Author's Note:
Hello everybody! Welcome to Of Badges and Sunshine, my third fan fiction, and sequel to The Ultimatum. You don't have to read the first one, but it may give a little context to this new story. For those of you who want to jump into this story without reading it: The Ultimatum followed the events after Kensi was reassigned. Deeks and the team flew to Afghanistan to intervene after the mission went awry, and the situation was settled, ending with Kensi and Deeks in a relationship and acknowledging their love for each other. Any other important detail will be explained if it comes up in the story. Also, I accept ANY ideas and try to incorporate all of them. If at any time you guys want to see something happen, just send me a prompt and I'll include it. This story will be LONG, so be prepared for the ride :)
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters. This disclaimer applies for the rest of the chapters in this story.
-C
When Kensi woke up that Saturday morning, she couldn't have been happier. The sun was streaming through the open window in the late spring air, blinding her half-open eyes. The sheets rustled as she exhaled through her nose, nuzzling closer to the body curled beside her.
Kensi Blye had never been one for snuggling, but Deeks had effectively changed her mind on the matter.
They hadn't had much time to work out their pending relationship when Kensi had been reassigned, so she never got used to waking up next to him. Sleeping in a cold, isolated bunk for the next month and then in the hospital recovering from sepsis and a gunshot wound had made it even sweeter that first night home. Kensi never ceased to relish in the warmth next to her.
It was…three months? No, four months since returning home in late December, just in time for Christmas actually. They enjoyed the reunion with their family, who then sent them on a vacation for a few days before returning back to work after winter break.
That vacation to the secluded house on the beach was one of the best gifts either of them had ever gotten. It gave them time away from work, pressure from their coworkers, and being partners to give some thought to their relationship. Luckily, the pair hadn't had a repeat of the mission with Thappa, and their partnership was running smoothly for the most part. Now, in late April, things were still great in everything. Life was good.
He grunted softly in his sleep as he turned over to face Kensi, his baby blues fluttering open.
"Hey," she whispered, voice hoarse for hours of not using it.
"It's Saturday!" Deeks panicked, bolting up in bed and throwing off the covers. He jumped out of bed, quickly throwing on a clean shirt and running a hand through his unruly hair.
"What?" Kensi asked, half laughing as she sat up now.
"I totally forgot I'm supposed to be watching Kyle today. Dammit!" He threw a clean pair of jeans over his boxer shorts and unplugged his phone from the charger.
"Hang on, back up. What?" Kensi braided her curly locks off to the side and out of her face.
"A buddy of mine from the LAPD needed me to babysit his four-year-old son Kyle today, which I completely forgot to tell you about."
"Clearly," Kensi remarked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"I had to pick him up by nine thirty, and that's only a half an hour away," Deeks said, fishing the car keys out of the pair of pants lying on his bedroom floor from the night before.
"Have fun," she muttered and rolled back over to sleep more.
"Come on, Kens. I could really use your help on this one," Deeks pleaded.
"You're the one good with kids. Me? Not so much," she said into the pillow, her voice becoming muffled. This wasn't at all how she wanted to start off her Saturday morning. Maybe they would walk Monty, go surfing, but now they were being rushed out of the apartment first thing.
"Pleeeeeeease?" Deeks whined.
"Nope."
"Partner?"
"You're on your own."
"I promise to buy you Rocky Road later…" Deeks enticed.
Kensi groaned, holding a pillow over her head to block out the sound of her partner and boyfriend's incessant begging.
"I'll even throw in some donuts…"
With something that resembled a growl, the brunette turned back over and removed the pillow away from her face.
"Twinkies too and you have a deal."
Deeks smirked, "I knew the way to your heart was through food."
Kensi made a face as she chucked a pillow at the detective.
"That was unnecessary, princess." Before Kensi could throw another item from the bed at him, he quickly ducked out of the bedroom calling, "I'll make some coffee!"
She sat up, laughing lightly and jumped out of bed. Kensi threw on a light pair of skinny jeans, a fitted red shirt, and sneakers. Trying to quickly run a brush through her unruly hair, the highly trained agent tied it off in a ponytail. Then she made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth before meeting Deeks in her living room.
