The Turbulent Road Ahead
By SigmaStar79
A/N: Please remember I have no Beta, so all mistakes are mine! Hope you all enjoy XD
Chapter 5
Everyone looked shocked towards Gap year Ryan White. Mike looked as if he was about to faint and Steve Marshal looked like he had seen a ghost. 2Dads and Bird approached Ryan and gave him support as they could tell the young man had more to say, but before he could, Mike did.
"What do you mean you think your mum might be the problem Ryan? I didn't think…"
"Think about Uncle Mike" said Ryan, his voice a little stronger due to the support of his crew mates. "Mum is always talking about you, always inviting you to dinner. I know as well as you and Mum that LT. McGregor would make a great CO, I have worked with both of you. She cares about the crew and the ship. But mum has a jealous streak and the pictures of the X in your house are enough for me to know Mum isn't fond of her. Uncle Mike, she knew that one night was your anniversary and had told me to tell you about me making Gap year that night when I had known for a week. She put me on the Hammersrly to work with you and she don't like it when I talk highly about the X"
Mike just looked at Ryan with eyes wide open in every sense of the way. The fact that Ryan implicated his own mother was shocking enough. To hear him explain his reasoning was something totally different. Ryan was being a true team player and was playing by the rules. He wasn't looking at it in the prospective of he was Commander White's son; he was looking at this as a member of the Royal Australian Navy. He had never been prouder of the boy.
"Before we all jump to conclusions Ryan, you will need proof to implicate your mother. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
"Yeah Mike, I know. Never accuse someone of something without proof and gut feeling. You taught me that"
Mike had to smile at that. Ryan was turning a lot to be just like him. He would go far in the Navy with that attitude.
"Let's all go upstairs and see the X" said Mike and got a cheer from everyone, even Ryan. When everyone went to follow Mike, Mike noticed Ryan run to the Gift Shop. He stopped and watched as the boy then went straight to the Flower section. He had to admit he was proud of that boy.
Kate was more than surprised when her whole crew walked into her hospital room. She was even more shocked when Ryan walked in the room with a large bouquet of pink roses and a large pink teddy bear. She looked at Mike and Mike winked at her. She knew then this must be part of his plan to trap Maxine and didn't say anything. Imagine her surprise when Ryan walked up and gave her a hug and a note.
Kate,
I believe my mum might be the one who has been threatening you. I am working with Uncle Mike and Admiral Marshal to catch my mum if she is the one responsible. Uncle Mike said you were having a girl, so I bought pink roses for you and a pink bear for her. I'm sorry to hear you fell and I hope all is ok. Congratulations!
Gap Year Ryan White
Kate looked at Ryan and said thank you as she showed Mike the note. Mike just nodded his head and filled Kate in on Ryan's theory. She made sure to look shocked and scared when he spoke so it would look like she didn't already know. When Mike was finished, Kate turned to Ryan and thanked him for looking out for the baby. Ryan just smiled and asked the one question no one was expecting him to ask.
"So X, does this baby make my Uncle Mike a real dad now?"
"Ryan!" Mike almost shouted. He couldn't believe the boy had just said that.
"Oh come on Uncle Mike" said Ryan wearing a smile; "I know how you feel about the X, she's the love of your life. I could tell that by the picture in your book. Who else would be the father?"
Kate had to giggle at that. It was pretty bad when young Ryan noticed. The fact he picked up on things quick didn't really surprise her. After all, he was raised around Mike Flynn.
The whole crew looked to Mike to see if he was going to admit it to Ryan or not and were surprised when Mike admitted he was the father. Everyone had to laugh at Ryan's reaction though. It was like he was a little boy being told he was about to become a big brother.
"Yes! That means I can spoil her like you spoiled me. Watch out Uncle Mike, this little girl is going to be spoiled rotten!"
