I hope that those who read this story enjoyed it and many thanks to those who took the time to review, favourite and alert. This part has been written without the numerous editing I usually do. I'd love to hear whether you are happy with the end to this story

Part 3/3

Waiting was not something Sam did very well at the best of times; when it involved waiting for his partner when he should still be in bed sleeping, he did it with even less patience. Callen had called him at just after four thirty in the morning to see if he could pick him up from Deeks' apartment.

The only reason that he agreed was because he knew why Callen was at the said apartment. After Kensi's emotional reaction that morning to Deeks' shooting combined with the discovery that Deeks was shot by Vakar to get at her, they wanted to keep close tabs on their colleague.

As they left the hospital after Sam's quiet but firm lesson with Deeks on his security protocol, both men had brought up Kensi and her reaction to Deeks' shooting. They were a bit worried about how she would react once everything died down. Her penchant for choosing inappropriate male companions or overindulgence in liquor made them cautious as to what choices she might make. Neither Sam nor Callen really wanted to interfere in Kensi's personal life but every now and again, their protective radar went up the scale and they went where they normally would not go.

They had been happy when Eric had told them she had returned to the hospital. Eric had expressed his concern over using the GPS on Kensi's phone to keep tabs on her. Both of them had assured him that she wouldn't find out.

Callen and Sam had been at a steak house when Eric had called Callen's cell phone, telling them that Kensi was on the move and was definitely not heading for home. Eric had still been on the phone when she'd pulled up in Deeks' street.

Finally the door to his Dodge Charger opened and Callen slid into the passenger seat.

"Ready for a run?" Sam asked as he started the car, coasting gently off towards one of his more challenging jogging experiences. If Callen was going to get him up this early, the least he could do was reward his partner with a gruelling work-out before his morning breakfast of waffles and pigs in a blanket. Sam shuddered at the thought of the fat induced breakfast.

"As long as a decent breakfast is on the menu afterwards," Callen agreed rubbing his hands together to warm them.

"Why do you do it to yourself? All that effort to exercise and then you kill it by eating an unhealthy breakfast."

"They call it a hearty breakfast." Callen turned to face him and gave him a big smile.

"Yeah. It goes straight to your heart's arteries."

"You never know when you are going to have to go undercover, so I prefer to ensure that I'm properly prepared."

Sam just shook his head. He had been trying to convince Callen to try a healthier diet for years with no success, he wasn't about to think that it was going to change today.

"How is she?" Sam asked.

"Sleeping. At least she was when I left." Callen had slipped out of the room quietly, leaving both the dog and Kensi snoring away in unison although the dog was much louder than hers.

"Is that all you are going to tell me after getting me up at this hour of the morning?"

"You didn't have to face Kensi with a gun in her hand in a darkened room. I lost the coin toss, I get to know the inner workings of Kensi Blye." Callen added with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Are you sure you want to brag about that?" Sam deadpanned.

"She'll be fine. She's feeling guilty about Deeks getting shot and it's also brought up losing Dom. And you know how that feels."

"She could build up more walls around herself."

"What's new? Isn't that what we all do? Kensi's had enough practice with the history that we know. There's probably lots that we don't know too."

"You're right.," Sam conceded. "She's tough. She'll be okay."

"I'm always right. They'll both be okay. Which is good because I'm getting used to Deeks."

"You are so easy to please," Sam commented with a grin and a shake of his head.


Kensi woke to an unusual sensation. She opened one eye and groggily looked down at her hand that was being thoroughly licked by Monty.

"Argh." Kensi quickly sat up, moving her arm away from the dog and swiping it down her pant leg, more to remove the sensation of slobber than actual saliva.

"There are some things that a girl never wants to have happen and that is one of them Monty. Licking my hand is on the no go list."

Monty looked at her quizzically.

"I'm sure if you could talk, you'd be telling me that it worked."

Kensi pushed herself up from the couch and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Monty was now sitting in the doorway watching her intently.

