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“Not a fan of hospitals,” Lucy complained as she rolled her sleeves up one more time and waved her hand under the automatic sanitizer dispenser mounted on the wall of said hospital.
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned it,” Kai said as he paused to wait on her. “Pretty much every time we’re in one.”
“Well, it’s true,” she commented as she rubbed her hands together vigorously. “They always smell like feet and despair.”
Kai continued toward the exit, slowing to let the automatic doors open. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That you’re hoping you didn’t touch anything? Or,” Lucy hooked her thumb over her shoulder, “that guy was lying?”
Kai nodded in agreement. “He’s protecting someone.”
“I’m honestly not even convinced he knows,” Lucy replied. “Bar fights happen, sure. Coastie dude bros getting all rough and tumble after one too many? I guess it’s possible.” She flashed back to the distorted face that she had just seen. “But, that beating was very personal and very brutal.”
“A message.”
“From someone who probably didn’t deliver it alone from the looks of it.”
Kai pursed his lips. “Victim’s statement is pretty similar to almost every witness statement.”
Lucy reached into her pocket and dug out her keys, “Which one is different?”
“The bartender.”
“Then let’s talk to the bartender again,” Lucy said as she opened the door of her SUV and climbed in. “See if his version is still different or has somehow miraculously lined up with the others.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” he easily agreed, settling in the car and buckling in. “But, can we get lunch first? Thankfully the smell of feet and despair didn’t curb my appetite.”
“Uh...” Lucy hesitated for a moment as she checked her phone for any missed calls or messages. “Let me see...”
Kai shot a big grin in her direction. “What? Gotta check with the girlfriend first?”
“Nooo,” she said, face scrunched in faux annoyance. “She mentioned grabbing lunch together if she could get away, but it doesn’t look like she was able to.”
“I’ll treat you to Wally’s then,” Kai offered. “We’re not too far away.”
“Sounds good,” she said as she started the car. She glanced his way for a moment, “Speaking of girlfriends...”
“Yours,” he was quick to correct. “Speaking of your girlfriend.”
“I was just curious how it was going with Melanie,” she inquired gently. “You haven’t mentioned her lately.”
“I haven’t seen her in a while,” he told her. “Not much to say.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised by his nonchalance. “I thought you were into her.”
“I was,” he said while looking out the passenger side window.
“That’s it?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I guess.”
“Okay,” she muttered. “Don’t talk my ear off or anything.”
“I won’t.”
__________
After lunch and the bartender interview, Lucy spent much of the rest of the day poring over photos of Sean Leigh’s broken and bloodied face from what was purported to be a simple bar fight gone horribly wrong. It didn’t make sense and none of the pieces fit together. She was stumped, but it wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before. There was another reason why it was gnawing at her and it had very little to do with the victim of a brawl.
The actual reason had just gotten out of the shower and was crossing Lucy’s bedroom to the drawer that she had claimed as her own a couple of weeks ago. She had a towel wrapped around her body and her hair was still damp enough to cause little droplets to drip down her back. Lucy watched with rapt attention when she dropped the towel and slipped on a pair of panties. As she dug through the drawer, Lucy saw the remnants of the scar left by a nasty splinter from the cheap coffee table she demolished with her backside. It was quickly covered by a tank before Kate turned and gave her a bright smile before bending over to retrieve the towel and retreating to the bathroom again.
The bruises were gone. Her rib was healed. The puffiness from the scratches and scars had subsided, but Lucy still very much saw the lasting image of Kate on the floor of that house. She saw the blood trailing down her temple. She saw the pain etched on her features. It had made her face the fact that her Kate was more vulnerable than she ever thought Special Agent Whistler might be and it didn’t sit well. In fact, it hadn’t left her mind since.
“Hey,” Lucy called out from her spot on the bed.
Kate was brushing her teeth and angled herself to see Lucy in the mirror. “Yesh?”
“I’ve been thinking about something.”
