Author's Note: Sorry so short. To make up for this short one…I posted Chapter nine too…and have fun with that one. Rating change is for chapter nine. Happy reading, dark rolling sea.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mike sat in his chair staring out at the ocean as the day broke. He was tired, ready to go to his cabin and get some sleep. As the minutes ticked down to the end of watch, the fatigue festered deep within him. As the time for Chandler to take over came and passed Mike smiled to himself. He glanced around to see if the rest of the crew noticed but no one seemed to be paying that close attention.

He heard Granderson announce the captain as he entered the bridge and he smirked. Mike didn't stand up he stayed in his chair, smirking, knowing that for the first time in Tom Chandler's illustrious career…he was late. He glanced up at his friend, smirk still securely on his face. Tom glared back at him.

"I have the watch, XO," Tom said in a steady voice. Mike continued to grin and nodded.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Mike replied. He waited a beat, still making direct eye contact with Chandler. "You're late," he chirped quietly. Tom shot him another glare. "Have you ever been late for anything in your career?"

"Mike," Tom said in a warning tone and Mike couldn't contain his laugh. His captain sighed.

"I didn't know you had it in you to break the rules, but I think…"

"Mike," Tom warned again cutting him off in mid-sentence. Mike could tell Tom was not in a joking mood and that something had happened, so he stopped the teasing. He scrutinized his friend, reading his face and body language.

"I figured you'd be in a better mood. Something happen?"

He watched Tom think a moment then he motioned for Mike to follow him to the at sea cabin again. So, something did happen, and Tom wanted to discuss it in private. Mike needed to brief him on the night watch anyway. Once they were safely behind the door, Tom turned towards Mike and blew out a breath.

"I think I fucked up," Tom said softly. Mike was confused and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What'd you do? I figured you'd be in a good mood the day Dr. Scott made you late to watch."

"It's not like that, Mike. I mean she did spend the night, but it was nice. She fell asleep in my arms. We talked…about a lot of things. I told her why I was acting like I was acting."

"So, what happened?"

"I called her Darien this morning," Tom admitted and rubbed his hands over his face. Mike fought the cringe that tried to overtake him.

"Okay, that's not the best thing to do. How'd she react?"

"She tried to leave before I knew what had happened, but I stopped her and confronted her until she told me. But I know it cut her deep for me to do that."

"How did it slip out?"

"I was half asleep, she was…all I wanted was five more minutes."

"Don't we all," Mike said softly. He usually felt that way every time he had to break away from Andrea. Thinking of her sparked some feelings in him. Mike refocused on the conversation. "How was she?"

"Mad, hurt, sad, confused? I don't know. She agreed to lunch so I'm not completely in the doghouse."

"It's going to be okay, Tom. She understands more than you think. Darien was a part of your life for the past twenty years. That's a lot of history."

"I know. And she knows. But it still…damn it."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. There's a lot to deal with here, on top of saving the world too. You're under a tremendous amount of pressure."

Tom nodded slowly. He appeared have comprehended what Mike was trying to convey. He rubbed at his neck as he sighed.

"Yeah," he mumbled. Mike clapped him on the shoulder causing Tom to look up at him.

"Don't worry. It'll all work out," Mike said confidently. Mike then launched into his end of watch report from last night. Mike could tell Tom was highly distracted but since nothing major had happened it wasn't a major issue. He wished he could help fix his friend, but he knew it was something Tom was going to have to work through by himself. Mike could just continue to give him the encouraging words to continue to fight through the pain and confusion.

To Be Continued…