Chapter Text
Kate was panting as she leaned against the kitchen counter to catch her breath. Lucy’s smug smile and heaving chest were all she could focus on as the petite brunette handed her a cold bottle of water. Kate smirked at the way Lucy openly stared at her chest and bit her lip.
“I could get used to you like this, but I do believe you are out of shape,” teased Lucy and Kate playfully rolled her eyes.
“You cheated. I want a rematch.”
“Of course I cheated. How else was I supposed to win a race? You have the legs of an Amazon woman.”
“And you admit it, which disqualifies you, I want my prize then. Pay up,” said Kate as she used a towel to wipe the sweat from her face. Lucy smiled coyly at her.
“And all this time I thought you liked me spread out on the couch for you. Shower sex it is,” teased Lucy before pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Their moment was interrupted by the buzzing of Kate’s phone and Lucy giggled at the disappointed scowl that formed on her girlfriend’s face. Kate grabbed her phone and cursed under her breath when she saw the text message.
“Everything okay,” asked Lucy, even though she already knew the answer.
“Just work stuff. Go ahead and start the shower. I will be in soon,” said Kate absentmindedly as she stared down at her phone. Lucy kissed her cheek and gave Kate her privacy. In their line of work, last minute phone calls were the norm and Lucy knew Kate needed to take a call. She headed to the shower while Kate walked outside to her balcony. She made sure the sliding door was shut behind her before dialing the number to a secure line.
“When,” she asked shortly.
“Passenger plane left DC this morning. First stop is in Denver, though. It could be a coincidence.”
“In our line of work I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Want to flag it?” Kate thought for a moment about her options. She could throw every resource at her disposal at the problem, but it wouldn’t change the issue and could be far more trouble than she was already in.
“No, just track the passenger for me and keep it between us.”
“I always do.”
“Thanks, Carlos.” She hung up the phone, shoved it in her pocket, and scrubbed her face with her hands in frustration. She had no clue what she wanted to do, but it seemed her past and present were trying to collide. All she could think about was the breathtaking brunette inside waiting for her. She wanted to tell her the truth, but she didn’t know where to start. Kate never thought she would find herself in such a predicament, especially after two years ago, but everything changed the night she met Lucy. It was a night she would never forget and she often thought about.
It had been a stressful, demanding week of work that required late nights and minimal payoff. Kate had just finished work, but was never truly off the clock. The intel sphere was like that though. She often found herself working more than one case and each was deemed highly classified and important. She sat in her car wrapping up a last minute call with her boss on a secure line. She did her best not to sound annoyed and in desperate need of the drink she was about to get at the bar she was parked in front of as her boss wrapped up the briefing.
“Any signs of Miller?”
“Not on our end, maybe that’s a good sign,” she suggested.
“As long as he is out there, he’s a threat.”
“I already have a taskforce on it. I don’t think Miller would be bold enough to show up anytime soon. Not here or on the mainland, my best guess based on the intel is he is overseas and underground. He isn’t an imminent threat.”
“If he isn’t in the fold, he is a threat.”
“Understood.”
“Good, the file for the new recruit Tennant requested is on your desk. Carlos already cleared it, but you make the final call.”
“I’m sure Tennant would love to hear that. I’ll make sure everything is in order.” Without so much as a pleasantry, the call ended and Kate sighed in relief. She could feel the tension in her neck increasing and placed the phone in the small, black box under her seat before taking a deep breath. She secured and locked her car and grabbed her leather jacket before heading into the bar. She slipped past tables and swaths of people to make a beeline for an open stool at the bar. The breath she didn’t realize she was holding in was released and her shoulders visibly relaxed.
“Long day,” called a voice over the music and she turned to see a stunning woman sitting beside her. Her deep brown eyes and flowing, wavy hair caught Kate off guard and she blushed when the woman seemed to notice the effect she had on her. Her smile was bright and endearing, the kind that made her eyes light up. Kate cleared her throat and gave a nod.
“Long year,” she confessed.
“Want to talk about it?”
“If I’m being honest, I rather forget about it.”
