Title: Take My Hand (And Show Me The Way)
Fandom: NCIS:Hawai'i
Characters: Lucy Tara, Kate Whistler, Jane Tennant, Kai Holman, Jesse Boone, OC's
Category: Angst, Drama, Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Fluff
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,954
Summary: Set sometime between 1x11 but before the hug and apology in 1x17. Kate is out enjoying her day off and gets pulled into an undercover mission Lucy is working on. To their mutual discomfort, they have to pretend to be a couple - FOR THE MISSION. That's right, y'all. It's a fake dating AU.
Warnings: Canon typical violence, etc.
Notes: Many thanks to Satan for beta'ing this for me, and pointing out all my plot holes. Also for helping me - okay, give me - the title. It's very much appreciated.
"You're all wet," Lucy complained as she dropped into Kate's lap and wrapped her arms around Kate's neck. "And cold."
"Yes," Kate said with a patient laugh. "That's what happens when you get in the water." She put one hand on Lucy's waist and the other on her knee to hold her on her lap because really what else was Kate supposed to do with her hands? If she kept them up in the air, it would be a dead giveaway that something wasn't right between she and Lucy. "You're all hot and sweaty," Kate observed.
Lucy wiggled in her lap to get more comfortable or because Kate had pissed off the universe in a previous life. Probably the latter, Kate decided, the way her life was going. "Were you okay in the water with Vincent and Jennifer? I was worried about you."
"Yeah, it was great," Kate lied through her teeth. She and Jennifer had chatted cordially enough but Vincent had kept staring. It was starting to grate on Kate's nerves and make her a little paranoid. If he knew something… "The ocean here is amazing. There were all these little fish swimming in the water. They were beautiful."
"I almost wish I could see them," Lucy said. "But not enough to go near that giant, endless death trap."
Kate rubbed a hand up and down her back without a thought. "I'll take pictures for you next time." Like there would actually be a next time. The odds of Lucy speaking to her again after this mission in anything but a professional capacity were so slim.
"Thanks," Lucy said, like it was no big deal. "I'd love that."
Kate turned her head so she could meet Lucy's gaze. She couldn't resist, rubbing her thumb back and forth over Lucy's knee. It was such a little thing. Jennifer and Vincent were on their blankets several yards away, but Kate couldn't stop herself. Not when it felt so right to be touching Lucy like this. She felt lulled by a false sense of security with Lucy in her lap, Lucy's scent surrounding her, and Lucy acting like there might be a next time. Kate leaned back in the folding chair and let her eyes fall shut. She could stay like this all day. To her surprise, Lucy leaned down and rested her head against Kate's shoulder.
"We can't do this," Lucy murmured against her ear. Her breath was warm. It tickled and made Kate want to jump. On the other hand, nothing could make her move right now.
"Yes, we can," Kate said back just as softly. "Right now, we have to."
"Part of me wants to," Lucy admitted. "But I can't, Kate."
Kate sighed. This was the most Lucy had really talked to her in weeks and they couldn't continue the conversation because anyone could be listening. It was one of the most frustrating things she'd ever experienced. She was suddenly tired, but it had nothing to do with the day in the sun and water or her night in the recliner and everything to do with the woman in her lap. "Okay," Kate said, injecting a false note of cheer into her voice and raising it a little. "Why don't you go show me how to play volleyball and then we'll kick some ass."
Lucy squeezed her hard around the shoulders and then let go to hop up. "Thank you." She held her hand out to Kate to help her up and Kate took it. If this was too much for Lucy, at least she hadn't pulled away completely this time. Maybe that boded well for the future when they actually could talk. Kate could only hope.
"Lucy," Kate nudged Lucy's thigh with her toe. "Wake up."
They had spent a few hours playing volleyball and talking shit with the group of people they shared the beach with. Sometimes, Vincent had joined in and sometimes Jennifer had watched from the sidelines and cheered them on, but they had always remained close by. Even when Kate and Lucy had gotten tired and decided to take a break, they had still stuck close. It was starting to make Kate nervous, but that wasn't why she had woken Lucy.
They had come back to their towels to get some sun and relax for a bit after the exertion of playing volleyball. Kate had been watching Lucy carefully out of the corner of her eye, not for any particular reason, but because she wasn't sure when the next time she would get to see Lucy this relaxed would be. When she had noticed Lucy's eyes start to flutter closed, Kate had gotten up and sat in the chair determined to keep a watch over Lucy in her vulnerable state. She must have been truly exhausted to fall asleep here.
"What's up?" Lucy asked, as she rolled over on her beach towel, moving towards the sound of Kate's voice and rubbing her eyes adorably.
"Vincent went and talked to the volleyball players and they're all packing up now. I think we should go find Jennifer," Kate said, bringing her up to date on the situation as quietly and calmly as she could. Something was definitely starting to happen and if it meant they could get this deal wrapped up soon, that was for the best as far as Kate was concerned. She would be happier when these creeps were behind bars.
