Sorry for the delay, I was away for the weekend and not much time for computing. Hope you like this chapter.
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Part 53 - Future Plans
For a moment he lost his bearings as he woke up, he was in a comfortable bed in a well-kept room and he was momentarily surprised to find himself sleeping with a woman, her body partially covering his, her arm across his stomach and his wrapped around her holding her close and their legs entwined. He looked down and a waft of strawberry shampoo from a mop of blonde hair met him and he smiled at her while he tightened his hold slightly, wanting to feel her close while not wishing to disturb her. He lay for several minutes indulging in a feeling of contentment that he hadn't felt in months.
He was torn between waking her and letting her sleep, his mind weighing the options. In the end the decision was made for him as she moaned softly against his chest and her arm slid from his stomach onto her own. He stroked his hand down her arm and kissed the top of her head.
"Morning," she mumbled and he felt her lips press several small kisses against his chest.
"I've missed this," he answered, making her look up.
"We barely had this, but it's definitely something I want more of. You do realise that you've been away more than we've been together?"
"I know and I've been thinking."
"Having those dangerous thoughts again?" she asked pushing herself up and starting to get out of bed.
He smiled at her as he reached out, grabbed her hand and tugged slightly to stop her. "Hey, where you going?" he asked as he watched a smile cross her lips and he was about to pull her back to bed when she slapped his chest playfully.
"Bathroom, someone's having fun playing football with my bladder," she pulled away and stood up.
He threw the sheet off himself as he watched her move across the room; he couldn't help admiring the way his t-shirt hugged her body as it stretched across her swollen belly. When she had closed the door to the bathroom he got up and headed downstairs to start breakfast.
…..
Kate arrived on board Hammersley early to go through some outstanding paperwork before the rest of the crew arrived to oversee the loading of new supplies. They weren't due to sail for a couple of days, but you never knew when an emergency could arise and you'd be crash posted, so being prepared was essential.
Having worked for over an hour she was left pondering her last file, it proposed good news for some of her crew but left her with a predicament over replacements. Some were easy to deal with and the solution had already been suggested, but she had no answer for one particular posting and the more she stared at it the more of a headache it gave her, eventually she closed the file and stood up. Heading to the galley she thought that a cup of tea might help her focus.
She had only been there a couple of minutes when footsteps down the hallway drew her attention and she stuck her head out the door to investigate. The frustration she had been wrapped in since reaching that last file left her and she smiled warmly at the unexpected visitor.
"Dutchy! I heard you were back, I'm surprised to see you here though."
"Elena had some papers to drop into NAVCOM and Commander Flynn said you were here, so I couldn't leave without saying hello."
"Where are you off to now?"
"We're staying up at the ranch tonight then I'm going to debrief in Canberra for a few days, after that I'm looking forward to some relaxing R&R, although with a baby on the way I'm sure my wife has more than a few chores for me."
She gave him a warm smile and offered him some coffee. "I'm guessing it wasn't the homecoming you were expecting," she commented, taking another mug and adding the liquid from the coffee pot.
"Not quite and I don't know if it's the hormones talking or what, but I never expected her reaction."
"Still, it must have been good," Kate answered unable to comprehend the way things could have changed between them during his absence. She handed him the coffee and gestured towards the senior's mess.
He seemed to think for a minute as they crossed the hallway and sat down where there was less chance of their conversation being overheard. As she sat opposite him she noticed a hesitant smile before he admitted anything, "yeah, it's good to be home."
"Something wrong?" she asked noting the lack of his normal enthusiasm.
"We're friends right?"
"Yes," she waited a moment, but he didn't elaborate, leaving her to dig for answers. "What is it Dutchy?"
"I just can't get my head around why she was keeping everything a secret."
"You probably know the answer already. It'll be the same one for why you weren't as honest as you could have been about exactly where you were. … You've had a few days to adjust to the idea of coming home, you had certain expectations, maybe even assumed nothing had changed here, but a lot happened while you were gone."
