Hammersley had been called out to assist Kingston who were having trouble with their engines and were stuck in a foreign port, Hammersley was the only one who wasn't on Patrol so NAVCOM called on them personally to help out it was just after 0100 when they pulled into Port alongside Kingston.
Making her way through the corridor to find Charge, Kate stopped in the doorway of the galley seeing Mike making himself a brew
"How's the head?" she asked leaning against the door frame
"Sore" he replied stirring his drink the spoon hitting the mug as he did so
"Swaine give you something for your head?" she asked softly
"Yeah I had some pain killers and nausea tablets" he said lifting his mug up as he took a sip
"Good, I'll escort Charge and ET to Kingston to help with the engine" Kate said moving to walk down the corridor
"Kate?" Mike said moving into the doorway as she stopped to look at him
"I'm sorry…" he said softly
"I know, I'm going to need some…",
"Time…" he said sadly
"Yeah… I best go the CO of Kingston is expecting us" she said moving down the corridor as Mike sighed sadly watching her leave.
"Sir, I'm Lieutenant Kate McGregor XO of Hammersley, this is Charge and ET their here to help with the engines" Kate said saluting the man as they met on the docks near Kingston
"Lieutenant McGregor pleasure to meet you, I'm Lieutenant Commander Paul Vandenberg I'll get one of the junior sailors to show you two down to the engine room" he said looking at Charge and ET as he indicated to one of the sailors.
"Where's Lieutenant Commander Flynn?" he asked as Charge and ET where escorted on board Kingsto
"He's unwell Sir, NAVCOM have put me in temporary control until he's better" she said softly
"Fair enough, so tell me Lieutenant what's drawn you to Patrol boats?" he asked as they walked along the docks
"Sir?" she asked confused
"Well you don't really seem the small boat kind of type" he replied
"With all due respect Sir, you don't even know me" she said getting a little agitated
"I've heard your reputation you left behind at ADFA I think everyone in the Navy has heard of the name Kate McGregor how are you juggle motherhood and a being out at Sea?" he said coming to a stop,
everyone at ADFA past and present knew the famous 'Kate McGregor' had a child as she'd sometimes bring him to class when she couldn't get her brother to babysit
"I'm more than some reputation I left behind, as for my personal life and the way I raise my son it's not your concern, Sir…" Kate answered placing her hands behind her back
"You know I've got a Petty Officer McGregor on board as my Bosun" he said looking at her curiously
"There's a lot of McGregor's out there Sir" she replied wondering if he was talking about Glen her half-brother
"Yes well I'll radio you once our repairs are finished" he said nodding at her
"Yes Sir" she said moving towards Hammersley as she made her way over the gangway.
2 hours later after Charge and ET had fixed the engines Kate made her way back onto the bridge
"Here their XO speaking anyone who's not on watch will be given 24h shore leave, that is all" Kate said through the intercom from the bridge
"Drink X?" Nikki asked hopeful
"I'm on watch sorry" Kate said moving to sit in the Captain's chair
"Actually you're not, the Boss is seeing as he's confined to the ship anyway" she said pulling on her arm
"I'm not really in the mood Nik" Kate said softly
"Then we'll find a quiet place and talk…" she said hopeful
"Nikki it's 0300 if I'm not on watch I just want to go to bed…" she said softly
"Come on Kate" she said pulling on her arm towards the exit of the bridge.
After a lot of nagging and constant annoying Kate finally agreed to go out with Nikki the only place that was open at the time in the morning was a local bar that Buffer, ET and Spider had gone to for some drinks.
