A/N: Takes place sometime after Kensi and Deeks got together. Be prepared for some angst.
"Ow!" Kensi hissed between her teeth as she hugged her dislocated elbow against her body with her other arm. Deeks carefully helped her climb onto the examination table in her assigned cubicle.
"I'm so sorry, baby," he murmured, brushing her uninjured shoulder with the tips of his fingers. He was watching her with obvious concern and she saw his eyes dart up to her face.
"It's not your fault," she assured him again. The same guy who was responsible for her dislocated elbow, had also done a number on her face. Although she hadn't gotten a look at it, she knew it couldn't be pretty. The left side of her face felt swollen and her nose felt puffy and tender. Then there was a dried blood coating the lower half of her face.
"I should have stopped him." Deeks shook his head, muttering to himself as he rearranged the ice packs the ER had given her. They were thin and inadequate, but at least they provided a small amount of relief.
"How? You had your own guy to fight."
"I don't know," he said, shaking his head again. "But I don't feel like a very good–"
"Everybody decent?" a female voice interrupted, pulling aside the curtain that surrounded the cubicle. "I'm Doctor Erin Lorenzo, Miss Blye," she introduced herself, nodding at Kensi as she wrote something down on her clipboard. She glanced at Kensi again, then at Deeks. She was fairly tall with short black hair and a no nonsense air about her.
"I'm Marty Deeks, her partner," he offered and Dr. Lorenzo nodded.
"I see. Marty, can you step outside for a minute?" she asked. "I'd like to ask Kensi some questions." His hand froze on Kensi's shoulder and he quickly withdrew it. If Kensi had been in less pain, she might have noticed how his eyes suddenly shuttered and he refused to make eye contact.
"I'll grab a coffee," he said, dropping a kiss on Kensi's forehead. He scooted past Dr. Lorenzo and she closed the curtain once more. She sat down on a chair and turned to Kensi with a serious expression.
"Miss Blye, I took a look at your record before I came in and I noticed you have a history of injuries. Broken bones, sprains abrasions, bruises."
"I have a physical job," Kensi said through her teeth. She really needed some damn pain medication if she was expected to engage in chit chat. Doctor Lorenzo tapped Kensi's knee, her expression sympathetic.
"I know how hard it can be to talk about this kind of thing, especially when you're scared of the repercussions," she said and Kensi frowned.
"What repercussions?" Now Kensi was starting get really annoyed. She wanted the doctor to pop her elbow back in its socket as soon as possible so she could go home and cuddle up with Deeks and Monty.
"Domestic abuse is not uncommon and it's normal to feel scared or embarrassed." Kensi's mouth dropped open as Dr. Lorenzo continued, "We have many resources available."
"You think Dee–I mean Marty–did this?" Kensi asked incredulously. She gestured to her face. "I got this fighting off a criminal twice my size,"
"You don't need to make excuses for him anymore," Lorenzo assured her, squeezing her knee.
"I'm not lying for anyone," Kensi said, suddenly overwhelmed with rage. "I work in law enforcement and I get injured pretty frequently. Deeks definitely did not hurt me. He never has and he never will." Lorenzo nodded, but didn't look convinced. "He would never hurt me," she repeated.
It hadn't occurred to Kensi why Dr. Lorenzo wanted her on her own. Somehow she thought Deeks had known immediately.
"Can I come in," Deeks asked from outside the cubicle. The doctor looked at Kensi once more and then pulled the curtain aside. Kensi tried to catch his eyes as he came in, but he was avoiding looking at her still.
"Yes, you can come in Mr. Deeks," the doctor said, eyeing him again. There was a lingering suspicion in her eyes and Deeks looked down at the floor.
"They were all out of coffee so I got you some hot chocolate." He offered Kensi the small, warm cup and she set it to the side, her attention focused on him.
"I'll be right back, I just need to grab a few things."
"Deeks–" she started to say as soon as Dr. Lorenzo left. "Are you ok?" He shrugged, still avoiding her eyes.
"I'm not the one who got beat up today," he pointed out. Kensi sighed and gestured for him to come over. He did so reluctantly. When he was directly in front of her, Kensi tilted his chin up. His eyes were filled with pain. "Oh, baby," she murmured, tugging him against her with her good arm. "I'm so sorry that happened. If I'd known why she wanted you to leave, I would have told her no."
He shrugged, trying to brush it off, like Dr. Lorenzo's assumptions weren't killing him.
"It just reminded me of when my mom would go to the hospital. She always had an excuse for the bruises and injuries. I don't know if anyone believed her, but they certainly didn't ask questions."
"But this situation is different," Kensi said, squeezing his hand. "You're not like your father."
"Yeah, but she doesn't know that," he reminded her, gesturing to beyond the curtain. "Honestly, if I saw a woman come in with a bunch of bruises, I'd probably think the same thing. I'm glad she asked you."
Kensi brushed his hair off his forehead, feeling an overwhelming wave of affection for him. She leaned up to kiss him.
"You're a good man, Marty Deeks. I love you." He tugged her closer and buried his head in her shoulder.
Dr. Lorenzo found them five minutes later, still embracing and with tears running down their cheeks.