ejzah

***

It isn’t until the entire team arrive for dinner, that Kensi realizes just how small her apartment is. Although she’s had more of a social life than Deeks, she hasn’t been entertaining.

The entire team had encouraged her to take a chance with Deeks, but that was so much different than leaving. Now that the moment is here, nerves have kicked in. She’s completely certain of her decision to leave, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.

So here she is watching the team talk and laugh from the kitchen while what-ifs paralyze her.

“Thinking of making a break for it?” Deeks says unexpectedly from behind her, making her jump slightly.

“I thought you were checking the pizza.”

“It’s out. And you’re avoiding the question.” Deeks makes the observation lightly, but with obvious compassion.

“No, I haven’t changed my mind,” she promises. “I’m just realizing that making such a big announcement is easier in theory.” With a sigh, Kensi leans against Deeks’ chest, appreciating the stability and comfort. “How did you do it?” She twists her head in time to see Deeks lift an eyebrow.

“If you recall, I wasn’t exactly doing too well emotionally at that time. Resigning didn’t seem like that big a deal in the grand scheme of things,” he replies sardonically.

“Right.” Kensi winces. “Stupid question. I just don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

“Kens, they love you and they’re gonna support you no matter what.” Deeks kisses her cheek and wraps and arm around her shoulder, hugging her against his chest for a second.

“You’re right. Thank you for always knowing how to talk me down,” she says, squeezing his arm before she lets go and walks back into her small living room.

“Oh good, we were just getting ready to stage an intervention if you didn’t come out soon,” Callen jokes.

“Is everything ok?” Eric checks.

“We’re fabulous,” Deeks answers. “We were neither fighting nor engaged in any unmentionable activities.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Sam mutters as Callen chuckles.

Kensi looks around the room, at all these people who have supported her, loved her, and put up with her in her worst moments. Eric and Nell share a couch with Jared squeezed in at the end.

Jared has handled keeping her secret surprisingly well. Unlike Kensi, he seems completely calm and hasn’t given any sign that he knows anything. He’s come a long way and she feels proud at the realization. He’s going to be ok without her. They all will.

“Actually, there is another reason why we invited all of you here tonight besides celebrating us getting back together,” Kensi begins, sharing a nervous look with Deeks. He nods encouragingly and she wishes this didn’t feel so much like a high school presentation. “Even though I’ve spent hours thinking about it, I don’t really know how to say this.”

“Can I say something first?” Sam asks, standing up from his spot on the couch.

“Sure.” Kensi nods uncertainly, but lets Sam move to the center of the room.

“I remember when you were just a rookie agent who was so determined to make a difference and prove yourself. I’d say you more than met your own expectation because you are one hell of an agent, Kensi.” He gave Kensi a half-smirk as he paused. “And you’re going to be amazing at whatever you do next. Whether it’s with NCIS or somewhere else.”

“How did you—?” Kensi asks, looking first to Deeks and then Jared, but they look equally surprised.

Sam rolls his eyes. “You’ve been on edge all night. I couldn’t take you biting at your nails anymore.”

“We also kind of made bets as soon as Deeks came back on board,” Callen reveals shamelessly. “Figured it wouldn’t be too long until you started thinking about the future beyond NCIS.”

“There’s also the fact you actually took your full medical leave for a change,” Sam adds.

So, you are leaving?” Eric confirms. He’s been unusually quiet all evening and now she knows why.

“Three months,” Kensi says. “I promise I wasn’t hiding this from you guys. I just had to make sure everything was in order before I shared the news.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Nell tells her, coming over to hug Kensi tightly. “I’m gonna miss you so much, Lady. But I’m also happy for you.” Nell laughs wetly, then reaches for Deeks, hugging him just as fiercely. “And you too. You have no idea how hard I’ve worked for this.”

“Oh, we know,” Deeks assures her. “Thank you for all your meddling and pushing. I don’t know if we would have figured it out without you.”

“Definitely not,” Callen teases. “You two idiots were prepared to be miserable for the rest of her lives.”

***

Caleb, poking at Deeks’ chest: Daddy, what’s dis?

Deeks, squinting at his scarred bullet wound: It’s a boo-boo.

Kensi, under her breath: A very, very big boo boo.

Sophia, rushing to climb on Deeks’ lap: I wanna see it! Where’s da blood? You needa bandaid, daddy?

Deeks, chuckling: Thanks, kiddo, but I’m ok. This one happened a long time ago.

Caleb: What happened? Did you fall down? Did you cry?

