Goldrush

As Lucy turns one last time she breathes deep. Inhaling through her nose as her heavy chest rises. She takes in her last sight of the ship. Her mind wanders back to that first day in Singapore where she stood small against the endless size of the place she would come to call home. Four months feels like a lifetime and also a flash. Lucy knew this mission would change her life in some way, but could never have envisioned the turn it took when she first laid eyes on her tall, blonde roommate.

“Agent Tara?”. A man in a black suit and sunglasses asks before graciously taking her bag and opening the car door. Lucy has never been to Japan and much like Singapore she isn’t going to get to see much of it. Heading to the airport her heart feels torn. On the one hand she wants to go home. Reunite with her Ohana and sleep in a proper bed again. But what if Kate is here? It would make sense after all. Japan was the closest country to them when the accident occurred, and Lucy is sure the US navy base here in Yokosuka would have the facilities to care for Kate.

As they pull up to the terminal building the driver points to the American Airlines sign. They haven’t spoken more than two words to each other the entire drive, but Lucy doesn’t mind the quiet. Once stopped he steps out and fetches Lucy’s bag from the trunk. “Thank you”. Lucy hands him a tip before heading into the check-in hall. The sights and sounds of normality flood back to the agent. A coffee shop catches her attention as she suddenly realises how long she’s survived without decent coffee.

She’s just thankful however to be flying home commercial. One trip on a navy aircraft en route to Singapore is enough to last a lifetime. She hauls her bag onto the scales and receives her boarding pass before heading to departures. After a short wait in the lounge, she boards her flight. Lucy Tara is heading back to her Ohana.

———

“When Lucy gets here, act natural guys. We need to make this surprise work!”. Tennant looks around the table as the Pearl team huddle together in the break room. Tennant told Lucy to have a lay in and start at noon, it is her first day back after all. After landing into Honolulu late last night Jane was sure Lucy could do with the extra rest. “You got it boss”. Jesse nods before grabbing his coffee and strolling confidently back to his desk. “I don’t do well with secrets”. Kai looks nervous as he makes his confession to the group. “It’s easy, I have many secrets”. Ernie blurts out. Everyone turns to face him after his confession. He darts his eyes around the room confused as to why that would startle his colleagues. “What? I tell you guys most of them”. Jane just laughs under her breath in response. “I’ll see you guys at noon”. She turns and heads towards the elevator.

At noon on the dot the elevator doors spring open and a familiar short figure struts out and into the bullpen. Jane, Jesse and Kai are in the middle of briefing a case when they turn to see Lucy walking through the doors. “Luce, welcome back!”. Jesse shouts as he gets up and runs to hug a rather tired looking Lucy. Lucy has almost forgotten what it feels like to be around her Ohana, but that first welcome home hug from her big brother massively helps to calm her anxieties. “It’s so good to see you Lucy”. Jane states before embracing Lucy like a mother. Lucy can feel her body ease, unaware of how much stress she had internalised for the past few days.

“Luce! I’m so proud of you mighty mouse!”. Kai jokes as he leans down and hugs Lucy. After leaning back Lucy stares at him, somewhat confused. “Mighty Mouse?”. She squints her brow. “It’s a new gif he found, apparently it’s you”. Jesse seems unamused by Kai’s new nickname for the agent. “Thanks, I think?”. Lucy just laughs and reaches for her backpack she threw down before hugging Jesse. “I have gifts for you all”. As she begins to unzip the bag Tennant flashes a look at Jesse, nodding encouragingly. “Hey Luce, maybe those can wait?”. Lucy stops in her tracks and looks up at him perplexed.

Suddenly realising she intruded on a briefing she apologises. “Oh sorry, yes. You guys are in the middle of a case. I’ll save them for later.” Jesse immediately panics more. He didn’t mean to make Lucy regret offering them gifts. “No, Lucy I thought maybe we could all grab drinks later. Just the team. Or your friends too, if you want, I don’t know…or mind! Do gifts then? What do you say? I hear Barefoot Beach Cafe have some new killer cocktails”.

