Author's Note:

Please enjoy. Thank you for your reviews/favorites/follows.

This chapter is originally longer but I decided to divide them into two. You can tell by the way it ended.

I'd like to thank Densiland. Her site has been a great help to me especially when I was recalling NCIS LA dialogues. Thank you. :)

Chapter 2

Earlier that day

Kensi

She was drowning. The more she struggled to breathe, the more water was going into her body. Reaching her arms out, she tried grasping for something or someone. But there was nothing nor no one she could hold onto. She blinked once, twice, trying to see just any thing from the blurry space before her. She felt herself going down and she was helpless to do anything. The pounding ache in her head wasn't helping her current state. Slowly, she closed her eyes in surrender.

'This is it.' Her one last thought before she succumbed into unconsciousness.

She blinked her eyes open when she sensed something grabbed her hand. A hazy image of a man came into her view, she couldn't recognize who he was but a safety feeling flooded her when he pulled her close to him. She felt his arm wrapped around her waist and frantically yet carefully hauled her up onto the surface. With her head now above the water, she was ushered toward the shore.

She wanted to see him, the man who rescued her, but as soon as her body hit the solid ground her eyes grew heavy and she passed out. When she regained her consciousness, she was coughing water and her lung was burning from lack of air.

"Belle! You're awake!" She heard a man's voice from her side. When she turned toward him, her disoriented hazels met a worried and teary pair of baby blues.

"Belle..." She repeated the name he called her in whisper and felt herself fainting for the second time with the man's eyes as the last image etched in her mind.

Early morning rays of sun had teasingly peeked through her curtained window, hit her right on her face and pulled her from her dream. Kensi slowly fluttered her eyes open.

Another night, another dream. She quietly murmured to herself as she stretched out her body on the bed.

She knew she had dreams every night but as soon as she woke up, she couldn't remember what it was. The only thing she could recall was a person's presence and his pair of blue eyes as they stared at her because they were like the color of the clear sky. His. Because despite having no recollection of what her dream was, she was aware that the eyes belonged to a man. Whoever he was or what his name was, Kensi had no idea. But the overwhelming feeling she had whenever she would look deep into those baby blues was imprinted in her memory.

Knowing she didn't have extra time to spare thinking who the man in her dream was again, she roused from the bed to do her morning routine before going to work.

Driving in her car on the way to her job, Kensi thoughts wandered on how she had arrived in Los Angeles and became a Special Agent at NCIS Office of Special Projects for 3 months now.

She had already been employed at NCIS Norfolk for almost a year when she had heard of an opening at one of NCIS branches in California. Assuming that the vacant position was in San Diego, she quickly submitted her updated resume and application letter through e-mail. It had been years since she stayed back home for more than a week and she had been wanting to return to where she spent her youth.

After finishing a degree in Politics and International Studies at Cornell University, she applied at NCIS immediately. Her application process took almost 9 months to finish. When she was hired as an agent, she underwent and completed her Criminal Investigators Training Program in Glynco, Georgia.

Kensi was first posted at Washington, DC office for 11 months. She was then transferred to Tokyo 7th Fleet HQ. After 5 months, she was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. Her experiences at the three branches of NCIS honed her investigating skill but as months passed by, a feeling of restlessness started growing in her. It was as if she was longing for something or someone and she couldn't figure out what or who it was yet.

Contemplating she would finally find the cause of her discontent if she was stationed at San Diego, she didn't think twice, applied and waited patiently if her transfer had been approved. To her surprise when she got a call from Henrietta Lange, she found out that the vacancy was not in San Diego but was in Los Angeles instead. There was only one branch of NCIS in LA and it was the secretive OSP.

Agents like her were well aware on how that unique branch operates. Unlike any other office of NCIS, OSP was one-of-a-kind because their Special Agents specializes in covert operations, assuming different identities and aliases during their missions. Those who were working for them were required to use cover stories to maintain the branch's secrecy.

Looking back at how stunned she was when she answered the cellphone call from OSP's very own Operations Manager, the legendary Henrietta Lange, a smile spread across her face as she fondly remembered the way she stuttered at her response.

She was sitting on her desk chair, typing her report for the day. Trying to hide how she was feeling dejected lately, Kensi focused her energy on finishing her every day's tasks. Thinking today was no different, she worked on her routine. But how wrong she would be. It was already after work hours and as she roamed her eyes around, she noticed her teammates were already preparing themselves to leave the office.

"Hey, Kensi." Brian, her team leader called her from his position on his desk. "We're going to Johnny's, care to join us?" He asked.

Johnny's was a well-known bar close to their office. Their team used to visit the place every now and then. It was not as crowded as the other bars in the area and the ambience was great. Kensi liked being there and if she wasn't feeling down that night, a beer or two would be nice.

"Rain check, I'm still not finish with this." She answered, motioning her hand over to her laptop.

"Okay but we'll save a seat for you in case you change your mind."

She just nodded and thanked him for his thoughtfulness before going back to her typing. After bidding their goodbyes to her, her teammates left the office with her watching them and returning their farewell. As soon as she was left alone, she didn't waste time and went back to her computer.

