Where was he? He was supposed to be here an hour ago. Kensi checked out the window again but his car still wasn't in the driveway, and there were no headlights coming down the street.
The boys had gone out for drinks after a long day at the office. Kensi had been invited but she wasn't feeling too well so she decided to pass on it. He said not to wait up for him—he hated keeping her up—but she didn't mind. She had spent most of her adult life falling asleep alone, but she'd grown accustomed to feeling his warm body next to hers, his arms wrapped around her and his breath on her neck. She knew she would just lie awake in bed until he got home, so she might as well stay up and watch TV or something. Yes, that's what she'd do. In all honesty it wasn't that late, and knowing the boys they probably got caught up in something or other and were running late.
She turned on the TV and browsed the channels until she found a station playing America's Next Top Model reruns. As she watched she smiled a little thinking about the night Deeks found out this was one of her favorite shows. He had given her so much crap about it but it didn't take long to get him hooked on it.
Halfway through the episode she could feel her eyelids getting heavy and finally closing.
Kensi jerked awake. Reruns were over and she wasn't sure what was on but it didn't look that appealing. She turned off the box and checked the clock. She'd been asleep for nearly two hours.
Where was Deeks?
She stood and checked the little bungalow, thinking that maybe he had a little too much to drink and just went straight to bed without waking her, or even realizing she was on the couch. It wouldn't be the first time and he would hear about it in the morning that was for sure. But when she got to the bedroom she found it just as empty as before. Curious, she went outside but saw no sign of the detective or his car.
Something was wrong. She tried to tell herself not to overreact, that she was just being paranoid, but something in the back of her mind, and in the pit of her stomach, was telling her that wasn't the case.
She pulled out her phone and dialed his cell. After the third ring it went to voicemail.
"You've reached Detective Marty Deeks. Leave a message and I'll call you back. If this is Kensi, it won't be long now."
Kensi smiled. She remembered the day he changed the greeting on his voicemail. She told him how anxious she was, how much she hated waiting, how much she just wanted it to be done so she wouldn't have to wait anymore. She had called him after a particularly trying day and when she heard that message she couldn't help but smile. Sometimes when she found herself feeling discouraged she would call his phone, knowing full well he wouldn't pick up for one reason or another, just to hear him say it. It won't be long, four simple words but hidden in that message were so many more words, words that didn't need to be expressed because he knew, and so did she.
Her phone beeped and she saw it light up with a missed call from Deeks. It was hours ago, just after they had parted ways she was sure. Ugh, she hated when her phone did that. It wasn't the first time she missed a call and her phone chose not to tell her until hours later. She decided to talk to Hetty about the possibility of getting a new phone on Monday.
She played the message.
"Hey babe, it's me. You feeling alright? I know you've been feeling sick the last few days. It's not that time is it?" Kensi rolled her eyes. Trust Deeks... "Anyway, the reason I called..."
Her phone started ringing and she checked the ID. It was Callen.
Suddenly she was overcome with fear. Why was he calling her? She didn't want to answer—maybe it was nothing and he would just leave a message—but something told her to pick up.
"Hello," Kensi said, trying to keep her voice calm in spite of her pounding heart.
"Kenz," Callen said and immediately her heart dropped into her stomach. He was worried, she could hear it.
"What happened?" she asked, bracing herself for whatever Callen was about to tell her.
"You've gotta get to Pacific Beach. Deeks has been shot."
The world seemed to slow down until it was nothing but a blur. She felt her head spin a little and she had to sit down before she fell over. Deeks was shot. It wasn't the first time. He'd been shot before—ironically enough he'd been sent to Pacific Beach Medical that time too—but there was something different about it this time. She didn't know what, but it was different.
"Kenz? You okay?"
"I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and hurried inside to grab her keys.
As she drove Kensi could feel the weight of the silver band on her finger. The diamond caught the orange of the street lights and the occasional red and green of the stoplights. She soon found herself thinking back to four months before...
They had been officially seeing each other for three months now. Sam and Callen knew, as did Nell and Eric, and they suspected Hetty did too. But, none of them ever said anything about it, never gave them a hard time or lectured them about inner-office relationships. They just continued their work like there was nothing going on which Deeks and Kensi were extremely grateful for. They had an agreement: as long as they didn't let their relationship get in the way of their work, they'd keep it.
But that week had been hard. Kensi had gone undercover, pretending to be interested in their suspect so they could catch him, the usual. But things got out of hand, and when the guys came in to help Deeks very nearly lost it. If she hadn't intervened she was sure he would have at least beat the crap out of the guy, if not shot him.
They didn't talk for the next two days and Kensi began to worry they had hit that point, the point where they'd either have to say goodbye to their relationship, or their partnership, neither one sounded appealing.
Then he caught her after work.
"We have to talk," he said in all seriousness. Something caught in Kensi's throat but she simply nodded.
"Over dinner okay?"
"That's fine."
"'Kay, I'll pick you up at seven."
Again, she nodded. He was trying to make it seem like nothing, just simple conversation to be discussed over a nice dinner, but she wasn't fooled. It wasn't the first time a guy had pulled the "we need to talk" card, she certainly was no stranger to what it meant. She had hoped however that it would never come to that with her and Deeks, or at least if it did that it would be further down the road.
That night she got dressed up like it was any other date but all the while she had to fight back tears that threatened to fall, telling herself Deeks was just like any other guy, that she was strong enough to get through this. A tiny voice in the back of her mind kept hinting that she really wasn't, that she would be devastated if he ended it and that honestly, she wasn't sure how well she would cope with it all. She hadn't cared for someone this much since her fiance, and even he didn't know her as well as Deeks did.
