AN: Last night's ep was wonderful! Cierra and I couldn't have asked for a better episode (well.. except for the punching scene). Oh and you're gonna hate both of us at the end of the chapter! Remember, your reviews will make these girls here VERY happy! :)


She'd been scaring him. He could hear the water splash and splatter out of the basin as her hands shook, the washcloth she was trying to wring out trembling between her unsteady fingers. Even when he was resting, he was ninety nine percent sure that she hadn't slept since he'd been speared, which had happened three days ago. She was quieter than normal, her replies always short and her tone laced with exhaustion.

"Kensi." She nearly jumped, rag slipping from her grasp. She quickly picked it up before putting it under the faucet once again, trying to twist the majority of the liquid out over the dish before coming to sit by his side on the bed.

"Do you need anything?"

"Yeah, for you to stop freaking yourself out." She pressed the damp cloth to his forehead, dabbing at his hairline, careful not to make eye contact. "Kens, honey, look at me." Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his, the bags underneath her sockets dark and prominent. "I'm okay. Everything's okay."

He saw a flash of indignation in her dark eyes, and he wanted to smile. That's my girl. It was the first evidence of anything resembling his Kensi since The Incident, and the anger as opposed to the lack of emotion was refreshing. She balled her fist around the washcloth, and even though it was already pretty thoroughly wrung out, more water seeped down her knuckles at the action, spotting the fabric of the dress she was wearing that covered her lap. "For how long, huh? They're not going to stop, Deeks. They're never going to stop."

"Kensi..." He tried to adjust himself, grunting as he did so. Moving over, he patted that spot next to him, an invitation. She placed the rag on the nightstand and complied to his invitation, cuddling against his chest. It was some of the first contact they'd had for awhile, save for a few forehead kisses and small gestures of that nature. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," she insisted, this time more defiant. She took a deep breath, angling her head so that she could look up at him. "I love you, Deeks. If anything happened to you, I... I..." She couldn't even finish her thought, nuzzling her head against the nook of his neck.

"Kensi," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. After a few minutes of simply laying together, his hand drawing circles on her back, she dozed off, and he was thankful she could finally sleep. If Granger kept up what he was playing at, she was going to need all the rest she could get.


She picked the lock to his office, crossed the threshold, and punched him in the face. She was about to do it again when he caught her wrist in midair, squeezing it painfully. "I'd say you'll pay for that one, but I think you already have. Do it again and Deeks won't see the light of the next dawn."

"I'm tired of the threats. Leave him alone, understand?"

"What if I say no?"

"I'll kill you myself. And your son. See if I lose a night's sleep." Granger released his hold on her, and, looking at the skin, she could see finger-shaped bruises blossoming.

"Go right ahead. Just know that even though Jack and I might die, Deeks will go soon after. I sincerely hope you're not naive enough to believe that we don't have a multitude of men backing us."

She didn't want to bargain with him. "I don't care about you or your men. I just suggest you leave before I get my hands on a weapon." "You're not intimidating me, Princess. I suggest you leave. Spend some time with your boyfriend. Who knows how much longer you two have together."

Thinking of Deeks lying wounded and weakened in her bed was enough to make her gulp. His death could be imminent, and she knew what she had to do if she wanted Deeks to survive. "What do I have to do to ensure that you never try to hurt Deeks again?"

"You know the answer to that. Break it off with Deeks. Tell Hetty it's over. Marry my son. If you ever try to contact Deeks after tomorrow, he will be murdered. Brutally. I'll send you his severed head."
Kensi narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't." Granger grinned, knowing he'd hit a sensitive spot.

"We both know I would. It's your move, Princess."

He left her alone in his corridors, and as soon as she knew that he was out of sight, she sank into a chair, knees all but buckling underneath her. What the hell was she supposed to do?

And then, a stroke of genius.


Deeks had been awake for awhile, ever since he realized that Kensi wasn't draped across his chest, her hairs no longer tickling his nose. He was seriously contemplating army crawling out of his bed and trying to find her, but before he could he heard footsteps coming towards his room. When she opened the door he tried to adjust himself in more a seated position, grunting as he did so.

