Arriving back on Hammersley Kate entered her cabin as Nikki was coming out of the bathroom

"Oh your back?" she said surprised

"Yeah we are" she nodded pulling her jacket off

"What happened to your hand?"

"Oh um… a little altercation with someone.." she stretched her hand

"Looks pretty bad has Swain taken a look at it?" she carefully grabbed her bruised knuckles

"Yeah, yep he said it was fine" she pulled it back

"Are you alright?"

"Me? Yeah I'm fine just need a bit of proper sleep" she nodded sitting down on her rack

"Why are you acting weird?"

"Pfft I'm not acting weird you are"

"Right… um I'm needed for my watch but you… you get some rest"

"Sure" she nodded flopping back on her rack when Nikki exited their cabin,

stopping when she entered the hallway to see Swain escorting a rather bruised and cut lip

'Oh my god…' she muttered re-entering their cabin closing the door quickly

"I thought you were headed to your watch" Kate looked at her confused

"You hit Swain?"

"What?" Kate moved to sit up

"It can't be a coincidence that you have a bruised hand, and he has a bruised lip"

"Nav…"

"You did hit him!" she shifted to sit in the desk chair

"Would you keep it down!" she snapped

"Sorry… what ah… what happened?"

"Nothing happened"

"Bullshit"

"Look Swain's injuries and mine are completely unrelated okay" she arose to stand

"Can I have a look?" she grabbed Kate's hand stopping her

"Ow Jesus Nik!" Kate hissed

"Sorry, are you sure the Swain cleared you, it looks pretty bad" she brushed her fingers across the bruises

"It's just a couple of bruises"

"Okay close your hand into a fist for me then" she crossed her arms

"Nav"

"Just do it"

"Okay, okay" Kate sighed attempting to close her hand into a fist she tried to hide the pain in her face when she bent her fingers "See… it's fine…"

"Yeah, right" Nikki rolled her eyes arising to stand

"Where are you going?"

"To get the Swain"

"Nav please it's just a bruise honestly it's fine"

"Does the Boss know about this?"

"Look I hit the Swain okay, you happy now will you just please drop it and head to your watch"

"But…"

'Nav to the bridge' echoed through the ship

"Ah see your needed on the bridge off you go" Kate waved

"This conversation isn't over" she grabbed the doorhandle pulling the door open

"Of course it's not"

"We will discuss this later" she pointed moving out of the cabin,

watching Kate sadly when she thought she was alone hissing painfully as she tried to make a fist.

Entering the bridge Nav stopped next to the Captain's chair

"Boss" she smiled

"Ah Nav, we're being called to a mayday can you set a course?"

"Of course, the coordinates?" she shifted to sit in the Navigators chair

"Robert?" Mike called

"9.00 South 133.0′ East Ma'am" he answered while she began typing

"Nav?"

"Ah about two hours Sir"

"Alrighty RO tell them we can be there in two hours and to put down there anchor"

"Yes Sir" he turned speaking into the radio

"Steer three-two-five revolutions one-eight-zero"

"Steer three-two-five revolutions one-eight-zero, Sir" Buffer repeated from the controls

"Everything alright Nav?" Mike looked over at her

"Ah yeah…"

"You sure?"

"Um.. actually do you mind if I have a word?" she asked hopeful

"Sure my cabin?" he motioned

"Sir" she nodded moving from her hair and out of the bridge

"Charge you have the ship" Mike called following after her

"Ai Sir I have the ship" he answered moving over to the Captain's chair;

"So Nikki what can I do for you?" he asked entering his cabin after her

"It's about the X" she turned to face him

"Okay?" he closed the door slowly

"Are you aware about her hand"

"Ah yes.. I was there when…"

"She hit the Swain?"

"Look Nav I don't know what she's told you but…"

"She hasn't said anything Sir I'm actually more concerned that her hand is more painful then she's letting on"

"What makes you say that?" he looked at her confused

"Just her reaction when I touched it"

"Well Nikki that dosen't…"

"And her reaction when I asked her to make a fist" she crossed her arms when he sat down at his desk

"Has she mentioned she's in pain?"

