Promise To Love Me, Even When You Hate Me.

Chapter 3.

An hour later Kate arrived at the docks, she sat in her car attempting to get it together, it annoyed her that her boss was right in his assumption she was anxious. She hadn't been at sea for a while, even though she had spent some time on a frigate before being assigned to Hammersley, it wasn't enough time for her to feel completely competent.

As she rummaged through her bag looking for her lip balm, she spotted the wire and microphone, she pulled it out and let out a huff. Looking around to check that no one was looking she threaded it under her shirt and taped it to her bra.

Taking a deep breath in she walked up the gangway, she was about to step on deck when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she spun round with an annoyed look on her face.

"Yes?"

Her abrasive tone startled 2Dads, the child-like smile fell from his face.

"Oh, umm, sorry, Ma'am…"

He stuttered not wanting to finish his sentence after seeing her expression, her narrowed and she tilted her head waiting for him to continue. His eyes darted from her unimpressed glare to Thor.

"Umm, you didn't, ah, salute Thor."

He slowly lifted his hand and pointed towards Hammersley's mascot, Kate's gaze followed his finger and she rolled her eyes. She slowly lifted her hand and saluted the figurine, turning back to face him she put on a smile.

"Happy?"

He nodded and payed his respects.

"Don't want to be responsible for us being lost at sea or something..."

Kate ignored his comment and headed below, she unpacked her belongings and wandered around the ship. She stopped in the hallway as she heard 2Dads and Dutchy talking in their cabin.

"Do you think she's gonna last?"

2Dads chucked his bag under his bed and sat on Dutchy's rack.

"C'mon, 2 Dads, don't be like that..."

Kate stepped closer to the door, she was surprised he was defending her after the way she treated him.

"You've had the most interaction with her, what do you think?"

"Ah, only like 20 seconds, look, I dunno, she's quiet. Maybe she's heard about you loud mouths and is worried about what you'll say about her!"

"Hey, we're not that bad! Anyway, it'll be a bit different having a chick on board, hey?"

Kate had heard enough, she placed herself in their doorway and cleared her throat, they both jumped at the sound and turned with nervous smiles on their faces. 2Dads stepped forward breaking the awkwardness.

"Ah, Ma'am, we haven't officially met..."

Kate's face was stone cold, she crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"Leading Seaman Leo Kosov-Meyer..."

2Dads smirked and nodded cautiously.

"Ah, so you know about me, but how?"

Kate walked off leaving 2Dads and Dutchy none the wiser. She made her way up to the bridge, Mike looked up from the console and smiled seeing her.

"Ah, welcome aboard, X. Let me introduce you to some more of your crew. This is Andy Thorpe, Charge, our Engineer and Chris Blake, our Swain."

Kate smiled and nodded in their direction.

"Guys, our new XO, Kate McGregor…"

He grabbed the binoculars from the near-by bench and held them in her direction.

"You wanna take her out?"

"Ah, nah, that's okay, maybe next time."

Kate walked over to the console as Mike placed himself in the Captain's chair. Dutchy and 2Dads walked up to the bridge, Dutchy stood next to the CO and smiled.

"Another fabulous Navy day, Boss?"

Mike nodded as he placed the binoculars around his neck.

"So, what's up for us to be sailing early?"

"Ah, there's been an influx of FFVs so they just need some backup."

Mike turned towards Kate who was gazing out the port-side.

"So X, you'll be getting your feet wet on your first day..."

She gave him a smile and a nod and focused back out to the water.

Charge leaned close to Dutchy and whispered in his ear.

"She doesn't say much does she?"

Dutchy shrugged, Kate walked past them towards the stairs barely acknowledging their presence.

"No, but she can still hear you..."

2Dads let out a cackle and gave Charge a friendly shove.

"Awkward!"

Kate glanced back at Mike ignoring the scene she had caused.

"Ah, I might go get a brew..."

