Work Text:
Kate slumped on the sofa, exhausted by her day's work. She had been forced to shut down one of the NCIS investigations, and to say that it had gone badly would be an understatement. Captain Turner's murder was linked to a classified case and the team could not access the information as it wished, without jeopardizing national security. They had all been completely obnoxious to her. Even Lucy, frustrated at not being able to bring justice to Captain Turner's family, has had harsh words for her. They all thought she was heartless, cold and calculating, desperate to climb the career ladder. She took their words in stride, clenching her jaws and her fists, waiting for the storm to pass. Then she turned on her heels and told them she didn't care if they hated her. She wouldn't put national security at risk for them.
Since then, there had been radio silence from the team. If she was honest, she didn't really care about hearing from Ernie or Kai. The only person who mattered was Lucy. But she had been terribly hurt by her words, as well as by Tennant's attitude. She had thought that, now that Tennant had been seeing her brother for a month, she would have been able to make peace with the whole work feud. But apparently she'd gone wrong again. Despite having had a few good evenings, Noah Jane, Lucy and herself, it didn't matter. She swallowed her tears and stood up. She headed for the bedroom and changed into her sports clothes. She grabbed her bottle of water and her keys before leaving the place. When she'd found this place, she'd obviously loved the view from her balcony. But she particularly liked the gym, which was accessible to all residents at any time of the day or night.
She was relieved to see that there was no one in the room. But she wasn't surprised, it was nearly 10pm. She walked over to the boxing bag hanging in the corner of the room. Without taking the precaution of putting on gloves or bandaging her hands, she started punching the bag. She hit with all her might, the sound of her fists against the bag gently soothing her. She didn't know how long she kept punching, but the sound of a door slamming broke her concentration. She turned her head towards the door of the room and saw Noah. He approached without saying anything, looking worried. He looked at her and noticed her bloody hands. He said nothing, but gently grabbed the young woman's wrist and, without saying a word, guided her towards the exit. No words were exchanged by the siblings. They returned to the flat in silence, and Noah guided Kate into the bathroom.
"Take a shower and I'll tend to your hands afterwards," he said softly. Kate nodded and he left the room. She showered quickly, watching the blood run into the shower as she rinsed it off her hands. She frowned, because although her hands were damaged by repeated blows and blood, she felt no pain.
She put on some underwear and pajamas and went into the main room. Noah had placed a first-aid kit on the coffee table in the living room. He encouraged Kate to sit down and she almost dropped from exhaustion onto the comfortable sofa. Noah came in from the kitchen, handed Kate a smoothie and placed a plate on the table.
"Green smoothie, your favorite and a peanut butter sandwich".
Kate smiled and grabbed the smoothie, sipping it slowly, her gaze lost in emptiness. When she had finished, Noah handed her the sandwich, which she devoured. After eating, she felt a little better, less weak, but still not ready to talk.
Noah didn't ask any questions, he knew his sister and he didn't want to rush her. She would speak when she felt like it. He grabbed her hands and the first aid kits and set to work disinfecting the wounds. He applied a bandage and when he had finished, he placed a kiss on her forehead as he had done when they were children and he was tending her wounds. He and Kate were 9 years apart. Their parents had never hidden the fact that Kate was an accident and therefore had never wanted her. So it was Noah who had taken care of her when she was growing up. The most difficult time had been around Kate's 15th birthday and Noah was always angry that he hadn't been there for her then.
Kate let herself slide against him and closed her eyes, tiredness setting in.
When Kate opened her eyes again, she was in her bed. A ray of light was streaming through the curtain. She turned her head towards the bedside table and noticed that it was nearly 7am. She groaned as she was going to be late if she didn't get up straight away. She got out of bed quickly and, having made the bed, headed for the bathroom. She winced when she saw her face in the mirror. She was pale, with dark circles under her eyes and eyes reddened by tiredness. She took a quick shower and sighed when she saw the wet bandages on her hands. She took the time to apply her make-up, wanting to hide her tiredness as much as possible. She returned to the bedroom and chose her favourite pantsuit, the one she felt most comfortable in. When she came out of the bedroom, Noah was in the kitchen, finishing the oatmeal.
