Kensi eyed Whiting, who was wearing a smirk, distrustfully.

"Don't you trust me?" The Internal Affairs Detective asked mockingly.

God, she really hated this woman

"Not as far as Nell could throw you," Kensi practically spat back.

Ignoring the woman for as long as she possibly could, Kensi went back to watching her partner worriedly. She didn't even pretend that she wasn't, she knew Deeks could feel her gaze. He had responded by giving her reassuring looks and cheery grins bit she knew better. He was on edge, really on edge. Like, I-know-I'm-going-to-be-attacked level of on edge.

It was pathetic. These were meant to be his colleagues. People he could trust with his life. Deeks was a good Detective and fantastic friend, he didn't deserve to be treated like crap. Kensi knew some of the stuff they put him through, normally when he was feeling low or the team had managed to drag him out of an unpleasant situation (which didn't happen too often, only when he'd been identified as a cop) that he'd felt was hopeless. The fact that he'd come to not expect any help was heart-breaking for Kensi, she couldn't imagine not being able to depend on her team if they were there. Thankfully, he'd gotten better over the years, trusting them to have his back and pull him back when necessary but it was still a work in progress sometimes.

"What did you guys do to get forced into this," Whiting asked, sounding uncaring of the answer.

"More like what you lot did," Kensi retorted, turning her back to her (instincts screaming but she really couldn't stand to look at her at the minute, she promised Hetty no maiming).

Whiting gave her a confused look and appeared to try and question it when Nadine thankfully spoke up.

"Everyone ready?"

Only mumbles in reply.

"Fantastic! When you're ready!"

Seriously, no one should be that chirpy. She was worse than those yoga bunnies Deeks found a few years ago.

"Let's get this over and done with, Blye," Whiting said impatiently.

Kensi gave her a doubtful look, "Yeah, no. I literally just dropped you to the ground. I'm not stupid. And you're pissed that you didn't get to do it first."

"Everything true but I seriously want to get out of here before my retirement package kicks in."

Kensi not entirely sure how to respond to that. She knows it's a hint to get a move on and get the stupid fall over and done with but she just couldn't bring herself to turn her back to the woman. She'd hurt them all enough already when in plain sight.

"Agent Callen, for this exercise to work, you ned to allow yourself to fall into your partner's arm," Nadine exclaimed.

"I know," came the reply from her team lead.

"Then fall already," McHughes growled.

"I'm not ready yet," Callen said calmly, looking calm and in control unlike McHughes.

That shade of purple really didn't make him look attractive. Kensi took a quick glance around the room. Looks like everyone except her, Deeks and Callen were done. She snorted, they were the least trusting of them all so it made sense. Though, she was confused how Sam managed not to end up n the floor. The weight of him…

"You can't rush trust," Nadine scolded McHughes, who now looked like a sulky child.

"Bye, go," Granger instructed with his patented glare.

"I'm not ready either?" she tried only to get a sterner glare in return.

Sheesh, okay, okay. She was doing it.

"You better catch me," she threatens Whiting.

"Whatever," but she does hold her arms out stiffly.

Kensi hates this, she really does. The LAPD are frustrating, she's worried about Deeks (who was actually goofing around with his partner), the gym smells funny and she's hungry. She could also still see the tension around Deeks' eyes, despite his current idiocy. That needed to change.

"Bet I can do it faster," she challenged him.

His eyes glinted knowingly, not entirely oblivious to what she was trying to do. But he was game for it. Neither of their partners looked thrilled.

"I have pure muscle mass on my side," he taunted.

"I'm closer to the ground."

"You're both ridiculous," Whiting snapped.

"Thought you wanted this over and done with?"

"I don't see you actually doing anything about it."

"Oh, yeah? Watch me."

"Hey, it's a race remember!" Deeks said, scrambling to get himself into position.

Detective McBride was giving him suspiciously cautious looks.

"On three?"

"One," began Kensi.

"Two" Deeks continued.

"Three!" they finished in unison, both of them falling at the same time.

Surprisingly, Whiting caught her very fast. Kensi opened her eyes as the Detective shoved her back to her feet.

"The exercise works better if you actually let your partner fall," Nadine said disapprovingly as she observed them.

The two women shrugged.

"She did fall," Whiting pointed out.

Kensi nodded vigorously in agreement. No ned to tempt the woman to give her a head injury. Those mats were definitely not soft.

"Well done Detectives Deeks and McBride," Nadine praised pointedly.

Kensi spun around to stare at her sheepish partner. Both men looked oddly passed with themselves and looked slightly shocked that it went well. She smiled at him, feeling very proud.

"I won," she said smugly.

"You didn't do it right," Deeks whined. "We got praise."

"I still won."

"Okay everyone, now that most of us have done the exercise," Nadine paused to glare at Callen, who looked like he really didn't care. "Now we can do our next exercise."

"I keep expecting her to say 'boys and girls' at the end of her sentences," Deeks muttered to her.

"It's called 'Follow the Leader' and is always a big hit," she announced proudly.

"What exactly does it involve?" Callen asked suspiciously.

Kensi wasn't exactly feeling optimistic about this next one considering how nervous Nate looked. It gave her a sinking feeling.

"One of you will be blindfolded and the other will lead you through an obstacle course marked out by cones," she explained, waving her hands over to the opposite end of the room.

Huh, when did they get put there? Wait, did she hear 'blindfolds'?

Nadine rummaged around in her endless bag and produced a handful of silk sleep masks.

"No," the NCIS agents said as one.

"Now, it's all a part of the process."

"No blindfolds," Callen said insistently.