Chapter 33

The next morning Mike walked into Cairns NAVCOM, he looked around as he walked over to Commander Marshal office and knocked on the door before entering the room.

"Steve," Mike called getting him to raise his eyes.

"Mike! How are you?"

"I'm good. Congratulations on your promotion."

"Thanks, please, take a seat. I heard triple congratulations are in order."

"Triple? What do you mean, Steve?"

"Promotion, getting married and a baby on the way, you sure have been busy," he said grinning, making Mike laugh.

"Gee, thanks. Kate told me about her tour with Coco and you." Steve grinned.

"I'm glad he's not here. You know he doesn't like that nickname, Mike."

"True, now since you called me in..."

"Mike, you are going to captain HMAS Childers for the remaining three years before she retires."

"And after that?"

"We will wait and see," Steve told him

"Do you know what happened to Jon-Jon?"

"He was promoted and is now in Perth."

"Really? Good for him."

"Well, Mike. Here is the list of crew members, including the XO." Steve told him passing him a folder. Mike took it.

"And it is in port?" Mike asked reading the file.

"Yes, you leave tomorrow for a month patrol, you will be back on the twenty-fifth."

"Thanks, Steve, is there anything else?"

"How is your wife?"

"She's good. She's seeing Admiral Towers this morning about her assignment."

"Oh, she must be getting bigger."

"Yeah, she is showing already," Mike grinned.

"When I meet your wife for the first time, she was..." Steve trailed.

"Amazing, beautiful, straight shooter?" Mike offered, and Steve laughed

"And bossy," he added making Mike laugh

"I know about what happened to you two, Kate told me. She's lucky she didn't get into trouble."

"I agree. I thought she would end up at the Captain's table." Mike grinned.

"Let me guess; she corrected him on few things."

"Yes, she did. If it wasn't for her, things might have been a bit dicey, and he could end up in trouble."

"That's one thing I love about Kate. She takes no nonsense from anyone, and she will correct anyone if she knows she is right."

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, Mike."

"What do you mean, Steve?"

"She corrected you… twice." He said with a chuckle making Mike shake his head

"Yeah, well. She's too damn smart."

Mike and Steve talked for a while longer that day, before Mike returned home. That night, he called Kate.

"I miss you," he told her after she answered the phone, Kate smiled.

"I miss you more. How did it go with commander Marshall?" she asked.

"Quite good. I'm posted on Childers, and I leave for a month patrol tomorrow." He said sitting outside.

"Patrol boat, whoa. I bet you are happy." She grinned.

"Yes. I'll be there for the next three years until her retirement," he commented, and she smiled. "But enough about me, what about you? How did it go?"

"I'll be teaching the navigation course for the next four months until I get my maternity leave."

"That's something I know you will enjoy, Kate." He whispered, and she chuckled.

"I know I will."

Early the next day both started their new paths. And three days after that in Colorado, Major General O'Neill and Colonel Samantha Carter received safely birth of their twins Connor and Matthew.

A month later, Kate unlocked the door to her condo, she walked inside and locked the door behind her. Pulling the clip out of her hair she walked down the bedroom and smiled when she saw the surprise on her bed; she grinned she was going to be Prince Philip for Mike. She got closer and kissed him softly, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Kate smiled at him.

"Surprise?" Mike grinned.

"Indeed, it is. When did you get in?"

"To port this morning, here in the afternoon." He grinned placing his hands on her stomach. "Hey! He…she … kicked!" he added with widened eyes.

"Yeah, started a couple of weeks ago." He cupped her face

"I miss you, Kate. Every day."

"I miss you, Mike. How much time we have?" She asked hopefully.

"Never enough…" he sighed. "Four days."

"At least you got here in time for the appointment."

"Yeah. What were you planning for tonight?"

"Relax and reading a book. But now you are here so I can change my plans," she wriggled her eyebrows.

"What would you say if I take you into town for dinner?"

"Sounds like a date, Mike." She grinned turning around to get out of her uniform. "How was your patrol?"

"Good, we came across a few FFV's and attended some maydays."

"And how do you like your new crew?" She asked turning around, she was only in her bra and panties, and he could see how much the baby had grown.

"They are okay. There were six new members besides me."

"Anyone you knew?"

"Yes, Charge and Buffer were transferred there. It's good to have around people you know from before. Buffer said hi by the way." Kate smiled.

"He also sent his congratulations and wanted to know if he's going to be an uncle for a boy or girl." They chuckled.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him he will have to wait to know."

"And you, Mike?" she asked turning around fully dressed now. "Do you want to know?"

"I wouldn't mind. It probably will be easier to decide a nursery theme if we know. You? Do you want to know?"

"I wouldn't mind, but it will be nice to be able to pick a name and stop talking about he or she every single time we talk about the baby." She grinned, and Mike chuckled.

"You have a good point, as always."

Mike moved towards Kate, and she smiled as he pulled her towards him and lifted her top and kneeling he placed his ear on her stomach. She found the action sweet and caressed his hair as he tried to listen to their child. After a few moments, he placed a kiss on her belly before standing up and kissing her.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm hungry." She said breaking the kiss.

"Then we better get going." Kate nodded and went around sorting her purse and grabbing a jacket.

"I called for a taxi," Mike told her joining her in the living room.

"Do you have a place in mind?" She asked

"I booked us the cockle bay wharf."

"I've been there before; the meal was great."

"So, I've heard. Afterward, we could walk along the wharf if you feel like."

"Sounds great," she sighed happily, "but we shall see. The nights are getting colder."

Half an hour later, a waiter showed them to a table with a view. They enjoyed their evening meal and drinks while talking about the month that happened since the last time they saw each other. Once they finished with their dinner, it started to rain, and they returned to her home.

The moment Mike turned around from locking the door, Kate pushed him against the door and kissed him hard. He followed her lead, and soon they were walking backward to the room.

"Kate. Are you okay?" he managed to ask between kisses. She stopped and grinned mischievously.

"I'm on a hormonal stage of pregnancy."

"Oh! We should stop?"

"Don't you dare."

"So, you are at that stage?" He asked with a frown.

"If you imagine the stage that is related to how I got pregnant in the first place, then yes. Are we done talking now?" She said pushing him to the bed and straddling him.

"I guess that answered my next question." He managed to say before she kissed him.

The next morning Mike drove her to Watson bay for her two classes that morning. While she was teaching, Mike returned to the condo and started putting the crib together before picking Kate up for lunch. He drove them to town for lunch and then they went window shopping to make time to get to the hospital for her appointment.

"Everything looks good," The Doctor said that afternoon, and then, he looked at the faces of her patient and her husband. "Do you want to know the gender?"

"Yes." They both nodded.

"What are we having?" Kate added.