Kate removed her toothbrush and said through the foam, “I know, you sent me four very thinly veiled texts about it.”
“Not that,” Lucy said, punching her pillow to get more comfortable. “Although, you know exactly what you’re doing when you perch yourself on my desk in that skirt. Your legs are at my eye level.”
“You certainly cannot prove any intent on my part, Agent Tara,” Kate said. “I, on the other hand, have four texts with the word ‘damn’ spelled with sixteen a’s and the tongue hanging out emoji. I believe there’s also a picture of the leg lamp from A Christmas Story in there with the caption, ‘turns me on.’”
“Well, it does,” Lucy said evenly. “That’s not it, though.”
“Okay, then?” Kate asked, suspicious of Lucy’s tone. “What’s up?”
“Medina,” Lucy responded simply, knowing the name itself would provide enough context for the conversation.
The phantom ache in Kate’s ribs stung every time that name was uttered. She touched the spot and then leaned over the bathroom sink to spit. She returned a few moments later and crawled into Lucy’s bed. “What about her?” she asked, trying to dismiss all the feelings of pain that day whether literal or figurative.
“No offense,” Lucy started as she propped herself up on her elbow and reached over to touch the spot on Kate’s chin that had been black and blue, then yellowed in the days afterward. “But, you got your ass blasted that day.”
“This is a really interesting way to seduce me, Lucy,” Kate tried to joke.
Lucy ignored that. “Can we talk about it?”
“I guess we are,” Kate allowed reluctantly and burrowed deeper under the covers.
Lucy gently guided her face to get a better look in her eyes. “We don’t have to, yet. But...when you’re ready-”
“It’s fine,” Kate said, taking a deep breath. “Say whatever it is you need to say.”
Lucy took a second to gather her thoughts, but all she could come up with was pretty damn simple. “It scared me.”
“I know,” Kate responded.
“No, like, it terrified me. Because, you and me, we were inevitable, right? And I wasn’t quite done being mad and I still needed to know you were in this for real-”
“Of course, I am.”
“ But , ultimately…I was such an insufferable asshole that day because I was so freaked out by you getting hurt. Which, I know is hypocritical, because I get banged up on the regular,” Lucy acknowledged. “It was a first, though, and,” Lucy swallowed thickly, thinking about it, “I love you, Kate. And...I’m not having it again.”
Kate looked up to meet her eyes. “Uh. Sorry?”
“You should be. Do you know how difficult it is to be mad at your sweet, gorgeous face when you’re bleeding from a head wound?” Lucy told her. “That was really hard for me.”
“I didn’t love it either,” Kate responded with a humorless chuckle. “It fucking hurt. Both me and my pride.”
“Well,” Lucy raised her brow, “I don’t know if you know this about me-”
“Uh huh?” Kate had a pretty good idea of what was coming.
“-but I’m kind of awesome at kickin’ asses.”
“Surprisingly, I did know that,” Kate said sarcastically. “You’ve told me every time I’ve iced a bruise from a fight in which you kicked somebody’s ass. But, Luce, you know tha-”
“Just hear me out!” Lucy cut her off.
“It’s just that I do know-”
“Please!” Lucy held her hand up. “I have an idea.”
Kate sighed, but eventually rolled over to face Lucy and give her undivided attention. “Go ahead.”
“I want you to be able to fight off any motherfucker that messes with you. Preferably with your bare hands.”
Kate couldn’t help but smile at her. She understood where Lucy was coming from. In their line of work, there would always be danger. And, yeah, it did make her feel better to know that Lucy could more than hold her own and proved it just about every day. So, she humored her girlfriend. “Just how am I going to go about this task?”
“Were you not listening when I was discussing how great I am at kickin’ people’s asses?”
“So…what? I call you every time I might be in a perilous situation?”
“Um, yes,” Lucy said, not previously thinking that, but liking it anyway. “And also, I’m going to teach you how to bust the bad guys up...Lucy Tara Style.”
