Six Months, Two States

Disclaimer: These gloriously diverse, magnificently talented characters belong to CBS and the brilliant creators of NCIS: Hawaii, and no profit has been made from this story.

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know we're here for Kacy, BUT! Since we were given a large extended cast in name only, I figured why not have a little fun with it? Haven't y'all felt short-changed by meeting Nate but not Caitlyn? Jesse and Gracie and a wee bit of Jake but not Heather or the third child OR the cat or dog?

So I named the third child, and selected the breed of dog and there's no telling what I'll do next!

We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This

"How was hand off day?" NCIS Special Agent Jesse Boone asked as he offered his clearly grumpy boss a steaming cup of coffee and followed her into the elevator.

Accepting the cup and taking a sip, she scowled and admitted, "A lot better if Daniel's grad student new wife hadn't been the one at the door, all perky and looking more like a sibling than a stepmother in her "Coach Tennant" jersey."

"Ouch," Jesse replied, pushing the button for their floor, "sorry."

"Yeah well, that wasn't even the worst part of my morning," Tennant sighed, scrolling through her phone as the floors went by.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I bet I can beat it," he offered with a good-natured chuckle.

"Try me."

"I had to tell my wife that the mystery of Hailey's missing glasses was solved when I found what was left of them in the new puppy's crate."

"The nine hundred dollar Alium Town glasses?" Jane asked.

"I didn't know they were nine hundred dollars until they went missing!" He exclaimed, "And seriously, what makes them so special that they cost so much?"

"They're hand made in France," she matter-of-factly replied, "you're lucky she got them for less than a thousand."

"Yeah well, that less than a thousand is now eighteen hundred," he scowled.

"Didn't you get the insurance?" She asked.

"Why would I?" He replied, "I mean, when Heather called me and asked if we should pay the extra one fifty for insurance I thought, why?"

"One would assume that a professional investigator might ask the question instead of thinking it," Jane observed.

"Mine were twenty bucks," he grumbled, "and they work just as well as hers."

"I told you not to get a Blue Heeler," Tennant smirked.

"Anyhow," Jesse said, changing the subject because he knew she was right, "what was it that happened after drop off?"

"It was before," Jane corrected as the elevator doors opened, revealing the source of her added stress sitting there waiting for her.

"Good morning," Lucy cautiously greeted, but Tennant didn't even pause a beat or acknowledge that she'd been spoken to as she marched past the nervously fidgeting agent.

"Ah, got it," Jesse deduced, looking back and forth between Tennant and Lucy as he slung his backpack off of his shoulder and onto his desk. "So," he said, folding his arms across his chest and gracing the young Texan with his very best big brother smile, "what did you do now?"

"I had a little accident in training," she admitted with a shrug, "I-"

"Lucy, can you come in here?" Tennant asked from the doorway, her expression unreadable and the tone of her voice one that neither had ever heard before.

Shooting a worried glance at Jesse, Lucy jumped out of her chair and hurried into their boss's office.

"Shut the door," Tennant ordered.

Lucy complied, closing the door and taking a seat as she braced for what she assumed was coming.

"What were you thinking?" an exasperated Tennant asked.

"She was late!" Lucy replied.

"You were late," Tennant countered, "you badged in at seven oh three."

"Yeah well, she was later," Lucy grumbled, crossing her arms and scowling as she sunk into that dreaded chair in the SAC's office.

Struggling to control her expression, Tennant turned her back on the adorably sulking young agent in front of her. Anyone as irresponsible as Collins has no place on my team, what I owe you is a big thank you. But you're still young and learning and if I don't hold you accountable now it could lead to dangerous bad habits forming down the line.

"Attendance issues are my problem to address Agent Tara, not yours. But," she suggested, "I don't think this has anything to do with Emma's well documented inability to keep a schedule."

"What?" Lucy said as she threw her hands up, "She left herself open!"

"You broke her nose, Lucy," Tennant sighed, "and her confidence. She's now afraid to take a hit, which makes her useless in the field."

"She was useless in the field before I broke her nose."

Tennant's silent response, part exasperation and part disappointment, was something Lucy hoped never to see on the older woman's face ever again. If the SAC had reprimanded her or yelled at her it would have been nothing compared to that reaction, and Lucy felt sick to her stomach as she realized that this might be the end of her career in Oahu. "So now what?" She whispered, almost afraid to break the tense silence with her words.

