"But how am I supposed to sleep?" he asked sadly
"Monkey…" Maxine looked at him trying to hold back the tears
"Dipsy always keeps the bad monsters away" he sniffled looking across at Ryan who'd exited the lounge up the stairs
"She's still be there, in your dreams chasing away the monsters, protecting you like she's always done"
"But she won't be there when I wake up"
"No I'm afraid not buddy.. Your Mum she wanted to tell you herself but she's struggling with her own emotions right now" Maxine brushed a hand through his curls
"Do you think.. that Daddy is helping her?"
"I believe so, knowing your Dad he wouldn't let her go through this alone" she shook her head
"Jai.." Ryan re-entered the room
"Yeah?" he wiped his cheeks and turned to look at his newly found out brother
"This is Lopsy, Mum gave her to me when I was three to help with the nightmares I want.. I want you to have her" he held out a teddy bear
"Are you sure?" he reached out taking it
"We're brothers and as your older one I need to look out for you" the seven-year-old smiled
"Wow.. thank you" Jai smiled hugging the teddy
"That was a really nice thing to do" Maxine held out a arm,
Ryan moving to stand next to her she wrapped it behind his back
"I know Dad didn't know until recently and same for us, but he's still my brother" he shrugged slightly
"Yeah.. he sure is"
"Can we go play?" Jai asked shifting off the couch
"I've got toy soldiers in the sandpit?"
"Can we Max?"
"Sure, just don't stay outside too long it's supposed to rain today" she nodded
"Come on!" Ryan moved out of his Mum's arm and ran towards the backdoor
"Can you.. can you look after this I don't want her getting dirty" Jai placed the teddy in Maxine's lap
"Sure Mr Monkey" she smiled sadly watching him run out after his brother
she took a glance down at the beer remembering back to when she'd given it to Ryan.
Across town at Kate's place:
"Kate…" he mumbled into her hair
"Mmm"
"About earlier…"
"We don't need to discuss that"
"I think we do" he looked at her sadly when she moved her head back
"You want to know what happened, why he showed up claiming to be my fiancé"
"I'm ready to listen"
"Okay" she nodded moving off his lap she sat at the end of the couch
"Was he your Fiancé?" Mike questioned shifting slightly to face her
"Yes"
"What… what happened?"
"Well.. he proposed on our Anniversary I then came to find out he had cheated a month earlier"
"So he what? Proposed because he felt guilty?"
"I guess I'll never truly know but the woman she showed up that night, claiming to be Pregnant" she shrugged
"Wow…"
"We were together since Jai was two, Jai… he looked up to him, but Jim never could accept the fact that he wasn't his"
"Had you two discussed having kids?" Mike asked nervously
"I didn't want more" she shook her head
"Oh…"
"No I mean.. Jai was two, I was trying to juggle him and a busy work schedule I told myself if I were to have more I wanted it to be when Jai was old enough where he didn't need to be cradled to sleep"
"How long ago did you two separate?" he asked the one thing he was trying to ease into the conversation
"Six months…" she pulled her knee's up to her chest
"So just before.. just before you moved here" he cleared his throat
"Yeah…" she sensed what he was getting at
"Do you… do you still love him?" he picked at his pants
"Once but I don't think it was the real true love you know the type that gives you butterflies, after he cheated we tried to make it work but I just couldn't get past the fact that he must have been so unhappy to cheat in the first place"
"What was his excuse when you asked him about it?"
"Said he was drunk, that it didn't mean anything but about.. I don't a month or two after we broke up he was dating the woman he knocked up"
"Kate I…"
"Turns out the only reason he proposed was because he felt guilty" she scoffed moving off the couch
"I know this will properly get my head bitten off but um.." he shifted forward "this.. us is it just a rebound thing?"
"What?" she looked at him in confusion when he moved to stand
"Look Kate this for me it's not just fun"
"And you think it is for me?"
"What I'm trying to say is, the way you make me feel, the way I am when I'm around you…" he paused when he noticed her grinning
"Why are you smiling?"