Maxine had carefully walked the back ally ways to Kate's condo. She looked around the entire house and found no way in. She looked around the front porch, but couldn't find a key. Then she looked inside the back yard. If it hadn't been for her tripping, she would have never found the key. When she tired to unlock the back door, it wouldn't open. Then she saw the metal rod blocking it. She walked around to the front and quietly slipped inside. Closing the door behind her and locking it, Maxine proceeded to walk through Kate's house. The first door she found was a closet. Looking through it, all she found was holiday decorations, Kate's winter coat and a few odds and ends that would not be helpful to her.
The next door was Kate's bedroom and attached bathroom. She noticed the room was nicely furnished, and the few pictures she had were of the woman she had seen with Mike the day before and some kids she assumed were Kate's sister. Looking inside her bathroom, she noticed several things were missing. There was no shampoo, no body wash. No razors and no makeup. Walking back into Kate's room, she looked through her drawers. It looked as if some clothing was missing. Maybe Kate went on a small trip?
Maxine found the next door was Kate's spare bedroom. It was furnished just enough for a guest and the drawers were empty, so she didn't check the closet figuring it would probably be empty as well. Next was the other bathroom. She found nothing out of the ordinary there. When she walked into the kitchen, she found no new groceries, but found a receipt for ice cream and oranges.
When she walked into Kate's living room, Maxine had to admit she liked Kate's style. The walls were a warm yet light yellow. The tan sectional was placed just right were everyone could watch the little oak entertainment center that held a silver 48' plasma TV. The carpet was a soft cream and Kate's desk was a light oak color, just like her entertainment center. She saw two white bookcases and a white Cairo cabinet that held a variety of precious moment's figurines and her naval awards throughout the years.
On a rectangular oak table by the wall there were several photos, along with several photos on the wall. Maxine went to examine the pictures and found several older pictures. Some had Kate with her father and mother as a small child, but obliviously copied. Maxine remembered Kate had found her father the year before, so he must have copied these pictures and sent them to her. There were pictures of her sister, Christina she thinks her name is, and her four children.
Then there were naval pictures. Pictures of Kate throughout her naval career and the different ships she had served on. Of course there were pictures of the Hammersrly. One was a picture of the entire crew before the older boat was decommissioned. Then there where pictures of the new boat and the people she served with. Robert Dixon in his command center, Nikki Cateano at the EOD, Leo Kosvo-Meyer on radar, Charge in the engine room, Bird and bomber in the galley, Swain in the Infirmary, Peter or Buffer with Billy or Spider in a headlock, Dutchy with binoculars, a old picture of Josh or ET with scuba gear on, and last but not least, a picture of Mike leaning against the door to his cabin.
Maxine picked up the picture and smiled. It was a picture of Mike. Then she noticed another one. This one was of Mike, Dutchy, 2Dads, Bird and Bomber in a pool somewhere. Another picture was of Mike and Kate in the same pool. It looked like Mike was getting ready to toss Kate in the water and she was shocked at the action. Taking the picture out of its frame Maxine turned it over. There was a small description on the back.
'Boss and the X. The boss pulled the X in and then picked her up and threw her back in when she tried to escape. The boss can get cheeky lol and the X needs to learn to have more fun. 2Dads'
'Hmm' thought Maxine, 'this was a picture given toKate by 2Dads'. She went to the bookcases and started looking. She found some old photo albums, but none of the pictures were of Mike and Kate. She was about to leave when she heard the sound of a car outside. Maxine quickly ran into Kate's bedroom and hid in the bathroom. She had hid just in time when she heard the front door open and then voices.
"Come on Sarah, Mum wants us to watch the boys and clean Aunt Kate's house up while so goes to goes and sees Aunt Kate"
"I'm coming Andrea, Christopher and Daniel want to play outside and I'm carrying their bag"
"Come on Chris, come on Dan, if you come in I'll let you watch your movies in the living room and not the guest room"
Maxine heard the sound of two pairs of feet run into the house and then the door close. She was trapped inside Kate's house and her nieces and nephews were here. She had to find a new place to hide and then get out. She crept into Kate's bedroom quietly and hid under the bed just in time before one of the girl came inside the room.
