Hello everybody! Myself and lovedanniruahhave partnered up to write a new story and I must say that we came up with one hell of a story. I am so glad to be writing a story with her so go check her out… after you read this of course lol.

-A. Grayson

Hello to my fellow NCIS:LA fan girls and guys! Like Athena465 said, we're writing a story together! And I'm pretty sure it's going to be a rollercoaster of awesome, emotions, Densi and a whole bunch of other things! Let me just say, she is an amazing writer and I'm so happy to work with her.

Enjoy,

lovedanniruah

She thought she was away from it. She thought her past was over. Now, after a heated argument, Deeks disappears with no trace until a video arrives with a note: Come out, come out where ever you are Hayden Burns. Now Kensi's darkest secret threatens her teams trust in her and threatens Deeks' life…her everything. The fight to find a stolen love can be a dark and bloody one.

Chasing Max

Chapter 1

Kensi knew that when a page from Ops came at 4 in the morning, it didn't tend to be good. She'd another episode; a dream… a nightmare really, about walking on the beach with her dad enjoying the sound of the powerful ocean roaring in her ears but it quickly transformed into the hell hole where she was held in Afghanistan and her father became one of the torturers.

It ended up in her waking up screaming and sobbing, remembering only the crack of the whip…the smell of her own blood and the once comforting laugh of her father turned sinister. Her neighbor came over to see if she was alright and that she was safe. Kensi nodded and said it was just a nightmare; she needed the nosy woman to leave her to her demons. None of her neighbors knew she'd been a prisoner of war, none of them really noticed that she'd left and it was only now that they pretended to care, to be good neighbors. Only the shaggy blonde guy that sometimes came over knew…really knew just how messed up she is, but he wasn't here, she wasn't sure if he would ever be here, with her, again. Not after everything she said…

Kensi shook herself from her thoughts and dried her tears and read the message OPS NOW. She changed out of her pajamas into a clean plaid button up shirt, jeans and black boots, grabbed her gun and left the house.

The entire drive to OSP was filled with mages from her dream…the beatings…the name calling… when she pulled up she took a deep breath and pushed her door open with a little too much force.

She wasn't surprised that Deeks didn't call her by now. No one had called her, except the page that came. As she ran into the Mission, she only saw Sam arrive with bags under his eyes, and Callen wasn't there.

Kensi's eyes were still partially red and her face set in a scowl, and the ex-Seal noticed. "You okay Kens?"

"Fine, just-"

"Afghanistan?" interrupted Sam she did not say anything just glared at him. He cleared his throat before saying, "You think Callen's snuggling with Joelle at the moment?"

"Probably." laughed Kensi, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. She looked around as she and Sam climbed the stairs. "Have you seen Deeks?"

"Nope. Got here 5 minutes ago, I'm sure he'll be here soon." Kensi wasn't so sure though. Maybe that argument was too much…Maybe it was all too much.

The Friday before, they went to a little café; Kensi according to Deeks needed sugar and fast. The conversation flowed with tension just beneath the surface, the same tension from the whole Angelo fiasco. While they were drinking their cappuccinos and Kensi picking at her donut, Deeks saw a man charge a woman attempting to take her purse.

Without a word Deeks stood up and charged after the man with Kensi not far behind. Kensi grabbed Deeks arm as he woman thanked him profusely and attempted to give him her number she rushed them out of there, since people would want pictures or the news crews would come.

When they got back to his place they got into a huge petty fight about keeping their covers and that he shouldn't…couldn't do stuff like that anymore, but Deeks swore it was because she was jealous that the woman gave him her number. Claiming he was a shallow jackass Kensi left driving angrily all the way to her place.

A voice dragged her from her thoughts. "Good, you're here." said Nell, whose eyes were teary, putting both Kensi and Sam on alert. Callen stood next to Nell his voice full of concern. Nell pressed a few keys on her computer and a picture of Deeks, a picture of two men, and a video file popped up.

"On Sunday night, NCIS LAPD liaison, Martin Deeks was abducted by who we believe are-"

"The Bergh Group," sighed Kensi. "I recognize the logo on that man's arm..." Sam looked at her but she kept staring at the video still, her jaw clenched so tight it was painful and her arms crossed. She knew what she was going to have to do. What she needed to do. She was to become one of her own version of Max Gentry. She couldn't fall back into her past; not when she had barely recovered last time.

"You know who they are?" asked Nell, looking at her friend's face.

"Yes, they're what you call a 'sophisticated' gang. They send out men or women to do anything for high prices; assassinations, kidnappings, soldiers for hire, you name it. They deal in drugs, weapons, cars and woman, both of age and young. No one's ever had evidence of them ever committing these crimes. What's the other video?"

No one said anything. Nell just clicked play. "This was found in Deeks email account…this may be graphic Kens."

"Just play the damn video Nell," she growled.

The next moments were terrible for the OSP elite team. Kensi moved farther from Sam and Callen, her blood ran cold, her heart stopped beating when she saw him…

There was Deeks, being held with a knife at his throat, with a man wearing a mask with a voice distorter. "Tell them." said the man behind Deeks his voice was cold and detached. Blood was seeping through his shirt, his face was bruised, and he struggled to speak against the knife against his throat.

Kensi took a step closer to the screen looking up at the enlarged face of Marty Deeks…her everything. She knew what they wanted…what they would do to get it.

"They want a Hayden Burns. They want Hayden Burns to meet them at the disclosed location. They want her to talk to the Boss… Hayden, you know what to do. Or…or else, they kill me." There was fear in his voice and most shocking, in his eyes. Her Marty Deeks wasn't afraid of anything….

The video didn't end, no, instead Deeks was taken off camera, and it was his screams against the echoing walls visible that continued to ring throughout OPS. Kensi felt her eyes become teary, and a cold fear at what was about to happen, engulf her. she felt unnamed arms wrap around her, but she didn't push away, no she tried to pretend they were his…that none of this was happening…that she wouldn't have to dig up her darkest parts of herself

No, no, no. She thought she was done with TBG forever. She didn't want to ever become Hayden Burns again. But in order for Deeks to survive, she knew had to…she wanted nothing than to wake up from this nightmare.

"Kens it is alright, we will find this Hayden and talk to her… We will get him back," said Sam, still hugging her. "We will find him."

She couldn't hear him all she could remembered was that case a few years before she started working with Hetty. When she came back she was so scared, depressed after she was pulled from the case. She wasn't cleared to work in the field until 3 months after, that is where she met Nate and when she found a new job at NCIS Special Projects…she just remembered being so angry during the case…

She pushed away. "I'm going to talk to Hetty." Kensi ran downstairs, without looking at the big screen.

The little woman was sitting at her desk, obviously deep in thought a file spread out before her, looking up when she saw Kensi walk towards her.

"Hetty, you know I want nothing more than to save Marty but…you saw what happened last time I was her, she makes Gentry look like a fucking saint for god sakes." she said…

"Ms. Blye you don't…"

"But that is the thing Hetty," I shrug. "Deeks would become Max if it was me…but you have to promise me something." Her boss looked into her female agents mismatched eyes; they were filled with the blossoming anger of Hayden Burns.

"And what is that Ms. Blye?"

"If, at any point you think that Hayden has completely taken over you eliminate me…"

"Ms. Blye…"

"Hetty!" I yell, already falling into Hayden's anger…rage. "You know what happened last time, the mess I made…the things I did… if at any point you think Kensi Blye ceases to exist you eliminate me. You kill me…"