"There's no way it's gonna last," said Kensi.
"And how would you know?" replied Deeks, a crooked smile on his lips.
She grinned.
"Because I know everything."
He let out an exaggerated laugh.
"Oh please, don't get me started."
"Fine, I'll tell you why it wont last. Deeks, you met her at a bar. That's never gonna work. Studies show that the person you are most compatable with is much more likely to be someone you know from work or a hobby or something over time. The chances that you meet the love of your life at a bar are slim to none."
"Okay, for the record, marrying someone you met at a bar is cliché because it happens so often. I have several friends who met their wives at bars and are happily married," he said with finality.
"Uh huh, do you even want it to work out with her?"
Deeks shrugged.
"There," she said smugly "That is why it wont work out."
"Ah the relationship guru has given her opinion."
She
"I can give better dating advice than you, I bet your longest relationship was two weeks tops."
He ignored her jab but responded with an air of disbelief.
"You? As if you could offer anyone advice on dating," said Deeks.
Kensi scoffed, she knew she wasn't going to win this argument no matter what she said.
"What's the best dating advice you ever got?" he asked.
Rather taken aback, Kensi chuckled.
"As strange as it seems, the best love advice I ever got was from a criminal."
He raised his eyebrows.
"Do tell."
"She was collateral damage in a drug bust, she couldn't have been more than 23. I remember thinking that it was sad how she was caught up in all of it; I mean from childhood she hadn't known anything but violence and gangs and drugs. I'll never forget it though, that day that I arrested her.
She came with me willingly, she didn't put up a fight, she didn't protest, she didn't even look scared. She just kept looking at something, something she obviously card about more than herself. She was looking at Elliot, one of the boys we had arrested after the raid. The look in her eyes is something that still gets to me; even now I can see her face so clearly at the sight of him in handcuffs.
Kensi leaned back and allowed herself to relive that day.
"You're kinda young to be caught up in all of this aren't you aren't you?" she asked the girl. It had been Kensi's job to question all the non-major players involved in the operation.
"I could say the same thing about you," she replied.
Kensi contemplated the girl across the table. Her eyes were red from silent tears, but her voice was strong.
"Did you know that boy?" Kensi asked calmly.
"Look, lady, you're gonna have to be more specific."
Kensi smiled.
"No, I think we both know which one I'm talking about."
The girl tilted her head, as if to retort or counter Kensi's claim, but she seemed to think better of it. Instead, she let loose the anxiety she had been keeping in, and her true fear came to the surface.
"Elliot," she said, "Where are you keeping him? Is he alright? What did you people do with him?"
Kensi grinned again, she knew she had won. She had her bargaining chip and any information this girl had was hers so long as she promised answers about Elliot. She felt guilty, but this was her job, she reminded herself.
"I'll tell you about Elliot when you tell me everything you know about this operation."
"No," said the girl defiantly, "I need to know now, I need to know."
"Do you love him?"
Kensi herself was a little startled by the question she had just asked. It could help her with the game she was running, but deep down she wanted to know.
The girl answered her question with one of her own.
"You ever been in love?"
Now Kensi was truly surprised, but she was trained and disciplined, and she didn't let it show.
"That's not relevant to this case."
"Then how is me being in love with Elliot 'relevant to this case?'" she retorted.
"I'm asking the questions here," replied Kensi a little tartly, "Now, were you in love with Elliot Jones?"
The girl scoffed.
"You cops man…"
"Answer me, were you –
"Yes!" cried the girl, "I was in love with Elliot! I am in love with Elliot."
Kensi took a deep breath.
"I can understand."
"Can you?" said the girl, "Can you really? It's funny isn't it, you think you know love, everybody thinks they know love, and then somebody comes along and just shatters every preconception you ever had about what it is to love, to really love. Suddenly you don't care if there is a love beyond yours, you stop thinking about it because somewhere in your heart you know what you didn't before; that a love like that isn't something you have felt or ever will feel again. And that's enough."
This startled Kensi. How could this girl, who had all of her young life in broken homes, have such a profound outlook on love? Perhaps it was remarkable that she had such knowledge at such a young age, but in Kensi's heart of hearts she knew that the real reason it was unsettling to her was because she didn't know what the girl was talking about. She was about to be married and yet she had no idea what that feeling was.
Kensi brought herself back to the present, and shaking off her flashback she looked at Deeks.
"You alright there Kens?"
"Yeah," she said, "Yeah it's just I know what she was talking about now."
"Yo, earth to Kensi, you didn't actually finish your story," said Deeks, smiling at her.
"Well," she said slowly, "basically her advice was that you can convince yourself you're in love, but until you actually feel it, you'll never really know."
He grinned slightly and contemplated her before speaking.
"I guess she was right then, wasn't she."
Kensi felt her heart skip a beat as he pierced her with those blue eyes.
"Yeah," she said softly, not breaking eye contact, "I guess she was…"