AN: Hey guys! I'm still working on Hey Baby, and the chapter is almost done, but this hit me when I was watching the news Tuesday and saw that the riots had spread to LA. This is in no way political, my mind just went exactly like this "LA? Hey... Deeks is in LA. What if..." And this is what came out of that! Lol!
Thanks to Fern for reading through this in this busy season! Don't know what I'd do without ya ;) Let me know if I should continue, or if it's not with it.
Blessings,
bookdiva
"That was one hell of a day," Deeks said as we rounded up our things around the mission. I couldn't help the snort-laugh that escaped my lips, but I decided I'd just blame it on the stress that this hell of a day had caused.
"You can say that again," I said. Deeks opened his mouth—no doubt to repeat what he'd said—but I held up my hand to stop him. "Not literally, Deeks."
But I felt a genuine smile cross my face, and when he smiled back at me, I realized that that had been his purpose all along.
"So… bulgogi and Korean beer?" Deeks asked instead. I laughed and shook my head at his bulgogi reference.
"Sounds like a plan, partner," I agreed. We'd stayed at his place last night which meant that tonight would be my apartment, but I still felt the need to ask. "Yours or mine?"
"How about mine again?" he said, surprising me. "I—"
His phone sounded in a blaring alarm tone that he usually made fun of me for using. I couldn't help but smirk.
"What is that, some sort of red alert?" I teased him, repeating his words from the early years of our partnership. "Are there stations—"
I immediately trailed off at the look on his face.
"I'm, uh, gonna have to take a rain check on those burgers, Kens," he said softly.
I felt my heart clench in dread.
"What's wrong?" I demanded. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"While we've been…" he gestured with his hands, and I nodded that I understood, "the Grand Jury decided not to indict."
"So they're not indicting Officer Wilson," I cocked my head to the side. "What does that have to do with you?"
He sighed again.
"Riots are breaking out in LA, and there's been gunfire for the last half hour," he said grimly. "LAPD's calling in everyone who's not on an essential deep undercover op," he continued, and his unsubtle reminder that he was still LAPD and not NCIS was like a punch to the gut. "That includes me."
The dread in my heart turned to a stone cold fear that was far too familiar and yet I couldn't seem to specifically place.
"But—but you've had a long day!" I protested, though it sounded feeble even to me. He laughed humorlessly.
"The LAPD doesn't care about that, Kensi," he said, shaking his head. He glanced down at his phone again and swore softly. "I've gotta go, Kens."
Then he stepped into my space and placed a simple, gentle kiss on my forehead—lingering a moment—before he stepped back, turned, and walked away. I watched him go with a heavy heart, unable to shake the feeling of unease that always followed me around when we weren't working together. After all, when we were split up, things always seemed to go to hell.
Four hours later I was still sitting, waiting for Deeks on his couch with Monty and watching the news. The gunfire still hadn't ceased, but it had lessened exponentially. I took that to be a good sign. It had to mean that Deeks would be home soon, and everything in my life could start up again.
I was just starting to relax when an alert flashed across the screen. My heart dropped to my toes then sprang back up and lodged in my throat as I reached for the remote to turn the volume up.
"We have just received conformation that two police officers have been shot in downtown Los Angeles," a blonde haired anchor stated. "One officer was confirmed dead on arrival, and the second officer is currently in surgery at Pacific Beach Medical. The identities of the deceased officer and the officer currently in surgery have not yet—"
My phone ringing startled my attention away from the TV, and I groped around for it for a moment before I realized it had fallen on the floor. I looked down and a wave of relief flowed through me when I saw my partner's face lighting up the screen.
"It was nice of you to call to let me know you're still alive," I answered the phone with a smile, "but I wasn't worried. You don't break promises."
I expected to hear his surprised laugh immediately, but it never came.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Blye," Hetty's voice answered instead.
"No," I said, rising to my feet and shaking my head violently even though no one could see me. If Hetty was calling me… "No, no, no, no, no." I repeated, over and over, not letting Hetty speak again. As long as I could delay her saying it, I could delay it being true. Hetty stayed silent, apparently realizing that her voice would cause me to lose it completely. Eventually, though the need to know overrode my denial.
