A/N Loved the season opener! I especially loved Deeks in a suit with no tie... sigh. Please forgive me for this chapter. I hated writing part of it but it was necessary... for the story. Please review! (but don't shout!)

Kensi and Deeks made their way to the gym to watch Emily and Callen's sparring match. He wondered what exactly was up between Sam and Callen. He had asked them to run interference between Emily and Kensi when it came to sparring and they had both agreed willingly so it couldn't have been about that. He supposed it had to do with whatever Callen said he was working on when it came to Emily and Granger.

They entered the gym to find Callen already on the mat waiting on Emily. She showed up a minute or so later and asked Kensi to help her get her gloves on and tightened properly.

"So, is this a timed thing or are you just sparring until one of you lands three punches?" Deeks asked smiling at Callen.

"Probably timed. I'm sure Emily wants more than just the minute of workout she'll get before I win," he said grinning at her.

"We'll see about that," she returned confidently.

Deeks walked to the nearest bench and sat down then patted the empty space next to him indicating for Kensi to join him. She happily complied and they waited for the match to begin.

Emily stepped on the mat and wasted no time before she raised her hands and began to circle her opponent.

Callen spent a couple of minutes watching her moves and attempts to take a swing at him. When he was sure he had her figured out he made an attempt to land a punch in her ribs. He was surprised at her agility and quickness when she managed to dodge the blow. He flashed a smile in her direction which she returned. The smile was just enough of a distraction for Emily to land a punch to his shoulder.

"Point Emily!" Deeks said loudly earning a glare from Kensi.

Callen shook off his surprise and concentrated on using a different strategy. Instead of depending on his abilities he tried to exploit her weaknesses. Distractions and misdirects always seemed to work with Kensi.

"So, how long have you known Assistant Director Granger?" he asked between fake jabs.

She hesitated just long enough for him to make contact with her ribs.

"Point Callen!" Kensi shouted turning to smirk at Deeks.

Emily backed up a bit then got back into position. "Not as long as you, I'm sure," she answered taking a swing and missing.

She decided to add her own bit of misdirection to the contest. "You do realize you're telegraphing your swings, right?"

He shook his head, knowing what she was trying to do. "I'm pretty sure I'm not," he said as he landed another blow to her shoulder.

"Callen two, Emily one!" Kensi shrieked.

Emily circled him grinning and obviously thinking about her next move when she again dodged another quick jab by Callen. Before he could recover from the swing, she caught him with a right hook to the torso and left to his ribs winning easily.

"Emily wins and Kensi owes me ten bucks!" Deeks chirped.

Callen pulled off his gloves and waited for Emily to do the same then held out his hand. "Nice job."

She accepted it and said, "Thanks," as she shook his hand. She found herself staring into his deep blue eyes and realized she had held on a bit longer than necessary. "Uh, I guess I should get dressed and back to work." She walked back into the ladies locker room and Callen went to the men's.

Kensi sat on the bench frowningm irritated that she had lost the bet to Deeks.

"Did you see that?" Deeks asked quietly.

"Yes, I saw Emily beat Callen. You don't have to gloat!"

"No, not that. That!" he whispered as he pointed to the mat.

"What are you talking about?"

"She… he… they… Oh wow. I think something's going on between those two."

"Marty, you're crazy. They just met and besides, he doesn't trust her. None of us do."

Deeks dropped it but he was certain of what he saw and he was the master at reading a woman's body language. Well, at least until he met Kensi. She kept him guessing about everything which just made his life more adventurous as far as he was concerned.

They returned to the bullpen to find Hetty waiting with a business card in her hand.

"Mr. Deeks, I have here the name of a realtor who should be very helpful. She said she had a few houses you might be interested in and would be willing to meet with you on Saturday."

"Thanks Hetty," he said as he took the card. "I'll call and make the appointment right now."

"Thank you so much Hetty," Kensi said as their boss exited the bullpen.

"You're quite welcome, Mrs. Deeks."

