Here, you're all caught up with the SP site again.

Part 25 - An Afternoon at the Beach

With the beach gear loaded into the car, Elena strapped Nikki into the baby seat and Dutchy leaned against the front door his arms folded, waiting for her to finish. She got out and closed the back door then turned to him, resting her hand on his arm, "thanks for the help, it would have been so much harder the other way."

"So tonight?" he asked, not moving and not wanting her to move either.

"What do you suggest?" she replied only for them to be interrupted by her phone. Pulling it from her pocket she checked the caller ID. "I'm sorry I need to get this," she stepped back and answered the call, talking for a few minutes before she hung up and stuffed the phone back into her pocket and turning back to Dutchy. "I'm sorry, I'll have get a rain check for this evening, Nikki's grandparents are still in Singapore. Their flight's been delayed due to a mechanical fault and they're not expected to land until about 7 am and I have to deliver her to the airport for their connecting flight to Sydney, which means I'll have to take care of her tonight."

Dutchy reached out and rested his hand on her hip and drew her closer, "why cancel anything? You don't know what I was suggesting yet, why don't the two of you stay at my place tonight, Nikki can have her own room and we can talk."

She shook her head, "it's not fair on you to bring her with me and I don't know how she'll react being in a strange place."

"Hey, you're getting yourself all stressed out, think this through," with his free hand he caressed her face, feeling the tension running though her. "You were going to stay in the motel tonight, that'll be just as strange, give yourself a break," he slid his hand around her neck and began to gently massage the knots he was sure she had. "You've had the lectures, you know you shouldn't bottle it all up, it's not good for you."

She tried to step back, away from the contact they had, but he just drew her a little closer, his fingers still massaging the back of her neck and he thought for a moment she was going to fight him, her eyes were full of fire and determination, but just a blink changed everything and her breath caught a couple of times then the tears appeared. As much as she tried to fight it, she was crumbling before his eyes, "I can't, .. I have to-."

"Yes you can, I've got you, let it go," he wrapped his arm around her more and pulled her against him, this time she had no energy to resist and buried her head against his chest as the tears fell. "You don't always have to be strong, it's okay to give in," he muttered in her ear as he held her. Unsure what else to say he waited for her to calm down a little and waited for her to look up, then he brushed away her tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm just … you must think -"

He brushed her hair off her face and stroked his thumb down her neck, "hey, it's okay, you're obviously dealing with a lot right now, don't give yourself more to think about. You and Nicole stay at mine tonight, you can chill out we can order pizza and a bottle of wine and just take it easy, if you want to fess up and tell me about Niko that's fine, if you just need a shoulder to cry on I think I just proved I'm pretty good at that too. No pressure, Scout's honour."

She looked up at him and he thought he caught a glimmer of a smile, "you told me you were never a boy scout."

"I wasn't, but I got you thinking about something else." He couldn't resist smiling at her, he could feel some of the tension dissipate as they stood there oblivious to anyone around them.

"You're serious about tonight? About taking us both in?" she asked quietly and glancing in the back of the car.

He nodded and thought for a minute, "what I'm about to say is classified, for your ears only okay?" He waited while she gave him a curious glance and then nodded, "it's a different place without you, it doesn't feel right without you there and we need to talk. I want you to have somewhere to do that in private when you're ready."

"You want me to be honest with you, tell you all the things I didn't say the night we met?" she sighed, resting her hand on his heart, pressing his damp shirt against him.

"Yeah I want you to be honest with me, but it goes both ways, there's stuff you heard on the ship about me, stuff you probably read in my file, while most of it is probably true, I owe you to tell you myself. If you want to walk away after I won't stop you, but I don't want you to walk away without us being honest with each other." He trailed his thumb down her neck again and felt her shiver despite the warm afternoon.

"Alright, just not too much alcohol though?" she conceded.

He smirked a little, "I'll save that for tomorrow, when we're alone."

Dutchy let his fingers graze her neck as he lowered his lips towards hers, about to kiss her when a high pitched squeal caught her attention and she pulled back, "You sure you still want us to stay?"

"She's not going to be awake all night is she?"

"I hope not." Elena pulled open the back door and talked to the girl. After a moment she looked up.

"It's too early for dinner and I can't leave her sitting in the car much longer, what are your plans?"

"I'm open to suggestions," he answered waiting to see if she offered a solution.

"Aren't the crew expecting you?" she reminded him, lifting Nikki back out of the car.

