Thanks so much for all of the kind reviews- you guys are amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review as always! =)

-Hazel

"Fine then," Callen said, pointing one finger towards the door that Kensi had exited from just a moment prior. "Go get your girl."

Deeks nodded and left without another word to Callen: he'd talk to him again later. Probably on another day.

He jogged down the stairs to armory, slowing down to a walk as he strolled in and saw Kensi leaned over the table, cheeks damp with tears as she cleaned her gun.

"Kensi?"

She only glanced up for a split second, barely even meeting his eye line before looking back down to the job at hand.

"Are you alright?"

"No," Kensi muttered, furiously wiping down the barrel of her gun. She wasn't alright- nothing was alright. Suddenly, their perfect little relationship, which had lasted for a mere three days, was quickly turning to rubble.

All along- that was what Kensi had wanted to avoid. Getting into some crazy spat with her team leader, and watching everything just fall apart in front of her.

It seemed normal to her at that point, as if every single one of her relationships falling apart just couldn't be helped, like it was some kind of curse- men just couldn't put up with her for long periods of time.

Obviously that thought wasn't true in the slightest, but Kensi still perceived it that way. Deeks would be sent back to the LAPD, find some girl who loved surfing and fish tacos just as much as he did, and forget about her entirely.

Her abandonment issues were quickly bubbling to the surface, and in that moment Kensi believed whole-heartedly that Deeks was going to leave her.

Deeks scratched the back of his head and took one step towards her. "I just-"

"Deeks please," Kensi said, begging with him and allowing more tears to flow. "I don't want to talk about it."

He didn't buy it. "You say that, but your eyes just won't shut up."

Kensi dropped the towel and looked up at her partner, whose gaze was fierce and kind.

"Fine Deeks," Kensi said, shrugging and biting her bottom lip before she spoke. "What am I supposed to say then? That I am fine with what just happened? That what Callen just said didn't bug me and momentarily drive me to the brink of insanity? Because I seriously feel like I am losing it right now!"

"No, Kensi- please take a breath and listen to me," Deeks said calmly, putting one hand out towards her."Say whatever you want to say. Just know that I'm not gonna leave you because our team leader was temporarily being an asshole. I love you. None of that has changed."

More tears began to pool in her eyes. Kensi wanted to ask, 'Really?' but she knew that would sound oddly desperate.

"I love you too," was her replacement response. Every single one of her limbs quivered as Kensi stood up from her seat and folded her arms, staring down to her feet. "And you're right- he was being a complete and utter prick."

Deeks chuckled quietly. "Yeah- he has a tendency of doing that. But I put him in his place."

Kensi's expression became weary as her head shot up. "What does that mean?"

"I told him how much I loved you- and that if he didn't believe me, than he could send me back to the LAPD." Deeks' demeanor was cool, calm, and collected- fairly different from Kensi's.

"That first part was fine, but Jesus, Deeks! You're making it way too easy for him to just fire you!" Kensi exclaimed, exasperated. "Hell, you are practically telling him to do it!"

Deeks didn't seem alarmed by what she said and just shrugged. "He did believe me though. That's my point."

Kensi furrowed her brow and asked what seemed to be the next logical question."Well- what did he say?"

"He said 'go get your girl,'" Deeks said with a sly grin.

She was certain that was lying to her. I mean- he had to be, right?

"He did not say that," Kensi said, gawking slightly and trying to keep her voice down in case Callen was lingering nearby.

"Nope. He sure did. So I promise you- it's going to be fine."

"I'm not so sure."

"But I am."

"Are you really though, Deeks?"

She didn't understand how he wasn't panicking as much as she was.

"Kensi-" Deeks said, closing the gap between them in a split second and gently grabbing her shoulders. "It. Is. Going. To. Be. Fine. Alright?"

She gave him a halfhearted smile. "Are you sure that you're not just saying that to try and make me feel better?"

He exhaled and looked up to the ceiling, as if in some way the paneled walls would give him a clue as to what the perfect thing to say was. Somehow though, maybe out of sheer luck, the words came to him.

"Over the years, I've learned to understand a very important lesson in life. What lasts, lasts- what doesn't, doesn't. Time solves most things. And what time can't solve, you have to solve yourself. Time didn't make me love you any less, so I had to figure all that out for myself."

Deeks reached one arm out and brushed a stray piece of hair behind Kensi's ear. "Callen will come around. Just give him some time to adjust."