Deeks: Uh, I was stopping a bad guy.

Kensi, squeezing Deeks’ shoulder: Daddy was saving me.

Sophia, with a soft gasp: Like a superhero!

Caleb, delighted: Like Spiderman! And da Captain of America.

***

Deeks: Sir, I need to leave early on Monday.

Kilbride, sighing: What is the current catastrophe? A family illness, perhaps. You’re adopting more children? No, I suppose your dog has an emergency vet appointment.

Deeks, after a lengthy pause: Actually, I need to pick Rosa up from school early.

Kilbride: I see. Well, why not have an agent pick her up instead and bring her to the boat shed? I can work from there.

Deeks, uncertainly: So you’re offering to stay with Rosa?

Kilbride, tersely: It didn’t go that badly last time. Your daughter is a decent conversationalist and surprisingly respectful.

Deeks: I’m sure there’s a compliment in there somewhere. That’s a very kind offer, sir. Unfortunately, I don’t think that will work out since Rosa has a vocational activity at a local museum. I missed the last one. Unless you’d like to help supervise fifteen or so 16-17 year olds.

Kilbride, with obvious distaste: Absolutely not. *he waves his hand* I approve the time off. And do not even think of bringing any of those other children here.

***

Summer Nights

Deeks sat on the back patio, a can of cool sparkling water in his hand. Even though it was after 9pm, the air still felt thick and hot around him. Naturally, their AC had given out during the hottest week of the summer.

By running every fan he and Kensi owned, they’d managed to keep the house livable until their maintenance guy could replace the air conditioner.

He heard the sliding door open behind him and scooted over to make room for Kensi to join him.

“Hey, sugar bear,” he said, looking up as he sat next to him. Taking her hand, he presses a kiss to her wrist, smiling against the already warm skin. “How was work?”

“Well, I had working AC, so nothing I’m going to complain about right now,” she answered, reaching out to brush his slightly damp hair back from his forehead. Deeks noticed she’d changed into her smallest shirt and a crop top already. “Thank for taking care of the Sophia and Caleb through all this. I can’t imagine they were too happy.”

“Eh, we spent most of the day at mama’s house, so it wasn’t too bad. They went to sleep about twenty minutes ago with the fans on full blast. The projected cost for the replacement AC and labor is gonna hurt in a few weeks.”

Kensi grimaced. “Yeah.” She swatted away a mosquito. “What are you doing out here, baby?”

“I was getting a little stir crazy,” Deeks explained. He tracked a lightning bug across the yard. “I used to catch lightning bugs with Ray when I was a kid. We never did anything to them. We’d just catch them, see how long they’d stay on our hands before they flew away. Then start all over again.”

“That’s a sweet memory,” Kensi said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Nights like this make me think of when I was a kid. The air conditioning always seemed to go out once a summer. Or if money was tight, we’d keep it off to save a little. It would get so warm in my room, I couldn’t sleep. A few times, mom took me to the corner store to get stale ice cream. Mostly, we’d stay up half the night just talking to pass the time. Then mom would go to work and I’d go to the library or beach as early as possible.”

Deeks smiled as he stares distantly across the small patch of ground Rosa had helped cultivate into a thriving garden.

“Even though it’s miserable, I don’t completely hate these hot, muggy nights.”

They were silent for a few minutes, the only sounds permeating the air those of frogs and insects.

“I had a few days like that after I ran away,” Kensi revealed unexpectedly. “The closest cooling center was a library. The first time I went in, I didn’t really know what to expect. A lot of times, people didn’t like it that a teenager was wandering around all by myself. So, I found a spot at the end of a bookshelf in the biography section cause no one else was around.”

Deeks didn’t say anything, but rubbed his thumb along Kensi’s shoulder, quietly encouraging.

“I’d only been there for about ten minutes when this tiny, older lady found me. I thought she was going to kick me out or ask where my parents were. Instead, she told me it was much cooler downstairs in the juvenile section. I tried to tell her I was fine, but she insisted that I was going to pass out if I stayed there and she didn’t have time to call an ambulance.”

Deeks chuckled at that. “What did you do?”

“I followed her downstairs and she gave me a popsicle, Gatorade, and a book and told me not to spill anything,” Kensi answered, her tone caught between amusement and melancholy.

“It’s weird how objectively crappy things make you feel nostalgic,” he mused.

“Yeah.” Kensi twisted her head to kiss his cheek. “Wanna stay up all night and eat popsicles?”

Nephew, talking about Infinity War Steve: Something happened to the star on his chest. It’s black.

