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The loud music that radiated across the house made Jane Tennant thankful that her daughter’s taste in music was somewhat reasonable. When she had offered to have Julie’s friends over for a sleepover because that was what her daughter wanted for her birthday, it was something she could deliver on. School was out and her son was at his father’s house to get away from all the giggles and screams.Pizza was on its way and Jane Tennant was more than happy doing what paperwork she could do at home while her daughter was occupied. A ring of her phone had her mentally prepared to call Lucy and Kate to handle the situation that was going on in her home if a crime scene called her name. She figured by the time she got home, everyone would be fed, bathed, and asleep if Kate Whistler was in charge.“Tennant.” She put the phone to her ear expecting Kai or Jesse but it was another male entirely.“Not checking your phone before you answer?” The smooth voice made Jane smile ear to ear as she leaned back against her pillows. “Must be nice.”“Sorry, was a bit deep into paperwork.” She reached forward and closed the files sitting face up on her bed. “Speaking of paperwork, shouldn’t you be up to your waist in paperwork right now?”If Joe Milius gave any indication he missed her, he didn’t give it away. “Spent all day doing paperwork for a change. No meetings or odd tasks assigned by Admiral Decker for once.”Screams followed by a loud bang made Jane wince and she figured he also heard it considering its loudness. The fact that it reached across the house and upstairs in her bedroom was cause for concern. “Sorry, give me a moment.”
“Everything alright there?”
“Julie turned ten on Tuesday and she wanted a sleepover.” She put the phone against her shoulder as she made her way downstairs and across the house till she could knocked on her daughter’s door. “Girls it felt like a cannon was being fired.”She found all five girls and Julie sitting on the girl’s double bed, one had Julie’s soccer ball in hand. “Sorry Mom!”“Ball now.” She put out her hand and it was instantly handed to her, her no-nonsense command not even questioned. “Pizza will be here in ten, just cool the insanity until then okay?”“Yes Mrs. Tennant.” All the girls except for Julie agreed with the now ten year old also agreeing with a nod.Satisfied that the house wouldn’t be brought down, Jane left her daughter’s room and closed the door. She made her way to the kitchen to get items ready for dinner.“Sorry about that.” Jane put the phone to her ear once again. “Throwing the soccer ball in the house is apparently par for the course if all your daughter’s friends also play soccer.”Joe chuckled, “my mother would have killed me.”“Mine too.” She leaned against the counter. “I miss you.”“Miss you too.” He sighed and she stood up straight.“What’s wrong?”The naval officer chuckled, “why would something be wrong? I can’t call you because I miss you?”He wasn’t in the room with her but she knew he knew she was narrowing her eyes. “Joe, what aren’t you telling me?”“Honestly, for once there is nothing wrong besides me missing you.” She heard talking in the background. “I was leaving work and thought I’d call you. Figured you’d be elbows deep in paperwork or a case and could use a five minute respite.”Without even trying he brought a smile to her face once again. “Took today off to get Julie’s sleepover ready. Five girls plus my daughter, I couldn’t afford to be working.”
“Sounds like a lot.”
“Have you ever been around six girls at a sleepover?”He sounded wary when responding. “Can’t say I have. Been around a bunch of guys on a carrier, could be similar enough to know I don’t envy you.”“As a parent, it’s not exactly what I wanted to do for her birthday but I suppose it could have been worse.” Jane opened the fridge to remove the large container of fruit that she’d been saving since that morning. Sodas and fruit punch also followed, all of it put on the counter.A ‘have a good day sir’ was heard in the background followed by him telling the person to have a good weekend. “Hey Jane I was wondering if you’d like to come out to Washington next month? Be my date to a DoD dinner?”She paused in her way to her bedroom, “see, I knew there was something.” Sitting down on her bed, the female SAC played with hem of her leggings. “Wish I could but I have the kids and its summer break so…”“Bring the kids.” He sighed and she could tell it was more exhaustion then his hope to convince her. “I can take a few days off and show you guys around DC, mini vacation before returning home for school start.”Tempted to say yes immediately, the agent leaned back against her pillows. “I’m not saying no but give me a few days to go over a few things. One of the conditions of the custody arrangement Daniel and I have is we can’t take them farther than the islands without permission. I have to talk to him about taking them to the mainland before I give you my answer.”“Fair enough.”With a smile on her face, she closed her eyes. “I knew you were holding something back.”
“I try not to with you. You’re on lies or lies of omission faster than a dog on a bone. I admit I’ve been cagey in the past with girlfriends but that was a mix of wariness and because of the job. Don’t have to worry about work with you.”
“And the wariness?”“Not once have I been wary of you Jane Tennant. You challenge me and make me want to be there even when I can’t be.” The truth that spilled from his lips made her wish he was beside her. “Does that scare you at all?”Jane stood and moved to leave her room due to the doorbell that signaled pizza. “No. Does it scare you?”
“If I told you ‘no’ then it’d be a lie. Scared shitless at times, not knowing what to say to you, but not scared of wanting you.”
Opening the door to the pizza man, Jane accepted the large stack of pizza that he handed her. In return she held a twenty in her hand and nodded to it. The man took it and thanked her before leaving. With the stack of boxes on the table, Jane leaned her hip against one of the chairs.“You know exactly what to say when you speak to me. I mean, after that first case of course.” She chuckled at the memories, “even when you blew up my phone incessantly over a case or came asking questions.”
“I was such an ass.”
“Maybe but I’ll call you my ass.” She looked at the pizza beside her. “Can I call you later?”He sighed again and she knew it definitely was due to exhaustion. “Yeah. Tell Julie I said happy birthday.”“I will.” She started to hang up but paused. “Hey Joe?”
“Yes Jane?”
“It does scare me too, sometimes.” It was an admission she hadn’t expected to make but it felt right. “Last person to make me feel this way was their dad. It’s strange and scary with someone new, but I’ll take every minute I can get.”He was silent before speaking. “Me too.”“Okay. I need to feed a half dozen girls and you need sleep. I can hear the exhaustion in your voice.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.” She hung up after hearing the phone click. “Girls, pizza is here!”
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Jane Tennant looked up from where she was cleaning the master bathroom when she heard what could only be described as a yelp. Pulling off the rubber gloves she’d been wearing, she headed to the kitchen to find Alex and Julie standing by the island watching as her boyfriend sat at the table with an ice pack against his socked foot. Her daughter looked sheepish and apologetic as she stood nearby.“What happened in here?”“Nothing, I’m fine.” Joe looked up at her from where he sat. “Just a little accident.”Julie winced as the man pulled the ice pack away from his foot but put it back seconds later. “I dropped the wrench on his foot by accident. I’m sorry Joe.”“Jules you’re fine.” He waved her over and she walked over to him. “Nothing is broken, just bruised so it’s alright.” Joe took her hand and squeezed it. “Trust me, your mother has done worse to me at the gym.”Jane rolled her eyes, “breaking your nose was an accident.”“Whoa, you broke his nose?” Alex looked between them with a grin. “Did you say the wrong thing?”“I didn’t duck and it was months ago.” The naval officer put the ice pack on the table before standing up before he winced and sat back down.Jane looked at the two kids, “you guys finish your chores.” Once they were back to the individual chores, she sat down on the chair beside Joe and patted her leg. “Come on, leg up.”“It’s not that bad.” He stated and lifted his foot up till it rested on her leg.“I’ll be the judge of that.” She peeled his sock off and winced herself at the bruise on the top of his foot. “Yeah, I was afraid of this.”Joe sighed, “somehow explaining why I’m injured to Decker during RIMPAC isn’t what I expected to be doing. I just arrived five days ago; I doubt he’s going to be thrilled.”“How did this happen?” She asked while pulling out her phone to send a text off to someone.“I was under the sink looking at the garbage disposal like you asked.” She nodded as she put her phone on the table and picked up the ice pack, placing it on the bruise. “I asked Julie to hand me the wrench and she tripped on the kitchen rug, the wrench falling on my foot. Honestly, Jane it’ll be fine once the swelling goes down.”The agent glued her boyfriend with a look. “If I know my bruises like I do, your foot is fractured or broken. I texted Commander Chase, she’ll swing by and take a look so neither of us have to explain at Tripler. I doubt either of us want to present to the clinic and explain my ten year old dropped a wrench on your foot.”“After the trip to DC fell through because my mother got ill, I had hoped we could enjoy this month. I see that was wishful thinking.”Jane chuckled, “well it wouldn’t be us without some disaster happening. You missed my big stand-off before RIMPAC so something had to happen to bring things full circle.”“I heard about it. I have to say, every day I hear stories of Jane Tennant’s adventures as SAC of NCIS Hawaii, I get jealous. The stories don’t stop just because I’m in DC and they get more outlandish as they go on.” Reaching out he pushed a lock of hair behind her right ear. “I’m glad you decided to give this a go, even if we’re five thousand miles apart some days.”She blushed and smiled, “well I was given a convincing argument and I’m glad too.” She sighed and looked down at his foot, “even if you drive me nuts at times.”“Oh, that’s a pot meet kettle argument.” He sat back in the chair, “so how is your coroner going to check my foot without an x-ray machine?”Jane took a breath, “well, she’s a volunteer medic for local disasters. You know the usual contenders there are volcanos, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, etc. Because of that she has a portable x-ray machine. Also, she needs a guinea pig for testing her new one.”“So, I’m the guinea pig?”“All of the team got told to call the next time we potentially break something so she can test it. I figured it helps her and it saves you having to explain a ten year old broke your foot to other naval officers.”Joe nodded, “potentially embarrassing.”“Career ending possibly.” She chuckled and rubbed his leg with her hand. “I have a question? I got offered the honorable task of giving this year’s NCIS Ball speech. Want to be my plus one to that fun night?”“When is it?”“Third weekend of December, in DC of course.”The man contemplated it before putting up a finger. “If you be mine to the Navy Ball, second weekend of October.”“My birthday is in November; the kids want to have a party but I settled that war by suggesting a cookout.”“So, we’re making plans?” Joe asked her and she raised her eyebrow.“If you can handle it, Captain?” She chuckled and squeezed his leg where it sat under her hand. “I’ve never told you this but I’m happy we talk about everything. The kids never knew the real reasons for why Daniel and I argued a lot. Him throwing my job at me continuously especially when everything was classified just broke everything down so much faster when I came home full time.” Sighing she looked up and met his eyes, “nothing is classified with us so we can talk about everything.”Joe reached down and squeezed her hand. “I can honestly say I will never use your job against you Jane. I’ve seen first-hand how dedicated you are to the victims and their families. I believe I even apologized for being bull-headed regarding one of those cases.”“You did but only after butchering an apology.” They both laughed and she shook her head. “That was a very uncomfortable apology.”“I rarely have ever had to apologize since Basic, excuse me for failing. Especially when the woman I was apologizing to made me feel like an ass. I don’t know if you know this Jane Tennant, but you can disarm a man with a single look. I was intimidated by a beautiful, dedicated woman who now means everything to me.”A knock on the door was followed by it opening. They looked up to see Commander Chase with a duffle bag in hand and a backpack on her back. “Well, this is interesting. How are you, Captain Milius?”“Praying you tell me my foot is bruised, not broken.” He looked at his girlfriend, “somehow I doubt Jane is going to let me hear the end of it if it is broken and I didn’t believe her.”“It’s either broken or fractured, you can pray but I’m right.” She stood up and gently rested his foot on the chair she’d been sitting in. “What do you need Carla?”The commander waved her off, “oh I have it. Used to being a one woman medical team some days so once I get things set up, we can get started. I do need to look at your foot first before I start any tests.” The woman put the bags down and knelt down to look at Joe’s foot. “How did this happen?”“Julie tripped and dropped the wrench on my foot. I’m fine though so I wish you guys would stop worrying.” He hissed when the medical doctor pressed on his foot. “Damnit.”Chase stood up, “no, she’s right. It’s probably broke or fractured but only an x-ray will tell us how much.”Two images later and the woman was showing Joe an image on her tablet. “Hairline but there, right on your fifth metatarsal bone. Unfortunately, the treatment is going to be RICE therapy and an air cast with no weight-bearing.”“I have RIMPAC tasks on Monday that put me in the middle of the ocean.”“Captain, I’m a medical doctor and I’m not telling you this to prevent you from doing your job. You’ll be a lot worse off if this doesn’t heal properly, like medical discharge worse.” She watched him sigh and lean back as he sat in his chair. “Alright. Jane, does Alex still have his crutches from when he was on them.”She nodded, “somewhere, I’ll find them.”“Good.” The doctor put her tablet down and pulled an air cast from within a vacuum-sealed bag her backpack. “Now, keep this on.” She put the cast on Joe’s foot. “Six weeks and you’ll be back to normal; I will send the reports and an order for physical therapy to your doctor in DC.”Once Chase left, Jane walked back to Joe and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”He looked up at her before nodding. “Can’t be helped. I didn’t realize it was serious until she mentioned medical discharge. I’ve seen guys who don’t listen to medical orders when it’s even as small as a laceration on the leg. The side effects of not listening can damage bones and tissues to the point of no return.”“I guess this means you have to call Decker and arrange for someone else to do the sea-side observations.”“I do and I dread to think he’ll demand I head back to DC early.” He sighed and picked up his phone where it sat on the table. “Wish me luck.”Jane leaned over and kissed his head, “good luck, I’ll be finishing up the bathroom.”
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The doors to the squad room opened as Jane walked through them with Jesse. They were talking about their weekends while drinking coffee. Between Alex and Gracie, their weekends were never dull.“She dropped a wrench on his foot? How bad is the damage?”Jane took a sip of her coffee, “fractured and an inconvenience since he’s supposed to be on the Abe Lincoln observing RIMPAC maneuvers. Unfortunately, due to the injury he’s been regulated with coming up with a plan to include mock peace talks as part of RIMPAC. While I’m dealing with an irritable boyfriend, at least he’s staying for RIMPAC. We were both afraid Decker would recall him due to the injury.”Jesse nodded as they stopped at his desk, “how irritable?”“We fought yesterday.” As she spoke, she remembered the fight that they had had. She was thankful that the kids were at their brother’s christening so they didn’t witness it.
Joe sat at the kitchen table with papers and his computer going over ideas for mock peace talks. Jane sat down next to him with a cup of tea. She placed her phone face down next to his and inquired softly.
“How are things going?”
“Fine.” His tone suggested frustration and she returned to silence for a few minutes.
“Anything I can help with?”
Joe looked up at her, “I’m fine.” She gave him a nod and picked up her phone to scroll through Julie’s social media pages. Eventually the naval officer threw his pen down and leaned forward to put his head in his hands.
“Joe?” It was a soft question but he looked up at her.
“Just leave me the fuck alone Jane.” He shook his head and went back to staring at his paperwork. Standing up, she left him alone without a word.
Hours later she returned to the table and saw he was still looking over paperwork. “Are you in a better mood?”
“Is that a trick question?”
Leaning against the table she looked him in the eye as he raised his head. “I know you’re frustrated…”
“You don’t know what I’m feeling!”
“I can guess! You’ve never had issues before Joe, never had an injury since before Basic so you’re limited in what you can do. You don’t know how to handle it. You have to hand over your job to someone potentially less qualified.” She stared at him, “I don’t care about that. I care about the fact that you are hurting. Maybe physically but definitely emotionally. That doesn’t give you the right to treat me the way you’re treating me.” Jane stood straight, “figure it out or go to The Lodge.”
“Two months and you’re already throwing me out.” He stated and she continued to stare at him.
“No, I don’t want to throw you out but I will. I won’t be treated like trash to be stepped on and I don’t want this attitude around my children.”
She left for the bedroom and he watched her disappear. The fact Jane felt like he was treating her like trash seemed to throw cold water on him and his mouth. She was right that he was treating her like she was nothing and the idea that the kids would be treated the same worried him. He didn’t want their relationship to end up like her and Daniel’s. He struggled to stand on the crutches but once up, he made his way to the bedroom upstairs. Each step on the crutch was difficult but he managed.
Jane sat on the bed going over her own paperwork, her phone playing soft rock on low volume. He walked over and stood at the side of the bed, waiting patiently till Jane picked up her head.
“You’re right.” He seemed to always admit his wrongdoing with her. Jane could strip his emotions and actions down to bare bone. “I shouldn’t have treated you like I did.” He reached down and gently closed the file she was working on so he could sit on the bed facing her. “I don’t know if an apology will mean anything to you but I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was rude and treated you like you aren’t everything to me, because you are. You’re everything to me Jane, I know that clearer than anything.”
Not knowing what to say, she leaned forward and hugged him. With her nose buried in his neck, she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. “Give me time. I’ve never been able to forgive easily.”
“However long you need.” He pulled away an inch and kissed her temple. “I just don’t know what to do. I’m stuck and frustrated because I’d rather be on the Abe Lincoln than organizing a mock peace treaty.” Closing his eyes, Joe just continued to hold her. “Despite my frustrations, I’m glad I’m still here with you. I forgot about that in the middle of everything.”
She pulled back and met his eyes. “I can help if you let me.”
“I could use some help.
Jesse gave her a look of impressiveness. “So not a screaming match like with Daniel?”“No, Joe and I don’t fight-fight. It’s more an argument or coarse words exchanged before one of us realizes we screwed up. I asked Dr. Harmon about it this morning over the phone and she said that our open communication and long-distance relationship is one of the reasons we don’t fight. We have boundaries and acknowledge our failures as both individuals and as a couple.” Jane took a sip of her coffee, “I don’t know if she’s pulling my leg or its true.”“Well, you can hope it’s true.” Jesse sat at his desk. “After all Boss, he makes you smile and laugh so we need to keep him around.With Jesse and Kai checking on leads for an old cold case, it being a quiet day, Jane stayed in her office taking care of annual performance reviews. She also had to call over to the Command Fitness Leader to get the team signed up for their biannual fitness assessment. She was on the phone with the CFL when a knock on her door frame made her look up to see Joe. She waved him in and he sat down while she continued her call.“…sir, yes sir. I just need to know if either you or FFI could fit us in within the next month. No sir, I haven’t called him yet because I wanted to extend the request to you first.” Jane picked up her pen and wrote on a post-it note. “I can do that sir, there’s only four of us so if you want to do the assessment in one session or two that’ll be fine.” Writing on the post-it, the special agent looked up at Joe and put up a finger to signal she’d be done in a moment. “July 22 at 0700 for Agent Tara and me, July 29 at 0700 for Agents Boone and Holman. Yes sir, thank you for fitting us in. Goodbye.” She hung up and finished writing what she needed.Joe watched her from where he sat. “Biannual PRT?”“Yes, due to being a branch of the navy, we have to undergo it also.” She looked up at him and leaned her arms against her desk. “What brings you this way?”“I was wondering if I could steal you for lunch.”Jane looked down at her desk, “I think the paperwork can be put aside for a moment to get food.” She started closing files, “performance reviews.”“Oh, sounds interesting.” He stood up slowly and maneuvered the crutches till he could walk with her. “I managed to contact all twenty countries participating and explain the idea of a mock peace treaty. Eighteen agreed to send a member of their military to take part. The remaining two declined. I understand why so I didn’t push the issue.”Once they were seated at the restaurant, Joe reached across the table and took Jane’s hand. She looked up from the menu in front of her and watched his facial expression warp from happiness to uncertainty. Instantly her attention redirected to him and she squeezed his hand.“What’s wrong?”“I’ve just been thinking over everything that happened yesterday.” Sighing he met her eyes, “I don’t want you to ever feel like I made you feel.”Jane smiled at him. “You’re entitled to your emotions but pointing them like a loaded weapon was what I had an issue with. That's why I was upset yesterday. Today is a new day and before you start worrying I'm just brushing my own feelings aside, I talked to the on-call psychologist this morning over the phone. I wanted to know what I could do to make things work better and she said we’re doing everything we need to do. We’re communicating and setting boundaries.”“She really said that?”“Yes, and I feel relieved.” She squeezed his hand, “I’ll text you her number later. She’d be more than willing to talk to you also. That is if you don’t have a problem with psychologists.”Joe gave a small shake of his head. “Not at all, my mother is a psychologist. She used to tell me that counseling shouldn’t be a last resort but a first resort to understand your relationship.”“Oh, so your mother is a shrink. Now I know the family professions.” She grinned and looked back at the menu. “What are we looking at for a price range?”“Whatever you want. I’ve put away some money for us to have a few dates this month.”The waiter came over and looked down at them expectantly. “Are we ready to order?”“I’ll have the ahi poke bowl.” Jane handed back to the menu.“And to drink?”“Just water please.”The waiter turned to Joe, “and you sir?”“Pork tacos and water also.” He handed his menu to the waiter.“Alright, I have an ahi poke bowl and pork taco plate with two waters. They’ll have those out in a few minutes.”Jane looked at her boyfriend as the waiter left and squeezed Joe’s hand. “So, my dad called today, which shocked me because we haven’t spoken since my divorce. Apparently, he and my mother are coming to Hawaii to visit instead of me usually sending the kids to Bethesda.”“Why so long?”“My parents are staunch Catholics, so you can imagine the divorce didn’t sit well. Over time I went from observant to agnostic. The kids go to church on Sundays, Alex takes Julie or they go with their father. I do go for the big holidays and things like the kids’ communions and christenings.”Joe rubbed her fingers with his thumb, “I’m not really religious but as you know, my family are Episcopalian.” He looked up when the waiter brought over their waters, “thank you.” While taking a drink, he watched Jane look around and down from where they sat on the balcony of the restaurant. “No sweeping, it’s lunch not a crime scene.”She picked up her glass, “sorry, habit.”“An adorable habit.” Joe rubbed his thumb over her left ring finger several times. “Am I going to be here during their visit?”“Yes, but they’re staying at a hotel because my house doesn’t have the room. Usually, Alex and Julie camp out in the yard and I take Julie’s room while my parents take mine but considering how things parted last time, I suggested it was best they stay at the hotel.”“I can stay at The Lodge if you need me to.”Jane gripped his hand tight before relaxing it. “Not a chance, I only get a month with you before we’re back to five thousand miles apart with monthly in-person visits. You’re sleeping next me till you leave on that plane in August. Even if I have to use the handcuffs.”“We can talk about that at home.” He picked up his water and took a sip. “I’m not opposed though.”She chuckled, “noted, I won’t forget.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sound of her phone ringing made Jane grab her office phone from where it sat beside her. Paperwork called her name again since the day before during a case they had found a large sum of cash and drugs. Between joint ventures with the FBI and DEA, she’d been up late doing paperwork and only had gone to bed when Joe had found her at the dining room table at midnight. He’d closed her file and persuaded her to come to bed.“Tennant.” She closed one file and put it aside to start another.
“Agent Tennant, this is Sergeant Wilford at the front gate. I have two individuals named Thomas and Maria Shannon here, they’re claiming to be your parents.”
Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, “go ahead and have them escorted over to NCIS. Thanks for calling Wilford.”“Yes ma’am.” The phone call ended and she instantly dialed Alex on her cell.
“Yeah Mom?”
Jane sighed, “your grandparents came in early and didn’t tell anyone. Can you come to the base and pick them up?”
“Yeah, Julie and I’ll be over soon. How are we supposed to get on base without an ID?”
“When you speak to Sgt. Wilford at the gate, tell him who you are and he’ll call me. I’ll send Ernie over.”With the situation taken care of she stood and grabbed the completed files to place in the appropriate tray behind her. A quick clean up and her desk looked presentable instead of a mass of paperwork. Her coffee cup was empty so she tossed it in the trash. Pausing, Jane looked at the picture frame that sat on her desk next to the picture of her and the kids. It had been one evening when she, Joe and the kids had been playing a board game. Joe hand put his arm around her upper chest and kissed her head. Alex had taken a photo at the perfect moment as after the kiss, she had looked up at Joe with a tender expression on her face. They starred at each other and upon seeing the photo her boyfriend had made it his phone lock screen.Talking made her look up to see her parents being escorted in by a sergeant. Jane was quickly around her desk and to the door of her office.“Thank you, Sergeant.” She nodded to him and the man nodded back before turning to leave.Her parents walked over and she steeled herself not knowing what they would do. She didn’t know if they would yell at her or hug her, anything was possible after the conversation post-divorce. Her mother hugged her and she responded in kind, she’d missed her mother.“Oh Jane.” Her mother, short and full of stubborn willpower, looked at her with a grin. “We missed you.” She put her hands on Jane’s arm and scanned her body up and down. “Entirely too skinny, you need to eat more.”Embarrassment crossed Jane’s face, “Mom! I’m perfectly healthy for your information.”As was her mother’s typical directness due to her Filipino upbringing, Maria stared down her daughter as she spoke. “I will cook you meals so you gain weight. No man will want you if you’re this skinny. Too skinny and too fat is no good, you need to be medium.”Her father waited patiently to speak and eventually he did. “Hi Janey.”“Hi Dad.” With her father being the one that caused the rift between them, Jane was wary of what her father would say.Thomas took two steps to close the gap between them and hugged her. “I’m so sorry Janey.” Her father kissed her head, “I made a mistake and shouldn’t have said what I did.”“It’s okay Dad.” Jane pulled back from the hug and met her father’s eyes. “It’s in the past.”“No Janey, I shouldn’t have compared your marriage to ours. Alex told us that Daniel got engaged within six months of the divorce. That’s when I realized that there were reasons why the marriage broke down. Please forgive me.”She smiled and squeezed her father’s arm. “I already have.” Taking a few steps back, she looked at them both. “Alex and Julie coming to pick you up. I’m sure they’re going to want to spend a few hours with you before you head to the hotel.”“Sounds like a great idea. Can’t wait to see how much those kids have grown.”Her office phone rang and she put up her finger. “Give me a moment.” Heading over, she picked up the phone. “Tennant.” Listening she heard Wilford tell her that Alex was at the gate. “Thank you Sergeant, I’m going to send over one of my people to escort them here. His name is Ernie Malik. Okay, you have a good day also.” She hung up then called Ernie. “Hey Ernie, the kids are at the front gate. That would be wonderful, thank you.”Once the phone calls were made, Jane turned to her parents. “I have work to do but once I finish, I’ll be heading home. We can eat dinner before I take you to the hotel.”The noise level in the house was higher than normal as Jane cooked dinner. Julie and Alex were getting their grandfather into Pac-Man that was on Julie’s Nintendo Switch. The three were in the den playing the video game on the TV while her mother was hemming some of Julie’s pants that she’d yet to take to the seamstress. Eventually her mother left the three and headed into the kitchen to talk while Jane cooked their dinner.“What are you cooking?”“Hawaiian chicken.” Jane looked up at her mother. “Usually we grill it but I’m baking it in the oven.”Her mother picked up the bag of vegan chicken breast that had been marinating separately from the chicken. “What is this?”“That is Julie’s vegan chicken breast. She’s a vegetarian as of last year and while we use to all eat vegetarian meals, an agreement has been reached regarding meat. Alex needed protein after his baseball injury so now we just cook her vegan meat separately or have a veggie mix available.”“She should eat what you cook Jane. Julie shouldn’t have separate meals.”Jane took the bag from her mother. “Mom, let me parent my way please.”She put the tray of chicken and an oven safe casserole dish with Julie’s chicken in the oven. Turning on the stove, she put a pot of coconut rice on the eye to boil. A unique notification ring had her pulling her phone from her pocket to see a text from Joe saying he’d be home late.“All I’m saying Jane is you coddle the kids.”“Possibly.” She sent a text back to Joe and put her phone in her pocket. “But they’re my kids.”Julie caught her mother’s attention as they sat eating dinner an hour later, “can I get a puppy?”“Julie, we’ve talked about this.” Jane looked at her daughter, “no pets. Your brother will be at college next year and between my frequent work trips and you being at your dad's, it’s a lot to ask your dad or Jesse to take on a pet when you stay over.”“I know but Lani just got a puppy and it’s so cute Mom!”Knowing her daughter had been begging for years, Jane sighed. “I know Honey and I’m sorry my job takes a lot away from you guys.”“It doesn’t.” Alex pipped up defensively and pointed his attention at his mother. “At least you’re around, some parents aren’t. Neil’s mom works for FBI and he seeks her maybe twice a month.”Julie grinned, “I may not get a puppy but I have a lot of cool aunts and uncles.”“And Joe.” Her brother added and Julie nodded.“Don’t tell Uncle Jesse but I like Joe best.”Thomas looked between the two kids. “Who is Joe?”“Mom’s boyfriend.” Alex reached for another spoonful of rice to add to his plate.“You’re dating again?”With her parents’ attention on her, Jane realized she would be in for a round of questions. “Yeah Dad, I’m dating again.”“Are you though?” Alex questioned his mother, “is it dating if you’re going steady with the first man that asks you out?” He met his grandfather’s eyes, “he asked her out and they’ve been together since.”Narrowing her eyes at her son, Jane pointed. “Do you want to be grounded?”“I’m just calling it as I see it, Mom.”“What does he do?” Her mother’s inquiry had just started apparently. “Is he divorced also? Does he have kids? Is he Catholic.”The agent groaned and stared at her mother. “No, no, and no.”“He’s in the Navy.” Julie supplied as she nudged her brother and held out her plate for him to give her more rice.“Navy? I like him already.” Thomas spoke before taking a swig of beer.“I hope you plan to get married soon.” Her mother gave a look that Jane dreaded, “so I can have more grandchildren.”“Mom, I’m done having kids.”She waved a finger at her daughter, “and deny your husband children of his own.”“First, I’m not married and second, if we did get married, it’s still not happening. It’s kind of something you talk about in a relationship.” She stood and took her plate to the kitchen sink.After dinner was over and her parents made plans with the kids for the next day, Jane took them to their hotel. With dinner in hand, she headed to the base and pulled up outside the building that housed Security. Sending a quick text to Alex to say she was running dinner to Joe, she headed inside and was directed to a conference room where she found her boyfriend reviewing several documents.“Knock, knock.” She spoke from the doorway and he put the paper in his hand down.“What are you doing here?”She held up the glass container she held in hand. “I brought you dinner.”He pulled out the chair that was next to him and she sat down. “Alex sent me a text saying dinner was borderline stressful. I guess he saw you holding dinner and figured you head this way.” He accepted the container to feel it was hot. “You heated it in the break room before coming my way, didn't you?”“I did. I figured if you’re working late, I'd bring dinner to you.” She held out the plastic silverware she found in the breakroom. “He was right, it was stressful.”Joe uncovered the container, “tell me what happened.”“Well, my mom thinks we need to get married as quickly as possible so I can give her more grandchildren.” Jane picked up his pen and played with it while he started eating. “She seems to think that by saying I’m done having kids, that I’m denying my husband the right to his own.” She set the pen down, “I think my mom forgets at times that having children is my decision not hers.”Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Joe looked up. “Well, it’s a bit too soon to be making those type of decisions.”“Which I told her also.”“However, if we did get married in the future, I'd agree with you.” Joe reached out to squeeze her hand. “I have spent most of my younger years in the Navy building my career. Part of me hoped to meet someone I’d marry but up until a year ago I was sure I’d become an old military bachelor. You have Alex and Julie and we don’t have to have kids. I can be happy with you and I’m sure they’ll have kids of their own we could spoil.”She shook her head in amazement as he continuously took her breath away. “You would be happy with that?”“You and the Navy, that’s all I need. Everything else is just bonus.” He pointed to the food, “now on a separate note, your cooking is amazing.”“Enjoy.” She stood and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.”As she reached the door, he called to her. “Jane, I’ll have your back every time.”“I know. Now, finish eating so you can get work done and come home to me.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sound of her front door opening made Jane look over to see her parents walking in. The loud commotion of her house during a Saturday morning was surely one they weren’t expecting. Between Julie’s volleyball game and Alex prepping to spend the weekend camping with friends, she had a lot to do. Things were compounded because she had to drop Alex off at the campsite due to the teen getting a speeding ticket the day before and lost car privileges. If it wasn’t enough, Joe had left early in the morning due to meeting with Admiral Decker despite planning to help her get Alex to the camping location; the admiral had shown up out of the blue to observe a specific maneuver during RIMPAC.“Alex, I need to get in there!” Julie banged on the shared bathroom door as Jane packed a cooler. “Come on!”“Jules, use my bathroom.” Jane yelled after her daughter.“Thanks Mom.” She ran across the house annd up the stairs to disappear into the master bedroom and emerged even before her brother was finished.Jane looked back towards the bedroom as Alex came out with his backpack and sleeping bag. “Okay, I have everything. We ready?”“Everything?” She raised her eyebrow at her son.“Yeah. Let’s go.” He looked at the two women starring at him. “What?”“Shoes!” Both Tennant women stated as was becoming a pattern during rushed days.The agent chuckled as her son ran back to his room to get his shoes. “I’m not going to be there when you walk out of your dorm without shoes.” She threw his hoodie to him once he returned.“I’m almost eighteen Mom, I can handle it.”“Can you?” Julie asked her brother sarcastically as she grabbed her volleyball gear bag. “We’re always reminding you. If Mom and Joe have a baby, she won’t have time to remind you. I definitely won’t.”Jane opened the front door, “enough talk about babies. There will be no more babies!” She ushered everyone out the door, her parents included and she was thankful they had stayed silent. “Next time someone mentions babies, I will arrest them for harassment.”“What if Joe does?” Alex inquired while getting into the SUV.“He’ll be in the doghouse like everyone else.” Jane started the engine as all the doors shut.Watching her parents be civil with Daniel as they all sat watching Julie’s game at the YMCA gym was interesting. She knew her father was trying not to lecture her ex-husband over his actions regarding the divorce, especially now that she knew her father knew about Caitlyn. While she had hated how things had happened, she didn’t hate her ex-husband’s new wife. She’d made a point not to bring her up during the discussion with her father years before because it would have created more questions than she wanted to answer. She and Caitlyn didn’t talk unless absolutely necessary and it was better that way. Jane knew from what Alex said, his new stepmom didn’t do things one on one and even the parenting was very, very hands off.“Janey?” Jane turned attention to Daniel, “how long are your parents going to be here?”“Haven’t said, why?”He gave a look that said everything he meant. “Because your father looks ten seconds from murdering me.”“I wonder why. We’ve settled things between us but last they saw you was before the divorce and Alex told them how quickly you got engaged afterwards.”“Speaking of our son, where is he? He’s supposed to be grounded after that ticket yesterday.”She shrugged, “camping with friends, it was planned over a month ago so I didn’t ground him from that. Besides, being driven around by your mother is enough punishment for a kid his age.”“True.” He nodded out, “looks like your job is calling you.” She looked over to see Joe walking around the edges of the court, he waved when Julie waved to him as he started up the stairs of the bleachers. “Julie knows him? I thought your team was civilian?”“They are.” She turned to Joe as he sat on the other side of her. “What are you doing here?”Joe rubbed his hands on his slacks, “Decker cut me loose after the meeting so I figured I’d catch the end of the game.” He met her eyes, “unless you want me to leave.”“Not a chance.” She gripped his hand and threaded their fingers together. “Could have used you in the car this morning. Between my parents and kids, it was interrogation central.”Joe chuckled and kissed her temple, “I hope you didn’t arrest anyone. The text Julie sent me had me concerned for a moment.”“Too much paperwork.”“I imagine explaining to Big NCIS on why you arrested your kids and parents would be more paperwork than you’d want. That said, if you want peace tomorrow I can take Julie down to Pearl. I’m sure there’s a ship somewhere I could tour given RIMPAC.”Jane raised an eyebrow, “on your foot, not a chance. They barely let you off your crutches and you’re already aiming to go back.”“Offer stands, I can take her to do something.”“The way you two conspire together leaves me knowing it’ll be worse if I do.” She chuckled, “thank you though.”Joe kissed her temple again, “anytime.”As the game finished and the gym started to unfurl for everyone to leave, Jane stood up with Joe having a hand at her back. Julie was instantly over to her father to hug him as he’d leave after the game.“You played hard.” Daniel looked down at his daughter, “I’m proud even though you guys lost.”“Thanks Dad. Will you be here for my Wednesday game?”He nodded, “absolutely.”“Maybe we could have dinner after.”Jane reached out to pat her daughter’s back, “I think that’s a great idea.”“Love you.” She hugged her dad again and then made a beeline for Joe, giving him a hug.Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets, “who’s the sailor?”“My boyfriend.”“They seem to get on well.” He watched as Julie and Joe talked at length.Jane smiled, “calls us packaged deal, the kids and I. Knew if he wanted to date me it meant interacting with Julie and Alex so he has formed a bond with each.” She shared a look with her ex, “which is more than I can say for Caitlyn. From what Alex says, she’s pretty hands off and doesn’t really do anything one on one with them.”“She doesn’t feel that comfortable with them and I’m not going to push her.”She put up her hands, “I’m just going based off what the kids have said.”“I’ll talk to her again but I won’t force her.”She pointed over her shoulder, “I need to go separate those two before they get into trouble. I’ll see you on Wednesday.” She turned and walked away, “okay break up the conspiracy session you two.”Julie looked giddy as she spoke, “Joe said we can get ice cream.”“I said if your mother agreed.” The man stated, “your mother can kill me in my sleep and make it look like an accident. Deferring to her is a must.”The ten year old looked at him, “traitor.”“What have I said about accusing people of treason?” Jane chuckled and accepted her daughter’s bag. “Ice cream sounds good if treason-like behavior is left at the car.”“Grandma and grandpa headed to the house; Grandma wanted to make dinner.”Dinner ended up being just adults since Lucy had come by to pick up Julie for a surf date. Between her and Whistler, Julie was in safe hands with plans for an arcade after surfing and dinner. A five minute argument was made for a sleep over by Lucy herself and Jane relented, realizing she and Joe could use a night without the kids.“So Pacific Fleet?” Thomas asked Joe as they stood with beers on the back patio. “The whole fleet?”“Yes sir, but now I’m Pacific Relations so every military op, interaction, and talk between us and other pacific countries. Basically, I’m a liaison between us and other militaries in the common goal of peace.”“Huh.” Thomas took a sip of beer, “Janey swore off military men so it surprised me when the kids said you were Navy.”Joe looked over as they saw the two women in the kitchen, “well in all actuality sir, I don’t think either of us were expecting each other.”“You thinking of proposing soon?”“Well sir, it’s still too early. We’ve only been together officially since May, before that was work. I won’t lie to say I haven’t thought about it.” Joe sighed, “when you know, you know. I’m more cautious though because of what Jane went through with Daniel and because the kids are involved in this. Those three are a packaged deal.”The door to the patio slid open and Jane walked out with food. “Mom is bringing the stir fry out in a moment.” She put the two bowls of food she held on to the table. “So be seated gentlemen.”Taking the food from her mother as she stepped outside, Jane put it on the table. “Looks good, you girls out did yourselves.”“You act like we don’t cook.” Maria slapped her husband’s arm and sat down. “Eat, eat. Now, Jane was just telling me all about you Captain.”“Joe ma’am.” He accepted the plate that Jane handed him. “Usually, my rank is only used as a formality or when I’m in trouble with Jane. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet earlier this morning, I had to head to Pearl before the sun even rose.”Thomas waved him off, “when an admiral calls you don’t do anything other than run. You made the right call.”“I feel otherwise but when Julie accidently injured my foot, my RIMPAC duties changed.”“That’s a story I’d like to hear.”Joe wiped his mouth and looked at his girlfriend’s parents. “It’s not really an entertaining story. I was fixing the garbage disposal and I asked for the wrench. Julie dropped the wrench on my foot when she tripped on the kitchen rug; fractured my metatarsal bone.” “I noticed that you and the kids have a relationship.”“Yes sir.” Joe glanced over to see Jane eating her meal while watching the two. “As I said before, Jane and the kids are a packaged deal. Alex and I have bonded over the World Wars; exchanging facts and videos.”Jane met Joe’s eyes, “while you and Julie conspire together. You two are thick as thieves.”“When are you getting married?” It was a blunt question and Jane had learned years before to restrain herself when her mother blurted out such questions.“Still a new relationship Mom.” Jane stated and glanced at Joe before continuing. “We’re building a foundation.”Joe reached over to grasp Jane’s hand. “It’s too soon to make such decisions. Jane’ll let me know when she wants to move to the next level of our relationship.”Her mother waved her finger, “children should be born to a marriage. Get married before giving me grandchildren.”Seeing Jane on edge, Joe spoke up. “Jane and I have talked and we don’t want children, at least none of our own. I know Alex and Julie are enough for Jane and in the future we’d have their kids to spoil and care for.” Joe squeezed Jane’s leg under the table.“If you’ve talked then that’s enough. Maria lay off on suggesting grandchildren.” Thomas looked at his wife. “If these two have talked, then the subject is a moot point.”“We’re thinking of staying till the first of August if you don’t mind.”“The kids will be thrilled.” Jane reached out and spooned another serving of rice on her plate. “Julie has volleyball on Wednesdays and Saturdays but other than that she’s free. You guys could potentially island hop.”The radio played as the four worked to clean the kitchen and straightened everything up. Joe started to dry the pots, trays and wok as Jane washed plates and cups to put in the dishwasher. As Jane put the last dish in the dishwasher and the wok was put away, Joe pulled Jane close and started dancing with her. The female agent blushed but gripped his right hand with her left and wrapped her right arm around his waist.“You’re beautiful.” The naval officer met her eyes. “Even when you get woken up at three in the morning and haven’t had coffee.”Jane smiled and leaned her forehead against his, their noses brushing. “Liar, I’m a monster when that happens.”“Not to me.”
The smile on your face lets me know that you need meThere's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave meThe touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fallYou say it best, when you say nothing at all
“Why does every day of this relationship feel like a month?”Joe kissed her forehead, “I feel it too and I don’t understand either. I spoke to my mother about it when she called last weekend. She married my father before he deployed to Vietnam, they’d only been dating a month. She said you just know when you know and insisted that I bring you to Reed City one day.”“So, you’re saying you…”“I love you, Jane Tennant.” Jane watched as his facial features screamed honesty. “I don’t expect you to say anything until you’re ready. I know however that I love you and I think in some small way, I’ve loved you since we met on a field of plane wreckage.”With a blush on her cheeks, Jane proceeded to kiss him. After several small kisses, she leaned her forehead against his. “You always say the last thing I expected to come out of your mouth.”“You have this ability to make me spill my guts with only a look.” Rubbing his nose against hers, Joe proceeded to drag his nose across her cheek till he could kiss her temple. “I don’t know what it is but ever since I met you, I’ve been defenseless.” The song had changed on the radio and both were just swaying in place.
And I wanna stand out in a crowd for youA man among menI wanna make your world betterThan it's ever been
And I'm gonna love youLike nobody loves youAnd I'll earn your trustMakin' memories of us
“Thank you for rescuing me from my mother.”His hand on her back brushed up from her lumbar to mid-back where her dress left bare skin. The touch sent goosebumps across Jane’s skin. Joe brushed what had to be a fifth kiss across her temple. “I could see the topic put you on edge. You save me in the professional world so I’ll save you in our private life.”A chuckle radiated from the female agent. “I do seem to save you a lot.”“I told you after the bombing that you’re my hero. You are a hero Jane Tennant and if I could give you a dozen medals, I would.”“That would be a conflict of interest but I appreciate the offer, Captain.”A throat clearing made them break apart to see Thomas and Maria waiting by the table. “We’re going to head out Janey. Will we see you tomorrow?”“You will.” She gravitated towards her parents and hugged them both. “I’ll text you both when the kids are ready for Mass.”“Walk us to the car Janey.”At her father’s insistence she walked them to their rental car. “Is something wrong Dad?” She asked while closing the front door.“Janey, don’t let this one go.” Thomas put a hand on her arm, “I watched him the whole evening and your interactions. I was always hesitant about Daniel but you were an adult so I let you do what you wanted. This one looks at you like you’re the world. Buddy of mine is a divorce lawyer and he says that people don’t change in a relationship. How they are before marriage is how they will be afterwards. Joe is a good egg Janey, he’s great with the kids and watching you two dance just affirms my gut feeling.”Hearing her father speak about Joe like he hadn’t with Daniel, Jane could only hug her father. “I’m happy Dad, truly happy. First time since the divorce.”“Get married.” Her mother was blunt and full of sincerity as she hugged Jane.“I still have to finalize and go over plans but I was thinking of bringing the kids to Bethesda for Christmas. Daniel and his wife are going to Seattle so I figured we’d have Christmas with you.” She watched their expressions. “Is that something you’d be interested in?”“Absolutely. Let us know when you plan to come up and we’ll fly you guys in.”They left for their hotel and Jane walked back to the front door. As she closed it behind herself, Joe stood leaning against the dining table with his arms folded.“Everything okay?”“Yeah.” She walked over and he wrapped his arms around her. “They approve of you, my dad said not to let you go.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jane was helping Julie with her homework when her phone vibrated to notify her that she had a message. Pulling the phone out of her pocket, she noticed a text from her boyfriend. He was instructing her to check her email so she did and found a reservation for a roundtrip plane ticket. She’d been planning to catch a jump seat on a Coast Guard C-130 as Neil had told her there would be a couple seats available on a flight heading to the Eastern Seaboard the week she was going to be in DC.“Do you understand the examples or do we need to do a couple more?” Jane inquired while sliding her phone to the side, she would handle the plane ticket situation later in the evening.Julie continued to write a problem out. “I think I understand but I’ll do a couple more practice problems before starting the portion I have to do for homework.”“Alright. I’m going to check on your brother before starting dinner.” The female agent stood and headed to her son’s room. “Alex?”“Yeah Mom?” Her son opened his door and Jane looked past him to see his desk was a disaster and computer had a paper half written on it.“Just checking to see if you need help with anything.”The teenager shrugged, “just working on my paper for Animal Farm.”“I’m going to make dinner, just let me know if you need anything.”Alex looked back at his computer. “You could have warned me about the comparison to Communism.”“Part of reading and understanding the book.” She left him at his door and headed to the kitchen to start making dinner.Julie stood up and grabbed her calculator from her bag. “I’m going to start work on my homework problems.”“Remember calculator is last step.” Jane pointed to her daughter, “put it up till you’ve completely finished.”“Fine.” Her daughter pushed the calculator away from her.Noticing the time and doing the time zone calculation that was becoming automatic, Jane grabbed her phone and hit a contact that was on her speed dial. The phone rang before Joe picked up on the other end. “Jane?”“I’m here. Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”Joe chuckled, “no, not when I just got back from dealing with a situation in the Solomon Islands. The C-130 landed two hours ago and I’m wide awake. Decker gave me tomorrow off so I can get some rest. I tried to get a layover in Honolulu for the weekend but he insisted he already gave me a month during RIMPAC.”“I was planning on taking a jump seat myself next weekend. I inquired with Neil and he said there would be a couple seats available heading that way.”
“The flight is completely refundable so I’ll cancel it and you can use it in December. That is if you want to take the jump seat. Just let me know what you want to do.”
Jane opened the fridge and pulled out several items she needed to make spaghetti sauce. “I wish you would have consulted me before buying a ticket. We usually talk about things like this so I don’t understand why you didn’t talk to me first.”“I did it as a surprise. Due to our constant use of jump seats, I thought you’d like to use an airline. I see now it wasn’t the best idea.” The sound of beeping in the phone background was followed by a thud, the phone being dropped was one she was familiar with so she waited till Joe got back on the line. “Sorry, my dinner was going to burn so I put the phone down.”Reaching into the junk drawer, Jane removed her EarPods and put them in so she could place the phone on the counter. “I’m making dinner myself, spaghetti with homemade sauce.”
“Sounds amazing, one thing out of a dozen that I miss is your cooking. Leftover pizza is my victim. How are the kids?”
“Julie is struggling with math; I can only imagine how it’ll be next year when she moves to middle school. Alex is working on his book report for Animal Farm. He was taken aback regarding the similarities to Communism.” She pulled out a cutting board to start on onions for the sauce. “What happened in the Solomon Islands?”There was silence for a moment as he finished chewing. “I’m sure you heard that the Solomon Islands are no longer allowing foreign military ships into their ports. They’re saying it is due to paperwork but in reality, it’s due to defense pacts made with China. Growing tensions are the real reason; they don’t want to piss off China so instead they’re making it so all military ships must be rerouted to Papua New Guinea. I flew out to Australia to meet with their ambassador but it was a useless meeting as I couldn’t make any headway. I met with the ambassador for Papua New Guinea and made enough headway that our ships will be allowed in port indefinitely.”“I thought our ambassador would handle that.”“He and I both tried; Decker sent me to work the military angle while the ambassador worked for the civilian angle.” She heard water running in the background and knew he was washing his plate. “Enough work talk, how are you doing? I miss you.”“Me too.” Jane put a skillet on the stove and turned the heat on while she went about prepping tomatoes to roast and blanch. “I’m doing well. First few weeks of school were rough with Alex because he has a girlfriend now but didn’t want to tell me. When I talked to Daniel about Alex’s secretive behavior, he let me know that Alex told him about this girl. Did he tell you also?”
“No, I didn’t know. Last conversation we had was about his history paper reviewing the Bay of Pigs Invasion. That was his first week back to school, since then it’s been radio silence.”
Jane looked over to see Julie was reviewing her work regarding her math problems. “Jules, how are you doing?”“Fractions suck!” The girl stated before going back to redo one of her problems.“I think math is something everyone hates.” Jane went back to working on the tomatoes. “Fractions apparently are everyone’s worst nightmare.”The naval officer chuckled, “tell Julie I feel the same sometimes when it comes to conferences. It’s late here so I’m going to try to get some sleep. I doubt I will but it’s worth a try.”“I’ll let you know my decision tomorrow regarding the flight.”“I look forward to your text.” A yawn erupted from her boyfriend so she only smiled as she laid tomatoes on a baking sheet to be put in the oven to roast. “Jane, I wish I was there.”Humming, she turned the oven on to the correct temperature. “You could always put in papers, bring that music out of storage.” The statement was a call back to their first date.
“Tempting. Tell the kids I said hello and you get some rest also; I know how hard you’re working. I love you.”
The female SAC leaned against the counter, “I wish you were here also.”
“Good night.”
“Good night Joe.” They hung up and she put the EarPods back in their case and threw them back into the junk drawer.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sound of various voices and heels on the floor didn’t deter Jane Tennant as she made her way through the busy corridors of the Pentagon. Her badge on the hip didn’t make her stand out in the building filled with officers, analysts, politicians and contractors. She’d had to ask Whistler for the particular office number she wanted and it had only been Lucy swinging in quickly before she got questioned to the nth degree on why she wanted specific office numbers at the Pentagon like she herself wasn’t an ex-CIA operative.Opening the door to the set of offices, she saw a woman that had to be edging in on sixty look up at her. “Deputy Assistant is booked today, take a card and call back for an appointment.” She motioned to the cards on the desk.“Umm, well I guess this goes down as a bad decision to show up to surprise him.” Jane picked up one of the cards with Joe’s name on it. She fingered his name on the card before looking at his secretary. “Is he in a meeting?”“He’s booked up today, take a card and call back for an appointment.” The woman looked up at her again. “Look, you come in randomly and you get stuck with an empty or full schedule. Today it’s full.” The woman shook her head, “do you have an urgent reason that would require me interrupting him? If not, take a card and schedule an appointment. If you’re just here to ask him to lunch like the last two women, it’s just best to get lost.”Jane looked down at the card in her hand. “I’m his girlfriend, I flew in a day early to surprise him.” She held out her hand, “Jane Tennant.”All the secretary did was look at her hand as if she had no importance. “And I’m married to George Clooney.”She sat down in one of the chairs against the wall. “I can wait.” The secretary took of her glasses and put them down. “Miss, I will really need you to move along or I will have to call security.” Jane only raised an eyebrow, “are you seriously make both of us go through this?”The door to the office opened, probably due to the noise, and Joe stepped out only to look at his secretary, “Irene, what’s going on?”“Don’t worry sir, I’m about to call security on this woman.” She picked up the phone as she spoke, “you can go back to your meeting.”He looked across the room at Jane, “Jane, you’re here.”“Hi stranger.” She stood up and walked over to him and was greeted instantly with a hug. It was one she took a few moments to soak it in before pulling back to greet him with a chaste kiss. “Thought I’d surprise you.”“Definitely a surprise.” He looked over at his secretary who stood watching with the phone in hand. “Reschedule my last two meetings for today and call Le Gris for a reservation tonight, 8pm.”The secretary sat down, “this is your girlfriend?”“Yes, Jane Tennant, Irene Heatherford.” He looked down at Jane, “met this woman in Hawaii before I left and haven’t been able to let go.”“Well Miss Tennant, I humbly ask for forgiveness. I was rude, so rude.”“Just keep an eye on this one like you’re doing and we’ll be even.” She looked up at Joe, “he’s not getting enough sleep. I hear the exhaustion every time I speak with him.”The woman nodded, “I said the same thing, honestly, he does twice as much as the previous guy in his position and he’s a lot younger. At this rate he’ll be in the grave faster than the other one.”Joe scratched the back of his neck and looked between the two. “Okay, this is too uncomfortable for me. I’m taking you home before you start conspiring with Admiral Decker next.” He slipped back into his officer to gather his belongings. “Jane you can come in.”She followed and found his office was on par with his rank and position but held little of personal mementos. There was one picture though that sat on the desk from his stay the during RIMPAC. It shocked her of the beautiful candidness of it, them looking at each other over dinner but she couldn’t remember who took it. “Where’s this from?”“Oh, Alex texted it to me.” He watched as she held it, “I got it within hours of touching down. He must have taken it when we weren’t looking.”“He dropped a bomb on me last week,” she put the picture back on the desk, “wants to join the Navy. I expect you to burst that bubble or at least question it within an inch its life before telling if its genuine or not.”Joe chuckled, “you can’t?”“No, not me. I’m the unprying, cool mom.” She took his jacket off the coat rack and held it out for him to slip his arms in. “Besides, he respects your opinion so if you inquire without it seeming like I sent you, he’ll be honest.”The naval officer leaned down to kiss her forehead as he put his hands on her upper arms. “And if it’s genuine?”“I’d drive him to the recruiting office myself.” She watched him pick up his briefcase. “His father would kill me but if it’s really what he wants, with actual thought and purpose, I’d back it without regret.”Jane was defiantly feeling the twelve hour plane ride as she got onto the Washington DC roads. She drove behind Joe in her rental that she gotten from the airport, something she would need as she planned to look around DC during the week while Joe was at work. She knew that Joe wanted to have dinner but the exhaustion from time zones and plane changes made sleep more inviting. That meant telling him to postpone dinner until the next night or two.The townhouse he was renting was part of a duplex on a whole street of duplexes. Pulling up and parking behind him on the street, she was met with a naval officer in uniform who was already popping the trunk to get her bags out. She had only a hard shell suitcase instead of her usual duffle but only because she had a dress that needed to stay in the garment bag portion of her suitcase.Once inside, Jane was half expecting a bachelor pad but found the townhouse felt like home. She waited as Joe placed his uniform coat in the coat closet by the door, his cover went on the shelf inside. Peeling off her own, Jane handed it over when he wordlessly asked for her coat. Jane felt his hand on her back and when she looked at him, saw concern.“I’m okay.” It was supplied to answer his wordless question.“You’re tired.” Joe kissed her temple and rubbed her back. “I’ll call the restaurant and move our reservation. I’m going to get out of this uniform, feel free to explore.”While he went upstairs, Jane looked around to see the house was well furnished and lived in. There was a bedroom by the stairs and she opened the door to see it had been converted into an office but there was a twin bed with sheets and comforter in the corner. Closing the door, she headed past the stairs to find a living room with a three seater couch, coffee table and TV. In the back of the townhouse there was a small yard, tiny compared to hers but it held a grill and patio.Noticing pictures over the fireplace mantle, she made her way over and smiled at the pictures. Some were of women she assumed were his mother and sister. One was of him as a boy with his father in front of his father’s hardware store. Pictures of nieces and nephews also joined the others. The last picture was of her with Julie and Alex, she remembered it was from a fundraising cookout the month before for Julie’s soccer team. They’d needed to raise money for the upcoming season.Deciding to find Joe, she headed upstairs and had to peak into the various bedrooms to see which was the master. Each had furniture but the first she found was one that she felt Julie would want. A queen size metal canopy bed with white sheets and a baby blue duvet on it. Under the windows was a padded window seat with a purple blanket folded up with a soccer ball on it. It was the third bedroom that held the master bedroom and it wasn’t what she expected. The furniture had been used by a couple because it screamed feminine touch not bachelor pad.The king size bed had a blue duvet with white sheets and a cushioned bench at the bottom of the bed. He’d put her suitcase on the bench and apparently was taking a shower. She heard the water running and decided she could use one also. Upon opening the suitcase, she removed the detachable garment bag and laid it across the bed to hang up in the closet once she found it.Removing leggings and a white tee, Jane headed to the bathroom. The steam was fogging up the sliding glass doors to obscure the naval officer from her view. She removed her clothes and slipped into the shower behind Joe.“Not opposed to the view.” She stated softly while running her hands down his back.Joe chuckled and turned around, pulling her close as he kissed her. “This is nice. Haven’t done this in a while.”“Fun later. My plan is to shower and then relax.” She pulled his head closer for a second kiss as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I mean it.”“Are you sure?” He nipped her under her ear then her ear lobe. “I can be very convincing.”Jane groaned but pulled her head back anyways. “Normally I’d let you convince me but I’m exhausted.”“Fair enough.” He kissed her temple and pulled his arms away. “Body wash is behind you.”She turned and found the body washes and shampoo-conditioners she used at home. “You bought me what I normally use.”“I did.” He turned the water a little hotter and slid the glass door open. Taking a towel from the door rail, Joe stepped out. “Take as long as you want. I’m going to grab some food and sit down to review my staff evaluations.”She slid the door open partially and caught his arm before he was out of reach. A quick kiss and she was back in the shower with the door closed.Joe looked up when he heard footsteps on the bare wood. He had a stack of files that sat on the coffee table and held one in his hands with a pen. Jane padded over and sat down on the couch beside him, using the remote to turn on ZNN. With the news station in the background, Jane went through the materials her team had sent her during her flights. They had a case they were working on and needed her to look over a few things. Her phone could only do so much so she eventually stood up and went to the office. Returning with his laptop, she opened it and found it had a lock screen. “What’s your password?”“Maluhia, uppercase M.” Without shifting his eyes away from his work, he told her his password.Jane entered the word in and the main screen came up. “Most people don’t share passwords. I was expecting you to put it in yourself.”“Most people aren’t dating an ex-CIA agent who has one of the most fearsome cyber specialists on her speed dial.” He looked up with a smirk and she chuckled as she logged on to the NCIS database to do what work she needed to do.“Why ‘peace’ for a password?”Joe put down his pen and turned his attention completely towards her. “It was the answer to the first question one of the chiefs asked me during a land handoff. I was a commander and it was my first job on the island for Admiral Wentworth.”Interested in the story, Jane leaned against the arm of the chair she was sitting next to. Settling her feet in his lap, she only waited a few moments before he sat back also against the couch cushions and started rubbing her feet. “What did the chief ask you?”“He asked me ‘What is a word that is a brother to hope, sister to love, and enemy to war?’ and looking like a stumped, white, wide-eyed sailor, it took him telling me the answer for me to understand.” Rubbing his palm up the underside of her foot, Joe met her eyes as he surveyed her attire. The shirt she wore was one of his white undershirts that had been stretched out. Her usually loose hair was put up in a very messy bun. “Plus, the area we met is actually called Maluhia Fields and is in the process of being converted into a nature preserve.”“Sap!” She blushed and smiled widely before pulling her feet away to sit up and use his laptop to work on the materials her team had sent her.“Maybe.” Joe reached out to rub her lumbar.About thirty minutes in, she looked over at the man who had made her start to fall in love all over again “Did you pick out the furniture?”“No,” he looked up at her. “The couple who was here before moved to Europe and since the agent was going to trash it after the showing, I said I’d take it. Only thing I bought were linens and mattresses for the beds and items for the kitchen. The rest came from Pearl.”It was closing in on six when Joe looked over at Jane to see her laying against the arm of the couch with her phone precariously hanging from her hand. She was dozing and he realized he never got tired of seeing the peaceful and unstressed expression on her face when she slept. Packing up his files in his briefcase, he walked around the couch to gently take her phone from her hand to place it on the coffee table.“Jane, sweetheart?” He roused her gently and she opened her sleep- filled eyes. “Hey, you fell asleep. Let’s get you upstairs to bed.”She blinked several times before slowly starting to sit up. Joe held out his hands and she took them, allowing him to pull her off the couch. “What time is it?”“Don’t worry about that. Let’s just get you up to bed so you can get some decent sleep after your long day.” He made a daring move and picked her up bridal style and kissed her crown. “Come on.”Once he got her upstairs and in bed, covers curled up around her, Jane mumbled with tiredness in her voice. “Get up at 7.”“Okay. I’ll set an alarm.” He brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her temple. “Sleep well Sweetheart. I love you.”
