Kensi woke up in a hospital bed and looked around to find Deeks sitting next to her in one of those not really comfortable looking chairs asleep. She had just taken a short nap after lunch, but obviously Deeks had been tired as well. This hospital room has become her home now after nearly 4 months in it and she would probably hug everyone the day she was finally allowed to leave this room and the hospital. But she could call herself a lucky one cause that day 14 weeks ago could have gone wrong in so many ways with her ending a few floors lower and a lot less breathing.

They had been on their way to check the hideout of a suspect, a violent suspect with connections to weapon trading groups and quite some knowledge about weapons himself. Sam and Callen had already been at the hide out and had been waiting for Deeks and Kensi as back up, because the area they had to cover had been massive and a lot of places to hide. So they had separated at the front gate, Kensi and Deeks taking the left and Callen and Sam the right, slowly moving through the warehouse with lots of old stuff in there. The only communication had been signs and looks, but no actual word with no one really knowing if the suspect had been around or not.

In the end everything had happened quite quickly and neither Callen and Sam nor Deeks and Kensi knew where the suspect had come from, but he had been standing in front of Sam and Callen pointing a gun at them, telling them to lower their weapons and throw those on the ground. Both had started to lower their weapons when they had seen Kensi and Deeks approach from behind the suspect and had started to talk to the man. In the end a damn bird had made the suspect aware of Kensi and Deeks and he had turned and fired at them, not hitting any vital part of Kensi or Deeks, but Kensi had gone down after shooting the suspect straight in the chest, bleeding heavily from her leg.

Callen and Sam had secured the suspect and gave Deeks the sign that he was dead, before he approached Kensi and put his gun away to look at her injury. What had been unusual and had Deeks rushing to Kensi´s side was her staying down and clutching her knee whilst trying to stay as calm as possible. Deeks had knelt down next to Kensi and the look on her face had told him more than one look at her injured leg – she had been in a lot of pain and it was serious.

By the time the paramedics had arrived Kensi had barely been conscious and Deeks had been trying to make her talk to him, while Sam and Callen had done their best to make the bleeding stop. The way Kensi´s face had gotten whiter and whiter had been the next concerning thing for Deeks, because Kensi had always been a woman with a beautiful dark color to her skin. The paramedics had sent them all out of their way so they could attend Kensi´s injury and had finally lifted her on the stretcher and in the ambulance, when she had called for Deeks and he had stepped in the back of the ambulance to sit next to her.

Sam and Callen had signaled him that they would be driving behind the ambulance and meet him at the hospital, explaining everything to Hetty and the rest of the team on their way. Of course Hetty, Nell and Eric had been listening in over their Com´s, but none of them had been able to get all the information from the chaos after the shooting and those so despised words "Agent down, Kensi had been shot but she is not dead!". So Callen and Sam had filled them in during the short drive to the hospital and in the end the whole team had shown up just 45 minutes later, just to find a pacing Deeks with hands still covered in Kensi´s blood and Sam and Callen standing in front of the door through which the doctors had disappeared with Kensi on the stretcher.

Hetty had tried to talk to Deeks, but he had been unable to form a complete sentence and Nell had been the one to gently pull him to a restroom and get the blood off of his hands. Meanwhile the two senior agents had talked to Hetty.

"It was a damn pigeon setting off because one of us had flushed it and the suspect had been fast and fired one shot! A damn pigeon! Can you believe it?" Callen had asked Hetty looking at her with fury and concern written all over his face and his hands raised in disbelief.

"Agent Callen, sometimes little things can cause great harm, but none of this had been your fault or Agent Hanna´s or Mr. Deeks´ or Agent Blye´s. Or had anyone of you seen the bird while approaching the victim?" she had asked while looking from Sam to Callen and then answered her own question. "That´s what I thought. The doctors are doing their best to help Agent Blye and we can just wait and hope that she will be okay. But we all know that Agent Blye is a tough woman and she wouldn´t want any of you to complain about what had happened. All she would ask is if the victim is dead and that we can confirm."

With those words she had nodded towards Callen and Sam and sat down on one of the uncomfortable chairs lined up in the hallway.

