Knocking softly on the wardroom door Kate smiled sadly when he looked up
"X, what ah… what can I do for you?"
"I was hoping you could take a look at my hand? It's… well it's just not feeling right"
"Yeah sure come on in" he reached across grabbing his kit from the cupboard
"I haven't got you at a bad time?" she entered closing the door
"No, no just catching up on paperwork take a seat" he motioned to the booth
"I can come back at another…"
"X relax it's fine" he assured her moving around the booth he came to sit next to her "Now what's the problem?"
"I know it's probably nothing but Nav and the Boss won't drop it until I get it checked out so"
"Can I take a look?" he held out a hand
"It's just a couple bruises really" she placed her hand in his
"Hmm… well I got to say it felt like it'd do more damage then just a few bruises" he grinned carefully touching her hand
"Yeah well you've got a hard head"
"So I take it the tear streaks are from the pain in the hand?" he looked up at her before back down
"Ah yeah… been causing me quite a bit of pain"
"It could be a few things, sprain, possible fracture or a fluid build-up can you make a fist for me?"
"I can try…" she pulled her hand back slowly bending her fingers Swain could see the pain in her face
"Alright that's enough…" he carefully grabbed her hand again "Um…"
"What? What is it?"
"I can't be a hundred percent certain without an x-ray but for now I can strap it to limit your physical activity" he reached into his kit with his free hand pulling out a bandage
"You don't think it's broken do you?" she rested it on his shoulder where he put it so he could undo the bandage
"Can't say really, I'd also suggest applying a cold compress for fifteen to twenty minutes it'll help with the swelling"
"I really am sorry about your lip" she touched it slightly with her pinkie
"I deserved it" he shrugged moving her hand and placing it on the table
"Yeah well… I suppose in a way it made me realize I was just living in a fairy tale"
"Right… so you and Mike.."
"Over.. as of half an hour ago" she hissed when he pulled the bandage over her hand
"Sorry…"
"It was doomed from the start, I mean just look at how things worked out for Nik and ET"
"Yeah but X that was completely different circumstances, they didn't have a past like you and the Boss"
"A past dosen't mean anything Swain, it's our past that caused us to end up in this predicament anyway"
"Do you love him?" he pulled the bandage under her hand
"Yeah… I really do"
"So what's stopping you?"
"Swain… it's not that simple I mean you know working together we aren't allowed to do anything I mean you were prepared to dob us in to Commander White"
"Yeah well not anymore"
"What?"
"I told her to stuff the shore posting"
"You didn't?"
"Not exactly in those words but I've made an appointment with the BRASS for when we get back to shore" he held the bandage in place grabbing the clips
"That's great"
"Yeah guess I should have done it from the start hey"
"Maybe" she smirked when he placed the last clip down
"Listen… don't give up on Mike yeah" he pushed hit kit aside
"Swain it.."
"No I'm serious, if you love him you've got to fight for that"
"There's no point we can't be together and that was even before Commander White got involved"
"Then one of you transfers"
"Oh yeah who? Mike who is in love with the Sea or me who dosen't have the experience to go ashore?"
"Come on there's no way that guy loves the sea more then you"
"The sea is what teared us apart the first time, I just can't do it anymore" she rested her elbow on the back of the booth running her good hand through her hair
"Kate…" he reached across resting a hand on her arm
"It's.. exhausting…" she struggled through the tears
"Come here" he shifted wrapping an arm around her in a hug
"It's so… hard…" she rested her head into the crook of his neck the tears falling freely
"If love was easy we wouldn't try to find it, I know things are hard but you'll work it out you always do" he tried to soothe her
"I don't…" she muttered
"God Kate…" he held her tight rubbing her back while her tears soaked into his shirt "I'm so sorry.." he teared up himself at her muffled cries in his neck
"I need to… get of… this.. boat…" her shaky voice answered through the tears
"Like a holiday?"
"No…" she pulled her head back to look at him
"Kate you don't mean…"
"It's my time to move on" she sniffled
"But…"
"I can't stay here Swain"
"It won't be the same around here without you, you know that" he reached across wiping the tears off her cheeks
"You'll cope, you've got 2Dads" she grinned for the first time in the past twenty-minutes
"Oh that just makes me feel so much better" he pulled her back into a side hug
"It should" she laughed slightly resting her head on his shoulder
"2Dads can be pretty great when he's not trying to be the class clown"
"Yeah.. that kids going places" he kissed the side of her head,
moving back from the door he sighed sadly "Boss you right?" Buffer stopped at the end of the hall
"I'm good Buff, can you ask RO to get Commander White on the Sat-phone in my cabin?" he moved towards him
"Sure" he nodded making his way up the stairs to the bridge
'I'll sort this out once and for all…' he muttered to himself.
...
"Mike what do I owe the pleasure?" she answered through the phone
"I want off this boat Maxine" he replied bluntly
"Excuse me?"
"I don't care where you put me or what I have to do I want off this boat now"
"Aren't you still on a twelve-month contract?"
"Stuff that I want off this boat"
"Is this abut your Swain telling me I can stuff my shore posting?" she questioned
"He what?"
"Your Cox-Swain rang me this morning said there was nothing to report and he was longer interested in the shore posting"
"Why would he say that?"
"Oh come on Mike I know you know"
"Yeah well using my best friend against me not the smartest of ideas Max" he sighed
"Does Kate know your calling me?"
"Why would she?"
"I don't know some ploy to get me to give you your shore posting"
"There is no Kate and I anymore Maxine so you've got no leverage anymore"
"I was only looking out for your career Mike" she replied softly
"All while trying to stuff it up at the same time, we're responding to a mayday but Glenelg is closer so I'll give them a bell and then we're coming back to base"
"You can't decide that"
"I want off this boat Maxine, I want more shore posting"
"Mike…"
"If you won't give it to me I'll go to the BRASS" he sighed
"You'll go over my head what… for some shore posting so you'll get the girl?"
"I'd give up any command if it meant I could have the one person I've always wanted"
"Mike this is crazy"
"No Max… it's love, I'll see you in four hours for that signage of my shore posting"
"Mike…" her voice echoed when he removed the phone and placed it back on the hook.
Turning in his chair slightly when he sensed her presence
"Sir… you asked for me?"
"Yes X" he turned his chair around to face her "How do you feel about becoming Hammersley's Commanding Officer?"
"Sir?"
"We're on our way back to port, Glenelg is seeing to the Mayday because I have an appointment with some paperwork"
"I'm sorry I don't understand what's happening here" she looked at him in confusion when he arose to stand
"I'm saying you, me we can finally be together"
"Mike…"
"I thought this is what you wanted, for me to take a shore posting so we could be together"
"Why now? Is this because of the conversation on the boat deck?"
"Well no…"
"Your so infuriating"
"What have I done now?"
"The minute I tell you things are over… you go behind my back and get a shore posting it's not even something you want" she shook her head
"I know what I want and to have that I need to leave the boat"
"But you can't because you'll always love the boat more then anything else"
"No that's not true"
"Yes it is"
"No…"
"I already made my decision so please.. can you just respect that" she gave him a sad look
"Kate please…"
"I'm happy your getting your shore posting but someone else will need to be CO because I won't be here"
"What? Where will you be?"
"What does it matter there's no future for us" she turned around walking off
"Kate…" he moved into the doorway watching her leave.