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The sound of a coffee grinder was what woke Jane the next morning and she opened her eyes to see the bedroom was still dark which meant she hadn’t overslept. Her phone wasn’t on the nightstand where she normally kept it and turning on the bedside light didn’t help her find the device either. She sat up once the light was on and yawned, brushing her hair back from her face. Joe wasn’t beside her but she didn’t see why he would be when a grinder was still making noise.Seeing his phone on the nightstand, she reached over and picked up the device. He’d given her the entry code one day when she’d answered a call for him while he’d been driving. Despite knowing the code, she wasn’t one to go through another person’s phone or computer without asking. All she wanted to know was the time and like any other phone, it lit up when she picked it up. It was then that she found two things that brought a smile to her face despite the early hour. One, the image on the screen was one she recognized as the picture of her Alex had taken for her so-called profile picture the day Joe had left Hawaii the first time. Number two was he had set the alarm on his phone and had left it on the nightstand instead of taking it with him downstairs so it could wake her.She got out of bed and out of habit, made the bed on both sides. After a quick use of the bathroom, Jane headed downstairs to get coffee and find something for breakfast. The hard wood was cold on her feet once she was downstairs but having served in various parts of the world, it wasn’t uncomfortable.“Morning.” She stated with a yawn and Joe turned from where he was standing in front of the open fridge.“Morning. How did you sleep?” He accepted the kiss she gave him before heading to the living room that was across from the kitchen. She found her phone upon looking at the coffee table, realizing she’d probably left it the night before.She yawned for the third time that morning. “Good, I vaguely remember you carrying me to bed before nothing.” One of the barstools that sat under the island bar was immediately occupied as she returned. Taking a moment to place his phone across from him, she focused on the naval officer. “How’d you sleep?”“About on par with how I normally sleep, felt a bit more relaxed with you beside me so it was deeper for the first time since RIMPAC.” He pulled two mugs down from a cabinet and poured them both coffee, adding a bit of cream to hers before handing it over. “Feel like breakfast?”“Yes, I could do with food considering I didn’t eat last night.”“I’ve yet to grocery shop this week so will bagels and cream cheese work?” He watched her drink half the cup of coffee in one go. “If not, I have oatmeal or the ever childish cereal.”Jane chuckled and put down her coffee. “Cereal is never childish. I still like cereal every once and while and it’s a calm neutral with Julie’s vegetarian diet.” Watching him drink his coffee, Jane grinned. “I’ve missed this.”“Coffee before the kids wake?”“No, well yes, but coffee with you.” She took a sip as he walked around the island, pausing only to kiss her. “That too.” He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Phone calls and video chats can only do so much when you’re five thousand miles apart.”Joe rubbed his hand up and down her arm, “well I get you for a week or is it the other way around?”“Matter of perspective, Captain.” She stole her third kiss of the morning before standing from the barstool to walk around the counter to pour more coffee. “If you want to start getting ready for work, I can make breakfast.”“I have time.” He watched her remove eggs, green onions, tomatoes, and sausage from the fridge. “Need any help?”She opened a cabinet to remove a bowl to start mixing eggs. “Start chopping.”After washing dishes and wiping down the counters, Jane headed upstairs to find Joe brushing his teeth and hair. She leaned against the doorframe with her coffee cup in hand, a smile on her face. “I miss watching you do things like this.”As soon as his toothbrush was back in the cup by the faucet handle, he wiped his mouth using the washcloth she’d used earlier to wash her face after waking up. It was a ritual they’d developed during his time in Hawaii over RIMPAC. “Yeah?”“I do. May seem mundane to everyone else but I don’t get to see you often so I enjoy all the little things people take for granted.” She watched him pull on his khaki uniform top and as he buttoned it, she walked over and set her coffee cup down to fix his collar. The insignias already put on the lapel the night before. “Do you have a gym bag I can borrow?”“Closet, top shelf on the left.” She reached around his neck to fix the entirety of his collar as he watched her. “Fair warning, it’s the one I use for PT so it screams Navy.”Jane chuckled and removed her hands from his collar. “Well, you scream Navy so it makes sense.”“I miss seeing you like this also.” He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and leaned in to kiss her. One kiss turned into three before they pulled apart so both could breathe. Jane patted his chest before she walked past him into the closet, leaving him to turn his head to watch her. “I won’t even say anything about you teasing me right now.”“Smart move Captain.” She emerged from the closet with the gym bag, “I tease you because I care.”“Somehow I doubt that’s the case.” He chuckled as he followed her out of the bathroom, him picking up her left behind coffee cup. “I think you know it drives me nuts.”The special agent looked at him once she sat on the bed and threw a change of gym clothes in the bag. “I wouldn’t go as far as saying to drive you nuts.”He leaned over and kissed her, pulling back to meet her eyes. “If I didn’t have to be some place, I’d keep you in bed all day on the verge of going crazy.”“Promises Captain.” It was said with a chuckle as she zipped the bag and stood up, “don’t start something you can’t finish.”He whispered in her ear before pulling back to see her expression as bordering on surprise and shock. Despite the racy statements he had whispered to her, Joe kissed her cheek and walked away. “I’ll be downstairs making coffee to go.”“You can’t just walk away after saying that.” She followed him, turning off the bedroom light as she went. “Joe!”Her goal was to head to the Washington Navy Yard for the fitness center but she decided to swing by NCIS first. Getting upstairs wasn’t that much of an issue and when she did, she saw people that she had missed in her own way since dealing with Herman Maxwell. They seemed to be elbow’s deep in new fiscal year paperwork if she understood from the amount of grumbling was to go by. One face was absent but she wasn’t too broken up about it.“Hey guys.” She stopped by Jessica Knight’s wall and she watched them all look up to see her. “New fiscal year means no reusable templates; I understand the pain.”Tim McGee looked up from his computer. “Special Agent Tennant, what brings you to Washington?”“Let me guess,” Knight stated, “to kick Torres’ ass.”“I wouldn’t go that far.” Jane walked into the bullpen and leaned on Parker’s desk, “no, I’m in DC for the Navy Ball this Saturday.”Knight smirked, “do tell, I thought only military got invited.”“You’re right. Unless you’re a plus one and then a civilian can go.”Knight smirked, “a guy? Must be some guy if you came all the way from Hawaii.”Deciding to ask the million dollar question, Jane looked over at an empty desk. “Where’s Torres?”McGee looked halfway towards amusement. “Couples counseling.”“Couples counseling?” Jane shared in the amusement. “Share please.”Knight put down her pen, “so the agent that was before me, it’s a long story but all I’ll say is she decided to leak an NSA document to become a dirty agent so she could infiltrate an Eastern European trafficking ring.”“That doesn’t explain anything.”“Basically, she and Torres did the whole ‘will they, won’t they’ dance.” McGee supplied, “when she got cleared and came back it was a disaster. Vance demanded they do couples counseling.”Knight nodded to Jane, “yeah, it’s amusing some days and annoying others.”“Eleanor Bishop?” She asked and saw heads pop up. “Memo went out twice across all SACs. First was an arrest memo and the second a clearance memo.”Before anyone could confirm her statement, they heard bickering arriving from the elevator. All three looked over to see Torres and Bishop walking in, both arguing.“…if you didn’t just go.” Torres turned to her.“I’m sorry, was breaking an international trafficking ring not pertinent enough?” The blonde stared him down. “Or did Nick Torres get his feelings hurt so much he can’t accept that other people exist in the world?”Torres raised his finger and pointed at her. “No, I’m pissed you didn’t read me in. I could have handled everything else.”“Newsflash Nick, I couldn’t or did Vance not tell everyone that when I came back. No one could know!” She walked past him and over to her desk.Jane waited and finally Torres paused when he saw her. “Special Agent Tennant, don’t tell me we have another international bomber.”“No, no bomber.”“You come all the way from Hawaii to visit then?”Knight stood up, “no, she’s here for a date.”“A date?” The man looked confused. “You came all the way from Hawaii for a date?”Jane folded her arms, “you look confused.”“Well I am. Plane tickets are expensive and you’re here for a date.” Torres dropped his bag by his desk. “Must be some guy.”Jane raised an eyebrow, “he is. That said, I’m not the one in couples counseling.”McGee stood up, “sorry to cut this short Agent Tennant but we have a case. Guys, Parker said to meet him outside, dead naval officer at the Pentagon.”“Oh great, only a thousand people to question.” Torres stated as they all grabbed their bags. “That is unless Special Agent Tennant wants to tag along.”“That’s not half bad, unless you have things to do.” McGee inquired with her, “you want to help?”Jane waved them off, “its my week off, I just thought I’d come say hello.”After hitting the fitness center and going grocery shopping, Jane headed back the townhouse to do normal tasks that she knew needed to be done. She didn’t know why but she and Joe fell into a common domestic routine when together. No toes got stepped on, they seemed to be in sync almost all the time once the initial awkwardness of the first week he stayed during RIMPAC. Laundry was put in the wash as she collected Joe’s dirty uniforms for her to take the dry cleaner the next day when she headed to Navy Yard Fitness Center. A phone call to the kids was followed by binge watching several episodes of cooking shows on Netflix.The key in the lock let her know Joe was home and he was on the phone as he entered the townhouse, with what was likely Admiral Decker judging by the conversation tone. “…and until they release the scene, Tucker will be working out of the spare office. Well, no one was more surprised than me when I walked down the hall to see NCIS Agents coming out of Tucker’s offices. I can’t say if he had a hand in it but if he did, trust me it’ll be better to have him in our offices.” Joe leaned over the couch and kissed Jane’s crown. “Yes sir, I will reach out and let him know. You too Admiral, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He hung up and sat down on the couch to untie his shoes. “Death in the East Asian office today.”She paused the TV and met his eyes, “I know, well not who it was but I knew there was a death. I swung by NCIS to say hello to friends when they got the call. They asked if I wanted to tag along but I opted out. It’s my week off.”“If Vance asked, you’d be in the middle of it.” He stood and picked up his shoes, “you forget I know you.”“Yes, maybe, but he didn’t ask.” She accepted the second kiss he gave her.Joe walked past her and headed towards the stairs, “let me shower then we can go grocery shopping.”“I already went shopping.” Jane followed him and found him at the top of the stairs as she started up them. “Just throw your uniform on top of the ones in the basket. I’ll take them to the dry cleaners when I go to the gym tomorrow.”Joe stood in the bathroom in slacks and white undershirt, removing the ribbons and insignia from the shirt and lapel. “You don’t have to do things like this while you’re here.”“It’s a routine we established during RIMPAC and I enjoy my routine.” Jane accepted the ribbons and insignia he put in her hand since she stood with her hand out. “Unless I’m stepping on your toes.”“No toes being stepped on.” He watched her take the ornaments as she exited the bathroom into the bedroom. “Right, uniform with the others.”Jane was working on making foil pouches to make salmon when Joe came into the kitchen ten minutes after he handed upstairs. She looked up to see him grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. She couldn’t help but smile as she admired him in jeans and a Naval Academy tee. So used to seeing him in uniform or slacks and oxford; the agent wasn’t immune to how good her boyfriend looked when he wore relaxing clothes and his curls weren’t swept back.“Baked salmon okay for dinner?”“Perfect.” Joe sat at the bar and watched her work. “What did you do today?”Jane turned back to the fridge and pulled out salmon, fresh rosemary and lemons. “Gym until I could call the kids. Spoke to them for about an hour and lectured Alex about not letting his girlfriend stay over once Julie told me Cassandra stayed over last night.”“Cause for concern?”“Possibly, she's a little too carefree for my taste but I'm not dating her. Alex is responsible but he's there with Julie so I'd rather be cautious. I don't know if you remember your awkward morning, however, I worry about Julie being exposed to indecency. First relationships create a fog that sometimes is hard to manage until you know what to expect past the lovey-dovey moments. When you are there, we had boundaries and rules that we agreed to. I trust Alex but I don't know if he's be able to set the same boundaries when in this fog. I called Ernie to swing by and just check on the kids on his way home. He will be spending the week on my couch, his suggestion not mine.”Joe chuckled as she slid the unused cutting board over. He stood and wordlessly accepting the request she was asking of him, working on the lemon while she worked on the fish. “I think every teenage boy is stupid about a girl at least once.”“Hmm, that sounds like a story.”Joe grinned, “Madeline Dossier, it was the week before I graduated.”“Oh, who found you?” Jane inquired with a grin of her face, “and how bad?”“My mother and her being a psychologist, the lecture was more of ‘are you sure going into the Navy isn’t a cry for help’ on top of the girl issue. The crazy thing was, we didn’t do anything. We were just hanging out and looking at the yearbook. We fell asleep watching a movie and my mom found us.”“Mothers can be like that.” She looked up almost into thin air. “Steven Baker, junior year, my dad.”Joe slid the lemon across the counter and walked around her to put the knife in the sink. “How bad was the questioning?”“My mother was worse, she felt like I was going to get pregnant just for looking at a guy. My father scared Steven so badly that he joined the Army just to get away from my father. He shipped out as soon as he graduated two months later.”“Well your mother likes me so I doubt the questioning will be bad.”The agent put the strips of salmon in the pouches that were full of lemon and rosemary, “yeah but she still asked me last week if I was up to date on birth control. I don’t know if she wanted me to be or not be.”“Speaking of birth control, how did that appointment go last month?” He folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “You never said.”“I swear my gynecologist was questioning me while her face was between my legs. ‘Who is he? What does he do? Does he have a brother?’ I just wanted her to put the implant in and be done.” Jane turned behind her and opened the oven to put the salmon pouches in. “When you start dating people, everyone wants to know everything. What is worse in that whole regard is that Caitlyn and I share the same gynecologist, the only way I found out is when we were in separate appointments on the same day just an hour apart.”Closing the oven, she looked at him and they both started laughing. Amusement and laughter were also something that came so easily to their relationship. Jane took a step towards him and he opened his arms to hold her. “I love you.” The confession was whispered against her temple.“I love you too.” It was the first time she uttered the words but they fell out of her mouth so effortlessly. The feeling was there too because meeting his eyes, her emotions swelled at how huge it felt but also as seamlessly easy it could be said.“You do?”“I do.” She cupped his face and kissed him, the large kiss tapering out into several.
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It wasn’t a coffee grinder that woke Jane on her third day in Washington DC but instead a kiss to her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she found Joe leaned over in the dark bedroom. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and rubbed her arm before picking up his cover from where he had placed it on her nightstand.“I’ll be home later than usual, okay?” He spoke softly as she sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed. “I have a joint meeting with Decker and his boss.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Coffee on the nightstand.”“Okay.” She reached for the cup as he left her to wake up.“I love you.” He paused at the door. “Try to enjoy your day.”Holding the cup of coffee in her hand, she smiled fondly at him. “I love you too.”Once she fully woke up after drinking her coffee, Jane crawled out of bed and started on the routine she’d developed since arriving. Getting herself ready for the day, she paused long enough to throw a roast in the slow cooker before heading to the gym. Her plans for the day were to call the kids, have lunch with Vance per his request, and see a couple of sights.She met Leon Vance at one of the nicer restaurants in Arlington and both got comfortable at a table inside. The weather was getting cooler, not cold but cool enough sitting outside was not the greatest idea. Also she had lived in a regular, stable temperature range that made DC colder to her on a mild day. Joe kept the townhouse temperature on par with Hawai’i so she didn’t feel the cold.“Special Agent Tennant.” Vance sat down and accepted the menu the waiter handed in. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.”Jane chuckled and put her menu aside. “It’s no problem, Director, I was in town and available so I’m more than willing to meet.”Vance eyed the menu as he listened. “Any particular reason you’re in town or just a social call?”“My boyfriend is heading to the Navy Ball on Saturday and I’m his plus one.”“All the way from Hawaii, haven’t heard of that one before.” He chuckled as he looked up and met her eyes. “Must be some guy.”She hummed softly, “he is.”“Anyone I know?”Jane picked up the glass of water that sat at the table. “Perhaps. Joseph Milius, Deputy Assistant to Pacific Relations.”“Yes, I remember Captain Milius. He called a couple times Tuesday regarding Captain Tucker’s involvement with a current investigation. I was impressed that he called to inform me that Captain Tucker would be in his offices and be made available at short notice if we needed anything. I do hope that’s your doing.”The waiter returned. “Are we ready to order?”“I’ll have the Cobb Salad.” Jane handed off the menu and the man turned to Vance.“And you sir?”“Teriyaki Chicken fillet with mashed potatoes and broccoli.” Vance gave the man his menu.The wait proceeded to write down their orders. “Anything to drink?”“No thank you.” Jane gave the same answer as Vance so the waiter left.Jane picked up her water a second time. “Not my doing but Joe is familiar with investigations from his time in Hawaii dealing with mine that he knows locating a suspect is key.”“Well, the effort is appreciated.”“I will pass it on.” Jane turned her attention to her director completely. “How are Torres and Bishop doing? I saw what could only be considered a train wreck when I was there on Tuesday to say hello.Vance chuckled, “better every day. Torres wouldn’t even talk to her when she arrived back so the fact they’re yelling at each other is progress. I sent them to couples counseling and it seems to be working.”“You seem to have an abnormal situation regarding relationships at Big NCIS. Everyone knows about David and DiNozzo, you’d have to be deaf not to. Now these two and Knight and Palmer. Are you putting something in the water Director?”“Not that you don’t have your own relationship issues.” He watched her, “your liaison and agent, found out about that myself.”Jane chuckled, “true but they keep it to themselves,” she shrugged, “well for the most part.”“I think it’s proximity and mutual understanding that causes these relationships to form. All I ask is my agents keep it out of the building and I am blind to what is happening.”“Smart move, mine too.”The evening was quiet but Jane took time to nap and used Joe’s laptop to work on a case with Jesse. The man had gotten stuck and needed her profile skills so she took the time to review several aspects of the situation before they both settled on a course of action for the team. He updated her on everyone and everything before they disconnected the connection. It was later than normal when the naval officer arrived home but only by two hours. Jane left him to get out of his uniform and shower while she served up the roast she’d had in the slow cooker all day.“Smells good.” Joe joined her in the kitchen and found her pulling ready-made rolls from the oven.“Roast for dinner.” She cut part of the roast and put it and vegetables on two plates. “How was your day?”The man sat at the island bar and watched as she worked on making their dinner. “Long; two maneuvers just outside the Korean peninsula. I don’t have to tell you the continued missile strikes are making Japan and South Korea nervous.”“I think every new source covering the situation makes everyone aware of it.” She pushed his plate towards him. “Are we at radio silence?”Joe watched her walk around the bar till she stood beside him. A few seconds later she sat beside him with her own plate of food. “Not yet but possibly soon.”“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”The man gave a short nod. “How was your day?”“I had lunch with Vance. He’s appreciative giving heads up about Tucker, he said usually they have to track someone down instead of having their location.”A chuckle escaped the man. “I have an NCIS Special Agent for a girlfriend, comes with the territory.”“Went to the Lincoln Monument and the Vietnam Memorial. You know there are deaths but seeing all the names in person makes it so real. A part of me realized my dad could be a name up there if he’d been in the wrong place.” Setting her spoon down, she thought about what she said. “I understand the guilt he has. I never could understand why he felt so guilty about the war but now I do.”Reaching out, Joe rubbed her back. “Did you talk to him?”“I did. He told me that he never wanted me to understand.” Redirecting her attention, she met Joe’s eyes. “He wants to have lunch or dinner with us before I head back to Hawai’i.”“I believe that is doable. Just let me know when and I’ll come home early. Or meet you for lunch.”
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Friday, her fourth day in DC, Jane woke to the sound of the household coffee grinder as usual. This reminded her that she had only three days left with Joe. Trying to ignore reality for a few more moments she turned on the light and grabbed her phone. Laying against the headboard she flicked through Julie’s social media as she checked it daily to make sure her posts were appropriate and to check comments to make sure there weren’t body shaming comments or bullying. Alex she wasn’t as worried about but Julie’s best friend was battling anorexia at age ten.“Day four.” Joe spoke as he entered the bedroom and handed her a cup of coffee.She took a sip and held her coffee in hand. “Don’t remind me. As much as I’m needed in Hawai’i, I don’t want to leave. The first week you were gone, I had trouble sleeping. I accidently made more than three servings of food. One day I went in the room to get your uniforms to take to the dry cleaners only to realize your uniforms weren’t there.”Patting her leg as he sat down, he gave a nod while picking up his cup of coffee from the nightstand, “I need your help with a high-level asset that isn’t talking or answering questions we need answered. I offered you up because we’re using everything short of coercion and torture. You have success with high level foreign suspects.”She looked to the side and raised her eyebrow. “What aren’t you telling me?”He put his coffee down and met her eyes, “do you trust me?”“I do but your history with needing my help has me hesitant. If you’d like a running count, situations include a potentially international crisis with Japan, nearly ruined the newly built trust with Hawaiian People, almost starting a war with Russian in Manila of all places. To top it off, you didn’t listen when I told you that you need your ass covered.” She saw him swallow hard, “how am I doing?”Joe picked up his coffee, “if I tell you before we get there, there is a huge chance you will fly back to Hawaii as quickly as possible and never speak to me again.”“Uh huh.” She put her tongue in her cheek and watched as he looked anywhere but at her as she took a sip of coffee. “You’re lucky I love you, a lot!” She put her coffee on her nightstand, “and the sex is great.”He coughed as his coffee went down in the wrong pipe and she smirked as she pushed back the covers to stand up. “Not exactly what I was expecting to come out of your mouth.”“Well,” she knelt in the spot she’d just been sitting in and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You meet my high standards across the board so I want to keep you around.” Leaning her head down, Jane kissed him deeply and pulled her head back only when he broke the kiss, twisting to put his coffee on the nightstand before turning back to her. “How long before we have to leave?”“A while, why?” His hands held her waist loosely and he met her eyes.“I want to explain what meant.” She kissed him again and let out a laugh as he pulled her down till her back hit the bedding. He was grinning at her as he laid above her, “you did that on purpose.”Joe nuzzled her cheek with his nose, “I absolutely did.”“You’re an ass.”Chuckling, he kissed her again. “Yes, ma’am I am.”“Less talk, more action Captain.” She laughed with him as he brushed the portion of her side that was ticklish.It was well before nine before they were in his car heading towards where he wanted to go. Jane was using the passenger side visor mirror to fix her shirt collar since he’d left a bruise that couldn’t be classified as anything other than a hickey.“You’re in trouble.” She stated it clearly as she put the visor up and upon seeing him smirk, she rolled her eyes. “And not an ounce of regret.”“No, none.” He glanced at her quickly, “just be glad its here and not back in Hawaii. Something tells me your team would be less forgiving.”Jane picked up her to-go coffee and took a sip. “New rule, nothing that bruises anywhere it can be seen.”“Rule accepted.” He reached over and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers. “On a more serious note, you’re going to be a bit angry at me, even if only a minute amount, but the fact you’re going despite my vagueness, thank you.”Squeezing his hand, she let go and squeezed his arm. “I trust you and even if I’m angry, remember I’m the type with calm anger. Remember our arguments. What about when I deal with Alex when he does something stupid. How does that go down?”“Well, he is your kid and not your boyfriend, so different scenarios.” He took a breath, “I remember rational calm with a tinge of anger.”“It takes a lot for me to be angry enough that I scream and yell.” Jane reached up and brushed the back of his hair down, “I can’t do what I did with Daniel, I can’t destroy this. I can honestly say I’d take a bullet to the chest before I destroy what we have Joe.”“No bullets, don’t jest Jane. I know you are serious but knowing you’re five thousand miles away and it would take half a day to get to you if you were shot, I can’t think about that.” His tone, wariness mixed with fear made Jane realize he didn’t want to think about the possibility.Jane caught his hand and squeezed it. “Hey, I got a lot to live for. Besides, it would take a lot to take me down. I don’t know if you know this but I’m kind of important to a lot of people. Something tells me that if someone shot me, your little black ops group would make anyone beg for the DA to incarcerate them for life.”“No comment.” The words that left his mouth were hard and dangerous, something that took Jane aback because she had never heard Joe speak as dangerous as he just had. It was resolute, definite that meant his black ops team would be all over a person whose bullet actual hit her. He was easy-going, soft, and gentle with a sense of duty and honor that made her weak in some ways. To hear him sound like some of the men and women she’d been around during her time in the CIA made her file the fact that Jesse was only to contact him after her shooter was in custody if they day ever came.Realizing the tension needed to be cut, she looked out the window. “Where are we headed?” She squeezed his hand again, “if you won’t tell me anything else.”“Foxstone Park.” His tone was light once again, and Jane hummed lightly.“The other side of Langley, ran through those trails dozens of times.”“No running today,” Joe said and saw her question with just a glance, “target is guarded by agents and K9s.”Jane chuckled, “K9s only attack when told to attack, running away or towards them doesn’t mean they’ll attack you. One command and it changes but only with that command.”“I need answers Jane or at least, I need the asset to talk to us. Right now, cooperation is just enough they aren’t defying the paperwork. No one at Langley has gotten a result so I said I would bring in the best.”She snorted, “the best being me?”“Every time I bring something to you, you get results where some wouldn’t even get a footprint.” He squeezed the hand he still held, “specifically on Operation Trout.” At her confused look he gave a quick nod, “that’s the translation of the actual name. I questioned it the first time I heard it too.”Pulling in beside two black unmarked SUVs, Jane got out at the same time as Joe. She saw a group of people speaking and they looked alive when they walked over.“We’ve been waiting Milius, you’re late.” The agent in slacks and a polo walked towards them. “This the so-called special weapon of yours?”Joe motioned to Jane, “Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, NCIS Hawaii. Tennant, this is Commander Robert Taylor, Naval Intelligence.”“Look Sweetheart…”“Don’t call me Sweetheart.” Jane took a step towards the man, “I don’t know you and I’d appreciate the courtesy of respect. I don’t have to be here; I can turn around and go right back to Hawai’i.”The man put up his hands, “okay, let’s all relax.”“I’m relaxed, are you?” She raised an eyebrow as he gulped silently. “I’m sure you have more important things to be doing considering the Navy just hit its new fiscal year. So, let’s get this over with so the alphabet soup can go back to their own branches happy.”Joe scratched his temple as Taylor looked at him, “yeah, I probably should have warned you that she’s ex-CIA and used to the boys club.”She looked at Joe and pointed, “you and I will be speaking later Captain.”“Yeah, figured that too.” He stated and motioned for her to go ahead of them.Taylor leaned over and whispered to Joe, “my god, was this the reason you left the island?” He shook his head, “because I would have left too. I feel like my balls were just handed to me.”Joe moved to catch up to Jane, “Tennant hold on.” He caught her shirt sleeve, “hey, just remember what we spoke about.”“Operation Trout.” She nodded, “info on that and persuading the asset to cooperate fully.”He put his hands in his pockets, “yes but also the topic of anger.”“I remember.” She saw Taylor waiting feet away, “I’ll debrief with you fully when we get back to the Naval Yard and whether I’ll be needing anger management courses.”“Too much paperwork, I’ll send you to the gym if need be.” He motioned to the trail, “after you.”They walked down a trail for about half a mile before she saw who the asset was. She could practically feel Joe’s anxiety so she took a breath and reached back to squeeze his arm before proceeding forward. Four agents stood twelve feet apart almost boxing the asset in, each with a K9 on a leash laying at their feet. She walked over fully and looked down at the asset where they sat on the bench.“Hello Maggie.”The surprise on the woman’s face was evident, “Janey…what are you doing here?”“Interrogating you it seems.”
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Throughout the whole discussion that was bordering on an hour, Jane had to reroute around Julie and Alex. Maggie kept trying to bring them into the talks. They sat side by side on the bench and Joe stood just far enough away to remain out of earshot but within sight so while she was safe physically, he could be a rock for her emotionally. Taylor stood talking to him, random conversation if Joe’s attention pulled away from her for longer than a few moments.Even though they were only talking occasionally when everything went down with Maggie, he’d talked with her several nights in a row. He’d listened without judgement and tried to console her as only a friend could. It had surprised her at the time when he asked if she’d wanted him to call Glen Smith and talk to him on her behalf. When she’d told him to let her fight her own battles, his next question was if she wanted him to take a few days off and come to Hawaii to support her. They’d only worked together occasionally and had one date night before he’d left but she knew he’d always have her back professionally. She’d declined at the time but looking back, she’d wished she’d let him.“…I keep telling you there isn’t much to say on Operation Trout.” The woman stated for a fifth time, but Jane knew she was holding back, had learned her tells years before. There was only one way that she would get Maggie to talk so gathering herself and her masks, she prepared to massively lie to Maggie.“Maggie stop!” Jane snapped at her, “I got dragged away from my kids for this. I don’t want to be here; I want nothing to do with you anymore, but I’m here so stop railroading me. I’m the last chance before they throw you into a black hole or shoot you. If I don’t return with some type of information, accurate information, they’re taking my command from me.”The woman watched her for a few moments before sighing. “So, they’re desperate?”“Yes!” Jane stood up and she had to put her hand into a fist to make Joe not charge over when she’d stood up. “My career is going to be ruined, Alex and Julie will be affected if another person takes over my job. I could be forced back to the mainland and their whole life would be disrupted. So, accurate information now!”“Operation Trout is the illegal holding of foreigners in China. The one their desperate over is Leon Berman, a German national who has over five decades of German intelligence including old Soviet missile locations. If Germany…”“If Germany goes, so does a large portion of the EU. Russian launch codes could cause World War III if acquired on top of their missile location.” Jane stated and Maggie pointed at her.“Bingo.”Jane put her hands together, “if you ever cared about my children, even if only a fraction, I need you to cooperate. I haven’t told them what happened, only that you went away on a mission. If their lives are ruined because of you, I will tell them that you were the one that destroyed their lives.” She watched the woman’s face fall, “goodbye Maggie.”She walked away, straight past Joe and Taylor. It was only when the two caught up with her at the cars and she was crying that Taylor looked concerned. “Special Agent Tennant?”She wiped her eyes, “I want to go home, just take me to the airport Captain Milius.” She opened the door to the vehicle and got inside, putting her head in her hand while she looked out the front window.“I’ll debrief her and let you know what was said.” Joe stated to Taylor as he walked around the vehicle.“Taylor!” An agent spoke as they pulled Maggie towards the vehicles in handcuffs. “She said she wanted to tell you something.”Taylor turned and Joe watched as Maggie looked at the naval intelligence officer. “I’m ready to talk, whatever you guys want you can have.” She looked down at the ground, “Trout is about foreign nationals in China, Leon Berman is indeed being held there and does have missile locations.”Taylor took in a breath of air before turning to Joe, “she’s a miracle, you were right to bring her in. Tell her if that NCIS rep doesn’t work out, she can have a job with us any day of the week.”“Sure, I’ll tell her that.” He shook his head and got in the vehicle, turning the ignition.Once they were on the road far enough away, Joe pulled over at a different park and turned the car off. “Why are we here?” Jane asked calmly and turned her head to look at him.“We’re going for a walk, no agency personnel or people watching. Just you and me.”“I really just want to go home.”He reached over and took her hand, “I know, and I’ll drive you to the airport myself this evening. Just walk with me first, it may be the last time you decide to come to DC, so I want ten minutes with you.”Confusion clouded her expression as she sat up in her seat fully. “What are you talking about?”“Jane, please just give me ten minutes.”She put a hand on his arm, “no, I’m confused. Why are you taking me to the airport? Why wouldn’t I come back to DC?”He pointed over his shoulder, “you said you wanted to go home, and you called me…”“You called me ‘Tennant’ first. I thought you wanted formality back there.” She pointed at him, “I meant your home when I said I wanted to go home. I can’t exactly be professional and formal when I tell you to take me to your home. That’s why I said airport.” She chuckled and grinned at him, “you thought I dumped you back there, didn’t you?”Pinching the bridge of his nose, he chuckled also. “I’m such an idiot.”“Maybe a little.” Reaching out, she pulled him by his shirt and kissed him. “But my idiot.” Cupping his cheek, she starred into his eyes, “you have to do a lot more than that stunt to get rid of me Joseph Milius.”“How angry are you with me?” She put up her forefinger and thumb to show only an inch of space between the two fingers. “Only that much?”Jane nodded, “once I learned what you were looking for, preventing World War III kind of makes anger seem insignificant.”“Will you still walk with me?”“You’re demanding today.” She kissed him again before pulling back to unclip her seatbelt.Their ten-minute walk turned into over two hours; their hands entwined the whole time. Her phone rang on their way back to the car, she saw it was Alex and took it. The kids had asked to go to their father’s halfway through the week and Jane gave the ‘okay’ after speaking with Daniel.“Hey, how are you guys doing?”“Nate has colic so we’re slowly being consumed by baby screams.” She chuckled as she heard said cries in the background. “It’s only five here and we’ve been up for thirty minutes, thought we’d call.”“Hi Mom.” Julie said and Jane missed her kids, especially after the exhausting morning. “We miss you!”“I miss you too, the Navy Ball is tomorrow and then Monday I come home. Which means you guys get a baby free house so enjoy your brother while you can.”Alex groaned, “how can we enjoy him when all he does is cry?”“I remember a certain boy who nearly drove me to another country when he cried from colic.”
“Mom, you can’t hold it against me.”
Julie laughed at him, “hah, she didn’t include me, so I was a perfect baby.”
“Traitor.”
“What have I said about calling your sister a traitor?”“Traitors have legitimate crimes.” Both kids said together.Jane nodded, “correct, now have you guys finished your homework completely or could you be doing some of it now?”“Bye Mom!” Both said before hanging up.He put his arm around her, “can I say that I find it highly attractive when you’re a mom?”“Most times that makes men run away, the whole mom thing.”“I haven’t run yet. I’ve yet to see a side of you I don’t find attractive.”She looked at him, “really?”“Yes, especially when you make a man I hate dealing with feel emasculated.” He leaned in towards her to whisper to her. “He thinks I ran away from Pearl because of you.”“I won’t tell him you run towards Pearl due to me.”
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It wasn’t a coffee grinder that woke Jane on her fifth day in Washington DC but instead a kiss to her cheek and the weight on the bed beside her hip. Her eyes fluttered open and through sleep-filled eyes, she found Joe sitting on the bed. He reached up to brush a piece of hair behind her ear and rubbed her arm before standing up to pick up his keys that he’d placed beside her on the nightstand. The light had been turned on and coffee sat on the nightstand if she cataloged the smell correctly. She noted he wore slacks and an oxford instead of his uniform khakis, meaning it was an informal meeting.“I have to head to the Pentagon.” He spoke softly as she sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed while blinking her eyes awake. “I should be home in plenty of time to get ready for tonight.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Admirals Decker and Reynard want to go over some last minute details for an op in the North Pacific. I told Decker I could work from home but he insisted.”“Okay.” She reached for the cup as he stood up, kissing her crown as he did.“I love you.” He paused at the door. “Try to enjoy your day.”Holding the cup of coffee in her hand, she smiled fondly at him. “I love you too.”Instead of heading for the gym as she had every day since her arrival, the female SAC decided to just lay around in bed for a while. Her coffee was sipped slowly as she scrolled through Alex and Julie’s social media, her concern only for Julie’s as she knew Alex wasn’t one to post too much personal information. Nothing was of concern so she leaned over the bed till she could grab the remote off Joe’s nightstand to turn on the TV. She spent the morning binge-watching cooking shows, eager for new ideas for dinners with the kids.It was mid-morning before she got out of bed and went through her normal Saturday routine. The sheets were changed and the dirty were washed alongside the towels. A quick cleaning of the bathrooms and bedrooms were followed by vacuuming all the rooms that had carpet. The downstairs was swept and mopped before she took out the trash. Once the house was taken care of, Jane headed out into town to run several errands.Joe called her as she walked out of the dry cleaners, his uniforms in her hands, so she laid them on the back seat of the rental and answered the phone.“Hey, you on your way home?”
“I am, op was a success so no need to worry about that anymore. What have you been up to?”
Jane sat in the car talking to him on the phone, not bothering to move as the parking lot of the strip-mall was nearly empty on a Saturday morning. “Lazy morning in bed before my day began. As Saturdays are my cleaning, your townhouse fell victim to my cleaning. I just picked up your uniforms from the dry cleaners and was going to do some light grocery shopping.”
“Still in Georgetown?”
“Yes, why?”
“Let me meet you and we can go out to lunch.”
Jane looked down at the clock on her phone. “Do you want to just meet at home? It’s equal distance for us.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“See you at home.”Joe entered the townhouse to find Jane in the kitchen standing in front of the open pantry writing on a small note pad. He took the time to watch her doing a mundane task because he missed her most days. The more he watched her, the more he desired forever with her. His sister had said he was moving too fast, especially since Jane was the longest relationship he had ever held. He just wished his family believed him when he said forever wasn’t enough time with the women that made him talk even if he meant to keep silent. Jane had the ability to make him spill his guts without any warning, she’d been doing so since their first meeting.After shutting the pantry door, Jane turned to him and raised an eyebrow at him as her focus turned to the list she was making. “Yes Captain?”Anyone else would think she was being sarcastic or using his rank as a reprimand. No, Jane was using it as a pet name as she’d had since they first started dating. Usually used in intimate spaces, occasionally it made an appearance outside of the house. The day before it had been used for show when dealing with Taylor and his agents.“I’m just enjoying you at the moment.” He walked around the island and put his hands on her hips. Pulling her back so her back was flush against him, Joe wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. “Enjoying you while I can.”Placing the pen down on top of the note pad, Jane turned in his arms. “Part of me doesn’t want to go either.” She brushed her hands up his chest till she brushed against his shoulders and continued so they fell down his arms. “However, I have a job and kids.”“I know.” He kissed her temple, “and knowing that job and those kids as I do, I want you to go home and get resettled.”“Really?”“I do.” He reached up to tip her chin up a quarter of a fraction. “I miss you when we’re apart but I knew what I signed up for from day one of this relationship.” Kissing her forehead, the man looked down at her list and reached up to turn the notepad. “Groceries?”“Hmm, I was planning on making some meals and put them in the freezer. Since you miss my cooking and I know you work long hours. Being able to thaw and reheat will take some stress off you after a long day.” She reached up a hand to catch his jaw, leaning in to kiss his cheek before nudging it with her nose. “A little thing I can do even if I’m thousands of miles away.”He sighed as he stepped away, her face full of questions. “Between my sister and my parents, I’m starting to wonder if they’re right.”“About what?”“That I don’t deserve you.” He pulled one of the stools out and sat down. “My parents and sister haven’t met you and they only hear what I tell them. I don’t have to tell you that singing your praises, as true as most things are, makes most parents nervous. My sister thinks I need to give it longer, that I’m too quick to make decisions. According to her, five months is too soon to know anything. My mother trust me and is happy for us but my father is skeptical, thinks I’m thinking with, his words “your lower brain” and he wants me to give it longer before making decisions.”Jane grinned, “well you are but he doesn’t need to know what his son gets up to when bedroom doors are closed.”“Not where I was going with that Jane.” He met her eyes as she walked around the counter to meet him.“I know.” She turned him slightly on the stool till she stood between his legs, her hands braced on his thighs. “Look, my parents went through the same stuff. Short courtship followed by war and multiple tours. They didn’t even have kids like I do, and no one said it would last. Everyone counted against them, parents included. Now look at them. You said your parents went through the same thing, so in my opinion they have no room to judge.” She reached her hands up to fiddle with his shirt collar. “I’d never bet against us Joe, not when we’re stronger together than apart.”He cupped her face and met her eyes. “It’s not too soon for me to know I want you in my life till I die.” His forehead leaned against hers and they stood in silence. “Forever isn’t nearly long enough. Part of me wishes we’d met years ago but that’d be selfish knowing what amazing kids you have.”“I love you.”“I love you too.” He kissed her as her hand went to his head and her hand went to his waist.
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Jane stood in the bathroom in sweats as she worked on her make-up before getting dressed. Joe was working on placing his medals and insignia on his dinner dress jacket, standing next to her as he did so. The twin sinks were littered with their own items separate of toothbrushes and toothbrushes. Make-up, hairbrushes, curling iron, and other hair accessories littered Jane’s side while his was more practical; an electric razor, comb, and a small basin he usually put his daily ribbons and insignia.He stood in his dinner dress uniform sans jacket, his hair swept to the side instead of in his normal curls. Finally getting the medals in the correct placement, he pulled the jacket on. “I’ll be downstairs.” Joe put his hands on her waist and kissed her exposed neck due to her hair being placed up in a chignon bun. “You look beautiful.”Putting the lid on her mascara, Jane snorted. “I haven’t even gotten dressed yet.”“You are beautiful whether you’re in a dress or working in work attire with a gun.” Watching her in the mirror, he saw her grab her eyeshadow. “Maybe I’m bias.”“Maybe?” She turned to meet his eyes with sarcasm on her lips; eyebrow raised, a throwback to his apology in a hanger. “You are entirely bias.”“I’m entitled to be when my girlfriend is as beautiful and deadly.” Once he left, Jane continued with her make up.After doing her make-up, Jane headed into the bedroom where her dress was laid out on the bed. She paused seeing a small, index-sized gift box on top of her dress with a note against it. The special agent picked up the note and unfolded it to see Joe’s chicken scratch handwriting that she’d learn to adore and hate at the same time.
Jane,
I know you’ll probably kick me for spending so much on you. However, when I saw this when running errands, I knew it was meant for you. I hope when you wear it, you remember me always.
Joe
PS: A ring for the future, when we’re both ready, has been purchased due to being a matching set.
Putting the note aside, Jane grabbed the box and opened it to see a jewelry box inside. The size and shape of the box meant a necklace or bracelet. Joe knew her job prevented delicate bracelets due to the constant use of her hands. So, she figured he’d bought a necklace. Opening the box confirmed her theory as inside sat a beautiful sapphire necklace.Examining the necklace, Jane observed it was a sapphire wrapped in platinum. The platinum metal encircled the sapphire but above, where it hung on the chain, was twisted together. Putting the small jewelry box to the side, she proceeded to get dressed.Once her dress was on and she had slipped on her shoes, Jane swiped the jewelry box, her clutch, and shawl to head downstairs. She found Joe standing by the from door with his eyes heavily invested in his phone. Jane cleared her throat purposely and he looked up at her.“Beautiful.” It was all he could say as she stepped onto the hardwood flooring of the house’s foyer.“Have I rendered you speechless?” She teased while reaching up to adjust his bow tie.Joe put a hand to the back of her right elbow and gently applied pressure so she’d turn. After turning in place, Jane looked up expectantly. “A new level of beauty for Jane Tennant.”Jane held up the jewelry box and raised her eyebrow. “I think you left this for me.”“I did.” Her continued stare had him taking it from her hand. “Probably a bad idea now that I think about it.”“Are you going to put it on me or not?” It was a simple question and Joe looked up when he realized what she said.Opening the small jewelry box, Joe removed the necklace as Jane turned around. With her hair already up, she didn’t have to pull her hair aside for him to put it on her. Holding the necklace in front of her, he soon clasped it around her neck and kissed her bare shoulder afterwards.“I love you.”“I love you too.” She felt the coolness of the metal on her skin and she welcomed it due to adoring the gift he gave her.The Navy Ball was held in Falls Church and was full of important people. Jane noticed high level Navy officers and a few admirals. As they found their seats, Joe pulled her chair out for her to sit in. There were seats enough for eight people so it meant conversing with others through the night, people she didn’t know so Jane felt nervous for the first time in a while. Joe always had a sense for when she got nervous because he placed a hand on her own under the table.“You’re going to do fine.” He kissed her temple and went back to observing their surroundings.“Joe!” The mention of his name made them both look over to see an admiral.“Admiral Decker, are we seated together?” He asked as Decker and his wife sat down at their table.“It would seem.” Decker held out his hand to Jane, “Admiral Thomas Decker, I’m assuming you’re Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant.”Jane took his hand and shook it. “Yes sir.”“Can I just say that you have a profound influence on Joe. He doesn’t work all day and night, every day of the week. Regular hours now so thank you.” Leaning in the admiral whispered high enough for it all to be heard. “Finding ways to get a layover in Hawaii for Joe is a nightmare. I try my best though.”“Much appreciated sir.” Her attention went to the admiral’s wife. “Mrs. Decker, how is your night going?”The woman smiled and shook Jane’s hand when it was laid out, “another dinner is tiring. I do one of these dinners at least once a month. Don’t marry an admiral, that’s my advice for you.”“I was a petty officer when we met Celia.” The admiral turned his attention to his wife, “I rose through the ranks. You didn’t marry an admiral.”Celia waved him off, “matter of opinion.”Jane chuckled, “well I hope tonight is a better dinner.”Eventually four more people joined the table and Jane noticed when Joe went ramrod straight in his seat. She put her hand on his thigh under the table and whispered to him. “What’s wrong?”His response followed a bit of silence. “The woman sitting beside Celia, her name is Natalie DuPont. I dated her when she was stationed in Hawaii, it only last two months because she wanted me to retire and I said I wouldn’t. Broke up with me over text, if you can believe that.” His attention turned to Jane. “A few months later she transferred out and then I met you.”Jane reached up and brushed the back of his hair with her hand. “Her loss, my gain.”When she turned back around, she saw the woman was wearing a dinner dress uniform instead of a formal gown. Joe finally relaxed as she pulled away so she realized he would be okay. Jane did notice the said woman they had just talked about was staring at them, confusion in her eye. It didn’t take a second look to notice the woman was half her age but Jane knew she wasn’t competition. Joe had made up his mind after the Kelley Situation, Jane was who he wanted.“Admiral Decker?” Jane pulled the admiral’s attention away from his wife. “Any chance a layover in Hawai’i is possible after the New Zealand conference next month? It’s my birthday and my daughter has planned a party. She’s begging for Joe to come.”Decker chuckled and looked towards his officer as he spoke. “He already has a week off scheduled. Although, he hasn’t asked for Christmas which I found strange.”“The NCIS Ball is in December and I’m giving the keynote speech. Since my parents live in Bethesda, my kids and I are spending two weeks here over Christmas. Christmas will be in DC, not Hawai’i.”“So, you switch off visits?” Decker asked as his attention moved to Jane. “Is that how you guys make it work?”“Yes sir.”It was a long night of ceremony and cake cutting before dinner and dancing. The DJ that the Navy League had hired for the event was winding up the crowd in various ways. One was asking all the bachelors to come to the floor.“Alright, ladies and gents, it’s time for the Bachelor Dance off. All bachelors to the floor, if you ain’t married and your partner doesn’t have a ring, come on down. All our guests, get those men on the dance floor.” As the men left the tables, Joe remained in his seat hoping he wouldn’t get pulled to the dance floor. “Alright, I see all these fine men ready to dance. Ladies and gents, if you’re single, watch for these men. You may go home with a number or a hunk.”Music started playing The Cupid Shuffle and the men on the dance floor started dancing. Jane chuckled as she watched the men in the floor. Most of the men were dancing fine but others made her question their ability to even stand straight.“Go on Captain.” She pushed his arm slightly and he pointed at her.“No.”“Take it as an order.” Decker spoke while smirking, “no ring on your lady yet so off you go to the dance floor.”Jane grinned as Joe stood up, “don’t worry, I’ll take you home with me.”“There will be consequences to this.”“We’ll talk later.”After the bachelors had danced and returned to their seats, the DJ started to turn the music from loud and crazy to soft and slow. “Alright, let’s get those couples on the dance floor. Grab your partner and come on down, this is dedicated to you.”Jane stood up and pulled on Joe’s hand, “come on Captain, I know you like to dance with me.”“With you Jane, only with you.” He stood up and followed her till they hit the dance floor where dozens of couples were dancing. Once he held her in his arms, she rested her hand on his shoulder in a way her arm laid against his, almost clutching him as if they could push their bodies closer than they already were. “You’re beautiful.” He whispered into her ear, “smart, funny, kind, compassionate, committed, an amazing mother.” He kept on adding more and more adjustives as they danced.
You say you'll be down in fiveThe smell of your perfumeIs floatin' down the stairsYou're fixin' up your hair like you do
I know that I'll be a messThe second that I see youYou won't be surprisedIt happens every time, It's nothin' new
Pulling back slightly, she met his eyes as they continued to dance. “Flattery will get you everywhere Captain.”“Not flattery, just the truth.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Sometimes when I look at you, I ask myself why I left Hawaii.”“You’re always welcome back.” She ran her hand down his back once she placed her arm under his own. “If necessary, I’m sure Pacific Relations could be run out of one of the empty offices on base. Train people, become the foremost knowledgeable person at Pearl regarding international military cooperation and pacific engagement. We could continue this relationship for a while, get married, you could join in on helping me raise my soon to be teenager.”Joe chuckled and met her eyes, “that alone is a terrifying thought. Julie as a teenager, something tells me Naval Intelligence will detain her if she continues to be the little spy she is now.”“Probably.” She chucked softly, “but between me and you intervening, Naval Intelligence would let her go on the condition she joins the Navy and is recruited after Basic.”
You already know that you're my weaknessAfter all this time I'm just as nervousEvery time you walk into the roomI'm speechless
It started when you said helloJust did something to meAnd I've been in a dazeEver since the day that we met
“Not the worst thing, although Daniel would have an aneurysm if both his kids joined the Navy.”Joe ran his hand up and down her lower back, “it’s either the CIA, FBI, or Naval Intelligence for your daughter. She takes after her mother far too much.”“Between the three of us, Julie will be fine. You’ll keep track of her if she goes into the Navy, I have contacts at the CIA that could keep track of her, and I know Whistler will keep an eye out if she joins the FBI. Julie isn’t the issue, it’s Alex. He wants to become a Culinary Specialist.”“Safer job than some. I’ll talk to him about his options and cash in a favor one of the assignment specialists owe me.”Jane leaned her forehead back against his. “Thank you.”“You guys are family; I’ll do whatever I can for you three.” He dared to kiss her bare shoulder then her cheek.The song changed and Jane smirked, “Julie said this was our song and after listening I agree. Just exchange the Mai Tai for Tequila.”“Really?”“Just listen and I’ll show you the lyrics later.”
I was lookin' for a long timeI never found nobody like youI saw you order up a Mai TaiSuddenly, I wanted one too
I got your name, got your numberAnd we talked 'til they turned on the lightsI was lookin' for a long timeI didn't know that night I'd find
They slow danced along with other couples, a few going back to their seats after the first song. A few newer couples joined the floor but all Joe could see was the woman in his arms. He was right that he liked to dance with her, it was perfect way to get close and romantic in a benign way. There had been a habit of dancing together in the kitchen in the days leading up to him leaving after RIMPAC. It hadn’t diminished upon her arrival in DC, they had danced in his kitchen a couple times. “I think I could dance with you forever.” He whispered as they swayed.“Your ex keeps starring at us.” She chuckled, “apparently someone is jealous, especially since she brought her brother.”
My personMy heartbeatMy slow danceMy Sunday-morning-sippin'-on-coffee in bedMy know-when-you-know best friendThe stealin' of my t-shirts of my t-shirtsMy reason for speedin' home from workMy saving grace, my everythingI've never been more sure that you're my person
Joe hmm softly, “never would have worked out and I’m glad I didn’t fight for it to. If I had, we wouldn’t be dancing right now.”“True. If it helps, I’d never ask you to retire.” Nudging her nose against his cheek, she pulled back to meet his eyes. “As long as you don’t ask me to.”“Never, I trust Boone and your team to protect the islands for short periods but they’d go to hell if you retired any time soon.” Her eyes were entrancing under the lights, “NCIS and the military need you, who else would take on the international affairs murder cases and succeed where others will fail?”
Even when you blow the punchlineNobody makes me laugh like you doEvery minute is a long timeIf I ain't holdin' on to you
You're my stay-in on the weekendYou're my come undoneYou're my call home, sayin' it's more than loveMomma, she's the one
Jane grinned and shook her head gently, “you really like talking international affairs in regard to murder don’t you.”“With you Jane?” He grinned as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Always.”The DJ came on the microphone and tried to get everyone’s attention. Everyone looked towards him and he grinned. “Just a little announcement. Is there a Lt. Daisy Mitchell here?”The woman in question raised her hand, “here.”“Alright, come up here Lt. Mitchell.”The woman made her way up to the stage where the DJ was stationed. “What can I help with?”“Well, Lt. Mitchell, I have only one request.” The DJ grinned, “turn around.”The officer turned around and behind her was her boyfriend on one knee with a ring in between his fingers. “Daisy, you and I are always apart but I’d rather one day with you then years without. Will you marry me?”“Yes.” The woman nodded as she cried, the man rising to put the ring on her finger.Jane and Joe both clapped with all the others in the room. “You pull that stunt at the NCIS Ball and you won’t live to regret it.” It was said clear and calmly, Jane turned to give Joe a particular look that had him nodding in understanding.“Understood.”The Looks!
Jane's Dress
Jane's Necklace
Joe's Uniform
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The first day back in Hawai’i wasn’t slow, Jane had to pick up the kids up from Daniel’s before she could go home and rest. Waiting outside the house he shared with Caitlyn, Jane waited for Daniel to emerge with Alex and Julie. Her son was out first and looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else than the house. While Alex got in the car without hugging her, her daughter automatically hugged her.“Hey Mom, did you miss me?”Jane hugged the girl, swearing she’d grown a few inches during her time in DC. “So much, you wouldn’t believe how much.”Without prompting, her ten year old got in the car and Jane was left with Daniel as he’d walked out with Julie. The man shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “You enjoy your time in DC?”“I did. Thank you for taking them halfway through the week. They missed their brother and I figured it’d be extra time for them on top of their upcoming two weeks.” Jane pushed off the car, “did you work things out with Alex?”“He’s throwing his life away Janey.”Jane tucked her tongue in her cheek before speaking. “He managed to convince a high-ranking military officer that he was sincere. He’s managed to convince me and for that I’ll support him completely.”“You sure your boyfriend didn’t influence him?” Daniel took the jab like she expected, “after all, five months is a short time, you sure you know him like you think you do?”“I know I trust him with my kids. Joe tried to convince Alex not to go through with it, offered to step in and get his application rejected based on his ankle injury. Alex convinced him his wish to join was genuine so he backed off.”Daniel pulled his hands from his pockets and folded his arms. “You’re quick to defend.”“Right now, the conversation is about our son not Joe. Do you remember Titus Ioane? The kid you helped with a month ago. His father rejected his oldest son based on his desire to join. His son died and he regretted the way he acted. Between the two of us, we’ll make sure Alex gets assigned to a benign area that’s far from violence. That said, I hope one day you don’t end up like Maleko Iaone, regretting the way you treated your son based off his desire to serve. You blame Joe but what about my father, who was in the Navy, and his father before him. I’d say its family tradition Daniel, not a desire to waste his life.” She shook her head as she left him standing there, getting in the vehicle’s driver side.Once they were down the road a bit, Alex finally spoke. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”“You’re my son, I’ll always be there for you.” She reached over and brushed back his hair from his forehead. “Even when you’re on a ship thousands of miles from here.”Julie grinned from the backseat. “What if I want to join Naval Intelligence, you going to stick up for me Mom?”“Of the two of you, your father knows you’re bound for some sort of intelligence work. He wouldn’t bat an eye at you joining the Navy and then Naval Intelligence.” She saw Julie give herself a little arm pump through the rearview mirror. “I heard Ernie taught you some coding. Just don’t hack anything.”“I wouldn’t.”Alex turned in his seat and starred at his sister. “You would! Just hack NASA or some other science installation so Mom and Joe don’t get in trouble.”“Speaking of Joe, do you have any pictures from your trip?”Jane handed her phone back to her daughter and the girl started flipping through the pictures. One was a formal picture of the two that Celia Decker had taken at the end of the Navy Ball. She guessed that was the one her daughter gasped at. “Let me guess, the picture from the Navy Ball is what you’re looking at.”“You look so beautiful Mom.” She handed the phone out to Alex and he took it, glancing at the photo.“Not bad Mom.” Alex handed Julie back the phone. “You two look like a Washington DC-Pentagon power couple.”Jane glanced at her son, “speaking of Washington DC, I got clearance from your dad last time I spoke with him, we’re spending two weeks in DC over Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa.”“Is this my room?” Julie turned the phone around and Jane looked in the rearview to see it was a picture of the room that Joe had set aside for Julie when she’d been due to come to DC over the summer. “Please tell me it’s my room. Grandma and Grandpa finally fixed the spare room for me.”Jane chuckled as her daughter fawned over the image. “Yes, it’s your room but it’s not at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. That’s at Joe’s townhouse; the people that lived there before him left their furniture so Joe kept it. He put together a room for you and one for Alex since we were originally planning to go over summer.”With practice of crossing various time zones, Jane was able to keep the exhaustion at bay for a while. She was going to make dinner for her and the kids but Cassandra had dinner ready when they arrived home. Jane starred at the woman her son was dating because she didn’t give her a key.“Hi Jane. I hope your trip was good.” She turned back to the stove and motioned to it. “I made dinner.”“Cassandra thank you for dinner, but how did you get in my house?”Alex raised his hand, “I gave her my key, just for today. I figured you’d be tired so I asked Cass to make dinner so you could eat then sleep.”“Speaking of key.” Cassandra turned around and handed the key to Alex. “There you go.”“Don’t make this a habit.” She told her son while making her way to the stove to look at what was being cooked. It looked like fish and some type of vegan fillet for Julie had been fried and a pot of steamed mixed vegetables. “Looks better than the energy bar and peanut butter sandwich I ate on a bumpy C-130.”After dinner, Jane left her son and daughter to themselves. They were both old enough to get themselves ready for bed. She’d given a strict order that Cass was to be out of the house by nine and agreements had been made. Unpacking her bag could wait till the next day so all she did was pull out a pair of leggings and a specific Naval Academy shirt that she’d stolen from Joe. He’d only shaken is head before kissing her temple and telling her to enjoy keeping it. There were a few white undershirts that had been stretched out on purpose so he’d hand them over to her.Once she was dressed for bed, the special agent sat down on the mattress with her phone to call a number on her speed dial. Instantly, a sleepy voice answered.
“Captain Milius.”
“Hey Captain.” She pushed back her covers and settled into bed. “Sounds like you’re exhausted.”The man chuckled, “would you believe me that Decker called a meeting with the East Asian office and the Middle Eastern office. Do you know how difficult it is to talk to groups of people that are mostly civilians?”“I do, it’s in my job description.”
“We spoke for over fifteen hours and the only thing we got accomplished was the fact that China and Russia have us all concerned. Oil issues aside, dealing with MBS and the issues he creates has the Middle Eastern office busier than Pearl during RIMPAC. One of the guys was constantly being pulled out due to one situation or another.”
“Sounds stressful.” She missed the sound of his voice, hearing it through the phone distorted it in a way.Joe went silent for a moment before speaking. “I got home tonight and started looking for you. It took a few moments with my exhaustion to realize you’d left.”“I miss you too.” It was true, she missed him in ways she hadn’t missed anyone other than her children. “I spoke with Daniel today about Alex. I may have used a case and my father to get him to see reason. Or at least I think it made him see reason.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
Hearing the exhaustion, Jane decided to let him go. “I’ll let you get some sleep. I’m due to get some also, long flight on a C-130 makes for sore muscles and exhaustion. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The next day she walked into NCIS still exhaustion but the coffee she’d picked up from one of the shops on the way into the interior of the base was slowly making her wake up. Jesse was standing next to Kai by their desks, both talking about something random if her guess was anything to go by. Lucy was on her cell and if her face gave anything away, which it did, the person on the other side of the phone was Whistler.“Finally, you’re back.” Jesse stated with elation.“Back but barely awake. I think I slept over twelve hours and I’m still exhausted.” She spoke as she entered her office to put her bag down. Jesse came to the door while she unpacked her briefcase. “I’m dealing with Daniel and Alex right now on top of everything else going on.”“How bad?”Jane removed her computer from the bag and put it on the desk, plugging the device in. It’d been at her house for the duration of her trip so it was likely dead. “Alex signed up at a Navy recruitment office. Joe spent hours asking Alex question after question till he was satisfied it was a genuine wish to join. I did the same and came to the same conclusion. Daniel on the other hand,” she looked up at the special agent as she sat down at her desk. “Believes he’s throwing his life away. Blames my job and my boyfriend.”“Did you say or do anything?”“I used Ben and Maleko Ioane as an example for what Daniel shouldn’t do. I hope it helped but with him, one never knows.” She sat back in her chair, “anything important happen while I was away?”Jesse grinned, “we took down Hikaru Yamamoto.”“You didn’t!” She would have gone to attention if standing. “He fled Hawai’i five years ago, been an Interpol list just as long.” The man they’d been looking for since just after her arrival at NCIS was the one that got away, the one Jane couldn’t catch.”“He came in under an assumed identity, didn’t pop on any list but during a weapons raid with Whistler’s team, we found him. Hot AK was in his hands.”“And I wasn’t here.”“Maybe he just needed you to leave the island.” Jesse shrugged, “wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t. At least according to Kai, something about vengeful ancestors and whatnot.”“Paperwork till we get called.” She stated and looked at her computer screen. “And tell Lucy to save it for lunch.”Jesse nodded, “Whistler has been around a lot during your time off. She said we needed a fourth with you away so she stepped in. I’m just shocked they haven’t jumped the gun and gotten married.”“They will. Give them time.” She looked out towards Lucy’s desk to see the special agent in a particularly intense conversation if the hair twirling was anything to go by.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As Jane entered her house, she heard Alex and Cassandra in the kitchen cooking. When she worked late, it was a common thing to enter the house to the sound of the couple in the kitchen while Julie was in her room or doing homework at the kitchen table. The current day had left her dealing with the FBI and while Whistler was an unofficial part of the team, the agent assigned to help said unofficial member was anything but helpful. Jane had almost booted the man from the squad room but Lucy beat her to it. Lucy Tara was an unstoppable force when it came to Whistler and when the other agent tried to railroad her girlfriend, Lucy went after him like a dog in a fight. Because of the black eye that the other agent had walked away with, being Special Agent in Charge left Jane settling the issue with Whistler’s boss that had taken hours. She had no justification for why Lucy had given him a black eye other than the agent's attitude. After a few hours of talks, they had reached an understanding that no one from the FBI, other than Whistler, was welcome in the squad room ever again. Large joint cases and the FBI Special Agent in Charge being the only exception. Also, Lucy wasn't to be the liaison with the FBI, that would be left to her or the guys. A quick hello to Alex and Cassandra, Jane headed to her room and sat on the bed to undo her shoes when her phone rang. Picking it from her pocket, Jane looked down to see it was Joe so she answered. “Hey.”
“Hey, you sound tired. Everything alright?”
