Note: Apologies for the delay, I've been battling internet connections issues at home. Thanks to all who have read, favorited, alerted, and/or reviewed. It means a lot and I appreciate the motivation to keep going. There's a bit of Deeks family quiet time ahead, but don't get too comfortable. That calm before the storm phenomenon? Yep. All mistakes are completely mine, though I tried to catch what I could. Thanks for reading, and for reviewing if you do.


Climbing the steps to the master bedroom, Deeks paused in the doorway, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth and his heart swelling gratefully at the sight of Kensi, relaxed in their bed with Hailey and Kyle flanking her on both sides. They'd gotten home a few hours earlier and Deeks had ordered Kensi to bed, and had told Hailey and Kyle to leave her to rest. After Liam had gone out to get food, Deeks made hot chocolate with marshmallows for Kensi and green tea for himself. He should have realized with how quiet it was in the rest of house that Hailey and Kyle weren't leaving Kensi alone.

At first he'd been ready to lecture his sister and son about bothering Kensi when she was resting, but his eyes shifted over Kensi and he saw how relaxed she was, how she had an arm around Hailey, who rested her head on Kensi's shoulder and stared up at her with almost unblinking, serious brown eyes. And he watched as Kensi stroked her fingers through Kyle's messy brown hair from where his head was pillowed on her stomach and Deeks knew Kensi was getting exactly what she needed to recuperate.

"Why did someone hurt you?" Kyle asked, his voice quietly confused. He turned his eyes and question to Kensi, his face on the edge of upset over the thought of his mother hurt. Hailey reached out, her fingers smoothing over Kyle's arm to try and soothe him.

Kensi was calm in her answer, her voice firm and confident. Deeks and Kensi had both learned with Hailey that even if they weren't completely certain about something, the outward appearance of confidence was what sold it. Even the most self-assured children, which Kyle was in spades, needed adults to reassure them in an uncertain world.

"I've told you before that in my job I try and help people, right?" With Kyle's nod, Kensi continued. "Sometimes people want things that will hurt someone else to get it. They sometimes don't think about other people's feelings, or what it means to hit someone, they just think about money or whatever it is they want. Sometimes helping people means I have to stop those kinds of people from doing those bad things. And sometimes it means they get angry at me because I stop them."

"But why do you have to help people? Why can't someone else do it?" Kyle pressed. Deeks took a deep breath, hearing the earnest desire to protect in his son's voice. Kyle was tenacious in his desire to keep Kensi away from harm, something Deeks could be proud of and understand completely.

"It's not just me, Kyle. Your Uncle Cody helps people too. And David and Liam, and all the police officers, firemen, and soldiers out there."

"Dad was a police officer and he helped people, too."

Kensi laughed softly, knowing the history Kyle insisted on proudly pointing out all too well. "He did. He helped people when he was a cop, and when he and I worked together. And as a lawyer he helps people now, kids your age and kids who need someone to fight for them in different ways than I do. There has to be enough people out there helping people, sometimes in hundreds of different ways, to outweigh the bad people."

"So without you there aren't enough people out there to help?"

Kyle's question stopped Kensi cold. Deeks watched her consider it, awareness dawning slowly in her eyes. She smiled warmly at her son, keeping her voice light even as Deeks could tell his simple question had rattled her.

"Don't worry, there are lots of good people out there. I'm not that important."

"You're important to us." Kyle was quick to point this out. And Deeks saw where Kyle's thought process had led him. If Kensi wasn't that important to the masses of the world, but she was important to her family, she shouldn't be in a situation where they might lose her. Deeks could tell by the flash in Kensi's eyes and her quick intake of breath that Kyle's innocent statement had unintentionally stabbed at the shadowy guilt Kensi felt about being away from her family, about putting herself at risk to save others.

Before that day Deeks would have argued it was a slim possibility that anything would happen to Kensi, that the loss of her was unlikely and shouldn't be dwelled on. But he realized that he'd grown complacent over the last decade. They both had. Listening and watching as she'd nearly been killed had brought it starkly into reality that it was a much greater possibility than he wanted to admit. And watching as Kensi leaned over to kiss Kyle's forehead, her lips smiling although her eyes were troubled, Deeks saw that the same thoughts were now tumbling through her mind.

