Season of Renewal

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just borrowing my favorite characters.

Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone reading, reviewing, following, etc...this story. I really appreciate it. I apologize for not personally thanking everyone individually via PM like I had tried to do in the past. I just don't have the spare time to spend on here like I did previously. With that said, on with the story...

Chapter 4

Agent Fornell didn't want to worry Kensi, but the truth was he was worried about Deeks himself.

"I don't know that he is in trouble. He checked in with me later that night after he left and everything seemed fine. I sent him a contact address and I thought I would've heard from him by now, but I haven't. I have a source close to the situation, and they say they have not seen him yet, either. I was hoping maybe you had heard from him," Tobias explained.

Not yet wanting to give away that she had hidden a GPS device in his bag, Kensi felt confident that a call to Nell would confirm Deeks was still somewhere in the hotel. Nell would have been in touch if Deeks was on the move. Kensi didn't know what game Fornell thought he and Deeks was playing with her, but she planned to call him out on it soon.

"No, no I haven't heard from him either. I tried calling him that night I came back to find him gone but his phone was off. He hasn't called back," she replied coolly.

Tobias told Kensi to meet up with him at Gibb's office so they could touch base and plan their next course of action. Kensi hung up with the FBI agent and sat down on the edge of the bed. She was beginning to get a bad feeling. Either Tobias was a very, very good liar or he really did think Deeks was gone. But where?

Sliding her phone back out of her pocket, Kensi called Nell. The red haired analyst assured her that Deeks' GPS still had him in the same spot he had been in two nights ago when Kensi had first checked. Satisfied with Nell's answer, she again asked that she be notified as soon as Deeks showed movement. Nell agreed and they ended the call.

With a heavy sigh Kensi moved towards the bathroom to get ready for her trip to Navy Yard.

The drive to meet Fornell and Gibbs wasn't a long one. Kensi had checked in at the main gate and was looking for a spot to park outside the building Gibbs and his team called their home away from home. She had just pulled in and shut the car off when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Quickly digging it out and looking, she saw that it was Nell.

"Hey, Nell," Kensi answered cheerfully as she got out and locked the car.

"Kensi! Sorry I didn't call sooner, but we were briefing Sam and Callen on a case here and I had to wait until they left. Deeks is moving!" Nell exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay, whoa there...Nell, calm down. Where is he?" Kensi demanded, doing her best to keep her emotions in check.

"He just pulled in at Navy Yard. Maybe he's going to see Gibbs?"

Immediately Kensi started scanning the parking lot, hoping that any second she would see her partner's blond mop appear above the cars and start moving her way. Not seeing any movement yet, she felt disappointment setting in.

"Kens, are you still there?" Nell wondered when her brunette friend didn't reply right away.

"Yeah - yeah, I'm here, Nell." Kensi said slowly, still searching for Deeks.

"What do you think he's doing there?"

"I don't know. I'm here, I'm at Navy Yard, also. Agent Fornell wanted me to meet him here. Maybe he talked to Deeks and called him back here, too. I had just parked the car when you called," she explained to the analyst.

"That's great! Tell him Eric and I said hi, okay?"

As Kensi started walking towards the building she kept her eyes focused on the parking lot, still expecting to see her partner.

"Kensi? Is everything okay?" Nell asked worriedly. Kensi seemed a bit distracted, she thought.

Kensi sighed as she approached the door. Something wasn't right. "Yeah, everything is fine. Thanks, Nell - and hey, let me know if he moves again. As soon as you can, alright?"

"But he's there with you-"

"I don't see him, Nell, okay!? Just...just let me know if he moves again, please," Kensi cut her friend off.

"Okay, Kens. I'm sorry. I'll uh, I'll keep you posted."

"Thank you, Nell," Kensi said apologetically as she pulled up short of the entrance. She turned and scanned the parking lot one more time - one side to the other, and then back again. There were a few people walking amongst the cars, but none of them were her partner. Slowly she turned back to the door. With a huff, she shoved it open and walked through. Maybe Deeks was already inside, she thought. With that, she picked up her pace and headed for the elevator.

The elevator slid open. Kensi took a deep breath before stepping out into Gibbs' version of the bullpen. When she saw DiNozzo, McGee, and Bishop staring back at her, all with concerned looks on their faces, she knew Deeks had not beaten her here. As if to confirm that assumption, Gibbs and Fornell made their way down the stairs from Vance's office. When they reached the bottom, Tobias realized Kensi was standing there with the others.

"Any word from Marty?" Fornell asked hopefully.

