Six Months, Two States

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the brilliant creative team of NCIS: Hawaii and no profit has been made from this story.

A/N: Yep, I've decided to delve into their lives in ways that may or may not mesh with canon or future canon, but since it's my vision I get to do what I want! Hope y'all like it as much as I do!

Just Another Manic Monday

"Lucy wait, where are you going?"

"I gotta take this," Lucy replied, reluctantly looking at the vibrating noise box in her hand, "I'll be right back." Kate watched as Lucy walked out onto the balcony to take the call, and she would be a liar if she didn't admit that it stung just a bit when the brunette closed the door behind her.

"Hey, sorry, it was work," Lucy said with an apologetic smile as she stepped back inside, "Where were we?"

"We were just about to-" Kate began as she sauntered up to the brunette, but her words were cut short as Lucy's phone began to ring again.

"Sorry," Lucy groaned as she once again went outside to answer the call, "Hey boss..." was all Kate caught as Lucy shut the door behind her.

Watching the brunette through the sliding glass doors, Kate frowned as she saw the woman's shoulders tense and her head slump, and she wondered not for the first time what Lucy's job entailed and why she never seemed capable of just ignoring the damned phone when she was off. As Lucy ended the call and headed back inside Kate pivoted and grabbed her own phone, pretending to be just as involved in her communication as Lucy was in hers.

"Okay I have like, twenty minutes before I have to go," Lucy announced as she stripped off her shirt and wiggled out of her jeans, "let's make them count."

Kate was surprised when a perfectly lobbed piece of clothing hit her squarely in the back, but her "Hey what the-" died quickly on her lips when she spun around and the sight of all of that sexy mocha skin hit her eyes. Painfully turned on, she divested herself of her own clothing even as she faintly registered that Lucy's phone was ringing again. But wait, why did it sound so much like-

"Oh god," she groaned as she bolted up in her bed and turned the alarm off, "is it that time already?"

DIA Officer Kate Whistler was always awake at this hour, and she would normally go for a run or hit the gym for a few hours before her work day actually started. This morning however she was wide awake and insanely turned on by the very vivid image of a naked, beckoning Lucy in her dreams, so instead of jumping up to start her day she slid her hand into her soaking wet panties. This is silly, it's not going to work. You've never been one to take care of your own needs, you know you can't achieve pleasure without another person. Ignoring the voice in her head, Kate closed her eyes and tried to imagine Lucy stretched out between her thighs, and as she ran a tentative finger through the wet warmth the image was shattered by the ringing of her own phone.

"Son of a bitch," she growled as she snatched it off the nightstand, then seeing the name on the display she schooled her features and calmly answered, "Whistler."

"Good morning and welcome home," Lena Van Buren cooed, "I wasn't sure if you would answer or if you'd still be adjusting to the time change."

"I arrived yesterday morning, so I've had plenty of time to adjust," Kate sweetly responded, "but given that you're privy to my schedule I assumed you already knew that."

"Given that you went off grid and nobody has seen or heard from you in five days I wasn't certain of anything," Lena clapped back, and Kate smirked as the vile woman lost her temper when it was clear that she was trying very hard to appear professional. Probably in a conference room with at least a dozen superiors, most of whom are likely happy to see you go.

"My apologies," Kate responded, and the smug smile could be heard in her voice, "but since your friend Cara dropped my mail off yesterday I assumed that she told you I was back."

The silence was telling as Lena floundered to maintain her poker face and come up with something to say, and she finally resorted to banal platitudes that fooled nobody as Kate muted her phone and laughed out loud. Gotcha, you miserable piece of-oh crap, what is she saying?

"...so we wanted to bring you in as early as possible in order to facilitate the transition," Lena prattled on as Kate sat in bed and rolled her eyes and hated the woman with every fibre of her being, "so if you could be in by seven that would be great."

"So you're leaving tomorrow?" A surprised Whistler asked, her tone clearly indicating that the immediacy of the move was rather sudden.

"Yes well while you were off on the island playing tourist I was back here putting things in order," Lena snarked, and Kate couldn't help but smile at the bite in the miserable woman's words.

"I can be there within the hour," Kate brightly announced, unwilling to listen any longer, "see you soon."