What had seemed like a lifetime later a nurse had emerged from those doors and had looked around confronted with 6 people staring at her and obviously waiting for her to say something. She had cleared her throat and looked down on her chart to find the information she had been looking for.

"Miss Lang?" Hetty had nodded at the young nurse. "You are listed as the emergency contact for Miss Blye, so I would like to talk to you for a minute," and she had been about to turn around and show Hetty to another room when Hetty had gotten up from her chair and explained to the nurse that the people in the hallway were all coworkers and friends and therefore family of Miss Blye, so that they could speak in front of all of them. Deeks had looked at Hetty with a sigh of relief, because even though his hands weren´t covered in Kensi´s blood anymore, he had still been on edge when the nurse hadn´t started to tell what was going on with Kensi immediately.

"Okay, this is unusual but by the injury Miss Blye suffered I take it that she is not working as an accountant so I will just tell you how she is. Her injury is not life-threatening and she will be out of surgery in about five hours, but she won´t be able to use her left leg for quite some time. Her knee was hit and the doctors are doing everything they can to get it fixed, but there are a lot of small bones and tendons they have to sort and after that surgery her leg will be fixed in a brace. She will have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks, get physiotherapy every day as soon as the pain is gone and then slowly start walking again. But the doctor is sure that Miss Blye won´t retain any restrictions in her movement once she had the brace taken off and went through a regular physiotherapy."

The sighs of relief could have been heard all the way to New York even though everyone had known that it would take some convincing and maybe even some threats to get Kensi to stay in the hospital for more than one day. Deeks had stepped in front of the nurse, his hands in his pockets of his jeans so he wouldn´t grab the nurse.

"When can we see her?" had been all he wanted to know, but the nurse couldn´t really say.

"It depends on how fast the docs can fix Miss Blye´s knee, but it will definitely take another four hours of surgery. So I suggest you all try and get cleaned up and grab some coffee before you return here to sit guard for Miss Blye. If anything should happen Miss Lang will be informed as her emergency contact." Obviously she had been aware that none of them would leave the hospital or the hallway for more than just a few minutes.

In the end Nell had stayed with Deeks, while Sam and Callen had left to get clean close for themselves and Deeks and Hetty had driven back to OSP with Eric to sort through all the paperwork and the surveillance from the operation.

Kensi had been told all this by Deeks the day after she got out of surgery and woke up in the exact same bed she was lying in right now with Deeks sitting in the exact same chair he was sitting in right now. As they had all anticipated so well, Kensi had been anything but happy to stay in the hospital and by the time Deeks had told her about the part with the physiotherapy and the need for her to stay in here for at least another two months, she had been furious. But in the end Deeks had convinced her by mentioning that she wouldn´t be able to work as an agent again if she wouldn´t listen exactly to what the docs and the physiotherapist told her to do.

"Hey, you´re awake again. How was your nap?" Deeks asked while stretching his arms above his head causing his shirt to reveal a tiny stretch of his well-trained stomach, which made Kensi smile.

"Oh, it was alright, but there are definitely places I would prefer to be right now instead of this hospital bed," she complained half-heartedly, knowing that this was the best way for her to get better and be able to get back to work as soon as possible.

"Oh, I always knew that you wanted me somewhere else than in a bed, that would be just so not my Kensalina," Deeks teased and grinned at her.

"Deeks," was all Kensi shot back, but since they had spent nearly every day and every night for the past 14 weeks together in the same room, there was no real force behind those words. During the first days and weeks Kensi had been angry at Deeks for being there for her and going through all the misery, because she had been one hell of patient – sarcastic, impatient and more than irritated. She was even sure that the female physiotherapist wouldn´t have come back if not for Deeks after her first session with Kensi.

But in the end Deeks stayed and now she was relieved that he had been so stubborn even with all her behavior and grumbling.

"I swear, if this physiotherapist will tell me one more time that I´m doing fine I will grab your gun, I know you´re carrying in the back of your jeans right now, and shoot her," Kensi had said after week two of physiotherapy and just another session with the young woman who had been appointed as her therapist. Deeks had smiled at Kensi and leaned back in his chair.

