CH 10

MacGyver met up with Jim for lunch at the park as he had a few days off as well. He had been surprised when he received a text from her not expecting that they would be back in port so soon. They were sitting down on a blanket enjoying the sun and lunch.

"Finally no interruptions," she said making Jim laugh.

"You got that right," he leans over and kisses her "so when do you leave?"

"Don't know, it would depend on the Navy, but with Buffer's mum, it is hard to know. From what he told me, when he spoke to her most recently, she'll probably go in the next few hours."

"It would be hard on any family."

"Yeah, it would be."

"You know, I know very little about you."

"Well... I can tell you I'm an only child, both parents dead, lost my mum when I was five and my dad ten years later. None of my parents family like each other but my parents did love each other. The family forbid them to be together, but that didn't stop them, they got married and had me five years later. They knew from when I was little how bright I was. Finished school at twelve and went to college and got several degrees. When I was eighteen, nineteen I joined the Navy."

"Six years in college! How did your father afford that?"

"Good business sense, shares in the market. Before I was born, he was a partner and silent partner in dozens of businesses where his earnings were in millions of dollars every year until his sudden death while I was in college. There was a trustee that managed the funds until I was eighteen. I sold my dad's part of the business to the partners."

"Wow! That makes you a millionaire!"

"Was."

"Was? What happened?"

"I helped someone out with a problem, she got shot and I was the witness to the shooting" He sat up and turned to her.

"What is it that you are trying not to tell me?"

She looked down at her hands then up to Jim, "there are things you do need to know Jim, but for now please don't ask."

"Does Mike know?"

"Yes, and few Navy personnel."

"It is classified?"

"Yes," then her phone rings checking caller ID...Buffer…

Jim was thinking about what she said until she hung up, he looked to her "June?"

"Buffer's mum passed away fifteen minutes ago."

"Please, send my condolences to him and his family."

"I will," he leaned over and put his hand into hers. "When you're ready to tell me, I'll listen and one day understand."

"Thanks, Jim," leaning over and kissing him. "Now, what shall we do this afternoon?" MacGyver asked.

"How about returning to my place for some ice cream and fruit salad?"

"Sounds good to me," they kiss then pack everything up and take the short walk to Jim's.

They were enjoying their ice cream and fruit salad when MacGyver's phone rings again, it was a blast text message from Mike. "We've got the next five days off because of Buffer's mom's funeral. We're all attending," closing her phone and putting it on the coffee table and returning to her desert.

"How are you feeling?" Jim asked.

"Full, you?"

"I'm good, you know this is the second date out of, I don't know how many, that we managed to finish a meal without one of us having to leave for a patrol or mission meeting."

MacGyver laughed. "That is so true." He leaned over and kissed her passionately.

When they broke for air. "Would you like to take it further?" He asked holding her close.

"Yes," she whispered, " but there is something you need to know, Jim."

"You haven't got a virus or something?" he said giving her a funny look making her laugh.

"No... it's more personal."

"What is it?" as he continues to caress her.

"I… I haven't slept with anyone before."

"What about your boyfriends?"

"No boyfriends, your the first guy who's ever taken an interest in me, Jim and our dating so far hasn't been too successful."

Jim cupped her face, "no, it hasn't. But we have managed to spend time together."

"True."

"Would you like me to make love to you June?" She leaned forward and kissed him softly building to passionate as they move until they were lying down on the couch.

Four days later all the Hammersley crew, Jim and some of his men who have worked with Buffer in the past few months attended Buffer's mother's funeral. Afterwards, they all spoke to Buffer as he greeted and thank those who attended. MacGyver noticed that Nav was standing next to Buffer.

"Buffer."

"Macgyver," they hug, "Thanks again for intervening and getting me home."

" I'm glad that I could help, my condolences once again."

"Thanks for coming."

"There are families and there are..." she looked over to the Hammersley crew then back at Buffer, "families, even if they are crazy ones."

"That's true."

"Nav"

"MacGyver"

"You look after Buffer here."

"I will,"

Leaning in and whispering in Nav's ear, "We will talk while out on patrol." Then stepping back and gave her a wink while Buffer and Jim look at them.

"What? it's a girl thing. You men wouldn't understand," Nav giggled.

"Very funny," Buffer said.

Jim and MacGyver walked over to where the Hammersley crew and the SAS are and talk for fifteen minutes before going there separate ways.

Two days later, Hammersley left port to finish their four-week patrol. That night in the XO's cabin Nav, Kate and MacGyver were talking about their shore leave.

"So, Nav, you and Buffer?" MacGyver said.

"I'm there just as a friend."

"Ah-ha, I've seen the way he and ET look at you, but I thought you and ET got together when he was on Melbourne."

