Day 6: Part 2
Making his way through NAVCOM 5 hours later Mike looked around to see barely anyone in the office,
entering Maxine's he watched her jump slightly when he spoke
"Quite day?"
"Geez Mike, I thought you were going to call when you arrived back" she held her chest
"Figured it'd be easier to show up where… where is everyone?" he looked around confused
"The Commodore has cut down everyone's hours due to this Coronavirus, some people work eight till four, other's work four till ten" she continued writing down in her folder
"And you drew the short straw?" he grinned
"Someone has to do the night watches" she shrugged
"Sure"
"Don't hover Mike, sit" she pointed to the chair across from her desk
"Listen Max…."
"Just a second" she held her hand up
"I'd really rather make this quick I have other plans" he looked down at his watch
"Need I remind you that you're the one who called this meeting?" she signed the paperwork before closing the folder
"Right…"
"Now, do I start with congratulations or welcome to NAVCOM?" she shifted back in her chair
"Your mad?" he looked at her confused
"Rather disappointed actually, your leaving Hammersley for what… a woman?"
"Max…"
"And yet when I came to you a month ago about a shore posting you flat out refused"
"Would you just…"
"So tell me who the woman is you'd leave your beloved boat for?" she crossed her arms
"Ah well…"
"How longs it been going on?"
"Well…"
"Is she in the Navy?"
"Would you just let me talk first before bombarding me with questions?" he huffed
"Sorry… Just a little eager to find out who finally was able to charm and entrap Mighty Mike Flynn" she cleared her throat
"That hurts Max, to answer a few of your questions her name is Katherine but she has a preferred name for short, yes she's in the Navy and she didn't entrap me" he fiddled with his hat that rested in his lap
"And when did you have the chance to meet someone when you're out at Sea most days of the year?"
"We met seven years ago, at Watson's Bay and we… we lost touch for a few years didn't reconnect until three years ago"
"And is she on Patrol boats or working here at NAVCOM?"
"Patrol Boats" he nodded
"Do I know her?" she raised an eyebrow
"Yes… and No, you've met but you don't know her personally"
"What's with all the secrets Mike?" she looked at him confused
"You want the truth…" he shifted to stand
"The truth would be nice yeah" she watched him pace back and forth before stopping to look at her awards on the wall
"I'm not one to break rules or not follow Navy procedure Max but when it comes to her…"
"When it comes to who?"
"It's electric, no one else makes me feel this way she's… she's the one I want to spend my life with" he teared up
"Who?" Maxine moved out of her chair
"Max I…" he turned to face her
"Who is it?" she leant against her desk
"It's Kate" he looked over his shoulder
"Kate?"
"Kate… McGregor" he finally turned to face her
"Ka… Your XO!" her eyes widened
"Maxine you have to understand with Kate and I it's…"
"It's what Mike? Do you have any idea what people are going to think when they find out about this?" she shifted off her desk
"I don't give a shit what people think Max, I want my shore posting so that I can be with Kate" he snapped
"Well that's not going to happen" she moved back around behind her desk
"What?"
"I can't give you a transfer now Mike, not after knowing your hooking up with your XO"
"Hooking up? It's not like that what Kate and I have is real and special" he stepped towards her desk
"And I'm just supposed to believe that she isn't using you to move up the ladder?"
"What?"
"Come on Mike, woman like Kate are just using men like you to move up the promotion list" she sat back down
"Woman like her? And what kind of woman is Kate exactly?" he picked up his hat off the chair
"Career driven, won't let anything or anyone stand in her way"
"And what exactly kind of man am I" he put his hat on
"Someone who would making a huge mistake" she opened the folder on her desk
"Well thank you Commander White, I won't take your much obvious jealousy to heart" he moved towards the door
"Mike… I'm sorry but your staying on Hammersley for the foreseeable future" she looked across at him
"No I'm not, and if I have to go to the BRASS then I will"
"And if I have to tell them about your relationship with Kate I will"
"What are you blackmailing me now?" he held his hand on the doorhandle
"Compromising" she shrugged
"You are delusional if you think I will leave Kate to stay on Hammersley as CO"
"You said your peace Mike, and so have I stay on Hammersley that is your only option in this situation"
"No… it's not" he pulled the door back leaving before Maxine could say anything else.