"I'm not used to being followed and watched like this. Sorry Monty, but there is no way that I'm going to have you watch me get ready," she told him firmly as she closed the bathroom door. A very quick shower and she was dressed and ready to take the dog out for his morning walk. While having a shower, she had decided what she needed to do before heading into work.


Kensi managed to slip into Deeks' room without anyone stopping her along the way, which in itself was quite amazing considering the early hour combined with her companion. It was probably a good thing that they had run a protection detail for Deeks yesterday if this was proof of the type of security they run at Pacific Beach Medical. Still, it could be they had decided not to hassle an armed Federal agent who had shot dead two would-be kidnappers.

Deeks looked like he was sleeping. All the monitors had been removed and the room was quiet. There was only one drip going into his arm, which would likely be antibiotics to keep infection at bay. From her own experience, the intravenous drip would be removed after twenty-four hours and he would be on oral antibiotics for the next ten days.

His breakfast tray sat on the mobile table and looked to be untouched. Kensi looked under the covers and confirmed that the congealed eggs looked like rubber and much less edible.

"Are you going to steal my breakfast as well?" Deeks asked, watching her with hooded eyes.

Kensi jumped at his voice, not realising that he had known she was there. "I thought you were asleep."

"Last time I slept and there was jello on that tray, it disappeared. I'm keeping one eye open now."

"Very funny," Kensi told him. "I actually brought you a breakfast burrito although if you don't want …"

"A breakfast burrito? Give it to me." Deeks moved a bit too suddenly to grab the burrito from her full hands and gave a low whistle in response to the pain.

Monty whined upon hearing his owner's distress and put his paws up against the bed, nudging Deeks' arm with his long nose.

"You brought my dog into the hospital?" Deeks ruffled the fur around Monty's neck and the dog whined in response.

"He was missing you," Kensi said matter-of-factly, placing down Deeks' carry-all on the floor and placing the other couple of items onto the seat beside the bed. "I wasn't stopped once when I walked him in. Even if they had, I was ready to tell him he is a police dog here on police business."

"They probably didn't ask because they took one look at you and thought you might shoot them."

"Ha ha. You must be feeling better."

"They're talking about discharging me tomorrow," Deeks told her. Monty took only a moment to take a leap and laid down on the bed beside his owner.

"That's good, isn't it?" Kensi asked him.

"If I stay much longer, I would die of starvation. Between my jello disappearing and the unappetising menu." Deeks pushed aside the breakfast tray and put the bag containing the burrito down.

"One jello cup – and I didn't eat much of it anyway."

"It always starts with just one…" Deeks broke off as he took a bite out of the burrito.

"I'm not even going there," Kensi told him, stifling a smile. "By the way, Frank sends his greetings and hopes that you get better soon. He also sent along this." Kensi handed over the coffee beans that Frank had given her.

"Jamaica Blue Mountain. Wow! Do you know how much this bag costs?" Deeks marvelled, holding the hession bag like it was gold.

"I'm sure you are going to tell me."

"Actually it doesn't matter exactly how much. It is how it tastes that is important. Freshly ground and brewed Jamaica Blue is exquisite."

"I wouldn't go around getting shot just so that you can get free coffee."

"It hadn't even crossed my mind. Like I said, it's not like in television. There is pain and it hurts." Deeks was looking at her closely as he said this. "I was right, you have been shot before." There was a look of glee on his face.

"And how do you jump to that conclusion? I told you I haven't been shot." Kensi tried to keep her face passive as she replied.

"The look of understanding that flashed across your face as I mentioned pain."

Kensi decided it was best to change the subject. There was no way that she was going to discuss gunshot wounds with her partner at this time. Maybe sometime in the future but not right now.

"I brought you in a change of clothes, your cell phone and your ipod – both fully charged and ready to go."

"How did you … forget that. You broke into my home."

"Well, we won't worry about the method of entry but your dog isn't very good at guarding the premises."

"He knows you, Kens. He'd attack anyone he doesn't know."

