Author's Note – No profit to be had here, just having a bit of fun with a show I love.

Once again, thanks to all who have favorited, followed and/or reviewed! It means a lot to me, and I appreciate all – I apologize for not responding individually to all, but it's a miracle with work and everything else that I even got this out. Still a mix of case and fluffy, by the way. Will get more action-y in chapter four.

A few minutes before 5:30 am, Kensi and Deeks stride into the mission, a box of donuts and a tray of coffees in hand, both courtesy of Kensi's favorite donut shop, which opens at 5 every morning. He's behind her as they enter, and he can't take his eyes off of her as she moves. Her jeans hug her legs in the most ridiculously amazing way; he'd probably feel the same way about the fit on her rear, but she has her shirt tail out, covering it.

Or, he should probably say, his shirt tail out, as she's wearing one of his favorite raglan-sleeved baseball style t-shirts, the navy one with dark heathered navy sleeves. She stole it after their shower this morning. He didn't so much as frown at her theft, as he'd been in such a damned happy place that he would've let her take anything.

Their shower this morning had been, in his opinion, pretty much the best shower of his life. All that happened was a little making out – initiated by him mainly because he wanted to but also because he hated that he'd frozen in shock and inadvertently embarrassed her earlier - but it was still glorious. He'd never admit it to anyone but her, but washing her hair for her may be the best thing he's ever done in a shower – and that's saying a lot, because he has some pretty remarkable experiences in that particular file.

He's not sure what it was about it that meant so much, but his breath had caught when, without saying a word, she handed him the shampoo and turned her back to him to give him access to her hair. Once again, it was her trust that took his breath away, in part because he knows that trust isn't her strongest suit.

So, when she rifled through his drawers and handed him a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and his tan flannel before making a happy sound and pulling out the blue tee, he didn't protest. He was even less inclined to do so when she put the fabric to her face and inhaled deeply, and then any remaining desire to complain was entirely gone when she pulled the shirt on over her bra and tucked the front in, leaving the tail out. The sight of her in his too-big-for-her shirt paired with her close fitting, well-worn jeans had quite literally left him speechless.

As they walk in, Nell and Eric come down the stairs, followed closely by Granger. Kensi puts down the donuts and grabs her large café mocha (extra whipped cream, please, good lord, is she trying to kill him), and Deeks hands out the other coffees, specialty ones for Eric and Nell, a cup of black for Granger. "We weren't sure what you'd prefer, Director, so we went with black. Kensi said she saw you drinking it at Camp Chapman, so we thought it was a safe bet."

Granger gives Kensi a funny look, and she just shrugs, not sure if he's happy or annoyed. With Granger, it can be hard to tell. But after a beat, he raises the cup to her with a slightly lifted eyebrow, and she nods in acknowledgement as the man takes a drink. She then stands by her desk with her mocha and chocolate-iced donut (with sprinkles, because Deeks knows she likes sprinkles) and watches Deeks for a moment as he talks to Eric.

A warm shiver goes through her as she thinks about the morning and last night. For the first time in a long while, she feels like they may actually be OK – like they're almost across that damned frozen lake. Now, if they can just get Sam and Callen back, it'll all be all right again.

She ponders briefly on the question of whether she wants Hetty back or not. The woman has done a lot for her, but honestly, any trust earned over the years feels like it's gone, at least for now. She knows there's something they're missing about Afghanistan, something Hetty did that she is reluctant to share. Until she does, Kensi can't imagine trusting her.

Kensi's reverie is broken when Nell sidles up to her. "Nice shirt, Kens."

She manages to maintain a neutral expression. "Thanks."

"That's all you have to say?" Nell takes a sip of her coffee and smirks.

"You're smart. I think you can sort it out on your own." Then she realizes what Nell might guess, and she rushes to add, "But it's not that. It was innocent. And awesome. And that's all I'm going to say."

The smaller woman bumps Kensi's hip before perching on Kensi's desk. She looks over at Deeks for a moment and then back up at Kensi. A knowing smile crosses her face, and Kensi furrows her brow. "What?"

Nell grins. "You both look…happy."

"Yeah." Kensi's eyes soften as she smiles at Deeks as he appears to be teasing Eric about something. She guesses it's about the PJ pants. Her smile widens as she thinks about her new phone wallpaper. Eric will kill Deeks if he sees it.

"What's that grin about?"

"Nothing, just thinking," Kensi tries to cover, not wanting to bust Deeks for sharing the picture with her.

Nell looks suspicious, but she doesn't say anything. They walk over to Eric and Deeks as Granger joins them. "Agent Blye, Agent Deeks, thanks for breakfast. Now, we have work to do. Up to ops. And yes, you can bring your coffees, but if you spill on anything, damage repair comes out of your paychecks."