"I don´t know what your problem is, she seems to be nice and she´s just helping you," he had answered and his gaze had moved to the door through which that young woman had left just a few minutes ago.

"I can´t believe it, Deeks! Really? She is – what – just 20? And you don´t have to do the same movements every single day with her touching me and holding my leg and telling me …." She had stopped right there seeing the look on Deeks face and had realized what she had just said.

"Hey, go on that was a really good start for a dream," he had said, chuckling at the look on Kensi´s face and before she had more time to think about shooting the woman or Deeks, he had gotten up from his chair and walked around the room for a moment, stretching his back and looking at Kensi.

"What are you up to tonight? Pizza, beer and some reruns of Top Model?" he had asked to get Kensi out of her murderous thoughts and in a better mood. She had huffed and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he was doing, but he was good at it and she had been more than happy with Pizza, beer and some reruns of Top Model.

Their days had looked like that for the first 6 weeks, because that had been the time Kensi hadn´t been allowed to move her leg at all and so the physiotherapist had worked with her other leg and her upper body to keep her strong and flexible. Kensi knew all of this, knew they were all doing their best to keep her healthy and as best prepared as possible for the day when she would finally be allowed to use her leg again. But still it was hard for her to sit or better lie still for this long time.

So when the doctor came in one morning telling her, that they would unlock the brace so she could move her leg again, she was excited like on her first day at working for the NCIS with Callen and Sam. And of course Deeks had been by her side on this special day.

"Good morning Miss Blye, hope you´re feeling alright? So, today is the day we are going to unlock the brace on your leg so you will be allowed to get out of your bed, but for now just in a wheelchair. From there we will be working with crutches till the time your leg is strong enough to hold your bodyweight again," the doctor hadn´t known how happy he had made Kensi that moment, but Deeks had been able to tell from the look on her face and from her death grip on his hand.

"Are you taking it off right now? Because I really would love to get outside and see the blue sky not just through a window," was all Kensi had said while looking at the doctor waiting for him to confirm her hopes. And she hadn´t been disappointed, because half an hour later the plaster had been off and Deeks had been pushing the wheelchair with her in it on their way outside to get some proper fresh air. As soon as they had been outside Kensi had taken a deep breath, her head slightly tilted back and her eyes closed, a view Deeks could enjoy every single day. In the end they had stayed outside for quite a while till Kensi had admitted that she was getting tired. Deeks had pushed her back inside and helped her get back in her bed.

Kensi had been really thankful for Deeks being there with her all the time, still not quite sure how Hetty had managed to make it possible for Deeks to stay with her all the time and not work at all. During her time in the hospital everyone from the team had shown up more than once, but none of them had stayed with her like Deeks and honestly she wouldn´t have been okay with it. She loved all of them, but her relationship with Deeks has always been something special and he was probably the only one who could keep up with her all these weeks.

"Are you hungry after that nap? I could get us something from the cafeteria downstairs, just let me know what you want," Deeks offered leaning forwards in his chair and looking at Kensi. She was still his beautiful partner, but all these weeks had made her thinner and her face had lost a bit of its color as well. Something Deeks didn´t like at all, but they would work on all this as soon as Kensi was allowed to leave the hospital and get back to her apartment.

"No, I´m fine …. I mean okay. But didn´t the doc say earlier that he would come back and talk to me about my progress so far?" Kensi asked, worry and even some exhaustion on her face. She was exhausted – exhausted from these boring days, the daily routine which made her twitchy because as an agent she was used to switch her routine every single day, the food didn´t really help with making her more content and she wasn´t sure she could live through another rerun of Top Models.

"Shall I see if I can find him somewhere? But I guess he will be here soon, it´s already early afternoon and time for his next checkup anyway," Deeks offered but Kensi shook her head and let out a frustrated breath.

"How many weeks am I already staying in here? Or better we?" she asked, looking at the ceiling before lowering her gaze to look over at Deeks. It felt so good to have him here with her and once again she was not sure why and how exactly Deeks was still here, being his usual good natured self and not bored to death.