“Yeah.” She put the phone between her shoulder and ear as she unzipped her boots. “Whistler’s new partner is the very picture of an ass if you look it up in the dictionary. He tried to railroad her and Lucy went toe to toe with him. I spent the better part of two hours working on the situation with Whistler’s boss. The result was the agreement that it was the agent’s fault, as when Whistler works with us, we don’t have any issues. He was the only factor of difference. I told the SAC that he wasn’t allowed in my squad room anymore.”Joe sighed and she knew it was one of exhaustion as he’d been in non-stop meetings all day regarding the Korean Peninsula. “Well my day wasn’t any better.”“I know and I wish I could make it so you didn’t have to be going over the same issues in a repetitive cycle.” Jane stood and walked to the door, closing it before putting the phone on speaker and throwing it on the bed. She grabbed clothes out of her dresser to change into after her shower. “Sometimes I don’t even want to talk because my day sounds insignificant compared to yours.”“I want you to talk. I want to hear about your day even if it’s about Lucy Tara going head to head against an FBI moron. Hearing your voice takes away the burdens of the day Jane.” The sound of rustling let Jane know he was pulling his jacket on to leave his office as he spoke. “How is Alex doing? Still having issues with Daniel?”Jane started to unbutton her dress shirt to get undressed from her work clothes. “Alex broke the news of the Navy to Cassandra yesterday. She said she was surprised as it was the first time he was sharing it with her. Apparently, she now understands why he posts about the Navy on his social media occasionally.”
“How did that go? Same as with his dad?”
“Better than with Daniel, she said she doesn’t understand why he wants to join the Navy but she accepts he has. He still has his senior year so it’ll be a while before he goes to Basic. I don’t hope for them to break up but if they do, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“I texted him about his interests. We ended up talking about it last week for about an hour. I didn’t expect to hear that Daniel blames me completely despite the various conversations that have been had regarding the issue.”
Jane laughed sarcastically as she slid out of her slacks. “Yes, he does. Daniel looked me straight in the eye and said it was my job and my boyfriend’s fault for why Alex joined. Alex went to bat for you and told him every reason why he wanted to join. Even said you tried to persuade him not to but he did anyways because he feels like the Navy is his calling.”
“I’m sure that was an interesting conversation.”
She picked up her phone from the bed. “Can I call you after my shower?”
“Not tonight. My plan is to go home, shower and sleep. I hope that’s not inconvenient.”
Sitting on the bed in only her bra and underwear, Jane smiled fondly at the sleepy man on the other end of the phone. “No, I can hear the exhaustion in your voice. Get some sleep and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you.”
“I love you too. You get some rest also Jane.”
“Just remember next weekend you come my way.”
“First, I must go to New Zealand on Wednesday. I’d rather be dealing with an international crisis with you then sit through a meeting on pacific international cooperation. Why Decker has me going to this I don’t understand, its mostly for economy and business.”
“He’ll probably tell you why over the next few days.” Jane knew that sometimes Decker didn’t drop actual information till days before a situation. It was security measure and while Joe hated the method, he understood the reason for it. “Get some rest and just know Admiral Decker hasn’t led you astray yet.”
“Goodnight Sweetheart.”
“Goodnight Joe.”After her shower, Jane went downstairs and found dinner was being placed on the table. Julie was showing Cassandra and Alex something on her phone but when Jane entered the room, she slid the screen away. Cassandra handed Jane a glass of wine and she thanked the woman, surprised that she wasn’t drinking also.“What is that you’re hiding?” Jane inquired to her daughter.“You can’t know, it’s a birthday surprise.” Julie said before hugging her mother and smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”Jane sat at the table, “so what is for dinner tonight?”“I fried up some tofu and tried a new mixed vegetable recipe.” Cassandra said as she and Alex sat down. “I hope that’s alright?”“Sounds amazing.”Alex looked up at his mother, “how is Joe doing?” It was a common occurrence that she spoke to Joe after getting home or on her way home. “Is he still coming next weekend?”“He is. Why?”“He said when he got here, he’d go over different areas of the Navy with me more than we did when we talked last week. Talked about me meeting a few people he knows on base to get a feel for different areas. David thinks I should go for the Navy Seals but even I know that’s not going to happen.”Jane accepted Julie’s plate to put some vegetables on, “any idea what you’re thinking of doing?”“I’m still thinking of being a Culinary Specialist but was also looking at possibly being an aviation technician.”Julie looked straight at her brother, “Dad said you couldn’t choose.” Turning to her mother, she spoke. “He said that Alex is throwing his life away by allowing someone else to choose for him.”“It’s not guaranteed Jules but sometimes you can.” Jane told her daughter as she served herself food, quietly deciding to have a talk with her ex-husband about things said in front of Julie. She knew that Daniel and Alex could argue everyday if they wanted but she didn’t want her daughter hearing her father be rude or critical of her brother.Cassandra turned to Alex, “would you be on a ship?”“Possibly, or I could work on a base. Just depends on where someone is stationed.”Julie smiled as she turned her attention fully on her mom. “I called everyone today to remind them of your birthday next weekend.” Her daughter had been put in charge of the cookout party that Jane agreed to so they wouldn’t try to surprise her with one.“How many people are we looking at Jules?”“Everyone who came to the spring cookout.” Jane could only look impressed that the whole of the island wasn’t going to be showing up.“I offered to help Alex cook.” Cassandra added, “but I’ll go home before your party so it’ll be just family.”Jane put down her fork while weighing her words. “No, you should stay. It’s not only family so you’re more than welcome. Besides, you’re over here a lot in the evenings anyways so I’d be strange if you weren’t.”“I appreciate it, Jane.”“That said,” she pointed between the two, “no more sleepovers without me knowing.”Alex looked straight at his sister, “do you have to spy on everyone and everything?”With a look of pride on her face, Julie pointed a fork in the air non-chalantly. “Yes. Joe says it'll make me a better spy.”“Alright.” Jane's voice separated her children from their glares at each other. "Julie, stop spying on your brother. I've already had this discussion with your father so it seems I have to have it with Joe also.""Sucks to be him." Alex stated as he picked up his glass of tea. Jane tilted her head as she looked at her son, affection in her eyes. "He does parent Julie when he's here so obviously I have to have discussions with him regarding certain topics." Her eyes fixed on her youngest, "he spoils you way too much, that I do know.""Well he will be my stepdad one day." Julie said as she proceeded to eat her dinner. "Face it Mom, you're going to marry Joe in the future.""She has a point Mom." Motioning between the two with her fork, Jane narrowed her eyes. "When you two agree on things, I become concerned."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The surf was enjoyable and as Jane sat on her board watching the sunset with at least a half dozen surfers, she looked down when her watch vibrated. The watch was one she used solely for surfing and showed a text from Boom-Boom of all people. He’d just recently returned from his Marines Temporary Duty and she expected him to be spending time with family not texting her on a weekend. The text itself was what had her turning her board around and heading to shore. She only took a second long enough to click open her phone using the touch screen of the pouch that had been permanently secured to her board by Jesse once she saw he did the same to his own board. She sent sent a text saying she'd call in ten minutes.Once at her car after a quick stop at the showers, Jane pulled her phone from the pouch so she could put the board on the top of the SUV. Pulling open the backdoor, she climbed onto the doorframe to latch her board onto the surf rack. With the board latched, Jane reached inside and pulled out her towel to towel off before pulling her jeans and cotton tee. Only once she was dressed did the special agent get in the driver’s seat and back up from the parking lot while calling the person who called her, lights on as the sun was setting.“Yeah Boom-Boom?”
“Tennant, sorry to text you so late. Got a bit of a situation down at Pearl, mind meeting me?”
The special agent tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, waiting her turn to get onto Kamehameha Highway. “I’m leaving Hale’iwa now, give me a half hour and I’ll be there. Where exactly am I meeting you?”
“Forensics Hanger, half your people are here already. I said I would call you personally because it’s too big to butcher over the phone. Or things being overheard until we get the full scope.”
Jane moved into the left lane so she wouldn’t have to worry with merging and departing traffic during her drive. “Alright Boom-Boom, be there in half an hour.”
“Alright Tennant.”
A few moments after ending the call, Jane hit a contact on her dash screen to call. A familiar voice floated through the car speakers. “You headed home after surfing?”“Unfortunately not, caught a case of magnitude if my forensic expert’s call was anything to go by. Please tell me that you’re able to relax this weekend. One of us needs to not be working Joe.”Her boyfriend chuckled, “would you be jealous if I told you I had a date with the range this afternoon then ran along the memorials?”“A hundred precent yes.” She grinned, “the surf was nice until I got the text. Got to see at least part of the sunset. We should go when you’re here.”Joe hummed softly, “which, surfing or watching the sunset?”“Both, we haven’t surfed together yet. Although Julie might want to claim your attention when it comes to surfing. She’s a monster who puts me to shame when it comes to a board so she won’t go with me. I’m an embarrassment to her or so she says. Usually, Jesse takes her when he takes Gracie and the boys as they’re on her level.”The man on the phone laughed, “then she’ll regret going with me also because while I can surf, I wipe out more than I catch a wave. I’m from back country Michigan, not the Island. If she wants to know how to shoot a turkey from a blind or dress a deer, I can teach her that.”“Considering my youngest is an animal lover, you would never find her doing either of those willingly. If we ever get to Michigan, I’d hunt with you for sure.”
“I’ll put that on the bucket list of things to do with you.”
Jane grinned as she listened to him, she missed the naval officer too much at times. “how long is that bucket list?”“Half a page long maybe, I only have a dozen things listed so far.” The sound of running water told her he was in the kitchen as he never took his phone into the bathroom. “We might have to spend time in Michigan if we’re going to alternate between DC and Hawaii for holidays. My parents will demand I come up for a holiday eventually.”“Well Thanksgiving this year the kids are with Daniel’s parents here on the island so I’ll be free. That is if you want to do a quick turnaround from Hawaii to Michigan by only a few days.”
“It would be short notice and my mother would have my head bringing you home without proper notice.”
Jane chuckled, “I see how it is Captain. You’re scared to bring me home without notice, afraid I’ll get along with them.”
“Considering I’ve never brought anyone home, I’m more afraid of how they’ll react without prior notice to be able to clean the place. My mother is carefree and spontaneous until she has company, then she becomes anal-retentive. The place has to be spotless."
“Well, they wouldn’t turn me away. Parents love me, from my high school boyfriend to Daniel’s parents. I’m still considered family where they’re concerned.”Joe was quiet for a few moments before he spoke. “Well, if there is one thing I know for sure, you’re persistent and dedicated.” It was a sly comment and one that was related to a conversation from a year before. “How about we compromise, I invite them to DC and we have Thanksgiving here.”“I can agree to that, just let me…”
“You haven’t heard my stipulation yet Jane.”
Tucking her tongue in her cheek, Jane gave a huff. “I’m listening.”
“You use that plane ticket that is on reserve, no jump seat. I’ll be flying back with you so you have no way to argue the point.”
“Fine but I’m cooking.” Her voice had a hard edge, likely from the conversation turning from playful to his demand she use the plane ticket he’d bought her at one point without consulting her on it.Joe spoke, “as if kicking you out of your own kitchen is an option. It’s possible my mother would try to kick you out though.”“I’m sure you’ll warn her.”
“I’ll try. More than likely, you’ll concede defeat on that front. So, you’ll use the plane ticket?”
“You’re lucky I love you.” She moved lanes as a driver edged on her bumper. “You’re making demands.”
“Sweetheart calm down, you’re overreacting.”
“You did not just tell me I’m overreacting and to calm down.”
“Jane…”
“I have a case; we’ll talk about this later.” She hit the end call button and shook her head, silently fuming. When he attempted to call her back, she hit reject and turned on the radio.Arriving at the Forensic Hanger, Jane got out of the SUV with only her phone in hand. If anyone noticed her casual clothes and sandals, they didn’t say anything. Jesse met her at the open door to the hanger nodded casually.“I hope we didn’t interrupt your evening.”Jane shook her head slightly, “I was just finishing my surf when Boom-Boom texted me. What do we have?”“It’s kind of hard to explain but from the jest I got, a test run on some detection equipment led to a huge bust.” Jesse spoke as they headed into the hanger to see a helicopter was being taken apart piece by piece. On a nearby table was bricks and bricks of bundled drugs. “It’s two hours in and they’re still going, only a fifth of the way finished.”Boom-Boom was nearby, Bam-Bam was on a ladder and she was handing down a drill as a piece of metal paneling fell. “Another four.” The woman handed down the packages.“Hey Boom-Boom, what’s going on?” Jane walked over to the EOD tech. “Why are you two the only ones handling this?”“We're the only ones who can't be behind this. Everyone else is a suspect.” The man nodded to her, “one of my guys was doing calibration on a new detection device. We were using some cataloged TATP, since it seems to be a go-to for cases the last year, that we ourselves planted. We knew the device could also detect for drugs but didn’t expect to find any. Imagine my surprise when he got a hint of coke. We thought it maybe a recreational amount but when we went looking for it, we found this situation.”Jane looked at the table then at the aircraft being slowly dismantled. “Something tells me that I’m going to be waking up the base admiral and the Chief of Pac Fleet.”“Wouldn’t it just be a million times easier if Joe was still the Deputy Chief?” Jesse asked and the woman shot her second in charge an annoyed look. “Oh, don’t tell me you two broke up.”The woman turned to her friend, “no but he is in the doghouse right now. Told me I was overreacting and to calm down.”“Oof.” Jesse put his fist to his mouth, “how long is he going to be there?”“I haven’t decided yet.” Jane opened her phone to make a call and looked at the screen, seeing five missed texts from Joe. The last text was an apology. “He seems to understand he’s in trouble though, fasted apology I’ve ever had from a partner. On the Deputy Chief angle, I agree it would be easier if he was the one I was waking up. Instead, it’ll be Admiral Wentworth and Admiral Miller.”The NCIS Hawaii Field Office was rarely graced by admiralty but a call the following morning by Jane, after deciding to let Boom-Boom and his forensics team finish the dismantle overnight, made the day a first of its kind. Three men showed up in her bullpen only an hour after her call: Admiral Miller, Admiral Wentworth, and Joe’s replacement, Captain Conners.She was up and out of her chair before they could reach her office, hoping they ignored the fact she was still in casual clothes. At the very least, she’d switched out her sandals for slip on flats.“Sirs, please join me.” With practice she ushered them to the conference room.Admiral Wentworth put his cover on the table and turned to her, as he was the more senior of the group. “Special Agent in Charge Tennant, what is this about a large drug bust during the nighttime hours?”“Yes sir, I and my team have been up all night assisting forensics with the seizure. We’re still calculating value but we have found over a thousand kilos of cocaine stuffed into a helo that is due to be shipped to mainland for decommissioning.” Jane laid out several pictures she’d had Kai print out earlier in the morning.The man picked up the picture, “found on this base?”“Yes sir and trust me when I will personally find who is responsible.” Jane waited for the man to look away from the pictures. “I know from Pentagon contacts that right now isn’t the time for the Pacific to be bothered with a situation like this. We can’t afford to have our military cycling drugs through the ranks when the entire Pacific Theater could destabilize any moment.”Looking up at the woman the admiral nodded. “I want you to personally keep me in the loop. Question whoever you need to and go to whatever lengths is required to find the source or drug ring, whatever it is. Captain Conners is at your disposal, whatever you need, he will get it.”Conners leaned towards his commanding officer. “Sir wouldn’t it be better for me to focus on the growing tensions and base requirements to ship out our fleet if necessary?”“Captain Conners,” Jane held out her hand, “I knew your predecessor, I hope we have just as cordial a working relationship.”The man took a few moments before shaking her hand and nodded. “I’m sure we’ll get along well.”“Special Agent in Charge Tennant.” Both the admirals left; Captain Conners stayed behind for a few moments.“Perhaps we could talk about the case,” Conners suggested, “over drinks?”Jane felt like she’d been splashed with déjà vu. “Captain, while I appreciate the offer, my partner is on the mainland at the moment and due back next week.” She turned to pick up the pictures that had been laid out. “I’ll call if I have anything to update you on or if I need anything.”Jesse and Kai arrived as the Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet left, looking perturbed. Jesse knocked on Jane’s office door as she sat at her desk. “Who was that?”“Joe’s replacement.” She held her phone in her hand as Jesse moved into the room. “He asked me out for drinks.”Her second in charge laughed. “That’s two in a row.”“At least Joe waited a few cases before asking me out. Captain Conners didn’t even wait thirty minutes.” She set her phone down, “especially when there is a situation that warrants my attention.”“Well, that’s just plain rude.” Jesse sat down across from her, “what did the admiralty have to say?”Jane leaned back in her chair, “well we're given whatever measures we need. I may have stated my Pentagon contacts let me know of the potential destabilization of the Pacific at any moment. I also told them with the potential of war in the Pacific we can’t have drugs circulating through the ranks.”“Endearing yourself to the admiralty, very respectable boss.” He motioned to her phone, “he still in the doghouse?”Jane shrugged, “perhaps, right now he’s not answering my phone calls. It keeps going to voicemail. Either he’s in non-stop meetings which is possible at,” she quickly did the time zone calculation, “noon in DC, or he’s ignoring me.”“Well for his sake, I hope it’s the meeting option.”“Ernie getting anywhere with the security footage of the original hanger?”Jesse nodded, “he said he’s going through the footage as we speak. I have Kai questioning each of the mechanics that had access to be able to pack the helo. I’m going to go through the command structures to look at who had the ability to get it on base as it takes a high ranking officer to manage to smuggle the drug in that quantity without some detection.”“Keep up the work.” She stood up as Jesse stood up, “I’m going to shower and get changed before I go meet with Boom-Boom over the final count.”“Right, Bam-Bam called me and let me know that the final value was north of seventy million. She told me the exact amount but after you hit seventy million, it just seems redundant to give an exact amount unless writing it on a report.”While Jane showered, Jesse went through the command structures on base. He was lining up names on his computer when the sound of doors opening made him turn to see if Kai was back. Instead, he saw a man he wasn’t expecting and grinned when he realized why he was there. Closing his computer, Jesse looked up as the man neared his desk.“Captain Milius, you’re a long way from DC.” He was overly formal just because he could be.“Boone, where’s Jane? She’s not answering her phone.”Jesse pointed over his shoulder, “locker room. What brings you to Hawaii on short notice?”“I know Jane talks to you.” The naval officer stated, “so you know why I’m here on short notice.”The man nodded, “you’re in the doghouse, but then again, that was your doing.” He leaned back in his chair, “take it from someone that is married, even if they are overreacting, never tell them they are and never ever tell a woman to calm down.”Joe nodded, “I figured that out after she rejected my calls.”“So, you flew all the way to Hawaii?” Jesse grinned, “you’ll get brownie points for that, it may just get you out of the doghouse.”“I’m due to board the USS Carl Vinson when it docks in two days to observe a few maneuvers. The plan was meet the Carl Vinson in Guam but…”“But you screwed up so you decided to jump to Hawaii instead of just flying to Guam.”Joe nodded, “how angry is she?”“Uh, considering your replacement just tried to ask her out not even thirty minutes after meeting her, she’s more annoyed then angry.” Jesse held out his hands, “I mean, I’m impressed that not one, but two captains in the same office, have asked her out. I wouldn’t be worried though; Tennant is partial to you.”“I’m not worried.”The sound of the doors opening and closing made both look over to see Jane looking down at her phone. Her hair was wet and pulled back in a ponytail and she wore her normal business slacks and blouse, heels clicking on the floor.“Hey Boss, a stray walked in.”Jane looked up and did a double take at seeing Joe standing in her bullpen. “Joe?”“Can we take a walk?” He requested and she could only nod, surprise still across her features.The two walked towards the coffee shop that was a few buildings over, both talking while they walked. He was in uniform so there was a respectable distance between them. Jane pocketed her phone after a text to Boom-Boom to tell him she would be a bit late.“I want to apologize.” Joe said as soon as her phone was up. “For what I said.”Jane glanced at him from where she was beside him. “You flew all the way to Hawai’i to apologize?”“Yes and no. I was due to fly to Guam in a few days to meet the USS Carl Vinson to observe maneuvers with Japan regarding the Korean Peninsula. I decided to come apologize and us talk before I have to board here at Pearl in two days.” He pause in his steps and turned to her, “I shouldn’t have said you were overreacting. For how much we talk and communicate, there are still things I’m learning the hard way when it comes to our relationship.”The special agent in charge nodded, “I shouldn’t have ignored your calls.”“Why did you?”Looking away, Jane tucked her tongue into her cheek before looking back at him. “Instinct reaction. When I’m angry I don’t respond well to reason and the last relationship I was in, ignoring attempts to placate or apologize were commonplace.” Her face morphed to apology and Jane had to remind herself to not reach for Joe. At times his uniform annoyed her, like at that moment. “But you aren’t Daniel and I shouldn’t have responded the way I did.”“You’re entitled to your emotions.” He said calmly, “isn’t that what you told me when I got angry at you?”“Yes, but the situation was completely different.”Joe was silent before speaking, “maybe but the end is still the same. We need to work on communicating better. I need to realize that I can’t be as critical with you as I am with others at work and you need to realize our relationship isn’t the same as yours was with Daniel.”“I do know that. After my anger subsided, I tried calling you but you didn’t answer. Now I know that’s because you were on a C-130 flying over the ocean.”“The longer this goes on,” Joe sighed as he spoke, “the more I question whether it’ll work out. I want this to work Jane, I love you more than I know what to do with but eventually, one of us will have to concede defeat and move or it’ll implode.”Jane spoke softly, “do you want this relationship to end?”“No,” he brushed a hand over his mouth before placing both hands behind his back. “No, I want to marry you and be with you until I die but I’m starting to wonder if the separation is breaking down our communication. We call each other every day but do we actually talk about important things? Or is it just the day to day?”The sound of Jane’s phone made her pull it from her pocket to see Jesse’s name. “I have to take this. We’re in the middle of a huge case right now, one with the potential to impact the entire Pacific Theater.”Joe nodded and took a step closer, leaning in only briefly to kiss her temple. “I love you. I’ll talk to you this evening.” Before he walked away, he looked back at her. “Do you need me to pick up the kids?”“No, they’re with Daniel this week.” She caught his arm and smiled briefly. “I love you too.”“We’ll figure this out Jane, I’m determined to if you are also.”She gave a sharp nod, “I am too.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Exhaustion lined Jane’s bones as she got home nearly at midnight, she’d told Jesse before leaving that she’d be coming in late unless he called her. She’s chased after an officer wanted in questioning for the helo and only after two hangers, a runway, and almost being run over, did she find out he ran because of underaged drinking. She’d personally escorted him to Admiral Miller’s officer herself just because he’d made her and Kai go through all that. Jesse had said they needed Lucy that day, because the woman could run faster than any of them.Setting her shoes and bag by the front door, Jane locked the barrier and turned the corner to see Alex at the dining room table on his own laptop. He removed the earbuds from his ear as she made her way over, the contemporary rock music he listened to paused once he hit the space bar on the keyboard. “Mom?”“Don’t become an aircraft mechanic.” She said as she hugged him from behind, seeing his English paper on the screen. “I had one make me run through two hangers and down a runway, almost getting me and Kai run over by a C-130.”“You arrested him, didn’t you?” Her son looked concerned as she spoke, having turned his body when she pulled away from him.“No, but I gave him the worst punishment available to me because I had no grounds to arrest him. I took him to the base admiral’s office and let the MPs deal with him. His only crime before that was underage drinking.” She headed towards the stairs. “I want you in bed after you finish your paper.”Alex nodded, “sorry about working so late. Mrs. Hoshi wants the paper to be a basis for our college application essay. There are a few of us entering the military so it’s useless. We still must do the fifteen pages or twenty thousand words.”After showering to relax her muscles, Jane settled on her bed and picked up her phone. Dialing a number on her speed dial, she waited for a few seconds before the other person answered their ringing phone.
“Jane, is everything okay?”
“Where are you? I came home and you weren’t here.” She inquired to Joe’s location despite the fact they were in the middle of a disagreement. If he came all the way to Hawai’i, she didn’t understand why he wasn’t home where he belonged.Exhaustion and sleep filled his voice as he spoke. “I’m at The Lodge. I thought…”“Just because we’re in the middle of something doesn’t mean I don’t want you here. You flew all the way to Hawai’i Joe; you shouldn’t be anywhere but at home.” Jane stated while looking to the other side of the bed where Joe’s phone charger lay undisturbed. There was also a picture of them there, his favorite picture he’d told her. “Please come home.”
“Give me an hour.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too Jane. I just didn’t want to cause more discourse between us by making assumptions and being there.”
Jane smiled despite the heaviness of the statement. “I’ll always want you here. Never go to bed angry with each other, I never understood that until now.”An hour later, Joe was putting his key in the door and turned the lock. Opening the front door, the naval officer quickly locked it behind himself and rounded the corner to see Alex at the dining room table. The boy had headphones in and was working on a paper, he turned his head and nodded to Joe before going back to his work. Joe headed upstairs to find Jane was laying down in bed asleep. Setting his duffle on the floor next to the closet door, Joe crossed to the bed and reached out to brush a piece of hair away from Jane’s face before leaning over to kiss her cheek. Exhaustion had clearly taken over as she didn’t stir when Joe ran a hand down her arm.Leaving Jane resting, Joe headed downstairs to lock up. He locked both the backdoor and verified that the front door was locked. When he neared Alex, the boy turned his head and removed his headphones.“When is your paper due?”“Friday.”Joe nodded in response. “Save the paper and get to bed, it’s nearly two in the morning. Your mother isn’t going to be happy if you’re not up getting ready for school at seven.”“Yes sir.” Alex started saving his paper. “Mom nearly got run over today by a C-130.”Narrowing his eyes, Joe focused on the statement. “What do you mean she nearly got run over today?”“She chased a mechanic through two hangers and down a tarmac before she and Kai almost got run over. That’s what she said after telling me not to become a mechanic.”“Get to bed.” Joe stated softly as Alex shut his laptop. “Rest well.”“You too Joe.”The next morning, Jane woke to the sun on her face and the sound of a coffee grinder. As she blinked away, she realized she’d run out of fresh Kona coffee so the whole bean in the freezer had to be ground down. Stretching, she grabbed her phone and looked at the time to see it was not even close to what time her alarm was due to go off. Instead of turning back over to sleep, Jane got up and headed to the bathroom.After getting ready and dressed for the day, Jane turned off her alarm and headed downstairs. She found Alex packing his own lunch for school, something that took her aback as Jane usually backed the kid’s lunches. Joe was pouring a cup of coffee as he stood in khaki slacks and a blue oxford, CAC card clipped to his belt. He looked up at her footsteps on the hardwood and smiled at seeing her.“We wake you?” He asked while handing her the cup of coffee he’d just poured.Jane gave a slight shake of her head. “Not on purpose.” She took a sip of her coffee while watching Alex make a sandwich. “What has you taking initiative to make your own lunch?”Alex shrugged, “I’m an adult. You won’t always be there Mom.”“Well, either way, I’m proud of you.” She grabbed a baby carrot from the bag on the counter. “Did you finish your paper?”“I went to bed at two since I had to be up for school. It’s not due till Friday.”Nodding, Jane glanced at Joe to see him watching the two. “Since you’re still tired, do you want me to drive you to school?”Alex nodded, “please.”“Alright, make sure you’re ready to walk out the door in ten minutes.”Once Alex left the kitchen, Jane leaned against the counter and met her boyfriend’s eyes. He folded his arms, “am I in trouble for preparing him for life after Basic?”“No. He does a lot for his age but there are little things he needs to learn.” She started picking up the extras that had to be put in the fridge. “You’re more patient than another person would be and he needs to learn. In six months, he’ll enter a completely different world that will shock him if he’s not prepared.”Joe started helping her close lunch item so they could go in the fridge. “My plan is to have him get up with me in the mornings when I come back next week. Performing a PRT every day will do him good. I won’t bother with the water training as he’s grown up surfing so he’d be able to perform that without issue.”“Thank you.”“Have lunch with me?” Joe inquired while she closed the fridge door. “I wanted to talk with you about something I’ve been thinking about.”Jane nodded, “if I can get away. We have a huge case that has even Wentworth on alert. It has red tape all over it or I’d tell you.”“I figured as you always tell me about your cases. If there is one thing I know, it’s that we have no secrets unless the topic is highly classified.”She moved around the island and caught his hand. “As soon as I’m able, I will tell you.”“Just don’t almost get run over again.” He caught her chin between his forefinger and thumb.“I should have known Alex would have told you about that.”Joe chuckled, “what happened to the kid that made you endure all that?”“He was taken to the admiral’s office and let him deal with the kid. That’ll scare him more than I could arresting him.” She looked down at her watch, noting Alex had five minutes left before she would walk out the door without him if he wasn’t ready. Her attention turned back to her boyfriend. “If I can’t get away for lunch, we can talk this evening over dinner.”“Deal.” He turned her till he could wrap his arms around her and Jane sunk into the hug.They stood there for the remaining five minutes, both soaking in the intimacy that the hug gave them. They were in the middle of settling the largest disagreement that they’d ever had but it didn’t mean they couldn’t work through it while being with each other.“If you’re up for it, I’d still like to do Thanksgiving in DC.” Jane stated while pulling away, noting that a piece of hair got stuck in his collar button. Joe gently extracted the strand and brushed her hair behind her ear.The naval officer nodded, “I can call my parents today when I get a chance after my meeting with Wentworth and Miller. They both want to catch up with me once they got word I was in Hawaii. Apparently, the gate officer remembers me and is dating Miller’s daughter, so he called up Miller and told him I was back. I’m sure they are both interested why I’m here.”“Any idea what you’re going to tell him?”Joe nodded, “the truth. When I left Hawaii for DC, I left a girlfriend behind and I return to the island periodically to visit her.”“This girlfriend anyone I know?” She asked teasingly.“You might.” He kissed her and pulled her close her by her waist.A throat clearing made them pull apart and they saw Alex waiting with his backpack. “Just for the record, you two are disgusting.”“I’ll see you later.” Jane stated while stealing a quick kiss. Grabbing her keys from the counter, she used her hands to herd her son towards the door. “Let’s get you to school.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jane’s first stop after getting a new cup of coffee was the meeting room that was their own little version of MTAC. The room had no name but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t settle on one eventually. Jesse told her that he was there was Kai and Ernie going over some information, apparently Whistler had shown up too so she knew something was going on. They’d found since Lucy had been assigned to Agent Afloat, Whistler had been around more. She’d told the FBI agent over coffee that she would always be part of their team, no matter what happened with Lucy. There had been a sly threat after the statement, about how the agent’s body would disappear if Lucy’s heart was broken again.Entering the room, Jane found the team huddled around several computers and tablets. It was if Ernie had moved his office just for the case.“What do we have?” She put the carrier of coffee down and the four immediately went for the caffeine.“Oh coffee, just what I needed.” Ernie spoke as he drank down the substance.Jesse motioned towards the cyber agent. “So, Ernie finished going through all the footage and between Kai and I, we’ve been questioning people all night.”Kai nodded and pointed at Jesse. “He really means all night. I’m not the one pulling evenings this week so I deserve to get off early.”“Approved. What have you found?”Handing a tablet over, Jesse showed her the names he’d compiled. “I’ve ran the entire command structure and cross checking who has the ability to pull this off. Crossed off names left and right until only a handful remain.”“That said, I found that only two of those names are on camera at the original hanger.”Jane’s attention went to the tablet she had in hand that had names and command structure of the base. “Who were the two names?”“Not two names, one name. One name with a brother who has gone away for a drug bust but who also has a juvie record for it.” Ernie stated and swiped something on his tablet to hers, where she saw actual footage from the hanger.Jane nodded, “so we were able to narrow it to the actual person who got the drugs to the hanger and on the helo?”“Yes.” Ernie stated with certainty as her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket to see it was Joe. She sent a quick message that she’d call when able before putting it on the table beside her face down. “We have time if you have need to take that.”“Joe knows I’m in the middle of a big case.” She said nonchalantly and looked up to see her team looking at her. “What?”“I don’t know Boss, might be important.” Jesse provided with a grin before turning his head to look at his fellow agents. “He flew in because he was in the doghouse with Tennant.” Jesse supplied, “said she was overreacting and to calm down.”Ernie shivered. “I have a vivid memory of doing that with an ex.”“How’d that turn out for you?”Ernie leaned against the table as he spoke. “Now you know why she’s an ex. Well, that, and the five stitches it took to repair my scalp after she threw a vase at my head.”“As enjoyable as it is for you all to share in the fight I’ve had with a boyfriend. Ernie, what was the name.”“Actually, having Joe around might help with this.” He winced and met Jane’s eyes. “Marcus Conners, his replacement.”Jesse tapped her arm, “I bet he asked you out to see if he could find a way to prevent you from discovering it was him.”“He asked her out?” Kai looked between the two, “seriously boss, two men in the same position. How’d you do that?”“That’s what I said.” Jesse said chuckling but stopped when Jane leveled him with a glare.Joe arrived an hour after she texted him back to say she could use him in his investigation. Without needing directions, the man slid the door to the command room open and closed behind him. They were in the middle of compiling the most important information that could be presented to the admiralty when necessary.“Hey.” Joe put a hand to Jane’s shoulder as he arrived. She turned to him and accepted the chaste kiss he gave her. “What’s going on?”“The case we’re working on, we could use your help.”Joe nodded, “anything.”“Marcus Conners, what do you know about him?”“Level-headed officer, only good reports and did good work under me. Why?”Jane met his eyes, “it’s a drug bust case. Helo being prepared to be shipped to the mainland for decommissioning was used by the forensic team to test some sample chemicals for a new detector. The detector got traces of cocaine and they found over a thousand kilos. Running down facts, following command structure, hanger surveillance, and a deep dive by Ernie has him being the only likely candidate. Admiral Wentworth gave me free reign, more so than usual, so when Conners asked me out, we figure it’s to keep an eye on the investigation.”“I recommended Conners for the position.” Joe sighed and leaned against the nearby table. “Looking back, some things are starting to stand out.”Jane placed her hand on his folded arms. “Like what?”“He always was often late to work or had to run an errand at lunch. Disappearing at times. Exhaustion. Complaining about finances with other officers. He said he always had allergies and would use his nasal medication but I never thought it would cause nosebleeds.”“Any or every one of those things could be explained away. I just don’t understand how he would pass a drug screen.”“He has a cousin who joined the Navy too. I think he mentioned he was a doctor once.”Ernie looked up, “what was his name?”“Gilward or Gilbert, something like that.”The cyber tech threw up his hands. “There’s the link. Maxwell Gilbert, works at the Jacksonville, Florida at works for the Navy Drug Screening Lab and is always the laboratory specialist when Conners’ samples were run.”“We need him to take a test.” Jane stated, “that’s how we nail it.”“How exactly do we do that when the sample would be run by the same lab?” Jesse motioned towards the tablet in Ernie’s hand.Jane put up a finger and moved over to pick up her phone. A few texts and she sat down, “Commander Chase is going to take an early lunch and join us. If anyone can come up with an excuse to test, it’ll be her.”“How much evidence do you have, if you had to present it right now?” Joe ran a finger down her arm as he asked.“More than most investigations. Usually, we’d hold someone but we want definitive proof because of the magnitude.” Jane said as she turned from where she stood. “Why?”“Call Admiral Wentworth, tell him to meet you here so you can brief him.” Joe saw understanding in her eyes. “Admiral Miller can order a random drug test for anyone if he wants it, but Wentworth is the one that needs to request that order.”Jane immediately dialed the admiral’s office and asked for him. “Yes, this is Special Agent in Charge Tennant, I need to speak directly to the admiral.” She nodded her head despite the other person not seeing her. “Yes, I can wait.”“You’re FBI so how’d you get dragged into this investigation?” Joe asked Whistler innocently.“Oh, I have my hands in a myriad of things at the FBI, drug investigations among them. When Jane Tennant calls me asking for help regarding a case that could cause potentially destabilize an entire region, I drop everything. I think Lucy would have caught a chopper out if she got wind of this.”“Alright so Admirals Wentworth and Miller will be here in an hour.” Jane hung up her phone and then turned her attention to her newest employee. “Kai, I have a question regarding an opportunity for you.”Kai shook his head, “if it’s anything like Lucy, I’m good.”“No, Jesse is going to be on Maui over Thanksgiving, how’d you like to be Special Agent in Charge?”“Where are you going to be?” Jesse asked her. “The kids are with Daniel’s family you said. I thought you were planning a staycation that day?”Jane spoke clearly, “meetings Joe’s parents.”“Oh I’m in.” Kai stated and held out a hand to Joe. “Dude, you maybe single after that meet up. I mean, can you imagine her and your mother fighting over the kitchen? I mean, I know what my mother was like but regarding a girlfriend, that would have been a fight requiring cops.”Joe met the man’s gaze. “In my townhouse, it’s Jane’s kitchen. My mother is going to have a fight ahead of her and while I’ll deny this, I’d place my money on Jane winning a fight between them.” The man was quiet for a moment. “Then again, I saw my mother charge a moose once.”Everyone stared at him as if he had two heads. Whistler was the one to ask the question, “a literal moose?”“I’m from backwater Michigan.”“I never would have guessed.” Ernie shook his head, “too refined, not at all redneck.”Jesse chuckled, “come on Ernie, it’s not like you ever knew I was Montana until I told you.”“Actually, I did, I searched on every one of you for Tanaka then Tennant.” He motioned to Joe, “just not her boss and then boyfriend.”Whistler pointed to herself. “What about me?”“Oh please, I did a deep dive on you. How was I to know you weren’t some double spy I didn’t know about. Especially when I found out about you and Lucy. I mean, Lucy is tough as nails but all of us guys, we’ll go toe to toe with anyone that what’s to hurt her. We’re like her big brothers.”Jesse laughed, “you mean we’ll go toe to toe with anyone. You’ll just torture them online.”“I’ll put them on a no-fly list. Try to do one worse than that?”Whistler cleared her throat. “I’m glad I’m not a threat to you three.”“Oh, if you were, we’d be man enough and step aside. We’re not animals.” Jesse stated to her, “You’d be all Tennant’s though.”“I don’t know which is worse.” Whistler looked between them and Jane, “but I’ll go with Tennant on this one.”Jane winked as she passed the FBI agent. “Good choice.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When the admirals showed up, Jane was on the phone with Daniel as he had called about Julie’s school calling. The man was in a classroom that day and unable to leave to get the girl, who seemed to be throwing up sick. Joe was speaking with the guys, Chase and Whistler about some of the compact material. The naval officer hadn’t made it to lunch with the admirals as he’d canceled when Jane had texted him.Wentworth was the one to speak when they arrived and Joe stood straight. “Joe, what are you doing here?”“Sir.” Joe saluted despite his civilian clothes and Wentworth and Miller saluted back. Once their arms were lowered, Joe continued speaking. “Sorry sir, I got word of the case and since I was here, I offered my services. I’m sorry I canceled lunch but I figured this was more important than catching up.”“Quite right Joe.” The admiral nodded, “good to see you again.”“You too sir.” He nodded to Miller, “good to see you Admiral.”Miller nodded back. “You too Joe, how is Washington?”“Faster paced than Honolulu sir. Nowhere near Hawaiian time.” He chuckled, “how’s your daughter? She get into U of H?”“She did, going to be an architect of all things.” The man chuckled at the thought of his daughter.Jane exited her office while playing with her phone, moving it between her hands. “Ernie?”Ernie turned to her, “yeah Boss?”“Julie is sick and Daniel can’t pick her up.”Without a word, the man accepted the silent assignment she was giving him. “I’ll pick up her up and take her home.”“Thank you.” She squeezed his arm and he said quick goodbyes before leaving, disappearing out the door a few seconds later.Once the cyber specialist was out the door, Jane motioned towards the stairs and command room. “Admirals, let us show you what we have.”Once upstairs, the team began laying out the information that they had. Jesse started telling the men what the team had as they looked at the evidence that lay on the table. Images, forensic reports, duty rosters, command structures, and various other bits of information.“…we know had to be someone that had connection to drugs and the ability to get the drugs from point A to point B.” Jesse spoke and motioned to the open laptop that Joe knew was Julie’s. “We also knew they had to have the contacts and resources to move the drugs once the helo was in a hanger in Texas.”Whistler took over, “I used my contacts at the FBI to compile a list of capable individuals currently employed at Lockheed Martin. Also, people in connection with the limited staff that had access here.”Wentworth put up a hand, “you’re FBI?”“She’s an unofficial part of our team.” Kai was quick to defend, “plus she was DIA before FBI.”Kai motioned to his tablet. “We managed through a series of hanger surveillance, interviews, command structure to go from about a dozen names down to two. Once I started looking for connections to drugs,” he motioned towards Joe, “and with Captain Milius’ input, narrowed it down to one name.”Jane delivered the blow. “Captain Marcus Conners sir. That’s why you’re here because you can deliver the evidence into our hands. The last bit that makes it impossible for us to have anything be denied.”Wentworth looked around the room at the people there with worry on his face. “You did all this in under three days with just six peoples and a computer?”“Two laptops, six phones, four tablets, and a top clearance programming.” Jesse added, “but who’s counting.”“The only thing we can’t do is order a drug screen at Tripler.” Jane stated, “only you have the power.”Commander Chase nodded, “and me, that is why I’m here.”The Chief of Pac Fleet was silent before turning to Miller. “Have it ordered; the entirety of the Pac Fleet office will be drug tested. Us included so not to have anything questioned.”“Yes sir.”“Joe, a word when this is over.”Jane looked to her staff, which included Whistler and Chase in her mind, “alright everyone has assignments, get to it.”Once the command room doors closed behind the agents, Joe took to Wentworth. The admiral turned and looked at Joe, “I want you in my office, tomorrow morning Joe.”“Sir, I’m due to be on the USS Carl Vinson overseeing maneuvers in the Korean Peninsula in the morning.”“I’ll talk to Tom and rearrange a helo ride if I must. That’s on order, Captain.”Joe nodded, “yes sir.”Wentworth moved closer. “I want you to consider something. If Conners really did what he did, the position as Deputy Chief will be vacant. If it becomes vacant, I want you to consider taking it again.” The admiral looked the man over. “With the evidence provided, I have no doubt that Conners committed the crime. So, consider taking the position once again. I need someone capable of handling a Pacifc war if it comes to that.”“I’ll consider it sir.”It was late once again when Jane returned home and it was quiet when she did so. Setting her shoes and bag by the front door, Jane found Joe at the dining room table on his own laptop. He removed the earbuds from his ear as she made her way over, the jazz music he listened to paused once he hit the space bar on the keyboard. “Hey.”“Hey, how’s Julie?” She headed to the girl’s room and peaked in to see her daughter passed out asleep.Joe spoke as she returned to the table. “Asleep, her fever broke about two hours ago. I got some soup and Gatorade in her and her COVID test was negative, so it’s likely a stomach bug.”Jane put her arms around him as she spoke. “You’re amazing with her.”“How did things go with Conners?”“The initial drug test came back positive but we are sending a second verifiable test to the Great Lakes Lab.” She took in the closeness of her boyfriend. She missed him every day he wasn’t with her. “He demanded a JAG when we were questioning him.”“Hmm, you arrested him, didn’t you?”“Yes, and Wentworth wasn’t too thrilled when I called to let him know what was going on.” She let go of him as she stood up. “I’m going to go take a very hot shower then get some dinner. Carry on with work.”Twenty minutes later she came downstairs to find Joe plating up grilled chicken and rice with sauteed spinach. As she brushed past his chair, she turned the notepad that he’d been writing on with her fingers. “I’m working on a speech I have to give on ship, the captain thinks it’ll help some of the first time sailors on what the future looks like if they stay in the Navy longer than a usual enlistment.”Picking up the notepad as she sat down, Jane read from it. “Well let’s see what you’ve written.” She browsed over the speech and picked up his pen to make a few corrections as he set her dinner beside her with silverware.“What are you doing?” He sat down and watched her as she handed the notepad back to him. He read over the speech and nodded, “now I don’t sound like a yammering duck. Thank you.”Jane took a bite of her food and motioned for him to give it back. He handed it over and she continued to write as she ate. Joe reached out and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, only for her to look up for a second with a smile on her face. “I’ve missed you.” It was spoken softly.“I’ve thought about what I told you the other day.” Joe spoke and she put the pen down. “I’ve been thinking about it since we spoke actually and I know the decision comes down to me.” She opened her mouth to speak and he put a gentle hand on her arm. “Let me speak, please.” A sharp nod and he continued. “There’s was a position available on base, I know because I never was able to fill it, and they still haven’t. I was sure if I went to Wentworth and requested it, he wouldn’t let me leave the island once I come back next week. However, with Conners and the smuggling case, he wants me to return as Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet. I’m thinking about it so I want you too also. We can talk about it when I get back.”“But you love Pacific Relations.”Joe nodded, “I do but I love you more. There are other jobs in the Navy, dozens more. I want this to work Jane, more than I’ve wanted something for years. So, if me coming back to Hawaii means we make this work, I come back permanently.”“Okay, I’ll think about it.”He stood up and cupped the back of her head as he kissed her crown. “Finish eating, I know you didn’t eat today.”Once he headed upstairs, likely to the bathroom if his phone on the table gave her any indication, Jane started eating while writing his speech. She rose from the table after she finished her dinner as she wanted nothing to do but sleep. Joe passed on the stairs but he caught her by the waist and kissed her. “Joining me?”“I have one more document to review then I’ll be up.” He kissed her cheek and watched her head upstairs, rounding the corner to the bedroom. As he settled back at the table after quickly washing the dishes, knowing Jane had left them till morning. The moment his hand touched the notepad, he traced the note left in the corner by Jane at the bottom of the speech.REWRITE THIS SPEECH!!! (You have this, Captain. Love Jane)Instead of packing his bag to meet the USS Carl Vinson, Joe was heading to Pearl with Jane the next morning. She’d hurried him out the door since for once he’d slept in. Julie was feeling well enough to go back to school, although with a mask per school mandate of sick students. The girl had hugged Joe tightly at the school drop off zone and made him promise to Skype her later that evening. There were points Jane almost envied their relationship. At Pearl, Jane had dropped him off outside the office he’d once worked in himself. In a bit of Déjà vu, he’d kissed her and promised to update her as to what happened. Heading inside the familiar building that housed Pac Fleet, Joe entered Wentworth’s office after being ushered in via his secretary.“Oh good, you’re here.” The admiral said as Joe entered the office. “Joe, I invited Admiral Miller to join us.”Joe chuckled and shook the hand of the other admiral. “Sir, good to see you again.”Miller nodded to him and motioned to the chair beside him. “Go ahead and sit down Joe, we were just discussing you.”“Anything in particular?” Joe sat down and looked to Wentworth, “is this about Conners?”Wentworth waved him off, “you know it is Joe. You can imagine my embarrassment that I allowed this to happen under my watch. Especially since I’m the Chief of Pac Fleet.”“I’ve thought about what you asked of me sir. I’ve talked it over with my family also.”He jumped in with a mention of Admiral Decker. “Even if you don’t take the position, Tom was telling me that you were interested in basing Pacific Relations out of Hawaii. Because of practicality and a girl.”Joe gave a sharp nod, “yes sir. Both are true.”“Pacific Relations is important but with potential war on the horizon, I need a good Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet. I’d like to ask you once again to consider coming back to Hawaii as my deputy chief. I spoke with Tom and he says it’s up to you.”Joe nodded, “as I said, I spoke it over with my girlfriend and we said we’d discuss it when I’m back in Hawaii next week sir. I can swing by and let you know my answer.”“Fair enough, it’s a big decision.” Wentworth looked over at his friend, “that said, I’ll let Tom know you’re right about Pacific Relations though. Having Pacific Relations in DC is defeating the purpose when you’re constantly flying to the other side of the world.”That evening, Joe caught Jane in the living room while eating takeout. She’d heard him come in due to him checking on Julie and she’d all but tackled the naval officer. After a twenty minute talk over bowls of fruit, Joe had left Julie to do her homework.“Hey.” He leaned over and kissed her before sitting down to nab one of the take out cartons, finding it full of Sweet and Sour Shrimp. “How was your day?”“Paperwork non-stop, apparently the paperwork weighs more than the drugs.”Joe chuckled at the thought of her surrounding by paperwork. “Sounds exhausting.”“I'd say you have no idea but you work at the Pentagon.”Joe perked up as he moved on the couch slightly to face her. “I noticed Alex isn't here. Did he patch things over with Daniel?”“As of this morning and I think that’s because Alex told him if he continued, he’d stop talking to him. He made it clear he’s an adult and he doesn’t have to speak to him anymore. Daniel got the idea and came by to apologize.” Jane put her food down, “he’s with his Dad this evening.”“Aside from the situation with Conners, I spoke with Miller and Wentworth about Pacific Relations and Pac Fleet.”“You sound happy about that meeting for a change. Usually, you’re exhausted after meetings all day, what’s different about this one?”“Wentworth offered me my old position back like we spoke about but this time both Miller and Decker were consulted. Apparently when he spoke with Decker, the man said it was up to me though.” He noticed her deep in thought and rubbed her arm. “Jane?”“Sorry, I’m just surprised. I didn’t realize how well you did your job till I arrested Conners. You being Deputy Chief, I mean. You were more of a persistent headache during the months we worked together here.”Joe nodded, “I know but I can definitely say if I did come back, you’d have a bigger berth than last time.”“Only because you’d be afraid to end up on the couch.” She had a grin on her face as she spoke.“I didn’t even think of that.” He groaned at the thought, “make that three times the berth as last time.”Jane chuckled and he enjoyed the sound. “Do you really want to give up Pacific Relations though?”“Not really but as I told you last night, you and the kids are a priority, as long as there is a job for me in the Navy. Given my history and positions, that won’t ever be a problem. I did realize that there were two things enticing me to come back. First, I'd have a family I’d see every day if I was here. Second, if we go to war which is always possible if North Korea keeps throwing missiles around, we need someone capable handling the day to day. A new captain isn’t necessarily the best to handle that.”“We wouldn’t be long distance anymore.”Joe sighed, “no but as you once said, I’d never bet against us.”“Joe we shouldn’t decide right now. It’s late, we’re both tired, and we have time to discuss this when you’re home next week.”“That was my plan. I told Wentworth I’d see him when I was here next weekp to let him know my decision. Whichever it came to.”After a few minutes Jane spoke again. “You have a helo to catch in the morning.”“I know and despite coming back next week, I don’t want to leave.”
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Jane stood outside one of the Coast Guard hangers as a HC-130 was pulling up on the Sunday evening of her birthday week. Neil had alerted her that Joe had called him asking if he had any jump seats available and he’d found the officer one on a IUU flight that would be departing from Guam. The USS Carl Vinson had docked in Guam not even twelve hours before the flight. Decker had sent another officer to New Zealand when Joe ended up in meetings regarding the on-going situation regarding North Korea. He’d been in tactical meetings with South Korean and Japanese officers pertaining to potential joint ventures. Due to the situation, she hadn’t reminded Joe their six month anniversary was the day before because she didn’t want to have him apologizing for forgetting. It was a silly anniversary but being reminded of the date by Julie had made her grin. Her most recent trip to Mexico with Charlie 1 had made her forget also, at least until her daughter reminded her.Neil was standing beside her, ready to help his fellow officers, talking about the cookout party. They’d chatted for a bit but the conversation had tapered off as her nerves got the better of her. “So, been months since you’ve seen each other.” Neil commented. “RIMPAC, long time away.”Jane turned to her colleague/friend. “I was in DC last month for a week and he was here last week for a case.”“Oh, not so long I guess.”“How was your date with Marcie last week?”“Okay, she likes to join me on the hiking trails on the weekends.” Neil stated as he spoke more about the girl Jesse’s wife had set him up with. “We’re thinking of hitting the Big Island next month for the volcanos.”The plane’s rear hatch opened and several men walked out, only one was in Naval khaki. She smiled as she watched the man she loved walk towards her; he looked exhausted since the last time they talked over video chat. He made his way over to her while Neil headed off to help unload containers and boxes.“Hey.” She spoke softly as they hugged, she felt his back muscles relax against her hand as they embraced. Pulling away, he brought a hand up and cupped her cheek for only a second before he kissed her.“I missed you.” Forehead against hers and nose to nose, they stood in place for a few moments silently absorbing one another. “I love you.”“I love you too.” She kissed him a second time before pulling back to look over his face. “You’re exhausted. Let’s get home so you can sleep.” Before he could argue, she grabbed his bag from his hand and put her free arm around his back. “Come on.”She’d taken a half day to pick Joe up and clean the house before their party that weekend. Once the man was asleep in bed, she headed downstairs to start cleaning but spoke with Jesse via video chat when the agent called to inform her about their case.“…Sanderson was found wondering the Koolau Forest last month, drunker than a beer vat the officer said.”Jesse spoke to her as she washed dishes. “We’re keeping him inhouse until he sobers, Chase said in his current state letting him go would be a crime. Apparently, we have a duty of care.”“We do, if he’s not safe to be out in public then we need to make sure he’s safe until he can be.” Jane stated and turned off the water. “Has he given any indication on where the drugs are or is he too drunk to tell us?”Jesse looked off screen, probably at a monitor. “Considering he thought I was his mother, probably too drunk.”“I’m sure that was a compliment.”“Don’t know if I’ll take it as a compliment, more like an insult.” Jesse turned to look at her fully and pointed to himself. “I don’t look like anyone’s mother.”She chuckled and leaned against the counter. “He’s drunk, don’t take offense. We’ve all said things drunk that we’d never say sober.”
“Oh yeah, I definitely have.”
“Me too. Let me know what you find, I still have a house to clean.”Jesse motioned to her on screen. “You pick Joe up yet?”“Yes, and he is exhausted. I left him sleeping upstairs because he looked halfway dead on his feet when I met him at the hanger.” Jane wiped her hands with a dish towel. “The whole Korean Peninsula situation has him in meetings all day, every day and I know he’s not getting sleep if our conversations are telling me anything.”“Well, I hope you two get some time together without work interfering.” The agent waved his phone at the screen, “I got Julie’s text, still want me to bring something?”Jane picked up the tablet and headed towards the living room. “If you don’t mind.”
“Will do. I’ll tell you this Boss, he’s good for you too. You’re happier and you take a vacation for once. I mean, you were always there for the kids but you rarely took vacations. Now you use your vacation days, how many do you have left this year? I know you two are heading to DC next week for Thanksgiving with his parents.”
“Enough. Besides Thanksgiving, I’m returning to DC next month for two weeks, since I’m giving the NCIS Ball speech, and the kids are joining me this time. Christmas in DC with everyone there. Right now, I’m fighting Joe on the fact he wants to get Julie a puppy. She went from begging me to begging him and he spoils her if he can. Said she’s the only kid he’ll be spoiling for the foreseeable future so he doesn’t see a problem.”Jesse smirked, “who do you think will win?”“Oh, I know who will win. My house, my rules. If he wants to get a dog for Julie, the dog can stay in DC with him.”“Ouch. Well give him time Boss, he might just wear you down.”Jane rolled her eyes, “keep this up, the dog will be at your house.”Once the house was clean, Jane headed upstairs to check on Joe. The kids were with their father, although she half expected Alex to stay at his father’s house given he was in major trouble. Having had Cassandra over overnight while she was out of town, despite her now strict rules, hadn’t done him any favors. Pausing in the doorway, she watched Joe sleep for a few moments. He was on his stomach, one hand under his pillow and the other laid against her side of the bed. She’d missed the sight of him sleeping, as it meant work wasn’t bothering him and he could relax.Unexpectedly, the front door slammed and she headed downstairs after shutting the bedroom door. Alex was in front of the fridge staring into it but he paused when she entered the kitchen. “Sorry, Caitlyn yelled at me when I tried to help with Nate. Dad took her side when I got into it with her.”She motioned towards the stairs to her room. “Joe’s asleep so don’t slam anymore doors. Now, tell me what happened with Caitlyn and Nate?”“Sorry.” The teen was apologetic so she only joined him at the fridge. “Nate was crying so I picked him up but Caitlyn said to let him just cry it out. Apparently, she thinks that he’ll settle if she lets him cry. Julie couldn’t concentrate on her homework so I picked him up. I may have accused her of child abuse by letting him cry.”Jane shut the fridge doors, “you shouldn’t have said that to her.”“Yeah, I figured that afterwards. It was torture though, Nate is just crying and crying.”“I don’t start to know what your father and Caitlyn are doing as parents. Every parent is different and while I wouldn’t do that, it doesn’t mean Caitlyn is abusing Nate.”Alex leaned against the counter, “I tried to apologize but she started yelling at me. It just escalated from there and Dad defended her.” The teen shrugged, “it’s just weird that Dad is taking her side versus ours. He used to take ours all the time so I wasn’t expecting it to be different.”Jane put her hand on her son’s arm. “Look, your father and Caitlyn have a stronger relationship than he had with me. Same with Joe and I, it’s stronger than your Dad and I. Do you remember when we had couples counseling years ago and the therapist told us that we used you guys as weapons against each other?”“Yeah.”“Well, it’s different when you have a stronger relationship. We get protective about our partners, even if we shouldn’t. Was your father in the right? I don’t know but whatever the case, you need to apologize to Caitlyn.”Alex nodded, “I’ll do that tomorrow after school.”“Good, now we can figure out dinner after you get started on homework.”“Is Joe okay?” Alex stood up straight. “Usually, he’s up and around when we get home.”“Work is stressful and he’s in constant meetings so he’s not sleeping well. I’m sure the news channels have been blasting the situation with North Korea and their missiles. He’s dealing with some of that.”“Yeah, it’s all over the news that they keep launching missiles into the sea over South Korea and Japan.” For the first time, Alex looked towards the stairs and realized what his mom’s boyfriend really did. “I always hear him say he works in Pacific Relations but I didn’t realize it was stuff like North Korea.”Jane put a hand on her son’s arm. “He doesn’t talk about it with people as a lot of it is classified. I’ve told you the mundane, unclassified stuff.”“Does he talk to you about it?”“He does, our clearance level is almost the same so he can share a lot with me. Even still, there is some information I know he can’t share with me so I try to support him in whatever way I can knowing he shoulders some of it alone.” Jane pulled her hand away from her son’s arm. “You’re in a relationship now so you know, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Support and communication are key.”Alex reached up and hugged his mom. “Thanks for supporting us, Mom.”“You’re my son, it’s a requirement.” She raised an eyebrow at him, “doesn’t mean I have to like all of it though.”“Cass again?”“After that stunt that you just pulled? It’ll be a while before she’s welcome back in this house, even with me here.” Jane gave her son a pointed look before turning to the fridge, “how about take out for dinner?”“Burgers?”“No complaint from me.”Jane was running and folding laundry while Alex worked on homework, Julie had been dropped off by Whistler shortly after dinner had concluded. Apparently, the whole situation between Alex and Caitlyn had escalated after the teen had left and Julie had borne the brunt of the fight. She’d ended up defending her brother and it created a fight between Daniel and Caitlyn to the point the girl had called the agent to come pick her up. Whistler had to explain why she was there to Daniel but he’d let her take Julie after a few questions and reassurances that she’d be going straight home.“Hey.” Joe rounded the corner into the laundry room to see Jane folding laundry. She looked up and shot him a smile before going back to her work. “Something happen? You’re abnormally quiet.”Jane shut the dryer door, “I’m just upset with Daniel right now. He’s a great father but sometimes he pisses me off, even if it has nothing to do with me.”“What happened? Are the kids alright?”“Alex and Caitlyn got into a fight so Alex came back home. Julie made a comment that defended her brother and it escalated into a fight between Caitlyn and Daniel. With everything going on, Julie decided to call Whistler instead of me.” The agent in charge stopped her laundry folding and leaned against the dryer with her arms folded. “You can imagine how that played out when an FBI agent shows up to the door with adults yelling in the background. After talking with Daniel and giving reassurances, she brought Julie home.”Instantly protective of the girl Joe looked at his girlfriend. “Is Julie alright?”“She’s worried she’s in trouble for calling Whistler instead of me. I reassured her that she isn’t in trouble.” Jane met Joe’s eyes. “She could probably use one of your hugs though.”Joe chuckled as he walked over and pulled Jane into his arms. “Is that your way of telling me get lost while you finish up the laundry?”Wrapping her arms around his neck, Jane grinned. “Am I that obvious?”“To anyone else you’re an impenetrable steel vault, impossible to crack.” He kissed her gently and pulled back to see Jane’s eyes full of warmth and love. “Do you know what I realized when the plane was taxiing today?”“Tell me.”Joe reached up and brushed a piece of hair back from where it fell into her eyes. “I’m tired of planes.”“Really?”“Yes, the occasional trip is alright but I’m tired of planes.” Joe met her eyes as he spoke. “This whole week I realized I’m too old to be jumping from plane to plane.”Despite trying not to, Jane couldn’t help but laughing. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and laughed softly before pulling back to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry.” She grinned as she covered her mouth. “I’m sorry.”“You done?”“Yes.” She grinned. “It’s not that I disagree on the jumping from planes fact, it’s just, you aren’t old babe.” Running her hands up his arms, she leaned in softly to kiss him. “A little seasoned yes, but not old.”Joe shook his head, “considering we’re the same age, if you want to make that argument…”“Oh no.” She put her finger against his lips to stop him from speaking. “We do not speak about my age.”Cupping her face in both hands, he pulled her face in to kiss her before speaking again. “Fair enough but I can only think of one, well maybe two, words to describe you.”Tongue in cheek, she raised an eyebrow as if daring him. “Uh huh, do tell.”“Beautiful.” He kissed her temple, “timeless.”“You saved yourself.” She kissed him before turning back to the laundry on top of the dryer, “now leave me alone to finish my laundry.” Joe met her eyes as she held out her hand in invitation to leave the laundry area.“Feeling better?”Jane nodded, “much, thank you.” Turning her head towards him, she leaned slight as if to peer around him. “Jules, someone here is waiting for a hug.”Joe chuckled as he left the laundry area and headed towards the other end of the house where he knew Julie would be. As expected, he was almost bull-dozed by the ten year old. She looked up as she hugged him.“Did you miss me?”“Is your mom the best agent on the island?”Julie nodded, “obviously.”“Then you have your answer.” He pulled her in and kissed her head as he held her. Pulling away, Joe looked down. “How about I get the popcorn and you pick out a movie.”The pre-teen grinned, “Minions?”“Is it about someone controlling others?”“Sort of, but its super funny.” Julie turned to her mom where Jane was walking past with laundry. “Mom, we’re going to watch Minions.”“Should I be worried, Sweetheart?” Joe asked his girlfriend regarding the movie.Jane shook her head, “nothing too bad.” She knocked on Alex’s door, “Alex, the washer is free for you to do laundry.”