He pulled up at 7:15—typical, he had a knack for showing up late—dressed in a tux and looking handsome as ever. He held the car door open for her and then they drove off in silence.
She looked over at him but his eyes were fixed on the road in front of him, never deviating, even for a second. Yes, he was going to end it, it was the only logical explanation for his behavior. He was going to end it and he was terrified of how she would react. Probably thought she would take him down, nothing serious, just enough to make him understand that nobody broke up with her and walked away without a little pain.
That just made it hurt worse. Did he think that? Did he think she would be so unfeeling she would just beat him up and walk away like what they had was nothing? Sure she wasn't the conventional girl, not like others he had dated, but she was still a human being with hopes and feelings.
She mentally shook herself. Don't let it get to you, she thought to herself. If you're lucky you'll get through this whole ordeal without a problem and then you can cry yourself to sleep when you get home.
After driving for nearly twenty minutes she began wondering where they were going. There were only one or two possible restaurants this far out where he would take her but he took a right turn where he should have made a left.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see," he said, still watching the road.
Now she was confused. They were supposed to be going to dinner, so what was he doing? Unless he just said they were going to dinner, and really he was just going to break it to her while they drove around the city. But hadn't he gone through the trouble to get dressed up himself? She understood wanting to keep up the charade, but this was Deeks; he wouldn't get dressed up like this just to go for a drive.
Deeks turned the car again and Kensi found they had arrived at the beach. Her eyebrows knit together as she tried to think of some rational explanation, but none came. He got out of the car, walked around to her side and opened the door. She stared at his outstretched hand a moment before taking it.
They walked to the sand and Kensi found herself mentally cursing Deeks for making her walk in the sand with heels. Before she could say anything though they stopped and she stared at the sight before her.
There was a round table set up with two dinner places, candles sitting in the middle, their flames flickering a little from the ocean breeze, and a small radio playing some kind of soft music. But the most surprising part of all was Callen and Sam, also dressed in tuxedos, standing beside the table, smiles on their faces. Standing on the other side were Nell and Eric, also dressed up with smiles on their faces.
"What...?" she began but couldn't find the words.
Deeks just smiled, that cocky smile he always had, but there was something in his eyes, something deeper than humor or affection. He led her the rest of the way to the table and pulled her chair out for her. Once she was settled he took his seat on the other side of the table.
Right away Nell and Eric presented the two with what would be their menus for the evening, and Sam and Callen, acting the part of waiters, helped them with their napkins. Sam gave Kensi a wink and she found herself more flustered than before.
"What in the world is going on?" She asked leaning forward and looking Deeks straight in the eye.
"Dinner," he said simply, gesturing to the set up.
"I get that, but the beach? And with Sam and Callen for waiters? Did they lose a bet or something?"
"Believe it or not, they volunteered."
Kensi shook her head slightly, still not understanding.
"I think, Ms Blye," Kensi jumped at the sound of Hetty's voice. Where did she come from? Seriously, Kensi hadn't even seen her a moment ago. "You would do well not to question and simply enjoy the evening."
She wanted to protest but gave in. It was strange to have the rest of the team serving them, particularly if this was supposed to be a "break up" dinner. Did Deeks want everyone else to know they were ending this? But the more Kensi looked at the facts the harder it was for her to believe this was in fact a "break up" dinner.
After the meal Deeks stood and held his hand out to her.
"Where are we going now?" she asked taking his hand.
Deeks looked over at Nell who pressed play on the radio and turned up the volume. A song Kensi didn't recognize came through the speakers and floated over to them, the deep voice going on about not holding back and so on. Deeks took her hand in his, placing her other on his shoulder and then his own hand at her waist. Kensi had removed her shoes during dinner and was grateful for it now. Walking in the sand while wearing heels was bad enough, dancing would have been a real challenge.
As the song went on Deeks leaned his head forward a little, resting it against hers and she couldn't help closing her eyes at the touch. It was a simple thing, yet it seemed to speak volumes.
It was nearing the end of the song and Deeks pulled his head back to look her in the eye.
"I love you," he said simply. He didn't just say it with his mouth, but with his eyes. She could see the truth of his statement and she couldn't help the few tears that came to her eyes.
"I love you," she replied, smiling up at him.
"Could you do me a favor then?"
She was caught off guard. A favor? What favor could he possibly be asking for?
"Sure," she said though her tone was slightly suspicious.
They stopped moving but Deeks didn't break eye contact.
"Kensi," he began. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Of all the people I've known, all the women I've dated, none of them has meant as much to me as you. I never felt as much love in my life for anyone or anything as I do just looking at you. When things are wrong, you walk into the room and I can't help feeling better. You make me feel like I matter, like I belong." He paused his speech as he dropped down to one knee. Her heart was racing and she couldn't stop her hand from rising to face in surprise. "Kensi," he continued, taking her free hand in his and smiling up at her. "I want to spend the rest of my life falling asleep with you beside me and waking up to you every morning. There's no one else in this world I would rather share my life with. So I'm asking you a favor. I'm not perfect, I can be annoying and a real pain in the neck, but I know that if I can't have you as mine, in spite of it all, then I would be the most miserable man alive. Kensi Blye, please do me the favor, the honor, of becoming my wife."
She was speechless, in complete shock. But it only took a moment for her to come to her senses and, smiling ear to ear, happily tell him, "Yes."