"14 weeks. 6 weeks immobile with brace on, another 4 weeks with your best friend the wheelchair and now 4 weeks just with crutches and lots of physio sessions. And I´m pretty sure I gained at least 7 to 8 pounds since that first day in hospital with you," he said while leaning back on his chair and rubbing his stomach, Kensi´s gaze followed his hand and she shook her head, because he still looked like he had on the first day they met. Maybe his hair was a bit different, but his body was perfectly fine – not that she would say anything like this out loud.

"I think you´re right. Those jeans had been a bit more loose at the beginning, which means you can start to work out with me as soon as I´m allowed to move more than my big toe again," she grumbled and didn´t really know why Deeks was grinning at her the way that made her stomach do funny things. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. But I like the idea of us working out together. Those are even better pictures than those of the young physiotherapist touching you ….," he trailed off when he saw the look on Kensi´s face but he was saved but the doc entering her room.

"Miss Blye, I´m sorry I let you wait for that long, but there were a few emergencies before I could finally get back to you. But I´ve got good news for you," he said while walking in the room and stopping next to her bed, his smile was honest and Deeks assumed he must have picked up on Kensi´s aversion towards hospitals.

"Really? Cause I can´t say I had a lot of those in the last few weeks!" she shot back, but Deeks reached for her hand and squeezed it, showing her that she wasn´t alone and the doc was surely the last responsible for her current state. She looked at the doc and said "I´m sorry," in a low voice.

"That´s alright. I´ve been a doctor for quite a while now and I know that most of my patients are happy to leave the hospital as fast as possible and you´re obviously no exception. So, to get you in a better mood, I am here to tell you that you´re allowed to walk without crutches from now on. Your physiotherapist confirm that your leg is strong enough and you can start to walk on your own again."

Kensi nearly jumped out of her bed if Deeks hadn´t still been holding on to her hand and the doc shot her a look of disapproval as well. "What? You said I was allowed to walk without crutches!"

"Yes, I said that, but I hadn´t finished yet. You are allowed to walk on your own, but you have to start slowly, increasing the duration of walking without crutches day by day and there will surely be no marathon in your future for the next 3 to 4 months, understand?" the doctor raised an eyebrow and waited for her to let him know that she had understood.

"Okay, I promise no marathon for me in the next 3 month. Anything else I should know?" she behaved more like a little kid right now she knew, but she couldn´t help it, her stubbornness surfacing.

"Thank you very much Doctor. I will make sure that she won´t overdo and will take it slowly," Deeks reached out and shook hands with the doctor before turning back to Kensi and shooting her a bright smile.

A moment later the doc was gone and the young physiotherapist came in, telling them that they could go outside together and see how Kensi felt. Kensi was the first up and on her crutches waiting for Deeks and the young woman to join her. Deeks walked next to her and he could nearly feel the relief radiating off of Kensi but he could absolutely understand her after those 14 weeks in hospital she was finally allowed to get control over her life back. Because lying in that bed for this long had felt like losing control to Kensi, another reason why she had felt so irritated and agitated.

And then it was time to get this control back – Kensi was standing in the park she had come to like quite a lot, Deeks was standing next to her and the physiotherapist on the other side but further away than Deeks. Pragmatic as Kensi was she just dropped those hated crutches and traded them for a lightweight cane. Carefully she put her weight evenly on both feet, straightening her legs before she reluctantly took her first step after 14 weeks.

"I´m walking Deeks! I´m finally walking again … on my own!" she stated still not entirely sure if she was dreaming or not, ignoring the fact that she was still holding the cane, but it was different from walking with those damned crutches.

"Yes you are and I know I have to start working on my stamina again, otherwise you will outrun me in just a few weeks," Deeks grinned at her and was surprised as hell, when Kensi threw herself at him, her arms going around his neck and her laugh directly next to his ear. "Thank you!" was all Kensi said while still holding Deeks close.

From there on it were just another few weeks before Kensi came back to work and everyone was more than happy to see those partners back at OPS and bickering as they had done before this horrible day at the hide out more than 5 months ago.