A/N- hey all. thanks for coming along on the journey Been great to get to know some of you. Binged NCIS LA over lockdown, and this has been a great outlet. I have another story in the works in case anyone is up for being a beta reader. leave a review if you are moved - i'd love to connect. season 13 isn't too far away. be safe, be healthy, and be kind.

Deeks made his way to his desk in the morning. Arriving after Sam and Callen, he took their initial shots about oversleeping and jokes about his dedication with a smile plastered on his face. It didn't go unnoticed.

"No snappy comeback?" Sam asked.

"Not today. Today everything is right with the world."

"Oh really?" Callen doubted. "You were moping around her all week last week and now suddenly you're Mr. Sunshine?"

"I had a great weekend," Deeks explained. "What more is there to say?"

"You see Kensi?" Sam asked, laughing when the smile got even bigger. "You saw Kensi." Busted.

"I did." Deeks answered their questions letting them know that she was back in her apartment and was looking good and he thought she was close to coming back.

As if on cue, Kensi came down the stairs from Ops.

"Kens!" Callen yelled. Sam reached her first and jumped in the front of the line for a hug. Then Callen wrapped his arms around her. "It's so good to see you."

"Good to be seen," she said.

Deeks smiled at her while he leaned back on his desk. His heart swelled to see her back in the bullpen with the team looking relaxed and healthy.

"I didn't know you were back today," Callen said.

"I'm not. Back on Wednesday, I think. Just had to close out some stuff for the op." Looking at the faces on the men, she gave them general information. "The Phoenix cover is still intact. We wanted to put it to bed without closing off future possibilities." Their expressions didn't seem to soften. "I have no interest in being Allison Montrose again anytime soon, but who knows if we may need the name or the connection in the future."

That seemed to calm their fears. There was a lot she didn't tell them. She had arrived in Ops a few hours ago with Hetty and Nell. They edited the footage of the standoff with Alawi's men to a short clip and then packaged it, sending a note to Tejo. She told him what happened - that she didn't realize it was all happening until it was too late, that Tony had saved her life and she didn't know how to tell them how sorry she was. She sent the clip so he would know that it was Alawi who opened fire.

She told Tejo that he was Tio now and needed to be a father to Tony's children, and that she was sure he could do it. And Hetty arranged to have Tony's body delivered with reverence and respect back to the Cardenas estate for a proper goodbye, all from Allison. Then she told him that she feared for her safety and was leaving LA and was going to disappear for a while. She told him she was going to take his advice, but Kensi didn't tell Nell or Hetty what that meant.

Hetty approved the communication and once sent, Allison Montrose was gone for a while. A long while, Kensi hoped. But she kept all of that to herself, and as she thought about it, clearly lost her train of thought, prompting Deeks to ask her if she was ok.

"Yeah, sorry," she said. "I'm good."

"So what are you doing today?" He asked.

"Well, I'm going to go for a run and see how it feels. It's been eleven weeks and my legs will probably feel like jello," she joked. "Then lunch with my mom."

"That sounds great. If you want some company running I can go with you later," he offered.

She smiled at him, but declined. "Let me see how bad it is on my own first. But if you are available, how does dinner sound tonight?"

"It sounds great. What's your mood?"

"How about I pick up some take out and we eat at your place?"

"I like how that sounds a lot," he told her as his back of his fingers brushed tentatively and covertly against her hand. His smile was goofy, and he knew it. He finally laughed and looked away, stepping back to not draw attention to it.

()_()_()_()_()_()_()_()_()

She arrived later than he expected, but the food smelled delicious and she was full of smiles and sunshine. She went towards the couch, but he gently guided her to the dining room where a bottle of wine and a few candles were out on the table. He tried to give a stay-in night a date-like feel. He wanted her to know that he felt how things were changing.

They ate and talked. She told him that her run was better than she expected. The scar tissue made it uncomfortable, but the doctors told her to expect that while it finished healing and then stretched to her physical limits. Lunch with her mom had been good, although she told her mom almost nothing. A training activity out of town. Pretty boring. Her mom took it at face value, and if she suspected there was more to the story, Julia never let on.

She asked about his day and got around to asking about what had been up with the team while she was gone. Stories about Sam and Callen, about cases, about Nell and Eric, even Hetty and Granger. The wine flowed freely and the mood was light and before they knew it the plates were empty and the candles were low.

They made their way to the couch and relaxed, flipping channels and settling in against each other. When the first show ended there was a debate about what to watch next, and Kensi attempted to steal the remote from Deeks to overrule him by force. That decision led to Deeks resorting to tickling to get the remote back, which resulted in the remote on the floor and Deeks diving for it, which led to him on his knees between her legs as she sat against the back of the couch ready to fend off another tickle attack.

But that wasn't what was on his mind at all. Or the show about sharks he had successfully tuned the TV to. Or really anything other than how badly he wanted to kiss the woman in front of him. As if she sensed it, she slid her hips to the front edge of the couch. Her body just inches from him, Kensi let her fingertips coax him by his neck to close the last bit of distance, and she kissed him. All thoughts of going slow were forgotten.

