Thank you for the continuing enthusiasm and support of this story! It has already turned out longer than I originally intended, in large part because of the readers' excitement and all the reviews, and we're not done yet! Chapter warning: FLUFFY! FLUFFY! FLUFFY! Until the very end...

Her eyes opened wide as they walked into the restaurant. It was just… sparkling. Not in an over-the-top Liberace way, but in a perfectly beautiful, romantic way that Kensi had only secretly imagined. She didn't show that side to anyone, and hadn't really shown or said anything about her romantic, girly side to even Deeks. Yet somehow he knew the perfect place to bring her for their first date.

"Something wrong?" Deeks whispered in her ear as they waited to be seated by the hostess. She was staring into the large, open dining room.

"No," she quickly said, as if under a spell. "It's just so… amazing. Beautiful really."

Deeks smiled and laced his fingers with hers. "The only thing of beauty that I see is right next to me."

She seriously thought about rolling her eyes at his cliché comment, but refrained. Kensi knew that he had put a lot of thought into their date tonight, and she didn't want to ruin it for anything. He was being sweet without a side of sarcasm and humor.

He had been the perfect gentleman so far. Right on time, he had arrived at her house, and rang the doorbell instead of just walking in like he normally did. When Kensi answered the door, he temporarily lost his breath. She wore a fitted burgundy dress that went down just to her knees. It had a bit of a sheen to the fabric, and hugged every one of her curves perfectly – including her pregnant abdomen. She had completed the outfit with a pair of black heels and a black clutch purse. Her hair hung down in loose curls and waves that framed her face. Lucky for Deeks, his brain finally remembered the act of breathing or he would have fainted right there on her doorstep. He hadn't seen her that dressed up and, well, heavenly looking in a long time.

Deeks wasn't the only one who had had a pleasant shock at the door. Kensi smiled as she took in her partner and boyfriend. He wore a navy blue suit, white shirt and a brighter blue tie that matched his eyes. It was a real suit, not jeans with a sport coat, and a collared shirt in place of his usual t-shirts. She also noted by the style and brand that it was his own clothing, not one that Hetty kept in wardrobe. He also had on a pair of polished dress shoes, something Kensi couldn't remember seeing him wear in a very, very long time.

Deeks held out his arm and escorted Kensi to his car. On her seat was a single red rose that he presented to her with a sweet kiss on the cheek. Her cynical side thought it was such a cheesy move, but the normally dormant, girly side of her was extremely touched by the gesture. It had been a long time since any man had given her a rose for any reason.

They were seated at their table, a small round one in the corner of the dining room near a window. Despite it being a large open room with seating for one hundred and fifty, it had a quite intimate and private feeling. Once again, Deeks acted the part of the gentleman, holding out Kensi's chair for her as she sat down. He couldn't stop staring at her, wanting to commit the way she looked tonight into his memory forever.

After their drinks and dinner had been ordered, they relaxed.

"Deeks, this place really is wonderful. I can't believe you brought us to somewhere this fancy for our first date."

He smiled. Well, actually he hadn't stopped smiling since he had picked her up earlier. "I figured I had to make this spectacular. We've already lived together and been married..."

"That was undercover for a case," Kensi interjected.

"… we had our first real kiss on a cliff," he continued, unphased by the interruption, "and we made a baby. Our first date needs to be extremely memorable to measure up," he joked.

Kensi laughed. He was right. They had had several milestones in their relationship already, even before they officially recognized it as a relationship. She reached her hand across the table and held his hand in hers. "It's already memorable, Deeks. Thank you."

Their food arrived and they began eating. Deeks dug into his meal right away, as he had skipped lunch. His explanation was that he was saving himself for the "good stuff" that night. After consuming about one-third of his meal without stopping, he looked over at his date. In a very un-Kensi-like way, she was picking at her meal and taking small bites slowly.

"Something wrong with your chicken marsala? We can send it back if you don't like it," he told her.

Kensi shook her head. "No, it's delicious."

"Then what's wrong? The baby bothering your appetite?"

She shook her head again. "If anything the baby has made my appetite bigger." At the frown on his face, she continued. "I'm trying to be… polite, ok? In fancy restaurants like this, I know you wouldn't like it if I ate like my normal self. So I'm being mature and grown-up and trying not to embarrass you with my eating habits. I'm trying to be lady-like."

Deeks couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Sugar Bear, I'm not worried about you embarrassing me. You could never… well, there was that one time, with the thing and the guy…" Deeks started rambling and talking with his hands.

"I'm starving here. Is there a point?" Kensi asked.

"Nope, no point other than I want you to enjoy yourself tonight. Eat, drink, be merry!"

"Thank you. I'm not sure that I can match your pace tonight, though," she joked. He looked down at his now half-empty plate and shrugged.

They finished their meals and ordered dessert. While they were waiting for the final course, Kensi asked Deeks something that had been on her mind for a while.

"Deeks, can you share your secret with me? I mean, you seem so excited about the baby – which I am too – but you are so calm about everything. How do you do it?" she inquired.

He looked at her for a moment before responding. "I'm mostly calm, my dear Kensalina, because I know I have the best possible partner to do this parenting thing with. There is no one else in the world I would take on this adventure with, and knowing that we have each other's backs helps a lot."

"I hope I can prove you right," Kensi replied sincerely. She shared with Deeks her worries about balancing her career and raising a child. She didn't want to give up being a federal agent, but she wasn't sure how she could always be there for their son given the odd hours they worked.

