merry chrismas [1/11]
Title: Merry Christmas
Fandom: Sea Patrol
Pairing: Mike/Kate
Words: 1034
Summary: 'She’d almost been glad when she’d heard that they were being crash sailed. It meant that instead of spending Christmas sitting at home moping about the fact that she had no one to spend it with she would be on the Hammersley with her friends.'
HMAS Cairns Navy Base
0800 - December 23rd, 2010
Kate looked up from her clipboard as she heard talking. 2Dads and Charge were walking towards her, laughing, their bags swung over their shoulders. A few steps behind them, and a whole lot less cheery, was Swain. Kate was suddenly overcome with guilt, not that the situation was her fault - or even the Navy’s fault - but it was still bad timing.
‘Morning, X,’ Charge said, saluting in a way that was half mockery as he walked over the gangway.
She almost stopped to ask if he’d been drinking, but she knew the crew had thought they were on holidays the night before - and she’d left them at midnight knowing they’d probably stay out all night.
‘Merry Christmas,’ 2Dads commented, jumping onto the ramp and following Charge.
‘It’s not Christmas yet, 2Dads,’ she replied, smiling slightly.
‘Close enough,’ he shouted over his shoulder as he swung off the gangway ramp onto the Hammersley.
He was definitely still drunk, but she could turn a blind eye considering the circumstances. Her smile faded as she met Swain’s eyes.
‘Sorry, Swain,’ she offered.
He shrugged, trying to force a smile. ‘It’s not your fault, X.’
She was about to respond when she was distracted by the next two arrivals. Bird, followed closely by none other than Ryan White. Maxine’s son. She didn’t even have time to think about it before she heard Mike’s far-too-cheery voice from behind her.
‘Ryan?’
Instantly annoyed she turned and watched as Mike made his way over the gangway onto the wharf.
‘Surprise!’ Ryan smiled broadly.
For a moment Kate felt almost bad for her negative reaction to him. Clearly the kid was happy to be there.
‘You’re the new GAP kid? I knew your mother was hiding something from me,’ he asked, a broad smile crossing his face. ‘Welcome aboard!’
That felt like a stab to the heart.
Kate tried to focus on her clipboard again. Mike always claimed that he didn’t really want kids, but seeing him with Ryan, acting like the kid was his son. Well that hurt. A lot. Because maybe it was just her that he wasn’t interested in having kids with…
She took in a deep breath. It was going to fine, having Ryan on board would be fine. Except for the fact that he was Maxine’s son.
Yeah. Other than that everything was going to be fine.
‘Ma’am?’
She looked at Swain, she’d almost forgotten about him.
‘I’m fine,’ she replied.
She could see Swain didn’t believe her, but he nodded and made his way on board anyway. After one last glance at Mike and Ryan she followed him.
HMAS Hammersley Bridge
1203 - December 23rd, 2010
Kate watched as Bird showed Ryan around the bridge. She knew exactly why Ryan was there - because Maxine wouldn’t trust any other Navy Commander with her son. It also mean that Maxine wasn’t planning to replace Mike as CO anytime soon.
This was going to be a terrible Christmas.
She’d almost been glad when she’d heard that they were being crash sailed. It meant that instead of spending Christmas sitting at home moping about the fact that she had no one to spend it with she would be on the Hammersley with her friends.
In a war zone.
But she’d take that over her lonely living room and her sad excuse for a Christmas tree any day. There wasn’t even a present under her tree. Not that she cared much for presents, but the idea of having someone to give one to - or receive one from - was a nice one.
‘Smile, X,’ Swain muttered from next to her.
‘I could say the same to you, Swain,’ she shot back at him.
‘Just my luck war has to break out again in the Samaru Islands as Sally and I were on the way out to her parents place for dinner,’ Swain half smiled. ‘I think Santa’s bringing me coal this year.’
‘Coal’s more than I’ll be getting,’ Kate commented, glancing at Mike.
