Chapter 28
The following day, they spent it in the bed only getting out of it to get food, drinks or use the bathroom. The next morning, when Mike woke up, Kate was still sleep. He looked at her knowing how hard would be for both during the three months that were about to come. However, he also knew from his mysterious letter that he had done the right thing. He smiled as she started to wake up.
"Morning," she said smiling looking at him.
"Morning," he moved to kiss her.
He pulled back after a while, and she rubbed her nose against his before kissing him. He rolled them both at it became more passionate. He broke the kiss and looked at her.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you more," she smiled. "We can do this."
"I know." He kissed her once more, "let's make the most of our days."
"What do you have in mind?" He grinned.
"This…" he said before he kissed her.
As every morning together, they made love. Afterwards, while Kate was in the shower, Mike called to room service to get breakfast.
"Breakfast in half an hour."
"Good, I'm starving, and I know you too are." She kissed him.
"Well, after all that exercise, what did you expect?" he chuckled before he walked to the bathroom.
"It's a shame we can't stay here longer," Kate said once he was out.
"Just keep those two weeks in Tahiti in mind, just you and me…"
"I'll be looking forward to that, Mike."
"There's one thing we haven't discussed Kate."
"What's that?"
"Family"
"I guess we can start trying once we are in Tahiti," she smiled.
"What about the Navy?" he asked her in concern.
"I'll take a shore post at Cairns NAVCOM if there's an opening. We will find a way to make it work." Kate told him giving him a reassuring smile, he sighed.
"Well, wife, what do you want to do after breakfast?"
"What do you think?" She smiled as she kissed him. The knock on the door interrupted them; their breakfast arrived finally. They enjoyed their breakfast while looking at the bay. Once finished, Kate dragged Mike back to bed where they talked and made love one last time before getting ready to leave.
Once home, they unpacked their things, and while Mike prepared something for them to eat, Kate prepared her bags. After lunch, Mike drove her to the airport.
"Will you write to me every week?" Mike asked once he couldn't stay around her any longer.
"So long as you write to me."
"I will." He kissed her, and her flight was announced.
"I love you." She told him.
"I love you more." He winked at her. "Stay safe."
"You too!" she yelled at him.
A few hours later, Kate walked into her apartment. She dropped her bags in her bedroom and looked around; then she decided the best thing she could do was start by unpacking, she opened her bag and pulled her jeans and noticed a box on her bags. She placed the jeans on the bed and picked up the box.
Inside it, she found five 0.33-carat princess's cut diamond set on a yellow gold ring. She took it out of the box and slipped it next to her engagement ring. She smiled noticing it was a wedding ring and not the eternity ring she was using. She looked at her hand to find the three rings on her finger and smiled.
After looking at her hand for what seemed forever, she shook herself out of her reverie and continued the process of unpacking, once she was done, she went to town to get some food. Once everything was done, she finally got home and called Mike.
On his side, Mike stopped on the town before getting home to pick all the things he needed for his tour. He got home on time to start dinner. Once he had it, he was watching a movie when his cellphone rang. He smiled.
"Hello."
"Hey, miss you," Kate told him
"I miss you too. How was your flight?"
"We took off and then we landed." He chuckled. "What are your plans for the week?"
"Sort wedding gifts and send thank you notes."
"Sounds like fun."
"Yeah, sure."
"I wish I was with you right now."
"I know, same here."
"What are we doing with the wedding photos?"
"It's been taken care of, don't worry."
"Alright… ah, Mike? I found a box in my bag?"
"Did you open it?"
"Yes, I could've used it as a wedding ring if you told me about it, Mike."
"I know. But don't you like yours?"
"I do, the good thing is I'll be leaving the eternity and engagement rings here, and I can take this one with me when on tour."
"As long as you feel it will be secure."
"Oh, I'll leave it in a safe place, then every night and morning I will look at it and think of you."
"I'll do the same thing."
"Well, better get to bed. I must be at NAVCOM at zero eight hundred."
"Why?"
"Ah, Real Admiral Towers asked to see me."
"Do you know what it's about?"
"No, but I'll call you if I get a chance."
"Alright, I'll let you go to bed."
"Night Mike, love you."
"Love you, Good night!"
