Authors Notes: I was a little surprised there wasn't some sort of scene back at Navcom after the explosion...after all, there would have needed to be a fairly intensive debriefing session. This doesn't really cover that, but it does cover what Maxine might have ended up doing...

As always, all feedback/comments are welcome. Enjoy :)

Chapter 6 - Mike, Kate and Maxine

Walking slowly toward each other though the dispersing crowd, Kate and Mike gave each other a small smile, "Are you OK?" Mike asked with concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, " Kate sighed with relief. The meeting with Jim's parents had gone better than she hoped, "It felt like good-bye." She added knowing that Mike would be concerned about her, she wanted to let him know that she really was ok.

"You ready to go?" Mike asked Kate. From her reaction he knew that the meeting had gone well, and if Kate wanted him to know more she would tell him about it later.

Nodding in agreement, Kate and Mike began to make their way into Navcom, a comforting silence settling between them. Neither of them knew why they were required today, but neither of them cared – they didn't want to be there. They wanted to be at the wake with the rest of the crew. Maxine had assured Mike that this would be a quick meeting and he was going to do everything in his powers to make sure it was as quick as possible.

As they approached Maxine's office, she looked up from her desk and motioned for them to enter, "Mike, Kate, come in, take a seat."

"Maxine..." Mike started before Maxine cut him off.

"Before you say anything, I know you don't want to be here right now. There are a couple of things you need to be informed of, I'll keep it short and then you will be free to resume your leave." Maxine said before turning her gaze to Kate, "I know you both have things you will need to deal with." She had heard rumours about her and Jim, and had seen her talking to his parents when she left the service. She didn't know what was going on, and to be honest she didn't really care. She just assumed that Kate had taken her advice and moved on from Mike.

"I thought you covered everything in our debrief yesterday?" Mike asked with a hint of displeasure in his voice. There was nothing exactly wrong with Maxine's tone, but then it wasn't comforting either and he just wanted for him and Kate to get out of there. His anger towards her for interfering in his private life and making it more complicated than is already was starting to come to the surface.

Maxine took in a deep breath before continuing, turning her attention from Kate back to Mike. In normal circumstances these meetings would have happened separately, but these weren't normal circumstances. "When you return from leave, I will be taking some extended leave. Ryan and I are going to travel and spend some time together. Fleet Command, in their wisdom, want you to replace me." She said with a hint of a smile. She knew that Mike had been desperate to get his shore posting when the reassignments came though and he had gone to Fleet Command, and she had assumed that was all because of Kate. But now, if the rumours were true, it appeared that Kate had moved on with Jim and he might not be so keen. She hoped that Command of Navcom might still appeal to him.

"Me? Are you sure?" Mike was stunned and he didn't know what to be more surprised at. Maxine was taking leave, but that was at the bottom of the list. He was getting a shore posting back, but not his posting, he was going to command Navcom? And it was at Fleet Command's request?

Maxine did her best to hide her smile. Mike may have had a reputation as being a bit of a cowboy, but what he didn't realize was how highly the Brass thought of him as a Commanding Officer and how much they respected some of his operational decisions. "You don't need to sound so surprised. There aren't many people that know these waters, and their dangers, as well as you."

"What happens when you get back?" As Mike started to process what was happening, the first thing that sprung to mind was whether or not he was going to be posted back to Hammersley when Maxine returned. He didn't want to go back, he was done being Hammersley's CO. He needed some security for himself and Kate; he wanted to build a life with her and if her statement earlier in the day was genuine, she wanted to build a life with him.

Reassuring him, "It's a permanent posting Mike. When I return I will probably be sent to Sydney or Canberra. I'm not sure what Ryan is going to do yet." Maxine replied, she knew exactly what Mike was asking, what she wasn't sure of was why. She had thought that Mike and Kate had moved on from each other. Even if Kate wasn't with Jim, her and Mike had spent a night together and she knew he wouldn't have done that if he was still involved with Kate.

"And Hammersley?" Mike asked, unsure of how to broach the subject with Kate in the room. He knew her promotion being knocked back had thrown her, and he wasn't sure what being over-looked again, now, with everything that had happened, would do to her.

"That's why your here Kate." Maxine said turning her attention towards Kate, who had been beginning to wonder why she was there, "The Brass have re-considered their decision and under the circumstances they are offering you your promotion and command of Hammersley. Congratulations."

The colour drained from Kate's face instantly. Maxine was still talking, but all Kate could hear was her heart beating through her chest. Right now, Kate didn't even trust herself to be an XO, and that was with Mike on board as a CO. But to do it on her own? After what had just happened would she really be able to order her crew into dangerous situations and stay on the bridge and watch? She registered somewhere that Maxine had asked her a question and was waiting for a response. Choking back the fear that had manifested itself in her throat, Kate stammered a response out, "I...I...I can't do this...I...I can't take it...I."

Maxine looked at Mike shocked, completely puzzled by her reaction. Before either Mike or Maxine could say anything Kate turned her attention to Mike, with tears beginning to form in her eyes she gathered her things as she prepared to leave. "I'm...I'm sorry." She choked out as she turned to leave as quickly as she could.