"I'm starting to figure that out."
Kate watched him in silence for a moment his posture and mood reminding her of another time, one before they first reached an understanding.
"So what are your future plans? What does the Navy have in store for you now?"
"I don't know, before Afghanistan they hinted at promotion and maybe a move, but things may have changed." Kate gave him a curious look as she finally realised the answer to her problem was staring her in the face and she knew he had detected the change in her when he sat up straighter. "Oh no, you've got that look again," he said, returning a bemused grin and raising an eyebrow.
"What look?" she asked.
"The one that usually means trouble," he answered his grin widening as he taunted her.
"I've got a suggestion," she stated simply and without giving him a chance to question her she continued. "Do you want to stay based in Cairns?"
"What are you thinking?" he replied, a slight hesitancy in his voice.
"I have a dilemma; Elena's probably told you that we've lost a lot of old faces in the last 6 months. I've got a new young crew; I need someone I can trust to keep them in line."
"I thought my replacement was working out well." She noticed the sceptical look he gave her and guessed that he hadn't yet been brought up to speed with everything.
"Oh he is, but he'll be moving to Kingston in March and Petty Officer Blade will be joining us."
"Razor? That'll make things awkward with Lt Matthews on board."
"She won't be, that's why he's going to swap, she's going to be the new CO of Kingston when Lt-Cdr Curry retires. Of course that news is off the record for now; I don't think they even know yet."
She waited for a minute to see if he picked up on the direction she was going. "So you see this leaves me short an officer, I'm thinking it could answer your problem, it will keep you in Cairns, close to home and shorter patrols with the baby coming."
She had expected his astonished look and when he finally managed to speak what he said wasn't a surprise either, "but I'm not qualified, I don't have the rank."
"It would mean some pretty intensive training at Watson's Bay if you get through the promotions board, but if you're up for it, I'll put a request through."
"Ma'am seriously? You think-" she knew he would hesitate, but she didn't give him a chance to question it.
"Dutchy, you know the ship and the local issues, you and I worked well before and it solves a big problem for both of us."
He rubbed his hand over his face, allowing himself a moment of thought, "does Commander Flynn know what you're doing?"
"Not yet, he will when I send him my recommendations this afternoon, what do you say?" Kate gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.
"I guess I could do worse than come back to this tub, how will Swain and Charge take the news?"
"Charge came to see me earlier, he's leaving the Navy, he misses the hands on approach to engineering and he's got a job in Western Australia."
"I suspect that Lani fits into that somewhere too," Dutchy commented.
"Her residency has been finalised and they're planning on getting married for real soon." She paused briefly then looked at him again, "so are you going to come back to Hammersley?"
"It sounds like a plan." She was delighted that she had a workable option to replace Megan when she finally moved on to take her own command. She just hoped that Mike and Maxine supported her choice and made the recommendation to the promotions board.
…..
The sight that greeted him when they arrived at the ranch was not the one he expected. It was no longer the run down place he had seen when he first visited, now it had been renovated and painted and gave the air of a thriving estate. Turning off the engine he got out of the car and circled around to open her door; taking her hand he helped her out and for the first time since his return he got the impression that she was really excited. The light danced in her eyes as she gave him a warm smile.
"Do you approve of what I did with your investment?"
He looked around then smiled at her, "you did all this?"
"There's more, you haven't seen inside yet."
He watched her for a moment before taking her hand, "show me."
Leaving their bags in the car they circled the house and entered through the lounge at the back of the property. Elena let him enter first and he stopped in the doorway, the room was bright and homely, a lot of the old furniture had gone, the walls had been painted and it more resembled a modern home. As he looked around he noticed a few spots where there seemed to be something missing and he imagined those filled with toys and assorted equipment for the baby.
He felt Elena let go of his hand and wrap her arm around his waist and he curled his around her shoulders. Tipping his head to look at her and seeing the anticipation in her eyes he leaned down and kissed her. "You've done a great job honey."
