They were sitting at a booth, sharing the stack of pancakes Rountree had gotten excited about. They were sharing lighthearted conversation and goofing off together, the previous night of tears forgotten.
"I'm happy I could make you smile. You're cute when you're happy like this," Rountree said softly. Fatima beamed.
"Well, thank you for making me smile. I really needed it," she replied, trying to hide the obvious pink in her cheeks. Rountree smirked at her reaction.
"Maybe we shouldn't go in at the same time, I don't want the team to get the wrong idea," he said quietly. Then Fatima's phone rang. She picked it up and frowned.
"It's from Secret Service," Fatima said, confused.
"Get it," Rountree said quietly. Fatima picked up the phone. Rountree watched as the color drained out of her cheeks and a single tear escaped. He felt something break inside him, seeing his beautiful partner so upset.
"Thank you," Fatima said. She hung up and closed her eyes, trying desperately to hide her emotions.
"What happened?" Rountree asked nervously.
"Kessler was released eight hours ago," she whispered. Rountree softened and moved to sit next to her. He gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
"It's gonna be okay. Deep breaths," he murmured against her cheek. Fatima rested her head on his chest and let out a tiny sob. "Hey. It is gonna be okay, but you need to call Kens and Deeks," he whispered gently.
"Deeks can't know! He was fired, remember?" Fatima protested.
"That's her husband. He deserves to know, if not as our LAPD liaison, then as Kensi's husband, okay?" he whispered, stroking her arm. She nodded a little.
