October 2015

His voice sounded like it was underwater.

"Kate? Kate!"

Kate Macer opened her eyes, trying to see him through the alcoholic fog she currently had going on. He was moving too much; it made her feel nauseous.

"Kate, can you hear me?"

She could, but she didn't know what to say back. What was there to say? It was better to just numb out than face reality, face the fact she'd let herself get bullied into sanctioning a CIA mission that should never have been sanctioned.

"Hey! Come on," Reggie said, smacking her face lightly to bring her to. "Talk to me."

"What?" she asked, her voice ragged and hoarse. Crying and drinking and smoking would do that.

"Shit, I thought you were overdosing or something," Reggie said, heaving a relieved sigh and reaching for the glass of water he'd brought over to her. She took it from him gingerly.

"Wouldn't that be ironic?" she asked after a swallow. "FBI Special Agent overdoses after working a case on drugs."

"Just beer then?" Reggie asked.

"Yea."

"What the hell happened?"

"I don't even know," Kate answered, wiping the back of her mouth with her hand. Her head was buzzing now. Everything was too loud, too intense.

"Well, obviously it was bad enough to not come to work for two days," Reggie commented. "They're asking for you."

"I quit," Kate declared, nudging her badge on the coffee table with her foot for good measure.

"Y-you what?!" Reggie exclaimed.

"I'm not doing this anymore," Kate reasoned, shaking her head. "I can't do this anymore."

"So...what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know," she replied, "but one thing's for sure: I can't stay here."

"What do you mean?"

"You think the cartel aren't gonna come after me now?" she asked. "They know who I am and what role I had to play in this entire freaking thing. I am not safe here anymore."

"That's ridiculous. If they're gonna come after you, then they'll come after me too..."

"Reggie," she stopped him, putting a hand on his arm. "It's done. I quit, and I'm leaving. You do what you want, but I'm out. I can't do this job anymore regardless." She saw the sadness in his eyes and felt bad. She was going to miss him the most. Her father was dead. She wasn't exactly close with her siblings. Her mother blamed her for making her ex-husband Evan cheat on her. She was pretty sure they still had brunch together every Sunday even though she and Evan were now divorced. The hard thing to swallow was the fact her mother didn't know everything there was to know about Evan, and Kate didn't want to be invalidated by trying to explain it.

"I'm really gonna miss you," Reggie said now.

"Me too."

"Where are you gonna go?" he inquired. She sighed, pressing the heel of her hand into her forehead and rubbing it up and down slowly.

"I don't know," she confessed. She looked at him again. She hadn't put much thought into where she was going to go. She just knew she had to leave.

"I do," Reggie declared, growing a smile on his face again.

"You do?"

"Yea. It's perfect, and I can come visit without it seeming obvious."

"Reg, where are you sending me?" Kate asked, lifting a brow. He just grinned even wider.

One Month Later

Some Island on the Ocean

Jensen Ames kept an eye on his daughter, Piper, as she amused herself on the floor of the garage next to him with her toys. His fingers were working on parts from a boat engine sitting on his workbench. He did well for himself fixing cars and boats for people. He had a small house and garage near the ocean, which was all he needed.

And Piper. He only needed her too.

Are you really the best future she can possibly have? Are you really daddy material? Or deep down, are you something else?

Claire Hennessey's words went through his head sometimes, and it made him doubt himself every so often. He was, as previously described, a hard man when he had to be, and he'd had his fair share of fights and, once in prison, kills, but he was moving on from that now. He was going to be the father his daughter needed. He could honestly say he had no regrets in taking her back from the foster home. He didn't want to be without his daughter; she was his chance for a better life. It made him grit his teeth in anger at times for losing time with her after she was born, and all because some bitch wanted a driver for her deadly prison race.

"Careful," he said now as Piper came running towards him. Her little overalls had some grease on them, as did the yellow shirt she was wearing. Her blonde pigtails were sticking out on each side and bounced as she ran.

"Daddy," she said, tugging on his pant leg. "I wanna see what you're doing." He chuckled but obliged. He bent to lift her up and hold her against his left hip while showing her what he was fixing and telling her what the parts were. She was nearing three and a half years old and fascinated by anything he was doing. He knew that would eventually change with age, so he treasured it now while it lasted.

"Car-boo-rate-tur," she sounded out, trying it.

