Week 22…
"No," Kensi said flatly.
"What?" Deeks whined. "This is the fourth house we have looked at today."
"I don't like it," Kensi sneered. "It smells funny."
Deeks threw his hand up in frustration, "Everything smells funny to you!"
"It does not!" She knew that he was getting annoyed with her, but she honestly didn't care. They would be raising their child in whatever house they chose… it had to be perfect.
Deeks pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned… the woman was impossible at times.
"Will you quit being a baby and just take me to the next house?" Kensi huffed, looking around the deserted street and then back to the house, "Where is the realtor?"
"She left."
"Why did she do that? We weren't done yet!"
Deeks opened the car door, "Probably because you told her to shut up and threw a potted plant at her head."
"Well she was being pushy," Kensi defended.
"No, she was making a comment and you overreacted."
"Overreacted?" Kensi shouted.
"And here we go," Deeks grumbled as he slid behind the wheel and closed his door. Kensi took her place in the passenger's seat and began to pout. When Deeks didn't take the bait, Kensi huffed, crossed her arms over her chest and making sure she released enough huffs and puffs that he knew she was mad. Deeks never said a word as they drove to the next house. They pulled into to the driveway and Deeks turned the car off. He stared up at the winding driveway and shook his head… why would anyone need a driveway that long? It's not a driveway… it is a street.
"What are we going to do now?" He asked. "You scared off our realtor."
"It's not my fault that she spooks easily," Kensi snorted in disgust.
"Kens, you assaulted the woman because she mentioned that the kitchen cabinets were real wood."
Kensi didn't say anything.
Deeks groaned again, "Seriously… I'm getting the silent treatment?"
Kensi wouldn't even look at him. "Whatever," he spit. "I'm tired and I am ready to go home." He put the car in reverse, but just as the car began to roll backwards Kensi opened the door. "Hey," he yelled as he slammed on the brakes, "What in the hell are you doing?"
"I'm getting out of the damn car," she said as she grabbed onto the door frame and hoisted herself out of the car.
Deeks let his head drop against the steering wheel, "perfect," he grumbled. What in the hell was her problem? He thought as he put the car in park and got out, slamming the door behind him. "Kensi," he begged, but she stormed past him and headed for the front door of the house, "Kensi," he called after her, "don't do this. Please?" She completely ignored him as she dropped down to her knees in front of the door and began to pick the lock. "What are you doing?" He whispered as he dropped down next to her.
"I'm baking a cake," she said sarcastically.
"Kensi, stop. You do realize what you are doing is a crime, don't you?"
She rolled her eyes at him and pushed the last tumbler in place. With a smile she turned the knob and the door opened, "I came her to see this house and I am going to see this house! With or without the realtor." She struggled to her feet and then walked into the house like she owned it. Deeks shook his head and followed her in.
"It's beautiful," she exclaimed happily as she inspected the mahogany banister. Deeks looked around the eloquently decorated home, but something was very… very wrong. "Kens," Deeks said as his eyes roamed over the picture frames that decorated the walls. "Wow… look at the kitchen!" "Um… Kensi," Deeks called again. "Oh and the backyard… it's huge!" Deeks eyes slid toward the ceiling when he heard the sound of footstep running. "Of course," he groaned as he ran into the kitchen and grabbed Kensi by the wrist.
"What?" She spit.
"Kensi people still live in this house!" He whispered heatedly.
"No they don't," she laughed. "Why would there be a for sale sign if…" She stopped speaking when she heard the footsteps too. There was no exit from the kitchen! Crap, the homeowner was coming down the stairs. Deeks scanned the room quickly, spotting a pantry on the opposite side. With very few choices hiding in the pantry seemed to be a reasonable thing to do. Quietly he opened the door and pulled Kensi inside just before the man entered the kitchen. Deeks could see him clearly through the crack and he also saw the gun that the man was holding in his hands.
"What do you see?" Kensi whispered.
"Really?" Deeks whispered back. "Now you want to talk to me?"
"What? I was just asking a question?"
"Shhhh," Deeks hissed, placing his finger over her lips.
Kensi didn't like being shushed and she sure as hell didn't like his finger where it was.
"Son of a bitch," he hissed. "Did you just bite me?" He questioned as he tucked the injured finger under his armpit. "You bit me! I can't believe you bit me!"
"Don't shush me!"
"Are you kidding me? We are trapped in a closet with a gun wielding stranger nearby and you are actually going to get mad for shushing you?"
"It's rude," she quietly exclaimed. "And secondly this is a pantry, not a closet. A closet would have more room. It's like trying to hide in a freaking shoe box."
"Well maybe if you would lay off the doughnuts you would fit better." He regretted it the instant he said it. "Ow. Hey," he swatted at her hands "quit pinching me!"
"Quit calling me fat." She pinched him again on the arm.
"In case you haven't noticed we kind of have a satiation here, so will you please quit hurting me?"
"Hello!" The man called out. "Who's there?"