"Hey," she said, smiling.
"Hey, are you feeling better?" he asked, still worried.
She grunted, because no, she wasn't feeling better. But she still had to go to work.
"You're not in any danger, are you?
"No! No, not at all...." She sighed and told him what had happened yesterday. Noah listened attentively, trying to contain his anger. He was furious. At the team's unprofessional attitude. He was angry at Jane. It didn't sound like the Jane he knew. But he admitted that he didn't know SAC Tennant and he didn't know DIA officer Whistler. But he also knew, having sometimes worked with the DIA in his previous posts, that unfortunately it was often the officers in contact with other agencies who suffered their wrath when they were just the poor messengers.
"Please don't interfere," she told him when she had finished. She had noticed the emotions passing over his face. But this wasn't a private problem, it was a professional one, and he couldn't afford to play the protective big brother.
"I promise..." he assured. "I'll redo your bandages before you leave."
"Noah I'm going to be late" she grumbled
"Kate...I know you, your official starting time is 8:30...and it's not even 7:45...you always get to work much earlier than you should and today you'll arrive on time after I've taken care of you"
She sulked but said nothing, letting him take care of her hands. 10 minutes later, she walked through the apartment doors, clean, dry bandages on her hands.
She arrived at her office at 8.25 a.m. to find that no one had noticed her lateness. She winced, not at all reassured that her colleagues and boss weren't worried about her being exceptionally late. She switched on the computer and began to read her e-mails. She glanced at her phone, which she had left in her purse the night before and noticed several calls from Lucy around midnight and two this morning around 6am. She sighed and put the phone down, not ready to talk to the young woman. She went back to reading her emails and was soon engulfed in her workload.
Jane sat behind her desk, her nose buried in her report. She was frustrated that she couldn't get the information she needed to catch a killer. Without access to the Captain's work file, they had nothing to go on to find the killer. But once again, the DIA had blocked their investigation. She bit her lip, recognizing in retrospect that she hadn't been kind to Kate and neither had the team. She reached for her phone and her finger came to a stop on the DIA officer's contact. She hesitated. Calling her didn't sound like the apology she deserved. She sighed, because she liked the young woman a lot, and now that they were spending some time together outside work, she was discovering a new Kate. She was funny, cheerful and sporty, even if she sometimes seemed to need peace and quiet. The little information Noah had distilled about their past suggested that they'd had a hard life, and Kate in particular. She'd really screwed up, and knowing Noah and the fusional relationship he had with his sister, she knew that this story, in addition to impacting her relationship with Kate, would impact her relationship with Noah. She raised her head and her gaze fell on Lucy. Lucy was sitting at her desk, completely distracted. She looked at her phone every two minutes, obviously waiting for a notification. She too had a lot to make up to Kate. And from the look of disappointment on the young Texan's face, Kate didn't seem ready to contact the young woman.
Jane was in line for coffee at the kiosk near the offices when she spotted Noah in the distance. He was wearing his white uniform and was as handsome as a god. He was currently assigned to Pearl, but he didn't know for how long. She was staring at him when he turned his head. He was talking to another officer. The conversation seemed to end and Noah found himself alone on the sidewalk. Jane left the café queue to meet him, but he turned away when he saw her coming towards him. Without a glance at her, he turned his back and headed off in the other direction, leaving the young woman shocked on the sidewalk.
Yes, she'd screwed up. And Noah was angry. She'd seen it in his eyes when he'd turned on his heel.
The day passed quickly for Kate. She'd had one meeting after another, and by the time she turned off her computer, it was nearly 9pm. She grimaced at the time. Since she'd been with Lucy, she'd got into the habit of finishing early so she could spend time with her. Bad habits die hard, she remarked as she locked her desk.
She was walking to her car when she had a déjà vu. Lucy was standing beside her car, waiting for her. She looked uncomfortable. Kate walked towards her, trying to remain impassive in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" Kate asked a little harshly. But she was still pained by Lucy's words from the day before.
Lucy winced at Kate's tone.
"I wanted to see you...to apologize," she began.
"Didn't it occur to you that if I didn't answer your calls or texts it was because I didn't want to see you?" the blonde retorted.
Lucy swallowed hard. She'd screwed up, she knew it. She hadn't expected a cheerful welcome from Kate. She had every right to be angry, to be hurt. Lucy just wanted to apologize. Show her how much she blamed herself.
"I know I screwed up. I was a real bitch yesterday. I got frustrated with the case and took it out on you. You had nothing to do with it. I'm sorry. I never should have said what I did. I should never have said you were heartless. Because I know you're not. I know better than anyone. I fell in love with you because you have a big heart, you're generous, you're funny, you're patient with me, you're smart...you make me feel safe...I'm myself with you like I've never been before. I'm sorry, I know I hurt you. I hope you can forgive me....if you do, I'll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you," Lucy finished, crying.
Kate was crying too. But probably not for the same reasons. Lucy loved her. Lucy was in love with her. Lucy wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.
With an uncontrolled impulse, Kate moved towards Lucy and crushed her lips to hers. Lucy was stunned for a few moments. She hadn't expected this reaction from Kate. Not after hurting her so much. But she quickly pulled herself together and kissed Kate back. The kiss was passionate, a little salty from the couple's tears, but as if healing.
Gradually, Kate detached herself from Lucy. She rested her forehead on the young woman's, trying to catch her breath.
"You love me?" she asked in amazement.
"I am...I love you...so much ....I'm sorry for yesterday"
"You've really hurt me Lucy...I can't be your team's emotional punching bag every time you're frustrated by my work" she declared firmly.
"I know...I'm sorry and I promise I'll work on my temper and my frustration...I've already made an appointment with a therapist" Lucy confessed, lowering her gaze.
Kate's eyes widened in surprise at Lucy's confession. She knew that Lucy had a complicated relationship with her family. Some of her reactions stemmed from traumas linked to her family, like the time she'd found Noah at the door of her home and had immediately thought of Kate betraying her.
"I'm proud of you...no one ever did that for me...I was always made to feel like I was the problem."
"You're not...I've got unresolved issues and I need to deal with them...I don't want my traumas to impact our relationship...I don't want to hurt you because at some point I won't know how to react and I'll look for conflict" Lucy declared.
Kate placed a kiss on her forehead, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Can we go home? I'm exhausted and I think we could continue talking about all this under the sheets rather than in the DIA parking lot" Kate remarked, glancing around.
"Sure...my apartment or yours?" Lucy asked
"Yours...I don't think it's really a good idea for you to bump into Noah just yet" Kate admitted.
Lucy winced and swallowed. Yep...scary big brother.
They decided to take Kate's car and headed for Lucy's apartment.
Arriving at Lucy's, they showered and changed into their pajamas. Snuggled together on the sofa, they exchanged soft kisses as if to reassure each other that they were really together.
"I love you", Kate murmured, smiling tenderly.
She felt Lucy relax immediately and she kissed her back.
"I love you too....so so so much”
"I'm sorry, you know," Lucy continued, stroking Kate's hands around her waist.
"I know...but you can't...you and your team can't say things like that to me because you're frustrated. We educate children every day to prevent them from throwing tantrums. What you did yesterday was more like a child's tantrum than a professional attitude. This is the last time it happens...next time, I'll ask not to be NCIS liaison anymore," Kate declared seriously.
Lucy closed her eyes, feeling ashamed of her attitude. She tried to hold back the tears, but unfortunately she couldn't and they began to roll down her cheeks. She felt Kate's fingers gently caress her face, wiping away the flowing tears.
"I'm not saying this to hurt your feelings, or out of blackmail, I'm telling you this because I'm exhausted. You don't know how hard this is for me to deal with. Emotionally it's very difficult...I..." Kate sighed, then swallowed. This was the moment of truth. She owed it to Lucy and she owed it to their relationship. They had confessed their feelings to each other, Lucy needed to know Kate's past to understand why she was the way she was.