Watching his family, he listened to Kensi's low murmur as she asked Kyle about his day, effectively distracting the boy from focusing too much on asking about her injuries or further worrying over her. Letting his serious questions pass, Kyle's voice ebbed and flowed as he touched on different events from the day, his voice rising ecstatically with how he and Hailey had spent the afternoon surfing. Over Kyle's head, Kensi shared a long look with Hailey, thanking her for distracting Kyle while Kensi had been in the hospital. Hailey's wide eyes held a lifetime of worry too heavy for someone so young, but she glanced from Kensi to Kyle, her face softening fondly for the boy who was like a little brother to her.

Without interrupting the conversation, Deeks lay down next to Kyle, handing Kensi her mug and cradling his against his chest. He ruffled Kyle's hair and the three of them listened silently as Kyle continued to talk about the ocean and the waves, and when Liam had come later in the day to toss a football around. They all three knew the careful orchestration it had taken to keep Kyle busy and distracted about what was happening to his parents, and Deeks hoped their son never understood all the details of what was kept from him. Glancing at Hailey, he briefly wondered how much Liam had told her. With the tight way she was tucked up against Kensi like a barnacle, Deeks had a feeling she knew far more than Liam was technically allowed to share.

"Hey guys, who wants ice cream?"

From the doorway of the bedroom, Liam temptingly held up several pints from their local creamery. Liam looked a little uncomfortable being so deep within the Deeks household, but Hailey's immediate grin in his direction had him visibly relaxing. Kyle leapt up from the bed, immediately circling around Liam, but looking back to Deeks and Kensi for permission.

"Alright," Deeks conceded, continuing when Kyle excitedly pumped his fist in the air. "But we're not making a habit of this. And make sure Hailey helps you with how much."

"Thanks, Dad! Hailey, come on!" Kyle exclaimed, coming around to the other side of the bed to pull Hailey away from Kensi. Hailey bit her lip and looked worriedly at Kensi, and then back at Kyle, who could almost always convince her to do anything when he pleaded with her.

"Go on," Kensi urged quietly, squeezing Hailey's shoulder as permission for her to leave. Hailey finally went, giving Deeks a stern look as she passed to follow Kyle downstairs.

"Take care of Kensi, Marty," Hailey ordered seriously. Liam was grinning from the bedroom door, his blue eyes dancing as he watched Hailey. When Hailey came close enough Liam circled his arm around Hailey's shoulders, pulling her flush against him as he guided her down to the kitchen.

Kensi laughed softly, easily falling against Deeks' chest, her head tucking under his chin and her ear resting directly over his heart. Her arm went across his stomach, her fingers tucking under his side and hugging herself close to him.

"You better watch out for her, she's a force to be reckoned with," Kensi murmured.

Mildly affronted, Deeks chuckled and shook his head. "It's strange to me that my little sister is giving me orders about looking after my wife. It's like she doesn't trust me."

"She just worries a little more than she should, you know that. She trusts you more than anyone. But she also knows what it's like to have her whole world turned upside down, so she's constantly waiting for that to happen," Kensi replied. Deeks nodded, rubbing his chin on Kensi's head, realizing she was exactly right. Hailey's behavior could have been written off as immaturity or being a drama queen for a young woman her age. But it was precisely because of the abandonment and abuse she'd experienced as a girl that she was a little more reactionary and a lot more fearful than might have been typical.

Knowing Liam would look after Hailey and Kyle, and realizing he didn't have even a hint of unease at the thought, Deeks turned his attention back to Kensi. They hadn't talked about what happened with Jack in the hospital.

"I told him I was letting him go, that I was letting go of the past. And I told him I couldn't have him in my life," Kensi said softly, as if sensing the unspoken questions in Deeks' mind. She turned serious eyes to his, the absolute certainty making her gaze strong and unwavering. "And I told him I'm not his anymore, not as a memory and not as the girl he knew. He chose to leave then and I chose to move on."

Deeks felt his heart sing with relief at the certainty in Kensi's voice, at the confidence in her eyes. He'd seen her hesitancy over her choices from the past. He'd seen her second guess and wonder about what could have been. But seeing her finally so sure, not questioning or regretful, it was more than a worried weight being lifted. It was confirmation of what he'd always known about Kensi. She was one of the strongest women he knew, and she was finally coming to believe it.