DIA Headquarters, Washington, DC

Less than an hour after the early morning wake up call Kate arrived at work, and as she stood outside and looked up at the building she paused to steel herself for whatever was about to come. Although she wasn't particularly fond of anyone or anything that had to do with her current situation, she also had to remind herself that the reason she had walked away from a promising law career and into this role as an officer for the DIA was because of who she had lost. For Noah. The death of her older brother had tainted everything that had followed, from graduating top in her class at Northwestern to passing the Bar on her first attempt and securing a job at a prestigious DC law firm. She would never forget the sense of helplessness that had come with the senseless and tragic loss, and when she realized that nothing she had access to as an attorney would make a difference she had thrown all of her angry energy into becoming a member of the only organization that could have possibly prevented the tragedy. Her devastated parents had begged her to stay the course, to continue in the career that she had chosen and to fight for justice in the courtroom instead of as a federal employee, but something deep inside of her had broken. She felt compelled to pick up where her brother had left off, to dedicate her life to serving the country that he had fought and died for, and from that moment on the woman in Kate had taken a backseat to the crusader who needed to find a purpose in her work. She had applied to the Defense Intelligence Agency, a department in the federal government that literally existed to provide the military with intelligence on foreign militaries. She had gotten her government clearances and studied every bit of literature she could get her hands on about what it took to succeed in the agency, then called on every contact she'd ever impressed to help pull the necessary strings in order to get her in for an interview. It had taken the better part of a year to cut through the red tape, but Kate Whistler never failed at anything she'd set her mind to and this would be no exception. As soon as she had completed her interview she had no doubt that she would get the job, but even the agent who had hired her had been blown away by how quickly she had excelled at actually doing that job.

Her raw talent, natural instincts and sheer intelligence were too much for her less proficient colleagues to handle, and before long she was a rising star in a male dominated field and public enemy number one for her less than stellar, slept her way to her position boss. Lena was shrewd, cutthroat, and soulless enough to shine in the underbelly of the CIA, where she had earned her reputation as an agent not to be crossed. Unfortunately for her the promotion to the DIA had exposed her inability to navigate the tricky office politics necessary to succeed in her current role, so she had made a target out of Kate, the one person who, although her subordinate, was clearly a much better fit for her job.

Kate knew now, had in fact known for a while, that there was a target on her back. What she hadn't realized before Hawaii was how deeply Lena's hooks had imbedded into her life, or how far the woman would go to destroy her happiness. If she were being honest, Kate would have to admit that Lena didn't even want the job in Hawaii, she just wanted to take it away from her. Or she's just crazy enough to think that her history of bad behavior and failed negotiations won't follow her there. God, I hope Tennant was right.

Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Kate took a fortifying sip of coffee and headed inside.

"Welcome back Officer Whistler," Reggie, the daytime security guard, greeted as she placed her belt and other metals in the tray before walking through the metal detector. "Thanks Reggie," she replied with a genuine smile, "wish I could say it was nice to be back." At his mock offended reaction she allowed, "Though I will say I did miss you." With a wink at the affable man she retrieved her belt, ring and other personal effects, then headed for the elevator.

Sighing as she swiped her badge and punched the number for her floor, she looked around at the empty lift and realized that elevators were no fun when Lucy wasn't around. Nothing is any fun without Lucy around, she makes everything better. She'd even make this day better, just by being here. God I miss her. Shaking off the thoughts that could do nothing but hurt her, she shoved the tortuous mental image into a box and slammed the metaphorical lid.

"I understand that you met with NCIS Special Agent In Charge Jane Tennant while you were at Pearl Harbor," Lena said by way of greeting when Kate walked into the conference room, "so tell me Kate, what was the nature of that meeting?"

"Good morning, so nice to be back at it," Kate said as though she hadn't heard a thing her boss had said. Looking around the room, she was surprised to see only a handful of senior agents seated around the table, and she realized that this was most likely Lena's last attempt at taking her down a peg before her departure. "The NCIS SAC approached me," Whistler explained, "and if you must know, she said she wanted to meet me based on what she'd heard from her colleagues in DC."

"Which colleagues?" Van Buren challenged.

"She didn't say," Whistler shrugged, "and it really didn't matter to me, so I didn't ask. You could ask her yourself," Kate suggested, "you have her number, right?"