"What happened to your hands?" Lucy asked softly stroking the bandages with her fingertips, not wanting to hurt the one she loved.
Lucy felt Kate stiffen and turned her head towards her, looking worried.
"Hey...I'm here...I'd never judge you...I know I screwed up but I didn't mean a single word I said. That's why when I'm upset, I often tend to run away because I don't want to say hurtful things to the ones I love. I should have run yesterday; left the room to avoid saying that... No... I should have defended you against the team. I promise you that what happened yesterday won't happen again because I won't let it. If you want to confide in me, I'm here...I'd never force your hand...if you don't want to, I understand too," Lucy reassured her, placing a kiss on her forehead. They remained entwined for a long time, silent, exchanging short kisses.
"I was very upset last night...I went to the gym and punched the punching bag for quite a while," Kate revealed softly.
"Long enough to make your hands bleed?"
Kate shrugged.
"I would have stayed a lot longer if Noah hadn't come looking for me" Kate replied simply.
Lucy placed another kiss on her forehead, angry with herself and the team.
"I'm sorry" she reiterated
"It's not your fault".
Lucy was about to open her mouth but Kate interrupted.
"Yes, you hurt me. You hurt me and so did your team. But it's not your fault that I responded to your action by punching a bag until I hurt myself."
"Still, I'm sorry...I keep replaying the day over and over in my head...and every time I want to slap myself in the face" declared Lucy.
"I'd rather not...I'm rather fond of you" smiled Kate, trying to lighten the mood.
"How can you be so forgiving?" Lucy asked in surprise.
Kate sighed.
"Years of therapy" Kate revealed sadly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to rip open any wounds" said Lucy, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.
Kate sighed and was about to open her mouth when the doorbell rang in the apartment. Their meal was here. Kate had taken advantage of the drive to order from her favorite Chinese restaurant. After thanking the delivery man, they sat back down on the sofa and ate their meal, chatting away. When they had finished, they tidied up and put the leftovers in the fridge before heading for the bedroom. After passing through the bathroom, they slipped under the covers.
"I love you," Lucy declared, kissing Kate gently.
"I love you too...so much" replied Kate, returning the kiss.
Exhausted, the couple fell fast asleep.
Knocks on the door echoed through the apartment and Noah frowned. He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 10pm. Kate had sent him a message an hour before telling him not to wait up for her tonight, that she was going to Lucy's to sort the whole thing out. He'd grumbled inwardly because he knew his sister was in love with her and would forgive her. He wasn't sure he could. He got up and headed for the door. Looking through the peephole, he recognized Jane waiting patiently for someone to open the door. He sighed and unlocked the door before opening it. Jane smiled shyly at him.
"Hey," she said, trying to smile.
"What do you want? " he asked with anger in his voice
"I wanted to see Kate...is she here?" she asked, swallowing at Noah's cold welcome.
"No. Anything else?"
"Noah please," she began.
"No...there's no please...you humiliated my sister yesterday...and for what? For an investigation? To find a killer? I'm a soldier...do you know how many lives are at stake in a classified mission? Dozens...hundreds! Is it fair to your captain to be denied justice? No, but is it fair for dozens, hundreds of soldiers to be put in jeopardy for one person? No, it isn't! I lost a brother a few years ago... a leaked intel from a mission in Iraq...3 dead and 4 wounded soldiers with lifelong after-effects. So you can be a bully all you want, but you can't always break the law! Even for something you think is right!" he snapped.
Jane felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she heard this. He was right, and hearing it from the man she was beginning to fall in love with was even harder to take.
Watching the tears roll down Jane's cheeks, Noah felt something. Something he'd never felt before. Well, yes, he had. This wave of love and desire to protect. A feeling so powerful that all his anger vanished when he saw the woman's distress. And now he understood. He understood why Kate had been so quick to forgive Lucy, that day when the little ball of fury had accused her of cheating. He understood why tonight she was with Lucy and not with him. He did something he never thought he'd do. He pulled Jane against him, tightening his arms around her, hoping her tears would stop and her sorrow would subside.
