AN: Listen…lol, unlike the NCIS: Hawaii Gods, I may break your heart, but I am also here to put it back together with a quickness. Thank you so much for the feedback, the comments, and kudos so far. To those that Chapter 1 made cry…I hope it was at least a much needed cry in the end…question mark? Hopefully, you know I love these characters and will do my best to do right by them by now. In my stories, Kacy will always be endgame and, when there is the occasional angst, it is meant to lead somewhere productive and healthy in the long run. This chapter is inspired by Fletcher's "About You" because if this ain't Kacy, I don't know what it is. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2 - About You by Fletcher

It had been a year since she left Hawai'i. Kate was almost startled by that realization as she sat in the meeting about the current status of her Joint Terrorism Task Force. The directors of each member's agency, along with several higher ups she was surprised to see on the secure feed were in the meeting about the work of her team. The day her mentor called her, she knew exactly what she was doing. She heard about Kate's injury out in the field. She had several questions about how Kate ended up in a house with no FBI backup and NCIS only on the way, so she decided to offer Kate something more in her wheelhouse, analysis and leadership. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces usually consisted of groups of highly trained members specifically selected from various agencies for their expertise. With Kate's background as a liaison and work with multiple agencies, her mentor offered her the chance to head a new task force. Kate would be lying if she said she wasn't overwhelmed at first. She had to learn on the job and was still healing up mentally and physically when she arrived in New York, but she was in the element she needed. She worked around the clock and her position took up the majority of her time and attention. The first task force she headed was temporary, only focused on a very specific case, and selected for her by her superiors, but once she proved her efficiency and work on the case, she was able to head another task force and select her own team. They had just closed a counterterrorism case and her team was finishing up their paperwork while she sat in on what felt like her hundredth meeting of the day.

"I wasn't originally on board with this team, but the results speak for themselves. You've managed to make several key arrests and collect evidence that has helped immensely. Your team has done impressive work. The question is, where do you see yourself moving forward," asked one of the directors and Kate was caught off guard by the question.

"I assumed my team would continue on as planned."

"Relax, Whistler, no one is disbanding the task force, unless you see fit. However, you do have some options. There are other cases that may need your attention at the moment, but eventually, Kader could be up for a promotion, BAU will always welcome Jamali back, and León can fit in on many teams. Your name has crossed a few desks. I know you are focused on the work, but keep in mind that this task force doesn't have to be your only landing spot. It's up to you, but you have options. We'll let you get back to it. Good work on the Gadhir case."

"Thank you, sir." With that, the screens went blank and Kate gulped as she stood up. She hadn't thought about her next move. It hadn't even crossed her mind. The months had blended together, case after case, briefing after briefing, and that's how she liked it. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she sighed in relief when she saw who it was.

"That went well, right," she questioned and her mentor laughed.

"I knew your wheels were already turning and obsessing. Relax, Kate, you are looking at this all wrong. That was their way of giving you an opportunity to choose your next move. If you want to keep the task force intact, want a new one, or even want to move in a new direction, you can. Either way, it's their way of saying they are impressed."

"I'll talk to the team and see what they want."

"It's a unilateral decision. Like they said, your agents will be welcomed back at their agencies, but only when and if you are ready."

"That's not how I work. I'll talk to them and make a decision. How long do we have?"

"There's been an uptick in domestic instances on everyone's radar. No one's forcing you to make a decision. Just start thinking about it."

"I will."

"Oh and Kate, stop worrying. This is a good thing." She sighed when her mentor hung up. She knew she was right, but the very idea of slowing down to think of anything, let alone other future plans, terrified her and she wasn't ready to think about why that was the case.

By the time Kate got to her penthouse, she was exhausted from her day. She took off her shoes by the door and rolled her eyes when she saw Dylan's by the couch in the living room. She grabbed them and put them by the door with a shake of her head.

"It isn't hard," she called out and heard Dylan's laugh.

"I know. Annoying you is never hard," Dylan called back from the kitchen. Kate took off her black blazer, rolled up her sleeves, and put her hair back in a ponytail before entering the kitchen to help her best friend.

"What's for dinner," asked Kate and Dylan gave her a wink.