“Oh?” Kate asked as she snuggled up closer to Lucy, tangling their legs together. She yawned and then placed a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek, “Tell me more about Lucy Tara Style.”
__________
“...that’s great work, Lucy,” Tennant was praising her extra effort as they stepped off the elevator and into the bullpen. “Now we just need to find the connection between Dan Jones and Sean Leigh.”
“I’m working on it,” she answered Jane and looked over to find Whistler seated at her desk while deep in conversation with Kai. He had taken residence on the edge looking serious, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
“Hey, there,” she called to them as she approached.
Kate’s face lit up. “Hi.”
Kai gave them a half smile. “Hey, how’d it go?”
“Lucy got Jones to give up his involvement, but there’s a missing link,” Jane filled him in. “You two need to find it.”
“I’ve already got Ernie scouring for me,” Lucy said. “Just waiting on him to do what he does.”
“Let me know when he does just that,” Jane said. She turned her attention to Whistler, “How’s it going, American Idol?”
Kate took the teasing in stride. “Tennant,” she acknowledged.
Jane chuckled and went into her office, leaving the rest of them.
“Every single time,” Lucy shook her head.
“She’s the last one I would have thought would hang on to it this long,” Kate bemoaned. “Would have put money on Jesse.”
“Definitely would have said Jesse,” Kai agreed with her.
“It would have been Jesse, but I threatened to drive us both off a cliff if he didn’t shut up about it a while ago. Then I did get a little close and he thought I was serious, even though I just drive like a maniac,” Lucy told them both. “Worked out perfectly.”
“That makes sense,” Kate said.
“Yep,” Kai said. “It does.”
“So, are the Feds on this one, too?” Lucy asked, referring to the case.
“No,” she answered. “Honestly, I just came by to see you for a few minutes between meetings.”
“I’ll leave you two to it,” Kai said as he stepped away. He paused before leaving, “Oh, and Whistler, I appreciated the advice. Thanks.”
“No problem, Holman,” Kate said with a nod.
Lucy watched Kai retreat before she rounded the desk, hopped up on it, and used her foot to pull the rolling chair closer by the arm rest. She whispered, “What advice?”
“Nothing,” Kate brushed it off. “We were talking the other night while you were wrapping up some paperwork and he asked me what I thought about a situation he was having.”
Lucy leveled her with a glare. “You mean to tell me, I’ve been trying to crack Kai for over a year and he’s just randomly asking you for advice now.”
Kate shrugged. “I have no idea what that means. I was just standing here and he struck up a conversation. That’s it.”
“What did he ask?”
“He’s...” Kate started and then stopped. “Well, now I feel weird about telling you.”
“You’re my girlfriend,” Lucy said as if she needed the reminder. “It’s like code, you have to tell me.”
“Eh, I’m not great at relationship code stuff, but I’m pretty sure that that’s not true,” Kate countered.
“Okay, probably not,” Lucy admitted, and then looked over her shoulder at Kai across the room. “It’s lady stuff, right?”
Kate scowled. “Lady stuff? Geez, Luce. That makes it sound like he’s moonlighting as a gynecologist.”
Lucy leaned closer conspiratorially. “C’mon.”
“If he says it’s cool to tell you, then I’ll tell you.”
Lucy narrowed her eyes. “This is weird.”
“You’re definitely being weird right now,” Kate accused.
“Fine,” Lucy said after waiting a beat to make sure Kate wasn’t going to spill. “I’ll let it go...for now.”
“Good.”
“Oh, by the way,” Lucy’s phone beeped with a message and she flicked over the screen with her thumb. “Damn, it’s Ernie. I gotta go, but we have plans. Tonight!”
“Tonight?” Kate asked. “What about tonight?”
“Tonight!” Lucy reiterated as she jogged away. “Be ready!”
“Be ready for what?”
