Chapter Text
Lucy’s never seen Kate like this before. She remembers all of Kate’s smiles from their weekend together, the look on her face when she introduced her as her girlfriend at the FBI barbecue, and when she came home from being an Agent Afloat. There was that mixture of joy and disbelief when they got back together that lasted for weeks too. This was different from all of those. This is more like a kid on Christmas.
It’s understandable though. Not only have they managed to schedule three days off together, but Kate’s brother Noah and his daughter Holly are visiting the island. Kate’s excitement has been pulling her in about eight different directions for the past two days. She’s been looking for things Holly might enjoy, the best sights to see, places to eat. At the moment, Kate’s debating whether to buy Holly a surfboard so they can go out on the waves together.
Lucy’s enjoyed watching it all, but they’re meeting Noah and Holly at eleven today and at this rate, she’ll wear herself out before then. Getting up from the couch, she goes over to the table where Kate’s at her laptop. Taking her hand, she gives a gentle tug and leads her to the couch.
“You seem extra excited,” she says with a smile. Kate lets out a long breath and nods.
“I am.” Then Kate bites her lip like she does when she’s nervous and trying to figure out where to start. “Growing up, the person who believed in me and was there for me was Noah. Our parents were pretty much absent except when it came to expectations.” Kate gets lost in thought for a moment. “Everything that’s happened here I’ve done on my own.” Lucy tilts her head in question.
“What do you mean?” Kate shrugs and gives her an awkward smile.
“Noah’s… had it rough.” Kate regards her for a moment before continuing. “Everything I’ve told you about him is true.” Lucy frowns. That’s the kind of thing that’s said before a huge “but” is said. “I just don’t know where to start…” That would normally have alarm bells going off in her head, especially when Kate starts wringing her hands, but they're past that. Kate tends to make herself anxious when it comes to potentially getting things wrong between them, even though they’ve made a lot of progress.
“Start wherever you’re comfortable. You can fill in any blanks afterwards.” Kate nods and takes a deep breath.
“Like I told you, Noah was in an ambush in Iraq in 2009. He was in a coma for three months afterwards. Then he woke up and the only thing wrong with him was that he’d lost his sense of smell. The doctors said it probably happened when he hit his head after the explosion. Losing one of his five senses earned him a medical discharge though.” She watches Kate swallow hard. “Didn’t seem like a big thing. My brother was home and safe. He used to work in intelligence, so he became a private investigator. Our parents weren’t exactly proud about it, but I didn’t care. Cheating spouses and background checks, I figured he’d be pretty safe. He met Evie a few years before he joined the Marines and Holly was born before he shipped out. Now he was doing well, so was his business, and he still had time for family.” Kate lets out a shaky breath. “I made sure to call a few times a week and keep in touch. Holly had just turned ten. I remember Evie asking me if there was a trick to getting Noah to do a few home repairs. Turns out there was a leak, but Noah couldn’t smell it because of his… Evie died in the explosion.” Lucy reaches out and takes Kate’s hand. “He’s always been there for me and I wanted to be there for him the best I could. The easiest way to do that was not to add to the things he had to deal with. Not need a pep talk every time I second guessed myself or screwed up.” Lucy’s heart breaks for both Kate and Noah. Kate gives her a pained smile. “If I’d told him about the whole Cara situation, he would have told me that just leaving wouldn’t be enough to get rid of her…”
“Hey, we’re past all that, okay? And honestly, you having a Fatal Attraction like ex shouldn’t have surprised me. I mean, I know how amazing you are. It’d be hard to let you go without a fight.” That has Kate ducking her head a little and blushing. “Now, what do I need to know since we’re about to go meet them?” Kate rubs at the back of her neck.
“Ever since the ambush, I think the accurate term for Noah is high functioning alcoholic? My parents had high hopes for him and feel like he’s let them down. They let him know it too. I know he’s not what most would call a success, but I love him and–” Lucy stops her.
“You don’t need to explain anything to me, okay? I see the way you talk about him and he’s been there for you. That’s what’s important.” Kate nods and lets out a sigh of relief. Lucy gives her an encouraging smile. She hates that Kate was so nervous about telling her about him. She makes a mental note to be extra supportive. At some point, Noah and Holly will be meeting the team. She doesn’t want Kate to be nervous about that. “We should get going or we’re going to be late!” Kate gives her a bright smile and they head out.