"Why don't you take a look around the rest, I need the bathroom and a drink. Do you want tea?"
"Sounds good."
He wandered around the rest of the house and noted a few things that could still do with fixing up, but the place had been transformed and he could seriously imagine them living there with a family in years to come, although for now it was unlikely to be anything more than a retreat when they shared their R&R.
He found her on the back porch watching the ranch manager school one of the horses in the ring across the yard. Dutchy stood and watched her for a minute, she was engrossed in what was going on with the horse she hadn't noticed him so he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her expanded waist and ran his hands over the bump as he kissed her neck. "I love what you've done; it will be a great place to raise our family."
She rested her head back against his shoulder, "I really am glad you're home."
…..
The next few days passed in a blur for Elena. She spent the time Dutchy was in Canberra preparing everything she had planned for a proper homecoming welcome and finally the day had arrived and she was at the airport early, not wanting to miss the flight that brought him home again. By the time he emerged through the arrival doors she thought she would explode. All the apprehension had gone, she already knew he was safe, they had talked every night while he was away and had finally made attempts to discuss the secrets they had both kept during his absence. Now they had a chance to look forward and build the life they had talked about after their engagement.
She watched the smile break across his face as he walked towards her, he looked relaxed, his sunglasses perched on top of his head and his bag slung haphazardly over his shoulder. She felt her stomach flip as she eyed the fit of his jeans and shirt as he strode across the exclusion zone and stopped in front of her and dropped his bag at their feet.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he met her lips with his. She felt his arms circle her and he held her tight.
When they broke the kiss she rested her head on his shoulder, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," he relaxed his grip a little and pulled back to run his hand over her stomach, "both of you. So tell me how're my girls doing?"
"I keep telling you it might be a boy," she giggled as she rested her hand on his.
"Don't believe you; I think it will be a girl just like you." He seized her lips again in a smouldering kiss, stopping her from answering back, his hands moving to cup her face and graze his fingers down her neck. Hearing her moan he slowly released her. "You really have missed me and I guess we should get out of here so I can satisfy my woman."
"I shouldn't tell you then about your replacement and the things he can do to me."
He raised his eyebrows at her and tried to give her a serious look as he stroked his fingers down her neck again. "He'd better watch his back then or I'll have him scrubbing the ship with a toothbrush."
She laughed, "threats, that's all it is, he's not one of your minions you can push around."
"No he just escaped I'll have to ask Megan to deal with him instead. I'll have my hands full with Hammersley's new recruits."
"How?"
"I'll tell you everything, let's get out of here first, where are we going?"
"The ranch, I've got the weekend free, then I'm at NAVCOM next week after that I start my Maternity Leave."
"I like the sound of that." He kissed her again before taking his bag and wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her to the exit. "I saw Mum and Dad while I was in Canberra, they came to visit, they send their love and can't wait to come up and see the ranch."
"I know, I thought they might come up for Christmas, did you invite them?"
"No, well I did but they thought we would like to be on our own, and honestly I don't mind. They said they would come up when the baby's born." He took her hand as they left the building and headed towards the car park.
Driving up to the ranch he filled her in on the various discussions that had been held in Canberra and they talked about how to manage their time after Christmas.
The atmosphere between them was more relaxed and they talked, continuing the trend they'd started while he was away, the subjects ranging from the baby to his mission to the ranch and everything in between.
Later as he sorted through his bag and unpacked, Elena was sitting on the bed watching him. They had been talking about the future of the ranch and what they wanted to do with it now that most of the renovation work was completed. She noted the pause as he withdrew an envelope from his bag, before sitting on the edge of the bed and resting his hand on her thigh.
"Last week I wasn't sure if I should give you these, but I think they might help you and Jess." She slowly took the envelope he held out, and glanced between it and him wondering what it could contain. "While we were in Parlarzar the villagers were really welcoming and before we were picked up by the British Forces the doctor took us out into the desert and showed us this place," his eyes never left hers when he spoke and she slowly removed the contents.
