TWO NIGHTS, THREE DAYS

A/N: Hey y'all, welcome back! Hopefully chapter one left you wanting more, and for this chapter I ask you to take off your canon goggles and picture the NCIS HI verse through my eyes, it's fun here :)

As always I don't own the characters, they belong to the brilliant creators of NCIS Hawai'i and I'll put them back when I'm done.

Surf's Up

Kate Whistler was normally a morning person. She generally woke up before sunrise and attacked the day, and often accomplished more before noon than most people did all day. Today was no different, her first full day on the island seeing her up and out of the hotel by five. It was early enough that traffic was at a minimum at least by island standards, thus it was a relatively quick trip to the beachside surf shop she had selected from the list of options she'd discovered in her research. Full of anticipation she rented a board, got the sage advice of the gnarled old surfer who ran the business and finally made her way into the Pacific waves she'd been dreaming about since the idea of this trip had been floated her way.

Surfing on that Sunday morning had been incredible. Breathtaking. Life changing, to be honest. Kate had learned to surf on the east coast, and while the Atlantic surf scene had been a wonderful place to learn it couldn't hold a candle to surfing in Hawaii. After an exhilarating morning and spectacular sunrise she had followed the surf crowd to a delightful breakfast spot where she discovered that indeed, coffee was better on the island. Delicious dark brew in hand, she took the time to wander the area and eventually stumbled upon a charming little neighborhood bar. The sign on the chalkboard boasted fresh caught seafood and drinks "colder than your ex" and Kate decided that she would return when they were open for dinner at least once before she left.

Oahu turned out to be everything she didn't know she needed, from the relaxed atmosphere of the early morning beach scene to the awe inspiring tours of Pearl Harbor. She stood in front of the government offices where she would be presenting in less than twenty-four hours and tried to imagine what it would be like to work here every day, to actually get to the point where she just saw this entire, gorgeous environment as the place where she worked. Imagined seeing it so often that it became white noise, the background that she didn't really look at or appreciate as anything more than where she conducted her business. Hoped that someone would offer her a chance to find out.

Smiling so big it almost hurt, Kate headed back to the hotel.

All Work, No Play

Monday morning she had arrived early, familiarized herself with the facilities and felt confident by the time she was greeted by her contact in the DIA. She was surprised that on day one she was introduced to NCIS Special Agent In Charge Jane Tennant, but she was also drawn to the confidence and warmth the woman exuded.

"DIA Whistler, it's a pleasure to meet you," Tennant greeted with a smile. "I've heard great things from my colleagues in DC and I'm looking forward to your presentation."

Taken aback by the statement, Kate's stage fright kicked in and she said, "I didn't realize NCIS would be participating in the conference."

"Not NCIS, just me. As Special Agent In Charge I have a vested interest in what goes on here this week."

"So it's true," Kate replied.

"It is," Tennant agreed, concern on her face, "your boss didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't," Kate sighed, "I heard it from the rumor mill."

"I'm sorry about that," the older woman soothed, "I just assumed you knew."

"It's ok, I'm used to it," Kate admitted, "there may be no I in team but there's definitely one in DIA."

"Yeah," Tennant sighed, "I've met her and I can tell you I'm no fan of Van Buren. But to be honest, I don't think she's even a fan of herself."

"Yes well lucky for me, I get an entire week free of her here on the island," the tall blonde said with a rueful smile, "even luckier, I still get to report to her when I go back."

"I think your luck may be about to change," the NCIS SAC smiled, "here comes the admiral, let's grab a seat."

Thrown off by that statement, Kate allowed herself to be led to a seat as she made a note to ask Tennant to explain when she got a chance.

"Please join me in welcoming one of the fastest rising stars in the DIA," boomed the voice of the Admiral who had been Kate's brother's commanding officer. "Not only is she doing groundbreaking work in the intelligence field, but she's also the sister of one of the finest men to ever serve under me. Ladies and gentlemen, DIA Officer Kate Whistler."

