Changes

Rating T to be safe.

Kensi refuses to let Deeks shut her out after his rescue leading them to a relationship. Will feature the entire team and some original characters.

Authors notes. I was asked to write this story by a very good friend of mine who is fighting a very serious illness. To keep her mind off things she is giving my prompts, ideas and events she wants to see. I in turn get to turn her idea into a story.

Summary: Takes place beginning season 5 after Deeks and Sam are rescued. A bit darker in places than I usually write. Nice reviews are always welcome. The more nice reviews I get the faster I will update.

Kensi stood outside Deeks hospital room. She watched as the nurses and a doctor took care of him. She knew that Callen was down the hall with Sam at the same moment. Once the doctor was finished he told her she could go in. Deeks was staring at the wall and refused to look at her.

"I am so sorry." Kensi whispered.

"It's ok Kensi."

"No it's not." Kensi sat on the side of the bed and grabbed his hand in both of hers. "It killed me to leave you there." Kensi was almost sobbing.

Deeks finally looked at her. She had tears streaming down her face and wasn't even trying to wipe them away.

"You did what you had to do."

Deeks was way too calm for her. He should be upset or mad at her but he wasn't. It was if he just didn't care anymore.

Kensi leaned closer and placed a very soft and careful kiss on his bruised mouth. When she pulled back Deeks was looking her with something she couldn't quite read in his eyes.

"I am going to make it up to you if it takes the rest of my life."

Kensi once again leaned forward this time to rest her head on his chest. She felt his arms wrap around her and just hold her.

It was three days later when Kensi finally went back to work. She had refused to leave Deeks side and Hetty had understood. Deeks was in a very fragile place and needed her to be near. In fact Kensi had all but moved into Deeks apartment. When she left that morning she told him she would be calling and if he didn't answer she would just come home and find out why.

Deeks had agreed to answer the phone or any texts he got. That had made Kensi satisfied enough to leave for work. She called the second she parked her car to check on him. Deeks was watching some movie he found on tv and told Kensi he had eaten the breakfast she left for him. Ok it was just one of those breakfast shakes but still it was good that he ate.

On entering the Mission Kensi automatically felt something was off. She couldn't put her finger on it just yet but something was going on. Sam was already back at work. His training helping him to move past the torture faster than most could have. Callen was also at his desk filling out the never ending paper work and eating at the same time.

"Hey Kensi how's Deeks doing?" asked Callen as she dropped into her chair.

"Ok. He's not sleeping too good, refuses to talk to me about what happened and isn't eating, but at least he hasn't locked me out of the apartment yet."

"He should talk to someone." Said Sam. "It will help."

Kensi only nodded as she sent Deeks a text telling him the guys said hi. She got a smiley face in return. Just then Hetty walked over to the team.

"Miss Blye I hope Mr. Deeks is doing better today?"

"He's doing the best he can at the moment."

Hetty nodded in understanding. "Well as we will be down a team member for an undetermined amount of time I have requested a temporary agent to join us for the foreseeable future."

"What?" Yelled Kensi. "I don't want a new partner. Deeks is my partner."

"Yes Miss. Blye I understand that. This agent will be joining us until Mr. Deeks is able to return to his job. Until then I'm sure he will feel better knowing you have someone to watch your back each day."

Hetty was afraid this would happen. Her little family didn't take well to outsiders, even when they were one of their own.

"Fine but I'm not working with them." Kensi was pouting and she didn't care. Callen was the first to notice the woman standing behind Hetty. She had a back pack thrown over one shoulder and looked a bit hurt by Kensi's works. Not the warmest welcome she could have received.

Hetty noticed Callen staring and turned to see her new agent standing there. "Oh there you are." Hetty motioned for the woman to join her. "Everyone this is Special Agent Mackenna Taylor."

"Nice to meet you." Said Sam from his desk.

"Miss Taylor this is Agent Sam Hanna, Agent G Callen and Agent Kensi Blye."

Taylor simply nodded not sure really what to say or do.

"Mackenna boy that's a mouth full." Said Callen with a smile on his face.

"I was named after my grandfather. Everyone just calls me Mac."

Kensi still refused to say anything instead she texted Deeks about his replacement. When Deeks read the text he could feel the anger rolling off Kensi. This was not going to end well.

*Don't worry Fern. I'll be back before you know it.*

*You better be. I don't like this one bit.*

"Miss Taylor you can use Mr. Deeks desk for now."

