Sorry for the cliffhanger I left you with in the previous chapter, and thank you for the wonderful abundance of reviews I've received! You guys always know how to make me smile.

Please review some more! :)

-Hazel

"Jack?"

Kensi's heart involuntarily lurched up into her throat, her breathing becoming staggered.

"Hi."

That was the only word Jack could say, his expression growing weary as his eyes caught on Kensi's glistening diamond ring and protruding baby bump.

"Babe? Who is it?"

Deeks' voice hollered out to her from the other room, but Kensi couldn't bring herself to actually answer his question.

Her mouth was left ajar as she just stared forward, unable to speak or move. The man standing in front of her was definitely Jack- he looked remarkably different, but it was still Jack. She used to consider him somewhat 'ruggedly handsome' when they'd been together, but it seemed like the passing years had caused the handsome part to fade away, only leaving the ruggedness behind.

When he'd heard a voice referring to Kensi as 'babe' Jack cowered slightly, his previously confident stance faltering.

Kensi heard footsteps fast approaching, but she just remained frozen- Jack said nothing more, and neither did she.

"Kensi?" Deeks walked up to her side, his forehead wrinkling into a crease as his eyes shot back and forth between his wife and the complete stranger who was on their doorstep.

"Who is this?" He asked the question cautiously; as something significant was clearly going down- he just had no clue what it what the reasoning behind it was.

Kensi shook her head lightly, trying to get her mind out of the fog it had been thrust into. "This is… Jack."

Deeks immediately narrowed his eyes, hesitating for a split second before he finally realizing why that name rang a warning bell inside of him.

This was Jack: Kensi's ex-fiance Jack. The only man Deeks had already despised before actually meeting.

"You're kidding, right?"

Kensi swallowed hard, still in complete and utter shock herself.

Deeks' appearance and stance shifted immediately. His face contorted from confusion, to anger, to perplexity, before finally settling on anger once again.

"Well you really have some nerve, asshole."

Kensi hadn't known what to expect from Deeks, but when he aggressively called Jack a rather crude name she was taken aback, no doubt. She really didn't mind it though, as over the years she'd chosen to appreciate the fiercely protective side of Deeks, rather than be annoyed by it.

He found no reason to be gentle with Jack- that was the guy who had caused Kensi so much pain over the years. The sole reason as to why she had been weary about getting into another relationship in the first place was standing directly in front of him. He'd wanted to meet the guy for years, solely so he could give him a piece of his mind.

But on that particular day, Kensi's ex-fiance was the last thing that Deeks wanted to see. The facts came flooding back to him rapidly, their substantial weight hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Jack just responded with a glare. "I'm allowed to talk to whoever I want."

From that first sentence, Kensi could already see how it was all going to unfold, and there was nothing she could do to prevent the messiness before it began. His confidence was infuriating to Deeks, who took a step forward- clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.

"Not if I don't want you here."

"What are gonna do man? Call the police?"

Deeks snickered, still pissed but happy that Jack had just unknowingly given him the upper hand.

"I am the police."

Jack didn't even bother responding to Deeks' comment, but instead just turned his attention to Kensi.

"You're with a cop? That's a step down, don't you think?"

Kensi narrowed her eyes- nobody could insult Deeks in front of her and get away with it unscathed. She extended one hand out towards Jack, showing him her palm. "Back off Jack."

Her tone was staunch and firm, but Jack just shrugged- and the minuscule movement sent Deeks into a fit of rage.

"What the hell do you want? Because I'm not okay with-"

"Deeks." Kensi cut her husband off before he could start in on a rant. She turned towards him, placing one hand on his chest. "Give us a minute? Please?"

He certainly didn't want to, but Kensi wasn't really giving him much of a choice in the matter. The situation was escalading quickly, and the large amount of testosterone that surrounded her wasn't helping matters any.

They needed to talk alone first- but after everything was all said and done, she wouldn't hesitate in allowing Deeks to kick Jack's ass if he wanted to.

Her partner might have been visibly aggravated, but Deeks still nodded in understanding, grabbing and squeezing Kensi's hand for a fleeting moment as he leaned forward to drop a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'll be right inside if you need me."

Kensi didn't mind the outward display of affection whatsoever, and returned the favor by tightly squeezing his hand back. Deeks continued shooting daggers at Jack before he dropped Kensi's hand and took his final step back inside.

In one fast and fluid motion, Kensi pulled the door shut and moved out onto the front porch.

