Shifting her head off his chest an hour later Kate brushed her free hand across his cheek while looking down at him
"You right there?" he groaned
"Sorry.. I was just admiring the view"
"I believe mine's better" he shifted pinning her back into the mattress
"Mike…" she looked up at him sadly
"I know…"
"What do we do now?" she bit her inner cheek nervously
"No one has to know" he brushed the hair from her face
"Secrets don't stay secrets for long"
"Kate…"
"You should go before someone catches you…"
"I should but I really don't want too" he leaned down teasing her into a slow kiss
"Someone's… gonna come… in…"
"No… there not…" he mumbled back deepening the kiss,
running her hand across the back of his neck Kate pulled him closer neither noticing him enter until he spoke
"X I was just looking for…" he stopped when he looked up
"Swain this isn't…." she covered her chest when Mike moved back onto his side
"Get out…"
"Swain" Mike raised an eyebrow at him
"Get out" he repeated
"I…"
"Get dressed and get out" he dropped his head moving out of the tent
"What the hell was that" Kate turned reaching for her shirt
"The last person the Swain caught was 2Dads and Bomber" Mike huffed pulling on his boxers
"You don't think I mean…"
"What's he gonna do" he pulled on his DPNU pants
"This is a disaster" she dropped her head in her hands
"I'll handle this.." he crawled over the bunk coming to sit next to her
"Mike… it's the Swain, if it had been anyone else fine but Swain.." she looked up at him
"Don't stress"
"I told you.. I said someone's going to come in and…"
"Kate" he grabbed her hands in his
"You didn't listen to me" she hit his chest
"Okay my bad but you need to stop stressing, I will handle him"
"Oh really what are you gonna do"
"I'm the Boss not him" he leaned forward kissing her forehead before collecting his shirt off the floor and pulling it on
"God can this get any worse…" she dropped her head again
"You just… relax I'll have a word with him" he looked at her sadly, picking up his shoes and jacket he moved out of the tent.
"So…" he answered when he moved out the exit
"Swain your… your still here" he walked across the grass
"Ah yes where else did you expect me to me?" he quickly followed behind
"Can we talk about this another time?"
"Another time?" Swain grabbed his arm pulling him to face his direction "Do you have any idea what example your setting for the younger crew?"
"Excuse me?"
"Sleeping with Kate on a mission have you completely lost the plot?"
"I'd show some respect if I were you, I'm still your CO"
"Respect is earnt not given"
"Watch it" Mike snapped
"I mean seriously, the XO what is this some I almost died you almost died scenario or is there actual feelings there?"
"I don't have to answer to you"
"Boss what on earth is going through your head?"
"Swain drop it" Mike began to walk away
"You know what this could do, how the BRASS would see this" he called after him
"Are you… you're seriously blackmailing me right now?" he turned back to face him
"No I'm not but you know what Commander White is like! She would have sent a spy in to infiltrate the two of you do you have any idea how much this could ruin your career"
"I don't give a stuff about my career! And I will not stand here and listen to you go on and on about it"
"I'm the spy!"
"You're what?"
"Commander White came to me a week before we sailed she asked me if I'd kept a close eye on you and Kate made sure you were keeping it Professional"
"You're serious right now?" Mike looked at him in confusion
"I'm sorry" he shrugged
"How could you…" he dropped his shoes and jacket "how could you do this!" he moved forward grabbing Swain by the jacket
"I had no choice, do you have any idea how hard it is supporting a kid in the Navy, never being home?"
"You were my friend!"
"And I needed that desk job"
"You did all this for a desk job? Seriously?!" Mike shoved him a bit
"Commander White wouldn't give it to me otherwise" he tried to push him back
"I trusted you! Kate trusted you!" he continued to hold onto his jacket,
hearing the commotion Kate came running out of her tent dressed her eyes widening at seeing the look of betrayal on Mike's face
"Woah! what's going on here" she stepped in to break them up,
pushing a hand on Mike's chest she managed to loosen up his grip and get him back far enough, so she was standing in between them
"Ask him!" he motioned
"Swain?" she turned her head to look at him
"I…"
"Spit it out you coward!" Mike tried to move forward again
"Mike please" Kate kept her hand on his chest "Swain what's going on?" she looked at Swain sadly
"I'm Commander White's spy, I'm supposed to report back to her any non-professional conduct between the two of you"
"So walking in on us before it wasn't an accident?"
