I don't own NCIS:LA.

I still owe ToOldToShip a big thank you note for reading this over for me and helping me to make sense of this chapter. I do appreciate your continuous support. ;)

I hope you can enjoy this chapter, though a very jealous Kensi cannot be stopped... unless...


- Purple -

Chapter 7 (Senses)

Kensi's memory was easily able to recall numerous moments in which the piercing sound of that voice annoyed her – a sound that still seemed to hurt her eardrums. Her senses – the seventh, eighth, and ninth, all her special agent's senses didn't ring a bell, alarming her about the criminal personality of that couple, at the time of the Warings' first undercover case. However, her sixth sense, the so-called feminine sense, immediately and profoundly despised the strange and awful yellow colour of the short hair of that woman. And then, in the day she caught Deeks wondering about the previous professional adventures of that woman's legs – a staggering pair of legs, if you ask Kensi – the aforementioned sense (the sixth, the so-called feminine sense) began to tickle her palms, forcing her to clench her hands, digging her nails into her palms ... discreetly (or as discreetly as she could).

What she didn't realize (or what she didn't admit to have realized, even if just to herself), at the time of the Waring's first case, was the real reason for such a ticklish feeling within her nerves; the real reason for having her brain quickly creating several scenarios in which she would "accidently" make the absurdly bouncy ass stumble; the reason why her heart skipped a beat and the air ran out of her lungs when she noticed his eyes were roaming the blonde's body; or the reason why she had to stop herself from getting in front of him and trying to keep him from such "optical groping". At that time, on that first couple undercover case, she was able to give him a few affectionate small pats on the shoulder and she gritted her tongue to avoid swearing.

However, this time, on that day, on that ship cruise and on that story (their story, the love story), there was no space for gritted teeth anymore and the previous swallowed swearing would probably leave her mouth with the strength and speed of a bullet, in the direction of that woman – a woman who wasn't capable of understanding obvious "territorial domains".

But before the fierce federal agent got herself a simple opportunity to vent her anger (the anger she had previously kept inside her), already the squeaky woman was calling – with marked shouts – her athletic husband, Brett Turner.

And Polina Graceffa wasn't… clearly wasn't a few-words-lady, quite the opposite. And so, she began an incessant rambling, dumped into the ears of her interlocutors (who actually weren't real interlocutors, because they seemed to be just some containers for Polina's poor and never-ending words).

Polina rambled about the two bakers, Bob and Rob. She told stories about them being serial-killers and planning on killing all the neighbors, after they've killed Serena. And then, she added some other details to this tale of the killer bakers, moving more and more away from the truth.

She kept talking non-stop and called them out on the sudden stomach ache Melissa had and telling them they missed all the neighborhood gossip. She then added that they also missed a lot of what the Turner couple could have shown them in the basement... And she also couldn't avoid adding that she loved having them as neighbors and that the neighborhood was boring without them.

"Ahhh! I keep telling this to my Brett all the time… I'd do just about anything… If at least Justin and his wife were back…"

"It's Melissa, Polaina."

"Polina."

"Right. Polaina." Kensi said again.

"Ok, ok, ok. Brett, Polina, how are you?" The detective interrupted Kensi, greeting the two surprising acquaintances. While the two women looked as if they were shooting daggers at each other with their eyes, pressing their lips into thin lines, lifting their noses and raising their chests, the two men quickly commented on the opulence of the ship, on the helpfulness of the crew and on the burning sunshine.

"Speaking of which… I mean, to burn and all that… Brett and I brought some… mmmh…. souvenirs… from our basement along with us, including some new fluffy handcuffs. If you want to try them, you can pay us a visit in our room… She can come too, if she doesn't have another stomach ache." Polina dared to say, accentuating the last words and roaming Deek's body with her eyes.

"What the hell?!", Kensi mumbled. "Listen, chick… this is how…" Kensi started, wishing to point out the pinchers-shape legs and the giraffe looking neck she thought Polina had. She wanted to tell the blonde woman that her detective already had all the handcuffs he needed; she wanted to tell that "Polaina" girl how she should forget once and for all the idea of touching him (because she would never, not even with her pinkie). Kensi really wanted to shout the thousand and one ways she could use to knock her out; she wanted to tell that blabber the large number of small bones she could break on her body and how slowly she could do it. She mostly wanted to say why their story would never fit in an ordinary basement. But she didn't.

