I am just going to start by saying that you guys are so awesome! The response this story has gotten so far makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside, so just thank you all for making my day!

I don't own NCIS LA or any of its characters, etc.

Enjoy!

P.S. All you Monty lovers, don't worry, I didn't forget about him, and neither did Kensi =) Oh, and also, it does get a little graphic (kinda) during Deeks' part, describing his wounds and all, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, feel free to skip it.

Chapter 4

The first thing Kensi did before heading into the office the next morning was drive over to Deeks' place to check on Monty. She would've done it the night before, but she knew that it probably would've all been too much. She had barely held it together last night, and she knew if she had gone over to Deeks' apartment, she would've lost it. Using the spare key he had given her, she walked inside, just barely having turned on the light before she was attacked by a giant ball of fur. She laughed as Monty nearly took her out, jumping up and licking her face excitedly as she crouched to pet him.

"Hey, Monty. Hey, boy," she crooned to the shaggy dog. "Come on, come on, Monty." She called out, patting her thighs in encouragement as she stood up. She walked through Deeks' apartment, as familiar to her as her own home, Monty on her heels.

In the kitchen, she opened one of the smaller, neatly organized cupboards where Deeks kept Monty's food and dog treats. She pulled out the Purina and poured till Monty's dog dish was full. As soon as she stepped away, he darted to the bowl and took in a mouthful, crunching the food between his teeth hungrily. She gave him fresh water, and filled an extra bowl just in case. As Monty ate his fill, Kensi silently pet him, looking around the apartment. It was the same as it always was: neat and tidy, surfboard in the corner, the whole place smelling like the ocean. The only thing missing was Deeks. As if sensing her thoughts, Monty gave a low whine, staring up at her with sad brown eyes.

"I know, Monty. I miss him, too." She whispered. "Come on, I'm sure you have to pee."

She brought Monty outside, letting him sniff around the veranda until he found a tree suitable enough for his needs. When his doggy business was done and she had disposed of his waste into the nearest trashcan, she brought him back up to the apartment. As Kensi turned to leave, Monty let out another small whine. She crouched to pet him again, rubbing gentle circles on his crown to calm him.

"I know, I know. I promise I'll bring him back," she told the dog as much as she was telling herself. "Tell you what, Monty; I'll pick you up after work. But if I don't go know, Hetty won't let me leave form work, so I'll see you later, okay? Good boy, Monty. Stay. Good boy,"

Taking one last look around her partner's home, she stood and left, locking up behind her, telling herself the whole time that she would bring her partner back. She would bring him home.

-:-::-:-:-:-:-:-

"Is it safe to sell the bombs?" Sidorov asked again. Deeks could tell he was getting frustrated, as he had asked though clenched teeth.

He acted like he hadn't heard the question. "Look, I've really gotta tinkle, so if you could just untie me—"

He broke off with a groan of pain as the hot poker his torturer had was placed on a soft spot on his inner thigh. It hurt like hell, but he was just glad they had taken a break from drilling his mouth and punching his face whenever he said something snarky. His mouth, teeth, gums, and jaw were so sore and he was pretty sure he had swallowed an ounce or so of blood. He could feel multiple bruises blossoming over the ones from the day before, and he had several gashes across his cheekbones from the man's knuckles. And, of course, this was his third burn from that stupid iron poker. The flesh was charred and blistered, the denim of his jeans seared to the skin around the edges of the burns. The man released the poker from his leg and Deeks gasped, the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding whooshing out of him.

"Whew, that was fun," Deeks joked, tossing his head to the side, failing at moving some of his hair away from his sweat-plastered forehead. His whole body was sweaty, dirty, his skin covered in a layer of grime. And he really did have to pee.

Sidorov shot him a look of disgust and frustration, then he turned heel and stormed over to Sam's side, his evil henchmen following with the poker and the metal bucket of hot coals.

Deeks sighed, glad not to have to put on a brave front for a little while, at least. Now all he had to do was mentally prepare himself to see Sam get tortured some more. He wished he could slip back into unconsciousness like he had the night before so he wouldn't have to see his friend suffer. It was as bad as being tortured himself. Worse than being tortured, because it was torture. He tried focusing on the floor, the ceiling, anything but Sam as they burned him too.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Eric, Nell, what've we got?" Kensi and Callen said simultaneously as they walked into OPS, Hetty and Michelle on their heels. Eric looked a little intimidated when she and Callen both put the pressure on him. Nell simply shared a look with Kensi, trying to hide a smirk. The amusement quickly faded form the room as Nell stood, tablet in hand, and let out a defeated sigh.

