Hayes: Details. Point is the captain's getting laid and we should celebrate.
Garcia: By leaving him alone?
Sullivan: By getting details later. Captain, you there? How was it? She seems like she'd be?—
I'm about to type something appropriately threatening when Gwen stirs against me. Her hand slides across my chest, fingers tracing the old scar on my ribs from that clusterfuck in Kandahar.
"Morning," she murmurs, voice rough with sleep.
"Morning." I set the phone down. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like the dead." She pushes up on one elbow, hair falling around her face. "After all the adrenaline wore off anyway. Any updates on Garrison or Briggs?"
"Nothing. Rivera's team swept until the early hours. Either they're gone or lying low."
"So we just wait."
"We stay alert and let NCIS do their job." I brush hair back from her face. "Speaking of which, Rivera wants us at the base some time today. They want your help going through the documentation."
"My help?"
"You documented everything. You know that equipment better than anyone on her team." I trace the line of her jaw. "Plus you presenting findings is going to be the highlight of my day."
"You just want to stare at me across a conference table."
"That too."
She laughs and reaches for my phone. "What were your guys texting about?"
"Nothing important."
"Thatcher." She gives me a look. "Let me see."
I could stop her. Should probably stop her. Instead I watch as she swipes the screen and starts reading. Her expression shifts from curious to amused to outright laughing.
"Oh my god. Sullivan wants details?"
"Sullivan wants a lot of things he's not going to get. I'm deleting this entire thread."
"Don't you dare." She holds the phone out of reach. "This is gold. Santos said 'about time.' Santos barely says anything."
"Exactly. Which means this conversation is over and we're never speaking of it again."
"Your team has a betting pool about our sex life."
"Had. Past tense. Garcia won. It's done."
She's grinning now, that smile I can't look away from. "How much did he win?"
"Not telling you that either."
"Was it substantial? Did Sullivan lose big?"
"Gwen."
"I'm just saying, if your team is this invested in your personal life, maybe you should give them something. A thumbs up. A mission success report."
"Absolutely not."
