Kate, letting her know all the senior staff and tutors on base now know about them and wishing her a good night, before going to bed himself. He has to be up at 0530 hours to be ready for the run at 0600 hours with everyone else on base.
When Kate receives the text from Mike, Nikki is still with her going through some of the course work. Kate is giving Nikki tips and pointers on how to be a great executive officer. She groans when she reads the message, prompting Nikki to take it off her and read it as well. It is nearing 2300 hours before Kate and Nikki call it quits for the night, Nikki heads off to her room which is only two doors down form Kate's. Kate gets ready for bed, deciding this might not be so bad after all. She is a tad concerned what Lieutenant Brad Moyes is going to be like, and what trouble he might cause for her. She has never forgiven him for the nickname and other things he did when they were at ADFA, but at least now she is a rank higher than him he might behave. She can only hope. She doesn't need him saying anything he knows about her childhood to Mike, not till she is ready to tell him those things herself.