Two full days of presentations and team workshops flew by in a blur of conference rooms, commutes and delicious meals, and by Wednesday Kate still hadn't learned what had prompted Tennant's statement about her luck changing. She was confident that she was going to be invited to interview for the DIA position on the island, and when she got the offer she was both ecstatic and sad because it was exactly what she wanted but at the same time there was no one she wanted to share the good news with.

When she arrived for the interview, she was shocked to see her current boss Lena Van Buren sitting in the waiting room.

"Aloha Kate," Lena smiled as she saw the stunned expression on her subordinate's face, "have you been enjoying the island?"

"What are you doing here?" Whistler challenged in response.

"Nice to see you too," Lena replied with a lascivious smile, "I'm interviewing of course. You couldn't possibly imagine that you're the only one in DC qualified for this job, could you?"

Kate's heart sunk when the receptionist said, "Lena, darling, they're ready for you," the familiar term making it known that the two women had a history. "Go right in," the buxom blonde instructed, "and make sure to stop and see me on your way out."

Smiling in a self-satisfied way that made Kate want to smack the smirk right off of her smug face, Lena rose and sashayed her way past big blue eyes that followed her ass the whole way to the door.

Sighing as she settled in to wait her turn, the irony of always being second to Lena actually made her chuckle. It also made her realize that even if she didn't get offered a transfer, that she and Cara were over. There was no way that the brunette hadn't known about Lena's intent to interview, and a slim chance that her attempt to convince Kate to skip the trip wasn't at her boss's request.

Excusing herself to use the ladies room Kate stepped out into the hall and was surprised to see Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, who handed her a steaming cup of coffee.

Accepting the cup, Kate inhaled the heavenly aroma and said, "The good coffee, huh?" Pausing a beat as she sampled the delicious brew she added, "That bad?"

"Worse," Tennant admitted. "Van Buren begged for this interview and I know for a fact that she called in at least a dozen favors to get it. She thinks she's got a lock on it because she's slept with half the people in that room, and she's probably in there right now tearing you down to make herself look good. In the short term she will probably succeed."

"So what about the long term?"

"The good news is, you'll never report to her again. The bad news is, I'll have to deal with her while you break in your new supervisor in DC."

"So this interview is a waste of my time?"

"On the contrary," Tennant smiled, "this interview is the reason they'll call you when they show her the door. Be yourself and blow them away, and the rest will sort itself out in time."

Shots Fired

The interview had been the stuff of nightmares, but Jane Tennant's advice had done wonders for her reactions in the face of the inquisition like questions that Kate had been pummeled with by the committee. Several times she was asked about her personal relationships within the intelligence community, all of which led her to believe that Cara and Lena were a little more to each other than just friends who had once slept together. The thought of having sex with Cara now or in the future actually turned her stomach as she pictured the woman screwing the boss that had screwed her out of this opportunity. Though Tennant seemed to like her and also seemed convinced that this was a temporary setback, Kate couldn't help but feel hopeless as she was dropped off in front of her hotel.

The feeling grew as she entered the lobby and saw Lena at the front desk and realized that there would be no escaping the woman for the remainder of her time on the island, or at least for the rest of this day. "Good evening Kate," Lena drawled, "how did your interview go?"

"Fine thanks," the disgusted blonde replied, keeping a smile plastered on her face as they entered the elevator and both went to press the same button. "We're on the same floor," Lena smiled, "we should get together for dinner and drinks."

"I'm tired," Kate lied, "raincheck?"

"You have to eat," Van Buren replied, "Why don't you join me for dinner in my room? We can order in and share a bottle of wine and you can catch me up on what I missed the past few days."

"No offense boss, but that would entail discussing work and right now, I'm on my own time."

"Your time is my time," Lena snapped, "and unless I missed something, this vacation you think you're on is only because you work for me."

"I work for the federal government," Whistler corrected, "and from what I've learned these past few days, one way or another I no longer work for you. Now," she growled as a visibly surprised Lena reeled, "I'm going to go back to my room, take a long bath and turn in early."

Clearly not accustomed to rejection, Lena narrowed her eyes and said, "Sleep well Kate, maybe I'll see you at breakfast."

