So…someone challenged me to write this and I think it's pretty sad so be warned (either that or I am way overly emotional tonight.) Anyhow, please don't hate me…

xxxxx

"Deeks, get down!" There was a note of desperation in Callen's voice as it rang out loudly through the warehouse. He had tried to fire at the shooter, but his angle was bad and the shooter too well protected for him to have a shot. Sam, who had made it to the other side of the warehouse, finally managed to get the shot off, taking out the sniper, once and for all, but it was too late… One moment Deeks had been cracking jokes, care-free and smiling, making them all laugh, the next he was down on the floor, lying in a sea of blood, which was pooling much too fast and freely for him to have any chance at all.

"Deeks? Deeks, no…" Her hands shaking violently, Kensi gently pulled her fiance's shivering body into her arms. "Deeks, please," she pleaded, her voice catching as the tears began to cascade down her cheeks.

Callen and Sam were by their sides in an instant. "Ambulance is on its way." Sam knelt down and ripped open Deeks' shirt. What he saw left him badly shaken. He shared a grim look with Callen who stared down at Deeks' damaged chest, shocked and dismayed. The bullets had come from a high-powered rifle. They had gone straight through him and the blood loss was massive. There was no way they could save him. As hard as it was to accept, they knew there was no hope.

Sam took off his jacket and placed it over Deeks' chest, trying to give him some tiny bit of comfort. Why did this keep happening? Why did he keep losing the people he cared about?

"Deeks, baby? Can you hear me?" Kensi tenderly kissed his lips and touched the side of his face, then gently brushed his hair back with her fingers. "Can you open your eyes for me, please?"

Deeks groaned softly and finally used every ounce of strength he had, to do as Kensi asked. She was his life…His everything. He never wanted to refuse anything she asked of him.

"Oh thank God," Kensi smiled through her tears as she took his hand and clutched it tightly, never wanting to let it go. "Deeks…you just need to hang on, baby, okay? Please…please hang on for me."

"Kens…" His voice was weak and he was very cold and very scared, but he didn't want her to know. "Kens…baby…I love you, I love you so much."

Kensi shook her head and closed her eyes for an instant, trying to hold the tears back, but they were flowing too fast and furiously now for her to have a chance. "Deeks, you…you're going to be okay." She tried desperately to reassure him. She was also trying to reassure herself, though a part of her knew the truth. The damage was just too severe and if there was any hope at all, Sam and Callen would be trying to save him. They wouldn't be standing there looking so sad and mournful.

"I…I'm sorry, baby," Deeks said, his own eyes brimming with tears, heartbroken that he was leaving her alone. "I…I never wanted to leave you… not ever… not like this…I…I'm so sorry…"

"Deeks, please…please…this wasn't your fault," she said through a sob. It was no one's fault except the gunman's. How could this even be happening? They had only come to talk to a supposed witness about a string of naval slayings. It had turned out to be a set-up, a trap. She didn't even know how or why they had been targeted. This wasn't supposed to happen. The four of them had planned to go out to lunch after they were done here, to Deeks' favorite taco place. Now…now he would never go there again.

She couldn't bear this. She wanted to turn back the clock. She wanted a do-over for this day. She never wanted any of them to set foot in this damned building. She needed him so badly. He had to be okay. They were going to get married. The date was set. She had her dress… the perfect dress. She had made sure he hadn't seen it ahead of time. She had known that was bad luck. She wanted to wear it and walk down the aisle to him. She could picture exactly how he would have looked at her, with so much love in his eyes. It would have been so perfect. She had dreamed of it for so long. Now they would never have that moment. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

"My….my mom…" he murmured, his voice noticeably weaker now. He knew it wouldn't be long now.

"I'll take care of her," Kensi said, "and Monty…"

"Monty…he's a good boy," Deeks said. "He…he's not going to understand…He won't know why I left him…"

"I…" Kensi lowered her head through a fresh flurry of tears. She wished that she could shield him from this. She then buried her face in Sam's jacket, away from where she knew Deeks' wounds were and just held him and prayed for him. "I…I love you…I love you so much, Deeks." Inside she begged and desperately pleaded for him not to leave her, but she didn't say the words out loud. She knew it would hurt him too much to hear and she couldn't do that to him, not in his final moments on this earth. She knew he would never leave her intentionally. He would do everything in his power to stay with her, to not hurt her like this, but this wasn't in his power.

Deeks looked up at Sam and Callen, both standing closely together, looking lost with tears in their eyes. "Love you guys," he said tremulously. He would miss them…miss the team…miss them all. "Take… take care of her for me…please?"

"We…we will. Don't worry, Deeks," Callen said, his voice breaking. "We love you too." He bowed his head and Sam put his arm around his partner's shoulders, trying to prevent both of them from falling apart.

"Kensi?" She raised her head and looked at Deeks, her face covered in tears. "Please be okay," he pleaded. He was so scared for her. She was so strong, but he just hoped this wouldn't break her. For him, if it had happened to her, he knew that it would. "Promise me you'll be okay." He wished he could have married her. All he had wanted was for her to be his wife…for them to have children together…his own little family. He had wanted that so very much. Now, he knew, it was never to be. He had no idea what happened next, but he hoped and prayed that somehow, some way, he would see her again.

"I promise you, Deeks," Kensi said, knowing how much it meant for him to hear it. She needed to set his mind at ease in any way she could.

"Thank you…I love you…I…I'll love you forever..." He was having a hard time breathing now. He could tell that he was failing.

"I love you too, Deeks. I always will…" Those were the last words he heard before he managed his familiar smile, one last time, and then closed his eyes forever.