"Okay," Lucy agreed, pushing herself up off her blanket and running a hand through her hair. It didn't go well. The wind on the beach had turned her hair into a mass of tangles. Without a word, Kate handed her a ponytail holder. Lucy took it without a word and pulled her hair back quickly. "Let's go."
The sand was hot and rough against Kate's bare feet as they crossed the distance between them and Jennifer. She was standing with hands on her hips and a smile on her face watching Vincent. When she saw them approaching, her smile grew wider.
"Thank you for spending the day with us," Jennifer said, holding her arms out magnanimously.
"It's been a nice day," Lucy said. "We enjoyed the down time and getting to know you and Vincent better."
"It's been very informative," Jennifer agreed. "But now it's time for us to get down to business, I think. The sun is about to set and we have a flight to catch."
That was news to Kate, but good news. It meant the deal would be done soon.
"Do you have the money?" Lucy asked. She seemed as eager as Kate to get this done.
"We'll get you the money," Jennifer reassured her. "But not here. This location is too open, and we have a few conditions."
"Oh?" Lucy asked, all sleepiness gone from her voice now. "We didn't agree to any conditions, just a straightforward exchange."
"I think you'll agree to these," Jennifer said, without seeming concerned at all.
That, more than anything, put Kate on edge. It wasn't good. She glanced behind them and saw Vincent approaching. He hulked more than walked, not looking comfortable at all on the sand. Kate turned until she could keep an eye on both Vincent and Jennifer, but let Lucy do the talking. She was technically the lead on their part of this mission.
"Why's that?" Lucy asked.
"Because it's the only way to get this done," Jennifer explained. "You want our money. This is how you get it."
"I think we have some say in that," Lucy said. "You need what we have. That's why we originally agreed to this deal. It was mutually beneficial."
"And it still is," Jennifer added. "Ah, Vincent is almost here. Good." She turned to Lucy. "Your girlfriend will remain with us while you go get our package. Once we have it, we'll send her and the money back to you. Then our business will be complete."
"I don't think so," Lucy said immediately. "We're a package deal. We don't leave each other behind."
"If you have nothing to hide, then this should be no problem," Jennifer said, in what might have been a conciliatory tone if it hadn't been for the hard, uncompromising look on her face.
"We don't have anything to hide," Lucy said. "You're the ones changing the rules."
"Lucy," Kate said as Vincent let his hand come out from behind his back. He held a gun in it, dangling down at his side. It might have looked casual but there was no doubt in Kate's mind that he was prepared to use it.
"I'm afraid," Jennifer said gently, "that you have no choice."
"Don't do this," Lucy tried one more time. "If you get a reputation for going back on deals like this, it can be hard to shake."
"I don't think we'll have to worry about that," Jennifer said. "We'll change our names, become new people and no one will have any idea. You didn't."
Oh, but they had. That wasn't the problem. Lucy and her team just hadn't gotten the intel that mentioned that Jennifer and Vincent liked to double-cross their business partners. Or maybe they thought since Lucy and Kate were both women, they would be easier marks. Kate wasn't sure. It didn't matter now though.
"Lucy, go get their package," Kate said. "I'll be waiting. It'll be fine." Kate forced a smile. What she meant was, go get your team, come extract me and arrest these idiots, please.
"No," Lucy said, with a stubbornness that Kate was all too familiar with. "I'm not leaving you."
"Lucy, let's just get this done," Kate said. Now was not the time to start complicating the mission. She didn't like it either, but she didn't see how they had much of a choice.
"Okay," Lucy said. "Fine, but I want a moment alone with Kate first though."
Vincent and Jennifer shared a glance before she finally nodded.
It was Lucy that had agreed too easily and Kate knew it. She wasn't certain if Jennifer and Vincent knew it yet, but she wasn't going to wait around for them to find out. Kate grabbed Lucy's hand and started pulling her away from Jennifer and Vincent and toward the woods. Their SUV was too far away to reach, but if they could just get close enough to the wooded area…
"Don't go any further," Jennifer called out and Kate froze. She wished she knew what Lucy was thinking, if they were on the same page, but there was no way to know without asking and she didn't have that luxury while Jennifer and Vincent were so close.
Lucy reached out and pulled Kate's head down to hers, until their foreheads were almost touching. "I'm not leaving you," Lucy whispered. "Not gonna happen."
"I don't think Vincent is going to allow that," Kate pointed out. "And he's got the gun. Just go. And come back for me." With the team, she did not say.
"No," Lucy repeated with a stubborn shake of her head. "If they move you, I'll have no way to find you."
"So what do you suggest?" Kate asked as she flicked a glance toward Jennifer and Vincent. Jennifer was turned away to give them the illusion of privacy, but as he had all day, Vincent was staring.
"I kick his ass," Lucy said, still whispering. "And then we finish this."
Kate gripped Lucy's forearms so hard her knuckles turned white. "He'll shoot you before you even get close."
"Then what's your brilliant idea?" Lucy retorted.
Kate dropped her hand down Lucy's arm and wound their fingers together. She leaned forward and whispered in Lucy's ear. "Run!"
(6/12)