"Maybe, why don't you come and join them, Swain invited you, Lt-Cdr McGregor's there and you can meet Sally and Bomber. Swain's little girl Chloe, would love Nikki, and she'd probably take great delight in keeping her occupied for a while," he suggested, not exactly enthralled with the idea of the afternoon with the crew, but it would be better for Nikki and Elena needed a break so he was prepared to go with the flow.

"Are you ready for them to start asking questions?"

"It's gonna happen sometime, but right now we don't need to give anything away, just friends enjoying an afternoon at the beach. Who knows, it might wear your charge out enough so we can have some personal time later," he answered holding his hand out to Nikki who was giggling and squirming in Elena's arms. He looked at Elena, she seemed a little less stressed and even managed to give him a brief smile.

"If you're sure you can handle it."

"I can handle it, can you? ... What will you tell them about Nikki?" he asked as Elena pulled her sunglasses from her bag and propped them on her head.

"The truth," she answered, then stopped and looked at him. "You still doubt me don't you? You still think she's mine?"

He was less convinced than earlier, but he still hadn't ruled out that she was still holding out on him, she still hadn't explained her connection to Niko, and if she wasn't married to him or had his kid then why was she acting like it. "You're so good with her, just like a mother would be."

"I promise you I'm not her mother, that's Jessie, but she is my niece," she paused and looked around them, tears pooling in her eyes again. "Niko was my brother. Jessie was six months pregnant when- when it happened. I lived with her in Canberra until she moved in with her parents 4 months ago when they posted her to Sydney." For a moment they were quiet, until Nikki's voice called out again. "Can we discuss the rest later?"

Dutchy nodded, his mind was struggling to take in what she just said, it didn't match with the guy in the photo he'd seen, was she still stalling him? He looked at Nikki as Elena fussed over her, smearing sun cream on her against the child's wishes. She was a striking baby, child, he wasn't even sure what you called them when they were that big. He'd never figured he'd have to learn such things. Anyway she was a pretty girl, her skin tone clearly showed she had mixed race parents and she had a mop of dark hair and big brown eyes, he smiled when he realised Nikki was watching him.

"Dylan?" Her soft voice broke through the fog in his mind as he thought about all the possibilities; he turned his head and looked at her. "I promise I'll tell you everything, just stop trying to second guess me, I guarantee you'll never get a right answer," she told him, resting a hand on his arm and giving him a hopeful look.

"Did I ever tell you I like a mystery?" he smirked, then briefly caressed her cheek before retrieving the things from the trunk and locking up, while Elena grabbed Nikki's sunhat from the back seat. As they moved away from the car Elena dropped her sunglasses over her eyes and dropped the sunhat in the process. Dutchy quickly retrieved it and held it out to her, "here, she'll probably need this."

"Thanks," she answered taking it and trying to put it on the little girl who was adamant she didn't want it.

"No!" insisted Nikki.

"Yes, Nik. You want to go to the beach again you have to wear it, now say thank you to Dyl-Dutchy for taking us." She hurriedly changed her terminology, using his ship name to try and remind herself that if she used his own name it might give more away than what they were ready for. Not that there was anything going on between them, except a lot of unresolved questions.

"D-D," squealed Nikki in response earning a laugh from Dutchy and a groan from Elena.

"Anyone who hears that is going to get ideas now." Elena sighed.

"It's all good, I take it that's a new word."

"Oh yes, and just about the worst time for her to come out with it."

"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think," he continued to laugh as they headed towards the others.

...

Swain was the first to spot them crossing the beach, and looked at Kate, "looks like Dutchy persuaded them to stay."

"He also looks in a better mood, d'you know what's been going on with him lately?" she asked.

"Something about a woman in a bar I believe," Swain answered, glad that the tension he had appeared to witness earlier seemed to be behind them. "Ma'am, you changed your mind?" he questioned as they stopped next to the group and Elena sat down and put Nikki down on the sand, while still wrestling her to get the sunhat on.

"My plans have been changed at the last minute and Dutchy persuaded me that Chloe would like a playmate for the rest of the afternoon."

"How old is she?"

"15 months, and right now a stubborn little miss," hissed Elena as Nikki tried to crawl away. "Come here Nicole, you need to wear this, look I'm going to wear mine, she waved the baby hat in front of her then turned around and began trying to untie her straw one from the bag which Dutchy had dropped on the sand a foot or so away.

"Here, I'll get that, you hang on to her," Dutchy announced from behind her as Nikki made another break for freedom.