"I'm sorry, so sorry and you're right. My attitude is inexcusable. It's not worthy of a SAC" she confessed, wiping away her tears.
"You have to apologize to Kate...and you have to promise me it won't happen again. You need to lecture your team on their behavior. That's your job." Noah told her seriously, as he led the woman into the apartment. He guided her to the sofa and went back into the kitchen. He grabbed two glasses of water, placing them on the coffee table.
"I wanted to call her to apologize, but I figured she deserved better than an apology over the phone. Except I got called in for a meeting with the FBI and NSA and I just finished 45 minutes ago. I made a detour to her office but she'd already left," Jane revealed with a sigh.
"She's at Lucy's...sorting things out."
Jane nodded, relieved to learn that the couple wanted to work things out.
"I know I'm very protective of Kate...but she's my little sister. She's been through things...no one should have to go through them, least of all a 15-year-old. I can't tell you what happened to us because I respect my sister's privacy too much."
"I know...and I promise you that what happened yesterday, won't happen again. "
"Good..." he said, happy to hear that.
A knock at the door roused Lucy. She groaned, unhappy to be awakened so early. She gently detached herself from Kate, who was exhausted and hadn't even woken up. Lucy closed the bedroom door behind her and moved towards the front door, trying to open her eyes fully. She was about to yell at the person behind the door for waking her up so early, but she came face to face with Jane Tennant, who was carrying coffee and breakfast.
"Hey Lucy...sorry to wake you up but I was looking for Kate" she declared with a smile.
Lucy grunted and stepped back, letting her boss in behind her. Jane bit her lip to keep from smiling at Lucy's sunken expression.
"Make yourself at home...I'll wake Kate," Lucy declared as she reached the bedroom.
When she entered, Kate was still in the same position, having not moved when Lucy had left the bed.
Lucy gently moved forward and lay back down beside Kate. She began to gently caress her back, placing a kiss on her shoulder. Kate groaned and instinctively moved closer to Lucy.
"Morning my love" Lucy murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Mmm I'm tired" she mumbled exhausted.
"I know babe ...but Jane's here...with coffee and breakfast...and apologies" she said softly, hoping not to upset her girlfriend.
Kate grunted again. She let herself relax for a few more minutes in Lucy's arms before rising painfully to her feet.
"I'm going to take a shower...will you come with me?" Kate asked shyly.
"Of course, sweetheart," Lucy agreed, understanding that there was nothing sexual about the proposal. Kate needed to have Lucy close to her. To reassure herself that Lucy was really there with her.
The couple showered quickly and dressed casually. It was Saturday. Kate had missed her surfing session, but being with Lucy was more important.
They made their way to the living room to find Jane sitting at the coffee table, her nose in her cell phone. She looked up to see the couple arriving. She stood up quickly and focused her attention on Kate.
"Good morning," she said uncomfortably.
Kate didn't smile or open her mouth. She merely nodded in greeting.
"I've come to apologize. My attitude was despicable the other day. I should never have let my frustration with this investigation get the better of me. I know for a fact that you're just doing your job and mine isn't to make your life more difficult. Least of all to be unpleasant with you because you're doing your job. I'm sorry about that. I promise it won't happen again. I was out of line and let my team be disrespectful to you. I'm really sorry." said a pained Jane.
Kate nodded, aware that apologizing was difficult and she appreciated that Jane had come out of her way to do it.
"Yes...you crossed the line, as did your team. You were all unprofessional. This is the last time this happens. Next time, I'll ask to be removed as liaison officer." Kate replied frankly.
"I hope it doesn't come to that and that you'll be able to forgive my attitude and we can continue to work in peace."
Kate sighed and shrugged.
"I won't hide from you that it's going to take me a little time to digest and trust you and your team again. But I'm a professional, so working will be fine..."
Jane understood immediately that DIA Officer Whistler would be professional, but that Kate Whistler would be harder to convince to trust her again.
