AN: Man, I know I've been absent for a really long time, so I hope some of you are still with me. I'm just gonna blame life and leave it at that. You don't need to hear all my (totally legitimate) excuses.

That said, thanks to Fern for keeping me going and looking this over for me. Seriously, you're the best! And to all my friends on here that I keep in touch with, thanks for being so patient with me! Love you all!

Now, this just happened because that sneak peek (NCIS: LA: Girlfight on YouTube) absolutely DEMANDED that I add a one-shot to this collection! I hope you all enjoy it!

Blessings,

bookdiva

"What's shaken', partner?"

The voice came out of nowhere, and although I had no reason for it, it instantly set me on guard. That feeling of unease only strengthened as I realized the woman walking toward us was talking to my partner. A new nagging, uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach.

"Hey!" he said, sounding genuinely surprised—and much to my dismay, happy—to see her.

"Hey!" she greeted back.

"Hi…" Deeks repeated, and then he began to stutter as she threw her arms around him. "Hi! Hi! Alright—"

"Mmmm," she hummed as her body pressed against Deeks's. I felt completely frozen as I felt a glare harden on my face.

"—there…" Deeks continued, obviously uncomfortable. "Hi…"

"Did you guys make this mess?" she asked, finally pulling back. I just barely managed to keep my glare in check.

How dare she have her hands all over my… my partner.

"Yeah, we did," he said, flashing his heart-melting smile at her. It was like an ice pick to my chest, but I pushed it aside as he turned back toward us. "DEA Agent Talia DelCampo, you remember Agent Callen, Agent Hannah."

So they have worked together before, I deduced. And she knows Sam and Callen, so it must have been while I was in Afghanistan.

"How you doing?" Callen asked politely.

"Good," she nodded at Callen.

"Good to see you again," Sam greeted, equally polite.

"You too." This time she just sent a look in Sam's direction.

"And this," Deeks said, turning toward me, "is Special Agent Kensi Blye."

I avoided his searching gaze.

"Hey," I said, putting on my most professional mask as I reached out and shook her hand. I may have held on a little longer and tighter than was customarily polite, but I wasn't about to let this woman's flippant flirtation with my partner intimidate me.

"Ah," she nodded as she returned the grip on my hand. "You actually do exist. I thought you were an imaginary friend."

"Imaginary friend?" I couldn't help looking over to Deeks for an explanation, but he was looking at her, seemingly as confused as I was. That same nagging feeling from earlier clenched harder in my gut.

"You were on another assignment the last time we hooked up," Talia explained, rather unnecessarily. I bristled at her wording as her eyes roamed up and down Deeks, but Deeks was quick to clarify.

"Partnered!" he corrected at my raised eyebrows, ignoring my gaze. "Partnered up. She had— we were teamed up— partnered up— they teamed us up because we had… there was an explosion at a fish market…"

"Right, yeah."

The fish market part I remembered. He'd told me how many amazing jokes that case had opened up for him—including, unfortunately, the actual red herring—but I didn't remember any mention of a female-DEA-agent-partner.

"What's your connection to Michael Wilson?" Callen asked. I was grateful for the change in subject.

Public throw downs are not your style, I reminded myself.

"The DEA has been following the Handbrooke Brotherhood,"

Talia said. "They move half the meth on the west coast."

"What about coke?" Sam asked. I tried to get my mind back in the case, but something about the way she kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye was bothering me.

"Not traditionally," she responded, "but they've been forming some new alliances. Why?"

"Something else we're working on," he said, easily brushing her off. "Nothing big."

"Right," she said, but her tone was amusedly exasperated. "You guys hate to share."

I bristled slightly at the double meaning in her words as she shook her head and turned to full on study me. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Something wrong?" I asked, as politely as I could manage.

"Oh," she said, having the grace to at least look a little embarrassed at being caught staring. "No, sorry. Uh, you're just… not what I pictured."

"Oh yeah?" I was surprised at how much this woman seemed to know about me. "What did—what did you picture?"

"I don't know…" she shrugged. "Uh, I guess the name threw me. When I heard 'Kensi'… I guess I just expected Barbie's Malibu cousin." I felt my mouth drop open at her brash words. "Thought I'd be seeing a blonde California girl."

Deeks let out a strange sound that was somewhere between a nervous laugh and a warning, but I ignored him.

"Not even close," I said, forcing out a tense smile. I could feel Deeks's eyes on me, but I again ignored him.

"I can see that now," Talia said, boldly meeting my stare. I locked eyes with her, and immediately I knew. This was going to be one long case.

As we dispersed a few minutes later, I couldn't help but flash back to a little over a year ago, and I finally identified that feeling that had been nagging at me since I'd first heard Talia.

It was the same feeling I'd gotten around Ava. And Star. And Nichole. And worst of all, Monica. I was jealous.