Authors Note - Thank you for all the reviews! I'm loving this, loving writing again :) Now, I know there are mixed feelings about the DK relationship versus the MK relationship - please, don't fight, but you need to wait for the last chapter. There is a lot to happen before the next episode!

Love you all!

Nell xx

Chapter Five-

Dutchy had been beaten before, but not like this. He was fairly certain that he was bleeding internally, and his face was swelling. He heard Mark enter the room again, with the individual called Stefiano.

"We need to get rid of him, before the cops find us," said Mark quietly. Stefiano nodded.

"Can be done. Any particular way you want it done?" Asked Stefiano. Mark waved a hand airily around.

"However you want to do it. It's up to you, you know what needs to be done," said Mark. Stefiano nodded. Dutchy was afraid for a few moments, until he heard sirens. He relaxed for a moment.

"The cops have found us!" Yelled Mark. Stefiano grabbed a gun from the side wall, and cocked it at Dutchy.

"You die now," said Stefiano. Dutchy braced himself for what he thought would be the final goodbye.

"Police! Put the guns down!" Yelled an officer. Stefiano pulled the trigger, and the cop managed to pull the gun down. The shot still hit Dutchy in the leg though, and he howled in pain, no longer holding back. The cops subdued Mark and Stefiano quickly, cuffing them, before allowing paramedics in to assess Dutchy.

"Sir, can you tell me where it hurts?" Asked the paramedic. Dutchy laughed for a second, and winced as his ribs protested.

"I don't know anymore," responded Dutchy truthfully. A second paramedic handed him a methoxy whistle, securing it to his wrist.

"Suck on this, and we'll get some fluids and morphine into you. Can you tell me your name?" Asked the first ambulance officer.

"Petty Officer Dylan Mullholland," he replied, gasping a little for air. An oxygen mask was snapped over his face, and he started to feel a little heady from the intense concentration of oxygen.

"Yes Lieutenant Caetano, I'm here right now. You deal with getting the rest of the Melbourne crew out of Samaru and getting Kate back here, and I'll make sure Dutchy gets looked after, right?" Dutchy could hear Maxine's voice; that meant safety. She crouched down next to him.

"Nikki called me Dutchy. We're going to get you to hospital, get you looked at. You'll be okay," said Maxine soothingly. Dutchy closed his eyes, the pain too much, and let the medication take over.

"He's out!" Called the paramedic. Maxine stood up, moving out of their way as they transferred Dutchy into an ambulance. She realised she was still on the phone to Nikki, and pressed the mobile to her ear.

"Caetano, he's being taken to hospital now. He's been severely beaten, and he's taken a gunshot to the leg. I'll send orders through NAVCOM to Jumper to get to Samaru, get our officers back, and then head back here, top of the green. Right?" Asked Maxine.

"Yes Commander." Nikki hung up, and cradled her head in her hands. She hadn't even told Kate what was going on; she and Bird had decided that it needed to be kept from Kate. For now anyway. To at least know that Kate was safe from her father now gave her a little comfort. She wondered how long Kate had been hiding all this information; none of them were aware that her mother had passed, that her father was abusive. Come to think of it, none of them knew a lot about Kate's past, and that included Mike Flynn. She wasn't one for opening up. Hunt knocked on her door.

"X, Boss says we're almost at Samaru, and wants the shore parties organised. He also wants to know if you'll be taking Buffer with you," asked Lex. Nikki pulled her hair back, becoming the official naval officer she was.

"Advise the CO that I won't be taking Buffer; make sure 2Dads and Chefo are appropriately armed, and that Bird is ready. We'll only need one RHIB; there aren't many of the Melbourne crew. We'll leave in ten minutes," said Nikki.

"Yes ma'am." Hunt left, and Nikki made her way to the wardroom. She opened the door slowly, and glanced around the corner. Buffer and Kate were both still asleep, Buffer's head leaning against Kate's. Nikki smiled, and left them both there. Kate needed the rest, and she wasn't one for disturbing Buffer when he was tired.

"They're been like that for a while. He was snoring for a little while too, but he stopped. She looks like she's in pain still, but I can't give her anything else. The base hospital will check her over when we get back," said Bird from behind Nikki. Nikki nodded.

"Have you got a medi-kit ready?" Asked Nikki. Jess lifted the navy blue bag in her hand.

"Packed it last night before Buffer came in to sit with the CO. Are we almost at Samaru?" Asked Bird. Nikki nodded as the call came over the ships intercom.

"Shore party close up on deck," called Jumper's voice.

"That's us. Let's go get everyone else that's left on that island," said Nikki. Bird followed Nikki out as the headed for the boat deck.

"Sounds like the best idea so far."

Bomber ran to her bathroom for the third time that evening, throwing up. She'd go with food poisoning, but she hadn't eaten anything. She wished Leo was here with her, to hold back her hair, to just hold her. Unfortunately, when the Hammersley was crash-sailed, he'd gone with them. She sat back against the bathroom wall, and glanced at the calendar she had pinned on the back of the bathroom door.

"No," she whispered, the realisation of the past few weeks catching up with her. She ignored the symptoms the past couple of weeks, putting it down to stress and anxiety, but she couldn't ignore it anymore. She crawled over to her bathroom cabinet, and pulled out the dreaded pregnancy test. She glanced at the calendar again; it definitely said it had been almost seven weeks. Rebecca pulled it out of the box with shaking hands, and read the instructions. She followed them to the letter, and within minutes, had the answer she was dreading. She broke down sobbing, holding herself as she let all her emotions pour out…

She was pregnant…