Jack was the first to speak- his tone nearly smug after his intensely confrontational conversation with Deeks.

"I see that guy knows who I am."

"Yes, 'that guy' does, and 'that guy' also has a name. And Marty really doesn't like you, so I would strongly advise you not to piss him off."

"I think I already did, Kens."

Jack's comment was truthful, sure, but she didn't care to respond to it. "You need to leave Jack."

"No, we need to talk."

He was being as stubborn as he'd always been, and Kensi didn't care to make eye contact with him. Because in that moment, she loathed him.

So rather than meeting his gaze, Kensi just clenched her jaw and looked over to the line of cars that filled the driveway.

"How did you find me anyways?"

She felt almost violated in a way, and didn't have the slightest clue as to how Jack could've tracked her down after being away for so long.

He almost chuckled, but the situation was far too awkward for the laugh to be genuine. "It took me awhile, you're a hard woman to find. I learned that you're an art curator now... which was surprising, to say the least."

Kensi cringed at the lie she'd grown all too familiar with, but Jack didn't seem to notice and carried on regardless.

"You changed your address, which made things kinda tough. I eventually located you though- there aren't many people named 'Kensi Blye' living in Los Angeles."

Kensi didn't care to make small talk, which was exactly what Jack was trying to do, just so he could avoid discussing the huge elephant in the room. She needed to get her thoughts in order, and she needed to do it fast.

"Fine. But what the hell are you even doing here?"

"I… I wanted to talk, I guess."

Once Deeks had gone inside, Jack's smugness had receded slightly, a much more shy exterior replacing the previous one. He stumbled over his words, eyes suddenly glued to Kensi's stomach. Although he'd tried to avoid staring at it before, there really was no getting around it. She was pregnant- and obviously the guy hadn't realized what he was getting himself into by coming there that day.

Kensi's expression was steadfast as she stared at him, folding her arms firmly across her chest.

"The time for talking is over. And it has been over for a long time."

He raised his eyes up to meet hers, pointing weakly at her stomach. "So you're… um-"

"Pregnant? Yes, I am." Kensi lifted her left hand, tapping her wedding band twice. "Pregnant and married."

Jack almost looked annoyed more than he looked sad. "Well… that certainly changes things."

She was already confused along with a whole other mess of various emotions- so Jack's vague and poorly worded comment wasn't helping matters any.

Kensi knew that he'd come there to try and reconcile things with her, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. It wouldn't have been a possibility even if she hadn't been married though, and Kensi wanted to make that perfectly clear.

"What does it change, Jack? I moved on from you a long time ago. You can't just walk up to my front door- on thanksgiving, of all days, and try to pretend like you weren't a total and complete ass to me. I'm not going to put up with it. Not now, not ever again."

He was silent. Sheepish as hell, and just silent.

Kensi shook her head and looked around the front lawn, wondering how long it would be before Deeks came charging back out the front door, unable to stay away any longer.

"Why did you even come back here? After all these years… you should've just moved on. It's exactly what I did."

Jack paused for a moment, looking back up to Kensi with wide, puppy dog eyes. "Because I still love you, Kens."

She shut her eyes, a strange concoction of mixed emotions bubbling up inside of her. The strongest feeling was an unexpected one though; and it was the one that overpowered all the others: it was a strange, yet still undeniably resounding sense of anger.

Jack couldn't just waltz back into her life after being gone for years, and tell her that he loved her with little or no regard for her current situation whatsoever.

Kensi snorted with fuming laughter. "You jackass! Where the hell do you get off saying those words to me? That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard in my life, and you know it just as much as I do."

Her response wasn't the one he'd been anticipating at all, and Jack quickly retaliated with the same feeling: anger.

"You asked why I came and I told you. What makes you think that I'm lying?"

She wasn't having any of his pleading words. The disbelief of him being there was gone, and Kensi was actually shocking herself by somehow knowing exactly how she felt in regards to the situation.

There was no more amazement, no sense of astonishment that he'd actually come back- she was just pissed that he was ruining her previously pleasant thanksgiving dinner.

"Because you left Jack! I tried to help you get better and you left. You changed. So if you want to know why I think that's complete bullshit, then I'll tell you. I'm happily married and pregnant, which you figured out the minute I opened the door. But even after you see that, you're still going to stand here and say that you're in love with me? That's insane." She took one step towards him, rather aggressively. "Because truthfully Jack, if you really did love me like you claim that you do, than you would just be happy that I am happy."

