"White with two" he smiled placing a mug down in front of her
"Thanks"
"You have time for that coffee now?" Jim asked hopeful sitting across from her
"Sure" she smiled sadly
"Everything okay?"
"Am I pushy?" she blurted out
"Pushy?"
"Do I come across as someone who would push another person into something to get what I want?"
"Kate…"
"I mean I deserve to be happy right? Deserve to have what I want"
"Of course you do" he nodded
"So why do I feel so bad" she looked at him sadly
"Is this about Mike?"
"No… just forget I said anything" she shook her head and moved to stand
"Don't be like that" he arose quickly
"I can't help but feel I'm pushing him into something he clearly dosen't want"
"You've never been one to push anyone into anything especially Mike"
"This isn't about Mike" she snapped
"Okay, so not about Mike but hypothetically not about Mike what makes you think your forcing him into something?"
"It's just something Nikki said…"
"Said?" he raised an eyebrow
"Did I force him into applying for a transfer for my own selfish needs?"
"I can't answer that, only 'not' Mike would know the right answer"
"So I just have to keep torturing myself with the 'what if' because I can't ask him that"
"This really sounds like a conversation you should be having with him"
"Who am I kidding he's always going to be in love with the Hammersley" she sighed moving towards the door
"No, look I may not like the guy but one thing I do know is he loves you more then any boat" Jim grabbed her arm pulling her back
"Why are you trying to help me"
"Because you deserve to be happy"
"But you're here as Knockers spy"
"No Kate I'm not… I'm here because I was asked to do a job that's all"
"That's all?"
"Okay so part of me was excited to see you again but I wasn't aware you'd be… well 'not' taken"
"We parted ways three years ago you didn't expect me to stay celebrant did you?" she teased
"No I guess not" he smirked at her "even if part of me does wish you were"
"Jim…"
"Our time isn't up Kate because we weren't given a proper chance"
"I…" she struggled when he placed a hand on her cheek
"If things don't work out with Flynn do you think there'd be a shot for me?"
"XO" his voice interrupted from the doorway
"Boss…" Kate cleared her throat stepping back
"Am I interrupting?" he looked between her and Jim
"No as a matter of fact I was just leaving" Jim sensed the annoyance coming from Mike
"Right… we'll talk later" Kate nodded when he left the room
"So.." Mike moved into the room "You and Roth seem pretty cosy" he closed the door
"Don't start Mike" she turned her back to him
"Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" she picked at the table with her nails
"Maybe because you were heard having a pretty loud discussion with Jim"
"You mean you weren't listening in?" she turned in surprise
"No I was just walking past, why did he put the hard word on you?"
"No, no nothing like that…"
"What's got you so rattled?" he looked at her in confusion
"Mike…" she sighed leaning against the table "We need to talk…"
"I was afraid this was coming…" he moved back leaning against the wall
"Am I forcing you to leave Hammersley?"
"What?"
"I know you've said otherwise but I just…"
"Kate" he pushed off the wall and made his way over to her
"Three years ago you made the suggestion about what would happen if you left but I never thought it'd become a possibility"
"What are you saying?"
"I can't help but feel this isn't something you want"
"What I want? You know what I want" he reached across running his hand across her cheek
"Mike…" she sighed placing her hand over his
"She's been standing in front of me all along" he placed his free hand against her other cheek
"You love Hammersley I can't take that away from you" she removed his hands pushing him back slightly she moved to stand
"Your not, this is what I want" he watched her move towards the door
"But it's not, not really"
"Kate…" he grabbed her hand pulling her back to him, she rested her hand against his chest at the force "I love you more then a boat" he placed his hand back on her cheek threading it through her hair he lifted her head
"Mike…" she looked at him sadly,
leaning down he teased her into a slow kiss biting her bottom lip before pulling back
a small smile creeping onto his face when Kate moved back in kissing him passionately bringing their hands up that were interlocked he placed Kate's behind his neck,
moving his own hand to rest around her waist pulling her against him and lifting her up he turned them gently sitting her on the table his hands began making quick work of her DPNU jacket;
"We can't…" she tried to say through a shaky breath when they parted for air
"I know…" he sighed pulling his hands back from her jacket
"Someone will come in and…" she titled her head up kissing him slowly,
deepening the kiss Mike threaded his hand through her hair
'CO to the bridge' echoed through the ship whimpering slightly when he pulled away Kate looked at him sadly
"Only One hundred and fifty-two hours to go" he answered removing his hand from her hair
"What?" she grinned moving to stand with his help
"A week… has.."
