"2Dads, what are you doing here?" Mike stopped near the doorway
"I came in for my check-up" he motioned to his arm
"And the shoulders feeling better?"
"A little, how's the X?" he questioned stopping next to him
"Sleeping, which I suppose is as much as we can hope for at the moment"
"She never was one to follow orders was she?"
"No, not our Kate if she can't do it the right way she'll do it her way" Mike took a look back in Kate's room
"Has she said anything more about what happened?"
"No… why is there something that I wasn't told?"
"Of course not, I was just curious"
"Did you want to go and sit with her?"
"Oh I…" he looked across at Kate
"It's just I'd like to head to the Café for a coffee but I don't.."
"You don't want her being alone"
"I can call Nikki if you'd feel more comfortable?" Mike looked at him sadly
"No… it's okay, I've been meaning to check in with her anyway"
"Thanks 2Dads, I won't be long"
"Take your time" he assured him moving into the room slightly.
Sitting down in the free chair once Mike had left 2Dads fiddled with his sling taking a deep breath when he pulled it off
"I can hear you breathing in pain…" her voice mumbled
"Sorry…" he gritted his teeth when she turned to look at him her eyes fluttering open
"How is the shoulder?"
"It's getting there"
"That's… that's good" she yawned slightly
"How's the um…"
"The bullet wound?"
"Yeah"
"Just like you it's getting there, um where's Mike?"
"He headed down to the cafeteria for a proper coffee"
"Oh right"
"So word on the grapevine is you and the Boss are getting hitched" he smirked shifting back in his chair
"Dosen't take long for the rumours to start spreading does it"
"Oh come on X everyone's just wanting to know if it's true about you and the Boss"
"Well I suppose it's probably going to be all around the Navy docks by now but yes Mike and I are engaged" she hissed while moving to sit up
"So can I see it?" he asked hopeful
"See?"
"X" he sighed rolling his eyes "the ring can I see the ring?"
"2Dads…"
"Come on, I just want to see the Bosses handy work" he shifted forward in his chair
"I don't know what the big deal is, it's just a ring" she shook her head holding out her hand 2Dads grabbed it
"Wowzah! Nice going Boss" 2Dads smirked moving her hand around to get a good look in the light
"Okay that's enough I'd rather have a useful hand not a sprained one"
"I'm happy for you X"
"Thanks 2Dads" she grinned pulling her hand back
"Listen… about what happened on Hammersley you have to know I didn't… I mean I wasn't stealing food"
"I don't…"
"I have a secret stash of Tim Tams in there, I know I should have kept them in my cabin but you know what Charge is like"
"2Dads you really don't need to explain"
"And word is you'll be possibly becoming Hammersley's CO so I figured you should know in case you…"
"Hang on go back a minute, what's this about Hammersley's CO?"
"Well Charge said Commander Marshall was down at the docks this morning looking for the Boss"
"First I'm hearing of it"
"Sorry… I just assumed the Boss had mentioned something to you" he looked towards the door when Mike entered the room
"Is it true?" she looked at him confused
"Sorry?"
"I think I should go…" 2Dads arose from his chair
"Yes thanks for that mate" Mike sighed when he moved past him,
"Is Marshall really wanting me to be CO?" Kate asked when they were alone
"It's a possibility yes, Marshall came to see me earlier he wants to give you your transfer if you still want it or…"
"A promotion to CO?" she raised an eyebrow
"Yeah…" he placed his coffee down on the table and shifted to sit near her on the bed "he also wants me to take a Captains position at NAVCOM replacing Maxine"
"Mike that's.."
"Don't get to excited I haven't given him an answer"
"Why not?"
"Well I told him I needed to discuss it with my fiancé first" he grabbed her hand in his
"Is that so?"
"Kate… what do you want to do?"
"I… I have no idea what I want but you… you should take Marshall up on his offer"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely Captain" she teased with a grin
"And what about you?" he reached across brushing a hand along her cheek
"Do you think I'm CO material?"
"Oh Kate… it's not.. it's not up to me"
"I'm not asking as your former XO I'm asking as Kate…" she sighed sadly
"Well as Kate… I think you'd make a great CO but you've still got three days to decide"
"Three days… it's not a lot of time"
"I know…"
"This isn't exactly how I was expecting today to go"
"Tell me about, you being in a hospital bed wasn't how I'd be spending our engagement" he teased moving in closer
"Is that so?"
"I had… well I had other things in mind"
"Hmm" she hummed when he leaned in ready to kiss her "Maybe I am cut out for CO material after all" she smirked before their lips met
"Oh and why do you say that?" he pulled back hovering close
"Because I had you as my teacher"
"Oh you" he shook his head leaning in and brushing his lips against hers in a soft kiss.