Kensi looked at the dog lying sedately on the bed, only a flicker of an ear occasionally indicating that he was actually alive. "I wouldn't want to be relying on him too heavily. I'd suggest you putting in a security system as well as better locks."

"Then you wouldn't be able to break in." Deeks responded, taking another healthy bite of the burrito.

"I'm not going to need to."

"You're kinda assuming a lot." Deeks swiped at his mouth with a napkin.

Kensi shook her head, wondering what she had done to have a partner that read innuendo into every statement made. "I meant that you aren't going to get shot and put in the hospital again… not you giving me your key."

"It might not be a bad idea. Us having each other's keys, just in case." Deeks pointed out, gingerly easing himself up on the pillows.

"That's only because you can't break into my home."

"True. You do have an advantage over me. You've also seen my house and I've never been inside of yours."

"Patience is a virtue."

"So I will get to see it one day."

Kensi decided to quit while she was ahead. "I've brought in some of your comics and a couple from my collection that you might like to read."

Deeks thumbed through the comic books, giving a smile when he saw that Bizarro and Wonder Woman were included in the mix.

"I don't need to tell you to take care of them, do I?" Kensi gave him a hard look.

"I value my life and I don't want to have to stay here any longer than necessary. You've already threatened to shoot me twice with less provocation."

Deeks looked at Kensi quizzically as different pieces of a puzzle in his mind began to fall into place. "Kens, how did Frank give you the coffee?"

"I was walking Monty and Frank saw me, recognised your dog and put two and two together that I must know you."

"You walked my dog last night and have brought him in again this morning along with my clothes. You know I have Mrs. Martinez to look after Monty when I'm away…"

"I needed to do something and thought that I'd get your stuff for you. I had actually forgotten about Monty until I opened the door and he greeted me."

"He greeted you? He took you out with his flying leap, didn't he?" Deeks knew that Monty was not gentle in his greeting every time he came home but he was aware of it and had worked out how to avoid getting plastered to the floor.

"I wasn't expecting it." Kensi admitted grudgingly.

"Most people don't. As I said, it depends whether he likes you or not as to how he will react." Deeks knew for sure that if the person was an intruder that he'd have their neck in his jaw.

"Obviously he likes Callen as all he did was turn over on your bed when he turned up."

"Callen came over?"

"To walk your dog. But I'd already done it. So he didn't stay long and went home."

"Did you sleep at my apartment?" Deeks finally asked the question that he wanted an answer to. The final piece of the puzzle in his brain was finally falling into place.

Kensi looked left and right, realising that she'd walked blindly into that question. "Yes. It was late, Monty was lonely. I was watching TV and fell asleep."

"I'm sure Monty adored having your company," Deeks agreed.

Kensi looked at him and could only see sincerity in his eyes. For his part, Deeks was even more intrigued by his partner who he recently compared to Wonder Woman. The same woman who managed to get hit by a car and kept going after him. (CCTV hadn't just revealed his drop into the canal but also her collision with the sedan.) The same woman who had also built walls around herself to deal with the loss of her father, the desertion by her fiancé and loss of her partner Dom the previous year. The fact that she had stayed at his house indicated another facet of his partner that he had not seen before and wanted to get to know.

"I had better take Monty back home and get to work before Hetty comes after me with her letter opener." Kensi called Monty, who promptly jumped down from the bed and sat obediently at her side.

Deeks grimaced for a moment at the movement on the bed, pain shooting through his chest. He looked at his dog and grinned to himself thinking she's got you under her spell, Monty and you don't even realise it.

"Thanks for looking after Monty and bringing my stuff in Kens."

"No problem. Let me know when they are releasing you tomorrow and I'll pick you up."

Deeks nodded and was glad that he would be seeing her again so soon. He had better make sure his doctor agreed to discharge him and if they didn't he might just leave against medical advice. Having his partner by his side was going to be the best cure for his injuries.

End 3/3


Note: The medical information in regards to the antibiotics comes from my own experience with major surgery and not from research. I'm assuming that it would be similar with a gunshot wound but I've been slack and not done the medical research I would normally do for this short story.