"But what if he doesn't? And what if Sam reacts the same way? What do we do then?"

The tears were still lingering in Kensi's eyes, dangerously close to spilling over her lids.

"No matter what, we'll figure it out." Deeks said, shrugging as he dropped a kiss to Kensi's forehead. "We always do."

She nodded and Deeks motioned towards the table. "Grab your gun, Annie Oakley. Let's get out of here."

Kensi sniffled and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her jersey sweatshirt, doing exactly as she was told.

Once her gun was placed safely back in it's holster, Deeks grabbed Kensi's hand tightly and lead her out of the room, back up the stairs without another word.

Sadly they had to walk by Callen in order to exit the building, as he was still there. The man had moved from the center of the bullpen to sit on the edge of his desk, head in his hands waiting for them to come back up. As he heard footsteps approaching him, Callen's eyes danced around the empty room before finally landing on Kensi and Deeks.

He noted Kensi's damp cheeks and gloomy expression, as well as her hand- which was being held firmly by Deeks.

Callen jumped off of his desk and quickly made his way over to the two of them, stopping in front of them and blocking their path.

"Look, I'm sorry for-"

"No, no," Deeks said quickly, cutting him off midsentence. "Not tonight."

Callen's eyes shot down to look at Kensi, who just nodded voicelessly in agreement.

"Fine," he said quietly, silently attempting to apologize with his eyes. Kensi definitely got the memo, but she didn't try to acknowledge it.

Deeks nodded to Callen who stepped aside, allowing Kensi and Deeks to exit the building without another word.

"That didn't go as well as you said it would," Deeks said as he and Kensi wandered through the front door of her apartment.

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't promise anything- I just said I hoped it would go differently," Kensi responded as she sunk into her couch and patted the cushion next to her, allowing Deeks to come and sit by her side. "Still though- I can't help but feel like this is all my fault."

"There is no way that this is your fault."

"I guess… but it still feels like it. That part doesn't matter though Deeks- I just want you to know that I don't agree with anything he said back there."

"Well I'd hope not- since you love me, ya know. That should count for something."

"I'm being serious here."

"So am I! But I'm still not sure if I believe you."

"What are you talking about?"

Deeks sat forward in his seat. "Seriously Kensi? Just admit that a part of you, even though it may be a small part, agrees with what Callen said tonight."

"No- you're wrong," Kensi said, not swayed at all by his tone of voice.

"Please, just tell me the truth! A part of you believes that he's right. That I am going to screw this up."

Kensi rolled her eyes and grabbed Deeks shoulder, steadying him so he'd stop fidgeting on the couch.

"Look at me- I don't agree with him. I know that may be hard for you to believe, but it's true. Now, if you would have asked me that same question a week or so ago, my answer might have been a bit different. But you've shown me that I don't need to doubt you. I know you're here for the long haul."

Deeks immediately relaxed. "Really?"

She couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, really. But seriously though- where has your huge ego disappeared to? I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course. But honestly!"

Deeks just wasn't acting like himself. Rarely did the man show any hint of self-detestation, but tonight it was popping up all over the place.

"I don't know Kensi... I think I left it back at OSP."

She shook her head. "That may be true, but he was way out of line to say those things about you."

"Yeah- and I think he knows it now," Deeks said, smirking and shaking his head in an attempt to deter the conversation from being focused on him. "Do you realize that you said 'fuck you' to our team leader? Hopefully that won't go on our performance reviews…"

Kensi moaned and sunk a bit further down into her couch, burying her head in her hands. "I really said that, didn't I?"

Deeks just nodded in agreement.

"It was warranted though… right?" Kensi asked it not really as a question, but rather as a rhetorical way to make herself feel better.

"Yeah, it was."

Deeks didn't want to think back to the comment that Callen had made about him. Telling Deeks what he really thought in solace would have been one thing, but in front of Kensi it was a completely different story. The whole scenario had been totally and utterly mortifying.

"I hate this feeling," Deeks added, shaking his head. "I don't even know what it is, yet I still hate it."

"It's rage," Kensi said simply. She had felt it earlier- sadly in front of Callen, rather than behind closed doors.

"No, it's not rage. Not yet anyways."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I would kill to feel rage though. It would trump the humiliation and I might actually be able to regain some tiny part of my ego, which was moderately crushed back there."

Deeks shook his head and wiped his eyes, wondering where the hell his head was in that moment. He just felt like a mess.