Sam didn't even smile when Deeks told him that Emily had won. He just grunted and continued to look at whatever he was working on. Deeks suddenly had a thought. 'What if Sam knew about what he had just observed between Emily and Callen?' That would most definitely cause a problem between them. Not because Callen was involved with a woman, but because that woman happened to be Emily. As far as the team was concerned, until proven otherwise, Emily was the enemy. He didn't dare bring it up. Sam may be upset with Callen but he was still loyal and would most definitely deny it anyway.

After Kensi and Deeks had left for the day, Sam remained at his desk reading through their daily international incident reports. Emily gathered her things and said goodnight a few minutes later.

Callen stood and looked at Sam after Emily left, "So, you want to tell me why you're giving me the silent treatment?"

He looked around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear, "You know why. What you're doing is dangerous for us as a team and for you as our leader."

"What I'm doing? What am I doing Sam?" he asked, obviously angry.

"You like her. And don't try to deny it. You let her win that match didn't you?" he whispered loudly.

Callen laughed and replied, "No, I didn't let her win. She won fair and square. Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe I had a plan?"

Sam sat quietly for a moment then asked, "What kind of plan?"

"If I can get close to her, then maybe she'll open up to me and tell me what Granger is up to."

Sam snorted, "Get close? How close?"

"As close as necessary," he stated firmly.

"And what happens if we find out she's not his snitch after all? After you've betrayed her trust and used her?"

Callen was quiet and didn't reply.

"Oh no! It's too late isn't it? She's been here less than a week and you've already fallen for her haven't you?"

"I'm not discussing this with you Sam," he said as he picked up his go bag and headed out the door.

"We're not done G.!" he called after him.

Callen said nothing and kept walking.

The tension between Sam and Callen was thick and everyone tried to find excuses to be somewhere else. Kensi had gone up into ops to talk to Nell and covertly show her the sonogram picture.

Nell squealed quietly. "Oh my gosh, she's adorable!"

"She? Why do you think it's a she?" Kensi asked confused.

"I… don't know," she sputtered.

"What she's not telling you is that we have a bet on it," Eric whispered grinning.

"You bet on my baby's sex?" Kensi asked laughing. "Don't you have anything better to do?" she said looking directly at Nell grinning.

Before they could comment further the door opened and Emily walked in. Nell nonchalantly placed the picture in a folder beside her computer and said hello.

"Hey guys. There you are Kensi, I was wondering where you went. I need some fresh air. Wanna go grab some lunch with me?"

"Uhh, sure," she answered wondering what was up.

They went to a café a few blocks away and settled into a nice comfortable conversation about Hetty and NCIS in general. Kensi was instantly on guard when Emily asked about Deeks and how they met."

"We'll, we met on an undercover op. Neither of us knew the other was in law enforcement."

"Ooh, sounds exciting. What happened?"

Kensi told her the story and about how Hetty had recruited him to be their LAPD liaison officer. She gave brief details about their rocky start as partners then told her about the kidnapping and how he had taken care of her afterward. She of course left out the private details and about the baby.

Emily smiled and commented, "He's a great guy Kensi. He's a good partner too. You are a very lucky woman."

Kensi smiled and agreed. "What about you? Anyone in your life?"

"No, not really. I thought I was getting close to someone but I found out he was just using me."

"I'm sorry," Kensi said softly. "There's lots of other fish, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure you've heard it a million times too."

Emily laughed, "Unfortunately."

"My problem wasn't really in looking for fish," Kensi offered. "Mine was not seeing what was right in front of me. Well, actually I saw him. I just didn't want to admit that I was in love with him."

"I get it. Co-workers and lovers. Not usually a good combination but you two have managed it quite well. I'm actually a bit envious."

"Don't be. You'll find yours. 'You just have to keep your eyes open.' Hetty told me that once. It was actually good advice."

They finished up and made their way back to the mission. Kensi was taking her psyche eval in a few hours and she needed time to clear her mind.

The exam now completed, she felt she had done well but wouldn't find out for sure until sometime next week. Now that it was over, she realized that some of the questions she had been asked had hit a few raw nerves. Things she thought she had gotten past but now she wasn't so sure. She probably needed to talk to Marty about it but didn't really want to bring all of it back up again. It had been hard on him too and they were doing really well. Why should she open up old wounds?

