Title: Season Nine Nuggets

Chapter 1: "It'll Be Okay"

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS LA or the characters. I just enjoy writing about them in this forum.

Summary: These are little nuggets of what I feel is missing or unsaid in each episode of season nine.

Chapter 1: This first scene takes place before 9x01. The second scene takes place right after Assistant Director Mosley tells Deeks he's going back to LAPD. The third scene takes place after Deeks meets Kensi and Callen at the scene of the shootout.

With this nugget I wanted to expand a little on why Deeks was reluctant to tell his mom about the engagement. My other goal was to show that Kensi and Deeks really are each other's rock through everything and that they are both still dealing with Michelle's death.

It'll Be Okay

As they sit on the rocks with the crashing ocean ten to fifteen feet below them, Kensi is mesmerized by the way her ring sparkles in the setting sun. Up until now she has felt it would be insensitive to wear it around Sam or even to the office, so this weekend getaway up the coast she and Deeks are on has been her first chance to wear it for more than a few hours. She leans further into Deeks and places her hand on his thigh as she raises her eyes to meet his.

"How about we have our moms over for coffee and dessert tomorrow night when we get home so we can tell them?" she suggests sweetly, closing the small space between them to persuade him with a kiss.

"How about we keep it to ourselves for a little while longer," he whispers conspiratorially, responding pretty much the same way he had a week ago when she brought it up.

"Deeks," she sighs with a slight whine. "I'm excited about this. I want to share it with our family and friends."

"I'm excited too," he assures her running his fingers across her shoulders. "I'm just not sure I'm ready for the craziness that's going to ensue once our moms know there is a legit wedding to plan, and I don't want you to have to deal with that either."

"I can handle our moms."

"Really, because I don't think you've seen my mom in her full-out, crazy, takeover mom mode," Deeks warns.

"I did kick them out of our house once," she reminds him.

"Marriage is about compromise, right?" he reasons wrapping his hand around hers. "How about you tell your mom and we tell mine like the day before the wedding?"

"I'll take it for now, but I don't get why you're being so weird about your mom," she grumbles.

As he maneuvers to stand he asks, "Would it help you be less frustrated with me if I fed you?"

"Little bit," she answers as he helps her up.

"I love you almost wife," he proclaims as he pulls her in to give her a peck on the lips. She gets happy butterflies in her tummy at the thought that she is going to be his wife soon.

"I love you too almost hubby," she reciprocates making him feel like the luckiest guy in the world when she calls him that.

"So, do you think this is about my bad jokes, us, or is it really about my non-agent status?" Deeks ponders with Kensi as he packs a few things to take over to LAPD.

"Probably a little of all three. It's not fair though. She doesn't understand what we've been through and how much we need you," she worries quietly as she takes his few knickknacks out of the box and sets them back on his desk.

"You okay?" he asks concerned that she seems more worried by this than he is. His intuition tells him that her depth of concern about this is at least partially linked to the fears, doubts, and trauma Michelle's death has left them with.

"Yeah, I just don't like everyone being spread out. I don't like working without you as my partner. And, I really don't like you being on Whiting's radar."

"Out of sight, out of mind has been nice these past few months," he agrees. "Call if you need anything. It'll be okay. It'll get worked out," he assures her as he picks up his boxes.

"You too, call if you find out anything, or you want to liaise."

"Is that code for ah hem…?" He clears his throat and flashes her a mischievous smile as he lets the question hang.

"Get out of here," she directs shaking her head and chuckling with him as she places her hands on his shoulders and gives him a little push toward the hallway.

"So what happened with you mom?" Kensi inquires as they settle into Deeks' car. She knows from the little bit he'd already revealed that it's going to be quite a story.

He shudders and shakes his head no as he tells her, "I can't, I can't even…"

Kensi waits for Deeks to gather himself and his thoughts.

"I tried to call her a few more times after I left you this morning with no answer from her, so I went to her apartment and there was a half naked man in her kitchen. He ran. I chased him and pulled my gun on him," Deeks explains.

"What!? Deeks!" Kensi exclaims concerned and confused. "Who was it?"

"Apparently his name is Guy. He's her trainer and she's… ahh I can't even say it!"

"She's sleeping with him," she guesses. "What happened to John?"

"She's probably still bumping uglies with Pasta John too," he responds sounding disgusted.

"Guy sounds like a rebound to me and we'd know what happened to Pasta John if you called your mother more or if you weren't freaking out about telling her that we're getting married," Kensi reprimands. "Speaking of which, does she know about our engagement?"

"Yes, and yes your mom told her, and yes she's upset," he informs.

"I told you!"

"Listen, I wasn't freaking out about telling her that we're getting married. I love my mother Kens, and she has many good qualities. It's just sometimes she gets excited about things and she goes all-out, over-the-top to make those things wonderful and perfect. I know this is going to be one of those things and I'm just afraid it's going to be too much."

"Baby, I get it, I do," she sympathizes speculating that he's not ready for the turmoil of planning a wedding after what they've been through the past year or so. "It'll be okay. We're partners. I've got your back," she reminds him as she reaches over and runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

Thank you for reading! I'm so excited for a new season and to see what they have in store for us.