Lifting Kensi's hand, Deeks turned her arm gently, pressing his lips to the steadily beating pulse point on the inside of her wrist. He let his lips linger there, imagining he could feel the subtle pressure of her blood pumping strength and life through her veins. Kensi's fingers flexed inward and she curled her hand around his jaw, her fingers stroking his beard lightly. Deeks didn't want to move, didn't want to alter the fragile nature of that moment between them. He could feel Kensi's warm body, her softness and strength, pressed against him, keeping him centered on her. It wasn't easy to think about the day she'd had, or what it might mean for them long term.

But as much as he didn't want to think about it, Deeks could tell Kensi's mind was worriedly focusing on Kyle's words, picking away at the suddenly open wound that had been made worse by her close scrape with death earlier that day.

"I think Kyle might be right," Kensi said, her voice a little muffled from where her face rested against his chest, her breath warming the cotton and his skin. "All this time I've been an agent, I know I've helped people and I've served my country. But maybe that isn't what I should be doing anymore."

Staying silent, Deeks let his eyes glance down Kensi's body, along the slope of her arm to the curve of her waist and the gentle rise and fall of her chest and she breathed against him. Every inch of her, from the curl at the end of her hair to the heel of her feet, from her sharp mind to her reactionary heart, so familiar and so precious to him.

"Say something," Kensi whispered. Deeks took a deep breath, disliking the wave of uncertainty that welled up within him.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted. "We figured all this out years ago. I went back to the law and you stayed an agent because that's what we both wanted and what we needed as a family at the time. Hailey needed me safe and away from the dangers of being an agent and you were born to be with NCIS. Has any of that changed?"

Wincing slightly against her bruises, Kensi pushed herself up, her long hair falling in a dark waterfall over her shoulder. Deeks sat up so he could level his gaze on her, brushing her hair behind her shoulder with the back of his hand, marveling at the way the dark brown strands mixed with the golden flecks of hair on his arm.

"Hailey still needs you. She needs both of us. And Kyle does, too," Kensi paused, her eyes casting off into the distance as she fell into a lost silence. When she finally spoke, there was finality in her voice. "I might have been born to be an agent, but I'm not sure that's who I should be anymore."

Deeks stared at Kensi in surprise, shocked at her revelation. Even with the dangers she'd routinely faced, he'd honestly never thought Kensi would want to leave her career as an agent. But she surprised him once again, turning to him with a curious sort of smile.

"I'm starting to think that I could be happy doing something else. It seems like a cliché, that a near death experience has me re-examining things, but I think maybe it's time I step away from being an agent. As long as I have my family, I'd be happy. Maybe—" Kensi paused, taking a deep breath. "—Maybe, if you wanted, we could think about having another baby. Maybe—"

Deeks cut Kensi off with a breathless kiss, capturing her lips against his, her face cradled gently between his palms. Kensi gasped in surprise, the sound quickly turning to a sigh of pleasure as he angled his mouth, pouring love, hope, and passion into the pressure of his mouth against hers. When he finally pulled back, Kensi panted lightly, her breath mingling with his, thickening the air around them. Deeks stared into Kensi's eyes, the brown shades darkening to liquid pools nearly the color of a midnight sky.

"Yes, I want. I want very badly," Deeks managed. Kensi startled a little, then looked concerned.

"If you wanted another child, why didn't you say something before?" Kensi asked.

Deeks shrugged. "I figured it would maybe just happen. Or you'd bring it up when you were ready. I didn't want to push you."

Kensi laughed, shaking her head at him. "It's not just me in this, Marty. We could have talked about this before. If it was important to you, you should have brought it up."

"What we have is perfect. If what we have is ours for the rest of our lives, I'm happy," Deeks said firmly. But then he looked off in the distance, remembering Kyle when he'd been little, and the joy of discovery and deepening love a child brought. "But I love the idea of making our already perfect even more so."

Kensi beamed at him, framing his face with her hands. "So then maybe we'll try and see where it takes us?"

Deeks grinned and raised a suggestive eyebrow. "You know how I love trying."

Kensi laughed again, falling back against him and snuggling into his arms, her hands covering his when they came to rest lowly and warmly on his lower stomach. Her fingers sought and found the strong tendons stretching the skin on the back of his hands, and she traced the veins that disappeared at his wrists.

"You could go back, you know," Kensi said thoughtfully after several minutes of silence. Deeks pondered her words for a long minute, not needing Kensi to clarify what she meant. It was an automatic conclusion, one he'd reached long before she'd said anything.