"Close," he said, reaching to tweak her cheek and make her laugh. He spent a lot of time teaching her how to read and enunciate words. She was wicked smart, just like her mother.

"I miss Uncle Joe," she said now.

"I know, love," he replied. Despite their rocky history, they'd become friends after escaping Terminal Island Penitentiary. They'd worked together as mechanics in Mexico for the first year and a bit, but then Joe wanted to travel and see the world, having cozied up to someone who had a private jet and all the time(and money) in the world. Case went with Joe with the plan of living on a different continent for a while, leaving Jensen and Piper alone, but he didn't mind. After losing Suzy, he wasn't really interested in dating, and he had the feeling that maybe Case was looking for something from him that he wasn't able to give. He hoped she was happy wherever she was. He'd decided to come here and start fresh, and so far, he had no regrets.

"I'm hungry," Piper said next.

"Okay," Jensen replied, heading towards the house. "Let's take care of that then." He listened to her chatter on about this and that while he walked, still carrying her. Before going inside, he took a look over his shoulder to scan the area, just to make sure. He had his release papers from Hennessey still, who was dead now anyway, and he was technically cleared and free to do what he wanted, which was how he got Piper back, but...

You could never be too careful.

He went inside. No one was ever going to get the jump on him ever again.

...

Kate looked at the piece of paper in her hand and then looked up at the little house in front of her. The wind tousled at her hair, which she'd left loose. It was warm at least.

She lifted her hand to knock, and moments later, the door was whipped back to reveal a very toned, slim African American woman with dark hair down to her waist in a thick braid, dark brown eyes, and a brilliant smile.

"Kate!" she exclaimed, grabbing Kate and yanking her into a tight hug.

"Hi, Tavs," Kate said back, squeezing her in return.

"When Reggie said you were coming to live down here, I thought he was playing some kind of prank," Tavs said, holding her at arm's length to get a good look at her. "Yet here you are! What the hell made you up and move down here?"

"I got into some trouble," Kate answered. It had taken a month to get her crap sorted out, but she was finally here.

"Come in," Tavs said, stepping aside to give her space to walk past. "You can tell me all about it." Kate picked up her two duffel bags and walked inside. Reggie's cousin, Octavia "Tavs" Wayne, had been living here the last few years. She was a former pilot and drone pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and when she'd burnt out, she decided to go somewhere that would relax her.

Tavs's home was quaint. Kate liked it. She wasn't a fan of huge houses. She liked simple. She followed Tavs to the kitchen where she got handed a beer.

"So," Tavs said. "I've got you a place down the trail from me. You lucked out since that tenant just left. There are two others, but they're really good and quiet. You won't even notice them."

"Great," Kate said, relieved.

"What kind of trouble are we talking about?" Tavs questioned. "Do you need a weapon?"

"I've got one," Kate replied. She'd resigned from the FBI, but she picked up a handgun not long after getting here to ensure she could keep herself safe.

"Was it a case?"

"Yea," Kate answered. "It involved cartel."

"Oof," Tavs said, wincing. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I think I was burning out from the job anyway."

"It happens," Tavs agreed. "Oh, where are my manners? You want something to eat? You must be starving."

"A little," Kate agreed, her stomach twisting and growling at that exact moment.

"Let me whip up something," she said. "Go take a tour or put your feet up. Your call." She went to pull out some food to cook while Kate walked around the small but quaint home. She noticed the messy desk and looked down at it.

"You journal?" she asked.

"Yea," Tavs replied. "Gets shit out of my head, you know? Do you?"

"Nah," Kate answered. "Never got into it."

"You should give it a try," Tavs insisted. "Might do you some good." Kate smiled but knew she probably wasn't going to do that. She wasn't one for enjoying reading her own thoughts on paper. She made her way to the sliding door next, stepping out onto the deck, crossing her arms, and staring into the distance. The waves of the ocean could be heard, which was soothing to her. She saw it through the trees.

Sounds of voices to her left made her peer through the trees and see another small house in the distance. Peals of laughter that only a child could make came next. Curious, Kate stepped off the deck and walked down the worn path to investigate from a distance. She stopped once she could see the other house better; she spotted a man with a little girl in his arms, and he was pretending to eat her arm while she shrieked and laughed. Then he was laughing while she swatted at him to make him stop. Kate smiled. It was just an endearing thing to see: A father playing with his daughter. She kept watching, fascinated, as the girl put her arms around his neck and tucked her head under his chin as he swayed slowly side to side until the girl's eyes fluttered shut. He wore a very content expression on his face, his hand cradling her head.