"Hey to you too, wifey. Not even a kiss hello," she teased and Kate rolled her eyes at her.

"You're not a good enough cook for that," Kate teased back.

"I think I've moved up from the ramen and mac and cheese days in college." Kate cringed.

"Oh God, don't remind me. I couldn't look at noodles again for years after that."

"I'm making stir fry, smartass. I'm almost done."

"Good, so you won't need my help or burn the place down. I'm going to hop in the shower then."

"Asshole," laughed Dylan as Kate walked out.

"Love you too," she called back with a smile and shake of her head. There was always something comforting about coming home to her best friend from college. They were sorority sisters and stayed in touch well after graduating. When Kate first accepted the job, she knew Dylan lived in New York and asked to stay with her to get on her feet. At first, it was just a practical matter. At least that's what Kate told herself. The moment Dylan saw her friend at her door, she engulfed her in a hug that made Kate crumble. She didn't realize until that moment how much she needed that hug. It wasn't that she hadn't gotten hugs from Jane or anyone else for that matter, but there was something about getting a hug from someone who didn't know her as just an agent or Whistler. For the first time in over two years, Kate was able to let go, no façade or mask, no guard to protect what was left of her heart, just her. She still didn't know how long she'd cried that night to Dylan. They were well into two cartons of Chinese food and a bottle of wine, followed by margaritas, before Kate finally fell asleep. She told Dylan everything about her failures, where she went wrong, where she was confused, and what she was still processing. Dylan was her shoulder to cry on and understood when to step in and when not to. She was much pushier than Jane, but Kate knew it all came from a place of love. Their simple arrangement of Kate staying in the guest room eventually became permanent. Kate hit the ground running and didn't have much time for apartment shopping. Dylan missed her old friend as well and was more than happy to have the company.

After a long shower and change of clothes, she went back into the kitchen just as Dylan was plating the food. They sat down on the couch and Dylan put on a show they had been watching earlier, but Kate frowned when she muted it.

"Your mom called again," informed Dylan and Kate rolled her eyes.

"Block her."

"Kate," laughed Dylan.

"I'll call her later," agreed Kate and Dylan smiled smugly.

"That's all I ask."

"Anything else going on?"

"Jake asked me to move in with him," confessed Dylan and Kate's eyes widened.

"Wow, when?"

"He just asked me last night."

"No, I mean, when would you move in with him?"

"I haven't exactly said yes. I wanted to know your thoughts first."

"I think you should do what makes you happy. I know how much you love Jake and he's a good guy. I'm happy for you." Before she could take another bite, her phone buzzed and Dylan rolled her eyes when Kate hopped up.

"And she's off, folks," announced Dylan.

"Thanks for the food. I'll cook tomorrow."

"You mean bring home takeout," called Dylan.

"Right, cooking," assured Kate with a wink before jogging to her bedroom to change.

An hour later, Kate was on a stakeout with one of her team members, Maya. They were waiting to see if a lead they were investigating for a case would play out, but Kate was skeptical. The FBI had been trying to track down a credible lead on a gang's connection to a local drug trafficker for months without success. A former gang member offered to give up information as an informant in exchange for immunity and a chance to be in witness protection, but Kate was still not as optimistic about their chances. Maya wasn't either, but decided to look into the lead Carlos found, just in case. The two of them were sitting in their car waiting for the informant to show up behind the abandoned warehouse the informant chose for the meeting.

"Jelly bean," offered Maya as she held a bag of the sweet candies out to her with a smile.

"No thank you."

"It's not a trick."

"It's always a trick with you. Let me guess, the color of jelly bean I choose will tell you about my childhood," teased Kate and Maya smirked.

"Of course not, that's what your favorite color tells me about you. Stop being ridiculous," Maya teased back. Kate glanced down at her watch.

"Carlos, it's 11:03, you sure this guy is going to show," she questioned.

"Should be there soon, boss. I found him on the traffic cams and am tracking his movements," assured Carlos into their earpieces and Maya smirked.

"Not everyone is as punctual as you are, does that come from your mother or your father," asked Maya.

"How many times do we have to go over this? I'm not one of our suspects."