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Jane Tennant woke to a kiss on her cheek and she smiled before opening her eyes. A hand brushed through her hair as her eyes fluttered open and she found Joe standing over her. The smell of coffee alerted her to the fact he’d placed some on her nightstand as she rolled onto her back and sat up. The man cupped the back of her head and kissed her crown after handing her the cup of coffee.“I’m going to make breakfast for the kids and take them to school.” Joe caught the ends of her hair between his fingers. “Enjoy a slower work morning.”“Thank you.” She looked up at him with a smile on her face, sleep still sat at the corner of her eyes that she was brushing away with her left middle finger.“Happy Birthday.”Realizing it was her actual birthday, Jane groaned. “I hate my birthday. I only let the kids do things because it makes them happy.”“Well, this is your first birthday with me so it’ll be better.” He bent down once again and kissed her once, twice, three times before pulling away to leave her to relax.The smell of food and the commonly thrown insult of ‘traitor’ had Jane downstairs despite being in leggings and a top. She’d foregone getting ready so she could eat with the family. Pausing at the edge of the dining room, she saw Alex and Julie arguing over what was likely something insignificant and Joe didn’t seem fazed in the slightest as he put food on plates at the island.A quick, sharp whistle made both kids turn to the naval officer. “Sit, now. We have to leave in an hour and neither of you are dressed.” Both were quickly in seats as he set down food on the table. “Eat, then get ready. We leave at seven and if you aren’t in the car, you’ll stay home without an internet connection.”“Seriously?” Julie inquired while picking up her fork.“Yes.” He ruffled her hair, “but I know neither of you would chance pissing off your mother.”“Easy Captain.” Jane made her presence known as she walked over and sat at the table, coffee in hand. Joe carried a plate over and put it in front of her before sitting beside her with his own plate and coffee. “So, what was the argument about this morning?”“Don’t say anything.” Julie stated and pointed her fork at her brother, a wild glare in her eye.Alex only glanced at her before speaking. “Julie has a crush someone in her class. I found out because Mike said he overheard Julie and Taylor talking about it.”“Huh.” Jane watched her daughter get interested in her food. “What’s his name?” Julie looked up at her mother before looking back down at her food. The usually talkative and blunt girl went quiet. “Julie, what’s wrong?”Putting her fork down, Julie sat for a moment before speaking. “I’m going to go get ready for school. Thanks for the food Joe, but I’m not hungry.” She stood up and left the table, heading to her room.Jane put her coffee cup down and stood up, walking after her daughter. At the girl’s door, she knocked. “Julie, honey can I come in?” She knocked a second time at the silence. “Julie?” A verbal conformation had her opening the door.Julie sat on her bed hugging one of her Squishmallows looking like she was five times smaller than her personality normally was. Closing the door behind her, Jane walked over and sat on the bed facing her daughter. The girl spoke before Jane could open her mouth. “I don’t want to talk.”“Okay, we don’t have to talk but I need you to answer two questions before I leave. First, do you feel safe? Second, do you need to stay home from school?”Julie nodded, “yes, both.”“Alright, I’ll tell Joe so he knows just to take Alex to school.” Thinking about the closeness that the two shared, Jane realized that maybe Julie would open up to Joe about whatever was bothering her. She spoke to parents about a lot but occasionally Joe would tell Jane, with Julie’s permission, about something the girl had told him and only him. “Do you want me to see if he’ll take you surfing? I think maybe you just need a free day.” Instead of words, Julie nodded to her while still squeezing her Squishmallow. “Alright. Just know Julie, you can tell me anything.”“I know.”Leaving her daughter in her room, Jane left the bedroom to find Joe in the kitchen cleaning up. Alex was gone from the table so she figured he was getting ready for school. Joe turned to her as she removed the plates from the kitchen table. “Everything alright?”“I don’t know and she doesn’t want to tell me.” Jane accepted the fresh cup of coffee he handed her. “She just needs a free day. I give them two to spend how they want, barring state testing and exams. I think she may talk to you about whatever is bothering her though.”Joe picked up a nearby dishtowel and wiped his hands. “I’ll go talk to her.”Catching his arm as he passed her, Jane shook her head. “Not here. Take her surfing, spend the day with her. She’s missed you.”“I can do that.” He put his arm around Jane and kissed her temple. “You need to eat breakfast. What can I fix for you to take to work with you?”“It’s my turn for a coffee run, I’ll grab a muffin or pastry.” Kissing him softly, she nudged his cheek with her nose. “Thank you though.”Joe pulled his phone from his pocket and thumbed out a text while pulling away from Jane. Realizing what he was doing, she made a grab for his phone. “No.”“Who did you send that to? Jesse? Kai? Ernie?” She met his eyes despite still holding her coffee, the phone placed back in his back pocket as she spoke. “Which one did you send it to Joe?”“None of them.” He stated and caught her hand as she made a play for the phone. “You’re not buying anyone coffee on your birthday.”Setting her coffee down, Jane took a half step towards him. “Which one?”“I told you, none of them.”Alex cleared his throat and they turned towards him. “Sorry to break up whatever this is but I’m ready for school.”Joe picked up the keys where they sat on the counter, “alright, let’s go.” With his attention diverted, Jane grabbed the phone from his back pocket and he turned to see her thumbing in the security code. She felt it was worth the invasion if it gave her whomever he had contacted about her coffee run. “Jane, give me my phone back please.”“Whistler?” She looked up at him as the phone was laid in his hand. “You do know she’s visiting her mother, outside the state of Hawai’i, right?”Leaning in, he kissed her. “I know. If I don’t see you before you go to work, I love you and have a good day.”“You guys are so weird.” Alex commented to his mother before following Joe out of the house.Joe sat with Julie on a picnic table sat beside one of the many food trucks that lay outside of Pearl’s gate. Burgers and fries were the victim of choice for the two post-surf. Julie seemed lighter than she did that morning and Joe was doing his best regarding timing and talking when speaking with to her. It was suggested by Jane so she didn’t spook and shut down like she had with Jane at the breakfast table.“How is that veggie burger?” Joe asked while watching her eat, the burger already half gone and fries covered in ketchup to be eaten.Julie put her burger down and wiped her mouth. “Good. Mom can’t make them like this.”“I could ask if they’d part with their recipe. I doubt they will but I can try.” An eager nod was all needed to stand up and head over to the food truck. No line meant he had a chance to talk with the drivers/cooks.The cook looked down at him, “what can I get you brah?”“My kid was wondering if you’d part with your veggie burger recipe.” He looked back at Julie who was eating her fries. “She’s having a really rough day so I brought her here because it’s her favorite.” It was her favorite place to eat as she’d asked if they could drive all the way from Makaha to Pearl for lunch. He surprised himself by calling Julie his child, he did without realizing.To his surprise the cook stepped away before coming back with a pre-printed, store-like made card. “We made cards because a lot of our customers ask for recipes from fry seasoning to the burgers.” The man also held out a small item wrapped in wax paper. “Brownie for your daughter, I hope she has a better day.”Armed with both, Joe returned to the table and handed Julie the wrapped brownie. “Brownie for you and the recipe.” He held up the card. “I can make some at your mother’s birthday cookout.”“Okay.” Julie stated while taking a sip of her soda. After a few moments, Julie put her hands on the table and tapped her right forefinger against the wood. “Is Mom mad at me? Since I didn’t want to talk to her today?”The naval officer met questioning brown eyes. “No, she’s just worried about you is all.”“I don’t want her to be mad at me.” She put her chin on her hands, “about liking someone.”“Your mother wouldn’t be mad at you Jules. I think she’s just surprised, since it’s the first crush you’ve had beyond preschool.” Jane had spoken with him when he’d gotten back from taking Alex to school, telling him about Julie’s preschool crushes. “I remember my first crush in sixth grade.”Interested in what he had to say, she waved her hand. “Tell more.”“Her name was Sarah Martinez and she was in my science class. I thought she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.” He chuckled and picked up her napkin to shove under the Styrofoam tray since the wind was blowing slightly. “I was wrong though; your mom definitely deserves that award.”“Did you tell Sarah?”Joe thought about the days in middle school. “I asked her to the spring dance but she turned me down. I was a bit of a nerd in middle school, didn’t make friends well.”Julie seemed hesitant for a few moments before looking out towards the base. “Can we go see one of the ships?”“Not today. How about Sunday?” After a few moments Julie nodded, slight disappointment on her face. “I have something better though.”“What?”“Come with me.” He stood while picking up their food debris. “Come on.”Three hours later they were at Makapu’u Tide Pools after a two mile hike, looking for shells and other creatures. Julie was finding all sort of things and Joe was watching as she’d pull a sea star from the water, gentle with it, before putting it back in the water. The sound of other hikers made the officer look back to see they were tourists so he went back to watching Julie.“Sea urchin.” The ten year old held up a sea urchin, “Mrs. Lance says that her mom eats sea urchin.”Joe gently took the animal and looked it over; he’d tasted it himself during tours years before. “I ate some when I was on ship tours years ago.”“Was it good?”“I didn’t care for it but some did.” He handed it back and she released it back into the water. “Not everyone likes unique foods or differences in culture. Is there anything you like that some of your friends don’t?”Julie took a seat on a nearby rock close to him. “I like when Mom cooks some of Grandma’s family recipes. Alex says they’re gross but he doesn’t tell Mom or Grandma that because he knows it would upset them. Grandma got the recipes from our great grandma in The Philippines before she died.” She shrugged, “he prefers a recipe Grandpa got from his mom, boiled cabbage and bacon. It’s from my great-great-great-grandma in Ireland.”“My parents have recipes they got from their grandparents also. I’ll see if I can find the cookbook my mom gave to me so we can cook from it when you guys come for Christmas.”Julie nodded, “I’d like that.” She looked out at the ocean, “do you think Mom would be mad at me for being unique?”“You’re so much like your mother Julie that she’d welcome it if you were a little different.” He looked down at her when she grabbed his hand and held it.“Different, like Aunt Lucy and Miss Kate?” She bit her lip and met his eyes; apprehension filling them.Joe gently pulled Julie up till she faced him, their eyes level. “That’s what you’re worried about?” The ten year old nodded, “no Julie, your mom wouldn’t be mad at you for liking a girl.”“Promise?”“Absolutely.” He pulled her closer and hugged her, a hand on her head as she wrapped her arms around him tight. “I think she’ll want to hear it from you but I can swear on my job that she won’t care that your crush is a girl.”“Thanks Joe.” The ten year old pulled back and smiled.The man looked over at the tourists started getting comfortable. “Want to stay or go home? I can pretty much guarantee that the tourists will get rowdy soon.”“Go home.” Julie bit her lip as she thought for a few moments. “Can we stop and see Mom first though?”“She has a meeting this afternoon so we’ll wait for her at home.”Joe was making dinner while Alex was out surfing with Cass, a promise to be home by six for dinner, and Julie was playing on her Nintendo Switch in the living room. The front door alerted him to Jane returning home and she joined him in the kitchen after placing her bag on the kitchen table. A quick kiss and she left for the bedroom to change before joining him once again to help.“How is everything?” Jane inquired while washing her hands to start on a salad to go with the spaghetti he was cooking. They always worked together in the kitchen without need for instructions, an ability to sense what the other person needed or what was to be done next.“Good. Alex is out surfing with Cassandra; he’ll be home by six. Jules is playing video games in the living room.”Jane paused and looked at him. “I meant with Julie. Did you get to the bottom of the situation?”A quick look over to meet her eyes, he only nodded. “I spoke with her during our time at the tide pools.” He turned the sauce down to a simmer and moved from the stove. “She’ll tell you later.”“What did you guys do today?”“Surfing at Makaha followed by her favorite burger truck outside the base. Followed up food with the Makapu’u Tide Pools.”Jane pulled all the vegetables from the fridge to cut them. “She ready to go to school tomorrow?”“I think so. The issue wasn’t the crush per say but how you’d respond to it. I told her about my sixth grade crush.” The topic perked Jane up and she met his eyes as she started chopping lettuce. “I’ll tell you about that later. Also, we talked about family food recipes and cooking them over Christmas. Seems like we’ll be in the kitchen a lot, between the Filipino, Irish, German, and Lithuanian recipes we have to choose from.”Jane nodded softly, “we won’t be lacking for good food.”“Fair warning that she said Alex hates a lot of your mother’s recipes.”“That is already known. His reaction is enough for answer to my inquires despite me asking how the food is and him saying it’s fine.”Alex and Cassandra showed up five minutes past six as dinner was put on the table. Jane decided to allow Cassandra to come for dinner but she was to depart afterwards. The situation that had happened while Jane was in Mexico was still on the agent’s mind. The polite ask from her son being the only thing that made her change her mind. The five sat at the table, the only two not familiar with each other was Joe and Cass. The girl seemed unsure of how to talk to the naval officer, likely because she’d heard from stories from Alex and Julie about his near-permanent status in their lives. He wasn’t just some random boyfriend that Jane had.“Alex, have you thought any more on careers?” Joe inquired as everyone started eating.“I’ve settled on either being a culinary specialist or aviation specialist. Sorry Mom, I know you don’t like aviation specialists after that hanger run.” Alex reached for the salad tongs to serve himself salad.Jane smiled slightly, “it’s alright, just don’t make run after you.”“I’d be risking my life and not from the C-130s.” The boy stated and then motioned to Joe, “he’d have the admiral put me on latrine duty.”The man chuckled, “we actually call it the ‘head’ in the Navy and no I wouldn’t. It would be a family matter and your mother would scare you straighter than the admiralty.”Alex looked at the man who was dating his mother. “You said you’d talk to someone for shadowing. Can you still do that?”Joe accepted Jane’s plate to put spaghetti on it. “I’ll talk to a contact I have at recruitment; he’ll be able to set up a day you can shadow each field.”“Thanks.” The teenager spoke as his mother handed him a garlic roll she’d thawed from a batch she’d made months before.Cass looked beside her at Julie, “I heard you have a crush, tell me all about him.”Julie immediately turned her attention to Joe and the man nodded, a silent reminder that she was supported. With the knowledge she was completely supported, Julie gave her brother’s girlfriend a nod. “Her name is Dalia and she is the fastest on the summer track team.”“Really?” Cass leaned in, “do you go running with her?”“No, I’d never beat her. She beat Molly Blocker and she’s on the middle school track team.” Jane met Joe’s eyes and reached over to squeeze his hand, a clear statement that she appreciated his support with her kids.Once Julie and her brother were in bed, Jane did something she hadn’t in a while and tucked Julie into bed. She sat beside her daughter after pulling the covers up over the girl. Said girl was curled up with her stuffed rhino, a gift from her grandmother and the only vestige of her toddler years that she still had.“Why were you scared to tell me about Dalia?” Jane asked as she pushed a lock of hair behind Julie’s ear.“I thought you’d be mad, since I like a girl.”Leaning down to kiss her daughter’s cheek, Jane rubbed her arm. “Never. As long as you are safe, happy and healthy, I wouldn’t care who you like or date.”“Promise?”“I promise.”The girl bit her lip, “what if Dad doesn’t approve.”“Your father will answer to me if he has an issue with it.” Jane stood up and reached for the light beside the bed. “Now get some sleep because you have school tomorrow.”Julie reached out and grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mom,” she looked up to meet her mother’s eyes. “Joe is part of our family now, right?”“Yes, why?”“He’s easy to talk to when I can’t talk to you or Dad. He doesn’t judge me and I like that.”“I love that about him also.” She turned out the light and kissed her daughter’s temple. “Sleep tight.”Jane found Joe in the master bedroom on the bed in sweats, reading a book over the Vietnam War. She closed the door to the bedroom and kicked off her house shoes by the bed before crawling over to lay down against him. Without losing his place, the man put an arm around her and kissed her head.“How’s Jules?” He spoke while still reading the book.Reaching up, the female agent took the book from him and dog-eared the page before it was placed on the nightstand. A quick move to straddle his legs, she cupped his face and leaned over to kiss him deeply. “Better but that’s a conversation for tomorrow.”Placing his hands on her waist, he ran them to her back then up under her shirt. “Is this where I give you your birthday present?”“Yes, but less talk and more action.” She kissed the underside of his jaw and nosed it after.“With pleasure.” His hand went to her head while the other laid on her lumbar spine. With practice had, he used his weight to throw her under him as he rolled them. “I love you.”Meeting his eyes as he hovered over him, she gave a barely perceivable nod. “I love you too.”
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Jane Tennant was making dinner when the door to the house opened then shut. The sound of a door slamming shut made her walk out of the kitchen to see Julie using her feet to push her shoes off. Her bag was in her hand while Alex’s laid on the floor. Looking at her youngest, Jane waited till the girl was facing her.“What’s going on with Alex?”“His friend David is moving tomorrow to Texas. His dad got transferred to a base there so they’re moving. He’s upset because David didn’t tell anyone till today, the day before the move.”Joe entered the house as Julie stopped talking, the man had the bag of groceries she’d asked him to pick up. “Alex is upset, I tried talking to him but he doesn’t want to.” Joe handed her the groceries and gave her a kiss. “I’ll get the grill ready.”“Thank you.” Jane turned her attention back to her daughter as Joe headed to the patio. “Homework first thing. I looked at your grades today and saw that ELA grade, what happened?”“We focused on poetry the last two weeks and I don’t understand it. I tried to write poems like Mrs. Heller asked but all I can do is rhyming ones. My haikus and sonnets are horrible.”Jane nodded, “when you work on your ELA tonight, ask for help if you don’t understand it. I know you can do better so we’ll work with you to get that grade up.”“Thanks Mom.” She headed to her room to start on her homework.Alex joined them for dinner but was silent while everyone else spoke. Jane could see he was upset and decided she’d ring David Kekoa’s mother to speak to her on why her son decided to tell his friends only a day before moving. Julie was talking about her upcoming soccer game and the fact that her best friend had joined the team.“…we’ll win the games this year because Leah moved from another team to ours. Her old team won all their games.”“I know you were upset you two were against each other last year.” Jane stated while picking up her wine glass.“Can I eat in my room?” Alex inquired quietly. “I want to be alone.”“Alex, you know food remains at the table.” Jane told her son, “you can go back to your room after you eat.”The teenager went back to his meal without another word. Julie started speaking once again, “I have a science project due next week. I think I’m going to do my project on eclipses.”“Which of the eclipses?” Joe was interested now and Jane chuckled as she’d been told about his multiple science fair trophies.“Both, compare and contrast of lunar verses solar.”Joe accepted Jane’s plate to put more vegetables on it at her request. “Do you need help?”“I don’t think so but if I do, I’ll ask you.”After dinner, Alex went back to his room and Julie headed to get a shower and start her nightly routine. Both adults cleaned up the kitchen and dining table from dinner. While Joe washed the dishes, Jane worked on the counters and table. It was only when they were relaxing in the living room with ZNN on in the background did Joe speak to her about something that had been on his mind all day.“I don’t think it’s just David that’s bothering him. He’s been on his phone almost all evening since school. I think what is really bothering him has to do with Cassandra.”Jane placed her phone on the coffee table face down as she listened to Joe. He rubbed her feet as they lay in his lap. “Has he said anything to you about it?”“After I asked if everything was okay and he threw out the comment that I’m not his father so I have no right to be in his business, I backed off.” Joe squeezed her ankle, “probably would be best if you and Daniel take over this situation. I did warn him that he needs to cut the attitude before Basic or he’ll be in for harassment.”The special agent watched her boyfriend’s face for his emotions. “I’m sorry he said that to you.”“I’ll be alright Jane; it didn’t bother me. Alex is an adult, while he and I have bonded in some respects, it doesn’t mean he’ll be comfortable with me like Julie is. The other day I said something not realizing it and after thinking about it full time, I realize the bond I have with Julie won’t ever exist with Alex.”“What did you say?”“I inadvertently called Julie ‘my kid’ without realizing I had. It was only when the vendor responded back by calling her my daughter that realized what I’d said.”“Julie is entitled to a relationship with you Joe. If you see her as your kid, I have nothing to say. I know others will say something but unlike a lot of relationships, I know this one will last. You said forever and every day I get closer to saying that word also.”Realizing he wasn’t expected to say anything in turn, he didn’t respond. Instead, he focused on her feet that laid in his lap. Eventually he looked down at his watch to see the time and knew it was time Jane got some sleep because she had the early morning shift the next day, going in at five. Pulling his hands away from her feet, he looked over at her as her attention lay on ZNN. “You should get some sleep because you have the early shift in the morning.”Once Jane was settled, Joe locked the doors and headed towards the kids’ rooms to see that they completed their routine. Mainly he was focused on Julie since Alex would likely be on his phone. Knocking on Julie’s door, he found her in bed with a few books.“Routine done?”“Yes.” She stated and held up her book. “Now it’s Nancy Drew.”Joe looked at his watch for the second time of the night. “Lights out in thirty. Got it?”“Yes sir.”“Your mom has the early shift in the morning so I got breakfast and school run. Get ready fast enough and I can probably take you guys to breakfast.”Julie grinned, “Alex is the snail when it comes to mornings.”“He’ll need to learn to wake early in the next few months or Basic will eat him alive.” Taking hold of the doorknob, he nodded to Julie. “Sleep tight Jules.”“Good night, Joe.”Joe took the chance and knocked on Alex’s door, “Alex?”The door opened a few moments later. “What?”“Your mother has the early shift in the morning, if you’re ready by six-thirty in the morning I’ll take you guys out to breakfast.”Alex shrugged, “alright, thanks for letting me know.”“I know you don’t want me interfering but know if you want to talk about David or Cassandra, I’m here.” Nodding, the naval officer walked away.“Wait.” The teen spoke and Joe turned to him. “I’m sorry for what I said in the car. It was rude and inconsiderate. Ever since I said I was going into the Navy; you’ve been more supportive than Dad. It’s just, Cass broke up with me because I settled on being an aviation technician and it’ll put me on a ship. It’s rough knowing my future has destroyed my present.”Joe walked towards him. “There was a girl I started dating after Basic. I thought she was the one, the only person I could love. When I shipped off because I chose aviation, she broke up with me after us being together only three months. It is rough, realizing that your present is being messed up. Every guy I know that has had this happen say eventually it gets better. Two of my buddies went through the same thing and they’re married with kids now. I have your mom and you guys. Don’t be too discouraged Alex because one girl doesn’t think you’re good enough for her. Cassandra is just showing that she doesn’t value honor and sacrifice for the greater good.”Nodding, Alex met his eyes. “Thanks Joe.”“I’m here for you guys Alex, you’re my family.” Turning to the boy he glanced at his watch, “routine and bed. I know you haven’t gotten ready for bed because you’ve been on the phone the whole night. Sleep well Alex.”“Good night, Joe.”
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Saturday arrived and Jane stood in the kitchen getting things ready for the potluck-cookout while Julie decorating the common areas of the house. Joe was cleaning the patio up from the way they’d left it when cooking out the previous night. They’d only brought in the dishes and glasses but left the area a mess.Joe walked in the house after sliding the patio door closed. “Patio is done.”“Thank you.” Jane smiled at him from her place wiping down the counters. “Do you mind taking trash and recycling out?”“No problem.” His phone beeped several times and he patted his back pocket before looking around. “Where did I put my phone.”“It’s on the charger with mine.” Jane stated while washing her hands.Joe unplugged his phone from where the charging station was on the counter and leaned against the nearby cabinet. “Kai is running late because he has to help his father.” The naval officer looked over at his girlfriend. “I’ll make the run for ice.” He went to the trash can and removed the tied bag to take it outside. “Do we need anything else?”“Pregnancy test.” Joe did a double take as she spoke, questions in his eyes. “IUD should prevent it but I’m about ten days late. I want to be sure I’m not losing my mind.”Joe nodded, “one step at a time. Any particular brand or type?” He was shocked he was asking her what he was asking her so nonchalantly. If it had been years before he supposed he’d be freaking out just as much as Jane was below the surface. There wasn’t reason to worry anymore because either way, pregnant or not, they’d figure out the situation.“Doesn’t matter, they all do the same thing.”An hour later the man returned with several bags of ice and a small brown grocery bag. He handed the small bag off to Jane while placing the bags of ice on the counter, Julie was instantly over to help him put the ice in the freezer.“You got this Jules, or do you need help?” Joe asked as she put one bag in the freezer while two sat on the counter.Julie looked at the freezer then at the bags, “the third one isn’t going to fit, I’ll put it in the cooler.”Joe used his foot to push the cooler over and put the bag inside, using a knife to cut the bag so the ice would drop into the container. Julie shut the door to the freezer as he was dropping the cooler lid. “Where is your brother?”“He went to help his friend Ryan, he got stuck on the side of the road with an empty tank.”Joe headed upstairs but not before turning back to Julie. “We have some time before people start arriving so go get washed and changed.” The girl had gone surfing with her brother earlier in the morning and hadn’t cleaned up.Joe found Jane in the master bedroom changing into one of her many dresses that she wore when having company over. She looked up as he closed the bedroom door, “everything okay? I heard you tell Julie to get washed up.”“She still hadn’t showered and changed since surfing this morning.” Joe leaned against the bedroom door watching as Jane removed jewelry from her jewelry box to put on. The sapphire necklace he’d give her and some random platinum earrings she had.“Want to come put this on me?” She inquired about the necklace and he walked over, taking it gently from her hands.Joe lifted the necklace over her head and clasped it as she held her hair out of the way. “What did the test say?”“Negative.” She met his eyes through the mirror on her dresser. “I’ll call my gynecologist on Monday morning to make an appointment. I suspect she won't have an appointment till after next week though.As soon as her necklace was clasped, Joe wrapped her in his arms and kissed her cheek. “Just keep me up to date on what’s going on.”“I always do.” Jane turned in his arms, “are you sure about coming back as Deputy Chief?”Joe met her eyes and reached up to play with a strand of her hair. “Definitely. We’ve talked about this in depth and I haven’t changed my mind. Have you?”“Not a chance.” Her nose brushed the edge of his chin, “you aren’t getting away that easily.”Tightening his arms around her, Joe buried his nose into her hair to smell the shampoo she used. The scent of coconut hibiscus filled his nose and he closed his eyes, enjoying the woman he loved so much it was hard to describe how much he did. “I doubt I could if I wanted to. You’d probably hold me hostage and handcuff me to the bed.”Jane chuckled softly as they pulled apart, “don’t give me ideas Captain.” With a grin she kissed him once, twice, three times. “I love you.”“I love you too Jane.”The cookout/birthday party was in full swing as warm colors filled the sky, the sun setting a good backdrop to end the day. Food was being eaten and Commander Chase was entertaining with stories of her time in India. Boom-Boom and Jesse were talking about their kids, apparently one could never find a reason not to talk about school politics. After taking a call from Director Vance at Big NCIS regarding the large drug case, Jane returned to find Ernie and Joe in the middle of charades with Julie and Alex. She watched from the doorway as Julie ended up in tears from laughing at Joe’s albeit hard working but bad attempts to get the word ‘rowing’ and in that moment Jane knew without a doubt the naval officer was her forever.He would be returning to Washington DC on a flight Tuesday morning, but this time she’d be going with him. Jesse would take over for her till Wednesday when Kai would be working with the beta team as the SAC. He’d take over for two days when Agent Jefferies would start the weekend shift. She herself would return on Sunday. Vance had been approving almost all her requests, mostly because she’d amassed so many vacation and sick leave days that her bank was overflowing.Walking over to the four, she put her hands on Joe’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss the crown of his head. The shampoo he used had been memorized months before so she could remember on a day he wasn’t with her. While attempting to guess Ernie’s word, Joe just reached up to squeeze her hand before leaning his head back to look at her.“A little help?”“You’re on your own Captain.” She smirked while moving away slowly to leave him to the game.Refilling her wine glass, Jane heard her son approach and passed him a can of Coke. “You know he can stay if he wants.” Alex looked at her, “here I mean. When his transfer gets approved.”“Alex…” She was at a loss of words regarding what her son was telling her. “What makes you think Joe is transferring back?”The teen shrugged, “heard you talking the other day, about him coming back. You guys were in the kitchen making dinner and I overheard when I was headed to the living room.” He looked over to where he’d been sitting moments before. “I’m fine with him moving in, he’s always here when he’s in Hawaii anyways. Caitlyn moved in when she was dating Dad, it wouldn’t be any different.” He smirked, “you’re not going to make your fiancé find residence on the island, are you? Housing is a nightmare, everyone knows that.”Placing a hand on her son’s shoulder she pointed at him. “First, I hate that you are so grown up. Second, he’s not my fiancé.”“You can lie to yourself Mom but we all see it.” Alex put a hand on his mother’s arm. “You two are going to get married, even if it may take a few years.”With her son heading back to the game, Jane watched them for a few moments. Julie all but tackled Joe when they both guessed Ernie’s word at the same time. Smiling, the SAC started making her rounds as it was getting late and the kids had school the next day.With gentle prodding, people started to stand and help clean up the mess. Jane stationed herself at the sink to start washing dishes while Chase and Neil started collecting trash and Jesse and Whistler worked on covering food. Jane left Ernie and Joe to entertain the kids. Kai, his dad and Hina bowed out with Inoki citing the restaurant and early open the next day.It only took thirty minutes before Ernie was the only guest left. She remained at the sink cleaning dishes till a certain naval officer picked up a dish towel and started drying. She smiled at him as they worked together to clean the pots and pans, the silverware and plate ware in the dishwasher. “Alex knows you’re transferring back?” She spoke softly as she listened to Ernie entertain Alex and Julie. “He overheard us when we were speaking the other day.”Joe accepted the pot she handed him. “He say anything about it?”“Says you should move in.” She looked up and found Joe watching her for a second before he went back to drying the pot. “Residence on the island is a nightmare, he’s not wrong about that.”Turning to put the pot in the cabinet it belonged in, Joe shut the cabinet doors after. He leaned against the counter, “do you want that?”“We live together when we’re in the same zip code.” She looked up as she handed him a pot lid, “so it wouldn’t be any different, except that we’d have to work out our issues and make plans together.”Joe worked on drying the lid. “I’m not opposed. We could try and reevaluate after a month, see if it’s still something we feel like we can continue doing.”Jane smiled as she shut off the water to the sink. “So, we have a plan?”“Hmm, we do. I can say it’ll be a few weeks to a few months before the post becomes available. Wentworth said as soon as it does, he’ll put in the PCS orders and alert Decker.”The special agent turned to the side and leaned a hip against the counter, watching as her boyfriend put the lid up. “There is one thing that I can’t avoid now.”“What’s that?” He shut the cabinet and folded the dishcloth.“Julie getting a dog.” She folded her arms. “Since there will be someone home when I have to travel for work.”Joe gathered her in his arms and pressed their foreheads together. “When my PCS orders are in my hand, we’ll surprise her but not before then.”Jane pulled her head back as her fingers scrapped through the hairs at his nape. “I love you.”“I love you too.” They shared a kiss before pulling apart. “Your on-call psychologist deserves to get paid for helping us through our communication issues.”“She’s government paid.” Jane stated while hugging him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Trust me when I tell you she isn’t cheap and she is pretty much one of the few trusted with any NCIS team in existence. The two top trusted with the teams are Rachel Cranston and Grace Confalone, both are always on-call for any profiling or director-appointed therapy needed. Dr. Confalone is the one who does personal therapy for the teams while Dr. Cranston generally stays professional.”Joe buried his nose in her hair for the second time that day. “Remind me to say thank you in person when I get back to DC.”“I’m going with you this time; we both leave Tuesday.” Jane pulled away from him and started working on the counters. “Vance approved my vacation time once again. Apparently, my bank is still over the limit and HR is up in arms about how I need to use amassed days.”Ernie entered the kitchen to see them both talking. “I’m going to head out.”“Thank you for coming.” Jane said as she hugged her cyber specialist.He pointed between the two. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”“Her kids are here.”“Just saying.” He looked over at Jane, “have a good night, Tennant.”She raised her left hand in a wave goodbye as her right found Joe’s. “Night Ernie.”
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Joe watched Jane from where they sat silent as she drove towards the townhouse. She finally looked at him when she hit a stoplight and considering she’d been giving him the silent treatment for the entirety of the ride from Dulles, and even before that in Honolulu if he was honest with himself, he was hoping she’d talk. He reached out to touch one of the strands of hair that had fallen across her forehead but she put up a finger as a silent warning to retract his hand or risk losing it.“I’ve apologized at least a half a dozen times.” He stated and she turned back to the road. “I didn’t realize TSA would be so strict.”Jane tapped her fist against the steering wheel. “When I say to let me do the talking, I mean let me do the talking. Yes, I’m on vacation but at any point I could be called by Vance to go to any city on the Pacific Rim. I am always on-call Joe, always. You risked my service weapon being disposed of by opening your mouth.” She looked over at him as they hit another light. “Imagine me having to explain that to Director Vance, because trust me when I say, you would be doing the explaining. Even more, knowing Vance, he’d call Decker in deal with you.”“Do you think the kids can handle a C-130?” He asked and she looked back at the road, resisting the urge to smack him. “Because I have a feeling that trying to get you back on a commercial flight is not going to happen.”“Not with you, not anytime soon.” Jane stated finitely. “The kids know the drill; they’ve known it for years.”Joe signed and pinched his nose, “how long are you going to be angry at me?”“I love you too much to be angry at you, I’m more annoyed than angry. Just remember this next time I demand to take a jump seat.”“I won’t be forgetting this for years.”Jane nodded, “good.” If DC was good for one thing, it truly was stoplights because she stopped at another one. “Are you angry with me?”“Am I angry at you?” Joe gave her a look of confusion, “why would I beg angry at you?”“I haven’t exactly been receptive to your attempts to talk to me and I haven’t let you touch me.” Jane met his eyes before she had to pull away, “I know you have a preference for that.”Joe didn’t even realize until she voiced it that he was always touching her. It was instinctual for him to reach for her hand, kiss her, or even to brush back her hair. A hug did a lot for him when he was stressed and although he respected her boundaries, he realized she’d had to stop him from touching her at least a dozen times since she went silent during their trip. “I honestly didn’t even realize a difference till you just pointed it out.”Reaching over, the special agent took his hand in hers and threaded their fingers together. “I’ve always noticed.” She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “It’s your love language.”“My ‘what’ language?”His expression and confusion made her laugh softly and she unlaced their hands at the next light to pick up her phone. “Your love language, trust me this will help.” Jane handed him her phone after typing something on the search engine, the information on the screen.Joe read through the whole page before scrolling back and forth between a section. “Hmm, I already know yours.”“What do you think mine is?”“Acts of Service.” He spoke while reading, “you shoulder so much already so when little things are done, you find relief and happiness in that.” Joe turned off her phone and put it in the cupholder. “I told you, to everyone else you’re an impenetrable steel vault but I read you like a book.”Jane nodded, “you do, more than anyone else.”“To answer your prior question, no I’m not angry. I wasn’t ever angry, I was annoyed also.”“By what?” She looked at him with an incredulous expression. “I was the one who almost lost a service weapon!” Joe chuckled at her statement and reached for her hand but she hit his arm when he started laughing. “What could you have to be annoyed with, huh?”“Are you done?” He asked while laughing.“No, in no way am I done!” She snapped while trying to keep a grin off her face. Their laughter died down and she eventually spoke while still smiling. “I love you and I want to laugh over this for years to come.”Joe reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. “Me too.”It was getting late and they’d had a long day, a twelve hour flight with two layovers, so Joe headed upstairs to get ready for bed. The doors were locked and Jane had disappeared earlier upstairs with plans to relax and he had stayed working on some documents he’d need for a meeting the next day. He entered the bedroom and heard music from one of Jane’s playlists that he knew she used to relax in the tub. Knocking on the bathroom door, he opened it slightly to see her relaxing in the dark except for candles on the sink counter.“I’d ask if you want to come to bed but I don’t want to disturb you.”Jane opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Baths are great after plane rides, be it commercial or C-130s.”Joe walked over and picked up her wine glass, she was a creature of habit after all. “I’ll get you a refill before I head to bed.”“Please and thank you.”When he returned a five minutes later, he put it beside her before leaning over to kiss her. “I love you.”“I love you too.”“I hope tomorrow is better than today.” He stated while rubbing her cheek with the back of his forefinger. “I really am sorry about your service weapon; I honestly didn’t know they’d go that far.”Jane nodded so unperceptively that anyone would have missed it. “I know and I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time. I guess beside you and the kids, my job is the only thing I get possessive over.” She reached her hand up and pulled an eyelash from where it sat against his cheek. “I don’t know if you know this but paperwork for a missing weapon is a nightmare.”“I know, I had to sign a few forms when security lost them.” He saw the question in her eyes, “ten, seven as Deputy Chief.”Jane chuckled and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “Ten missing service weapons? How?”“I’ll let you look that up because three of the ten I can’t even talk about with a straight face.” Joe tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Enjoy your bath, I’ll use the guest bathroom to get ready for bed.”“You sure? You’re not disturbing me.” She caught his hand and threaded their fingers together. “After all, soon we’ll have less space to share.”Joe leaned down a second time to kiss her. “If you’re sure I’m not disturbing you.”“Absolutely undisturbed.”It was later in the evening when Jane turned off the bathroom lights and entered the bedroom. Her bedside table light was on but Joe was asleep, out completely if him not stirring when she got into bed was anything to go by. Jane laid down and just watched him sleep for a bit of time, undisturbed and peaceful. She knew he was always stress free on days or weeks he took off but then he would dive back into the insanity of his job. The part of her that wasn’t selfish was supporting his move back to Pac Fleet because while it had stressors, it wasn’t as stressful as Pacific Relations. Turning over, Jane plugged her phone in and turned out the light. Snuggling down into the bedding, she relaxed and let her bath works its magic.
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The coffee grinder was her alarm when she was in DC and like normal, Jane rolled over to grab her phone. The light seeping through the curtains told her it wasn’t too early so she sat up. Wiping sleep from her eyes with her left middle finger, the special agent spent several minutes waking up. After getting out of bed, she made both sides and headed to the bathroom. Instead of her usual thin cotton tops and slacks, Jane grabbed jeans and a thicker long-sleeved top. It was cold outside, not abnormally cold but still colder than she was accustomed to in Hawai’i. Joe kept the townhouse temperature warm for her but she knew she couldn’t take the warm temperature outside with her.Joe was pouring coffee when she entered the kitchen, he was in his service khakis but she already knew he was returning to work. Running a hand across his back as she walked around the counter, Jane smiled to him when he turned to her. The naval officer put his coffee mug down and wrapped her in his arms. He laid a kiss to her forehead; no words need be exchanged between them as they stood in the silent kitchen in the early morning.“Did you sleep well?” Joe asked her in a whisper while kissing her temple.“I did.” Jane closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest her head under his chin. They had some time before he had to leave. “Always better with you there.”The man didn’t have to tell her that the feeling was mutual because they both knew it was. Running a hand up and down her spine, Joe buried his nose in her hair. “Will we survive when you head home on Sunday?”“Maybe.” It was stated with humor, as they knew she and the kids would return for two weeks in December and part of the first week of January.Joe pulled away and looked into her eyes. “It’s probably a crazy question to ask now,” he prepped her by making the statement. “Will you marry me?”Standing there processing what he was asking her, Jane realized that standing in the kitchen in his arms was just another morning to her. He was asking her to marry him without any grand gestures, instead asking as if it was another moment in their lives. It was so typical of him, to ask her without any such gestures. They were past teenage and young adulthood grand gestures, preferring to dance in the kitchen and talk while doing daily chores.Without a second thought she leaned in and kissed him. “Yes.”“Yes?”“Yes.” She smiled at him, “I want to dance in the kitchen with you for years to come. I want to argue about my service weapon and get exasperated as you get yourself into the middle of international crises that I have to get you out of.”Joe kissed her forehead. “I want to do all that too.” He brushed a piece of hair from where it was falling out of her messy bun, she hadn’t put it in her usual ponytail yet. “Seeing you relaxing last night made me realize I wanted that every night in the future. I want to send you to relax while I deal with the kids.”“Would you be mad if I said that I want a baby with you in the future?” She asked hesitantly, knowing the discussion they’d had about kids multiple times before. “Not right now but maybe in a year or two. Seeing you with Julie has made me reverse my decision.”The naval officer rubbed the small of her back. “If that’s what you want, we can have a baby. I told you Jane that all I need is you and the Navy, everything else is just bonus. I was prepared just to help you with Julie then spoil grandkids but if you want a baby, we can do that too.”Jane kissed him and rested their foreheads together, noses touching. “I just didn’t want you to be upset.”“I’m more concerned than upset.” He had a bit of worry in his voice. “I know enough about pregnancy to know having a baby at your age is classified as high-risk.” Joe sighed and pulled back enough to kiss her forehead. “I can live without a baby but I can’t imagine losing you.”She cupped his face between her two hands. “We’ll figure it out and if we don’t get pregnant, it just isn’t mean to be.”“I love you, more than I can describe.”“Me too.” Jane wrapped him in a hug. “I’m not thrilled that Commander Walters died in that crash but I am glad I met you that day.”Joe chuckled, “we would have met another day if that hadn’t happened. After all, you’re too persistent and dedicated not to have shown up on my radar eventually.”They pulled apart and Jane grinned at him. “So, you agree that those adjustives apply to both of us.”“You put me in my place without being direct and I think that was the moment I started taking interest.” Joe took her chin between his forefinger and thumb, kissing her not once but several times. “You have a way of stripping me bare with only a look.”Seeing the time on the microwave, Jane touched his phone screen till it lit up. The time on the appliance was accurate so Jane reminded him about when he had to leave for work. “You’re going to be late to work.”“Trying to get rid of me?”Jane met his eyes, “yes but only because I grocery shopping to do and a townhouse to clean. When are your parents due to come in?”“Their flight gets in at six, I’ll pick them up after I get off work.” He rubbed her arm, “it’s the day before Thanksgiving, everyone is getting off on time for once.”“You forgot your watch.” She ran her hand across his bare wrist. “I’ll get your coffee ready while you get it.”He kissed her temple, “thank you.”Jane poured coffee into a travel mug while Joe ran upstairs to get his watch. She also threw a bagel into the toaster while doing so, knowing he hadn’t eaten yet. It seemed to be a common occurrence that he really only ate breakfast in Hawai’i because he cooked for her or the kids. He often forgot to make breakfast for himself when alone or in a rush. The bagel popped up as he entered the kitchen again.“I made breakfast for you.” Jane stated as she put the bagel in aluminum foil.“You didn’t have to do that.”Jane shot him a look that made him drop the subject, knowing he’d be eating the food without argument. Once the bagel was put on top of the travel mug, Jane kissed him briefly. “Call me when you’re on your way to pick up your parents so I can start dinner.”“I will.” The man spoke as he pulled a small felt bag from his pocket. “I think you’ll be wanting this.”As he removed a ring from the bag, Jane watched as he gently took her hand to slide the ring onto her left ring finger. She starred at the ring as it sat on her finger, examining it. The emerald cut sapphire sat in a platinum band that had designs of waves engraved into it. It really did match her necklace, like he’d told her in the note when he’d given the piece of jewelry to her. After it was on her finger, the naval officer brought her hand up to kiss her ring finger.“Did you design it?” She asked running her thumb over the design.“No, but I thought it was perfect when I found it.” Joe watched her admire the ring. “The designs reminded me of the waves of the ocean that surround your home. It’s also platinum so it won’t corrode in salt water like gold does. So, you can still wear it when surfing.” Reaching out, he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Do you like it?”“I do.” She looked up at him as her arms encircled his neck. “I love you.”“I love you too.” Brushing his nose against hers, he pulled back. “Unfortunately, I have to go to work or I’d take you back upstairs.”Jane pulled her arms away, “promises Captain.”
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Jane was putting fresh linens on the bed in the guestroom when her phone rang from the master bedroom. She left the bed half-made and retrieved her phone, finding it was Joe calling her. Due to the time she knew he was on the way to the airport but she sat down on the bed and answered anyways.“Hey, headed to the airport?”The sound of traffic in the background told her he was driving. “I am not. Apparently, my father called and said he doesn’t think this is a good idea and he’s not coming. My mom is currently contemplating divorcing him for his short-sighted, selfish behavior.”“What isn’t a good idea?”Joe sighed, “he thinks I’m jumping into this relationship too quickly. When I called my mother earlier to tell her I asked you to marry me, she told him. An hour later he called and said he canceled their plans.”The agent pinched her nose for a few seconds. “How did that go over?”
“For him or me?”
“You Babe, I’m worried about you right now.” She shook her head at the short-sightedness of his father but she knew not all parents were supportive. Her own father and their previous rift was just one example.
“I’m fine, my father and I have never really seen eye to eye. Things got better after my tours but they’ve never been the same since I told him I didn’t want to take over the store. My mother was more the supportive one. I just feel sorry for him; he’s not going to know you or our family at this rate. I told my mom if she wants to come, just let me know and I’ll get her a flight.”
Rolling her engagement ring back and forth with her thumb, Jane felt like crying. She loved him and hearing that his father was hurting him for personal choices made her mad. It wasn’t a furious mad but more a saddened state of mad, because Joe was an amazing man. His father was the one missing out, on his son and his son’s future. “I’m sorry Joe.”
“I know but I learned a long time ago that trying to please my father doesn’t work out for anyone. I have to let him come to me.”
“Come on home and we can cook dinner together.” It was something they both enjoyed doing together and it often ended with eating, cleaning up, and dancing together in the kitchen.He was silent for a few moments before talking. “I have good news that you’ll be happy about.”“Did your PCS orders go through?”
“Not yet but we dropped from potential war to just watching for war regarding North Korea. The missiles have stopped so the focus is shifting to keeping eyes on Russia. That should give you a slight peace of mind.”
Jane left the master bedroom and returned to the guestroom, it needed to be finished even if it wouldn’t be used. “The fact you’re going to have less meetings gives me peace of mind. NCIS Hawai’i is always on alert for war in the Pacific so I was more concerned with you not getting enough sleep.” She put the phone on speaker and continued making the bed. “I hate throwing it out there but Pacific Relations is more stressful for you than being Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet.”
“Going for the jugular there Sweetheart. But you’re right, I guess I wasn’t really prepared for what I got myself into.”
“You think?” She spoke with humor and heard him chuckle. “That’s why I’m here, to remind you of your mistakes when you make them. I’m also there to offer solutions and help where I can.”
“I spoke with Decker today over lunch and he said the island isn’t prepared for what is about to hit it. Apparently between the two of us, we’ll reshape Pearl into a military stronghold. I didn’t know what to say so I kept quiet.”
Jane straightened the comforter and pillows before picking up her phone. “Have you even told Admiral Wentworth who your girlfriend is?” She had to remind herself of the ring that sat on her finger meant they were engaged.
“No, I just told him that I’d be more than happy to take the position.”
The agent shook her head as she headed downstairs, knowing the admiral would have some things to say when he found out. “You’re going to have to tell him eventually.”
“Not before my orders are finalized. I don’t know if you remember, but you turned me down when I asked you out because you were worried about perceptions. I don’t want him knowing till I’m already set to return because I don’t know what he’ll say or do.”
“I remember. You didn’t know this but I wanted to accept the offer. I was just worried that they’d take my command from me if they found out I was dating you.” She opened the fridge and pulled out a tray of marinading chicken. “When you were set to leave, I couldn’t let you go without knowing if you were worth it.”
“Something tells me you had a plan to sleep with me from the beginning of that date.”
Jane smirked, “maybe, if so, could you blame me?”
“Oh, definitely not. I seem to remember we both enjoyed that night and I even enjoyed that sendoff you gave me.”
“You mean the sendoff that my son heard?” The naval officer coughed, likely because the coffee he was sipping went down the wrong pipe. She knew the sound by heart.
“I didn’t know Alex heard that.”
She opened the pantry and removed a bag of rice, “well he did, said I should date and that you were nice. That’s the closest to teenage approval as you would get. Although he was right about one thing. You’re awkward.”“Sweetheart, you’re adding insult to injury.”“No, I’m not. You are awkward sometimes but it’s something I love about you.” The agent began washing the rice in the pot she’d planned to cook in. “Just a little quirk that I can’t help smiling at when it happens.”
“I’ll let you go. I’m almost home anyways.”
She turned off the kitchen sink and drained the rice water. “Hui Hui Chicken for dinner.”
“Sounds amazing. I love you.”
“I love you too. Drive safe and see you when you get home.” She hung up the phone and put it aside to start on dinner.Laughter filled the kitchen as the two stood cleaning up after having eating dinner. Jane was listening to a story of Joe and his sister trying to sneak back into the house after being out all night as teenagers, even though there had been feet of snow out the night they’d done so. Music played in the background and just watching the man drying a pot while telling a funny story made her realize she’d made the right decision that morning. Jane Tennant was madly in love with the man beside her, irrevocably and unabashedly. She wanted to spend mornings, days, and nights in his company.“Come here.” Jane pulled him closer by his arm and cupped his cheek, kissing him. As her nose brushed his, her smile softened. “I’m glad I agreed to marry you.”Placing the pot and towel aside, Joe pulled her closer as he kissed her a second time. “Do you know what having a kid free home is good for?” He sounded halfway out of breath as he asked her.“I do. Do you?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, almost daring him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled away from here but before she could say anything, Joe hefted her up into his arms in a bridal carry. “What are you doing?” She asked with laughter.“I thought that was obvious.” He spoke with humor as he carried her towards the stairs. “I thought you were a federal investigator; obvious observation is a job requirement.”Jane wrapped her arms around his neck, “is that so?”“I’m concerned for the Pacific Rim if you’re failing at your job Special Agent Tennant.”She laughed as she shook her head, letting him carry her upstairs. “Easy Captain, don’t start anything you can’t finish.”“Oh, I plan to finish everything I start.”He threw her on the bed once in the bedroom and Jane pulled him down by hooking her leg around his. “Hi.” She whispered as his body hit the bed beside hers. Rolling over, she placed her hands on each side of his head. “You were saying?”“Are you making illegal moves?”“Hmm, maybe. You mentioned handcuffs last week, so it depends on how illegal you want to get.” Jane cupped his cheek and kissed him.Joe used his weight and rolled her over till she was under him. “I was talking about you.”“Hmm, well I’d say less talk and more action.” Jane pulled him down by his shirt and kissed him again.
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Being met at the hanger by Jesse after deboarding the C-130 she’d caught a jump seat on, Jane fell into step with him. He held out a cup of coffee that she took without a word, still feeling the exhaustion that filled her entire body. Joe had a crisis in Singapore that had him departing on a plane just two hours before her so they’d both left in the late night hours of Friday night, a full two days before they’d planned for her to leave.“How’d meetings the family go?” He finally asked her.“I don’t want to talk about it.” She gave Jesse a look that meant it was too much to talk about. However, her subordinate was also her friend so he knew what buttons to push to get answers.Jesse chuckled as he opened the rear of his vehicle so she could stash her bag. “That bad?”“Usually, I reserve judgement of relatives till I meet them, but I minutely hate his father.” She stated as she closed the rear-hatch. “Joe was a few hours from picking them up from the airport but his father called and said they weren’t coming. His mother spent two days trying to get his dad to change his mind.” She threw up her hands, “with no luck. So, I met his mother via Skype instead of in person. The whole fight we had and resolved was for nothing.”As both got in the vehicle, Jesse looked at his boss. “Any idea why his father is being an asshole?” She held up her hand and her engagement ring showed. “Oh wow!” Jesse took her hand and looked at the ring. “Silver or platinum?”“Platinum, so it doesn’t degrade when I surf.”“So, you two are engaged now.” The man started the car and headed out, away from the airfield. “Why is that such a big deal, anyways? Or is it that his dad doesn’t approve of his choice?”Jane shook her head, “according to his father and sister, we’re going too fast.”“Too fast?” Jesse laughed, “you two are going too slow. Do I need to call his father and talk to him? I mean, you two are crazy for each other Boss. I guarantee if Daniel and you were on the same page like you are with Joe, you’d two would still be married. I thought you’d have been married by now by the way you were together when Manila happened.”Jane looked down at her ring and rubbed it with her right thumb. “We had a pregnancy scare the week of my birthday.”“Whoa!” Jesse looked over at his boss. “Okay, that was overshare.”“I’m not that old!”“I am smart enough not to touch that comment but damn! Knowing what your boss and friend is doing in theory is one thing but didn’t need to know that.” He shook his head, “give a guy some warning.”Jane looked at him and raised an eyebrow, “I know how old each of your kids are and their birthdays.”“Touché.” “It was nice to spend some time together even if we both got pulled away.” She looked down at her phone. “Any idea why we got called in instead of Beta team?” Some people always wondered why the team was called ‘Beta’ instead of ‘Bravo’ as bravo was second on the military alphabet. Since one of the military special ops teams were called Bravo, it was decided to us the scientific alphabet instead of military. Jane always found it amusing when she had to explain why.“Not to bring it full circle but you know that experimental jet that Walters crashed when you and Joe met?” Their eyes met but nothing was said, she knew exactly what he was referring to. “Anyways, Walter’s replacement in the program, crashed his car earlier this morning. His break lines were cut according to Boom-Boom. Kai is questioning his fellow aviators now.”Jane tapped her phone with her forefinger. “Same program, similar death even though all potential players from the original spy ring was taken out by NCIS and DIA. Something tells me I’ll be making a call to Admiral Wentworth.”“You mean again?” It was stated with humor as they’d had to speak to the admiral multiple times that month over the drug smuggling case.The special agent turned her phone over, planning to text her ex-in-laws to have them take the kids home since she was working. “I’ll be happy when Joe’s PCS orders go through, I won’t have to make phone calls on a weekend and irritate admirals.”“He’s moving from Washington?” Jesse asked as they got onto one of the main roads to head through the base to get to the office.Jane looked up, “Wentworth offered him the Deputy Chief position again and he agreed. He’ll be moving from Washington once the orders go through. Due to the sensitive chain of command, Joe’s not saying anything to Wentworth about who he’s engaged to until he hits Hawaiian soil. So, the admiral has no idea that he’s about to have a couple running the base.” She smirked, “or so Admiral Decker has stated.”Jesse thought about it before speaking. “The admiral’s right. The only thing more dangerous is if you took Vance’s spot and he was still at the Pentagon. Washington power couple, I’d hate to be someone screwing up there.”“I’ll be sure to let Vance know your vote is for me not to be in the running as successor.”“Realistically, you’d be amazing at it after running the Pacific Rim. I just know that Washington is the one that wouldn’t be ready.” Jesse smiled at her, “you’d have my vote without a second thought Boss.”Jane reached for her coffee and took a sip. “So glad I have your vote of confidence.”It was late when Jane got home, their case had ended with just being that of a jealous ex-girlfriend. Sometimes the cases were complex and other times just ended up being finished in just a day or two. Crimes of Passion were sometimes the simplest of case and other times the most complex. As the special agent set her bags by the door, she heard her kids acting excited so she turned the corner to see the two sitting at the table playing a board game.Julie looked up and saw her. “Mom!”Jane braced herself as her daughter got up and rushed her, hugging her tight. “Hey baby.” She kissed her daughter’s head and looked up as Alex walked over and hugged her. “Hey you.”“Hey Mom.” Alex pulled back and shrugged, “not that we care but why are you back so soon?”She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Joe had a work emergency in Singapore, we both caught jump seats a few hours apart.”“What’s this?” Julie grabbed her hand and looked up. “Are you guys engaged now?”The special agent herded her children over to the table and they all three sat down. “Yes, we’re engaged now.”Alex looked concern, “how will that work? You know, with you here and Joe in DC? He’s still transferring back, right?”“That’s what we were talking about.” Jane looked between her children, noticing questions in Alex’s eyes and excitement in Julie’s. “Joe got an offer to take his old job back after it became open again. As soon as his orders go through, he’ll be moving back to Hawai’i.”“Will he live here or somewhere else?”Brushing back her daughter’s hair, Jane smiled. “Here but we’re going to talk after a month to see if it’s still working out.”“I think it’ll be okay Mom; he lives here when he is in Hawai’i anyways.”Alex nodded to his mother as he played with the dice that was near him. “What Julie said.”There was a twinkle in Julie’s eye and Jane braced herself realizing that Julie was about say something possibly dangerous. “At least until he makes you upset, when you work together again.”“We’ve already talked about that also.” Jane smiled between the two once again. “Right now, all you two need to know is that in the next few weeks to few months there will be a period of adjustment for all four of us.”The teenager across from her folded his arms. “Who is telling Dad?”“Let me handle that.” She pointed at each of them. “This stays between us, the only other person I told was Jesse.”Julie leapt up and hugged her mother. “Congrats Mom.”“Same.” Alex stood and walked around the table to hug the woman that always took care of him. “He makes you happy, we can tell.”“And he’s really good at being a step-dad, also.”Jane sighed. “So, you guys are really okay with this?”“Yes!”“Absolutely!”Alex rubbed her shoulder, “Dad got a second change to be happy, you deserve one too.”“Does this mean I get a puppy?”Jane cupped her daughter’s chin, “unfortunately not, both of us will still have to travel for work. Me more so than him but he could possibly be away at the same time as me.” She didn’t want to ruin the surprise they were planning to give once he was permanently on Hawaiian soil.“Aww.”“But you could possibly get another baby brother or sister in the next year or two.” Jane was instantly thrown by the hug Julie gave her.Julie pulled away and grinned, “so much better.”
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Jane was three days out from flying with the kids to DC for Christmas for two weeks, when instead, she found herself flying back to Hawai’i after being kidnapped. It never ceased to amaze her what situations her job put her in but she was safe. Safe and surprised when she walked through the door of her home to hear her son and daughter arguing.“No, you can’t take the last one Alex.”Jane locked the door as she heard her other half redirecting her youngest. “Julie, there’s more in the pantry, you’ll just have to use ice. Go get washed up, both of you.”“I’m back.” She put her bags down and rounded the corner to see her small family standing in the kitchen around the island.“Finally.” Alex stated and hugged his mother. “Why were you gone five days?”Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she leaned down to kiss Julie’s head as the girl hugged her. “Oh, you know how things sometimes never go as planned. It was just one of those trips.”“Sure Mom.” Alex told her sarcastically before he and Julie headed towards the bathroom to wash their hands.Joe stood turning off the stove eyes before turning to her. “You okay?”“Yeah, always fun when the CIA kidnaps you.” She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. “I assume you got read in and that’s why you’re here.”The man nodded, “yes, surprisingly my office got called in by Vance within hours of you and your colleague being abducted. We were going over everything we had available to us and where you could be when I got notice you were on Hawaiian soil. Once Jesse told me you were fine, I got my team in the air to come assist but you beat me to it by wrapping everything up in a bow. And in Los Angeles of all places.”Jane nodded, “about how it goes. I called my parents and told them I’d fly them in but I don’t want to be on a plane till the new year. After touching base once everything was over, Vance said I was exempt from the NCIS Ball and giving a speech. Apparently, he doesn't feel it's right to make me fly back to DC after the whole situation happened.”The kids returned and sat at the table, “hey Mom, since holidays start tomorrow, can I go surfing with Noelani in the morning?”Jane looked over at her ten year old as she washed her hands at the island sink, “sure, is Mark picking you up?”“I think so. I can call after dinner and find out.” She got up suddenly and went to the pantry to get the can of pineapple juice that was there. “Apparently Alex has a new girlfriend.”Alex looked taken aback by his sister. “First, Ally is my friend and second, why do you have to spy on everything?”The special agent accepted the plates Joe handed her; he’d been dishing it up as they spoke about her abduction. “How old is Ally?”“Seventeen and she’s my friend, she’s dating Travis.” Alex accepted the plate of food his mother handed him. The spaghetti was clearly hot and fresh as steam rolled off it. “Not dating is probably the safest option considering I’ll be going to Basic soon.”Joe set a glass of ice in front of Julie as he sat down by Jane across from the kids. “Smart, not safer.”“So, how was the retirement party?” Julie dug the proverbial knife into the conversation. “Was it a bunch of old people just standing around talking.”Deciding to side-track the topic, Jane put up a finger. “No work talk. I want to know about school the last few days.""There's nothing interesting about school. All Julie and I did in our classes was watch videos and answer a worksheet. Both of us, in our separate schools did the same thing. Teachers don't want to do much the last week of school before holidays." Alex supplied the same information he'd given Joe when asked.“Or we could go personal.” Joe held up an envelope to Jane and she took it.Opening the closed envelope, Jane unfolded the paper that was inside and read the contents. “Your orders went through.”“They did and despite the start date not being till the end of January, I’ll be heading back the day after Christmas to start the pack up. I got two weeks of orientation and training Mitchell to take over before I can come back permanently.”Alex motioned between them, “any idea when you’re getting married?”“Not yet.” Jane stated while refolding the printed orders. “On a different note, Christmas will be here on the island. I told Grandma and Grandpa I’d fly them out.”Julie grinned, “so we can surf every day of the holidays?”“No promises.”After the kids were occupied and Julie’s plans were finalized, Jane found Joe on the patio looking out at the sunset. They were still pretty far inland to see the ocean but the evening sky was perfect. Wrapping her arm around his back, Jane felt as he put his arm around her shoulders. As she leaned into his chest, Joe nudged her temple with his nose.“I thought I almost lost you a few days ago.” Joe whispered against her cheek. “I had to reign in so much of my anger and fear to work on rescuing you.”“My job is always going to be dangerous.” She spoke softly but firmly. “But I have three people that need me back home so I’m going to fight like hell to get back home.”Joe sighed and pulled her closer. “I know.”“If it makes you feel better, we took down a thirty year old rouge assassin group that was spontaneously reactivated.” She smiled at him, “and the other side of the table looked horrible when we got done.”The naval officer chuckled and kissed her forehead. “If there is one thing I trust, it’s that Jane Tennant never goes down without a fight. I pity anyone that is on the other side of your gun.”“I love you.”“I love you too.”She rested her hand against his chest and he took her hand. “I lead three NCIS teams and after all the jokes were made, they took orders from me. Agent Parker manned the physical locations while I had the team in the field. I swear I was going to punch Torres at one point, maybe a few actually. The man pushes my last nerve at times and not in the good way.”“I thought you said he had his partner back and that distracted him?”“Interesting enough, we saw her for a few minutes in the hall during our time at FLETC as she has been ordered to undergo all her certifications again. They lapsed while she was undercover. So, he wasn’t distracted. You should have seen the guys though, quick to tell him to be quiet so he survived.”“Probably because they thought you’d shoot him.”Jane chuckled, “no, too much paperwork.”Joe pulled away and met her eyes, “go relax in the bath, you need it after your last few days. I’ll take care of the kitchen and kids.”“If no one has told you, you’re amazing.” She kissed him and nudged his nose with her own before pulling away to head inside.
