AN: For many reasons, this has taken me much longer to write than I anticipated. I'd like to thank everyone who has expressed an interest in and an anticipation of this story. Not sure I would have finished without your encouragement. I hope it doesn't disappoint!
The more spoilers that come out, the more AU this becomes, at least the first chapter (though you know we'll never get as much Densi time in the show as the rest of the story will provide). Oh well, that's what I get for not finishing it sooner.
Then we'd go running on faith. All of our dreams would come true.
And our world will be right, when love comes over me and you.
~Running on Faith, Eric Clapton
Kensi's eyes were burning and she hadn't even opened them. The instant she regained consciousness, in the moment before her body could respond and try to move, she recalled what had happened. She'd been driving her team to the alternate exfil site in Mexico and they'd been hit with an RPG. She remembered the panicked voices of her teammates, a ball of flame, the windshield cracking, the SUV going airborne, crashing back down on her side, continuing its roll, and then nothing.
Everything hurt, but Kensi couldn't figure out where her body was, like the feeling she had when she started to wake up some mornings and didn't know what position she was lying in. She couldn't orient herself in space without opening her eyes, but she was afraid of what she would see. She could hear the alternating roaring and hissing of the flames, which must be nearby given the heat she felt. But she couldn't hear anyone calling her name. No one was coughing from the fumes. No one was breathing heavily in fear. No one was moaning in pain.
A smaller explosion rocked the back of SUV and forced Kensi to finally look around, taking in the scene almost as quickly as she drew her next breath. Deeks, Callen, and Sam were piled below her in the passenger's side of the truck, resembling ragdolls as their arms and heads hung limply. Kensi realized she was above them, still belted into the driver's seat, her own arm hanging down as if reaching toward her partner.
"Deeks?" Kensi barely croaked out. She coughed, the heat from the fire in front of her causing her throat to sting. Her next attempt was louder. "Deeks! Callen, Sam! Wake up, we need to get out of here now!"
"Kens, you good?" Callen asked as he regained consciousness and began to take in their situation. He started to sit up and pressed against Sam in the process. Both men let out moans of pain and began to extract themselves from the heap they were in without doing each other further damage.
Ignoring her team leader now that she knew he and Sam were alive, Kensi focused on Deeks. She wanted to touch him, feel for a pulse or a heartbeat, but she knew if she unlatched her seatbelt she would fall on top of him and do him more harm. "Deeks!" she practically shouted.
"Kensi, clear out what's left of the windshield so we can get out. I'll check on him," Callen said.
Kensi watched him move toward Deeks for only a moment before reaching for the section of broken glass that was directly in front of her and pushing it further toward the hood with her hands. Still held mostly together by its lamination, it easily folded down and out of the way.
"He's got a pulse," Callen announced, and Kensi would have heaved a sigh of relief if they weren't all still in grave danger.
"How's Sam?" Kensi could finally think about the other member of their team now that she knew Deeks was alive. She hadn't heard more than muttered curses from him since they'd woken.
"Sam's waiting for Callen to get off of him," the big man grumbled, voice gruffer than usual.
In front of Deeks, the windshield was jaggedly broken and still partially in the frame, blocking their escape. Kensi managed to draw her knees up toward her chest to pull her legs out of the footwell and out from under the steering wheel and deflated airbag one at a time. She put one foot on the side of Deeks' bucket seat before releasing her seatbelt and used the other to kick the remaining glass out of the way, holding onto the driver's side grab-handle to provide balance and allow her to swing a little bit toward her target.
Task accomplished, Kensi's foot found and settled on the grab-handle by Deeks' head. She let go of her own handhold, ducked beneath the flames that continued to burn from the engine block of the demolished vehicle and exited through the windshield frame and onto the ground beyond.
Kneeling just outside of the SUV, Kensi turned her attention back to Deeks. Now that she was at his level, she could see that he was bleeding from his nose and mouth. His airbags had also deployed, so she hoped that was what the blood was from. She shook his shoulder, "Deeks, come on baby, open your eyes." There was no response. "Sam, he's not waking up," Kensi said, sounding slightly panicked.
"Kensi, help G get out. I'll take care of Deeks. We need to clear out of here while we still have the fire as cover," Sam said.
"And before General Vasquez sends his men to make sure we're dead," Kensi added.
"Give me a hand." Callen said. He grasped Kensi's offered arm, which provided enough leverage to help him reposition his torso between the front seats and relieve Sam of his weight. With Sam supporting his legs from the back seat and Kensi helping him to maneuver over Deeks in the front, Callen managed to make it through the windshield with only a few more scrapes.
"You good?" she asked, giving him a quick once-over as he emerged from the SUV. Kensi noticed he was favoring his left wrist. She nodded at it, "Broken?"
