Kate manages to get Penny out of the house, with some help from Mike as well.

Jim hears Kate and Suzy talk about how much they hate that woman.

"Hi Jim, how are you doing?" Comes from Mike when he steps outside having noticed Jim is here, his heart sinks some more. Suzy along with Kate notice the settle change in his body language but it goes amiss by Jim.

"I'm recovering okay, and yourself?"

"Not too bad, I've been keeping busy, pleased you're recovering okay, look after yourself, just sit and relax, you don't need to do anything we have it covered. Suzy when dad gets home can you let him know I'm off to replace the fence at the cemetery, it's damaged. He knows I have brought the stuff to do the job as well." Comes from Mike, who heads off. Kate watches him leave, not sure what to say to him, she didn't even get a hello from him. Jim got one, but her nothing and she isn't sure what to think.

"Don't worry he has been in a weird mood the whole time we have been here." Milly says to Kate before side tracking Kate with other stuff.

Sometime later

Mike is at the family grave site on the farm. He is busy redoing the fence so the cattle can't get in. And he starts to talk away.

"Hey Lizzie, sorry I haven't been to visit for awhile, work has been busy. Yea, yea I know using work is no excuse but really it has been busy, so much has happened since I was last year, and I thought the last time I was here was bad enough but no, it got even worse than what happened to me."

"I know you all are disappointed, I failed again. Kate isn't going to marry me, she has someone else she wants to marry. He's a good person, I've worked with him several times now. I know he will look after her, it just hurts that it's not me that is going to give her what she wants, a husband and a family, children of her own."

"I'm sorry Lizzie, I really am. I know I promised you on your deathbed that I would marry her, but after you passed she pushed me away, so she shut me out. I know it's no excuse but you know what Penny put me through, and I also didn't want to bully Kate into anything she didn't want, by the time we had worked through everything I was just too damn scared. I'm more than likely the reason she has chosen Jim, I took too long to sort my shit out re work so I lost her. Don't worry I'm hurting, grandma would be kicking my arse if she was still here. Nothing I can do now anyway she has brought him home to get mum and dad's approval I say. As much as I want to fight for her, I won't. I'll respect her choice even if it hurts like hell. But I promised you I did try this time to get her back, I asked her why, and she said she just didn't want this anymore, didn't want us, I was prepared to fight to get her back, do whatever I needed too to have her back in my arms, become my wife. I had planned a trip to Tahiti to prompose, but she said and was very firm with it that she just didn't want us anymore."

"I have replaced all the fencing at the homestead over the last couple of days, including the pool fence, I even upgraded it. Am doing this one cause I don't want any of the stock getting into this place, and do any damage to your guys resting places. Dad is pissed cause I am paying for it all, and not letting him pay. Decided why not all the money I've saved to pay for a wedding wont be getting used for that now so I decided to use it to replace fencing on the farm. And before you guys say anything, no there won't be anyone else. I've decided to not worry about love anymore and just stay single. It's easy on my heart that way. I know there are plenty of lovely women out there, but there is no room for anyone else in my heart. I'll just watch my nieces and nephews grow up and have their own kids, live life through my brother and sisters."

"Gramp's though you are going to be totally bloody pissed with me, I quit the Navy, yep you heard me right I quit and left. Why you may ask, I left because all it's done is cause me heart ache. I lost the woman I love because of the job, because I used the job to help me try and heal and get through and then that job caused us delays which then has me where I am right now. And now she is marrying someone else instead of me. Oh and I still have the rings that you gave me Lizzie, they're still in dad's safe. I'll give them to Kate while she is here, they are hers, and since I won't be using them like you had asked me too I will make sure she gets them."

7pm

Flynn Homestead

"Any signs of Mike yet?" Suzy asks her mother as they stand in the kitchen doing the dishes. Looking out watching the children play out on the back lawn.

"Nope no sign of him yet."

"Did you put some dinner aside for him mum?"

"Yes of course I did honey."

"I hope he is okay, I'm really worried about him mum." Kerry hears the emotion in Suzy voice her worry and sadness for her brother, she knows Suzy and Mike have always been close to each other,

"We're all worried about him honey. My concern is how he is processing Kate and Jim being here. And what that means for him."

"Well when he left at lunch he spoke to Jim and totally ignored Kate, even when they kicked Penny out he still didn't talk to Kate at all, but he was going off at Penny though, and then he was nice with Jim, asked him how he was doing."

"Shit, that is not what I wanted to hear."

"Yea his silent treatment is the worst treatment from him. I prefer it when he goes off his tree rather than ignoring me. Kate would've gotten the message that he was pissed. Though when he was talking to Jim, I was totally surprised at how nice he was, I thought he would have said something impolite, or ignored him, I still can't believe he spoke nicely to him."

"Well he does know him through their work, so maybe he is just putting on a front for Jim and trying not to come across as an arse, considering Jim is marrying Kate, and after his talk with dad last night, he is really struggling with everything. Plus he's left the Navy for good as well."

