Chapter 21.
Deeks woke early, sitting in the bed, watching Kensi asleep.
They hadn't slept together,(Although one day maybe, he hoped.) But they had talked late into the night and she had fallen asleep, fully clothed on his bed. He leaned over and moved a lock of hair that had fallen over her face and smiled as she turned over and blinked looking at him. "Morning."She smiled.
He leant over and kissed her, "Good morning, I have to get up and get some packing done, before Dave gets up." He said and climbed out of bed.
"Do you feel better about it all now?" Kensi asked as she sat up.
"About going on?…or us?" Deeks asked as he put his case on the bed and opened it.
"Both I guess." Kensi responded.
Deeks smiled, "I feel….calm…you know, more centered than I have in a long time, it's like the morning after a storm, where everything is washed clean, you know there is some clearing up to do, but it's nowhere near as bad as the storm the night before…D'ya know?"
Kensi nodded, "I get it…"
Deeks sat on the bed and cupped her face in his hand. "For so long, I've been afraid to be me, I've always felt responsible for other people's mistakes, but I have admitted mine, I know my weaknesses and I'm not alone anymore, I know my strengths." He said looking deep into her eyes hoping that she realized when he was talking about his strengths he was, in fact, talking about her.
"So, what happens next?" she asked.
Deeks put the last of his stuff into his bag and zipped it closed. "Dave and I will leave for the center today. I get off the last of these meds, a few more sessions with Bryan and then Hasta la Vista baby!" he grinned.
Kensi rolled her eyes.
"You know what you're going to do afterwards?" She asked, they hadn't talked about if he would go back to LAPD or join NCIS or something else.
Deeks shrugged, "I don't know…I'm not really worried about it, if I can't go back, that's ok. I understand if Hetty doesn't trust me back on the team, "
"She said you could go back and that she wanted to work with you again," Kensi gently prodded.
Deeks smiled, "I know what she said, but I know I will have to pass the psych evals, if I can't do that I can see a surf shack in my future,"
"You'll be fine, I need my partners watching my back."
Deeks sighed with a smile, "Kenzalina, no matter what I am doing, I will ALWAYS watch your back."
She raised an eyebrow at him, her face a slight smirk, "You know that is incredibly….."
"Brave, Sweet, Heroic…" He offered.
"CREEPY!" She finished with a small laugh.
He laughed with her, she, as usual was right. The door knocked and he looked up as Dave came in with his hand over his eyes.
"You guy's naked?" He called out smirking.
"Nope all dressed." Deeks affirmed as Dave lowered his hand.
"Darn." Dave said smirking under his breath and ducking as Kensi chucked a cushion at him.
"OK so you all packed?" He asked.
Deeks nodded, "We gotta go now?" he asked a small waver in his voice.
Dave smiled, "I think I'd be lynched if we left right now." He told Deeks. He grabbed Deeks' case and headed for the door, "I think you need breakfast first."
Deeks nodded; hopefully they'd eat and get out before the others woke up.
Walking into the kitchen, still holding Kensi's hand both unwilling to let go until they had to Deeks stopped. He'd smelled food on the way down the stairs and he had assumed that Callen was the one up, maybe making him something to eat. What he didn't expect was the fully laden dining room table, with all manner of breakfast foods on it, and everyone sitting around waiting for him.
Monty trotted up and licked Deeks' hand nudging him towards the table; Deeks leaned over and threw the dog a sausage off a nearby platter.
"Morning." Sam smiled.
"What's going on?" Deeks asked.
"Breakfast silly." Jen replied smiling at her brother.
Deeks rolled his eyes and sat down next to her, "No, really!"
"Mr. Deeks we couldn't let you go back to finishing your treatment at the center without you having a good family breakfast." Hetty told him.
Deeks felt the lump in his throat at her words. He gave a shaky smile and sat down. Sam shot Callen a look at the sight of the two junior agents holding hands, but Callen wisely said nothing.
They all ate happily talking about anything and everything, except the fact that Deeks was yet again leaving.
Jen and Sarah cleaned away the breakfast dishes. The others sat drinking coffee, "What time do you need to leave son," Jeff asked.
Deeks looked at his watch, "I have to leave in about an hour, to make it in time for tonight's meds and check in."
"Are you all packed?" Carl asked.
Deeks nodded, "Kensi helped me earlier." He admitted.
He got up and walked to the large French doors that opened to the back patio. "I'm gonna miss this place." He admitted.
Carl walked up behind him, "You will?"