The girl from what Maxine could see was petite like Kate with long curly strawberry blonde hair. She was wearing a blue t-shirt and white shorts with blue and white tennis shoes.
"I'm starting in Aunt Kate's room Andrea"
"Ok, I'll start helping after I get the boys situated"
Maxine watched as the girl, who she now knew was Sarah, re fold everything in Kate's dresser drawers. She then saw her walk over towards the bed and Maxine almost held her breath as the girl started making Kate's bed while singing a song.
"I'm the kind of girl the girls don't like,
I'm the kind the boy fantasize
I'm the kind that your mum and dad were afraid you turn out to be like
I might seem unapproachable
But that's only to boys who don't have the right approach or ride to get a girl like me want to hop in and roll"
"Do you have to sing that song Sarah, you know mum hates it!"
"Yes I do because it like it"
Maxine almost laughed at the argument the two girls were having. She heard the other girl walk in and help on the other side of the bed. Then she watched from under the bed as one girl went into the bathroom and started cleaning in there as the other one walked out of the room. She was about to get out from under the bed, when the younger girl walked back in with a vacuum. Maxine stayed where she was as one girl vacuumed the floor while the older one cleaned the bathroom. Soon both were done and she noticed the older one start dusting things down. As soon as they were done, they both walked out and closed the door. Maxine took it as her chance to get form under the bed.
She crept to the door and noticed she could hear the vacuum clearly. One of the girls was cleaning the hallway. She heard a door open and realized the other girl was dusting the guest room. She wanted intil she heard the vacuum turnoff and then one of the boys running into the spare bathroom. She heard the girls talking again and listened in through the cracked door.
"SO how long do you think they will keep Aunt Kate?"
"I don't know Sarah, the one baby is alive mum said but the other isn't. They have to keep Aunt Kate safe in case someone tries to hurt them"
"Why would anyone try to hurt them though, Aunt Kate is a great person"
"Mum said some woman is jealous because Aunt Kate has Uncle Mike and the lady don't like it"
"I don't think Aunt Kate has anything to worry about, Uncle Mike will make sure of that! He don't strike me as the type to play games"
"I don't know Sarah, but I know mum is on edge and so is Uncle Mike. Come on, we need to clean before mum gets here with the realtor"
"Ok"
'So' Maxine thought, 'Kate is selling her condo is she? I wonder where she is staying?' With that Maxine leaned against the door and hoped the girls left before their mother arrived. Soon enough she heard the older girl speak, but didn't like what she heard.
"Sarah, did you touch Aunt Kate's photos?"
"No why, we just got into the living room the clean. Why would I touch them?"
"Because somebody has moved them, which means somebody was here. Look, this picture doesn't have as much dust"
"Maybe one of the boys touched it"
"True, come on lets finish so we can get out of here. Aunt Kate has here Laptop with her so there is no internet here"
"Ok"
Maxine waited patiently intil the girls finished and left with the boys. She now knew Mike and Kate were in fact together, now she just had to find proof. She waited a bit before she heard them all leave in there car and then snuck out the front door, locking it behind her. She would come back later tonight since there was no chance of anyone coming back then.
Christina entered Kate's hospital room to find a flurry of activity and people. There were a lot of flowers, cards, balloons and teddy bears. She noticed several people look at her weird and then she remembered no one really knew her. Kate's voice cut through the crowd when she saw them.
"Hi sis, the crew was just getting ready to leave in a bit. Are you here to make sure Mike goes home and gets some sleep?"
"I go sleep last night" complained Mike. Everyone laughed at the skeptical look Kate gave him. Even Christina shook her head laughing at Kate's response.
"You can't live in the hospital room with me Mike"
"I know but I want to be as close to you as I can get until Maxine finds a new XO and sends me out again"
Everyone sobered at Mike's comment. They knew he was right. Kate wasn't going to be able to be their XO anymore and it broke everyone's heart. They all respected Kate immensely and it was sad for them to see her go.