A month Later-
"Are you nervous?" she asked reaching up and fixing his collar
"No, are you?" he looked down at her
"A little…"
"Kate you're going to be fine"
"Easy for you to say, you were Hammersley's CO for… well forever"
"Hey, I'm not that old" he poked her slightly
"What if I'm not CO material?" she moved her hands down gripping his jacket
"Marshall wouldn't have offered you the CO position if you weren't"
"But…"
"I believe in you" he assured her with a kiss on the forehead
"Thank you"
"Your going to do great, you've been temporary CO millions of times you could do this in your sleep"
"But what if I'm not ready, I was off for a month healing and doing my promotion paperwork you know technically a promotion isn't supposed to be this quick"
"Your wounds healed and think of it this way before you know it you'll be on shore leave again in two days marrying the man of your dreams then off to Tahiti for the most romantic honeymoon and Marshall put your promotion through straight away you know that"
"The man of my dreams?" she teased
"Very funny"
"The man in my dreams is very different bit more muscle, different hair"
"Okay knock it off"
"I love you; you know that right?" she smiled softly
"And I love you" he leaned down meeting her lips
"Mmm-we should go"
"Mm-hmm" he got in one last kiss before pulling back and grabbing their hats from the desk
"How can you be so sure?"
"Kate you need to stop doubting yourself" he answered opening the front door
"I can't help it, I'm just a naturally nervous person"
"You're going to be fine"
"Maybe I should have just taken up the shore posting" she went to move through the doorway
"Woah don't do that" he sighed grabbing her arm
"What?"
"Don't second guess your judgment you made the right call in taking Marshall up on his offer"
"But did I?"
"Kate…" he brushed a hand across her cheek in comfort resting it there "You need to stop doing this, it's not healthy"
"Lets just get on with this yeah" she smiled sadly removing his hand off her cheek
"Hey…" he grabbed her hand stopping her again "You've got this"
"Thank you" she reached up kissing his cheek softly
"One more for the road?" he tapped his lips with his finger
"Would you just get in the car" she shook her head moving out of the house.
...
"Well, well if it isn't the newly appointed Lieutenant Commander" Nikki smirked she walked towards her on the docks
"Very funny, are we ready to sail?"
"Ah almost we're just waiting on 2Dads"
"Of course we are"
"So is he sailing with us or just sticking around for the view?" Nikki motioned to Mike who was talking with Swain, with his eyes continusely looking over at Kate
"Which view would that be the boat or me?" Kate raised an eyebrow when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist
"The view is definitely the boat" he whispered in her ear resting his chin on her shoulder
"I thought as much, you just can't get over the ol girl can you" Nikki teased
"You mind giving us a few minutes Nav?" Mike asked hopeful
"Ah sure, I'll get onto 2Dads again find out where he is" she smirked walking away
"2Dads running late again is he?" Mike spun her around in his arms
"As always"
"So you ready for this?"
"I think so…" she bit her lip nervously
"Look I got you a present just a little something to help you through" he reached into his pocket pulling out a wrapped present
"What is it?" she grinned undoing the tie
"Just a little something I thought you could put in your cabin in case your missing home" he watched her pull off the last bit of paper,
turning it over to see a photo of Mike and her on there impromptu engagement party 2Dads had thrown for them last week
"Mike…" she smiled softly looking up at him
"I know this is going to be a big change for us with me on shore and you at sea"
"Not having you around every day is definitely going to be a learning curve"
"This way you'll always have me watching over you at sea"
"It's perfect thank you" she gave him a ward hug wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled back to look at him
"Forty-eight hours and then I finally get to call you my wife"
"So we're counting down to that too are we?" she teased
"Absolutely" he leaned into kiss her raising an eyebrow in confusion when she avoided his lips entirely
"2Dads, your late" she called over Mike's shoulder
"Sorry Ma'am had my last check-up" he waved his arm around
"Nice to see it's finally healed but you should be on board off you go"
"Ma'am, Sir" he nodded running over to the gangway
"I should really go…" she looked at him sadly
"Stay safe"
"Don't I always?"
"Seriously, do I need to remind you of.."
"Okay but in this instance I will be careful I promise" she moved a hand resting it against his cheek
"I love you"
"And I love you" she smiled when he leaned in kissing her softly he groaned in annoyance when she finally pulled away
"I'll see you in two days"
"I look forward to it" she held the picture against her chest while crossing the gangway and saluting thor
"Shouldn't you be heading to NAVCOM?" Swain teased walking past him
"I'm just admiring the view mate" he grinned still watching Kate as she walked into the side hatch taking a quick glance back at him she blew him a kiss.