"I feel like I need to take a shower after that conversation." Deeks said after walking out of the boatshed having finished talking with Angelo.

"He really got to you." Kensi noticed.

"Of course he did. The son of a bitch is right."

"Right about what?"

"Come on, you know what." Deeks said with a knowing look on his face.

"Whatever happened between him and Olivia has nothing to do with us."

"Right. He gets too close to her on the job. Things turn personal when they should remain professional. And he gets burned."

"He gets burned. We didn't." Kensi pointed out as they got to the car.

"Not yet. You know what it is? I just keep looking at him and thinking that could be me on his side of the table one day." Deeks said resting his arms on the roof of the Audi.

"Deeks, that's the game he was running. This is exactly how he wanted you to feel."

"I get that. It doesn't mean it's not true."

"And I would never let that happen to you." Kensi said emphatically.

"Right." Deeks responded after a beat. "The only problem being that you would be the reason it happened in the first place."

Kensi looked at Deeks confused and a bit hurt. "What? How would that be my fault? You really think I would let you get put in that position?"

"Maybe it wouldn't be anything you did, but it could be something I do for you."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Kensi asked, starting to get frustrated.

"I'm talking about how far I'd go for you."

"Deeks, we're partners, and friends. We've always had each other's backs."

"That's not what I mean. I mean if we become more than that. What I'd do for you."

"You'd do the exact same thing you've always done before."

"No I wouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I know what I'm capable of, and it's becoming clearer and clearer that Angelo and I have more in common than I'd like to admit."

"Like what?"

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that he's right."

"Where is all of this coming from?"

"Maybe it's coming from seeing our third hearts".

Kensi pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Deeks, for crying out loud, what are you talking about?!"

"Forget it, Kens."

"Deeks!" Kensi all but yelled.

"I tortured a guy over there!" Deeks shouted back before reigning in his voice realizing there may be people around who could hear.

"…what?" Kensi asked in a slightly quieter voice than is normal for her after a few beats of silence.

In a calmer voice, Deeks replied, "I waterboarded a blind old cleric over there. A guy I knew wouldn't give up anything. A guy who may or may not have even known a person in the Taliban who may or may not have been able to lead us to you. And I tortured him. I did. Someone who has been tortured. You and I both know what that's like."

"The hell are you talking about?" Kensi asked, mildly confused at Deeks' last comment.

"What do you mean, what am I talking about?" Deeks asked, equally confused.

"I wasn't tortured Deeks. I got a bit beat up, that's all."

Deeks scoffed silently to himself. "Oh I beg to differ. You were kidnapped. And held captive. For days. Starved and dehydrated and chained in a cave and beaten within an inch of your life for because they didn't use some fancy and extreme torture device on you doesn't mean it wasn't torture."

"Deeks…" Kensi said in a low and warning tone.

"In fact, you probably had it worse off than me. I had Sam. I was in America, hell I was in our hometown, and I knew there was an entire federal agency looking for me. I knew you were looking for me. You were alone. In a warzone half a world away. Captured by literal terrorists with no one looking for you. Literally being beaten for government secrets. Tell me how that isn't the exact definition of torture?"

"Why are we arguing about semantics, Deeks? It doesn't matter either way."

"Yes it does! It all matters. Because I know how bad it was for me. And call it what you want, but I know it must have been bad for you even if you won't admit it. And I acknowledge all of that. I know it's horrible. But even knowing all of that I was still able and willing to waterboard this poor guy to try to find you, even though I knew he wouldn't give anything up. In fact, at that moment I thought you were dead. Hetty sent a photo the guys found of your body with what looked like your throat cut, lying in a puddle of blood.I didn't care anymore. I was so angry that I didn't care about anything and it blinded my morality and I became worse than my father. I couldn't save you, so I became a monster. Because of how much I feel for you, I lost sight of everything else, including myself!"

"Sam and Callen told me you did get information from the cleric. And that you're the reason they did the prisoner exchange. You did save me."

"Well I didn't need to torture the guy to do it. I know what I'm capable of now, Kens."

"So how is this my fault?!" Kensi asked, annoyed.

"I'm not saying it is."

"But you are saying that you can't do this anymore. After everything we've been through? Now you're pulling back?! I didn't want any of this! You're the one who kept pushing. You're the one who did the flirting, and the teasing. You're the one who kissed me, and asked me on a date without actually asking. You're the one who asked me to go home with you! After years of all of this, after years of not saying anything real you finally got really good at it. And then I was sent to freaking afghanistan. For five months! And now I'm finally, finally back. I'm finally able to work a case again. I'm finally back being able to work with my partner, and get my life back on track, and now you're retreating to how it was before?! Really?! Screw you, Deeks."

"Kensi, just listen to me." Deeks started before being cut off by Kensi.

"You're the one who lets his emotions get to him. You're the one who let his feelings cloud your judgment on that day when you should have taken that shot. You're the one who lets personal feelings get in the way of professional ones. You're the one who initiated all of this. And now you're the one letting that traitor in there twist and mold our situation to fit his own agenda. And you're letting him. And I am so tired of waiting on you to figure out what we are. I thought I knew Deeks, but clearly, you're in a completely different place than I am, and I can't take it anymore. So here." Kensi said, tossing Deeks the keys to the Audi.

"You drive and start trying to figure yourself out." Kensi said.

"Kens. Kens! Where are you going?!"

"I'm walking back." She responded.

Deeks shouted after her. "Kens, it's a 20 minute walk, just get in the car!"

"I could use the time alone! And clearly, so could you." She shouted back before turning on her heel and walking out of the parking lot towards the Mission.