"What?" Kate said shocked.

"We were for a couple of months before we broke up."

"What happened?" Kate asked.

"He lied to me about his pregnant ex-girlfriend. He told me that she got an abortion, but she didn't. We had planned on spending a day together but he cancelled the night before so when I went to do some shopping. I saw him and her. I was shocked that he cancelled our only day together to be with her, then I saw the stroller and the baby which would be about nine or ten months old. I did some calculations and it worked out that it was ET's baby. I remembered that when we had shore leave, he was in port with Melbourne for three weeks because of a maternity leave and that he cancelled our week together because of a 'family emergency' which I accepted. Then thinking about it, it was around the time the baby was born" Tears was falling down her cheeks so Kate wraps her arm around her and MacGyver rolled the chair forward and put her hand on her arm rubbing it up and down.

"Does Buffer know?" MacGyver asked.

"Yes, he saw me in the mall and walked over to me, he saw what I saw and wasn't happy with what ET had done."

"So what did Buffer do" Kate asked.

"He took me out to lunch and we went for a walk in the park and talked. He managed to cheer me up the best he can and we had a great day together."

"So you're returning the favour by supporting him."

"Yes, and cheering him up. It wasn't easy, but his family did ask about what he was like out on patrol. I told them and even shared some funny stories about him which made them laugh."

"Like what, the Miss Venus story? When he was wearing, or the fishy story?" MacGyver asked.

"Both."

"What about you Kate?"

"Besides sleeping in, shopping, relaxing?"

"What? No date?" Nav said.

"Yes, there was a date."

"Oh, do tell!" MacGyver said grinning.

"We went out to dinner, walked along the walkway back to my place while the sun was setting and he didn't leave till the next morning."

"Way to go Kate!" Nav said.

"And what about the other nights?"

"Oh, them also."

"Oh my, Kate, who is he?" Nav asked.

"Not saying. So MacGyver, did you manage to cash in one of your many rainchecks?" Kate asked.

"Yes."

"And?" Nav asked

"No crash sails, or meetings, or missions," MacGyver answered grinning.

"So... you had dinner together?" Nav asked her.

"Yes, and lunch, and breakfast." Nav and Kate look at her almost speechless.

"No way! You two…" Nav asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Oh my, so when was the first time?" Kate's turn to ask.

"It was the first time that we got together. It was after we returned to his place for dessert."

"That's some dessert" grinning, "you mean you two hadn't before?"

"No, because of the rainchecks from one thing or another."

"I'm happy for you," Nav said.

"Same here." Kate added, "Question, does he know about your past?"

"I told him about Gina Johnson's past, but he knows that I'm keeping things from him and he said that he will wait until I'm ready to tell him. I think he knows but hasn't said a thing about it."

"At least it's a start for you both," Kate said

"Thanks."

During the month's patrol, they were busy with mayday calls and FFV. Returning to Cairns, everyone was looking forward to having some shore leave. MacGyver and Jim had one night together before he was called to a mission.

When Hammersley left port they were heading to one of the islands to help out because a doctor's surgery had been destroyed by a mortar attack.

The generator was destroyed as well. Hammersley's crew helped out with the rebuilding of the Doctor's Surgery as well as fix up the stores that were damaged. The crew was there for three weeks working hard.

One day MacGyver was talking to Kate when she put her hand on Kate's arm as she was talking. MacGyver looked around. "What is it?" Kate asked.

"Something's wrong, I can feel it in the air."

"Like what?" Kate looked around and saw Mike looking at her then he walked over to them.

"Kate."

"it MacGyver said something is wrong."

"What is it, MacGyver?"

"I don't know if it's just a gut feeling or if something is going to happen." Then she looks up to the hills pulling out a scope she lifted it up to scan the hills when she saw movement, then she saw a mortar launcher.

"OH SHIT! Take cover!" She yelled out causing everyone to look at her. "INCOMING!" everyone ran for cover.

"Sir, the hill, twenty-five meters up in the clearing," MacGyver said.

Then they all heard the ear-piercing sound and the Doctor's Surgery that was being built blown up. Mike got on the radio to Hammersley then they heard two shots from the typhoon, then nothing. MacGyver went to take a look through her scope.

"Target destroyed." then bombing began again so she ran for cover.

"There must be at least another three more, Sir."

"We've gotta get these people out of here," Kate said. Once the shelling stopped, Swain and MacGyver attended to the wounded while Mike spoke to the leader of the community and then contacted Hammersley.

Twenty minutes later, everyone from the village was slowly heading to the beach, leaving their homes behind to go to another island where they are welcome because of what has happened to their village.