She didn't because she couldn't. And she couldn't because her partner stopped her. Deeks repeated Kensi's flawless technique to deceive that couple (yeah, particularly, that couple). And so, a kiss happened. His right hand touched the small of her back (skin on skin), quickly turning her around as much as needed, closing the space between them and pressing his chest to hers. And the kiss he gave her wasn't short, or calm or soft or sweet or romantic... It was a kiss full of longing, longing and desire and need… strong and hot and demanding. He didn't stop to look her in the eyes before locking his lips with hers. And she closed her eyes and parted her lips allowing him all the exploration he was asking for. He then pulled their bodies even closer together, as close as humanly possible, and he devoted himself to memorizing the taste of her lips, the smell of her skin, the warmth of her body... because he knew he still loved her, but he was no longer so sure of the possibility of she and him becoming... well, "them".

The Turner couple was startled, and Brett was the first one to react. He recognized that it was time to go and so he almost dragged Polina away, managing to leave the couple alone and lost in the internal turmoil that kiss was creating.

But then, the fingertips of his left hand slowly and lightly caressed the skin on her neck, stopping the moment they reached her right cheek, a place where his thumb drew little caresses. And the kiss slowed down and stopped. Deeks brought his right hand to her left cheek, mimicking his previous caresses on her face. He closed his eyes and gently pressed his forehead to hers, breathing deeply.

Suddenly, he put his hands into the pockets of the shorts that he was still wearing and he stepped back. He explained to her that he would go to the bar, on the other side of the pool, and he would signal to Callen to follow him there. That way, they would be able to discreetly exchange their first impressions. That said, he turned away and followed that plan, never looking back, leaving his partner speechless and feeling incredibly dizzy.


If she was taken aback by the sudden kiss, he was also profoundly shaken by his own actions. However, the urgency of the mission forced him to activate the "agent mode" and move towards the bar, prompting Callen to follow. The two men ordered drinks for themselves and their wives, and as the employee of the cruise - a tall thin man with a bushy mustache and a sullen look - was preparing it, the team leader was able to explain to the detective that he had recognized elements of a festanian terrorist cell on board. The two investigators shared their concern with this twist in the mission: these elements would be able to recognize Callen if they saw him. Also, the team had no information about connections between them and the Castia elements they were investigating and no one had yet made any progress. So the plan would be to put the detective and the agent spying on the Festanians while Callen, Tracy and Sam would continue with the original plan.

Before going away, the detective looked at the band aid the older agent had in his upper right arm; he then looked back at Callen's face with a questioning expression. The response from his teammate was short. "Do not ask, Deeks." (Yeah... Callen did not really like tattoos.)

Callen went back to Tracy, handing her the drink and trying to disguise the quick trip that his blue eyes made over her body. The words they exchanged - in whispers - were technical, objective and serious, but the gestures that made up their aliases were tender, affectionate and sensual. The plan was simple, because the information was scarce: find and update Sam on the status of the mission.


"What do you mean Sam? A fake mission? What are you talking about?" The ex-Navy Seal's partner questioned with exasperation, his face red and his eyes absurdly opened, as if he believed that by opening them in this way, it would become easier to see the truth of the whole situation.

The Hill couple - which is to say, Callen and Tracy – managed to get to the kitchen, going through the staff, who were surrounded by contradictory orders and unnecessary shouting, and so were paying no attention to any passengers visiting that area of the ship. They found Sam, angry, bored, and questioning Hetty's plan. Callen and Tracy bluntly gave him the news about the mission: there were Festanians on the cruise.

Quickly, the false kitchen assistant understood how dangerous that situation had suddenly become. He knew that the information on the Castian terrorist group and the secret prototype was false. It was all a plot made by Hetty to, in her own words, "strengthen the bond between the younger partners" and Tracy's presence was necessary to "prove that good agents work together no matter what". Sam went along to pose as "the wiser, more experienced agent that could give them all the advice they might need". But Sam knew better and he read right through Hetty's intentions. He knew she wanted to help Kensi and Deeks with more than their partnership. He also knew that Callen was a 'victim' of Hetty's plan too and he hoped her plan would work, because Michelle's and his efforts to help Callen's social life weren't paying off. However, at that moment, the presence of the Festanian group was alarming. They aren't a part of the plot and Sam was thinking that they accidently came across a different crime and a different mission. When he decided to tell Tracy and Callen the truth, he was already expecting their outraged reaction, but he knew Callen would focus quickly.

"What's happening in my kitchen? Who are you?" The agents were loudly interrupted by the orange twin. But, before they could react, another interruption surprised everybody.

"This is the captain of the ship. Please, proceed immediately to the deck." A voice was heard, coming from the speakers on board.


;)