"Kate, wait," Mike called out trying to stop her, but she kept running. Quickly getting up, Mike ran after her, "Kate, wait," he called out again. As he caught up to her he stood in front of her attempting to stop her from running further away and placed his hand on her arm trying to calm her down. "What's wrong, talk to me," Mike pleaded.

A few stray tears began to flow down Kate's face as she looked up to meet Mike's eyes, "I just...I can't do it...not now." Kate stuttered out trying to control her emotions, her erratic breathing a sign that it was a battle she was about to lose.

Mike couldn't quite understand where the loss of confidence had come from. He knew that today would be an emotional day, but couldn't understand why she would be so hesitant to take her promotion, "Kate, the only person who doubts your ability to command is you, they wouldn't offer it to you if they didn't think you were up to it." He offered trying to re-assure her.

"I can't do this here...I need to go, the crew are expecting us at the wake, that's where I need to be right now...please..." Kate said pleading with Mike to let her go whilst trying to control her emotions, "Please let me go." She knew they needed to talk, about a lot of things, but she couldn't talk there at Navcom. She needed time to process what had happened, and the offer Maxine had just made.

"Ok, would you like me to meet you there, I haven't finished here yet, but I won't be long if you want to wait?" Mike asked concerned.

"I'll meet you there, I...I need to leave." Kate replied. She wanted to wait for Mike, but she couldn't, she had to leave Navcom.

Mike stood aside, removing his arm. He watched until Kate was out of view and was genuinely worried about her. He desperately wanted to leave with her, stay with her, console her, but there were a few more things that needed to be said between himself and Maxine first. He wanted to get a few things off his chest and set things straight before he tried to restore his relationship with Kate. Of all the reasons he had imagined why Kate would break things off with him, he never imagined it would have been because of Maxine.

As Mike made his way back into Maxine's office he knew she would have questions and he had barely made it through the door when she spoke, "What was that about?" Maxine asked genuinely confused. She had thought that Kate wanted the promotion, that this would be some good news on an otherwise very bad day.

Mike looked at Maxine, he knew she had very little tact sometimes, but to spring news like this on Kate today was the worst possible time. Kate had made the decision to leave two men on a boat that blew up. Two good men were killed because of a decision she made. It might have been the right decision, but that didn't change the outcome. He couldn't help but shake his head a little; surely Maxine wasn't so inhuman to think that Kate wouldn't be more than a little bit rattled?

Rather than getting into an argument he tried to bypass the question. "It's been a very bad couple of days." Mike commented taking his seat. He took a deep breath before continuing, "I want the shore posting, but are you able to wait before you give Fleet Command an answer about Kate?" He genuinely didn't know how to explain Kate's reaction, but he didn't want her to make a rushed decision influenced by the emotion of the day that she would later regret.

Maxine leant back in her chair and though about Mike's request. "I can probably hold them off for a week, but I do need an answer as soon as possible." Maxine's tone changed and was becoming more friendly, "Mike now that it's just you and me, we need to talk."

Mike wasn't having any of it. He wasn't ready to have any kind of personal conversation with Maxine, and certainly wasn't having it today. He wanted to go and find Kate and make sure she was OK. He wanted to go to the wake, and he wanted to calm down before he would say something he would later regret. "No we don't, not today. Look, if there is anything Ryan needs, I will always be here for him, and when the two of you get back I would like to spend some time with him myself, but as for anything else, it can wait." Mike had his Commander voice back and his tone threw Maxine.

Sensing an air of hostility, Maxine pushed back, "Mike, what's wrong?" She asked not knowing why Mike had just turned. Things between them had been a little tense since Ryan had found out he was Mike's son, but Mike had never taken such a strong tone with her, and had certainly never refused to talk to her.

Mike ran his hand through his hair while he contemplated what to say next. He started contemplating whether he should blurt everything out and deal with the consequences, or say nothing and leave. In the end, he went for something in the middle. "I was recently made aware of a conversation you had with Kate about my request for a shore posting a few months ago. I know that you probably had what you thought were my best interests at heart, but you very nearly cost me a chance at something I have been waiting a long time for." Maxine tried to interrupt before Mike raised a hand to stop her, "You don't know the whole story. Maybe when you get back we can talk about it, but today's not the day. You need to spend time with Ryan, Kate and I need to spend some time together. There is a lot we need to deal with." Mike's tone had softened a little, but he wasn't leaving any room for discussion and Maxine knew it.

"Mike, if I was wrong, I'm sorry." She had wondered if Mike would ever find out about that conversation, and how he would react. Now, she had her answer.

Mike wasn't quite ready to let Maxine off the hook, he was also worried about Kate and wanted to leave so he could check on her. He gathered his things and stood in preparation to leave, "I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

"Call, when you're ready," Maxine offered as she stood with Mike. It was met with a nod and half a smile from Mike. He didn't want to lose another friend, and Dutchy had been right, he and Maxine had their own issues to deal with, but he wasn't ready to do this today.

Kate was beginning to feel as though the world was spinning at twice it's normal speed. She wanted to hit pause, just make everything stop for a while so she could catch up. First Jim had proposed, she made the heartbreaking decision that she couldn't marry him, but then watched as he and Swain were killed before she could tell him. Then before she met Jim's parents to give the engagement ring back, her and Mike admitted they only wanted to marry each other. And now, she was being offered a promotion and Command of Hammersley.

She just couldn't cope with any more.

To be continued