By that point, tears had flooded into Kensi's eyes, blurring her vision. They weren't sad tears- they were just the type of tears that came when you're so angry and upset that your body had to let the emotions escape somehow. So rather than slapping him across the face, she started to tear up- it seemed like a much more civilized option.

Surprisingly though, even with Kensi's rare display of emotion, Jack wasn't backing off. If anything he was just growing more and more indignant about the situation, which was something he'd always done when things didn't go his way. Maybe it was from the PTSD? Kensi couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she had set something off inside of him. By that point Jack knew that nothing good was going to come from his impromptu visit- and the filter was off.

"You know what Kensi? I don't even give a shit anymore. You can go to hell for all I care."

Deeks had obviously been listening in through a cracked window or something, because when those words left Jack's mouth it was only a matter of seconds before he came charging out the front door.

He couldn't help but practically jump in front of his wife, coming within a foot of Jack's face.

"Okay, no. You're done here." He couldn't bear to see anyone make Kensi cry, especially someone who had hurt her so terribly in the past. "I'm not putting up with this any longer- you can't talk to her like that. You have to leave."

"Is that so?"

Kensi had been afraid Jack would get that way with Deeks- pushy and antagonistic. Her husband was a much better man than Jack was though, and he didn't take the bait.

Deeks wasn't going to have some major outburst in front of Kensi, as he'd done it before and the past experience had taught him how much she hated it when he acted that way. He'd matured over the years, and knew how to communicate with his words rather than his fists.

So instead of yelling or punching the guy Deeks just shrugged, standing up tall with his lips pressed together in a firm line.

"I'm not gonna fight you, dude. There's really no point, as I've already won."

He looked down to his right at Kensi, whose mouth was pulled up into something remotely resembling a smile- Deeks could see her try to internalize it.

In that same instant, Sam and Callen both walked out the front door together, tough guy expressions on.

"Is there a problem here?" Sam asked, his eyes pinned to Kensi, who was happy to answer the question without even turning around.

"No. He was just leaving."

Deeks wound one arm tightly around his wife's waist, and she didn't mind in the slightest.

Jack still hesitated, but as he watched Sam and Callen approach, Kensi could see him swallow hard, his adam's apple bobbing.

Deeks leaned forward just slightly, as if he was going to tell a secret. "I won't hit you in front of my wife, but I don't think they would think twice about it," he whispered, pointing his thumb out behind his shoulder at the two members of their team that were now standing directly behind himself and Kensi, who both nodded in agreement.

Jack could see that he was being cornered, and took what he assumed would be his last chance to make any final remarks.

"Look, Kensi… I really did lo-"

"Okay, now I might hit you."

Deeks spit out the words as he looked up to the dull evening sky, narrowing his eyes to slits as he cut Jack off midsentence. He knew what the guy was going to say, and neither himself nor Kensi could bear to hear it again.

They stood in silence for a short moment before Kensi interjected, her face easily giving away how emotionally exhausted she truly was.

"Just go home, Jack," Kensi whispered, blinking slowly. "It's over."

Those were the only words Kensi had left to say- because it really was over. She was done.

When Deeks came along, slowly any previous feelings that she'd felt for Jack faded away, moving further and further back in her mind until they had all but disappeared.

Kensi never thought about Jack; he wasn't even a blip on her radar. And in that moment, as she stared at him, it was as if the man she once knew had completely withered away. It seemed like all that had been left behind was his body- as if the intellect and gushing personality that he'd held previously was just gone.

Jack heard her words, loud and clear. There was nothing more he could do or say, as he had an inkling that the new man in Kensi's life wouldn't hesitate to slug or shoot him if he said anything else even mildly incriminating.

So Jack folded his arms and nodded, actually doing as he was told for once. He spun around and speedily walked away from them, slipping into his rather beat up car and quickly revving the engine.

Kensi stared after the car as it drove away, eyes glued to its bumper until it disappeared completely from her line of sight.

"You alright Kens?"

It was Sam's voice that pulled Kensi out of her trance. She turned around to look at Sam and Callen, whose expressions were both soft and concerned.

"Yeah. Thank you," she said, running a hand through her hair and giving them a small, totally fabricated smile.

They both nodded and walked away without a peep- both men knew that Kensi and Deeks needed to talk alone.