Me: Yeah, in that movie, he has a different uniform. You haven’t seen that one yet. He also has a beard.

Nephew: That’s kind of weird.

Me, trying to be vague: He also doesn’t have a shield.

Nephew, getting more excited: Yeah, I noticed that and I thought “that’s weird”. Why does he look different? I wonder why he doesn’t have a shield.

Me, internally: Oh, just you wait 5-7 years, kiddo.

***

*The Deeks family are walking on the pier, close to dusk*

Deeks, pushing the sleeping twins in a stroller: So, Rosalie what are you planning for this summer?

Rosa, shrugging: I’m going to pick up a few more hours at work. I also need to test out of a couple classes and I’m debating getting a couple core classes out of the way.

Kensi, teasing: Oh, is that all? *then more seriously* Please don’t burn yourself out. You’ve worked so hard this whole year. You deserve a break.

Rosa: Don’t worry, mom. In comparison to fall and spring semesters, I’ll be getting done with classes so early. I’ll have so much time to relax.

Deeks: Man, I remember when I had that much energy. Or at least could drink enough caffeine to feel like I had energy. *he pulls Rosa into a one-armed hug* We’re proud of you, Rose.

Rosa, smiling: Thank you.

Kensi: And maybe you can find time to squeeze in a vacation with us.

Rosa: I probably have a week or two free. *she smiles a little slyly* I think Steven wouldn’t mind coming along too.

***

On a Wave’s Edge, Part 3

Surprisingly, Kensi endured very little teasing on the way back to the mission. They were all too busy discussing how their original plan for Meyers would need to change. From Kensi’s point of view, the surfing lesson gave her a much better excuse to meet Meyers and let him win her over than their original plan.

By the time they arrived back in OPS, they’d settled on a basic plan, but Callen and Sam wanted thoroughly vet Deeks before sending her back in.

In the past, she’d worked with less trustworthy people under significantly worse conditions, so she wasn’t all that worried Deeks would raise any flags.

“Ok, what’s this guy’s name?“ Eric asked when they made it upstairs.

“Marty Deeks.”

“Let’s see if he’s as uninvolved in Branston’s schemes as he claimed,” Callen commented.

“He seemed pretty honest to me,” Kensi said without thinking. She regretted it immediately, especially when Callen and Sam turned to her with twin knowing looks.

“Oh, is that a note of admiration I hear in your voice?” Callen asked.

Kensi groaned internally; sometimes it really sucked to work with people who knew her so well.

“No, just my professional opinion. He didn’t try to hide anything from me and even thought of things that would help. But he was also wary enough that he didn’t appear overly eager to get on my good side.

“Didn’t hurt that he was flirting the whole time,” Sam observed.

“Ok, Martin A. Deeks,” Eric said, drawing everyone’s attention to the big screen. Martin Deeks, better known as just Deeks, is the sole owner of The Perfect Wave surf shop and has been since 2008. Oh, interesting.”

“What?”

“He has a law degree, but it looks like he left the profession after a brief stint with the district attorney’s office. His record’s clean.”

“He’s cute,” Nell said, then added, “And his business has 4.8 stars on Google Reviews.”

“Any ideas why he quit law so fast?” Sam asked. “Takes a lot of commitment to get through law school and pass the bar.”

“Not really.” Nell squinted as she typed and sorted through search results. “He had a couple of verbal reprimands from judges while presenting cases, but those didn’t lead anywhere. It looks like he struggled with defending some criminal defendants who were accused of pretty awful crimes and reported a few dirty cops to LAPD. So, I’m guessing that didn’t make him super popular.” Looking up, Nell swiveled her chair around.

“Any unusual contact with Meyers? Or unexplained windfalls?”

“He sent text messages to one of Meyers cells. Both asking for confirmation of lesson times. Meyers did not reply,” Eric summed up. “Which is very rude.” He opened up a page of financial information. “Business has been steady and good. I don’t see any usually large payments or debts.”

“Oh look, he hosts monthly surfing sessions for vets and other vulnerable groups,” Nell added suddenly, her voice softening as she tilted her head. A few pictures from a public Facebook page populated on the screen.

Kensi’s squeezed with something dangerously close to affection at the images of Deeks grinning in obvious delight as he helped a child stand atop a board. She gave herself a mental shake; this was ridiculous. She’d only met Marty Deeks a few hours ago. She shouldn’t feel anything for him.

