Running his finger over her ring in a continuous movement Mike couldn't help but smile while she laid there with her head turned watching him contently
"Why don't you go home, I'm gonna be fine"
"Nah your stuck with me"
"Lucky me"
"Hey watch it McGregor I'm prepared to spend the rest of my life with you"
"And again I say lucky me" she smirked pulling her hand back to look at the ring
"What do you think?" he rested his elbow on the bed watching her
"It's big…"
"Specialty made, so the diamonds are in the shape on an anchor a little project of mine I'd been working on"
"And exactly how long have you been working on this so called project?"
"Ah… about four, five years a few of the diamonds were ordered in from special places"
"You mean you actually made this?"
"Well the design but the rest the jeweller made"
"I…"
"Your surprised?" he pulled her hand back into his
"I'm just surprised how long you'd been working on it for"
"I knew when the time came I didn't want something store bought I wanted it special, something that held a certain meaning for us"
"And how'd you know I'd say yes?" she teased
"Please you can't resist me"
"Really? Is that what you think?"
"Oh absolutely my Flynn charm completely irresistible"
"Your Flynn charm?"
"Don't knock it, it is a real thing"
"I'm sure it is" she broke into a wide grin
"I love you Kate not having you in my life… I don't want to experience that.." he smiled sadly shifting out of his chair he hovered his head in front of hers,
luckily the nurse had come in hours prior and changed her oxygen mask to a nose cannula
"I'm not going anywhere" she placed her free hand on his chest, lifting her head slightly their lips met in a soft kiss
"Don't ever do that to me again… I thought…" he whispered pulling away from the kiss
"I'm sorry…"
"I love you; I love you so much" he brushed his hand across her hair resting it against her cheek,
looking up at him with tears in her eyes Kate moved across the bed for him to slip in immediately resting her head on his chest once he laid down his arm wrapping around her in comfort;
"Mike…" she mumbled against his chest
"Mmm" he hummed running his finger along her ring again like minutes earlier
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"What?"
"Us getting married, you having no job in the Navy"
"Are you having second thoughts?" he looked down at her nervously
"Absolutely not it's just…"
"Kate, I'd rather have you and a family then some command of a Patrol boat"
"What about a shore posting? You could always beg Commander White for it back"
"There's no point, I want what I want and that is you not the Navy, not a boat and not a shore posting"
"Mike you…"
"Enough talking, let's just lay here quietly and forget about the last twenty-four hours hmm" he kissed her forehead softly while she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck
"I love you…." were her last words before he felt her even out breathes against his neck as she fell into a sleep his own eyes drifting closed minutes later.
...
"Mike?" his voice questioned
"Hmm"
"Mike?" he pushed his arm slightly
"Yeah…" he mumbled opening his eyes slowly he looked next to him
"Hi"
"Commander Marshall?" he questioned wiping the sleep from his eyes
"Am I interrupting?" he stepped back when Mike slowly slipped from the bed pulling the blanket across Kate's form
"What.. what are you doing here?" he pointed out of the room slowly walking with him
"Well I came to see Lieutenant McGregor but well… sorry for waking you"
"No it's fine… we were um talking and then.. what time is it?" he looked at him in confusion when they came to stop near the waiting room
"Just after nine" Marshall held out a takeaway mug of coffee
"At night?" Mike gracefully took it taking a big sip
"Ah no, morning"
"I must have lost track of time" he wiped a hand across his mouth trying to cover his yawn
"Have you been here all night?" Marshall shifted to sit down
"Seems so" Mike followed suite
"Look I received a call from the BRASS yesterday afternoon flew up here from Sydney on the first flight, they said Maxine White is somehow involved with Kate getting shot?"
"That's.. that's a long story"
"I've got time, I'm here until Sunday"
"Sir…" he shook his head slightly
"Okay well let me start off by saying I know you and Lieutenant McGregor are in a relationship"
"We…"
"And I don't care how or when because I know the two of you would have done nothing on the boat"
"I'm glad someone believes us"
"I take it Maxine didn't?" he took a sip of his own coffee"
"That's one way to put it, she is the one who wanted me on shore in the first place but then bloody Coburn goes and blackmails 2Dads and I end up back on board"
"So this all started a year ago?"
"But the minute I want off the ship it's 'Oh sorry we can't do that' it's not fair" Mike snapped
"I agree"
"So I went and saw her, demanded I get my shore posting back or I'd walk instead of saying yes or no she sends Hammersley on a week-long mission to be backup for the SAS guys in which we had to go and rescue anyway"
"Okay…"
"She used my own friend against me as a bloody spy, trying to catch Kate and I being more then professional on the ship"
"And did she? Catch you?"
"Of course not! Sir we never crossed personal and professional" he sighed
"Go on" Marshall nodded
"So I saw her again I said I want off; she wouldn't budge so I quit"
"Ah the whole kissing Kate in NAVCOM debacle"
"You heard about that?" he asked nervously
"Mike everyone in the Navy heard about that"
"Oh and then to put the icing on the cake she threatens Kate says if she dosen't finish her rotation on Hammersley then she'll spread rumours about us"
"So that's how Kate came to get shot or?"
"No… we'd had a fight you see I'd asked her to marry me and before she could give me an answer she was called down to the ship"
"Right"
"At first they'd thought 2Dads had set fire to the laundry room"
"He what?"
"But it wasn't him, Kate found him locked in the storage room and someone was on the ship that shouldn't be there"
"Maxine's spy?"
"The two of them tried to find her and when they did there was some sort of argument and the gun went off, Kate got shot in the abdomen and the cops apprehended the girl working for Maxine" he finally took a breath
"Wow… sounds like I've missed a lot" Marshall shifted back in his chair
"Sir… Commander White she's not… she's not fit to be in the Navy, blackmailing, threatening I mean what else is there"
"I agree which is why the BRASS have fired her effective immediately"
"Good"
"And I'm here to give you the good news that we'd like you to replace her at NAVCOM"
"What?" he answered quickly moving to stand
"Mike, we don't care about your relationship with Kate has it ever impacted your work?"
"Well no"
"Exactly and the BRASS can see that, the two of you are a good team and we don't want to loose either of you so we'd like to offer you a Captain position at NAVOM" Marshall arose
"But Sir… I quit"
"Yes I'm well aware of that and I tracked down your paperwork it hasn't been submitted yet so the decision is entirely yours if you want to leave still then we'll accept that"
"And what about Kate?" Mike took a look back down at Kate's room
"If Kate would like off Hammersley still there is a position as Commander available or if she wants to stay she'll be promoted to CO" he nodded
"This is not how I was expecting my Friday morning to go…"
"I understand this is a big decision and you'd need to discuss it with Kate first but as I said I'm here until Sunday so just give me a call" he begun to walk away
"Sir?" Mike called after him
"Yes?" he stopped to look at him
"The Captain position, does it come with benefits?"
"You mean like marrying Kate?"
"Well… yes Sir if I'm not allowed to have the one thing I want then I don't want the job…"
"So long as I receive an invite to the wedding I don't see a problem with it" he grinned
"Are you serious?"
"Just no more kissing in the middle of NAVCOM yeah?"
"Of course Sir, thank you Sir" Mike smiled softly
"So I take it your wanting the job?"
"I'd have to discuss it with my Fiancé but yes… yes I would"
"Well in that case, welcome back Mike" Marshall nodded before continuing on his way,
smiling to himself Mike placed his coffee in the bin and headed back towards Kate's room.
(Another update for y'all to make up for the previous short chapter, next one will be a flash forward to where Kate's healed;)Hope your enjoying Xx)
