Following Day
0400 hours
Kate is sitting on the bridge watching Hammersley glide through the waters on their way back to base, their arrival time back being slightly delayed, well more the case her own calculations had been off. When her mobile goes off, normally she wouldn't have it on her, but since she knows they won't be doing any boarding's, she's had it on her just in case Mike messages her.
She pulls it out and sees his name flash up, showing she has a text message from him.
'We're in play now baby.' Is all he says to her, and she knows what this means. Good bye Lieutenant Kate McGregor welcome back Mrs Kate Burns. She would prefer being Mrs Kate Flynn, but hey at least she gets to play house with Mike again.
0500 hours
Hammersley is not far off from docking, Kate is in her cabin packing up her belongs into her bag.
UP on the bridge the crew notice that there is a strange looking car waiting for them at the docks, strange as in expensive Audi Q3 SUV, they don't know anyone with money that could afford a car like that, they dock, and the crew that is on the bridge can't but help but steer at the car.
"Man that is one fine car out there." Comes from Charge.
"Fine, it's a bloody perfect looking vehicle." Comes from Rusty, who's sitting at the helm. The CO outside guiding in Hammersley.
Kate arrives on the bridge, and they all shocked to see her already in plain clothes and they're only just docked.
"Ma'am you know whose car that is down there?" Dutchy asks her as she goes over and looks out at the docks. She shakes her head, nothing surprises her with regards to their undercover work, they've had expensive houses, cars and boats before why would it be any different this time around.
She turns and goes to crab her bag. The crew keep looking then are totally shocked when they see their old CO, step out while talking on the phone. Him dress in a fitted maroon shirt short sleeves, top two buttons undone, plain dress pants, as well as black shoes.
"Bloody hell, how the hell can he afford that?" Comes from Charge. The boys now drooling over the new vehicle that is parked up beside Hammersley.
"And he's dressed up to the nine's as well." Comes from Rusty.
On the docks, Mike leans against the car that was dropped off to him not long before he came down, he was pleased Hammersley was late getting in, as he had time to get the car before getting down here, he is busy on the phone talking away.
"I'm waiting for her right now." He says in the phone, the crew that are on the deck hear him talking.
"Driving it right now."
"Yep I have everything sorted out at this end." He says when Kate gets close to him. He watches as she looks him up and down. He smirks at her, as he knows what she is thinking already.
"She's here now so I will get that sorted and we'll be off, see you in a few hours." He says as he hangs up the phone.
"No expense spared again with us." He hears her says. He picks up her left hand and takes out her rings from his pocket, and places them back on her finger.
"Back where they should be, give me your bag, take this and go get changed, oh and send Dutchy out please he has to do a few things for us." He says as he takes her bag and leans into the car and passes her another. She looks oddly at him.
"Thanks to his work overseas and his clearance he is allowed to know what is going on, he is going to be on the job of keeping our places ok."
"Ok, will do. Oh and Mike, (She stands on her tip toes and whispers into his ear) I can't wait to peel these off you later." Before she then goes about doing as she has been asked. When she goes he goes through her bag only taking out what is really needed, and personal to her the rest staying in the bag.
"Sir?" Dutchy says once beside Mike.
"Take this and Kate's uniforms from Hammersley and drop them off at her place. She and I are going to be out of contact for some time."
"Am I allowed to know?" he asks Mike.
"Yes, you're going to be looking after Kate and I's apartments, if anyone asks after us you tell them we are on holiday and out of contact with the real world. Kate and I have to go back undercover." Mike tells him as he passes him the keys to their homes.
"SIS?"
"Yep."
"So that boat we found yesterday is part of it all?"
"Yes but no one is allowed to know where we really are Dutchy, Marshall only cleared you because you have the clearance and we needed someone to look after our homes and our lives here while we are gone. We have no idea how long we will be gone."
"Normal SIS operations unknown length of time. Look after yourselves, stay safe."
"We will Dutchy, if the crew ask."
"You two are taking a well-earned romantic holiday away from anything remotely within cell phone range." Mike just smiles at him.
"It's not what those lot need to hear thank you, oh and if anything is amiss or you think isn't right ring Steve Marshall, number is on my fridge, oh nearly forgot take these we can't take them with us." Mike gives Dutchy his and Kate's mobiles.