Narrowing her eyes in response, Lena spat, "I guess I'll just ask her when I get there!"

"I guess you will," Kate aloofly replied, and she didn't miss the knowing glance that passed between the two most senior agents at the table. "So," she stated in an attempt to shift the focus of the conversation, "what brings us all together this fine morning?"

"With Lena leaving for her new position in Oahu tomorrow," one of the men in stuffy suits, who she vaguely recognized as special agent Parks, responded, "the decision has been made to offer you the position she'll be vacating."

Taken aback by the surprise offer, Whistler replied, "I haven't even been in my position long enough to consider it. I still have a lot to learn, and there are plenty of more senior-"

"None of them are as qualified as you," Parks interrupted, "and quite frankly, if I were you I wouldn't hesitate. Not only will you be a higher ranking officer, but you'll also save us the torment of finding a replacement for Lena, who blindsided us by showing up in Oahu."

"Blindsided?" A surprised Kate replied, "I thought-"

"You thought wrong," Parks interjected, "Van Buren hadn't expressed any interest in the Pacific Rim position, which was the reason we sent you to the conference. Then I received a call from Lieutenant Jennings stating that they had decided to go with her for the opening at Pearl, and that we should fill her position here effective immediately."

Jennings? That was the one who drilled me about my personal life. He seemed especially happy to inform me that I was wasting my time, and now I know why.

"What about Wagner, Estrada or Phelps?" Kate asked, "Any one of them would be a good fit, surely-"

"Let me make myself clear," Randal Baldwin, who would be her new boss if she said yes, interjected, "the three of them have put in the work, and yes, they are all qualified. However," he explained as he glared at Van Buren, "all three of them have indulged in behavior that is not in line with the team I'm trying to build."

"Oh," Whistler replied. Did she really sleep with all three of them? God, she's gross.

"So," the senior agent asked, "are you in?"

What's the catch? How am I supposed to trust any of them, now that I know they've all slept with her?

"To be clear, this means that Wagner, Estrada and Phelps now report to me?"

"Wagner, Estrada and Phelps have been reassigned," Baldwin replied, and Lena glared as he expounded, "your new team is Sophie Quinn, Dorian Soto and Seth Burgess. You can hire a new assistant or you can stick with Vera, the choice is yours."

Stunned by the veritable purge of her entire office, Kate sat dumbfounded as she processed all of the information that had just been fed into her consciousness. The entire team gone? Everyone reassigned? There's no way I'm keeping Lena's secretary, no doubt she'd be Lena's little spy.

"I have just the guy in mind," Kate replied, thinking that her personal assistant from the law firm would be easily persuaded to join her team, "I'll call him now."

"Okay then," Baldwin said, "Van Horn, you can send Vera home now, and I believe you have some packing to do?"

NCIS Headquarters, Pearl Harbor

"Special Agent Tara, what are you doing here?" NCIS SAC Jane Tennant asked as she walked into the bullpen and noticed the young junior agent sitting at her desk.

"Catching up on my report from Saturday?" Lucy tried, though she knew she was in trouble because it was supposed to be her day off.

"Do you know what makes the best agents?" Tennant asked, and when the young agent just shrugged her shoulders Tennant replied, "A healthy work/life balance."

"Oh," Lucy responded, the word delivered on a dejected puff of air, "so I guess I should-"

"Go home? Get some rest? Explore the gorgeous island that we live and work on? All good ideas," Tennant advised, "I suggest you take at least one of them."

"So I guess I'm leaving for the day," Lucy deduced, "and I'm going to find a way to have some fun."

"Please and thank you," the older woman replied as Lucy grabbed her backpack and picked up her water bottle, "and don't forget-"

"Dinner at your house tonight," Lucy threw back over her shoulder, "and I'm bringing the dessert."

The junior agent was not happy to leave the sanctuary of the office, because when she was there she could focus on her work and not look around and see Kate everywhere she looked. Outside, it was different. Once she left the safety of the base everything reminded her of the blonde who had so easily turned her world upside down, and she had found that it was almost unbearable simply to drive from home to work or really anywhere on the island that she had taken the stunning, sexy woman. Deciding that it was never too early for a drink, she pulled into the lot of her local bar, but as she got out and headed for the door she was hit with the memory of Kate's hands on her body in that very lot. Specifically when her fingers pulled open those zippers and connected with the bare skin of my thighs. Shivering as she shoved down the memory, she shook her head and went around the corner.

