Kensi stared down at her feet for a moment, not knowing where to start. Her mind was still repeating the words that had just come from her partner's mouth. 'You are perfection in my eyes'. When she heard those words her heart thumped wildly in her chest, it was uncontrollable. She was lost in those words, like a song you just can't get out of your head, she wished she could hear those words pass his lips again.

Deeks sat beside her, patiently waiting until she was ready to talk, his thumb tracing light circles on her knee. A small gesture to show that he cared and that he was there for her. One that Kensi appreciated greatly.

She took a deep breath in, holding it for a few seconds trying to gain some composure before attempting to tell him what had happened and the reason she had stayed. As she exhaled, she reached for Deeks hand, holding it tight as she looked into his eyes for support and encouragement. Something she always seemed to find in him, no matter how hard the situation was.

"It started off as one of my usual dates, I was only going to go on a first date and that was it. But when I actually met Aaron, he and I had a lot in common, and… he reminded me a lot of… of Jack. He was a marine. Things were great at first, he was sweet and it was like he really cared and we connected. For the first time since Jack, It felt like all those things that I thought I would never have again, or wouldn't allow myself to want could've been possible". Kensi told him, managing to stay calm.

Deeks gave her hand a squeeze, encouraging her to continue while letting her know he understood how she felt. "We had been dating for two weeks when… when he lashed out and hit me for the first time. I made him leave right there and then and told myself that it was over between us. He came back the next day, apologising and pleading for me to let him in so he could explain. I thought that there was nothing he could say that would make me ever consider staying with him, but I was wrong" Kensi said, now finding it difficult to hold back the emotions flooding through her.

Deeks continued to listen intently, remaining silent not wanting to interrupt her in case she decided she couldn't continue. He wanted her to let it all out, share the things she was feeling so that she didn't have such a heavy burden on her shoulders. His thumb continued to trace circles on her soft skin, a reassuring feeling for Kensi.

"He told me about his time serving in Afghanistan, and how when he returned home he wasn't the same man he was when he left. The doctors told him that he was suffering from Subthreshold PTSD, which is where you experience the symptoms of PTSD, but not enough to be diagnosed with full PTSD. A big part of his symptoms was outbursts of anger". Kensi told him with a matter of fact tone, a slight tremor audible in her voice. The way she spoke, Deeks could tell that she knew a lot about it from her experiences with Jack.

Now it was all making sense to Deeks, he remembered watching as Kensi told Talbot about Jack, and how she had tried so hard to help him with his PTSD. How Jack had left her on Christmas morning. He understood now why she hadn't fought back, why she took the abuse from Beaumont. It was Jack all over again for her, and all she wanted to do was fix him. Deeks heart felt heavy at the thought of the pain and suffering she had gone through, all because she wanted to help him. He sat by, watching her, seeing the expressions of sadness and hurt in her eyes, waiting for her to continue her story.

Kensi fought back the tears welling up in her beautiful mis-matched brown eyes as she began to speak again. "Being with Aaron brought back memories of Jack and all I went through with him, I always felt like I failed Jack. I wasn't able to help him through it and in the end he left me. I didn't want the same thing to happen with Aaron, so… so I just let him get away with it. When he hit me, I would walk away, but he always managed to talk me into coming back, and I let him talk me into it. I didn't want to fail Aaron like I did Jack" and with that admission Kensi allowed the built up tears to fall from her eyes.

Deeks cupped Kensi's face with his hands, caressing her soft skin with his thumbs as he wiped away her tears. Looking deep into her eyes, he spoke in a whisper, "Kens, from what I've heard you did all you could with Jack, and personally I think he is an idiot for letting you go. As for Beaumont, PTSD is a horrible thing, but nothing excuses hitting a woman, nothing. I'm here for you Kensi, whatever you need okay".

"Thank you Deeks, I should've left him, I know that now. I… I just, I wanted to help him, I thought I could help him. But I was in over my head, and I got to a point where I lost a part of myself and I didn't have the strength to stand up to him anymore. I was in a pretty dark place and I didn't know how to get back. You brought me back Deeks, you… you saved me" Kensi whispered, not even attempting to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, her hands now holding both his hands tight.

"Kens if I knew what was going on earlier I would've helped you, you know that right? Why didn't you tell me what was happening?" Deeks asked. That question had been bugging him for the last few days. Did she not trust him enough to confide in him about something so difficult.

"I don't know, I guess I didn't want to look weak" she confessed.

"Kensi, I could never think of you as weak. You are stronger than any guy I know. I admire your strength, and I think even more of you for going through the things you have, and for allowing me to help you in the end, even if I had to find out on my own what was going on. The fact that you trust me enough to tell me all of this means more to me than you will ever know Kens"

"I'm so lucky to have a partner like you Deeks"

"I think I'm just as lucky to have you in my life Kensi" Deeks smiled a cheesy but very cute smile at his partner.

They ate their now cold burgers in silence, each reflecting on the past few days events in their minds. Kensi hoped that it was all over, now that she was free of Aaron and his abusive ways, she was starting to feel more like herself again. The only upside to all that had happened was that Kensi had opened up to Deeks more than she usually would have. That display of trust had brought the two closer together, and Deeks was very grateful for it.

True to his word, Deeks let Kensi watch Top Model even though he couldn't stand it. Now that Kensi had opened up completely to him, she was no longer worried about showing her vulnerability anymore. She rested her head in his lap, allowing him to run his fingers through her hair. Secretly, she actually enjoyed it. She enjoyed having someone close, someone who just wanted to show they cared in the smallest but best ways. Allowing herself to get close to Deeks in that way had stirred up a lot of feelings she thought she had hidden away, but at that point those feelings didn't seem so hard to face…

Thank you everyone for reading, and for the amazing reviews.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please keep the reviews coming.