Kensi squeezed her lips in a tight line, shaking her head slowly. "No," she all but whispered. "You?"

Agent Fornell shook his head that he had not heard anything either. "But I have someone in that area looking for him right now. They will find him and update us ASAP."

"Where exactly is that area, again?" Kensi asked sarcastically, still unsure what to think with the recent confirmation from Nell that Deeks was somewhere nearby at this very moment.

"When Marty contacted me that night, he had made it to Richmond."

"Richmond? Richmond, Virginia?" Kensi asked exasperatedly. That can't be, she thought. Nell would have told her. She said he had not strayed from the hotel. Besides, Nell said he had arrived at Navy Yard at the same time she did just minutes ago.

"That's right, Kensi. Why is that such a surprise?" Tobias looked at her curiously.

Kensi met his stare, "But..." she started, hesitating for a moment as realization dawned on her. "Uh, never mind. So someone will let us know when they find him?"

Fornell studied the brunette agent's expression. He knew she was not telling him something. He would address it with her later. For now, he wanted to focus on going over the mission with Gibbs and his team before he and Kensi set off on their part of it.

Almost an hour later Kensi pulled her phone out as she slid back in her assigned Charger. She grimaced as she dialed Nell's number.

"Hey, Kens! How's Shaggy?" Nell inquired enthusiastically.

"Ha! I wish I knew. Apparently he is in Richmond, Virginia, according to Agent Fornell," she spat out.

"But, but what about his GPS? According to it, he is at Navy Yard!" Nell argued.

Kensi shoved the key in the ignition and fired the car up. "Pull it up, Nell, and tell me if he starts moving," she demanded as she shifted the car into gear and backed out. Kensi put the car in drive and took off for the exit. She hadn't gone very far when Nell confirmed what she had feared.

"He's moving again!"

Kensi made a loop around a row of cars and stopped. "What about now?"

"Okay, he just stopped," Nell reported.

Kensi took off again.

"Now he is moving again, Kensi. What is going on?"

Kensi slammed on the brakes and put the car in park. Slinging the door open, she climbed out and walked to the rear of the car. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the trunk and peered inside. Nothing. She opened the rear door on the passenger side and leaned in, her eyes scanning quickly over the seat and floor.

"Kens, you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here, Nell. Just give me a minute!"

Kensi ran a hand under the seats. Not finding anything, she moved to the front and sat in the passenger seat. Looking in the middle console and still not finding anything, she popped the glove box open and shuffled through the various papers. Still nothing.

"Dammit!" Sitting there for a moment to collect her thoughts, her brow raised when an idea struck. Exiting the car, she shut the door and leaned down on a knee. Looking under the car now, she thought for sure she would find what she was looking for. When she didn't see anything immediately, she went around to the driver's side and squatted down again.

There it was.

Somehow her partner had known and checked his bag. As pissed as she was at the moment, she couldn't help the smile that threatened to break out on her face. Deeks had proven once again that he knew her all too well. Reaching for the tiny GPS unit, she told Nell what had happened and then ended the call.

Now sitting in the car once again, she smacked the dash hard in frustration as the situation sunk in. Fornell hadn't been lying at all. Deeks had been gone all along. She assumed now that he had probably been watching from somewhere in the parking garage for her to return that night and had placed the tracker under her car as soon as she disappeared inside.

"Where are you, Deeks?"

As the fog cleared from his mind, the first thing Deeks realized was that there was a warm body next to him in the uncomfortable bed. The second was that the warm body appeared to be female. A strawberry blonde female. As he became more alert, he was somewhat relieved to find that he was fully clothed and so was his bed mate, although he had instinctively wrapped an arm around her at some point during the night. He was currently spooning with this woman.

Wait, was it morning? Spooning? What the hell?

He pulled his arm away quickly, gasping as he did at the pain that coursed through his body.

The woman moaned softly and began stretching. Deeks watched as this mystery female stood slowly. She arched her back and yawned.

Deeks couldn't help but ogle her firm ass being pushed in his direction as she continued to stretch. She was definitely rocking a tight pair of jeans. Her reddish blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders, and as she started to turn towards him he averted his eyes to avoid being caught staring.

"Good morning, Detective Deeks," she said with a bright smile when she noticed he was awake.

Deeks looked her in the eye for a brief moment as he tried to remember how he ended up with this woman. He honestly didn't think he knew her, let alone how he ended up sharing a bed with her. Hell, at the moment he couldn't even remember where he was, period.

"Okay...wow. Um...Good morning? Who the hell are you?"

TBC