A/N: This little gem popped into my head at 1am on Friday morning, must say I'm a little concerned where my brain is at! I'm not even in isolation! lol
Ctrl, Alt, Delete.
Kate cautiously tapped the enter button on the keyboard, she clicked on a random link and moved her face closer to her laptop screen. Wrinkling her face, her head titled as her eyes read the words on the page.
"What the heck is this?"
Mike placed himself beside her, placing his glasses on as he squinted at the screen. His brow also creased, grabbing the mouse from her hand as he explored the page.
"Ah, are these news articles?"
Kate leaned back in her chair, puzzled by her discovery.
"No, it says FanFiction..."
"How did you find this?"
"I, umm, I googled myself..."
Mike didn't hear her embarrassing confession, he was lost in the page.
"I'm confused, we're in these, umm, stories? Are they about us?"
She shrugged, having no idea what she had stumbled upon. Mike continued to click on the titles, becoming more baffled by the minute.
"Ah, there are ones about us, like, us, us..."
He shot her a cheeky smile then quickly turned his attention back to the screen
"Wow, a lot of people are rooting for us! Look at all these stories by Sarbear98, she loves us! And Duckmadgirl! I'm not sure about this Seaheeler though, she thinks you should have ended up with Jim."
Kate's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. She jumped as Jim appeared between them and flashed Kate his heart-melting smile.
"Well, really, I was the better guy, go Seaheeler, you saw the light, I shouldn't have died..."
Mike shook his head, snapping him out of his dumbstruck stare, he snatched the mouse back from him, annoyed at his interruption.
"But you did!"
As soon as the words left Mike's mouth Jim vanished from the chair. They both gasped, exchanging an uncertain look. Kate walked around the room looking for him while Mike continued to scroll. She didn't understand why he wasn't as shocked as her.
"Ah, what just happened?"
Mike ignore her panic and focused back on the screen.
"Kate, seriously? They all knew it was going to be me and you from the beginning..."
Kate sat back beside him, stunned he wasn't more disturbed about what had just happened.
"Umm, did you not see Jim was just here?"
They flinched again as Dutchy appeared between them, looking confused.
"Ah, what am I doing here!?"
Kate's only response was to poke him, checking he was real. Dutchy pulled the screen towards him.
"What are we looking at?"
Mike rolled his eyes letting out a groan as Kate pointed to the screen looking at the multiple Kate and Dutchy titles. Dutchy nudged her arm, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"Ah, Promise to Love Me, Even When You Hate Mme, this about us?"
Kate nodded, mortified she was having to discuss potentially falling for her Buffer.
"Apparently some people think we should have ended up together."
Dutchy's eyes darted to the screen.
"Really?"
Mike crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head.
"Yeah, this Seaheeler chick, god she's annoying! She basically thinks anyone but me should have ended up with Kate, even a gay guy called Boxer? Oh and these two, Hindius and Brujayrebelde they're not fans of Mike and Kate either, like, seriously? Who doesn't love me?"
Dutchy moved closer, puzzled he was seeing his name paied with Kate's multiple times.
"Hey, and this Shewritesincursive and , oh and this Coastwatchgirl, they're into us too..."
Dutchy focused on Kate, their eyes locked in each other's gaze for a moment. Kate smiled, placing a hand on his knee.
"I guess we do have some chemistry, you can't deny that!"
Mike cleared his throat, trying to distract them.
"Well, they can dream all they want, it ended with me and Kate."
Dutchy let out a hiss as Mike pulled her towards him.
"Yeah, but the ending didn't show you guys together, there's no actual evidence of a baby, and what's with Kate not getting her promotion? It's all she ever wanted and what, you expect those people to believe she just gave up her dream of being a CO so you could stay out there? Ah, this ain't nineteen twenty, it's twenty twenty and she certainly ain't a housewife..."
Kate couldn't help but smile at Dutchy's speech, she glanced over to Mike waiting for him to defend himself, but he had nothing. Dutchy laughed as he read "Post-it Madness."
"Look! This person wanted us to end up together so badly they continued this story, which by the way, was a brilliant idea!"
Turning his focus back on Kate, Dutchy grasped her hands in his.
"Do you actually feel something?"
Before Kate could answer Mike pushed their hands a part.
"Wait! Look at this story by Shewritesincursive, we're not in the Navy, but we're still together. I mean, our love transcends through all walks of life, doesn't that prove we're supposed to be together?!"
Dutchy rolled his eyes at Mike's lame attempt at proving him wrong.
"Umm, I'm sure there are one's like that for us, look at this one by Hindius, we've all been let go from the Navy and we find our way back to each other. And this one by Seaheeler, we loved each other before all of this! We met before Hammersley!"
Mike turned the screen towards him, trying to find another story about him and Kate.
"Ignore her, she's obviously crazy, look, Sarbear98 has it figured out, that's so many with us..."