While Elena held onto the frustrated young child Dutchy quickly removed Elena's hat and dropped it on her head and tied the scarf under her chin. "There, all done, see Elena's got her hat, now are you going to wear yours?" he asked the child now sitting quietly in her lap as he looked at her.

After appearing to think about it for a minute she pointed at him, "D-D!"

Being momentarily distracted by something Chloe was doing Swain didn't properly hear the younger child and turned to Dutchy with a mixture of surprise and amazement in his expression. Dutchy didn't notice as he took the hat from Elena and held it out towards Nikki. While Dutchy didn't react, Elena had heard and quickly tried to explain. "Her new favourite word and person apparently, she's really taken to Dutchy. I guess I'd better introduce you all properly, Swain, Kate, my niece Nicole, I've been taking care of her for a few weeks while her mum's overseas."

"What about her father, isn't he able to take care of her?" Kate asked innocently and Dutchy noticed the way Elena froze for a second before answering. He could imagine the tears hiding behind her glasses.

"My brother was killed in action before she was born, he never got to see her." Elena hugged Nikki briefly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Kate began.

"It's alright, just having her with me the last few weeks, it's just brought everything up again. D'you mind if we change the subject?" Elena tried to put them all at ease.

"Of course not," Swain answered then looked over to the now partially demolished sandcastle. "Chloe, come here a minute."

Hearing her father's voice she looked up and saw the baby and ran over to them, also drawing Charge and Sally's attention.

"Well, well, well, our temporary CO seems to have a little secret," muttered Charge as he and Sally also joined the others.

By the time the group in the water returned a few minutes later Chloe was trying to teach Nikki how to rebuild the sandcastle with Sally and Elena's help. Charge had flopped out on the sand and was telling Kate one of his stories, leaving Dutchy and Swain alone for a moment.

"So the kid isn't hers then?"

"No, it seems I jumped to conclusions."

"You and the CO, I didn't see that happening. Did you know each other before coming on the boat?"

"Yeah, she was the woman I talked to that night in the bar. We barely got past exchanging names, before she left." Technically he wasn't lying, she did leave the bar, but there was no need to go into what happened after he left.

"And now?"

"Until today we haven't spoken since we arrived back from the relief patrol."

"And all the talk about being a father?"

"I'm thinking it's time to do something about my future." He answered watching Elena and Nikki playing in the sand, although no one could see where his eyes were looking behind his sunglasses.

"You're good with Chloe and that little scene earlier with the sun hat, I don't think you'd have any problems, you just need to find the right woman."

"I think I already have, I just hope they don't find an excuse to post her back to Hammersley."

...

It was early evening when they arrived at his place and Dutchy dragged in their cases, while Elena set up the travel cot and put Nikki in it to keep her safe, giving them a chance to sort things out. "She's so tiny, how come she has more luggage than anyone I know?" he chuckled.

"She might be tiny, but believe me everything in there is essential. … Dylan, are you really sure about this?" she asked seeing him haul the cases towards the guest room. "I can still go to the motel."

"You're here now so stop trying to escape and make yourself at home."

"You think that's what I'm trying to do? Escape?" she asked as he dropped the cases in the bedroom doorway and turned to her as she followed behind with her bag from the beach. He slipped the strap from her shoulder and eased it down to the floor then wrapped an arm around her.

"Yeah, I do, and you don't need to, I wouldn't have asked you to stay if I didn't want you here and I certainly don't want you and Nikki staying someplace alone."

"Have you forgotten that I'm a Naval Officer and quite capable of looking after myself?"

"No, but right now, I doubt you're thinking like a naval officer, you're acting more like a mother, so quit trying to put me off and just relax."

"I'm not you know, trying to put you off, it's just this whole thing with having Nicole here is strange. You've been really good about her and everything, but I didn't expect you to start playing a protective dad role."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"Maybe not consciously, but I don't know, I guess I expected you to act differently." Elena looked over to the cot where things had gone quiet and Nikki was laying down. "I should get her ready for bed before she falls asleep completely, can I use your bathroom, she needs a bath to get rid of all the sand?"

He nodded and let her go, "help yourself, do you need anything?"

"Have you got any milk?" she asked walking over to the cot and lifting the sleepy child out.

"No, I haven't been shopping yet, I'll head down to the supermarket while you sort her out, anything else you need?" he answered moving across the room and swiping his keys from the coffee table, where he had dropped them a few minutes earlier.

"Some soft fresh fruit, full fat milk and some pineapple juice."

"No problem."

.

I'm not completely happy with how this ends, but I can't work out what would fix it. Hope some of your questions are answered.

New chapter up later