"A vault, boss, just trying to crack the vault. It's my new favorite hobby." Kate shook her head in amusement as they surveyed the area. Maya held the bag of candy out to her again.

"Come on, you know you want a jelly bean," she added.

"Maya."

"Just one, amuse me. It's a stakeout." Kate sighed but grabbed a handful of jelly beans. She popped them into her mouth and Maya slowly nodded.

"Huh, so you weren't deprived as a child? Interesting. Definitely lost your virginity at prom, though. Oh, and it wasn't bad. Good for you." Kate almost choked on the candy and shook with mirth.

"I know you're kidding, but you aren't far off. She wasn't bad at all. Not at prom, though."

"Before prom," questioned Maya and Kate shook her head in amusement.

"After," she questioned again.

"I didn't know the BAU allowed such guess work on the clock," teased Kate.

"Educated guesses," corrected Maya.

"Incoming," said Carlos and Kate sighed in relief.

"Good, it will give Maya a chance to use her power for good instead of evil," said Kate as she and Maya got out of the car.

"I live in the gray. That way I can use it whenever I want," assured Maya. They heard a car turn into the back alley and park. The driver flashed the headlights twice and Kate nodded. She headed in the direction of the vehicle with Maya by her side as she scanned the area around them. Her instincts were on high alert and they were halfway to the car when she spotted it, the bumper of another car poking out at the other end of the alleyway. Carlos spotted it too.

"You have company. Black sedan, two suspects, running plates now," he warned. She grabbed Maya by the jacket and pulled her behind a nearby dumpster as three men got out of the cars and gunfire echoed around them.

"We're under fire down here," called Kate into her earpiece before firing back in the direction of the onslaught of bullets.

"Carlos owes me a hundred bucks," called Maya as she shot back as well. The shots ricocheting around them got closer as the men sprayed bullets in the direction of the dumpster and pushed forward. Suddenly, more shots echoed through the air and one of the men screamed out in pain as he collapsed onto the ground. Within seconds, another did as well and Kate shot the last of the men in the shoulder as Maya covered her. All three men were crumpled on the ground, groaning in pain as the two agents cautiously approached with their guns drawn. Kate glanced up at where Zeinab was perched on the building across from them with her rifle. They could hear Carlos calling for backup and medics as Kate recognized one of their suspects.

"Benjamin DeLuca, you're a hard man to find. FBI, keep your hands where we can see them. We have some questions for you," instructed Kate.

After taking the men into custody and interrogating one of them into a confession, the team headed to their favorite local bar to celebrate. Dylan and her boyfriend, Jake, joined them and greeted each with hugs when they arrived.

"I heard you nabbed your bad guys. First round is on me," announced Jake as Dylan sat down by Kate. Carlos gave a bow.

"We sure did. Thanks to me of course," boasted Carlos as he sat down. Maya playfully rolled her eyes at him.

"Was this before or after your intel essentially led us into a kill box," asked Maya and Carlos scoffed.

"Wasn't my intel, which is why the boss had a backup plan. You've got to stop trying to shoot the messenger," scolded Carlos.

"Whatever, nerd. We're the ones that had to dodge the bullets," reminded Maya and Zeinab raised her hand.

"Um, excuse me, kind of the reason you still aren't dodging those bullets," reminded Zeinab. Maya smiled warmly at her and nudged her with her shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way," added Maya and Zeinab smiled back at her.

"Everyone did a great job and played their role. Gold star," commended Kate and Maya smiled cheekily.

"And what do we get for our troubles," asked Maya.

"Intel," exclaimed Carlos and Kate rolled her eyes.

"You have clearance to classified information and are screaming intel in a bar," she whispered with a giggle and he winced.

"Intel," he whispered back and she sat back in her chair as they watched her carefully.

"Fine, I love jelly beans, but hate the licorice ones. Have since I was a little kid. I would always give them to my brother on Halloween. He loved them," informed Kate and Maya threw her hands up in exasperation as Carlos and Zeinab booed.

"Vault, she's a vault. The only person we can get info out of is this one and even she's afraid of saying too much," said Maya. Zeinab smiled slyly at Maya and gave her a wink before looking at Dylan, which Kate noticed.

