"Hey partner!"
Kensi stood in the threshold, holding a paper bag and a pack of their favorite beer.
Deeks took the bag from her and glanced at it, "Burgers and beers. That's my girl. Come in."
Kensi followed him inside and plopped down on his couch. "I'm starving. And I'm tired. God, it would be nice to be able to "sleep eat"."
Deeks sat next to her and snorted in amusement, "Firstly, that's not even a word. Secondly, you couldn't eat while sleeping, that would be too dangerous, especially for you…" Kensi gave him a questioning look, "…You know because you snore, food could go down the wrong hole and… Ouch! Really?"
Deeks massaged his sore ribs while Kensi looked rather pleased with herself. "You definitely need another anger management training."
"What I need is a new partner."
"Oh come on, stop lying to yourself. You'd be lost without me." Deeks retorted, handing her a beer.
"You don't really want me to reply to that," Kensi said mockingly.
Deeks took a sip of his beer and sighed dramatically. "It hurts, it really hurts."
Kensi laughed and bent down to search her bag with her free hand, "Stop crying big baby, I brought your book back."
Deeks took it back and leafed automatically through it. "Finally! I thought I might never see it again. What took you so long? Too many pages?"
Kensi smirked back at him while helping herself with a burger. "I was busy saving the world, smartass, I didn't exactly have time to read."
"So… Did you like the book?"
The pretty brunette was already busy devouring her burger and failed to notice the apprehensive tone in her partner's voice. "It was okay, I guess," she replied, her mouth full.
Deeks looked as if she had slapped him in the face but he didn't say anything and started to eat in silence.
Her partner being silent was not something Kensi was used to. "Deeks? You okay?"
"I'm fine," he muttered.
"That's my line, try something else," she teased him nicely.
Deeks took a deep breath and moved slightly to face her. "It's just… I don't expect you to understand but… this book… I really wanted you to like it. I mean, this book is so much more than "okay" Kens."
She encouraged him to continue with a smile.
Deeks brushed the cover with the tips of his fingers. "This is about a good man who has no pretention whatsoever; a man who represents morality and reason; a man who wants to help his children to grow up and find their place into this world. This is about someone who stands up against injustice and believes we can reach our goals without hurting others around us. This is about a man who accepts others because he's an expert at climbing into other people's skin and walking around in it… This book is about a man who believes in justice and the justice system. This is…"
"This is about you," Kensi said softly.
Deeks swallowed, his mind drifting to a darker time of his life. "After I shot Brandel, my mother… she would not understand. She thought I was just like him. So I stayed in a foster home for a while. The people there were quite nice to me. My foster mother, the one I call "Aunt Barbara", she gave me this book one day. She said it would help me. Until that moment, I had no one to look up to. But as soon as I read this book, I knew I wanted to be like him… Atticus Finch is the reason I became a lawyer, Kens."
Deeks set the book down on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch. He had never told this to anyone before. But for the first time in his life, he finally had someone to share his most personal thoughts with. Someone who cared.
Kensi laid her head on her partner's shoulder. "Atticus would be proud of you."