A/N: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS (there are a few references here and there), CBS, or any other known entity. Title and summary are from "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, which I also don't own. As always, I hope you guys enjoy the story, and please review. :)
Somewhere Only We Know
She made her way down the winding path, walking out on the short dock. She sat down on the edge, taking off her sandals and dipping her feet into the warm water of the ocean. There had been a time when a boat had been tethered to the dock, but it was long since gone, along with its owner.
Like so many others.
She shook that thought out of her head, choosing instead to admire the moonlit landscape around her. She was surrounded on all sides by woods and water, and she was as much alone as she wanted to be. She'd spent so much time here over the years, and she shifted slightly as she thought about the moments.
All the nights she stared out at the ocean, simply thinking about life and her job.
All the times she came here after another failed romance attempt.
All the tears she'd shed away from prying eyes.
It had been a long time since she felt the need to come out here, to a place where she could get lost in the beauty. Where she could breathe. Where she felt more alive than ever. Where she was as small as a drop in the ocean.
I wonder if that's how Hetty feels when she stands next to Sam…
She smiled at that thought as she watched the moonlight play along the waves. It was like watching a delicate ballet as the stars twinkled in the clear sky. This was one of the few places around that was still clear most of the time, and the night was milder than normal.
Footsteps came down the path behind her as the wind kicked up lightly, and she wasn't sure whether to frown or smile. There was only one other person who still came down this way, the only one who knew where to find her. She slid over to make room at the end of the dock.
"I figured I'd find you here," he said casually, standing behind her.
"What gave me away?" she asked, not bothering to turn around.
"You threw a book at Eric. Clear sign that all's not right in your world."
She shrugged as she heard him take off his shoes behind her. "He had it coming."
"Because he asked you for the book? Then, by all means, throw away."
She rolled her eyes at his obvious sarcasm. "You and Sam were out, and he was driving me crazy all day."
"What'd he do?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"Just… being Eric, I guess," she sighed. "Nothing out of the ordinary for him."
"So, your fuse is shorter than normal."
She shrugged, kicking her foot in the water.
He spread his hands out behind himself and her, leaning back on them as he dunked his feet into the water.
"How have you moved on so fast?" she asked suddenly, finally looking over at him.
He shook his head. "I haven't," he answered.
"You just, put it all aside?"
"Try to."
She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I can't do that."
He inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes. "Have you talked to Nate about this?" he tried after a moment.
"No," she replied.
He looked over at her. "Why not?"
"Because. I mean… he lost someone too, you know? We all did. And… I don't know, I guess it's hard to talk about."
"You're talking about it now."
She rolled her eyes. "Must you always be this annoying?"
He smirked lightly.
"Keep it up, and I'll throw you in the water," she muttered.
He chuckled. "Yeah, because that worked so well for you last time," he reminded her.
She looked down as she remembered the moment in question. Trying to throw him into the ocean had ended with them getting a lecture from Macy at the E.R. "I wonder if that helped push her to leave."
He shook his head. "That didn't have anything to do with us."
"Gibbs?"
He shrugged. "For as long as I've known both of them, I still don't know what happened there. I have an idea, but no concrete evidence."
She smiled slightly. "Nate knows," she pointed out.
He chuckled. "Of course he does," he said.
They both fell silent, staring out across the water as she kicked her foot through the waves. He shifted slightly, twisting his head side to side. After a moment, she whispered, "Why do we always seem to lose everyone we care about?"
"I don't know," he replied, his voice just as soft as hers.
"I mean, Macy… Dom… families… it never seems to end."
He snorted softly in response.
"I know, I'm preaching to the choir."
He shrugged gently. "I could say it's life," he said. "I could even make the point that we're still here, but it doesn't help, does it?"
"No," she acknowledged, looking over to him. "But thanks for the attempt."
He smiled lightly. "That's why I'm here."
She nodded, resting her head against his shoulder as he put his arm around her. They stayed like that for a moment before a smile crept onto her face again. "Man, Macy was pissed when we had to go to the ER."
He laughed quietly. "Oh, yeah. I wonder how Hetty'd react."
"I'm entirely sure I don't want to find out."
"What, are you scared?"
"You are too," she pointed out.
"Well, she does have friends in high places," he recognized.
She nodded, letting the conversation drop again as the wind gusted slightly. The breeze was cool, causing her to shiver and him to pull her closer. After a while, she said, "Do you remember what happened to the guy who owned the boat?"
"He moved to Santa Cruz, I think," he said. "His daughter had a baby, so he was heading down there to be closer to her."
"That's right. How long ago was that?"
"Three years?"
"We've been here too long."
He scoffed. "Better here than anywhere else."
"See? I knew you had a thing for Sam."
He chuckled.
"You've never taken him out here," she mentioned.
"I don't take him anywhere," he replied.
"Yeah, right. You've taken him on dates before."
"Those weren't dates."
"Oh yeah? What were they then?"
"Dinner."
She nodded with a teasing glint in her eyes, and he shook his head.
"Don't make me throw you in the water," he cautioned.
She laughed. "You wouldn't," she said.
"We wouldn't even end up at the ER."
She glared as he shoved her gently, emphasizing his point. "You try it for real, and I'll shoot you."
"Been there, done that," he remarked with a shrug.
She shook her head before resting it back against his arm. After a few moments, she asked, "Why have you never taken Sam here?"
He bit his lip slightly as he thought about it. "I don't know," he finally replied. "I guess because this was always kinda our place. Taking someone else here wouldn't be right."
She nodded.
"Besides, if I wanna talk to Sam, I'll take him out for drinks."
She snorted slightly with a small smirk. "I thought you never take him anywhere."
"Shut up."
The End