"Don't worry I'll cover you two until you return." Dutchy says then the two see Kate walk out towards them, 2Dad's giving her heaps regarding how little she is wearing.
Kate is wearing a halter neck top, exposing a fear amount of her skin and a short skirt. As she gets off the gangway she puts on her black strappy high heels. Dutchy hears Mike groan beside him, and whisper I'm going to kill him. Dutchy just smiles at Mike's comment.
Dutchy gives Kate a hug, and Mike a hand shake.
"Good luck you two." He says before heading off.
"I'm going to kill Nick." Mike says as he opens the door for Kate to enter.
"Why?"
"The outfit he sent for you to wear."
"You've seen me in far less." She smirks at him, and he knows she's right.
"I may have Kate, but this in front of the crew."
"It's the style I use to wear, if you remember rightly? They use to have me showing off my body, wearing not much in the line of clothes, the only time I got to semi cover up was on the boat. Anyway we should get going." She says remembering where they are. Mike closes the car door and goes around and gets in, before starting the car up and turning around before heading off.
"This is going to leave the crew talking for ages about what the hell we are up too, oh and how you could afford this baby."
"In the glove box is info you need to go over, I've been through it already. We already under, we're moving to Brisbane. We're running a separate base for the business from there, Nick thought it be best that way, shows the business has grown, etc. We are also picking Nick and Jen up from Mission's Beach they on holiday there right now. So we will have company in a few hours." Mike says as he grabs her hand and holds it.
"Why not fly us down, it would have been quicker to do that?"
"Not sure why Kate, but this is what I've been told we have to do." She just shakes her head at him, oh well not much we can do, at least for a good part of the trip, there is going to be more than just them two.
The two travel in silence for a little while, Kate reading the info. Mike holding her hand, which makes reading the info hard for her, but she places it on her lap flipping pages as she goes along.
"No how I imagined us getting back together?"
"Me either, at least we've had the last six years being together for work, so be easier for us to fall into this, this time around." Silence falls through the car again as they continue their drive down to Brisbane from their current home in Cairns.
"This always looked good on your hand, shame it's not going to stay there." She says out of the blue playing as she plays with his ring, which is on his hand. He doesn't reply to her, not because he doesn't have a reply, but more because he can understand the hidden message within her words.
"We can always make it stay there permanently once this is over with." He decides to say to her a few minutes later.
They both know that they won't each other, they both know there is a shit load that needs sorting out between them as well, and they also know time is not on their side never has been most likely never will be.
Mike pulls the car over at a rest stop, and turns to look at her. She turns to look at him, he places his hand on her face caressing it, Kate leans into his touch, enjoying being able to enjoy it without fear.
"We're not getting any younger honey, and this current op is going to hold things up even longer. If you want too, once we out then we go get married and sort the rest out afterwards. We both know we only want each other, you won't a family and I want to be the one that provides you with that family." He then leans over and kisses her gentle on the lips, but it becomes more, the joy of being able to kiss her so freely right now, and the fact it's been so long since he last kissed her, he just had too.
"Sounds perfect." She replies, he gets them back on the road. Not much said between them for the rest of the trip to Mission Beach, but not once did they let go of the other ones hand. Both needing that connection with the other.
Once they arrive at Mission Beach, the reason for not flying is quickly found out. Easier to reappear in Brisbane if their other Identity's never left Cairns. The hit the road again, Nick taking over the driving, the Girls in the back the guys in the front, they make a few stops for lunch, and dinner as they do the full drive all in one day.
The four arrive in Brisbane around 4 am the following morning, all are rather tired and they all crash at the new residence of Mike and Kate's. Mike and Kate did ask about stopping and staying overnight somewhere, but Nick said no we drive right through, so they all took turns at driving.
As each couple got into bed, they all fell asleep rather quickly, the long journey having taken its toll on all of them, as well as the stress, all four hoping to not have to go back under like they are. But all four knowing they have no say in the matter.
Authors Note: I know have a Pinterest for this story as well. The vehicle as well as what Kate is wearing is on Pinterest, belong is how to find it hope it works if not let me know and i will try and fix it up.
ppdakin/the-past-the-future-theyre-all-the-same-arent-they/