"It's going to be ok guys; I'm still going to be here, just in a different capacity"
As the crew said their goodbyes to Mike and Kate, Christina stepped back and watched the life Kate had made for herself. She couldn't help but be proud of her older sister. Kate was one hell of a woman and it showed with every life she touched.
"I got the girls to go clean the house and it's ready to go on market whenever you are ready Sis"
"Thanks Christina. Me and Mike picked out the baby's name and the baby's room last night"
"That's great. Mike I have it set up to look at those houses tomorrow if that is ok?"
"That's great Christina and thank you for helping us"
"Welcome, Kate is my sister and I would do anything for her"
As Kate was showing Christina what she found online last night, Mike walked into the hall and made a phone call to Steve. He wanted to know what Steve had accomplished since he left the hospital earlier. When Steve didn't answer, Mike left a message and then hung up. He hoped Steve was able to help him and his little secret Endeavour. He wanted everything perfect.
Steve was on a plane back to Canberra so he didn't get Mike's call. As soon as the plane landed, he called his wife and gave her the run down. After that he headed straight to his office. There he found a ton of work and got straight to it. He put in his vacation time and also looked for the files he needed. Once he had that, he started filling in what he knew and filed it with Mike's requests. He signed off on Kate's medical insurance claims that he had sent to him and then got to his back work from being away today.
Around four hours later, Steve had pulled some strings within the Brass and got Mike's approval to be with Kate. The fact they always did things when one or the other was posted off the ship, then put things on hold again showed great patience and a true and unbreakable love. As he got his approval for a week away to investigate the claims Mike had made, he was met at the door by his wife.
"How is everything going?"
"Good now. I'll be better when we cat Maxine in the act. You ready to go?"
"Yes and I'll be better when I get to see Kate. I can't believe it took them so long to see their feelings for each other"
"You Knew!"
"Of course I knew Steven, if you would have opened your eyes, you would have seen it too. Mike was always looking at Kate like a man starving and Kate always looked at like a challenge. The challenge was if he would be man enough to stand up for what he truly wanted and accept her love"
Steve Marshal just shook his head as he walked out of his office with his wife. They had a plane to catch and he also had a surprise to help Mike plan. His smirk told his wife he was up to something but let it go. If there was three things she learned being married to Steve Marshal they were never make him angry if you could avoid it, never get between the man and his medium rare steaks because you might lose a appendage, and once his mind was set to be mischievous or sneaky there was no stopping the wheels once they started. She just hoped he didn't get himself in trouble.
Ryan walked inside the house he shared with his mother. On the way home, he had stopped to buy a miniature recorder. If his mother was the person responsible for putting the X and her baby in danger, he would get the evidence to put her away. His Uncle Mike had every right to be happy and if the X and their baby made him happy, then so be it. His Mum had no right to interfere.
Finding he was home alone, Ryan started looking around the house. He started in the kitchen. He figured he could get away snooping around if he made it look like he was being a helpful son. He pulled some steaks from the freezer and put them on the counter, and then he peeled some potatoes. Putting the potatoes into a roasting pan with seasoning, he put them in the oven and put the steaks in the broiler. He started the tea maker and then microwave some peas with little butter and seasoning. He then got to work snooping.
He started with his Mum room. He looked all over but found nothing the first time around. The second time and he found her personal diary. He quickly opened it and found where his mother had written her feelings for Mike down and her anger towards the X. he quickly ran into the office his mother used at home and copied the pages. He begged the machine to work faster and that his mother stayed away longer.
He had just finished when he heard his mother's car pull into the driveway. He quickly grabbed the copies he made and his mum's diary and ran into her room. Putting the diary back where he found it, he ran to his room next as he heard the front door open. Putting the papers under his pillow, he proceeded to start making his bed. He knew it would be a good cover to be making his bed. He heard his mother calling for him and he called back he was in his room. He had just finished making his bed when he heard his mother coming down the hall. He started to scramble to pick up his dirty laundry before she walked in. He had just dropped one armful of laundry into his basket when his mum knocked on the door asking entrance. He said come in as he started picking up the rest of his dirty laundry.
