Sup y'all! Hope you had a wonderful day because I sure as hell did not. I've got another chapter! Kind of calm before the storm. There. Leaving that open to translation. I'm trying to update once a week, Wednesday night is my night usually. Reviews are always appreciated, in fact, shoutout to Gizmo60! Good point there, I stupidly never considered one very important point you made, and you made my whole Saturday.

KENSI

I groan parking the car and popping my shoulders. It's way past midnight and I just want to sleep.

Dani insisted on going dancing to relieve a little stress, and now I'm exhausted. After the messy meeting that provided a hell of a lot of answers, I just want to debrief and go to bed, but more than likely, I'm going to sleep and then debrief, because I'm not cruel enough to wake the elders up at midnight.

Old fogies need their sleep.

I unzip the high-heeled boots inside of my Camaro with another groan. My muscles are sore and I'm exhausted.

"I can fight for hours and not be sore." I mutter to Dani as a wide grin splits her face in two. "But dancing for five hours has me completely exhausted."

She laughs again as Jake knocks on my window.

"Smudge the window you'll wax the whole car." I threaten weakly as Jake opens the door for Dani. He lifts her out of the car and she giggles.

There's a pull at my own chest as I stand up in gravel driveway.

"You look beautiful." My head snaps to my left so quickly my C2 vertebrae snaps painfully. I grimace painfully in the other direction, massaging the pain in my neck before looking back at Embry.

My eyes widen as I look at him in surprise. "W-what?" I stammer.

Embry looks me in the eyes. "I said you look beautiful."

I can hear Dani laughing inside. Bitch.

"Thank you." I manage to say.

"Don't seem so surprised. I'm sure you get compliments all the time." Embry squeezes my shoulder but I stand there staring at the place he was standing moments ago.

"I haven't." I blurt. I hear him pause on the steps and turn back around to look at me. "I haven't. I mean from Dani but never from someone else."

Embry shakes his head. "No."

I shrug. "I didn't exactly grow up in an enriching environment, Em." I point out.

And he doesn't argue there. "Stick around, Kens. You'll hear plenty more where that came from."

He smirks at me and my heart pounds. Embry's heartbeat picks up in response to my own.

"Was that you being a flirt?" I ask with a smirk of my own.

Embry shrugs. "Possibly."

I smirk at him and shake my head. "Today is full of firsts."

I lean against my car and shift my weight on my sore feet as Embry questions my meaning behind that.

"Never worn a dress in my life. Never went clubbing with Dani either. Danced until I won't be able to move until the day after. Never been flirted with. And definitely never have been complimented by someone besides Dani or someone who wanted something from me."

Embry shakes his head. "The dresses I believe."

Laughter bubbles out of my mouth and he smiles. "But I still don't believe that bit about never being flirted with or complimented."

I look at Embry for a few seconds. "I don't remember much about the one night stand you overheard me talk about."

Embry blushes and I smirk. "Maybe I'm crazy. But that one night stand was with a Child of the Moon. And he'd slipped me an Elemental's version of a Rupee."

Embry's mouth falls open and I shrug. "As long as Paul doesn't find out about that one…"

"I'll keep it off my mind. Try to." Embry murmurs. "But no promises on what I'll do to that guy if I ever cross paths with him."

I don't comment for a long time. "I ain't afraid of much, but that man… I'd let you kick his ass while I'm running as fast as I can in the other direction."

Embry shakes his head before walking back over to me.

"We don't have to talk about this unless you want to. And it kind of looks like you don't." He comments. He'd be right.

"Now what was this I heard about dancing until you can't walk?"

"I did that?" I tease with a smirk.

Embry nods quickly walking back towards me. He bends down and easily picks me up off my feet like Jake picked Dani up seconds ago.

I couldn't help the yelp of surprise that slipped out of my mouth and the way my arms latched around his neck.

"Well this is unnecessary." I say surprised. I struggle to keep myself under control and hide how his touch is lighting me on fire.

Embry looks down at me as he opens the door and sets me down over the back of the couch. He leans against the couch, his forearms crossed over the back of I while he gazes down at me.

"No matter who comes after you." Embry vows in a breathy voice. "I promise I will do everything I can to protect you, regardless of whether or not you need or want it."

I swallow hard. "I appreciate that."