Jane and Kai watch him fumble in bewilderment. Jane just rolls her eyes, so much for acting natural. “Drinks later sound like a great idea, if you’re not too tired Lucy?”. Jane swoops in to clean up Jesse’s mess. Best to make a move before Kai gets involved. “Yeah, that sounds fun”. Lucy tilts her head as she says it. Unsure of why Jesse is acting jumpy around her. She’s not exactly convincing either. Of course drinks with her Ohana will be fun, but celebrating being back feels wrong when the last piece of the puzzle isn’t solved. “Perfect, should we say eight o’clock? I’ll let Ernie and Chase know”. Jane is straight to the point. “Sounds good, thanks guys”. Lucy says before dropping her backpack on her chair and taking in her surroundings by her desk once more. “Okay then, fill me in on this case!”.

———

Lucy lands back into the bullpen after a run in with a North Korean operative with Jesse and Kai. Thankfully she took care of it. It took no time for the action to find her once again, and suddenly she’s wondering why she ever complained about petty theft cases onboard the ship. She winces with pain as she falls into her chair. The bullpen seems quieter than usual. It almost feels as though her team are avoiding her. Not wanting to dwell on her probable delusions however Lucy gets to writing her report. It isn’t until she hears the creak of the glass door that Lucy looks up to see Captain Milius leaving Tennant’s office.

Upon noticing Lucy his body almost freezes. Lucy didn’t mean to startle him, after all he knows who she is. Has he forgotten about her in the four months she’s been gone? “Good afternoon Captain”. Lucy perks up, trying to ease the awkwardness of the interaction. “Ah yes. Good morning. I mean noon, Lacey”. He mumbles before lowering his head and power walking in his white uniform out of the bullpen and down the stairs. Not even stopping to take the elevator. Lucy just stares into the space the man vanished from. What is going on around here?

Tennant’s head is down, writing away in her office. She is the only person acting somewhat normal Lucy thinks to herself. Milius isn’t even needed for this case. Meaning he may be here on unofficial business. Lucy always wondered if he and Jane had something going on. Of course she would never ask, but she isn’t blind.

Jane must have felt Lucy’s eyes watching her, as she looks up and catches the agent staring. She raises her hand and signals for Lucy to join her in her office. Lucy stumbles out of her chair and tries to act natural approaching Tennant’s glass door. The last time she opened this door her life was flipped upside down. Hoping this visit was just a casual one, Lucy pushes the door open. Her already sweaty palms sliding on the handle.

“Lucy, have a seat”. Jane points to the same chair Lucy sat in when she got the news. The deja-vu plays tricks on Lucy’s mind, as she suddenly wonders what her life would be right now if she never took the agent afloat position. “This feels a little too familiar”. Lucy jokes as she leans back into the chair. “I’m not dropping any bombs on you today Lucy, you can relax”. Tennant reassures the agent, whose face instantly relaxes. “I wanted to congratulate you”. Lucy lowers her brow, unsure what she’s being congratulated for. “Lucy, not only did you spend four months in a foreign environment, and one that was not easy for you. But you earned high praise from the Captain.”

Lucy is proud of her achievements, but hearing it from Tennant means more than anything. This woman is Lucy’s mentor, her biggest champion. “And Lucy, proving Kate’s innocence by highlighting the incorrect maintenance record on her jet which led to the dual engine failure. That’s impressive work”. Lucy swallows the lump in the throat as she holds back tears. It takes everything within her to thank Tennant without being a sobbing mess. “You made me us all proud. You made me proud.” Tennant reaches her hand across the desk and shakes the agent’s somewhat sticky own.

———

After what can only be described as the weirdest shift she’s ever worked Lucy arrives back to her apartment to quickly shower and change before heading out for drinks with her colleagues. As if the bullpen awkwardness when she first arrived wasn’t enough, she got the silent treatment from Ernie, and Chase practically ran in the opposite direction when she saw her in the car park. Being already anxious about Kate, her mind was running to worrying places. Had the group dynamic changed in the four months she’s been afloat? Deciding maybe she was just too sleep deprived and making the entire situation something it isn’t she decides to just focus on tonight. Rummaging through her wardrobe for something that’s already clean, she settles on black skinny jeans and a patterned halter neck top for the evenings look.