Making their way inside Nikki found a quite table in the corner while Kate ordered some drinks before making her way over to the table a few minutes later
"Not drinking?" Nikki asked as Kate placed a wine in front of Nikki and a Lemonade for her
"No, not feeling a hundred percent" she said softly taking a sip of her drink
"Kate I'm worried about you" Nikki replied as Kate placed her glass down
"Why?" she asked confused
"Your distant and…",
"And?" Kate asked nervously
"Your angry, and I'm not the only person to notice the way you and the Boss are biting each other's heads off" she said sadly
"We're always biting each other's heads off" she replied stating the obvious
"Okay yes but more than normal and the Boss is showing up to work hungover, what's going on?" she asked in a serious tone
"We had a disagreement" Kate said reaching for her drink as Nikki placed a hand on hers to stop her
"Kate…" she said sadly
"You remember that brother I mentioned?" Kate asked fiddling with her glass
"Yeah?" Nikki said confused
"He was on the run from the Police, well apparently Mike is the one who arrested him out at sea and turned him into the Federal Police…"
"Wait your brother was the one we caught standing over a dead body?" Nikki asked thinking back to that day
"He didn't do it Nik, he was a kind and gentle soul he would never hurt anyone" she replied sadly
"Kate he was covered in the man's blood he refused to tell us why the man was dead or how it happened",
"Nikki they shot my brother dead right in front of me, because I second guessed him and called the Police"
"But what has that got to do with Mike?" she asked confused
"Mike turned him in, if he had of believed him Jake never would have been on the run and maybe he would have never gotten killed"
"It happened like 8 months ago, you and the Boss weren't even talking or connected at that point"
"I've been on Hammersley for 2 months now Nikki, 2 months he could have told when I've broken down in front of him cried my eyes out for my brother" she said getting angry as they heard a commotion coming from the entrance of the bar
"Mike is not the one to blame…"
"No I am" Kate said interrupting her as she spotted Mike looking at her from his place near the crew
"I'm going to head back to the ship, I don't feel up to this anymore" Kate said pushing her drink into the middle of the table
"Kate…" Nikki said watching as she exited the bar Mike's head following her with a sad look on his face.
Sitting on the end of the wharf Kate dangled her feet over the edge as the tears continued to fall down her face she didn't hear him make his way over
"Kate?" a soft manly voice said moving next to her
"Not now Mike" she said turning to look expecting to see him
"You're not Mike" she answered looking strangely at the man
"No afraid not" he said moving to sit next to her
"How do you know my name?" she asked confused
"You're the famous Kate McGregor everyone knows you but to me your…" he said looking at her softly
"I'm what?" she asked wiping the tear off her cheek
"Your my sister…" he replied smiling softly at her
"Glen?" she said taking a close look at him
"Yeah" he said softly
"You look so much like…"
"Jake?" he asked interrupting her
"You know about Jake?" she asked confused
"Dad would tell us story's growing up about our older brother and sister he showed us photos over the years that he got off your Facebook the one's that weren't private, apparently you were the only one who hadn't blocked him" he said slightly nudging her arm
"Yeah… I barely used it anyway didn't see the point in blocking him if I was never on there, he really told you guys about us?" she asked sadly
"Every day, he never forgot about you guys the only reason he stayed away is because your Mother refused to see him hurt you again" he said softly
"She is pretty protective" Kate replied
"But how did you know it was me, sitting here I mean?" she asked confused once more
"My CO mentioned there was a McGregor who was the XO on Hammersley I called Dad he said you'd be crash sailed, I put two and two together and decided to take the risk to see if it really was you" he said grinning
"Well it's me" Kate said grinning
"So who do I need to knock out for making you cry?" he asked looking at her tear stained cheeks
"I'm fine, just thinking about the past about Jake" she said sadly
"I'm sorry for your loss, I know how much you guys were close you could tell with the story's Dad would tell us" he said shifting closer to her
"He was my best friend, understood me like no one else" she answered smiling softly at him
"Well I know I could never replace him but you'll always be my older sister and I'd love to get to know you" he asked hopeful
"I'd like that, It'll be nice to have more family around at the moment it's just Logan and I" she said softly
"Logan?" he asked confused
"Oh right sorry" she said smirking
"He's my son"
"I'm an uncle?" he asked surprised
"Yeah I guess you are, and so is Mark and Sophie an Auntie" she said smiling softly
"Sophie is going to be ecstatic with that fact, always goes on about wanting to meet her older sister" he said laughing a little
"It's different, I mean growing up it was just Jake and I and now I've got this whole other family I have the chance to know" ,
"I know we're technically only half related…"
"You guys will always be my brothers and sister; it may take me awhile but there's no half about it we're family" she said looking at him sadly
"It'll be nice to tell people my sister is the famous Kate McGregor" he said nudging her slightly
"We have the same last name; people would have guessed" she said shaking her head
"I didn't think you'd want someone going around claiming to be your brother when you've never met them" he said sadly
"If you don't tell them I will" she said smirking at him
"It's good to finally meet you Kate" he said slowly wrapping an arm over her shoulder cautiously waiting for her to react
"You won't leave?" she said softly worried she overstepped
"You've been through so much Kate and it'll be my pleasure from this day forward to be there for you" he said hopeful
"Things can only get better from here right?" she asked sadly as she began to tear up as she rested her head against his shoulder
"For you, I sure do hope so Kate" he said kissing the top of her head.