Callen scanned the vicinity for any immediate threats. "Nah, probably sprained; plenty of bruises and a hell of a headache otherwise. You?"
"Same, minus the wrist," she said.
Inside the truck, Sam grabbed the back of Deeks' seat roughly and groaned in pain as he struggled to get completely upright. The sound and jostling of his seat seemed to bring Deeks back to consciousness and he too began to moan.
"Deeks, can you hear me?" Kensi called, drawn back toward him.
"Go, I got him. Help Callen find a way out of the area," Sam ordered.
Kensi cast a reluctant glance at her waking partner but did as she was told, reminding herself that Sam was the best person to deal with Deeks' medical needs. Staying low, she looked around and was relieved to note that her view of the bridge from which Vasquez and his men had attacked them was obstructed by a small hill. If she couldn't see them, chances were they couldn't see her. She scouted a few hundred yards to the east, finding nothing but brushland that wouldn't provide consistent cover.
Callen came around from the back of the truck as Kensi returned to the area. "The smoke and fire are still blocking us from their sight, but not for long. Looks like the gas tank already blew, so that's one bit of good news," he said.
"And getting out of here?"
"The road we came in on is our best bet for the first couple hundred yards while we still have the cover of this mess. After that we'll have to make our way into the brush. Play keep-away until the next exfil attempt."
"What's our timeline for that?"
"Don't know. I only have a location to be used in the event of an extreme emergency. I'd say this qualifies."
"They have RPGs, there's no way it's happening via chopper."
"Yeah. We need to get in contact with ops. Sam and I couldn't find the sat phone and we both lost our comms in the rollover. Is yours working?"
At Callen's question, Kensi realized she'd been hearing a muted buzzing in her left ear since she woke. Touching her earwig and pressing gently, she felt pain and a sticky dampness. When she pulled her hand away, she saw blood on her fingertips. Removing the comm from her ear, both Kensi and Callen could see it wouldn't work; it was cracked and covered with blood, which had surely seeped inside the device and rendered it useless. Kensi also noticed that the droning sound and dulled hearing did not improve with the comm gone.
"What's wrong?" Callen asked at the look on her face.
Kensi shook her head, "Ear's probably filled with blood, not hearing a hundred percent. But that's the least of our problems. What's taking Sam and Deeks so long?" She started back toward the windshield and knelt on the ground as close as she could get while still keeping clear of the flames.
When Deeks saw her he asked, "You good, Kens?"
"Hey, nice of you to finally wake up from your nap," she kidded gently. "I'm good. How do you feel?"
"Like I typically do after a leisurely drive with you," he teased back.
"How's your head? You were unconscious longer than the rest of us," she was all business again.
"You know I never pass up the opportunity to sleep, Fern. Especially when I have a pounding headache."
Kensi looked further into the wreckage and saw Sam in the cargo area. "What's going on? Why are you guys still in there?"
Deeks' small smile turned into a grimace. "My foot's stuck. Sam's looking for something to wedge under whatever's got me pinned."
"Found the sat phone," Sam called as he made his way around the back seat and partially between the buckets in the front. He tossed it out and Kensi handed it off to Callen. "Got the arm of the jack too." All three immediately realized there was no way Sam would be able to fit his torso past Deeks' legs and into his footwell. He passed the metal rod from the jack to Deeks, who bent over to work at it, but he couldn't get far enough under the dashboard and so couldn't see what he was doing.
"Sam, come out, I can get down there," Kensi said.
Callen said something behind her, but she didn't catch it. Whether it was because she was distracted by what was going on inside the truck or because of the continued buzzing in her ear she didn't know. "What?" she asked as she briefly turned to look at him.
"Battery's dead," he said, slipping the sat phone in one of the pockets of his tactical vest.
It took several seconds for Sam to pull himself over the front seats and toward the windshield. Deeks helped from the inside and Kensi from the outside. Aside from his already wounded and once again freely bleeding leg, Kensi suspected Sam also suffered a fractured rib or two by the way he carefully moved and occasionally sucked in a breath.
As soon as the senior agent was clear of the vehicle, Kensi started to head in when Deeks stopped her. "The airbag's going to be in your way."
"Easy enough to cut it free," she said and held out her hand. Deeks looked at her for a beat or two, alternating between her face and her open palm before Kensi explained, "My knife, Deeks. I gave it to you before I went to the general's compound."
Understanding what she wanted, Deeks nodded quickly and reached down to pull the knife from inside his boot.
"You think it's broken?" Kensi asked as she started cutting into the nylon bag that had probably saved Deeks' life.
"Huh?" Deeks said.
