A/N- This is my first NCIS: LA fic. Please be gentle.
He didn't remember how they had gotten there. The events leading up to this moment had been wiped clear from his mind. What he did remember was how happy he was to see his dark haired partner alive and well. The smell of burnt gunpowder was still strong upon the air but all Deeks could notice was that Kensi was still alive after the hellacious gun fight he, Sam, and Callen had just waged to save her.
It took a moment for him to realize that the look on her face was not one of excited relief. It took even longer to understand that the vest she sported was heavy with plastic explosive. Sam strode forward, his explosives training as a SEAL coming to the forefront.
"Its wired to a timer, Sam," said Kensi quietly. Deeks broke out of his reverie at the sound of her voice.
"I see," replied Sam, his voice tense. The timer read just over ten minutes. It wasn't a lot of time to figure out how the bomb worked.
"You can disarm it can't you?" asked Deeks. He didn't like the look that flitted across Sam and Callen's faces. Sam locked eyes with Kensi.
"I can't do it. It has a very complicated build. I could try but I would probably blow us all up." Sam glanced at Callen. "How far away is the bomb squad?"
"Fifteen minutes at least." Kensi closed her eyes.
"You guys have to get out of here. When this thing blows its going to take out this whole building. Go. Its ok." Sam glanced at Callen, his expression grim.
"Not gonna leave you here alone," Sam lifted her head to make sure she was looking at him. "Not gonna happen."
"I want you to," replied Kensi shakily. "I don't want you guys to die with me. Please just go." Callen took Sam's arm and tugged gently.
"She's right, Sam. We still have to take down this cell." Callen looked at Kensi then, his expression sad but determined. Kensi nodded at him signaling that she forgave him his practicality. Sam stepped away, wanting to fight and stay with her but also thinking of his children at home. Callen started past Deeks but stopped. Deeks hadn't moved.
"We need to hurry," urged Callen gently. Deeks shook his head.
"You guys go. We'll see you on the other side." Callen frowned.
"Deeks…," he trailed off, argument dying in his throat when he noticed the look in Deeks' eye. Nothing he could say or do would move the detective from his partner's side.
"Go. Hurry there's only five minutes left on the timer and you guys need to avoid the first responding traffic. Go." Callen and Sam hesitated but the fate of the city and thousands of innocent lives depended on them apprehending the leader. Kensi's plight was meant to slow them down. It was difficult but both the older men walked away, leaving their hearts with their teammates. The city came first.
Kensi was blinking rapidly, trying to contain her tears. "Deeks you have to go too." She finally managed. "You have to go." Deeks shook his head silently, finally coming to her side. He gently brushed her hair away from the bomb. "Deeks," Kensi tried again fighting the break in her voice. She was startled when his eyes rose suddenly to meet hers, the blue burning brighter than she'd ever seen.
"Don't tell me to leave. Don't you dare do that to me, not after everything we've been through." Kensi felt the tears start to fall.
"You can't save me this time," she whispered. "I have to die. You don't." He huffed a soft laugh.
"Don't I? You're my reason for being, Kensi. What would I do without you?" His voice broke. "I don't mind dying. As long as its with you. Don't tell me to leave because I won't." She wanted to argue more but honestly, glancing down at the seemingly benign red bricks strapped to her chest, she didn't want to be alone.
"I'm scared," she choked out quietly. Deeks quickly put his arms around her and held her tight against his chest, bomb or no.
"Don't be scared, Fern. I won't let anything hurt you." Illogical as it was in the given situation she believed him. His scent filled her nose and she realized there was no one she wanted by her side other than him. He was warm and strong and she couldn't believe that it took dying to make her realize how much she loved him.
Her thoughts were shattered when the bomb started to beep. Instead of pulling away Deeks pulled her tighter against himself and dropped a kiss on her hair. "I love you Kenz," he whispered as the bomb shrilly declared its intent. Kensi balled her fists into his shirt, holding on to him the way she always should have. Then there was silence. It was the kind of mind-numbing silence that was unnatural in a city as busy as L.A. She felt slow and lost like she lived in a sea of cotton.
"Well that was less dramatic than I expected," said Deeks eventually. He pulled back slightly. "I didn't even feel the blast. Not that I'm complaining," he added quickly. Kensi finally found the strength to open her eyes. She was greeted to the same sight that she had seen before the bomb had started shrieking.
"Are your eyes open?" she asked.
"Not yet," he replied. "Why?" She smacked him in the gut.
"Open your eyes!" Whatever complaint Deeks was about to make died on his lips.
"Are we still alive?" he asked quietly. "Because if not I want my money back. This is not what I was promised." Kensi glanced around slowly realizing that there were indeed sounds coming from outside. A car honking, sirens wailing, the hubbub of a million people talking in the distance.
"What does the timer say?"
"It says zero. I guess it malfunctioned." He suddenly started to laugh. "Of all the terrorists in the world, you had to get kidnapped by the only ones who couldn't build a bomb." The bomb squad pulled up outside the doors. Deeks guided her to the floor as her knees gave out. Feeling him start to shake next to her proved that he too was feeling the effects of the last few minutes.
"Tai at my place tonight?" asked Kensi blankly. He once again pulled her close as the bomb guys started on the vest.
"I was thinking tacos."