"I know I screwed up...and I know it's all the more disappointing and complicated now that your brother and I are seeing each other...but know that I'd do anything to regain your trust and his at the same time...but that I wouldn't impose on your life if you didn't want me to." Jane added.
"Is he still angry?" asked Kate.
"Yeah...but I want you to know that my apologies are sincere. I'm not here to apologize just so your brother won't be mad at me anymore. "
Kate accepted this answer with some relief. She liked Jane very much and thought they could be friends with time, and in the last few weeks she'd enjoyed spending time with her outside work. That was also why her attitude had hurt her all the more.
"I'll be going...there's coffee and pancakes...I know Saturday is pancake day" she said with a smile
"Thank you...for coming to apologize in person and for breakfast" she says
"It was the least I could do" assured Jane, smiling sincerely
"Ok"
"Have a nice weekend" Jane tossed before walking out the door.
Kate watched her go and felt Lucy's arms wrap around her.
"You're ok?" the young woman asked.
Kate sighed and turned in the embrace. She rested her forehead against Lucy's, the size difference making her neck ache a little, but she didn't care. She needed the comfort the young woman was giving her.
"Yeah...it's good to hear that she recognizes that she acted badly. It still hurts, but it's good enough to get an apology....I'm used to the law enforcement people I work with not being nice to me...it hurts me more when it's you...because...I love you and I really appreciate the guys on your team."
Lucy placed a kiss on her forehead without saying anything.
"I love you" she said as she placed another kiss.
"I love you too...let's go get breakfast, the coffees and pancakes are going to be cold."
Monday morning arrived faster than the couple would have liked. They had both spent the weekend at Lucy's home. Kate had only returned on Sunday evening to pick up some things for work the next day. Noah hadn't mentioned Lucy, or Jane. He'd just asked if she was feeling better and if she was eating. She appreciated that her brother respected her choices and her privacy. Being in a relationship wasn't easy, but if on top of that you had to endure the questions, remarks or judgments of those closest to you, it was even harder. She knew Noah was still angry and upset about the attitude of the NCIS team, but he respected her judgment.
The couple parted on Monday morning after a final kiss. When Kate arrived at her desk, she was surprised to find a basket of treats inside: chocolates, food delicacies and her favorite healthy treats. A card accompanied it all.
"I'm sorry I was such a jerk last week. I know this basket isn't much in comparison, but it's a start. You're the best of us and I promise what happened won't happen again. Have a good day, Jesse."
She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she saw this. She took one of the cereal bars she liked so much and bit into it with undisguised pleasure. She was about to call Jesse to thank him when a knock on the door interrupted her.
"DIA Officer Whistler? Delivery for you," said Gary, the guard at the entrance. In his arms was a magnificent bouquet of peonies.
He placed it on his desk and left the room quickly. Kate was surprised. She stepped forward and grabbed the little card that hung from the bouquet. She was surprised by the sender.
"Dear Kate, I'm sorry I was such a complete idiot last week. My behavior was unworthy and foolish. You were right and I know you do your best to protect as many lives as possible while doing your job. I undoubtedly benefited from your professionalism when I was still in the army. I hope you'll accept my sincere apology. Have a nice day, Kai."
Kate sighed, feeling the weight of the stress caused by the previous week evaporate. She meant it when she told Lucy that their attitude had hurt her more than any verbal joust with another agency. Because she really liked them all, each in their own way.
A clear throat cut her off. Gary was at her door again.
"Someone's particularly in demand this morning," he said with a friendly smile. In his hands was a bag from the French kiosk she loved so much. A sweet smell, a mixture of coffee and crêpe, filled her office.
"Apparently," she said, smiling somewhat embarrassed.
She reached for the bag and placed it on her desk. Inside was her favorite breakfast order, coffee, crepes with jam and French cheese. The NCIS team was always disgusted to see her eating cheese with pancakes and coffee, but she loved it.
A note hung from her coffee.
"As a sign of peace, your favorite breakfast. I'm sorry, for my attitude last week, I have no excuse and I'd like you to accept this modest gift as a sign of my apology and my deep respect for you and your work. And the next time you come, you'll get to eat some chocolate-covered coffee beans I've hidden in my desk. Have a nice day, Ernie."
