AN1: For the purposes of this story, assume last call at bars is 2am like in New York rather than midnight like in Boston. I have no idea when last call is in DC.

AN2: This is titled Undercover I because I have a feeling that if there are more conversations to come, they will probably involve more undercover related things and at some point I stop getting creative with chapter title names.

AN3: I'm still writing this. I swear. Blame exams.

AN4: I still own nothing. All mistakes are the fault of the beta, right? You can blame them all on Jennygrl now. Just kidding; they're all mine. But much thanks for the help where I got stuck.

199?

Kate had another security detail at yet another fancy function. It went later than most and it was almost 1:30 am before Kate made it to the bar. She hoped Jenny might still be there but expected to be drinking alone tonight.

Kate walked in to an almost empty bar. Jenny's usual stool was unoccupied. Kate slid into hers and the bartender passed her the usual martini. She looked out the window and watched the few people still walking around Georgetown at that hour. Mostly college students, she figured. And law students, she thought, recalling her one year stint in hell.

She must have zoned out for a few minutes because all of a sudden she heard a familiar voice telling the bartender to "make it a double." She turned her head and saw Jenny, her hair mussed, wearing a work blouse, an extremely short denim skirt, and knee high black shiny boots.

"Don't say anything," Jenny preempted any comment Kate could make. "I was undercover as a hooker and didn't have spare clothes, except for this shirt." Jenny pulled at her blouse in disdain and scrunched her nose.

"I'm surprised you don't have a full change of clothes at your desk."

"I haven't been home in several days; I ran out of changes. I needed a drink faster than I could get home though and I wasn't expecting company while drinking tonight."

"So why were you undercover?"

"It's related to a drug case. We caught some petty officers dealing coke. We linked them to this drug ring that also dealt in prostitution and next thing I know, I'm wearing hooker boots and mini skirt."

"And how did the op go?"

"We got our guy."

Kate gave her a pleading look. "Come on. All I get to do is screen people at important functions and stare at $100 bills for inaccuracies. Can't you give me more than that?"

Jenny took a sip of her bourbon before starting. "Well, we had intel that the head of the ring liked to frequent his prostitutes so we set me up as a new girl on the street, right in front of their 'headquarters.' We figured his guys would bite at the chance to bring in more dough for their boss. They did. The first night out they brought me in to see our target, said I was encroaching on their territory. He gave me a choice of work for him or... well, work for him."

Kate got the picture and winced.

"The good thing about going as a pro is that they need you looking good so they won't rough you up if you cooperate. That was last night. Anyway, I couldn't carry under this skirt," she gestured to the mini skirt, "and we couldn't wire me up so we needed someone near by for back up."

Jenny held up a finger telling Kate to hold on for a minute while she threw back the rest of her drink. "After we got what we needed and were ready to take the target down, they needed to get me out clean. So my boss played a john. To the T, I might add, sleaze and all. You'd think he'd leered at my legs all the time."

Kate snickered, but Jenny didn't appear to notice and continued, "He went up to the pimp and asked for... who knows what... and the pimp started directing him towards this other girl. He told him, 'no, I want a red head' and was quite lewdly descriptive of why. The guy finally sent him over to me and we needed to get out quickly at this point, so he grabbed me around the waist and half-carried me into an alley for cover. We thought we were good until one of the lower level dealers started coming down the fire escape from the building. That's when he pulled one of my legs around his waist and shoved his fingers through my hair. Made it look good til the other guy was clear. He had an earwig, so we knew when Pacci and Burley had taken down the target. Then we took off. So we got the guy." Jenny stopped short.

Kate watched entranced as Jenny told the story. "And... "

"What?" Jenny nearly spat.

Kate winced at her mood change. "What happened with your boss?"

"He hasn't said a word to me since then."

Well that explained a lot, thought Kate. The young Secret Service Agent shook her head and took another sip of her martini.

"Jesus, Shepard. Maybe you and your boss should jus-"

"Do not finish that sentence Agent Todd, if you want to live!" Jenny snapped and glared viciously while getting the bartender's attention for another drink.

Kate shrunk back and put up her hands up in surrender. She was not about to fight with a drunk woman in denial.

2004

Kate was elated when going undercover for her meant being a Marine captain. Compared to Jenny's experience as a hooker, having a sniper aiming her way was better.