__________
Kate had no earthly idea what she was supposed to be ready for, but when she arrived at Lucy’s that night, not even the most detailed explanation would have prepared her. She entered to find that Lucy had cleared all the furniture from the middle of the room. Her couch and chairs had been pushed against the wall and she was occupying herself by doing lunges in a sports bra and yoga pants. She’d barely gotten her jacket off when Lucy popped up off the floor.
“Are you ready to get at it?” Lucy said in her deepest voice while flexing one arm.
“What’s going on?” Kate asked, truly flabbergasted.
“It’s fight night,” Lucy responded as if this was a completely reasonable answer.
Kate still just stood there, not quite understanding.
“I told you, I’m going to teach you how to fight.”
“Oh,” Kate’s mouth formed the word, but it wasn’t exactly audible. “You mean,” she pointed between the two of them, “you’re actually, literally , going to fight me? In your apartment? Tonight?”
“Not fight you,” Lucy scoffed. “No, babe. I might hurt you. We’re going to go through some defensive techniques. I’m going to teach you some foolproof moves.”
“Foolproof, huh?” Kate smiled. “Because I need all the help I can get, I guess.”
Lucy gave her a firm nod and pointed to her clothes, “Get undressed.”
“Sure thing,” Kate said and immediately unbuttoned her shirt and kicked off her heels. “Already feelin’ dangerous, honey.”
“That’s just step one,” Lucy assured her as she watched intently. As Kate got down to her bra and started to remove her pants, she screamed. “Wait!”
Kate froze. “What?”
Lucy retreated to her room and came back with the Northwestern sweatshirt and the most unflattering shorts she could find to give Kate and handed them over. “Put these on.”
Kate smirked at her, but followed the instruction. “Okay,” she said after pulling the shirt over her head. “I’m ready for battle.”
“Lesson one: to defend against a takedown, always stay lower than your opponent,” Lucy announced and then hunched over to get even with Kate’s knees.
“Um, that seems like it would be fairly easy for you,” Kate said, somehow standing even taller than normal. “Aren’t you naturally lower than most of your opponents?”
Lucy stood back to her full height. “Are you going to take this seriously?”
“Yes, I’m sorry,” Kate apologized. “Please continue.”
Lucy dropped lower again, “You want your center of gravity to be lower than the other guy.”
“The only way my center of gravity can be lower than yours is if I dig a three foot hole,” Kate offered, “but okay.”
Lucy stood again. “I’m offended by your heightist humor.”
“That’s not a real word.”
“It most certainly is, Merriam-Webster,” Lucy snapped. “Just get low!”
Kate did as she was told and lowered her shoulders, bending at the knees and holding her hands out and waving them. “Like this?”
Lucy stood yet again. “Are you going to attack me or do jazz hands?”
“I’m thinking about attacking you with my jazz hands,” Kate muttered to herself, but not quietly enough.
Lucy huffed and changed tactics. “Fine, just lie down, then,” Lucy pointed to the floor. “We’ll come back to that.”
Kate pointed to the spot Lucy had just motioned toward. “Just lay there?”
“Yep.”
Kate studied the area then back to Lucy. “Okay, obviously, you’re the expert at Fight Night, but doesn’t just lying on the floor make me fairly defenseless?”
“I’m going to show you how not to be,” Lucy informed her helpfully, hands on her hips.
“And, when I just give myself up, where are you going to be?”
“Where I usually am, Whistler,” Lucy winked with tsk. “On top, baby.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” Kate bit her lip with anticipation and went to lie down. She looked up at Lucy and patted her abdomen. “Let’s go,” she said invitingly. “Climb on up.”
Lucy eased down to her knees and crawled up Kate’s legs, deliberately pushing the baggy shorts that she’d practically forced Kate to wear for the exercise. “You’re enjoying this,” Lucy accused as she settled over her hips. Kate’s hands instinctively found their way to toned thighs, palms making a steady path up and down.
Kate admired the view. “Maybe.”
“This is supposed to be a productive exercise in defense,” Lucy reminded her.
