Two Weeks Later

Kate spent almost every day in some capacity with Jensen after that night of her belting out her favorite song in his truck. Being apart from him made her almost ache inside, which she knew was a warning sign that she was getting to close and vulnerable but ignored it. Their connection seemed to get a bit deeper with each moment alone they had, and she was pretty sure he felt it too. Lately, she was open to trying more new things, which was why Jensen had brought up spear fishing.

So here they were.

"It's really not that hard," he was saying as he let down the anchor. Kate sat perched in the front of the boat, giving him a skeptical look.

"Sure," she said. "Nothing could possibly go wrong with a spear gun underwater."

"You're overthinking it," he scoffed, tossing her a diver's mask that she caught easily. She rolled her eyes, feeling a chill suddenly. The wind was a bit biting today, which made her feel a bit damp. She averted her eyes when Jensen shed his shirt and snapped a mask on in one swift motion.

"Come on," he said, picking up the spear gun. "Just hold the screaming please. You'll scare the fish."

"Shut up," she shot back, but she was smiling. She didn't even really know why it helped her as much as it did, but she couldn't stop doing it at times in her life when she felt frustrated and/or lost. She pulled off her long t-shirt, checked her swimsuit was done up right and secure, and put the mask on before jumping in after him. He'd shown her the mechanics of the gun on shore, so she knew what she was doing. She let him get the first one, and then he insisted she give it a go.

So she did.

She felt a little bit bad for the fish, but it was fun to hunt them. She had to admit it.

"Nice," Jensen said when she came up with her catch.

"Bigger than yours," she advised.

"I didn't realize we were competing." He laughed.

"Hell yeah," she retorted back. Then she flushed a little. She'd never been one to sing in front of people before, but that song just really got her going, and it had been too late to stop herself that night from letting it rip. To her surprise, though, Jensen had seemed to love it, which was something she was not used to. Evan always told her to stop, that her wailing hurt his ears.

"Right on," he quoted back, and she snickered a little.

"I told you it would stick," she said.

"Catchy tunes usually do," he reasoned. "Now, I'm gonna put you to shame." He took the spear gun from her, and she made a face at him as he went under again. She sank below the surface right after him, enjoying watching him.

It was a strange feeling to get used to—knowing she was completely safe with him. She didn't have to be on guard or look over her shoulder or wonder if he was lying to her. He just was himself—honest, sincere, and fun, and she loved that about him.

He wasn't bad to look at either.

He held as still as he could, hovering over a fish. She craned her neck to see that it was a bit bigger than hers, which made her groan inwardly. To be fair, though, she'd started it. Jensen speared it easily and tugged it towards him before rising to the surface. She lifted her head above water and pushed her mask up onto her head. He did the same and gave his head a shake after surfacing.

"There," he said. "I win."

"Gimme that," she retorted, snatching the spear gun from him. He laughed as she yanked her mask back down and went under. It appeared, however, that the fish had caught on to what was happening, so there weren't any to be found. She had to go back up for air after a bit unfortunately. She found Jensen sitting in the boat with his arms resting on his knees. The jerk was smiling too.

"You didn't let me tell you that after a few times, the fish grow wise," he commented.

"I see that."

He held out his hand for the gun, and she handed it to him. She went to pull herself out of the water next but didn't quite have the momentum to pull it off, sliding back into the water.

"Here," he said, offering to assist. She let him hold her arms fireman style, and as he pulled up, she walked up the side of the boat and perched on the ledge. She was about to hop down when he cupped her waist and helped her down. Out of instinct, she'd caught his shoulders with her hands for balance. When her feet were on the floor of the boat, both of them seemed almost frozen with what to do next.

"Um, thank you," she said, letting him go finally. He did the same.

"Sure," he replied. "No problem."

Kate felt awkward and flushed. She could tell Jensen was feeling uncomfortable now too. She had to get it back to normal.

"I can help clean them," she offered. "I know how."

"It's alright."

"I probably do it better," she insisted, and he scoffed.

