AN: Previously posted on Tumblr for "Densi-mber." Christmas isn't the only important date in December for Kensi. Deeks remembers and does something about it.
Yeah, I know I totally blew the word count on this one. Same with one (or more) of the other upcoming "Densi-mber Discussions" ficlets. At this rate I should probably have posted them as their own collection. Oh well, you live, you learn.
Kensi felt the jolt of adrenaline hit her system and for the first time that morning was glad Deeks had talked her into a run. Whined, cajoled, and pouted until she agreed just to shut him up would be more accurate, but she was grateful nonetheless.
Atypically, she hadn't wanted to get up early for any kind of workout today. She would have preferred to sleep, hidden under the covers, until the last possible minute. In fact, until he began his campaign to get her out for a jog at their favorite beach, Kensi had been regretting rejecting Deeks' suggestion that she put in for the day off. She'd thought it would be better to stay busy, as she had in previous years.
But Deeks sometimes knew Kensi better than she knew herself, and if the difficulty she'd had maintaining a conversation so far this morning was any indication, he was right that she needed this run to clear her mind. Not that he would blame her.
Today was the twentieth anniversary of her father's murder and Kensi had to admit she was surprised by how much it still hurt. She'd spent more than half her life without her dad, shouldn't she be done with the grieving process? Instead, it seemed to have intensified in recent years, and she suspected Deeks was the reason.
When it became clear to Kensi that Deeks was the man she wanted to marry and have children with, the persistent ache she'd grown accustomed to years ago morphed into sharp pangs of yearning. She didn't think it was because she missed her father more; it was because she was acutely aware of all that he would miss. Hearing about how they got engaged. Walking her down the aisle on their wedding day. Holding his grandchildren.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a groan from Deeks, who was suddenly bent over and grasping his lower leg. Kensi stopped short and turned back to him. "Deeks? What's wrong?"
"Shin splint," he said through gritted teeth. "Help me over there?" he asked, nodding toward the nearest park bench lining their path.
Slipping an arm around his waist, Kensi noticed the caution tape and "Wet Paint" placards on the seat Deeks indicated. "Baby, why don't you sit right here instead? That bench isn't useable."
"No, no, no," he moaned. "I need to sit on something, my leg has to be at a ninety-degree angle," he argued as he continued to hobble toward his goal.
Reaching it together, Kensi said, "Deeks, you can't sit on this one, they just painted it." She waved at the signs warning people away.
"Nah, that's just what I wanted everyone else to think," he said. Deeks stood up straight, seemingly no longer in pain, and removed the strip of yellow tape that ran from one arm to the other. He sat down on the right side of the seat and tugged Kensi's hand until she did the same, guiding her to the left. There was a sizable gap between them, and in that space one of the "Wet Paint" signs hung from the top of the backrest.
"I don't understand," Kensi said.
"I wanted the bench to be available when we got here this morning, so I put up the signs and the tape last night."
"When you had a craving for Yummy Yummy Heart Attack and had to have it for dinner, you mean," Kensi was putting the pieces together but still had no idea what they meant.
Deeks nodded. "I probably should have run this by you first, Kens, but I wanted to do something special for you and your dad today."
Kensi's expression softened at his words. When he pulled the "Wet Paint" sign down, it revealed a bronze plaque. On the left was the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor of the Marine Corps insignia. Kensi gasped and her eyes watered as she read the engraving:
Dedicated
In Loving Memory of
Master Sergeant Donald Blye, USMC
Devoted Father, Fierce Warrior
Semper Fidelis
"Oh my god, Deeks," she traced her fingers along the cool letters of her father's name as the tears started to fall. "This is…this is…I can't believe you did this."
"It's okay?"
"It's incredible," Kensi said, sliding over and throwing her arms around him. "You're incredible to even think of such a thing. Thank you, so much."
They stayed like that for several minutes, Kensi's cheek resting on Deeks' shoulder so she could continue to gaze at the plaque. "I miss him," she barely whispered.
"I know you do, baby," Deeks squeezed her a little tighter. "I'm sorry he never got to see everything you accomplished. He would have been so proud of you."
Kensi sniffed, but remained quiet for a while longer. Finally, she sighed and said, "We probably should head back now, get ready for work."
"You really think you should be in the field today? Your head hasn't exactly been in the game this morning, sugar bear," he said kindly.
"I know, I really didn't think it would affect me this much," she said, running her fingers under her eyes to clear the tears that had been soaking through Deeks' shirt.
"Yeah, well, I kind of had a feeling it would. And I didn't figure this would help you be any less distracted," he indicted the plaque. "So I got us the day off and I planned the whole thing so you don't have to try to forget about your father, but can spend the time thinking and talking about him, and doing things you two loved to do together."
Kensi pulled back to look at her fiancé. "Really?"
"Yup. First stop is the cemetery, where we can regale my future father-in-law with the tales of all of my proposals and your single, solitary one. Then I thought we could head to one of the canyon parks and you can demonstrate some more of the mad tracking skills your dad taught you. I might just have a picnic lunch ready to be picked up on the way. Oh! And as the pièce de résistance, I'm finally going to let you show me how to hotwire my truck."
Kensi laughed and Deeks wiped more tears from her face.
Deeks continued with their itinerary, "Later, you can pick where we grab dinner, but dessert is at home: 'smores over the firepit. I'll toss in the kindling and then you can correct me and school me on the proper way to do it. We have matches, but if you want to start the fire using any of the dozens of techniques the original Bad-Ass Blye passed on to you, I will bow to your wishes. Then you, me, and Monty can hang out under the stars and you can tell us some of the stories your dad used to tell you when you went camping. Or we can play poker. But maybe we do that inside, since you know how I like to bet with my clothes," he smirked.
"Deeks, I don't know what to say. I can't believe you arranged all of this for me."
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Kens," he whispered. "Which reminds me…" he reached into his pocket and brought out a small velvet draw-string pouch. "It's not like we can visit here every day, so I wanted you to have something special to carry with you." He held out the gift.
Opening the little sack, Kensi slid the contents into her hand. It was bracelet similar to the one she already wore. A leather cord wrapped several times around to create the band, and attached to it was a metal tag large enough to hold an inscription. Kensi was stunned to see not only her father's words, but his handwriting as it appeared in his sniper's journal, etched into the metal: No matter how far away I am, my home is wherever you are, baby girl.
She beamed and kissed him solidly. "This is perfect, Deeks. The bench, the bracelet, the entire day…I couldn't have thought of a better way to honor my father's memory."
"I wish I could have known him."
"Me too. He really would have loved you."
"I know, because you love me."
"That too. But more because of the man you are: generous, compassionate, brave, kind, smart, funny. And he would have respected the hell out of the fact that you not only put up with me, but that you make me so happy. I know I said once that you and he weren't alike, but I was wrong. You're a lot like my dad, Deeks, in all the ways I just said. The ones that really matter."
"So I'm an action star, just like your father."
Kensi smiled. "Absolutely."
"Even though I can't hotwire a car."
"I bet you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed before the day's over."
"Challenge accepted," Deeks said as they got up, hand-in-hand, to continue their day.
AN2: Deeks called Don Blye an action star, and Kensi said Deeks and her dad were nothing alike in a really great deleted scene from "Chernoff, K" (6x24).