HAPPY JULY 4TH!

This is a longer one to hold some of you over while I break for the holiday in the States. The tone in the later part of the story is different, just to clarify. A little angst never hurt anyone right? Let me know what you think.

THANK YOU: Readers, Reviewers, and Followers. You have made this experiment exciting and fun. I enjoy entertaining you.

Whether or not you are celebrating a holiday, have a wonderful day!

Back to the story!

Ever since Callen brought up the bet, Kensi felt sick to her stomach. She tried to find ways to get out of it, like having a movie night with her mother or going to play poker with Astrid, but Deeks sat her down and conned her into it with those blue eyes and puppy dog face of his. It really wasn't fair.

Later that week, they had carpooled to a mutually agreed upon karaoke bar/club. It had taken a while for Nell and Eric to find one that did not interfere with their known aliases or accomplices. So at 5 o clock, Deeks giddily ushered everyone out of the Mission and they were off to enjoy a night of public humiliation.

"Callen, I hate you sooo much."

Deeks kept grinning at her, "Ah don't be such a sore loser Kensi. This is going to be fun."

"What do you mean by 'loser'? Nothing has started yet," she scoffed.

"I know, I just like getting you all riled up, Fern. You have this adorable pouty face when you get frustrated."

"Deeks!"

"See, there it is!"

He was prepared for the punch when it came.

As the group laughed, Kensi looked around the bar, dancing couples, loud music, and settled her gaze on her partner, who was grinning like a kid in a candy store. Part of her felt guilty for not thinking of this to cheer him up sooner. However after the kiss, then the subsequent kidnapping and torture of both Sam and Deeks, there was too much going on to remember the bet.

Deeks' recovery had been difficult; there was a lot of damage done to his jaw and he had trouble keeping the stitches in because he wanted to talk all the time. But Kensi kept careful watch over him after he was released into her custody from the hospital. Nearly losing Deeks was the single most terrifying thing she had ever experienced in her life and she wouldn't trust anyone else with taking care of her partner. Hetty gave the all agents extended time to heal and regroup before returning to work so Kensi spent the better part of the next four months at his place, maybe taking an hour or two every week to go back to her place to get a change of clothes.

Kensi knew it hadn't been his first time being tortured; he was a product of an abusive home life after all. So when the stitches came out of his mouth he was back to annoying her with his incessant conversations. She didn't mind though. After everything they had both been through, it was nice to be able to laugh again.

Nighttime was a different story. He had nightmares about the ordeal, which he was reluctant to talk about, but it was always worse when they didn't share a bed. When he was given a clean bill of heath and cleared from the psych eval, she went back to her place, reluctantly. However, within an hour, Deeks was at her door with pizza, beer, and Monty.

Their thing was at Defcon 50. She was a bundle of nerves. Normally taking care of a particular itch herself could solve this but since she and Deeks spent almost every waking minute together, Kensi had no private time. In addition, the looks he had been throwing at her screamed I want to do you now, no matter how subtle he tried to be.

So why hadn't he brought up the kiss?

Callen didn't look the least bit apologetic about putting her in this predicament. "Sorry Kens, I really think this will help decompress everyone. Plus, I have been looking forward to Sam singing "Macho Man" ever since Deeks suggested this."

"Hell no G, I'm not singing that song. Give it a rest!"

Callen just smiled.

"Gotta follow the rules big guy. The group chooses the songs."

At this Sam gave a very intense stare to everyone in the group.

"If any of you goes along with Callen's stupid idea, you will all regret it." He ended his threat by glaring at Deeks, who grinned while standing behind Kensi, pretending to hide behind her. She rolled her eyes.

"Well we have an hour to get liquored up before the stage opens. So that's where I'll be." Eric sprinted to the bar, followed by Nell, who shrugged towards the group as she passed.

Sam, Callen, and Michelle, who had become an impromptu member of their group since they had closed the Siderov case, went to find a table. They snaked through the dancing crowd and eventually settled at a large booth along the wall, leaving Deeks and Kensi standing near the entrance.

"I am so looking forward to a month with out being punched."

"What makes you think you're going to be the one that wins?"

"Well, I am not above using Sam's guilt in getting his vote, Eric and I are buds, Nell thinks I'm cute, which leaves Michelle and Callen for you. I think I have a pretty good shot here." His classic grin was plastered to his face; his eyes were bright and happy.

Before Kensi could stop herself, she grinned back. But then she had an idea.

"So, I'm thinking I would like to alter the terms of the bet." She smiled up at him. While Deeks thought he had their teammates in the bag, she had one crucial advantage over him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. If I win, you take me out on a date. You and me," she stepped closer to him, put her hand up to the collar of his jacket, her lips grazed his ear, "all dressed up, at a really nice restaurant. You in a suit, me in a really tight dress." She felt him shiver as she lightly breathed into his ear.