"Hey," Kensi said, moving her hand down from his shoulder to rest on his knee. She could sense where Deeks' mind was going, and was quick to intervene. "It was just something that he said in the heat of the moment. I wouldn't think twice about it."

"How can I not think twice about it Kensi?" Deeks asked, running one hand through his hair. "I mean, is that really what he thinks about me? All these years, I actually thought that we got pretty along well. I knew that Sam always had a bit of a problem with me but with Callen… I don't know, I just thought things were different."

"Deeks-" Kensi leaned forward, trying her very best to get through to him. "-I don't care what he says. He's just overprotective. It's his job, or at least he thinks it is. Maybe it's because he doesn't actually have any siblings? I'm not entirely sure. But he's done it for years. Don't take it personally."

Deeks sat up straight and massaged his temples. "I'm sorry Kensi, but saying 'that guy screws everything that moves!' is a pretty personal statement."

Kensi sighed and let her hands fall back to her lap with a quiet thud. She couldn't really dispute his statement.

"Yeah- okay, so maybe it was personal. But he doesn't know the real you. He only knows the you that you let him see. Every time we've gone out in the past, he has seen you flirt with basically every good looking woman out there. And… and he has seen how much it's hurt me, Deeks."

He looked up to meet her gaze, and noted how solemn her expression had suddenly become.

"So you have to understand- he has only ever seen you hurt me. He's only ever seen how upset I get when I see you with another woman, alright? That is where he was coming from. We are like a family- and you are a part of it. A weird, strange, hugely dysfunctional family, but we still watch out for one another. And the last thing he wants is to see me get hurt again. That is why Callen is so protective of me."

"Right," Deeks said sheepishly. "Well… I'm sorry. About all of it."

Kensi chuckled and scooted even closer to him on the couch. "It's fine. I' m over it. I just don't think he is yet. Like you said at OSP- just give him some time. He'll come around. Just don't do it again. The flirting thing, I mean."

Deeks raised his eyebrows. "You know that I wouldn't. Not now."

"Yeah, I know. But he doesn't."

They sat in silence for a moment as Kensi held Deeks' stare. He eventually broke though, and had to ask the question that was weighing heavily on his mind.

"What is it that you want?"

Kensi looked quite taken aback by his question, so Deeks elaborated before she got the wrong idea.

"I just want to know, for the future. I don't want to screw this up before we even begin it. I love you, and you love me, but our conversations have never gone past that point. You've never really told me what it is that you're looking for, and if I get it wrong- Callen will murder me. I have no doubt."

She pondered his question for a moment as a million thoughts flooded to the forefront of her mind.

"Do you really want to know what I want, Deeks?

He nodded eagerly.

"Alright then… I'll tell you." Kensi swallowed hard and took a deep breath, holding his gaze the entire time that she spoke.

"'I want to be somebody's favorite hiding place, the place where they can put everything they know they need to survive, every secret, very ounce of solitude, every nervous word, and be absolutely certain that I will keep it safe. I want something permanent, something that can't be taken away at a moments notice.

"For once in my life I just want someone who will stay through the good times and the bad, not just one or the other. I want to be wanted. I don't want someone to just stay with me because they feel bad leaving. It doesn't have to be a perfect relationship- I don't care if we argue or bicker sometimes, because that is what makes it real. Arguments are what let you know that a relationship is working. So if you really want to know what I want… than you should know that I am looking for someone who is patient enough to see things through to the end. I don't think that is too much to ask for."

Her cheeks were damp by that point, her heart rate spiking. That conversation was the one that Deeks had been anticipating; the one that had been years in the making. It was probably of equal importance to the talk they'd had when they first said that they loved each other, and far more important than the talk they'd had back at OSP.

Kensi was telling him what she really wanted- what she'd been looking for all along. And finally, he understood.

Deeks wound one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side, leaning back on the couch.

"I can be that. We can be that, Kensi. I promise," Deeks whispered into her hair.

For what seemed like the first time in her life, Kensi was one hundred percent certain of something. Rarely did that ever occur- a situation where Kensi knew without a shadow of doubt that Deeks was telling the truth. That he meant what he said.

She nodded and grinned, glancing down to her lap. "I know."

"Promise?" Deeks asked, hoping to get conformation on what he'd just heard.

"Yes Deeks," Kensi said, coming to rest her head on his chest. "I promise."