The fact that they’re meeting at a beach side bar doesn’t escape her notice, but she forgets about it when she sees Kate’s niece practically fly at her girlfriend and Kate sweep her into a tight hug. Following behind her is Kate’s brother Noah. Lucy’s seen photos, but seeing him in person is different. The way Kate tells it, Noah is amazing. Attractive, smart, athletic, and she can see it, but Kate’s no slouch in those areas either.
As Kate hugs her brother, Lucy takes the two of them in. Kate’s hair is a lot lighter, Noah’s being more of a dirty blond, but they both are tall. Kate always looks sharp and Noah does too, but in a more laid back sort of way. It’s the eyes, she decides, where they look the most similar. The other thing she notices is that Kate’s relaxed in a way that she still rarely sees.
“This is my girlfriend, Lucy,” says Kate. Lucy never gets tired of hearing Kate say it or seeing the way her face lights up when she does. Walking over, she extends her hand, but Holly pulls her into a hug instead and so does Noah. They settle down at an outdoor table and order a few appetizers and drinks to keep them busy.
“So, how’s business? Are you still working with Jackson Healy?” asks Kate.
“Yeah! Yeah, business is going well” he answers. Holly rolls her eyes.
“Mr Healy is probably why business is doing better” she comments. Noah tilts his head.
“Maybe. He’s better at dealing with people and we do make a pretty great team. I think it’s because of our ad, even though it does make him look Filipino.” That has Lucy feeling completely lost. She looks over at Kate, but she doesn’t seem to have any idea what he’s talking about either. Grinning, he pulls his phone out of his jacket pocket and fiddles with it for a moment before turning it towards them. Taking it from him, she looks at the ad while Kate looks over her shoulder.
“Just out of curiosity, is your partner Filipino?” she asks.
“Jackson Healy is very Irish.” Kate shakes her head.
“How much would it cost to get drawings, or better yet, photos that actually look like the two of you?” asks his sister.
“Hey, this? This is eye-catching. And it works, so it’s fine.”
“How’d you meet him?” she asks, hoping to divert the conversation.
“He broke my Dad’s arm” answers Holly, prompting Kate to cover her face with her hands.
“Noah…” Lucy bites her lip to try and contain her smile. Noah Whistler is not what she expected at all. Knowing Kate, she’d expected more than just a physical resemblance. Noah Whistler seems like a mess, but he somehow makes that work for him.
“He was hired to get me to drop a case, but it’s fine, it’s in the past. We’re a good team” he explains with a wave of his hand. “Oh, one important thing before I forget. I’ve saved us both a lot of grief by not telling Mom and Dad that I’m here.” Kate lets out a huge sigh of relief.
“Lucy, tells us about Kate being an FBI agent” says Holly. Lucy grins. Kate, predictably, tries to downplay her role in things.
“I don’t really do much. I was a liaison before too. As the FBI liaison to NCIS, I just help coordinate things like resources and information. I only get called in if one of their cases involves something the FBI usually handles.” Holly’s expression says she’s unimpressed with the watered down version and turns to look at Lucy. Lucy shrugs.
“That’s basically it. Kate’s very good at her job though.”
“Got any examples? Because I’m having a hard time believing Aunt Kate dislocated her shoulder once dealing with papers and touch screens” says Holly. Lucy smirks.
“Well, let’s see…. There was that time she went undercover for us and kicked the asses of three Bulgarians that were up to no good, that case where she helped us narrow down the suspects when we had a serial killer on the island, and the time she helped take down a local criminal organization” she answers. Kate narrows her eyes and glares at her, but she doesn’t care. Not when Holly is looking at Kate like she’s amazing. Well, she is and her family should know it. Noah looks amused, but not in a mocking way, more like proud. He clearly doesn’t doubt for a second that Kate did all those things.
“I was debating whether to buy you your own surfboard,” says Kate. “You can rent them, but you should have your own for when you come to visit.” Noah grins.