One by one she studied the handful of photos, unable to voice any questions or coherent thoughts allowing him to continue. "Someone from the village goes out there every week and lays poppies at the memorial, I met an old woman there, with the Doctor's limited English I got the gist of what she said, that the village didn't used to be the way it is now, it used to be a beautiful peaceful place and they hoped that one day when the fighting stops that the families of the men who died will be able to visit and feel welcome and know that the real villagers also mourned for those who died, on both sides."
Elena still held the photos. "What was it like?" she asked finally looking up.
"Quiet, with adequate water it could be an oasis, but the infrastructure isn't there, the surroundings look greener because it was the wet season, but most of the year it's desert."
Elena looked at the photos again it wasn't what she had pictured in her mind and something about the thoughtfulness of the villagers seemed somehow to give her peace, "thank you, it helps to make sense of what we were told about where things took place that night and I had wondered if it was just the militia or whether the village were involved too. I'm glad you showed me."
She crawled across the bed and onto his lap and hugged him.
….
The following day the party was in full swing, a banner spread across the back of the house with a large welcome home message, as the celebrations were scattered between the lounge, kitchen and yard. As usual, Swain, Mike and Charge had taken control and were organising the barbeque while Kate and Sally issued instructions. Chloe was revelling in the chance to ride one of the ponies around the paddock under the watchful eye of Bob, the ranch manager. Dutchy was standing with the men sipping a beer while they discussed various topics and he caught up on their stories for the last 6 months. He glanced at his watch and realised it had been a while since Elena had disappeared to get the food for the barbeque.
Hearing a baby cry he turned to see Sally, now standing on the porch with Serena and talking to Elena; he waved to her when he caught her eye. She obviously made her excuses as she walked towards the group, handing over the tray of food before he was able to wrap his arms around her.
"There's my girls. How are you doing honey?"
"I'm fine and stop giving your son a complex," she chided digging her elbow into his side playfully.
"So you know it's a boy then?" Charge asked looking as if everyone had kept it a secret from him.
"No," Dutchy answered quickly.
"We don't know, we want to be surprised, but Dylan seems to think that we're having a girl," Elena explained.
"Now you see that's what confuses me, I thought a man like you would want a son," Charge added.
"As long as they're both okay, I don't care," Dutchy answered, before kissing the side of her head.
A loud whistle behind them drew their attention and Kate stood on a stool in the centre of the group.
"Hear there, Captain speaking! I would like to interrupt things for just a minute or two as I have a few announcements to make." Kate's voice travelled over the now silent crowd and she started by welcoming Dutchy home and threatening him with various disagreeable options should he decide to go anywhere without Elena ever again. After a brief pause to ensure everyone was listening again she continued, "I have just received a message from Canberra; the announcement came out a short while ago about the promotions boards. Many of you already know that Lieutenant Matthews will be assuming the CO's job on Kingston in March when she returns from Watson's Bay at that point Petty Officer Blade will join us from Kingston, unfortunately it also means that we will say goodbye to Charlie, although he won't be going far, in fact just as far as Kingston in order to fill the open gap they'll have. I now have the pleasure in announcing that the successor for Lieutenant Matthews on Hammersley will be former Petty Officer now Lieutenant Mulholland. Congratulations Dutchy."
Those that knew him already cheered and the remaining crew who had been invited to share the afternoon strained their necks to get a better look at their new divisional officer. He tightened his arms around Elena and kissed her in full view of everyone and grinned as more cheers were raised.
"Finally I am sad to report we will also be losing another crew member, Charge has decided that Navy ships are too clean these days and that his heart lies in the old ones where you need on occasion to get your hands dirty. Of course a little Bird told me that there is another reason that it's taking him all the way to Western Australia and we wish him and Lani all the best."
After a brief toast, raised by Mike to conclude everything the guests resumed their earlier conversations and the festivities went on until after dark.
I know in reality he wouldn't get to Lieutenant that fast, but this is fiction. Let me know what you think.
Posted: 23 July 12