"Boss… you know what Kate's like anything that happens to her she keeps to herself"

"Yeah…"

"I just thought you should know I mean with her being the XO and doing boarding having an injured hand it might…"

"Look I'll talk to her about thanks for bringing it to my attention" he nodded

"Sure" she smiled sadly

"Was there anything else?"

"No that's it"

"Alright you head back to the bridge and I'll have a chat with the X"

"Of course Sir" she answered moving to the door and exiting his cabin, brushing his hand through his hair Mike sighed "RO can you call the X to my cabin?" he pressed the intercom

"Yes Sir" his voice replied before

'XO to the CO's cabin' echoed throughout the ship,

"RO try again" Mike pressed the intercom after five minutes

'XO to the CO's cabin at the rush' echoed throughout the ship shaking his head Mike arose from his chair and exited his cabin

"Ah Swaino you seen the X?" he questioned stopping him near the Galley

"No Sir" he shook his head,

looking at him confused he moved towards her cabin taking a look in as he passed seeing she wasn't there he began to get concerned

"Sir you looking for the X?" 2Dads asked closing the side hatch

"Ah yeah"

"Back boat deck"

"Thanks, um how's the shoulder?"

"Better although Swain still won't let me take it out of this damn thing" he fiddled with the sling

"Probably for the best" he nodded moving past him towards the hatch

"Yeah" he smiled moving aside.

...

"You know when I call my XO I expect her to come just because we're dating in secret dosen't mean…" he stopped next to her on the boat deck noticing her tear-stained cheek "You okay?" he rested a hand on her back

"Yeah I'm fine…" she slowly brushed her hand in a repetitive motion

"Is this about your conversation with Nikki?" he shifted leaning on the railing, so their shoulders were touching

"What?"

"Well it's just she may have mentioned something…"

"Of course she did"

"She's just looking out for you" he nudged her arm

"And like I told her I'm fine"

"And I'd believe that if you weren't trying to ease the pain in your hand, is it still bothering you?"

"A bit" she pulled it back

"Maybe you should get Swain to check it out I know your not exactly talking still but he is still the ships medic"

"Yeah I will…"

"Kate…"

"Can you not"

"Not what?"

"I don't need consoling right now"

"I'm not do…" he paused when she turned to face him

"Please just leave it…" she went to walk away but found herself stuck in place by his hand grabbing hers

"Kate…" he looked at her sadly "we're responding to a mayday, we'll be there in two hours why don't you… why don't you go get some rest"

"I'm fine"

"No… your not, not really" he shifted wrapping his free hand around her waist and pulling her into his arms

"We shouldn't be doing this" she closed her eyes when her head make contact with his chest

"It's just a hug" he rested his chin on the top of her head

"I can't do this anymore…"

"What?"

"Pretend every things alright when it's not"

"Is this about Swain?"

"It's more then just Swain and you know that it's always been more" she tried to hold back the tears

"A hundred and twenty hours left Kate, we can do this"

"I don't want to…" she pulled back from him

"So… so what are you saying?"

"When we arrive back at port in five days you should stay on board… and I'll…"

"What about you, what about us?"

"There can be no us Mike… we both knew that before things went further a year ago" she looked at him sadly when a tear fell down her cheek

"Kate I… I love you" he reached a hand across resting it on her cheek

"I know… and I love you but this.. you and I it's never going to be more then what it is" she placed her hand over his removing it off her cheek

"Kate…"

"I'm sorry…" she turned walking towards the side hatch

"A hundred and twenty hours… that's all we had left" he called after her hoping it would make her stop but no matter how much it pained her heart she had to stand her ground;

entering the side hatch she closed it behind her leaning against the wall she covered her mouth to hide her muffled cries.

(So I'm hoping to have a few chapters out today, if I manage to get them done I'll upload until then enjoy this update Xx)