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The sound of milling officers and enlisted filled Jane’s ears as she squatted down next to the body of the petty officer who she was called out to deal with. Jesse was talking to the commanding officer who had been the one to discover the body of the young woman in the bare hanger at the start of the morning. Jane caught the attention of one of the techs and pointed to the petty officer’s hands, the tech started photographing them immediately.“Well according to Commander Petrov, he doesn’t know why Petty Officer Ellis was out here as she isn’t part of Project Mirror.” Jesse told her as she stood, “said he locked everything down after the last maintenance check was done.”Jane nodded, “any idea what Project Mirror is exactly?”“Highly classified.” The voice made them both turn to find Joe standing a few feet off. “If you put in the request, I can have DIA read you in on that which is necessary for your case.”Jesse chuckled, “I’ll let you deal with this one.”“Gee, thanks.” She stated and turned to Joe fully, “can we talk for a minute?”Joe only gave her a short nod and took a few steps to the side away from other people. She walked over and met his eyes as he spoke. “This is feeling like déjà vu all over again.”“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Jane sighed and bounced her pen against her notepad. “Ellis wasn’t part of the program?”“Honestly Jane?” He turned his head to look back where the commanding officer was before meeting her eyes again. “I don’t even know what this project is yet. I remember seeing a jacket on my desk yesterday with the rest of the classified files but I’m as clueless as you. As soon as I get done with my noon meeting with Wentworth, I’ll go over the file. For now, same routine as Walters.”She nodded, “I can live with that.”“Good because I can’t seem partial just because we’re engaged.”“You haven’t even told Miller or Wentworth about me yet so partiality is non-existent right now.” She raised an eyebrow silently asking if he’d refute it.The man ran a hand over his mouth as he looked around before looking down to meet her eyes. “Off topic, you want me to pick up Julie from swim practice?”“Please and thank you.”Joe touched her arm for a half second before backing up and walking away. “Commander Petrov, a word.”Jesse returned to her side as Joe stood talking with Petrov. “So?”“We’ll wait for the declassified information, officially.” She gave Jesse a look that said everything and nothing. “I’ll have the Cliff Notes version by tonight.”“He seems in his element.”Jane watched Joe speaking to Petrov while motioning to the body, clearly the commander was in trouble for having non-project personnel in the hanger. “He is. Less stressed too.”“I guess that’s a good thing.” Jesse hit her arm gently. “Must be weird seeing him at a crime scene all over again.”“A good weird, but we knew it would happen eventually.” Jane looked down at her notes, “have Lucy talk to Ellis’ coworkers and you get on top of her home. I’m going to meet up with Ernie.”Jesse sighed, “Kai has that FBI deposition, doesn’t he?”“He does, he’s officially Whistler’s all week.”Joe found himself reading through a dense file, one of many, when there was a knock on his office door. He looked up as he called for the person to enter and found his boss entering. He’d spoken with Wentworth not even an hour before, so it surprised him when the admiral stepped into the office.“Admiral.” He rose and saluted once he was standing, the admiral saluted back before both sat down. “Sir, not that I don’t enjoy your company but didn’t we just see each other an hour ago?”“Oh it’s nothing Joe, just wanted to get outside the meeting room for a minute. You remember my granddaughter, Denise?”“I do sir, she was one of the names that was short-listed for the secretary position.”The admiral nodded, “yes well, she just filled in your secretary position. Shocked me when she told me and I double-checked of course. Anyways, I’d appreciate if you’d give her the usual treatment with no special favors. Told my son that she’d get no special treatment and if I have to give her a talking down myself, I’d do it.” The admiral chuckled, “needless to say both my son and her thought nepotism would be in play.”Joe nodded, “don’t worry sir, I’ll treat her like I don’t know her.” He folded the file he had, “speaking of nepotism, I needed to talk with you about something that could possibly fall under that umbrella. Or at least perceived that way.”“Joe you’re a man of integrity, I doubt that’s the case.”“Yes sir but the perception could be there.” He looked to his side at the picture of him and Jane that had sat on his desk in DC. It always pointed at him so no one knew what it was, at least not yet. “I got engaged right before I left Washington.”Wentworth put a finger up in the air. “To your mystery girl. Am I going to meet her anytime soon or is this you asking me to put in a transfer request.”“No sir, she’s on the island and you met her already.”“Well, if I’ve met her, I’m the last one in the dark. I don’t even know who she is so she probably hasn’t told anyone she’s engaged to you.”Joe nodded softly, “again the perception of nepotism is there so it’s been kept quiet.”“Oh Joe, don’t tell me she’s in direct chain of command.” The admiral wiped a hand over his face. “This is going to be a nightmare to work out, isn’t it?”“No sir, I don’t think so.” He sat back and thought for a moment. “Why don’t you and Tessa come over for dinner this Friday. You’ll get to meet her and we could use some adult company, her kids are with their father this week.”“Why not, better than letting Tessa drag me to another store.” He put out a hand, “not to be rude but do we need to order in or is the food good?”Thinking about it, Joe chuckled. “Tessa will want her cookbook by the end of the night.”“Probably couldn’t help, Tessa isn’t the best in the kitchen.” The admiral stood up and so did Joe, “but that stays between us.”“Yes sir.”Jane looked up from where she sat going over files when the front door opened then closed. Joe’s briefcase was placed beside her own on the table, as he leaned over. “Didn’t get a chance to tell you but you looked incredible today.” He kissed her bare neck as her hair was up in a messy bun.“You mean standing over a dead body?” She asked as he walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.“Perhaps.” He walked over and picked up her coffee mug, long since used to put it in the sink. “I made progress with Daniel today. I got a wave when I dropped the kids off.”Looking over her shoulder, Jane saw him pouring her some fresh coffee. “Progress indeed, it’s been a stare and a call to me the last few weeks.” He walked over and sat down beside her, handing her the cup of coffee. “Thank you.”“Maybe it’ll be a cookout in ten years.”Jane raised an eyebrow and looked away. “That is the last thing I want to think about.” Picking up her pen, she started back on the employee file she had as he pulled something out of his bag. “Paperwork, I think that’ll be what’s on our death certificates one day.”Joe held out a folded piece of paper and she opened it to see a typed up non-classified information brief. “DIA can get you the heavy stuff but that’s the jest.”“Well that certainly narrows down a lot of suspects.” She put the paper aside and taped her pen against the table. “Ellis wasn’t dating anyone and was a loner. All of us are drawing a blank on why she was in the hanger of a classified project.”Taking a sip of water, the man pulled his laptop out of the bag. “Speaking of dating, I invited Wentworth and his wife for dinner on Friday.”“Oh, that means I have to get off a half day to clean.” She rubbed her eye before signing another document. “Wouldn’t even have to request it, HR emailed me again today that I still have forty-five days of accrued leave. They won’t let me accrue anymore until I bring the number down. I think it’ll be added retroactively once I get back to zero.”Joe placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. “How did you accrue so much?”“When I got divorced, I threw myself into work if I didn’t have the kids. Probably wasn’t the greatest idea but the house was empty and I didn’t like the sound. Ever since then, it’s been a constant roll over of hours and just as constant, HR sending me emails or calling me. I’m on a first name basis with one of the ladies at Big NCIS by now.”He chuckled and stood up, kissing her head as he did. “I’m going to get out of this uniform then make dinner. What do you want?”“Surprise me.”
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The sound of knocking made Joe look up from where he was walking down the steps from the bedroom. Jane was on the patio setting it up for dinner with Wentworths. Walking over to the front door, he opened it and found the admiral and his wife.“You made it.”Wentworth pointed to his wife, “she’s the navigator. It’s been years and I still can’t find my way around the island.”“Come in.” He let them in and closed the door after them.“It looks like Washington gave you more gray hairs.” Tessa was always acting like a mother hen with the officers in the Pac Fleet office, it was what made Joe enjoy her company. He didn’t need a second mother but it was just the warmth that the native woman exhibited. “Better be careful or you’ll end up like Arnold here.”Joe chuckled, “I’m lucky my fiancée doesn’t mind them.”“Oh yes, I’m so excited to meet this lady. Arnold kept going through all the women he knows on base and keeps drawing a blank.” She covered her mouth before stage whispering. “It’s quite entertaining if you ask me.”Wentworth shook his head, “if you two are finished.”“Oh, I love what you’ve done with the place.” Tessa looked around and nodded, “very bright and inviting.”The patio door slid open and they heard Jane walk in, she was talking. “…I don’t think that’s really what we’re looking for Ernie but keep digging. Reach out to Kate if you run into a blank, you two work wonders together.” She shut the patio door and nodded, listening to her cyber specialist. “I doubt Lucy feels threatened.” The woman chuckled, “feel free to tell them it’s an order if you want. Alright, you too.” She hung up the phone and placed it on the table. Jane finally looked to their guests. “Sorry about that, welcome to our home.”Wentworth looked to Joe and the naval officer gave a short, soft nod. “Well colored me surprised.” He walked over and smiled at Jane. “Agent Tennant.”“Jane please.” She gave the admiral a handshake, not sure where he stood on hugs.“So, what’s the deal?” Tessa asked leaning her head towards Joe.“Jane is NCIS, probably the last person he was expecting.”Tessa walked over to them, “hello Jane, I’m Tessa.” She traded hugs with the agent before hitting her husband’s arm. “Ignore him, he has about as much charm as a steel bar.”The four sat on the patio with beer and wine, enjoying the evening and dinner. Joe wasn’t surprised as he watched Jane and Tessa get on well together. The two women were talking about the island while unfortunately he and the admiral spoke of work or the Navy. More than once, Tessa examined Jane’s ring, the one she learned was best left at home instead of wearing it in the middle of her often physical work.“So, tell me,” Wentworth looked between the couple, “how exactly did you two meet? I know on the job, that much is obvious.”Jane nudged Joe’s arm with her own, “yes, I’ve never heard it from your perspective.” It was a very sharp dare if Joe ever heard one.“The crash with Lieutenant Commander Walters.” Joe stated, “you remember the one sir.”Wentworth nodded, “I do. I seem to remember you were a bit short with some of the officers until the pilot was given back to his family.” He motioned to Jane, “that her doing?”“I wouldn’t go that far.” Joe stated and took a sip of beer. “I made the mistake trying to take over her crime scene and then tried to use intimidation to get my way. Jane put me in my place immediately, even had me apologizing to her by the end of it.”Jane chuckled, “then after that I was always saving his ass when it came to international incidents connected to murders.”“That’s true.” He shrugged, “to be honest, I think I was a goner the moment I heard her laugh.”“He tried to ask me out but I turned him down.” She fingered her wine glass, “perception is everything for women in command. I’m sure you’re aware of that Admiral.”“I am. It’s a damn shame too because I know many a women that are better suited to jobs then men. Some would be better suited as admirals then me, I know that much.”Joe looked at Jane, “then when she heard I was leaving the island, she asked me out.”Tessa grinned. “Much better than how we met. I was the nurse who treated this bozo because he tripped down a gangplank.” How the four of them ended up laughing surprised Joe, he always tried not to laugh at anything related to his superior. Jane’s laughter was infectious though.“Well, I’m happy he tripped, you seem very happy together.” Jane smiled at Tessa, “can I ask how many years you’ve been married?”“Forty next year.” Tessa sighed, “so rare now days. Our son Lucas got divorced last year after twenty years.”Jane nodded as she played with her wine glass again. “I understand. I’m divorced too and I still don’t know how I got Joe. We started out long distance and weren’t sure if it would last but we were determined to try.”Joe took her hand and threaded their fingers. “You’re worth every hard moment.”“So, when is the wedding?” Wentworth pulled their attention from each other. “I expect an invitation.”“You’d probably send me back to DC if didn’t give you one sir.”Jane rubbed her free hand over Joe’s arm. “We’re not sure yet. We know we want to do a civil marriage then have a larger wedding with family and friends later.”“I know one thing for sure.” Tessa met Jane’s eyes, “I need this recipe.”Wentworth raised his beer to Joe. “You told me didn’t you Joe.”“I did sir. Jane is an amazing cook, it’s one of the many things I missed while in DC.”
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Drowning in biannual performance reviews and scheduling biannual PRTs, Jane found herself in her office while her team ran down leads for their case. She had to hand the reins to Jesse and have him lead the team in searching for the person responsible for killing a US Navy Lieutenant on an Australian vessel. The one aspect of her job that she hated was all the paperwork she had to do. Disposable coffee cups lined her trash can, once filled with coffee or tea, while a warm mug of coffee sat on the desk beside her. Jane found herself on the phone scheduling said PRTs, the CFL was unavailable due to being out on parental leave so she had to reach out to FFI.“Yes sir, I understand.” Jane wrote down the date on a post-it and tapped her pen against the stack of post-its. “Thank you for taking the time to put us on your schedule.”A knock made her look up to see Jesse. “Boss, incoming and he doesn’t look happy.”Jane saw her fiancé with another officer, she recognized the other man as Australian due to his uniform. She knew Joe’s stern, no nonsense, angry expression, and she also knew that sometimes he had to reign in his anger to be professional. Standing, Jane walked out of the office and waited till the group reached her.“Captain Reynolds, Special Agent in Charge Tennant.” Joe’s tone suggested he was trying to be professional but he was angry. At her, her team, the case, or the situation, she honestly didn’t know which it was.The captain held out his hand and Jane grasped it, accepting the handshake. “Captain Reynolds, I want to apologize for the situation and I promise we will try to resolve this as quickly as possible so your ship can get underway.”“Thank you, Agent Tennant, I appreciate your honesty. Can I ask if you have found anything while questioning my men?”“Due to the sensitivity of the situation, I can’t divulge any information. I can say that as soon as I have information for you, Captain Milius will provide it.”Reynolds nodded, “I understand. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.”“Of course.”Joe caught her attention with a look, “can I have a word with you Special Agent?”Once the door of her office was closed, Jane met his eyes. “I’m trying to get through this as quickly as possible while being through. I know this puts you and the Navy in an impossible situation.”The naval officer nodded, “thank you. Let me know if you need any help.”Jane smiled at him, “I guess I’m saving your ass once again. How many times is this?”“Too many.” Joe looked out to see Reynolds talking to Jesse. “He rubs me the wrong way, don’t discount him as a suspect.”“I consider everyone a suspect. After all, Iron Cloud taught us that even the higher ups are guilty of crimes.”Ignoring the desire to touch her, Joe put his hands behind is back. One held his cover and the other wrapped around his wrist. “I hate that I brought him along. If I hadn’t, I could kiss you.”“You can kiss me tonight all you want but right now, let’s stay professional.” She looked back to see the Australian officer still talking to her second-in-charge. “You should get him back to his ship before he befriends my team.”“Quick but through.” He unfolded his arms from behind his back. “Please.”“Going where the case takes me.”He shook his head slightly, “still having déjà vu moments.”“I think we’ll always have them.” She motioned to the door, “I’ll text you anything important.”“Do you know how much I love you?”Jane smiled at him, “feeling is mutual. I’ll see you at home.”“I’ll bring home dinner.”He opened the door and left her standing there, watching as he escorted Reynolds out of the office. Jane motioned with a finger to Jesse and the man stood up, walking over to her. “Yeah Boss?”“Run Reynolds, Joe said he rubs him the wrong way. I got the same feeling, like I need to shower.”Jesse nodded, “me too.”“Have Ernie get in touch with the Australian military to get information on Reynolds. We need access to phone data and his tour schedule.”“Will do Boss.”As Jesse left to go talk to Ernie, Jane returned to her desk and the paperwork on top. Expressing a silent sigh, she picked up her pen prepared to go back to the stack of performance reviews. While the Alpha team was her priority, there were still at least two dozen agents that worked in the office in various areas. She honestly thought back to what she told Joe a few weeks before, she thinks her death certificate would list paperwork as cause of death.Her phone beeped and she picked it up to find a text from Joe. All that he had texted her was a red heart emoji. It made her smile and send the same back before turning the phone over. Once again picking up the pen, she signed the performance review of Agent Teller, who worked in logistics. The woman was always arranging travel if they needed it.The table was spread out with paperwork on the rare night she did work with the kids home, when Joe walked in the door with pizza in his hands. Placing his briefcase down by the door, he turned to the corner to see Jane reading through a document she had to sign. The sound of gunfire in the background told him the kids were playing Call of Duty. It surprised him that Jane let them play the game considering her job but he later realized she’d lost the battle years before.“I have dinner.” Joe found a place on the table to put the greasy box before leaning over to kiss Jane. “I thought the kids weren’t allowed video games on weekdays.”Jane motioned to the living room, “it’s a documentary Julie has to watch for her history project. They had to choose something from American history to write about and she wants to write about Pearl Harbor. The last report she did about Pearl Harbor at the remembrance last year, she chose me as an emerging hero. She got a B because I wasn’t alive when it happened. So, this time, she decided to focus on the attack itself.”He nodded, “I assume you’re still elbows deep in paperwork?”“Unfortunately.” Jane shook her head, “the one thing I hate about my job is the paperwork.”Joe leaned over and kissed her crown. “I’ll watch the documentary with Julie and leave you to it.”“Thank you.”After shedding his uniform and taking a shower, Joe took a plate with a piece of pizza with him to sit with Julie. He entered the living room to find Julie on the couch curled up. The girl had a notepad and was writing notes as she watched.“I have fuel.” Joe handed her the plate and Julie smiled.“Why did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor?”Relaxing into the couch, Joe watched her face. “Because they wanted to strike at us before we struck at them. It wasn’t the best move they made and it made us declare war. I think that Pearl Harbor started a morality war and we lost.”“A morality war? What’s that?”“A war where good outweighs the bad. When a person has a moral character, they will try to do everything they can to help and guide others.”Julie took a bite of pizza, all veggies and cheese. “I thought war was bad, so does that mean it’s immoral?”“A war can be fought morally, having honor, and trying to end the conflict without casualties. We failed; we harmed so many in the end. While our actions ended the war, it was done by the most immoral means. So, in a sense, we lost the war by abandoning our moral character.”There was thought on the girl’s face before she spoke. “Miss Austin said we had to do a report on something in American history. She didn’t give us a defined format so we can be written, typed, or even filmed.” Smiling, she looked up at her soon-to-be stepfather. “Could I film you talking about Pearl Harbor and the war of morality that started afterwards?” Julie reached into her backpack and pulled out a piece of paper. “The top three get to be published in the school newspaper.”Joe took the paper and read over it. “I’d be more than happy to help you with your project.”“Okay, I’ll got get the tripod for my phone.” The girl paused the TV and headed out of the living room.“Thank you.” Joe looked up to see Jane in the doorway that separated the living room and dining room.“For what?”Jane took the step down and walked over to sit on the chair beside the couch. “Teaching her that there are two sides to the story. So many people only look at from the American point of view but you’re showing her that both sides of the war were harmed.”“One thing about the war that I’ve always been disgusted with was Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We should have never dropped those bombs; when we did, we did so much worse than they did to us. We became the evil party on all sides.”Reaching over, the special agent cupped his face and kissed him. “You’re a great stepfather and hopefully you’ll be a great father one day.”“I got it.” Julie returned with the tripod and light.As she set the tripod up, Joe brushed back a piece of Jane’s hair. “As far as I’m concerned, even though she has a father who loves and cares for her, she’s mine too. I’d drop everything to help her and God forbid, if she went missing, I’d turn the whole island over to find her.”“I know and that’s why I want a baby with you.” Jane stood up and focused her attention on Julie. “Need help Jules?”Julie looked up at her mother, “I got it.”“Okay, I’ll be at the table if you two need anything.”
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The sound of a phone ringing woke Joe and he opened his eyes, waking up slowly as Jane spoke on her phone. Picking up his own phone after twisting his body towards the nightstand, he saw the time and sighed. The sun was just hitting the horizon if the light from the curtains told him anything and it was far too early for either of them to be awake on a weekend. Alex was camping with friends again and Jesse had taken Julie along with his kids on a horseback riding/camping trip.Sitting up, the officer grabbed his shirt from the chair next to the nightstand and his phone. With Jane being called into work, he figured he could use the day to work on paperwork. Jane was due to work the following weekend and had the upcoming Friday off. If he did paperwork, he could possibly stay home on Friday with her. He walked downstairs to the kitchen, pulling the shirt down over his lounge pants that he’d slept in. Starting to make coffee, the naval officer stood silently reading the news on his phone.Thirty minutes later they were both showered, dressed, and caffeinated. In the car Jane was calling her staff and Chase. “I know Kai, I’ll be calling Jesse in after I get off the phone with you. Just head to the scene and the rest of us will be there soon.” Jane picked up her coffee that sat in a travel mug as she listened to Kai. “Just photos right now, forensic team should be there shortly after I call Boom-Boom. Thank you.” Ending the call, Jane looked down at her phone and dialed and different number. “Good morning, Boom-Boom, I know it’s a Sunday.” Laughing, the special agent nodded despite not being seen. “If you’re already on it, I’ll call Jesse we can get NCIS and forensics out there.” Listening, the woman nodded again. “Please and thank you. Alright, see you soon.”As she hung up the call, Joe looked over at her. “Why is EOD heading to the crime scene?”“Boom-Boom works CID, believe it or not. His specialty is ordnance but he’s trained across the spectrum of forensics. When EOD needs him, he heads over to K-Bay.” Looking down at her phone, Jane continued to speak. “He plays both fields and NCIS doesn’t care, considering it’s rare for an explosion to happen.”“Where is Julie going to go since Jesse is coming in?”“Heather will watch her; it was a common occurrence before. She plays with the boys or goes surfing with Gracie.” Putting her phone down, Jane picked up her coffee. “Jesse is coming in; he got the message.”“If Jesse wants to bring her with him, she can hang out in my office while I work on paperwork. I’m sure between her phone and my tablet, she’ll be entertained.” Joe looked over at his fiancée. “Just an offer.”Jane put her coffee down, “I’ll text Jesse to ask her.” She picked up the phone again and sent a text to Jesse.“I’m just wondering how this happened. I mean, how does a body end up in a waste treatment pond? Most people wouldn’t go near a treatment pond unless it’s an assigned career.”Reaching over, the special agent rubbed his arm. “My team and forensics will figure this out.” Raising her hand up, she turned down part of his collar that hadn’t been turned down completely when he was dressing. “Trust me.”“I do.” He captured her hand from where it had been adjusting his collar and the threaded their fingers together. “Completely. You handle the how, why, and who, and I’ll handle the red tape, hurdles, and walls that emerge.”Jane couldn’t keep a smile off her face. “I told you we’d work well as a team.”His focus returned to driving, but not before kissing her knuckles. “We already knew that though.”Getting on base in the early morning of Sunday meant no traffic and the line at the base gate was non-existent so Joe could just hand over his and Jane’s CAC cards. A quick scan and they were through the gate, heading to Building One.Jane’s phone rang and she picked it up. “What’s up Lucy?” As she listened to her colleague, Jane removed her hand from Joe’s so she could grab the pen and notepad that never left her car. “If that’s what Chase and the plant manager are saying then it means we have a limited window and a contained crime scene. Kai should be getting to you soon.” Writing out something as Joe parked in a usually unavailable space in front of Building One, he turned off the car and waited for Jane to be finished. “Alright, let me know if you need anything. I’m going to start making calls at the office and get the preliminary from Chase. Thanks Lucy.”Joe watched his fiancée hang up her phone. “Everything okay?”“Chase is saying that the body was dumped yesterday or early this morning. The plant operator is telling Lucy there was only a two hour window available to dispose of the body. Lucy and Kai are going to take the crime scene, at Lucy’s insistence that we limit the amount of people there.” Jane looked over at her fiancé, “my team is growing up, brings up a little nostalgia because it seems just yesterday Lucy was green and asking a million questions to the point of annoyance.”Knowing she didn’t expect a response, Joe instead leaned over and kissed her. As the pulled apart, he nudged her nose with his. “I’ll see you sometime tonight.”“Yes, you will.” Her smile was playful as she grabbed for the door handle to open it. “I’ll let you know about Julie.”Joe watched as Jane closed the passenger side door before opening the rear passenger side door. “If Jesse drops her off, I’ll take her to lunch and get her home later.”“Can you look over her homework, just in case I get home after her bedtime?”“Since I have the car, is one of the team okay with dropping you off at home?” He met her eyes as she zipped her briefcase, having checked to see if her files and computer were inside. “Or do I need to come pick you up?”“Jesse probably, but I’ll let you know.”The naval officer nodded, “text me. I love you.”“I love you too.” With the sentiment returned, she closed the rear passenger side door and started to the building. The car engine started and Joe pulled out, prepared to head the building housing Pac Fleet Operations.After an unplanned dive into the ocean after a suspect, Jane had to shower in the building’s main locker room. It didn’t hurt that she would have had to anyways, the smell of the body made everyone smell like the waste treatment plant. After dressing in clothes she usually kept in her locker, Jane pulled her hair up into a ponytail before heading back to the NCIS offices. Everyone had showered also; she had been the last to take the shower stall. It was getting late, close to midnight, they’d been running around all day.“Hey guys.” She spoke as she neared their desks. “Head home, it’s late. We’ll start fresh tomorrow."Collecting her briefcase, Jane walked out with Jesse as he was planning on giving her a ride home. “Tell me why you jumped into the ocean again?”“Evidence, I couldn’t let it get lost.” She looked to her friend and colleague. “Plus, it would have given Thompson a chance to get away.”Jesse chuckled, “you have a habit of that, you know. Jumping into the ocean after suspects, victims, or evidence.”Shrugging, she adjusted her shoulder strap of her briefcase. “Part of the job.”They exited the building and Jane found Joe waiting outside with a coffee cup in hand. He smiled as she walked down the stairs. “Before you panic, Alex is at home with Julie.” Handing her the cup, he nodded to Jesse. “Thought I’d walk you to your car.”“Have a good night boss.” Jesse broke apart from her and headed to his own vehicle as the couple headed in the opposite direction.Taking a sip of her cup, Jane found he’d gotten her green tea and this time he had put a small bit of sugar in it. “Green tea.” She met her fiancé’s eyes as they walked. “You’re recreating a memory.”“Thought it appropriate and knew you’d appreciate it.” He took her hand and threaded their fingers together. Jane finally noticed he wasn’t in his uniform but slacks and a shirt; that was the only reason he was taking her hand. PDA in uniform is heavily frowned upon and they tried to keep things appropriate when he wore it in case someone other than her team, Wentworth, or Miller saw.As they walked, Jane couldn’t keep a smile off her face. “Julie’s homework done?”“She needed to correct a few of her math problems after we reviewed how ratios work. One thing I noticed with her textbook is that the method they use for ratios is different to the way we learned.”“That’s everything. A lot of subjects now have very convoluted methods to finding the answers. I’ve found it in her math and science every time we have to review something.”“So, they just go about making things complex and suggest it’s an easier method?” He asked as they reached the car.“Yes, and sometimes I throw up my hands and admitted defeat.” She spoke as they saw each other over the top of the car.
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The door slamming got Jane’s attention and she walked away from the kitchen to see Julie storming to her room. The girl slammed her bedroom door also and just when she was about to tell her daughter to stop slamming doors, Joe walked through the front door. He placed his briefcase by Jane’s by the door and headed towards the front door closet to hang up his jacket and place his cover among his others.“What happened?” Jane’s voice had him turning and she knew from his expression that there had been a fight with Julie.“Her teacher was in pickup line and informed me Julie refused to do any work today.” Joe walked to Jane and pulled her into a hug. “I asked her about it and she went off, told me to mind my own business.”Jane kissed her fiancé before pulling back from the hug. “That doesn’t explain the anger and slammed doors.”“I told her she was going to be doing her classwork and homework tonight. Her teacher handed it off to me when she told me what happened. I also took away her phone.” Joe pulled Julie’s phone from his back pocket. “That’s when she started raging.”Taking the phone, Jane put it on the counter by their chargers. “Did she say anything besides telling you to mind your own business?” The special agent was worried her daughter had gone off at Joe like Alex had when Cassandra broke up with him.“No, just was silent after I demanded her phone.” The naval officer grabbed his reusable water bottle from the fridge. They had all gone to reusable water bottles after the price of individual bottles of water went higher than what Jane was willing to pay. “If you’re worried about comments like Alex made when Cassandra broke up with him, Julie said nothing like that.”The special agent smiled, “how’d you know that’s what I was thinking?”“Because I know you.” Joe walked around the island and kissed her temple before heading upstairs. Jane went back to preparing dinner while her daughter fumed in one room and her fiancé showered and changed in another.Dinner was awkward to say the least, Julie was silent and just starred at her plate. Jane paused eating and looked straight at her daughter. “Julie, you need to eat.”“Not hungry.” The girl stated and sat back in her chair.“Are you going to tell us why you didn’t do your work in class?” Jane asked as Joe stopped eating also, waiting to see what Julie had to say. “This type of behavior is atypical for you so what’s going on?”The girl crossed her arms and glared at her mother. “Leave me alone!”“Excused me?” Jane pointed to her daughter, “you know better than to yell at me.”“Just leave me alone.”Realizing what her daughter was doing, she lowered her hand and spoke clearly. “You’ll stay at this table till dinner is finished and after, you will do your classwork and homework. If you yell at me again, you won’t be getting that phone back for a week. This is your only warning.”Julie just glared at her mother but stayed silent as Joe spoke firmly. “If you slam your door again, I will remove it from the hinges.” The girl had slammed her door multiple times since they got home, mostly after Jane had tried to speak with her daughter. “That is your last warning regarding the doors. I’m not going replace a door or the frame because you’re angry.” That earned Joe a glare also.After dinner, Jane started cleaning up the kitchen and Joe stood helping her. He reduced the roast from the plate she’d put it on to a reusable container. Julie’s phone chimed and Jane looked over to where the phone sat on the charger. Joe walked over to the device after shutting the fridge doors. After reading the message, he looked over at Jane with concern across his face.“Jane.”She left the pot on the side of the sink still wet and walked over to her fiancé. He turned the phone to her so she could see the message sent to Julie. There was only one word on the message but it concerned them both. Someone was calling Julie a freak. Due to the message, Jane typed in her daughter’s password and opened the message app. The conversation from her so-called friend had them sharing a look, knowing Callie was the reason for Julie’s behavior. Her daughter had tried to shake the girl and done so firmly but was being harassed anyways.“Do you want to talk to her or do you want me to?” Joe asked Jane and the woman looked up at her fiancé.“I’ll do it.” Jane walked around him; her hand trailed across his back as she did so.
Knocking on her daughter’s door, Jane waited and as expected, an angry ‘what’ came from inside. Opening the door, Jane found her daughter on her bed doing her classwork as she had been instructed to.“Callie texted you.” Jane watched her daughter’s head pop up quickly. “Do you want to talk about those texts?” It sounded like a question but Julie knew it wasn’t a request.Jane sat at the bottom of her daughter’s bed and waited for Julie to speak. “Callie and Rachel found out about me liking Dalia.”“What happened at school?”Julie put her pencil door and looked up when Joe stood in the doorway listening. “Group work on our reading project. Callie told the whole table and then at lunch she told everyone else. Everyone laughed or followed her lead, everyone but Paul, Koa, and Dalia. She was nice and told them to mind their own business. Paul and Koa have gay parents so they didn’t see any issue with me liking a girl.”Joe walked into the room and stood beside Jane at the end of Julie’s bed. “You could have told us this without yelling and slamming doors.” The girl hung her head before she started crying.“I’m sorry.” It was stated between sobs and Jane reached over to pull her daughter into her arms.Julie curled up against her mother as Jane held her tightly. “It’s okay baby.”“Why is she being mean to me?” Julie sobbed to her mother, “she was supposed to be my friend.”Placing her chin on her daughter’s head, Jane looked up at her other half to see him turning to the side. Joe was fuming and he didn’t want either girl to see or so his expression told Jane. The special agent pulled away from her daughter and reached up to wipe away tears. “If she’s treating you like this, she isn’t your friend.” Pushing back hair, Jane watched her daughter process what she was saying. “I’m going to call her mother and let her know what Callie is doing. I’m also going to block her number on your phone so she can’t text you.”“Okay.” The girl whispered, “can I use my second free day tomorrow?”Looking up at Joe, Jane saw the man had calmed down enough to look back at them. He reached out and pulled Julie into a hug; the girl clung to him as she would do sometimes. Knowing what Jane was asking him with only a look, the man nodded to his fiancée. “Yes, you can. In fact I insist you do.” He pulled away from the hug to looked at the girl. “You can go to work with me and hang out while I do paperwork.”With Julie focused on her homework and somewhat relaxed, Jane retreated to the master bedroom with Joe. The special agent had screenshotted the conversation on Julie’s phone and sent it to her own. She instantly dialed Callie’s mother on the phone and the woman picked up almost immediately. Joe watched from where he was sorting laundry so he could wash his clothes.“Maria, hi it’s Jane Tennant. I was just calling to speak to you about Callie and Julie.” Jane snapped her fingers and Joe looked up to see her pointing to her own laundry basket. It was a silent request to sort hers as well. “No, I’m concerned about a text conversation that happened between the two girls and then some things said at the school.” Jane sat back against her pillow and listened to the other woman. “I can forward you the conversation but the jest of it is that Callie found out about Julie’s interest in a classmate and told everyone about it. It embarrassed Julie and if that wasn’t enough, she was called a freak by her classmates.” Joe caught her attention and motioned between the three piles, asking which to do first. Jane motioned to the pile of dark clothes. “No, I don’t know if Callie was the one leading the situation or if was someone else.” She watched Joe put the darks in the basket and leave the bedroom. “Yes, I’ll send you the conversation. Thank you for understanding and speaking to Callie.”Once off the phone, Jane sent the image before putting her phone down on the nightstand. She headed downstairs to finish working on the post-dinner kitchen she’d left when she went to speak to Julie.
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Jane Tennant looked up when her ex-husband sat down at the table she herself sat at. It was their usual three month meet up to talk about the kids and she knew the kids weren’t going to be the only topic of conversation. Alex had let it slip that Julie had mentioned her engagement the week before despite only her team and close family knowing. She’d asked the kids to let her break the news but the past two weeks she, Lucy, and Whistler had started planning. Julie had jumped on the bandwagon also with full gusto.“You’re late.” Jane stated as she put her phone down.“I know, I had to drop Nate off at my mom’s and he’s starting to toddle. You remember those days.”Jane nodded, “I do. So I’m guessing he is going a mile a minute like Alex did?”“Worse, like Julie.” Daniel stated and watched as she winced. “Yeah, I tried warning Caitlyn and she actually asked me ‘how do you turn it off’ much to my shock.”Accepting the water the waiter placed down, Jane laughed. “I thought she’s an early education teacher. Doesn’t she know when they start moving, they don’t stop?”Daniel looked at her and nodded. “I thought so.” He sat back and looked at her, “you look good Janey. I didn’t know what to think when I saw your guy the first time but you look happy.”Leaning back in her chair, the agent nodded. “I am. Also, I apologize for Julie spoiling the news. I planned to tell you myself, the same way you told me about Caitlyn.”“Did he actually discipline Julie over a slammed door?”“Yes, sort of.” She met Daniel’s eyes. “Basically Joe told her if she slammed the door again, he’d take it off the hinges. Seemed appropriately to me so I didn’t infer. Besides, I took care of the root of that whole issue.”Daniel nodded as he looked down at the menu beside him. “Julie told me Callie was calling her a freak, but that’s all she’s said. Something tells me I may not like the answer.” He looked back up at Jane, “should I be concerned.”“No. When Julie is ready to tell you, she’ll tell you.”“So no hint?”Jane laughed, “and have my daughter angry at me for sharing her news. No thank you.” She waved her hand at him, “she’ll tell you when she’s ready. Which reminds me, middle school is next year so this summer means we revisit the visitation schedule.”“I remember. It’ll be just Julie once May hits, with Alex going to Basic.”Hearing her ex-husband talk about Alex’s choice without contempt surprised her but Jane gave him a nod. “Yes, and I thought maybe since she’s old enough, we let Julie be part of the conversation this time.”“I’m fine with that.”“First thing though.” Jane waved the waitress down and got a nod from the girl that she’d be right over. “Alex’s graduation means a party, which means figuring out this whole weird dynamic that is his family.”The waitress came over before Daniel could speak. “What can I get for you?”“Garden salad with vinaigrette please.” Jane handed her the menu she held.“And you sir?” The waitress looked to Daniel expectantly.“Turkey club with chips.”Once the waitress left, Daniel put up his finger. “Something tells me one big party isn’t going to fly. Between your parents, my parents, us, our respective partners, and no doubt your team, that’s too many people. Plus something tells me if not kept separated, our families will cause a disturbance at best.”The woman nodded, “yeah, I don’t want to have to explain to Chief Haka why there was a shooting.”“Chief Haka?”“Police Chief of HPD.” She watched the statement dawn on him. “Yes, I know the Chief of Police. Officer Keller always did a drive by when I was out of town on his way home, he lives down the street. I’m always going to be the first call if something goes down when I leave Alex at home with Julie.”Daniel shook his head, “only you would be that controlling.”“Now I’m not as worried because besides you and the team, Joe is here so if I’m out of town, the kids won’t be alone.”“Well Julie seems to like him.” Daniel put up his hands in quick defense, “and knowing that you wouldn’t let anyone near the kids if they had even a speeding ticket, I’ve backed off worrying.”“So, you and your family do your thing with Alex and mine will do ours?”The football coach looked at his ex-wife, “sounds good. Anything new going on?”“Julie’s plans for the summer changed, she’s not going to be doing volleyball.”“So what’s the plan? Camp?”“A family I know from a case, they own a ranch on the island. Good, hardworking people; they started a summer camp last year and offered Julie a spot if she wants it. Five days a week with horses, she jumped of course.” Jane stated and pulled up the information on her phone. “This is the weekly cost they sent me.”Daniel looked at the message as he took her phone in hand, “a hundred a week? For how long?”“All summer, ten weeks.”“A thousand?” The man blinked a few times. “That’s a lot Janey.”“Not so, we get half-off as a thank you for my help.” She accepted her phone back, “so five hundred for the entire summer.”“Let me talk to Caitlyn, see what we can moved around. If anything, I can get you my half after talking to my parents.” The man picked up his water and took a drink before his attention was back on her.Sighing, Jane sat back. “If you can’t afford it, it’s fine. We can more than cover it.”He narrowed his eyes while trying to read her, “you already paid for it, didn’t you?”The agent put her tongue in her cheek before nodding, wincing as she spoke. “I did but only because Julie was just so excited. Last year we already paid the sports deposit when the offer came so when it came again this year, I figured I should pay before the spots were taken up.”“Weekly installments fine?” He asked as their food arrived.“Or monthly is fine.” Jane stated as she picked up her fork. “Two person income means things aren’t as tight. You remember how your finances changed when you and Caitlyn moved in together. We discussed it.”“What happens if she wants you to buy a horse next?”Jane waved him off, “I’ll send her to Joe, he’s already getting her a puppy. He’ll balk at a horse.”“So you lost the puppy debacle?”“I win where I can.” The agent said and reached for her water. “Couldn’t use the ‘no one is home’ excuse any longer and my fiancé is too charming for me not to lose that argument.” She motioned to Daniel, “you lost the baby debate, so you’re sitting right where I am when it comes to partners.”Daniel nodded, “true.”“Would you like to take Julie in June and I have her in July instead of splitting the time? Joe is going to be all over the Pacific in exercises and with Alex gone, if I’m at work late, Julie would be alone.”Watching as Jane took a bite of salad, he spoke. “I thought RIMPAC isn’t till next year. Isn’t it every two years?”“It is but with the recent issues revolving around China, Russia, and North Korea, a few countries are going to be participating in war games. Joe is going to be all over the Pacific going ship to ship to observe the games.”“Why would he be traveling ship to ship? I thought a captain stayed on one ship when deployed.” Daniel took a bite of his sandwich and watched Jane eat as well. “Julie said he was a captain in the Navy. Doesn’t he have a ship?”Jane wiped her mouth, “he’s Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet, he and Admiral Wentworth will be observing the games and make corrections if necessary.”“Deputy Chief, where is that on the Pac Fleet hierarchy?”“Second-in-charge.” She shrugged while Daniel absorbed what she was saying.“So you are engaged to the man that is second-in-charge of the entire Pacific Fleet?”The special agent sat back, “is that a problem?”“No.” Daniel picked up his water glass. “Just surprised is all. I thought he was just another Navy captain but only you could grab someone that high up the chain of command. How’d you two meet? On the job, right?”“He tried to take control of my crime scene and I put him in his place.” Jane smirked, “I had him apologizing by the end of the case. Apparently, he finds that attractive.”Daniel shook his head in amusement. “Only you Janey.”
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The sun was just cracking above the horizon as Jane walked across the sand. Kai and Jesse had already arrived at the crime scene, where a Navy sailor had washed up on the beach. The house was still asleep on the Saturday morning but she was on-call, she was always on call. HPD and CID were milling around, Chase’s AFMES van was parked among the cars. Jane pulled her phone from her pocket as it rang and the picture of Joe on the screen had her smiling as she answered.“Someone is awake.” She teased him as she neared the boys and the body of their naval sailor.
“Woke up and you weren’t here. Should I be worried you left me in bed alone to go see a dead body?”
Laughter bubbled up and she shook her head slightly despite him not being able to see. “No, I’d pick you over a dead body every time.” The boys looked up at her and she put up a finger to tell them to wait for a moment. “Don’t forget Alex has a study group today at noon and since he’s grounded, no car. You okay to take him?”“I can, Julie wants to see the Pearl Harbor memorial so we’ll probably do that after surfing. How has she been here all her life and never seen the memorial?” Hearing a sink in the background, Jane knew he was washing his hands to make breakfast.“Is that what she told you? She’s been several times but I suspect she wants to see it with you. After all, she loves your viewpoint on the wars.” Jesse stood with a smirk on his face as Jane spoke. “Can I call you later when I’m back at the office? I’m standing on the beach over a dead body speaking to you.”Joe chuckled, “yes ma’am. Talk to you later; I love you.”“Me too.” She hung up and put up a finger in warning to her special agent. “What do we have?”Kai stood up as he rose with the fingerprint scanner. “Chief Petty Officer Miles Tanner. What’s weird is that according to this, he’s stationed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.”Jesse looked out at the ocean, “man overboard?”“Let’s see what Chase gives us and we’ll go from there.”Hanging onto the netting beside her, Jane looked over at Kai to see him slightly green. Despite the choppy ride on the helo as they headed to the USS Abraham Lincoln, she found it somewhat humorous as it was his first as an NCIS Special Agent. It had been years since he’d been on helo while serving overseas.Use to the rides, Jane unbuckled and stood, walking towards her subordinate till she could sit again. Pulling a single Dramamine from her pocket, she held it out to Kai. The man put his hand out and when she dropped in his hand, he looked back up at her.“What is it?” His voice was slightly raised despite their headphones and radio.“Dramamine, I always carry some in case someone on my team needs it.”Kai swallowed the pill dry after opening the package and nodded to her. “Thanks Boss, it’s been a while since I’ve flown.”“Wish I could say the same.” She smiled and buckled up in the seat. “Should be there within an hour.”“This is nothing like a C-130.”Jane nodded, “that’s true.”“I wonder if the captain will have issued a report of a missing officer by the time we reach them. Since we’re on our way to the ship.”“I just want to know how they failed to spot a man overboard or at least a missing petty officer.”Landing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln was as normal a process as walking off the ramp. She found the CO and XO both waiting with the Agent Afloat for her as she and Kai walked into the ship’s interior.“Captain, I’m Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant.” She accepted the handshake that the captain gave her. “Special Agent Kai Holman“Captain Tracy Dunner, this is Commander Drew Gatin, he’ll be your point of contact if you need anything. Welcome aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.” She nodded to Kai and shook his hand also. “The Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet instructed us to cooperate with you in all aspects of your investigation. I assure you that you’ll have access to the crew and ship as needed. All I ask is you work around their duty schedule so we can continue to operate.”Jane nodded, “that won’t be a problem.”“Then I leave you in the XO’s capable hands.” She nodded to them and headed off.“Welcome aboard.” The XO spoke to Jane as he motioned to the Agent Afloat. “Special Agent Milly Shen, our agent afloat. For now I leave you with her but if you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask me.”Once the XO was gone, the agent nodded to Jane. “Good to see you again ma’am.”“Milly.” Jane hugged the woman and pulled back. “It’s good to see you again also. How big is Emma now?”“So big, she just turned six.” The agent waved her arm. “Come with me, we’ll get you settled into the bunk. I’m stationed in a four-bunk cabin, it’ll give you space to work and sleep if you’re here that long.”Taking a bag from Kai, Jane followed Milly with Kai taking up the rare. “Hopefully we won’t be here that long.”“Did they ever file a missing person report or report a man overboard?” Kai asked as they walked through compartments.Milly turned her head back to them. “No and I’ve already spoken to the captain about that. Apparently, the petty officer was sick and was reported to be in his bunk but I questioned his bunkmates. They should have realized he wasn’t in his bunk but they didn’t even check before reporting to shift.”“Any idea how my petty officer ended up on O’ahu shores just a day after you departed Pearl? You should have been seven hundred miles away.”“To be honest ma’am, with absence of missing limbs from sea life consumption, I think he was killed or jumped just as the ship departed Pearl Harbor.”Kai looked at the woman in confusion. “Did you just say, ‘sea life consumption’? Is that what I think it is?”“Yep. If the petty officer had been in the water for as long as the ship has been, he’d been eaten or at least some of his limbs would be gone.”“Trust me Kai, that is not a pretty sight to see.” Jane supplied to her subordinate.Once in the cabin, Jane worked to call her office via computer to establish a connection with Jesse. When she saw Jesse and Lucy, she felt better knowing they could contact home.“Hey Jesse, any information from your end since we left the island?” Jane asked as Kai put his bag on the bunk above where Milly slept. He also knelt to check the evidence collection bag to make sure they had everything.“Not really Boss, I got in contact with his sister to find that he hasn’t contacted her since he last departed North Island. I found the bar he and a few of his fellow enlisted visited on liberty. Lucy is going to head over around seven to talk with the bartender and wait staff.” He tilted his head as if looking at something or someone. “How was the helo Kai? Always rough the first time.”“Boss had me covered.” Kai stated without looking up at the computer. “Dramamine to the rescue.”Jesse nodded his head, “good old Dramamine.”“I had to give some to you too Jesse so give him a break.” Jane stated and looked down at the notes Milly had handed her. “Milly thinks he may have jumped or been thrown over while departing port. I agree because he didn’t seem to be in the water that long, no feeding by sea life.”“Plausible. We’ll check with the dock workers to see if they saw anything out of the ordinary but I think they’d remember a body making its way off the ship.” Jesse looked up, “speaking of out of the ordinary, someone wants to say hello.” Jane watched as Julie’s face filled the screen, she waved. “Hi Mom. Joe had an emergency meeting so he dropped me off here until he gets done. I’ve been helping Uncle Ernie with computer searches.”“Jesse.” Jane spoke his name firmly and the man nodded, understanding what she was saying without saying it. She wanted Julie to be distracted by something other than helping Ernie with the case. “How was surfing?”“Awesome, waves were perfect this morning. After Joe gets done with his meeting, we’re going to head to the memorial.” Julie leaned in slightly as her image got larger on the screen. “Is it true that someone fell overboard from the ship? Do you think Alex will fall overboard if he gets stationed on a carrier or destroyer?”Jane shook her head slightly as she found her daughter’s question humorous. “I doubt it, Julie. They have nets along the edge of the ship to catch anyone who jumps or falls.”“Yeah, but if there are nets, how did the sailor fall overboard?” Julie asked her mother intelligently. “Are the nets being repaired? Don’t they have alarms?”Jesse pulled Julie back, “back to computer island Jules. Your mother is technically working right now.”“Yes sir.” Julie looked at the computer screen. “Bye Mom, see you when you get home.”A few seconds later and the girl was gone. “Sorry about that boss.” Jesse looked up as if seeing something that caught his attention. “Whistler just got here, brought Lucy lunch. Want me to see if the woman can distract Julie? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”“Ask but keep Julie in the building till Joe gets done with his meeting. I don’t need him turning the whole island over to find his kid.” She could just imagine that commotion.“Yeah, that would be both entertaining and a nightmare.” The man paused as he thought of something. “Julie does have a point though. Shouldn’t the alarms have sounded or nets caught Tanner.”Writing down a note about what both her daughter and second-in-charge said. “We’ll check that.” Jane looked back up, “someone made a call so the CO and XO were ordered to let us work on our investigation without barriers. Kai and I will have to work around duty schedules but that’s not a problem.”
“Didn’t you say that you guys had a conversation about him handling barriers and red tape while you handle the who, why, and how?”
The special agent in charge rolled her eyes. “If you get any information from the dock or bar, ford it our way.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Once the conversation ended, Jane turned to see Kai and Milly waiting patiently. Kai held up his hand from where his arms were folded against his chest. “I’ll head to question the deck officer to find out why the nets didn’t catch Tanner and alarms didn’t go off.”“I guess we could question his bunk mates.” Jane suggested to Milly.“I just have one question.” Milly looked between them, “how did you get the Deputy Chief to order the CO and XO into cooperating fully? It is always a hassle to get them to cooperate. I need his or her number.”“Hey, don’t look at me.” Kai stated and motioned to Jane. “That’s all Tennant.”Jane picked up her notepad. “Deputy Chief is my fiancé.”“You’re engaged to the Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet?” Milly went wide-eyed, “that’s a lot to process.”“Which is why it’s not mentioned.” Jane motioned to the door. “We should start questioning the crew.”
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Jane shut the front door behind her as she set her travel backpack beside hers and Joe’s briefcases. The sound of a movie floated from the living room and so she headed there to see Julie and Alex both watching a movie on Netflix. Leaving them to their movie, Jane headed towards the master bedroom to start her relaxation process after three days on the USS Abraham Lincoln questioning people. It was late afternoon; the kids had no doubt finished their homework as no electronics until homework was finished was the rule. Joe’s voice floated from the master bedroom as she headed upstairs. He seemed to be arguing with someone on the phone.Pausing in the doorway, she watched as the man stood by the bedroom window looking out as he spoke on the phone. He hadn’t gotten a chance to change from his uniform, probably from picking up the kids and now the call with his father. “…Dad I don’t want to do this. No, I made a choice and just because you and Abby don’t approve, doesn’t mean it’s the wrong choice.” He ran a hand through his hair, stress radiated off him. “No, we do this every time we talk. I asked Jane to marry me and she said yes; I’m not going to tell her it was a mistake asking her to marry me because it’s not a mistake. You and Mom dated and married in under a month, just because we’re not at war and I’m not being drafted doesn’t mean it’s a wrong choice. You don’t even know Jane so you can’t say if she’s wrong for me.”Jane walked over after closing the door and wrapped her arms around him, the man turned his head till he saw over his shoulder as she laid her head against his shoulder blade. She whispered to him as her arms rested around his waist. “I’m here.” He relaxed as she spoke, stress melting away as it always did when she hugged him.Joe turned his attention back to the conversation he was having with his father. “You made that choice when you decided not to come for Thanksgiving. You made the choice not to meet her because I asked her to marry me.” Running a hand down Jane’s left arm, Joe threaded their fingers together. “No, I’m not in DC any longer. I can’t just fly you down like I could before. I moved back to Hawaii in January, taking up my old position as Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet.” Joe sighed, “because they needed someone that could help handle the fleet if war came with China or North Korea. Yes, Jane is from the island so it served a dual purpose to moved back.”She whispered against his shoulder again, “calm down, you don’t have to get so defensive. I’m marrying you Joe; he can’t change either of our minds.”He pulled away from Jane and turned till he could wrap his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in till she rested against his chest. Jane wrapped her arms around his waist again, leaning against his shoulder. “Dad, Dad, Dad just stop. I’m marry her and that’s final, I’m done caring if you approve about my choice of wife. She’s the one I want to spend my life with, whether its twenty-four hours or twenty-four years.” Joe reached his hand up to pinch his nose, feeling as his fiancée played with his uniform shirt buttons. “I’m done talking about this Dad, if you and Abby want to be a part of our family then you guys need to remember that my relationship is with Jane. You guys don’t dictate it, just like I don’t dictate your relationship with Mom or Abby’s with Colin.” Taking a moment to breathe, Joe listened to his father. “Look, Jane just got home from being on a carrier for three days investigating a crime. I’m going to focus on her and the kids, we can continue this debate next time you call. Bye Dad.”Hanging up, Joe threw the phone on the bed and pulled Jane closer. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in the coconut hibiscus scent she used. Realizing he was still calming down, Jane ran her hands up and down his back. “Still arguing with him?”“Abby too.” Joe pulled away just enough to kiss her once, twice, three times. Reaching up, he brushed back a strand of hair that rested against her forehead. “Neither realized I had moved back to the island. My mother likely didn’t want them getting as irate as my father just did when he found out.”“I missed you.” Jane spoke softly, “you haven’t changed out of your uniform yet, usually that’s the first thing you do.”Joe nodded softly. “Kids had a half-day due to teacher development so Heather had them until I could get them. Homework was done by the time I picked them up so I let them watch a movie. We’ve only been home about fifteen minutes before you walked in.”“Join me in the shower.” She suggested while pulling away from him. “We both need one.”Meeting her eyes, Joe leaned down and kissed her, hands working her cotton shirt from her slacks. Jane reached one hand up to comb through the curls he’d combed back with water that morning. The other expertly undid the buttons of his uniform shirt, pulling away only when they both needed oxygen. After a few ragged breathes and Joe pulling her shirt over her head, Jane chased his lips with her own. Taking a few seconds, she pushed the uniform top from his shoulders and pulled the white undershirt up over his head and arms. Tilting her head as he attacked her shoulder with his lips, well within the area he was allowed to leave a mark. Joe began walking backwards towards the master bathroom, pulling her along as he did.Two hours later, the two were sharing a knowing smirk as they worked on dinner side by side. Jane turned away from him and opened the fridge to pull the steak they were using to make skillet-made fajitas. Reaching into the drawer that was full of non-meat options for Julie, she pulled out tofu. She turned back and put both on the island, watching as her fiancé was chopping onions and peppers, a few jalapeños were also being sliced.“I hope my call to the ship didn’t do any harm.” Joe stated while stopping to wash his hands, jalapeño juice and seeds all over his fingers.“It didn’t. In fact it helped us question the crew without barriers being thrown up. A few of the officers didn’t want to talk but the captain made it clear that not talking wasn’t an option. We eventually found out that it was a hazing gone wrong. The three officers are in custody and will be held till they reach the next port. Once port is reached, they’ll be transferred into MP custody and court-martials will follow eventually once JAG is contacted.”Julie came into the kitchen in search of the jug of juice that was in the fridge. “Hey Mom, did you solve the case?”“I did.” Jane reached into the fridge as Julie got a glass from the cabinet that housed them. “Do you know what hazing is?”“I think so.” The girl spoke while pouring juice. “Isn’t that where you do bad things to people since they’re new?”“You’re correct.” Jane put up the juice as Julie leaned against the counter, her arms on it. “Sometimes hazing is done in a way that is friendly so it’s not bad. Like at Big NCIS, some of the historical ways of hazing is making new agents go through trash for a case or make them go talk to the grumpy HR ladies. Those ways are harmless, mean but harmless. This time the hazing got someone killed and then instead of telling the truth, the officers hid what they did.”Thinking, Julie finally spoke. “Will Alex get hazed?”“Most likely he’ll be left alone because of Joe. Once people find out his step-dad is the Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet, he won’t be touched.” Jane cupped Julie’s chin, “that’s one good thing about us marrying.”“I think there are a dozen things that are good about you marrying.” The ten year old looked at her future stepfather. “The first two are that he makes you happy and that he’s the best stepdad ever.”Joe smiled at her. “Even when you’re in trouble?”“Yep, means you care.” Picking up her glass of juice, Julie shrugged. “It’s kind of weird having two dads but I wouldn’t trade it for all the perfect waves.”Once the girl left to head back to the living room, Jane chuckled. “Two dads, didn’t expect that to come out of her mouth.”“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Joe walked to one of the cabinets and pulled two bowls from the second to the last before closing the door. “Regarding Alex, I had a talk with him a few weeks ago about my status. I told him not to talk about it unless he feels like he absolutely must. I don’t want him to be a pariah or have the perception of nepotism existing.”Slicing tofu, she put the slices into one of the bowls. “If someone tries to haze him…”“His commanding officer will be on the comm with me very quickly if they aren’t physically nearby. If they are, they will learn quickly that hazing isn’t tolerated in the US Navy and if they don’t do anything about it, I will.” Joe paused brushing onions and peppers into a bowl. “I won’t tolerate our kids being hazed; friendly or unfriendly hazing is unacceptable.”Reaching out, she brushed her hand against his arm. “Easy Captain.” It was said to have him calm down, as Jane knew he was getting passionate about the kids.Turning to the stove, Joe turned the knob to have the gas light and then turn down the flames so the tofu wouldn’t burn when they put it in the skillet. “Julie mentioned you were starting the wedding planning.”“I already did the huge wedding when I married Daniel.” Jane stated as he turned back to the counter. “I want something small while still keeping some of the Navy customs.” She watched her fiancé consider what she was saying. “I hope that’s okay.”Joe reached out to grasp her hand over the island, running his thumb over her engagement ring. It always found its way back on her hand when she was home and not working. “Arch of Swords, I think that’s the only Navy custom that should be kept. As long as I’m marrying you at the end of the day, I don’t have an opinion on wedding details.”“I’ll take that into account.” Jane pulled her hand away. “Julie and I found my dress last week.”His attention went to her immediately. “Really?”“Yep, I think you’ll be surprised by what I chose.” Smirking, the special agent stepped away to the sink to put the cutting boards and knifes in to be washed later.“Can I see?”“Not before the wedding day.” She spoke finitely and pointed at him. “No peeking either or you’ll ruin the surprise.”“Well, whatever you chose,” he caught her before she could leave the sink, “you’ll look beautiful.”Jane wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him. “The only thing you need to do is be at the end of the aisle in your mess dress.”“You guys are so disgusting sometimes.” Alex’s voice broke them apart as he entered the kitchen. “So glad I won’t be in this house come May.”