"WHAT?" Suzy is totally shocked at what her mother has just said to her.

"Yep I was shocked when dad told me this morning, but Mike informed him that he has left the Navy, and doesn't want to go back at all. He needs us more than anything right now. He is feeling like a ghost, like someone looking in on the family, and not a part of this family."

"Oh man, that sucks. Though considering he has been married once before he would be finding it harder because he has nearly been where we all are now, but it never happened. Then Kate..." She can't say anymore tears falling down her face, for the hurt her brother must be feeling.

"Hey don't cry honey."

"I can't help it mum, it's heartbreaking knowing what he has gone through and now to never get to experience what we have, it hurts mum, it hurts me all over. I wish I could give him what he wants but I can't and that makes it hurt me so much more." Suzy says as she wipes the tears from her face. Kerry hugs her daughter tightly, she understands where Suzy is coming from.

"Your proprobly feeling just how he is feeling honey, he's lost the love of his life, and he can't figure out how to function through that pain right now. He's a male they find dealing with emotions a lot harder than us women."

Unknown to the pair is that Kate has listened in on their conversation. She is shocked to hear that Mike has quit the Navy.

8.30pm

"Mike what hour do you call this, I was about to come find you?" comes from Paul when Mike finally walks into the homestead. He would of gone looking for his son sooner but he knew where he was, and decided best to leave him alone while he was there

"Sorry dad I got talking, and thinking and because of it I lost track of time. I did get the job finished first though."

"Did talking help son?" he asks Mike, he knows when Mike is there he talks and can lose track of the time.

"Yes and no, was good getting some things off my chest, but on the other hand it just caused me more problems, as it got me thinking more."

"Mum left some dinner for you, she just put the meat into the fridge not too long ago."

"Thanks dad, do you know if Kate is still up?" He asks his father, he has decided to give her back the ring tonight and not delay it any longer.

"Yes she is, she's in the other room talking to your sister's, Jim is with the boys drinking outside. Considering the direction you came into the house I take it you missed seeing them?"

"I heard them. I'm going into your safe too by the way, I'm giving back the rings to Kate tonight." Mike says to his father, who knows what rings Mike is talking about. He is surprised he is going to do it now, he thought he would wait and do it another time.

"Are you sure about doing it tonight? Why not wait and do it another time?"

"I'm sure dad, they belong to her, I need to give them back to her. It's not how her mother wanted me to give them to her but it is what it is. Oh and by the way send the workers up to where I was today a couple of the fences need to be tightened up before stock goes into those paddocks. I also fixed a fence along the gully as well as noticed it was nearly down on my way home, not sure if all the stock is in that paddock though, couldn't see any out but hard to tell with the light the way it was." Mike says as he starts to walk off to go get Kate.

"You came back via the gully?" his dad asks him as it's a weird way to come home and not the direct route.

"Yea decided to take the long way home." Mike says before walking to the other room to get Kate, and Paul gets the hidden message about coming home the long way.

"Hi mum, dad said you left me some dinner. Thanks I'll eat it soon, but first I need to talk to Kate, Katecan I have a word with you in dad's office please." He says before turning and walking away not waiting for anyone to reply or even if Kate would want to go with him. The girls all look at Kate who is worried like hell, as it's the first time Mike has spoken to her since she got here.

"Go Kate at least he wants to talk to you now, better than him not talking to you." comes from Suzy as she places a hand on Kate's shoulder, a comforting hand, and she is right he wants to talk which is far better than the silent treatment from him.

"I'm here if you need me sis." Comes from Millie. As KAte gets up she nods her head and walks off towards the office.

Kate walks into Paul's office, and see's Mike is in the safe that sets alarm bells off for her.

"Mike?"

"Shut the door please Kate, this conversation is between us, I don't want the rest of the family hearing it." He says no real emotion in his voice and this throws Kate off guard straight away, she just has no idea how to take him right now. She shuts the door and locks it so that no one can get in. She notices that Mike didn't hear the lock clicking into place and this worries her. Kate also gets the message meaning he doesn't want Jim to hear what they are talking about, but he doesn't say Jim because he doesn't want to cause any problems between them before they've started talking, as Jim has been a sore topic for the two of them.

"I take it with Jim being here, you've accepted his proposal?" He asks her as he sits down in the chair behind the desk, she sees him fiddling with a box in his hand, flipping it over and over as he stares at it, she sees sadness in his eyes.

"I take your silence as a yes then." She hears a slight hitch in his voice, a slight lapse of emotion.

"I've haven't said yes yet, I wanted to see what your parents thought of him first before finally saying yes to him." She says after he says that she has said yes, she hasn't yet she wants his parents approval first.

"Mum and dad will love whoever you bring home to them Kate." he says as he watches as Kate looks down at her hands, he then notices she doesn't have Jim's ring on her finger yet.

He gets up and moves to the chair beside her.

