AN: Hey all! This just came to me! Hope you enjoy! Read and review!

It's over. It's done. This mantra had been the only words playing through my mind since we'd left the classified base. The only thing I could see was my partner's face… the look in his eyes when I'd finally said, "Our thing."

My muscles were sore, and breathing still hurt slightly from a cracked rib I'd suffered a week ago, but the thought of finally seeing Deeks pushed me forward. We'd landed at a private airstrip around 1300 hours, and after an hour-long debriefing in another undisclosed location, I was finally striding through the doors to the OSP mission wearily.

People were still milling about, working on their cases. I honestly wasn't close with anyone outside my own team, so I wasn't surprised that no one acknowledged me.

Our bullpen was empty. The guys—Deeks—were probably out in the field, working. I sat down at Deeks's desk to wait for him to return, and I couldn't help but smile as I began to imagine what his expression would look like when he walked in and saw me.

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard Eric on the stairs.

"How is he, Nell?" he was asking into his blue-tooth. I looked up and saw him nod. He still hand't seen me, so I watched curiously. "LAPD bomb squad is on scene, and Hetty got some new trainee to fill in for me here, so I'll be there with you in a bit. Did they leave?" He listened for a moment before nodding. "I'm on my way."

I felt my curiosity begin to change to worry.

Did something go wrong? Is someone hurt? Deeks?

I immediately banished that thought from my mind. Deeks couldn't be hurt. Not after I'd survived the classified mission from hell to come back to him.

"I know, Nell," he said. He'd closed his eyes, still walking and running a hand through his hair. "I—" he opened his eyes and saw me.

At his horrified look, I felt my worry turn into dread.

Deeks.

"What's going on, Eric?" I forced the question past the lump in my throat. Even I could hear the element of panic in my voice, but I still tried to shake it off.

It's fine. He's fine. Everything's fine. I'm home now. It's fine. He's fine. It has to be okay.

"Nell, I—I've gotta g-go. I-I'll b-be there as s-soon as I can." With that, he touched his blue-tooth, cutting off Nell's slightly raised voice.

"K-Kensi?" Eric's voice came out squeaky and terrified, and it immediately brought back my worst fears.

"Deeks?" I demanded, too tired and scared to beat around the bush or hide my feelings. Besides, I had a feeling everyone already knew. Either way, I couldn't bring myself to care.

Eric's look answered my question, and the knot of dread in my stomach turned to stone cold fear.

I stood to my feet unsteadily and stumbled toward Eric. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to me.

"Tell me what's going on, Eric," I commanded in my most threatening voice.

He opened his mouth to answer, but voices interrupted him.

"…bad, G," Sam's voice came from down the tunnel leading into the mission. I turned my head toward the voices, but I was too frozen to release Eric.

"He'll pull through," Callen replied. "He has to."

Sam and Callen… Then that means… The only 'he' they could be referring to would be—

"Yeah," Sam agreed, his voice slightly softer, snapping me out of my thoughts. "On the way to the hospital, before he went unconscious…" he trailed off and I began to panic.

Deeks! My mind screamed. No… No! Not Deeks… just no!

"…he kept mumbling on about how he couldn't die, or Kensi would kill him. Something about a promise, or something."

By this point, I could see them walking. Sam had a few cuts and burns on his arms, and G was walking with a slight limp.

"I wish we could get ahold of Kensi," Sam continued. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to know. "I know she'd—"

"She's here," I said, dropping Eric's shirt and walking toward my stunned teammates.

"Kensi?!" Sam was the first to speak.

"What's going on?" I demanded, ignoring his small smile and welcoming greeting. "Where's my partner?" My voice cracked on the last word.

"There was an… incident, Kens," Callen said, stepping toward me. I stepped back away from him. He exchanged a worried look with Sam. "We were infiltrating a homegrown terrorist organization. There were suspected weapons deals going on, They needed a lawyer to broker a deal, so naturally—"

"You sent in Deeks?!" I burst out. Sam and Callen stepped backwards, surprised at my outburst. "Alone? WIthout me? After everything that's—after all he's been through this year?"

"We were there, Kens," Sam interrupted. "And it was all fine until Deeks discovered that the weapons deal wasn't the only thing going down. Apparently they were making a dirty bomb. Long story short, there was a shoot-out and Deeks got hit. He's out of surgery now," Sam hurried to reassure me, but it didn't help. "The doctors say he's going to be okay—"

"Which hospital?" I demanded, ignoring the slightly amused looks they shared at my expense. "Damn it Sam, Callen, where's my partner?"

"Come with me," Callen said, turning and walking out the door. "We'll take your car, and I'll drive."

I was hot on his heels, the cold hard knot of fear lessening somewhat at the news that my partner would be okay. But I knew it wouldn't go away until I saw him… talked to him… kissed him….

Chapter 2?