"You think so?"

"I know so." This was better. This was normal. She appreciated that he went along with it. He moved to sit by the motor now.

"We'll see," he replied, lifting up the anchor and then starting the motor. Kate couldn't help but admire how all of him flexed when he did that. Then she made herself turn around and stare towards the front.

She really had to stop it.

...

Jensen had a very hard time not looking at Kate for this entire excursion. When he'd practically had her in his arms, it took him by surprise how fast his mind went to telling him to stop being a fool and kiss her. He was glad things recovered easily because he didn't want to lose her as a friend. The past two weeks, having her around as often as she was, had been really nice.

It was almost a relief when she pulled her long shirt back on. Another moment like earlier, and he'd be unable to stop himself. Out of respect, he did the same thing, even though he hated putting dry clothes on a sopping wet body.

"So what shall we bet?" she asked when they were in his house and he had the fish laid out on newspaper on the kitchen table. He went to get the knives to fillet them, thinking of a good response to her question.

"Loser has to cook them," he said finally.

"You're on."

She was fast, and he worked hard to catch up to her, but it was like she'd done it her whole life. She was laughing as he moved to cause interference for her to give him a chance to break even. She'd taken her hair out and was letting it dry around her shoulders. She was still in her swimsuit under that shirt, which stuck to her since she hadn't dried off before putting it on; he did his best not to keep looking at her, especially her legs.

"Ah, come on," he groaned in fake despair when she slapped down her last piece of meat and threw her fists up in the air, knife in one hand still.

"Yeaaaa!" she crowed. He finished, a smile on his face as she did a small victory dance.

"Well, we know I can cook," he advised. "So I'm really the winner here."

"You think I can't cook?" she asked, putting a hand to her chest and pretending to be outraged. "Jensen, you arsehole."

"All I know is that I've seen you hover over at Tavs's place around the supper hour quite consistently," he commented. She did a dramatic gasp.

"Right for the jugular!" she exclaimed. "That's it, I'm cooking the damn fish."

"If you want to," he said with a shrug.

"Wait," she said slowly, "I see what you did there." His smirk grew wider as she put it together. "You really are an arsehole!"

He laughed, and she reached to shove him. He set the knife down and defended himself. Despite everything, all his doubts and fears and caution, he was feeling something happening here. When he had her by the wrists to stop her from swatting at him and pressed against the counter, she got a look on her face that said she wanted him, and he was seriously contemplating making the first move when:

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

They both looked to see Joe standing there with a bag over his shoulder and a smirk on his face.

"Joe," he said, letting Kate go and stepping back.

"Just leave me with the luggage why don't you!" another voice called before the person appeared next to Joe.

"Case," Jensen said almost hoarsely. So she'd shown up as well after all. He could see Kate tense up a bit at the sight of her. "What are you doing here?"

"I sent notice I was coming," Joe said defensively.

"Not you," Jensen replied, gesturing to Case. "Her. You. What are you doing here? I thought you were in Africa or something?"

"Eh, I thought I'd check in and make sure you hadn't damaged Piper too much," Case replied, teasing. "And we didn't want you to be all alone for Christmas." Jensen didn't have time to react before she hugged him. "Ugh, you're soaking wet. What're you doing?" Case eyed him up and down.

"Fishing," he answered faintly. He could see Kate moving away slowly. "Erm, Kate, these are friends of mine: Case and Joe."

"Nice to meet you," Kate said to them. Joe nodded at her before going to throw his bag on the couch unceremoniously. Case chucked the duffel bag in her hands at Joe's head before beaming at Kate.

"Argh!" Joe yelped, the bag slamming into his face before he could fully catch it.

"Hi! Are you J's girlfriend?" Case asked, ignoring him. Jensen could hear Joe cursing under his breath as he finally got a proper hold of the bag and set it on the floor next to the couch.

"Oh no," Kate answered instantly. "No, no. No."

One too many. Jensen could tell she was backpedaling what had just happened between them.

"Really?" Case asked, looking at Jensen. "Because it really looked like..."

