This final chapter is a little long, but I wasn't sure how to break it up into separate chapters. Thanks for sticking with me to the end!
Chapter 5: Everything in Its Place
It had been a few weeks since Sam and Deeks had been rescued, and since Kensi and Deeks had opened up to each other and started a new chapter in their story. Sam and Deeks experienced occasional terrors and nightmares from their ordeals. Kensi was at Deeks' side every night, so when he woke up drenched in sweat or disoriented, she was there to soothe his nerves and calm him back to sleep. Michelle did the same for Sam, trying to help him overcome the screaming and fear he would wake up with. Deeks hated to admit it, but there were certain sounds, day or nght, that made him freeze up. Kensi just held his hand and waited quietly for it to pass. He was thankful for Kensi for so many reasons. He knew he had to fight through all these demons Sidarov had left him with, but at least he didn't have to fight alone. Per agency protocol, Sam and Deeks had to see a psychiatrist. There had only been a few sessions so far, but Deeks was committed to getting better – for himself, for his team, and for Kensi. Kensi went to individual counseling sessions, too, so she could be more effective helping Deeks through this. She remembered doing this for Jack, and even though he had left her, the counseling had helped her quite a bit. Now that she thought about it, her experiences with Jack and his PTSD all those years ago had prepared her for the situation with Deeks now. It's funny how a piece of your life, which didn't seem to fit into the bigger picture before, suddenly finds its place.
Deeks and Kensi were learning how to be a couple, something both of them were a little out of practice with. They had some great times together: going to the beach, moonlight strolls, or dinner at a nice restaurant. There were also some bumps in the road, such as surfing together ("Does she have to be that competitive all the time?"), picking a movie ("We chase and shoot people at work, does he have to watch it on the big screen too?"), or deciding what constitutes a nice dinner out ("Seriously, you have to balance Twinkies and beer with something like chicken and vegetables once in a while"). Deeks made sure to get his share of cheesy moments in while he could. One day he came home with matching t-shirts: one that said "His" with an arrow pointing sideways, and one that said "Hers" with a sideways arrow. He left notes on her pillow or on the counter by her keys, and always made a heart above the "i" in her name. Kensi relaxed more around Deeks and even allowed herself to enjoy some public displays of affection. More than once she had initiated the hand holding or quick kisses, and ran her fingers through his soft golden locks when they were seated side by side.
Kensi went back to work one week after Deeks came home from the hospital. She and Callen took care of field work, with Nell making it a trio as needed. While Nell was enjoying being out more often, Eric wasn't. That adjustment hadn't been easy for him, having to put in extra hours upstairs when Nell was gone. He missed his spunky, red-headed counterpart, and honestly one person can eat only so many Oreos. Sam and Deeks were cleared to return to work - light desk duty only - after their two week assessments. Sam had a few more restrictions than Deeks due to the extent of his physical injuries, but neither of them were to do anything remotely dangerous.
"Paperwork sucks. I'm not sure my doctor has actually approved me for this - the risk of paper cuts could be detrimental to my healing process. One little cut could lead to infection…" Deeks babbled on.
"There is no small job, Mr. Deeks. Every task has its place in the big picture," Hetty replied from directly behind him.
"Geez, warn a guy will ya, before going into stealth mode. I'm still recovering," Deeks said, holding his hands over his heart. He glanced backwards to see Hetty was already gone.
"Glad to see nothing has changed around here," Sam chuckled. "They say laughter is the best medicine, and I found that pretty funny."
"Ha ha. So…" Deeks began, looking towards his partner's desk. "I also don't believe all this hunched-over-a-desk-stuff is beneficial. Not at all recommended. I could really use some back-up from my partner right now in the form of a back massage."
"No, Deeks," Kensi said without looking up from the pile of case files in front of her.
"But…"
"No."
"I thi…" Deeks tried again.
"Not gonna happen," she replied without missing a beat.
"But you said…"
"No I didn't."
"Ok, not said but you definitely implied…"
She looked up at him. "I don't imply." Kensi went right back to her typing.
"No she doesn't. I've never known her to imply anything. Have you, Sam?" Callen added nonchalantly.
"Nope. Kensi Blye is not one who implies. She says, she states, she even shouts, but she does not imply," Sam said with a cheeky grin.
"But my back and shoulders – ow – from all the… and you know it would help me heal. You want me all healed up, don't you Fern?" Deeks said, holding his hands up and moving his fingers in a massaging motion.
Kensi seemed to think about this for a brief moment. "I don't know. Callen, Nell and I have been holding up pretty well in the field by ourselves. I don't think there's any rush," she finished with a smirk.
"Hetty?" Deeks whined across the mission floor.
"I'm not getting involved, Mr. Deeks."
Kensi sighed, folded her arms in front of her, and looked at her partner. "I am not giving you a back massage at work Deeks. If I give you one, then Sam would want one, and then Callen, so I'm just saying no to all of it now." She tried to go back to the file next to her laptop when Callen spoke up.
