On with the first of the new chapters.

Kate's PoV

Back onboard I check in to see how the little girl is doing. She looks so scared, even when she's sleeping. I lie down beside her and gently wrap my arms around her. I whisper into her ear that everything will be ok. I close my eyes tightly and drift off to sleep.

*dream flashback*

A feeling of safe overcomes me. Tight warm arms hold me. A sharp pain in my head telling me all I need to know. I hear familiar voices from outside the door. It takes me a few minutes to get my head back in gear. I turn my head to see whose arms I'm in. My first thought was just to go back to sleep in Mike's arms, till my half drunken mind caught up to the reasoning side of my brain. The consequences if this were ever to get out and leave his cabin, and strangely just what exactly his sober reaction would be also cross my mind.

I vaguely remember how I got here. Small bits stick out. Like arriving in port going to a bar, several drinks laughing and joking after we'd slipped out the rest just a fast moving blur. Stealthily I remove his arms instantly missing the safety and warmth. My body aching with every pace I take away from him. I quickly dress myself and place his civvies over his bunk, just as he would. I turn to look at him before leaving. His lips move but nothing but incoherent mumbles fall from them. Alone tear trickles down my face. No, I have shed enough tears over him; this shouldn't have happened and never will do again. I open the door and walk out of it quietly closing it.

I peek round mine and Nikki's cabin I see that she's not yet back. I glance at the time, wondering what happened to her. As I crawl into bed I remember the last thing Mike said; 'I love you Katie always have and always will.'

*end dream flashback*

I slowly open my eyes to find a pair of deep blue eyes staring at me; still half drowsy I sit up. The girl carefully walks round to me and looks me dead in the eyes before speaking just loud enough to be heard;"Kate, Who's Mike? And why were you saying he loves you?" I look up at her, my mouth almost gaping while my mind tries to compose itself. I try to reply before I notice Mike walking into the room. I see a slight smile creeping onto his face. Our eyes briefly lock onto each other.

"I see that sleeping beauty herself has awakened at last." His eyes divert midway through his sentence I try to follow his gaze but a wave of dizziness stop me dead, I can just about notice two sets of eyes on me; one pair seem to be from the floor and the others from the ceiling. I feel a tug at my leg and a hand on my shoulder. Finally my balance returns, I carefully sit up the two worried faces looking directly at me as I do so,

"I'm fine Sir." I can read Mike far too easily; the girl on the other hand is just clinging tightly to my leg. Mike tries to reach out to her but she backs away the look she wears changes instantly, an almost terrified looks appears. "Its ok sweetie he won't hurt," her eyes shut tight. I touch her arm where Swain patched it up she looks up at me. "I promise he will not hurt you." She doesn't speak her eyes just say it all, smiling at her I reply to her look, "I just do." Her blue eyes stare straight into Mike's; he carefully picks her right hand up she flinches slightly at the contact, but he just keeps it in his and smiles at her, "She's right you know I won't." His voice both soft and meaningful I've only ever seen Mike like this a few times, his face now a mix of worry and something I can't quite place, its familiar and comforting yet it chills me to my spine.

A knock at the door breaks the whole spell, a few seconds later Bomber walks I can barely hear what she's saying something about finishing patching the girl up. I look over to where she is; she doesn't seem to mind her which is a good thing. Bomber carefully picks the girl up and takes her down to the ward room.

Upon hearing the door shut I feel a hand on my shoulder and the sound of Mike's voice. "Can I have a word in private please Kate?" Nodding my head I follow him to his cabin, the dizziness getting worse with each stride. Luckily it's not much further. Once we get there he opens the door for me. He motions for me to sit my hands just about manage to find it. "There something you wish to tell me?"

I think for a moment or two, wondering whether to tell him or not, I close my eyes briefly, and auto pilot seems just to kick itself in. "No Sir everything's perfectly fine."

He starts pacing round the room; "Fine?" he shakes his head before continuing. "So you call throwing up half of the night fine do you? Or the fact that you barley eat anything? That you're always arriving late? That's fine is it Kate? Well then I would hate to see your idea when something's not right."

Getting up quickly so we're standing face to face only a few centimetres apart, I can't decide whether to yell at him or kiss. I pause in my mind wondering where on earth I got the idea to kiss from; the dizziness must really be starting to affect me, I swear the room's actually spinning. I quickly opt for the yelling method. "As I said before I am fine, if you don't believe me then that's you problem not mine, And why the hell do you even care Mike?" I pause taking a deep breath my legs seem to want cave and I can barley breath. Subconsciously place one hand on my stomach and the other on my forehead. "There's...There's nothing wrong..." I manage to gasp out before the place starts to go funny and Mike's muffled voice before it all goes black.

Thanks for all the reviews from both stories, this chapter took awhile to write due to writers block. hope you enjoyed it, I aim to update later on in the week