“He sounds like a real boy scout,” Sam commented dryly, drawing Kensi’s attention back to the conversation. “Alright, it sounds like you’re safe to bring him into the operation.”

“Hope you stocked up on sunscreen,” Callen added, winking at her.

***

Kensi arrived at The Perfect Wave early the day before her scheduled lesson. Eric had handled all of the phone calls with Deeks, which Kensi both appreciated and regretted.

When she walked in, the shop was completely empty other than Deeks, who sat up front with what appeared to be a month’s worth of receipts.

“Hey, Special Agent Kensi Blye,” he greeted her, his smile genuine and open despite the hour and what she had to imagine was a great inconvenience.

“Good morning. Thank you again for doing this.”

“It’s for a good cause.”

“Is your employee around?” Kensi asked, looking around as if the kid she saw yesterday might pop out of one of the few aisles.

“Jake? Yeah, I asked him to come in late today,” he explained. “I figured you wouldn’t want him to overhear anything confidential.”

“That was really thoughtful of you. Are you sure you weren’t a police officer in another life?” Kensi said jokingly.

“I’m sure you know I was a lawyer. Confidentially is kind of a big deal.” He said it with a vaguely sardonic tone and she didn’t know if it was aimed at her or himself.

“Well, that makes my job a lot easier. Just to cover all of our bases, you obviously can’t tell anyone about this. I don’t anticipate this to be a dangerous operation, but by working with NCIS you may be put into dangerous or comprising circumstances,” Kensi rattled off. “Do you have any questions?”

Deeks inclined his head and pulled a face. “As a former lawyer, I definitely shouldn’t agree to such vague terms.“ He made a show of mulling it over, then rolled his eyes. “I already said I’d help. I’m not backing out now.”

“Good. Oh, um, and my alias is Melissa Warren.”

“Sweet! I’ve always wanted to be a spy.”

“You’re not getting an alias,” Kensi reminded him, even though she figures he was joking.

“And you just killed my dreams,” he sighed, pausing a beat and made Director eye contact. It was a little disconcerting and definitely overwhelming. “I agree to all your terms and conditions, Melissa.”

“That’s going to get old fast,” she muttered. “Ok, what are doing today?”

“First, you get to pick out a surfboard, wetsuit, and accessories and then you’re gonna get a surfing crash course.” He held up a hand as if expecting an objection. “Just for my peace of mind.”

“Thinks pretty highly of himself,” Sam observed. Kensi managed not to flinch at the sudden intrusion over comms. Nell was supposed to be monitoring, but she hadn’t known anyone else jumped on too.

“I’ve had a couple lessons,” Kensi said, neglecting to mention they’d been from Eric and she’d gotten frustrated after the third time she’d fallen. Or that she’d asked Eric for a refresher on boards last night.

“Good. Then this should be simple.” He stood up, setting the receipts to the side. Once again, he was wearing a blue t-shirt, though this one was a darker shade and he paired it with an equally tight pair of jeans.

Kensi followed the broad line of his shoulders down to his waist, where the hem of his shirt had ridden up, revealing a small strip of his lower back. Her cheeks flushed at the tanned skin and she had the sudden, ridiculous urge to touch it.

Deeks turned around before she could act on her absurd impulse, his smile turning to one of mild concern. He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Are you ok? You look a little…off.”

“I’m fine,” Kensi lied. “But you could invest in better air conditioning. It’s a little warm in here.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll bring it up to management.” He gestured across the room to a wall entirely lined with different surfboards. “Let’s find something that says ‘my name is Melissa and I’m definitely not a secret agent’.”

***

Caleb, loudly whispering: Daddy. Daddy! Daddy, it’s time to get up!

Deeks, groaning: I don’t know what time it is, but it definitely is not.

Sophia, whispering just as loudly: What’s he doin’?

Caleb: Sleeping! Shh, don’t wake mommy up.

Sophia, clambering up on the bed: Daddy, it’s morning time. We’re hungry. C’mon let’s eat pancakes and bueberries.

Deeks, lifting his head: Kids, I love you, but you gotta go back to bed. It’s not even light out.

Sophia, jumping off the bed to open the curtain: No, see the sun is up. It’s morning, daddy. You needa make beakfast.

Caleb, pulling at Deeks’ face: Why you so sleepy?

Kensi, still half-asleep: What’s going on? *Sophia jumps on her back* Agh!

***

Class is Dismissed

“Excellent argument, both of you, but I’m gonna side with Lizzy today. Better luck next time, Josh. Ericka and Carmen, you’re up next,” Deeks announced, reading off of the two slips of paper he’d pulled from a bucket on his desk. He leaned against the edge of the desk, facing the forty or so students in his Intro to Law class.