"Hey, how's my favorite cowgirl?" Coral hooted in greeting, "Hey Miguel, our girl needs a beer!"

"I'm not a cowgirl," Lucy groaned, "but I will take that beer."

"So," Miguel asked as he popped the top off the bottle, "did Kate make it safely back to DC?"

"I guess," Lucy shrugged as she grabbed the bottle and took a long swallow and tried very hard to ignore the knowing glances exchanged between the wisened surfer and the intuitive bartender. At their telling glares she threw her hands up and said, "What?!"

"You guess?" An incredulous Coral asked, "What do you mean you guess? Didn't she let you know she arrived safely?"

Lucy paused for a beat, then looked at the older woman and admitted, "Look, we didn't exchange numbers. We wanted to keep this as a fun, sexy little memory that wouldn't be tainted by the heartbreak of trying to maintain a long distance relationship."

"You gotta be shittin' me," Coral gasped, "you let that gorgeous woman, who was clearly in love with you, just leave without a trace? Are you insane?"

"Leave her alone," Trig interrupted, sliding an arm around Lucy's tense shoulders, "she did what she had to do."

Lucy's phone chimed, and when she saw it was a text from Jesse she assumed it was further berating about her work/life balance. She knew Tennant saw her current choices as a detriment, but what Tennant didn't understand was that she had been her parents' showpiece for so long that this, this semi-reclusive life that she had chosen, seemed like a breath of fresh air. She also knew that Jesse agreed with their boss, and she sometimes got really irritated with the two of them for acting like they were her parents. Nonetheless they were good to her, and when they called she answered. Opening the message, she laughed out loud at the image of his young son Jake holding a homemade sign that said "SiT HErE UnTiL DiNNEr".

Jesse: He's making sure Ernie doesn't sit in his spot again.

Lucy: Smart boy.

Jesse: Jake said he wants the good cake from Leonard's.

Lucy: Yeah, he put in his order on Saturday. I'm actually on my way to pick it up now, I don't dare bring anything else!

Jesse: Smart move! See you tonight.

Looking around at the once comfortable haven of her local bar, Lucy was now inundated with the ghosts of the memories that she had made here with Kate. Looking to her left, she spotted the stool that the blonde had been sitting on when they had met, and she wanted to walk over and scream at the tourist sitting there that he was violating a sacred space. Her eyes bounced to the jukebox, where she had been standing when the door had opened and the stunning vision of a blonde goddess had appeared after the brief flash of sunlight that had illuminated the dimly lit interior.

"Luce, are you going to stick around for trivia?" Trig was asking, but when she looked to the booth where they were setting up it seemed empty without the blonde. Everything seems empty without her. "Sorry guys, duty calls," she stammered as she waved her phone and hopped off her stool, "Maybe next time."

As she bolted out of the bar Trig frowned, his eyes narrowing as he asked, "Do you think she's ever going to realize how badly she screwed up?"

Clapping him on the shoulder Coral responded, "She already knows."

Alexandria, Virginia

The rest of Kate's day had been a whirlwind at best, with the transfer of codes and the moving of her office and the photograph for her new credentials consuming the bulk of her time. Blessedly Baldwin's assistant Jessica Ruiz had been present throughout the process, and her presence kept everything flowing smoothly while Lena plastered on a fake smile and pretended to lament being a mentor who was leaving her star pupil too soon until Ruiz not so gently shoved her out the door.

To say that she was surprised to find the despicable woman sitting in front of her townhouse when she got home would have been a lie, because Kate knew that today had been a devastating blow for her former boss. Since she also knew that Lena was always a victim, she had anticipated some backlash from the events of the day, but honestly hadn't known whether it would be Lena or her lapdog Cara on her doorstep. In either case she had planned to simply walk right past them and not bother to engage.

"Heeeyyy Kate, whatcha say we toast our new positions?" Disgusted, the blonde turned to face the clearly inebriated woman, who was drinking straight from a bottle of champagne as she walked toward her.