"Are you trying to admit your undying love for me?" she teased
"I'm glad you find my awkwardness amusing"
"I'm sorry… please continue"
"See now you've just ruined the moment" he shook his head
"Come on, I'll stay quiet"
"Nah"
"You know what it's probably for the best then" she went to move past him a grin appearing on her face when he grabbed her arm pulling her back to him
"Someone once told me, you'll know when your in love because you'll realise your reality is better than your dreams"
"So…" she pushed
"I know it's only been a day"
"Half a day but continue" she grinned when he rolled his eyes
"Kate… I'm falling in love with you, hopelessly and madly in love with you" he brushed his hand across her cheek and into her hair
"Look at you, putting your heart on the line"
"You didn't think I could?" he smirked
"Well.. Sailor I think I may have already fallen in love with you" she bit her lip nervously
"Really?"
"Four and a half years ago" she moved back stopping next to her bookshelf she pulled out her favourite book
"Fifty shades of grey very.." he stopped when she opened it up to reveal a dried out rose
"Falling in love once in your lifetime is magical but twice with the same person it's…"
"You kept this?" he brushed his finger across the petal
"You give me butterflies Mike" she placed the book down on her coffee table the flower still resting inside
"The good kind?" he teased wrapping an arm behind her back
"Yes, the very good kind" she rested her hand on his chest
"So I'm here asking as a man who is falling hopelessly in love, will you agree to be my girlfriend officially through all the fights and disagreements"
"Well…"
"Through all of the sad moments and even when I'm being a pain in the bum?" he wrapped his other arm around her
"Well it is a pretty nice bum"
"Hmm" he raised an eyebrow when her free hand moved across his waist and towards his bum
"Being Mike Flynn's girlfriend dosen't sound too bad"
"Well thank you very much" he laughed slightly "Mike?"
"Mmm"
"I don't mean to alarm you but I think you may be getting a little too excited"
"Oh I know" he pulled her flush against him
"You know I really could use something to eat"
"Anything you want"
"Maybe we could go to the local, have a few drinks with your crew then a quite dinner?" she questioned
"Are you sure?" he brushed his hand under the back of her shirt
"Yes I want to get to know them but… I think we can do that in one, or maybe two hours"
"Better stick to two you know doing such activities can be very" he began leaning down "very exhausting"
"Definitely" Kate smirked pushing her head forward and meeting his lips in a passionate kiss.
...
"Hey guys" Mike smiled stopping next to the table with his hand in Kate's
"Boss? Decided to come down for a beer did ya?" Charge picked up his glass
"Sure did, you guys remember Kate?"
"Sure we do, can I get you guys a drink?" Swain questioned
"Love a beer thanks" Mike pulled out a chair for Kate
"Kate?"
"A white wine would be good thanks" she smiled sitting down
"I'll be back in a tick, Boss give me a hand?" he nodded moving towards the bar
"Sure, I'll be back" he kissed Kate's cheek before following Swain,
"So…" Swain smirked when they stopped at the bar
"Just here for the one mate, so hold back the lecture"
"Hey I've got no lecture coming, I was just going to say I'm happy for you"
"She's pretty amazing" Mike turned to watch Kate
"You…" Swain looked back and forth between them "your in love with her"
"Give me a break it's only been a day" he tried to play it cool
"Oh come on, the way your looking at her it's obvious" Swain hit his arm
"Maybe I am, is that a bad thing?"
"And it seems the crew like her" he grabbed the drinks when the bartender placed them on the bar
"Which is very rare in itself" Mike grinned walking back over to them.
"What'd we miss?" Mike shifted sitting next to Kate
"Not much really, Kate was just telling us how you met" 2Dads shrugged
"Here you go" Swain placed their drinks down
"Thank you" she smiled
"Boss all of us are wondering, Jai is he.. is he yours?"
"Charge!" Swain shook his head
"Come on, he's got the Bosses hair!" 2Dads shrugged
"Well I…"
"Yes, Jai is Mike's son" Kate interrupted him
"Kate.."
"What? Why hide it, you wanted them to know now they know" she gave him a soft smile,
shaking his head with a smirk he reached for his beer.