"Kate?" Tavs's voice called. Kate forced herself to look away and walked quickly back to the house.

"I'm here," she said. "Sorry. I was wandering."

"It's okay. You can't really get lost on an island," Tavs chuckled. Kate smiled back and came inside again. Something told her that she was going to enjoy living here.

...

Jensen tucked Piper into bed and took a moment to watch her sleep. Her little fingers curled around her stuffed cat as she heaved a sigh and turned her head to the left. He wished Suzy was there. He worked to steady his breathing as it all flashed through his mind again. The only thing he could feel satisfied about was that her killer was dead thanks to him. Both killers. Hennessey hadn't personally shoved the knife into Suzy, but she'd orchestrated it.

He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He had no idea how to explain to Piper what happened to her mother. He knew one day she'd ask for more details. It was easy enough for now to say she'd died in an accident. He hated that she was robbed from knowing how amazing her mother was.

Jensen closed Piper's door behind him and headed for the kitchen to tidy up. As he dried dishes, he looked at the postcards on his fridge from "Crazy" Uncle Joe. The last one was from Tokyo. Joe was having a good time traveling around with his fake I.D. and friend's private jet, and he never stayed in one place too long to avoid getting recognized.

Once he finished chores, he went out to the front deck and sat on the railing, listening to the waves lapping on the shoreline. His fingers went to the wedding rings on the chain around his neck. Suzy's was next to his. Her belongings had been boxed up and put in storage for Piper when she was older, which Jensen had located and brought with him. He did not go through them very often; it was too painful.

Laughter to his right made him turn his head, and he could see Tavs's place lit up in the growing dusk. He liked Tavs. She had spunk. Piper adored her, which came in handy when Tavs babysit her for him, and Jensen didn't mind her company every so often. She was a good friend, and he knew she suffered from PTSD from her time in the Air Force, especially after being a drone pilot. She never talked about it, and he never pushed. He figured she would on her own time if she wanted.

He turned his head towards the sound of rain coming across the water. It was gentle. It made him think of lazy Saturday mornings with Suzy, hiding under the covers and listening to the rain come down on the roof.

The nudge to his leg made him look down to see the stray dog that he fed. Piper had named her Daisy after her favorite flower. Jensen was pretty sure Daisy was pregnant.

"What's going on, girl?" he asked Daisy, leaning down to rub her ears fondly. The dog groaned happily, thumping her tail on the deck. She was a mixed breed, medium sized, black with a white spot on her chest, and had big, floppy ears. She licked his fingers sweetly before giving him her big eyed look.

"You're lucky I like strays," Jensen commented, going inside for her dish. Daisy waited patiently outside for his return, and she eagerly inhaled the food the second he removed his hand from the dish and stepped back. He set the water dish down next to it, dodging the overspray from her.

"Good girl," he said, leaning on the railing again and crossing his arms. He didn't even care that he was getting wet from the rain.

He just wished his heart would stop aching so much from wanting what he couldn't have.

...

Kate woke up the next morning feeling lighter. She couldn't explain it other than she knew she wasn't going to possibly get murdered that day. She'd taken every precaution to get to there without being followed. She figured after a while, the cartel would lose interest in her. Either way, she wasn't going back to Arizona. She worried about Reggie, but he'd assured her that he would be fine and had agents keeping an eye on him.

"Sleep well?" Tavs asked when she scuffed out to the kitchen. She sank down onto the chair at the table and gave a slight groan.

"I did," she answered, resting her arms on the table. "You?"

"I don't ever sleep well anymore," Tavs replied. "But I've accepted that." Kate didn't ask her why. She could imagine that Tavs had experienced things that gave her PTSD. Kate was beginning to realize she probably had PTSD too. She swallowed, recalling the feel of Ted's hands around her throat. So much for trusting law enforcement to be straight and narrow, and he'd been Reggie's buddy to boot. Reggie had apologized so much for that, but she didn't blame him. He hadn't known.

"You get them too, huh?" Kate asked, referring to nightmares.

