Bomber silently left deck and practicaly run in her cabin, what she shared with Bird. Bird was in her uper rack when Bomber stumbled in it. Bird saw that her best friend was upset.
"You ok Bomb?" asked Bird and rised from her rack while looking into Bomber.
"Yes Bird I am." answered Bomber with a fake smile and sit on the flore, her back she leaned on her rack.
"You are not. What is it?" said Bird and sit by her friend.
"Nothing just..."
"It is about him, isn't?"
"About who?" asked Bomber staring into the Bird.
"I noticed that your feelings for our XO are not just friendship feelings." answered Bird.
"How?"
"Well, your behaving towards EJ explains a lot. And you blush every time when you are close to Buffer, especially when you are passing by him in the corridor so when he avoid you to both can pass he touch your shoulders." said Bird with a smirk.
"Promise you won't say anyone?" asked Bomber and turn to face Bird.
"Yes."
"I saw him and EJ on the deck. They were kissing."
"What? No way. How much I know Buffer, he would never mess his private life and professional. And he never would bring his private life on the ship."
"I know what I saw." interjected Bomber.
"You will report them?" asked Bird and looked in her friend.
"No. I am not person like that."
"Why you don't talk with him? Tell him all? Then you would know on what you are."
"Never. I allready know what I am for him. I am for him just one more sailor on the board, petty officer. He is never gonna look on me as on the woman. He and EJ..." started Bomber and dashed her tears away. "They deserve to be happy." she added and smiled, but smiled crack down and she start to cry.
"Oh Bomber." said Bird and hugged her friend.
"I love him. I came on this boat holping that something could happen between us. Something more than a friendship."
"Calm down. He doesn't deserve you. And he is an idiot if he choose EJ and not you." suported Bird.
"When you became so reasonble?"
"I had my moments." said Bird and both laughed.
In meanwhile, on the deck, Buffer push away EJ.
"We shouldn't do that." he said while he pushed her away.
"Why not? I just want to move away." said EJ.
"But not with me. I am not guy for you. I can't be with someone I don't love. I like you as a friend but nothing more." said Buffer and left a deck. He didn't know that Bomber saw all that on the deck.
EJ was nice girl, and good person, but Buffer knew that she wasn't for him. They were different and for him between them couldn't be nothing more than a friendship, especially because in his heart was another woman. Woman with who he imagined his life and future.
0700 first morning watch
Bomber was sitting on RO's place. She didn't like that for wheel was EJ but she couldn't do anything against it. How much she was jelaous in that moment she couldn't do anything. Buffer choose EJ. How much that was painfull she needed to admitt it. Bomber looked on stairs what were leading to the bridge and she saw Buffer walking up. He was holding two cups. He went to the wheel and gave one to the EJ.
"Earth is calling Bomber! Can you answer?" asked Nav waving her hand in front of Bomber.
"Sorry you said something?" asked Bomber and she looked like she woke up.
"You still sleeping?" teased Nav.
"No, just was thinking about something." answered Bomber avoiding Charges grin.
"Oh ok then." said Nav with a smirk. Bomber just rolled her eyes. In that moment RO came on bridge and Bomber rised from his place. He sat for it and looked into Bomber.
"Are you ok?" he asked her worriedly.
"Yes I am. Why wouldn't I?"
"Well you were shot yesterday."
"I am fine." smiled Bomber and left the bridge.
1100 preparing for a shore party
"Hands to boarding stations! Hands to boarding stations! Shore party on the deck! Shore party on the deck!" came through the radio.
Bomber was part of shore party. Buffer and Bird weren't happy. She still was weak and in pains, but they didn't said anything. Shore party came on the island and they were spliting in the teams.
"Dutchy, Bird you are taking east part of island, RO and EJ west, me and Bomber south, Rhino, Charge north." Buffer gave instructions.
"Aye sir!" they said and went by XO's orders.
Bomber and Buffer's search was moving in the silent, what start to be very unpleasant.
"Have I done something wrong?" asked Buffer and interupted silency.
"No." she answered not looking into him.
"So why are you like that? How much I know, yesterday in wardroom we talked normally."
"I told you. Everything is fine Buff." Bomber try to assure him in something what she didn't believe either.
"Look Bomb, I want to know if it is something wrong."
"Nothing's wrong. Really. It is just..." Bomber stoped and look into him.
"Just what?" asked Buffer and stoped too.
"I am just too tired. That's all." she answered and they move forward. Formere silency returned. This time broke it a Kate's voice from radio.
"Sierra, this Charlie 82, do you copy?"
"Charlie 82, this is Sierra. Go ahead ma'am!" said Buffer.
"Dutchy and Bird find Tawl's." said Kate.
"How are they?"
"They are killed." answered Kate. "Shore party returns to the ship. Charlie 82 out!" she added. Buffer looked into Bomber who just said:"Poor Bird!"
Shore party returned to the Hammersley. No one didn't said anything.
"We just pick again with Rainbow sky. Ryan and Spider said that they find a weapon on the board." said Buffer, while he was talking with Kate in her cabin.
"The killers probably were weapon smuglers. They kidnapped Tawls and then kill them. After that they used their boat." answered Kate and looked into her XO.
"Crew wants to know how much is our shore leave."
"I am assuming that 'crew' is Spider." Buffer nodded with a grin. "Tell him that our shore leave is two days." Kate added with a smile.
"Yes ma'am." said Buffer and went out of CO's cabin.
After four hours steaming for a port, Hammersley arrived in Cairns. Entair crew was heading for a pub, with exlusion of CO, Bird and Bomber.
"Where is Bird?" asked Dutchy when he didn't notice young woman.
"She stayed on the board." answered Spider.
"Ok. Go, I will came later." said Dutchy and returned back on the ship. He knew where he could find Bird. There was only one place where she could be, her galley. He entered in the galley. Dutchy smiled. Of course she was there. He came behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"You ok Chicken Legs?" he asked her.
"No, I am not." she answered and turned to face him. Then Dutchy saw that Bird was crying. "I still think that there was something what we could do..." she added. Dutchy pull her into the hug.
"We done all what we could Jess." he said while he was caresing Bird's back in comforting gesture.
"Why I am feeling that we didn't?" she asked him, while her head was still on her chests.
"It is normal. It was bad experience. Look at me Bird." he said and pull her away. "Look at me!" he added and tilted her head up with his hand. "It is going to be ok. I promise. And now, you have 10 minutes to change. We are going into the pub."
"Dutchy..."
"That is an order able seaman." he jocked.
"Yes sir." smiled Bird and went out from galley.
Bomber was on the watch. She was on the bridge and she was looking over the window. Bomber smiled when she saw Dutchy and Bird. They were reminding her on her and Buffer couple years ago, when they were friends. In that time, Buffer was always there for her and she knew it that whatever happened she will have him by her side. But now, she wasn't sure in that anymore.
Buffer knew that he shouldn't do that, he didn't like EJ on that way, but with her, he could try to forget that woman. Buffer came at EJ's place knowing how is that wrong. He knocked. Soon after, EJ opened it.
"Buff, I didn't expected you here..." she started but Buffer stoped her with a passionate kiss.
"You are wright. We both need to move far." he said when they broke a kiss. He picked her up and carried her in the bedroom.
