Yawning widely the next morning Kate looked around the room a little confused the last thing she remembered was admiring Mike's form when he was getting dressed,
looking across at the sleeping form she slipped out of the bed and made her way into the bathroom turning on the shower she stripped off Mikes shirt and moved into the shower
closing her eyes when the water ran across her neck a small smile forming on her face when she felt a hand move across her waist
"Morning" he mumbled into her neck
"After last night's events I thought you'd be sleeping in" she dropped her head back when he began kissing along her neck
"So you just decided to have a shower without me?"
"Yes" she giggled when he nipped at her ear
"Well in that case" he went to move back grinning when she recaptured his hand and pulled him back to her now facing him
"I think we can have a little fun"
"Hmm" he leaned down when the doorbell rang
"Well that was fun"
"No, you stay have your shower I'll go" he moved out of the shower wrapping a towel around his waist
"Tell whoever it is to come back later" she reached for the soap when he exited the room.
"Yeah, yeah" Mike called out pulling his shirt on when a continuous knocking echoed through the house, "Yes?" he pulled back the door
"Sorry I…" he looked him up and down
"Can I help you?"
"Is this the McGregor household?"
"Who's asking?"
"Sorry Jim Roth and you are?" he reached a hand out
"Mike Flynn" he shook his hand
"I'm looking for Kate is she here?" Jim pulled his hand back
"She's just in the shower does she know who you are?" Mike took a quick glance back towards the room when he heard the shower turn off
"You could say were highly acquainted"
"Sure…"
"I bet you'd feel like an arse right now if the woman you shared a bed with last night turned out to be engaged" Jim smirked
"Excuse me?" Mike raised an eyebrow
"Do you always sleep with other men's fiancé's?" he crossed his arms
"Wha…"
"Who was at the door?" Kate interrupted entering the hallway
"Apparently your fiancé" Mike moved aside
"What?" she looked at him in confusion
"I should get dressed" Mike cleared his throat walking back towards the bedroom,
"What are you doing here?" Kate snapped when they were alone
"You weren't returning my calls; wasn't aware you were.. entertaining"
"And you seriously had to act big and tuff in front of him?"
"Kate…"
"I told you yesterday I wasn't interested why won't you get that" she sighed
"I didn't think you two were.." he grinned
"Rack off" she slammed the door in his face.
"Going somewhere?" Kate stopped in the doorway to the bedroom a few seconds later
"Home" he shifted off the bed
"Mike…"
"You don't need to explain"
"I think I do.. Jim he's not.."
"Look Kate it's fine, you give me a lecture about cheating but hey it's okay for you to do it" he shrugged
"That actually hurts, I haven't cheated"
"Why didn't you say anything?" he stopped to look at her
"Because there's nothing to tell!"
"Kate your engaged you didn't think that was something I needed to know?"
"No because it's…"
"Good to know where we stand" he moved past her and into the hallway
"Would you just stop"
"Why? So you can lie to me again?"
"I haven't lied to you; Jim and I we aren't engaged" she moved quickly stopping to stand in front of him
"Didn't look that way" he motioned
"If you just give a minute to explain…"
"I don't want an explanation it's.. it's none of my business"
"Really?" she looked at him hurt
"I have to go" he placed a hand on the doorhandle
"He's an ex nothing more.." she replied in the hopes he'd stay
"I'll call you" he pulled the door back
"Sure" she nodded sadly
"I will call.." he moved back kissing her cheek before making a quick exit pulling the door shut behind him,
turning around Kate looked down the hall in confusion when she spotted Dipsy laying on the floor near Jai's room
"Dipsy?" she ran over to her "Come on old girl, don't do this" she knelt next to her noticing her heavy breathing,
looking back towards the door Kate shook her head arising she moved into the kitchen to grab her phone; dialling his number she took a deep breath when he answered
"Dipsy's sick, I need a lift" she quickly sat back down next to her and placing her phone on the floor her hand instinctively running across Dipsy's head.
...
Walking through the ship a little before lunch Mike jumped when he almost bumped into Swain
"Boss?"
"Sorry Swain wasn't paying attention" he entered the Senior Sailors Mess
"Yeah I got that what ah.. what are you doing here?" he questioned
"Kate and I had a fight" he sat down at the table
"This soon into the relationship?" he sat across from him
"You think you really know someone.."
"Okay?"
"And then this secret fiancé shows up"
"Woah back up a minute" Swain held his hand up
"When your about to have an intimate shower" Mike shook his head
"Okay a little too much information" he grimaced
"Sorry"
"Go back to the whole Fiancé thing for a second"
"He showed up this morning, looking for Kate"
"And he said he was her Fiancé?"