"So now it's back to the farm for her, the drawing board for me, and a psych eval for you. It's not negotiable," Jane added when Lucy opened her mouth to protest, "as of this moment you are on leave until the doctor clears you to come back."

"I don't need a psych eval," Lucy defensively replied, "it was an accident."

"You know the protocols Agent Tara," Tennant countered, "you seriously injured a trainee during what should have been a controlled sparring session. Get psych to sign off that it wasn't due to underlying anger issues and you'll get reinstated."

"I don't have anger issues," Lucy whispered through hot tears, "and if she had taken any of her training seriously she would have been able to counter that move."

You're killing me Lucy, I know you're right about her but I also know that something is going on with you.

Opening her mouth to speak, then shutting it, Jane sympathetically observed the agitated young woman in front of her and, in an unexpected show of compassion, pulled out a bottle of the good stuff and took a seat in the chair beside her. "Ever since you got here," she offered as she poured out two glasses from the blue and white ceramic flask, "you've been dealing with some unresolved trauma. Before you deny it," she advised, "please hear me out."

When Lucy silently nodded and accepted the offered glass Jane continued, "At first, it was glaringly obvious that you were running from something back home, but I never asked because it didn't affect your performance. In fact," she admitted, "I think it actually gave you the drive you needed to excel in your new position."

Taking a sip of the tequila as she peered over the glass at the young agent, whose eyes were firmly on the wall, she continued, "But then you started forming bonds with the team, with our kids, and you began socializing outside of the work bubble and I thought, okay, she's healing. You were adapting to your new life on the island and you were hitting every one of your milestones and I thought for sure that you were moving past your demons, and I loved seeing the fierce, outspoken, confident agent you were becoming. But then..."

"Then what?" Lucy sniffed.

Then you met Whistler, and it changed you. "About five months ago, you changed."

"That's oddly specific," Lucy shakily observed. One hundred percent accurate and also four months twenty-seven days but who's counting? I wonder if - crap, pay attention Lucy!

"...the op at U.H.," Tennant stated, "after you defied orders and took down that suspect."

"I didn't defy orders," Lucy defended, "I-"

"Ignored a direct command," Jane amended, and a properly rebuked Lucy sat in silence as her boss explained, "I should have benched you. That was five months ago and there have been a number of similar incidents since then, but none of them were as serious as when you lost control this morning."

"I didn't lose control!" Lucy exclaimed, "If she would have-"

"By not ordering you to go to psych when I saw the signs I failed you," Tennant calmly continued as if Lucy hadn't spoken, "and by proxy I failed Agent Collins. I'm now certain that I should have taken this step sooner, and I'm truly sorry that I didn't."

"Are you, are you sending me back home?" Lucy quavered.

"No," Jane assured the worried young agent, "you are family Lucy, and I believe in you, but I also believe that you need help."

"So I need to go to psych and get cleared for duty," a visibly relieved Lucy sighed, "got it."

"And you also need to be a little kinder to the new recruits."

Lucy nodded her assent, thinking it probably wasn't the best time to tell Tennant to pick better recruits. "Soo," she said instead, "when do I report to psych?"

"They're expecting you at ten," Tennant answered, "don't be late."

As Lucy exited the office Jesse entered, asking, "Everything okay?"

"She'll have to get cleared by psych," Jane explained.

"That won't be a problem," he observed, "she's a little high strung and secretive, but she's solid."

"Yes well, hopefully a few sessions with - wait, why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm sorry," he replied, "it's just, you know why she doesn't like Collins, right?"

When Tennant shrugged in response he explained, "Because she's disrespectful to you."

"Collins is young, Jesse, she just needs a little time to mature."

"Lucy is young, boss, and she didn't need time to be respectful to you when you weren't around."

"Character is who you are when nobody's watching," Jane sighed, "am I ever going to find our fourth?"

"On the bright side, we finally got a lock on Ernie," Jesse smiled.

"Yeah, getting him exclusively for NCIS was a huge win," Tennant agreed, "no more sharing our computer genius unless we want to. Now that he is officially assigned to our team, let's make sure he feels at home."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Jesse chuckled, "he was nesting nicely in his "lair" when I stopped in a few minutes ago."

"His lair, huh?" Jane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He was plugging in his jellyfish when I left."

"Not even going to ask," Tennant replied.