"Well, since our fearless leader refuses to live up to her end of the bargain, maybe Dylan will answer some pretty simple questions for us," suggested Zeinab and Dylan smirked.

"Sorry, she swore me to secrecy. I can't tell you anything about her," said Dylan and Maya nodded.

"Secrecy, sure, but there's always a loophole in there somewhere, you just have to let me help you find it," assured Maya. Dylan laughed and Jake returned with a tray of drinks. Kate reached for a bottle of beer.

"Alright, you misfits, drink your beers and be happy. It was good work. Thank you for having each other's backs and keeping us all safe. Cheers," said Kate. They all clinked their bottles and Kate took a sip from hers. Her phone began to buzz in her pocket and the others groaned when she reached for it.

"Relax, I'll get another team on it if there's a case. I know you're tired," she assured.

"Don't let them wear you down, boss. Some of us actually need sleep," called Carlos as Kate headed outside to take the call.

"You just had a Red Bull," said Zeinab.

"Whose side are you even on right now," exclaimed Carlos.

Kate leaned against a wall outside of the bar and shoved her other hand in her pocket as she heard the familiar voice. They usually texted to stay in touch since their schedules were so hectic. A phone call suddenly felt more formal.

"Jane, everything okay?" Jane's sigh let her know everything was not.

"You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Do you know of a group called Right Guard?"

"An extremist organization that's been on our radar and picking up steam for their propaganda and following, yeah, why?"

"Looks like they've made their way to the islands. We found a Marine dead in his car, executed, one shot to the back of the head. There was a flyer for an event in his glove compartment, not much else to go on."

"How can I help?"

"Something just seems off and I can't put my finger on it. Ernie's being stonewalled by DIA and we're at a dead end with the case. We're looking more into the Marine, but no luck so far."

"You think the Marine could be tied to the group?"

"He doesn't fit the type, but not much surprises me anymore."

"I'll have my guy look into it and see if anything pops up on our end. Keep me updated."

"Thanks."

"Of course." Kate glanced down at her watch as they hung up. She headed back inside and the moment her team saw her, they groaned again. Dylan gave her a look.

"Seriously," questioned Dylan and Kate smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, but it's kind of important."

"It always is," whined Maya.

"It's actually not on the clock, something I want us to look into for an old friend."

"Is this old friend of yours from Hawai'i," questioned Dylan and Maya perked up.

"Hawai'i, you have an old friend in Hawai'i," asked Maya and Kate rolled her eyes.

"Let's go. Dylan, you know we'll make it up to you. See you later, Jake," said Kate before placing money on the table to pay for the drinks. Dylan sighed but nodded as Jake waved at them.

"You always do. You also make my job as your best friend really hard. You suck at the whole self-care thing," called Dylan.

"Love you too," called Kate as Dylan giggled and shook her head.

By the time they got back to headquarters, Kate was checking her phone for texts from Jane as she paced in Carlos's office. Jane informed her that they decided to act on a lead and that the team was out investigating. It was the only information they had to go on, but Kate could tell Jane was not confident in it. Suddenly, Zeinab and Maya rushed into Carlos's office.

"Tell them to call it off," demanded Zeinab.

"Why," asked Kate as she pulled out her phone and Maya handed her a file.

"Because that's not Right Guard, it's suspected Kuni Territory," informed Maya.

"They took it over from the Company years ago when everything went under. Might be a drug house nearby," added Zeinab. Kate immediately called Jane, but it went to voicemail.

"Why the hell didn't anyone know it was their territory? How did you find out," asked Kate as she tried to call Jane again.

"You aren't the only one with old friends. I have one in an organized crime division. No one could ever prove it was a territory and it went dormant for a while. Some activity is starting to pick back up. Homeland is aware too," informed Zeinab. Kate sighed in relief when Jane finally answered.

"We think it's a Kuni…"

"Kai's been shot. We're following them to the hospital now. I'll update you when I can." With that, Jane hung up. Carlos glanced over at Maya and Zeinab when they each noticed the look on Kate's face.

"What is it," asked Zeinab. Kate cleared her throat to stop from choking up.

"Um, a team member was shot. I'm going to take a call. I'll be back in a bit. Carlos, find out how the hell no one knew about this."