Swain and herself were possibly the only ones on board not caught up in the Christmas spirit. Well - them and RO, who was at that moment pulling the tinsel off his monitor that 2Dads had put there a few moments earlier.
‘Aaw, come on RO - even you must have some Christmas spirit in there somewhere,’ 2Dads grinned as he sat on RO’s desk.
‘I’m Jewish,’ RO commented as he put the tinsel in the bin.
‘Dixon doesn’t sound like a Jewish name,’ 2Dads replied.
‘On my mothers side,’ RO continued. ‘Would you get off my workspace?’
2Dads opened his mouth to respond but was cut off as the radio burst to life.
‘Mayday, mayday. This is SAS Captain Jim Roth - our boat is under attack, repeat our boat is under attack. Mayday - ‘
The whole room fell silent and everyone’s attention was suddenly very much on Kate. She felt Mike’s eyes on her and she looked up at him. The look she received felt like the second stab to her heart that day.
It wasn’t fair for him to feel jealous when she hadn’t seen Jim in years and there was nothing between them anymore. Especially not when Jim was in danger.
‘Sir?’
‘Answer them, RO,’ Mike’s eyes never left Kate’s.
She felt trapped. Trapped by fear that Jim was now in trouble and trapped by Mike’s stare. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. She hoped he couldn’t read the fear in her eyes but she was entirely sure he could.
‘Captain Roth this is HMAS Hammersley, what are your coordinates?’ RO spoke back into the radio.
There was silence from the other end.
‘Captain Roth, I repeat this is HMAS Hammer - ‘
‘HMAS Hammersley, if you want to see your Army friends again I suggest you turn around and go back to your country. This is none of your business.’
RO looked at Mike, at a loss how to respond. Mike grabbed the radio from him.
‘This is Commander Mike Flynn with the Australian Navy, who is this?’ he asked.
‘It’s not important. You tell your government to stay out of our business and we’ll leave your SAS Captain alone.’
The radio went dead.
Part Two
Fandom: Sea Patrol
Pairing: Mike/Kate
Words: 1034
Summary: 'She’d almost been glad when she’d heard that they were being crash sailed. It meant that instead of spending Christmas sitting at home moping about the fact that she had no one to spend it with she would be on the Hammersley with her friends.'
HMAS Cairns Navy Base
0800 - December 23rd, 2010
Kate looked up from her clipboard as she heard talking. 2Dads and Charge were walking towards her, laughing, their bags swung over their shoulders. A few steps behind them, and a whole lot less cheery, was Swain. Kate was suddenly overcome with guilt, not that the situation was her fault - or even the Navy’s fault - but it was still bad timing.
‘Morning, X,’ Charge said, saluting in a way that was half mockery as he walked over the gangway.
She almost stopped to ask if he’d been drinking, but she knew the crew had thought they were on holidays the night before - and she’d left them at midnight knowing they’d probably stay out all night.
‘Merry Christmas,’ 2Dads commented, jumping onto the ramp and following Charge.
‘It’s not Christmas yet, 2Dads,’ she replied, smiling slightly.
‘Close enough,’ he shouted over his shoulder as he swung off the gangway ramp onto the Hammersley.
He was definitely still drunk, but she could turn a blind eye considering the circumstances. Her smile faded as she met Swain’s eyes.
‘Sorry, Swain,’ she offered.
He shrugged, trying to force a smile. ‘It’s not your fault, X.’
She was about to respond when she was distracted by the next two arrivals. Bird, followed closely by none other than Ryan White. Maxine’s son. She didn’t even have time to think about it before she heard Mike’s far-too-cheery voice from behind her.
‘Ryan?’
Instantly annoyed she turned and watched as Mike made his way over the gangway onto the wharf.
‘Surprise!’ Ryan smiled broadly.
For a moment Kate felt almost bad for her negative reaction to him. Clearly the kid was happy to be there.