Easier than taking a candy from a baby.

"Uhhhh….. um." He swallowed hard, trying to find his voice.

"That is, unless you don't want to. You know what, it was a stupid idea, nevermind." Kensi turned to walk away, grinning to herself. She knew Deeks well enough that the image of her in a dress drained the blood from his brain.

" NO! I mean, knew you couldn't bare to see me with out these golden locks."

"Good cover."

Deeks watched as Kensi walked away to join the others at the booth. He was struggling to process what she just did. Kensi was a very competitive person, but would she really stoop so low as to agree to a date if she won?

Yes, absolutely.

"Well, two people can play this game."

Deeks rushed through the crowd towards Kensi, grabbed her hand before she reached the booth, and pulled her to the dance floor.

"G, what did you do?" Sam growled at Callen. While Nell, Eric and Michelle were engrossed in conversation, Sam and Callen observed Kensi whispering to Deeks and how he then dramatically whisked her to the dance floor.

Callen put his hands up defensively "I was right here! I had nothing to do with that!"

"Seriously? You were the one that brought this whole thing up!"

"Relax. Tonight is just about watching everyone make fools of themselves while we laugh and drink. How is this not a great way to relax and get some healthy team bonding?"

"G! I have no interest in watching two of our teammates eat each other's faces while I am trying to enjoy a night out."

"What song do you think you're going to sing? I am still strongly advocating 'Macho Man' but I am open to suggestions."

"Haha, laugh it up G, because I have a good one for you too."

"Care to share?"

"No. I want to see the look on your face when you realize what song it is."

"How do you know I know this particular song?"

"If you listen to talk radio, you will have heard this song. And if you havn't, more fun for me." Sam was grinning ear to ear.

"Can't wait. Give me your best-shot Sam. I will bury you with my musical talents."

"What musical talents? I've heard you hum, and it's always off tune."

Callen opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a female voice to Sam's right.

Michelle looked between Sam and Callen. She loved the fact that Callen was around for Sam and vice versa, but sometimes their conversations were too much for her to handle. "Boys settle down. I did not get a babysitter for tonight to just watch you banter back and forth like The Odd Couple. I have to do that every Friday night. This is Thursday. Act like it!"

Sam crossed his arms over his massive chest, mimicking Callen.

"Fine."

"Fine"

Noticing Sam glare in the direction of the still dancing Deeks and Kensi, Michelle decided to put in her two cents on that issue put forward by her husband. Being a CIA trained spy herself, she had been able to follow their conversation while her attention was on the tech analysts, who were planning a trip to the NYC Comic-Con.

"Besides, I highly doubt they are not doing anything Hetty would not approve of."

A stunned Callen and Sam turned back to look at her.

"Please clarify for Sam and I what that meant."

"I assume if Hetty had any issue with them being together, she would have taken care of it by now. I highly doubt she lets agents go into the field together if she doesn't think they work well together. Just look at you two." She shrugged as she took a long sip from her beer.

Callen was indignant, "What is wrong with us?"

Ignoring his partner, he answered his wife,"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Sam tightened his arms. While he and Deeks were on better terms than before they were tortured, he was against the idea of field operatives being in that kind of relationship in general. It was a complication he would rather avoid.

Eric's urgent, panicked, whisper caught everyone's attention. "Guys they're coming over, new topic, new topic!"

"Eric, you need to lay off the beer for a little bit." Nell lifted the beer bottle from Eric's shaking hands and placed it out of his reach.

"How much have you had Eric?" Callen arched an eyebrow at the tech analyst.

"He's just nervous about the singing." Nell interjected, trying to save her companion from further scrutiny.

Deeks and Kensi appeared at the booth, Nell and Eric shifted closer to the middle of the circular table to let them sit down.

"Hey guys, no one bothered to get anything for us I see, well that's teamwork for ya."

Sam snorted, "We figured you were over 21 and able to get your own alcoholic beverage, Deeks."

"Ah Sam, your wit amuses me. Fine. Next rounds on me then, anyone care to help?"

Callen stood up before anyone else could respond, visibly annoying Deeks who had hoped Kensi would join him.

"Sure," he clasped his hands on Deeks shoulders, turned him around to face the bar, "lead the way, Shaggy."

Deeks' protest at the reference to his cartoon look-a-like was heard as Callen pushed him through the crowd to the bar.

The group's conversation was interrupted by a voice from the stage, announcing the beginning of the Karaoke portion of the evening.

They had drawn straws before they left the Mission to determine the order of which everyone would sing. It was Callen, Deeks, Eric, Nell, Sam, and Kensi. Michelle was the tiebreaker. The singer would not know what song the group had agreed upon until they reached the stage.

"All right Callen," grinned Nell, after he and Deeks had returned with the beers, "go get in line now so we can choose your song." Nell's enthusiasm unsettled Callen. He considered her a 'Hetty in training'.