One of her fitness tests was scheduled for the next day and she asked Hetty if she would postpone it. They needed to stretch out the time as much as possible before they would certify her ready to go back in the field. If Granger found out they had known she was pregnant all along and hadn't disclosed the information, there was no telling what he would do to their partnership.

Kensi was thankful for the weekend. The tension around the office had only gotten worse between Sam and Callen. She had no idea what was going on and was afraid to ask. She and Deeks had discussed it but hadn't come up with a logical explanation. She had the feeling he knew something or at least suspected something and wasn't telling her although she couldn't be sure.

Callen and Emily seemed to be getting along fairly well. Sam wasn't even making an effort to get to know her better which just made the tension even worse. Something had to be done soon or else. She didn't even want to think about the implications of the 'or else.'

They were on their way to meet the realtor at the first house of the day. They had no idea how many were on the list but had vowed to look at them with an open mind. They were going to have to settle for something one way or the other. If they had to do some repair work, then so be it. It would take longer to move in but they were willing to do whatever was necessary to find a place to live.

Deeks was worried about the neighborhood where they were meeting the realtor. It was really close to the beach which was definitely not a problem but the value of the homes was well out of their price range. He didn't want to tour a really great house and then find out they couldn't afford it. Kensi was a practical person and would understand completely but he didn't want to disappoint her.

When they parked at the address he had been given, his worst fears were confirmed. It was absolutely beautiful. They yard was immaculate and there was even a white picket fence around the back. The realtor was waiting out front and greeted them warmly.

"Hi, I'm Reagan. Hetty told me a lot about you."

They introduced themselves and Deeks asked, "How do you know Hetty?"

"She and my father were good friends a long time ago. I've known her all my life it seems."

Deeks nodded and pointed to her notebook, "How many houses are on the list to look at today?"

"Oh, just this one. Hetty said there was no need to drag you all over Los Angeles. Please, come inside."

Deeks' heart sank. He looked at Kensi and saw the excitement on her face and they weren't even inside the house yet. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

They followed her inside and immediately gawked at what they saw. Perfect, was the only word that came to mind. The living area was open with lots of light and an attached kitchen that looked as if it had been recently remodeled. There was a bar dividing the two rooms with a large pantry just off the back of the kitchen. There was a huge dining room in the back of the house and also an area that could be used as an office. To make it complete there was a decent sized bathroom underneath the staircase.

Reagan opened a set of French doors and showed them a beautiful backyard with a swimming pool. It wasn't huge but it was most definitely a swimming pool.

There was no way on earth they were going to be able to afford the house, Deeks lamented. They hadn't even discussed if this was a rental or for sale. There wasn't a sign in the yard but even if it was a rental it would be way too pricey.

Deeks grew more and more concerned as he watched Kensi look through the rooms. Her smile only grew larger with each one. His only hope was that something would be horribly wrong with the second floor.

There wasn't.

His hopes were dashed as soon as they reached the top of the stairs. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a laundry room upstairs. The master suite was at the back of the house while the other two bedrooms were at the front on either side of the stair case. Either of them would be perfect for a nursery.

He hung back as they entered the master suite. It was going to be such a letdown when they had to admit they couldn't afford it. It was beautiful and everything they had wanted in a house.

The bedroom had a balcony that opened up to the backyard. The ceiling was recessed and the lighting was worthy of a movie set. He assumed the bathroom had a huge walk-in closet in the back. Why wouldn't it? Everything else in the house was perfect.

He stood on the balcony looking at the rose bushes trailing along the back of the white picket fence wondering how he was going to break it to Kensi. He wished he had been better at saving money but like most single men, he hadn't saved much at all.

He was dragged out of his gloomy thoughts when he heard Kensi call out.

"Marty, you've got to come see this!"

He turned and walked hesitantly to the master bath and stopped short as he entered the room. Sitting opposite the double vanity and mirror area was a beautiful garden tub with spa jets. It was as big as or bigger than the one in the apartment for his 'David Granderson' alias and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

She moved to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Can you believe this house? It's perfect, right?"

His smile slowly faded as he put his arm across her shoulders, "Yes, it is perfect Princess but I don't see how we can afford it."

He turned to Reagan and asked, "Is this a rental or is it for sale?"