An hour later, Kensi blew out an exhale before pinching the bridge of her nose, exhaustion was beginning to take over her body. Her gaze drifted to the calendar sitting on her desk, an encircled date caught her attention. It was the day she submitted her application for transfer at California. She marked it, wanting to remember the exact time she e-mailed her resume. Counting how many days had passed, she noted that it had already been two weeks and she had not heard any news regarding her request. She hated to admit but the thought of her rejection was the reason of her dismay these past days.

Lifting her arms up her head, a yawn escaped her lips. She was trying to go back to finishing her report when she heard the ringing sound of her cellphone. Looking at who the caller was, she frowned when she didn't recognize the number but answered it nonetheless.

"Good evening. Is this Agent Kensi Blye?" She heard a woman's voice from the other line.

"Good evening. Yes, I'm her. May I know who this is?"

"This is Henrietta Lange of NCIS OSP." The woman introduced herself and Kensi's eyes widened recognizing her and her office immediately.

"G-Good evening, Mrs. Lange." She rolled her eyes at her stammering.

"Call me Hetty, Agent Blye. And it's a Miss. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Surprised at the older woman's humble concern, Kensi was speechless for a moment.

"Agent Blye? Are you still there?"

Hetty's voice from the other end of the line brought her back to their conversation. "Oh okay, Hetty. And no, I'm just finishing some paperworks." She answered the questions.

The Operations Manager then apologized for calling so late, explaining to her that the filtering process for qualified applicants took longer than she expected. Kensi was startled to know that her application was for OSP and not for San Diego. The older woman confirmed that they had a vacancy in their office and were looking for a Special Agent for their A-team. Hetty also asked about her current work status.

"Uhm, yes. I'm presently assigned here in Norfolk. I've been here for 11 months now to be exact." She disclosed.

"I hope you're not tied to a long term assignment because I need you here in LA as soon as possible."

Kensi felt the need to catch her breath upon hearing the older woman's words. "E-Excuse me?"

"Congratulations Agent Blye, your application has been accepted."

Hetty's call ended with her welcoming the younger woman to her team.

Kensi, all alone in the office, squealed like a child in happiness and excitement.

'Finally!'

She didn't care that Los Angeles was a 2-hour drive from San Diego, the two cities were both in California thus making her almost home.

It took her almost a month before she was able to move to her newly rented one-bedroom apartment in LA and start her work at OSP.

"Good morning!" She greeted her teammates when she entered the bullpen and paced to her desk.

"Morning Kens." Callen, their team leader, responded almost distractedly. His eyes glued to the improvised hoop a few steps from him and his hand was holding a crumpled paper shaped into a ball.

"Good morning Kensi." Sam, a former Navy Seal and Callen's partner, greeted back before admonishing the short haired blonde guy. "Move a step away G. I saw you advanced closer."

"I did not! Why would I move?"

"Saw it G."

Kensi rolled her eyes at the two bantering Senior Special Agents before sitting on her chair. The scene before her was no longer strange to her. This wasn't the first time they played the H.O.R.S.E. paper basketball game using the office's resources only to end up without a winner or a loser. Choosing to tune the two men out, she brought out her laptop from her bag and turned it on.

"Kens, did you see me move?" Callen asked.

Raising both of her hands, she answered with her eyes not leaving the laptop screen and a smile on her lips. "Hey, leave me out of your childish game."

The two men exchanged amused looks.

"You tell her." She heard Callen urged Sam.

Kensi started browsing the computer. If she had looked up, she would see her teammates smirking faces looking at her.

"And your jelly bracelets are not childish?" Sam suddenly spoke.

"What's with the colorful rubbers, Kens?" Callen added.

She threw her right arm a glance and caught several bright colored bracelets peeking from her long sleeve. Trying to ignore the reddening of her cheeks, she fixed her sleeve hastily, concealing them from prying eyes, before looking up to her teammates. "What? They are my lucky charms." Kensi answered defensively.

Yes. The 72 colorful jelly bracelets in her collection were her lucky charms. How did they end up in her possession? She had no idea. But 12 years ago when she was 15 and almost 16, she surprisingly found both of her arms enclosed in 20 of them and her pockets filled with numerous more. When she counted the ornaments, Kensi got a total of 72.

Despite having no recollection of purchasing them or of someone giving them to her, she kept the trinkets securely. The jelly bracelets were a clue to a life she had forgotten and a life she didn't know if she would still remember. She immediately considered them her lucky charms because they were with her when she survived whatever it was that happened to her.

Recognizing their importance and not wanting to risk the chance of them getting destroyed, she tucked them away. She hid the bracelets in her box of mementos alongside several of her prized possessions and sacred belongings. The box was placed in the attic of her father's house in San Diego and had been there since then.