Kensi's head snapped up. "What, no way. She is not using his desk." Kensi stood up and glared at the new comer.

"How about I work from the couch." Mac looked at Hetty before moving to put her bag down there.

"Hetty I refuse to work with her."

"You don't even know her."

"Hetty I'll work with Kensi for now." Said Sam. He understood how hard this was for her, and the guilt she was carrying around.

"That will be fine Mr. Hanna."

"Guess that means you're with me." Said Callen. He wasn't thrilled with the idea but understood having a full team. Mac seemed like a nice person but a bit nervous. Kensi throwing a fit didn't help. He watched as Mac sat on the couch and pulled out her laptop. She set it on the coffee table but looked lost after that.

Eric announcing they had a case helped to break the tension as everyone headed to OPS.

As they headed across town Callen decided to find out how much Mac knew about why she was there.

"I'm sorry about Kensi."

"It's ok."

"Did Hetty explain why she needed you here?"

"Just that an agent was hurt and I needed to fill in for a while."

"Deeks is our LAPD liaison. He and Kensi are very close."

"Ok that explains a lot."

Callen went on to explain what had led up to Deeks being injured and the reasons behind Kensi's bad attitude.

"Look Callen I don't want to be in the way so if I overstep anything please let me know."

Mac looked over at Callen as they pulled to a stop. Callen looked back at her and shook his head. As long as she stayed away from Kensi for now she should be fine.

An hour later they were sitting outside a house waiting for the owner to show.

"So where was your last assignment?"

"New York." Mac looked across to the house. "Before that Paris, Tokyo, Miami, D.C."

"In how many years?"

"Five."

Callen was a bit shocked at this. Most agents didn't move around that much.

"Director Vance likes to use me as a fill in agent. Says I can fit into any situation better than any agent he has."

By the end of the day Callen hadn't learned much more about Mac. She kept things to herself much the way he did. Maybe after she had been there for a while she would open up.

Kensi was gone by the time they got back. Sam just shook his head. Callen figured the day hadn't gone too good for the new partnership. He really hoped tomorrow would be better.

Kensi slammed the door and dumped her stuff by the couch. She took off her boots and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Deeks sat back and watched her. He was not about to ask her how her day was. Once Kensi was seated next to him Deeks reached out a hand to brush her hair out of her face. Kensi looked at Deeks and put her beer down. She nearly tackled him as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I missed you so much today."

"I missed you to Fern."

"I can't believe Hetty just told her to use your desk. I have never been so mad in my entire life."

"Didn't you say she was using the couch?"

"Yeah she offered herself. Guess I may have yelled a bit."

Deeks held Kensi as tight as he could.

"Maybe it will not be so bad."

"I guess not but I still don't like the idea of someone else watching my back."

"Neither do I princess, neither do I."

That night Kensi talked Deeks into trying to sleep in his bed. So far he hadn't left the couch.

"Deeks I think it's time you took a shower." Kensi stood looking down at Deeks. He had been wearing the same thing for the three days he had been home.

Deeks sighed and headed for the bedroom. "If I join you will you take a shower?" This got Deeks attention.

"Um Kensi are you sure?"

Kensi pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed it to the floor.

"I almost lost you Deeks." Kensi wrapped her arms around him. "I am not about to waste any more time."

Deeks took a hard swallow and followed Kensi to the bathroom. He wasn't sure he was ready for this next step. On the other hand he didn't want to lose Kensi either.

Half an hour later Deeks was in clean clothing and in bed. Kensi was walking around the room picking up some of the discarded clothing and putting it in the laundry room. Deeks watched her amazed that she really wanted to be with him. Ok so they hadn't had sex in the shower only a bit of exploring but that was ok for him. He really wasn't up for that yet anyways.

Sam had sent him a text telling him to talk to Kensi or find someone else to talk to that it would help.

"Kensi I need to tell you something."

Kensi stopped and waited for Deeks to go on.

"I don't blame you for any of what happened. I did what I had to so Sam could live. Just like I know you did what you had to. If you hadn't left us there the plan wouldn't have worked and there would be a nuke loose in the country."

Deeks took a deep breath. "You were the place I went to. You were my safe place Kensi." Deeks looked up to see Kensi crying. He opened his arms and pulled her close. "You will always be my safe place."

"You're my safe place too." Whispered Kensi.