"Kate, I was thinking," he says while they are cuddled up in bed together.

"Thinking what?"
"That once we get home, we could go and speak to someone to help us, like a counsellor," he says, gently rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"Why do you think that?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure why. I just badly want this to work, so I'm prepared to do whatever I can to make sure it does." Kate props herself up on her elbows so she can look at his face.

"You really mean that?" He can hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes."

"But you said that if I ever did what I did, it was over. I'm still trying to get my head around today and the things you did," she says, moving back down to lay on his chest.

"I'm going to be honest here, and this may hurt. Are you going to be able to handle what I say?"

"I'll try to do my best."

"That's all I can ask. I'm sorry if this might still be a touchy subject, but after finding out about Ryan, then the abortion you had, I started to be a bit more concerned with how I had done things. You and Maxine are the only people I have never used my own protection with, and I should have spoken to you beforehand." She looks at him and goes to talk but he places a finger over her mouth. She snuggles back on to his chest, where she is able to look at his face.

"Please let me finish talking. I'll let you know when I'm done because I really need to get this off my chest. When you walked out that night after I asked you not to, I was so hurt. I would have slept on the couch if the talking hadn't worked, but anyway, when you left it hurt. I felt like I'd been stabbed so many times. My whole body just ached, and that night, as far as I was concerned, it was over. I went and got that bottle of scotch you gave me and drank over half of it before I passed out on the couch. The whole time I was going over and over in my head how I could have done things differently, to stop you walking out. After the meeting with Marshall, I went and got a couple more bottles and went home to drink some more. I'm not proud of it, but I needed to feel numb from what had happened. I wanted the pain and the hurt to go away. When you sent me a text, it hurt more. You brought up the job, and that you had a job to do, and here I was thinking 'damn her. When I had a job to do she would have a go at me' so I drank more. But the more I drank, the more I thought of you, so then I would drink more hoping it would help at some stage. That afternoon, or evening, I'm not sure when, but Marshall turned up. I don't really remember what happened, I was that drunk. Anyway the next morning, I woke up to find he was still at my house. We spoke and he told me what he was doing. He might have saved my career but I knew he was right, we needed some space to think and me to sort myself out." There is a pause while he gathers his thoughts.

"He told me not to do anything stupid, but I had decided that I wasn't going to come back once we had finished the deployment. I was going to ask for a transfer to the frigates, thinking of long periods away from land, on the water with no chance of having to see you. But then you rang to say goodbye and to ask me to come home to us, that totally threw me. I never thought you would ring, then when you cried it made it hard for me. I so badly wanted to be with you, but also not. I know I promised to email but I found it so hard, every time I got one from you I felt like crap. I would try to respond but I'd end up either crying or just too mad to do anything. I'd keep remembering our last night together and how I had a hand to play in it all. While I was away it gave me time to think. The crew did try a number of times to hook me up when we had some time in port, even George tried. It was then that he clicked to the fact that the person I had said 'I love you' to the day we left was not my parents or sister, or even child, but someone else." He paused again.

"Anyway I did a lot of soul searching and thinking while I was away. The time apart was probably a good thing, it gave you the space to deal with the inquiry without me setting you off. We were both very stressed when I left. I was confused. I wanted to be with you, but I also didn't. After the phone call with my parents, when you ended up in tears, dad called me to say mum was with you. Man did he tell me off, but when I explained to him what was going on I felt, for the first time, that I was somehow getting my head above water. I felt like I might be able to think straight and I wasn't alone; that dad was there for me. We talked a few more times, and I was about to email you when I got the phone call about the boarding and the explosion." He stops to wipe the tears from his face, that day still very present in his mind.

"It brought me back to that day you watched that sub and thought I had died. I spoke to Steve in a manner I should never of spoken to him in as I was so worried about you, and the thought of you dying and us not getting a chance to fix this or attempt to fix it. I spoke to mum a couple of times, one of those was before you woke up. I told her to keep telling you how much I wished I was there, that I love you and didn't want you to die and that you had to wake up." He stops. The emotions of talking about that day are still very raw for them both. He can see it is the same for her, her eyes are glistening with tears, her cheeks damp. "If I could, I would've been home with you by your bedside. I know Steve lied to get mum to be with you and I was fine with it, but the thought that you could have died before you became my wife hurt. That night when I went to bed, I had trouble sleeping. I cried in the shower; I hurt all over and it was a different kind of hurt to that night when you walked out. That is when I truly realised that I had no choice I have to make this work, because the thought of you not in my life is just too hard to explain." He stops, tears still rolling down his face. They lie there in silence, the words he has spoken being absorbed by her.

"So I decided that as soon as I saw you, I was going to put aside the fact we had a fight and had left on bad terms and show you how I felt. Prove to you the words I had said, that I love you, were, no are, true. Every time I said them I meant them, with every fibre of my being. When we first got to the docks today and I couldn't see you, my heart sank. I thought you had decided that I was no longer worth the risk. But then, to see the crew and you there when I got on the gangway, the crew standing at attention like they were; I was so proud. I felt so honoured then to see you, to have you in my arms again. I felt like I was home and I so badly didn't want to let you go. Being able to breathe in your scent; your smell was like heaven to me. I know I broke a few of the rules we made about showing affection while in uniform, but six months away from the love of my life just proved to be too hard. So I decided this afternoon that as soon as we get back to Cairns I want you to move in with me. Plus I have a few new rules as well."

"What are those?" she says quietly, his hand gentle runs through her hair.

"Well, we always make up before you go on patrol, always. No matter who is wrong or right, we make up. Second, we stand side by side when one of us is going through a tough time. We're there to help as needed, but we have to expect that there might be walls put up. Mum said I have to respect that it will take time, years, for you to stop putting them up, and that sometimes you will need space to deal with these things. So, I was thinking if you need to put them up, tell me beforehand so I know, or give me some warning. The third rule, and sorry there is no negotiations with this one, but as soon as we are married we are going to start making little baby Flynns."

"Oh, really. Is that so, is it?" she says cheekily, looking at his face while he gently caresses hers.

"Yep."

"Well, while you were away and when your mum was visiting I had an IUD inserted. The doctors said the chance of getting pregnant is point zero one percent. They also said it would be the best for me. They did some tests and found that my body and what I was using were not well suited to each other. This way is better, but your mum did tell me that it was very thoughtful of you to think like that and not just rely on me. If you want to use them anyway I'm fine with it, but the chance of me getting pregnant now is even more slimmer than before." He leans in and kisses her.

"Honey, do you think we can make this work?" he asks, sounding unsure.

"Yeah, I think we can," she replies as she moves up and straddles him before going in for another kiss. She kisses him a few more times on the lips before moving to his jaw line and under his ear, tracing a path down to that sweet spot just in the curve of his neck and shoulder. Her hands slide under his shirt, caressing his body as she ever so easily moves the shirt up his body and takes it off before he even realises. She starts to feel his need for her and hears his soft moans in response to her actions. He reverses their position so she is lying on her back and begins his own exploration of her body. Before long she is totally lost in the sensations he is creating within her. She to his. The pleasure and need for each becomes too much to resist and they give in to their need for each other.

Later, satisfied and exhausted, they lie wrapped in each other's arms. Kate closes her eyes and rests her head against his chest. "Mm, I definitely think this can work," she sighs contentedly.

Ok that was the last chapter in this story I do hope you enjoyed it :)