"We don't have much, unfortunately," Nell stated.

Kensi's small—and slightly naïve—hope that they had somehow located Sam and Deeks overnight deflated. Then she felt guilty for being selfish as she looked at their two analysts, their friends. Eric and Nell both had bags under their eyes. They looked exhausted and worn out. They probably hadn't gotten a wink of sleep because they had probably been up all night trying to find her and Callen's missing partners.

"What do we have?" Callen asked more gently. It seemed he too had noticed their friends' sleep-deprived state.

"We couldn't get eyes on Sam and Deeks at the exact time they were taken, but we hacked into traffic and building cams around Sidorov's home, and caught three black SUVs leaving shortly after we lost contact with them." Eric said as he brought up imaging from the day before, showing—like he'd said—three SUVs leaving Sidorov's place.

"We tried tracking all three vehicles to see if we could determine which one they'd taken Sam and Deeks in, but we lost two in traffic. And since none of them have plates, there's no way to track them." Nell added on.

"You said you lost two in traffic; what about the third?" Callen asked, folding his arms across his chest as he looked up at the big screen.

"That one we did manage to keep track of," Nell said, a hint of pride in her voice.

Eric turned around in his chair to address Kensi and Michelle. "It stopped at the building you guys were at yesterday."

"And?" Kensi prompted.

"And Sidorov's guy Michael Zhrov climbed out. He was the only one in the car. We tracked him into the building, and he went up to the floor you guys were on. We think he was scoping out the scene, because afterwards he made a call." Eric said, leaving the sentence hanging in the already tension-filled air.

There was a pause.

"To who, Eric?" Callen asked finally.

"That's where we hit a wall." Nell admitted. "We tracked the call to a burner phone, but we weren't able to pinpoint the exact location the call was made to. We're tracking Michael Zhrov's phone to see if he makes any more calls."

More silence.

"That's all we have right now, guys. Sorry…" Nell trailed off.

"Don't be sorry, you guys did great. We're tracking Zhrov, and if we can find him, maybe he'll tell us where Sidorov is. Plus, we've got the Russian girl, Maya, in holding at the boatshed. She might know something. Why don't you guys take a break," Callen suggested, and Kensi was once again amazed at how calm he could be in a situation like this.

Eric and Nell were about to walk through the sliding doors, when Michelle's voice rang out. "I have to get back in,"

"What do you mean, Agent Hanna?" Hetty asked the question that was on all of their faces.

"I mean that Sidorov trusts me. Enough, anyway. I can call him with the number he gave me, get him to believe that his Russian girls turned on him, and get back in his inner circle. There's a good chance he'll show me where they're keeping Sam and Deeks." Michelle explained.

"That's too risky, Michelle." Kensi told her. "If they know that Sam was an undercover agent, there's no reason Sidorov wouldn't suspect you, too."

"Kensi's right," Callen agreed. "It's too dangerous, especially if you went in alone."

"You guys don't understand," Michelle argued. "Sidorov is in love with Quinn. If I call him, pleading for him to take me in, his love for Quinn will remove any doubts he has."

The room went silent again, as everyone pondered Michelle's proposal. Eric and Nell looked almost too tired to care, Callen's jaw was set, and Kensi could tell he was conflicted. Hetty's gave away no hint of what she thought. And Kensi…she was conflicted too. It was a good idea, and if it worked, they would get Deeks and Sam back. But they couldn't risk losing another agent; not when they were so short already. She told herself that they would find another way.

"Make the call, Agent Hanna." Hetty said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Kensi burst.

"Hetty, we can't do that!" Callen protested. "We're short agents already, and we can't risk putting another in danger like that," Callen said, voicing the thoughts Kensi had had moments before.

Hetty turned to Michelle, ignoring her and Callen. "Michelle, go make the call. Eric, Nell, if you wouldn't mind waiting another moment before you go."

Michelle left the room, already dialing the number. Hetty turned back to her and Callen.

"Hetty, Michelle had a great idea and all, but what if it doesn't work? Her cover could be compromised," Kensi told the small woman.

Callen came up behind her shoulder, agreeing with her through his actions.

Hetty took a deep breath. She looked exhausted too. How had she not noticed that earlier? Kensi couldn't even imagine how the toll of having two missing agents was on Hetty. Especially after losing Dom.

"I understand your frustrations, Ms. Blye, Mr. Callen. I know how risky this mission is, but I have two agents' lives' at stake. All we need is a location, then we will pull Agent Hanna out. I trust that you two will have her back?"

Kensi looked at Callen. There wasn't much they could do if it was Hetty's orders.