"No… I saw Mike go into your tent ten minutes before you and when he didn't come back out an hour later I…"
"I can't believe what I'm hearing right now" she removed her hand off Mike's chest
"Kate…"
"This has to be a joke right? We're on some tv show getting pranked?" she held up her hand
"It's no joke" he shook his head
"You bastard!" she reached forward punching him in the face, Mike instantly grabbing her arms and pulling her back
"I'm sorry…" Swain wiped the blood of the corner of his mouth
"God I…" she stuttered pulling her arms out of Mike's grip she took off
"Kate!" Mike called after her
"Boss I…"
"I can't even look at you right now" he shook his head picking up his jacket and boots he followed after Kate
"Hey what happened to you?" 2Dads stopped next to him after hearing a loud commotion
"Not now 2Dads"
"What? What'd I say?" he shrugged when Swain walked off.
"Kate?" he called following the direction she left in,
stopping slightly when he spotted her sitting on a log rubbing her hand "That feel good?" he sat next to her
"Bastard deserved it"
"Maybe so, but not from you" he grabbed her hand in his
"Why because I'm a woman?" she hissed when he slowly began massaging it
"No because my XO does the boarding's and she needs her hand to use a gun"
"It's fine" she hissed again
"Yeah sure it is" he lifted it up kissing the back of it before resting it in his lap
"How could he do this, if it was anyone else I'd understand but Chris it just dosen't make any sense"
"I know…"
"Did he say why?"
"Apparently Commander White wouldn't give him a shore posting"
"Pathetic excuse"
"I don't know the guy does have a family Kate, Sally she deals with it all alone"
"So your defending him now?" she went to pull her hand back
"No of course not, but I mean if you were at home with a five-year-old all day wouldn't you want me to do the same thing?" he interlocked her hand through his to keep it there
"But at the cost of betraying your friends is it really worth it all?" she looked at him sadly
"Personally no I don't think it is, but maybe this was a last resort for him"
"A last resort if he wanted it so badly he could have gone to the BRASS"
"Kate he isn't like your or I a shore posting would excel our careers Swain he's… well he's not needed on shore he's much more useful out at sea"
"I get your point but I still don't regret hitting him"
"And I don't expect you too" he grinned slightly brushing his thumb under her chin
"It did bloody hurt though" she pulled her hand out of his scrunching her fingers
"Yeah how about we head back to camp and put some ice on it?" he arose holding out a hand
"A strong scotch wouldn't go astray either" she smirked placing her good hand in his
"Well.." he pulled her up resting a hand across her waist "I can't do a scotch but I can do a strong Navigator's brew"
"Sounds perfect" she wiped a bit of dirt off his jacket
"I know it'll take time to forgive Swain, believe me I'm just as angry but we have a job to do and to do the job we have to be a hundred percent communicative with each other"
"Dosen't mean I have to like it"
"We're back on the ship tomorrow now that the people who stole the guns are dead and the Army has the job of collecting the inventory so until then… let's get you some ice for that hand" he moved back
"Okay" she nodded slowly following him back along the track.
...
Sitting in the kitchen tent Swain looked up from his spot at the table when Kate walked in
"X…" he arose quickly
"I just came in for some ice" she shook her hand
"Here, I thought I'd need this one but.." he held out another ice pack
"Thanks…"
"It's still pretty frozen I only um.. I only just got it out five minutes ago" he answered when she took it
"How's your.. how's the lip?" she asked sadly placing the pack on her knuckles
"Oh it's nothing I haven't had before.." he removed his pack to show a purple bruise and slight cut lip
"Swain I…"
"You hit pretty hard for a…"
"A girl?" she grinned
"Sorry.."
"No I should be the one apologising but I know it's a little too soon for forgiveness so…"
"Yeah" she smiled sadly turning to walk off
"Ah Kate?"
"Yep?" she turned back to face him
"For what it's worth I really am sorry… I'd rather have my best friend and friend back then any shore posting"
"Then why'd you do it?" she moved back towards him
"I don't know the pressure; Commander White can be pretty scary"
"Yeah" she laughed softly
"And when she dosen't get her way she's even scarier"
"Knocker was pressuring me too… so I can sort of get what it's like"
"Was?"
"An ultimatum really, said that the information of Mike and I's relationship isn't exactly something the Navy would want going public; wither I end it or… no Command once Mike's on shore"
"I had no idea"
"Neither does Mike"
"I take it you've um… you've already chosen a side?" he placed the ice pack back on his lip
"I'd rather have a life with Mike then any Command" she smiled sadly
"Yeah.."
"I better…" she pointed
"I really am sorry" he repeated when she moved towards the exit once again
"I know" she assured him before moving out of the tent.
(So this Chapter came out as a surprise.. I hadn't planned writing anything more tonight after the last chapter being a total fizzer but hey you never know what happens, so enjoy this way better chapter! Xx)
