A/N: I seriously love all of you. You're so wonderfully kind in your reviews! Hugs to you all. Sorry it took so long to update. Tumblr is awfully distracting at times.

Chapter Four: So Dead

Kensi slammed the drawer shut with a frustrated huff, "Why can't I ever find anything?"

"Maybe if you didn't have so much-" Deeks paused, seeing her murderous expression. There should be a rule that said, when dealing with hoarders, don't insult their collections. For Deeks' safety, at least. "Useful items that are essential to life," He concluded verbosely, glancing sideways at the myriad of objects that dotted the various surfaces in the crammed kitchen. Magazines piled up next to a toaster that looked like it had come out of the box yesterday instead of three years ago while discarded shopping bags covered the counter neither of them were working at. Their supplies were evenly distributed between them as they worked on opposite sides of the island counter in the small kitchen adjoining Kensi's living room.

"Oh that does it," The female agent grumbled to herself and stormed out of the kitchen.

Deeks watched her go, shaking his head at her. She really needed to relax. Kensi Blye was easily the tightest wound person he'd ever met and the laid-back detective had butted heads with a few. It was what made them such good partners – they were like yin and yang. But that didn't mean they didn't get on each others nerves. He sighed and went back to chopping up the microwave softened potato. Mash potato was the one thing he could make and he was determined to prove he could do something.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kensi emerge from the hall, brandishing something that gleamed silver in the light. Deeks held up his hands, survival instincts automatically kicking in as he recognised the object. "Hey, Kens, I didn't mean anything… I was just kidding."

"What?" Her expression was a mixture of confusion and irritation that she could patent as 'Deeks induced'. She followed his gaze to the K-bar knife she was holding, realising what he was referring to. "It's for cutting up the vegetables."

"Seriously?" Deeks deadpanned incredulously. "You're going to use a knife that people use to kill other people with to cut up vegetables? Because that's so normal."

"Relax," She rolled her eyes at what she considered his overreaction. "I haven't used it on anyone. Yet."

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it after a second glance at the large knife in her hand. "Ok."

"Ok," She echoed and started dicing up the sweet potato and carrot into perfect squares. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it well and the others would have to eat their words as well as her food.

"Do you have any salt?" Deeks asked after a few minutes of rare silence. He opened and closed cupboards as he searched the kitchen.

"Why are you looking under the sink?" Kensi frowned at him

"Well I know how you're mind works- you put things in the weirdest places-"

"Do not," She objected with a huff.

"So," He continued, ignoring her interjection. "If I look in the most random places, I'll find what I want even though it really shouldn't be there."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever head," She shook her head, wondering how he had managed to survive so long. "The salt's in the fridge," She added, answering his original question. She couldn't pick a fight with him now. She needed him.

Deeks stopped and looked up at her from his crouched position, "Why is it in the fridge?"

"Keeps it fresh," She shrugged as if it were obvious. "I saw it on TV."

"Wow," He stood up, wide eyed with shock. "And I thought I was bad."

"What?"

"Salt preserves things. It's known as a preserver. It's what they used to keep things fresh. You don't need to keep it in the fridge."

"I saw it on a home show," She argued with him as he ambled over to her fridge to help himself.

"Well whoever said that had their head stuck in the oven a bit too long I think."

"Whatever," She drawled, "Are you going to mash that potato or not?"

"Don't get your panties in a twist," He told him, being slightly patronising. He closed the fridge with his foot and waggled the salt at her accusingly, "Don't think I didn't see what you did there. I know a subject change when I see one."

"And I know avoidance," Kensi countered, smirking at him. "You didn't answer my question."

"To answer that question, I need to ask another one but I'm afraid to know the answer."

She turned to face him, dropping the knife with a clatter. "What is it?"

"Where do you keep your blender?"

"My blender?" Kensi repeated. "What's the correlation between a blender and mash potato?"

Deeks gave her a pitying look, "Blenders can do so much more that make a smoothie."

"You're gonna mash potato with a blender?"

"Yep," He nodded.

"Okay," She said disbelivingly. "I think it's behind the toaster."

He pulled the toaster away from the wall and found the blender. "Great."

"Why were you afraid to know the answer to your question?" She asked curiously. "It's not like asking where the blender is could start World War Three."

"Yeah but, if you put the salt in the fridge, I was kinda worried you'd put your blender on the moon," He grinned at her, relishing in the banter.

"You are such a child," She turned her back on him, taking the eggplant and dicing it into the small perfect cubes as the other vegetables she'd diced. She put extra force on the chop, letting the sound of the blade hitting the wood board beneath echo around the kitchen menancingly.

"You right there Kens?" Deeks asked in a false pleasant tone. "Or just murdering someone?"

"I'm fine. Just finishing up the roast vegetables," She answered in the same tone. "You?"

"About to create a masterpiece," He stepped back and plugged in the blender. "Watch this," He flicked the switch and the blender's blades swirled into motion, cutting the already cut potato into smaller pieces. "Am I smart or what? I just cut out five minutes of cutting. Get it, I cut out…" He trailed off when he saw her flat expression. "You're not laughing."

"You're not very funny," She replied with a shrug and when back to her vegetables.

"I am too," He whined, pouting slightly. "You just don't appreiciate my talents."

"What-" Kensi's voice was drowned out by the exploding sound of the blender's lid coming off and mashed potato flying into the air. "Deeks!" Kensi shrieked, flinging her arms up to protect her face.

"Oh God," The blonde blindly fumbled for the off switch, mashed potato stuck in his eyes. His fingers flickered the switch and he sighed audibly with relief. "It's all good," He declared, wiping the smushed vegetable out of his eyes.

"It's all good?" Kensi repeated, her voice dangerously low. "Look what you did!"

Deeks turned slowly to see his partner's face and hair smeered with potato, just as the rest of the wall around her was decorated with it. "Kensi…"

"Don't you Kensi me," She picked up the knife and waggled it in his face. "When this is over, you are so dead."

"I'll clean it up," He tried to calm her down. "It's just potato. It'll wash out. It's probably good for your skin. It's more natural than all that junk you put on."

"Deeks, I swear to God," Then tip of the K-bar danced dangerously close to the tip of his nose. The sound of the doorbell made them both jump. Kensi forgot about being angry with Deeks as she glanced, panicked, at the clock. "They're early."

A/N: Dun. Dun. Dun. Cliffhangers seem to be becoming my new thing. Even though I'm the person that hates cliffhangers in stories where I don't know what's going to happen. So anyway, I recommend not trying to make mashed potato with a blender. It does not end well.

Thanks for reading. Reviews are always nice to see. Come on, give me a graduation present