"Your foot. Or ankle. Do you think it's broken or just stuck?"
Deeks ran a hand through his hair and winced slightly. "Don't know. It's kind of immobilized down there, so I can't really tell."
Kensi narrowed her eyes at her partner. "You sure you're alright, babe? You seem a little off."
"Nah, I'm good. Yeah, no, I'm fine. Good, good. I'm good."
"How's the headache?"
"Fine. Getting better all the time."
She wasn't convinced but didn't have the time to question him further as the last of the airbag came away in her hand. Taking a moment to tuck the knife into her own boot, Kensi made her way mostly back into the truck. She slid head-first over the dash in front of Deeks and used his legs to help her shimmy toward the floor of his footwell. He hissed in discomfort.
"Sorry," Kensi said.
"Just do what you have to." He put his hands on Kensi's hips to stabilize her. "Not going to complain about the view in the meantime, though," Deeks muttered, his eyes on the curve of Kensi's backside directly in front of him. Even though their immediate and long-term future was somewhat muddied right now and his headache wasn't in fact getting any better, he could still appreciate the present moment.
Kensi took in the situation as soon as she positioned herself on her side against Deeks' legs. He must have had his right foot up against the back wall of the space, as if he was slamming on an imaginary brake pedal. His foot had gone through the damaged interior wall of the well. Pulling back the carpet-covered plastic, she discovered that Deeks' foot and ankle were caught between two engine components that had been displaced by the explosion and crash.
She heard Sam's voice and could make out its urgency, but not his words. Soon after, Deeks said, "You hear that, Kens? The smoke and flames are dying down. We're losing cover."
"Okay," she grunted as she pushed the jack handle through the hole alongside Deeks' foot, careful not to cause any additional damage to him, "I'm working as fast as I can."
Callen or Sam must have asked Deeks about his comms, because she heard him calling for Nell and Beale several times before announcing, "Nothing."
Less than a minute later, she was making slow progress and Deeks was becoming agitated. "Can you keep still? You block my view every time you move your foot."
"Kens, baby, you need to get out of here. Leave that and I'll work myself out. Vasquez's men are going to show up any second. I'll catch up with you."
"We're not leaving you behind, Deeks. I'm not leaving this car without you, period. Just shut up and quit moving."
After another several seconds, he tried again, anxiety creeping into his voice. "Seriously baby, this is my worst nightmare. If you stay much longer, you're going to die here with me. I can't let that happen. Just go, Kensi. Please."
Kensi kept working, moving the bar back and forth to shift the pieces of the engine that were in the way of their escape. Since she didn't hear any responding cries of pain from her partner, she assumed neither his foot not his ankle was seriously injured. "We live together or we die together, Deeks. Kind of like you were willing to die with me in Syria."
"Son of a bitch," Deeks muttered. Now both of his hands went to his head in frustration. Kensi missed the flinch of pain on his face.
"Yeah, I know about that. And I never called you on it because I would have done the same thing in your place. So let me do this," Kensi was able to jerk the handle a little further each time she tried. She had to be close. "We're still partners and neither of us is going to die today if I have anything to say about it. Have a little faith. I got your back." She used her building anger and fear to give it one more good push and finally felt something give. She pulled his leg and the foot came free. "Or your foot, in this case. Now let's get the hell out of here."
Kensi heard shots from Callen and Sam and knew they were out of time. Deeks helped push her back over the dashboard and as she straightened, she reached behind her for her own gun. The senior agents were on either side of the truck, so Kensi stayed by the windshield to cover Deeks and help him out of the vehicle.
"Can you walk?" Kensi said as soon as Deeks placed his foot on the ground.
Adding more weight to his leg and simultaneously drawing his weapon, Deeks said, "Yeah, let's go."
Thirty minutes later half the team was worse for wear, but they moved as fast as they could. Sam's leg slowed them down, even with Callen helping to bear his weight when the big man would occasionally relent and allow it. Deeks walked behind the senior agents and Kensi took up the rear, frequently walking backward to watch their six.
The gunfight near their demolished SUV was with a small group of Vasquez's men who had likely been sent only to confirm they were dead. They were taken out quickly enough to allow a retreat into the rockier area to their west. It was the opposite direction from where they needed to head for their last-ditch exfil, but the large rocks offered more cover and would require their pursuers to follow on foot.
Deeks' limp wasn't as prominent as Sam's, but Kensi thought he was less steady on his feet at times. He seemed to be squinting more in the daylight than necessary, and she suspected his headache was getting worse. Every time she quietly asked if he was okay, he assured her he was fine. Kensi wondered if that was a deliberate choice of words. She also wished they could stop for a few minutes so Sam could rest and check out Deeks, but they didn't have that much of a lead on the general's men.