"Every night, but at least now my subconscious gives me bigger guns than the bad guys," Tavs joked, handing Kate a mug of coffee.

"Can you share?" Kate asked, laughing.

"I can try."

They went outside and walked down to the beach. The sun was beaming down already, and Kate inhaled the salty air. They sat on the chairs Tavs had set up. As Kate looked around, something caught her eye to the left.

"Who is that?" Kate asked, shielding her hand over her eyes. She recognized him as the man with the little girl. Seeing him shirtless was taking her majorly off guard for some reason.

"Oh, him," Tavs said, noticing. "That's J."

"Jay?"

"Yea. He's a quiet guy. I watch his little girl for him a few Saturday nights a month and pick her up from daycare sometimes for him. Poor guy's a single parent. He needs a break every now and then."

"What's his story?" Kate asked, resting her chin in her hand as she continued watching him.

"I don't really know," Tavs admitted. "He doesn't talk much. He did share that his wife had passed away, so he came here looking for a fresh start."

"Sounds like code for 'on the run' to me," Kate joked. Tavs lifted her shoulders into a shrug.

"I don't think so," she said after a moment. "He's a good guy. He fixes engines...boats and cars. He's funny. Sweet. Hey..."

"No," Kate said instantly, holding up her hand.

"You don't know what I was gonna say," Tavs said indignantly.

"Oh, but I do," Kate replied. "Sorry. I'm not interested in dating right now."

"You could at least befriend him. I know he's lonely. We hang out sometimes after his daughter is asleep, but like I said, he doesn't talk much, so we usually just end up playing cards, watching movies, or making up conversations on TV shows with the sound down."

"Auntie Tavs!" the little girl called, appearing from almost nowhere and charging towards them. She launched into Tavs's arms, and Tavs grunted from the impact.

"Hi, baby," Tavs said, smoothing down the girl's wild blonde hair and kissing the side of her head. "How are you?"

"Good," the girl replied. "Daddy's going fishing. Can I sit with you?"

"Of course," Tavs agreed. She gave a wave to J and held her thumb up, and Kate watched him nod and wave back in understanding.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, and Kate looked to see her staring with her big, brownish-hazel eyes.

"That's Miss Macer," Tavs answered.

"Oh, gosh," Kate said. "Call me Kate, please."

"Hi," the girl said. "I'm Piper."

"Nice to meet you."

"Can I dig up seashells?" Piper asked Tavs, twisting to look at her again.

"Go for it," Tavs answered, and Piper climbed down and ran a few feet away to start digging in the sand with her hands. Kate felt her heart get tugged by this little girl; she didn't know why. She turned to watch J again. He was taking a small boat out, and once in place, he anchored it and snapped on a mask and snorkel before picking up a spear and jumping into the water. Kate waited for him to surface, and he did a few moments later, putting a fish into his boat before going down again. Then she looked at Piper again, who was holding up a sea shell excitedly and telling Tavs how she found it. She wondered what his full story was and how he ended up here, of all places, with this adorable little girl.

She wondered why she was feeling such a pull to find out.

...

Jensen loved being underwater. There was something about it that just slowed everything down. He felt almost comforted by it. If he could spend the majority of his time down here, he would. He waited patiently, finally spearing the biggest fish of the lot. He pulled the line back with it attached to the end and swam back up to his boat. He'd gotten enough, so he pulled off his mask and dropped it over the side into the boat along with the fish and spear before hauling himself up and out. He pulled his fingers down his nose, spreading them across his cheeks and flicking water off before giving his head a shake.

He yanked the motor to life and steered back to shore. He looked over at Tavs on the beach with Piper and a friend. Piper was running back and forth and taking shells to Tavs as she found them. He found himself feeling curious about the friend. He knew Tavs mostly kept to herself and didn't have many visitors.

He resisted thinking about the friend any further when he landed and brought his catch inside. It wasn't his business. The less anyone knew about him, the better. Once he finished cleaning the fish, had everything put away, and slid on a grey t-shirt, he stepped out to retrieve his daughter. He heard her giggling as he approached.

"Listen hard," Tavs was saying as Piper held a shell to her ear.

"I can't hear it," Piper replied.

"Well, then the Tickle Monster is gonna get ya," Tavs stated. Piper squealed and tried to escape, but Tavs caught her and hoisted her up onto her lap and tickled her sides, feet, and neck mercilessly.