Last month during one of her weekly weekend stays at her-father's-but-now-her house, Kensi cleaned the attic and caught sight of the box safely lying on one of the corners. She opened it with hesitation, afraid to cry on what her eyes will see. Ever since she sealed it years ago, she didn't dare open it. But 4 weeks ago was different, she somehow found the courage to face her past. With shaking hands, she ripped the tape open and instantly identified its contents. Tears fell from her eyes as her fingers grazed the priceless and irreplaceable items. When she reached for the jelly bracelets, an unexplainable feeling opted her to remove them from their storage. She took them out from the box and brought them with her to her apartment in Los Angeles.

That morning when she was about to leave her place, an absurd idea entered her mind. Kensi grabbed a few of the jelly bracelets and wore them around her arm. This was the first time she did that. It was odd yet the feeling of the colorful plastic rubbers on her skin seemed familiar. And just like some of the things in her life, she was clueless as to why.

When Callen and Sam sensed the protective tone in her reply, they deduced her invisible wall. The younger woman had been their teammate for 3 months now and immediately recognized her talent. She was a born operator and Callen even voiced it out one time after the end of one of their successful missions. She was surprised to say the least and unknowingly blushed at the compliment.

But despite how the three of them grew closer over the months and even with both of them began treating her like a younger sister, Kensi was still a mystery for them. There were instances when she was welcoming, revealing some portions of her life to them like how she grew up in San Diego and her experiences as an NCIS agent before her transfer to OSP. Callen and Sam were also told by her that her father was a former Marine Officer.

But there were cases, like this time, that she appeared to be distant. And the Senior Agents knew not to probe more and respect her privacy. The two men were knowledgeable of life baggages, having several of them in their own lives. So when it came to secrets and mysteries, both men understood Kensi.

"Hey, Kens." Callen's voice roused her from her reverie.

Her face reddened more knowing she had been caught zoning out. She was about to speak when they heard Eric's, the team Technical Operator, whistle. It was a signal that they have a case and their presence were required upstairs. Grabbing the chance not to explain her day dreaming, Kensi stood up and began walking toward the stairs. She left her teammates wondering about her weird behavior.

Hours later, Kensi found herself in the wardrobe room of the office. She was standing in front of a mirror in a long black strapless sequined dress. Her hair was in an updo and her face was covered in make-up. Not to brag but she looked beautiful, she thought.

She drew a deep breath to soothe her nervousness. This wasn't her first undercover mission. Since her transfer, she was immediately introduced to the nature of her job and found herself fascinated to the different personas she had to adopt. The lying part was a struggle for her at first. Kensi was never a good liar but over time, she had learnt of its importance to the success of her job. She'll get killed if she failed to convince their person of interest of her character. The chance of innocent people getting hurt if her mission was unsuccessful was large. Justice won't be served to the victim and his/her family if their suspect got away. With these thoughts in her mind, Kensi did everything that was necessary to the victory of their goal everytime. And this pursuit was the same as any other. There was no reason she wouldn't give her all to its accomplishment. Another breath was taken in.

"The dress looks good on you, Agent Blye."

Kensi whirled around and saw the older woman's eyes perusing her. She hoped Hetty was satisfied with how she prepared herself. A pleasing smile broke out on her boss's lips and it brought her relief.

"Thanks, Hetty."

Hetty brought out a make-up brush from her pocket and offered it to the younger woman. "Take this."

A creased formed on Kensi's brows as she took the innocent looking brush. "I-I just did my make-up." She uttered as she studied the small thing. The older woman didn't reply but her encouraging smile motioned Kensi to look at it with more interest. Accidentally, she pressed a button and a blade emerged. Her eyes beamed in awe. "Oh, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen."

"I figured you'd like it. Take it with you. Like you, it's both feminine" Hetty paused and smiled. "and deadly. Therein lies its true value."

"You think I'm feminine and deadly?"

"Among many things. It's what makes you so good at this job. "

That was another surprise for her. Kensi was not an experienced operator. There were times she thought her skills did not match to the likes of Callen and Sam who were expert undercover agents. To hear from Hetty that she was good, she was beyond stunned and could only look at her boss with unblinking eyes.

"You don't believe me?" The shorter woman look at her in bewilderment.

She shook her head no. "It's not like that, Hetty. I believe you but I am new to this kind of work. To say that I am good is like..." She would like to finish her statement with unbelievable but that would contradict her believe word in the beginning. Kensi opted to shut her mouth.

Hetty plastered an understanding smile. "I know what you want to say, Agent Blye. But I want you to remember this, you are here because you are good. You are here because you deserve to be here. Your teammates trust you. I believe in you. Do not doubt your capability, not for once. Do you remember what you wrote in your application letter?"

She blushed when she remembered how thoughtlessly she wrote that letter. "Yes. I didn't know I was applying here. I thought the vacancy was in San Diego so I asked for a chance to be closer to my root."

Hetty nodded. "When I read your letter, I felt your longing. I sensed how much you wanted to be near your father and to the fond memories you have with him during your youth. You are a passionate person. You do things with your heart and I see that in every mission you have had. That trait of yours makes you perfect for OSP. I hope you find it in your heart to appreciate yourself more. You are a good agent, Agent Blye."