"You're drunk," Kate snapped, "and I have no desire to have a drink with you."

"Oh no, you don't have a desire to do anything with me, do you Katie?" Van Buren accused as she leaned in close and whispered, "I could pretend to have an accent if that's what works for you."

"You're disgusting," Kate replied, "and you have no idea what works for me."

"Cara used to work for you," Lena taunted, "right up until you met that little foreigner. Tell me Kate, what kind of dirty little acts did the government pay for in that luxury hotel room?"

Recoiling as though she'd been slapped, Kate balled up her fists and considered taking a swing before her rational mind kicked in and she realized who Lena was talking about. She's talking about Siobhan, she has no idea Lucy exists.

"Cara stopped working for me the minute I found out she was sleeping with you," the blonde growled, "it has nothing to do with anyone or anything in Hawaii."

"Oh grow up Whistler," Lena spat, "I know you knew about us before you left, and I know you were texting her from Hawaii."

"Of course you do," Kate said with a shake of her head, "and I'm sure you know all about the phone call too."

"I was there," Lena said with a sarcastic chuckle, "you should have seen how excited she was when you said that she should join you on the next trip. Killed our mood for sure," Lena lamented, "but she was so turned on by the offer that-"

"Ewww, stop talking," Kate ordered as she fought to keep her dinner in her stomach, "and go home, Lena. Can I call you a cab?"

"No need," Lena smirked, "I have a driver."

Rolling her eyes, Kate nonetheless watched until the drunken menace crawled into the back of the black SUV with the government plates, then breathed a sigh of relief as she unlocked her front door and walked into the peaceful quiet inside. When her phone began to ring she braced herself for another verbal assault, but was surprised when she saw an unknown DC area number displayed on the screen. "Kate Whistler," she answered as curiosity got the better of her, and she was completely surprised by the voice on the other end of the line. "I hear you made quite an impression on my colleague at Pearl."

"Special Agent Gibbs," Kate replied with a smile, "I take it I have you to thank for the warm welcome I received from Special Agent In Charge Tennant."

"I might have made a call," he admitted, "but the warm welcome is all Tennant. If she didn't like you, it wouldn't have mattered what I'd said."

"Well thank you," she replied, her tone genuine, "but it looks like I'll be staying here after all."

"For now," he quipped.

"Are you saying I have a future in Hawaii?"

"I'm saying don't let those surfing skills get rusty."

With that the line went dead, and she stared incredulously at the blank screen as she locked the door and slid the deadbolt into place. Realizing that she needed groceries when she was trying to decide what to make for dinner, she decided that tonight she'd order in and tomorrow she would stop at the store after work. She busied herself with a quick shower and a change of clothes, then went outside to retrieve the order that the dasher had indicated he'd left on the doorstep. Plating her food, she poured a glass of wine and carried it and her meal out onto the terrace overlooking the Potomac River. It's not the Pacific, but it'll have to do. Sighing wistfully, she sat at her tiny wrought iron table and tucked into her food. As she ate she recalled her first dinner in Honolulu, and though the circumstances were wildly different it still seemed somewhat the same. But the sounds of people and traffic on the cobblestones along the river dim in comparison to the sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the beach. God, I miss that island. I miss Lucy. I wonder if she misses me?

Honolulu, Hawaii

Lucy was having the most amazing dream starring endlessly long legs and impossibly soft lips when the scene was shattered by an insistent buzzing noise. "What is that?" She asked as the dreamscape shifted and she found herself in the waiting area of a restaurant, dressed for dinner with the blonde beside her. "That's the pager silly, our table is ready," Kate explained, holding up the buzzing device, "see?"

Reaching for the blinking, vibrating pager, Lucy was baffled when Kate pulled her hand back so that her fist closed on empty air. For some reason the entire scene was out of focus, and Lucy squinted as the buzzing got louder and a distant voice called out, "Chloe Larssen, party of two!" Weirdly, once they were seated the buzzing continued, and Lucy got up to look around and try to find the source of the noise while Kate watched her with an amused grin on her face.

"Don't you hear that Kate?"