Kate exited the Bridge and Mike rose from the chair and shot his senior sailors an unimpressed glare, Dutchy tried to hold in his eye roll.

"C'mon Boss, what are we supposed to do with her?"

"What do you mean? You're supposed to treat her like your superior and get along..."

"But she's not giving us anything!"

Mike shook his head in disappointment and headed for the stairs, he flung the binoculars in Swains direction.

"Swain, you have the ship..."

Swain nodded and stepped towards the console.

"Swain has the ship..."

Mike poked his head in various cabins looking for Kate, he stopped at the service window of the galley as he spotted her deep in thought.

"X?"

Her arms were folded over her chest and she leaned her body weight against the bench. The kettle whistled, but she didn't register it, he raised his voice a little louder to gain her attention.

"X?"

She snapped back to the present hearing his voice. He walked round to the door and stood next to her.

"Is everything okay?"

Kate turned around avoiding the question, she grabbed the kettle and poured the water into her cup. Mike stepped closer and leaned on the bench attempting to catch her eye.

"Cos you could tell me if it wasn't, you know?"

Kate slammed the kettle on the bench sick of his questions.

"I'm fine, Boss."

She cringed, she didn't mean to come off so aggressive. Mike let out a sigh wondering if he should leave her be.

"Look, I'm not judging or taking sides, but maybe if you would engage in some casual talk with the guys it might open up the conversation, you know you catch more flies with honey."

Kate sipped on her brew and internally rolled her eyes, he sounded like her other boss.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You just seem hesitant to get to know these guys and I'm not sure why..."

Kate sighed and placed her cup on the bench.

"In my experience it's not wise to get attached to your crew, Navy life doesn't exactly support long-lasting friendships..."

"I tend to disagree, X, I've found the Hammersley to be like a second home, if you let these guys in they will become the best friends you'll have..."

Kate gave him a halfhearted smile and sipped on her brew wishing that she could believe him. Mike gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Why don't you take the morning to get your sea legs, try to have a conversation with someone, start with Dutchy seeming he's your right-hand man."

He was the last one she wanted to bond with, she flashed him a fake smile and gave a single nod and headed out to the rear deck.

Mike sighed and poured himself a brew and headed back up to the bridge.

Kate supported herself against the railing, balancing her cup on the top. She let out a sigh, sometimes she wished she had a normal job, one where she could put down roots and make true friends and actually keep plans.

She didn't hear Dutchy approach, he leaned on the railing next to her, she jumped at his presence spilling her coffee over her arm. She let out a yelp, Dutchy winced realising what he had caused, he reached out to check her arm.

"Shit! Sorry, X! Let me have a look..."

She pulled her arm back toward herself and shook her head.

"It's fine..."

She stormed off below, Dylan ran into the kitchen and took some ice from the freezer and wrapped it into a tea towel and followed her into the wardroom.

"C'mon X, let me look..."

He sat next to her and presented her with the tea towel full of ice.

"Here, let me put this on it..."

She reluctantly gave in and he slowly placed the tea towel on her arm, she flinched at sting of the ice and let out a hiss glaring at him.

"Sorry! Maybe I should have Swain look at it?"

She shook her head and placed her hand over the tea towel, their hands touched for a moment, he didn't dare look into her eyes. He slowly moved his hand away and they sat there in silence for a moment.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Kate scoffed moving her arm away from his touch.

"Yeah, I've been through worse..."

Dylan raised an eyebrow wondering if this was her trying to open up.

"Really?"

She hesitated realising that she had given something away, she broke eye contact and focused on her arm.

"Ah, yeah...umm, it doesn't matter…"

He shifted his body weight closer to her.

"C'mon, X…"

Kate looked up into his eyes trying to register if he genuinely cared and got lost in a sea of green dreaminess for a moment, she blinked a few times snapping herself out of it.