"You got it," called Carlos as Kate stormed out of the office. Maya glanced at Zeinab and nodded toward the door. Zeinab nodded in agreement.

"I'll give her a minute first," she assured and Maya gave a curt nod, knowing they were all worried about her.

Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days. Kate was relieved when Jane finally texted her that Kai was out of surgery. He'd been shot in the leg and lost a lot of blood by the time the ambulance arrived, but he was in recovery. All the emotions she'd pushed down threatened to bubble back to the surface as her team investigated what happened based on the information Jane shared with her. She wanted to help and yet felt helpless. Maya was analyzing old intel, Zeinab was calling her connections, and Carlos was sifting through data. After pacing in her office to the point of feeling like a caged animal, she finally changed clothes and headed down to the training facility. She kept her phone close for any updates and jabbed at the punching bag harder each time she glanced over at the device. It took everything inside of her not to call. She thought about calling Jesse or Ernie, but knew where that would lead. One of them would either tell or if it was Ernie, he would just put her on the phone. Jane was the only person Kate could call without worrying about her finding out each time and she hated that. She hated that it still mattered. She hated that she could be perfectly fine and then have one call change everything. It was just a reminder that no matter what she did, she would always have people in Hawai'i that she would stop the world for, if she could. She punched the bag harder.

"Nice form," said Zeinab as she approached.

"I had a good teacher."

"Well, I can't take all the credit. You had some training."

"Apparently, not enough."

"Want to spar," asked Zeinab and Kate noticed she had changed as well.

"How's the search going?"

"Maya and Carlos are on it. Dead end with my connections, which isn't always a good sign. Come on, you need to blow off some steam." Kate gave a curt nod as they headed toward the mats. After her close call in Hawai'i, the first thing Kate did was start to train more in hand-to-hand combat. She was decent with a gun, but never focused much on fighting. Zeinab was the first to join her team. They had a familiar kinship, one similar to the one she had with Jane and centered on respect. Zeinab was also highly skilled in various combat styles and Kate was more than happy to learn from her. It didn't take her long to end up flat on her back and she slapped the mat as she stood back up. Zeinab circled her and arched an eyebrow.

"You're distracted. They were your team, right? When you were in Hawai'i," asked Zeinab as she dodged a kick.

"Something like that," grunted Kate as she took her down. Zeinab placed her in a hold and Kate begrudgingly tapped. She sighed as she got back up.

"Something more than that," asked Zeinab. Kate swept her legs from under her and Zeinab smirked when she ended up flat on her back.

"Who's distracted now," questioned Kate. Without warning, Zeinab clipped her legs from under her and grappled with her until she managed to slip in a rear-naked choke.

"Still you," assured Zeinab. Kate tapped and sighed as she sat on the mat to catch her breath. Zeinab scooted closer to her.

"We can all tell this is different. Kai is important to you." Kate slowly nodded as she looked away.

"Yeah, he is. They are. Um, when I first became a special agent, I was in the field and made a stupid mistake. I was distracted, had a lot going on, and I was almost killed. I got banged up pretty badly and Kai was the one to take me home. Things were complicated with the team. I was in a bad place and he saw me in the bullpen. He made sure I got home. Jane called me for help and now, instead of making sure he got home, he's in the hospital."

"You aren't responsible for their team, but I get it."

"They aren't just a team. They're a family. It's different with them."

"Then let's go help your family," suggested Zeinab and Kate smirked.

"That's not what I meant…"

"It's what you said in your own way. Look, none of us are stupid. We've all been told decisions will be made soon. Maybe we'll stay together. Maybe we won't, but what we do is important and we are damn good at it. You're damn good at it. What's the point of being good at it, if you can't be good at it for your family?" Kate slowly nodded and wiped off her hands.

"I'll need you here. You're in charge while I'm gone. Nothing should be out of order, but in case of an emergency, someone needs to be here and you know I trust you. I may also need you to run point from here, if necessary."

"You got it, boss," assured Zeinab as they both stood up. Kate headed for the door and Zeinab smiled slyly.

"It's someone there, right?"

"What," asked Kate and Zeinab nudged her with her shoulder.