Kensi placed her finger over Deeks mouth, "Shhh."
"Seriously," he said around her finger. "Isn't that rude? I should bite you?"
Kensi slapped her hand over his mouth and they both held their breath as the man walked by the pantry. Once they were sure he was gone Kensi spoke up again, "We need to get out of here."
"I told you not to come in here in the first place!"
"I'm having an off day… sue me."
"Off? You call this off? This isn't off. This is bat shit crazy!"
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "What is he doing?" She whispered when they heard the man walk back into the kitchen. Deeks watched him carefully through the crack, "It looks like he is fixing him something to eat."
"Uh-oh. Do you think he is going to have to come in here?"
Deeks whimpered when he saw the man heading for the pantry, "Of course he is."
"What are we going to do?"
"Do you think you could fit through the kitchen window?" Kensi shot him an angry glare. "Okay, so I guess we are going to have to go with option number two." Kensi quirked an eyebrow at him when he held up two cans, "Peaches or peas?"
The man opened up the pantry and got the surprise of his life when the two strangers leapt forward and smacked him in the head with a can of peas. The man dropped to the ground and the two agents scrambled around him and out the door. "Come on Kensi," Deeks said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her down the driveway. "You need to hurry." Why did the driveway have to be so damn long?
"I am hurrying. This is my top speed!"
The car soon came into view and they both scrambled in. Deeks cranked the car and slammed it in reverse just as the homeowner came running down the drive. "Go, go, go," Kensi shouted as the man leveled his gun with their car. Deeks slammed the gas pedal all the way to the floor and smoke billowed around them as the tires spun out. Pow. Thump. The tires gained purchase and they flew out of the driveway at breakneck speeds. Once out of the driveway he slammed the car in drive and they speed off. Once they were a safe distance Deeks pulled over to the side of the road and tried to catch his breath, "That bastard shot my car!"
"Well we did just break into his house and assault him with canned goods."
"Let's not do that again."
Kensi nodded. "Agreed, we should just stick with the realtor from here on out."
"Sounds like a plan," Deeks smiled, but the smile quickly faded when he realized she wanted him to call the realtor now. Why even bother arguing, he thought to himself as he pulled out his phone.
Three houses later…
Deeks patience was almost non-existent by the time the reached the final house of the day. As per the agreement he had made with the realtor, Kensi waited in the car while she unlocked the door. Kensi didn't seem very happy about that, but the realtor said he had to keep that crazy woman away from her. As soon as the realtor was safely in her car Kensi and Deeks walked up to the house. Deeks' heart sank at the sight of the dilapidated building. It was run down to say the least. The porch was dry rotted, the paint was peeling, the fence was broken and if he wasn't mistaken his apartment had more square footage than the little shack. So in other words… a huge waste of time.
The couple walked through the door and it took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. The living room was tiny, with scuffed up hardwood floors and a stone fireplace. The kitchen was directly behind the living room and it was roughly the same size with a gas stove that was probably older than Deeks. He just rolled his eyes as they walked down the hallway to inspect the bedrooms. The first door to the right contained the bathroom, which consisted of a claw foot tub placed in the center of a large bay window, a pedal stool sink and a toilet that was missing the seat. There were two small bedrooms on the left side of the hall. One was painted a color that Deeks called, "diarrhea green" and the other bedroom was painted a deep maroon color with bright purple trim. The master bedroom, which was located across the hall was only slightly larger and was painted Pepto-Bismol pink. "Who would pick these colors?" Deeks questioned as they stepped out into the hall.
"It's perfect," Kensi said with a kind of wonderment that one would hear from a child at Christmas.
"W… What?" Deeks couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Kensi this place is a dump. We can't live here much less raise a baby here."
"No," she said shaking her head. "The house is sound. It is good craftsmanship… they don't build them like this anymore. Sure it needs a few repairs, but the price makes this place a steal."
"Kensi," Deeks pleaded, "We are about to have a baby. We don't really have time to repair anything."
She looked him directly in his eyes and smiled, "We could make it our own. Do what we want with it. It isn't far from work and if you stand out in the backyard you can see the beach. It is perfect for both of us… you just have to see the potential."
He wanted to argue… he wanted to say no, but it is a rare thing to see that kind of sparkle in Kensi's eyes and there was no way he was going to take that away from her, "Okay," he smiled. Kensi was overjoyed, "Really?"
He gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, "Really. If it makes you this happy, then yes."
Kensi placed her hand on top of his and leaned into his touch, "It will be our home," she said sweetly.
Deeks pulled her close, "for our family," he sighed happily.
Kensi couldn't ever remember being that happy at any other point in her life. As she gazed into his ocean blue eyes she finally felt whole… complete… safe. It was in that moment that she realized Deeks was the one that she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.
He leaned over and kissed her softly. Kensi closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. It was their first kiss in their new home. She was just so happy it was nearly overwhelming. Her emotions got away from her and as they parted from their kiss she said something that neither of them were expecting, "Marry me."
