3 weeks later

Jim had been discharged from the Army, the SIS had charged him but had decided after further investigations, that he wouldn't serve any sentence, but he wasn't allowed to be in contact with kate, or anyone else par his parents, he was being moved to a very different town and state, and that he would be under watch by the SIS for the rest of his life, they had plans for him and his skill sets, they knew even though his actions didn't help Gary, they knew that locking him up wouldn't work to the best of all, they decided that having him under watch by them and then them using him when they needed to would be a better sentence in a way, they get to use his skill sets but he is also having to be careful, and know that he is benign watched and has to check in as well, its a semi prison sentence for Jim.

Also several other members of Jim's team were also discharged from the Army, the ex SIS person who provided information to Jim, was found to have given information to non service people, and he was being dealt with by the SIS in their own ways.

Kate was finally allowed home a couple of days ago, Mike's parents made plans to get to Cairns, after he rang them that day, when Steve said he could. He just told them that they got injured working, which was true, they just don't know what they really were doing.

His parents were shocked to find out when they arrived that he was married, and that it was Kate, they knew about her and his feelings for her, but they had no idea about how serious things had turned since they last spoke to him several months ago. They had learnt over the time he has worked for the Navy, that he will contact them when he has the time, sometimes it can be weekly other times it can be months, but more often than not, he will send them an email over ringing them. Kate gave Julie a list of things to get from her place as the two explained to his parents that they hadn't had time to move her stuff into his place, due to work, so Julie went and got the list of items that Kate wanted back at Mike's she knew the two needed to decide where they would live, but right now she knew that her place wasn't an option due to her injuries as she wouldn't able to get up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Mike was starting the return back to work, his injuries were healing well and as he was no longer serving on a boat, the doctor cleared him to start a return back to work, and wanted it done over a few weeks, even though they had taken him into surgery to clean his wounds up he did end up with an infection, that had him staying in hospital longer than they expected, but they did get on top of it, and he is doing alot better, just feeling a bit drained, but the doctors expected that as not only him but Kate had been under alot of stress before they got injured plus the lack of sleep too before the incident didn't help in their recovery.

Kate was told once home to just rest, and only move when she had no choice, like shower, loo or bed otherwise she had to sit and do nothing and it was driving her insane, nto that she wasn't enjoying some down time, she would prefer to be able to do something but sitting doing nothing, but reading or watching TV wasn't something she was enjoying, she had already done the last three weeks of it and she wanted something new to do. Julie had gone and got her some jigsaw puzzles as well as a few other boredom busters that she thought Kate might like to do, she could tell Kate was getting bored as well, she decides to also pick up some baking pans and dishes that she knows Mike wont have, as she thought they could do some baking together, she wasn't sure if Kate like to bake or not but it was something to do, if not for Kate but herself as well, plus she knew of a few recipes that she would make for Mike when he was a kid that he loved, and she is sure he would still love them now.

For Julie she could see why Mike had fallen for Kate, she wasn't like most who would go after Mike, she wasn't with him for the money, or with him for a free ride, she was a hard working person, someone who infact hated being waited on, and Julie was sure Kate wasn't use to having family around, just by the way she would act or the odd thing she would say.

It was two months since Kate was injured and she had finally been cleared to do light duties, Mike was back at work full time and his parents had returned back home again, but not before Mike and Kate had a celebration dinner with the crew from Hammersley to celebrate their marriage. It didn't surprise the crew that they had done it on the sly without anyone else being there, they were just pleased that they had finally done it.

While Kate was on light duties Steve handed over the 2IC position that he was doing to her, and in doing that, it gave her a promotion as well, to Lieutenant Commander. For Steve he could finally think about retiring from the Navy now that the mission that involved Mike, Kate and himself was finally over with. He also had a gut feeling that Kate wasn't going to return to Hammersley as her XO, but ask for a shore posting. He doesn't think it will be long before the two of them start a family together, but he also knows how much Kate also wants to climb the ranks.

Four months since Kate got injured.

"Hey beautiful what're you thinking about?" Mike says to her as he places a kiss on her forehead, as he goes to sit down and wrap his arms around her.

"When we first met."

"In an office in Canberra?" he asks her, he remembers the first time he laid eyes on her as if it happened yesterday.

"Yes, yea that small office then we spent several days in that small hotel room, going over everything and just getting used to being in each other's company."

"Yea you didn't seem at all impressed at all."

"I wasn't, I was wanting to be out on the water, I thought I had been called in for some special honor, or award, maybe a promotion. Not to do what we were doing. There have been so many times I have regretted what happened back then." Mike hears her say and he's hoping this is not related to him.

"I don't regret a single thing that happened, without that mission we would never have met, I would never have fallen in love, and we wouldn't be here now."

"We could have been here now much sooner had we both pulled a finger over this." Kate says as she looks him in the eye she can see some fear and worry there. "I wished we had made more of an effect to be in contact, even more so after Watson's Bay." she says as she moves and snuggles back into Mike.

"You asked me not to contact you remember, you had dreams and so I respected it, it didn't mean I didn't keep an eye out for your name in the Navy news. It was hard but I did it. It is properly one of the reasons I took so long to step off Hammersley. It was hard seeing you with Jim, but harder so much harder to leave and you go no thanks, having you beside me everyday on board, for me was like well we never got a change to be more than some amazing months together, I might as well enjoy the friendship I have the close working bond we had on board."

"Yea, it was easier to just be a great working team, this never seemed to get any further as you say. But at least now we have gone further."

"Yes much further no one can break us up now can they." He says as he lays a kiss on her head. "So what did the doctor say to you today?" he asks her knowing she had a doctors appointment today.

"He's cleared me fully fit for sea duty now."