But Kate was no longer watching her with that soft and loving expression, and in fact didn't seem to register that she was being spoken to at all. "Kate," Lucy repeated, but once again her attempt to get the blonde's attention seemed to fall on deaf ears. What are you hiding from me? Why aren't you answering when I say your name? Apparently oblivious to the insistent buzzing noise, Kate's face was the picture of concentration as she studied the menu in her hands. "Swordfish or burgers?" she asked, and Lucy replied, "Wings," as the scene shifted again. Now Lucy was sitting in a bar, one she vaguely recognized from she thought maybe a night out when she first got to the island. Looking down, she saw the bar's logo on the matchbook in front of her and chuckled. The Black Shamrock? Really? is that a mixed message on the type of luck I seem to have? She looked to her left and spotted Kate, the tall, sexy woman sitting there in form fitting jeans and a simple, perfectly tailored t-shirt. Is that what you look like in jeans? God you look good in jeans. You look good in anything. Why are you dressed so differently from anything I've ever seen? I should just ask you.

"Delaware?" she heard herself say instead, and wondered why she was being weird and treating the woman like a stranger. And why do I have a purse? I never carry a purse.

"Come again?" A confused Kate responded, and Lucy realized that they were, indeed, strangers to each other.

"Where you're from. It's a game I like to play," Lucy replied, "I've never seen you in here before so, I'm thinking Delaware."

"You're close, actually," Kate admitted with an adorable little smile and bob of her head, "DC. I'm just in town for a meeting, heard they do a good burger here."

"Yeah, it's pretty good, but the wings?" Lucy winked, "That's their secret weapon."

"You know it's kinda hard to hear you," the blonde replied, and as the words fell from her lips the dreamscape shifted yet again and Lucy was in the hotel lobby sipping on a mai tai and trying to figure out why she had a purse on the bar. It makes no sense, why would I have a purse? Maybe someone lost it and I need to turn it in? Raising her hand to get the bartender's attention, she smiled when he approached and she said, "Hey, I just wanted to see if anyone lost this -"

"This what, ma'am?" The bartender asked.

Astounded to see that the purse was gone, Lucy shrugged and replied, "Never mind."

"I think your date is ready to order," he observed, pointing to her left where Kate had suddenly appeared.

"Hey Kate," she drawled, "did you want to get a table or eat here at the bar?"

When Kate, who was absorbed in whatever she was reading on her phone failed to respond, Lucy tried again, "Kate?" The blonde continued to ignore her, reading as she mumbled about surf conditions and tide charts. Frustrated, Lucy snapped, "Kate!" No response. "Kate?" Still nothing. "Chloe?!"

"What?!" Kate replied, snapping her head up and looking the persistent brunette in the eyes.

Studying her like a bug under a microscope, Lucy repeated, "I was asking if you wanted to get a table."

"We're already waiting for a table," a perplexed Kate replied as she pointed to a sign above their heads, "why else would we be sitting here?"

Looking up at the sign, Lucy was confused and embarrassed to see "sit here until your table is ready" written in huge, messy letters. What kind of place uses homemade signs? I don't think we should eat here. What is that buzzing noise?!

"Are you really Kate? Who's Chloe? Where the hell is that sound coming from?" Lucy rapid fired the questions at the adorably perplexed blonde, and as a softly smiling Kate opened her mouth to respond Lucy's hand finally connected with the source of the buzzing and she was pulled from the confusing dream into the reality that -

"Oh, crap!" She groaned, jumping out of the bed snatching her phone off the nightstand, "Hey Jesse, what's up?"

At the distracted, sleepy tone in her voice he responded, "Am I interrupting something?"

"No!" She snapped, then less harshly she repeated, "No, sorry I was just really, really asleep." And having the weirdest dream about the most amazing woman I've ever met. Dammit Lucy why didn't you get her number? Last name? Anything at all? You're a federal agent, how hard could it be to use your resources and - oh crap, what is he saying?

"...since we're driving past your place Heather was wondering if you'd rather just ride with us? We're about five minutes away, so-"

"Yep, that'd be great," Lucy instantly replied, grateful for the offer that would put her in a car filled with conversation and empty of anything that reminded her of Kate.

Hanging up the phone, Jesse chuckled as he turned toward his wife and said, "Think she was dreaming about the mystery woman again?"

"I don't know," Heather sighed, "but I'm worried about her."

"Me too babe, me too."

A Hui Hou