They still had separate apartments, but more times than not they stayed together. Both had clothes and toiletries over the other's house.
He handed her a travel mug before snatching the keys for his pick-up truck off of the coffee table. They were strewn next to an empty, grease-stained pizza box. All week they had been weighed down by this tasking case where Sam and Callen went under cover as potential buyers for smuggling ring dealing in semi-automatic weapons. That meant that Kensi and Deeks had to watch and make sure everything went according to plan.
Naturally, it didn't happen that way.
The senior agents' cover was blown and they had to shoot their way out. Luckily, nobody was hurt- with the exception of the bad guys of course. So the couple celebrated with pepperoni pizza, beer, and The Departed.
After the week they had, Kensi still couldn't believe Deeks convinced her to get out of bed for a boy she's never even met before. But then again, she was getting up for a certain man that she did know- and loved.
As Deeks started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, Kensi asked, "How come I've never met this kid before, or his dad if you two are good friends?"
"His father, Jason Letway, and I used to do a lot of deep cover in the department. I went to NCIS, and he stayed on. I don't see him too much anymore. He's one of the few nice guys at the precinct."
Kensi paused, "It's not just Jason though. I really haven't met any of your friends from the LAPD."
"There's not many," Deeks shrugged, keeping his eyes strictly on the road. Kensi stumbled over her words, trying to find the right words. The surfer beat her to it, "Dunkin' Donuts?"
"You owe me anyways, mister," Kensi laughed, trying to break the tension. It seemed to work as Deeks smiled at her and pulled into the drive-thru.
Three donuts later, the two were driving in the direction of Santa Monica pier to pick up Kyle. It was silent most of the way, so Deeks turned on the country music station. After two songs, Kensi couldn't stand it anymore and went to change the station.
"I can't listen to this," she teased, trying to find a better selection.
"I bought you donuts!" Deeks argued incredulously.
"Yeah, and I could be at home right now instead of-" Kensi broke off.
"What?"
"Crap. We have to go to the bank after we pick up your friend's kid. I've been having credit card problems, it shouldn't take more than ten minutes."
"I need to go to the ATM anyways. And here we are," he said, pulling in front of a brick house. Kensi looked at the time. It was just two minutes after nine thirty- they had made good time despite the LA traffic. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
They left the car to see a small boy running around the front lawn. His shaggy black hair flew behind him as he chased a Labrador near the shrubs. Kensi didn't need Deeks to tell her that was Kyle.
"Marty!" An older man greeted, appearing from the open garage. If the newcomer was Kyle's father, than he was a spitting image of the police officer. They had the same strong jaw line, light blue eyes, and raven hair.
"Jason, good to see you man!" the detective replied, giving his old a friend a firm hand shake. They went in for a brief hug before Deeks stepped back. "Jason, this is Kensi Blye, my partner at NCIS."
"Nice to meet you," Jason extended a hand, which Kensi cordially took.
"You too."
"His grandparents are gonna be here by tonight to take him back to Seattle for the duration of my assignment. I really appreciate you doing this," Jason turned to Deeks. "Kyle's been looking forward to it."
As if on cue, the officer stumbled forward as a force slammed into his back. Kyle poked his head out from behind his father's legs and gave Kensi and Deeks a small wave.
"Ok, buddy. You have your backpack?" Jason inquired, kneeling to Kyle's height.
"Yes, Dad!" he replied, smiling broadly.
"Have fun and be good for Marty and Grandma and Papa," he planted a firm kiss atop his son's head and brought the small boy close.
"I'll miss you Daddy," Kyle frowned, tugging on the straps of his Transformers backpack.
"I'll miss you too. Time to go, Kyle."
The little boy gave his father one last hug before returning to the truck with Kensi and Deeks. The surfer made sure that Kyle was safely buckled in the backseat. From shotgun, Kensi could see her boyfriend give a salute and a small smile to his friend before climbing in the car himself.
"How old are you now, Kyle?" Deeks inquired, meeting the boy's eyes in the rearview mirror. That brought a grin to his face.
"I'm four!" He displayed proudly, holding up his fingers.
"Wow, you're a big boy!"
