Like civilized people. Kate snorted at that behind Jake's back as she sat her bag down. It was stuffed full and the last thing she wanted to do was tote it around the Marriott for no reason. Not sure that anything between her and Jake could be considered civilized. Even just over the intranet they seemed to bring out the worst in each other.
Kate sat down and took a drink of her coke and listened to Jake. She let him speak, watching him and studying him as she did. Nothing he said shocked her. She wasn't surprised that he didn't like her and so for the feeling was mutual. She hadn't making snap judgments about people but Jake just happened to rub her the wrong way. She was quickly discovering that when it came to Brennan she was as protective as a mother lion with a cub. Even now she felt her claws coming out as she tried to remain diplomatic about this. After all she was going to have to put up with Jake for Brennan's sake.
The mention of Brennan's past relationships or how long they had lasted didn't bother Kate. They hadn't really talked about past relationships because she knew that neither of them had ever had any worth mentioning so to hear that the average lifespan of one of Brennan's was six months didn't surprise her. It didn't worry her either because she knew this was different even if Jake wouldn't, or couldn't, see that.
"I understand. But only if you understand a few things before you lay down these rules," Kate stated as she sat her coke on the table then leaned her back against her chair, legs crossed and hands in her lap. "It's been at least four years and Brennan's not the man you knew. Not completely. These four years have beaten and broken Brennan. Maybe you've noticed how withdrawn and even cold he can be around people. He doesn't mean to be. It's how he had to become to survive because he had no one there to help him." Now he did, though she didn't bother her breath on that. She knew that Jake would just come back that he was there to help Brennan now and that she wasn't needed. She knew she was and she wasn't going to give up on Brennan just because his best friend was dead set against her being in his life.
"He's starting to change, to find himself again. He's still broken but now he smiles and laughs." And she loved that she brought that out in him just as she loved all the broken pieces of Brennan, not just the good ones but the bad ones too. They were what made him who he was and you couldn't pick and choose between what you wanted and what you didn't. "There's something you should know about me as well. I'm not like those other 'birds'. This bird will not be chased off because this bird will fight for Brennan. Why? Because I love him. Because he loves me. And that's something I know those other girls never had, his love. So go ahead, lay down the rules, but know that I will not only fight for Brennan, I will go to war for him."