"We're just friends," he cut in before she could finish that sentence.

"Pfft, sure," Joe said from the living room where he was still snooping. Jensen hated when he did that.

"The rest of the bags are outside," Case said to him, jerking her thumb in that direction.

"So?"

"So go get them."

"I ain't your bitch," Joe retorted. Case shot back her own comment, and then they were bickering. Jensen positioned himself between Kate and the two adult sized children as if that would block what was happening.

"I should go," Kate said now, gesturing with her thumb. "Thanks for teaching me...um, it was fun."

"Yea," he agreed, feeling tongue tied and stupid suddenly.

"You better keep them," Kate added, gesturing to the fish. "Since now you've got company."

"Oh..."

"We can clear out if you had plans tonight," Case said now, making Jensen jump. She had apparently won the spat and was standing next to him again, having overheard.

"No, no, it's okay," Kate advised. "No worries. I'll see you around, J." She left without another word, and Case slugged his arm.

"Ow," he said, rubbing it.

"What're you doing?! She's cute and clearly into you. Invite her to dinner!"

"We're just friends," he said again weakly. She studied him carefully, and he hated how much his thoughts were easily read by her.

"J, I know you love Suzy, but it's been a long time, and you deserve it," Case said gently. He looked at her, suddenly wanting to prove he was fine.

"It's nothing," he said firmly. "She just got here. She just wanted a friend, so I'm her friend. That's it."

"For now," Case said with a smile. She went to get her things now that Joe had brought them inside, and Jensen sighed roughly. He pointed her in the direction of the guest room, and she headed there.

"Whatcha got to eat up in this joint?" Joe asked now, opening cupboard doors. Jensen sighed again.

...

Case was undeniably hot. Kate couldn't stop thinking about this fact as she changed and got into a book, or at least tried to. The way Case had hugged Jensen so easily made her wonder if they had history. Why wouldn't they? Case was hot! Kate felt a bit frumpy next to her. What man wouldn't choose Case over Kate? She knew that was her mean inner dialogue speaking, that she wasn't as shabby as she was painting herself to be, but it was hard to think of herself as good looking most of the time. She didn't like to be noticed.

She also felt a bit pissed that Case and Joe had interrupted what could have been something really incredible. She was pretty certain Jensen had been so close to kissing her before they walked in. Then he'd grown weird and aloof, and she'd decided to go.

"Agh, stop it," she said to herself, bouncing the heel of her hand off of her forehead a few times. She didn't come here for a relationship. She should not have gotten this close to Jensen at all in this short of time. It was a mistake, and she had to step back. Relationships did not work out well for her.

And who was Joe? Her agent self was triggered by him for some reason. Was he a former convict? Was Jensen a former criminal? Was that why he was way out here? She gave her head a shake. He couldn't be. Could he?

A knock on her door made her jump since she was so lost in her thoughts. She went to answer and found Tavs there.

"I see J has some company," she said, coming inside. "I just dropped Piper off; she was thrilled to see them, so she knows them obviously."

"Hm," Kate said in her throat.

"You seem so thrilled," Tavs said sarcastically.

"No, I just am curious as to who they are and why they just showed up," Kate replied. "He's never talked about them."

"Don't get all FBI on them," Tavs chortled. "Piper likes them, and kids are great indicators that something is wrong with someone. Kids and dogs."

"I see."

"Case is cute," Tavs went on. "Think she and J were an item?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"Your tone says otherwise." Tavs waggled a brow and smiled at her. Kate groaned.

"Okay fine. I might care a little. She's hot..."

"Damn, girl, you're smokin' yourself," Tavs interrupted, resting a hand on her hip. "Don't you dare say you're not."

Kate chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, wishing she could just disappear right now. She pressed a hand to her head and sighed.

"It doesn't matter," she finally said. "I came here to start over, not fall for a guy."

"Doesn't starting over include finding love?"

"No." Kate shook her head. "Not for me." She met Tavs's gaze, and her friend clicked her tongue.