"Yeah, this has been an important place for me, kinda let go of the old and embraced the new sort of place." He replied.
Carl put his hand on Deeks' shoulder, "I am so proud of you, Marty, I have a question to ask…feel free to say no…but…"
"What is it Grandpa?" Deeks asked.
"When you come out of rehab and come home, for a while, would you like to stay with me…I mean I have things of your mothers, and I was wondering if you would like to spend some time, just you and me, looking through them?" he waited not knowing how his request would be taken.
Deeks walked outside the doors, savoring the fresh morning air and looking over the view of Las Vegas that he had from here. He walked to the edge of the pool and stared at the sunlight in the rippling water.
"Grandpa, I…I think I would like that…maybe just for a while, I'd like to know more about my mom, the kind of person she was before….before…" He turned away as Carl put his hand on his grandsons shoulder and turned him into a hug.
"I would like that too, maybe you could show me some pictures of you growing up, things from your childhood that mean a lot to you, I would like to catch up on those things with you….and you'll have to bring Monty, I think he's missed you enough already, and I kinda like him," Carl admitted with a wry smile.
Deeks hugged his Grandpa, "I'm gonna miss you," he said quietly.
"It's a week son, I'll be there probably with the whole of this lot to collect you and bring you home."
Deeks looked away hiding the traitorous tears that threatened to fall at his grandpa's words, 'they're going to bring me home,' he said to himself.
"COME ON ROCK STAR!" Dave called grinning from the house.
Deeks chuckled at his 'minder' slash friend. "I'm coming sexy!" he laughed.
Dave blushed and burst into laughter, "If you weren't straight, you'd be dangerous, now we have to get these bags packed. So gimme a hand." He said.
Deeks all worry about leaving forgotten picked up the bags and threw them into the car.
By the time he had finished everyone was gathered around the car, Sarah holding baby Ali, Jen leaning against Callen for support, Sam and Jeff standing next to Kensi and Carl and Hetty at the edge of the group.
Deeks looked up and realized this was it; he had to leave them again. "I….I suppose…I have to be going…" he swallowed not wanting them to worry, but unable to dispel the lump in his throat.
He gave them a shaky smile as Sarah and the baby came over and hugged him, "Take care Marty, we'll see you in a week." She kissed him on the cheek and he gave her a kiss back and kissed the baby on the forehead, "Take care of your momma." He whispered to his cousin.
Jen and Callen walked over, Callen had his arm draped over Jen's shoulder, and Deeks raised an eyebrow, "Something you wanna tell me?"
Jen rolled her eyes, "Please!" she laughed, Callen let out a small laugh too, "He's just been keeping an eye on me."
Both gave him a hug too, "See you soon Jell-O." Jen said to him.
Callen gave him a pat on the back and moved back so that Carl and Hetty could come over, "See you in a week son," Carl said and hugged his grandson. Hetty patted his arm in a motherly gesture, "You work on getting well and we will see you in a week Mr. Deeks." Deeks nodded he couldn't keep the smile on his face.
Then he turned to the last three, Sam, Jeff and Kensi.
Sam shook his hand, "See you in a week Deeks, try not to send everyone there crazy." He joked. Deeks gave a small smile and pulled Sam into a man-hug, "See ya big guy." He replied.
Jeff held his arms out and Deeks held him tight. "I'm gonna be ok Dad." He whispered in Jeff's ear.
Jeff stepped back a huge grin splitting his face, "You know son, I think you really are." He agreed with him.
Kensi stood and looked at him, holding her arms around herself in a comforting gesture, "Kenzalina…." Deeks grinned. He held open his arms and she ran sobbing into them, annoyed with herself that she was showing so much emotion.
"I'm gonna miss you." She sniffed hiding her face from the rest of the team.
Deeks stepped back and cupped her face in his hands, leaned in and in full view of his team, he kissed her.
Breaking free he stepped back as she shot an embarrassed grin in his direction, "That should keep you going." He said cheekily.
Hetty shot him a glance as Kensi stepped back.
Deeks grinned, "OK folks I'm off, See you in a week yeah?" he laughed as he got in the car.
Dave shot him a look as they pulled off; Deeks was still grinning and waving as they drove down the driveway.
The second they drove out of sight Deeks face fell and he dropped his head in his hands.
"Oh, God…What am I gonna do?" he groaned.
Dave shot him a looked but kept silent, as he watched his charge slowly retreat back into himself again. He sighed and kept on driving.