"Alright, but I'm just going to say this: "Secret Agent Man" is a perfectly fine choice for me."

"It will be taken into consideration." Deeks teased.

Kensi snorted into her beer, "Ha! Yeah right Callen."

As he left, everyone looked to Sam. There was no realistic way anyone was going to deny him the opportunity of choosing the perfect karaoke song for his partner.

"PokerFace."

Across the room, Callen saw the table erupt with laughter and he started to regret this whole idea, especially after the DJ laughed when Nell whispered the song in her ear.

Fuck!

As he got on stage, he looked at the screen to see what song they had chosen, but noticed the familiar beat through the speakers behind him. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, cursing his partner in his head. Then he shrugged. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

The music started, Callen spoke into the microphone, pointing at the table, and winked.

"This is for my partner, the best man I know. "

As Callen was singing, he was good enough (although kinda pitchy) to attract a small contingent of single females to the edge of the stage who wanted a closer look.

"Oh dear god," breathed Nell, "he's really goin for it, isn't he?"

Kensi laughed (snorted really) and nodded in the affirmative as she pulled out her cell to record Callen's antics on stage.

"After he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart/Oh, oh, oh, oohhhh. Oh-oh-e-oh-oh/ I'll get him hot, show him what I've got…"

Deeks didn't say anything, just smiled and laughed with the rest of the group. Sam, who also had his phone out to record his partner's antics, hollered out random phrases of encouragement from "Yeah that's it!" to "Sing it!" Michelle, for her part, was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face.

Kensi could not resist a little dig at her partner, "I had no idea he could move his hips like that. What do you think Deeks?"

Laughing at her remark, Deeks leaned in close to Kensi's ear and whispered, "Sugarbear, I had no idea you were into guys like that. If you want, I can give you a private show later." He was expecting a punch, but when she rolled her eyes, he winked, "Duly noted."

Michelle catcalled and whistled.

"Damn, is he trying to impersonate Elvis singing Lady Gaga?"

"That would be an accurate way to describe it, I guess." Eric shrugged.

Sam shaking with laughter could barely speak.

"I wanna roll with him a hard pair we will be/a little gambling is fun with you're with me (I love it)/ Russian roulette is not the same with out a gun/ and baby when it's love if its not rough it isn't fun fun"

"Whatever. He is never going to live this down. This is going to make stakeouts awesome!"

As Callen approached the table, arms above his head as if he had just won a race, he was greeted by the group holding up signs with numbers.

"Ah so what is this, Dancing with the Stars but with karaoke?"

"We are upholding the spirit of true competition, you know, where we judge people based on our subjective opinion, rather than actual skill." Eric explained with a grin.

"Great. So if this is based on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best, I have," he added silently in his head, "49, not bad. Beat that Deeks!"

"Oh I plan on it. Although I have to say, I docked off a couple of points for being too pitchy, so watch out for that next time, kay?" He smacked Callen on the shoulder, gave Kensi a wink, and strolled off to wait in line for the stage.

Callen chuckled as he took his vacant seat next to Sam. "So Kensi, any suggestions for Deeks?"

"Sure, but I just want to clarify one thing. The partners get to choose the song and everyone just agrees with them?"

"Yeah."

"Pretty much, that's the idea." Eric and Nell nodded.

"Great. I'm thinking something by Donny and Marie."

"Really Kens?"

"I don't know. I'm really bad at this, ok. Anyone else have a better idea?"

Sam grinned. "Nope, this will be all you."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the back up guys."

"Hey, we are off duty, and in this particular situation, yes, I will leave you out to dry."

"Thanks Sam"

"No problem Kensi"

"Fine. So for that, you all don't get to know what I am going to have him sing." She huffed, and went to the DJ booth to submit the song that Deeks would sing but she had not paid attention and bumped into him as he was passing a piece of paper to the girl DJ.

"Hi Deeks," she tapped his shoulder, startling him, then stared him down, "whatcha doin?" There was an edge to her voice she didn't bother to hide.

"Nothin, just passin my number to this really cute DJ here."

No, this did not bother Kensi. After all, Deeks was a single guy, so the mental image of round-house kicking him through a plate-glass window was completely irrational right? It might have been the drinks, because it certainly wasn't jealousy that told the DJ to make him sing, "I'm a Bitch" by Merideth Brooks. Smiling to herself, she returned to the booth, waiting to see how he would react.

The music started just as Kensi returned to the rest of the group, but it wasn't the song that she had chosen. There were horns with a smooth R&B beat. When she realized what song he was singing, her mouth dropped and her face turned bright red.

"Baby I need your lovin, baby I need your lovin

Although you're never near, your voice I often hear

Another day, another night, I long to hold you tight"

SONOFABITCH!

