Megan hears the car pull into the drive way and heads to the front door. As she opens it, she is surprised to see four people all in the same uniform. She knew Mike and Kate were bringing two extras back with them, but did not know they were navy too. As she looks at the other young lad something about him seems familiar. She watches on as Mike collects some bags from the boot of the car. Kate walks towards Megan while the other two hang back and Megan observes Mike and Kate say something that makes the other two laugh.

Mike and his mum say hello before entering the house, with Bird and Ryan following behind.

"Mum, can Ryan and Bird get a room, please? So they can change."

"Yeah, sure. Give them the one opposite yours, and I'm sure that girl has a proper name too, Mike."

"Thanks, mum," he replies, ignoring her dig about calling Jessica 'Bird' as he shows them where to go and lets them know he'll be out in the lounge in about ten minutes.

Once in his room with the door closed, he walks up to Kate and pulls her to him and kisses her. Kate lets out a moan and they pull apart from the kiss, with their foreheads touching.

"How did you know about Ryan and Bird?" Kate manages to get out.

"Ryan emailed me while I was away and told me what he was up to." He places a gentle kiss on Kate's forehead before taking his arms from her to start undoing his shirt. Kate starts to help him undress.

"Honey, you should really stop and get yourself changed."

"Why? I like helping you."

"Yes, and helping me often relates to other activities that, right now, we really should not be doing. Not when I need to introduce Ryan to his grandparents."

"Mood killer, aren't you?" She places a gentle, soft kiss on his lips.

"Honey."

"Yes?" she says with a cheeky grin on her face. He pulls her close and kisses her again.

"Now go get changed while I do the same thing." She turns and walks over to her bag and they both get changed.

Mike looks over a Kate and sees her healing wounds.

"Honey, are these?" he asks, pointing to her body as he walks closer to her.

"Yeah, they are," she responds quickly, getting her shirt on and looking away.

"Hey, it's ok. Can you show me the one on your leg please?" Kate says nothing. She stands there and thinks before slowly taking off her uniform pants. Mike is shocked to see the large healing wound on her thigh.

"Oh, God, honey," comes out of his mouth. The emotions showing in his voice and when Kate looks at him she sees his eyes are glassy.

"They had to make it bigger to get some damaged scar tissue out, and fix it up the second time around. It looks worse than it feels," she replies while putting on some pants. Once she has them on, Mike places his hand on the side of her face, gently caressing her cheek.

"Honey, promise me one thing. That we'll never ever part on the terms we did. We will always say a proper goodbye to each other, face to face. Even if we have had a fight?" he says as he pulls her into his bare chest and she wraps her arms around him.

They are brought out of their own little world by a knock on the door and Ryan's voice.

"That is going to take time to get used to," Mike says, after hearing Ryan call him 'dad' from the other side of the door.

"What, being called dad?" Kate asks softly.

"Yeah."

Kate opens the door to find Ryan and Bird on the other side, changed and waiting for them. Mike grabs his shirt and puts it on as they leave the bedroom.

Later in the afternoon, Mike is working on his laptop in his father's office, finishing off an email to Steve when his father enters.

"Ryan, seems like a good kid."

"Yeah, he is, dad."

"Mike, why have we not known about him until now?"

"Because I only found out about ten months ago."

"What do you mean you only found out now? Surely the child's mother would've needed your support, even if it was only money."

"Dad."

"Mike, explain it to me. It's bad enough the stunt you pulled on Kate, but then to come here and drop this bombshell on your mother and I without warning is, well, yeah."

"Dad, you know how I have a godson?"

"Yes, you talk about him. Oh, Mike. Are you saying that Maxine's son Ryan is the same Ryan you introduced as your son?"
"Yes."

"Mike, she was a married woman at the time."

"Dad, I know. Don't you worry, I know that I shouldn't have done it, but she was partly to blame too. She came to me upset, with a couple of bottles of red wine. We were drunk and that is no excuse, but I only found out when Ryan's father came back into the picture. He had cancer and needed a bone marrow donor. When Ryan wasn't a match he did a paternity test and found out I was Ryan's father."

"But at the time, surely you must have had your suspicions?"

"Yes, but Maxine said it wasn't, so I took her word for it. I think we both thought one night can't be enough. But I was wrong, one night can be enough."

"And how does Kate feel about it?"