Nothing like the night before outside, where that kiss was clearly a good night.

This kiss was clearly an invitation.

They kissed until they needed air, although Deeks was certain that he could survive on her alone. When they broke he drank in the sight of her, her eyes lidded in desire for only him. And certainty. Her eyes were full of certainty. He rose and helped her stand, kissing her as he led her down the hall to his bedroom.

They stopped briefly to explore each other's bodies against a wall in the hallway. When he felt her nails against his back under his shirt he lost the ability to speak. When she ran her hand down the front of his jeans over the rough fabric, he lost the ability to think. When her fingers moved through his hair and tilted his head so she could bring her teeth gently against the crook of his neck he forget what direction they were going.

But each time they broke away he could see her smile and knew she wanted him as much as he was desperate for her.

At the edge of the bed they paused. He unbuttoned her shirt, kissing her collar bone and sliding it off her shoulders. It revealed the teal bra he'd told her was spectacular. He had no idea how spectacular it was until he saw her in it. It stopped him in his tracks. Her hair loose over her bare shoulders and nothing but the stunning jewel tone against her skin. And the knowledge she'd worn it for him.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered.

"So are you," she offered, her smile widening. She fisted the fabric of his shirt in her hand as she kissed him. When her nails danced across his abs his breath quickened, the intake of air sharp with expectation. She lifted the shirt over his head, and pulled their bodies flat together, the skin on skin contact a new and amazing sensation.

He made eye contact with her as his hands dipped to the button on her jeans, and as he unbuttoned her and brought the zipper down her smile disappeared, replaced with something darker and hungrier. He slid them over her hips and down and she worked her hips and toes until she could step out of them. Deeks walked her backwards, and with nowhere to go she found herself being lowered onto the bed behind her. He shed his jeans as she positioned herself so her legs weren't falling off the edge. He took in the sight of her for a moment and then kissed his way up her body with tenderness. Awe. He worshiped every inch of her. He moved the band of her teal underwear to place a kiss right on her left hip, and as he did, he found her hand awkwardly resting on her left side.

He looked up at her, his approach up her body now looking like a feral cat, and shook his head in disapproval. He removed her hand, strategically placed to cover her newest scar, and kissed the mark a number of times, his tongue swirling around her skin.

"You never need to hide from me, Kensi," he rasped, deep with emotion.

She fought back a tear, unaccustomed to the acceptance, the unconditional acceptance she found in him. She looked away trying not to change the vibe of the moment, but he saw her, maybe through her, and he positioned himself face to face.

"We have all the time in the world, baby. We don't have to dive in tonight if you need time." It was soft. It was loving. It was honest. And knowing that he meant it, that he was all in with her and there was no rush, it made her feel even more like she was exactly where she wanted to be, and that she had no doubt about what she wanted to be doing.

Her smile returned and one eyebrow raised.

"I'm exactly where I want to be," she purred, and she slipped her hand down cupping him. She pressed against him and brought her hand up his length.

"Oh god," he rasped.

It had the desired effect. He returned to her body in earnest. Knowing she was ready, that she was sure – all obstacles were gone.

It was a few hours later when they made it out of the bedroom, the TV still flickering light in the living room that was now dark with the sunset long behind them. They made their way to kitchen looking for water and a snack. She hopped up on the counter while he got her a drink, and then watched him explore the fridge and freezer. Finally scooping out a bowl of ice cream for them to share, he stood with his body between her legs while they took turns demolishing the bowl.

She was in a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts. He was in a pair of sweats.

"So why now?" he asked conversationally as he took his first bite. "I feel like this thing," he gestured between them, "has been there for a while. What changed for you?"

She took a spoonful, then flipped the spoon to make sure she got every bit.

"I think I was so grateful to have you as a partner. And my track record with men was so bad. I was afraid of ruining what we had on a chance for more. I was afraid of losing you."

"You will never lose me. But what changed your mind," he asked thoughtfully, looking for insight into the way her brain works.

"Someone reminded me that past failure wasn't an indication that I would never be successful, just that I hadn't been successful yet. It gave me hope that I could be this happy. And now I am." She didn't let her mind drift to Tejo. That was behind her.

"Well, I am, too, baby."

He leaned in to kiss her, slightly interfering with the spoonful of ice cream she was about to inhale. Instead, the cold melting substance dropped onto Deeks bare chest.

"Cold cold cold," he said and went to wipe it off, but she grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Getting a look of pure mischief in her eyes, she leaned over and used her tongue to remove the offending sweetness.

"Mmmm," she moaned as she licked his chest clean, the sound and the visual sending waves of electricity to all the right places in him. He put a hand under chin bringing her lips to his. When he pulled away he handed her the bowl.

"Hold this," he told her, and then making that extremely difficult he grabbed her waist. Deeks brought her hips to his, and then reached around to hold her to him, lifting her off the counter. He made his way back to the bedroom to the sound of her laughter, and thought it might be the only sound he never needed to hear.

THE END