I can barely breathe as I duck down to the side, hearing the team fire their guns. Inman slumps to the floor with a twitch, and I sigh with relief, placing my head in a hand.
"You okay?" I hear Deeks ask, and I look up, getting to my feet.
"Yeah," I sigh, tired as the adrenaline courses out of me.
"That has got to be the first and last time a hostage has ever de-magged the suspect during a standoff," Kensi stutters, as gobsmacked as the rest of the team.
I smile coyly as Deeks puts his hand up for a high five.
"That was awesome," he grinned, and I respond to his hand with the high five he sought.
"How did you do that?"
I take a breath, thinking about what I should say in such a situation.
I look up at Callen and Sam, my lips curling into a smile.
"I trusted my training," I grin, and the team ripples with a soft chuckle.
"Come here," Kensi smiles affectionately, and pulls me into a hug.

The drive back is quiet.
My head hurts a little as one of Inman's goons had hit me there while grabbing me.
Whenever I wince, or grunt, the team asks me if I'm all right.
I'm touched by the care they show, but it's a little awkward.
Every time they ask, I reply with a sigh and a mumbled reply.
Now that I know I'm safe, all I really want is Eric.
I know we're not officially a couple, but god, I wish it wasn't so.
Every time he speaks, or does something stupid, or reveals another weird idiosyncrasy of his, I want to squeal. He's positively adorable, and even though the rest of the team doesn't know it, he has the body of a surfer.
I've seen it through the more tight t-shirts he wears, and I love it.
His personality is just as charming as his physical appearance. He's always so sweet - so caring and kind, and such a dork. I love that about him too.
Everything he does makes me want to hold him close and protect him against any threat, and I know how bad it is considering we work together.
I clear my throat so shift the thoughts from my head, knowing that they're not appropriate things to think about when driving with the team.
However, as we pull into OPS' street, I can't help the grin that spreads over my face.

He's waiting there as I walk into OPS, flanked on either side by Kensi and Deeks. Speaking of whom, they pat my shoulders and give us privacy as soon as they see Eric.
I chuckle, and grin softly, walking towards Eric with a shy wave.
However, I don't expect his reaction to be so clingy.
He swoops down on me and wraps his arms tightly around my ribcase, and I hug him back with a soft grin.
As he pulls away, he grabs my arms, looking into my eyes.
"You're never leaving the OPS centre again, ever. You know that, right?"
I blink, having not expected that outburst.
"I'm sorry," I reply, a little puzzled. "What do you mean?"
He blinks as he realizes he overreacted, and lets go of my arms.
"Sorry, I guess that was a little dramatic."
"No, that was very dramatic, mister Beale," I grin.
He cares, the little voice in my head squeaks, and my grin widens.
He cares.