She grabs her keys and heads out. Driving hasn’t really sunk back in just yet. It’s been a while and it still feels slightly foreign to Lucy at this point. But she loves the freedom it provides. A moment of solitude. The breeze flows in through her window as she taps her hand on the window ledge to the beat of the song on the radio. In the peace provided by her surroundings she thinks about tonight. She knows today has been weird but maybe her team just want to distract her from the reality of the situation. She’s lost the love of her life. It seems a lot to call someone she’s known for four months that, but in Lucy’s mind she believes it. Her Ohana know better than anyone the struggles she’s had with love. It’s never come easy to the agent despite her outgoing, infectious personality. And now she’s found it, only to have it ripped from her grip.

Pulling up to the bar Lucy notices a few of her colleagues cars already in the parking lot. She’s by no means late, but it does make her question if she got the time wrong. She grabs the bag full of gifts and makes her way into the entrance. Looking round the room she can’t spot anyone so she continues on through to the outdoor seating area. Still seeing nobody she continues towards the covered areas at the back. On turning the corner she is shocked by the sight of her Ohana. A banner hangs from the roof reading “Welcome back, Lucy”. Everyone cheers as the amazed agent steps towards them. Her jaw hangs open in shock. “Y’all this is amazing!”. She exclaims looking around at everyone in the room who made this happen.

“Is this why y’all ignored me today?”. She jokes as everything since coming home starts to make sense. “Sorry Luce, I can’t keep secrets so I thought it was better to keep my distance”. Kai confesses as he wraps an arm around her. “Well thank y’all for this!”. She feels her heavy heart forget the weight it’s carrying for the time being. “But don’t do that to me again, I thought I was going insane”. Everyone just laughs. Jane hands Lucy a mai tai and begins a toast. Trying not to tear up, Lucy looks lovingly around the room. The faces opposite are her best friends, the people she trusts with her life, but the one face she loves more than any is missing.

She can’t help but think of Kate. The last time Lucy drank was on the day of swim call. How different their lives became only weeks later. The happiness in her heart turned heavy. In that moment as Tennant and her team raise their glasses to Lucy, Lucy raises hers to Kate in her heart. She will find her, or rather Ernie and his stalking skills will.

The Ohana receive their various gifts, Jane a hat, Chase a necklace and Ernie a red stapler. “I’m sorry all you got was this boring stapler”. Lucy confesses, gift giving isn’t exactly her speciality. “I love it”. Ernie smiles as he looks at the agent. He can tell Lucy is sad, he always could. Sometimes the agent’s eyes spoke louder than words. But this time it’s different. “It means you’re home”. Ernie embraces Lucy, wanting to help ease the pain of losing Kate. Of course he knew about what happened to Kate, the whole team did. It broke Ernie’s heart when his so-called favourite ship which he lovingly nicknamed Kacy was torn apart.

“We do have one more surprise Lucy”. Tennant states, perking up the attention of the rest of the Pearl team. They shuffle towards the exit leaving Lucy standing alone by the long table in the centre of the room. “We’ll be back in one minute!”. Ernie shouts as the whole team exit. Lucy stands in the middle of the room. Just when she thought her team were being their usual incredible selves again they’ve gone and confused her one more time. It’s probably a cake Lucy thinks to herself as she looks around at the room again and notices no food. There’s no such thing as a party without food, everyone knows that.

Turning her attention back towards the entrance she feels her legs turn to jelly beneath her. Blinking hard to ensure she isn’t dreaming or imagining the image in front of her, her mouth falls wide open in realisation that it is in fact real. Kate Whistler stands by the entrance with an adorable smirk on her face. Wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt, with her hair falling over her shoulders in waves, Lucy didn’t think it was possible for this woman to keep getting hotter. “Kate!”. Lucy runs towards the blonde, wrapping her arm gently around her body. Breathing deep she takes in all of Kate. Her velvety smell, her warmth, the electricity between them overwhelms the agent who can’t hold back tears.

Leaning back Lucy looks up into Kate’s eyes which meet hers with love. The bruises on Kate’s face have faded, revealing the woman Lucy fell in love with once again. “How is this real?”. Lucy questions. Laughing under her breath as she does. “I’ll explain all tomorrow, I just need to kiss you”. Kate reaches down and meets Lucy’s lips. Cupping the blonde’s face between her hands, Lucy loses track of time. The blonde chases Lucy lips, eager to catch up on what she’s missed.

“Thank you, Lucy”. Kate says with sincerity as Lucy holds her face between her palms still. “I told you, you’d fly again”. Kate’s lips form that same downward smile that makes Lucy weak. “I love you”. Kate whispers as she embraces Lucy once again. Never wanting to let go.