Placing a hand on her collarbone she swallowed hard, Dutchy's eyes widened as she undid the top button of her shirt. He felt his heart rate increase, what was happening? Before she could release the second button they heard footsteps, she quickly re buttoned the buttons and straightened her shirt as 2Dads appeared in the door way. She immediately shifted away from Dutchy but it was too late, the shocked expression on 2Dads face gave away what he had seen.

"Ah, X, the Boss, umm, wants to see you..."

Dutchy and Kate rose from the bench, Kate made her way up to the bridge with the tea towel of ice still on her arm. Mike frowned and gestured at her arm as she walked up the stairs.

"X, what happened?"

"Oh, umm, I was just clumsy and spilled my brew, but I'm okay, what's up?"

"Ah, Swain, can you take a look?"

Kate shook her head and stepped back.

"Sir, I'm fine, there's no blistering."

"Right, okay, just wondering if you wanted to take the first boarding?"

She nodded eagerly but on the inside she felt like she had just stepped on to a stage naked.

"Yeah, sounds good, anything we should look out for?"

"Just the usual, illegal catches, there's just been an influx over the past week."

2Dads placed himself at the EOD noticing several contacts.

"Yeah, there's a couple on here not showing any signals, and no info on AIS."

"Right, X, Dutchy, 2Dads and Charge, you go..."

They all gave him a nod and headed to the armory to gather their equipment. Kate ran to her cabin and tore off the wire, she shoved it into a drawer and was startled as Dutchy appeared in her doorway.

"X? You right?"

She kicked the drawer shut and straightened her shirt.

"Yeah, all good…"

Kate was the first to board the RHIB, Dutchy sat behind her and let out a chuckle, he peeled a piece of tape off the side of her top. She flinched feeling his hand near her body.

"What are you doing?"

He shook the piece of tape in front of her face.

"This was stuck to you…"

She frowned and flicked it out of his hand, she turned back to face the front, he tapped her on the shoulder.

"You nervous?"

Kate shook her head and smirked as the RHIB was lowered into the water.

"Nah, catching the bad guys is my favourite part..."

They sped towards the FFV, Kate leapt aboard and scoured the deck for the captain.

"Australian Navy, who is the Captain?

The 2 sailors on deck looked at each other, then back to Kate.

"I am Lieutenant McGregor from the Australian Navy, I need to speak to your Captain."

A dirty, scraggly, yet handsome looking man made his way out from the cabin, Dutchy raised his weapon as a caution.

"X!"

Kate's head spun towards the man, she was about to say something but flinched ever so slightly seeing his face. Dutchy noticed her reaction and frowned, he watched as her pupils widened as he approached.

"Ah, I'm the Captain, what seems to be the problem?"

"I'm Lieutenant McGregor from HMAS Hammersley, have you got some ID on you, sir?"

Kate lowered her weapon, as the man took out his wallet and ID.

"I'm Warren, here..."

Dutchy took the documents from him, Kate snatched the ID from Dylan and scanned the photo and name.

"Right…"

Dutchy peered over Kate's shoulder to check the ID, she wasn't impressed he was standing so close and cleared her throat, she shoved the ID into his chest and walked away. Dutchy glanced down to the ID and then back at Warren, Warren let out a scoff and grabbed his wallet.

"Are we okay here?"

Kate circled back running her hand over the equipment.

"Ah, you're not displaying a signal, Sir."

"Oh, yeah sorry, look I'll admit it, I'm an amateur, not really sure what I'm doing."

Dutchy rolled his eyes and tapped Charge on the shoulder.

"Charge, go give him the rundown."

Charge and Warren headed for the wheelhouse, Dutchy and Kate searched the upper deck. Dutchy shuffled towards Kate while keeping an eye on Warren in the wheelhouse, he stood close and whispered.

"I think he's sus, X."

Kate ignored his accusation and continued to search.

"I think he's just a rookie a bit out of his depth..."

"Just a hunch..."

"Well, we can't seize a boat on a hunch, Dutchy..."

