Kate - timed to after debut

[duerespectguv]

Tesla's told him it's a tropical island and they're trapped and that's enough for Declan; it's not Carentan, but something like, and he's going to keep poking at it until he's cracked it. Magnus and Will haven't done it yet after a year and while that should be discouraging, Declan's not willing to give up. Not yet. Not now. He's going to get them home.

He knows Kate's on the island and it's close to sundown before he finds her, tucked in at one of the bars and he whistles lightly to get her attention.

"Tesla told me you might be here. Miss me?"

Maybe Kate knows more than Tesla did about what was going on back home.

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[duerespectguv]

"Can do without watching Magnus make eyes at Zimmerman, thanks," Declan says dryly. He cares. About them both and thinks Magnus can't really do better than Will but he'd rather not see it in action if he can help it.

"But we should tell them I'm here, yeah."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Kate doesn't sound enthusiastic about it, because she's not. Yeah, they've been good to her, but the longer she's here the more she feels the differences between her Will and Magnus and this Will and Magnus. Declan's her Declan and...

And nothing. The old Kate Freelander would've dragged Declan off by herself and gotten him drunk, maybe tried to ride that ride. The new Kate Freelander squares her shoulders and takes him to the boss and her boyfriend, Kate's team, because it's the right thing to do.

Of course they're glad to see Declan. Magnus gets all teary again, even if Will looks a little annoyed. Figures, since he doesn't know Declan's part of the team now any more than he knows Kate is. She sticks close to Declan, in case it's as weird for him as it was for her, and when they leave (whatever Magnus says, they can't both stay there and Kate's not leaving Declan alone), she's still that close.

"Weird, right?" She's just trying to lighten the mood a little, since she's really not good at emotions and Declan's probably having a lot of them.

[duerespectguv]

"More than a little," Declan agrees, wondering why Zimmerman seemed so put out when he'd had his back over and over again. Magnus had the right of it, teary eyed, and Declan's always been a sucker when it comes to women crying. He couldn't handle much of it.

"None of you are from as late as I am," he muses, wondering what that means, if that means Carentan has destroyed the world by now.

"You're the closest, though. Tesla's next."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"You can tell me everything," Kate offers, not sure what else to do for him, and really not sure what to do with the feeling of wanting to help as much as she does. "Everything, what we said, what we did. I know it's freaky, them not being the same, but I can be. I want to be as close as I can be."

[duerespectguv]

"I was the one who made the call to send Ravi in," Declan starts, words tumbling out even though he's normally pretty reserved. Something about Kate changes that and he suspects it has something to do with the fact that she knows him.

"It's my fault he's trapped, partially my fault Magnus and Will are too. My versions, anyway."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"If you made the call, it was the right call," Kate says and it's not some dumb desperate loyalty that has her saying it and Kate Freelander doesn't blow sunshine up anyone's ass. "No one's sharper in a crisis than you." Not even Magnus. Not even her. Declan's better with plans than either of them. Magnus is the plan. And Kate's fastest on her feet.

"Come on." She slips her arm through his and tugs him down to where she thinks the beach is. "Let's go sit, or swim, while we talk." He needs to be away from Magnus and Will or maybe she does and the beach is far enough away for now.

[duerespectguv]

A long swim sounds nice, but his idea of a swim is pushing himself miles and miles in ice cold water and not the balmy, relaxing thing that a swim would be here on the island.

"Beach sounds fine and if we get to swimming, we get to it." He grins at her, though, eyes a little lighter than before.

"Thanks for the support, Kate. Means a lot."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate smiles too, a tight thing, back teeth clenched but eyes curved up. Him being here helps. It helps a lot. But it's still completely fucked.

She pats his arm and tilts her head to look up at him. "They don't know me. You do." It doesn't seem like an answer, but it is and he knows it. He knows, he has to, what that means to her. He knows she hasn't stolen anything Magnus didn't ask her to steal in two years. He knows she sat there with Will when Ravi killed him, that she chased him out into the streets before that, that she's risked her life for them again and again, and done everything she can to make up for who she was before. So he knows why he owns her honesty and her loyalty.

"Haven't said it yet--" Her voice is a little softer, gaze indirect. "But I'm really glad you're here."

[duerespectguv]

"You too, love," Declan says, a little softer than he might normally be with her, matching her tone. She's different than she was when she first came to the Sanctuary, less angry, and Magnus and Will are fools if they can't see that.

"Glad to know there's someone who still has a little faith in me other than Magnus."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

It takes a few breaths to fight the urge to slide her arms around his waist. She's not, really she isn't, a hugger, but he's home and she already misses the goddamned dark wood paneling of the Sanctuary and the maroon and gold carpets and the freaking 2 am feedings so much she can't breathe sometimes. It sucks, because it's exactly why she never stayed anywhere since she took off for Montreal and Magnus and Will made her believe it would be different. That she had a place.