“You changing the subject was so subtle I almost didn’t even notice” he says. Kate ignores him and asks her niece what she thinks. The two of them talk a while longer before Holly mentions she has her surf suit in her bag. Kate has her surf gear in the car. That has the two of them racing off like little kids to go check out boards, leaving her at the table with Noah. As he makes himself more comfortable in his seat, she spots his wedding ring on a chain around his neck.
“Would you believe that Holly thought surfing was lame until she found out Kate loved it? Then Kate had to teach her. Now she loves it. We don’t get it like this in LA though.” Lucy grins. Why wouldn’t you want to be a little like Kate Whistler?
She can’t help feeling like she should say something. Meeting the family is a big thing and Noah is the family member who matters to Kate.
“I don’t know how much Kate’s told you, but–” He holds up a hand to stop her.
“Look, can I just– I know you’re different. It’s not just that Katie looks happy or how most things have taken a backseat to her career. She told us about you and that makes you special.” Lucy raises an eyebrow at him and he sighs. “The other people she’s been with? I think she knew they weren’t worth mentioning. That it was never anything serious, even if she sometimes wanted it to be.” That tracks with what Kate’s told her about her past relationships. That’s when she notices his little smirk. “Katie told me about you early on though.” Lucy frowns, not following. “I think she had just gotten off the plane and was heading towards baggage claim while she told me about this amazing woman she met in a bar on her trip.” Lucy feels her face go hot in a deep blush. “Katie’s usually all about the details, but I don’t think she cared about the time difference after she moved here and ran into you again.”
“You’re only three hours ahead.” Noah shrugs.
“All I know is that I got a call and she was ecstatic that she ran into you again, but professionally, seeing you would be a disaster.”
“I’m assuming she called you for advice? What did you tell her?”
“That she’s the smartest person I know and if it was worth it, I’m sure she could figure something out. And now, after hearing about you for over two years, here we are” he says with a smile. Lucy laughs.
“Well, thank you for the part you played in everything.” He grins wider and then glances around holding an hand in front of his eyes.
“Jesus Christ. You read the sun is a massive fireball, but this has me actually believing it. I’m betting we’re spending the next couple of hours on the sand” he says as he pulls a pair of sunglasses out of his shirt pocket. He says the word sand with the same disdain she has for it. He’s just finished his sentence when Holly rushes over and dumps a bunch of stuff in his lap. She quickly says that she and Kate are going out on the waves and dashes off again. Lucy pays the bill while Noah gathers everything up that was thrown at him. He tucks Holly’s phone in his pocket and hands her Kate’s. “C’mon. We should get some photos of the two of them.”
“You know I’m going to ask you about Kate when she was little, right?”
“I’m going to have to be careful how I answer those.” They both make a face as they move onto the sand. She spots Kate’s beach towel and they slowly make their way down to it. “Kate says you’re scrappy, mind you that’s not the word it started as, there was a quick change in the middle, but I have to weigh that against how much she’ll hurt me for tell you.”
“I’m not looking for embarrassing stories, I’m just… curious. Was Kate born with an eye for detail or was that honed over the years?” Noah laughs.
“I’d say she was born with it and has perfected it with time. Debate or field hockey strategy, she’s got an eye for it.”
“I heard about that! Well, Kai said she mentioned it once. I gotta know how that happened.”
“Ah… Nah, this is worth the risk. Okay, so–”
After a couple hours on the beach, Kate and Holly decided that was enough for the day. She and Kate are back home and Kate’s in the shower. They’re going to get together again later for dinner, but the sun and surfing had taken a lot out of everyone. She’s just about to text Jane to tell her everything has gone well when Kate comes out of the bedroom.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to leave you with Noah the entire time. What did you guys talk about?” asks Kate as she runs a hand through her damp hair.
“Um…” Before she can come up with something, her phone rings. Looking at the caller ID, she frowns. She looks at Kate and then answers, putting it on speaker.
“Hey boss, I was just about to text you. Something up?”
“Is Kate with you?” That has Kate frowning too.
“I’m here. What’s wrong?”
“We have a new case. We found a body this morning and he had something interesting on him. The number of a Noah Whistler. In fact, his last call was to him.” Kate blinks. And then blinks again. Lucy answers for her.
“We’ll be right in.”