“Works for me, how about I buy you a drink then?” Kate was surprised when the woman flagged down the bartender.
“Thanks, but I prefer to buy my own drinks. Just a glass of Pinot Grigio, please,” informed Kate as the bartender arrived.
“Put it on my tab,” said the brunette and Kate smiled appreciatively.
“Thanks,” she said.
“No problem, I’m Lucy, by the way.”
“Kate.” They shook hands and Kate noticed the way Lucy’s eyes lingered on her.
“You know, I come in here often and I’ve never seen you before. New to town,” asked Kate.
“How often do you have to come in to know all the regulars and who is new to town,” teased Lucy and Kate smiled slyly.
“I think I would remember you.”
“I hope so and yes, I just moved here.” The bartender placed a glass of wine in front of Kate and she sighed in relief.
“Thank you. So, Lucy, what brings you to the islands? Business or pleasure?”
“A bit of both, well, hopefully. What about you? How long have you lived here?”
“Almost three years now. It’s a beautiful place to live.”
“And yet, here you are stressed on a Friday night. Fight with your significant other?” Kate eyed her carefully, but couldn’t help but smile at the teasing tone.
“I’m single.”
“Then maybe it will be a good night after all,” said Lucy as she raised her glass.
“To a good night,” said Lucy and Kate smiled flirtatiously as they clinked glasses.
“To a good night,” she agreed.
Kate shook her head as she snapped out of the memory and another took its place. That was the first night she met Lucy and she had no clue how it would change everything for her. The panic over their relationship set in well before she even realized who she was. Kate remembered waking up and regretting her decision to bring the stranger back to her place. The sex was phenomenal, but Kate Whistler was not one for a casual hookup. Lucy awkwardly left after waking up and suggested they get drinks again soon. Kate wasn’t adverse to the idea, but still spent the rest of the weekend admonishing herself for being so careless after everything she had been through. Her angst over her life choices only increased on Monday morning when she opened the file on her desk. The new recruit and special agent to the new NCIS team just so happened to be the very woman she had in her bed a few nights before. The heart palpitations and pure panic rolling off her had her frozen in place for several minutes as she tried to collect her thoughts. She speechlessly stared at the picture and information on the form. Special Agent Lucy Tara was Tennant’s new recruit. She managed to calm herself down enough to regain composure and devise a plan. She wasn’t going down that road again. Not after everything that had happened. This time, she was prepared. She stood up, smoothed out her skirt, and headed out of her office with the file in hand. Carlos had his eyes trained on his screen as usual and only glanced up at her when she tossed the file on his desk.
“Dig deeper with this one. I want to know everything about Agent Tara, down to her last social media posts.” Before he could respond, she stormed out of his office and in the direction of NCIS Headquarters. It didn’t take her long to spot the newest member of the team. She was sitting on a desk and speaking with Special Agent Boone. The moment Lucy saw Kate, her eyes widened, but Kate refused to look at her for long.
“Kate, what are you…”
“DIA Officer Whistler, what a nice surprise,” said Tennant as she opened her office door. Kate did her best to coolly stroll by Lucy and head straight for Tennant’s office. Lucy scrambled to her feet.
“Wait, you are…” Before Lucy could ask, Kate spun around and greeted her with equal parts professionalism and venom, it took all she could muster to not glare at the newcomer.
“Kate Whistler, I’m the DIA liaison for NCIS. You must be Special Agent Tara. Tennant, I planned on speaking with you, but since she is here, I will take it up with her. I need a word with your special agent in private.” Tennant eyed her carefully.
“About,” asked Tennant.
“Missing information from her paperwork,” answered Kate without missing a beat.
“Can this wait, we are trying to get her acclimated…”
“I’m not really asking. Agent Tara, follow me, now,” instructed Kate and Lucy gulped as she glanced over at Tennant, who gave her a nod. Lucy followed Kate up the stairs and looked taken aback when she was taken into the war room. Kate swiftly closed the door behind them, entered a code into the keypad, and locked down the room. As soon as the windows tinted and shifted to whiteout the glass, Kate stood over Lucy and crossed her arms.