The next morning Kate walked into NAVCOM and looked around until someone pointed her to the Admiral's office. Inhaled deeply, she knocked the door.
"Come in," he instructed, and she opened the door to find him reading a file.
"Admiral Towers, sir. I'm Sub Lieutenant Kate McGregor. You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Ah, yes. Please, take a seat." Kate finished entering the office and took a sit in front of his desk. "I've read your profile, and I'm quite impressed."
"Thank you, sir."
"I also learn you are leaving tomorrow on HMAS Anzac for a tour over to Afghanistan."
"Yes, sir."
"Well, Sub Lieutenant," he said picking a box and passing it to Kate. She opened it, and her eyes widened in surprise. "I called you to congratulate you, Lieutenant McGregor." He smiled.
"Thank you, sir."
"With your new rank come news responsibilities, Lieutenant. You will be the third in command on HMAS Anzac during your tour."
"Yes, sir."
"When you leave this office, you will have to get your ID updated along with any other personal things. Plus, you will be staying on the ship tonight supervising the load of supplies, and that also applies for tomorrow."
"No problem, sir. When do the supplies arrive?"
"Two in the afternoon."
"Anything else, sir?"
"Yes," he waved two fingers as he looked through his window wall. Kate turned to see two men walking into the room, she stood up and saluted them.
"Commander Palmer, Lieutenant Commander Marshal. This is your third in Command, newly promoted Lieutenant McGregor."
"Commander, Lieutenant Commander," Kate said shaking their hands.
"Congratulations on your promotion, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, Commander, sir."
"I'm curious Lieutenant, I've heard a rumor that you've been dating Lieutenant Commander Mike Flynn while you were his student."
"Commander." The Admiral warned.
"I can answer his questions, Sir," Kate told the Admiral.
"If you desire so, Lieutenant." She nodded.
"Sir, first, whatever is happening in my private life is private. As for your question, Lieutenant Commander Flynn and I never dated while he was my teacher. We started dating when he returned from his tour overseas."
"Well, what I heard is totally different to what you are saying, Lieutenant."
"Sir, Canberra also heard that and other rumors about Lieutenant Commander Flynn and myself. It has been investigated, and they found we didn't do anything wrong. If you got any other issues with that, sir, I will recommend you speak with Lieutenant Commander Flynn, sir."
The Admiral sat back watching the exchange, impressed with the way she handled herself in such situation. Then he noticed something sparkling and frowned, his eyes fell on the rings on her hand.
"Oh, but we know mighty Mike will say anything to get out of trouble. He does that often due to his cowboy antics."
"His cowboy antics get the job done, sir."
"You know how he is like then."
"He bends the rules, but he'll never break them. Nor he will step over the line, sir."
"Why are you defending him, Lieutenant?" Lieutenant Commander Marshal asked. Kate smiled.
"This is why," she said raising her hand to show them the rings. "Lieutenant Commander Flynn is my husband."
"You and Lieutenant Commander Flynn got married?" The Admiral asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, sir. Last Saturday."
"And here I thought he was married to the Navy."
"I guess something better came along, sir." She smiled, and the Admiral nodded. "Did you sirs need me for anything else?"
"Yes, take a seat we need to go over what is going to happen for the next three months."
During the next hour, folders were analyzed, and everything was planned to detail. Then, Kate finally could get herself to the Petty Officer to sort her papers. Lieutenant Commander Marshal remained behind with the Admiral.
"Lieutenant Commander, is something else?" The Admiral asked as Marshal stood by his threshold. He nodded and entered the room closing the door behind him.
"I didn't want to say anything in front of Commander Palmer, sir. But the Lieutenant did have some good points."
"I know, keep an eye on her."
"I will, sir. I do hope she doesn't take after Mighty Mike." The Admiral chuckled.
"I hope not either. She looks like a strong-willed woman, and as far as I can tell, she knows what she is talking about and what she is doing."
"Her record, sir?"
"Yes, top in everything. Including navy sward."
"Oh, anything else I should be aware of, sir?"
"Her temper." Marshal nodded, then he shook his head.
"I still can't believe she married Mighty Mike."
"Same here, but nothing surprises me anymore."
"Yes, sir. If there's nothing else?"
"Keep me up to date on Commander Palmer and Lieutenant McGregor."
"Yes, sir."