Once the door was closed again, Kensi eventually moved her eyes over to meet Deeks'- and was quick to notice how awkward he was standing, arms folded across his chest. His facial expression could really only be described as a mixture of sadness, anger, and pride, but Kensi couldn't tell which emotion overpowered the others.

"You okay?"

He just chuckled. "I thought that was my line."

Kensi's voice was merely a small whisper when she spoke again. It wasn't the time for Deeks to diffuse the tense situation with humor, and he was easily beginning to figure that out as his eyes caught on hers.

"Come on Deeks. Please just answer the question."

"I'm fine."

Deeks didn't want her to worry about his well being- Kensi was definitely the one who had taken the worst beating.

She raised her eyebrows questioningly. "I thought the word 'fine' meant that the exact opposite, remember?"

Deeks smiled halfheartedly. "I'm good Kens. Honestly, I'm… good."

She didn't believe him, as his appearance was clearly telling her otherwise. Deeks looked more confused than anything else, like he was still trying to decide how he was supposed to feel in regards to it all.

The confusion was fueled by a single question, one that he was keen to ask. "So, that was your… fiancé?"

He uttered the word bitterly, a strong sense of hatred evident in his voice. Just thinking of Kensi being with someone else gave Deeks a mental image that he never cared to see again.

She nodded uncomfortably and tried to sigh, but it was cut short in her chest- Kensi's heart was pounding far too fast for normal breathing.

"He was," she said, strongly emphasizing the second word. "A long time ago."

Deeks just stared at the ground, widening his eyes and sucking his lips back into his mouth. He wasn't quite sure what to say, as the look on Deeks' face was almost painful for Kensi to see. It seemed as if he was hurt in a way, and it was easy for her to put every ounce of blame on herself.

"I'm so sorry Deeks," Kensi whispered, folding her arms and shaking her head awkwardly. "I- I had no idea that he would-"

"I know," Deeks said quietly, winding both arms around her waist and pulling her close. He rested his chin on the top of her head, exhaling and closing his eyes. "I know."

There was nothing more she needed to say. "You never could've predicted something like this."

Kensi heaved a sigh of relief and closed her eyes- relishing in the fact that he wasn't mad at her. She was already an emotional mess, and after what had just happened there Kensi knew that she wouldn't be able to handle Deeks being upset with her.

"Were you really engaged to that guy though?" Deeks asked, pulling back so that he could see her face, but still keeping both arms wrapped securely around her waist. "He's a complete ass."

Kensi chuckled, unsure of exactly how she should respond to that statement. She didn't want to aggravate the situation, but she also didn't want Deeks thinking that she'd had poor judgment when it came to choosing her love interests in the past.

"Yeah… now. Not then though. Not in the beginning at least." She lifted her arms up, winding them both around his neck. "I don't think I ever knew who he really was though. It was like his filter came off after he got back from deployment. Like he'd been lying to me that whole time."

Abruptly, Deeks realized the extensive damage Jack had done to her over the years. It went much deeper than just 'relationship troubles,' and he was finally seeing that concrete fact. "I'm really sorry Kens."

Kensi smiled half-heartedly and shook her head- she didn't want the sympathy. "I should be the one who is apologizing, not you. For the most part, husbands don't have to deal with crap like that."

He squinted one eye, thinking. "Yeah… for the most part."

Kensi's chin dropped and she swallowed, suddenly feeling exceedingly poor. In only a matter of seconds though, Deeks picked up right where he left off and completed his sentence.

"But, on the other hand, most husbands don't have wives as hot as you. I'm surprised this is the first time something like this has happened. But... we have only been married for five months, so there's plenty of time for more guys to pop up."

Kensi rolled her eyes and smiled- if he wanted to be cheeky, she could play along. "I don't think there will be anymore."

"Yeah, hopefully not." Deeks was wearing a crooked smile, and had regained that glimmer in his eye, the one that Kensi loved so insanely much. "Do you wanna go back inside?"

She stared at the front door for a moment before nodding. "We probably should. I feel bad though... I don't want to ruin anyone's thanksgiving."

"That's ridiculous babe. I mean, what's a holiday without some drama?"

Kensi snorted with laughter. "In our family? Not a holiday."

He grinned at her use of the term 'our family.'

"You're exactly right," Deeks said, grimacing in mock pain. "I almost died last christmas, remember?"

"Then I saved your life."

"And I'm still grateful." Deeks dropped his arms from around her waist, immediately grabbing one of Kensi's hands so he could lead her back inside the house.

"You couldn't let them throw away a perfectly good partner."