"Here's to today." Talia raised her beer bottle and clinked it against Kensi's. "Any day where you get to fight someone while wearing a bikini is a good day."

Kensi laughed. "Yeah. That's a lot of fun that the boys don't get to experience, right?"

"Are you sure about that? Because I'm pretty sure I could picture Deeks wearing..."

"Please don't finish that sentence." Kensi waved her hand in front of her face. "I certainly don't need to be picturing that."

Talia looked very proud of herself. "Okay, I'll just keep that mental image to myself."

"Thank you for that."

"You're welcome. And thank you for coming out with me. Maybe now I won't have to eat as much ice cream to get over today."

Kensi smiled. "Same here. Don't get me wrong. I love the guys on my team. They just don't get what it's like for me sometimes."

"It's funny that you mention 'love' because..." Talia smirked before taking a drink of her beer. "I'm pretty sure you love one of those guys more than the other two."

Kensi looked down and fussed with the label on her bottle. She felt heat rise in her face and she could no longer suppress the nervous smile that was forming.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Wow." Kensi winced. "My tradecraft is terrible."

"No, it's not. Just when it comes to him. And also him with you."

"What'd you mean by that?"

Talia rolled her eyes and smiled. "I had known Deeks for less than one day and I would have bet money on the fact that he was probably in love with his partner. And then when I actually met you, I was one hundred percent certain. He tried hiding it from me, but it was as if he had a giant neon sign flashing above his head. I LOVE MY PARTNER."

Kensi snorted as she was about to take a drink.

"Don't laugh. You have one of those signs too."

"Well... I guess I can't argue with that."

"You could, but I wouldn't believe a word of it. So, things are good between you two?"

"Yes. They're great, actually. I mean, you know what it's like. It's completely impossible to meet someone let alone try to build a relationship with them while being in this line of work. All the things that make relationships difficult, he understands and goes through it all with me."

"Although it's gotta be hard going into dangerous situations with someone who's not just your partner."

"Yeah, that's definitely hard. I mean, we recently had a case that was really bad. Deeks and I were both undercover in this cult and um..." Kensi could feel her heart racing as she remembered that day. "They held him underwater for a really long time as a part of this fucked up ritual. I was so scared, I almost blew the whole operation trying to get them to stop. That's the closest I've ever come to breaking my own cover."

"Holy shit, that's insane."

"It was. I'm just glad we made it out in one piece."

"You stop the bad guys?" Talia asked.

"Yes, we did."

"Of course you did. You guys are the best at what you do. The times I've gotten to work with your team have been some of the high points of my career."

"Wow, thanks. I never would have guessed you thought that. Especially based on the last time we worked together."

Talia looked down at her beer. For the first all day (or possibly maybe ever), she seemed a loss for words. Kensi began to regret bringing up the day Talia's partner was killed.

"Can I admit something to you, Kensi? Something kind of embarrassing?"

"Um... yeah, I guess so."

"You can relax because it's nothing super weird."

"So just a normal amount of weird?"

Talia chuckled briefly before continuing. "Listen, I met Deeks before meeting you. And it's not like we struck up this epic friendship and were instantly BFFs or anything like that, but I enjoyed talking to him. We were both kind of... lonely. And we understood each other. Then you got back and he kind of disappeared on me. Despite that, I was actually excited to meet you and after we got over our little differences..."

"You mean when I head-butted you."

"Yeah, that. Fun times, right?" She shook her head. "But by the end of the day, I had hoped that the three of us could be friends. But that didn't happen. And I get it. I really do. You two had been apart for a long time and you needed to reconnect... and you've been constantly reconnecting ever since."

"Well, not ever since. It took a little while for us to... you know... connect again."

"Wow, really? Because if I have been shipped off to the other side of the world for five months, I would have needed that kind of reconnecting immediately."

"Shut up. It was complicated."

"Yeah, I figured that out." Talia laughed. "Anyway... I don't have to tell you how hard it is for women in this line of work. We have to be tougher than the guys in order to be seen as equal. It sucks but it's the truth. Sometimes I forget that I'm not always as tough as I act and that I really do have feelings and that sometimes they get hurt. I hate having feelings, but I'm stuck with them. And it hurt when you two seemed to forget about me."

Kensi remembered how Talia acted the last time they worked together. Everything about her just seemed off that day, from her extra sarcastic comments to getting a little too handsy (and more) with Deeks. Kensi tried to be patient and blamed it on the fact that her partner just died, but it seemed like there was more to it than just that.