For their last session of the semester, he’d set up a mock trial experience. Each random pairing of “lawyers” had to defend a ridiculous argument, using the laws and strategies they’d learned throughout the semester.

Before Deeks could read out the next argument, a student raised her hand?

“Yes, Selena?”

“Professor Deeks, can I follow you on Instagram? You know, since this is our last day together?” she asked shyly.

“First of all, I’m still not a professor. Secondly, if I had an Instagram account, none of you would know about it.”

“Ok, what about Facebook?”

“Absolutely not.”

“We could meet up for weekly bagels and coffee,” a tall, red-haired boy suggested.

“They just opened a Dutch Bros. down the street,” another student with short brown hair said.

“Sweet! You better bring your mini van, Professor.”

“Marcus, as wonderful as that sounds, you’ll have to fund your own coffee habits for the summer,” Deeks told him not unkindly. Marcus had suggested everything from weekly catered breakfasts to skipping the midterm for a group trip to Hawaii.

“But aren’t you gonna miss us? We’re your favorite class,” Marcus insisted.

“You’re definitely my most entertaining class. I’m pretty sure my own children will help heal my heartbreak,” Deeks responded, unable to contain a chuckle as Marcus faked distress and several of his classmates teased him.

“I bet Rosa could convince you.”

“Oh no, you are not using my own daughter against me,” Deeks said, shaking his head before that idea gained any traction.

“You can bring your wife and the twins,” Selena offered kindly.

“Oh my god, they’re so cute!”

“Not happening.”

“What if we babysit in exchange. A little quid pro quo,” Ericka suggested.

Deeks pinched the bridge of his nose and held up a hand. “Ok, let’s not use that term in relation to any interaction we have.“

“If you won’t get us coffee, can you teach us how to surf?” Marcus continued.

“I already know how to surf.”

“Yeah, and you suck at it, Jason.”

“Alright, let’s get back on track,” Deeks called out, pointing to Ericka. “Come up and pick an argument.”

“What about,” Marcus said, holding both index fingers in the air. “Coffee and surfing lessons?”

Nephew, dismayed: I see that.

***

Just Know My Heart is Breaking Too, Part 30

“Good morning,” Kensi says, greeting Jared with a smile and a plastic cup and white paper bag. Despite letting Deeks distract her a couple more times this morning, she’s a little early.

“What’s this for?” Jared asks, cautiously accepting both. He peers inside the bag, pulling out a giant apple fritter. One of the few things they’ve shared in common is their love of pastries and Kensi’s not above borrowing from Deeks’ playbook.

“It’s a poor attempt to show of showing my appreciation for your hard work and apologize for being a terrible, cranky partner sometimes,” she explains. “I know it’s not much.”

“Okaaay.” Jared squints at her. “Are you dying?”

“Hilarious. Don’t make me eat your donut.”

“No take backs,” Jared says, quickly taking a bite of his fritter before Kensi can make good on her threat.

Kensi chuckles, feeling a hint of wistfulness. She will miss this. Even though she never bonded with Jared in the same way she had with Deeks, he’d been like a younger sibling in many ways.

He swallows his bite down with a mouthful of coffee, then gestures at Kensi. “So, what’s going on? You’re not angry and you’re not annoyed,” Jared observes. He pauses then carefully adds, “I’ve notice you’ve been in a better mood lately.”

“Damn, I’ve trained you too well,” Kensi laments jokingly. “You’re right, I have been in a better mood because I’m actually happy.” She inhales quickly, not certain why she’s so nervous about telling Jared. Maybe it’s because she knows the final outcome will end with him searching for a new partner. “Deeks and I got back together.”

Jared’s eyes widen with true surprise. “What?”

“Yeah, it was kind of unexpected.” With a shrug, Kensi smiles and actually laughs a little. Deeks would absolutely tease her if he could see how giddy just talking about them made her.

“Wow,” Jared says, then he’s smiling too. “That’s amazing. I’m happy for you, Kensi. And Deeks. Even though I only met him once, he seems like he must be a pretty good guy.”

“He is,” Kensi agrees. “And thanks. Hopefully we’ll do it right this time.”

“You will.”

“What makes you so confident?” Kensi wonders.

Jared chuckles and points his fritter at her. “Cause if you screw it up again, Nell will probably murder you.”

Me: Gets services approved and completes the special paperwork.