"Ah, one hundred sixty-eight hours"
"Exactly and I'll keep counting down until that week is up"
"You dork" she reached up fixing his collar
"I love you, just remember that" he kissed her forehead
'CO to the bridge, we're arriving at the drop off point'
"I should.." he brushed his thumb under her chin
"Duty calls" she nodded dropping her hands she began doing her jacket back up when he moved towards the door.
...
"Right stay safe" Kate smiled when the RHIB pulled onto the sand
"Aren't I always?" Jim grinned jumping down from the RHIB
"Just remember we're here as backup if we're needed you call us in"
"Kate relax it's a straight forward mission"
"I think you're highly misjudging this; these people have stolen armed weapons they could be waiting in the trees for you right now" she moved off the RHIB her shoes digging into the sand
"There's an army responder further inland we're here to assist them I doubt there'd be any armed people in the tree's with the Army around" he grabbed the bags from Charge
"And yet I still get a bad feeling" she picked up the box and carried it towards the shore with Jim
"Why do we have to sit back why you all get the action?" 2Dads huffed following next to them
"Because we know how to break your bones like a pencil"
"Jim" Kate rolled her eyes
"What?" he laughed placing his bag down next to the tree's
"You know I'd believe you if Spider hadn't told me that joke already two years ago" 2Dads placed the supplies he was carrying down
"Damn" he clicked his finger when 2Dads walked off
"You're such a tease" Kate shook her head placing the box down
"Come on the kid was asking for it"
"Oh and how do you figure that?"
"He challenged Tommy to a Poker game"
"He didn't?"
"Oh yeah and take a guess who won" he pointed,
turning to look at 2Dads she tried to hide her smirk when a fellow SAS member nudged past him "Ouch"
"Seems Tommy plays poker every Friday night and burnt your 2Dads pretty bad"
"X-ray eight-two how's it going over there over?" Mike's voice broke through the radio
"Ah this is X-ray eight-two we're just finished loading the supplies over"
"Copy that, get back to Hammersley as quick as you can we can't have our position found"
"Copy that Boss, see you in a few" she turned back to Jim
"Looks like you've got to get going"
"Just be careful yeah?"
"Kate you worry too much"
"I just get a bad feeling about this place" she shrugged
"We will be fine"
"You…"
"If you don't stop I'm going to have to assume you still have feelings for me" he interrupted her
"I don't… just be careful" she ignored his comment moving back to the RHIB
"I'll see you on the other side" he called after her, saluting when she moved into the RHIB taking up her normal place.
"Everything sorted?" Mike questioned when she stepped back on Hammersley 5 minutes later
"Yes Sir all done…"
"Something wrong X?"
"Do you get a bad feeling about all this?" she turned to face him
"It's a routine mission"
"I know but you weren't on the island something it felt off" she took her hat off
"Unfortunately an off feeling isn't reason to suspect something"
"I know…"
"Why don't you go get yourself a brew from the Galley"
"No I'm okay" she shook her head
"That wasn't a request"
"Sir" she nodded walking along the deck towards the hatch when a loud bang echoed towards them
"What was that?" Mike looked across at the island
"I don't…" Kate moved to stand next to him
"BOSS!" RO called out from the bridge deck
"RO? What is it?" he looked up at him
"The SAS team has been hit, ambushed on their way to the Army camp"
"Well is anyone injured?" Kate butted in
"Three people Ma'am including Captain Roth but that's not all"
"Spit it out RO!"
"They've been captured their last transmission was a code black"
"Code black…" Kate looked at Mike nervously
"Get kitted up with extra plates, we're going to that island; RO call boarding stations"
"Yes Sir" he answered moving back into the bridge
"A code black that can't be.."
"We're now treating this as a hostage situation, I'll be leaving you behind on the ship"
"Sir?"
"I'm running this one"
"Mike this…" she placed a hand on his chest without thinking
"Kate it's my job you know I can't pick and choose" he rested a hand on her cheek wiping the falling tear with his thumb
"Please.. don't take any risks I need you back, I need…"
"I love you" he leaned down kissing her quickly not caring about the crew seeing,
pulling back he ran his finger across her bottom lip before heading off to get kitted up.