"What happened to you, girl?"

"Nothing important." Kate waited for Tavs to push, which it looked like she was going to do, but then she was saved by the ringtone.

"Ah, crud," Tavs said, looking at her phone. "I have to get this. Sorry."

"It's okay."

"Don't isolate yourself," she warned, pointing a finger at her as she backed up to the door. "I'll drag your ass out if you do."

"Duly noted."

Kate sat down on her couch and tried not to think about Case or Jensen or anything. It proved to be difficult, though. She ended up chucking the book since she was unable to get into it and got up to make herself something to snack on when someone knocked on her door. Sighing roughly, she pulled it open.

"Tavs, I swear I'm fine..." She stopped short upon seeing Case. Then she felt tongue tied.

"Hi," she said brightly. "Can I come in?"

"Uh...sure?" Kate said as a question. She took a step back, and Case walked inside.

"Nice place," she commented.

"Thank you..."

"Let me just cut to the chase," Case said, turning to face her full on now. She rested a hand over her chest. "I am not a threat."

"Excuse me?" Kate was doing her best to pretend she didn't know what Case was referring to.

"I just want to be very clear about that," Case went on. "Jensen is a good guy, a really good guy. He's had shit cards dealt to him, but he's doing the best he can. He is struggling so hard with the idea of being with someone else again after losing his wife, but I think if you stick it out, he'll eventually come around. He's wavering...I can tell, and the way he looks at you...wow. It's undeniable he likes you, even if he thinks he doesn't."

"Um..."

"I mean, yea, I considered it at first," Case continued, "but me and him...we don't have that vibe, not like you two do. I don't trust men fully anyway, not after what my husband did to me, but I am open to the possibility of being with someone again one day."

These words struck a chord inside of Kate, and she looked at Case and wondered if it was possible that they had something in common after all.

"I'm not looking for a relationship," Kate said again, shaking her head. She hugged herself tight now. Something about the way Case was looking at her was unsettling her.

"You too, huh?" she asked softly. Kate opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak. "I get it. It's hard, but not every guy is like them. Not every guy does to us what they did. If I can be open to dating again someday, then I think you can be too, but don't miss out what's happening now because you're afraid."

"I just want to belong somewhere," Kate confessed, not even sure why she was revealing this to a person she didn't know. "That's all I've ever wanted was to just be a part of something that was normal and healthy and...fun." Case reached to rest a hand on her shoulder now.

"Jensen is not perfect, and it's not my place to talk about his past or experiences, but I will say that you two share a very similar mindset. You both want what you think you can't have or don't deserve, and you both do deserve it and can have it. You just have to take that leap."

"I'm not sure I can," Kate said. Case squeezed her shoulder and let go, giving her a smile.

"You can. With time. I'm sure of it."

Kate scoffed slightly, but she understood Case was just trying to help her out.

"Come on over," Case encouraged. "J is lost without you. That's very clear."

"I'm okay," Kate replied. She didn't really want to reveal that she was a former FBI agent and that she was worried she'd stumble upon something she didn't want to find over there, especially with Joe.

"You're forgetting I have a secret weapon," Case said, her eyes twinkling.

"No, leave Piper out of it," Kate tried, but Case was already heading out, laughing. "Case!" Was it that obvious that Kate couldn't say no to Piper very well? Or maybe the girl just had that effect on everyone so it was logically assumed it worked on everybody. She went running to stop Case and found Jensen coming up the deck steps.

"Oh," she said, coming to an abrupt halt at the top. "Hey."

"Let me guess, Case was on her way to use Piper to make you come over." He stopped on the third last step, his hands in his pockets as he looked up at her.

"Yea."

"Well, she's wasting her time," he advised. "I was going to use my cuteness instead." Kate felt her face burn a bit, and he also looked slightly embarrassed by his own words.

"I don't want to intrude," she started, but he held up a hand.

"You wouldn't be, but I understand if you'd rather not. Joe can be an acquired taste, but he's alright."