Kate not knowing that from afar Mike was watching on in jealousy unaware the man Kate was seeking comfort in was actually in fact her brother.
A few hours later Kate made her way along the gangway as she waved to Glen who made his way back to Kingston, smiling to herself as she made her way through the corridor she jumped as Mike moved out from the galley
"Give a girl a heart attack why don't you" she said holding her chest
"Who was that?" Mike asked
"What?",
"The man you were getting cosy with on the wharf" he replied
"Where you spying on me?" she asked angrily
"I can't help it if you do that thing where everyone can see it"
"Your way out of line" she said moving past him
"Am I? So you get mad and end things with me" he said as she stopped in the corridor to face him
"For your information there was never anything between us, it was a once off you made that perfectly clear" she said shrugging her shoulders
"And so you go and cosy up with the first man you meet in a foreign port?" he asked angrily hurt
"HE'S MY BROTHER!" she yelled back angrily
"What's going on here?" Swaine asked as he moved out of the wardroom at hearing loud voices
"Nothing absolutely nothing" Kate said clearing her throat as Mike looked at her sadly
"Sir?" Swaine asked confused
"Like the X said Swaine nothing" he replied brushing a hand through his hair
"I need to get some air" Kate said moving towards Mike as she walked past she looked at him sadly
"Sorry Swaine, um carry on" Mike answered moving towards the opposite direction as he made his way out the side deck
"Is everything okay?" Charge asked as Swaine entered the wardroom again
"I don't know, but something is going on between the X and the CO" Swaine said sadly as he sat back down
"What are you thinking?" Charge asked as he picked up his cards
"The Boss was drunk when we first got crash sailed, and the X well she tore strips off him" Swaine said picking up his cards
"Sounds like a lover's tiff" Charge said shrugging his shoulders
"Nah, they know the rules surely not" Swaine answered
"Can we work it out tomorrow it's your draw" Charge said pointing to the deck of cards
"Right sorry…" Swaine replied as he placed a card down.
"I'm sorry…" he said approaching her as she leant against the railing
"How many times have you said that now?" she asked sadly
"I didn't know he was your brother" he replied moving to stand next to her
"Do you really think I'd go out and meet a stranger for a hook up just to make you jealous?" she asked looking at him sadly
"Of course not I…"
"No you just presumed, like always" she said softly
"Kate…"
"I can't keep doing this Mike it's too hard"
"What are you saying?" he asked confused
"After my 4 months I've got left I'm going to ask for a transfer" she replied
"Please we can…"
"Do you have any idea how much it hurts seeing your face every day knowing what you did, crying my eyes out every night, hating you but wanting you to be the one there to hold me and dry my tears" she said sadly
"We can get past this can't we? I mean there's still love there" he asked hopeful
"Sometime love isn't enough Mike" she said as he moved his hand along the railing and placed it against hers
"I'll do anything, just please don't give up on this" he said squeezing her hand
"I can't… I hate this feeling Mike it eats me up from the inside and it feels like I'll never get through it like it's going to just stick until there's nothing left for me to give" she said tearing up
"I'll make this better, I'll be the one to dry your tears, I'll the one to ease your pain I'll love you through it all just please don't give up and what we could have" he said as he began tearing up himself
"And what if you're the one to cause the tears, it's always going to be like this between us" she said sadly
"No it won't I promise Kate" he said moving closer to her
"Don't make promises you can't keep Mike your just setting us both up for more heartbreak" she answered sadly
"Kate… I love you" he replied moving her so she was facing him
"I know, that is why I'm doing what is best for both our hearts" she said as he moved to knell in front of her
"I promise you Kate with everything I have to give I will fix this, we will make this work just please I beg you don't give up on us" he said as tears streamed down his face Kate placed her hands on his cheek as she looked down at him
"I'm sorry, I just can't make a decision right now" she replied sadly as she moved her head down placing a soft kiss against his lips,
as she pulled away Mike watched her walk off remembering the day he left and the kiss he gave her was just like the one she had given him, arising from his knees he leant against the railing as he sighed heavily in hopes that wasn't a goodbye kiss she had just given him.
Little fun fact the name 'Paul Vandenberg' is actually my Mum's cousin, I had the name stuck in my head and figured surely there would have to be some Vandenbergs in the Navy somewhere out there... I mean my Grandfather (My Mum's Dad) was in the Army, so why not I asked my Mums permission first if I could use her last name (obviously she said yes lol) Anyways I uploaded 2 chapters again so I hope you enjoy as it's coming to an end soon... Much Love Xx