Part Three

Nav was in her cabin deliriously happy, she had just gotten back from her 'date' you could call it, with ET in the storage room, she thought back to what he had said about how she meant everything to him and how he would be willing to give up his career for her. She could not believe she had found someone who would be willing to give up his career for her she had never felt so happy. On her way back to her cabin she had stopped off in the galley to grab some of Chefo's chocolates, she sat on her bunk eating her chocolates and thinking about ET.

As ET left Nav after their 'date', he walked along the deck of the Hammersley thinking of her, she had said she would give up her career for him, she loved the Navy but she had said she loved him more, that was the only thing he had wanted to hear from her that night but everything else she said had made him love her even more.

"Nav", the XO said has she entered the cabin she shared with her, "I know that there is something going on between you and ET".

"What?" Nav replied how did she know they had been so careful she was sure no-one had seen ET and herself go into the storage room.

"I don't know what you are talking about; fraternisation is not allowed between crew members".

"Nav, you don't have to lie to me; I was once involved with a navy officer I shouldn't have been and I made the mistake of falling in love with him and not having my feelings returned, I heard what ET said to you in the storage room, my advice to you is hold on to him and do not let go whatever you do".

Nav was listening to Kate speak about this navy officer she was in love with and she wondered who it could be.

"XO, who was this navy officer?"

Kate knew when she told Nav about Mike she would ask who it was, it was just in her personality but she dreaded answering the question, but she did anyway.

"It was the CO", Kate answered as Nav looked at her but she didn't look shocked, "Mike and I snuck around just like you and ET have been most likely, except we weren't on a patrol boat, he was teaching a course I was taking, and we would spend every free minute together, we were inseparable and then one day he left, he told me that it was over and he was gone, 5 years on and here we are serving together".

"That doesn't surprise me actually," Nav said "the CO is practically stuck to you, ET and I have both noticed I think he loved you but he got scared and didn't know what to do so he left thinking you didn't feel the same way, you have to tell him how you feel".

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"ET" called out Nav as he walked along the deck, she can't stay away he thought jokingly as he stopped and waited, she caught up and said,

"I have to tell you something, it's really important, it can't wait"

"What is it? What's wrong sweetie?" he said in a quiet voice so only she could hear

"Follow me" she said he followed her to another storage room that had become one of their secret getaway areas, "X knows about us, she saw us in the storage room last night".

"What?" he replied, "What did she say? Is she going to tell anyone? Is she going to tell the CO?" he asked,

"She told me she wasn't because she was in the same position 5 years ago and it slipped through her fingers and she said she didn't want that to happen to me, or us, she told me to hold on to you and never let go and that's what I fully intend on doing." Nav explained

"Well that's what I'm going to do as well", he said then Nav said

"We were right about her and the CO though, they were together, he was who she let slip through her fingers I told her she had to tell him how she felt, I think that's where she is now".

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*2 and a half years later*

As Josh Holiday got down on bended knee in front of her, Nikki Caetano got butterflies in her stomach, this is it she thought he's going to ask me 'THE' question, she had wanted this for the past six months and it was finally here.

"Nikki Caetano, you are the love of my life, I wasn't a whole person before I met you, you are my other half, you complete me in everyway, I don't know how I lived the first 22 years of my life without you in them, but I don't want to live the remainder of my life without you, will you do me the honour and make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife?"

"YES, yes of course I'll marry you, I love you, nothing would make me happier".

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*3 years later*

As ET looked around at the guests here for his wedding, he still couldn't believe it, his wedding, ladies man ET was getting married, he couldn't be happier, the woman he loved with his whole heart had agreed to become his wife, he was about to marry Nikki Caetano and become the luckiest man alive. He got into place at the alter and looked to his best man Buffer and said,

"I told you that day on the boat that I wouldn't hurt her and I never will"

"I know that ET, I know that" replied Buffer as he remembered the day he said to ET, Hurt the Nav, I'll hurt you, you've been warned.

ET looked around at his guests and surveyed the couples, Mike and Kate, yes she had gone to see him that day that Nav told him she knew about them and as usual Nav was exactly right about everything she said to Kate, Mike was scared, he didn't want to get to attached only to have his heart broken but once Kate told him that she loved him that was it they were together, they had to keep it a secret just like Nav and ET while they were on the Hammersley serving together but now they had all moved on, Chefo was there with his wife Jennifer and their little girl Jasmine, Swain and his wife Sally with their daughter Chloe and one on the way, Spider was there alone but that didn't mean anything, he had become a junior ET as everyone liked to call him, he goes to shore and has a girl with him in 10 minutes, he's come along way from the awkward shy boy who didn't know how to talk to women, Charge was there and RO, as usual they were alone, then he saw her coming down the aisle and he forget about everyone and everything else and just focused on her.

Nav walked down that aisle toward her soon-to-be husband and she could feel the love he had for her just radiating off him and she hoped he could feel hers; she stood next to him and as the minister started the ceremony she looked at him and couldn't believe this day was here.

"Now it's time for Josh to recite his vows"

"Nikki from the minute that you walked onto that patrol boat I knew you were the women for me and that we would eventually make it to this day, I said to you one day that you meant everything to me and that I have never felt this way about anyone ever before and I still mean that with my whole heart, you complete me Nikki, I love you"

Nikki smiled while he said his vows he was so sweet and gentle and loving she couldn't believe he wanted her, he could have had any girl he wanted but he chose her and she would always feel lucky.

"Now Nikki would like to say her vows"

"Josh, I love you with my whole heart, with everything I have, and I will continue to love you until the day I die, I never want to live my life without you, when we are apart you are all I can think about, I told you that I would never hurt you again and I mean that from the very depths of my heart, we will be together forever".

At the reception Nav and ET had their first dance as husband and wife as they danced ET noticed a smell he, over time had gotten used to, the odd combination of vanilla and blueberries, and he thought back to the day where he smelt it the clearest on her, it was the day he fell out of a tree, the day she looked after him, the day of their first kiss, and he smiled even wider at the memory of that day, Nav looked up at him and asked what he was thinking about and he replied,

"Vanilla and blueberries and how you make them smell so good, and that day I fell out of that tree, that day you looked after me, the day of our first kiss"

"We may have had our first kiss that day but we will be having many more for the rest of our lives, that is if the baby will let us", Nav looked up at ET hoping he would be happy by that news, she hadn't told him yet that he was about to be a father but she was glad she had done it now, he looked absolutely ecstatic,

"I love you more and more every minute, Nikki, I can't believe I'm going to be a daddy".

"Well believe it honey, because it's happening, and I would never want it to happen with anyone else but you".

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The End…

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