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Jane stood in the kitchen working to get dinner ready while the kids were around. Joe had just walked in and headed straight to the shower as was his routine. Lifting the slow cooker’s lid, Jane looked to the side and called out for Alex before focusing on Julie and her soccer tryouts.“Alex dinner.” Jane put the stew she made into four bowls. “Alright girlie, we are going to eat real quick and then I’m going to teach you the secret Tennant slipknot maneuver. Guaranteed to deliver goals.”Julie looked down at the table once before focusing on her mother. “That’s okay Mom.”“No, no, no. I promised when you were ready, and you have club tryouts tomorrow.”“I better focus on my science reading.”As she walked over with bowls for the kids, Jane leveled a look on her daughter. “Said Julie Tennant never.”“No, really I’m behind.” Julie focused everywhere but on her mother.“Oh my god, Jules. Just tell her.” Alex stated while walking into the dining room from his room.Jane focused on Julie immediately. “Tell me what.”“Nothing.”Alex closed the fridge door and looked to his sister. “Mom’s gonna find out anyways.”“I will. Obviously. So let’s cut out the middle man.”Julie took a breath before starting. “It’s just that…”“Julie isn’t trying out for soccer.” Alex spoke before Julie could finish speaking.In disbelief, Jane looked straight at her daughter. “What?”“Alex.” Julie leveled a stare at her bother.Hearing a knock on the door and expecting Jesse, Jane called out. “Come in.” Refocusing on her daughter, she asked a vital question. “Why?”“I just don’t feel like it.”Alex looked to his mother. “Translation being the team captain’s mean to her.”Julie looked at her bother with irritation on her face and in her voice. “Alex.”“Julie.”Before Jane could continue, a voice she wasn’t expecting spoke. “Hello.”Jane whipped around and spoke, still quite in disbelief the man was standing in her house. “Jim.”“I mean, you said come in, so…”“Sure. Please come in.” Turning, she saw the look of concern on her kids’ faces but she continued to speak. “Hey guys, can I just get a second.” Her voice dropped to a whisper as she spoke. “Just can you…”While speaking to Jim Carter, Jane was aware that on one end of the house were the kids, likely listening to the whole exchange, and Joe on the other getting out of his uniform to shower and change. She was frustrated with Carter as he twisted anything she said and bordered on threating. The sound of footsteps alerted both of another person and they turned to see Joe coming downstairs.“That was exactly what I needed after running from building to building all day.” Joe stated as he walked down the stairs. He stopped at seeing Carter standing feet away from Jane, her posture spoke of uncomfortableness and frustration. “What’s going on?”“You’re Commander Miller.” Carter stated while Joe walked over. “You ran the office personnel; I remember having to question all of them.”Joe folded his arms as he stood by the fridge, across from Jane while the island separated them. It worried him that Jane was uncomfortable and frustrated. “Captain Milius now. Who are you?”“You don’t remember? Jim Carter.” Carter put out a hand towards Joe as if requesting a handshake.“What are you doing in our home?” Joe asked while nearing the man. “At night, with our kids in the next room?”Jane unfolded her arms. “He’s just leaving.”Carter backed up and spoke after clicking his tongue against his cheek. “Well this was a waste of time.”As he walked to the front door, both Jane and Joe followed. The naval officer saw the kids waiting by wall that divided the living room to entry and dining room.“If you coerced Clarke into confessing, I’ll find out.” Carter paused after opening the door but stayed quiet and left.Cupping Jane’s elbow, Joe turned her to face him. “What’s going on?”“I’ll tell you later once the kids are in bed.” Jane stated before turning to see her kids waiting silently. “You guys okay?”Alex as the one that spoke as the two joined their parents in the dining room. The two adults had moved over to the table, Joe pausing to grab the two bowls from the kitchen. Once everyone was seated, Alex spoke. “Are you okay?”“I will be.” Jane told her son before nodding her head towards him. “Eat your dinner.”Listening to Jane explain the whole situation with Jim Carter as she moved around their room, Joe found himself irritated also. Jane took off her jewelry and grabbed clothes for the shower, all while talking. As she showered, he sat on the tub edge listening as she continued. It was a lot to absorb and so Joe spoke to her about his run-ins with the man. Jane started listening to him once she stood in a towel at the sink brushing her teeth.“…I couldn’t do anything about it. Wentworth and I were trying to hold Pac Fleet together because Fox was a mess. I didn’t think twice about him questioning personnel till the personnel started talking about his attitude or questions. When he showed up the next day, I told him he could question the personnel but only with a JAG officer present. I called in a favor with a buddy of mine and he came over to stand beside the personnel while Carter questioned them.”Jane spit and rinsed her mouth before speaking. “You don’t seem to have remembered him. I guess he didn’t make that much of an impression.”“I thought I knew who it was but I wanted confirmation before I start threatening someone.” Joe caught her before she headed to the bedroom and stood while holding her waist. “Are you okay? I know you weren’t expecting someone unknown to just walk through the front door.”She took a breath before nodding. “I will be. Having you here helped, I don’t know if I’d be this calm if you were still in DC. I can handle myself but the kids being here, exposed to that…” She trailed off as he pulled her into a hug.“I’ll always be here for you and the kids.” Joe told her as he kissed her neck. “If I was still in DC, I’d probably be on a plane right now.”“I know you would be.” Jane stated as she pulled back from him. “He threatened your family and you don’t take that lightly. I don’t take that lightly but if it came down to it, I know you’d leave him to me and take the kids, preventing them from seeing their mom kick someone’s ass.”He couldn’t keep a smile off his face. “Julie at least. I figure Alex could handle the outcome of you fighting someone; I’d be more concerned with Julie learning something.”“Yes, that would be the most dangerous of outcomes.” Jane shook her head as she chuckled. “You always know what to say to make me smile and laugh.”Joe kissed her forehead and pulled away. “Get ready for bed, I’ll lock the house down.”“Hey Joe.” She called as he left the bathroom. “I’m feeling better now.”“Good, I’m glad.”Walking into the squad room with Joe beside her after spending all of their lunch talking about nothing but wedding plans was nice. Lucy was still out helping Whistler with an FBI case for a change; she’d loaned out the agent at the request of Whistler’s boss and since she owned Whistler half the time, she felt it was fair. Joe had given a few ideas regarding their wedding that would take place the following spring. They’d already selected a date and a venue so it was moving onto the mundane things like colors, flowers, cakes, etc. They’d also decided to get the legal marriage out of the way before Alex left so they’d filled out the online application during their lunch.“We don’t need witnesses but it wouldn’t hurt to have at least the kids there.” Joe told her as they walked into the squad room.Jane put a hand on his arm as they stopped by Kai’s desk. “If it’s on a weekday, it’ll be a hard having the kids there due to school.”“Weekend then?”“Carla is a marriage officiate.” When Joe started to ask, she put up a hand. “Don’t ask, I was shocked when I found out also. She'd probably do it whatever weekend we choose, I think she’d insist.”Joe nodded. “Saves money because it’s likely she won’t take payment.”Instead of holding her files in one hand, Jane moved them to hold with both at her waist. “We both know money isn’t an issue.” Reaching a hand up, she fingered the edge of his sleeve. “Between both of our incomes, even with the cost of living on the island, we’re comfortable.”“I had an interesting call yesterday.” He spoke as they started walking again towards her office. “Charlie called with some information regarding a lead to a case Pacific Relations was running when I left. Out of nowhere he tells me he assisted you on a case and you saved his ass in Mexico.”“You already know I helped him with that rogue Syrian operative.” She quirked her mouth as she met his eyes.He nodded, “true but I didn’t know you save him during the whole thing.”“He got shot; was I supposed to leave him there?”Joe only shook his head in disbelief as she spoke. “You’re quite proud of yourself.”“Always am.”“Don’t start saving him too often. I might get jealous.” She could only laugh at his statement.As they neared her office, they saw Jim Carter sitting at her desk and heard Jesse telling the man to get up. Joe paused at the door as Jane opened the door and walked in.“So, make yourself comfortable.”“Isn’t this awkward?”“It’s only because you’re trying so hard.” She stated and looked to Jesse, nodding once with her head. He responded with the same and headed out, closing the door behind himself.Joe stood by Jesse’s desk, “she okay in there with him?”“I’d be more worried about Carter. One wrong move and Tennant, well you know.” Jesse sat down and looked up at the man. “Guess you’re angry about what happened last night.”The naval officer leaned against the desk, “angry doesn’t cover what I felt seeing Jane stand in our kitchen uncomfortable. The fact the kids were in the other room listening didn’t help matters. She can handle herself but adding the kids the equation and it’s a mess. Took Jane a few hours to stop being rattled.”“Yeah, if someone did that at my house, well the local coroner would be receiving a body.” Jesse looked over as Jane spoke to Carter and showed files. “You know him?”“In passing. I managed the personnel when Fox was still there, I only really rose various positions after Wentworth took over. I brought in JAG for the questioning because of some of the questions asked. My personnel at the time were unsettled with everything.” Joe folded his arms, watching the office also. “Jane has spoken in the past about Carter but just things here and there. She told me everything last night and I’m both shocked and not shocked. He was always rude when I dealt with him.”Jesse sat back in his chair. “He can be friendly but Ernie said he has something called ‘control aversion’ which just is a fancy way of saying he doesn’t like people telling him what to do. Probably realized he couldn’t boss you around so he got rude.”“Worst way to deal with me.”“I figured that because you’re a down to earth guy. You can get along with anyone if given the chance.” Jesse sat up as Jane moved to the door. “Show time.”Carter walked out after Jane as she made a beeline for Jesse’s desk. “Have Ernie run this.” She handed the file to Jesse and pointed to information.“Sure thing Boss.” He took the file and left, heading out to speak with Ernie.“What are you still doing here?” Jane asked Joe as he stood straight. “Don’t you have a meeting with North Island at two?”Joe nodded, “just catching up with Jesse.”“Stalker.” She smiled as she spoke playfully.Carter paused and pointed to Joe. “Captain Mills, you work here too?”“Milius and no I don’t.” Joe stated as his arms unfolded. “Considering your current clearance level, I couldn’t tell you anything even if I wanted to.” Ignoring the man, Joe turned back to Jane. “See you at home?”“Yeah. Don’t forget Julie has soccer tryouts after school.”“Already planning to pick her up.” He put a hand to Jane’s arm and kissed her cheek. “I’d say don’t work too hard but that’s asking the impossible.”As Joe left, Kai passed him. “Hey Joe, I got that USB you messaged me about.”“You got time to get it for me?”“I do.” Kai walked around his desk and opened a drawer to pull out an evidence bag. “Case was closed and everything processed so you are good to have the whole thing.” He handed a USB drive to Joe after unsealing the bag. “Ernie said he ran a quick check for malware and viruses but there were none. The files are intact or so he told me to tell you.”Joe held out his fist and Kai bumped it. “Thanks.”“Yep, see you around.” Kai looked up to Jane. “You need someone for an escort out?”Jane nodded, “if you don’t mind.”“No problem Boss.” Kai walked over to them. “Come with me.”
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Jane only looked up from the report that needed to be filed ASAP with Big NCIS when someone knocked on the glass door. She found Joe standing there in his dress whites, he had yet another land handover that he was assigned to do. Jane remembered fussing over his collar and making sure he had his speech that morning. The man walked over and stood in front of her desk, hands behind his back as par the course when meeting with his fiancée in her office. He was in uniform and PDA was frowned upon so he stopped himself from touching and kissing her by keeping his hands behind his back.“Did the ceremony have another dead body?” She asked as she looked back down at the report, filling in the information that was required of her.“No, which I’m thankful for despite possibly creating an ability to see you in the field.” He watched her for a few moments, unable to look away. Joe often found himself in disbelief some days because he could barely believe she’d chosen him to love and marry. “I came to see if you’d like to get lunch.”“I would but I’ve been given a deadline to get this reviewed and submitted.” She motioned to the stack of files next to her. “I have until five to get it all done.”Joe nodded as she looked up. “I understand that. I had five special projects I had to review yesterday, none of which made much sense to me.”“Above your level of understanding?” There was a smirk on her face as she started signing documents in the file laid out before her.“They put papers in the file that had information written out like I was a toddler learning the alphabet.”Jane looked up at him while smiling. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Setting her pen aside, Jane stood and walked around the desk till she was facing him. “Go change out of your dress whites and get lunch. You don’t eat unless it’s with me or the kids. I’m going to finish up this paperwork so I can get home to you. Remember we have a date planned this evening.” She reached up and brushed invisible dust off his sleeve. “You’re taking me dancing.”“About that.” He watched her tuck her tongue in her cheek so he was quick to talk. “I called to confirm their hours because COVID hit a lot of businesses roughly on the island. They changed their hours; they’re now closed on Tuesday and Thursdays. Because of that, I found something different for us to do. I’m still taking you out but the plans changed.”Jane nodded as her irritation settled. “Okay, where are we going?”“Willing you let me surprise you?”“Maybe.” Jane shook her head as she turned to walk around her desk. “Will I like it?”Joe backed up towards the door, “maybe.”“I love you.” Jane spoke as the man walked out the door.“I love you too.” He turned back to her despite turning around. “Going to miss me?”She smiled at him and gave a soft nod. “I always do.”“Good, me too.”Getting home, Jane found Joe sitting down helping Julie with her homework. The two were trying to figure out a way to make a DNA structure without it being straight. The project was so the kids could learn about the genetics at an elementary school level. The table was spread out with all types of art supplies, food items, and drawings in Julie’s hand. Leaving them to their project, Jane headed upstairs to shower and change for dinner. On the bed was one of her dresses, laid out with a note on top.
You wore this on our first date, if you can call it that. I want to take you back to that beach view and talk about everything that’s happened since then. I want to go over all the memories we’ve made and talk about the memories to come. Go back in time with me?
Shaking her head at the nerdiness of her fiancé, Jane dropped the note back down on the bed and started towards the bathroom to get ready. It wasn’t hard to recreate the look she wore that night even though that night she’d spent considerable time getting ready. For the first time since the divorce and one blind date set up by Chase, she’d taken minutes here and there analyzing what she’d wear and what jewelry was best with what clothes. Her hair had been put up in several styles before she’d just decided to style it down in the way she’d seen Julie wear, learned from a YouTube video of all places. Julie had taught her weeks before the date just because they’d been discussing grooming and beauty standards.When she emerged from getting ready, the woman found her fiancé helping her daughter twist wire with pliers while Julie was working on hot gluing felt balls together for the middle of the structure. As her daughter looked up, she grinned after speaking one word. “Whoa.”Joe looked up and saw her walk down the stairs, almost identical to the way she looked when they went out to dinner the first time. “Yeah.”She shook her head as she rendered him speechless despite him having seen her dressed the same way before. Julie was the one to speak though. “It looks just like your….” She stopped when Jane made a silent motion with her hand. “Never mind.”“You ready to go?” Jane asked as she looked down at the table that seemed to be in a state of chaos.He continued to twist the wires while speaking. “As soon as Whistler gets here.”As if on cue, the front door opened after a knock was placed on it. Jane had given up on her team knocking if they she knew they were headed over. She had an open door policy, if it was unlocked then her team could just walk in if they’d texted ahead. Kate Whistler walked in looking as if she’d just got off work. “Hey, sorry I’m late. My meeting ran over and I rushed out after saying I was late to pick up my niece. Considering my boss knows I don’t have any siblings that are alive, I’m sure that will be questioned tomorrow.”“I’m everyone’s niece or kid.” Julie stated as she unplugged the hot glue gun from the wall.“That is true.” The blonde looked over at Julie, “you got everything? Homework too?”Julie nodded as she picked up her bag from the seat next to her. “Already did my homework, we were just getting a head start on my project that’s due on Monday.”“Are you sure you’re okay with taking her to school tomorrow?” Jane inquired with Whistler.“We got it, but…” Whistler pointed to her sometimes boss, which was weird to say but it was often true as she found herself at NCIS at least two days out of the week, every week. She’s just gotten used to having two bosses, one at the Bureau and Jane. “Lucy is doing the school run. I have a deposition starting for another group related to the Hale case at eight in the morning. Still don’t understand why the federal prosecutor wants me at every one but I’ve given up asking.”“Well, you really are the only unbiased one of the team.”“That is correct, I didn’t think about that. The rest of you have investigated, been investigated, or almost been blown up.” Kate looked over to see Julie starring. “I shouldn’t have said that.”Julie shrugged, “Alex and I are used to it. Mom either gets attacked, shot at, almost blown up or kidnapped almost every day.” The girl looked over at her mother, “I just feel sorry for the people that do any of that because my mom can kick anyone’s ass.” The entire room chuckled and Kate Whistler guided Julie out of the house.Twenty minutes later Jane found her chair being pushed in after she sat down. Joe sat down across from her before taking her hand, running his thumb over her engagement ring. The sun was setting znd it was beautiful and reminded her of when they sat there that first time. As the waiter walked over, Jane turned to look at the man.“Two tequilas please.”“Right away ma’am.”As the waiter left, Joe finally spoke. “You like my idea?”“Besides the note being a little nerdy, I love it.” Reached out, she rubbed his arm. “Did your meeting with Willington go well?”“Let’s not talk about work. There is a lot going on with the kids. I’ve been doing PRTs in the morning with Alex if you didn’t know. He’s doing well and his times are above acceptable.”Jane nodded as she held his hand. “I know, interestingly enough Alex has been wanting to spend more time with us before next month. He turns his phone on silent when he’s not at school, I’m sure you’ve noticed that. That’s why I told Daniel that at this point to just allow him to go back and forth at will. He’s trying to spend time with all of us and his friends. He wants to go surfing with Julie on Saturday morning, just the two of them.”“How are you feeling about this? I know you must be a mess even if you’re not showing it.”She nodded, “he’s my baby despite being eighteen. He made me endure over two days of labor and was ten pounds, ten ounces but when they put him in my arms, it didn’t matter. I know you’re working behind the scenes even if you aren’t telling anyone about it. I know you’re doing your best to make sure he’s stationed within Pac Fleet in some way. I just worry is all. Part of being a mom.” She took a breath before continuing. “If he falls, and he will, I won’t be there to help him. He’ll have to solve problems that he’s woefully unprepared for and even though you’re doing your best to prepare him for Basic, he’s not prepared for what’s about hit him.”“I know you’re worried and that’s why I’m trying to do what I’m capable of doing without overstepping. I talked to a guy I know that works out of Great Lakes, I told him if he got Alex, and he probably will at some point, to push him when he wants to give up.” Joe squeezed her hand, “he’s got a lot of you in him and it’s going to make Alex an amazing sailor.”She brought their hands up and kissed his knuckles. “You’re an amazing role model. One of the many things I love about you.”The waiter returned and set the two shot glasses down. “Sorry for the wait. Anything else?”“Not right now, thank you.” Joe told the man and as the guy departed, he looked down at the shot glasses. “You like your liquor hard, that much I know.”“You should see me with vodka.” She chuckled and picked up the glass as he did. “Going to drink it all in one go this time?”“Do I have a choice?”She smiled with humor in her eyes, “no.”Once the glasses were empty, Joe shook his head and she laughed. “I’m never going to get used to that.”“You’re not meant to. You just learn to ignore the burn.”“Says the woman that gets shot at often.” He met her eyes, “unlike you, I’m not capable of doing the impossible.”Jane sat back and observed the man she was going to marry. He’d always been easy going except when work required a stern attitude. His anger got the better of him sometimes but he learned to reign it in by turning away from a situation. The only exception being family and then he got defensive but while he may talk about punching someone, he was heavily non-violent. Preferring words to solve issues instead of physicality. He made her laugh or smile without trying and watching him with the kids just reinforced how much of a family man he was.“When we sat here before, did you think you’d end up marrying me?” It was asked softly and caught his attention when Jane spoke.“Honestly no, but you definitely turned my head. I thought you were a nightmare to work with until you spoke to me in that hanger. I realized that you would go toe to toe with the entire Pacific Fleet if it meant getting justice for the victims. Then you made me apologize out of nowhere.”She laughed and shook her head but leaned in again while threading their hands together for what had to be the billionth time that evening. “So getting me tea and walking me to my car, what was that?”“Investigation, to see if Jane Tennant is all business. You aren’t by the way, that was the conclusion I reached. In fact, you’re very approachable which I found odd after our first case interaction.”“You learned to love me, professionally at the time of course.”Joe nodded, “and trust you quickly, which is a hard thing for me given my position. I trust as far as I need to trust, relying on honor and duty to know men won’t betray the uniform or branch. At my last duty station before I came to Pearl, I got burned bad by a superior officer when he felt like I was trying to take his command. I wasn’t but he thought I was so after a year of being given shitty assignments, I requested a transfer. He was happy to get rid of me and I felt he couldn’t reach me in the middle of the Pacific. I took an assignment with Pac Fleet and after Fox left Wentworth started asking why I was still a commander instead of a captain. My work ethic and dedication didn’t match with my performance reviews. The admiral gained my trust so I told him what happened when he asked. He made a few calls and suddenly it seemed to be that a lot of officers were burned by the guy. As time went on, I started rising through the Pac Fleet chain of command, taking on various assignments till I got my promotion. About six months after that, I was selected to be Deputy Chief and I met you.”Jane sat absorbing what he told her and nodded sharply. “If I ever meet this officer, you better restrain me because I can’t guarantee he’ll be breathing when I get done.” Looking up, she met his eyes. “Don’t tell me his name, either.”“That was years ago and I’m not worried about him anymore. All he did was teach me that you can have a hundred good officers but there is always a bad one among them. Also, I don’t just trust anyone based on their accomplishments anymore.”She ran her fingers up and down the back of his forearm. “Well I can say with certainty that is very true. You learn a lot as an NCIS agent and taking people at face value is not possible anymore.”“Ah.” He pointed at her, “no work talk.”“You started it.”Joe caught her hand and held it, thumb rubbing over her ring in what had become a subconscious action. “You hungry yet?”“I’ve been hungry but I was enjoying talking with you more.”As they looked at the menus that were on the table, Joe spoke. “I understand. Conversations are never dull between us.” “I don’t know, hearing you complain about your reports today was very dull.”“I may not understand something but the internet and dictionary are there for a reason. I don’t need someone telling me as if I’m a toddler.”Jane smirked, “well you’re whining like one right now.”“Look at your menu.”Laughter bubbled out of her as she looked down at the menu to read over the wine selection. He wasn’t angry even if he sounded upset to an outsider. Their banter could get playful and while it sounded insulting, it wasn’t. Besides, his hand still held hers lightly, thumb still running over her ring.
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The sound of a commotion woke Jane and she sighed knowing exactly what it was even though she wanted to just turn over and ignore the situation. Joe was out cold, probably because he’d been in meetings until the early hours. Pushing back the covers, she didn’t even stop at the bathroom before heading downstairs to see Julie chasing after the Belgian Malinois puppy they’d gotten the weekend previously. Said puppy had a charger cord in her mouth and was running away from her owner despite commands to stop.“Ah, seriously?” Alex stood in the hall and picked up his foot. “Julie the dog peed in the hall.”“I know, I was trying to take her outside when she ran away from me.” Julie finally caught the puppy and picked her up, only pausing at seeing her mother standing feet away. “Hi Mom. Good morning.” As she gave her daughter a stern look, Julie continued talking. “I know, I know. I’m supposed to train her.”Jane motioned towards the sliding glass door and Julie carried the puppy over, only releasing her once they were outside. Taking a deep breath, the agent continued to the kitchen to make coffee. Fortunately for her, coffee was fresh in the pot meaning Alex had made coffee upon waking up. Alex joined her after hopping to the kitchen, grabbing paper towels to wipe his foot. “That’s three days in a row.”“It takes time to train a dog and considering it took over half a year to train each of you to use the toilet, three days is nothing.” Pouring coffee, Jane took a sip before continuing to speak. “Three weeks before you’re graduated, on a plane, and dropped into Basic. You ready?”Alex nodded as he poured his own coffee. “You are aware that Joe and I do PRTs during the week, every morning, right?”“I know but I also know he’s going to be a lot nicer than the officers you’ll be reporting to.”“I don’t know if you know this but he yells at me during it. He also adds a few harmless insults in but I get why he’s doing it. He wants to desensitize me to what’s about to come. He also has me doing these drills that seem stupid but, I like being able to respond quickly or correct something. It’s like studying before the big test. I’ll know before I get there so I won’t be the one getting the heat.”That got Jane’s attention and she put down her cup. “Really?”“Mom, it’s fine.” Alex put her hand on his arm. “Trust me, he’s way nicer than the people at Great Lakes will be. We watched two documentaries about Basic training and it’s rough. Joe is just trying to fill in some basic information so I’m not entirely overwhelmed.”Putting her hand up, Jane picked up her coffee again. “Alright, you two bond in whatever way you want.”“You know, we could watch the documentary again with you and Julie. That way you two know what’ll happen to me.”“No, because I know if I see what you’re going to endure, I won’t let you leave.”Alex laughed. “How will you explain my absence to the Navy?”“Trust me, I could do it.”Jane left for the master bedroom with coffee in hand. Entering the room again, she found Joe laying on his back and starting to wake if him rubbing his eyes was any indication. Sitting down on her side of the bed, she put her coffee on her nightstand and picked up her phone.“Was it a dream or did I hear an explosion?” He looked up at her as he stayed laying down while she picked up her cup of coffee again“The puppy got away from Julie again, knocked over a chair. Same as the last three mornings but today she’s heading to Kailua the work with the dog trainer so hopefully it doesn’t happen tomorrow morning.” Jane looked down at him, “you should get some more sleep. You got in close to three this morning.”Joe sighed and sat up against the headboard, “my body wouldn’t let me even if I wanted to.” He accepted the coffee she handed over and sipped it before handing it back. “I still don’t understand how you take your coffee that sweet.”“So my coffee is too sweet and my alcohol choices are too hard.” She quirked her mouth before standing up, setting the coffee down to start making the bed once he was out of it. “I’d say your coffee is too strong and alcohol choices are too bland.”Helping her make the bed, Joe watched her. “Is this where we fight over adjectives again?”“We didn’t fight over adjectives.” She stated while throwing a pillow at him that he caught. “I just made you realize how narrow your view was.” “Which I’m happy you did.”Walking around the bed with her coffee and phone, she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I love you.”“Love you too.” He watched her leave the bedroom before heading to the bathroom.With Alex with his father and Julie in Kailua with Joe, it left Jane to clean then get started on lunch since Lucy, Whistler, and Chase were heading over for wedding planning. They’d paused so she and Joe could look at a few places and decide on a venue. They’d decided on a venue and set a date so planning could continue. As she finished lunch, all three arrived with Lucy holding several bridal magazines.“Has he made a decision on which uniform he’s going to wear?” Chase asked her as they dug into the salad and sandwiches Jane had prepared. “There’s the mess dress for formal weddings or his dress whites for semi-formal.”“Mess dress but only because he thinks I should be the one in white.” Jane shook her head as she stabbed some of her salad. “I told him it doesn’t matter to me.”“I’m going to use the ladies room.” Chase stood up from the table. “You guys don’t wait for me.”Lucy was flipping through a magazine and paused on a page. “I got it, this is what the colors should be.” She flipped it around and pulled it up to show Jane. “A soft blue and champagne.”“I like that blue but not the champagne.” Accepting the magazine, Jane looked over the page information.“White is always an option.” Whistler added, “not pure white but a softer shade.”Lucy shot her girlfriend a skeptical look. “There are various shades of white?”“Dozens, at least when it comes to weddings.” The FBI agent picked up her glass of wine. “You remember my friend Eliza; well she went through two dozen wedding dresses and all of them were a different shade of white. To be honest, I was glad when she called off the wedding and eloped. Jane is so easy when it comes to planning a wedding, that woman was a nightmare.”“Well you would know; you were planning her wedding before she eloped.” Lucy reminded her girlfriend.Whistler nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. “She got divorced six months after eloping. Apparently, she didn’t realize it’s frowned upon to sleep with your husband’s best friend.”“As a newlywed?” Jane shut the magazine while looking to her colleague and friend.“Oh yeah, it was this big scandal. Then she turned around and married the best friend six weeks later because she was pregnant. I still don’t know who the father is, she won’t tell anyone.”Jane picked up her wine glass. “You have interesting friends.”“I don’t speak to her anymore.” Whistler stated while picking up her fork. “Especially after what she called Lucy when we broke up. We may not have been together anymore but Eliza crossed the line and I wouldn’t let anyone talk about Lucy the way she did.”Lucy grinned, “aww, you went to bat for me after we broke up?”“Yeah, always.” She nudged her girlfriend’s arm with her own as she spoke. “I mean, sure we had our issues at the time but you’re so much better than she made you out to be.”Chase sat back down at the table, “what did I miss?”“Nothing important.” Jane pulled her notepad from where it sat beside her. “We selected a venue and decided on a date.”Whistler accepted the notepad because she was really the one helping plan the wedding due to having helped several friends in the past. Lucy, Chase, and Julie were adding in touches here and there. “Wow, how’d you score the wedding chapel at the Four Seasons? It gets booked months in advance, years even.”“Wedding fell through so our date was open.”“May twenty-fifth, nice spring wedding and a year from now so we have time to plan.”Jane shook her head as she waved her hands over the magazines and notepads. “Oh no, I want this all planned so Joe and I can move on to our next project.”“You know, if you have a project, I know a great contractor.”“I don’t think it’s that type of project.” Chase supplied and Whistler looked up.“Oh.” She waved her hand. “Totally understand, forget I said anything.”Lucy rubbed Kate’s arm, “it’s okay, but that just means you can plan a baby shower in the future. That’s something to look forward to.”“Hey on the plus side, I’ll know where at least one of friends got their kid.” Whistler suggested and half the table laughed.“I do have one question.” Lucy held up her finger. “What happens if baby comes after the wedding? You prepared to be pregnant at the wedding?”Thinking about it, Jane spoke after a few minutes. “We’ll be legally married next weekend so none of our parents can say anything. If that happens, it happens. We’re talking to my doctor and she says given my age and injury history, sooner is better than later.”“Well I’m excited for you.” Lucy stated as she picked up her wine glass. “I’d love another niece or nephew; Julie is a blast.”“Julie is also grown.”“I know, which makes this perfect. Kate and I could totally babysit, it’d make good practice for the future.”Whistler turned to her girlfriend. “You want to have a baby with me?”“Obviously, in a few years.”“Totally, I mean we just moved in together.”“Yeah.” The two women spoke to each other before turning back to their friends and colleagues.Jane smiled at the two knowing they’d been through several rough patches but were making it work. “You two will be the next ones planning a wedding.”
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Joe was emptying the dishwasher when the sound of Jane’s sandals made him turn to see her in a white summer dress. Her hair was up in a chignon bun with tendrils of hairs around her ears hanging in loose curls. The only jewelry she had on was the necklace that he’d given her the night of the Navy Ball, and her engagement ring. It reminded him of the dress she wore on their first date. She'd been right that he loved it but then, he loved her in leggings and one of his stretched shirts. He wore his dress whites because it wasn't a formal wedding so he didn't have to wear his mess dress uniform. Of the two, he found the dress whites to be more comfortable to wear. Their online application for a marriage license had been approved after their paperwork appointment that Thursday, so they were just waiting for the weekend to arrive.“Alright, how do I look?” Alex came out of his room in the same clothes he’d worn the year before at the eightieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The only difference was the loose tie around his neck. “How do you tie this thing?”Joe walked over and proceeded to show Alex how to tie his tie. As he adjusted it, Joe met the teen’s eyes. “Thank you for allowing me to marry your mother.”“Mom deserves to be happy and you make her happy.” The teen shrugged, “and you’re not that bad of a step-dad.”“We should get going so we can pick up Julie and head to the Civil Marriage office.” Jane picked up the dress that she’d pulled from the back of Julie’s closet that she’d worn as a bridesmaid in a friend’s mom’s wedding earlier that year.Arriving at Daniel's to pick up Julie, they found the girl waiting on the porch patiently while playing on her phone. Jane got out and headed over to her daughter. “Hey Jules, ready to go?”Julie stood up and they walked to the SUV. “Yeah, did you get my dress?”“I did, you can change at the marriage office.”Alex rolled down his window and spoke to them, “not to rush you guys but don’t we have an appointment at the Civil Marriage office?”The drive was the normal amount of loud Jane was used to, the two siblings arguing over who was more important at weddings, the best men versus bridesmaids. They were close to the Civil Marriage office when Julie asked an important question. "Who is performing the ceremony?""Carla." Jane supplied and looked back at her daughter. "We just decided to hold the ceremony at the civil marriage office."The appointment to get married was only fifteen minutes but it was enough for a small ceremony. They found several people waiting when they arrived. Joe found his commanding officer and friend, Admiral Wentworth. Jane had her entire team plus Whistler waiting for them.“Sorry Boss, can’t get married without us.” Jesse said as he hugged her.Jane reached up to adjust Joe’s medals as he wore his dress whites. “You ready for this?”“Without hesitation.” Joe stated and leaned in slightly to kiss her forehad.Chase stood up and walked to the front of the room as everyone took seats or stood if there were no seats available. Joe and Jane stood facing each other as the coroner began the ceremony.“We are gathered here today to witness the joining together of Joseph Milius, and Jane Tennant, in marriage, and by this marriage the creation and recognition of a family unit. Marriage is an honorable estate, having important civil, personal, and social meaning. Therefore, it is to be entered into reverently, deliberately, and joyously with a sense of firm and abiding commitment and society. Because of the importance of marriage and the family, this ceremony will be performed in such a way that there shall forever be a permanent record of this marriage. In this honorable estate of marriage these two persons, Joseph, and Jane, come now to be joined. If any person can show just and proper cause why they may not be married, they should now reveal it or forever hold their peace.”Joe gripped Jane’s hands and squeezed her wrists lightly. Julie stood beside Jane and she grinned as her brother stood beside Joe, although the two didn’t need witnesses, she stood as an unofficial witness to her mother’s happiness. “I love you.” Joe whispered to Jane and she whispered it back.“Joseph, will you have Jane to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in the honorable estate of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her both in sickness and in health; sharing with her your joys and your sorrows; and be true to her all the days of your lives?”He gave a small, short nod. “I will.”“Jane, will you have Joseph to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in the honorable estate of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him both in sickness and in health; sharing with him your joys and your sorrows; and be true to him all the days of your lives?”“I will.” She squeezed his hand.“Will you, friends of Joseph and Jane, who have witnessed their promises, likewise promise to provide them moral support and encouragement in their marriage?”“We will.” Everyone spoke at once.“Joseph and Jane, since it is your desire to take each other in marriage, please join hands and prepare to state your marriage vows.”Joe met Jane’s eyes as he spoke his vows. “I, Joseph Thomas Milius, take thee Jane Shannon Tennant, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all time.”Memories filled Jane’s mind as she heard the vows. Memories of their meetings, their times together and with family. The truth and trust they had built their relationship on, not on an instability of one knowing more than the other but on a foundation of open communication and love. A squeeze of his hand on her wrist let her know it was her time to speak.“I, Jane Shannon Tennant, take thee Joseph Thomas Milius, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all time.”Chase looked to those with them. “The rings?”Alex pulled them out of his pocket and held them out. Each took the ring they would place on the other’s hand. Joe took Jane’s hand gently and placed the ring on her ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”“With this ring, I thee wed.” She placed the ring on his ring finger before meeting his smile with one of her own.“By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of Hawaii, I pronounce you lawfully wedded. You may kiss the bride.” Chase spoke and Joe pulled Jane close by a fraction of an inch and kissed her. Once they pulled away, she nudged his nose with her own while their foreheads rested together. It was only a minute but it felt like a year as they slowly pulled apart. “Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Captain and Mrs. Joseph Milius.”Everyone clapped as the performer left, Alex and Julie were the first to give and get hugs. Jesse gave Jane a hug after the kids and pulled back. “Lunch is on me today, everyone included. You deserve a nice post-ceremony meal.”“No!” Kai budded in, “my dad has already set aside tables for this. We’re hosting this wedding party, not you Boone.”Jane put up her hand, “before we have an assault occur for wanting the honor of hosting, we have to sign some papers then we can go back to arguing.”“We’ll argue while you guys sign papers.” Jesse stated, “two birds with one stone.”
Jane's Wedding Dress
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Watching Alex taking his Oath of Enlistment was emotional for Jane but it would be the last time she’d see Alex for months. It had been decided that just her, Daniel, and Julie would attend. Hers and Daniel’s significant other would do whatever they planned that day and let the nuclear family go. After the oath Alex hugged his parents and sister without hesitation.“Write as soon as you get there.” Jane told her son, “or at least once you get settled and able to.”Alex hugged his mother a second time. “I got this Mom, I’ve been preparing for weeks.”“I know.”Julie hugged her brother. “I’m going to miss you.”“I’m going to miss you too. Don’t do anything crazy while I’m gone.”“No promises.” The girl stated and both her parents and brother chuckled.Daniel hugged his son before pulling away to look at the boy. “Don’t wash out.”“I doubt I will but I’ll do my best to stay in.” Alex sighed as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to his mother. “I’m going to miss all of you.”Jane held the phone. “You sure?”“I’m just going to mail it to you anyways.” All Alex was taking was a jacket and his wallet, not wanting to take stuff that would be automatically mailed back.With Daniel having Julie that week, Jane returned home to the smell of food. Turning the corner from the front door, she found Joe cooking pan seared chicken with roasted vegetables. She put her phone on the charger and keys next to Joe’s where they lay on the counter. He looked up once he’d removed the vegetables from the oven.“How was it?”Jane sighed, “beautiful but hard. He’s going to be on the mainland away from us and all he can do is write. It’s rough not being able to help him.”Turning off the oven, Joe moved over to Jane and pulled her into a hug. “I have contacts watching him, he’ll be okay.”Jane pulled away slightly from her husband. “I know but it’s hard to accept that my baby is grown now.”“I spoke to my father today.” Joe changed the subject as he moved to the stove to check on the chicken. Jane leaned against the island counter, to listen and watch him. “He extended an invitation to come to Michigan. Reed City is four hours from Great Lakes so it’s doable to see my parents and drive to see Alex’s Pass-In-Review.” Turning the chicken over in the pan, he looked towards Jane. “That’s if you want to.”“Why now?”Folding his arms, Joe sighed. “Probably because we got married and he realizes that he can’t change our minds. My mother said that he was pensive the entire day after our ceremony.”“If you want to go, I’m more than willing.” Jane walked the three steps towards him before pulling him into a hug. She felt his tension melt away as he held her. “I’ll talk to the Whitmans to let them know we’ll be gone one week during camp.”Once the chicken was finished, both sat down at the table to eat. Joe looked towards her before speaking.“When is your appointment?”Jane met his eyes and smiled. “Friday, you don’t have to come though. All she’s going to do is remove the IUD and give me the standard talk of conception and pregnancy at my age.”“I want to come.” He reached for her hand and held it, rubbing is thumb over her rings as he usually did as a unconscious habit. Her wedding band was just a simple platinum band with an engraving inside the band that said only one word: Maluhia. It was the name of field where they met for the first time. “Probably a good idea to hear all the information she’s going to give you. I can step out when she does the removal if you’re uncomfortable with me being in the room.”Jane snorted so softly if you didn’t know her, you’d miss it. “You’ve been up and around every part of me that will be exposed. I got over being embarrassed after I had students, doctors, and nurses seeing everything when I had Alex. There are about two dozen people floating in and out of the delivery room while you’re in labor. Julie was an emergency c-section after her heart rate dropped.”“I know. You told me when I asked about the scar after we had sex the first time.”“I never told you but I was self-conscious about it. There was a date Carla set up for me and after dinner we went back to his place. He saw a lot of my scars from knives, bullets, and injuries and seemed fine until he saw my c-section scar. Told me ‘I don’t do women with kids’ and we parted ways.”Joe’s expression was hard to read so Jane waited for him to speak. When he did, he blew her away. “You endured labor and then a c-section to bring Julie into this world. That scar is a testament to you being a mother. I didn’t care then and I still don’t now; in fact, if you remember, it didn’t deter me.”She smirked, “I remember. I doubt that night will ever fade from my memory.” Jane moved onto the next topic. "When do exercises begin?"“Exercises begin in two weeks; I’ll be on the Abe Lincoln for the first week then I’ll transfer over to the Roosevelt.” Joe stated as he watched Jane eat lunch. “I’ll be away periodically till the fourth of July. I’ll give you my sat phone number before I leave.”Jane set her glass of water down, she was trying to stay away from wine and alcohol since they were about to start trying for a baby. “Daniel has Julie for the rest of May and all of June. I’ll probably be working or be at home painting Julie’s room. She selected a color for the walls so I have to go get the paint.“Just don’t overdo yourself.” Joe said as he squeezed her hand.“I’ll try not to.”When Jane was tucked away in bed later that night and the house was locked down, Joe shut off the lights and headed back upstairs. He found Jane sitting up while tapping her phone case with a finger, looking towards the curtains that swayed with the soft ocean breeze. Since they were on the second floor, they left the windows cracked at night. Sliding back the covers on his side, Joe pulled off his shirt before crawling into bed.“Everything okay?” He reached out and caught her hand and Jane looked down at him.“Yeah.” She put her phone on the nightstand charger and slid down beside him. “Just thinking.”Joe reached a hand up to her temple, using gentle fingers to brush back pieces of hair. “About what?”“You being away, Julie being away, us trying for a baby. Everything all at once.” She stated as she moved closer, allowing him to pull her into his arms. With her head resting on his left shoulder, Jane ran a hand up and down his right arm. “We’ll figure it out though, we always do.”“Maybe this small vacation to Michigan will be a chance to decompress.”Thinking for a few minutes, Jane finally nodded. “Possibly”“I do have a question though and you may need to reach out to get an answer.”Without a second thought, she shifted her head so their eyes met. “What is it?”“Is Daniel able to afford the ticket to Chicago? If he can’t, I’ll buy him a round trip so he can see his son graduate.”“I’ll ask him.” Walking her fingers along the moles on his neck, Jane continued. “Sometimes you surprise me by doing things I least expect. Most people wouldn’t care about whether their wife’s ex is able to fly into a graduation.”Joe sighed and caught her hand, threading their fingers together. “He’s Alex’s father, he deserves to be there and see his son.”“You’re a good father.” Watching her husband relax, Jane continued to speak. “You see them both as your own even though their father is present in their lives. Daniel told me he had to do a double take during a soccer run with the girls because Julie referred to you as her father. The girls were looking through pictures on their phones.”“If we have a baby, I wouldn’t treat it any differently then I treat Julie and Alex.”Leaning up on her elbow, Jane smiled at him. “I know and I’m thankful for that.”“How are you doing? I know earlier you were upset about Alex.”“Not upset, I was sad.” Running her fingers over his arm again, she sighed as she laid back down. “I had to explain to his father that he can’t have any personal items or use a phone. Communication with family is a one minute phone call and then mail only.”Collecting his thoughts, Joe finally spoke. “I worked him hard Jane, he’s ready.”“I know, he told me some of what you were doing.” She shook her head as she looked up at the ceiling. “Learning ranks, taking commands, being desensitized to insults or yelling, meeting above minimum PRTs.”“It’ll help him survive without remediation. All focus will be on other recruits.”Jane sighed as she yawned. “Thank you for helping him.”Joe reached behind himself and turned off his beside lamp. “Always.” He turned on his side and found her on her own, facing him. “I want him to pass without breaking because some don’t make it and they feel like they failed. When I talked to Milton, he explained a lot of what Alex is to expect.”She relaxed under the cover and closed her eyes as she yawned. “It’s been a long day.”Laying a gentle kiss to her forehead, he whispered to her. “Sleep well Sweetheart.”
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Jane sat on her son’s bed, missing him for the billionth time since he’d left. Alex had left five weeks before for Basic and she had cried for days before and after his Oath of Enlistment. He’d arrived at Naval Station Great Lakes safely and was doing well in Basic if Joe’s intel was accurate and she knew it was. They’d started the process of having a baby but both knew it would be a while before anything took. That was if it did; her obstetrician had told her it could take time at her age and they may have look at other options if after six months things didn’t change.The sound of her front door made her look up, knowing the person entering the house was Whistler. She didn’t know why she’d called the woman but Kate had become a good friend after the time they’d been in a shootout together with the Yukuza.“Jane?”“First room on your right.”The blonde found her and sat down beside her. “Missing Alex again?”“Yeah. Sorry I called; I’d normally call Joe but he’s away on exercises for the week.”Whistler put her hand on Jane’s arm. “No, it’s fine. I’m here to listen.” She readjusted herself, “Jesse said you left early.”“Wasn’t expecting to.” Jane sighed and leaned her head back as she took a few breaths. “I had to tell someone and I know your ability to keep secrets, even from Lucy if need be.”“What secret am I keeping this time?”Jane held out her hand and Whistler looked down to see the pregnancy test being handed to her. Seeing the result, the woman could only smile. “I thought your doctor said it could take a while?”“She did.” Jane looked down at the digital re-out [Pregnant 2-3] that she’d been starring at for over an hour. “Possibly six months or more after IUD removal, or so she said.”Whistler chuckled, “well obviously there’s no problems on either side of the equation.”“Never has been.” She saw the look on the blonde’s face. “Never really told anyone but we slept together the first night we went on a date. We’ve always been compatible on that level.”“And every other level.” Whistler bumped Jane’s arm with her own. “Trust me, Lucy talks about how it’s so strange that you, us, and Jesse found our soul mates. She’s a romantic, like cook my entire kitchen romantic. Once she starts baking, it’s hard to reign in the monster.”“Poor Kai and Ernie.”The blonde laughed, “yeah, we should find them someone. Well, find Ernie someone because we all know Kai is stuck on Hina.”“What about Detective Reed?”Whistler put up her finger. “I think Jesse said something about him having a crush on her.” She saw Jane’s smirk. “Oh I forgot, you know the team inside and out.”“More like roundabout, definitely not inside and out.”The blonde stood and turned to her part-time colleague and friend. “We’re going to lunch, my treat.”“No food.” Jane put her fist to her mouth before taking a breath. “Why do you think I left? Between Kai and Lucy eating, not even my office was far enough away.”“Then in that case, you work here and I’ll tell the guys you just got a stomach bug.” She motioned to the test, “unless you want me to tell them about this?”“Not until I tell Joe.” She sighed, “he deserves to know first. I only told you because I was going to combust if I didn’t tell someone.”Taking her friend’s hands, Whistler smiled. “Breathe, you need to breathe. Oxygen is good for pregnancy or so I’m told.” Watching as Jane started crying, she hugged the woman. “I’m so happy for you guys.”“I am too.” Jane pulled back and reached up to wipe away her tears. “I don’t know why I’m crying.”“These are happy tears. Good tears.” Whistler pulled her phone and motioned with it. “When he’s gone on exercises, call me anytime day or night. I’ll tell Lucy something, I don’t know yet but I’ll think of something.” She nodded remembering something, “I’ll tell her it has something to do with Maggie Shaw and she’ll back off. The guys tend to back off that topic very fast. What was that operation you told me about? Something with a fish.”“Operation Trout.”“Yes, I’ll tell her it’s an FBI-Naval Intelligence case regarding Maggie Shaw and Operation Trout. Even Ernie wouldn’t be able to get into that information.” Whistler smiled, “then when everyone knows, I’ll confess it all to her. She won’t get mad because I’m helping you.”Jane chuckled, “remember when we were arguing over you being family?”“More of a healthy debate but yes.”“You maybe dating Lucy but you’re the closest to a sister I have right now.”A day working from home turned into three because Jane found herself unable to tolerate food until around three in the afternoon when the nausea seemed to abate. Although, water, tea, and juice didn’t seem to be a problem. She knew morning sickness could be had every hour of the day but hers seemed to stay just in the morning much to her own amusement. On Friday evening, Jane looked up from where she sat using her tablet and doing her massive amount of paperwork when the front door opened and closed.“Jane?” Joe’s voice carried from the door.“In the living room.”After depositing his jacket and cover in the closet, he took the step down into the living room to see her setup spread out across the coffee table and couch. Roxy, Julie’s puppy was curled up next to her feet, content to sleep through Joe’s arrival. “Stopped by the office and Kai said you had been out most of the week with a stomach bug.”“Hmm.” She looked back down at her file while filling in some of the form. “I’m okay, just mostly aches, nausea, and vomiting.”Joe sat down in the chair beside the couch. “Contagious?”“No.” She looked up at him and saw him removing his shoes. “I’ve just been working from home until next week. Lucy went home two days ago with a positive flu test and Jesse’s been at home with the kids as they all have a stomach bug. It’s like during school no one got sick but then suddenly everyone got sick during the summer. I figured it’s probably better to work from home so Kai doesn’t get infected.” Her team had been stricken down with a lot of illness in that week so she’d made an executive decision to have everyone work from home, except Kai, who preferred the office. Telling Vance had gotten her a quick nod of understanding when she’d called via their MTAC.“I’m going to get a shower and change.” Standing, the man leaned over to kiss her head. “Then dinner. What do you want?”“I bought the stuff for your mother’s soup recipe. I knew you’d be home this evening so I was hoping you’d make it.”“I’ll start on it after I get done.” Reaching out, he rubbed her cheek with the back of his forefinger and got a smile in return. “I missed you.”“I missed you too.” With her attention back on paperwork, Joe left her to get showered and changed.Getting changed after showering, Joe headed to the chest of drawers that held his clothes. Jane took most of the closet except for a few items that he had to be hung up; uniforms included. She’d tried to give him more than the two foot space he claimed but he didn’t let her. On the top of the furniture piece was a small, wrapped box beside Jane’s jewelry box that stayed on top due to practicality. The only note was a post-it that held Jane’s writing.
Saw this and thought of you. – Jane
Taking time to dress first, the man sat down on the bed and opened the gift. He didn’t know what Jane would buy, sometimes it could be the pens she know he preferred to an envelope with a recipe she wanted to cook together. Her gifts were mostly small little things while his tended to gravitate to jewelry that he knew she’d like. However, if he bought her jewelry as often as she gave him little things, he’d end up enduring a lecture about monetary spending from his wife.The item inside wasn’t small however and as Joe read the digital screen, he ran a hand through his hair. It only took a few seconds for the reality to descend over him and he couldn’t stop grinning. They’d spoke in depth about not trying anything other than natural conception, if it wasn’t meant to be, then it wasn’t. However, the doctor had told them straight up that it could be six months or more before conception occurred. He guessed the woman had been factoring Jane’s age, possibly his too, but here they were pregnant right out of the gate.While he wanted to run downstairs, he knew instantly the said stomach bug was morning sickness. Part of him knew Jane wasn’t fragile and he wouldn’t act like that because even pregnant, she could probably kick his ass, but he also knew she wouldn’t work from home all week unless she didn’t feel good. Walking calmly and holding the test behind his back, he paused at the living room doorway to see her writing down information on yet another form. Clearing his throat softly, her head snapped up and he held up the test.“Stomach bug or morning sickness?”“Morning sickness but the team is sick.” Jane folded away her documents and put them on the coffee table as he neared her. Sitting down beside his wife, Joe pulled her into his arms. “I found out on Tuesday.”Kissing her temple was a unconscious habit that hadn’t changed; Joe held her for a few moments before speaking. “Right out of the gate, the doctor made it sound far off.”“I know and I didn’t think it was real until I read all three I took.” Jane adjusted her head on his shoulder. “I got sick when the guys were eating and I thought it was a stomach bug since Jesse’s kids have been sick.” Turning her head, she smiled at him. “You just got the job done in one try.”“While I’m happy, I am worried about you.”Squeezing his hand, she nodded. “I know and I made a decision this week. On Monday I’m going to remove myself from field duty, just so we don’t have any extra risk added to that which we already do. I also know this is the last baby I’m having.”“Alright.” He kissed her head again and pressed his nose against her temple. “Are you hungry?”“For some strange reason, my morning sickness this pregnancy is actually in the morning. I’m able to eat from about three onwards so I’ve been eating later to get three meals in.”Joe closed his eyes and rested his forehead against her temple. “We still wanting May twenty-fifth for the wedding?”“No change on the wedding, the venue was hard to book. We’re already got legal ceremony out of the way so our parents can’t lecture us on that front. Something tells me that informing our family won’t be a cake walk.”The man pulled back and reached up to brush back her hair. “We have a family here, we’re building a family, so we’ll let them come to us.”“My mother is going to be unbearable.” Jane pinched her nose. “Can’t we just have the baby and then tell them? Hey, glad you made it to the wedding, here’s our newborn.”He didn’t know why but the laughter just bubbled out of him. “If that’s what you want, I’m not opposed. I have to tell my mother and then hear from my father and sister.”“Because we got married, your sister can’t throw out religion like she did last time.”“Catholic or Episcopalian?” He asked her, “baptism?”“If we raise this baby Catholic, I wouldn’t be able to participate.” She rubbed his thigh, “divorced remember?”Joe sighed, “we’ll cross that bridge when we get closer.”“Hey?” Jane caught his attention. “You’re tired, we can talk more tomorrow. Right now let’s get something out of the fridge quick and let you get to sleep.”
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Hey guys, so I accidentally added Alex's send off twice. Then moved chapters around so you probably got alerts. I'm sorry. I'll post the next chapter late tonight or tomorrow.
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Jane closed the door to the house to hear Jazz music on the radio in the kitchen. Turning the corner, she found no one in the kitchen and a glance to the living room also showed anyone. Heading upstairs after dropping off her briefcase by the door, she found Joe packing a suitcase. It held his clothes and hers, she saw that he was folding her shirts and jeans since they usually hung in her closet while all his clothes, except his uniform and a few suits, stayed folded. He looked up when she knocked on the door frame.“Hey, packing for both of us?” She asked as she sat down to remove her shoes. They were her dress flats since she didn’t wear her boots due to being off field duty.“We’re leaving in the morning and we’ve been putting off packing.” Joe closed the closet door as he pulled the last item in her closet. “Any word on Julie?”Jane nodded as she slid off her blazer. “Daniel is going to drop her off in the morning. He’ll be flying in on Thursday, the day before the Pass-in-Review. Caitlyn has to work and she didn’t feel comfortable flying with Nate, at least that’s what Daniel told me. I suspect she doesn’t want to be anywhere I am. She’s not as comfortable with me as you are with Daniel.”“We share a kid; we have to be civil.” Joe stated while heading into the bathroom. Jane listened to her husband speak as she changed. She dressed in leggings and one of his white undershirts she purposely stretched out while he was in Washington. “How was your appointment?”She’d ended up going to her prenatal appointment alone only because he was stuck in a meeting for six hours. Waiting for him to join her before talking, he finally left the bathroom carrying one toiletry bag. She was aware it had everything hygiene-wise for both of them. “They did an ultrasound and found something.” Jane pulled the ultrasound images from her blazer pocket as it still lay on her bed. Joe had paused his movements upon hearing the doctor found something during the ultrasound.“What did they find?”Jane handed the images to her husband and watched as he studied the one she had folded it to. “I didn’t want to call and spoil the surprise, when I could give it to you in person.”The naval officer looked up at her while still holding the ultrasound. “Twins?”“Twins.” Running a hand across her belly where she’d been developing a bump earlier than with Alex and Julie. “It explains why I had to go up one size in slacks and why I’m bigger than I was with the kids.”“Are you okay to fly?”Jane sat down on the bed, “she said right now I’m low risk but it may change the closer we get to the birth. I’m still permitted to do everything I did before getting pregnant except surfing and field work; she specifically said the physical part of my job needs to be handed over to someone else.”Closing the suitcase, Joe picked it up off the floor and put it by the door. Turning to his wife, he noticed as she laid down despite the early hours of evening. “I’ll leave you to your nap.” Taking the three steps towards the bed, he leaned over to kiss her head while a hand rested on her shoulder blade. “Get some rest, you deserve it.” Jane didn’t reply but despite the silence, Joe pulled the blanket from the end of the bed where it always lay. Covering Jane with the blanket, he left the bedroom and shut the door behind him.Jane was roused from sleep by her name and a hand rubbing her arm. Opening her eyes, she found Joe standing beside the bed and he waited while she slowly woke up. Rubbing her eyes with her left middle finger, she blinked and sat up. The room was semi-dark with his nightstand lamp being the only source of light. The sun had gone down because it didn’t filter through the curtains.“I thought I’d wake you so you can eat.” Joe sat beside her as she grabbed her phone to find the time was close to nine at night.“How long did I sleep?” She asked with a yawn.“Three to four hours.” The man reached up and pushed back a strand of hair that had been stuck between her cheek and the pillow. “I made dinner.”Standing up, she yawned a second time and pulled her shirt down from where it had ridden up. “Let me use the bathroom and I’ll be downstairs.”The only lights that existed downstairs were the dining room table and the kitchen. Soft rock, her favorite genre of music, played in the background as Joe set two plates of food on the table. As soon as her bare feet hit the floor of the house, Jane made a beeline for the fridge. Pulling out a can of pineapple juice as Joe grabbed himself a glass of water.“Where is Roxy?” Jane inquired as they sat down to eat.“I took her over to Kai’s; I figured she’d be less likely to tear things up if Inoki was around to play with her. When I asked Kai this morning, he said to bring her over around seven.”Jane could only smile as she dug into the baked salmon and steamed vegetables. She knew the vegetables were from frozen steamer bags but the fish was fresh. “You got salmon on your way home.”“How can you tell?” He asked her, slightly impressed.“Doesn’t have the frozen aftertaste.”Joe looked at her with confusion across his face as he ate. “Aftertaste?”“You live long enough in Hawai’i and taste fish for years, there is a difference between fresh and frozen.” She reached for the pepper and sprinkled some on the vegetables. “You’ll learn and one day be able to tell the difference.”“What did the OB say about horseback riding?”Jane stood up and walked to her briefcase, pulling a folder from it before sitting back down. Flipping through the folder, she withdrew a sheet of paper. “She made this for her patients, it has all the activities that are not recommended. People still do them but she implied it was a way to say she gave them a warning.” Sliding the paper to him, he took it and read the list, finding that horseback riding was on the list. “Why?”“My parents have horses; the hardware store and my mother’s practice are not their only source of income. I know you can ride but I didn’t know if there was a restriction or not. I know Julie is going to want to ride. I texted her and told her to bring her riding boots.”“You’re going to be her favorite this trip.” Jane stated as she continued eating her meal. “I just worry how your father is going to act, especially with Julie there.”Joe reached for her hand and squeezed it. “If he says anything with us there, that’s one thing Jane. If he says something with Julie present, I’m taking us to Chicago no matter the time of day. We can handle the insults but I’ll be damned if my daughter is going to hear someone talk about her parents, especially after Carter.”“The kids are always my first priority.”“Mine too.” He ran his thumb over her right bare ring finger. “First the kids then you. I never thought my priorities would change but the past year they have slowly reached a solid hierarchy.”Watching his face, Jane nodded softly at his statement. “We’ve almost always been on the same page.”“You mean like the time we met?” It was asked playfully and Jane pulled her hand away from his only to smack his arm and point in silent reprimand. “It was just a question.”“A redundant question.” She couldn’t help grinning as they laughed about how they met for the billionth time.
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Julie was the one who looked dead on her feet after several plane changes and Jane was halfway there as well. She could jump time zones like a champion just months before but she was finding she was more tired with the current pregnancy. Minor anemia and carrying twins had that effect but she was doing everything her OB was instructing her to do. Iron pills joined the B6 and Ginger supplements she took in the morning while her prenatal vitamin was taken at night. Less coffee and more water were also given as instruction, much to Jane’s irritation, but she’d settled on drinking juice and green tea instead of coffee most of the day. Her only cup was in the morning to wake up.“You okay Jules?” Joe asked the girl as they sat putting up tray tables and preparing to land in Grand Rapids, Michigan.“Just tired, we’ve been on planes since yesterday morning.” Julie looked at her mother, Jane was tired and they could both see it. The agent had slept on two of their three plane changes. “Is Mom okay?”Joe squeezed his stepdaughter’s hand. “You’re the youngest so you’ve never seen her pregnant. She’s growing two babies; she’s going to be tired.”“Two?” The girl exclaimed in a loud whisper. “Neither of you said it was twins!”Jane shot a daughter a look that had the girl lowering her voice. “I just found out Friday. We hadn’t gotten a chance to tell you.”“Do you know if it’s going to be girls or boys for both yet?”“Genetic screening hasn’t come back yet, won’t till next week at the earliest.” Jane supplied as they buckled their seat belts, the flight attendants were walking down the aisle checking on passengers. “We’re both aware you want a sister.”The first stop for all three of them was the bathroom and they paused only long enough for both adults to get caffeine. Julie settled on a muffin and orange juice, somewhat surprised that the café didn’t have pineapple juice since it was common in most places in Hawai’i. Joe forewent breakfast because Jane was sensitive to food smells in the mornings and Julie’s food was already pushing her stomach's tolerance level.“Car rental or are your parents picking us up?” Jane asked as she put cream and sugar in her coffee. Julie was standing by their carry-on bags a few feet away eating her muffin. All three of them could survive on one small bag each so there was no need to pick up luggage.“I told my mother don’t bother picking us up, especially since we’d be getting in during church hours. My sister is the priest in Big Rapids, which is where my parents go for service. My mother thought we were getting in yesterday and requested we go to services but I went through all the flight details with her and she realized that flying in from Hawaii isn’t as easy as getting on a plane.” Joe took a sip from his black coffee as Jane readjusted her cream level after sipping the coffee. “She always thought it was a straight shot but usually I came in Saturdays. By myself I could do the fourteen hours on a plane without issue but I know between you and Julie, that’s impossible.”With her coffee made to tolerance level, Jane took a sip of it. “If we did this months ago, I could do it but not now. I’m still in the first trimester but I need to walk around and since I’m drinking more, I need to use the bathroom more.”Rubbing her lower back, he kissed her temple. “I know, that’s why I booked flights with layovers. Julie is used to running around, sitting for fourteen hours would be impossible.”“If her phone is constantly charged and has an internet connection, she could sit for hours.” It was stated while they started towards said pre-teen. “Remember two weekends ago when we didn’t even realize she stayed up all night talking to Emma.”“I forgot about that. Last week’s constant meetings with the South East Asia office wiped a lot of my memory. I almost wished for one of the officers to drop dead so the talks would end. It was a constant loop of nonsense.”Jane nodded, “I know, I got worried when you got home at almost two every night. You seemed exhausted, almost as if you were still managing Pacific Relations. I may have called Denise to ask about it and she told me you had video meetings with the Pentagon every day. I then inquired with Irene and she got back to me to say the SEA office was going in circles with you.”“Oh, you were checking up on me?” He asked with humor in his eyes, no amount of spite or anger in him.“Of course, I married you so I’m going to support you where I can. I just wanted to know why the Pentagon was calling you every day.” Jane smiled at him, “plus it was nice talking to Irene. She took over for Admiral Decker’s secretary, the woman went on maternity leave but decided she wanted to stay home full time.”The hour car ride was spent with Julie calling her grandparents to tell them all about what was going on. They weren’t able to go to Alex’s graduation because he already had four people attending. Jane had planned to record it for them though.“…and then next month I start Middle School.” Julie said speaking to her grandmother. “Yeah, I have a new custody schedule. Mom and Dad let me choose from a few options and I thought exchanging months was better than every two weeks. So it’ll be one month with Mom then another with Dad.” As Julie spoke to her grandmother, Jane ran her hand down Joe’s arm where It sat on his lap at that moment. He gave her quick glance and smile before threading their fingers together. “Well it also helps that the month Mom is supposed to give birth, I’ll be with Dad.”Jane looked back at her daughter as the pre-teen held the phone away from her ear. Her grandmother was talking loudly in a mixture of Tagalog and English. Removing her hand from Joe’s, she reached back to take the phone from Julie. The girl’s face was one of wincing as she handed the phone to her mother. An apology was on her lips but a slight shake of Jane’s head had her just sitting back.Maria was still talking loudly when Jane put the device to her ear. “Mom, can you lower your voice. I could hear you from the front seat of the car with the phone on handset mode.” Jane shot a glance at her daughter and the girl shrugged, clearly unaffected. “Yes, I’m pregnant. No, I’m only ten weeks and so we’re not getting overly excited. At my age, it’s a day by day process because the risks are elevated. I don’t know yet; the ultrasound won’t tell for another month and the blood tests aren’t due back till next week. All we know right now is that the twins are healthy with what information we have.” Jane winced as she pulled the phone from her ear for a moment. Understanding what her mother was saying, she spoke firmly. “Yes, it’s twins and no I don’t have any plans yet. I’ll reiterate for you that this is a day by day process. No Mom, I don’t need you to come to Hawai’i and stay with us. We’re doing just fine, Joe is sometimes overly attendant and Julie is being her normal caring self.” When her mother started up again, Jane snapped at her. “Mama, huminahon ka na. Kasal na kami!” The Tagalog was quick and Joe looked over as Jane’s voice was firm. “Now, I’m giving the phone back to Julie so please lower your voice.”Handing the phone back to her daughter, Jane met Julie’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” It was the girl who was apologizing despite not being at fault.“You’re fine Jules, I knew Grandma would be a handful when I told her. I was putting it off because she wants to be in the middle of everything.” She turned back around as the girl got back on the phone with her grandmother.“You okay?” Joe reached over and rubbed her thigh.“I’m fine, I can’t change my mother’s personality. I snapped at her because she started on a religious rant of how marriage is needed immediately and I need to go to confession to get my sins erased.” Jane picked up her coffee cup and took a few sips; she seemed to take her time with her coffee because she only drank it once a day. “My mother’s logic makes no sense to me. She’s fine with premarital sex but marriage is needed for pregnancy. Religiously that makes no sense because according to a lot of sermons I’ve listened to, the premarital sex is the sin, not a pregnancy.”“Same view in the Episcopal church.” Joe stated and caught her hand, threading their fingers together. “I’ll go if I’m with my parents but I don’t actively go myself. I know you’re the same way.”Jane glanced back at Julie. “Have you noticed since she confessed about Dalia that she avoided going with Alex? We both know why and, in some ways, I hate that she feels that way. She used to be the first one ready in the mornings when Daniel would take them. Julie has a lot of faith and I often find her reading her bible. I may not believe as I once did but I don’t want Julie to lose that part of herself.”“I should take her to the local Episcopal church when we get home. They are much more tolerant and don’t condemn while using affirming language. For a while we didn’t have an Episcopal priest when I was stationed on a carrier so we attended the Catholic mass that was held. If you know what to look for, you’ll find the language there. I know a lot of churches aren't onboard with the condemnation idea but some are and that impacts a lot more than just that congregation; especially with social media now days. It only takes one person to start a trend. Episcopal teachings are close enough to Catholicism that the change wouldn’t phase her.”After a few minutes thinking it over, Jane glanced towards him. “You should ask her when we get home. Of the two of us, she’ll open up to you more.”“You jealous?”“For once, no.” Jane smiled at him. “I worried for a while how the kids would take to you. Alex was there for our walk of shame but Julie, you know her. She gets defensive of me and I worried she’d tell me you weren’t right for me or something similar. The fact that by the end of the get together, she was talking to you about ships had me intrigued. Then when RIMPAC came and she was okay with you staying overnight in the house, I realized she was relaxed with you. I think treating them their age and treating them like they’re yours instead of your girlfriend’s kids helped. I trust you with their lives and there are only a few people that earn that level of trust.”“Why do you think she opens up to me more?”Shrugging, the woman only smiled. “Because you’re you. You’re this amazing man who took us three as a packaged deal. You didn’t leave her out or treat her badly like kids say stepparents do. You listen when she talks, hug her when she’s feeling bad, and love her as if she's your own child.” Jane stopped talking when the backseat went quiet and turning, she found her daughter had curled up as much as possible in the space of her seat. Her eyes were closed and she held her phone in one hand. “Someone crashed.”“We have about thirty minutes left. I’m sure my mother prepped the guest room for Julie so if she’s still out when we get there, I’ll carry her in.”
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As they pulled into the driveway of the house, Jane found herself charmed by the exterior. The old farmhouse was Victorian design with a wraparound porch. There were rocking chairs on one side and she saw the hint of a swing at the end of the porch by the stairs. Getting out of the rental car, Jane was greeted by an Australian shepherd who seemed determined to get petted by rubbing against her leg. She knelt and rubbed the dog down, scratching behind his ears. There was a truck beside theirs and past the driveway was a gravel driveway that led to a few paddocks and the barn.Joe opened the back of the car and gently shook Julie, the girl waking as Jane removed their bags from the trunk. Julie got out of the car and upon seeing the dog, nearly attacked it with pets and scratches. The agent only shook her head because that was her daughter, going from zero to a hundred when spotting a dog. Silence seemed to settle between the three so Joe spoke finally.“Seems like Peanut likes you.”“Why is he called Peanut?” Julie asked before watching Joe point to a marking on the dog’s face that looked exactly like a peanut. “Oh, I see now.”Joe took one of the carry-ons from Jane, “my parents aren’t back yet so it gives us some time to get settled.”“Did you tell your mother about Julie’s diet?” Jane inquired as she caught his pinky in hers while they walked towards the house.“I did and she said at the very least there will be a salad at lunch and dinner. She really doesn’t want to get in an argument with my father about choice diets so she’s going to do her best to work around it. My father doesn’t understand why people don’t just eat what is put on their plates. Abby went through a vegetarian phase when she was a teen and I thought my father was going to lose his temper every time we ate. Unlike Julie, it didn’t stick long.”Getting settled was easy, Joe showed them both around the house and where their rooms were. A quick detour to the kitchen meant finding a snack for the preteen before heading outside as she wanted to see the barn instantly. With his parents still not back yet, Joe lead the two to the barn but he and Jane walked while Julie ran. Despite being heavy, Julie pushed the door to the barn open with ease after having been at camp for weeks.“Whoa.” Julie gasped at seeing the various stalls filled with horses and they walked in for Joe to see boarding cards on a few of the stall doors.“It looks like my dad is boarding horses again.” Joe stated and motioned to the cards on the doors. “These are boarding cards. They tell the horse’s name, owner, owner contact info and any information that is pertinent for care of the animal.”Julie ran her hand across the wooden walls and doors before she came to one of the doors where a roan gelding was backed up into the corner of the stall. “What’s wrong with this one?” Julie turned to her stepfather. “He’s in the corner, almost like he’s afraid.”“Do you see the marks on his belly and stifle.” Joe motioned to the horse as he stood beside Julie. “Scars made from spurs and whips; he’s been mistreated and is still learning to trust people.”“Who could hurt a horse?” Julie asked with disbelief in her voice. “That’s just sadistic.”Rubbing Julie’s back, Joe pulled her away till they came to another stall. Inside was a white mare and paint filly, which made Julie grin. Joe looked back to see Jane at a stall, rubbing down the neck of the black horse inside. It had its head out and seemed to be sniffing her abdomen. “Looks like that one knows you’re pregnant.”“I figured.” Jane stated and stepped away from the stall. “Constantly sniffing and touching my belly gave that away.” She walked over to see what Julie was gushing over. “A filly, you’ve walked yourself into a trap.”Joe met his wife’s eyes, “I noticed as she hasn’t moved since seeing the horse.” His cell phone beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket to see it was his mother. A quick text seconds later and he put the phone back in his pocket. “Come on Jules, we should go up to the house.”“Aww.” Julie stated while turning away from the stall.Leaving the barn, Joe closed the barn door and caught Jane’s hand as they began walking back to the house. Jane bumped his shoulder with her own and smiled at him. “Didn’t take you for a horse guy.”“My mom wanted the horses so my dad got them when I was about fifteen. I learned enough mucking out stalls and taking care of them those three years before college but I’m in no way a horse guy. Abby is the one who started showing them when she was ten, barrel racing mostly. My grandparents had a field behind their house that was big enough to set up a paddock for her to practice when she wasn’t practicing at the nearby arena.”“How’d your sister go from barrel racing to religion?”“Short answer, a teenage acolyte she had a crush on.” Seeing the confusion on Jane’s face, he explained further. “Acolytes are like altar boys, except both boys and girls can serve.”Jane smirked, “so her crush made her become more religious?”“No, she wanted to serve as an acolyte to spend more time with him. That meant attending more classes because the priest at the time wanted the acolytes to be well-versed in Episcopal history. More classes led to Abby becoming more faithful and more faith became seminary school and priesthood. It was a domino effect and what shocked us most, she ended up marrying that acolyte. Colin was the boy that got her interested in religion in the first place even though he himself is now an atheist.”“Well, I’m sure they laugh about it now.”“Probably.”As they neared the house, they found his mother waiting on the steps of the porch. She grinned as she saw them walking down the gravel drive. Peanut lay against on the hardwood porch with no sign of moving when Joe’s mom made her way down.“You guys made it. I was concerned until I saw the rental car.” The woman waited for a moment with her arms out and Joe instantly hugged his mother. “Oh it’s good to see you my sweet boy.”Joe pulled away, “good to be here, if only for a few days.”“Oh you have to stay longer than a few days.” She turned to Jane and the agent found herself engulfed in a hug from the woman she’d only met over Skype. “Hi Jane, it’s so good to see you in person.”“It’s good to see you too Annie.” Jane pushed her hair behind her ear, “unfortunately we can’t stay long. My son is graduating from Great Lakes on Friday and Julie is starting middle school next Tuesday.”Julie waved at Annie Milius. “Hi, I’m Julie.”“How’d you like the horses, Julie?” Annie asked as she headed towards the house and they walked with. “I’m sure you saw the little filly that was born last week.”“Yeah, she’s so cute.” Julie instantly fell into step with the older woman. “How many horses do you board? What breeds are they? Can I ride them?”Joe found himself halfway to laughter, he knew Julie would start down the road of no return when asked about the horses. “Try to breathe between questions Jules.”“Right, sorry.” Julie took a moment to calm down. “I just finished horse camp for the summer. We’re given a horse for the summer and taught to take care of it from start to finish. Mine was a paint named Mystic.”Annie opened the front door once they were all on the porch. “Well, while you’re here, you’re welcome to any of the non-boarded horses.” She turned to her son, “I’m sure Joe can probably be talked into a ride.”“Not likely Mom, I haven’t been on a horse since I was a teen.”“Mom can ride but not for a while.” Julie stated as Annie showed motioned past the mudroom to the kitchen before ushering them to the living room. “She can ride circles around a couple of the farm hands at the camp.”Once in the living room, they were shown the couches and invited to sit down. “Injury?”“Something like that.” Jane supplied as she sat beside Joe, Julie taking up space on one of the chairs. “I will warn you that Julie will probably be in the barn for most of our time here.”Annie waved her off, “fine by me. Katie will probably be there most days anyways, so she’ll have company.”“Katie is Abby’s daughter, she’s a year older than Julie.” Joe supplied to Jane and the woman nodded in understanding.“So, is it true you guys in Hawaii surf every day?”Julie nodded, “at least as much as our parents let us. School starts early so surfing happens mostly on the weekends.”“We’ve yet to see Hawaii, but then Allen says it’s too expensive to visit, much less live there.”Julie looked towards her parents. “Is it expensive?”“Not for us baby, but for some people, it is. Second and third generation residents learn how to live without large costs and to stay away from tourist areas. Being established on the island already helps to prevent expenses. We own Grandma and Grandpa’s old house so we don’t pay rent or mortgage like Jesse does.”The girl nodded, “makes sense.”“I hope you guys didn’t pay much coming all this way.” Annie told her son, “I want to pay for half of it if you’ll let me.”Jane waved her hand as if waving her off. “We budgeted this trip a while ago because we knew Alex would be graduating. You don’t have to pay for anything.”“Although,” Julie spoke in a way that had both Jane and Joe wary, “if you want to pay in a horse, I’ll gladly accept.”“No.” Joe stated to the girl and put up his finger in warning. “Get that idea out of your head young lady.”Julie folded her arms, “fine, it was worth a try.”Annie smiled as she watched the two interact, not used to the relationship her son and step-granddaughter had. “Well, Allen is on a phone call with the vet. One of our horses was rescued a few days ago from an abusive home and we’ve yet to have the vet out. I’m sure he’ll be headed out to the barn again if you guys want to go back out. I’m going to get started on dinner.”“I can help you if you need it.” Jane suggested, “let these two have some fun.”“Is Abby coming for dinner?” Joe asked his mother as they heard footsteps on the stairs.“Not tonight, tomorrow probably.” She looked up as her husband entered the living room, phone in hand. “Allen, they’re here.”The man nodded. “I can see that Annie.” He walked towards the couch and both Jane and Joe stood up. “Son.”“Dad.” Joe accepted the one arm hug his father gave him, patting his arm as he pulled back.“Good to see you, you look good.” Allen Milius turned to Jane and held out his hand, which Jane shook. “Jane, right?”Jane gave a sharp nod. “Yes sir.”“Welcome to our home.” He looked over at Julie, “who is this young lady?”“Julie, manners.” Jane motioned to the girl and Julie stood up, holding out her hand.“Julie Tennant, nice to meet you.” She shook Allen’s hand before sitting back down.Annie motioned to Julie, “Julie is interested in horses, I’m sure you two will become fast friends.”“You’re interested in horses?”“Yes sir.” Julie folded her arms as her parents sat down. “Just spent nine weeks at horse camp. I don’t ride as well as Mom but I ride okay.”That took the man by surprise and he turned his attention to Jane. “You ride?”“Occasionally, not at the moment though.”“Injury?”She nodded, “something like that.”“Well this is great.” Annie stood up, “Jane and I are going to start dinner so you three head out to the barn.”
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Jane looked up from brushing down the black mare she was working on when hearing the gravel crunch beneath feet. The animal’s halter was tied to the stalls via crossties. The person who stood nearby was her father-in-law and he had both hands on his hips, watching as she ducked under the horse’s leads. It was still early morning and with her husband and daughter both asleep, she decided to calm her mind by brushing down one of the horses.“She looks good.” Allen walked over and studied the horse’s condition. “You know how to groom horses, that’s for sure.”Jane dropped the brush into the pail nearby and unclipped one of the ties, taking the other in hand to lead the horse back to her stall. “Come on girl.” The horse followed without issue and walked back into her stall, no coaxing necessary. “Good girl.” Jane shut the stall door and unclipped the lead. “I hope I didn’t overstep.”As he watched her remove the remaining lead from the crosstie hook, Allen gave a brief shake of his head. “No, I was just headed out to feed them. I’m just surprised is all; you act like you’ve been around horses all your life.”“Every duty station my father was sent to, if they had nearby stables, then I rode.” Jane picked up the pail of grooming tools and walked to the tact room that had been converted from an empty stall. “Horses don’t judge when people do.” She returned from the tact room empty handed, “if you’re kind to them, they’re kind to you.” Pausing at the stall that held the abused, horse, Jane waited patiently and the horse stuck it’s head out of the stall, nuzzling her hand.Allen walked towards them but stayed a few feet away. “He’s been wary of everyone since being rescued.”“Trust is earned, never given.” Jane said as she ran her hand down the horse’s forehead. “Give him time and he’ll return to his former self.”“Annie is making breakfast; it’ll go faster if we work together to feed them.” It was an olive branch and Jane saw it as it was.Julie was helping Annie with breakfast when Jane walked in with Allen; Joe was sipping on coffee. He shot a glance at Jane, worry in his eyes, but she made a signal with her hand that had him sitting back in the chair instead of getting up. It only took twenty minutes for all of them to be sitting at the table.“She’s good with horses.” Allen stated of Jane to those at the table. “The abused horse has taken a shining to her.”Annie smiled as she looked over to see Jane sipping her coffee, plate empty. “Is that so?” Realizing that food was nowhere near Jane, she began fussing as Joe called it. “Dear you need to eat.”“I’m fine, thank you though.”“Nonsense.” Annie took Jane’s plate and scooped eggs and bacon onto it.Julie and Joe looked concerned as Jane looked half sick. “Uh oh.” It was Julie who spoke before Jane left the room.“Is she okay?” Allen asked as they heard Jane throwing up in the bathroom that was around the corner under the stairs.Joe nodded, “morning sickness, she can’t really eat until around three in the afternoon.”As expected, his mother gasped and got excited. “Oh a baby, this is wonderful news.”“How far along?”Joe met his father’s eyes, knowing what his father was asking. “Ten weeks, it’s still early. There are a lot of factors that make it practical to take it day by day. We’re excited but we’re not overly excited. Until Jane gives birth, we’re being cautiously optimistic.”Moving the conversation along, Annie spoke to her son. “Abby should be over around noon with the kids. I’m sure the girls will enjoy each other’s company, even getting a ride in together.”“Maybe.” Julie said as she ate a forkful of eggs.Jane returned to the kitchen and got a glass of water, drinking half the glass before heading back to the table. “I apologize.”“You’re fine dear, you don’t have to apologize.” Annie removed the plate from in front of Jane, scrapping the food onto her own plate. “I was just telling Joe that Abby and the kids will be over around noon. Katie and Julie will probably enjoy riding together.”Allen put down his orange juice from drinking a third of the glass. “The vet will be out later tomorrow. I’m sure the girls will enjoy seeing that also.”Julie sat on the porch with Peanut beside her as she played on her phone. Joe was helping Allen with moving some items from the basement to the storage shed and her mother was taking a nap. Annie was in the middle of making lunch so when a car pulled up beside the rental car, Julie glanced up to see a woman and two kids get out of the car. From limited conversation, Julie knew it was Joe’s sister Abby and her kids, Katie and Tommy.“Who are you?” The preteen girl, Katie, asked Julie as she put down her phone from where she was texting her friend Maisie.“Julie Tennant, you’re Katie Taylor.” Julie stated and stood up, “Joe’s niece. I guess that makes us cousins.”The blonde huffed, “as if.”The adult woman got her daughter’s attention by speaking to her softly. “Where are your manners, Katie? Hello, Julie. I’m Joe’s sister Abby.” She took a few steps towards the porch. “Do you know where my parents are?”“Your mom’s in the kitchen and Joe is helping your dad move things from the basement to the storage shed.”As if on cue, the door opened and Annie stepped out. “I heard the car in the drive, why don’t you guys come in and the girls can get to know each other.”Katie just ignored Julie and headed inside the house. Not feeling the least bit affected by the girl’s behavior, Julie headed inside behind the three. Sitting in the corner of the couch, Julie went back to her text conversation. Katie and Tommy sat down on the opposite couch while Abby headed to the kitchen. Eventually, the blonde girl asked her a question.“Is that the newest model?” Julie looked up and Katie pointed to the phone. “Aren’t they hundreds of dollars?”Julie nodded, “yes, my brother wasn’t paying attention and bumped into me so I dropped my phone in my cereal bowl. It was a lost cause so Joe and I went to Cellular to get me a new phone. My brother paid for half since it was partly his fault; Mom and Joe paid for the other half. Since it’s the latest model and was so expensive, it counted towards my birthday.”“I still have the iPhone 8.” Katie showed her phone, “Mom says since it works, there’s no reason to upgrade.”“I had the iPhone X before this one. Mom paid for our lines separately because her work pays for her phone. When they got married, Joe switched our lines over to his plan to make things less expensive.”Katie folded her arms. “My mom said they aren’t married and are living in sin.”“No, they got married almost two months ago. They wanted my brother to be there for the ceremony so they had a civil marriage performed. The actual wedding isn’t until next May when friends and family are all invited.”“What’s it like having a stepdad?” Tommy asked inquisitively. “My friend Nathan says his stepdad is mean to him.”Julie shrugged, “he’s not my stepdad, he’s my second dad. Joe’s never mean, even when I get in trouble. He treats me just like my dad treats me.”Annie came into the room with Abby behind her, she held a plate of cookies and put them on the table. “There you guys are. Chocolate chip cookies, lunch will be ready soon so don’t eat too many.”“What’s for lunch Oma?” Tommy stood up, almost hyper as he grabbed a cookie.“Opa is going to cook burgers on the grill, we’ll also have salad, corn, and chips.” Looking between the kids and Abby, she continued. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have lunch outside on the porch. I know you girls are probably going to head to the barn afterwards.”Katie nodded in affirmation before speaking to Julie. “Do you ride or am I going to have to teach you?”“I ride, I just got done with camp last week.” Julie reached for a single cookie and a napkin that sat beside the plate. “I don’t ride as well as Mom but I’m good to ride.”“Your mom rides horses?”Julie nodded since she was chewing but then spoke when her mouth was empty. “She does, she’s good at it. She can’t ride right now because she’s pregnant or she’d probably be on a horse with us.”Abby sat down in the chair closest to the couch Julie sat on. “Your mom is pregnant?”“Yes, with twins.” Julie picked up her phone as it vibrated to see a text from her friend. “I’m hoping for at least one sister. I have a brother and then I have a half-brother on my dad’s side.”Voices filtered from the mud room into the living area, where Joe and Allen entered looking as if they’d gone through a dust storm. Upon seeing his sister, Joe nodded to her. “Abby, you’re here early.”“Not early, here for lunch since Mom and Dad invited us. Katie is going probably going to ride after lunch. I think Dad said something about getting Tommy’s help at the store this afternoon.”Joe shot a look towards Julie. “Where’s your mother?”“Upstairs taking a nap.”“I’m going to get cleaned up then I’ll be back down.”Allen wiped his hands on a nearby towel. “Right behind you son, I didn’t realize the amount of dust in that shed.”
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Thought I'd add it here in case you guys aren't finding it.I wrote a prequel to this fic, it's short but kind of sets up a chapter that's coming up.
A Voice of Comfort - Prequel
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Jane woke from sleep by a kiss to her head and gentle fingers brushing back her hair. She stretched out her legs and turned onto her back, feeling a gentle kiss placed on her belly. Smiling, she opened her eyes to see Joe watching her tenderly. As habit, she wiped her eyes with her left middle finger while sitting up. While coffee was only once a day and had already been had, she could smell the green tea that sat on the nightstand.“Sleep well?”Grabbing the cup of tea, Jane nodded while taking a sip of the hot drink. “How long did I sleep this time?”“Well, it’s noon and my father is starting the grill to have burgers. After lunch he’s going to take Tommy with him and head to the hardware store.” Joe watched her as she slowly woke up. “My sister arrived about thirty minutes ago. I had to shower after getting dust all over my clothes.”Reaching a hand to his hair, she used her fingers to brush his curls to the side as he normally did when going to work. “Forget your comb?”“No, just didn’t feel it necessary to groom more than necessary when I’m sure I’ll be out in the stable mucking stalls at least once before Friday.” He leaned towards her and kissed her softly, smiling as he pulled back. “Plus, my hair has a tendency to return to its wild state when you get your fingers in it.”She grinned and pulled her cup up to sip the tea again. “Are you complaining?”“Not in the slightest, just making a statement.” Standing, he took a second to push back her blanket and held out his hands. “Come on, I know you might not be able to eat yet but socializing is necessary with my family.”They found everyone outside, his mother was setting the patio table while the three kids were playing on the tire swings that were attached to one of the trees. Jane leaned against the railing of the porch to watch as Julie played with her new cousins, the girls talking about something insignificant while Tommy was spun around in the tire swing by Katie. Abby was talking to her father as he stood warming the grill.Annie picked her head up to see Jane leaning against the railing and Joe closing the patio door. “You’re awake. How was your nap?”“Exactly what I needed.” Jane smiled at the woman, “I hope Julie wasn’t too much trouble.”The older woman waved her off. “She was much more well behaved than Katie was a few years ago.”Standing beside Jane, Joe watched as Tommy ran up to the porch and opened up one of the bins that had toys in it. “I got them.” The eight year old withdrew several water guns.“Should I tell them that they’re not going to win?” Joe asked his wife as they watched the kids run over to the water hose to fill up the weapons. “That Julie has a notorious history with winning laser tag and water gun matches?”Jane shrugged, “don’t ruin her fun, she’s enjoying herself.”“I’m more worried about my niece and nephew.” He kissed her shoulder and rubbed her arm. “I doubt anyone is prepared to go against Julie, other than us or Alex.” Sipping her tea, Jane only shrugged once again in response to his statement.Abby made her way over after turning to see them. “Hi, I’m Abby, Joe’s sister.” She held out her hand and Jane shook it.“Jane Tennant.” Jane watched as Abby held her hand, examining the rings on her hand.“You got married.” The comment was pointed at her brother after dropping Jane’s hand. “When?”Joe rubbed up and down Jane’s arm from where she stood in front of him, still holding her tea. “May twentieth, we wanted to get the legal portion out of the way before Alex shipped out to RTC Great Lakes.” Jane moved to the table and sat down in one of the chairs while Joe stayed leaning against the railing.“Who?”“My son, he’s at Navy Basic just outside of Chicago.” Jane supplied as Abby sat down in a chair also. “We’re heading to Chicago on Friday for his Pass-in-Review then heading back to Hawaii on Saturday for school start on Monday. Julie is starting middle school.” Jane put her cup on the table as she finished the tea. “And we both have work. I doubt Pearl is going to stay standing if Joe isn’t there to handle paint and cleaning schedules.” It was said with humor and the man smiled at her.“I’m more concerned with the crime rate when you’re away.” He suggested, “when you leave the island, hard to catch criminals go back.”Jane shrugged, “that was a one-time thing.”He ticked off names on his fingers. “Yamamoto, Kellogg, Welmer.”“Fine, three times.” Jane pointed at him, “don’t go crossing off names or you might be reminded of all the times I’ve had to save you from during a potential international crisis. I think I’m up to nine now.”They both couldn’t help smiling and sharing a joke that resided between them. Joe took the two steps to the table and placed a hand on her back, leaning down to kiss her crown. “You can save me any day.”“So, are you a cop?” Abby asked while playing with a fork.“Sort of, I work for the Navy. NCIS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, they handle crimes regarding Navy and Marine personnel. I’m in management though, I oversee the entire Pacific Rim. California to Japan, Australia to Alaska. Some fifty-five million nautical miles.”Allen closed the grill to let it heat up. “How’d you two meet?”“He walked into my crime scene and tried to take it from me. When that didn’t work, he tried strong arming me but Joe failed to get control of the scene.” She looked up at her husband, “realized his error and ended up apologizing by the end of the case.”Joe ran his hand across her shoulders. “If I learned anything, it’s that she’d take on the entire Pacific Fleet to get justice for the victim and their families. Then I watched it day after day, week after week, month after month and decided I couldn’t let her go. I asked her on a date and the rest is history.”“Persistent and dedicated.” Jane spoke the two words that had once been an argument between them.It was late in the evening when Joe found Jane on the porch, she leaned against the railing while listening to the crickets. Closing the door behind himself, he walked over to her and leaned against the railing also. She bumped his arm with her own and smiled at him, no words necessary. He pulled his phone from his pocket and maneuvered to the music app, bringing up one of the many playlists they’d made to dance to.“May I?” He asked holding out his hand.“You may.” Jane accepted his hand and let him pull her into a dance embrace. Music played in the background as they danced on the porch. Wrapping her arm under his, she held onto his shoulder while the other held his hand in hers. Silence settled between them despite the music playing and them dancing. The one thing that happened every time they danced was their noses brushed each other and smiles were exchanged. Kisses were shared and eventually whispers; secrets and conversation existed just between them.Jane couldn’t help but laugh as at a particular tempo, he spun her out and around. Her laughter had his bubbling out, them dancing while having fun. Joe caught her and cupped her cheek, kissing her. “I love you.”“I love you too.”Julie peeked out the window of the living room to see her parents dancing on the porch. Smiling, she held up her phone for a moment to capture a picture and was successful. Katie sat down next to her.“What are you watching?”“My parents.” She pulled the curtain back to show Katie what she’d been watching. “They dance in the kitchen almost every night or every morning, it’s just something they do together.”Annie came in the room. “Julie, it’s almost time for Abby and the kids to leave. Where is Joe and your mother?”“Dancing.”“What does that mean?”Julie pointed over her shoulder to the window. “They’re dancing.”The woman walked over and pulled back the curtain a fraction to see the two outside on the porch dancing. Laughter and whispers filled the air, the laughter clearly heard inside even if the whispers weren’t. “Well that’s spontaneous.”“Not really, they dance in the kitchen at home all the time.” Julie shrugged, “just a normal thing to me.”The sound of the back door by the kitchen was followed by Allen and Abby walking into the living room from the kitchen. Allen was wiping his hands and sat down on one of the couches. Abby was gathering the kids’ jackets from where they’d been placed on the back of the couch.“We saw Joe dancing with Jane on the porch and decided to let them be. Came in through the backdoor. They been out there long?”Annie could only make a motion of not knowing. “Unsure but Julie says it’s a common occurrence for them so who knows.”“They dance on the porch often?” Abby inquired helping her son into his jacket.“They dance in the kitchen at home all the time. Three or four times a week when they have time. They cook dinner together when it’s not a late night and then clean up and dance.” Julie shrugged, “Aunt Carla says it’s one of the many ways they keep a close relationship. Uncle Jesse says that the wedding reception next year is going to be interesting. He thinks dancing is one of Joe’s favorite things to do with Mom, besides solving international incidents related to murder.”All three adults looked at her but it was Abby who asked. “That’s not a metaphor, is it?”“Not really, no.”
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I'm including the second prequel story that developed before, during, and after Manila - where everything changed for the couple.
Friends to Lovers
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The last thing Jane expected see as she walked into the squad room after an obstetrics appointment wasn’t Whistler pacing her office looking nervous. At twenty-five weeks pregnant, she felt huge and she was partially, considering she was almost done with her second trimester. Despite her belly, she moved around fine and with morning sickness over, she was able to eat normally once again. Her OB had been concerned about her weight gain during the first trimester because she had trouble eating but she was back on track with a normal weight for both her and the twins.As she opened her door, the FBI agent turned to her and bit her lip half nervous. “Sorry, I just had to tell you what a contact at DIA just informed me of.” Whistler started to pace again, “I wanted to call but it’s not news you give over the phone. This is the last thing you need right now.”“Kate, calm down.” Jane motioned to the couch and sat down herself. “Come sit and tell me what is going on.”Whistler sat down and wrung her hands together. “My contact at DIA was instructed to forward me any chatter about Maggie Shaw that they got.”“Last I saw her, she was in Naval Intelligence custody.”“I thought so too but they cut her loose.” The blonde winced. “Apparently the information they can glean about MSS by leaving her exposed is worth far more than keeping her in custody. I just found out that she’s back at the university teaching.” Whistler looked up to see Jane’s face blank, almost as if she didn’t know what to say. “I just thought you should hear it from me.”Taking a few minutes, Jane spoke finally. “Any chance you could go with me to the university?”“Why?”“I know Maggie Shaw; she is going to try to approach me or my family sooner or later. Probably to apologize or to try to get me to understand her betrayal. I want this ended before it begins.”Whistler nodded, “yeah, come on, I’ll take you.”After walking the campus for ten minutes, Jane finally located Maggie Shaw’s class. Waiting till near the end of the class, they stayed in the back of the room and only made themselves known as the class ended. Jane made sure she was visible to Maggie Shaw’s eyes and as expected, the woman ended class early upon seeing her.The walk down the steps to the front of the class wasn’t as steep as the classroom looked to be. Whistler stayed mere inches from Jane as they hit the last stair and walked towards the table. Ushering her teaching assistant away, Maggie turned to Jane.“Janey, I guess you heard.” Maggie smiled at seeing her, “oh Janey, another little one on the way.” She went to reach out and Whistler grabbed her hand, twisting it back.“Hands to yourself Shaw.” She let the woman go and took a few steps back. A glance from Jane and Whistler walked a few feet away.Maggie rubbed her hand, “she’s feeling protective.”“That tends to happen when family is involved.” Jane put her hands on the table, “look, I’m not here to make up or anything related to such an idea. I want you to know that if you come near me or my family, I have several parties of the alphabet soup ready to detain you.” She put up a finger, “and if I find out you contacted Julie or Alex, I may just shoot you myself.”“Janey…” Maggie caught her attention. “If it had been you, you would have made the same decisions.”Jane put her tongue in her cheek and took a few moments to speak. “You could have come to me or the state department, hell any of the alphabet, and they would have worked with you. MSS is the enemy to the entire government, not one of them would have turned you away if presented with the opportunity to work with you to get MSS secrets. They would have found a way to trade your son for another prisoner, just for information.” Jane hit the table with her fist. “The whole time you were giving me information to help with my cases, you were trading American secrets. You’re a traitor Maggie and you always will be. The minute you traded information to MSS was the day you lost my friendship.”“I did that but I did it for my son.”Jane’s phone rang and she pulled it from her pocket to see Joe’s face on the screen. “Hey, I can’t talk right now.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m dealing with a problem. I’ll explain more later.”Joe sighed, “that problem have to do with Maggie Shaw? I just got word from a contact of mine that she’s in Hawaii.”“That contact happen to be Taylor.” She watched as Maggie narrowed her eyes a fraction, obviously remembering the commander from the day at the park.
“Are you confronting her?”
Pinching her nose, Jane relaxed only a fraction at his concern. “Whistler is with me and I’m armed.” She lowered her hand and her eyes floated up. “Just a warning. I won’t have her near our family.”“I understand and I’m not angry, just concerned.” She heard shuffling so she knew he was leaving his office. “Have Whistler drop you off at home. I’ll swing by your office and grab your files and briefcase.” “Alright. I’ll see you at home.” Jane hung up and narrowed her eyes while looking at Maggie Shaw. “I’ve given you your only warning.”She turned to leave and got five feet before Maggie spoke. “How is Julie doing? She should be in middle school this year.”“Julie is none of your concern.” Jane stated and pointed at Maggie. “Get near her and you’ll have the whole Pacific Rim on your doorstep. I won’t be able to stop that force coming for you.”Whistler put out her arm, a hand finding its way to Jane’s back. “Come on, I should get you home. I got my orders just a second ago.”The sound of the front door made Jane look up from where she was beginning dinner. Julie’s voice floated away as she walked to her room, while Joe turned the corner to enter the kitchen. He started unpacking the lunch he’d packed that morning, glancing at Jane as she worked on slicing tofu to fry up.“You want to talk about it?”Glancing at him, she shook her head before returning to her task. “Not right now, probably later tonight. I don’t want Julie hearing any of that conversation because she still asks about her every so often.”Joe turned around and leaned against the counter, arms folded. “How’s your blood pressure?”“Normal, I took it when I got home.” Jane wiped her hands on a nearby dishcloth. “Your son disagrees with my actions today. He seems intent on kicking what I think is my kidney. Your daughter could care less.”He walked around the island and put his hands on her belly, leaning down to kiss it. “Good boy Joey, tell Mommy everything she did wrong today.”Jane couldn’t help but smile as she ran her fingers through his hair, listening as he spoke to their unborn children. “We still need to find a name for her.”“Well, we’ve been unable to come up with one that suits her.”“I think I found one today.”Joe stood up while keeping his hands on her belly. “What is it?”“Ioane, it’s the same meaning as my name. We’re naming Joey after you so, why not the same with her. She’d have the meaning but a name entirely her own.”Joe thought about it, “Ioane.” He said the name before shaking his head a fraction. “Maybe for a middle name. I was hoping for something more traditional.”“Traditional, like what?”“My grandmother’s name was Charlotte.”Jane turned the name over in her mind before speaking. “Charlotte Ioane Milius. It has a certain ring to it.”“There was one other name that I was thinking of.” Joe stood up straight and continued to rub her belly, hoping for a kick. “Shannon, after your maiden name.”“Shannon Ioane Milius.” After a minute she took his hand and moved it to one side of her belly where she knew their son was. “We have two contenders but something tells me we need to wait till she is born to decide.”Joe smiled, “she’s going to have a personality for sure. The quiet ones always do.”“Stereotyping our daughter already. Shame on you Captain.”Pulling her into his arms, he held her as much as her belly would let him. It had become a barrier between them during hugs but they made do. “I love you Jane and while I worried about you today, I trust you.”“I won’t let Maggie Shaw destroy the family we’ve built. Julie doesn’t know the truth; Alex knows but he keeps quiet around her. It’s a tough situation because she’s right, if it was one of our kids, I’d do whatever needed to keep them safe.”Joe moved so he could see her face, lifting her chin up with his hand. “I just have one question for you. Does any part of you want to be around her again?”“She was my friend and I don’t have many of them. However, when she trades secrets, she also traded our friendship. Maggie possibly used me and my kids to get information for MSS. That’s unforgivable. Using my children is not acceptable.”“I’m just checking.” He ran the back of his forefinger down her cheek. “I do think it’s time Julie knows the truth. In case Shaw tries to do something like contact her.” Sighing he moved back a fraction. “She’s old enough to handle the truth.”After dinner, Julie sat in the living room watching a show on Netflix with Jane when Joe joined them. Sitting down purposefully on the other side of Julie, he met Jane’s eyes for a fraction of a second. She paused the tv and Julie turned to her mother.“Mom…”Jane took a breath before she began speaking. “Julie, do you know what treason is?”“Which form? There are multiple types of treason.”“Selling secrets to foreign governments.”The girl nodded, “I know about it, why?”“I lied to you last year and I’m sorry.” Before she could continue, Julie stopped her.“Mom, did you commit treason? If so, I don’t know anything and if someone asks, I will tell them I know nothing.”Jane chuckled and brushed back a piece of Julie’s hair from her the edge of her face. “No baby, I didn’t commit treason but someone you know did.” She looked down when Julie grabbed her hand to hold them. “Maggie committed treason but the government isn’t going to charge her because she is a better asset to them continuing with being a spy for the foreign government she betrayed us to.”“We’re telling you because we want you to know in case Maggie Shaw tries to contact you. If she does, you’re to call your mother or I immediately. If we don’t answer, call Kate.”Julie nodded, “I understand.” She had a painful expression. “Mom, I’m sorry she hurt you.”“I’m better now. I’m building a better life then I had when she was a part of it. I have you, your brother, your siblings, and Joe. Maggie may not be a part of my life anymore but I’m okay with that.”The preteen hugged her mother and Jane held on, closing her eyes as she held her daughter tight. Eventually Julie pulled away and put a hand to Jane’s belly. “Are my sister and brother awake? I haven’t felt them kick this week.”“Your brother is extremely active but your sister is a little quieter. She doesn’t kick as much but she’s much more happy sleeping then being awake.” Jane repositioned her daughter’s hand and Julie grinned as her unborn brother kicked her hand.“I can’t believe I’m getting a sister. I hope she grows up liking some of the things I do so I can do them with her. I want to teach her to swim and surf and to ride a horse.”Joe placed a hand on Julie’s back. “Speaking of horses, you need to get to bed so you get sleep before heading to the stables in the morning.”“Right.” Julie stood up and hugged her mother before hugging Joe. “Thank you for being here Joe, you make Mom so happy.”Once the girl left the room, Jane switched Netflix to the main menu so they could select the next episode of Narcos that they planned to watch. “I still can’t believe your father flew a horse out here to us. We told him no and yet we are paying for a horse’s boarding and care.”“He said that Triumph doesn’t like anyone other than you and Julie; makes sense he’d send him to us.”“Still, we’re lucky that the Whitmans don’t mind us stabling the horse at their ranch for a fraction of the cost a normal stable would charge. That would have been an added cost that would have causes us to rethink keeping Triumph. We're already paying five hundred a month for feed, boarding, ferrier, and vet care.""After the twins are born and you're healed, you're going to be on Triumph at least twice a week." Joe told her as he moved to sit beside her on the couch, putting his arm around her. "You love to ride, almost as much as Julie." Kissing her temple, he sighed. "I love you.""I love you too." Jane moved her head to meet his eyes. "How did we become that family that has a horse, a dog, four kids, and a loving marriage?"Reaching up, Joe brushed a piece of hair aside, tucking it behind her ear. "Well, it started developing the moment we met at Maluhia Fields, arguing over who has control of plane wreckage." Out of nowhere she laughed and shook her head. "I can't believe I married you somedays." Using a finger to move her chin to the side, Joe kissed her gently. "I can't either. You deserve so much better than me.""I want you Joe, even when I can't stand you, I want you." Resting her head on his shoulder, she relaxed. "I think about the day you asked 'what can I do' on the phone when I was falling apart; I think that was the day I determined I wanted you. You're kind and caring, a family man who worries for those he cares for even if they're five thousand miles away.""I stopped a meeting for you that day." He put his hand on her belly, over his unborn daughter, in hopes she'd kick his hand. "I don't think I would have stopped a meeting for anyone else. Not even Decker or Wentworth." Jane tilted her head so she see his face. "Do you remember the day you said you wanted me. The day we decided to date each other, even though it was long distance?""Everyday." Joe couldn't help the grin that spread across his face when his unborn daughter kicked his hand. "A few times I've looked back and wondered how our relationship turned from talking to sex to dating to marriage."She put her hand over his, waiting to see if their daughter would kick again. "We aren't exactly your typical couple." After a moment she continued her thought process. "We had a date then you moved away and everything became long distance for a few months before you came back. And when you came back, we were already engaged."Joe moved his hand to where he knew his son was. "It's so convoluted." He thought before saying something that made her melt. "But I wouldn't trade any event or any moment of our relationship." Reaching over, he caught her hand and threaded their fingers together. "When I talked to the therapist last week after our session, she told me something. She said you don't marry the one you can live with but the one you can't live without. I can't imagine not having you Jane, it's impossible to imagine that."The special agent reached up and wiped away the tear that escaped her eye when he spoke. "Me either. When you go away for maneuvers or war games, it's hard for me emotionally. We've already discussed that in a prior session, but it happens all the time when you're gone. You're so engrained in our lives that living without you isn't an option."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A knock on the front door interrupted Jane as she stood barefoot in the kitchen making tea. She stopped stirring sugar substitute into her green tea and headed towards the front door when it opened and she heard a voice call out her name. The voice alone made her roll her eyes as she rounded the corner to see Charlie One standing in the entryway with two files in his hand. He grinned at her as he saw her but then his gaze, like so many others, landed on her expanded midsection. Said midsection was closing in on thirty weeks and the reason she sometimes worked from home. She’d been ordered to take it easy by OB so she did half-weeks.“Whoa, did you swallow the planet?”Jane narrowed her eyes, “why are you in my house?”“Oh,” he held out the files. “I dropped by to assist with your gun runner case after Boone contacted me. Didn’t see your smiling face and he said you were benched, so, I decided to drop the files off to you instead.”She opened the file that rested on the top and saw the paperwork inside. Without a second glance at him, she walked back to the kitchen to finish her tea while reading the paper her eyes were glued on. “Thanks. Pantry is open, feel free.”“So you trade the baby you don’t own for a baby you do own?” The man opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of cereal. “I love babies but I don’t see the appeal of having one.”“It’s a mom thing.” Jane stated and used her left forefinger to brush back a piece of hair that caught on the edge of her mouth. “So, Dixon is or isn’t special ops?”Charlie shrugged as he leaned against the counter. “Depends on who you ask and which part of the alphabet is running said op. I’ve never worked with him but we have a mutual friend that we’ve both worked with. I reached out to my friend and got the wall of silence. Tells me there is something else going on than just lost munitions.” He folded his arms, “has me concerned. More concerned than the whole North Korean drama we had months ago.”“Well that’s concerning.” She stated and looked up, “you were five seconds from bolting when that went down.”“Exactly, and I put out two feelers and nothing, no response from those contacts.”Jane closed the file she’d been reading and switched to the second, reading the papers inside as she spoke to him. “I’ll talk to Joe, see if he can get in touch with both SEA and MEO, see if they can find out anything. If all else fails, he’ll touch base with ONI.”“Who is SEA and MEO?”“South East Asia Office. Middle East Office.” Jane waved the man off as she continued onto the next page. “Offices of Pentagon.”“Oh, Captain Milius.” It dawned on Charlie what she was talking about. “Thought you were talking about NCIS for a moment.” He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes as he did. “How is he? Haven’t spoken much since Manila, been meaning to catch up.”As if on cue, the front door opened and then slammed. Jane looked up to see Julie throwing her backpack on the bench as Joe rounded the corner. Jane watched as her daughter glared at her husband, who seemed unaffected by the girl’s behavior. He pointed towards her room.“Room, homework, now.” His voice was no-nonsense, which usually was reserved for work so Julie had done something wrong.The girl stomped her foot and continued to glare. “You’re ruining my life. I hate you!” With that she headed to her room and slammed her door.“Slam the door again and it comes off the henges. Only warning.” He spoke loud enough she could hear behind the closed door.Jane shot him a questioning look as she spoke. “What the hell happened?”“Julie received after school detention for the next three days.” Joe stated while removing his jacket and put his cover in the closet as was his routine. “She punched a girl that was bullying Dalia.” He pulled the girl’s phone from his back pocket. “I took her phone, which according to her, is ruining her life.”The agent took the phone that he handed her and smiled. “Well, I’m sure this is much more exciting than assisting Wentworth with a ship christening today.”Joe ignored Charlie and gave Jane a chaste kiss. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll start dinner.”“We have an extra for tonight.” Jane turned to Charlie, “that is if he can be polite.”Charlie threw up his hands, “I’m always polite.”“Right.” Jane stated with a drawl of the word, clearly being sarcastic. “Why don’t you give me the rundown regarding the munitions that you know are currently missing.”Dinner was full of conversation that would seem abnormal on a regular day but in a Navy-NCIS household, it was typical. Julie was pushing her food around while eating, mostly glaring at her parents. Charlie was giving Joe a minute-by-minute rundown of the North Korean situation they’d had months before. Jane was trying not to roll her eyes while correcting some of Charlie’s statements.“Then she just shoots the guy from about a hundred feet away.” Charlie stated, “Holman could only thank her for the assist.”Jane looked at her husband, “it was more like fifty feet.” She pointed a finger at Charlie, “and for the record, I’m one of a handful of agents that has a perfect score in marksmanship qualifications.”“Can I go to the range with you?” Julie asked and Jane looked to her daughter; it was the first time Julie had spoken at dinner. “You took Alex when he was ten.”Thinking, Jane finally nodded. “Yes, but only after we talk about your behavior because we’ve discussed using words instead of being physical before.”Julie nodded. “It was Dalia and she’s been bullied by Reese for weeks. She reported Reese, I reported her also but they aren’t doing anything. They keep saying that it’ll pass but it isn’t. When I saw Reese push her into a locker for like the fifth day, I got angry. When I defended Dalia, I got pushed into the lockers also. That’s when I just lost it and punched her.”“How many times has this girl been reported?”“I’ve reported her, Dalia reported her. Maisie’s sister reported her, and I know Koa reported her. I’m sure there are more but the school doesn’t care.” Julie shrugged before looking at Joe with remorse in her eyes. “I don’t hate you. I was just mad, I’m sorry.”Joe rubbed her upper back. “I know, I didn’t take it as anything other than angry words.” Chuckling, he continued to rub her back. “I think this is the point your mom and I were dreading. The teenage years where you say you hate us and you test our limits.”Charlie nudged Julie’s arm. “I can find this girl and take care of her for you. Just scare her.”Julie shook her head, “don’t worry about it. Mom is going to handle it and when she gets done, the school is going to be shivering in fear.” She leaned in towards him to stage whisper. “I don’t know if you know this but my mom is a really bad ass, justice-seeking agent.”“I know.” He whispered back. “She saved my life once.”“She’s good at that.” Julie grinned.Jane rolled her eyes again. “Alright, break it up you two.” She pointed at Charlie, “don’t go corrupting my daughter.”Charlie shrugged, “if you ask me, she’s already halfway to joining my team.”“Not till I’m eighteen.” Julie supplied to the man. “But sure, I’ll join your team. Come see me in seven years.”Joe stepped in by looking between the two. “You have to go to ONI or CIA to join his team.”“Like I’m not already headed there.” The girl looked at her stepfather.“So who is Dalia?” Charlie asked Julie as he started eating again. “Best friend?”Sitting back in her chair, Julie shrugged. “Sort of. It’s complicated.” After a minute she elaborated, “she’s my friend but I also like her, you know, like like her.”The black ops man nodded, “I see.”“She’s been really cool about it since a girl that used to be my friend told everyone that I liked her. Dalia defended me then said it’s okay that I like her, even if she doesn’t like me like that.”Jane stood up and went to the junk drawer that was by the cabinets. Usually the keys and phone chargers sat on the counter above the junk drawer. Opening the drawer, she withdrew a blue envelope. Returning to the table she gave it to Charlie.“For you, never knew where to send it though.”He opened the envelope and withdrew the item from within, reading the paper before he chuckled. “Well isn’t that something. Two of my favorite people are getting married.”
“Are you verbally RSPVing?” She asked as she took a sip of her water.“Hell yeah.” He put the invitation back in the envelope. “So, you two honeymooning here after the wedding before he heads back to Washington?”“Left Washington in January.” Joe stated as he wiped his face after chewing. “Took over as Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet again after my replacement created a narcotics nightmare at Pearl.”Charlie folded his arms, “how big was the seizure?”“Seventy Million.” Jane supplied and Charlie looked impressed. “That was the cost, not the weight. I forgot what the actual weight was because all the paperwork related to that case weighed more than the drugs.”The man whistled softly. “That’s a career-making bust.”Joe picked up his glass of water, “what are you doing for Christmas, Charlie?”“Not much, family is all the way across the world and my sister-in-law hates my guts.” He shrugged, “don’t do the family get together anymore. I usually find a hotel and relax.”“You’re spending Christmas with us. Be here at ten Christmas morning.” Jane stated and shot the man a look. “That’s non-negotiable.”Charlie smiled at her. “Spending Christmas with my favorite people, probably the best Christmas I’ve had since my teen years.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sound of knocking made Jane look up to see Kai opening the door to her office. She’d just finished a meeting with two of her fellow SACs so that was why her office door was closed. The case regarding lost munitions was still ongoing, so she’d had to update everyone. Vance had charged her with informing her counterparts as it had been in her territory; she’d done so without complaint.“Hey, so Jesse said something about this case being similar to one you had right before Carter left.” Kai handed her the file and she took it, looking at the report inside.“I remember. A sailor was found string up from a mast with his throat slashed. There was no evidence at the scene linked to the murder.” Jane stated as she read the file. “Chase and Boom-Boom concluded that it was likely the killer wore a body suit or something alike.”Kai pointed over his shoulder. “Since when is Black Ops stationed here?”Looking up, Jane saw he was pointing to Charlie One. The man had been assigned as a DOD liaison; like Whistler’s assignment was liaison for the DIA and FBI. “Since it came from SEVNAV and Vance. They’re nervous since there are a lot of overlap cases, so he’s stationed here for the time being.”“I thought he couldn’t carry a gun on US soil. Did I miss something being off for a week?”Jane closed the folder and sat back. “He wasn’t allowed but since he’s now a DOD liaison for NCIS, he’s been given special permission to do so.” She held out the file to Kai. “I think the humorous part of all this is that we now know his last name.”“Whoever named him had a sense of humor.” The agent stated, “Charlemagne England; that’s one for the books.”Pushing her chair back, Jane stood up by using her desk as leverage. She was thirty-two weeks and huge, at least according to her point of view. “I guess we should go talk to Carter.”Kai put up his hands, “I’m not doing it, I’m liable to punch him. Jesse won’t either; said he’s washed his hands of Carter.”“I’ll do it.” Jane stated, “it’s a university campus, not a crime scene that needs sweeping.”“At least take Black Ops with you.”Kai had started calling Charlie by that nickname after the situation with the North Koreans. It had been a joke but eventually turned into a familiar term that Kai used. Similar as to how she used Joe’s rank or Jesse called Kai ‘new guy’ even though it’d been almost three years since Kai started.After she grabbed her keys and phone, Jane walked out of her office as Kai held the door open. Walking past the desk Charlie was situated at, she knocked on the wood and then made a ‘come here’ motion that he’d probably seen a hundred times or more. Grabbing his phone and gun, Charlie followed her out of the squad room.It was on only once they were in the car that he started asking questions. “Exactly where are we going?”“U of H.” She stated as they neared the gate of the base. “An old colleague is head of security there and he was an agent when our case happened.” Jane looked over at Charlie, “he’s going to insult me in some way, just be prepared. Also, just because he does don’t mean you can kick his ass.”Charlie nodded as he turned his head towards her. “Why would he insult you?”“The short story is that I was chosen as SAC instead of him. Carter didn’t like me as an agent or as SAC; it’s all semantics but he was no longer eligible to be an agent according to Big NCIS. Me being who I am, I gave him a choice to leave voluntarily or to be fired officially on record. He thinks I fired him despite him leaving on his own.” Sighing once they were out of the base gate, she put her hand on her belly. “Joey settled down.”“Little guy giving you issues?”Jane smirked, “he’s all me, his sister on the other hand is all their father.”“So back to this Carter guy.” He moved his hand to the side as if brushing away the conversation about her unborn children. If he didn’t, they’d be talking about the Milius twins all the way to the university. “Why are you going to question him?”“Because the boys can’t and I’m not sending Lucy due to the lawsuit that would follow. I think you’ve noticed by now that Lucy throws people around like a WWE champion and is faster than a cheetah. She’d beat the crap out of Carter and I can’t afford to have her charged with assault and battery.”The black ops patriot nodded, “true. What about Boone and Holman?”“Kai has told me he’d punch Carter and Jesse’s dealt with him already and has washed his hands.” She saw Charlie open and close his fist, probably still dealing with the soreness of the last case when he accidently punched into a wall stud when apprehending a suspect. “They’re protective in case you didn’t notice.”“And you think I’m going to be any different?”Jane nodded, “I do. I think you’re going to keep a level head despite anything said because your biggest concern is my safe return to NCIS.” Grinning, she focused on the road. “Plus you don’t want to explain to Joe why I was rushed to the hospital instead of going back to work.”At the university, they found Jim Carter in the security office. He was going over something on the computer with the security officer sitting at the terminal. Jane knocked on the glass barrier and both Carter and the officer looked up to see them. Jane was the one at the desk while Charlie stood a few feet away, like a sentinel ready to attack if necessary.It took a few minutes but Carter exited the staff door and folded his arms. “What do you want?”She held up a file, “hanging sailor, like the case right before you left. Hung on a boat mast, neck slit, with no evidence of anyone else being present.”“You fired me, I never left.”Jane tucked her tongue in her cheek for a moment before continuing. “Let’s focus on the case. What do you remember about it?”“Let’s go to my office.” He pushed in the code to the door and opened it, motioning for her to enter.Jane entered before him and Charlie caught the door before it closed as Carter went through. He followed the two till they got to Carter’s office, Jane sitting down in a chair that rested in front of desk where Carter sat. Charlie just stood by the wall; arms folded.“He going to stand like that the whole time?” Carter asked nodding his chin towards Charlie.The man didn’t move as he spoke. “Trust me when I tell you that me standing by this wall is the safest option right now.”“Another one of your loyal hires?” Carter asked Jane before motioning to her. “I see you got yourself knocked up. Must create issues going into the field. Probably for the best anyways, less emotion in important manners.”Charlie started towards the man until Jane threw up her fist, hearing him move instead of seeing him. Returning to his spot, he set his jaw and Jane lowered her hand. “Just give me the word Tennant.” It was all Charlie said before shutting his mouth.“Just like Jesse.” Carter stated and leaned back in his chair. “I remember the case. You were there so why are you asking me questions?”Jane opened the folder and threw it on his desk. “Because I wasn’t SAC yet and this was before the downsizing of 2017. Remember that when you were there, we had not one but three teams. I know only the big facts and Jesse remembers very little.”Carter folded his arms. “Petty Officer Cyrus was left hanging on a mast with no evidence of another person having been on the boat. It was wiped clean and due to the location of the ship, both NCIS and CGIS both combed over it. CGIS concluded that there wasn’t any evidence either. Cyrus’ neck had been slit with a serrated knife, no identifying characteristics that could narrow down a specific brand. It became a cold case until your case brought it up again.”Jane nodded, “that’s all I needed. Thank you.” She pushed off the arms of the chair and stood up, collecting the files from Carter’s desk. “Good luck.”It was when she was at the door, the one that Charlie held open, that Carter spoke again. “So, just curious but are you planning on going back to work after the kid is born?”Jane turned to look at the man. “That would be a personal decision between me and my husband.”“Well, I only ask because he seems to be full time Navy and that leaves you without someone caring for the kids. Just curious is all.”“Just once, please?” Charlie asked her while starring at the man. “I can even make it look like an accident.”Jane motioned in front of her. “Go.” Charlie sighed and walked ahead of her out the door. “Have a good day, Jim.”Walking towards the parking lot, Jane listened as Charlie spoke about the weekend paint ball game between him, Julie, Lucy, and Whistler. It had an impromptu game but he’d been roped into the scheduled outing between Julie and the federal agents after picking up Julie from Pony School on a request from Joe. She could only laugh as he described how he and Whistler had lost to Julie and Lucy in horrible manner.“…just out of nowhere.” Charlie shook his head. “I thought you guys were joking about her being future Ops.”Jane pushed back a piece of hair that got in her face. “Unfortunately not, that’s why we were so hesitant to take her to the range. Three visits, she’s already improving her targeting within three visits.”Charlie laughed, “something tells me if I’m not leading a mission when she gets put on an op, I’ll be commanding one. One goes into the Navy, one is prepped for Ops, and these two, they’re going to be dangerous. At least the girl will be, the silent ones always are.”She pushed his arm, “you’re just as bad as Joe. He keeps telling me our daughter is going to be a handful and have an attitude to match.”“Have you guys narrowed down to a name yet?”“Charlotte after his grandmother or Shannon after my maiden name.” She shrugged, “we’re waiting till she’s born to name her. Both of us realize with that she’s going to be difficult to name before birth. Unlike her brother who always kicks me, she’s a bit more subdued.”Charlie pulled out his phone from his back pocket and motioned to it. “I have called Kate, as instructed for all celebrations or parties, she still says the baby shower is a no-go. How the hell do I get you guys anything if there is no shower?”“We’re waiting. I’m not ignorant enough to think you guys haven’t spoken about my pregnancy at least once.” Jane looked to him, “once we have healthy, breathing babies in our arms, we’ll accept gifts.”“But you’re naming them.”Jane nodded, “yes but even stillborns have names.” Her expression turned sober, “we’ve already spoke at length about the fact we could come home with one or neither. I think it took several visits with the counselor to get through the talks of what happens if I don’t make it. Those were some dark days but we got through it.”“If anyone could, it’d be you two.” He chuckled and nudged her arm with his elbow. “After Manila, you two can handle anything.”“Don’t remind me. I love the man and he’s smart but sometimes he’s ignorant of politics. Ran right towards Russians with AKs, ready hot, because he got too passionate about his people.”Charlie nodded slightly. “Sounds like him.”Jane’s phone beeped and she looked down at it to see a text from Daniel. She opened her phone and looked at the message. “Looks like I’m doing the school run for Julie. Both Daniel and Joe are out of commission.”“So you have a group text with your ex and current husband?” Charlie shook his head, “man that must be tense.”Jane waved him off. “No, the get along just fine. Last month Julie’s LGBTQ Group had a ‘Camp with Dad’ event, they both went with her. The three of them even shared a tent.”He opened his mouth then shut it before finally speaking. “Brings new meaning to coparenting.”“So, you know that baby that I had during the North Korean situation?” She watched him turn his head, interested but also wary if his expression was anything to go on. “My ex-husband’s son with his new wife.”Pointing at her, he spoke so calmly. “You are certifiably insane.”