Axis, Allies, And Spies

"Okay, so we can all agree that we should let the local government take it from here?"

"Works for me," Kate answered, "Lydia?"

"Officer Sola has, per his well-documented inability to play well with others, made things a bit mucky for us," Lydia Sargood, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Director-General replied, "but as usual, I'll find a way to clean up his mess."

"Well, I'm glad he's your problem and not mine," Whistler admitted, "I know he's effective, but I can't say I'd be willing to put up with him or his questionable tactics."

"Lucky for you he's only authorized to work in my country, not yours," the director-general chuckled, "but if you ever have the pleasure of working a case with him I think you'll see that rough edges and all, he's a solid ally."

"Yeah well, god willing I'll never find out," Kate smiled, "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

A few minutes later Kate was logging off, grabbing her briefcase and heading for the door.

"Hey boss, you got a minute?"

Pausing at the request from Seth Burgess, her second in command, she replied, "Sure, what's up?"

"So," he said as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, "you or me?"

"You or me as in?"

"As in which one of us is transferring out of this unit," Burgess replied.

"Neither as far as I know," Kate answered, her tone nothing but curious as she queried, "why do you ask?"

"Let's just say that Baldwin's not very subtle," he chuckled, "and he's been around a lot lately. At first I thought he was just micromanaging the team, but then he started asking specific questions about my future plans."

"Specific questions? Do tell," she responded.

"He was here one day while you were in Florida, right? And he asked how I felt about you interviewing in Jacksonville. If you took the post, would I follow you or stay here? Where did I see myself in five years? Could I see a leadership role in my future?"

"Yeah, subtlety's not his strong suit," she concurred, nodding her head in agreement.

"I've been in the business long enough to know that if he's vetting my leadership abilities today, that means that one of us is most likely moving on tomorrow."

"I'll be honest," Kate replied, "Baldwin seems to think he's about to lose me to a DIA position in Oahu."

"Oh," Seth replied, "I thought you lost out on that job?"

"I did."

"So would this be a...promotion?" He asked, scratching his head as he tried to figure it out.

"Actually? It will probably be a demotion," she said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"What could possibly compel you to take a step back and move halfway across the world to do it?"

"Chance to live in paradise?" She offered, though her guarded tone and averted eyes telegraphed that she wasn't quite telling the truth.

"Wait a minute," he said, his face screwed up in concentration as he tried to connect the dots, "didn't Van Buren get that job?"

"She did," Whistler affirmed.

"And you'd be working for her?"

"No idea," she admitted, "but it is a possibility."

"I thought you said the only good thing about her getting that job was the fact that you no longer had to deal with her."

"I did."

"Then why would you even consider it?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him even though he knew it was none of his business.

"Honestly? I fell in love with the island," Kate confided, feeling like a fraud for saying with the island instead of on the island, "and I had a good rapport with the NCIS Special Agent In Charge. I know she was as disappointed as I was when I wasn't chosen for the position, and she's made it clear to the brass that she thinks they screwed up by passing me over."

"Oh," he exhaled, wondering if she would ever actually tell him the whole truth, "I see."

"Yeah so Baldwin knows that, and he also knows that I know how to handle Lena, which makes me uniquely qualified for the role."

Pausing for a beat, he took a moment to digest everything he'd just been told. None of this makes any sense, what am I missing? "So far you've told me why Baldwin thinks you'll go, and you've told me what the NCIS SAC wants and you've told me without telling me that nobody wants to deal with Lena, but what you haven't told me," he said as he scrutinized the fidgeting blonde, "is the truth about why you'd consider a demotion?"

Watching her uncharacteristic squirming, he smiled and said, "Oh my god, you met someone! Didn't you?"

"That's not-"

"Any of my business," he chuckled, "don't worry, your secret's safe with me. So," he sighed heavily, "when does he think you'll leave?"

"It was true when I told you I wasn't going anywhere," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "this job, this promotion? I truly believe that I was meant to take on this role, and I believe that fate led to me losing out on that opportunity in Hawaii so that I could come back here and build what we have now, a team that I'm proud to lead."

"But you'd rather be there."

"I didn't say that," she replied, even though they both knew he was right.

"You didn't have to," he countered, "I'm a body language expert, remember?"

"I've accepted the fact that my path is here," she deflected, "with all of you, and I can honestly say that I am both happy in my position and grateful for the people around me."