Granger turns and heads up the stairs, but Eric and Nell stare at Deeks. Nell is the first to speak. "Agent Deeks?"

Kensi smiles, and Deeks shrugs sheepishly and nods. Nell actually squeaks before throwing her arms around him in a hug. When Nell steps away, Eric holds his hand out. "Congrats, man. I'm glad to hear it."

"Thanks," Deeks grins and shakes Eric's hand.

Granger's voice startles them all a moment later. "Today, people."

They all head up the stairs, Deeks letting Eric and Nell go before taking Kensi's hand and entwining their fingers. Kensi hesitates, suddenly thinking about what's next. Time to do what they can for Callen and Sam. Once again, fear runs through her for the two men she thinks of as the brothers she never had.

Sensing her mood change, Deeks leans down and says softly, "Remember, Callen and Sam – lots of lives left."

She swallows hard and nods, letting him lead her up the stairs. As they enter ops, a thought occurs to her. "Has anyone called Michelle?"

Deeks tightens his hand around hers, and Eric and Nell look up in surprise. Before anyone else can respond, Granger speaks up, "I spoke with Mrs. Hanna. She is up to speed and ready to assist if needed. She'll also reach out to Agent Callen's…friend…if needs be."

They nod, and Deeks asks, "So, what do we have?"

"A name and a face," Nell steps up to the board as Eric sits at his computer. An image of a man pops up and Nell sweeps them to the wall, olive skinned with dark hair and dark eyes. "Khalid Maalouf. Egyptian mother, Syrian father, raised in London where his parents met while in school. Identification was confirmed by our now very-anxious-to-assist harbormaster. Mr. Maalouf spent his childhood in London, but he moved to Egypt when he was twenty-two, where he lived and worked in finance for almost twelve years. He recently moved back to London. He's unmarried, no children."

"Does he have a record? Is that why we have so much information on him?" Kensi looks confused, and Deeks is feeling the same way.

Eric speaks up. "No. We got most of that from a magazine article about him from last spring. He's apparently one of London's 'Most Eligible Bachelors.' He's a millionaire now, having made a fortune in trading futures for his father's finance firm. His record is clean as a whistle, but as we dig deeper, we're finding what look like search trails from other agencies. Turns out that Interpol has him on a watch list as a potential financial backer of terrorist activity."

"So, do we have a location on him?" Deeks looks from Eric to Nell. "Are we picking him up?"

Granger steps in this time. "In a manner of speaking." He looks right at Kensi. "There's a charity brunch being hosted by Mr. Maalouf this morning, at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. It's benefiting a small, somewhat legitimate, London group that brings underprivileged kids from the Middle East to western schools."

Kensi blinks. "What does 'somewhat legitimate' mean, and why are you looking at me?"

Nell cuts in. "Somewhat legitimate in that the kids are educated here or in Europe, but a disproportionate number of the kids have grown up to be tied to terrorist groups."

"Agent Blye, we've managed to get two tickets to the affair this morning. You and Agent Del Campo, who is on her way here, are going in as LA socialites, in the hopes that one of you will catch Mr. Maalouf's eye. He apparently has a penchant for tall brunettes, if the tabloids are anything to go by. You both fit that bill." He almost looks apologetic for a moment, but the moment is brief, and he's back to gruff. "We've heard that he has a yacht and will be having a small get-together on it this afternoon after the event, but we can't find anything on it. We're hoping that one of you will get invited back to it, and we'll be able to track you."

Nodding but not pleased with what's being asked of Talia and Kensi, Deeks says, "And you think there may be some sort of meet-up with the sub?"

"It's the only lead we have, unfortunately." Nell is the one to respond this time.

Kensi huffs out an irritated breath. "And where will Deeks be while Talia and I are trying to get noticed?"

"Close by, that's for damned sure." Deeks voice is a growl that almost rivals Granger.

Granger smirks. "Damned right, Agent Deeks. One of their bartenders, it turns out, had some unpaid parking tickets. He was picked up this morning. You'll be filling in."

"You got Bates' help? Was that before or after you sent him my letter?"

"After. It seems that he has a need for more full-time undercovers, and you were taking up a slot that the higher-ups wouldn't let him set aside as a specific liaison position. I also made a deal with him in return for this favor." Granger's smirk is back.

Deeks runs a hand through his hair. "And what sort of deal is that?"