"When your mum was battling her cancer, she and I had a long conversation about what she wanted for you, she wanted to see you get married, be pregnant, her being able to enjoy being a grandmother, see you work up the ranks of the Navy. We even spoke about what my intentions were in regards to you as well. When I told her I was planning on asking you to marry me, she then gave me these. She said they were her rings that your father had given to her, and she wanted you to have something of his with you at all times." Mike says to her as he passes over the box with her mothers rings in it. Their fingers touch, and he ignores the feeling of her touch has on him, he knows he can't act on it anymore. Kate opens the box and just stares at her mothers rings.

"Your mother said your dad had her engagement ring custom made for her, cause he couldn't find anything that he felt was right for your mother." he says to Kate as he watches her just looking at the rings in her hand. She picks them out and holds them between her fingers, and then reads what is written inside of them.

"I was honored that your mum gave them to me to give to you, she thought you would be honored to wear them as well. I know you didn't get much time with your dad before he was tragically killed, but she said he loved you with all his heart." He sees some tears falling down her face.

"So that night when we went out for that real fancy dinner and we got the phone call mum had been rushed into hospital, was that when you were going to ask me?" she asks as he hears her broken tone coming through.

"Yes I was." He says he remembers that day as he was about to go down on one knee and ask her, and he asked her to ignore her phone, but she didn't, she answered it against his wishes because he had finally gotten up enough courage to ask her, and in the end he never got to ask her. He sees the guilt on her face, for ignoring him and answering her phone.

"Though honestly Kate I don't think it would've changed anything between us. It would've only added a broken engagement to the list of things between us. You only had a few days left with your mum and every extra minute you had with her was important." He says to her as he watches Kate sitting there, looking at the rings. He is hoping she will say something to him, even talk to him, yell at him. She just does something. But her sitting there crying is hurting him as well. What is hurting him is her sitting there holding the rings he had hopped to be placing on her finger. He gets up from his chair and goes and looks out the window. He is now trying to hold back his own tears.

"Back then I had big plans for us. I wanted you to have your dream wedding no matter what it was. I was prepared to give it all to you, no matter the cost. I wanted a family with you, I knew you had your dreams and I was prepared to be the person behind you, the one staying at home looking after our children, cooking dinner, being there when you came home from work, telling you yes you can do it, you can become Chief of Navy. I wanted you to live your dream, and I wanted me to be the one there supporting you to get that dream." He says as he looks out the window, shadows and stars showing up, and the moonlight doing it's magical thing on the landscape.

"I hope Jim can make you happy Kate, that he makes all your dreams come true. I have left the Navy so you don't need to worry about how I will react in regards to Jim and you. I also won't be at your wedding because if I do come there I won't be able to stop myself from doing something that may hurt both of us even more." his broken voice says to her, she hears his broken voice, the brokenness that she has caused. She can't believe that back then he was prepared to give her the world, and be the one to give up his career so she could have what she wanted. He expected her to say something about him leaving the Navy, but nothing.

He moves over towards her and lays a kiss on the top of her head, Kate looks up at him and they see the sadness, tears, guilt and love for each other in the eyes of the other.

"I will always love you Kate, you have my heart." he says before turning to the door noticing it locked, he turns and decides to give her one more kiss, but this time on the lips, he can't help himself. He wants one more taste of her. He knows it is wrong to kiss her like he is just now, she is with Jim but she is a drug to him. And that is why he can't be around her anymore. He unlocks the door and leaves the office, shutting the door behind him.

He no longer feels hungry at all, and instead heads to the shower to wash himself off. He is lucky that he runs into no one as he makes his way to the bathroom. As he washes himself he lets the tears fall and not long later he is sitting on the floor tears falling down his face. The grief of now knowing it is over, he has lost her taking its toll on him emotionally.

Some time later his father finds him in the shower, still crying on the floor, his dad turns the shower off and manages to get Mike up off the floor, he dries himself and gets dressed before his dad guides him to his room, he tucks his son into bed before closing the bedroom door, his heart breaking at watching his son in the state he is.

Mike's parents room

"Did you find Mike honey?"

"Yes he was in the shower, sitting on the floor. Giving back Kate's mothers rings, I think was the final straw that broke the camel's back tonight, he's a mess. He's still crying when I left him in his room, but he is now tucked up in bed."

"Millie said Kate is a mess as well, she won't let Jim hold her, or comfort her in any way either, Millie is the only one she will allow close to her apart from me. I don't think she has stopped crying at all, since we found her in the office, Kate is in Millie's room tonight."

"I think Mike giving back the rings was the trigger honey, and then whatever else was said in that office that we don't know about. Lizzie had given him a family heirloom, to use as Kate's engagement ring, and I think he told her that before her mum died he was going to propose to her."

"MM yea when Lizzie died, Kate pushed everyone apart from Milllie. She didn't even want to know us for a little while there."

"Yep and Mike tried to talk to her, tried to be there, but she decided she didn't want anyone, so he just upped and left."

"I think we should get some sleep, as I think we are in for a long few days."