Kate couldn't help but hold back her tears after this last apology. Of course they all had to talk about the incident, but she really appreciated their gesture. For a moment, she wondered whether Lucy or Jane had instructed the other agents to apologize to the DIA officer, or whether they had felt like it themselves.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her telephone. It was Lucy.
"Hey babe," the young woman said with a smile. With this line, Kate knew that Lucy wasn't at her desk. She reserved that little name between them, away from inquisitive ears.
"Hey," she said, wiping away her tears. Lucy heard the tears in her voice and immediately became concerned.
"Baby, what's wrong?" She was outside after getting coffee for the team, she just wanted to tell Kate she loved her before going back to work. She was just starting to return to her car to join Kate when the latter gave a slight laugh.
"I'm fine ...your team is really sweet" she declared with a smile. With a smile, she told Lucy about the many surprises she'd had this morning.
"I didn't know they'd done that, they didn't say anything this morning. But Jane asked that we all have a meeting in the war room when I come back with the coffees, and I think that's what it's about," Lucy confessed.
"I know...well Jane's a good leader and I think she's going to remind the whole team of the rules".
"I love you," Lucy told her, smiling.
"I love you too...I've got to go, I've got lots of work to do and my coffee and crepes are getting cold."
It was 5pm when Kate walked through the doors of the NCIS bullpen. Jane had called her for some intel on an investigation. Despite the apology she'd received, she still had butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing the team again.
They were all at their respective desks when she stepped into the bullpen. Jane looked up and quickly exited her office. They realized Whistler was there and jumped to their feet.
"Whistler!" exclaimed Jesse, smiling as did Kai. Lucy smiled too, but her gaze scanned her girlfriend from head to toe, as if to make sure she was all right.
Kate smiled shyly back at them as Jane announced:
"Let's go to the war room."
They headed for the room, everyone with their own notes and Kate with her folders containing the information Jane had requested. Ernie arrived a few seconds after they had settled into the room.
"Thanks for coming Whistler, before we start talking about the investigation I'd like to say something. I already said it yesterday, but I'd like to do it again today. I'd like to apologize for my attitude during our last joint investigation. My attitude was not worthy of an NCIS SAC. Your work is precious to us and so is your friendship. I promise you that what happened the other day will never happen again. I'd also like to apologize because as SAC it's my duty to set an example for my team, and I didn't do that. My role is also to look after my team and I shouldn't have let the situation get worse, I should have defended you and your work. We're all aware here of the importance of the work you do. And I'm sorry if, for a few minutes, we forgot about it in favor of our investigation. I hope we can move past this and get back to a peaceful and friendly working relationship."
"Boss is right. We should never have gotten mad at you, you're only doing your job. I'm sorry, and I promise it won't happen again," agrees Jesse.
"I'm sorry too, sometimes we want to bring justice so badly that we do an injustice ourselves. And it was unfair to take it out on you when you were just following orders." continued Kai.
"To cut a long story short, we were assholes," Ernie finished.
Lucy had tears in her eyes and was trying to regain her composure, hoping the boys wouldn't notice.
Kate noded.
"I appreciate your apology, and guys, I want to thank you for your gifts this morning, it meant a lot to me. I'm used to being treated like this. But with you it's different and it hurt me a lot. I've already told Jane and Lucy when they apologized, but this is the last time a situation like this will happen. Next time, I'll ask not to be the liaison with your team again."
"Don't do that!" exclaimed a shocked Ernie.
"Don't treat me the way you did and it won't happen," retorted Kate, raising an eyebrow.
"Fair enough," he replied with a smile.
"Well, can we get down to business?" she asked, wishing to change the subject
"Sure, what do you have on Major Carmichael?"
And Kate went on with her information. It would take her some time to get over it, but she was glad she'd given them an ultimatum about their attitude. Sometimes you had to go through difficult times to set some boundaries. But she had no doubts about her relationship with the team. She knew that from that moment on, she was one of them.