“Care to tell me how you failed to mention you worked for NCIS the other night?”
“It’s not exactly something I flaunt, especially on a first date.”
“That was not a first date,” whispered Kate.
“Okay, then definitely not something I tell someone I am hooking up with or whatever you want to call it. Look, I know it isn’t ideal because we are colleagues, but it will be fine. We aren't breaking any rules by dating.”
“First off, it is a very big deal. Second, we are not dating. I am a DIA officer and it would be a conflict of interest.”
“How?”
“Like you don’t already know,” smirked Kate as she rolled her eyes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You seriously expect me to believe you had no clue who I was before today?”
“Of course I didn’t. Why would I lie about that? This is my first day on the job and I have busted my ass to get here. I wouldn’t jeopardize that, but you didn’t answer my question. If we aren't breaking any rules, then how is it a conflict of interest?”
“My job is to protect the intel. You have no clue how much information flows in and out of here. My job is to make sure it doesn’t get into the wrong hands. For your cases, you need intel that could be considered privileged information or classified. A lot of times, I cannot provide NCIS with the information they want or think they need. It makes me a thorn in your team’s side, but that’s the job. I can't do my job if I am compromised or asked to look the other way when it comes to that.”
“I would never ask you to do that.” Kate gave a curt nod.
“And you will never have the chance. The other night was a one-time thing.” She sighed when Lucy stepped closer to her. Lucy reached out for her hand.
“It doesn’t have to be.” Kate looked down and shoved her hands into her pockets. She refused to make eye contact and kept her eyes trained on the floor.
“Yes, it does. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do and you have training to undergo with your team.”
Kate remembered how furious she was with Lucy that day. She steered clear of Tennant and her team for a month after that and was relieved none of their cases needed sensitive intel. That was until Lucy wanted Commander Walters’ preliminary autopsy report, a report that Kate was in charge of disseminating. Lucy stealthily reading the report upside down didn’t help her cause. She still didn’t know how serious Kate was about filing that complaint against her, but Kate already had it written up and ready to submit. That all changed the night Lucy came over to apologize. Kate remembered how conflicted she was that night. She kept telling herself to keep her distance from Lucy and yet, Lucy was the one who had to stop them from sleeping together again. It made her question her judgment. It made her embarrassed and yet she couldn’t help but gravitate toward Lucy. Maybe it was Lucy assuring her that she was missing out because Lucy was amazing. Her confidence and ability to keep Kate on her toes was something that made her even more enamoring, but Kate refused to put her guard down too much. Things got even more complicated on the Barlow case. She had her orders from the brass and even if she didn’t like it, she had to follow them. Agent Barlow was not to be tracked down by NCIS. The case, and her interference after being given strict orders, made Kate realize just how complicated her feelings for Lucy already were. She was ready to create more distance. She was ready to put her guard completely up until Tennant called her into her office to talk.
It was a late night after a long day and most of the agents had cleared out. Kate saw Tennant sitting in her office and gave a quick knock. Tennant nodded for her to enter and Kate placed a folder on her desk.
“You need to sign off on this form. It notifies you that everything you learned today falls under classified information. You are responsible for keeping it that way and will be held accountable if your team does not do the same.”
“Understood.” Kate turned to leave, but Tennant called to her.
“Thank you for the assist today. I know that isn’t what your bosses wanted.”
“I overstepped, but honestly, I don’t regret the decision. It was the right thing to do.”
“Well, I’m sorry if we got you into trouble. I know the pressure you are under. Trust me.”
“I doubt that.”
“You may be surprised.”
“You mean because of your time with the…State Department,” asked Kate and Tennant arched an eyebrow at her.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that comment.” Kate gave her a small smile.
“I don’t expect you to.”
“I’ll just say that I know what it’s like to work for people who make you feel expendable. That’s not what my team does though, so I want you to know that if you need anything, I’m here.”
“All I need is the form signed.” Tennant nodded and signed the form before handing it back to Kate.
“Fair enough, but we still need to talk.”