"Can we get ice-cream, Marty?"
"Of course we can, but we have to stop at the bank really quick, okay?"
"Okay!"
Deeks shot Kensi a look across the center consol. She was looking on at their interaction with fondness and a light smile. Her boyfriend was truly gifted with children. They managed to find a spot at a nearby parking garage about a block from the bank. Kyle gathered up his belongings and slithered from the backseat.
"Are you bringing your service weapon?" Kensi inquired, subconsciously touching hers in the back of her jeans.
Deeks shrugged. "We're just going to the bank. And anyways, the officer at the front will have to seize them if we walk in with them."
"Safety precautions, Deeks. We have a lot of enemies out there," Kensi reasoned, ensuring that her shirt covered the weapon. The last thing they needed was Kyle seeing it.
"Good point," he agreed and grabbed his Beretta from the glove box. Luckily, the small child was too preoccupied by his Transformer figurine to notice the exchange.
"Come on, Kyle. The sooner we get chores done, the sooner we can get that ice-cream," Kensi encouraged with a smile. It felt less forced now and more comfortable.
"Yay!" He shouted, racing ahead through the parking garage.
"Kyle!" Deeks tried to stop him, sprinting after the child and leaving Kensi behind. The surfer caught up with the vibrant boy just as an unmarked van came crashing around the corner. It sped up the ramp, nearly hitting the two of them.
"Hey, watch it!" Kensi berated the driver, although the man couldn't hear her over the sound of squealing tires. She shook her head before rejoining Deeks and Kyle at the entrance to the parking garage.
Together, they ambled down the street. Deeks reached for her hand, which Kensi gladly took. Kyle walked in front of them so he didn't notice the gesture. They turned the corner and walked up the steps of the nondescript bank. It was part of a smaller building, and unless one was looking for it wouldn't have guessed it was even there.
Forgetting that she was supposed to turn over her weapon, Kensi was stopped by a grizzled police officer in uniform. She must have set off a silent alarm. "I'm sorry ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside so I can conduct a search."
"Sorry, federal agent," Kensi briefly explained, flashing her identification and badge.
The cop took it from her and scrutinized it closer. At least the man was thorough. He nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I'm still going to have to ask that you hand it over."
She looked briefly to see that Kyle was pressing buttons on the ATM, so she thought it was safe to disarm herself. Both her and Deeks emptied their weapons in a bin behind the officer's station before continuing into the bank. The blond surfer called Kyle over as they walked up to the desk.
Kensi didn't even had time to open her mouth when a shout from the back of the compact room drew her attention. Agent instincts in full swing, Deeks and her whipped to see the police offer trying to stop six men in identical black jumpsuits. They all wore masks and donned powerful weapons such as shotguns and semi-automatics.
She reached for a gun that wasn't there as the head man subdued the officer by firing his shotgun straight at his chest. There was no way the guard stood a chance. The loud bang alerted everybody to the danger and screams erupted when vermillion blood began seeping from the body.
Kyle whimpered, crouching and covering his ears behind Deeks. Kensi was about to act when something grabbed and dragged her behind a desk. The men were barking orders, "Nobody move! Throw your cell phones out on the floor in front of you!"
"Hey, buddy. I need you to do something for me, okay?" Deeks had the boy's face between his steady hands.
Kensi had to give the boy props for putting on a brave face and nodding.
"We're gonna play a game. I need you to that desk and not make a sound until Kensi or I come and get you. Okay, buddy?"
"Okay Marty."
"Great. Com'on. Let's move."
Deeks had the boy crawl in front of him as not to be seen by the assailants. Kensi could see that he ushered Kyle behind a row of desks where he couldn't be seen. Deeks hurried back, making the movement last less than ten seconds.
He had just returned to Kensi's side when two more men rounded up the people behind the desk. If Deeks hadn't acted so quickly, he and Kyle would have been noticed.
"Phones out in front of you!" The taller one demanded., pointing a loaded weapon at the pair of agents. "Put your hands above your heads and lie facedown on the ground!"
Deeks shot Kensi a look before removing his phone from his pocket and sliding it towards the criminal. The masked man collected all of the electronics in a fabric bag before taking the butt of his shotgun and smashing every single one.
