Still holding on to Eric Kensi said, "You know I was only teasing before right. Truly, I'm not mad at you for not visiting."
"Yea. Yea. I know." Eric said, still sounding unsure.
"I tease because I love you Eric. And you're right, you probably are like the dorky younger brother, and that's what makes this family complete. I don't know what we'd do without you." Kensi said sincerely.
The two reached in again for one final hug.
"Uh oh. Do I have a reason to be jealous?" Deeks asked as he walked into the armory.
"What, uhh, wha? No? Of Course not. I was…"
"Easy Beale." Deeks said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
Eric let his shoulders relax and let out a breath. "Right. Well, I'll uh, leave you two to it." He said as he began to hop away.
"Eric." Kensi called out to him.
Eric quickly turned on his heel. "Yea?"
"Thank you. Love you."
Eric smiled before holding up the ASL sign for I love you and winking at Kensi before heading out.
Kensi smiled at the interaction before turning her attention to Deeks.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey. How you feeling?"
"Strange. I guess. Just trying to take it all in I guess before I get locked up again."
"Yea." Deeks said sadly.
"I guess we should probably get going back huh?"
"Yea. I don't imagine the doctors and nurses are going to be too happy upon our return."
"Why don't you grab Callen and Sam and make them come with us. They must have had some kind of a return plan. And if not, we can let them take the beat down for us." Kensi suggested.
Deeks smiled. "I like the way you think."
"I'll be back." Deeks called out as he left to go retrieve the other two members of their field team.
Kensi returned her vision to the room around her. She thought about the literal thousands of times she had geared up in the armory, getting ready for some various mission or assignment. The rush she would get and how amped up she would feel when she got to gear up and get tactical. Pulling on her bullet proof vest and her belt and holster was like gearing up for battle. It felt like getting your uniform on and getting ready for a big game. The combination of the adrenaline she would feel and the focus she would get was a feeling like no other. She thought about her process of gearing up, and the satisfying click she loved when she holstered her Sig in her thigh holder while slinging her rifle over her chest. She looked down to the familiar area the thigh holster would normally sit and sighed. She wondered if she would ever be able to put it on again, and what the logistics would be like if she ever were in a position to gear up again.
Kensi had slowly started to believe that she could get better, but her belief that she could ever return to field work was still near nonexistent. She just couldn't see how it could be possible.
As she continued looking around and thinking about all she had done as a field agent she was broken out of her reverie by a soft voice asking, "How are you, my dear?'
Kensi spun around carefully in her chair to see Hetty and Granger entering the armory.
"I'm alright." Kensi smiled. "Just getting ready to head out."
"Well, I'm very glad you were able to come out tonight. Hopefully your next visit won't be too far in the future."
"Me too." Kensi agreed.
"Anything we can do for you before you go?" Granger asked in his gruff voice that sounded gruffer than normal.
Kensi shook her head back and forth. "No. Nothing." Kensi said slowly lowering her gaze towards the floor. "It's all on me." she said quietly.
"And we'll help any way we can." Granger interjected.
"Thank you. But I am good. For now at least."
"Mhm." Hetty said somewhat skeptically. "Well, please make sure you get back safely. And take care of yourself."
"I will." Kensi promised.
Seeing the truth in her eyes, Hetty nodded.
"Can we walk you out?" Granger asked.
"Sure Kensi said. Granger made his way to push the wheelchair for Kensi before she put her hand out to brake the wheels.
Looking back at Granger, Kensi adimatley said, "Thanks, I got it." before putting all her focus on beginning to maneuver herself through the extraordinarily long maze of the mission before reaching the entrance of the bullpen where Deeks had just finished a conversation with Sam and Callen.
"They coming?" Kensi asked as Deeks reached them.
"Yea, they're just grabbing their stuff."
Kensi looked at Deeks questioningly, surprised that they agreed to come.
"I told them we were going to grab some food and invited them to come with us." Deeks said deviously.
"Good idea." Kensi said. After a few moments she creased her brow.
"What? What's wrong?" Deeks asked.
"I know you only said that to them to trick them into coming, but… we are going to stop for food first? Right?"
Deeks held back a laugh. "Of course."
"Ok. Good." Kensi said, sounding relieved.