"I'm not sure I can," Deeks admitted. Kensi craned her neck around to be able to see Deeks' face. He sighed, reaching up a hand to run it through his disheveled hair, buying himself a few seconds before he had to further explain.

"When you were in danger and then after, in the hospital, I exchanged words with Hetty. It became clear in ways I've never realized before that the cost of Hetty's methods for executing a successful mission aren't acceptable to me," Deeks admitted.

"You know she's focused on the outcome and not the collateral damage," Kensi said softly. "And she has her reasons."

Deeks exhaled in frustration, not wanting to pick a fight with Kensi when she was still recovering. Even as everything in him objected to Kensi trying to justify Hetty's decisions that had put her at risk.

"I know all that. I know the greater good speech and I know the good soldier speech. I got it from Hetty and from Cody and I understand it. But I can't accept it," Deeks said stubbornly. "I can't accept it when it's the person I love more than anything else that might have been the collateral damage."

Kensi looked troubled, biting her lip and her eyebrows knit worriedly. "What if I hadn't mentioned thinking about no longer being an agent? What were you going to say about how you're feeling now about my job?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I'd never want to stop you from doing something you love. I just don't want the cost of your career to be you," Deeks replied. "Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, the fact that we both came to this conclusion about the risks being too high at about the same time, just in different ways, that it means something?"

Kensi looked at Deeks for the beat of a long minute, her teeth worrying her lower lip. She nodded slowly, even as the worried shadow in her eyes remained.

"I'm not sure I know who I am if I'm not an NCIS agent," Kensi admitted. Deeks took Kensi's hands in his, lacing their fingers together and squeezing tight.

"Sure you know. You're your father's smart, resourceful daughter who never let anyone stop you from achieving what you set your mind to. You're Robert and Diane Keppinger's daughter too, who you got loyalty and kindness from," Deeks said, lightly kissing Kensi's cheek when she blushed at his words. He pulled back, offering her a lopsided smile. "I'm pretty sure you got your competitive streak from Cody, and you learned what being part of a team meant from Callen and Sam."

Kensi smiled softly as she thought of their old team, her eyes shining brightly and her quick intake of breath the only sign of how the echo of the absence of their departed teammates still lingered.

"The way you, Kensi Marie Blye, have lived through life has taught you to endure and be strong," Deeks said softly, alluding to Jack but not wanting to bring up his name. "And it could have made you closed off and hard. But instead it made you pull in the people who need you, the people who might be a little lost and who need someone to champion for them. You did that for Nell and Rachel years ago. And every single day you've done it for Hailey, something I'll never be able to thank you for."

"Marty, stop," Kensi said firmly. "You don't need to thank me. I love Hailey like she's my sister, daughter, and friend all rolled into one." Kensi blushed furiously, embarrassed by Deeks' words of praise. "You're being ridiculous—"

"So what?" Deeks asked, leaning in close to kiss Kensi's other cheek. "Can't I be ridiculous about the woman I love?"

Kensi sighed, lifting her chin as she fixed him with a steely gaze. "Fine, but get one thing straight, alright? It's Kensi Maria Blye Deeks. And I wouldn't be anything close to who I am without you."

That fierce and unflinching set of Kensi's head, her swiftness to place her claim and make him every bit as important to her as she was to him, it took Deeks' breath away. He felt the life they'd built around him in the sounds of Kensi's breathing, the touch of her hand and the softness of her skin. He heard it in the echo of Hailey and Liam laughing downstairs, the sound breathing life into the house they'd made theirs. And he realized there really wasn't a way to explain it all except to thank serendipity, the fates, providence, or just outright dumb luck.

Deeks had learned younger in life to never to take anything for granted. But he'd come to rely on certain things always being true. The sun would rise and set, the world would keep turning. And he would always be the luckiest man in the world to have his sister and son, and Kensi as his wife. The fact that she felt the same way about him was something that never failed to nearly knock him over.

Deeks shifted, laying Kensi back on the bed and carefully covering her body with his, mindful of their mutual injuries. He cleared his throat, settling against her and feeling his heart quicken at how Kensi hummed pleasantly, her arms and legs cradling him close.

"So, now that we've both agreed on how awesome we are, how about that baby making idea? They say there's no time like the present," Deeks said conversationally.