"Yes! What part of that wasn't clear?" Mike questioned
"Well it's just.. I don't know Kate personally, but she doesn't seem like the kind to cheat" he shrugged
"Yeah well maybe I didn't know her as well as I thought"
"Did you ask her about it?" Swain raised an eyebrow
"Not exactly…"
"Ah.. you did the storm out and presume"
"Maybe I should have stuck around to hear her explanation but it was pretty obvious to me that this was the real deal, you don't just have a random person show up claiming to be your fiancé it just dosen't work like that"
"Isn't that what Ursula did with you six months ago?" he teased
"Okay so it happens but I don't think this was one of those situations Swain"
"But you don't know because you ran"
"Yes thank you for that"
"Look, there's two options here you be stubborn and loose the girl or you go see her and find out the truth"
"And what if the truth is worse?" he looked at him sadly
"You'll never know unless you ask her" he shrugged
"Yeah…" he sighed when his phone started ringing,
pulling it out of his pocket he pressed the accept button and placed it next to his ear
"Max if you tell us we're crash sailed" he answered looking across at Swain "What?" the smile disappeared off his face
'What is it?' Swain mouthed
"Ah yeah.. I'll go right over" he hanged up putting the phone back in his pocket he moved to stand
"Is everything alright?"
"Kates… Kate's dog had to be put down" he looked at him shocked
"Just isn't your day today is it?"
"I've got to…"
"Yeah you go, give her my regards" he watched him exit the room and run down the corridor.
After arriving at Kate's 15 minutrs later he invited himself in and took a deep breath when he spotted her on the couch in tears,
pouring her a glass of water he made his way over to her
"I'm sorry Kate…" he placed a glass of water on the coffee table
"Jai…" was her only answer
"Maxine agreed to have him another night, she's.. she's going to tell him"
"It's going to… break him.." she stared across the room
"Why don't you try and eat something; I can make you a sandwich?" he sat opposite her on the coffee table
"No…"
"Kate.." he reached across placing a hand on her leg
"Why'd you come back?" she looked at him in confusion
"Max called… figured you'd.. well I figured you wouldn't really want to be alone"
"I can't bring myself to.. to even move any of her things…" she looked down at the collar in her lap
"It's never easy.. pets.. they steal our hearts"
"Yeah…" she brushed her thumb across the name tag
"So listen how'd you get to the vets if you didn't drive?"
"I called Jim…"
"Ah.." he cleared his throat
"You'd just walked out, and he was a few minutes away after leaving so…"
"And.. and he stayed with you while.." he pulled his hand back
"No, I did that alone" she watched him when he moved to stand
"You should have called me" he replied looking at the photo's on her mantel piece
"I didn't think you'd answer"
"Of course I would" he turned to face her
"You sure about that?"
"Kate…" he looked at her sadly his heart breaking when a few tears ran down her face
"You ran.. less than twenty-four hours and you ran.." her voice broke
"I'm sorry.." he moved over to the couch instantly sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug
"She's gone.." she mumbled against his chest
"Death.. It's a rough one, it's hard for our brains to accept... you see the person every day and then.. they're gone, just like that" he answered softly into her hair
"Even with pets?" she moved her head back to look at him
"Especially with pets, because they love us without failure even if we're pigheaded they will always love us" he brushed the tears off her cheeks
"I rescued her from the shelter you know, she was the runt"
"And you just so happened to choose her?"
"No.. she chose me" she began tearing up again
"She knew you'd give her the best life, whatever the cost you would love her with all your heart"
"It hurts…" Kate held the collar against her chest
"I know baby, but it'll get better"
"Did you just call me baby?" she smirked through the tears
"Sorry…"
"No… I like being your baby" she rested her head back into the couch surprising him
"Does that mean your still my girlfriend?" he continued to brush the sensitive skin of her cheek with his thumb
"I never stopped.." she looked at him sadly when he moved forward resting his forehead against hers "but if you run again…"
"Never.." he felt himself tearing up
"Mike…" she rested her free hand against his cheek
"Whatever you need I'm here" he tilted his head meeting her lips in an emotional kiss,
shifting back he pulled her into his arms
"Can we just… stay here for a little while?" she settled her head into his chest
"For as long as you need" he ran his hand across her back in a comforting gesture.
(Bit of a sad one this one.. guess with loss of my Monkey (cat) I just needed to so.ehow get out what I was feeling.. Xx)