Ch 108

He opened the door, and Kate turned to see who it was. "Captain."

"Lieutenant. I came to get a coffee," he said.

"Come in. Are your men settled?"

"Yes, thanks," he said as he walked towards Kate who was finishing Mike and her cups of coffee.

"Coffee mugs are up there," she pointed to one of the doors. "Along with the sugar. You will find spoons in here and milk in the fridge here."

"How long have you worked on here, Lieutenant?"

"Almost eight months. It's your first time on a patrol boat, Captain?"

"No, I've been on the older ones. These are a lot bigger."

"That they are," Kate finished stirring the coffee and rinsed the spoons before she placed in the sink to dry. "If you need anything, ask anyone of the crew."

"Thanks." Kate walked out of the kitchen, and he watched her walk out before getting back to make his drink when the door was opened. "Hi."

"Captain, sir. I heard you and X talking. I saw the way you looked at her when she walked out, sir."

"What are you trying to say, Petty Officer Tomaszewski?" Jim said using his rank and the name on his tag. Buffer stepped close invading his personal space.

"Forget any ideas you might have about the X," he whispered menacingly.

"Are you jealous? Aren't their rules about having a relationship on boats?"

"Yes, there are, Captain. I'm a friend, nothing more, I respect her and so should you."

"Buffer? What's going on in here?" he turned around to see Nav in the doorway.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Nav," she folded her arms in front of her

"Really Buffer?"

"Yes, Nav." She gave him a look which he knew all too well and made him smile.

"Protecting the female crew, Nav."

"Why thank you, Buffer. I know you got my and X backs."

"Any time," then they heard laughter

"I'll better go and find out what Spider and ET are doing, I hope it's not another one of their stupid jokes," Nav smiled as Buffer walked past her.

"You'll never know with those two," Nav said

"True," he walked out then turned around to look at Jim. "Captain, remember I protect all my crew members."

"Buffer," he turned to Nav.

"Just a warning, that's all." Then he walk away.

"Care to tell me what was that about, Captain?" Nav asked the man.

"It's nothing, ma'am."

"Nothing? Buffer won't warn anyone without reason for it, Captain. Should I go and warn Commander Flynn?" Jim huffed and waved his hand.

"He jealous of Lieutenant McGregor."

"Why would he be jealous?"

"The Navy relationship rules, I'll guess," he shrugged.

"Are you interested in her?"

"I might be."

"Well, I'll forget anything about it, Captain."

"Why?"

"For once, Buffer is very protective of all his crew members, especially us female. Then, there's that little fact that X is married. So, I would suggest staying away from both while you are here, Captain." She finished with a grin before she walked away.

Buffer breathed with ease nine hours later, when the two HRIBs were back on the Hammersley after leaving the SAS team on the shore. And turning back to their patrol.

"What's going on here?" Kate asked entering the junior mess when she heard a lot of noises.

"Ma'am, this was here for the crew," one answered her, and she steps forth.

"Was there a note?"

"Here," Spider said giving her the envelope. She pulled it out and unfolded the note; she frowned as she read it before she returned it to the envelope.

"You are not going to open it. It's going to be returned to its owner," she said turning around.

"What do you mean, X?" ET asked

"We do not accept gifts from anyone; we are here to do a job."

"X, who is it from?" Buffer asked

"Ray Walsmen," Everyone quickly stood back.

"Why?" Buffer asked again.

"As a thank you gift for what we did for his daughter. Once we return to port, this TV will be returning to Ray Walsmen. If I find out that anyone opened this box, he or she will have to deal with me, and I mean it. Now, take it to the officer's mess and leave it there."

Kate watched Buffer and Charge picked the box and took it from the junior's mess to the officer's one. Once it was put in a sure place, they walked out closing the door behind them. Kate returned to the bridge and delivered the envelope to Mike.

"What's this?" Mike asked

"Ray Walsmen send a thank you gift to the crew. A forty-inch flat screen television."

"What?" Mike said in shock

"It's in the officer mess until we return to port."

"Good idea."

Two weeks went by until they were able to return to Cairns again. Mike was in his cabin checking his messages when he received an e-mail from Steve. He replied before shutting down his laptop and returning to the bridge. He stood next to Kate, and she turned to look at him.

"What's wrong, sir?" She asked slowly.

"We've been invited to attend a Consulate cocktail party with the French frigate Commander."

"We? As in you and me?" She frowned.