“I can think of plenty of productive things we can do from here.”
“Remember, if you’re in this position during an altercation, use whatever you can to your advantage,” Lucy said with a stark seriousness despite her position on top of Kate.
“Whatever?” Kate asked, hands still rubbing.
“Whatever,” Lucy confirmed.
“K,” she immediately grabbed for the inside of Lucy’s thigh and squeezed.
“No, no, no!” Lucy squealed and tried to roll off. “Whistler, that’s cheating!”
Kate mustered all of her strength to immobilize her. “You said to use any advantage!”
“I doubt you’re going to know the ticklish spots of your attackers,” Lucy said as she struggled to pin Kate’s wrists to the floor.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Kate said as she looked up with a sly smile. “Come here. You haven’t even kissed me hello yet.”
Lucy lowered herself slowly, clasping their hands together. “Hello,” she said as she let her lips linger next to Kate’s then touch ever so softly. “How was your day?”
Kate kissed her back, sweeping her tongue into Lucy’s mouth and bucked her hips into her girlfriend.
“That good?” Lucy laughed when she pulled back.
“Not gonna lie,” Kate said. “I thought ‘plans’ meant dinner and reruns of Law and Order. This is more fun.”
__________
The next night was more of the same, but Kate decided she would host the festivities. She had more room and the added cushion of the three yoga mats she had somehow collected. She rolled them all out side by side and had some water nearby in a wine chiller when Lucy arrived.
“I see we’ve leveled up for tonight’s session,” Lucy remarked when she walked in.
“Well, I’m pretty sure you still owe me a lesson,” Kate said. “I didn’t learn much last night.”
“I gave you a lesson,” Lucy argued.
“Um, was that Lucy Tara style?” Kate asked facetiously. “How many criminals have you rolled around on the floor with while you complimented their boobs and tried to feel them up?”
“Well, that depends on how many secret felonies you’ve committed.”
Kate covered the space between them in two strides and pulled Lucy’s tucked shirt out of her pants. “Why don’t,” she unclasped a button, “you teach me something,” another button, “before,” another, “you fu-“
Lucy slapped her hand away, “Nope!”
“-uuck.” Kate stepped back in disappointment. “What?”
“That is not at all conducive to Fight Night training and you know it!”
“Shit,” Kate pouted. “Fine, rough me up, then.”
“Probably best to keep as many clothes on as possible,” Lucy said as she rebuttoned her shirt. “Now, lesson one...again: have a lower center of gravity than your opponent.”
Kate resumed her hunched stance with jazz hands. “Come at me.”
After the third time that Lucy got Kate to the floor, she groaned in defeat as she stood back up. “Okay, okay,” Kate metaphorically waved the white flag. “I surrender. I’m done. My ass kinda hurts and I’m hungry.”
“You can’t just surrender,” Lucy told her. She had barely broken a sweat, which she chalked up to not having to run half a mile to catch Kate first or negotiate three flights of stairs or jump off a building. “We still have to go over how to block a punch and knees to the groin.”
“Yeah, don’t knee me in the groin unless we’re naked and it’s in a completely different context,” Kate requested.
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Fine. Maybe that’s enough for tonight.”
“Maybe I’m more of a lover than a fighter, Luce,” Kate suggested as she gave her a playful shove.
“Be my lover,” Lucy said. “Fight everyone else. That’s what I do.”
“Good idea!” Kate easily scooped her up in a bear hug and they fell backwards onto the couch. “Trick move!”
They wrestled around for a moment before Lucy cheered after successfully sitting on Kate’s back to hold her down while drumming on her ass. “Drumroll please,” she yelled after the quick succession.
“Okay, Luce,” Kate said, still wiggling. “You win.”
“I, what, now?”
“You win,” Kate said louder.
“The sweet sound of victory,” Lucy announced as she repositioned herself so she could pull Kate on top of her. She angled up to get to Kate’s lips, “I bet it tastes good, too.”