"Deeks, we can take them out," she whispered, moving into the position that the assailants had requested. "Get a hold of their weapons, we can save somebody from getting hurt."
He turned his head to look at her instead of staring at the floor once lying down. "We can't, Kens. Not when Kyle's with us."
"Shut up!" Another man with visible facial hair ordered, leaning with the barrel of his Glock dangerous close to Deeks's head.
"Employees, move to the back of the bank in a single-file line. Move it!" A medium height, medium build man ordered. All of the people near Kensi and Deeks were forced to a standing position and then marched off somewhere.
"Everybody else, in front of these desks, let's go!" the leader barked.
Kensi and Deeks complied, shuffling to the front of a long counter that they were formally hiding behind. The brunette utilized the opportunity to take in her surroundings as two of the bank robbers were occupied with moving a particularly stubborn employee. She counted six men when they walked in, but now there were four in the main part of the bank. All of the assailants had on balaclavas and wore identical black jumpsuits. However, there were different features of all of them that could be distinguished.
One she pinpointed as the leader. He was the first one in the bank and stood in the center, observing everything. Donning about the same height and build as Callen, the only distinguishing feature about him was a plain brass ring around his middle finger. Kensi referred to him as Brass. He was carrying a semi-automatic sub-machine gun.
The one who had only a moment ago was pointing his Glock at Deeks she decided to call Scruff. Through the openings in the balaclava she could see parts of a beard poking through. This man was yelling, "Hands on top of your head, tuck your knees to your chest!"
A man shoved the end of his shotgun in the face of a crying woman until she headed Scruff's orders. He didn't have any distinguishing features about him other than a vermillion paint stain on the paint leg of his jumpsuit. Kensi decided to name him Red.
Lastly, the malefactor who shot the officer at the front desk was Sullivan. Maybe it was just because Kensi had watched The Departed and this guy was a cop-killer, but what he was doing drew her attention more. He was standing behind the counter where the guard formally was, typing away at a computer.
Then Kensi turned her attention to the people to her right. There were maybe ten hostages including her and Deeks. Luckily, there were no children. She looked to the left, and found Deeks checking where he hid Kyle. Thank goodness the kid was staying quiet, for the criminals hadn't found him yet.
It was then that Brass began to speak, "Ladies and gentlemen. Remain calm, and nobody will be hurt. We will make this quick and painless for everybody."
"Any chance the guys know we're here?" Deeks muttered, looking to his girlfriend for a plan.
She shook her head. "We're on our own."
"We can't put Kyle in danger."
"I know, but for now he's-"
"Boss!" Sullivan called the attention of the ringleader. He came from behind the test with a plastic bin in his arms. "Look what I found."
Brass took a look inside of the bin. His wicked grin twisted into a distasteful sneer and handed his weapon to Red, who came up behind his boss to see what Sullivan had discovered.
The ringleader pulled out Kensi's weapon, emptied the clip, and then repeated the same to Deeks's. He held them up by the tips of his fingers as he were disgusted by even holding them. Brass stalked up and down the row of hostages. When he got to Kensi and Deeks, the NCIS agent forced her expression to be neutral.
"Do you know what these are?" Brass shoved the unloaded weapons in the face of a woman next to Kensi.
"G-guns," she stammered, body racking with silent sobs.
"More importantly. It's a Beretta 92F and a SIG Sauer. You know what that means?"
The woman shook her head, green eyes spilling over with tears.
"It means that these are cop guns. Beretta is a standard LAPD issue, and SIGs are used by a variety of federal agencies. So two of you," he broke off, depositing the weapons in the plastic bin and searched the line of people up and down, "are liabilities. And we will find you."
Brass retook his semi-automatic from Red and said to Sullivan, "Search them. If they were allowed inside with their service weapons, then they have ID on their person. I'll bring Techie in here to get going on transferring the funds."
Kensi felt her stomach drop, and Deeks shot her a panicked look. The last thing they wanted was to draw attention to themselves and then possibly Kyle.
"What do you want us to do when we find them?" Sullivan inquired, donning a maniacal smirk.
"Restrain them. If they struggle, kill them both."