Kate pursed her lips together trying to hold her tongue and continued to search the deck.

"Yeah, I know but, never mind, let's just make sure we search it properly."

They had completed the search with nothing out of the ordinary found, Charge and Warren exited the wheelhouse.

"All good, X, a crash course in all the buttons."

Warren placed his hand in front of him to shake Kate's hand.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Lieutenant, will try to remember next time..."

Kate glanced over to Dutchy then back to Warren and shook his hand.

"Yeah, well, hopefully we won't see you too soon."

They boarded the RHIB, Dutchy sat at the back and eyeballed Warren as they headed back to the Hammersley.

Kate made he way up to the bridge, Mike smiled as she walked up the stairs.

"How d'you go?"

"Ah, just a newbie, waste of time."

Mike looked over to Dutchy noticing his sullen expression.

"Dutchy? You got something to say?"

Kate glanced over him and raised an eyebrow as a warning, his eyes darted from her to Mike, he didn't want to undermine Kate, but he couldn't help his gut feeling.

"They just seemed dodgy..."

Kate stepped in front of him trying to assert her authority.

"And I told Dutchy that we can't arrest people on a feeling, we searched to boat, not evidence of anything dodgy, Sir."

Mike didn't want Dutchy to think he was taking sides, but if there was no evidence he couldn't act.

"Right, well, we can just keep an eye on them, are they displaying their signal now?"

RO sat at the EOD and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll note it down."

"Good, thanks RO. So, we good?"

Kate and Dutchy both stood there silent, they glanced over at each other headed the down stairs. Mike looked over to Swain and Charge who looked concerned.

"Don't even..."

Swain laughed and held his hands up in surrender.

"Wasn't going to say a thing..."

Kate and Dutchy walked down the hallway in each other's way. Dutchy stopped and let Kate take the lead, she stepped in front of him and turned to face him.

"Do you undermine all your superiors? Or just female ones?"

Dutchy wrinkled his face at her accusation.

"Excuse me? I do not have a problem with female officers."

"Why can't you just drop it?"

"Why can't you see my point?"

They stood there locked in each other's stare, Dutchy was the first cave, he had to walk away before he got himself into trouble.

Later that day the Hammersley returned to port on schedule. Kate sat in her cabin completing her paperwork, Mike knocked on her door.

"X?"

"Boss..."

"Ah, did you and Dutchy sort things out?"

She sat there for a moment contemplating her answer, it was a definite no but she didn't want to case more issues. Mike assumed from her silence that they hadn't.

"Ah, so, that's a no then?"

She slammed her laptop shut and stood from the desk.

"Why can't he let it go?"

"I'm not sure why you're getting so upset about a difference of opinion..."

She clenched her jaw holding in her opinion and went with the easiest response.

"Never mind, we'll sort it out."

She packed up the files and computer and left the ship.

She sat in her car and clenched her hands over the steering wheel, her phone beeped, it was a message from NAVCOM.

Kate knocked on Maxine's door and waited for her to respond, she heard her call out and straightened herself and walked into the office.

"You wanted to see me, Commander?"

"Yes, Lieutenant, sit, please."

Kate did as she was told, she sat and fidgeted nervously wondering what she had done wrong to be summoned to Maxine's office.

"So, how was your first day?"

Kate took a moment to register that she wasn't in trouble.

"Ah, fine, Ma'am..."

Maxine smiled tilting her head slightly.

"Just fine?"

Kate shrugged wondering what kind of response she was expecting.

"It was just routine, the usual, I guess."

Maxine nodded a long and leaned in closer.

"Right, and the crew? How are they?"

Kate realised Maxine was just warming up to the point of the meeting, she wondered if Mike had mentioned the tension.

"They're fine too, Ma'am?"

"Fine?"

Kate nodded cautiously.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, I feel like you're not happy with my answers?"

"It's not that Kate, I just want you to know we can talk, you know, I know how it is being a woman in a male dominated workplace."