"So you're telling me that you felt the need to kiss my boyfriend in front of me because your feelings were hurt?"

"Sort of. Also, did you see the look on his face when it happened? It was hilarious. I'd do it again in a heartbeat just to see that."

Kensi didn't know what to say. She certainly had every right to still be angry with Talia for her previous behavior. But after working with her today and getting the chance to clear the air, she just didn't feel like it anymore. She smiled, loving the fact that Talia was not even close to being a threat. And that she was also becoming a respected colleague and friend.

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty funny."

Talia smiled. "How about this? As a gesture of my appreciation for today, I promise to never kiss your boyfriend again. Without your permission. As long as you get the next round."

"Done."

Deeks sat straight up in bed when he realized someone was knocking loudly on his front door. There were two things he immediately noticed that concerned him: it was 2 in the morning and Kensi was not home yet. The knocking started again and was getting louder and more aggressive. He jumped out of bed, threw on a t-shirt and sweatpants, and then picked up his gun. By the time he was half way down the stairs, he also heard a combination of loud shushing, laughing, and two familiar voices. He checked to make sure the safety was on before placing the gun on the table. As annoyed as he was, he couldn't help but smile at the sight that greeted him when he opened the door. A very drunk Kensi was holding on to the wrists of a very drunk Talia, shushing and giggling and swaying back and forth. Talia just giggled until she noticed Deeks.

"Oh, hey there, buddy. Thanks for opening the door." Talia obviously didn't have control over the volume of her voice. "Did we wake you?"

"No, of course not. I'm always up at this hour when I have to work the next day."

"See, I told you." Talia turned to Kensi, practically shouting in her face. "He wouldn't mind if we just knocked."

"I would have had the door open in another couple seconds if you just waited."

"So, you girls have fun?" Deeks ushered them inside and locked the door behind him.

"Oh yes. We had the best time. We had a few drinks though."

"You don't say."

"Yup." Kensi wrapped her arms around his waist, really more to hold herself up than to hug him. "What'd you end up doing?"

"Callen and I met up with Sam and we had some wings and one beer each."

"Oh... that sounds boring."

"I guess it was compared to your night."

"Did you say you were with Callen?" Talia was starting to realize that she didn't have to yell. "Hey, is he single?"

"Um... I'm not sure. Don't quote me on this, but I think it's kind of complicated at the moment."

"Really?" Talia grinned. "Well, when it ever becomes not so complicated, you let me know, okay? Because I'd love to kiss that smirk right off his face."

"You and Callen?" Kensi looked like she was told Christmas had come early. "That'd be awesome. We could go on double dates. And I know you'd love kissing him. Believe me, he's great at it."

Deeks brow furrowed. "Okay, we don't need to be talking about that right now."

"Oh, baby. Don't worry." Kensi reached up and held his face, not so gently. "You're great at kissing too and also you're great at a lot of other stuff I never did with Callen."

She had Talia's attention. "What kind of stuff?"

Deeks was very grateful that Kensi didn't hear the question. "Hey, baby. Can Talia stay here tonight? Say yes, because I already told her she could."

"Sure. I'll get stuff for the couch."

Deeks took his gun and went upstairs to put it away. He grabbed an extra blanket and pillow and then rejoined them.

"Just wondering. How big is your bed because maybe it could fit three people?" Talia asked as he set the items down on the couch.

"As tempting as that would be to have more than one beautiful drunk woman in my bed, I think one is about all I can handle."

"That's fine. Your loss." Talia unzipped her jeans and started pushing them down her legs, not caring one bit that Deeks and Kensi were still in the room.

"Um..." Deeks attempted to guide Kensi towards the stairs. "Let's give Talia some privacy, okay?"

"Why?" Kensi cackled. "She's got nothing I haven't seen before."

Talia laughed so hard she fell over on the couch.

"Wow, you must really be wasted if you think Kensi is that hilarious. I think that's our cue to go to bed."

"Good night, you guys. Hey, if you two really want to bang, don't worry about being quiet for my sake. I like to listen."

Kensi giggled to herself all the way up the stairs and into his bedroom. She sat down on the bed and smiled up at him. "Love you lots."

"Love you lots, too. Are you gonna be okay in the morning? We do have to get up for work."

"No problem." She waved her hands in the air and almost lost her balance. "I've gone to work after much worse. At least I'll be wearing different clothes this time."

He laughed and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Hey, baby?" She asked as her eyes started to close.

"Yeah?"

"We should hang out with Talia more often."

"Kens, that's a fantastic idea."