Disclaimer: I own nothing.

****************

Commanding Officer Mike Flynn makes his way up the stairs to the bridge, but reaching the top, finds himself unable to go any further. Standing on the step, he turns his head to RO, who is seated at his desk, as far away back as physically possible from the situation in front of them both. 'What's going on?' mouthed Mike.

'Audit,' mouthed RO back.

That was strange, thought Mike. Why were they getting a call about an audit while they were at sea? They'd never really had to worry about audits before. Leaning over the wall, Mike whispers to RO. 'What happened to Ten Knee Caps?'

'Tennessee Albright? She was in an awful car crash, so they've brought in this new person to collect up the data,' responded RO as he stood up. Seeing the glare sent in his direction, RO sat down promptly again. 'I can't say that I'm a fan though. The X had to tell her Hammersley's ship number, boss.'

'I see,' said Mike slowly in response as RO continued to talk. 'She's been on the phone for the last hour,' RO quickly shot out as his XO sent another glare in his direction and he pretended to be looking at the screen in front of him.

As her phone conversation continued, Kate was moving to various positions around the bridge to find the necessary paperwork and reports to answer the questions posed by the person on the other end. As she was moving around and doing so, the satellite phone cord was stretching and getting hooked on all sorts of surfaces.

Exchanging glances with Nav at her station and Swain at the helm, Mike decided that he would remain standing on the step until his XO's conversation was complete. Hopefully it would be before Kate strangled herself or the phone ran out of cord.

When the conversation is finally completed fifteen minutes later, Lieutenant Kate McGregor places the phone in its holder and turns to her companions on the bridge. Before her were Nav, Mike, RO and Swain, all looking at her intently, as if by doing so, they can ascertain her mood. 'What?' she asked.

'Everything okay ma'am?' asked Nav to her left. 'Just fine,' said Kate in response as she made a move to her left in order to place a file back on a shelf. But for some reason, she found herself unable to move, and as she looked down at her body, she realised that she'd managed to get herself tied up in the phone cable.

Swain has a barely concealed grin as he returns his attention to the water, Nav makes a move to the EOD for something, and RO is intently looking anywhere but at his XO, and so it is Mike Flynn who steps forward and helps her get unravelled.

****************

When Mike and Kate head out to dinner that – just the two of them – Kate brought up this incident just after they'd placed their orders and the waiter had taken away their menus. 'It was hysterical when I finished my phone call and I look up at you all, and you've all got these looks on your faces. It was like you expected me to explode or something!' laughed Kate.

'We weren't scared,' scoffed Mike. 'Just, ah, cautious.'

'Cautious? Right,' responded Kate with a knowing grin. 'I may be pregnant, but I'm not Godzilla!'

Mike and Kate slip into an easy conversation, and it wasn't until their meals arrived that Mike brought up the baby again. 'I've got to admit, for a boat that cannot keep a secret to save their life, your pregnancy seems to be pretty safe.'

'Mm-hmm,' responded Kate, more concerned about the skewering that tomato she wanted from her lover's plate. 'And it looks like that Buffer's the only one that knows that knows about paternity.'

'Uh uh,' corrected Kate as she covered up her mouth that was full of food. 'Nikki knows too.'

'Nav?' asked Mike wiith a raised eyebrow.

'Yeah,' said Kate, mouth now empty. 'Didn't I tell you this story? It's pretty funny,' said Kate as she prepares to delve into Mike's plate once again. 'No you didn't,' said Mike as he stopped her path by grabbing her wrist. 'Why didn't you order some tomatoes for yourself?'

'I don't know,' said Kate thoughtfully. 'I didn't want them then. But I do want them now.'

'And besides, you don't even like tomatoes,' continued Mike.

'They're not for me, they're for baby,' responded Kate in a manner of fact tone as she pointed to her still flat stomach. 'How can am I supposed to argue with that?' muttered Mike as he left her free to roam his plate once more. 'Now, what's this funny story you were going to tell me?'

'It was a couple of days after I'd told Nikki that I was pregnant. Nikki rocked up at my house and announced it was time for a girly afternoon. We went shopping for a bit, and then we had lunch together. And if there is one thing that our Navigator isn't – it's subtle,' laughed Kate as Mike grinned.

'She started up a sudden conversation about baby names. She said she wouldn't be offended at all if I called the kid Nicholas or Nicola, and then Nicky for short.' As Mike showed his distaste at these names, Kate grinned. 'Don't worry, I told Nikki that her name is something lovely and unique that we'll keep for referring to her – and her only! Then she moved onto middle names. According to Nikki, Michael and Michaela are good middle name options, and so on that bombshell ...'

'... Nikki knows,' finished off Mike. 'Oh and by the way,' said Kate as she picked up her glass. 'Nikki's also granted herself honorary aunt status.' Taking a sip of her drink and placing it on the table again, Kate shook her head. 'This kid of ours is going to be spoilt within an inch of its life.'

'Ya think?' said Mike with a wry grin. 'Just wait til the rest of them find out. 2 Dads and Charge will have a betting pool up and running before you know it.'

'Gods, I'd forgotten about that,' groaned Kate as she rubbed her hand over her face and then meets Mike's eyes with a smile. They share a long look, before Mike breaks the moment by placing his hand over Kate's on the tabletop. 'It's good to see you happy.'

****************

When Kate yawned for the nth time an hour later, Mike called for the bill. Payment sorted, he shrugged into his jacket as Kate stood up from her chair and pulled on her own. 'Come on sleepy head, let's get you home.'

As Mike slid an arm around her shoulders, Kate looked up at him with a serious look. 'Where is home?'

'That's something high up on my list of things to talk to you about,' promised Mike as he opens the restaurant door and allows her to exit first. 'Amongst a few other little important things,' he added under his breath as he follows. 'The day you step off the Hammersley for the last time, is the day that some things are going to change.'

'Sound ominous,' grinned Kate as they stood waiting for a taxi. As Kate shivers in the chilly night air, Mike pulls her small frame close into him and kisses the top of her head. When they slip into the back of a taxi five minutes later, Mike couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. Things were looking good.

****************

Next chapter: What does Mike have to say?