HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. PLEASE REVIEW!

DON'T OWN IT.

They sat like that for a while, letting Deeks' words sink in. Kensi wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm not mad at you for caring. But I am furious at you for trying to change me, for trying to control me." Kensi said slowly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I have no idea what was going through my mind." Deeks apologized, scratching his head.

"You did it a few hours ago." Kensi said.

"I know. I really am sorry about that. I just care about you, Kensi. I know that telling you that you can't say that 'you're fine' wasn't the best idea in the world. But how else am I supposed to make sure you don't get yourself killed. I mean, you could get shot in the chest and still say that you're fine. There are no lines, no boundaries, for you. Either you're fine or your dead. I don't like that." Deeks explained.

"It doesn't justify trying to control me." Kensi said coldly. Yup, she was getting angry, her self control ebbing away. That was thanks to the beer Deeks had brought.

"Maybe we shouldn't be partners, then." Deeks said, barely getting the words out. Those words hurt him more than when he was shot. It hurt him more than when he'd thought that Kensi was dead.

"What?" Kensi asked, refusing to believe that those words left Deeks' mouth. She couldn't believe it.

"We all know that you need to protect yourself, be independent, and never let anyone help you. You thrive on your ability to be self-sufficient. I need to help and protect people. We're complete opposites. It's a miracle that neither of us has gotten hurt yet. You know, besides my shooting, but that had nothing to do with the job." Deeks said.

"No, Deeks. That's why we work. How could you even be saying this?" Kensi said, almost pleading.

"I don't want us to not be partners anymore. But we're completely incompatible." Deeks said, not sure why he was doing this. He really liked being Kensi's partner.

"We work. We get the job done. You're the best partner I've ever had, Deeks. I don't want to lose you." Kensi said. Then, more softly, she mumbled: "I can't lose you." This was one of those moments in a movie where she'd fall into Deeks and sob uncontrollably. She'd cry over all of the loss and pain she's had to deal with, and her fears. But this wasn't a movie. Kensi didn't do things like that. Deeks still couldn't stop thinking about the movies, though. Instead, she just sat there, a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"You didn't think you'd ever say that to anyone, did you? I'm flattered." Deeks said, true to his character.

"Can we forget I said that?" She asked, the shocked expression gone, replaced by an emotionless mask.

"I don't think we can. Wait, which part do you wanna forget?" Deeks asked, realizing that he didn't know which part of the sentence she wished she'd never said. Deeks figured that she just wanted to delete the whole sentence.

"If you don't even know, then I'm not telling you." She said.

"Fine. I'll pretend that I forgot. But, you have to answer a question for me." Deeks negotiated.

"Fine." She mocked, rolling her eyes.

"What did you mean by you can't lose me?" Deeks asked. Of course, the one question I don't want him to ask, Kensi thought.

"Last year, I lost a partner for the first time." Kensi explained slowly.

"Dom." Deeks said, showing her that he cared and knew some of it.

"Yeah. He was taken because he didn't change up his routes." Kensi said.

"That's why Sam was so mad." Deeks said, finally realizing why he was so mad.

"I think it's safe to say that that's why. Anyway, when I was 15, my dad died. I think he was murdered, but there wasn't enough evidence. You know the Jack story. I don't want to lose you, too." Kensi explained.

"If it makes you feel any better, my dad tried to kill me." Deeks said.

"Sorry." Kensi said.

"It's no big deal." Deeks replied.

"So you're allowed to shrug things off and pretend that you're fine and I'm not?" Kensi accused.

"The difference is that I don't do it all the time." Deeks responded.

"It's who I am, Deeks. You can't change me. I don't take well to being told what to do. I'm still gonna do what I want. I told you things, trusted you, way before I did that with even Callen. I did my compromising. Your part is to let me be who I am, and deal with not being my knight-in-shining-armor, cause I don't need or want one. Can you do that for me?" Kensi asked.

"Yeah, I can." Deeks replied.

"We're good then, Partner?" Kensi said.

"We're good, Partner." Deeks responded. They burst into a fit of laughter.

THIS WAS THE LAST CHAPTER! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK J