Kensi ran into the hospital at a lightning fast speed. She's pretty sure she almost knocked over an old lady on her way to the front desk, but she doesn't care.

"Marty Deeks." Kensi shouted at the woman. "I need to see Marty Deeks."

"Ma'am calm down. He is just down the hall, room 128." The nurse at the desk directed her.

Kensi didn't have time to say thanks as she bolted down the hall to her partner's room. When she got close enough that she could see through the window, she stopped in her track at the horrific scene in front of her. She mustered up all of her will power not to cry and walked into his room.

Kensi sat on the chair beside his bed and grasped his hand with hers. She let a single tear escape her eyes as she sat beside him staring at his swollen face and bandaged arm.

She almost didn't hear it, it was just above a murmur. "Fern..." He mumbled in his sleep. Kensi looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled. Yeah, Fern.

"Fern, please don't do this. Kensi..." Deeks continued to mumble. Kensi looked back up from their hands to study his sleeping face. His face was scrunched in worry and his hand tightened around hers.

"Kensi, please don't do this." He said just a little louder so it was just above a whisper.

Kensi decided it couldn't hurt to try and talk to him. "Do what?" She asked.

"Leave." He answered. She almost fell apart in that single moment.

"I won't." She promised.

"Fern." He mumbled a few hours later.

"Yeah? She asked suddenly brought back from her thoughts.

"You're hurting my hand." For a second Kensi was confused, but then she realized that he must be waking up.

"Oh, sorry." Kensi blushed.

"That's okay." He said as he turned his head toward her and opened his eyes slowly. God, it was such a relief to see his eyes again. "I kind of like it..." He paused, "It lets me know how you feel."

"How I feel?" She asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're still holding my hand even though you don't realize it," He said and Kensi immediately pulled her hand away. "And you were trying to get information out of my unconscious mind."

"Was not!" Kensi defended, even though she knew she had been caught.

"Oh, come on, Fern. I always knew you had a soft spot for these golden locks."

"What are you talking about?" Kensi pretended to be unaware of what he meant. "You know what, don't answer that. You're on too many medications to think straight."

"I wasn't on any medications when I kissed you." Kensi's eyes went wide. She stopped all movement in that single second after he said it. He felt the light mood leave the room and a serious one enter.

"I should probably get a nurse." Kensi changed the subject. "Le- let them know that you're awake." And with that Kensi ran out of the room.

"We still have to talk about it." Deeks said after the nurse left the room.

"Yeah, I know." Kensi answered as she left her position in the door frame for one in the chair next to Deeks.

"And there's nothing that you can do to change the subject this time." Deeks challenged.

"I know."

"Think you can handle that?" Deeks asked hopefully.

"I can take it."

"Okay."

"Good." She said simply.

"Good?" Deeks questioned to himself more than to her. "God, you still suck at communication." He laughed to himself.

Before she had a chance to think about it, Kensi leaned over his bed and let his lips hover just half an inch from his. She looked in his eyes and saw that he was challenging -daring- her to go through with it. She wasn't going to back down this time. She kissed him softly at first, but then she found her hand in his hair and his hands cupping her cheeks. She might suck at verbal communication, but she said everything she needed to say in that kiss. When she pulled back, she searched his eyes for any sign that she had made a mistake. She hadn't.

"How's that for communication?" Kensi asked.

Deeks was rendered speechless. "Um- uh-" Kensi just laughed at the sight in front of her. He paused for a moment and then smiled. "Still answering my questions with questions, I see." He said smugly.

"Only because that's part of my training." She replied.

"Oh, and where did you train to kiss like that?"

Nell stopped in her tracks right outside the door to Deeks room. Why was she always the one to interrupt their little moments? She quickly made her presence known by knocking lightly on the door frame. "Uh- guys?"

Kensi and Deeks looked up from their intent staring match to find her standing in the door.

"Oh, Nell, come in."

"What's up?" Kensi asked, trying to cover up what they had been talking about.

"I should be asking you two the same." Nell said as she stepped farther into the room.

Kensi blushed as she felt Deeks move his hand so that it was holding hers again. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Good for you." Was all she said before she turned around and left the room, smiling.

"Um- okay that was awkward..." Kensi said as she turned her attention back to the now grinning Deeks.

"A little." He paused and seemed to be thinking before he continued. "So- um- tell me how you feel about me again.." Deeks smiled. "Ow, what was that for?" Deeks whined as he rubbed his arm.

"You deserved it." She said.

"What for?"

Kensi paused for a minute, and Deeks saw her face go from light to serious. And her eyes watered up a little again, "Almost breaking your promise."

Deeks didn't even have to think about what promise. He knew which one she meant. "But I didn't..." He answered her hidden question.

"No," She sighed, "You didn't."

And Deeks, being Deeks, couldn't let her mind settle on the what-if's that he knew her mind would come up with if he didn't make a joke. "So I think I should get a reward for keeping my promise."

Kensi laughed. "Yeah? What did you have in mind?"

"Well, for starters, I'm going to need you to feed Monty until I get out of this place."

"Done." Kensi said.

"And then..." He said, drawing it out."

"What?"

"Well, in the meantime, I could get used to you kissing me." Deeks said hopefully.

"Oh, really?" Kensi challenged.

"Ye-" He didn't have time to finish as Kensi kissed him again. She pressed her lips to his slowly and deepened the kiss as she shifted from her seat in the chair next to him. And she wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but she found herself lying against him in the hospital bed that night, just laying there thanking God that he was alive.