Deeks entered the hotel room, carrying a stack of real estate pamphlets and brochures he had pretended to be interested in. Brookes had left five minutes earlier than him when one of the suspects had taken off suddenly. He'd hoped she'd find something, but when he found her seated on the couch as he re-entered the room, he figured nothing interesting had occurred.

"No luck?" He asked, trying to mask his disappointment.

"No luck," she replied softly, eyes cast down at her fingers that were clasped tightly together in her lap. "Sorry."

Immediately, Deeks felt uncomfortable. Something was wrong, and he was going to have to ask her about it. He took a seat next to her.

Silence consumed them for several moments until he found words to say. "Everything okay?"

Sandy nodded. "Yeah. It's good. I'm good."

Even Kensi lied better than that, Deeks thought. "Undercovers get stressful sometimes, hey?"

Again, she nodded. "I don't know, Marty. Working at NCIS has been a goal of mine for so long. And I don't feel like I'm doing a bad job but…" she hesitated and took a breath, "…I guess I feel like everyone else thinks I am."

Deeks ran a hand over his face, wondering how to handle the situation. He wasn't used to dealing with women. Especially women who actually talked about their feelings rather than bottling them up like another young lady he could think of.

"Sandy, can I be honest with you right now?"

She nodded.

"This may not be what you want to hear right now. Maybe I'm going to come off like a jerk." He paused momentarily, suddenly very sure he was going to come off like a jerk, but deciding to go through with it anyway. "You have big shoes to fill. Kensi is family to us. To me. To the whole team. She's good at her job, and not once has she ever let us down. She's the best partner I've ever worked with."

Sandy forced a small smile. "I get it, Marty. She's great."

"The point is, it gets better – the job, I mean. Kensi had another partner before me. Dominic was his name. She called him Dom. He was a great kid, so I've heard. And it took a long time for the team to get over his death. Especially Kensi. So when I came along, it took a while for me to fit in. And hey, I'm still the butt of most of their jokes. But you can't take it personally. If I did, I wouldn't still be here."

"Thanks." Sandy reached towards Deeks and grasped his hand, interlacing her fingers with his.

Whoa, whoa whoa.

This was not the reaction he expected. Too far. Way too far.

Stay calm, Deeks.

He forced a smile, somehow maintaining composure despite the shock of her sudden affection.

She squeezed his fingers briefly, then slowly withdrew her hand. "I really appreciate it."

"Good." Deeks cleared his throat. "That's—that's good."

Not so good maybe…

…

Deeks dumped his short review of the case so far on his desk, knowing that Hetty would find it there. The bullpen was quiet on a Saturday night. He'd hoped to run in to some familiar faces, but now it seemed that chance was unlikely.

It had been a long day. After digging through the suspects entire lives, they found heaps of information to suggest the team's theory on the arms dealers was correct. No evidence. No hard evidence. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Hetty had given Deeks and Brookes the night off to return the next day for the second part of the conference where they would continue mingling. He'd hoped the undercover job would be finished by now, but if a night off was all he good get, he'd take it for sure.

Flicking his hair away from his tired eyes, Deeks reached down and grabbed his bag off his desk chair. Turning around to leave, Deeks met an unexpected presence directly in front of him, standing so close he could feel her breath on his face, tickling his facial hair and sending a chill down his spine.

"In a hurry?"

Deeks fought to maintain his composure, knowing that conveying his surprise would mean certain defeat in this little game of Kensi's. "Actually, yeah. I have somewhere to be."

"Oh." She raised her eyebrows, a sideways smile appearing on her lips. "Somewhere important?"

Deeks shrugged, knowing he should take a step back. Knowing that their proximity would appear inappropriate to anyone watching. Knowing that he was enjoying it way too much.

"Eh," he responded, "some chick who practically begged me to hang out with her tonight."

Kensi's expression didn't change. "Some chick, hey?"

Bad choice of words…

She continued. "What's she like?"

"She looks kind of like you. But way hotter. Eats like a pig. Snores. Has a terrible sense of humor."

"Sounds charming."

"Oh, she is. But I'm a little upset at her right now."

"Mmmm?" Kensi's face betrayed her curiosity. "Why's that?"

"Well, you see. She has a sprained ankle. And I don't see her crutches nearby." He forced himself to take a step back, crossing his arms to show his disapproval.

She tilted her head. "Maybe she decided to try taking a few steps without them, so she could sneak up on her partner without him hearing her?"

"Uh-huh, I see. Was it worth it?"

"You were more surprised than you let on."

"Yeah," he admitted, retrieving her crutches from the wall a few feet away. Too far away for her to be walking at this point. He handed them to her and she placed them in position. "Coming over tonight?"

"Beer's on me."

Deeks laughed and lifted her bag off her desk, deciding without asking that he would carry it for her. She didn't argue. "And that is why you're the best partner ever."

She laughed. "Just that?"

"Just that. And maybe a few more reasons."

Many, many more reasons, he thought to himself.

…

Deeks unlocked the door for and went inside before Kensi, kicking some shoes out of her path so she could get through without tripping. "Have a seat, okay? I'll get changed and be right out."

Kensi took a seat on his couch. He picked the remote control off the TV cabinet as he walked past and it them to her. The sound of channels flicking filled the silent space as he headed down the short hall to his bedroom.

Dumping his undercover character's shirt on the floor, he threw on a plain white one and changed into blue jeans. He stole a quick glance at his weary face in the mirror on his way out. He hoped for a good night's sleep tonight. It was well needed and hopefully well deserved.

"Kens, I've got some leftovers in the fridge if you…" His words faded out as he entered a now empty living room. "Kensi?"