"Wait, this is a package deal? I didn't know that. Now that you mention it, all that extra time in the field has caught up with me. Right about here," he said, pointing to his back, "could use a little work. Start with Deeks so he'll stop whining. Just make sure to share with the class when he's done." He grinned at Kensi.
"Yeah, I'll sign up for some of that, too. After Deeks you can step right over here, and then finish up with our esteemed team leader over there," Sam put in.
"Have I mentioned how glad I am that we are all back together again, so the three of you can gang up on me?" Kensi asked, thick with sarcasm.
There was one aspect of their new relationship that Kensi was still worried about – being a professional work partner and a girlfriend at the same time. Kensi went in early the next morning to talk to Hetty alone. She told her boss about the developments over the last two weeks, and her worries about being able to work effectively as partners. As she talked, she played nervously with her fingers.
After pouring a cup of tea, Hetty began to speak. "Ms. Blye, I remember telling you once to not let your passion cloud your judgment, but I think it's also wise to say that you shouldn't ignore your passions either."
"What do you mean?" Kensi asked her mentor.
"I know you are very passionate about your career and being a good agent. It is also becoming more apparent that you have a passion, shall we say, for Mr. Deeks as well. It is possible to find a balance and not have to ignore one over the other. It takes time to hone this skill, but I think it would be one well worth your investment." Hetty took a small sip.
"Isn't it hard, Hetty? To work in the field like we do, and not let my personal feelings affect how I react to my partner during a case? How do you learn to balance that?"
"Nothing worth having is easy dear. It wasn't easy for you and Mr. Deeks to work together and trust each other when he first came on board, and that was on a professional and platonic level. Take it one day at a time, one step at a time. You will both learn how to be separate but together at work, and what you do after hours is your own business." She paused for another sip of tea. "Many years ago, I was on assignment in Paris when I met a wonderful man named Pascal. Mmm, he was quite the romantic. It turned out he was also my contact for the other agency with which we were collaborating. There were several rocky moments as we figured out how to work and "play" together, but let's just say that all my, um… affairs in Paris were successful."
Kensi looked at the little woman behind the desk, her mouth slightly agape. "You never cease to amaze me, Hetty. Thank you. I don't want to lose anything that I have with Deeks – our partnership, our friendship, or our relationship."
"You're welcome, Ms. Blye. Don't rush things, but don't run away from them either. You will find the balance you seek if you keep at it."
Later that afternoon, Deeks replaced the receiver of his desk phone. "One down, two to go," he said, mostly to himself. He picked up the phone again and dialed an internal extension. "Eric? I need you and Nell down here right away." Hetty suddenly appeared next to Deeks' desk, and Eric and Nell came down the stairs with tablets in hand, curious about what was going on. Callen, Sam and Kensi all looked up at Deeks, waiting to see what he was up to.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Deeks?"
"Yep. I wanted to give you this, Hetty, with the whole team here. It's finally the right time," Deeks replied. He handed her a sheet of white paper with the official NCIS seal on it, and a handwritten signature at the bottom.
Hetty looked it over carefully. "Ah, yes. I have been waiting for this for quite some time. What made this time the right one?"
"All the pieces are in place now," was Deeks' simple answer.
A big smile spread across Kensi's face. "Wait; is this what I think it is, Deeks? Are you officially becoming an agent? Part of NCIS for good?"
"Yeah, Fern, you're stuck with me. It feels like home here, but I needed to know for sure that all of you felt the same way. That you wanted me here and not just tolerated me being here. Hetty, you've made me feel like part of the team since the very beginning. You have gone over and above for me so many times. I know Kensi and I make a great team, we trust each other completely and have become so much more than just partners. Callen, I feel like you've trusted me more with different aspects of cases, and trusted my judgment without question. Eric, Nell, you two have always been cool to me." Deeks paused and turned to face Sam. "Sam, you were the final piece. We've worked together quite a bit, but I was never sure how you felt. I kind of got the sense that I was the class clown you had to put up with because Hetty put me here, but I never felt like you approved of me. After our conversation in the hospital, I know we're good. I know that I have your trust and respect. I may not be all "Navy SEAL", but there has to be that one weird cousin in every family, right?"
Sam nodded, they shook hands and did a quick man-hug. Callen, Eric and Nell all came over and congratulated Deeks while Hetty stood in the background, silent pride beaming on her face. Kensi impatiently waited until everyone else was out of the way and it was her turn. She ran over to Deeks and without hesitation wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. "I've never been with an agent before, you know…" she slyly whispered in his ear so only he could hear. Before he could come up with a witty comeback, she kissed him in front of everyone.
"Congratulations Mr. Deeks. Or should I say, Agent Deeks?" Hetty smiled as she started walking back to her office.
"Thanks, and um, Hetty? No need to sign me up for the dental plan – I'm not going to be going there anytime soon."
So there it is – my first complete story. I hope you liked the way it ended; I had so much fun writing it. I have a few more story ideas roaming through my head, so I may have more to share sometime this summer. Thank you again for reading, following, and reviewing!