Kensi laughed loudly, throwing her head back, her hair a dark cloud on the pillow. The sight was too tempting for Deeks to resist and he leaned down, planting open mouthed kisses up the column of her neck before he pulled back to look at Kensi's face, her eyes sparkling and heated.

"And who says this?" Kensi asked lowly. Deeks tried to think, tried to come up with a clever answer.

"Doctors. People in white coats. Philosophers. People wearing tweed coats with leather elbow patches. What does it matter as long as we presently make this baby thing happen?" Deeks replied impatiently.

Kensi soothed him with her hands in his hair, then smoothing over his shoulders. She smiled at him fondly, shaking her head. "After all these years, you still haven't learned when to be quiet."

"Hey now—"

"Marty." Kensi's commanding voice stopped him. "Shut up and kiss me."

Wisely keeping his mouth shut, Deeks did as he was told.


Over two weeks later, it was mid afternoon when Liam and David stopped by the house in Malibu. Kensi was still at home, almost fully recovered from her injuries, but taking advantage of the liberal leave Hetty was allowing her to take. The time away had also given Kensi the opportunity to think about how she might approach Hetty about switching jobs at NCIS, or potentially leaving altogether.

Kensi had kept in regular contact with her team through Cody, who had insisted things were relatively slow at work and they were handling their casework. After the CIA mission they'd turned back to active NCIS cases. He'd told her not to worry, which was an appreciated sentiment, but almost impossible to do.

David had smiled apologetically at Kensi when she'd answered the door, saying they'd been in the area and had an update on the CIA's mission. As Kensi led her younger agents into the kitchen for drinks, Liam's eyes tracked through the bay window and lingered on Hailey, sitting in the backyard working on a watercolor painting, telling Kensi a slightly different story for their motivation for stopping by.

David took up position next to the kitchen island, facing Kensi, while Liam leaned against the counter, his posture seemingly relaxed even as Kensi saw the lines of tension in his lean body. Liam had always been like that as long as Kensi had known him, outwardly calm and calculating, while inwardly he seemed as tightly wound as a spring, waiting for some kind of inevitable shoe to drop. Kensi knew that kind of behavior indicated someone who constantly expected the worst, was familiar and almost comforted by disappointment, and someone who could only prepare by being ready for an attack around any corner. As with much about Liam, the mystery was about what specifically had made him that way.

"How's Deeks doing?" David asked, distracting her from her thoughts about Liam. Kensi turned her gaze back to Westin, seeing out of the corner of her eye that Liam's attention stayed fixed on Hailey's hair which lifted and dancing in the ocean breeze.

"He's doing much better. He's out of the sling and the bullet wound has mostly healed. He started physical therapy today and was ecstatic that he was cleared for surfing again. He's out there right now," Kensi said with a nod towards the beach. She handed Liam and David bottles of water, pulling out two more when she heard the sliding glass door to the backyard open and shut. Hailey breezed into the kitchen, her face splitting with a shy smile when she saw Liam. Kensi handed her the water, also fixing Hailey with a pointed look to catch her attention.

"Weren't you going to pick Kyle up from soccer practice?" Kensi asked. Hailey turned momentarily dazed eyes to Kensi and Kensi resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her sister-in-law. Hailey was normally fairly level headed, but she seemed to lose a few brain cells when Liam was around. Allowing a glance at Liam, Kensi was glad to see he showed some physical restraint when it came to Hailey, though he'd noticeably brightened and stood up taller when she'd entered the room.

"You're right, I was. And we're going to pick up pizza for dinner," Hailey affirmed. She gulped down the bottle of water and crossed the kitchen, leaning across Liam to grab her car keys on the counter behind him. Kensi couldn't help chuckling as Liam ducked his head almost involuntarily, closing his eyes as he practically buried his nose in Hailey's hair. Hailey straightened and lifted her head so she and Liam were almost the same height. Kensi couldn't see Hailey's face, but she had a feeling she could imagine the smile on her face.

"I could use some company on the drive…"

Liam quickly glanced over at his partner, a slightly pleading look on his face. David sighed and with a mocking shake of his head, gave in.

"Fine, go. I'll fill Kensi in on all the latest. We were pretty much done for the day anyway." Hailey smiled her thanks to David and turned back around to plant a quick kiss on Kensi's cheek before hurrying from the kitchen, Liam close behind her. David called after them loudly, the grin on his face contrary to his annoyed tone. "You owe me a beer for doing your paperwork!"