“About?”
“Lucy and why you think she has ulterior motives.” Kate’s jaw clenched in frustration. She briskly walked over to close the door to the office before turning to face Tennant again.
“There is nothing going on between…”
“Whatever is going on between you is just that, between you. However, I know why you are hesitant and I need you to know something, no matter what ends up happening between the two of you, I would never pull a move like that, ever. It goes against everything I stand for and, woman to woman, that crap will never fly under my watch.” Kate took a deep breath to regain composure.
“I know.”
“Good, then maybe take it easy on Lucy. You have your reasons for assuming the worst about her, but she really does wear her heart on her sleeve. This job will harden the best of us, but Lucy isn’t playing a game. Whatever is happening between you two is authentic, that’s all I will say on the matter.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kate left the office and decided it was best to head out for the night. When she found Lucy waiting for her at her car, she had two choices. Think of it too much as a coincidence or see it as a sign to embrace the special agent she couldn’t stop thinking about. She chose the latter. That didn’t mean Kate still didn’t have trust issues. Even after letting Lucy back into her bed, she still had constant reminders of why they were not a good idea. One came in the form of the phone call that caused her to snap at Lucy and once again put up her walls, and yet, she couldn’t help but gravitate toward her. When she found out from Ernie about Lucy getting hurt while stopping a suspect, she couldn’t help but to check on her. It was a conversation she never realized she needed for more than one reason.
Kate was in her office, reading over updated intel sessions, when she heard the knock. She was surprised to see Ernie standing in her doorway and cleared her throat as he entered.
“How may I help you,” she asked as she closed the file on her desk. She was surprised when he closed her office door and made himself comfortable in the seat in front of her desk.
“Agree to go on a date with Lucy.”
“And just like that, we are done here.”
“She really likes you.”
“You are out of line.”
“She doesn’t know about Cara.” The words made her flinch.
“I didn’t either,” he added. She wrapped her arms protectively around herself and gave a nod.
“I know. You wouldn’t still be here if you did.”
“I know.” They sat in awkward silence for a moment and she sighed.
“Anything else?”
“She really likes you.”
“You already said that.”
“And if you really like her, then you should go check on her. She had a rough day.”
“Is she okay,” asked Kate as she sat up straighter and Ernie shrugged.
“A suspect roughed her up a bit…” Kate was immediately on her feet.
“She got the upperhand though,” he assured as she rushed out of the office in search of Lucy. Seeing her so bruised and battered in the breakroom made all her defenses falter and she was relieved when Lucy agreed to keep things between them. After a few more metaphorical bumps and bruises in the road, they finally seemed to be on the right track. Kate opened up more and agreed to dates in public. Lucy stayed over more and everything was great between them, until Kate got the alert on her phone that her ex-girlfriend booked a flight with a final destination to the islands. A part of her knew she should tell Lucy, but she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready for the wound to be ripped open again or the aftermath of it. The sound of the door sliding open made her jump and jolted her out of her spiral of thoughts. Lucy stood in front of her with nothing but a towel on and a cute pout.
“I thought you were going to join me,” asked Lucy and Kate couldn’t help but smile at how stunning her girlfriend looked in all her glory. The sun kissed her wet skin and made her glow.
“Sorry, I got sidetracked.”
“Everything okay?” Kate gulped at the question and Lucy immediately put her hand up when she noticed.
“Don’t answer that. I know you can't anyways. Work stuff, right?”
“Just an unexpected wrinkle.”
“There always is. Do you have to go now?”
“Actually, no, I have time.” Lucy beamed with happiness as she made her way over to Kate and sat down on her lap. Kate slipped her hand onto Lucy’s thigh and teasingly under the towel.
“And can you still do dinner at the bar with everyone?”
“Yep, still in my calendar.”
“Then how about we go back inside and I remind you of what I get as the winner of our race.”
“You cheated,” reminded Kate with a giggle.
“I still won and you missed your shot in the shower.”
“There’s plenty of hot water left,” assured Kate and Lucy giggled as Kate pulled her into the house for their long-awaited shower.