"So… uh… Kensi?" Nell muttered under her breath, "was that the song you wanted him to sing?"

"No Nell, it wasn't."

Again, Sam was doubled over in laughter, whereas Callen and the rest of the team stared at her with quizzical expressions. Michelle had a knowing smile on her face.

"Seriously, I told her to play, 'I'm a Bitch'."

"Subtle."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Callen?"

"Oh, I was referring to Deeks." That made Sam laugh harder. Nell was trying not to laugh, as was Eric who took his cue from her.

Kensi's face turned a darker shade of red.

"You know G, I say this about once a week, but I really think she might shoot him this time."

"And you said this wasn't going be fun."

"I don't know, baby, he has got some moves, mmmm. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from Deeks." Michelle elbowed her husband.

Sam wrapped his right arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her in to kiss her temple.

No, Kensi was not enjoying Deeks' public antics right now, no matter how close they were to every cheezey declaration of love in all those chick flicks she liked. In real life, she wasn't that type of girl. Not after Jack. Not after all the things she has seen with this job.

His voice was not silky smooth like chocolate, the way his hips had moved against her while they were on the dance floor did not make her think of dragging him to a dark room to do scandalous things, nor did his eyes make her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach.

This was just embarrassing. Clearly, Deeks had too much to drink or was working through a midlife crisis or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

Unless he was suicidal.

"Some say it's a sign of weakness for a man to beg.

But weak I'd rather be if it means havin you to keep

cause lately I've been losin sleep."

Deeks was in his element on stage. By this time, the number of women that Callen attracted to the stage had tripled for Deeks. Women were giggling and giving him suggestive glances, most were catcalling and whistling at him.

Idiots.

The song was almost over, and Kensi, tired of the sniggers from the group and the voices in her head, got out of the booth, and steadily walked over to the bar through the crowd. As she pushed her way through, she could feel his eyes burning into her back as he sang. She knew what he was doing: challenging her to make the next move. This thing between them, the flirting, joking, glances that were miles deep, touching, it wasn't funny anymore.

Something inside her shifted at that moment. She loved Deeks. But could she really afford to trust all of herself to him? Her future? Fuck! Why did he have to sing that damn song? She ordered a drink; a double shot of Jack Daniels.

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when she heard a familiar voice behind her, "So, what did ya think, Princess? Think you can beat that?"

Still leaning on the bar, her back to him, she shrugged.

"Definitely."

"What makes you so sure?"

Kensi downed her drink in one gulp and turned around to face him.

"You cheated."

She deliberately put an edge in her voice when she spoke because there were multiple layers to her feelings about it. What should have been private, he made public. He had embarrassed her in front to the team. And to top it all off, he was flirting with the fuckin DJ right in front of her. He pushed her, so now she was pushing him back in the attempt to force him to prove himself to her. Obviously in the field he had, he saved her life on countless occasions, that wasn't the issue. Bottom line: she didn't know where she stood with him, whether their relationship outside of work was as important to him as it was to her.

He must have seen something in her eyes because he grew immediately concerned and confused, but when he tried to reach for her she pushed him away.

"Look Kens, I…"

"You know what Deeks, this whole thing, I can't do this." She waved her hand between her and him. "I'm going home. Tell the guys that I'm not feeling well or something. Or better yet, tell them I left because I was afraid I was going to murder you in front of this entire room. That's actually closer to the truth."

Before he could protest, she brushed by him and didn't look back as she kicked the doors open and walked into the setting sun.

From the booth, Callen and Sam saw the scene play out between the other pair.

"G…"

"Yeah I know, you were right, bad idea."

"Just so you don't forget this moment, I am going to clean this mess up, and you are going to buy me another drink." Sam shimmied his way out of the booth and walked over to Deeks.

What the fuck just happened?

This night was supposed to be about having a good time and being able to see another side of his partner that she kept hidden from him. It bothered him that he had yet to witness her in that brief moment of wild abandon, it also bothered him that she had yet to let him in. Hell, he kissed her right before he was taken, and months later, it was still something they hadn't talked about. Sure he could have been subtler with the song choice, and maybe shouldn't have lied that it was his phone number that he was giving the DJ, but he thought she would have figured it out once he started singing. Besides, he was tired of waiting. She was the person he wanted, damnit, and he wasn't worried about the performance at work because they were practically in a relationship as it is, just with out the sex part.

"Subtle Deeks."

Running his hand through his hair, he turned to Sam.

"Yeah, I'm starting to think that it was a mistake."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Deeks, I am not blind. Something you did, I don't know what, pushed her over the edge and you need to bring her back. You're a good team. You have both been through a lot. You need to fix this." Deeks opened his mouth to say something but Sam cut him off, "Don't care, leave, now!" He pointed towards the door.

With a curt nod, Deeks rushed out to follow Kensi.