"I'm in the kitchen."

Deeks frowned as he noticed her crutches leaning against the couch where she had placed them before she sat down before. Sure enough, he found her in the kitchen, leaning on one leg against the counter, his phone in her hand. "I ordered you favorite pizza."

"No. Don't you change the subject. Where are your crutches, Kens?"

She blinked innocently. "They're just in—"

"I know where they are," he interrupted, voice laced with concern. "Why aren't you using them?"

"It's getting better, Deeks. I'm fine."

"Of course you are," he conceded, deciding an argument was not in their best interests right now. "My favorite pizza, you say?"

Kensi's lips curved into a pleased smile. "Yes, I did."

"Why? Why mine and not yours?"

"Because I'm a good partner. Good partners want their partners to have their favorite pizza, right?"

Deeks raised an eyebrow. "I guess."

Content with his answer, Kensi nodded once and tossed him his phone.

"First beer and now pizza?" He asked, still too curious to let it go.

"I'm a good partner," she repeated.

"I know," he said slowly, drawing the words out, unsure what ulterior motive she was trying to accomplish.

"Better than Agent Brookes even."

A light went off in Deeks' mind and suddenly he realised what she was doing.

He felt a sudden urge to step towards her. To close this distance between them and somehow let her know what she was worth to him. But even if he did take that step towards her, what then? He didn't have some heartfelt speech prepared. He wasn't good with heartfelt speeches as made painfully evident by the infamous "everything is going to be alright" speech. So instead he fought to keep his demeanour casual. That's how they did it. They pretended to be casual when in fact the tension in the air was so thick they could cut it with a knife, or probably a machete in Kensi's case. It's how they'd always done it.

But he couldn't pass this one off with a joke or a change in subject. He needed her to know that she was the only partner he could ever want.

"You're worried about that?" He asked gently, yet deliberately conveying the appropriate amount of surprise at the revelation.

Kensi shrugged, but he could see the insecurity in her eyes, and he hated that he may have put it there. "You two did a good job today. Maybe better than—"

"Whoa. Whoa. Please don't say what I think you were going to say."

She started to speak, but he didn't let her, instead continuing as if he hadn't noticed. "Kens, there is no comparison. You know that, right? You have nothing to prove. There's no agent out there who could put up with me like you do."

A small smile graced her lips. "That's a good point."

Deeks released a quiet laugh and looked down at his shoes, somewhat proud of himself that he hadn't stuffed this up yet. "I could go ahead and list all the things that make you the best partner. And even all things that make you better than her. But it would be pointless. Stupid. Because it's…it's so clear…so clear that there is no one in the world that could hold a candle to you. Okay?"

Kensi nodded twice and Deeks could have sworn her eyes were significantly more glassy than they had been a minute ago. But he knew by now that he shouldn't comment on it.

"But uh," he chose this moment to take a step towards her, "if it's all the same to you, I'll still take the beer and pizza." He grinned widely, releasing the built up emotion on the air.

Kensi's smile widened and she nodded again. "Okay. Now's probably a good time to tell you I also rented Die Hard."

"Did I mention you're the best? Now go sit down."

She made a move to step away from the bench.

"Kens! Crutches!"

"Deeks, I'm fine!"

"Nope." He shook his head. "Nuh-uh, you use the crutches or I'll carry you."

"Crutches. I choose crutches."

He took three steps towards her as he responded. "Oh really? Cause I can carry you, you know?"

"I'm fine, Deeks," she laughed.

"Are you sure?" He leaned against the bench, both arms either side of her waist. "You want me to carry you, right? Just admit it." He placed both his hands on her waist and squeezed where he knew she was ticklish.

She released a loud yelp and hopped in the air on one foot. "Ah! Deeks, no!"

Both of them erupted into laughter – she at his tickling, and he at her laugh. She bent over sideways slightly as he continued tickling her sides, and he made sure to keep her weight off her bad ankle. Briefly considering the possibility that he was going too far, that they usually weren't this physical with one another, he shook off the inhibition and bent down, wrapping one arm around her thighs and hoisting her up over his shoulder.

"Like this?" He yelled above her laughing. "This what you wanted?"

"Put me down! Deeks!"

"You don't mean that, Kens!" He moved back into the living room and spun, balancing her weight over his shoulder. He could feel her hands hitting his back lightly, the laughter interspersed between her squeals betraying her enjoyment. Truth was, if this wasn't want she wanted, she could have him on the floor on a split-second, begging for mercy, even with her sprained ankle.

A knock on the door caused both of them to still momentarily. He could feel her push her weight off his back so she was vertical enough to see the door.

"That'd be the pizza." He carried her to the door, despite her protests. As he reached to open it, he slid his arm up till he was holding her waist, then allowed her to slide down his front till she was able to touch the ground slightly with her feet.

He turned the knob and opened the door, arm still firmly around Kensi's waist, with her still laughing into his neck before turning to see their guest.

"Uh, hi," came a voice that both agents recognised. A voice that belonged not to a pizza deliverer, but another agent that neither had expected seeing tonight. "Am I—is this a bad time?"

Deeks loosened his hold around Kensi, yet still provided her with the balance she needed. "No, no. You're fine. Everything okay?"

Sandy smiled and nodded. "Uh, yeah. All good. Can I come in?"

Deeks opened the door the rest of the way and allowed Sandy to step inside.

This was going to be an interesting night…

A/N: Just a quick note to say thanks for all the reviews. Really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read and review my work. As you can see from the rather abrupt ending, there will be another chapter up soon. Thanks so much everyone :)