For those trying to understand Mike's sudden shift in his mood, the phone call with Maxine had him rethink things while on the phone to her, his mood changed to a more caring and he realized he shouldn't be talking about what is going on while on board the ship. Re him staying over the night, he's done it many times before they arriving late so staying and then talking in the morning means there is no way either of them cannot do the talking that is needed.

Back in the past.

Canberra

Navy headquarters

"Sir I think putting those two together for this operation is going to have ongoing problems."

"Whys that Steve?"

"The way the two of them were looking at each other and I also know Mike has a thing for Blondes, we are looking at possible having the no frat rule broken here Sir."

"Well Steve while they are under cover there is no rules for them remember, they maybe Navy but right now they just two people doing a job."

"But what about once they out and they meet up again, there is the chance of that happening Sir more so when this can't be disclosed on their records."

"Well we will have to worry about that when and if it happens."

A week later

"Kate you ready?"

"Ready as I ever will be."

"Just think of this as another Navy operation."

"Easier said than done Sir."

"Hey no Sir's here thank you very much. Time to start this."

The two head off in the Taxi that will take them to the airport and off to Brisbane where they will be based, not far from Cairns and this worry Mike that being close to Cairns may cause issues, but as soon as they get to the Airport and check in they find they now going to Melbourne, both look odd at each other, they flight attendant informs them that it was a last minute change, and that there will be someone there meeting them.

The plane trip didn't take that long, just over an hour and they were touching down, when they arrived at the airport they saw a familiar face to them waiting at the airport for them, a person who is also under cover with them, which was a huge help to them, they knew the game had started as they were no longer Navy sailors but undercover operatives.

"Sorry for that, we did that just in case anyone find out before you got to the airport where you were going." Wes says once they are in the car on their way to their new place for whoever long it takes to do this operation.

"I also hope you manger to get all that information stored into your brains and more so the safe word as well as all the other basic information."

"Well time will tell if we have or haven't." Mike says to him as they pull up to a stunning looking house in the Altona area of Melbourne, a short walk to the beach, the house is something that surprised them, they undercover why rent a stunning two story house, one this nice. It has a for sale sign with sold on the sign out the front.

"Before you get out, yes it a lovely home a few years old, remember you two earn a good wage doing what you do, I maybe the boss of you two, but that is cause it brings in the work for me and you still get paid well and it saves you all the paperwork of running your own business, now you just brought this home, there are two other homes down this street with undercover cops in them, if you need them just ring them, they come around later today to say high. You have a week off, see you at work on Monday, this is to get you guys a chance to

have a look around and find everything, plus you've just moved from Sydney remember. Now enjoy." Wes says as he gets out of the car. Mike and Kate look at each other while they sit in the car.

"We can do this." Mike says as he gets out and they start with their undercover op. Of course the hand holding is not just for cover it's helping to keep them grounded as they take it all in, as they walk towards the front door and unlock the door. AS they walk in they are stunned at what they see.

"Man we must earn a fortune to have all this expensive stuff." Mike says to himself but it's out loud and Kate also hears it.

"No we just good at getting what we won't at the price we won't to pay." She says to him.

Over the next week the two go sightseeing, finding how to get to everything, the GPS in the car makes life for them so much easier. Kate is getting use to sleeping next to a male, and somehow the two of them during the night even though they not touching when they go to sleep, they're always wake up wrapped up in each other, legs intertwined, Kate laying over his chest her arm wrapped around his waist, his arms around her body. Both enjoying being cuddled up with each other but not ready to admit it to the other.

Back to the Present

"Sir we have a mayday call coming in, we're the only vessel close enough to them and even then we are two hours away, I've responded and informed them of when we will be there."

"Ok thanks X, has Navcom been informed?"

"No not yet Sir I wanted to wait to make sure we know what we are dealing with when we get there, their co-ordinates are odd to me, I'm sure there is more to it than what they have said, but time will tell."

"No problem X. Let your boarding team know that we will be doing hands to boarding stations in two hours' time."

By the time Hammersley arrives in port there is only an hour until the ceremony to present the awards to Chris and Jim, Both Kate and Mike are not so happy they not going to get a chance to talk things out beforehand. As Kate's gut feeling re the mayday call was right, anything and everything that could go wrong went wrong for them.

The ceremony goes well, everyone is happy that the two service men get recognized for their acts of service but also the fact they put their life's on the line to save everyone else's life, and those still yet to come along.

"Mike a word please?" Maxine asks him as, him Maxine and Kate stand together, Kate wonders off thinking about why she wants to talk to him.

"Mike you need to take over today."

"WHAT" comes from Mike shock sounding in his voice.

"They've pushed my surgery forward to first thing tomorrow morning I have to go in tonight."

"Um sure who's taking over the CO roll on Hammersley?" Mike asks as the two stand there, Mike very so often flicking his eyes over to Kate and the rest of his crew as they talk to Chris.

"Lieutenant Commander Nickolas Grey. He fly's in tomorrow, Hammersley will have tomorrow off then set sail the following day. Their orders are on my desk ready for you."

"Does Command know what is going on?"

"Yes they sure do Steve has said to ring him if you need any help, over the week until I'm in a better mind frame to help you."

"What aren't you tell me Maxine?"

"Nothing Mike just being knocked out then on drugs I'm not going to be in a fit state to answer anything, Command and Marshall all think the same thing."

"Well I shell go inform the crew of what is happening, I did tell them on the way in that they were getting a new CO but I told them in a couple of weeks not in two days' time."

That evening the crew of Hammersley celebrate Mike's new posting, they are sad to see him leaving the ship, which he has been on for most of his Navy career, but they also happy that he is now able to move forward again, they all stay positive that Kate will soon get her well-deserved promotion and command of Hammersley.

Kate and Mike have yet to have a chance to talk, and it doesn't help when Mike mangers to slip out of the pub and off home but pretending to need to make a phone call, and the noise of the crew would mean he be unable to make it, it took Kate about thirty minutes to realise that he had in honest fact left. She also heads off and drives past Mike's house and find it all in darkness, she so badly wants to talk to him, but she also knows how tired he is, and she proceeds to drive off home thinking about when they will get time to talk, but she does feel better that he isn't moving away now and will be staying in Cairns.