"Kens? Where'd you go? I woke up without my snuggle buddy."
"I..um.. went to see Granger."

Deeks frowned. "What? Why?"
"I tried to cut a deal with him, but I was right, Deeks. He's going to kill you."
"Yeah, I kind of figured that." He sighed, eyes dropping momentarily before rising to meet hers. "What are we going to do?"
"I- I was thinking... We should run away. He said if you're not out of here by tomorrow then he'll kill you, and if I ever try to contact you he'll kill you. I know you don't want to do the logical thing and would rather risk your life because you're a stupid idiot-"

"Hey, now..."

"A stupid idiot that I love," she added, and he smiled his cute little lopsided grin. "So I say we run away in a few days. Meet up. Elope. Go back to that shed on the beach and have sex every night."

Deeks chuckled, shaking his head. "Tempting. Very tempting. But..." He trailed off, thinking, smile dropping. "We can't, Kens."
"Why? What?"

"It's not enough. He'll find us. Let's stage it, okay? Make it look like a hunting accident gone wrong. We'll get Hetty to help us arrange it, you can have a chance to tell them goodbye properly, and then we go, yeah? Sound good?"

She smiled, and for the first time in awhile it reached her eyes. There was something on her face that hadn't been there before, and even though it was small, it was visible. Hope. "Sounds great."


"This isn't goodbye," he reminded her in, voice barely above a whisper so that Granger couldn't hear what he was saying. He'd insisted on coming to ensure that Deeks was, in fact, leaving the castle. And for the time being, he was.

Kensi swallowed past the lump in her throat, burrowing her head against his shoulder as he held her tighter. She didn't want him to let go. "I know."

Granger cleared his throat loudly, and Kensi was about to punch him point blank, but that would require leaving Deeks's embrace. "It's time," he instructed, voice gruff.
Kensi pulled away from Deeks, still wrapped in his arms but a bit more distanced than before. "Bye, Deeks." He kissed her, lips lingering.

"Bye, Princess."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

She watched as he used the crutches she'd supplied to help him get to the carriage that was awaiting his arrival, and she wanted nothing more than to pull him back, or at least offer her help so that he could take some of the weight off of his wound. She waved at him until he left, and he smiled back at her through the window, still gazing after her when her body was nothing more than a spec in the dark light of the night.


The days leading towards the date of the private elopement in front of her close friends and family that Deeks and herself had agreed on felt like eons to Kensi. Granger was constantly watching her like a hawk while Jack would use any excuse to get his hands on her. Once, he even "accidentally" brushed his hands across her body, acting shocked when she had slapped his hands away and huffed off. But eventually, Kensi got suspicious of Granger. Before, Granger was grumpy and always near Kensi, making her feel uncomfortable. But lately, he acted like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders, his demeanor happier and a slight spring to his step like Jack.

The day of the elopement, Kensi had already alerted Hetty and said her goodbyes to Callen and Nell. Though Nell was heartbroken and Callen didn't like it, they still gave her their blessings. Kensi saddled Royal with her gear and her bow in her hand. As she made her way to Deeks' shed, an uneasy feeling settled in her gut. She couldn't quite place her finger on what it was, but it felt a little like fear. Why she had that feeling she didn't know.

Kensi hopped off of Royal and snuck to the door. She knocked softly, whispering "Deeks? Are you in there?" No reply. She pushed the door open, only to find a vacant cabin. As she snooped around, there was no sign of Deeks, and she stopped looking when her eyes landed on his pillow. There sat a minuscule sheet of paper, folded into a delicate square. She gingerly opened it, hoping that it was from Deeks and reading it eagerly, later dropping it due to shock. She sank to her knees by the side of the bed, breath uneven as she supported her elbow with the mattress and dropped her forehead to her palm. She was too late.

I told you what would happen. Say goodbye to your loverboy, Princess.