"I just spoke to Maxine, it appears Ryan has gone AWOL" Mike announced as he walked up behind Kate, as she overlooked the port.
"Well why would he do something like that? I thought he loved being in the navy." Kate responded as she turned around to face him.
"Look, there's something I have to tell you." Mike started as he looked at the woman in front of him. "I'm not transferring Ryan off the boat because he's my godson…" He couldn't believe he was standing in front of the love of his life, about to admit that he had had a sexual relationship with one of his oldest friends.
"Then why are y…" Kate began to respond, her head cocked to the side as she stood looking up at Mike, a feeling of uneasiness washing over her. The man that she loved with every inch of her heart was standing before her with an unusual expression.
"I'm…" Mike started.
"Kate…" He took a deep breath.
Her heart dropped at him dropping her title, she knew what he was about to reveal to her.
"… Ryan…. he uhh.. he isn't my godson, he's my son."
Kate stared back at him, she felt like his lips had moved in slow motion as he revealed the very thing she had been wondering about. She had always suspected he had had history with Commander White, Maxine. She knew that they were close, that they went through NAVCOM together. She had always wondered about Maxine's feelings towards Mike, and if the reason she was so unwilling to separate Kate and Mike was because she knew of their feelings towards one another and their respect for navy rules and regulations, and was trying her darndest to prevent them from entering into a relationship.
"Kate…?" Mike prompted, breaking her from the trance she had entered.
She continued to stare back at him, dumbfounded. She thought of the hopes and dreams she had been holding onto these last few years, the fantasy life she had imagined for the two of them and their future children. Her making him a father and he in turn making her a mother, something she had been longing for, for so long. She thought of how many years she had waited for this man to commit to her, to take a shore posting, to give any indication that he too wanted what she wanted. She felt her heart physically beginning to ache.
"I… uhh… I'm going to go…" she managed to stutter as she quickly walked past him, her shoulder brushing against his arm.
Mike quickly turned to watch her retreating form and grabbed her arm gently. "Kate…" his voice soft but pleading.
"Don't." she sighed as she quickly glanced over her shoulder at him, the tears blurring her vision, yet still she could make out those beautiful blue eyes, the very eyes that had held her heart captive all those years ago.
Mike cleared his throat and released his hold on her. "X." he called, more forcefully.
Kate sighed to herself and turned to face him. "Please…" she whispered. "don't pull rank on me now. Don't make this harder than it already is. I just… I need space."
"Kate…" he whispered, feeling his heart break as he watched the despair appear across her face.
"No, Mike. I can't do this here." She said, her voice breaking slightly, before turning to walk away.
As she walked toward her cabin, she found herself feeling like she was in a different universe. With her heart pounding rapidly, she quickly got her belongings together and turned to walk out of the cabin, trying to regain control of her heart rate. As she turned around, there was a knock on the door. Kate stilled, willing whoever was there to walk away assuming she had already left.
"Kate…?" she heard his voice again, biting down onto her bottom lip, trying to stop the tears that had started to build from shedding.
She watched as the door handle slowly turned and she sighed.
"Kate" he whispered as he let himself into her cabin and closed the door behind himself.
"Mike, please. I can't do this here…" she repeated, a little more forcefully this time.
"I know, I understand. I just… Can I come over later? Can we talk?"
Sighing audibly, Kate closed her eyes "You could've called."
Mike gave her that crooked half smile, the one that made her heart melt the very first time they met. "I know you Kate, you wouldn't have answered."
Nodding softly, "you're right, I wouldn't have."
"So… tonight?"
Kate shrug her shoulders as she shook her head, eyes closing briefly. "Fine. Come over tonight… Now, if you'll excuse me."