"Like hell," Whistler growled as she marched through her door, slammed the deadbolts shut and grabbed a telephone book off the desk. She didn't plan to be there by morning and decided that if she could find another hotel with a vacancy it would be well worth whatever it would cost her to get away from the vile woman just a few doors down. As she made her way through the phone book, Kate became more and more discouraged as she heard "no vacancy" over and over and over again. She was secretly dying to call her office and pull some strings, but she also knew that the chance that Lena would be privy to that information was too high to risk it. So she ordered dinner and a bottle of wine and decided to sleep on it, then be up and out of the hotel early enough to miss Lena and the breakfast crowd.

Aloha, Kate

Waking up the next morning felt exhilarating and full of promise. Work Whistler was officially retired for the rest of her stay on the island, which meant she had no agenda and no place to be other than wherever her heart desired to go. Obviously Kate was going surfing, then to breakfast at that cute little diner with the good coffee. Avoiding the obvious tourist spots was the move, so she just observed the flow of residents as they went from home to work and did her best to fit right into the local flavor of the small town she'd found so very charming that first day on the island.

Lunch was a delicious acai bowl and smoothie from a food truck, and Kate decided that dinner was definitely going to be in that beachside bar she'd discovered on Sunday. She sat and scrolled through hotel listings while she munched, her brow furrowed in concentration as she saw page after page of disappointment. She didn't even look up when a few patrons took a seat across from her, as she had quickly realized that the food truck park had just a handful of picnic tables and most were occupied by complete strangers just looking for a place to sit and enjoy their meal. The soothing lilt of an Irish brogue caught her attention, and soon she was listening to the conversation just because she loved the sound of the woman's voice.

"I heard it has the most breathtaking views from every balcony, and dinner at La Vie is on my bucket list," the dark-haired woman with the accent said to her companion, who responded with a wistful sigh and a reminder that the Ritz-Carlton cost more for one night than they made in a week.

Looking up as it dawned on her that the couple across from her were talking about the hotel she was trying to escape, Kate smiled and said, "The view is spectacular, especially from the eighth floor infinity pool." Looking back and forth between the two women, Kate's face lit up as inspiration struck. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear, and I am terrible at minding my own business. I'm Kate," she added as she extended her hand to the gorgeous blonde across from her, "and I have a proposition for you."

It had taken a few minutes, a sharing of credentials and a few google searches to convince the young newlyweds that Kate Whistler was not only exactly who she said she was, but also completely serious about trading her free luxury hotel for the more modest but also perfectly lovely Kaimana Beach Hotel that the couple were currently staying in for the week. "I can't thank you enough," she had gushed, "you have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"How much you appreciate this? Are you serious right now?" Siobhan asked, her absolute joy infectious as she added, "I feel like I'm having the best dream ever and I'm going to be so disappointed when I wake up! But for real though, what do we do if they realize we're not you?"

"They know I'm in town on government business and my room is actually a two bedroom suite because part of the assignment involved hosting an international guest. They canceled due to current travel restrictions, but the hotel doesn't know that. As long as I contact the front desk and tell them my guest has arrived you should be fine."

"Kate Whistler, I think I love you," said Chloe, the tall blonde who had just been handed the keys to her wife's dream vacation. "If there's ever anything you need from the National Parks service, I'm your girl."

"Hey!" her bride pouted, "I low key love her too, but cool it with the Your Girl thing, that's just for me."

"Sorry babe," Chloe said as she lovingly took her hand and kissed it, eliciting a smile and a "That's more like it," from the beautiful brunette.

"Ugh get a room," Kate said as she rolled her eyes and smiled, then held out her room key and said, "may I suggest this one?"

All three women laughed as they swapped room keys, then again as Chloe observed, "Maybe we hold onto the keys until we pack?"

Giving thanks for her very early start to the day, Kate was surprised to find that it wasn't even noon yet and she was already happily settled into her new room. She was also pleasantly surprised by the charm and coziness of the much more affordable hotel. Since she felt more relaxed than she had since she'd arrived on the island, she had taken an awesome power nap, then woke up starving a little after one.

