Author's Note:

Hey guys! So this is my first fan-fiction, and I'm still getting the ropes of everything on here. Please review, let me know how I can improve, and post what you want to see in future chapters! My pen name, NavyStrong42099 is dedicated to my brother, for those of you wondering. Will try to update daily, and in case I don't, I'll post an extended chapter the next day.

Disclaimer: I don't own N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles, and probably never will, but one can still hope, right? :D

-C

"Hold on, Michelle!" Kensi shouted and checked to make sure that the Russians had fled before holstering her weapon and pushing herself to the floor in front of the shattered window. Wind tugged at her brunette braid, but she thrust her arms out and pulled on the wraps of plastic that her good friend and coworker's wife was clinging to. Michelle's screams of terror were still ringing. With a moment of strenuous but careful effort, Kensi hoisted the woman up. Their sweaty hands met, clasped, and they both lay panting on the tile.

"Thank you," Michelle gasped, pushing herself up.

Already out of breath from running up thirty stories, Kensi caught her breath and surveyed the room once more. Where had the Russians gone?

"Why would Sidarov send them after me?" Michelle retrieved her forgotten weapon.

Kensi shook her head. "I don't know. Eric, what's the status on Sidarov?"

"Kensi- Sam's cover was blown by Janvier at the meet. We can't find him, Deeks, or Sidorov. They're gone." Eric Beale's voice crackled over the earwig.

"How can they be gone!? Find them!" Kensi shouted in anguish, not knowing how to tell Michelle.

"We're trying. Callen wants you and Michelle back at Ops."

"What's wrong?" Michelle asked, stepping in.

"Sam's cover was blown. That's why the Russians wouldn't let you leave. Deeks and him are gone along with Sidorov. Callen wants us back at Ops."

Michelle's jaw visibly hardened in a tight line as they fled to the elevator. Kensi anxiously tapped her boot against the ground until the numbers counted down, not going fast enough. The kiss that her and Deeks shared not an hour ago before still lingered, and a wave of new determination flooded her body. As soon as the elevator hit the ground floor, several shots were fired into the small compartment. Kensi and Michelle both dove to the side, taking what little cover was available.

The Russians had reappeared.

In a break of the oncoming spray of bullets, Kensi and Michelle both took a few shots. A cry of pain let them know that one of the Russians was hit. How badly remained to be seen. With dread, Kensi realized that they were pinned down. The hallway would offer no cover if they managed to run from the elevator.

"Eric! We could use some help!"

"Callen's already on his way. ETA is two minutes."

The elevator was being torn up even more, leaving them almost completely vulnerable to their rounds. Kensi allotted her head to show a miniscule amount in order to pinpoint their positions. She retreated just in time as a bullet skimmed the air where her head was a moment before. As the sound of the magazine being changed signaled the clear chance, Michelle and Kensi both fired in the estimated direction. From what they could tell, one woman was firing at this point, making it unclear if the hurt Russian was dead or alive.

Silence suddenly filled the gunpowder-filled air. Tentatively, Kensi and Michelle emerged from the elevator, checking behind the piles of crates the Russians would have used for cover. The brunette, the first one they hit, was slumped against a dumpster, holding her knee. A direct shot there would have resulted in a shattered patella. Kensi made quick work of zip-tying the suspect.

"Are you okay?" Kensi asked Michelle, finding her voice. Her throat had clenched shut in worry for her teammates.

"My husband is at the merciless hands of Sidorov, so no. But I'm not hit."

With that, Kensi hoisted the suspect to her feet and walked her outside, where they nearly ran into Callen.

"You guys alright?" He immediately asked.

"We're both fine," Kensi grumbled and tried to move around her boss to shove the woman, Veronica into their car.

"Not what I meant, Kens." Callen stepped back in front of them.

She bit her lower lip and averted his icy-blue gaze. "Let's just get them back soon, then I'll be fine."

Kensi pushed Veronica into the back of the car, followed by Michelle and Callen.

"Eric, we have a dead Russian in the back, make sure the coroner comes by to pick up the body," Callen ordered into his earwig.

He climbed into the driver's seat and sped away, completely disregarding all rules of the road and the angry honks from other drivers. Kensi kept a firm grip on the suspect's arm, but her mind was a thousand miles away from the car.

Deeks promised her that he wouldn't die in the line of duty. And even though it seemed it was out of his hands, Kensi dearly hoped he would keep it. There were things left unsaid between the two of them, and if- no, not if, when they rescued Deeks, it would be the first thing Kensi did. It wasn't fair that they were constantly dancing around each other. It wasn't fair this had to happen to Deeks and Sam, both excellent people and operators. As Callen switched gears, Kensi noted the bruises on his knuckles, knowing precisely where they came from.

"Where's Janvier?" Kensi asked.

"Hetty put a protective detail on him," G growled.

"Protection against who?"

"Me."

Callen pulled into the lot of the nearest hospital. They dropped Veronica off and sped away to Ops. LAPD officers would be watching her in case she tried to escape. In a matter of minutes, Kensi, Michelle, and Callen were jogging up the stairs to the situation room, where Eric and Nell were typing furiously at their keyboards.

"Check everything!" G shouted, standing to watch their work behind the table.

"Mr. Callen, I assure you that Ms. Jones and Mr. Beale are doing everything in their power to find Mr. Hanna and Mr. Deeks," Hetty interfered.

"It's not good enough!" He brought a fist down on the table harshly.

Nell and Eric visibly shuddered from Callen's irate behavior. Nobody had seen him this angry before, not even Sam.

"Traffic cams, properties, anything?" Michelle elaborated.

"Nothing so far, although we just got a call from the hospital. The Russian Kensi and Michelle captured should be able to talk in half an hour," Nell informed them.

"What can we do?" Kensi questioned.

"Nothing yet, Agent Blye. We're just going to have to wait until we get more information," Granger answered.

In frustration, she stormed from the room, deciding to take her anger out in the shooting range. Aware that G was on her heels, but not stopping, she tried to start down the stairs before Callen stopped her.

"I get that you're angry, but you need to stay focused."

Kensi stepped back up to be level with him and angrily replied, "I am focused. I've never been this focused before. How are you so calm right now? Our partners could be…" she trailed off, not quite knowing how to finish that. She could imagine the worse, but could not bring herself to say it aloud.

"Believe me, I'm not calm. You want something to do? Head over to the hospital and get ready to interrogate the Russian. We'll need that information fast."

Kensi was halfway down the stairs before she stopped around, and called out to Callen's back. "Do you think we'll get them back?"

He stepped down to the landing, eyes pained as he answered. "I don't know."

Kensi nodded, accepting this answer as a distinct possibility, even though it broke her heart in two.