Waiting until the house was silent after Liam and Hailey's departure, Kensi looked at David, asking a question that had very little to do with Liam as her junior agent and everything to do with Hailey as her little sister.

"What's your read on that? Do you think he's good for her?"

David leveled his gaze on Kensi, his dark eyes nearly unreadable. "I know he doesn't think he is."

"That isn't really an answer to my question."

"He's my partner and he loves her," David said simply. "I'd go as far as saying he's besotted by her. He'd do anything for her, including remove himself from the equation, if he thought it would be better for Hailey."

Kensi sighed, both thrilled and bothered by David's solid assessment. He was the most level headed of her agents and she trusted his rational view of things more than most people's. Hailey was only twenty-two and it was daunting to think she might be in so deep already. Kensi knew from experience that young, powerful love could pack a convincing punch. Despite her concern, Kensi couldn't help the rush of happiness on Hailey's behalf that she felt by David's statement, enough so that she had to press further.

"Besotted?"

David grinned, nodding quickly. "Oh, yeah. He's a smitten kitten."

Kensi chuckled. "I'm sure he'd love to hear himself described that way."

"He wouldn't be able to argue." David shrugged. His expression turning thoughtful, David leaned his palms against the kitchen island. "But in all seriousness, I know how important your whole family is to Liam. It would kill him to endanger what you've become to him. He can't lose another family."

Struck by this, and the knowledge that clearly David knew more about Liam's history than Kensi did, she latched onto the words. "He lost his family before?"

David's face shuttered and he pressed his lips together as if realizing he might have revealed too much about his partner. "I thought you would know. From his file."

"There's nothing in his file," Kensi replied. "Just that he used to be with NYPD for several years. He didn't list family or next of kin."

She didn't add that when she'd asked Hetty for a little more background on Liam when the Operations Manager had recruited him that Hetty had dismissed her request. Hetty had stated that Liam's service record with the NYPD was without fault, and that his time before that was irrelevant to doing his job as an NCIS agent. At the time Kensi had objected, but once Liam had arrived and proved to be an efficient, resourceful, and intuitive agent, Kensi's professional concerns had disappeared. But she couldn't help the present personal concerns. Especially now.

"If you don't already know and Liam hasn't told you, it can't come from me," David said simply and with finality. Kensi narrowed her eyes, wondering if she could order David to tell her. With a sigh, she realized it was doubtful even with an order that David would tell her anything. He might be a former Marine used to the chain of command, but he put loyalty to his partner above all else.

"Fine," Kensi replied, somewhat grumpily. Hearing the clatter of the backyard fence shutting and the following swift footsteps, Kensi turned to see Deeks enter the house from the backyard, his hair still damp from the ocean, board short dripping salt water, and a wide grin lighting up his face. Her grumpiness disappearing in an instant, Kensi grabbed a towel for Deeks from the laundry room. He took it from her, rubbing the towel over himself quickly to dry off, and leaving his hair a tangled mess.

"Hey, David. How's things at NCIS this days? Has the CIA roped you guys into any more missions lately?" Deeks asked, coming over to Kensi's side to lean against the counter next to her.

"Not lately, no. I think we're all a bit wary after the last one," David said wryly. "Hetty heard that Peter Kovalev accessed the satellite tracking data for a military shipment outside of Twenty-Nine Palms earlier this week. He used the access he 'stole' from Ensign Lisa Hale to tell him when and where the shipment would be on the highway. The CIA was watching his access the whole time and they let his team try and ambush the shipment. Caught them in the act."

"What was the shipment?" Kensi asked.

"The CIA wouldn't say and the military is keeping it quiet," David said.

"Quiet from Hetty?" Kensi replied, stunned. David nodded.

"She's trying to find out through back channels. But if the military is keeping it quiet, it must have been pretty top secret. Regardless, Kovalev didn't get it. And Hetty's contacts in Russia are saying the men he promised the shipment to are none too happy about that. He's not going to be very popular if he runs there."

"'If he runs there'? The CIA didn't pick him up?" Deeks asked incredulously.