Checking her phone as she ran a bath, she saw that she had three missed calls from Lena, three from Cara and one from her hotel swap friends. Sighing as she listened to her voicemail, she rolled her eyes at Lena's "just wanted to see if you'd like to join me for sushi tonight" then the "I'm starting to worry, can't have one of my people unaccounted for" before the final "You're being ridiculous, grow up and call me back". On top of those delightful messages, she had a "Just missing you, call me" and an "I'm worried about you, the front desk said you asked not to be disturbed" before the final "I don't care if you met someone, I'll forgive your island side piece, just please call me back". The final voicemail made her laugh out loud, and she had to listen to it a few times to understand what her new friend was saying in her thick Irish accent. Apparently she had shared an elevator ride with Lena, who had all but thrown herself at the raven-haired beauty during the brief ride to the eighth floor. "And then I told her she wasn't my type, I was more into tall blondes," she had laughed, "and I thought she was going to burst into flames when I opened the door to our room!"

Laughing so hard that tears were running down her face, Kate tapped out a quick You two are the gift that keeps on giving and added a few emojis before hitting send. Lena's encounter in the elevator explained Cara's final message, and a satisfied smile spread across her face as she decided that she was not going to return any more calls from her life in DC. In fact, her first stop was going to make sure of that.

After a luxurious bath that soothed both the tensions of the week and the tired muscles from the morning spent surfing, the statuesque blonde selected a deep blue tropical print sundress and matching strappy sandals for her dinner attire. Her skin glowed with the healthy tan she'd acquired from her days in the Hawaiian sun, and she realized she didn't even need much makeup as she brushed her golden locks. Deciding that her hair looked awesome tonight, she snapped a hair tie on her wrist just in case it started to get on her nerves and took a final glance in the mirror before heading out the door.

"Aloha, where to?" said the taxi driver as she climbed into the back seat.

"Aloha," she responded with a smile, then asked, "Would it be ok if we made a few stops?"

"Maika'i paha," he replied, "your wish is my command."

"Thank you," she beamed, "and since you're the expert, I'm going to explain what I need and let you plot the course."

According to her driver everything she needed was on the way to the cute little neighborhood she'd discovered on her first day on the island, and by the time he dropped her there she had accomplished all she'd set out to do. Her phone was in a package on its way back to her townhouse in DC, her newly acquired and completely untraceable cell phone was activated, and her most reliable portable battery pack was connected and doing its job.

As she walked along the sidewalk past shops and restaurants she found herself surprised to see a school bus dropping off students on the opposite end of the street, and it struck her as so odd to see normal everyday kids getting off their bus and making the short walk across the courtyard and into their homes in the quaint seaside village across the square. Not for the first time, she imagined herself living day to day on the island, then shook off that idea as she remembered the interview that had put that particular dream to rest.

Choosing to see the positive instead of dwelling on the negative, she was bolstered by SAC Tennant's belief that the setback was temporary. But today wasn't about that part of her life, it was about trying what was written on the chalkboard menu that had previously caught her eye. Stomach growling when she saw the chef's choice, she entered the cool interior with nothing but mango swordfish and a frozen drink on her mind. When she stepped inside the first thing she noticed was thst she definitely no longer needed her sunglasses, so she took them off and placed them on top of her head, pausing a moment to let her eyes adjust.

Smiling nervously as she realized all eyes were on her, she proceeded past the neon glow of the jukebox next to the door and took a seat at the bar just as Adele's Rolling in the Deep started booming from the speakers. She looked around after she placed her order and realized that she was one of a handful of patrons who didn't seem to already know everyone there, and her time in the agency told her that she was definitely on someone's radar but she tried to be cool and act like the blatant staring didn't bother her at all. Should've gone with a tourist spot, you stick out like a sore thumb here. Kate wasn't arrogant enough to assume that the attention was flattery, so she pulled out her phone and sipped on her drink and studied tomorrow morning's surf report like it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

~e ho'omau 'ia~