"But you're not happy personally, are you?" He prodded.

"Well," she said as she ducked her head, "right now my work is enough."

"But it doesn't have to be," he offered, "though I do appreciate your honesty." Then in an attempt to lighten the mood he stated, "So, in the spirit of being honest, I have a confession to make. Would you like to hear it?""

"Sure," she responded.

"I really like working for you, and I would miss you terribly if you left but the real, secret truth of the matter is," he said, leaning in with a conspiriatorial whisper, "that I really don't want to inherit James."

Kate laughed out loud at that, her smile genuine as she replied, "He's an acquired taste for sure, but I promise you that you'd be hard pressed to find a better assistant in all of DC. Which brings me to something that's been weighing on my mind for a good long while now," she said with a hesitant pause, "and I was going to wait to have this conversation until I absolutely needed to, but I guess now is as good a time as any. All joking aside, would you be willing to keep James on staff if I left?"

"I really was kidding about inheriting James," he replied, "but in all honesty, I have to admit that he is one hell of an assistant."

"He's the best," she smiled, "and since we're being honest? His sources are a thousand times better than mine."

"They really are," he laughed, "seriously blows my mind every time he pops off with some new tidbit that neither of us had heard yet."

"I know!" She exclaimed, "But one of his best qualities is that he never takes credit for helping me, even when he should. That, my friend, makes him incredibly valuable."

"Yeah, to you," Burgess countered, "but I wonder if that would change if he was working for me instead."

"That's a valid concern," Whistler admitted, "but I do know that he respects you, so I don't think that will be an issue. His husband is firmly rooted here, so I know he won't follow me if I move to Oahu," she explained, "and since I pulled him out of a lucrative career in the private sector, I feel responsible for his future in this agency. I also think that he's earned the right to complete transparency from us as far as his future goes, don't you?"

When Seth silently nodded his agreement she continued, "Do I need to tell him to explore his options outside of the agency?"

"I don't think so," he replied, "we actually worked really well together while you were gone. But..." he trailed off.

"But?" She prodded.

"But I guess I thought it was because I was just filling in for you."

"Because regardless of who was doing the work it was still my name on the door, right?" She guessed.

"Right," he agreed.

"You should talk to him," she suggested, "not as my assistant but as a potential candidate for the position you will need to fill if and when I leave. Give him the same chance you would give to a stranger applying for the job, a chance to show you how much easier your life will be with him in charge of the details. I didn't steal him from the private sector on a whim, and I know for a fact that there are quite a few pissed off DC attorneys who would love to have him back, if for no other reason than because of what they know he knows."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. I'm pretty sure the only reason he's not CIA is because he can't be trusted to keep a scandalous secret," she said with a small laugh, "well, that and the fact that his over the top attitude would get him shot before he even finished training."

"I could see that," Seth said with a good-natured chuckle, "and you're right, he is a solid asset. I'll talk to him in the morning."

"Okay great," Kate smiled as she headed for the door, "I think you'll thank me later."

"Hey, Kate?" He asked as he followed her to the elevator.

"Yeah?"

"Do you, ah, do you have plans tonight?"

"I don't," she admitted, "unless you consider comfy clothes, a glass of wine and trying to teach myself a new language plans. What's up?"

"Can I buy you dinner?" He asked, his hand scratching the back of his head in a gesture that Kate had learned was his "tell" when he was nervous or unsure about a situation.

Eyeing him cautiously, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he quickly replied, and they both knew that it wasn't really nothing.

"You know I'm seeing someone, right?" She lied.

"No you're not," he replied, "but that's not what this is about. I'll tell you over burgers at John's?"

"Not if you're buying and making me talk about work," she chuckled.

"Okay then, where?"

"The Point?" She suggested.

"Sure," he agreed, "see you there."

Down The Rabbit Hole

"Tell me about this morning."

"I had a bad dream," Lucy admitted to Dr. Qiong, the psychologist who had been assigned to her case, "and I sort of slept in, so I was a few minutes late. I don't even know why I was surprised when I got to the gym that Emma wasn't there yet, even though I told her I'd meet her at seven.'

"And this made you angry."

"Well, yeah!" Lucy exclaimed, "It shows a lack of respect."

"Are you disrespectful?"

"Of course not," Lucy defended, "why would you ask that?"

"Because you said that you were late as well."

