Kensi's back leans against a pillar. Her hands are bound. She's gagged. Her skin is freshly seared by a branding iron. She writhes in pain. The target approaches her. He moves in close. He stops with his lips pressed next to her ear. He whispers something in her ear. Sam watches in horror, as her eyes widen. Without a second thought he steps forward. He quickly puts himself between Kensi, and the target. The target smiles a reptilian smirk.

"Tell him."

Kensi remains silent. She looks at Sam. Her eyes plead with him. His heart aches for her, wondering what torture their target has dreamed up for her, next. She remains silent.

"Just remember it's less painful if I watch," he taunts her.

Sam turns around ,and looks at the target. "Watch what?" he raises his voice, "You already watched me brand her."

"I like to use a belt," the target adds.

Sam's nostrils flare. "What kind of sick bastard are you?"

"The kind that you want to be employed by."

"No job is worth this," Sam argues.

"Half a million each, if you work out your one year contract. You will get it in four installments. That is nothing to laugh at."

"This is insane."

The target takes a step closer to Sam. "Show me how much you love your wife, or I'll show you how much I want to make her my bitch."


She sits up, in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. As she sits up she gasps for air. She coughs, and sputters trying to catch her breath. She looks over at the alarm clock. She's been asleep for an hour. She doesn't have to be at work for nearly four. She can feel her heart beating rapidly as her reality once again finds its way into her nightmares. She presses her hand against her chest.

At home, alone, in the privacy of her own room she wears a tank top to sleep in. She pushes the strap aside, and compulsively traces the pattern of the scar. Though it has been more than four months, it is still painful to think about. Every time she touches it, she is reminded of her reality. She has to face the painful truth. After a while she drifts back to sleep. Her sleep is restless, and sporadic. She wakes an hour before the alarm is set to go off. She quickly dresses, and heads outside for a run, before sunrise.


He's known about her being branded for weeks now. He has still said nothing. This morning as he watches her, he notices how much her behavior has changed. She isn't the same person she was when she left. She is still as skilled as ever. She is an incredible agent, but he can see that her self-confidence is waning. It is slowly being replaced by doubt, and a hint of uncertainty. She's in the gym beating the daylights out of the punching bag. He puts the weight back on the rack. He walks over to her. He says nothing. He steps behind the bag, to hold it.

"Kensi," he tries to bring her back to reality.

She comes back to reality, "Huh?"

"You're about to beat the stuffing out of this bag," he comments.

She looks at the bag, "Oh."

"Why don't you go cool off?"

"I'm fine," she insists.

He looks around the gym, it's just the two of them. He points to the bench.

"Have a seat," he begs.

She takes a seat, against her will. He hands her a towel, and takes a seat next to her.

"I know."

She shakes her head, "Know what?"

"About the scar."

"I told you about the scar."

"I said something to Sam. He assumed that you told me everything."

"What do you mean, everything?"

"He thought that you told me about getting branded."

"I don't want to talk about it. It wasn't Sam's place to tell you."

"He didn't know. It was a mistake."

"Deeks just drop it."

"He didn't tell me how it happened."

"Good."

"Kensi, I am asking you, how did it happen?"

"It was sort of like an initiation."

"Oh."

"Except our target wanted to put a cruel twist on it."

"What to do you mean?" his heart drops.

"He made Sam do it."

"How bad can it be?" he wonders.


Sam returns to the hotel room, with a bag from the local drugstore. Kensi is laying on the bed, with ice on her fresh wound. He gently lifts the ice off her chest. He gently wipes the area with peroxide. He grabs a non stick bandage out of the bag. Before applying the bandage he squirts triple antibiotic all over it. He gently places it over the area on her chest. The dressing barely covers the area of branded skin. He carefully applies tape around the edges.

The fact that Kensi isn't arguing, or fighting him tells her that she is in excruciating pain. He hands her a bottle of Tylenol. She sits up. She has the sudden realization that she's in nothing more than a bra and pair of panties. She looks up at Sam.

"Don't worry about it."

"I tried to put on a shirt," she admits.

"I can help you," he offers, trying to be a good partner.

"It is all I can stand to have a dressing on. A t-shirt would hurt too much."

"Kasey..."

"I'll be fine. We start tomorrow, so I have to be."

"We don't have to do this," he reminds her.

"It's too late to go back now.," she insists.

"No it's not. If this was the initiation who knows what else he has in store for us."

"I don't plan on finding out."

"We can do this. How hard can it be?"

"I've been through worse," she lies.

He looks at his partner. His words cut him like a knife, as he makes the realization she's lying. He is the toughest woman he knows. He is proud to be her partner, he feels evenly matched.