Kate was completely confused, this isn't where she thought the conversation was heading.

"With all due respect, Ma'am, I haven't found it an issue so unfortunately I can not relate."

"Right, well I guess that's good. I just wanted to let you know I'm here to chat if you need."

She gave Maxine a single nod and rise from the chair.

"Is that all Ma'am?"

"Yes, that's all..."

Kate closed the office door and scrunched up her face.

"Weird."

She sat at home staring at Dutchy's file, reading it over and over, somehow thinking it would make her feel less angry toward him, but it didn't. There was a knock on the door, she got up and looked through the peephole and sighed and opened the door.

"Boss..."

He barged past her and into the house.

"You're not listening to me Kate..."

She shut the door and followed him into her house.

"What?"

"Don't play innocent with me..."

He slammed the wire and recording equipment on the table.

"Forget something?"

Kate cursed in her mind, she looked up to him and frowned.

"Hang on, how did you know where it was?"

"Well, you said it yourself, can't wear the wire at sea, so we've bugged the ship."

Kate's mouth dropped.

"What?! They let you do that?"

He smiled satisfied and crossed arms over his chest.

"We can do anything we like… anyway, one of the guys found it when they were installing the bugs."

"Boss, you can't be serious…"

"Why not?"

"Boss, I'm not comfortable with…"

He interrupted her, he was sick of her excuses.

"You know what I'm not comfortable with, Kate? Dodgy officers."

"What? And you think I am?"

He rolled his eyes, of course he didn't but she was getting on his nerves, he changed the subject.

"So, Mike, he's a bit different isn't he?"

She glanced at him out the corner of her eye, she pretended not to know what he was implying and rolled eyes and walked into the kitchen.

"Ah, I have no idea what you mean?"

Shaun followed knowing she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Well, he's pretty concerned about you…"

She flung open the fridge and stuck her head in trying to avoid eye contact.

"Meaning?"

"Do you think he'd break the rules…"

Kate grabbed the bottle of wine from the shelf and slammed the door shut.

"Don't make this more complicated, he's just a nice guy that's all…"

"Really? 2 birds with one stone…"

Kate shook her head as she poured herself a glass, Shaun could see she wasn't going for it.

"Okay, well, anyway, you're the one making it hard for everyone, and I'm not sure why. You need to stop acting like a…"

She swallowed her mouthful and pursed her lips together.

"Go on, say it."

Shaun raised an eye brown and scoffed, she knew how to push his buttons.

"A bitch, okay, I said it, but tell me how being one is going to help?"

She swallowed the rest of the glass and poured another.

"I know, but he just, I dunno, he rubs me the wrong way. Plus this whole base is just weird, Commander White just called me into talk, she wanted to make sure I was settling in okay..."

"Well, that's nice, isn't it?"

"Yeah but, this feels so Brady bunch, navy edition, I don't like it."

"Well, this is your job, Kate, adapt, you have to."

Shaun watched her face twitch, he knew she was pondering it all, he shook his head, her stubbornness was starting to annoy him.

"Kate, it's not a suggestion, it's an order."

He walked to the door and opened it, he looked her up and down.

"You have an expense account, go buy yourself something pretty, maybe it will help. He might see you as more of a person, rather than a boss and open up. Plus, you know what they say, men are visual creatures..."

Kate shuddered at the thought and slammed the door, she stood there arms folded, jaw clenched. She stomped into her room and she flung open the wardrobe doors, she violently shifted the coat hangers from one side to the other.

"What does he know, I have nice clothes..."

Taking a step back from the wardrobe her eyes scanned the hangers, pantsuit, jeans, shirt, pantsuit, t-shirt. She let out a growl, she hated it when Shaun was right. She stomped out into the kitchen and snatched her bag off the counter and opened her purse, she slid the credit card out of the slot and grinned.

"Okay, something pretty it is..."

End of Chapter 3.

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