With that, Kate pulled back. “You’re a terrible winner.”
“Am not.”
“You really are.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’m great at winning.”
“Smug, too.”
“Kiss the winner, loser!”
Kate made no move to do so. “I’ve gotten better, though, right?”
“Yes,” Lucy answered, shifting to get closer again.
Kate dodged that attempt, too. “You really think so?”
“Yes!”
“Really?” Kate eyed her.
Lucy locked her ankles around her back and squeezed. “Kiss me already, Whistler.”
“Better not be how you fight everyone,” Kate teased.
Lucy slapped her butt. “Only you.”
“Fine,” Kate said, inching closer, “but I’m going to ‘cause you’re so cute right now, not because you won.”
“I’m fuckin’ winnin’ either way,” Lucy said right before she fused her lips with Kate’s.
__________
“Why would your commanding officer beat the hell out of you and let someone else take the fall? And still manage to keep you quiet about it?” Jesse asked aloud as he and Lucy traveled HI-99 toward the 14th District HQ.
“Could be any one of a million reasons,” Lucy said. “My guess is that it starts with something they were all in together and Leigh had decided to talk.”
“Had to be. Because he has some serious blackmail on Jones, too,” Jesse surmised. “Worse than just career-ending.”
“Yeah,” Lucy agreed as she watched the buildings pass on the road. Since the pieces of the case were starting to connect, she let her mind wander to other things going on in her life. It was quiet for several miles before she blurted, “Goddamn, my girlfriend is hot.”
“Nobody said anything about Whistler,” Jesse said, dumbfounded by the sudden direction of conversation.
“Oh, I know,” Lucy responded. “Just remembered.”
Jesse smiled, remembering years ago when he and Heather had just gotten together and how all-consuming it was. “How’s the training going?” he asked.
Lucy thought about the question for a moment. “You know what? Best idea I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” Jesse seemed surprised. “So, Whistler is becoming a stealth warrior?”
“Oh, no, no,” Lucy said. “She still looks like a giraffe dodging an errant Roman candle. But, it’s me and my girl getting all handsy and stuff, so I’m kinda lovin’ it anyway.”
“Good for you,” Jesse smiled. “I’m happy for you guys.”
“Thank you!” Lucy accepted it with a smile. “I’m glad we can talk about these things.”
“Of course, we can,” Jesse said. “We’re practically family.”
“ We are,” Lucy agreed wholeheartedly. “But, Kai never wants to talk to me.”
Jesse cocked his head. “No?”
“Nope,” she said. “Tough nut to crack.”
“I don’t know,” Jesse shrugged. “He seems to be coming around.”
Lucy snapped her head around to see him. “Is he now?”
“Yeah.”
“He asked Whistler for advice about something,” Lucy mentioned. “I think it was relationship advice of some sort. I can’t figure out why he’d go to Whistler, though. I mean, he and I are together every day. If he wants advice about women, ask me!”
Jesse snorted, “Yeah, okay.”
“What?”
“Well...” Jesse hemmed and hawed.
“Just say it, Jess.”
“Whistler did get the girl, so...”
Lucy scoffed, “I am the girl!”
“Not Kai’s girl, though,” Jesse said. “I mean, think about it. If he’s got some relationship thing happening and he just saw Whistler pull off a last minute hail mary, miracle shot on goal from half court with the time winding down-”
“Alright, that’s a hell of a mixed sports metaphor and while it was amazingly sweet, it’s not like I was that hard to convince. Dude, I was already in love with her.”
“It was fucking ballsy, Luce,” Jesse said with convinction. “I didn’t think she had it in her to be honest. But, can we appreciate how much nerve that took? In front of everyone. On your turf. Baller move, as you would say.”
Lucy smiled proudly. “It was a baller move.”
_________
Lucy still had that pride swirling around in her heart when she let herself into Kate’s apartment that night. Some of the pride had been from another notch on her solved crime belt, but mostly it was the opportunity to go to Whistler’s and settle in for the night and cuddle up in their love bubble.