"That is amazing hun and the other matter?" he asks her knowing she had more than one doctors appointment. While under cover Kate had stopped all forms of birth control and so far there had been no luck no baby so she was seeing a doctor to find out what was going on.

"The doctor informed me that it can take up to six months after you stop using birth control, for you to become fertile, the blood she took the other day she got all the results back, everything is all good she said."

"That is great honey. So what is the next step then?" He asks her not knowing about what really happened at her appointment.

"Well I have to go back in a week to get more bloods done, then she will decide when we go in for a scan." She says, waiting for him to click on what she has said.

"I thought you said everything was ok, why more blood and another scan?" he asks her not having clicked to what she has said to him. She looks up at him and smiles.

"Mike, think a bit more honey, why else would she want me to go get more bloods and another scan." Then it clicks.

"What are you pregnant?" He says, his voice sounding shocked at this news.

"Yes if the bloods are correct, it's early days she thinks, but she needs to figure out when to get a scan done, cause of my injuries she wants to keep a close eye on the baby, as well as me. Make sure neither causes issues for the other."

Mike just holds her, places several kisses on top of her head. They both have a feeling of when it had happened, and if Kate is correct which her doctor thinks she is, she is about 15 days along into her pregnancy, to early to tell people, but still they have things to consider and worry about as Kate has not long gotten over some major surgery and injuries.

"Thanks for keeping your promise to make me a mother one day." She just randomly says to him as they sit there enjoying the news that they both have wanted for some time.

"No problem at all honey," he says to her as he picks her up and carries her to their room, deciding he needs to show her just how much she means to him in the bedroom.

Six weeks later.

Cairns Hospital

"Mrs Kate Flynn?" A nurse calls out and Both Mike and Kate get up, both still dressed in their Whites, having taken their lunch break to come to this appointment.

"Kate good to see you again, and this must be Mike. You never told me he was this bloody handsome Kate, where have you been hiding him." Julie Kate's doctor cheeky says to her. She knows the whole story about these two, and Kate takes her jokes well.

"Well it's called HMAS Hammersley, easy to hide him on there then, no one wants to know him cause they think he is married to the boat." She replies back as she sits down, beside Mike.

"Right Kate lets go over things, how have you been feeling?"

"Apart from being tired a bit more, I feel fine."

"That is good to hear, now your bloods are back and the levels have increased a fear amount again too, so no morning sickness, no dizziness, or even lightheadedness at all? You are still working on shore aren't you, you haven't returned back to sea?"

"No I am Mike's 2IC at NAVCOM, and to be honest had I not known I was pregnant I honestly wouldn't even know right now. I am seeming to eat a bit more than normal, but I expect that as you told me not to worry to just eat when I was hungry."

"That is good to hear, and are you taking the vitamins I gave you."

"Yes I am."

"Good, right I want you to get changed out of your uniform and put on the gown and then we will see if we can spot the little one today. As I said to you on the last visit this one may have to be internal, but we need to keep a close eye on you, your surgeon has informed me your uterus wasn't affected when you got shot and injury, but you do have a nice scar that will cause problems as you grow and you do have organs still healing even though they are pretty much healed they will be affected by this pregnancy, and you both have to be prepared that if I feel this pregnancy is going to cause you any problems, and i feel there is no choice we will terminate, you have had major surgery not so long ago, and had the test go the other way I would of told you to wait at least another six months. You both have got to do as I and your surgeon says Kate no matter what you feel. You do both understand that don't you." She asks them, she knows she has been through this with Kate already but she needs to make sure that they both understand that Kate's life and their unborn baby could be at risk here.

"We have spoken about this in some depth, since you spoke to Kate about it. We both have agreed if it is safer for us to terminate and wait we will do that, even though we don't want to do that, we both understand the need behind it."

"That is good, I am pleased you both have spoken about it and talked it over and come to a conclusion, but anyway let's see what this scan shows and go from there, if we can we will try and keep this pregnancy as viable as we can for as long as we can. The only thing that will be of help is time, time is going to play a very big factor into this as well as you doing as you are told." She says.

Kate gets changed and she lays on the bed.

"Right let's see if we can find this little one." She says as she puts the gel on KAte's tummy and starts to find the spot for where the sac will be. It doesn't take her long and she isn't happy with what she sees.

"Damn it, Kate Mike do you see this?" Julie says to them both, and "Then this?" She shows them something else. They both look at the screen in shock.

"You have a multiple pregnancy, there is no way I can allow you to carry two babies Kate. We are going to have to admit you straight away and run more tests." She says as she sees the tears start to fall from Kate's eyes. Julies was hoping like hell Kate's HCG levels were wrong but by the looks they weren't. SHe even sees the devastation on Mike's face as well.

"The test I will get running ASAP will let us know if we can do what is called a selective reduction, so we will take one of the babies away, or whether we need to do both. I will leave you both in here, while I sort out a private room for you Kate, then we will move you straight to that room. I'm so sorry about this you two."

"It's ok we understand the risks." Mike says as he holds Kate.

"Honey it's ok, if we have to wait we have to wait." He says as he holds her tightly to his chest, her tears falling, they knew there was a good chance that they may have to terminate, but they had also hoped that they wouldn't have too. As Mike is holding her he rings NAVCOM to let them know that they won't be back in today. He is also heartbroken as well.

The afternoon goes in a blur for the two of them. Mike rings Steve and informs him of what is going on, he drops everything to get to Cairns straight away to take over from Mike, so that Mike could be by Kate's side as they go through what is going to be a very tough twenty four hours.

It shocks everyone in NAVCOM when Steve turns up, as Mike hadn't informed them of what was going on, Steve has informed them that they are dealing with family matters and won't be here for at least a week, as he has told Mike to take at least a week off. This wasn't the news he was hoping to hear from them, well it was but not like this.