"Only a few minutes," Lucy grumbled, "and I had a bad night."

"Maybe Agent Collins had a bad night."

"Agent Collins arrived with her makeup on point and a fresh cup of Starbucks in hand, so clearly she could have been on time."

"From your point of view, maybe that's true," the diminutive Asian replied, "but did you ever try to consider her point of view?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Agent Collins is rather new to the island, and she is trying to find her way. Maybe she doesn't feel as comfortable with her authentic self as you do."

"It was just a sparring session," Lucy deflected, "there's no reason she couldn't have been on time and done her makeup after."

"Why do you think she didn't?"

"Because Agent Collins has made it quite clear that she feels like we are all beneath her, and that her goal is to find a rich islander to take care of her. In my opinion she was late because she was at Starbucks trolling for husbands."

"And that bothers you."

"I just don't like the lack of respect she shows for the team," Lucy insisted, "or that the hunt for a rich husband is more important to her than learning how to do her job."

"So this has nothing to do with your family."

Arms crossed, she silently glared at the astute psychologist.

"Do you want to know what I think?" He asked.

"If I say no you're going to tell me anyway," she groused, "right?"

"I think you see her as everything you don't want to be," he softly observed, "and that irritates you because she is flagrantly chasing a lifestyle that you walked away from. You say she thinks you and the team are beneath her, but in truth you are the one looking down on her."

"I don't think I'm better than anyone else," Lucy defended, though she recognized the truth in what he had said.

"I believe that you believe that," he admitted, "but I don't think it's true."

"She has no idea what she's chasing," Lucy replied, "there's no weapon more powerful or dangerous than money."

"And you would know," he observed, "you are, after all, the daughter of a wealthy oil baron."

"I left that life behind me," she growled, "who I am has nothing to do with them."

"So you gave it up, and that makes you better than Agent Collins?" He asked.

"You're twisting my words."

"I'm drawing the logical conclusion based on what you've told me."

"Let's just say that I know what it is like to be told what to wear, how to act and who to be," she hotly defended, "and once you've lived like that," she scoffed, "the most valuable thing in the world is the freedom to make your own choices."

Sensing that he'd hit a nerve, he decided to redirect the conversation. "Agent Tara, tell me what happened five months ago."

It Takes Two

"So, what's good here?" Seth asked, and Kate rolled her eyes and took a sip of her pinot and said, "Okay, spill it."

"Seriously," he insisted, "I'm a pizza and beer guy, and we're on your turf now. I see you ordered the white wine," he observed, "so if you tell me that the wine pairs better with what I'm about to eat, I'll order the wine."

"Do you even like wine?" She challenged.

"Not really," he admitted.

"So order a beer," she replied, and for a moment she remembered having almost exactly the same conversation on a distant island with a sassy brunette who deflected and insisted on drinking the wine. Lost in her thoughts, she totally missed the fact that the man across from her was speaking until he sharply barked, "Whistler!"

Pulled from her reverie, she shook her head and said, "Sorry. You were saying?"

"So I, uh, god, I don't know how to say this," he began, and she was certain she hadn't seen him this nervous since the first time she'd met him. "So just say it," she advised, "I promise you, whatever it is that you're worried about? It's probably not as bad as you're imagining."

"I don't think I deserve a promotion," he said as he took a fortifying sip of beer, "I uhm, I, well...hell. I uh, I walked in on Sophie and Dorian."

"Walked in on as in?"

"As in," he blushed, "you know..."

"Oh," She replied, "huh. So they're a couple now?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "I'm pretty sure they didn't know I saw them, and-"

"Where?"

"Where what?" He responded, clearly confused by the question.

"Where did you walk in on them?"

"At Soto's townhouse," he answered, "we were all getting together to watch the game, and when I arrived the front door was locked. I walked around to the back deck, and when I rounded the corner I saw movement in the basement so I went in. They didn't hear me, but I sure heard them. So I hurried up and snuck back out, then went around to the front door and rang the bell."

"So this happened Saturday?" She asked.

"Yes."

"And it was in a private residence, not at work or at a work function?"

"Correct," he said, "and I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner."

"It's been three days, Seth," she replied, "and though I appreciate you keeping me in the loop I really don't see how any of this means you don't deserve to be promoted."

"They're fraternizing and I knew about it, but I didn't take action. If that's not a lack of leadership, I don't know what is."