"As the whole crew."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. It's tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he nodded before he picked the mic. "Here, this is the Captain speaking. The Hammersley crew has been invited to a cocktail party tomorrow night, wear your dress whites, and please behave, or the X will give you cleaning duties, that is all."

The next day, they touched port. When everything was done, Charge and Buffer carried the box off the Hammersley and put it in the boot of Steve staff car before they returned on board while Mike talked to Steve for a few minutes before he left.

Later that night, the whole crew showed up at the cocktail party. Both Mike and Kate gave the team a warning before they went their separate ways for the evening. During the night, Kate and Mike saw Jim Roth walk down the steps and over to the bar to get himself a drink.

"Mike, did you know that Captain Roth was going to be here?"

"No, I'm as surprised as you are. Let's dance." She nodded, and they walked to the dance floor.

When the third song finished, Kate left to go to the ladies' room. Mike walked to the crew to talk to them until her return. Once she finished, she went to get a glass of champagne for Mike and her. With the two glasses on hand, she turned around and walked over to Spider. She looked up and followed his line of sight.

"Spider, don't do anything stupid, understand?"

"Yes, X."

"I mean it, Spider. Something stupid in this environment can cost you your promotion," she warned before she walked towards Mike. During the next four hours, they enjoyed themselves before they returned to the Hammersley for the night.

The next day, they left for a week patrol. When they returned, the pub was a date to celebrate Spider's promotion. After that, they got Officer Campbell Fulton from Animal Control on board to help him with a case of animal smuggling. As the name rung a bell for the Flynn's they checked they went to Mike's cabin and checked the note once they were out in the sea.

"I suggest we leave Buffer on the boat with him and not ET," Kate said.

"I agree."

"Captain to the bridge, X to the bridge," was heard over the PA system

"Shall we?" Mike asked as she placed the letter away.

Three hours later, Kate walked down to her cabin. She heard voices and opened the door enough to see Campbell kissing Nikki. In a quick thought, Kate took her phone and recorded as Nav pushed Campbell away from her and yelled at him.

"Get out! I'm reporting you to the Captain!"

"You wouldn't dare! Unless you want him to know about you and ET flirting!"

"If you are trying to blackmail me, it's not going to work!"

"If you go to your Captain, I'll make a formal complaint against you."

"Complaint about what?"

"You invited me into your cabin," he waved, and Kate saw the shocked look on Nav's face.

"That's a lie! You busted in here, kissed me and tried to feel me up, get out!"

Nav headed to the door, and Campbell grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall and tried to kiss her again. Nav defended herself by hitting him with her knee in the groin and pushed him away when he slapped her across the face. Kate opened the door then.

"Mr. Fulton," she said, and he turned to see Kate standing in the threshold.

"You have no permission to enter any personal cabin. Now, leave."

"X, is everything ok?" She turned when she saw Buffer and ET walking towards her. They stopped when they reached the cabin.

"What did you do?" ET turned towards Campbell noticing Nav's red face.

"Nav, are you ok?" she looked up at ET and shook her head.

"You son of a…"

"ET, stand down! Buffer get him out of here, now!"

"You heard," Buffer said giving Campbell an angry look. Campbell walked out of the cabin with Buffer behind him. Kate walked in closing the door behind her.

"Nav, I heard everything, you should tell the Captain."

"I know I should."

"Can you answer one question?" Nav turned to Kate

"Were you and ET flirting when Campbell Fulton was on the ship?"

"Yes, just once. We were next to one of the HRIBS, ET was trying to cheer me up, and the only way he knows how is to flirt with me," Nav said wiping her eyes.

"She received a phone call, while I was talking to her," ET explained. "Her grandmother had a heart attack this morning. I tried to cheer her up; I said to Nav: 'if she looks and acts anything like you, she sure is beautiful and will survive, you both are strong and got the willpower to live,'" he finished.

"And I told him to stop flirting with me."

"I said well it true, and she said, It's not. And then I added, that she's not only beautiful but way better looking that Charge on a dress, she laughed, mission complete."

"Nav, you should tell the Captain about what happened."

"It's his word against mine."

"Actually, no. I recorded what happened Nav. I was watching and listening to the whole thing from when you told him to get out and that you were going to report him."

"X to the bridge," was heard over the PA system

"We'll talk about it later."

"Thanks, X."

"ET, you should leave. Nav, get some rest. I'll let Captain know that you are not feeling well."

"Thanks," she said before they left her alone.