“Kate,” she called out just to announce her presence. “I’m...home? Sure, yeah, let’s go with it.”
“Hey,” Kate appeared from the kitchen, dish towel in one hand and a mason jar full of Pinot in the other. “I’m making that pasta thing you like.”
“The spinach thing?” Lucy asked as she draped her jacket over a barstool.
“No, the vodka sauce thing,” Kate answered. “Is that okay?”
“That’s perfect,” she said as she walked around the island and placed a kiss on Kate’s cheek. She helped herself to a drink of Kate’s wine as well. “You’re perfect.”
Kate smiled, “We both know that’s not true, but thank you.”
Lucy shrugged her shoulders and noticed the yoga mats still out. “Fight night still on?”
“I’m game if you are,” Kate said as she deposited the towel and glass on the counter. “It seemed important to you.”
“I don’t think there’s any pretense about how tonight's going to end, so we don’t have to keep up the ruse, Whistler,” Lucy pointed out.
“I’m still not sure I’ve learned anything,” Kate claimed, although with a mischievous grin. “You might have to keep topping me.”
“I'll tell you what...” Lucy made a show of tapping her chin. “If I win, you have to tell me what’s up with Kai.”
“Ask him yourself!”
“He won’t tell me,” Lucy said. “At least, he hasn’t offered up anything.”
“Okay...” Kate said slowly. “And, if I win?”
Lucy chuckled.
Kate asked again a bit more forcefully, “And, if I win?”
“If I go down,” Lucy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, “then I go down .”
Kate’s eyes widened at the prospect, a smile developing. “Well, that’s a pretty good deal.”
“I’m a natural motivator.”
“You’re an insatiable lesbian,” Kate said. When Lucy looked offended, she amended, “in addition to being a natural motivator.”
“What do you say?” Lucy asked. “For all the marbles. Or in this case: for all the gossipy deets and/or an all expenses paid trip to Moundsville.”
“Deal.” Kate put out her hand to shake.
Lucy smirked hard and extended her own hand and then as soon as Kate made contact, she jerked Lucy’s arm causing her to stumble off-balance. Kate then immediately swept Lucy’s feet out from under her and let her fall in a heap on her ass.
“Hm,” Kate said, admiring her work. “So, payoff now or can I call it in later? ‘Cause I’m down anytime for that particular trip.”
Lucy looked up in disbelief. “What the fuck was that?”
Kate squatted over her. “Lucy, baby, honey. I’m an FBI agent. I’ve been through combative training at Quantico. I, too, can kick a little ass.”
“Uh...”
“But, it’s been a lot of fun playing Fight Night with you all week,” Kate stopped short of an actual giggle as she checked Lucy out head to toe. “Mm, because badass Lucy Tara is really sexy. Lower center of gravity or not.”
“Jeez, Whistler,” Lucy groaned. “You could have just said so instead of using my concern as foreplay.”
“Oh, like you weren’t also using your concern as foreplay,” Kate responded. “If all of your arrests end like our ‘sessions’, then you’re a terrible NCIS agent.”
Lucy wanted to argue, but she literally and figuratively didn’t have a leg to stand on at the moment. “Fine.”
Kate reached for her hand to pull her up. “I know why this is so important to you. I get it. But, it’s not because I can’t defend myself. I made a really terrible tactical decision that day and I’m really lucky I didn’t get killed. I know it. You know it. But, I’ve learned that lesson. And, Luce, you don’t have to be scared for me. I can take care of myself. I promise.”
“I’ll probably still be a little scared, but only because I love you,” Lucy said honestly. “And I can’t live without you, so don’t fuck around and almost get killed again.”
“You either!”
“Okay!”
“Okay!” Kate said. She stroked Lucy’s face softly. “I love you, too.”
Lucy pulled her down for a kiss and then asked in her sweetest voice, “Will you tell me what’s up with Kai anyway?”