Granger nods his head towards the door, and Deeks follows him out after a shrug and a confused look to Kensi. The doors close behind him, and he follows Granger down the upstairs hall, stopping about twenty feet from ops. "Agent Deeks, Bates is fine with you coming to work for us, and honestly, for you, it's a better deal. I imagine Henrietta had given you the numbers, but they're about twenty percent higher than what you were making with LAPD, and the retirement's better too."

"And?" Deeks is starting to lose patience.

"And Bates' condition to letting go gracefully and to helping us out with this op was that you continue to be a liaison to the LAPD, just working from this side. So, you'll still be keeping them up-to-date and helping to coordinate our ops. Basically, your job won't change much at all except that you'll be getting paid more, and the LAPD can't pull you back at their whim."

Granger starts to walk away when Deeks says, "Granger?" Granger turns back to look at him. "Why? Why did you do this for me, especially getting Director Vance's buy in? I know Hetty likes me, but I never got the impression that either of you did."

The man looks nearly thoughtful for a moment, but once again, the moment is brief. "It's not about like or dislike, Agent Deeks. It's a purely practical matter. This team functions better with you than without you. Callen, Hanna and Blye need you to keep them from getting too dark. You balance them and their hyper-competitive, serious personalities," he pauses, "And we all owe you after Afghanistan. We owe you for what you did and for what you almost did."

Deeks frowns. "Director…"

Granger holds up a hand. "Makar filed a classified report with me. It has been destroyed. We don't ever have to talk about it again. Understood?"

Deeks swallows hard. "Understood."

"We've all done things we're not proud of, Agent Deeks. We all have shit that we don't ever want to think about again. We've all crossed the line, and most of us have done so with a hell of a lot more frequency than you ever could imagine. Henrietta and I are both old pros at it. I hope for your sake that you manage to retain your ability to feel guilty over it. That's the sure sign that you're not actually a sociopath."

Deeks rolls his eyes at that. "Good to know, sir."

"Good to know what?" Kensi's voice makes both of them turn around.

Granger takes the opportunity to leave. "Be in wardrobe in less than ten, you two. Agent Del Campo should be here shortly, and Jones will help you all with your clothes."

After waiting for Granger to descend the stairs, Kensi looks up at Deeks. She can see a guarded look in his eyes, and it bothers her more than she's willing to admit. "What was that about?" Her voice is soft when she asks.

He sighs. "Kens…"

"Marty, something's bothering you. It has been for a while. I know you think I haven't noticed, but I have." She puts her hands on his chest.

He shakes his head, knowing he can't lie to her. But they also need to have their heads in the game, and this can wait. "There is, Kensalina, but it needs to wait." She starts to argue with him, but he just waves his hand. "I promise we'll talk about this when the op is over, but it's about Afghanistan, and neither of us needs to go there right now. We need to focus, and I don't think we'll be able to if we…it's just, I think we both have things to talk about and, well, if you're not ready, and I push too hard…"

She leans up and kisses him. "Stop. It's OK. And you're right," at his smirk, she lifts an eyebrow, "Don't get cocky. You're right. We do need to focus for Callen and Sam. But when this is over…"

"We talk. About everything that happened."

She feels a shiver go through her at the thought of reliving what happened in the cave. "I'll try, OK? I know I need to, but I may have to stop now and then." She looks down.

He reaches out and hugs her close. "It may be the same for me, for what it's worth. So let's just promise to try." He releases her and looks down at her.

"Deal." She takes his hand to pull him to the stairs. "Now let's go get dressed."

"Yes, ma'am."

**KD**KD**KD**

Half an hour later, they're finishing gearing up. Kensi adjusts her gun in her bra holster, glad she kept it from their suburban undercover stint. She's wearing a sinfully short, skin-tight skirt, just like she had the last time she wore the holster. Her shirt requires that she wear a backless bra, but the holster thankfully still works with it. Her top is nearly backless and yet manages to be slightly demure with a relatively high neckline in the front. She wears knee-high spike heel black boots with it, and her hair is down and wavy.

She's not happy being on display like this. She finds that she's less up for this assignment than she might have been a year ago. She knows that's partially about Afghanistan, but it's also partially about the shaggy blond former detective whose eyes she can feel on her.

Deeks grimaces a little at the sight of her, and he hopes that the target goes for Talia instead. He has to admit that the DEA agent looks pretty amazing too. She's dressed in a red halter dress, a little longer than Kensi's skirt, but similarly skin-tight until it flares out, and red sandals with equally high heels and straps that lace part way up her leg. Deeks is pretty sure she has a gun as well, hers in a thigh holster.