Embry looks down at me again, his tongue flicking out of his mouth against his lips. "Kensi?"

"Yeah?" I answer swallowing hard.

"I…" Embry starts but he trails off unable to continue. Oh come on! Just man up and spit it out!

"Please say it." I hear myself whisper quietly.

"You know." Embry's voice is low with gravel. It isn't a question. It's slightly surprised too, but mildly so.

"No strings attached, Kensi." Embry whispers. "Nothing you don't want. Just please don't run off."

I swallow hard feeling my heart hammer at a million miles an hour.

"Why would I run off?" I ask.

Embry swallows looking away from my eyes before blue meet brown again. "I need you, Kensi. You might not want to hear that, and I don't want to push you or scare you off, but I don't think I'd make it if you left."

I sit up. "If I must leave, I'll make sure you're the first to know when I do. And you'll be my first call when I get back. But if hierarchy demands a job of me, I can't refuse."

Embry nods. "I understand."

"I'm glad. Now. If you're interested, I'm going to change, and then make popcorn. Movie? I'm exhausted and would love a movie."

Embry smirks. "Got it. I'll pick a movie."

Embry decided on a movie both of us had never seen before. Something that I know Dani has watched frequently, but a movie that I haven't cared enough to watch before.

"The Greatest Showman?" I ask looking at him in surprise. I toss a piece of popcorn into the air and watch him catch it in his mouth.

He shrugs casually. "Something we haven't seen. Thought it might be interesting.

"It's a musical." I say bluntly.

Embry shrugs. "Guess that means you'll fall asleep faster then."

Truth is, we hadn't had a movie night in a while. Between my intense hunting regime and Embry's patrol we haven't had a whole lot of time to hang out.

"True. You're on patrol tonight too right?" I ask.

He nods. "Me and Jake have the early morning shift."

"Great." I mumble sitting down on the couch. I'm not really that hungry so I made one bowl of popcorn for Embry that I plan on stealing some out of. "And since you chose to watch The Greatest Fucking Showman I will probably see you after your patrol."

Embry smirks and I realize that was the entire point in selecting this movie. To get me to fall asleep.

"Oh you sneaky bastard." I murmur siting down beside him on the couch.

Embry grins in pride as I hand him the bowl. I snag a few pieces out of it myself before propping my feet up on the couch and lying down.

Embry glances over at me as I grab the remote to turn the volume up. I pretend I didn't notice his gaze. I realize quickly that I couldn't ignore it so I flick my eyes to his in a question.

He reaches over and picks up my legs before scooting under them. My eyes widen in shock as he sets my feet in his lap and balances the bowl of popcorn on my shins.

"What are you doing?" I ask with a quiet laugh.

"You told me your feet hurt." Embry offers as an explanation. Is he seriously about to give me a foot massage? Is he crazy? I don't need him to do that.

I opened my mouth to tell him as much but quickly shut it when I realized how badly my feet did hurt after wearing Dani's high-heeled boots all day, and how goddamn good he is a this.

"Thanks." I say instead, my face a brilliant red color.

Turns out The Greatest Showman isn't as stupid as I thought it was going to be. It's actually pretty good. But between Embry's fingers gently digging into the soles of my feet and Zac Effron's voice, I quickly fell asleep.

Movement wakes me up as the early dawn's rays wake me up. Blearily I open my eyes to see Embry standing up. Jake is standing on the other side of the couch.

"Oops." Embry murmurs quietly. "Go back to sleep."

"Mm." I mumble before pulling the blanket he tossed over me in my sleep up over my eyes. "Be careful guys. Dani and I pissed off whoever is responsible. Expect them to make a move."

"We'll be careful." Embry promises. He bends over the back of the couch and kisses my forehead before disappearing after Jake.

I rip the blanket off in shock as my heart hammers against my rib cage. He just kissed my forehead. My forehead, but still. It's something. It's still a kiss.

Holy crap.

I smile widely into the side of the couch before wrapping the blanket around me tighter, wishing that the warmth was from Embry beside me, and not my own body heat.

However I find that sleep is an impossible task as my heart refuses to stop beating so quickly.

So I stand up and drag into the kitchen, baking some lemon bars as silently as I possibly can so as not to wake Dani.

Little did I know that baking would be the last normal and domestic thing I would do for a very long time.