"Help!" Piper cried. "Daddy, help me!"

"I think you're on your own, love," Jensen commented. "I don't care to get bit." Tavs clicked her teeth at him in a mock bite in response while Piper kept laughing and shrieking. That's when Jensen looked at Tavs's friend, and his reaction to her blue eyes and haunted face took him by great surprise...so much so that he forgot how to talk for a moment.

"I'm Kate," she said, holding out her hand.

"Jensen," he replied, getting his voice back and moving to shake her hand. "But you can call me J." Her hand in his was warm and firm. The shock from it was almost overwhelming him. He hadn't felt like this in years.

And it scared the shit out of him.

"Nice to meet you," Kate said as he took his hand back. Piper was trying to escape from Tavs now, almost getting away before Tavs brought her back up to torture tickle her some more.

"What brings you here?" Jensen asked, unable to help himself.

"Just needed a change," Kate answered. He could tell by her eyes that there was more to it than that. He wondered how much his eyes were giving away to her.

"Fair enough," he said. He wasn't going to be nosy. It didn't matter anyway. He wasn't going to get to know her any further than this.

"She's gonna be your new neighbor," Tavs chimed in, looping her arm around Piper's stomach to prevent her from escaping and reaching to tickle the girl's foot with her other hand.

"I see," Jensen said.

"Daddy!" Piper cried again. "Heeeeeelp!"

"Alright, alright," Tavs said, letting her go. "I've got my fix for now, but I'll be back."

"Noooo," Piper said between giggles, moving away from her and going to hide behind Jensen's legs. He looked down at Piper as she looked up at him.

"What do you say?" he asked.

"Thank you for watching me," Piper said, looking at Tavs. Then she looked at Kate. "I liked meeting you."

"I liked meeting you too," Kate replied, smiling at her.

"You want me to take her this weekend?" Tavs asked him.

"If you don't mind."

"I never mind," Tavs said, winking at Piper. "We'll have lots of fun, eh?"

"Yes!" Piper agreed happily.

"Take care, ladies," Jensen said, reaching to pick Piper up and settle her on his shoulders. He didn't let his eyes linger on Kate for long, though.

"Bye, J," Tavs said. "Bye, Piper."

"Bye!" Piper hollered back as Jensen started walking away. He was pretty sure he could feel Kate's eyes on him the entire time until he disappeared into the house with Piper.

...

Kate thought about Jensen all day, even though she tried not to. He was British; she hadn't expected that at all, and it just added to his mystery and his begrudgingly ruggedly handsome face. Tavs brought her to her new place and handed her the keys not long after Piper and Jensen left, and she spent the day getting set up (not that she had a lot to set up) and used to her new surroundings. She tried not to think about Alejandro or Graver or the cartel. She tried not to think about how disappointed her boss had been when she resigned. She tried not to think about how sad Reggie had been to see her go. This was a new start for her, and she was going to take advantage of it. Her past could stay exactly there: in the past.

A noise at her sliding door made her investigate and find a dog standing there wagging its tail.

"Oh, hello," Kate said. "You're a cute thing aren't you?" She went out to pet it, thinking about the dog she'd had as a girl. She'd understood later that The Farm wasn't a real place her dog had gone to and never came back from.

"Are you lost?" she asked as the dog licked her hands and pressed against her. Then, as quickly as it had come, it ran off. Kate was pretty sure it was a female dog. She stood up straight and sighed, going back inside and trying to figure out what she wanted to do next. Her mind wandered to Jensen yet again. His eyes had conveyed a hurt that she recognized in her own every day in the mirror. She gathered it was from losing his wife. She tried so hard not to feel curious about it and wonder what happened. She gave herself a shake and decided to go out exploring.

She might as well get to know her new home.

Saturday

Jensen let Tavs inside when she arrived, and Piper bounced over to her and started chattering about Daisy and the other adventures she'd gotten up to that day. Jensen pulled out her supper and left it to cool on the counter for Tavs to give to her in a few minutes.

"Bye, Daddy," Piper said, going to him for a hug. He picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"Be good for Aunt Tavs."

"I will," she promised.

"See you tomorrow."

"Okay." She planted a wet kiss on his cheek next, and he set her down and tousled her hair before she went to sit at the table.

"Have fun," Tavs said to him. "Try to meet someone this time."

"Uh huh," he replied dryly, not commenting. He grabbed his wind breaker and keys and walked out. He got into his truck and headed for his favorite place for a drink, glad to have a license again. Joe's friend had pulled it off; Jensen did not ask questions as he didn't want to know, but he'd been grateful all the same. He walked into the bar, hands in his pockets. He never got drunk. He never spent a night with a woman. He just went out to people watch and enjoy some alone time because he preferred to just be alone.

Although it seemed like tonight, that wasn't going to happen.

...

Kate was at her new favorite bar having a drink when Jensen came in. She felt her heart skip a beat as she watched him saunter in and sit at the far end of the bar. He hadn't seen her, so she took advantage of that and surveyed him. He pulled the label off his beer slowly as he watched the football game on TV, which made her slightly chuckle and briefly looked down at her own ripped up beer label on the bar top in front of her before looking back at him. It was a bit rowdy in there since it was a Saturday night. Kate had already fended off two men hitting on her. She avoided the bowl of peanuts despite her stomach growling at her. She knew she had to get something to eat soon.

A pleasant swooping sensation went through her when Jensen's eyes finally met hers. She couldn't tell if he was happy or annoyed to see her. She gave a tight lipped smile and then lowered her head. She wondered if she had intruded on his spot, but then she chastised herself for thinking that one person could claim a bar. It was a free country.

"Hallo, little lady," a voice said, and she turned to see a man standing there leering at her. "You wanna have a good time tonight?"

"No thank you," Kate replied. She looked away to show she wasn't interested, but he was persistent. He leaned into her, and she coughed a little from the strong smell of alcohol coming off him.

"Don't see too many pretty girls like you around here," he went on. When he touched her side, she was about to grab his hand and break it when an arm slid around her shoulders. She stiffened and prepared to fight back when the person spoke.

"There you are," Jensen said. "Lost you for a moment." Kate looked at him to see him giving the other man a level stare.

"Here I am," Kate agreed. Jensen looked at her next, and she almost stopped breathing at how intently he was looking at her. For a moment, it felt like she'd known him her entire life.

"This guy bothering you, luv?" Jensen asked, gesturing his head towards the other man.

"I was just leaving," the man said, stepping back. He turned and disappeared into the crowd, and Jensen waited five seconds before taking his arm back. Kate wasn't sure what to make of what just happened.

"Thanks," she said. "I had it, though."

"I know," Jensen replied. "I could see you getting ready to take a swing. I figured you wouldn't want to get thrown out this early in the night, though. Low tolerance for fighting in here."

"Hm, you're right," Kate agreed. "Thanks for helping me keep my cool then."

"No problem."

"You might as well take a seat," she said. "I won't disturb you. I promise."

"It's alright," he replied, sitting down beside her. "But I don't want to interrupt your night either."

"Eh," Kate said, waving her hand. "I don't think I'm gonna stay here too long. Too crowded." Whooping and hollering made them both look at a rowdy group sitting at a table behind them. She looked at Jensen to see him looking thoughtful.

"What?" she asked.

"I know a quieter place," he answered, meeting her eyes. She shivered. "Unless you want to stay here."

"Well then," she said. "Lead the way."

...

Kate followed him in her car as he drove his truck towards the marina. He knew nobody was there on a Saturday night. He also knew there was a stash of beer in the fridge in the staff room. He saw Kate looking a little bit skeptical as she parked next to him and got out to stand and observe their surroundings.

"Come on," he said, heading for the fridge. He pulled out two beers and handed her one before walking to the boat he'd been working on the day before, the carburetor he'd been working on today having come from it. He climbed up into it and switched on the boat lights. Kate refused his hand and came up next. Jensen sat in the driver's seat with his right foot propped on the side pocket edge while she hopped up on the seat next to him.

"A private bar," she commented, looking around. "Nice."

"Don't tell anyone," he warned, but his voice was light.

"I won't," she promised. She sipped her beer and continued to look around. "Do you work here?"

"Yes," he answered.

"You work for a company or for yourself?"

"Myself," he answered. "They let me use the place, though. The cars I do at my place in the garage. Sometimes some smaller boat parts."

"Nice."

He wondered why he'd done it, why he'd gone over to pretend to be her date when that guy was bugging her at the bar. He knew she could handle herself; that was pretty obvious. It just seemed that when he was around her, he didn't think straight. He wasn't sure what to make of that.