He knows Talia is gorgeous, but for him, she doesn't hold a candle to Kensi. He walks over to her, his own outfit some simple black trousers that cover his ankle holster well, a white dress shirt and a colorful tie. His hair is as tamed as he can get it. She's fiddling nervously with her top when he gets to her. He wraps his arms around her waist and whispers in her ear, "Stop fidgeting. You look gorgeous. Though I like you better in that LAPD t-shirt."

She leans back into him for a moment, sighing and turning her face into his scruffy neck. "Thank you."

"Deeks?" He turns to see Nell standing there. "I already got Kens and Agent Del Campo their earwigs, but I need to get you set up."

He presses a kiss to Kensi's temple. "Be right back, beautiful."

She smiles and watches him as he walks towards Nell. "So," Kensi looks towards the sound of another voice to see Talia standing there, "We got off on the wrong foot, Agent Blye, and I didn't do anything to make it better. I apologize for that." She holds out her hand. "Agent Talia Del Campo, DEA."

Kensi nods. "Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS, nice to meet you, Agent Del Campo," she pauses, "And I apologize too. Maybe we both got a little out of hand."

They drop hands and Talia shrugs half-heartedly, "Yeah, but it's pretty clear now that you were just defending your turf. I was the interloper. And it's Talia, by the way."

"Kensi," she half smiles, "Or should I say, 'Lauren West, socialite?'"

Talia smirks. "Whitney Keller, also socialite. Nice to meet you, Lauren."

Deeks watches them as Nell hands him his earwig. "They're not killing each other. That's good."

Nell laughs. "Were you worried about that?"

He grins. "Little bit."

"Well, bartender Matt Jacobs, I'm sure they'll be fine. They're professionals." Nell gives him an impish grin.

He rolls his eyes. "You didn't see them yesterday."

"Oh, do tell, Shaggy."

"Dream on, Velma. I value my life."

She smirks at him. "Chicken."

He shrugs and replies with a smile, "Bok bok."

Kensi and Talia join them as Nell laughs out loud. Kensi lifts an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Deeks covers immediately, "I told her how you made the picture of Eric in his polar bear PJs the wallpaper for your phone."

Nell's eyes widen slightly, but she keeps it together. Kensi, however, very gently whacks Deeks on the arm. He cocks his head at her, and much to the confusion of Nell and Talia, she says, "Damn. That's two dollars I owe you now. Did you get a jar yet?"

He shakes his head, and before he can say anything, she reaches into her bra and pulls out two dollars she had rolled up together, pretty much in preparation for this moment. His eyes widen. She comes over and pushes the bills deep into one of his front pockets, her fingers lingering there for a moment, leaving him completely speechless. She grins and turns to Nell, who is working hard to keep from laughing. "Am I in the Aston Martin, Nell?"

The little redhead nods and hands over the keys. "Don't break it. Callen would be pissed."

"Yes, ma'am." She gives her a sad smile.

"Agent Del Campo," Nell turns to Talia, "Silver Mercedes in the garage. Kensi can show you."

"Thanks," Talia lifts an eyebrow, "You guys are pretty fancy for a group almost no one knows about."

Nell looks deadly serious. "You have no idea, Agent Del Campo." Without waiting for a reply, Nell turns back to Kensi and the still silent and slightly stunned looking Deeks. She grins again and motions to Deeks with her head. "I think you broke him, Kens. He's probably not even this quiet when he's asleep. If he ever comes around, he's in your SRX. I'm heading up to Ops. Good luck, you three."

Kensi snorts. "Thanks, Nell." She looks at Talia and points to the hallway leading to the garage. "Give us a sec?"

Talia actually looks amused, a pleasant surprise to Kensi. "Sure thing." She gathers her bag and heads towards the garage.

"Deeks?" Kensi grins up at him.

He shakes his head. "Well played, Fern. Very well played." He decides to surprise her back, so he reaches out and pulls her flush to him, pressing his lips to hers in a bruising, possessive kiss. He pulls back a moment later to rest his forehead against hers. "Don't take this the wrong way, Kens, but I really hope he thinks Talia is hotter than you."

She laughs softly and leans up to peck him on the nose. "Understood and agreed. And I really hope this helps get us to Callen and Sam."

"Amen, Fern. Now go be almost as sexy, but not quite as sexy, as Talia. I'll be watching you both." He steps away from her.

"I know, and I think she does too." Kensi smiles again. "Time to go, Agent Deeks. I'll see you there."

"You will. Be careful, Fern. Please." He's suddenly very serious.

She reaches up to briefly cup his face with her hand. She brushes her thumb over his cheek. "You too, Max." With that, she turns and follows Talia towards the garage, and he silently says a prayer that both she and Talia will be safe. If he has anything to say about it, they will be.