"They tried, but he almost immediately disappeared. He has private planes and undocumented aliases. And a lot of cash. He's on the run and he'll show up eventually. But he's in the wind right now," David replied. Kensi shifted, uncomfortable about the thought of Peter Kovalev still free, and most likely very angry and some amount of desperate if he was a wanted man by the criminal underworld and the American authorities.

"Any word on Agent Salvay and his cover in Kovalev's operation?" Kensi asked. She felt Deeks glance over at her, but kept her focus on David.

"After the ambush and Kovalev's disappearance Salvay tried to get in contact with Kovalev, but he didn't get any response. Most likely his cover is blown since Kovalev probably figured out pretty quickly things went wrong on the assignment he'd given Salvay's undercover alias," David said. "Last Hetty heard Agent Salvay was pulled by the CIA and he's been sent deep undercover in Eastern Europe to try and get a lead on Kovalev."

"Doesn't that seem like a bad idea, to send him after Kovalev, if Jack's cover is blown?" Deeks asked. David shrugged.

"He spent five years undercover with the guy. He knows him, and a lot of his associates. I think the CIA wants to try anything to catch Kovalev."

Kensi mulled this over, feeling a twinge of concern for Jack, already shoved back into a deep undercover. She couldn't help but wonder if he had back up, or if the CIA even cared what years of undercover, betrayal by the agency, and lack of genuine human emotion and contact had done to Jack. She wondered it he'd been irrevocably damaged. Kensi pushed those thoughts away, knowing there was nothing she could do for Jack now. He'd made his choices and she'd made hers.

David's phone rang and he glanced at the screen, rolling his eyes and answering. "If you're calling to ask what kind of pizza to bring back, you know what I'm going to say—"

The smile on David's face vanished and everything in his body tightened. Intuition tingled down her spine and Kensi immediately stepped closer to David, suddenly needing to hear what was being said on the other end of the line. Pulling the phone down from his ear, David touched a button on the screen to activate the speaker phone.

"Liam, who is following you?"

"I don't know. We picked up Kyle ten minutes ago and were on our way to the pizza place when I noticed the tail. Hailey's driving. We've been trying to lose them—turn right here—but they aren't being shy about telling us they're behind us."

"Call LAPD and have them send a unit to pull them over," David said shortly.

"What, do you think this is my first day on the job? Already done. But I don't think they're going to get here fast enough. Kyle, get in the middle seat, make sure the seat belt is on."

Listening to Liam give orders to Hailey for evasive maneuvers and to Kyle for preparing for a vehicle crash had Kensi leaning towards the phone, her other hand reaching out blindly to grip Deeks' hand. Everything about Liam's voice put her on alert. He was focused, calm, and authoritative. It was everything she'd ever heard when they'd been on countless missions in the past. And it was everything she didn't want to hear when Liam was in a car with Hailey and her son.

"Where are you?" Kensi asked, sensing the helplessness of the question, but somehow feeling as though if she knew where they were that she could get there and do something to get her family to safety.

Before Liam could answer, he swore loudly, which was followed by honking car horns, the roar of an approaching engine, and the loud boom of metal on metal. Glass shattered with a crunch and tires squealed and Kensi felt her heart rise up to gag her throat as she heard Kyle's scared voice yelling for her, so scared and with none of the nine-year-old confidence she was so used to hearing from her son.

Hailey's voice raised over Kyle's, her sudden scream drowning out the sounds of the accident before she fell silent. Next to her, Kensi felt Deeks pull her close, holding onto her like he needed an anchor. Kensi couldn't look at him in that moment, couldn't look for the fear she knew she would see. She knew it would break her.

"Liam, Hailey, Kyle! Somebody say something!" Kensi pleaded, trying not to scream into David's phone.

There was silence for what felt like minutes, but was really only seconds. There were sounds of glass being crushed, strained metal, undecipherable voices and muffled thuds. Kensi heard a low and pained groan, knowing by the deepness of the tone that it came from Liam. Even as her heart raced and made it hard to hear, she could make out the distant sound of sirens over the phone. And then, Liam's voice, loud and clear and full of absolute fury and fear.

"Hailey!"

Kensi reached up a hand to cover her mouth, trying to hold back a sob that wracked her body and threatened to make her collapse. If Deeks hadn't been holding her she would have fallen to the floor. Liam was shouting, his voice broken in a way that only made Kensi's panic rise higher because it was so out of control and unusual for him.

"They took them! Hailey and Kyle. They took them!"


To be continued