AN1: A shorter one. And a little different, I think. I don't know. I just spent 48 hours straight writing a paper for school. So I'm exhausted and it's midnight. Caveat emptor (or in this case, caveat lector).

AN2: I believe that I am still chronologically ok so far. But I could be wrong.

AN3: I don't think I've disclaimed anything in a few chapters. Here I am disclaiming ownership of all things you recognize and possibly some things you don't.

199?

Kate and Jenny were sipping wine, not at their usual venue this time. Kate had been picked to temporarily replace an agent on the Secretary of State's detail on a trip through Europe while that agent stayed home with his pregnant wife. Somehow, Jenny had found out and somehow got a message to Kate asking her to meet when they would be in Rome at the same time. (Kate didn't ask how. It was 'need to know,' she was sure.) So Kate found herself sitting at a small cafe near the Vatican with an obviously distressed NCIS agent.

"He is absolutely unbearable!"

Kate didn't think she'd see Jenny this irate. Usually, Jenny seemed to go straight to revenge planning.

"You'd think he'd never been shot before."

That explained it. You don't go for revenge against the person you're sleeping with if they have a bullet hole in them. Though Kate could think of some exceptions to that rule.

"He'd be dead if I hadn't taken out the guy and he's yelling at me for taking the shot. I should be yelling at him for going out there to begin with."

"Why aren't you?" Kate asked.

Jenny looked up confused. "What?"

"Why aren't you with him, yelling at him?"

"Because I can't even be in the same room as him. He's gruffer than usual. I'm surprised Stan still has all of his limbs. It's worse than that time someone 'accidentally' switched his coffee with decaf."

Kate knew exactly who had done that.

"And his injury is making sex a little difficult."

Kate nearly spit out her wine at Jenny's blatant and unprompted reference to her sex life.

Jenny continued pretending not to notice. "Without the 'stress relief,' I'd just end up shooting him. And that's not a nice thing to do to someone who's already been shot once this week."

"Definitely not something I'd do to my boyfriend. Though my boyfriend isn't in a line of work where he's likely to get shot."

"Boyfriend?" Jenny perked up at this. "Do tell."

"Not much to tell. He's a lobbyist."

"Then he may very well end up being shot," Jenny interrupted. "Lobbyists don't have many friends in Washington."

Kate continued on. "He's good looking, has a decent sense of humor. He already doesn't like my hours, though. If he can't handle that, then it isn't going anywhere."

"You really should just find someone on the job then." Jenny winked.

"Easy for you to say. Hey, aren't there fraternization rules at NCIS?"

"If there are, we're ignoring them."

"And aren't you the one who told me I should go find anyone for some stress relief?"

"I suppose I did, didn't I?" Jenny gave a devilish smile. "Well, at least you're getting some now."

Kate and Jenny sipped their wine and nibbled on some bruschetta in silence.

"Well, I need to be going before he finds out I slipped out on him. Otherwise all hell is going to break loose. Seriously, if the canals of Venice flood and the Leaning Tower of Pisa falls in the next few hours, you now know why."

Jenny didn't tell Kate were she was going. More 'need to know' business and Kate knew better than to ask.

Kate watched Jenny disappear into the crowd. At least she had one more hour before she was back on duty.

2003

Aside from wanting Gibbs to live, Kate mostly insisted that Gibbs wear his vest while going undercover as a Marine recruiter to avoid his temper if the sniper shot him.