"To be honest, I'm not one hundred percent sure. She was there when it all happened; the tests, and black eye from Stuart, finding out Ryan was my son after I had to take him off Hammersley. It was a shock for all involved. We have not really had time to totally talk about it. There's been far too much else going on that it sort went on the back burner."

"What about Maxine?"

"Maxine, right now, can go rot in hell for all I care. She's half the reason why Kate and I have been going through this crap with the brass. Kate knows the feelings I once had for Maxine are no longer there. That, to me, Maxine is like a sister and there are no romantic feelings anymore for her."

"You sure about that, son?"

"Yes, dad. I wouldn't ask Kate to marry me if I did. Kate has my heart, dad. I know I've been a bit of a jerk, but when Steve rang me about Kate being hurt, well you know the rest."

"Yeah, I do, son. But what went down when you first got deployed was no way to do it."

"I know, dad. We're both to blame for that."

"Yes and no, son. If you were having trouble being in contact with her, why didn't you tell us? We would have been of more help to the two of you."

"I want to, but I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"I felt like I was disappointing you. You gave me a family heirloom to give to her, and I do, then everything just fell apart. Then, when Steve found me, well, he thought it was best I go away to clear my head and work through what was going on."

"Yes, Steve told me the state he found you in, Mike. Never, ever do that again. If it gets that bad, you ring us and we'll be there. You're lucky Steve was there, and did what he did and without reporting you for it."

"I know, I owe him big time."

"Yes, you do. Now, I think, I hear the ladies returning from doing the shopping," Don says as he gets up to leave his office. Just before he leaves, he turns and talks to Mike again.

"Mike, you wouldn't have disappointed me. As long as you are honest and upfront, you will never disappoint me, or your mother." He leaves, heading toward the sound of the womens' voices. Mike just stays there, thinking about what his father has said, before his laptop chimes to alert him to a new email. He opens it and starts reading it not noticing Kate enter till her arms go around his neck and she lays her chin on his shoulder.

"How was the shopping?"

"Interesting."

"Why?"

"Your mother dragged Bird and I into a bridal shop."

"Oh, poor honey, having to go girly-like."

"Hey, don't be cheeky, mister," she says before kissing him on the cheek.

"Mm, interesting email from Marshall."

"Came here," he says patting his lap. She sits in his lap and he kisses her.

"So I see we're all flying home on Friday."

"Yep. Ryan said he would like to stay here with us. And I presume Bird, Jessica, God, I have to get used to that too, will want to stay and spend some time with Ryan too."

"Well, your mum is very happy with Ryan's choice. Even more so when we were in the dress shop and Bird said they were not rushing into this marriage thing; that they will do it when they have the money to pay for it themselves." They kiss again.

"Honey, are you ok about Ryan?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well for one, he is my son, and two, I've not asked you how you felt about it all. Even more so now he's decided to call me dad."

"Well to be honest, when I first found out I was shocked and it hurt me that you had feelings for Maxine, and that you had a son. I think that is why I turned to Jim and then slept with him." Kate looks down at her lap. Mike, remember what your mother told you. Let her talk when she wants to, just be there for her. Provide comfort and support, and don't get mad or angry about whatever she says to you, Mike thinks to himself before talking.

"It's ok, honey," he says softly to her, which gives her the courage to go on.

"When it was possible I was pregnant I did freak out a tad, because I knew it wasn't your child I would be carrying, but then again I was like, well, he deserves it. When we spoke on the boat deck and I asked you if you were going with them, the response I got was not what I expected."

"What had you expected?"

"You to be down on the wharf with Maxine, comforting her and being there with Ryan. Not standing on the upper deck looking out over it all."

"Yeah, well, I needed to know if what I had heard was true or not."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, no need to be sorry," he says gently, while wiping away a few tears that have fallen down her face.

"Yes I do, because I sort of took it within myself that after finding out Ryan was your son, you would go back to her at some stage. Maybe not right away, and then you would have your family and there would be no chance for me."

"Is that why you turned to Jim and was thinking of accepting?" Kate nods her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was afraid you would say that you were going to go back to her and that I was really nothing to you."

"Now listen here, honey. You are not nothing to me. I know we've been through a lot but I can promise you one thing. I will always love you, and my heart only wants you and no one else. One thing I can say for sure is that once a Flynn heart is captured, no one else ever gets a chance to have it. And you, my dear, have my heart. No matter where you go, it goes with you," he murmurs as he softly kisses her lips.