angsty meme prompt from hermionesmydawg - "Please...put it DOWN." Any NCISLA characters
Oops, this prompt is over a month old and oops, I was supposed to be working on the second chapter to Jolly. Oh well.

Takes place between Defectors and Internal Affairs. As usual, I don't own anything.


It takes her a few tries to get the key in the door because she can't steady her hand. She's pretty sure she hasn't stopped shaking since Deeks was handcuffed on the street almost twelve hours ago. Has it really been twelve hours? Kensi thinks to herself as she finally gets turns the deadbolt and steps into the house. She should be exhausted, but a lot of adrenaline and even more caffeine keep her going. She can sleep when he's not in jail anymore.

"Monty, I'm so sorry buddy," she blows out a short whistle for the dog, despite the fact that he's probably sleeping considering the sun is just peaking up over the horizon.

When she turns to the living room, she expects to see the mutt on the couch where he usually spends his time waiting for his humans to come home, except he's nowhere to be seen. And Kensi suddenly finds herself on high alert – her instincts telling her something is off.

Someone else is in the house.

Silently and with the fluidity born of years of being a highly trained agent, Kensi draws her SIG from the waistband of her jeans and quickly clears the living room and eating area as she stalks towards the kitchen. Stepping slowly towards the counter, she falters at the sight of a recently-brewed pot of coffee. What kind of intruder makes themselves coffee?

"Kensi?"

Her head snaps to the now-open back door and she reflexively points her weapon at the unexpected visitor, though she recognizes the voice almost instantly. Intruders might not make coffee, but boyfriends' mothers might.

"Mrs. Deeks." She exhales a deep breath, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. "What are you doing here?"

Unmoving from the doorway and looking just as startled as Kensi feels, Roberta nods hesitantly at the gun still pointed in her general direction, "Could you…please…put that down, hon?"

Kensi lowers the weapon instantly and clicks on the safety. "Sorry, I just…" she shakes her head as if trying to clear her mind. "I thought you wouldn't get in until this afternoon."

She had dreaded making the phone call to Mrs. Deeks, a woman she's only met once before, to tell her about her only child's arrest. And she knew Deeks wouldn't be thrilled that she called her at all, but how could she not? He needed all the people in his corner he could get and Kensi had a feeling she might be needing moral support from someone who loves him like she does.

"I should have called," Roberta says apologetically as she makes her way into the kitchen, drawing Kensi from her thoughts. "I was going to wait until morning but I knew I wouldn't sleep, so I figured I would just drive. I arrived an hour ago and thought you must be sleeping or working to get Martin out and I didn't want to distract you from either. I'm sorry I surprised you."

Kensi smiles softly at the older woman, who is clearly responsible for Deeks' tendency to ramble when thrown off balance. "I have been," she nods, "Working, I mean. Then I realized we never came home to feed Monty or let him out, so I was just stopping by to do that before going back to the office."

"He's been good company."

"He usually is." Kensi looks fondly at Monty as he meanders in from outside, tail wagging more furiously when he sees her.

A brief, strangely comfortable silence settles over them as Roberta busies herself with refilling her coffee mug and then emptying the pot into a travel mug for Kensi. Accepting the coffee with mumbled thanks, Kensi offers up what little information she knows – that Deeks is being charged with the murder of his former partner and that LAPD is being rather tightlipped otherwise.

"Have you spoken to him?" Roberta sounds almost hopeful.

Kensi huffs out a breath in frustration. "No. I don't know if he hasn't been given the chance to call yet or if he had to use his one phone call to get in touch with someone else who could help him."

Roberta shakes her head emphatically, "He'll call you, Kensi. I know my son and I see the way you two look at each other. He knows no one else will fight for him like you will. He'll call you."

As if on cue, Kensi's cell phone starts to ring. Her heart is racing as she reaches into her pocket and frantically fumbles with the phone. Glancing down at the screen, she almost groans when the caller ID doesn't display an unknown number, but rather one she knows all too well.

"It's our boss," she explains dejectedly before connecting the call. "Hetty? Yeah….uh-huh…okay, I'll be back in twenty." Hanging up with Hetty, Kensi stares at the phone for a few seconds afterwards, willing it to ring again, wanting desperately to talk to Deeks.

Roberta's gentle hand on her arm brings her out of her stupor and Kensi gives her a sad smile. "I have to –"

"Go. Yep." She cuts her off, already ushering her towards the front entrance. "I'll be okay here."

Kensi stops and turns to her when they reach the door, "You call me if you need anything, okay?"

Roberta nods absently, and when her gaze meets Kensi's, her expression is sad and fearful. "I just need him out of this mess. I need to know he's going to come home."

Kensi quickly diverts her eyes and steps towards the door, wanting to get away before the same trepidation she hears in his mother's voice surfaces in her own mind and wipes out the determination and fury that have been fueling her. She lets out a shaky breath as she reaches for the door handle and allows herself one fleeting moment of commiserating uncertainty. Looking back to the older woman, the emotions on her face mirroring Roberta's, Kensi swallows hard, "That's what I need, too."