A/N- Just a couple more chapters to go. If some of these details look familiar, we've turned back a little into the canon timeline (in totally non-cannon ways), and have dovetailed into 3x14 (Partners), with some creative license. Enjoy!
OSP is deep in the middle of a complicated case – a crate of narcotics grade ephedrine, a carjacking, two DSS agents that might, or might not, be in on it, and a connection to the Pena Cartel. Nell contacts the team and tells them that there are other agencies that have an interest in the case. A team from the Justice Department would be meeting them at the boatshed and Hetty wants them to coordinate their op.
Sam, Callen and Deeks arrive at the boatshed working through their plan. They still aren't sure which of the DSS agents they have in custody is in on it, and their window to get back the ephedrine and bring down the cartel is closing. They don't love joint ops, and they work to put their game faces on when they enter.
Turns out game faces aren't necessary. They are met by Kensi and Blue Team. They exchange handshakes and nods, a good atmosphere in the room. When it comes to Kensi, Deeks is uncharacteristically awkward. He starts For Kensi, but decides against a hug, so he stops. Handshake is too formal for his kind of girlfriend. Kiss would be fantastic, but not work appropriate. He can't hide his smile, so he goes for what he knows. Banter.
"What, do we give this location to just anybody now?" he jokes. He's surprised by her appearance, but it doesn't change how happy he is to see her.
"Looks like someone forgot to change the locks," she tells him.
"We'll have to talk to the wonder twins about securing this place a little better."
"You do that."
It feels strange to her, to see him here, to be back in spaces that used to be easy. Even as they've gotten closer over the last few weeks, this place still has an air of regret for her, only made more so by her recent heart-to-hearts with Dave about where she belongs. Deeks' conversational manner brings her back to the moment.
"Blue Team collecting or protecting today?" Deeks asks her.
"Well, that depends on you all. We're hoping to do some collecting and thought maybe we could trade a little overwatch for a chance to piggyback on your op," she explains.
"Oh, I see. So you need us," Deeks teases.
"Eh, I need them," she says, pointing at Callen and Sam. "I'd like you not to get in the way." Her smile gives away the good nature of her ribbing.
"Ouch," he says, putting his hand to his chest. "You wound me."
"Well, you always were delicate."
"Why don't you tell us what you've got, Kens," Callen encourages.
"Luis Marquez," Kensi tells them, putting a picture on the table. "He's a Mexican national in deep with the Pena Cartel. He was named in a sealed indictment two weeks ago by a federal grand jury on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, murder – it's quite a list."
"A regular over-achiever," Deeks comments.
"We haven't come across him," Callen says looking at the photo.
"No, not yet. The intelligence we received said that he caught wind of the indictment and that the Pena Cartel is bringing him home to Mexico today with a valuable shipment."
"Like maybe a crate with one hundred million dollars' worth of ephedrine?"
"Exactly," Kensi confirms.
"You think he's going to be at our exchange?" Sam asks.
"Intel tells us he is. They point, we collect. He travels with security. It could make your op more complicated and our grab tricky. We were hoping to coordinate the take down to bring Marquez in."
Callen looks around the room at the faces on both teams and likes their odds better together.
"Sounds like a plan," he says.
The two teams go over the approach. Blue team will head out to the meet to secure overwatch positions without Kensi. Kensi agrees to ride with Deeks in close support. She puts her hand out waiting for something. Deeks slaps her hand like that was what she wanted.
"Keys," she tells him.
"Keys? You think you're driving?"
"Of course I'm driving."
"It's an NCIS motorpool car – I'm not sure we're insured for a guest diver with your particular style," he counters.
That's when her fist makes contact with his right arm.
"Oww," he says through an exhale, and he puts the keys in the hand she's laid out in front of him again.
"I'm sure Hetty won't mind," she whispers.
Sam and Callen will go in as DSS couriers. A few specifics are discussed, they put them all on the same comms for safety and efficiency, and just as they break to gear up, Owen Granger enters the building.
Kensi doesn't know the man, but it's clear to everyone in the room that he's staring at her. Blue team gets closer on instinct.
"Agent Blye," he greets her.
"Not anymore," she tells him. "Just … Blye, I guess."
She waits for him to break eye contact but he doesn't. Eventually she turns for the door when she hears him over her shoulder.
"How's Hawaii this time of year?" he asks her.
The question stops her in her tracks, turning her back to face him. She just looks at him. He's carefree under her scrutiny. He's testing her. He puts out a hand and introduces himself.
"Assistant Director Owen Granger."
She shakes his hand and sizes him up. She doesn't like him. Doesn't like that he knows she's been going to Hawaii and doesn't like that he led with it in front of the team to make her uncomfortable.
"It's paradise," she finally says, and ignoring the looks from around the room she heads for the car.
The ride to the airstrip takes enough time that disagreements about Kensi's taste in music happen more than once. It isn't until the last stretch to the meeting location when instructions come that the two of them snap into work mode.
"Kensi, Deeks, time to hang back," Callen says on comms. Kensi pulls off to a hidden vantage point, settling into a close support role. Blue Team is set up for overwatch at range with Eightball on the sniper rifle, Kensi is sure. Sam and Callen cross the rough terrain to the isolated airstrip to make the delivery, seeing the captain and co-pilot come from the plane.
A black four door Jeep approaches at the same time, and Sam and Callen know they're going to need to help to pull this off. When the occupants of the Jeep exit the vehicle the team can see lots of guns, and the target.
"We have confirmation. Marquez is here." Midas says to the team.
The team watches as the conversation turns to a confrontation. The first time Marquez tells Sam to hit Callen everyone tenses. The second time Midas trains his sight and Kensi puts the car in drive. When they hand Sam the crowbar, it's clear they are out of time.
"This is going south," Kensi says, her concern for Sam and Callen evident in her voice.
"Can you get us closer quietly?" Deeks asks.
"Yeah, I can use the Jeep to block line of sight."
"You still have a lead foot?" Deeks jokes.
"When I kick your ass with it later you can tell me," she quips back as she pulls the SUV into the danger zone. They roll up undetected while all hell breaks loose, Sam swinging a crowbar at Marquez to save Callen. A shot rings out from a distance as Eightball's bullet takes out the pilot when he is about to put a hole in Sam. Callen comes up swinging, albeit not at his best after the two swings Sam put on him to sell the op.
Kensi is there to bring Marquez in alive, and Deeks knows it. He reads her intention, and they move.
"You want the ugly one?" he asks her as they close on the targets.
"They're both pretty ugly," she points out as they make their way around opposite sides of the jeep. It doesn't matter. They know each other so well. They know who is taking which target by instinct.
"You ready?" he asks her.
"Go," she says, and he makes a run from the far side of the Jeep. He shoots ugly number one. Sam actually knocks ugly number two out before Kensi needs to fire and as Marquez turns for Deeks, Kensi flies at him and puts him on the ground. Callen secures the co-pilot while Kensi subdues her target, who eventually yields when he looks up at Deeks' gun.
Kensi stands up, catching her breath from the approach and the takedown.
His gun trained on the three men on their knees, Deeks steals a glance in her direction.
"You good, partner?"
She feels better than she has in almost six months. "Good," she says as half her mouth curves in a smile.
They methodically cuff each of the bad guys, covering each other, all business while the other is in harm's reach. Sam sees to Callen, and by the time they are done others have arrived and suspects are put in SUVs and taken away. When Kensi looks up, she sees Blue Team standing at a distance like they have something to say. A quick hand on Deeks' arm tells him she'll be right back, and she walks slowly, unable to read the expression on their faces.
"So that's what you sound like when you love your job," Dave says. There's no annoyance, maybe a hint of disbelief. He heard the banter from the moment Deeks entered the boatshed, he saw how they anticipated each other's actions. He knows how good she is with his team, and now he's sure she's even better here.
Kensi is taken aback by their observation. "Guys, I love Blue team, you know I do." She's defensive, almost worried that they feel left out or second string.
"Pirate. How hard is it just to admit that this is where you belong? You are great at what we do. You plan killer ops and you execute flawlessly. But you tell me – in those months, did even one of our ops make you feel like you feel right now?"
She freezes at the question. Alive. That's how she feels. And connected. Completely synergized with a team, and it's not the one standing in front of her. And when the realization hits her, she hangs her head and shakes it a few times before she looks back into Dave's eyes. His gaze is seeing through her, and she knows it. His hand is out in front of him. She reaches for it awkwardly and he shakes his head before she makes contact. Then she looks down at the shield hanging around her neck.
He stands there patiently waiting for her to accept what she needs to do next. She looks to the sky, maybe for strength, maybe to stall, but her hands find her shield without looking and she hands it to him. She gets hugs from Midas and Eightball, and then a longer one from Dave.
"I'll always have a place for you on my team. That isn't what this is about. Stay here for a couple of days. Figure it out. Come back down to San Diego on Saturday and see your goddaughter and we'll talk about what's next."
"Give Michaela a kiss for me."
"Will do."
They pile into their SUV, hand her the go bag she has stashed, and go. She turns to see Deeks keeping a respectful distance, but clearly loitering.
"Not catching a ride with Blue Team?"
"Nah," she says, shaking her head. "They're heading back to San Diego tonight and I thought maybe I could hang up here for a day or two. Hang with you."
"I think I can fit you in," he tells her with an adorable smile.
She has a lot to figure out in the next few days, and she's overwhelmed, but when she looks in his blue eyes she thinks it might all be ok. He drops her off at his place while he runs back to the mission to finish paperwork. She spends the first hour on the floor scratching Monty. She takes him for a walk and clears her mind. Deeks comes home with take-out and a six pack, and they relax and eat.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming up?" he asks. His arm is around her and she's relaxed into his form. There's no frustration in his voice, just curiosity.
"Got medical clearance two days ago, was going to wait and surprise you. Then we got the package for Marquez last night, and Dave wouldn't sign my papers until this morning, and then we were enroute to the helo."
That question went well so he goes for another. "Why did Granger ask you about Hawaii?"
"Not sure. I've flown over to Oahu a few times this year."
"Vacation? I mean, none of my business, obviously, but it's weird that he'd ask you about it."
"I didn't like the vibe I got off him," she admits. "I want to talk to some friends of my dad's. I still have a lot of questions about the day he died, but I didn't find what I was looking for."
"Well if you need to go back, I'm always game."
She thanks him. She knows he means it, it isn't just an excuse to surf, but she isn't ready to let anyone into that part of her life. She's uncomfortable every time she thinks of Granger mentioning it.
A few more beers changes her focus. She's a little sleepy and a little tipsy and heading to Deeks' bedroom and it feels like perfection.