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Joe stood by the bed packing his travel duffle, worried because he’d be gone for the week to see how the USS Theodore Roosevelt travelled after upgrading several systems. Since RIMPAC was coming up, several ships had received upgrades, but it also left someone needing to see their travel and working capabilities. Joe had been selected to oversee the Roosevelt while several other officers got other carriers and subs. Joe didn’t want to leave due to Jane being so close to delivery but work overrode what he wanted. Jane sat on the bed just a few feet away, folding laundry as if it was another day.“You have my number?” Joe asked her despite knowing she did.“I do.” Jane looked up at him with a smile. “I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be working from home this week so you can relax.”Zipping the duffle, he walked around the bed till he could place a hand on her upper back. “I’m not going to relax until they’re here.” Leaning over to kiss her crown, he sighed. “I don’t want to leave, right now isn’t the best time.”“The boys are hovering, they started when I told them you’d be gone for a week.” Jane started folding a towel. “Between Jesse and Charlie, I won’t even be able to pick up a coffee cup.”After a few moments of listening to her talk about how the boys were overbearing, Joe left her to finish the laundry. Julie was at the kitchen table doing her homework so he paused and sat down across from her.“What’s up?” Julie asked upon looking up, pen placed down.“I’m going to be gone this week so keep an eye on your mother. Do you know what to do if there is an emergency?”Julie nodded, “call Uncle Jesse, if he doesn’t pick up then call Charlie. If neither of them picks up then call Aunt Kate or Lucy. If all that fails, call Dad.”“Emergency numbers are on the fridge.” Joe stood and moved around the wooden furniture to lean down to kiss Julie’s head. “Your mother is working from home this week but keep an eye on her. You know how she is.”Julie looked up at him. “I do.”The first three days of Joe being gone was normal for Julie; Uncle Jesse took her school and Charlie picked her up to take her to the stables for training, staying to watch her work on her obstacle jumping. When she started training for show jumping, Triumph had to be moved to a different boarding stable. Military discounts kept classes and boarding at a semi-low price; affordable was the word that Joe used.“That last obstacle was higher than the others.” Charlie stated as they walked to the car after she had put Triumph in his stall. After-ride care meant she had to work on the horse to make sure he was healthy and happy after training. It usually took two hours but Julie enjoyed all aspects of show jumping, even taking care of her horse.“Miss Taylor says we’re going to work on raising the obstacles next time.” Julie stated as they reached the car.Charlie unlocked the car while pulling his phone from his pocket to see Jesse on the line. “Hey Boone, what’s up?” He asked as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Whoa, hold up. Right now? But there are supposed to be a few weeks left.” Julie turned to him as he spoke. “Where? Okay, yeah, I have her, we’ll meet you there.”“Everything okay?” Julie asked as Charlie hung up the phone.“Your mom is at the hospital.”Julie pulled on her seatbelt. “Let’s go. Are you driving, or am I?”Charlie started the car, “you driving isn’t going to happen. Your parents would have my head.”“Then hurry up.”“You’re so like your mother.”Jane Tennant-Milius found herself in triage room in the maternity section of Tripler Medical Center. Jesse sat with her, texting someone as he sat patiently in the chair by her bed. Jane had already had him call Joe; she wasn’t able to due to the pain she felt. Jane found herself barely able to sit up without holding onto something, her pain seemed to be constant.The sound of a curtain being pushed back made both look up to see the doctor had come. The nurse that had been treating her stood at the end of the bed. The doctor finished rubbing sanitizer into his hands before speaking.“Agent Tennant, we’ve reviewed the information you’ve given us along with our tests. I don’t want to scare you but we’re going to be taking you to surgery immediately. Ultrasound along with several other tests show the likelihood of placental abruption. That’s when the placenta comes away from the uterine wall.” He looked at her vitals, “do you have any questions?”“Is my baby going to be alright?” Jane asked him.The doctor looked at the fetal monitors, “both seem just fine, heart beats are still strong. The tear is likely minor but enough to cause bleeding. I just would feel comfortable delivering because you’re having twins and you have several risk factors for preeclampsia.” He turned to Jane, “Lina is going to get you going so we can take you to delivery. In less than two hours you’re going to be meeting your twins.”Once the doctor was gone and the nurse started working on getting Jane prepped. “I’m going to be working below your belly button, are you okay with your birth partner being present?”Jesse stood up, “I’m going to go call Joe again and then inform the team, they’re all waiting in the waiting room.” He looked down at his boss, “you going to be okay?” She nodded, still feeling pain. “Let me know when I can come back.” Jesse told the nurse.Fifteen minutes later, Jesse showed up as the anesthesiologist was prepping for the epidural. The nurse was helping Jane lean over and having seen it with his wife, Jesse took over holding her. “Deep breath.” The anesthesiologist told her, “and stay extremely still.”“You got this Boss.” Jesse told her as he watched the doctor work. “Joe is trying to get a helo out as quickly as possible. He called Wentworth to tell him what was going on but it will probably be some time before he is on Hawaiian soil. Until he’s here, the whole team is here for you. Julie is anxious to see you so the nurse is going to let her come back for a few minutes before they take you to the OR.”After the epidural was placed, Jane was laid back and ready to be taken to the operating room. The nurse did enter with Julie beside her, the preteen instantly rushed to her mother. “Hey baby. I’m alright.”“Are the babies okay?”“They are but if I don’t deliver soon, they won’t be.” Jane reached out to cup her daughter’s cheek. “I need you to be strong and wait with the team. Jesse is going to be with me the whole time.”Julie nodded to her request. “When is Joe getting home? Can’t we wait for him?”“Not this time. He’s trying to get a helo but it’s going to take time for one to be routed to the ship. The babies will be here before he arrives.”The girl leaned over and kissed Jane’s belly. “I’ll see you soon. I can’t wait to meet you.”The nurse smiled at them, “we have to take your mom now. Do you want to walk her to the OR doors?” Julie nodded to her, “alright, stand to the side so I can unlock the bed.”Jane listened as she laid on the bed, Jesse beside her head. The doctors and nurses were talking as they did a final prep before beginning. The nurse that had been sweet to Julie leaned over to check one her.“You okay there Mom?” When Jane nodded, the pain from earlier finally gone.“Pain is gone.”“Good, we’re about to get started. In the next ten minutes you’ll have your twins, so I hope you’re ready.”Jesse caught Jane’s attention after the nurse backed away. “You guys ready?”“For sleepless nights and non-stop bodily fluids, not in the least.” Jane smiled at her colleague, “but, the love and endless moments of joy, absolutely.”“You guys have been worried about the birth but it’s here and the light at the end of the tunnel is just feet away.”They heard the doctor speak. “Cutting.”No more than two minutes after he spoke, a cry was heard and Jane couldn’t help but cry herself. The nurse brought the baby over, covered in vernix and blood, “it’s a boy, Mama.”“Joey.” Jane spoke despite the tears. “He’s beautiful.”The nurse took him towards the baby warmer and Jesse kept an eye on the nurse as he sat beside Jane. “One down, one to go.” Jesse grinned, “you got another boy.”“Joey, he’s been the most active.” Jane stated as she turned her head despite not being able to see her son at the angle she laid at. “His sister is the reserved one.”A cry followed to herald the delivery of the second twin. “A girl, Mom.” A second nurse came over and held the newly birthed newborn, covered in vernix and blood like her brother. “She’s a little quieter than her brother.”“She always has been. She’s beautiful.”“You have a name for her?” Jesse asked as the nurse took the baby girl to the second baby warmer.“Not yet, we have two we’ve settled on so she’ll get a name when Joe gets here.”Three hours after giving birth, Jane sat in bed in her room on the Mother and Baby Unit, she held her son in her arms. His sister was content to sleep in her bassinet, oblivious to the world. A knock on her door was followed by the barrier opening. She found Lucy and Whistler walking in with Julie, only so many visitors were allowed at a time.“They’re here.” Julie stated and walked to the bassinet her sister laid in. “Which one is this?”“Your sister.” Jane stated and watched Julie rub her sister’s cheek with her finger. “And this is your brother.” Julie turned her attention to her mother and walked closer, taking time to see her youngest brother. “This is Joey.”“Joey?” Julie asked as she looked towards her mother. “I’ve never heard you say his name.”“We weren’t sure until I was about six months. After that, I only really used his name unless he was kicking me non-stop.” Jane patted the bed and Julie sat down, accepting her brother when he was handed to her. “Joseph Christopher Milius Jr., after Joe.”Julie grinned as she held her brother. “Joey makes sense.” Her attention turned to her sister, “what’s my sister’s name?”“Not sure yet. She’s been the hardest to name.”Lucy leaned over the baby girl and picked her up, smiling as she did. “She’s so beautiful.”“Definitely looks like Jane.” Whistler stated, “but perfect.”“We’re totally able to babysit, whenever and wherever.” Lucy stated to her boss. “One or both.” She walked over with the baby in her arms to look down at Joey. “He looks more like Joe than you.”Jane held her son’s tiny hand. “He does.Whistler looked to Jane. “Does this mean I can throw a baby shower now?”“Yes, you can.”“Well at least you know it’s a girl and boy.” Lucy told her girlfriend, “that cuts half the drama of a gender reveal/baby shower.” The boys visited after Lucy and Whistler left with Julie, a promise to send her back after the boys left.As visitation policy demanded Julie leave due to her being under sixteen, Jesse took her with a promise that her routine wouldn’t change. She’d be dropped off at school the next day and Charlie swore to take her to jumping lessons. Jane was allowed to be alone with the twins, enjoying their first day of life as she relearned all the necessary tasks, she hadn’t used in almost twelve years. She’d made the tough decision to give formula instead of breastfeeding, although the tough part was due from others and their point of views. Lucy, Whistler, Chase, or Jesse’s wife, Heather, had judged her and Joe had certainly said nothing when she mentioned it, but her mother did and loudly.The next morning, Jane was woken to a kiss to her forehead. She blinked awake to see Joe standing over her, still in his uniform. He brushed back a strand of hair as she slowly woke up. She’d been woken every hour by the nurse because one reason or another but after getting the twins settled, she’d been able to sleep for two hours.“You made it.” Jane spoke softly as Joe sat on the bed beside her.“I did. We were so close to the island that it was decided I would wait until we reached port. I’ve been anxious to get here, knowing you did this all alone.” His attention went to the bassinets that sat beside the bed. “I didn’t want to wake them.”Wincing from the c-section as she sat up, Jane pulled their daughter closer and reached in to grab the newborn. Being gentle, Jane held out the baby, which Joe took quickly and naturally. She watched as awe filled his face as he held his daughter for the first time. “Babies can sleep through almost anything once they’re asleep.”“She’s perfect.” Joe stated, his voice a whisper as disbelief filled it. “How big was she?”“Five pounds, twelve ounces, and seventeen inches. Joey was the same, just eighteen inches.”Unable to put his daughter down, Joe rubbed the back of his finger against her cheek. “Shannon; she looks so much like you that your maiden name seems the right choice.”“Shannon Ioane Milius.” Jane stated and watched her husband look up. “We’ve finally settled on a name.”Shannon moved in her father’s arms, squirming before settling once again. She opened her eyes for a moment before closing them once again. Joe leaned down and kissed her head, pulling back long enough to see Jane requesting her daughter. “Here, Mommy wants you.”“Mommy always wants her.” Jane stated as she cradled the newborn. She looked up to see Joe standing and gently picked up Joey, holding his son in his arms. “He looks a lot like you.”“Of course he does.” Joe took his son’s tiny hand and held it. “We still settled on his name or are we going to have another healthy debate?”“His name is settled; he’s been Joey for months now.”Joe looked up at her, “the minute we tell our parents that they’re here, all four are going to fly in.”“Let’s get them home and settled before we make that call.” Jane stated while leaning down to kiss her daughter’s head. “We need a routine before we have twin tornados barging in.”“Jane?” She looked up at her name, “I just want to tell you that you did an amazing job. Everyone is happy about the babies but having you come out of this healthy, that’s the most amazing thing to me.”Reaching out, she cupped his cheek and felt as he kissed her palm. “I know you’ve been anxious since the pregnancy test turned positive. We’re happy and healthy, all of us.”“I think the parenting anxiety will replace it in the coming days.” He joked and Jane chuckled, watching as he starred at his son.
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The sound of gurgling filled Jane’s ears as she held her son in her arms, working to make herself a cup of coffee that she desperately needed. Joey had been upset that he’d been put down in the twin bassinets that sat in the kitchen; his laidback sister more than satisfied to be placed down. She’d been just over halfway through her maternity leave when a big case had her having to work from base for a week so she managed to convince Vance to have a word with HR to see if she could return to work in an office-only capacity again. The man had managed to swing it for her, as only the director could, and so she worked from home.“Someone is up early.” Joe stated while entering the kitchen to see Jane making coffee, Joey in her arms. “Come to Daddy.” He took the baby boy as Jane surrendered him without protest, smiling as Joe held the two month old, a hand on his head as his lips were pressed against black hair. “He still having issues with being put down?”“Without change but the pediatrician said it wasn’t anything to be concerned about when I mentioned it last visit.” Jane moved around the island and put the creamer she’d been using in the fridge. “My parents and are arriving today.”Joe walked to the bassinets and looked down to see Shannon sound asleep. “My mother understood when I told her and asked if we’d prefer to have them after your parents leave. I told her that would be best, so once we get a date of departure for your parents, I’ll let her know.”“That’s good. As much as I love your parents, I couldn’t deal with them and my mother at the same time.” Jane stated while pulling out several items to make their lunches. “My sister is coming in with my parents. The last thing I expected was my mother saying that Amy will be joining them. I didn’t even know they were speaking, much less visiting.”Taking a sip of her coffee, of which he winced at as he always did upon tasting the sugar and cream she put in it, Joe listened. “I thought you said she was the black sheep of the family.”“She is, after breaking up a marriage then divorcing said man six months after getting married. My parents considered it a double no-no, much worse than my failed marriage. My father says that Amy has begun seeking professional treatment and has changed now that she’s on medication. I always told him that she was a little unstable but now that a doctor has gotten involved, they’re listening.”The sound of a door shutting had them both waiting and Julie entered the kitchen. “Did you see the video of Charlie on RushCut?” The girl grinned as her hands held onto the counter. “He got chased by an emu.”“Repeat that.” Jane asked, “sleep deprivation is making think you’re saying something that you aren’t actually saying.”Julie took out her phone and pulled up the video before turning it to her mother. “See.”“Nope, you’re actually saying he got chased by an emu.” Jane motioned to the phone, “send that to me.”“Is it part of your investigation?” Julie inquired while sending the video.Jane chuckled before touching her daughter’s nose. “No, I just want blackmail material. I’m going to have Ernie contact the company and have it taken down due to national security. Afterwards, I’ll have the only copy.”“Is it national security though?” Joe asked his wife as she pulled her phone from her jeans pocket.“Not currently but he could be recalled to black ops at any point.”Joe pulled a cup down and poured himself coffee. “Good point.”“When is Grandma and Grandpa getting in?”Jane put her phone away, “sometime today, Grandma doesn’t want me knowing what time and my father is humoring her.” Seeing her daughter looking down at her own phone, she sighed and leaned against the counter. “Remember I told you Aunt Amy is coming?”“Yeah, my unstable aunt so I’m supposed to be nice.”The agent shook her head as she stood up, looking at her husband. “What did you say to her?”“I said nothing, you were talking on the phone to Kate yesterday with Julie five feet away.” Joe stated and walked to her, handing her their son. “You should know by now, she’s all you.” He kissed her cheek and pointed to Julie. “Bag, now. We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry.”The day passed with her working from the living room where Joe had helped her install a safe and desk. The twins also had swings in the living room so if she wasn’t holding Joey, she had him in a swing. She was halfway through an after action report when there was knocking on her door. It wasn’t really knocking, more like pounding and Jane was going to make it stop at gunpoint if necessary. She stood up and walked to her twins, seeing they were both asleep so she padded across the hardwood to the front door.“Whoever you are, if you wake my babies, I will shoot you.” Jane stated while opening the door to see her sister and parents. “And I’m serious, family included.”“Hey Janey.” Her father said as she let them in the house.“Hey Dad.” Jane hugged her father with a smile on her face. “Mom.” She accepted her mother’s open arms and let herself be hugged.Maria pulled away from her daughter and looked her up and down. “You don’t look like you had the babies. You’re too skinny, no big belly.”“Well, it has been almost ten weeks since I gave birth so I'm expected to have lost some of the weight. Joe and Julie take care of them at night so I can go to the gym.” She turned to her sister, seeing the woman look around at their teenage home and at how different it is. “Hey Amy.”Amy waved a hand before taking steps towards her. After a moment, the woman hugged Jane and she held onto the sister she hadn’t seen since before Julie was born. “I missed you, Janey.”“I missed you too.” Jane pulled away and brushed a piece of hair away from her sister’s face. “You could have called; I would have answered.”“Never thought to. Sorry.” She looked around, “it’s so different.”Jane nodded, “Daniel and I did a lot of work to it while the kids were little.”A cry made Jane motion to the living room, “that’s Nani, give me a moment.”She made her way to the living room, hearing her mother ask her father a question as they followed. “She named her kid Nani? I thought it was Joey.”“Hey there.” Jane bent over to one of the swings to see her daughter crying. “It’s okay, Mommy is here.” She unbuckled her daughter and picked her up, the baby’s cry slowly disappearing as Jane held her. “You want to meet some people? Alright, let’s meet some people.”Turning she found her parents and sister. Thomas looked a little teary-eyed as Maria touched the baby’s hand. “Hello Nani.”“This is Shannon, after the family name. Nani is her nickname, it means beauty.” She helped hand the baby to her mother and Maria grinned at holding the baby.Thomas nodded to Joey, “who is that little one?”“Joseph, Joey for short. We’re going to leave him to sleep since he’s the needy baby of the two. Getting him to sleep is very difficult.” Jane turned to her desk and quickly shut her tablet out of the NCIS Database, locking it after. Picking up her files, she put them in the safe and closed it afterwards. “Sorry, I work from home since my position prevents me from being able to take full maternity leave. I tried it and got through six weeks before a near international crisis had me back in office.”“Is Julie around?” Thomas asked checking his phone. “I thought she’d be home since it’s after five.”Jane motioned to the couch and chairs so they all sat down. “She is out of school but competition is this weekend so she’s at the stables.”“Stables?” She watched her father take in the understanding. “So she’s like her mother and likes to be at the stables. No surprise there.”Amy shrugged, “I never understood your need to ride horses, it’s weird.”“Well, Julie doesn’t just ride. She has a horse and jumps in competition.” Jane stood up and walked to the hallway table that held all type of photos. Picking one up, she joined them again and held it out for Thomas to take. “This was her first competition, she won fifth place.”Maria picked her head up from where she’d been looking at her granddaughter. “You bought her a horse? That’s expensive Jane, too expensive for someone with new twins.”“First, horse was a gift and second, we do just fine financially that we can afford for Julie to jump.”The sound of the door opening was followed by familiar voices. “Then she saved it. My mom has blackmail on you.”“Well if it’s one thing I know, your mom probably has blackmail material on everyone.”Jane left the living room to see Julie setting her backpack and riding bags down. “What is this about blackmail?”“I told Charlie that you have blackmail on him.” Julie said as Charlie came from the kitchen with a bag of chips.The man shrugged, “you probably have it on everyone. Where are the twins?”She walked over to him and put a hand on his back. “I have family here that doesn’t understand the weird dynamic everyone has with each other. Thank you for picking her up though.”“Yeah absolutely. Just text me tomorrow and I’ll stay outside.”Jane nodded as they walked to the door. “Thanks.”“See you later. Bye Julie.”Julie waved, “bye Charlie.”Once he was out the door with chips in hand, Jane turned her daughter around. “Guess who is here?” She pushed her daughter towards the living room.“Grandma, Grandpa.” Julie walked down the steps to the living room, instantly hugging both of her grandparents.Thomas looked up at his granddaughter. “You’ve grown a foot and half since I last saw you.”“Puberty.” Julie stated matter-of-factly. “Weird stuff happens during it.” Jane sat down on the couch as Julie walked to Amy, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Julie, your niece.”Amy shook her hand, “nice to meet you Julie, how old are you now?”“Twelve.”“You look a lot like your father.”Julie shrugged, “I get that all the time. I may look like my dad but I’m almost exactly like my mom.”“Too much really.” Jane stated while watching the two interact.The preteen turned to grandmother to see her sister. “You met Nani? Isn’t she just the best, after three brothers, I’m so happy to get a sister.”The door opened again and Jane didn’t bother getting up as she knew from a text that it was Joe. The man had texted her an hour before and told her when he’d be home. The sound of the coat closet was followed by his dress shoes on the hard wood. “In the living room.”“Did your parents get in?” Joe asked as he took the steps, “never mind. Thomas, Maria, good to see you again.”“Good to see you too Joe.” Thomas caught his hand and Maria gave him a nod as she also said hello.Jane noticed her sister looking at them all in confusion but she said nothing as Joe made his way over to her. “How was that meeting?”“Rough but we got all but one ship sorted. Unfortunately it looks like the Halsey won’t be taking part in RIMPAC if they can’t get it out of retrofit by May.” He leaned over and kissed her, brushing back a piece of hair. “Let me get changed and I’ll start dinner.”She nodded, “okay, no rush.” She brushed her hand down his arm till he held her fingers.“How was Triumph, ready for competition?” Joe asked Julie.“Yep, and Miss Taylor said if I can nail the obstacles like I did in practice today, I can place first.”Joe nodded, “homework done?”“Not yet.”He nodded towards the dining room, “get started. You have a math test tomorrow so you need to study.”Julie groaned before standing from the couch, heading past him. “Fine.”“Thank you.” Jane supplied as Joe followed Julie out of the living room.“Can I have ice cream while I do it?” Julie asked from the doorway. “One of the ice cream sandwiches?”“One.”The dynamic had all eyes on her after both Julie and Joe left the living room. Maria was the one to speak first. “He parents her?”“Yes, he’s as much her father as Daniel. Joe now joins in on the three month parenting lunches Daniel and I once shared. The two of them get along great, even Julie gets annoyed they communicate. When Julie had her ‘Camping with Dad’ weekend a couple months ago, they both went and nothing happened.”Amy interjected, “who was that?”“Daniel and I divorced five years ago; I met Joe on the job three years ago. We got married last year and now have the twins.”“He’s Navy, you’re government.”Jane nodded, “I’m Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS for short and we investigate Navy crimes. Joe was Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet, means he was second in charge of the Pacific Fleet. He moved to Washington DC for a little under a year but came back, taking up his old position.”“You, Janey?” Her father asked.“Hmm, partially yes and partially no. I can’t get into the specifics of what made him return but he was contemplating it for some time. We got engaged shortly afterwards.”“Where is Alex?” Maria asked, “you must know where he’s at.”Jane nodded, “I do, he’s on a carrier in the Pacific. I don’t know where they are exactly at the current moment but he’ll be here for the wedding next month.”“Well he still looks at you like you hung the stars.” She looked at her father as he spoke. “Still as awestruck as two years ago.”She nodded, “and we still dance in the kitchen.”Amy looked at her sister in confusion. “How old is he? He looks way younger than you.”“We’re the same age. He just doesn’t get shot at as often as I do.”Julie stood in the doorway. “You forgot beat up, kidnapped, threatened, potentially stabbed. Oh, you forgot almost blown up. Charlie told me about that one.”The silence was deafening after Julie spoke to them. It was Joe that was turning her around from where she stood. “I don’t think they need to know all that.”“What, it’s not like she’s going into the field anymore.” The teen stated as she walked away from her stepfather. “She waited until I was five so she’ll wait until they’re five.”“Julie.” It was a sharp reprimand from the naval officer and she shrugged as she sat down.When her family looked her way, Jane stood up. “I’m going to go call Lucy to watch them so we can all go out to dinner. Excuse me.”
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Joe Milius looked up as the front door to the house opened signaling that Lucy and Whistler had arrived to watch the twins while everyone went out to dinner. He’d been standing in the kitchen talking with Thomas while Jane was trying to explain to her mother that everything was fine, that Lucy had watched the twins before. Amy stood at the table with Julie, who was working on her math homework.“Hey, we’re here.” Lucy stated while Whistler shut the door.“Does everyone have a key to your place?” Maria asked her daughter.Jane sighed before turning to Lucy and Whistler. “Slight change of plans. Julie is staying also, so anything you don’t know from before, she’ll know.”Whistler waved her off. “We got it. If all else fails, we’ll call Jesse.”“Or Hina, she has about a dozen siblings.” Lucy supplied as simply. “But we’ll be fine. What you guys need to do is leave, because you haven’t had a day away from the twins since they were born. I mean, besides that one week but even then, they were in your office with a baby monitor.”Whistler tapped Julie’s arm, “between the three of us girls, we have it. Don’t we?”“I’m only grounded because I told the truth.” Julie stated as she sat down.“I’m pretty sure that isn’t the fact.” Whistler told her surrogate niece with a single look down at the girl. “So you want to tell me the truth?”Julie narrowed her eyes. “I’m not lying.”“Oh ho, we are not unpacking that right now.” Lucy stated and turned to Jane. “Run while you can. Something tells me this is about to get dicey. Aunt Kate does not like lies. Or spies.”Jane gave her mother in a ‘come here’ motion. “Mom, give me my son.” She managed to take the baby back before turning to Lucy and Whistler. “Hey, here is Auntie Lucy and Auntie Kate.”“Oh come here you little guy.” The FBI agent was the one to take the baby. “You are so adorable. I hear you don’t let Mommy and Daddy put you down but that’s okay with me.”Jane pointed at Lucy, “good luck.”“Oh we’ll be fine.”“I know, but that isn’t what I meant.” She motioned to Julie, “if she runs, call Charlie to track her down.”Lucy looked at Julie before nodding. “Knowing what she’s capable of, definitely.”Once the door was shut after everyone left, Julie found herself being the focus of two of her favorite people. Whistler took a step forwards. “So what exactly did you say?”“Would giving it up too early be a sign of weakness?” Julie asked with her chin out. “During interrogations, I mean.”“Yes, but we’re not interrogating you.” Lucy stated while sitting beside her at the table. “So, what did you say?”Julie picked up her pen and tapped it. “Well, first my aunt, who isn’t really my aunt because I don’t know her, was commenting about Joe’s age. Mom told her that they’re the same age, just that Joe isn’t being shot at as often.” The girl winced, “I may have mentioned every way that Mom could potentially get injured on the job. Or has been injured, I’m never quite sure if the list has happened or not. It just went downhill from there.”“You did what?” Whistler asked before shutting her mouth, probably because she was about to yell and had a baby in her arms.Lucy saw her girlfriend and shook her head. “I think the whole issue isn’t what you said but who you said it to. I mean, we all know your mom is the baddest agent on the island, let’s be honest there. The thing is, outside of all of us, no one else gets it. Hearing what we do every day just scares people after the cool factor wears off. Her parents, they probably think she’s so cop who investigates ship crimes or if people don’t show up to post. When we say NCIS, some people, well not on this island, but some people just give us a weird look. One time this woman thought we worked for the IRS.” Julie grinned, “yeah not cool, I know. Not many people know that Navy crimes are some of the weirdest and most dangerous.”Julie nodded, “so who I said it to was bad, not what I said.”“Exactly. See, not that big a deal.”“You just need to apologize to everyone when you see them again.” Whistler told her, “but not tonight because after dinner and homework, bed routine.”Julie looked at Lucy, “what’s for dinner?”“Nope, not my area of expertise. I do breakfast.”“I think I’m going to settle this for everyone and just order some pizza.” Whistler stated, “I’m holding a baby.”“If my mom can do it, you can.”“Not true because I happen to know Joe cooks or they cook together.”Lucy shook her head, “so weird you know that.”“Really weird.” Julie followed up.“We just happen to talk about more than food when we talk about food.” Whistler stated while handing Joey to her girlfriend. “I have to use the bathroom, hold the baby.”“She ran, didn’t she?” Julie asked Lucy when the bathroom door closed.Lucy looked down at the baby boy. “She did. Huh, I never really saw it till now but Jane’s right that he looks so much like Joe.”“Nani looks so much like mom. I made a joke that Nani took a lot of the Filipino during the gene building but Mom didn’t find it funny.”The agent shook her head back and forth. “Depends on the audience because I find it funny.”“Joe did also, he just tells mom that he doesn’t. Considering their last fight was when she was pregnant and over her long working hours, I decided to let him have that one.”Lucy looked at the preteen. “Do they fight often?”“No, I think they’ve only fought like twice or three times since they got together. Mom and Dad fought so many times I lost count. It helps that Mom and Joe go to couples counseling. Joe’s mom said that alone is probably where they hash out a lot of their arguments. It creates a more tranquil relationship or so Aunt Carla told me.”“Wait, so they go to couples counseling despite being a healthy couple?”Julie nodded, “yeah, Annie also says that couples counseling should be a first step, not a last resort. My parents would probably still be together if they’d had that advice.”“Uh, I can’t elaborate but I can confirm that’s not the case.” Whistler stated while returning.“What if I break you?” Julie inquired, “interrogation style? Would you tell me then?”“One, if you did, I’d hire you immediately for the FBI because that’s impossible. Second, we’re not going to play interrogation. Last time, you had Lucy contemplating never watching you again.”Lucy put up a finger, “what if we let Charlie be the suspect next time. If you can break him, your mother would be impressed.”“Mom has blackmail on him.” She watched their faces. “You don’t know about the emu, do you?”“We do not discuss the emu.” Lucy stated sharply, readjusting Joey in her arms. “I was there for that. I’d rather jump into shark infested ocean waters in the middle of the pacific then go against that thing again. It’s worse, by far.”Whistler looked at her wide-eyed. “Wow, that must be some emu.”It was well past midnight when Jane finally got the twins to sleep. Knowing they’d wake up a few hours into the night, she backed away slowly from the twin bassinets that lay a few feet from their bed. Joe smiled at her as she slipped into bed, almost as if she spoke Joey would wake up. He waited till she was settled into the mattress and covers to wrap his arm around her middle, kissing her neck.“You looked beautiful all night.” He whispered as she rolled onto her back. “I did think for a moment during dinner that you were going to use your knife to stab your mother.”Jane tilted her head towards him, “I was tempted. First, she says nothing to Amy about my divorce and remarriage, leaving me to explain everything. Then she tells me I’m not parenting appropriately. Don’t tell me you weren’t seconds from interjecting on the fact she made a smart remark that Julie isn’t your daughter.”He kissed her temple, “your mother is a lot like you, I see where you get your temper. Doesn’t matter what anyone says, I’d turn this island over for any of them. Alex included. Daniel told me after the camping excursion that he was glad Julie had another father in her life. She’s so wild she needs three parents to keep her contained.”“He said that?” She asked turning onto her side, laying face to face with him.Joe reached a hand out to brush back stray pieces of hair. “In front of Julie. She groaned of course in pure Jane fashion.”“When I confronted Maggie, I told her if she ever got near Julie, that the whole Pacific Rim would come for her. I doubt she knew what it meant but I did.”Pulling her closer, Joe gathered Jane into his arms and she rested against his chest. “I would, I’m sure if I told Wentworth that a MSS spy was stalking my daughter, he’d react as well.”“My grandmother used to say that to raise a child takes more than one’s blood. I never understood what she meant till now. Everyone is raising Julie, the team and us. I mean, Kate told me that she and Lucy talked over what Julie said and that I should expect an apology. Jesse takes her surfing; Charlie is always helping her at the stables. Kai taught her about knives and guns, much to my displeasure. Ernie taught her how to potentially hack something while Carla teaches her to respect cultures different from her own. This family is more than blood and Julie is benefitting from it. Joey and Nani will also.”“They’ll also have an amazing mother who waits at the table to hear everything they experienced in their day.” Using his fingers, he combed through her hair. “I maybe bias but I consider you the best mother to exist. Far eclipsing my own if you can believe it.”Jane kissed the edge of his chin. “You’re always bias when it comes to me.”“Well you are the sexiest woman to exist.” He kissed her cheek and then her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”“Why?” Jane pulled away and moved onto her arm, watching him with a smirk on her face.Joe caught her free hand and held it. “I don’t want to push you. It’s only been ten weeks.”“I’m sure you can get creative.” Jane stated while leaning over him, taking a moment to straddle his waist. “You’re good at creative.”Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around her and listened as she laughed softly in his ear. Pulling away, Joe caught her chin with his hand and kissed her. “I am good at creative.”“We have to be quiet.”He took the moment to roll her onto her back, watching as Jane cupped her hand over her mouth to quiet her laughter. As it waned, she removed her hand from her mouth. “That’s not quiet.”“I wasn’t the one that was loud.” Joe moved to lean his head over her own. “You’re beautiful.” He unbuttoned her pajama top one button at a time as he starred into her eyes. “Especially when you laugh and smile.”“You make me laugh.” Jane stated and pulled his down by the nape of his neck. Kissing him several times, she pulled away for air. “Without even trying.”“I’ll take that compliment.” He spoke before leaning down to kiss the skin her unbutton blouse revealed, skipping over the small band of her bra that was exposed to him.Jane found herself clutching the comforter with one hand and leaving the other on the nape of his neck. “Joe…” It was spoken with breathlessness and Joe noticed she wasn’t as responsive as she normally was.“I have you.” He pulled away from kissing her abdomen to seeing her eyes scrunched tightly together. Placing a hand on her cheek, Joe moved the two inches to be able to reach her mouth. Kissing her, he watched as her features relaxed. “I have you, Jane.” It was whispered as their eyes met. Reaching down, he took her hand in his and threaded their fingers together.With her relaxed once again, Joe pulled her top edges together with his fingers and laid down beside her. Wrapping one arm around her, he touched his forehead to her temple. Eventually the federal agent rolled onto her side so they faced each other. “Sorry I ruined the mood.”He brushed the back of his forefinger over her cheek. “No mood to spoil. Your senses were in overdrive and stopping is better than you being uncomfortable.”“I should talk to my gynecologist. This has happened several times and every time I’m more upset with myself than the situation.” She sighed and leaned her head back against the pillow as she rolled onto her back.“Jane, look at me.” She turned her head so their eyes met. “No expectations. However long it takes for you to be comfortable is however long it takes. You just gave birth almost three months ago, things are bound to be different for a while. We’ll get back to the physical eventually.”Turning once again so they faced each other, Jane kissed the back of his hand. “I love you.”“I love you too.” He leaned up slightly so he could kiss her forehead. “Always.”
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Julie stood beside Triumph grooming him, his crossties professional as was required for the stables they housed him at. Charlie had dropped her off after school but her dad would be picking her up, it being his week. One of her friends called her name and she waved, saying goodbye to one of the girls that she knew from her LGBTQ group. She’d introduced Julie to the group and had become one of her best friends, especially after Callie.“Just one more brush down then you can have your hay and treats.” Julie told the rescued horse, who looked five times better than he had in her step-grandparent’s barn. His coat was shiny and he wasn’t as afraid of men as he had been to start. “I may have an apple for you if you behave.”The horse rubbed his muzzle on her shoulder and she giggled. It was the voice that spoke to her that had Julie no longer giggling. “Your mother liked to ride also.”Turning to the not-so-stranger, Julie pulled her phone from her back pocket and thumbed it open. Charlie had made her practice opening her phone from behind her back. Said it’d help one day if she ever needed to make a silent call. With her earbud in her ear, hidden by her hair, Julie only said two words just high enough to be picked up by the earbud. “Bonus Dad.” Joe had once been just ‘Joe’ in her phone but had been regulated to ‘Bonus Dad’ due friends thought it weird that she called Joe by his name but said he was her bonus dad. She heard Joe in her earbud so she moved her finger a fraction of an inch and turned off Bluetooth, which turned on the speaker function. “Maggie, what are you doing here? Mom said you were on a mission.”Maggie Shaw nodded, “mission is over. I saw your mom and she said you were riding now. I thought I’d come see. I bet having a newborn sibling is rough, especially at your age.”“Mom lost the baby.” Julie lied while looking down and pretended to be said, “preeclampsia I think it’s called. She and Joe broke up, it was hard losing the baby, they fought all the time.”The woman she once called ‘aunt’ walked towards her and so Julie turned to hide the phone. “What his name?”“Triumph, he was abused so we named him something to celebrate his survival.” Julie grabbed Triumph’s halter. “Joe’s dad got him for me. We tried to give him back but they said he was my horse so he’s mine to keep. I ride him every day, I come after school and have fun with my friends.”Maggie petted the horse’s neck. “I bet Alex is jealous.”“Alex is in Annapolis, he got into the Naval Academy.”The spy nodded, “I thought he was stationed on the Roosevelt. I think that’s what your mother said.”“Oh, I thought he was at the Naval Academy. Mom and he fought over his acceptance, Dad was even worse. When he left, he told me he was going to Navy School. I chat with him but with middle school, friends, and riding, it’s not as much as I like. Things changed when Mom got pregnant, Alex took it bad. Said she was replacing him. He doesn’t talk with her really, but she probably keeps track of him.”Maggie smiled at her. “Moms do that.”“Yeah, they love you even when you fight with them.” Julie sighed, “I think Dad loves me but I can’t be sure. I uh, I’m gay and with us being the Catholic faith, he didn’t take it well.”“Well, sometimes it takes time for people to accept us how we are.”Julie nodded, “yeah, Mom said the same.” She sounded excited for a moment, “so tell me everything about your mission.”Joe Milius was on the phone with his wife while Charlie drove with sirens on towards the stables where Julie was. He spoke to Jane about staying where she was and trying to stay calm, part of the team was taking care of the situation. Kate Whistler was also on the way; she’d stormed out of the FBI Building after getting the text that Maggie Shaw was around Julie.“…no Jane, she’s fine right now. She’s lying through her teeth; I can’t even tell the difference. Charlie has already said he can’t either so if Maggie Shaw can, she’s better than we think. Jane just stay at home, I know it’s hard for you but trust me to protect our daughter. Charlie is armed, I have my office weapon, and Kate is on her way. I think of the three of us, she’s going to be the one we have to keep away from Shaw. I’ll call you as soon as I have her. I promise. I love you too.” He hung up and placed Charlie’s phone in the cupholder as they listened to Julie talk to Maggie Shaw as if she was a trained operative.Charlie nodded to the phone as he drove at nearly a hundred miles. “She’s one hell of a liar. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she was CIA.”“She was raised by an ex-CIA agent and is practically being raised by the entire team at the current moment. We’re just lucky she was taught lies create issues so she doesn’t lie.”“How bad is Tennant doing?”Joe relaxed then tightened his hand on the handle. “Bad, she’s not used to being sidelined.”“Everyone on the island knows that.” Charlie whipped around a car and got off on the exit that led to the stables. “Sirens kept on or off?”“No, quiet approach. I’m going to text Kate to do the same. As soon as she hits the five mile exit, shut it off.” As he picked up Charlie’s phone, the former black ops operative shut off the siren while keeping the lights on.“Probably a bad time to mention it but I put in a formal application to be an agent. Seems like I’ll be sticking around, permanently. After FLETC of course.”Joe chuckled, “Jane will love that.”“She half hates me and half loves me. According to your kid, I’m the annoying younger brother.”“Apt description. Just wait until this crisis is over to tell her or she’s liable to punch you.”Charlie pointed down as if to the ground they were moving over. “I don’t have much contact with my family, bad blood there. You guys have become my family and this sorry excuse for a traitor kidnapped my niece. Trust me, Julie comes first and you can be sure of that. Just one question?”“What?”“I’m only allowed a service weapon, so, what are we going to call the other five weapons in the case in my trunk?”Joe looked straight ahead. “Insurance.”Julie worked with Maggie to brush Triumph, still talking to her while her phone stayed in her riding pants. They were thin enough almost everything could be heard via phone call; she was sure of that as she once accidently butt-called her mother.“…at school, any girl in particular?”Julie nodded, “her names Malia and she’s so smart. She plays basketball and even though she doesn’t like me like I like her, we’re still friends. She said you can’t help who you like.”“I bet she’s going to be a great wing-woman one day.”“Probably.” Julie reached up to unclamp the crossties and pulled on Triumph’s rope to lead him back to his stall. “What a good boy you are. You deserve that apple.”She’d cleaned out his stall before grooming him because he needed to cool down after a workout. So all Julie had to do was grab an apple from her riding bag and feed it to the twelve hundred pound animal before shutting his stall. Maggie helped her close the door. “How I take us for shave ice?”“If Mom says it’s okay. I don’t want her to worry.”Maggie waved her phone and smiled. “Already asked her.”“Okay, after I stop by the office and let Miss Taylor know that I’ve stabled Triumph for the day. Policy so they know which horses are here in case something happens.”The spy shook her head, “so strange to see you as twelve, it was only yesterday that you were a baby.”Before Julie could answer, she heard her name and looked up to see Joe and Charlie headed towards her. "Hands up Shaw. Now, hands up." Charlie had his gun leveled at Maggie and the woman put her hands up as Julie ran.“Joe!” Julie ran to Joe and he paused his approach to grab her, squeezing her in a hug.“Are you okay?” The naval officer asked kneeling down, he brushed back her hair to see her face. “She didn’t harm you?”Julie shook her head, “no and I lied, I lied to her about everything.”“I know, you did an amazing job.” Joe stood and kissed her head. “I’m so proud of you.”She looked over at Maggie, who seemed to be watching in both confusion and broken heartedness. “What’s going to happen to her?”“Kate is going to come and she’ll take her for questioning. She most likely broke her terms of release.”Putting her hand on Joe’s arm, Julie looked up at him. “Give me a moment?”“Okay.” He took Julie’s hand and walked till they were ten feet away from Maggie.Maggie nodded to him. “I remember you; you were in the park that day.”Joe nodded, “my name is Joseph Milius, I’m the only thing stopping Jane Tennant from shooting you. You did the last thing you should have done and endangered her daughter.”“Julie was never in any danger with me. I would have taken her home.”“I know what you did.” Julie said plainly. “You committed treason, the worst thing you can do as a citizen of any country. It doesn’t matter the reason; you shouldn’t have done it.”“Julie…”The girl’s face went blank as she spoke similar words as her mother without knowing. “You lost being my aunt when you committed treason.” She shook her head, “goodbye Ms. Shaw.” Turning to her stepfather, Julie spoke. “Can we go home now? I want to see mom.”Joe rubbed her hair back as he looked to their friend, “Charlie?”“Oh she isn’t going anywhere and Kate will be here soon.”Jane was pacing with Joey in her arms when the front door opened to reveal Julie and Joe. She turned and immediately hugged her daughter tight when Julie hugged her. Joe silently took their son and Jane hugged Julie even tighter.“I heard you tricked Maggie into thinking nothing was wrong.”Julie nodded, “I did, when I heard her voice, I immediately called Joe and turned it on speaker. All behind my back like Charlie taught me. I just kept her talking and you always said the best lie is close to the truth. So I just told alternate truths about everything just long enough for everyone to get there.”Jane kissed her daughter’s crown and looked up to see Joe watching them, readjusting Joey as they spoke. “You are never to be alone at the stables again.”“Mom, if I tricked Maggie, does that mean I’m ready for Naval Intelligence?”The agent couldn’t help but laugh as she nodded. “If you tricked a Chinese spy, you definitely are.” She pushed back Julie’s hair behind her ears. “Just wait six more years, okay?”“Okay.” She hugged her mother again. “I want to see Joey and Nani. I told a horrible lie and said you lost the baby. I didn’t want her knowing about them.”“Well I’m glad you told her that. You just protected your siblings in the biggest way.” Jane looked to her husband and Joe immediately sat down at the table with Joey to let Julie see her brother. The baby gurgled as Julie took his hand.“I promise to always protect you.” She whispered as she kissed his head. “I’m your big sister, it’s my job.”She left to check all the other bassinets to find Nani while Joe stood to embrace Jane. She took their son from him and adjusted the baby so Joe could wrap her in a hug. “She’s alright.” Joe told her, “she’s safe, she’s at home.”“Thank you.” Jane stated, her voice full of relief. “Thank you for bringing her home. I know Maggie wouldn’t hurt her but still, thank you.”“It’s my job.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m her father.”Jane groaned, “I have to tell Daniel about this.”“Let me do it. You need to sit down and try to relax. I know you’ve been pacing and I’m sure Julie won’t mind settling on the couch with you.”
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Watching Maggie Shaw from the outside of the interrogation room at FBI Headquarters, Kate Whistler looked at her watch for the fifteen time. When she’d made the call to her contact at DIA and Joe had made his call to ONI, they knew the wait would be long. She’d sent him home to keep Jane calm or as calm as possible. She and Charlie where the ones sitting and watching the woman from their spot outside the room. Hour twelve was rolling into hour thirteen when one of the junior agents stuck their head into the observation room.“Agent Whistler, DIA and Naval Intelligence are here. They’re asking for you.”Whistler looked to Charlie, “show time.”“I’m just here in the background, you do your thing.” The man was laid back and she knew for a reason. Everyone was protective of the twins and Julie, especially Charlie. The agent was willing to bet the man would risk World War III just to keep the girl safe, the world be damned. After Jane, the operative was one of the dangerous in terms of keeping Julie safe.Finding her friend and the officer from ONI, Whistler motioned for them to follow her to her office. The office was small but it was home, as much as possible when she only saw the inside of it probably once or twice a week.“Agent Walters, Commander Taylor, I think Captain Milius and I explained over the phone what happened.” Whistler stated, “my question is, what are we going to do about it?”Megan Walters was an old friend so Whistler knew she’d get the truth from her but she was wary of Taylor. She got the idea that he wasn’t used to telling the truth to anyone unless his superior instructed him to.“I need you to walk me through some information.” Taylor asked politely but firmly. “Who is the child that she approached and why did I fly all the way here for her approaching a child?”Folding her arms, Whistler leaned against her chair. “Maggie Shaw served alongside an agent when she was at the CIA. She developed a friendship with that agent and became family in a sense but when it was found out that she worked for MSS, that agent turned her over to us and any information related to Shaw to us. When it was found out that Shaw was released on terms of assisting us against MSS, the agent approached Shaw and told her not to come near her family. Yesterday, she did approach the agent’s daughter when she was alone at the riding stable.”Megan put out a hand as if to calm Whistler, “was the girl hurt?”“Physically, no, but emotionally, yes.”“We can speak to Shaw and insist that if she approaches the agent or the family again, she’ll be detained.” Taylor stated, “she’s too valuable to not be kept loose. I’m sure you understand Agent Whistler that sometimes the mission takes precedence.”Whistler took a breath, “Commander Taylor, I’m going to be honest with you when I tell you that if you don’t get Shaw off the island, she may not make it to the end of the week. The girl’s mother is ex-CIA and now a federal agent and her father is about as high ranking in the military as you can get. The girl is surrounded by federal agents and black ops personnel. Do you really want to lose your asset because you will if you let her loose on this island. I’m trying to keep her alive, for your benefit but even I can’t stop what will happen if she walks out of this building. Shaw once was told that if she approached the girl, the entire Pacific Rim would come down on her and it will, that’s not a force I can stop.”“I doubt that’s the case Agent Whistler but thanks for the warning.” Taylor stood, “if you excuse me, I’m going to take my asset now.”As he reached the door, Whistler spoke. “Joseph Milius is her father, the Deputy Chief of Pac Fleet is her father.” She watched Taylor turn towards her, “and her mother, you’ve met her. Jane Tennant, the agent who broke Maggie Shaw for you. The one that got information when not even CIA could. One commands Pac Fleet and the other, NCIS across the entire pacific rim. Do you really want to chance Maggie Shaw’s life by keeping her here?”A knock on the door made Whistler cross to open it as Taylor stood trying to think about what she was saying. She found Jane standing in work clothes, probably only because she was coming to the FBI building since she was still working from home. “Agent Tennant.”“Agent Whistler.” She saw the two and her attention went to Taylor, she silently observed him before continuing. “I’d like to see her, five minutes. You can be in the room with me if you want.”Taylor took a step forward. “Absolutely not!”“I deserve five minutes because you couldn’t keep control of your asset.” Jane stated furiously, “my daughter didn’t sleep last night because she thought your asset was going to break into our house. My husband had to change all the locks on the doors to reassure her that it wasn’t possible for Shaw to do so.”As if realizing he wouldn’t win, Taylor put up his hands. “Five minutes.”“Agent Whistler only.” Her stare bore into Taylor before turning to her friend.“Come on.” Whistler led her out of the office.Maggie Shaw looked up when the door to other interrogation room opened and she saw Jane enter with Whistler and Charlie. The operative stood against the wall while both women sat at the table.“Janey, I would have never hurt Julie.”“I know.” The woman was calmer than Whistler expected. “That doesn’t mean you had a right to be around her. I told you to stay away from her and you didn’t listen.”Maggie put out a hand to try to take the agent’s but Jane pulled her hands inwards so Maggie couldn’t touch them. The spy looked down to see the rings on her hand, “you got married?”“Julie lied about almost everything. She played you from second one, like calling her father from behind her back.”Charlie chuckled, “little trick black ops taught me and I taught her.”“I doubt that’s the case Janey. I’d know if someone was lying, especially Julie.”Jane pulled her phone from her back pocket and opened it before laying it on the table with a picture that Carla Chase had taken a few weeks before. A short shore leave had them meeting Alex and taking ten minutes to take a family photo together. Sitting on the beach, all four kids sat with Jane and Joe as they smiled at the camera. Alex was holding Joey and Julie had Nani in her arms, happiness seemed to radiate from the six.“My child didn’t die, they’re thirteen weeks old now. My relationship didn’t break down, it’s thriving. My son loves his siblings, he doesn’t resent them.” She swiped the screen and it showed a picture of Julie and Daniel grinning as they sat at the previous year’s Pride parade. “Daniel accepts Julie being gay.” Another slide of the pictures was of Dalia and Julie, both grinning as they stood on the soccer field after a game. “Her best friend isn’t Malia but Dalia, and she plays soccer instead of basketball.”Whistler saw Maggie’s face, “you got played by a twelve year old. To be honest, Captain Milius recorded the call as it was going in real time and I can honestly say, I also was convinced. There is a reason everyone says that Julie Tennant is going to be ONI or CIA one day.”“So, you’ll train your daughter to be just like you?” Maggie asked Jane, “and your criticize me for doing everything to protect my son?”“The difference is, I haven’t trained my daughter.” Jane stated while standing up, “she’s learned herself and while my team occasionally teaches her things, their motive has never to turn Julie into a spy. You once told me that spies fall into two categories; natural spies that sacrifice for their country and those that are made, who sacrifice for people. I know which one my daughter will be if she decides to serve her country in the future. It’s my hope she becomes an Olympic Horse Jumper instead.”As Jane neared the door, Maggie asked a question. “You told me the entire Pacific Rim would come for me. That’s not the case Janey.”“Because my husband restrained me from shooting you like I restrained him from turning you over to the entire fleet.” She looked back, “Julie’s stepfather is the Deputy Chief of Pacific Fleet with several black op units on speed dial. I oversee the entire pacific rim of NCIS agents, some of whom that are stationed outside of Hawaii that adore Julie even from limited interactions. I think you can conclude for yourself that you’re better off in ONI’s hands.”As Jane left the room, she heard Charlie speak. “Real power couple those two, you’re lucky ONI wants you alive or no one would find your body.”“Charlie!” Jane’s sharp reprimand had the man leaving the wall.“Boss is calling, I’d say nice to meet you but I’ve really wanted to shoot you this whole time.”Whistler left Taylor and Walters to take Maggie Shaw and as she waited, she walked Jane outside of the building. The two were silent, probably because everything had been said that could be said. They both walked outside the main doors to see Joe waiting in the courtyard enjoying the warm, breezing weather. He had the twins with him if him leaning over the dual stroller was anything to go by.“Hey you guys.” Whistler leaned over one of the bassinets of the stroller and grinned at Nani looking up at her voice. “Hey Nani, oh you’ve grown a little bit more since I saw you last week.”With the twins under Whistler’s eye, Joe stood and walked to Jane. “You alright?”“I will be now.” Jane accepted the hug he gave her. “I also think we should have been more worried about Charlie and Kate shooting her than me.”“With good reason.” Whistler stated before going back to the twins.Joe rubbed the back of his finger against her cheek. “We can focus on the twins and the wedding and keeping Julie from going full time spy mode.”“And the future.”“And the future.”Jane nodded towards Whistler pulling Joey from the stroller. “We should rescue our son before she kidnaps him.”“I’m the FBI, not the CIA.” Whistler told her, “we don’t kidnap, we just relocate.” Her voice was sing-song as she spoke to Joey, who was smiling. “Yes, Aunt Kate would just relocate you for the rest of the day. Aunt Lucy and I would return you at midnight, yes, we would.”“You know,” Jane stated while claiming her son back without a fight. “You should talk to Lucy; it’s been almost two years and I know she’s wondering when you’re going to propose. You bought the ring and you two are thinking about babies now, might be a good time to get started on forever.”Whistler nodded while taking Nani’s hand gently. “I uh, I can’t propose.”“Why not?”The agent winced, “you have to swear not to say anything.”“Kate, what am I not saying?” The hard tone of voice made it clear that Jane was worried for Lucy.“Lucy proposed to me last week and I said yes but we’re waiting to announce it after we tell my parents. You know my parents are visiting next week so,” the agent put her hands together, “please don’t tell anyone you know. I wasn’t supposed to tell you.”A smile bloomed across Jane’s face and she pulled the agent in for a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”“Thanks.”“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. Unlike the two of us, I can keep a secret.”Whistler nodded, “I deserve that but, in all honesty, it was hard to keep quiet that you were pregnant. Lucy was freaking out thinking you were sick and then didn’t understand why you were working from home a lot of the time. Her mind went into overdrive so I had to say something or she’d probably have figured out a way to have Chase run some test or another.”“Probably.”Joe looked down when Joey started fussing. “We should get them home before he starts up a real tantrum.”“Thank you for having my back.” Jane told Whistler while hugging her.“We’re family or so I’ve been told.” Whistler pulled away, “sisters, right?”Jane nodded, “you should say bye before we whisk them away.”“Bye babies.” Whistler put her hand on Joey’s belly and rubbed it before taking Nani’s hand for a few seconds. “Aunt Kate will see you later.”
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The Tennant-Milius household was loud as Jane Tennant-Milius moved around the kitchen island making lunches and prepping for the school day. The sound of the front door opening and closing was followed by a dog running past her leg to the water bowl in the corner of the kitchen. Julie walked into the kitchen with earbuds in her ears and she opened the fridge to grab her reusable water bottle from the inside.The sound of arguing made Jane sigh, the twins were arguing once again and over what she didn’t know. Julie had already disappeared out the lanai doors to get ready for school and her riding bag. College was demanding on the girl but she always found time to ride and keep up with Triump's needs. The seven year olds, both arguing loudly over something, entered the kitchen. Jane closed their lunch boxes and snapped her fingers while speaking. “Quiet both of you.”“Sorry Mom.” Nani stated in a low voice.“What is going on? Why are you yelling?”Joey shrugged, “Nani told me that being grounded means I can’t go surfing with you guys. She’s rubbing it in my face.”Jane’s attention when to her daughter. “Is this true? Did you tell your brother just to rub it in his face?” She watched her daughter and put up a finger. “The truth Shannon Ioane Milius, we don’t lie in this house.” She used her daughter's full name to let her know how serious she was about not lying or avoiding the question.“Yes ma’am.” Nani said while looking to the side.The girl looked so much like Jane and Julie while her brother had more of the Milius features. One wouldn’t know he was part-Filipino unless comparing him to Jane and then you’d find some features, but not many.Before Jane could speak to her daughter, Joe entered the kitchen with a handful in his arms. Jane smiled at him and received a kiss on the cheek. She took in his appearance; his uniform was pristine and his hair, now peppered with gray instead of just at his temple, was combed back like it always was for work. She wanted to reach up and run her fingers through the watered down curls but knew there was no time for that at that moment.“Sorry it took so long. Someone got into your make up so I had to clean her up.” He looked down at their three year old toddler, a surprise discovery four years before that they were in no way expecting. When she started showing signs of perimenopause three years after the birth of the twins, the doctor and her discussed at length everything to expect. What neither of them expected was her pregnancy six months later.“Come here Leiko.” She took her daughter from her husband. The girl had been named Emily Kanani Milius after Joe’s grandmother and a Hawaiian name that meant ‘beauty’ that they thought fit her. However, like her sister, a Hawaiian nickname got applied to her. It was based on the last syllable of her name. Leiko meant ‘little flower’ and that’s what she became as she grew. Like her brother though, she took after the Milius side of the family. There were traces of her mother’s heritage around her eyes but not much else. What surprised them was the dirty-blonde hair that was like Joe’s mother and sister. “Did you get into Mommy’s make up?”“Mommy pretty.” The three year old poked a finger at her mother’s cheek. “Me pretty too.”“No make up for you until you’re at least twelve.” Jane stated and kissed her forehead.Joe looked over at the twins. “Bags, lunches, goodbyes, car.” He spoke and the twins grabbed their bags from the entry area and also their lunchboxes.Jane got hugs from the seven year olds. “Bye Mom.”“Bye Mom.” Nani said and Jane caught her chin before the girl could leave.“We’ll be discussing your behavior when you get home from school. Understand?”Nani nodded, “yes ma’am.”“Have a good day.”As the kids started out the door, Jane saw Joe question her with only a look of confusion. He finally spoke to her, “what happened?”“I’ll tell you at lunch.” They always tried to get lunch together at least three times a week. With her job becoming more in office most days, it allowed her to actually get lunch with him. Initial crime scenes were the norm but chases were few and far between as she hit fifty. Not because she was unable but because she felt her time in the field was ending. She was starting towards the administration part of the job while the teams did the physical aspects of the job and were better suited for it. After all, her name was one of three on Leon Vance’s short-list to be NCIS Director and Jane wanted to get a head start if she was chosen.“Have a good day.” Joe kissed her before rubbing back Leiko’s dirty-blonde hair. “Bye Leiko.”“Say bye-bye to Daddy.”The girl put her arms out for a hug and Joe took her, “Daddy no go.”“Oh, I wish I didn’t have to go to work but Daddy has to.” He pulled his daughter’s arms from around his neck to see her on the verge of tears. “You need to help Mommy. I’ll see you tonight and we’ll snuggle.” Joe kissed Jane softly before smiling at her.Jane accepted the crying toddler back. “Daddy. Daddy.” She put her arms out to Joe as he walked towards the front door. “No! Daddy!” She kicked her legs but Jane was far used to the tantrum as it was a normal event when Joe left the house in the mornings.Julie entered the house with her riding bag and her backpack. They’d cleaned out the old downstairs mother-in-law suite that had been used for storage since Jane and Daniel moved in after the deed had been given to her almost two decades before. Joe and she had decided to help Julie create a space of her out of what had once been storage. A year of remodel had turned it from a large one bedroom into two small dorm-like rooms with a shared bathroom. So Julie had a room to live in and Alex too when he visited. The twins had taken over their rooms but they had no objections. Nani shared her room with her little sister but there was no antagonism or grudge. She’d even offered once Leiko turned two years old and the master bedroom wasn’t big enough for them two and toddler.“I’m headed out.” Julie stated, “do you need me to do anything after I get done at the stables?”Tackling her toddler in her arms, Jane nodded. “Can I send you a grocery list? The twins have parent-teacher conferences at school. Joe is covering that because I have to pick up Leiko.”“Sure, just text or send a note with items listed.”Looking at her daughter, Jane sighed. “Can you take her so I can get ready?”Julie reached out to her littlest sister. At Leiko’s birth, Julie had been thrilled to have two sisters and had grinned while holding the baby. “Leiko, hey, hey.” She got her sister’s attention. “Let’s go watch Mickey Mouse.”“Mickey?”“Yeah, Mickey.” Julie walked to the living room where she planned to put Mickey Mouse on the TV.Jane threw the lunchbox that Leiko ate from at daycare onto the kitchen table where her small backpack was. She proceeded to put away everything that she had used to make lunches. From her angle in the kitchen she saw her daughters in the living room watching Mickey Mouse. Taking the few minutes it afforded her, she headed upstairs to the master bedroom to grab her shoes.Getting her daughter inside the daycare wasn’t as hard as one would think but it was the tantrum that came when she left which Jane dreaded. She put Leiko down as she signed her into the front office.“Who are you checking in?” Jane looked up from where she was signing in her daughter to see a new worker in the office.“Leiko Milius.” Jane finished signing her toddler in and waited for her name tag.“I’m sorry, I’m new.”“You’re fine.”“Is that a nickname because I’m not bringing her up.” She turned her face from the computer to Jane. “Full name if possible.”“Emily Milius, E-M-I-L-Y M-I-L-I-U-S.” She looked down to see her daughter trying to put a fallen pencil in her mouth. “Leiko, no.” She knelt down and gripped the pencil to stop it from being put in her mouth. “Honey that’s not safe to put in our mouths.” Pointing to the sharp end she caught her attention. “This is sharp, it hurts us if we put it in our mouths.”The woman at the desk was waiting with the name tag sticker when Jane stood up. “Here you go.”“Thank you.” Jane peeled away the paper from the sticker and put it on the back of the three year old’s shirt. “Okay baby, let’s go to class.”Jane braced herself for the coming tantrum as she neared the toddler’s classroom. She found herself shocked when that day her daughter ran into the room and started playing at one of the toy boxes. Her teacher made her way over to the door and spoke quickly with Jane.“Looks like today will be a good day.”“It’s a first.”The teacher waved her off, “it always happens eventually, you should go before she remembers you’re here.”“Thanks Natalie.”On her drive to work, she called Joe to talk with him.“Hey, how was drop off?” He sounded calm, like there wasn’t any call for a meeting or a situation that warranted him being out of his office.“No crying or a tantrum. Leiko went in without crying and started playing.”She knew without seeing him that he was raising an eyebrow before speaking. “I guess she’s finally used to being there and wanted to play with her friends.” “Hopefully it’ll continue. I’m happy that I got out of the daycare in time to pick up coffee. The twins get off to school without issue?”
“Yes, dropped them off but had to go back because Nani forgot her lunch in the car. I reminded her why there is money on their accounts at school. I said next time I wouldn’t turn around and she’d be eating at school.”
Jane grinned as she imagined how the seven year old was upset with what her father said. She knew Nani had at least tried to argue the point as she was a lot like her mother. There was always a rebuttal but Joe had learned with Julie how to put his foot down on a subject. “I’m sure she was thrilled with that.”“She is so much like you Jane Tennant-Milius.” He paused before speaking again. “Less stressed now that school prep is finished?” “I am, I need to start making their lunches at night.”
“I got some news this morning. As you know, I’ve been keeping tabs on Alex and his PCS orders went through. He got accepted to the STA-21 program like we all hoped.”
“Where will he be stationed?”
“University of Maryland, he’ll be about thirty minutes from your parents.”
Turning into the line for the base gate, Jane removed her badge from where it laid in her briefcase. “That’s good, do we have a track yet?”
“He’s chosen CORE, doesn’t have an assignment until the end of the program.”
As she drove up to the officer at the gate, Jane rolled down her window and showed her badge. The officer waved her threw and she drove through the gate onto the base. “I just turned onto base. I’ll see you at lunch time. Love you.”
“I love you too. Go catch the bad guys.”
“I will, don’t worry.” She grinned, “it’s literally what I do for a living.