Later that afternoon, Kate walked toward HMAS Anzac. Once in, she saluted the man who walked toward her.
"Lieutenant McGregor, ma'am. I'm Able Seamen Jones."
"Able Seamen."
"I'm here to show you to your cabin, ma'am."
"Very well."
Kate followed him down to the bowels of the ship until he stopped in front of a door, he opened it and turned to Kate.
"This is you, ma'am." He said, and she nodded entering the cabin. "If you get lost…"
"Don't worry able seamen. I know my way around a frigate, Thank you."
"Is there anything else I can help you with then?"
"Get the crew together. We need to take care of the supplies in …" she looked at her watch. "fifteen minutes."
"Yes, ma'am." They exchanged salutes before Kate closed the door and placed her duffel bags on the bed. She quickly changed to her overalls, and with all in place, she returned to the wharf where a man gave her a clipboard. She started checking the boxes before they were loaded onto the ship until she noticed some of the crew showed on the deck. She walked to the boat.
"Attention!" Able Seaman Jones yelled as she approached.
"I'm Lieutenant McGregor. I want you all to move those boxes to their designated areas."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Go." She ordered, and the crew started moving around.
Kate returned to the wharf to her previous task. They worked through the night, stopping for dinner and bathroom breaks and split the crew into shifts after dinner. By eight the next morning, everything was aboard and stored in the right place, Kate looked the list, and she noticed three crates were missing, with a frown she walked to the Petty Officer.
"Excuse me, Petty Officer." He turned around and saluted her.
"Ma'am, what can I do for you?" he asked as she returned him the salute.
"We are three crates short," she smiled pointing him the ones she was missing.
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
"Yes. These are the marks I did when the crates were loaded. There should be two hundred and thirty-six crates, and only two hundred and thirty-three were loaded. Where are them?"
"I don't know, ma'am. You know what it was in them?"
"Medical supplies and I can't allow this ship to sail until we have those on board. Now go, and find what happened to them." Kate ordered him.
"Yes, ma'am." He took his radio out and stepped away trying to find out where the crates where. Kate looked at the crew who were standing around and waiting for orders; she turned to the Petty Officer who was walking towards her.
"Sorry, ma'am. The crates are on their way; someone screwed up at the back supply depot."
"How long?"
"About twenty minutes, ma'am."
"Thank you, Petty Officer," she turned around and walked to her crew.
"Listen up, take a break go and get breakfast and report back in twenty minutes."
"Thank you, ma'am,' They all said before walking inside the ship towards breakfast.
Kate turned around when a car pulled; she walked over to it as Commander and Lieutenant Commander got out of the car, she saluted them both.
"Lieutenant, what's going on here?" Commander asked
"What do you mean, sir?"
"The supplies, lieutenant? We ship in two hours."
"I know the timetable, sir. We are waiting for the remaining supplies to arrive, sir. They will be here in twenty minutes, sir."
"How many crates, Lieutenant?" The Lieutenant Commander asked.
"Three, sir. The crew worked in shifts during the night."
"All night? That's not good enough, Lieutenant." The Commander said as the driver gave them their bags before returning to the car.
"With all due respect sir, I made them work in shifts, so each team had dinner and plenty of rest. The last team started their shift two hours ago. They were keeping four-hour shifts, sir."
"What about you, Lieutenant?" the Lieutenant Commander asked.
"I've been on the wharf checking crates, sir."
"You've been up all night, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir. I did have breaks between shifts, sir."
"Let me know when the remaining supplies are on board, Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir."
They exchanged salutes before they walked to the ship. Kate let out a breath before walking up to the ship for a coffee and bathroom break. When the three crates arrived, Kate checked the numbers before they were loaded on the ship. Once everything was settled, she reported it to the Commander before getting a break to have a shower and eat. Soon, she was on the bridge of HMAS Anzac as they left port.
A week later, Mike left on HMAS Sydney. Thanks to the frigates computers, they could email to each other, taking advantage of being the officers on the ship. Every two weeks they exchanged emails, and in the second month, Mike learned that HMAS Anzac provided navy gunfire support during the battle of Al Faw which lasted for three days. Thankfully, the only thing they missed after the battle was sleep. Kate told him they were in very short sleeping time due to the hours needed to help.