Kate's face saddened as she read the latest Sarebear98 story.
"Wait, why I'm always getting injured or being kidnapped or my heartbroken? Why do people hate me?"
Dutchy placed his hand over hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Kate, I don't think they hate you. Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you're an easy victim, easily messed with because of your type A personality."
Kate scrunched her face, she understood to a point but didn't wholeheartedly agree.
"I think I need to log out, this isn't good for anyone!"
Mike and Dutchy simultaneously shook their head objecting and pulled the computer away from her.
Kate's eyes widened as she held up her hands and backed away from the computer.
"Okay, but don't involve me."
Hours later Kate exited her bedroom to find Mike and Dutchy still hovering over the computer, she rubbed her eyes walking up behind them yawning.
"What are you guys still doing up? And, umm, little own in my house?"
Mike waved his hand in her face, not wanting to be disturbed.
"We're reading."
"Seriously, you're reading all these stories about us? Why?"
Mikes gaze stayed focused on the screen as he continued to scroll.
"Well, it seems all these people have opinions about our relationship, and well we're trying to decide who's right."
Kate shook her head, he was starting to sound obsessive.
"But everyone has opinions, and they're just that, opinions."
"Yeah, but you know, sometimes when to see things from other's points of view it might make us stop and think."
Kate folded her arms over her chest.
"I don't think so!"
Mike laughed as he pulled up a seat and patted it for her to sit.
"So stubborn, that's one thing they got right!"
"Excuse me? Me? Stubborn?"
Dutchy poked her arm, stirring.
"Yeah, pretty much everyone thinks your stubborn."
"Oh, really?"
Kate sat and grabbed the laptop, pulling out towards her.
"And does everyone think you're too overprotective and to come off, well, like a macho womaniser?"
Mike chuckled to himself.
"Man, they sure nailed you guys."
Dutchy snatched the computer back.
"Hold on a minute, Mike Flynn! They think you always put work first, that Kate was never your priority, and you were married to the damn boat."
Mike hesitated, trying to think of a comeback.
"Bet that's just the people that want you two together, but anyway, nothing wrong with being dedicated..."
Kate shook her head as she rose from the table.
"I'm going back to bed, this is stupid."
Early the next morning Mike and Dutchy leaned their head on the table, their eyes stung from the glare of the screen. Dutchy let out a deep sigh, lifting his head.
"I think there's only one solution."
Mike rolled his head in Dutchy's direction.
"What's that? Make a tally? Do a poll? Who's got more followers?"
Dutchy shook his head while rubbing his eyes.
"Mike..."
Mike let out a groan, he knew what he was inferring from his tone. They both clenched their eyes shut and Jim appeared behind them.
"It was always him..."
Jim looked around, he patted his body checking he was real.
"I'm back..."
Mike let out a groan, leaning back into the chair.
"I can't believe we're doing this!"
Dutchy placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mike, you know deep down he's the best one for her!"
Mike grunted and mumbled something inaudible to himself, he clenched his fist and slammed it on to the table.
"Damn it..."
Jim leaned in close to Dutchy.
"Mate, what is going on?"
Mike slowly pulled the laptop towards him, hoping they wouldn't notice, his fingers hovered over the control, alt and delete buttons. Dutchy noticed and quickly snatched the laptop away from him.
"Mike!"
Mike looked at him innocently, trying to think of an excuse.
"I thought it may just rest thing, you know, and everything would…"
Dutchy eyes narrowed, he interrupted.
"Would go the way you want it to? Typical!"
Mike lowered his head, knowing he was being selfish.
"C'mon, Mike…"
They both turned around to face Jim, he looked back at them with an apprehensive look on his face.
"Guys, what's happening?"
They looked at each other and clicked their fingers.
Kate awoke with a jolt, looking beside her, she smiled seeing Jim sound asleep next to her. He stirred, feeling eyes on him and sat up, turning on the bedside lamp.
"Kate, is everything okay?"
She brought her knees to her chest, feeling out of sorts.
"I just had the weirdest dream, people were writing stories about us..."
"Stories, what do you mean?"
"Like, I dunno, like episodes of our lives."
"Okay..."
Jim grasped her hand, concerned at her strange behaviour.
"Yeah, and that's not the weirdest bit, I was potentially in a love triangle like with Mike, Dutchy and you..."
"Umm, okay... do you have secret feelings about them?"
"Well, no, they're my friends..."
Jim let out a nervous chuckle, hoping she knew how silly she sounded.
"Okay Kate, maybe we don't drink so much red wine before bed."
Kate lay back down, Jim wrapped his arms around her, spooning her. She lay there with her eyes open, staring into darkness and whispered to herself.
"But it was so real..."
In a land far, far, away, Seaheeler smiled satisfied as she closed her laptop.
"And that's the way it should have been..."
The end, or is it?!