Where Words Fail, Music Speaks Chapter 12: Highway Don't Care (Tim McGraw), a ncis: los angeles fanfic

Bet your window's rolled down and your hair's pulled back
And I bet you got no idea you're goin' way too fast
You're tryin' not to think about what went wrong
Tryin' not to stop 'til you get where you goin'
You're tryin' to stay awake so I bet you turn on the radio

Deeks sighed as he watched Kensi storm out of the house, get into her car, tying her loose hair back into a tight ponytail. She peels out of the driveway in the direction of the freeway. It's dark, late, and they've just had a huge blowout, ending with Kensi halting the argument abruptly and leaving the house.

It was silly, really. Deeks had asked her to move in with him. Apparently Kensi had thought it was too early. She still felt they were moving too fast. So essentially, this fight was about the same thing they fought about all the time. Deeks was ready, Kensi was not. Deeks wanted her to be, and kept pushing, and so it was more of his fault that this particular fight had happened.

Deeks moved away from the window long after Kensi's car had disappeared from the drive. He could almost picture what she was doing. Hands gripping the wheel tightly, windows rolled all the way down, whipping chill night wind through her ponytail. The radio was probably blasting loudly, as she flew down the highway at a much faster speed than she should have been going.

And the song goes

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, hm baby

Kensi grit her teeth as she stomped the gas pedal down to merge onto the highway. Deeks was moving way too fast, and she wanted him to slow down! He never listened to her. She wasn't ready to move in! Didn't he know she'd had her heart broken too many times to be moving this fast so soon? She shakes her head to clear it and turns up the radio louder.

The highway won't hold you tonight
The highway don't know you're alive
The highway don't care if you're all alone
But I do, I do
The highway won't dry your tears
The highway don't need you here
The highway don't care if you're coming home
But I do, I do

I bet you got a dead cell phone in your shotgun seat
Yeah, I bet you're bendin' God's ear talking 'bout me
You're tryin' not to let the first tear fall out
You're tryin' not to think about turnin' around
You're tryin' not to get lost in the sound

Deeks knew her phone would be in the passenger seat, either with a dead battery or the ringer turned off, and her radio would be too loud to hear it anyway. He called her anyway, many times, before giving up. She was probably shouting and ranting about him, how he wanted everything to be perfect, and all that. But he knew deep down Kensi wanted it too, she just wasn't ready to trust.

He knew she'd be trying not to cry, and she'd be fighting an internal war. Turn around or keep going?

But that song is always on
So you sing along

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby, oh baby

After Kensi had winded herself yelling about Deeks, she started to pay attention to the radio station and the song playing. She began to subconsciously sing along, before letting the lyrics sink in. "I can't live without you, baby..."

A part of her wanted to turn around, the other half wanted to keep going. And she couldn't decide which half to follow.

Kensi listened to the words, realizing that it might as well be Deeks singing this to her instead of Tim McGraw. "The highway don't care if you're alone, but I do..." And it's suddenly a wake up call, like a bucket of ice water is dumped on her head, and Kensi is slamming on the brakes, changing lanes, and flying down the first off-ramp she sees.

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, oh baby

The highway don't care
The highway don't care
The highway don't care
But I do, I do

Deeks sighed, heading to his bedroom to change and settle in for a night alone. He was sad, and upset. That stupid freeway didn't care that Kensi was hurting, alone, and needing someone right now, and neither did the people on it. They didn't care she needed someone to hold her, to be with her, but Deeks did. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"Send her back, God, please," he prays quietly. "Please."

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby (the highway don't care)
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, oh baby (but I do, I do)
I can't live without you (the highway don't care)

"Deeks!" He hears a shout and he goes running to the door to see Kensi flying into his arms, the front door wide open letting in the night air. She slams into his chest with such force it knocks the wind from him, but he doesn't care, just wraps his arms tightly around her. "I'm sorry!" she whispers into his chest. "So sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Deeks murmurs into her hair, cupping her face in his hand.

"I wasn't going to come back, and then this song came on, and I couldn't stop thinking about ehat it was saying, and I realized it was true and I just couldn't go any further, so I turned around!" Kensi rambled in a very un-Kensi like way. "Can I stay?"

Deeks smiled wide, tears springing to his eyes. "Of course you can." He gathers her tightly into his side as they head into the house.

The highway don't care, the highway don't care
(The highway don't care) I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
But I do, I do
(The highway don't care) the highway don't care (the highway don't care) the highway don't care
I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby, oh baby (but I do, I do)

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby