A/N – Finally managed this one. Hectic, busy and fun times happening and it's only going to get crazier, but here is Deeks episode 2. I do hope it works and you enjoy this little snippet.

Thanks again for the amazing support on this story.

Disclaimer in Chapter 4

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Chapter 21 – Fame

"You know you were a bit rough on Deeks at the club," Kensi commented.

"Why?" Callen glanced up from his dinner to look at her. "Because he was stupid enough to put himself on the line with Hetty so easily?"

"Come on." Kensi looked at him with the look that told him she knew he knew exactly what she was meaning. "He got you the card – which, by the way, you threw him in the lion's den to get on his first day. Then you scare the crap out of him making him think you're going to spend his entire year's wages in one hit."

Callen smirked. "Some people need to learn the hard way. Plus, it wasn't throwing him in the lion's den as much as the lioness and since he's her cub of the day, he was safe."

Kensi raised an eyebrow. "Cub of the day? How do you figure that?"

"Hetty wants Deeks to fit in with the team. She wants to keep him and not as a liaison."

Kensi made a funny sound in the back of her throat that Callen couldn't quite decipher. "Well he'd have to be better in any role other than liaison which, if you remember correctly, he completely failed at," she said.

"True, " Callen agreed, "but aside from that he didn't do that bad."

"He didn't trust you to take that shot in the club."

"He may not have trusted me but he did at least follow orders that time." Callen grinned. "Unlike naming you Fern."

Kensi glared at him. "Don't' you even think about calling me that. He'll pay for that."

"If he comes back," Callen added.

Concern washed over Kensi's face though she tried to hide it quickly. Not quick enough though against Callen's ever watchfulness. "He's growing on you isn't he?" Callen asked.

Kensi shook her head. "No. Maybe…. I appreciate that fact that he save your hide today at the house."

"Yours too. He was part of the rescue team."

Kensi nodded. "Yeah. Look, he was there for all of us. He might not be a fully-fledged member of the team yet, but he at least showed he had some decent potential today."

Callen agreed. "Yep. Very glad he was there to take the shot." He studied Kensi intently. "Though I wish you hadn't been in there alone."

Kensi tilted her head and smiled. "Worried about me were you?"

"Cause I was. Kensi. You could have died." He didn't even want to rehash in his mind the thoughts that went through his head when they realised who she was in that house with. It had taken quite a while for his heart to stop pounding, his mind to stop thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong and the mental struggle he'd had keeping the picture of a dead Kensi out of his head.

Kensi reached across the table and took his hand. "But you were there. So was Sam. So was Deeks. You guys came through for me. I knew you would."

Callen looked at her disbelievingly. "You knew we would get there in time?"

Kensi smiled. "Okay, so you were cutting it fine, but," she looked at him seriously, "I know that you will always do everything you can to come for me. Nothing will stop you and until my heart stops beating in my chest I will always believe that."

"Don't talk like that Kenz, please" Callen begged.

"Why?" she asked. "It's the truth. A very important truth, especially considering how much of our lives revolve around lies. Just the truth, just like I will always come for you."

"It's not that part. It's the you dying part."

"I know it's hard to hear, but given what we've been through, it's not like the thoughts aren't far from our minds is it?"

"I know." Callen managed to stop the sigh from leaving his lips. "I just prefer the idea of us old, grey and sitting on a porch somewhere talking about our great, great grandkids."

Kensi lifted her eyebrows just fractionally. It wasn't like Callen to talk well into the future, but she decided to leave the potential deep and meaningful conversation that could come from a comment like that and go down the teasing route. After all, it had been a rough day.

"Just how old are we talking?" she asked. "And how many great, great grandkids are you thinking about? Plus the deals off if I have to go grey. It's just not my colour."

Callen chuckled. "Okay. Grey is not compulsory."

"Will Hetty be around too?"

"I dare say so. She'll probably outlive us all. No matter how old we get."