Maxine stopped in her tracks when she found her son cleaning his room without being told. He was usually a free spirit so this was out of his character. She watched him from the doorway for a bit as he picked up his dirty laundry and then the trash out of his room. When he was done, he turned to look at her and she raised her eyebrow.
"What?" said Ryan innocently? He hoped he looked like he had done nothing wrong because he was starting to get nervous from her watching him.
"What do you mean what? I come home to find dinner has been started and you cleaning your room without being asked. That usually means you want something or you have done something"
"I was just trying to be more responsible. Uncle Mike said men in the Navy shouldn't be slobs, so I'm trying to clean up. Be more adult and responsible"
Maxine smiled at her son and what he said about Mike. She was glad he had such a good influence on her son since his father had passed. Mike helped her keep Ryan on the straight and narrow.
"Ok. What did you make for dinner then?"
"Steaks are in the broiler seasoned, potatoes are in the oven roasting with some light seasoning and peas are in the microwave"
"Hmm" said Maxine as she inspected the room that her son had just cleaned. "Well at least you can cook for yourself; your Uncle Mike didn't learn intil he was 30"
Ryan laughed at that. He couldn't help it. He turned on the recorder in his pocket and decided this was a good as time as ever to start. He just hoped he didn't get found out.
"Well that's true; I remember you calling him once ands he was trying to put grease fire out with water. You had to tell him to use baking soda"
"I remember that, god that was so long ago"
"Yeah" said Ryan. He was trying to find a way to get her talking and then he remembered the woman from yesterday at his house with him.
"Well, at least Uncle Mike has a new girlfriend so it seems there will be no more grease fires in his future"
"That wasn't his new girlfriend; that was Lt. McGregor's younger sister"
"How do you know Mum?"
"Let's just say I know. I think Mike might be getting used by Kate McGregor. When I find out her aim she will be handled properly"
Ryan didn't like the way that sounded. But then he knew he needed to keep his mother talking.
"What do you mean mum? Can't Uncle Mike take care of himself?"
Maxine turned and looked at her son. His hands were in his pockets causally and he had a curious look on his face. She figured this might be a good lesson for him in the future so she would tell him.
"Lt. McGregor is claiming she is pregnant. While I don't doubt she is; I think is has some kind of hold on your uncle Mike and is secretly claiming it is his. Your Uncle Mike has been trying to get her promoted to CO of Hammersrly for the past year and I don't approve. I think she is using bedroom skills to climb the ladder and I won't have that whore using Mike!"
"Whoa mum, it's me you're talking to remember. No need to get mad"
Maxine took a deep breath. Ryan was right. She had no right taking her frustrations out on him.
"I'm sorry Ryan, that lying whore just gets under my skin. How about I show you how to do laundry after we check on the steaks and potatoes?"
"Sounds good Mum" Ryan said as his mum left his room and he grabbed his basket of laundry. He made sure to turn off his recorder and place it under his pillow before he left his room so it wouldn't get wet. His suspicions were right. His Mum was the one who was causing his Uncle Mike and Kate problems. Now he just had to find a way to check her office at home and then take his evidence to Mike and Admiral Marshal without his mum catching him. It was going to be a long night.
Around 1800 hrs, Doctor Harper took Kate for another set of tests. Mike and Christina spent that time to go over the little surprise he had for Kate after the baby was born. Christina squealed with delight at Mike little plan and Mike chuckled. He knew if he had Kate's sister supporting him, he could easily get Kate's father backing him up. He then grabbed the laptop and starting opening the web pages he and Kate had found the various baby items on last night.
"What are you doing?" asked Christina looking over his shoulder.
"Making sure Kate and Catherine have everything they need and want"
Christina patted his shoulder and went to grab a bite to eat while Mike pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down everything he purchased online from the sites Kate had bookmarked and double checked them to her separate list. He was going to make both his girls the happiest women on earth. His girls just didn't know it yet.