A/N: You guys...I am completely blown away by the support I've received on this fic. Your reviews have been so lovely and kind. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the most amazing community of people and I love interacting with you all! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. One more to come after this!

Evening had fallen by the time Callen returned. Blood had crusted over the cuts on his arms but he didn't seem any worse for wear. "I drew them off to the north. They're going to circle back eventually though."

"It's starting to get dark," Sam said. "They'll probably call off the search soon, start again in the morning."

"How's Deeks?" Callen asked

Kensi looked down at her fiancé, or maybe just her partner now, she thought darkly. "He's been in and out. He's not making any sense."

"If he wakes up again we need to try and keep him up and talking," Callen said. "How about you? How are you doing?"

Her shoulder burned like it was on fire and her legs felt like lead. "I'm fine. We need a plan. We can't just sit here like this."

"We can't travel in the dark, not with Deeks the way he is."

"Then maybe you and Sam should go."

"What is it with the two of you?" Callen rolled his eyes and almost cracked a smile. "Deeks said the same stuff when we were in the helicopter crash. We're not leaving you. Besides I don't know how far the big guy would get anyway." Sam grunted at this but didn't say anything, apparently finally coming to terms with his lack of mobility. "We'll wait until dawn and then try to hike a ways out. That'll give us a fighting chance."

Was this how Deeks had felt as she lay trapped under twelve thousand pounds of twisted metal? She watched his chest rise and fall, counting every breath, making sure there was another. Was this how it was going to be forever? One of them watching and waiting while the other struggled for life until, one day, somebody didn't wake up?

"You okay?" Callen asked.

She shook her head. "This is my fault. Deeks came because he was worried about me. If we hadn't fought…if I'd just done what he asked, we wouldn't be here."

"We are talking about the same Deeks right?" Callen shifted his weight, leaning his back against the wall. "He didn't come because of you. He came because he's part of the team."

"And because he likes pissing off authority figures," Sam added with a smirk. He was still sitting by the door, his bad leg held straight out in front of him.

Kensi wasn't in the mood for their humor. "You didn't hear him. He wants out. This bar thing, it's serious. And he wants me to go with him."

"So why don't you?" Sam asked.

She looked at them incredulously. "Okay, did you guys knock your heads together during that explosion? Because this is my job. I love it. I'm not giving it up to be a housewife."

"Did he ask you to be a housewife? That doesn't sound like him," Callen said.

"What else would I do? My skill set isn't exactly conducive to sitting in an office."

"You could teach," Sam said. "They're always looking for good snipers to train recruits."

"Or consult," Callen offered. "I hear it's good money."

"Drive a Lyft," was Sam's next suggestion.

"Have you been in a car with her? She'd get like negative five stars," Callen said.

"That's a valid point. Blogging?"

Callen smiled. "She could be one of those direct sales people."

"Yeah you and Deeks could be one of those husband and wife teams," Sam said with a grin. "You'd be the brains and he'd be the…hair."

This was taking a strange turn. "Are you guys seriously suggesting I quit?" she asked.

"Of course not. Look, Kens, nobody wants you to leave. We don't want to lose you or Deeks. But if you guys want out, then we'll support you," Callen said. "None of us are going to be in this forever. Most teams don't stay together for nearly as long as we have."

Callen's words hit home. Their team was a family. Would she really be as happy if Deeks left? Hetty would be retiring sooner rather than later. Eventually Nell or Eric would invent something that sent them higher up the government technology food chain. Sam had kids who would some day give him grandchildren. Was she really going to give up the love of her life for twenty more good years, only to be stuck behind a desk, miserable and alone when she was no longer capable of field work?

As she considered this Deeks' eyes blinked open again. "Kensi?" he croaked.

"Yeah babe," she said tiredly.

"Did you feed Monty?"

"Yes baby. Monty's fine. We're all fine." God she hoped that was true. With all the asking he'd done about their furry baby he'd better be in absolutely perfect condition when they picked him up from the kennel.

His eyes closed but she grabbed his hand. "Deeks, babe, don't go to sleep. You have to stay awake okay?"

"My head hurts."

"I know. I know it does. Just hang on okay?"

"Can you tell Kensi I love her?"

"I know Deeks. I love you too."

His started to go out again and she shook him. "Hey! No! Don't go to sleep."

"Kensi?"

"Yeah, it's me babe."

His body went rigid and his eyes rolled back into his head. "Callen!" Kensi yelled and their team leader who scrambled to help. "He's seizing! Hold him still," Callen ordered.

Kensi pushed her partner onto his side waiting the agonizing seconds until the seizure had passed. When it had, Callen pulled open Deeks' shirt. Bruising covered his abdomen. "Damn it. He's bleeding internally. Come on Deeks. Don't do this buddy."

Callen ran a fist over the detective's sternum. He moaned but didn't wake. Kensi covered her mouth with her hands. This could not be the end.

"We've got company!" Sam yelled from his position by the door, struggling to his feet.

"Go," Kensi said. "I'm staying with Deeks."

"If we go down, we go down together," Callen said, checking his weapon.

"Sam? Callen?"

The voice that came through the door was distinctly female and familiar. "Hidoko?" Sam called.

"Oh my god, you guys are all right!"

They opened the door and Harley stepped inside looking perfectly unharmed. "Where the hell have you been?" Callen asked. "We thought you were dead."

"Yeah well, same here," she told them. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Come on. You've got bogies coming in hot. We need to get out of here right now."

"Deeks is injured," Kensi said desperately. "He's not conscious."

"Good thing I brought some help."

Arlo Turk stepped inside. "We really need to stop meeting like this."

It took only minutes to get everyone loaded onto vehicles and then they were tearing off across the desert toward safety.

A/N: Clearly I'm team #harleyisalive. I love her guys. What can I say? Leave your love in the reviews!