Since it's almost Thanksgiving in the US, this seemed fitting. And I really want some pumpkin pie.

"So I've been meaning to ask..."

"Really, usually you just know."

"...why the hell did you volunteer us for the holiday shift?" Deeks zipped his leather jacket as high as it could go and flipped his hoodie over his head. "The holiday shift on the coldest day Los Angeles has seen since the early 2000s, I might add."

"Your metal bones starting to stiffen up?" Kensi asked teasingly.

He scowled and blew a puff of smoke out of his mouth. "Synthetic bone, not metal. Smartass."

The streets were quiet that day. Most people were probably gathered around their tables with family, stuffing their faces with turkey and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But criminals didn't always stop their activities, not even for pre-Christmas. That's what Kensi called it anyway, since Thanksgiving was basically just used as an excuse to start playing Christmas music and decorate trees. Some even started right after Halloween. Insane.

"I'm getting a sense of bitterness from you today, and I don't think it's from the cold."

Kensi pouted her lips and kept walking beside her Companion. "Sam is big into family stuff, the holidays and all that shit. His dad is still alive, and he has a son from a previous relationship."

"Whoa, what?!" Apparently he didn't know everything he thought he did about the people around him. He was becoming too laid back, or too trusting, in his relationship with her.

"Things happen, Deeks," she continued. "I always offer to work the holidays for that reason."

"Yeah, for that reason." He adjusted his scarf and fingerless mittens, and Kensi rolled her eyes for the twentieth time at how ridiculous he looked. "I know you have a mother, Kensi."

Smoke blew from her nose as she exhaled forcefully. Other people could keep things from Deeks, but she sure as hell couldn't. He was either nosy or just really damn good at reading her. "Deeks..."

"I'm just saying, I could really go for a turkey leg and a fireplace right now."

"I don't even know where she lives," Kensi explained, her voice full of shame.

Deeks tilted his head. "It's not that hard to find someone's address, so I'm guessing you don't want to know? Or she doesn't want you to know."

"Maybe both," she answered quietly. A noise off to their right distracted him from his information probing, and he went to check it out while she backed him up from the street. Though all the stores on this street were closed, the holiday lights shone brightly on this dreary LA day. Everything would be open soon, and the streets would be filled with shoppers looking to get the best deal on the stupidest presents they could find. This time of year, everyone drowned their sorrows and credit cards in joy and peace, ignoring the fact that their worlds were anything but that for a month. Hmm, maybe she was bitter.

"Hey, uh, can you come here for a sec?" Deeks called, popping his head up from behind some boxes.

She furrowed her brow and glanced around her before following him down the little strip between two clothing shoppes. Trash was piling up due to the holiday schedules, making it more difficult for her to navigate her way through the mess without tripping. "What did you find...oh."

A case of guns, or explosives, or even knives was what she was used to finding hidden in plain sight. Not paws and fur and puppy dog eyes. Deeks was crouched on the ground, rubbing the little dog's body with his big mittened hands. The little guy had scraggly tan fur, with a little white mohawk and the blackest nose she'd ever seen. He was so ugly that he was cute. "He's freezing," Deeks said, pulling the puppy close to his body. "I dunno how he got here. There's no mother around and he doesn't have a collar."

Probably ran away or escaped from somewhere, Kensi thought. "We need to take him to the shelter."

"Shelter's closed, it's Thanksgiving. Duh."

"They have a drop-off," she reasoned, growing uncomfortable with the look in his eyes.

He sighed. "Drop-off is a little cage outside, how is that going to do him any good?"

"No."

"Come on."

"Deeks," she hissed. "We cannot take this dog home. Besides, I'm pretty sure my building doesn't allow pets."

"Where's your holiday spirit, huh? You can give this little guy something to be thankful for." Deeks poked his lip out and waved one of the puppy's paws in the air. "And, your landlord let you live in squaller for years, there's no way this dog is as messy as you are."

"Ha. Ha." A gust of wind blew and it felt like ice against her face. As much as she didn't like it, she still wasn't cold-hearted enough to let this little animal freeze to death. "One night only, then tomorrow we try to find him a home."

A grin spread across her partner's face. He unzipped his jacket a little and tucked the puppy inside. The mutt licked his chin in response. "See, now we're a crime fighting trio."

Kensi shook her head, willing him to not become too attached. The relationship between Companions and animals wasn't one they'd ever discussed, but she could see already that he was an animal lover. It made sense, though. If she thought about it, Deeks himself was a lot like a puppy - loving, dependent, protective, and loyal to a fault. God, what had she gotten herself into? "I don't think you can train a dog to shoot a pistol, dude."

"He says he has a really good nose, we could train him to sniff for bombs."

"We?" She stepped back onto the street and resumed their patrol. "And what, you can read dog thoughts too?"

Deeks shrugged. "Maybe. He says his name is Monty, by the way."

"He didn't say that."

"He says he really likes turkey and stuffing, too."

Kensi gritted her teeth. She hated the holidays, but that was because they always made her feel even lonelier than usual. This year was, well, unlike any other. One thing she definitely wasn't was alone, and she guessed that was one thing she could be thankful for. "About that," she said, giving in to the holiday cheermeister. "Sam and Callen said we could come over after our shift. To eat, or whatever."

His eyes lit up, and she swore the puppy's did, too. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

Shaking her head, she chuckled. "Sam makes a mean green bean casserole, I've heard."

"Monty hopes he makes a mean pumpkin pie, too. No, I lied, that was me thinking that." Deeks reached out and grabbed her freezing cold hand in his warm one, stopping her in her tracks. "Kensi."

She tilted her head, only half faking her annoyance. "What?"

The thought that this was his first Thanksgiving without Jess never crossed her mind until she saw it in his eyes right then. He smiled and squeezed her hand, and she could feel how much happier he was already. "Thank you."