She takes another deep breath, reminds herself it's not gone, she does have a place and he's part of it. Then nudges him in the side with an elbow, grinning. "Come on, double O Declan, the entire Sanctuary Network has faith in you. Will's just being a dick because the last time he saw you you knew his girlfriend better than he does."

[duerespectguv]

"Double O Declan, is it?" Declan asks, laughing at the absurdity of it. He's...capable, but he's no ladies' man and never will be, but he likes the nickname more than he can say. "And I have faith they'll be just fine, it's just a learning curve to know them again."

He nudges her back, just as playful. "And you, Freebird? Planning to go fly on me or are you sticking around?"

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Could do worse than Zeppelin," Kate decides, laughing a little. The nickname's fitting, at least for the girl she used to be. She's a little more family, a little less free agent these days, but she still keeps her options open.

She shrugs. "Nowhere to go. Only people in the world who know how to find me when I fly are here, even if half of them don't know it." As much as she wants to castrate him, Kate doesn't doubt Tesla's got her number as solidly as she's got his.

[duerespectguv]

"Hell of a lot worse than Zepplin, Zepplin's brilliant," Declan says, grinning a little wider. At the idea that there's nowhere to fly anymore, he sobers, and squeezes her shoulder lightly.

"We'll figure out a way home, Kate. Promise you that."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Better," she says quietly and not a little bitterly. She's already driving Will and Magnus batshit and she's always a little sick and dizzy from throwing herself against invisible barriers like a smoke-crazed bird.

"I hate this island. It's like the smallest small town you've ever been in. Everyone's up in everyone else's business. There's nothing to do, and--" She can't believe she's going to say this, but there you have it. "I'm worse than useless here."

[duerespectguv]

"Recon with me," Declan suggests. "You'd be a damned good field agent, with some training, and we've nothing but time on our hands. Help me learn this place so we can find a way back home, yeah?"

If that gives her some agency, he's happy to provide it.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Duh." Kate's mouth quirks up in a trademark smirk and she smacks him with the back of her hand against his chest. "You didn't think I was going to let you wander the wilds of this island by yourself, did you?"

Declan's home. Fuck, he'll be ready to kill her in a week too, but she's not going to lose him, too.

[duerespectguv]

"I'd hoped not," Declan says, smirking back and shaking his head at her. It's a different dynamic, he and Kate versus he and anyone else and it makes him happy that this is the same, at least.

"I need someone to watch my six."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate crouches wear the grass gives way to the sand to unlace her boots. It's not really Kate's style, barefoot moonlit walks on the beach, but it's just warm enough for a swim. She's gotta do something or she's going to explode.

"Right now, I need someone to watch mine. I'm swimming. You coming?"

[duerespectguv]

Declan nods and tugs his shirt over his head, tossing it down on the sand. It doesn't bother him, stripping in front of Kate, mostly because she's team and he's comfortable with her.

"Swimming, I can do. How much are we taking off?"

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate's already pulled off her shirt when he asks and she tosses it with his, giving him a sharp look over and a little smile. Nice. If he was Will, she'd strip down to nothing just to fuck with him, but it's different with Declan.

"I'd rather not ruin the only decent set of lingerie the clothing box has coughed up, but if you're too British for skinny-dipping, I'll deal."

[duerespectguv]

"I'm not too British to be pragmatic," Declan says, shrugging and stripping the rest of the way. Nobody's going to see them and, if they do, it's not like he'll be the first person to ever be caught skinny dipping.

It reeks of teenager, though, so he'd rather not be caught, all things told.

"And you, what, consider yourself American, don't you? We all know Americans are brash."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Citizen of the world, babe. Girl or guy in every port. You know the drill." She flashes him a sharp, I'm bullshitting you - sort of smile and drops trow.

Kate's not trying to be a cocktease, standing there in black lingerie with pink trim. But she's not going to complain if he actually looks.

[duerespectguv]

Declan looks, but no more than a cursory once over that's almost demanded by how brazen she is about the whole thing. Kate's not his usual type, not physically, but he can appreciate her beauty easily enough. He finishes stripping and wades out into the water.

"Well, this port of call, find anyone yet?"

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Appreciative but not interested, that's what Kate takes from how he looks at her. Fair. He's not her usual type either. A little older, a little more British, but there's definitely something about him.

She tucks her lingerie inside her jeans, wades a few steps out, then dives across the water. "Not planning on staying," she tells him. "But there's not much else to do." Which is totally yes, but ... Tesla.

[duerespectguv]

Declan understands that more than he's willing to admit. Sanctuary life is a lonely one and his Sanctuary doesn't have young, hot men and women running around like Old City. It's been a long time since he's had anyone steady and given the choices available on a tropical island, well. He can't blame Kate.

"Don't want to burn too many bridges, is all. My only unsolicited advice."