“Ah-hem”. Ernie coughs. “Sorry to interrupt”. The two woman look up to see the entire Pearl team standing by the door once again. They both look at each other and laugh. Both feeling a million miles away in that moment, they forgot their surroundings. Lucy notices the insanely huge cake in the shape of a ship that Jesse and Kai are carrying between them. “Surprise!”. Lucy laughs before thanking them all again. Holding Kate’s hand she properly introduces her to everyone before they tuck into the chocolatey USS Lucy.

Watching Kate joking and laughing with her friends, Lucy doesn’t think it’s possible for a human heart to hold anymore love than this. “She’s a tough one”. Tennant states, laying a hand on Lucy’s shoulder. Despite Lucy’s mind running at a hundred miles an hour, the agent within her figures everything out in that moment. “Thank you Tennant, I mean I don’t know how to thank you enough actually”. Lucy rambles. It all makes sense why the team were so on edge. They were hiding the greatest secret of all. It also explains the unannounced arrival of Captain Milius into Tennant’s office earlier. “Wasn’t all me Lucy, everyone helped in someway to make this happen. You are family, and I hope now Kate will be too”. Lucy could feel the tears breaking away from the pools in her eyes once more.

As the evening draws to a close the Ohana each say their goodbyes. Lucy and Kate are left standing alone in the room once again. “Come home with me?”. Lucy doesn’t quite understand why she’s so nervous to ask Kate that question. The blonde reaches for Lucy’s hands and takes them into her own. Slowly intertwining their fingers, two hearts becoming one as their pulses both sync at the touch. “I can’t, just yet”. Kate’s sad eyes speak volumes.

“I think you should have this back”. The blonde states as she reaches into her pocket and hands Lucy her watch. “We have all the time in the world now Lucy, I promise”. Whatever Kate meant by that Lucy understood. Nodding in understanding Lucy basks in the starlight which reflects off Kate’s face. The world stands still, no sound fills the room, as only love surrounds them.

———

At seven o’clock sharp Lucy bounces into the bullpen. Handing out coffees to her team, she can’t wipe the smile off her face. She hasn’t slept so well in weeks, and the restful slumber was proving advantageous. “I haven’t brought y’all coffee since the day I found out about my agent afloat position”. She throws her bag down and enjoys her first sip of her own chai latte. “Look at you now, Captain Tara”. Jesse jokes as he falls into his chair.

“I hope you brought an extra one”.

A voice she would recognise anywhere comes from behind, and as she turns Lucy see’s Kate walking out from the back office, followed closely by Tennant. The blonde looks insanely smart as she approaches Lucy wearing a white navy suit. Her hat in hand. Lucy’s eyes trace up and down Kate’s body. Not caring what the others think of her staring. Her heart races as she darts her eyes back and forth between Kate and Tennant. “What?…I mean what!?”. Lucy raises her voice in both excitement and confusion. “I told you everybody helped get Kate back Lucy, including a good friend”. Tennant explains.

“You’re looking at Pearl’s newest flight instructor”. Kate tries to get the words out without her voice breaking but ultimately fails. Her eyes blinking faster than usual as her mouth falls into a smile. Lucy practically leaps forward to embrace the blonde. Holding her tight, Lucy feels overwhelmed with emotion. As she leans back Kate finds her shaky hands and speaks softly. “I’m not going anywhere, my love”. Her deep eyes sinking love into Lucy’s veins. With that, Lucy throws professionalism out the window as she pulls Kate down to kiss her.

The team can’t help but cheer them on, the smiles on their faces highlighting how much this means to them as well. The couple are warped back to reality with some embarrassment but no regrets. They hold each other still as they both look around the room, laughing with wide smiles that they never want to hide. Kate leans down and whispers into the agent’s ear. “Do you think they want us to keep going?”. Lucy giggles, her shoulders rising in joy. “I don’t think getting fired on your first day is a good idea, babe”. Instead, smiling wider than ever Kate simply leans forward and meets Lucy’s forehead, their noses brushing. “Don’t make me get the guitar out”. Kate teases, making Lucy’s eyebrows raise in amazement. The pair burst out laughing as they stand in the middle of the bullpen.

If this is her new normal, Lucy wants to live this incredible normal day over and over again for the rest of her life.