"Is he… he's not… he can't—he promised. He promised, Hetty. He—please tell me he isn't—"
"Mr. Deeks was not the officer who was killed," Hetty said firmly. I had about one millisecond of relief before I remembered that Hetty wouldn't be calling me on Deeks's phone if everything was okay. "I need you to get in your car and drive safely to Pacific Beach Medical," Hetty ordered in her no nonsense voice. "When you arrive use the employee entrance in the back. There will be someone waiting there for you, and she will escort you to the proper area. Do you understand, Ms. Blye?"
I nodded before I remembered Hetty couldn't see me. "Y-Yes," I managed.
"In order to protect his identity Mr. Deeks has been admitted into surgery as Max Gentry," Hetty warned her. I nodded again, unable to find my voice a second time, and I ended the call.
In my rush to get out the door, I forgot to grab my gun and badge that sat up on the kitchen counter. I barely remembered to lock the door as I sprinted down the stairs out to my SRX that was parked in its usual spot. I started my car and was horrified to realize that my hands were shaking.
Pull it together, Kensi, I ordered myself, taking a long breath. Deeks needs you to be strong and not fall apart right now.
Only the thought that Deeks needed me was able to calm me down enough to back my car out of the parking garage and into the street. The drive to the hospital passed in a blur, but I snapped out of it when I saw the news crews gathered at the main entrances.
I drove around to the north side and found the employee entrance. As soon as I neared the door, it opened. A nurse looked at me briefly.
"Kensi?" she asked. I was only able to nod. I pushed past her into the hospital.
"Take me to my partner," I forced out, not caring that my tone was anything but grateful. She didn't seem offended as she just nodded and led the way quickly through a maze of 'Employees Only' back hallways. Only minutes later, we came into a private waiting room where Hetty was standing completely still in the middle of the room. She turned when we entered.
"I've just had an update from the doctor, Ms. Blye," Hetty said as soon as she saw me. I just nodded, hardening my features and steeling myself for what was to come. "He sustained three shots to the chest. He was wearing a kevlar vest, but it was defective. It shattered upon impact, and therefore worsened the blows. A fourth bullet grazed his head. His status is unknown at this point. The doctor said that if he makes it through surgery, we'll be able to discern more."
I just nodded, doing my best to absorb all of this new information, though my brain zeroed in on one particular piece of information.
"If he makes it through surgery."
IF he makes it through surgery… IF he makes it through… IF he makes it… IF.
If was NOT okay with me.
"Not IF," I snapped at Hetty, causing the older woman to take a small step backwards. "He promised me, Hetty," I said harshly. "And unlike everyone else in my life, Marty Deeks keeps his promises. He will be okay."
Then I spun on my heel and pulled out my phone. I couldn't stay here, holding my breath and waiting desperately for information on Deeks, with only Hetty. Given the events of the past year and a half, however, I couldn't find it in myself to blame myself.
I unlocked my phone and called the first person I thought of.
"Kens?" Sam's sleepy voice greeted me over the phone. It almost caused me to break right then and there, but I held it together. "Kensi?" Sam repeated.
"Tell me it's going to be okay, Sam," I begged, my voice breaking slightly. "Please, just… I need… just tell me…"
"Kens, what's…. It's gonna be okay, Kensi, just tell me what's wrong," Sam said, panic rising in his voice. Suddenly, a false calm settled over me, and I heard the words come out of my mouth as if they were coming from someone else.
"Deeks was shot," my voice said. "He's in surgery at Pacific Beach Medical, and I'm here with Hetty, and I just—"
"I'm on my way," Sam said, his voice strong and assured. "It's going to be okay, Kensi," he repeated. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Use the employee entrance at the north," my voice instructed him in that same calm monotone. "The media is covering the main entrances."
"I will," Sam assured. "Hang on and be strong, Kensi. He's gonna pull through."
I just nodded and ended the call, dropping into an uncomfortable hospital chair and preparing for one of the longest night of my life.
Thanks again for reading, guys! And one more reminder, please leave a review. Also, I'm not sure where this is going, so if you have ideas... PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
Blessings (again),
bookdiva