"Well, actually it's both. It's your choice. You can sign a lease for however long you like or you can do a 'lease to own contract,' meaning you would pay monthly rent to the owner but it would go toward paying for the house. Sort of like a bank loan without all the hassle," she said smiling.

Deeks looked at Kensi then back to Reagan and asked, "And how much is it per month?" He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

When she quoted the priced he flinched. Not because it was high, but because it wasn't. It was actually just a little more than what he and Kensi had been paying for both of their rents combined. He had received a significant raise when he joined NCIS and the realization that they could do this was suddenly overwhelming.

He smiled at Kensi but didn't need to ask a thing. She just nodded slightly and he turned back to Reagan and said, "Where do we sign?"

Their excitement was hard to contain. They stopped at a few places on the way back home to pick up empty boxes then started sorting through things in her spare bedroom. The plan was to spend the rest of the month packing and taking things over a little at a time, then move in officially after the first of the year. They would spend their first Christmas together in Kensi's little place but he could envision many more Christmases with their children in their new house.

The more he thought about their unbelievable good fortune, the more he realized it was more than that. It was probably Hetty. She would never admit it but he had a feeling she was their wonderful fairy godmother. He would keep his suspicions to himself for now but he would eventually find a way to thank her.

Callen smiled at Kensi and glanced at Sam, hoping to catch his attention. Her enthusiasm was contagious and had actually done wonders to cut the tension between the senior partners. Sam looked at Callen and shook his head but with a grin plastered on his face.

"So Kensi, Is the house perfect?" Callen asked with a smirk after she used the word to describe the house for the tenth time.

She laughed and replied, "Yes, it is and as soon as we get moved in, we're having a pool party and inviting everyone over."

"We are?" Deeks asked grinning. "Uh, Kens, you do realize we won't be moving in until January right? It's a bit too chilly to be having pool parties."

"Okay, then we'll just have a party… outside… by the pool."

Sam laughed and asked, "So I'm assuming we will be having a 'moving party' prior to the pool party?"

"Absolutely!" Deeks replied grinning.

As soon as they arrived that morning, he had thanked Hetty for the name of the realtor and told her about the house. She gave nothing away and he pretended not to know she had helped in anyway. It was okay for now but he truly wanted to thank her someday.

On Wednesday, Kensi took one of her physical tests and failed it. It was an agility test which measured her speed and reflexes and she was simply too slow. She realized that her 'slow' was probably much faster than most people and maybe even other agents but she was being measured against her own past performance and it wasn't really close. They had rescheduled the test for the next week.

She texted Deeks and asked him to meet her in the storage room. When he arrived she was sitting in the corner with red eyes and a hopeless look on her face.

"Kensi honey, what's wrong?" he asked sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug.

"I failed my test."

"Oh," he said realizing why she was in this state. "But it's okay right? It gives us a little more time and you and I both know that as soon as you pop this baby out, you'll be back to your old self in no time."

She couldn't help but laugh, "Pop the baby out? Really Marty? I'd like to see you try it."

He rubbed her tummy and kissed the top of her head, "I think I'll leave that up to you but I'll definitely be there so you can punch, cuss and yell at me all you want."

She sighed and said with defeat in her voice, "We have to go shopping again. My bras don't fit anymore and everything is just… uncomfortable."

He reached up and cupped his hand over one of her breasts and caressed her gently. "I was wondering when you were going to say something," he whispered softly.

He leaned in to kiss her but she backed away and said,"You mean you noticed and didn't say anything?"

He left his hand where it was and gave her a crooked grin, "How could I not? I'm very fond of them and I do spend a lot of time with them."

She blushed and leaned in for a slow kiss. One thing led to another and before long he was unbuttoning her shirt and placing kisses down her neck and on her slightly larger breasts.

Just as he reached around to unhook her bra she stiffened and said, "Listen!"

He paused and listened, "I don't hear anything."

"Shhh!" she said with her finger across her lips. She suddenly jumped up and began re-buttoning her blouse.

"Oh, come on," he coaxed as he tried to pull her back down beside him.

She looked at him with real fear in her eyes and whispered, "Remember what Hetty said about finding us in the storage room? Well I don't want to find out what she'll do if she catches us."