"So how did you end up here?" she asked after a moment. "Of all places?"

"I like water," he answered.

"I see," she said with a dry chuckle. "Not giving anything away, huh." He smiled.

"You were vague first," he reminded her.

"Ah," she said, nodding her head. "I guess I was."

"You tell me why you're here, and maybe I'll tell you why I'm here."

"I don't share for a 'maybe,'" she stated. She sipped her beer again. He just watched her, and she pretended not to notice him watching her.

"Won't your boyfriend miss you?" he asked casually, looking away finally and taking a swig of his beer next.

"That was not very subtle," Kate pointed out.

"It's just a question."

"Tavs told me you lost your wife," she said next.

And there it was.

He felt the kick to his stomach like usual whenever his wife was mentioned. He steadied his hand and breathing, trying to think of what to say back to her. He couldn't tell her his story. It was too unbelievable. He could be honest about how Suzy died, though. When he was ready.

"Yea," he confirmed.

"That must be devastating," Kate said. He met her eyes again.

"It is."

"How long ago?"

"Coming up on three and a half years." He could see her mind putting it together that Piper would have been very small when Suzy died. She'd been a newborn at the time.

"You came here to get away from the pain of it," Kate noted. She was half right.

"Sort of," he agreed.

"Well," she sighed, "I guess I owe you my answer now." He waited, and she picked at the label on the beer bottle slowly, mimicking what he'd been doing earlier.

"You don't have to," he offered when she didn't say anything for a bit.

"I almost died," she blurted out, looking at him again. "I quit my job and moved here to start over. I...I've lost myself, and I need to...to find me again."

"That sounds frightening," Jensen said. He felt even more curious, but he still wasn't going to pry.

"Yea," she confirmed. "I can't sleep sometimes...too many nightmares."

"The water helps," Jensen said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Hearing the waves all the time at night...it helps with nightmares," he replied. "Sometimes."

"Oh."

He finished his beer and let the bottle dangle in his fingers as his arm rested over his bent knee. Kate still had a half full bottle left.

"Does anyone know you're here?" he asked. She gave a slight scoff.

"My best friend. I didn't even tell my mom or my siblings. I just wanted to get away."

"Is he going to find you here?" Jensen asked, playing a hunch. Something shifted in her eyes at this.

"No," she answered. "I'm divorced, and he was a big, unfaithful, lying jackass."

Jensen figured there was something she wasn't telling him, but he didn't need to know. He sat quietly, waiting her out.

"Your daughter is adorable," Kate said after a while. He smiled again.

"She is," he agreed. "I'm waiting for the day when I have to beat the boys off her."

"You've got time," she commented.

"Yea."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit, and Jensen found himself enjoying her company. There was just something about being around someone who possibly carried around as much pain as him to help him feel less alone. Tavs had pain too, but he didn't feel as connected to her as he did Kate.

"I should probably walk this off," Kate said, getting to her feet and handing him the empty bottle when he reached for it.

"Alright."

"You can come too. If you want," she added. He didn't say anything as she climbed out of the boat and headed out of the shop. He put away the empties and hurried after her, catching up to her in a few moments.

"I'm still getting used to being on an island," she commented after a while. "Are there hurricanes here?"

"I dunno, but I imagine it's possible."

"Wonderful," she said sarcastically.

Jensen walked quietly, feeling the wind pull at him. Darkness was starting to fall. On their way back to their vehicles, Kate stopped to turn and face him. He felt slightly taken aback as she surveyed his face. He had a feeling of slight panic that she was going to kiss him followed by curiosity of what that would feel like, which made him feel guilty all of a sudden.

"I'm not here to find a man," she told him.

"Okay..."

"Just so you know."

"Now I know," he agreed. Had he given her the impression he wanted to date her? He was sure he'd been careful not to.

"Good, so don't fall for me," she instructed.

"I won't. Same goes for you." He decided to be just as honest.

"Deal." She was still looking into his eyes. "Friends then?"

"Friends," he confirmed. She didn't wait for him to say anything else, just turned on her heel and kept walking. Jensen felt shaky inside. He wasn't planning on falling for her, but she still stirred something up in him. He knew he wasn't ready to move on from Suzy, and he didn't think he ever would be.

But it would be nice to have another friend.