...
Standing in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil Kate smiled when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist
"Something smells good" she grinned turning her head
"You smell good" he kissed her neck holding up the bag of food
"How'd it go at NAVCOM?" she turned to face him when he let her waist go to place the food down on the bench
"Let's not talk about that, uh what did the doc say?" he pulled the containers out of the bag
"So luckily, it turned out to be just bruising"
"No broken ribs?" he questioned
"Nope just bruising, want a brew?" she turned back to the kettle
"Love one, I forgot to ask who won the poker game on the way back to port?" he cleared his throat
"Oh that would be mwah" she turned placing the 3 chocolate bars down next to him
"Desert sorted then" he grinned
"So you gonna tell me what happened?" she began making him a coffee
"Nothing.. ah nothing happened" he turned to face her
"Mike… you've been distant ever since you got here"
"What are you talking about, I've only been here five minutes" he scoffed grabbing two plates off the drying rack
"Yeah and you've already managed to break a plastic lid" she shifted next to him pointing to the lid off the rice
"Kate…"
"Talk to me" she placed a hand on his arm
"There's nothing to tell" he brushed her hand off
"Fine" she huffed moving towards the hall
"Where are you going?"
"To ask Commander White myself what happened" she grabbed her keys off the hook
"Kate…" he stepped towards her
"I'm supposed to be your partner, your future wife but you're not telling me anything"
"Because there's nothing to tell!"
"Bullshit! I can see your hiding something" she held her side in pain
"It's not…"
"Just tell me!" she tried to ignore the pain in her side
"I can't because when I do it will be the end…"
"The end of what?"
"The end of us…" he sighed dropping his head
"What happened to stuck with me forever?" she stepped forward placing her hands on his face
"Kate…" he grabbed her hand kissing the back of it
"Stuck with me forever remember" she rested her forehead against his
"Run away with me Kate…" he whispered
"What?" she moved her head back to see his eyes glassy
"You, me anywhere we want just us just the two of us"
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to spend a second with you by my side" he leaned his head down
"Mike…" she began saying but was cut off by his lips eagerly kissing hers,
dropping her keys when he pinned her against the wall parting from her lips he ran them across her neck getting a small groan from her in response he stopped taking in a deep breath he pulled her into a hug
"Commander White refuses to give me a shore posting…" he mumbled into her neck
"Yeah… I figured as much" she wrapped her arm around behind his neck
"Kate… I don't want to lose you and if I stay on Hammersley there will be no future for us"
"So… what are you going to do?" she brushed her hand through his hair
"If I go to the BRASS she's threatening to expose our relationship"
"I thought we agreed we didn't want it to be a secret"
"She will use it against us, against you" he pulled back she looked at him sadly seeing the tears falling down his cheeks
"So what" she brushed the tears off his cheeks
"Kate… you don't understand, this could ruin your career it could…"
"I don't care, if Maxine wants a fight then that's what she'll get" Kate smiled weakly
"Are you really willing to risk you career just so we can be together?" his hand moved to caress her cheek
"Yes, because I know what I want in life, I know where I want my life to go and if that doesn't include the Navy then I'm okay with that"
"What is it you want in life Kate McGregor?" he teased leaning in
"I want you" she ran her thumb across his bottom lip
"Really?" he grinned moving his hands behind her back running them under the fabric of her shirt
"All I want in life is you" she began undoing the buttons on his shirt
"Run away with me Kate" he repeated his earlier words
"Not a chance Sailor, we'll fight this together" she slipped the fabric of his shirt across his shoulder he moved his hands and it dropped to the floor
"As long as it's with you I'd be willing to try" he brushed his nose against hers
before meeting her lips in a passionate kiss carefully lifting her into his arms he carried her up the hall towards her bedroom.