At that Deeks jumped up and covertly checked to make sure the coast was clear before they left the large closet.

"So does this mean I get a rain check on our 'activities' for later… like tonight?"

"We'll see," she said grinning playfully.

"Awesome."

Kensi was really down. After their night of shopping for underwear that actually fit and forcing herself to buy 'stretchy pants' she was really feeling unattractive. No matter what he did to try to cheer her up, it hadn't worked. He tried to resume their 'storage room' activities hoping it would help her self esteem but that hadn't worked either. After three months of looking like a swimsuit model instead of an expectant mother it seemed like she had blossomed almost overnight. Now at four months, it was getting harder and harder to hide it. Her breasts were noticeably larger (not that he was complaining) and her tummy was definitely pooching.

According to the scales she had only gained four pounds but those four pounds were definitely wreaking havoc on her wardrobe and her self-confidence. Not because she didn't want to be pregnant but because most people couldn't know and would assume she was getting fat. It was a vicious circle and until they finally let Granger in on their little secret, it was only going to get worse. Deeks decided that he would talk to Hetty and see if it could happen sooner rather than later.

He woke her up a bit earlier than usual so he could take her out for breakfast before they drove in to work. Most mornings they were racing out of the house and barely had time to drive through and get coffee. He wanted to start their day right and hopefully brighten her mood.

"Why are we here? I'm not sure why you had to drag me out of bed so early this morning," she said frowning as they waited for their order.

"I told you. Baby Deeks needs something besides donuts for breakfast and you need to relax and smell the ocean breeze."

"Baby Deeks loves donuts," she said tapping her foot.

Deeks smiled and reached across the table to grab her hands. "How could he or she not like them? It's practically a food group to you," he said with a crooked smile.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes but he noticed a small smile tugging at her lips.

"So, when do you think we can start moving into the house?" she asked changing the subject. When he didn't answer she realized he was looking at something behind her.

She started to turn and look but he tugged on her hands and said, "No, don't turn around."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure yet but I think that guy is up to no good."

She stared at him and watched his features as he focused on someone waiting in line at the counter. Before she could ask another question, Deeks let go of her hands and jumped up just as she heard a woman scream.

"My purse! Oh my God, he just stole my purse!"

"Wait here," he said to Kensi as he raced out of the café to chase the thief.

She sat for only a second before she jumped up and quickly followed him out. She took off running, keeping him in her sights. There was no way she was going to let him do this alone. The guy could have a gun or he could have friends waiting for him just around the corner. She kept running as she pulled her phone out of her purse and called 911. She told them what had happened between gasps of air and exactly where they were headed then hung up and kept pace with Deeks and the perp.

She was relieved when she saw Deeks tackle him and pull his hands back to cuff him. She finally made it to where he was and handed him a nylon cuff from her purse.

"I thought I told you to wait at the café," he said frustrated as he got up and tried to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry… but I wanted to make sure… you were safe!" she replied between gasps as she heard sirens in the distance. "Besides… I called LAPD… and they're already on their way."

He reluctantly smiled at her and turned back to talk to the purse snatcher. "What's your problem man? You think grabbing purses from elderly women is cool? Well it's not! It's actually pretty pathetic." He yanked him up onto his feet just as the squad car turned the corner.

Kensi stood back to watch and tried to slow down her breathing.

Thankfully, it was an officer that Deeks knew well and one without a lot of negative history between them. He explained what had happened and where they had been when the chase started. He was in the middle of his official statement when he turned to point at Kensi and stopped mid-sentence.

She was ghostly white and clutching her stomach.

"Kensi," he said as he started toward her. Before he could reach her, she fell forward on her knees.

"Kensi!" he yelled as he ran to catch her before she fell further.

"Marty, the baby…" she said as she cried. "No, please no!"

He carefully pulled her onto his lap and hugged her tight then yelled to the police officer, "Please, call an ambulance!"

"Kensi, breathe Baby. Shhh… calm down and take deep breaths," he said softly even though his heart was beating out of his chest.

"Marty it hurts… Our baby! Please, no! I'm so sorry," she said between sobs.

He turned to the officer, who was already on his radio and yelled,

"Tell them she's four months pregnant!"