"Maya originally thought the issue was something between you and Dylan, but with Jake in the picture and how much you like him, we can cross that off the list."

"List? You have a list? Your obsession with my private life is bordering on unhealthy."

"Deflection isn't a healthy coping mechanism."

"If you would just kiss Maya already, maybe you two would be less focused on who's in my bed and more worried about your own." Zeinab's jaw dropped.

"I…"

"You're not the only observant ones, so how's that for healthy coping mechanisms," said Kate with a smug smile as she exited the facility with a stunned Zeinab right behind her.

It was late by the time she got home. She took her shoes off by the door before creeping into the apartment and immediately tripped over Dylan's shoes in the dark living room. Dylan sat up on the couch as she sleepily wiped her eyes.

"Is it really that hard to put these by the front door," grumbled Kate as she picked up the shoes and placed them where they belonged. Dylan shrugged.

"Apparently it's a good alarm system when you're trying to sneak in. Everything okay?"

"Not really. I thought you would be at Jake's though."

"He has an early morning and I wanted to make sure you were okay when you got home." Kate sighed and sat down on the couch. She stared down at her hands in her lap.

"Kai was shot."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Kate. Is he okay?"

"He will be, but it will take some time for him to be back out in the field. Jane knew something was up. That's why she called me, but I was too late." Dylan eyed her carefully and sighed.

"And now you're going back to fix a wrong that was never yours to make right, aren't you?"

"They're a man down and whatever this case is, something is off. Carlos can't find it. Ernie can't. Jane won't stop looking, though."

"I wasn't completely honest earlier about when your mom called," confessed Dylan and Kate frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"She did call looking for you, but she's been calling me more lately."

"Why?"

"Because she's worried about you, we both are, and have been since you came back."

"Dylan…"

"You aren't over her." The finality of the statement made her heart ache in her chest and she shifted uncomfortably.

"It's been a year. I'm okay and everything that happened there is in the past now. Time heals all or whatever the saying is," she tried to joke, but Dylan smiled sympathetically at her.

"No, you've been away from Hawai'i for a year, but you haven't dealt with anything that happened there. You bury yourself in work, you don't date or go out, and while I love having you here, you can definitely afford your own place on your salary."

"Wow, if you wanted to kick me out, just say so. Jake moving in here instead?"

"Stop deflecting."

"I haven't had the time and I didn't see the point after a while. I like it here. It's a nice place and you're a great roommate. It's like college all over again, but with less ramen and questionable decision-making."

"It's also not permanent. Staying here with me in this place means not putting down roots or focusing on a place that's just yours or coming home to an empty apartment at the end of the day because you refuse to open up to someone new."

"I don't have the time to…"

"I was there that first night, remember? You can hide from your team, but not me. When you showed up at my door, I knew you weren't okay. I've known you for years, through some pretty dark times. I know what heartbreak looks like on you. You've buried yourself in your work and found a way to channel all that into something productive, but it doesn't change that you aren't dealing with it. I don't want you to go if it means ending up right back where you were when you first got here. You aren't over her, Kate."

"What if I want to be? What if I know being here feels good? When I'm here, I'm not constantly doubting myself or second guessing my every move. Being here with you, with this team, all of it, what if that's what I need? What if I just need everyone to let me work and be good at that again?" Dylan sighed and placed her hand on top of Kate's.

"You're my best friend, so I say this with love. You can't even say her name. She has a power over you that you may not want to admit, but it's still there."

"So what am I supposed to do? Leave Jane in a lurch? Not go? Hide?"

"No, you should go back. Be the brave, fierce protector of your family and friends that you are, and while you are there, face your demons too. You never moved on from Hawai'i. You've just taken a really long vacation. Go pack. I'll make you something to eat before you go. Your other family needs you right now. You'll need your energy," said Dylan before getting up and Kate sighed. She wanted to protest. She wanted to assure Dylan that she had everything she needed in New York, but she knew it would be a futile effort. Instead, she headed to her bedroom, knowing that she was about to come face to face with everything she walked away from.

AN: So, what did you think of this chapter? I didn't expect it, but I grew a soft spot for Kate's team. Next up, back to Hawai'i where the heartbreak began.