‘You’re the new GAP kid? I knew your mother was hiding something from me,’ he asked, a broad smile crossing his face. ‘Welcome aboard!’
That felt like a stab to the heart.
Kate tried to focus on her clipboard again. Mike always claimed that he didn’t really want kids, but seeing him with Ryan, acting like the kid was his son. Well that hurt. A lot. Because maybe it was just her that he wasn’t interested in having kids with…
She took in a deep breath. It was going to fine, having Ryan on board would be fine. Except for the fact that he was Maxine’s son.
Yeah. Other than that everything was going to be fine.
‘Ma’am?’
She looked at Swain, she’d almost forgotten about him.
‘I’m fine,’ she replied.
She could see Swain didn’t believe her, but he nodded and made his way on board anyway. After one last glance at Mike and Ryan she followed him.
HMAS Hammersley Bridge
1203 - December 23rd, 2010
Kate watched as Bird showed Ryan around the bridge. She knew exactly why Ryan was there - because Maxine wouldn’t trust any other Navy Commander with her son. It also mean that Maxine wasn’t planning to replace Mike as CO anytime soon.
This was going to be a terrible Christmas.
She’d almost been glad when she’d heard that they were being crash sailed. It meant that instead of spending Christmas sitting at home moping about the fact that she had no one to spend it with she would be on the Hammersley with her friends.
In a war zone.
But she’d take that over her lonely living room and her sad excuse for a Christmas tree any day. There wasn’t even a present under her tree. Not that she cared much for presents, but the idea of having someone to give one to - or receive one from - was a nice one.
‘Smile, X,’ Swain muttered from next to her.
‘I could say the same to you, Swain,’ she shot back at him.
‘Just my luck war has to break out again in the Samaru Islands as Sally and I were on the way out to her parents place for dinner,’ Swain half smiled. ‘I think Santa’s bringing me coal this year.’
‘Coal’s more than I’ll be getting,’ Kate commented, glancing at Mike.
Swain and herself were possibly the only ones on board not caught up in the Christmas spirit. Well - them and RO, who was at that moment pulling the tinsel off his monitor that 2Dads had put there a few moments earlier.
‘Aaw, come on RO - even you must have some Christmas spirit in there somewhere,’ 2Dads grinned as he sat on RO’s desk.
‘I’m Jewish,’ RO commented as he put the tinsel in the bin.
‘Dixon doesn’t sound like a Jewish name,’ 2Dads replied.
‘On my mothers side,’ RO continued. ‘Would you get off my workspace?’
2Dads opened his mouth to respond but was cut off as the radio burst to life.
‘Mayday, mayday. This is SAS Captain Jim Roth - our boat is under attack, repeat our boat is under attack. Mayday - ‘
The whole room fell silent and everyone’s attention was suddenly very much on Kate. She felt Mike’s eyes on her and she looked up at him. The look she received felt like the second stab to her heart that day.
It wasn’t fair for him to feel jealous when she hadn’t seen Jim in years and there was nothing between them anymore. Especially not when Jim was in danger.
‘Sir?’
‘Answer them, RO,’ Mike’s eyes never left Kate’s.
She felt trapped. Trapped by fear that Jim was now in trouble and trapped by Mike’s stare. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. She hoped he couldn’t read the fear in her eyes but she was entirely sure he could.
‘Captain Roth this is HMAS Hammersley, what are your coordinates?’ RO spoke back into the radio.
There was silence from the other end.
‘Captain Roth, I repeat this is HMAS Hammer - ‘
‘HMAS Hammersley, if you want to see your Army friends again I suggest you turn around and go back to your country. This is none of your business.’
RO looked at Mike, at a loss how to respond. Mike grabbed the radio from him.
‘This is Commander Mike Flynn with the Australian Navy, who is this?’ he asked.
‘It’s not important. You tell your government to stay out of our business and we’ll leave your SAS Captain alone.’
The radio went dead.
Part Two