They halted suddenly at Callen's signal and two seconds later Kensi heard what had given him pause: the sound of an engine. Looking around, she knew they all had the same thought: a vehicle was approaching the area from the nearby plateau that rose about twenty-five feet and to the south of them, and they would be easy targets. As one, they quickly headed toward the base of the plateau, to make the angle to see and shoot at them as difficult as possible. If they had to defend themselves from this position, the men who were surely not far enough behind them on foot would know their location and they would be forced to fight a battle on two fronts with limited ammunition remaining. That wouldn't end well for them.
Still in the rear, Kensi glanced around as her teammates made it to the relative safety of the side of the small cliff. Noticing the way Sam and Deeks leaned heavily against the natural wall, she worried that this would be a short fight. She looked up and saw a lone armed figure standing at the top of the plateau. Her mind fought her body's signal to move faster when she thought she recognized him.
Callen hissed, "Kensi?"
Trusting her gut, Kensi took several steps back so she could get a better look. She couldn't help but smile when she ran back to the team and said, "It's Turk."
Using hand signals, Hetty's contact directed them to follow the curve of the cliffside several hundred yards ahead where they found a well-traveled path leading up where the slope was less steep. Sam accepted Callen's help readily and Kensi stayed close behind Deeks, fearing he would topple over otherwise. She was certain by now that he had more than a mild concussion and his ankle, though obviously not broken, was causing him additional pain thanks to all the walking on uneven terrain.
As they neared the top, Turk lowered a pair of binoculars from his eyes and said, "Hurry, I can see Vasquez and his men approaching."
They helped Sam and Deeks into the bed of Turk's pick-up truck and rested them next to one another leaning against a side. Callen found a tarp at the back of the bed and used it to prop up Sam's leg. Turk wasted no time in getting behind the wheel and getting them out of the area.
Keeping off the main roads, the ride was jarring, and the rough metal of the cargo bed added to their discomfort. By that point, Kensi figured their bruises had bruises. She felt bad for Sam, whose wounded leg and likely fractured rib must be causing him substantial pain. At least Deeks allowed Kensi to rest his ankle on her leg, simultaneously elevating it and acting as a shock absorber from the bumpy road.
Deeks looked like he was having difficulty staying awake and Kensi's worry was increasing. She debated suggesting to Callen that they consider finding a hospital somewhere in Mexico rather than waiting until they crossed the border into the States when Turk pulled onto a property that housed a huge barn. Driving around it, Kensi was relieved to see a chopper waiting for them and knew they'd be at a hospital in the US before they'd get to one by back roads in Mexico.
Minutes later as she scanned the area below the rising helicopter, Kensi wondered how long it would take for them to reach US airspace. She didn't think she would relax until then. Who was she kidding, she wouldn't begin to relax until she and Deeks were in their home again. But even then, things would certainly be awkward between them. At least until they finally talked about their argument and where it left them.
Kensi understood Deeks' reluctance to discuss it while they had been in Mexico on a mission; it really wasn't the appropriate time or place. Part of her had been hoping they could just apologize for the things they'd said in the parking garage and go back to the way they were. But Deeks' hesitancy last night made it clear that this was not something simple apologies would heal. They would need to have a serious conversation about their future and how they wanted to reach their common goals. Deeks had seemed unsure that they even had any shared dreams anymore when he called off the wedding. Kensi knew they did, and she needed to be able to make that clear to him.
She took a few moments to study Deeks, who was sitting directly across from her, his leg propped up on her lap while they were in flight to help with the pain and the swelling. His eyes were closed and Kensi could see he was hurting by the tension in his face. She gave his shin, where her hand was resting, a quick squeeze and was surprised that he didn't open his eyes to glance at her. She'd been hoping to offer him a little reassurance, here in the middle of the team and Turk, that they would be home soon and would resolve their issues.
Kensi put more pressure into her next squeeze, and gently shook Deeks' leg as well. His eyes blinked open, and it took him a while to focus on Kensi's face. He appeared somewhat confused, she thought, as if he needed time to scan his surroundings and figure out where he was.
She elbowed Sam, who was seated next to her, and nodded toward her partner once she had the senior agent's attention. "Deeks, you doing okay?"
"What?" he said, and seemed even more disoriented. Deeks' hand moved toward his stomach, as if he might get sick.
Sam caught this too and started to unbuckle his harness as he asked, "You nauseated, man?"
Before Sam finished the question, Deeks opened his mouth and vomited.
"Deeks!" Kensi yelled. He didn't answer because he had passed out.
AN2: Thanks for reading. I look forward to hearing what you think. The next chapter will be posted over the weekend.