"He looks like he's come from a jail cell," she commented. A flicker went through Jensen's eyes, and she wondered if she was right after all. The shot of anxiety was quick, but it soon settled. She had no proof. She couldn't go based off a feeling and what could have been a trick of light in Jensen's eyes.

"He's a character, but he means well. Anyway, you're welcome to join us. Or not. I'll leave that up to you." He went to step down when she felt the sudden desire to be honest.

"You make me feel really confused," she blurted. He stopped moving and looked back at her.

"How so?" he asked.

"I...I didn't come here looking for a guy, but then I met you, and you make me think that maybe I could do it again, that I could actually have something healthy for once, but I feel like it would be a mistake to try. I feel like I would just let you down or wreck everything." There. It was out there now. She watched him as he processed her words.

"If anyone would let someone down, it would be me letting you down," Jensen said after a moment. "I had a second chance at life with my wife, and I did not deserve her at all. When I lost her, I figured it was a message to me saying I was right."

"So Case is right," Kate stated. "We both feel the same way about relationships."

"I guess so," he agreed.

"Ugh, I'm sorry," she said, pressing her hands into her face now. "I'm making this complicated when it doesn't have to be."

"You're not," Jensen advised. "I'll be honest, you've made me think the same things, and I, too, don't want to let you down. I'm also confused because I feel like I'm betraying my wife by considering moving on, even when I know she'd say do it. I think until that confusion is worked out, I shouldn't be trying to date. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Fair enough," Kate replied, nodding. She had on hand hooked on the back of her neck now, her other arm hugging her waist.

"But," Jensen said, coming up to her level now. Despite everything, she still felt shivers from his closeness. "That being said...we still want you in our life. I still want you in my life, and I think...I think that moment, our time, will eventually happen...when it's right." Kate looked into his eyes, and she felt warm inside at his words.

"Okay," she whispered. He smiled softly, reaching to touch her cheek lightly. It made her almost combust inside, but she knew he was just testing the waters to see if such a small gesture would freak him out.

It appeared it affected him somehow from the way he pulled his hand back and cleared his throat, but that only told her that he really was having feelings for her, and that in itself was enough.

"Daddy?!" Piper called. "Is Auntie Kate coming?!"

He looked at Kate, and she let out a fake, exasperated groan.

"You better hope she doesn't ask me for something forbidden one day," she warned as she followed him down the steps.

"Just don't look directly at her," Jensen advised. "It helps...sort of." Kate burst out laughing, and he did too. At least he acknowledged that just the sound of his daughter's voice was enough to make anyone cave and do anything.

She was glad he still wanted her around, that he wasn't letting his conflicted feelings push her away. She knew they both weren't ready, but knowing that maybe one day they could be...that was enough to make her smile.

...

Jensen was feeding Daisy later that night when Case sidled up next to him. He looked at her sideways, waiting. She had her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips.

"What?" he asked.

"Did you two come to an agreement?" she asked.

"Yea," he answered. "We did."

"Good. And?"

"Case," he groaned, and she laughed.

"Come on," she coaxed. "I'm a sucker for romance despite everything. What did you two decide?"

"That it'll happen when it happens...if it happens," he answered. "Alright? That good enough for you?"

"I'm just glad you didn't write it off entirely as a no," Case said with a shrug. "I'm happy for you, J. You deserve it."

"She doesn't know the truth," he told her. This was something that twisted him up inside a little bit, but he didn't know how to tell her without her calling him a liar. His situation was pretty unique.

"Does she need to?"

"I think so."

"Then tell her when it feels right. I think she'll be understanding."

"I hope you're right," he sighed. He thought about that evening and how Kate had slowly fit into this strange dynamic he had with Joe and Case. He could tell she was suspicious about Joe, and rightly so. He felt bad not telling her everything about Hennessey, his being framed, and death race, but he was scared to. It was another reason for him staying uninvolved with someone.

"One day at a time, J," Case said, patting his back. "One day at a time."

I love writing those "almost" moments. I hope you enjoy reading them :)