"I don't think they're breaking any rules," Kate assured him, "and as long as it doesn't affect their ability to work together I can't see it being a problem."

"You really think so?"

"I guess? I've never had this issue as a supervisor before, so I'm not exactly certain what will be required. I'll have to reach out to HR and explain the situation, see what they recommend and go from there."

"So that's it?" A surprised Seth asked.

"For now at least," Kate replied, "until I open the claim with Human Resources and they tell me how to handle it there's nothing else either of us can or should do."

"Do you really think it'll be ok?" He asked, his voice conveying such hope that she couldn't help but try to put him at ease. "I do," she said, "and now that that's settled, you said you were buying, right?"

"I did," he ruefully admitted, "why do I feel like I'm about to regret it?"

"I'll just say hold on to your wallet," she chuckled, "because I'm ready to order."

Returning home later than she'd planned on because of her dinner with Seth, Kate immediately went to the laundry room and threw a load into the washing machine. On her way through the pantry she stopped at the practically untouched crate of wine, running her hand across the rough wooden surface and recalling the exact moment she'd ordered the ridiculously overpriced case.

She'd been sipping on a glass of the delicious pinot while she was getting dressed for dinner, right after Lucy had performed the sexiest striptease she'd ever seen. The bewitching, mysterious mocha skinned goddess had left her alone in the hotel room, and had returned to her own home to get ready. She sat in the big chair beside the bed, flipping through the hotel brochures as she waited for her hair to dry, and was surprised to see that the wine was on a list of items she could arrange to buy through the concierge. After she'd called down to the front desk she'd gone into the bathroom to finish getting dressed, and was surprised to see the message light flashing on the handset when she returned from the ensuite.

"Hello Miss Larssen, this is Javier at the front desk just calling to let you know that William was able to procure and ship a case of the Pinot Grigio for you. The charge will appear on your final bill as PG120. If you have any questions or require any further assistance please reach out at any time."

She'd been waffling between heels (for their ass popping effect) and flat soled sandals (because of the way she already towered over Lucy) when there was a sharp, three tapped knock on the door. Rushing to answer it, she wondered why Lucy hadn't just used her key. Maybe she's trying to make it a real date, being old-fashioned and knocking to pick me up? God, that's sexy. Everything about her is sexy, why would I expect anything less?

Swinging open the door, she'd been shocked to see a bellhop standing there with a plain black duffel bag on his shoulder. Once he'd deposited the bag on the bench right inside the door and given her the note (along with a cryptic message about not leaving her "wife" waiting too long) she had pulled on her sandals and rushed out of the room.

"Screw it," she said, "I paid too much for this to let it sit here because it reminds me of a woman who never even told me her last name."

Screwing off the lid, she was transported back to the island, back to that balcony overlooking the Pacific where candles softly glowed while Lucy poured the wine. She ordered the wine, even though she was a beer drinker, and when you called her out on it she simply declared that wine paired better with that specific pizza.

"To the memories," she said as she raised her glass, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't shocked when the first taste didn't hit her like a ton of bricks.

Huh. Am I over it?

She knew she was tired of being depressed, of mourning the loss of something that she'd only had for a fleeting, intangible moment in time. She also wondered, for probably the hundredth time, if there wasn't some truth to what Cara had said about it being so good with Lucy because she knew it was temporary.

Would you really be that important to me if we'd met here? If I saw you every day, would this honeymoon type of excitement wear off? The fact that time had taken the edge off of the pain, that she no longer saw the Pinot as anything more than a delicious wine had her questioning everything, had her wondering if enough time had passed for her to put the sweet, secret rendezvous behind her. Am I ready to move on?

Her phone buzzed with an incoming message, and she smiled as she looked at the screen and saw the words on the lighted display.

Meghan: Just finalized the reservation, can't wait to see DC again!

Kate looked at the message, considering how she should answer. Tapping out a flirty response, she shook her head and erased it. Typed out an ambiguously leading response, then erased it.

Kate: Look out DC, she's back!

Meghan: Haha, can't wait!

Kate: See you soon.

Sighing as she considered the possibilities with the smart, beautiful and clearly interested Meghan, she knew deep down that no matter how great the other woman was that she was just not interested in a relationship. However, she also had to admit that she didn't know which was worse - having someone that you didn't want, or wanting someone that you couldn't have.

a hui hou