Deeks understood. He had some of the same worries; that was one of the reasons he went to see his mom. He was still new to being a federal agent, and being able to do his best at work and at home weighed on his mind. He loved what he did career-wise, but he wanted to be able to provide more than just a paycheck for his son. Suddenly Deeks sat up a little straighter in his chair, and he wore an expression like he had just come up with the best idea ever.

"Tell me more about your dad," he said to Kensi.

"My dad? Why?"

"Because from the little bits that you have already shared with me, he sounds like he was a great father. He obviously did an amazing job of raising you. I know he's important to you, and I would love to know more about him so I can try to do even half as good a job with our son as he did with you," Deeks explained.

She wasn't sure if he fully realized it, but he had just given her the perfect answer. She tried hard not to get all weepy, but those hormones weren't making it easy. Deeks saw the liquid pooling in the corners of her eyes despite her smile. He stood up, crossed over to Kensi, and held out his hand.

"A dance, my lady?"

In her hunger and then their conversations, Kensi hadn't noticed the live band at the opposite end of the dining room. There was a small section for dancing, and a few couples had already started to sway to the soft music. Kensi nodded and placed her hand in his.

"I'd like that. And I will tell you about my dad, but maybe another night?" she asked him.

He nodded and led her out on to the dance floor amidst the other couples. Kensi couldn't name the songs that played if she tried, but it didn't matter. She was having an incredible night with Deeks. The feeling of being held close in his arms while they made their way around the floor had her forgetting about everything else. His hand held hers, his other hand gently rested on the small of her back, his breath whispered across her skin as she leaned her face close to his… This must be what heaven feels like, she thought to herself.

Deeks watched Kensi's face as he slowly twirled and whirled her on the floor. With each beat of the music she seemed to relax more. He noticed how the soft glowing lights reflected in her eyes, how her hair swayed in time to the music, and how her body molded into his as they danced. She was the perfect combination of delicate beauty and determined strength. Just like sunshine and gunpowder, he thought. He couldn't help but feel like the luckiest man on the earth, and perhaps in the entire universe.

After their evening at the restaurant had ended, Deeks drove Kensi home. He parked in her driveway, and then walked around the car to open her door for her. Still being a perfect gentleman, he offered her his arm and escorted her up to her front door.

"So, I hope you had a good time," Deeks said, suddenly feeling nervous and awkward.

Kensi stopped looking for her keys and met his eyes with her own. "Deeks, it was more than good. This night has been the best date I have ever been on. Incredible, amazing, magical. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect, because, well, you're perfect," he admitted.

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "I'm only perfect when you're by my side."

They stood there on the porch for a few moments, neither one sure what to say or do. Kensi started playing with her keys.

"Um, so I'm not really sure what the protocol is for ending a first date after we've already done everything that we've done. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to go in for a kiss, or ask to come in," Deeks said, trying to keep the mood from getting too weird.

Kensi chuckled. "Well, I don't usually sleep with a guy on a first date, but a kiss would be great."

"Yeah, I'm not sure that's really a valid concern anymore, princess," he joked, pointing at her belly.

"Good point. Well then, you might as well come in. We can take care of the kiss inside," she responded as she unlocked the front door. "And possibly more, if you're feeling lucky."

"Definitely. Very lucky." Deeks followed her in. Once the door was shut and locked for the night, he grabbed her in his arms and held her tight. She didn't waste any time or try to play coy. With one hand on his neck and one on his shoulder, Kensi pulled Deeks in for a long passionate kiss. It wasn't rushed; rather they took their time tasting each other and enjoying the electric sensations each caused the other to experience.

"You must have really had a great time tonight," he murmured breathlessly against her lips.

"Mmm hmm," she whispered back. She dropped her hands from his body and took a step back towards the rest of the house. "Ready for more? I'll race you to the bedroom."

No words were said as he brushed past her and down the hall.

"And remember, a true gentleman will allow his lady to have the right side of the bed," Kensi called out.

"I'm sorry I had to cancel meeting the other day. Business came up. I'm sure you understand."

Hetty nodded her head once and picked up her glass, swirling the liquid inside. She slowly took a sip and let it glide over her tongue. "This is very good. High quality."

"Of course it is. Only the best for you, Henrietta," he responded in his thick accent.

"Hmm." She set her glass back down on the table and sat quietly, collecting her thoughts before speaking again.

"I know it's late, but we really need to talk. I know you were there, and so does my team – my entire team. He knows the blood sample taken is a paternal match to himself, and is on a mission to find you. I can only stall him for so long," Hetty explained.

The man across the table from her set his glass down and shook his head. "It was stupid mistake. I get scratch when we argue. Then I left. I didn't kill him."

"I know. That particular case is closed. The one Mr. Callen is investigating, however, is not."

"If you people have all the fancy tests and things for DNA, how come he has not shown up at my home yet? I thought he was your best man on the job."

Hetty looked him straight in the eyes. "It seems your DNA is not recorded in any database."

There was only the smallest hint of a smile on his lips as he lifted his glass once again. "That is most interesting."

"He needs to know. He needs you to tell him, not me. I have kept this charade up long enough, and it is not even my secret. The truth will come out, and I believe it would be better for everyone involved for the truth to come from the source," Hetty informed him. She stood up. "Thank you for the spirits. I must be going."

"Always a pleasure, Henrietta," he said politely. Then his face changed expressions. "Except now. Now is maybe less of pleasure and more of complication." He finished his drink and muttered to himself in his native language.

Dun-dun-dun! Who is Hetty's mystery man? Hope you liked Deeks and Kensi's first date. Would love to hear your thoughts in the form of a review or private message. They fuel my creative spirit!