"Yes," Callen answered for the both of them.

"Good. Once Michelle comes back in, we'll discuss our next step." Hetty replied.

As if on cue, Michelle came back into OPS. "I called him."

"What'd you tell him?" Callen asked.

"I told him that Veronica and Maya turned on him, told me they were only in it for the money and that they said once they killed me, they could take the money and escape. He wants to meet me." Michelle said.

"When?" Kensi questioned.

"One o'clock. I told him I wanted to pick the meeting place, being on the run and all." Michelle responded. "We're meeting at Pan Pacific Park in central L.A. It's public, and you guys should have no trouble blending in with the crowd."

"Very good, Agent Hanna." Hetty said. "Ms. Jones, Mr. Beale, that gives us four hours before the meet time. You two should go home, get cleaned up. I expect you back here in two hours at the latest."

Nell and Eric muttered quick thanks, then rushed out, looking extremely grateful for the chance to shower and eat.

"Ms. Blye and Mr. Callen, I expect you to figure out your covers, figure out a strategy, and report back to me in an hour." Hetty then turned to Michelle. "Agent Hanna, a word in my office if you wouldn't mind."

Hetty and Michelle left, leaving her and Callen alone in OPS.

"So," Callen started, breaking the silence, half a smile on his face. "I'm thinking Park Services. You?"

"I'm thinking I better go pick up Monty."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The first thing Sam was gonna do when he got out of this place was apologize to Deeks. Day two of torture, and Deeks was still holding strong. Sam had to admit that he was surprised. He wondered what Deeks was thinking about to get him through this. Sam thought about his wife, his daughter, getting back to his family and friends. Sam knew from stories that guys told about being tortured, held hostage alone, all those crazy, terrifying war-time experiences, that every guy held on to a single thought to get them through it. So it only made him wonder what Deeks was holding on to, what Deeks was waiting to get back to.

Right now, though, neither of them had to think about holding on. The Russians decided to take a break. Guess even crazy Russian guys who wanted to know if it was safe to sell their nukes had to take a break every now and then. But Sam was grateful. His body hurt. They had inflicted several burns from a poker on his legs, just like they had done to Deeks. His skin was burnt and chafed around his wrists and ankles where the electricity had spread to the handcuffs linking him to the metal chair. He knew he also probably had a little internal damage from the electricity. All that and the fact that he had nearly drowned the day before.

He prayed the team found them soon, or there wouldn't be much of either of them to get back.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kensi double-checked the ammo in her SIG. Then she checked a third time. Then a fourth. She groaned. She was never this nervous before heading into an op. It's just like any other op, she tried to tell herself. Well, except for the fact that Deeks doesn't have your back because, oh that's right, he's busy getting tortured! She sighed, really wishing she could take her mind off of Deeks. He was not helping her focus and he wasn't event there. It was weird, how his crazy antics, jokes, their banter during an op almost helped her focus more. But now it was just her and her thoughts, and she couldn't bring herself to calm down.

She glanced over at Monty who sat patiently by her side. She wondered, not for the first time in the past two hours, if it had been a good idea to bring him. But the presence of Deeks dog was a little bit like having Deeks around. And not just because Monty's shaggy fur reminded her of Deeks' locks.

Kensi turned when she heard footsteps coming through the door of the armory.

"Hey, Michelle," Kensi said, greeting the CIA agent.

"Hi, Kensi." Michelle responded.

There was a brief silence between them before Kensi asked one of the questions on her mind. "How are you so sure this will work?"

"Honestly? I'm not," Michelle admitted and Kensi raised her eyebrows in her surprise. "But it's a risk I have to take."

"You didn't have to take the risk. Why not wait until we found another way, a safer way?" Kensi asked her.

Michelle smiled kindly. "I think you know why, Kensi. You, out of everybody here, should be able to relate."

Even though she had a hunch she knew what Michelle meant, she still asked. "What do you mean?"

"Callen mentioned to me about what happened yesterday, before you came to help me." Michelle said.

And there it was again, that blush creeping up to her cheeks. Why did that keep happening? It wasn't like kissing people was a foreign concept to her. And she'd never been shy about it. Until now, when it seemed like everybody in the whole office knew that Deeks had kissed her.

"So, what? Everybody knows now? You'd think people would have a better sense of privacy," Kensi muttered, half to herself.

Michelle laughed. "It's gossip, it spreads. Don't be too embarrassed. I understand."

"That's the thing, I'm not…well, I'm a little embarrassed I guess," she admitted. "It's just…I don't know what it means. Well, I know what it means, I just—I don't know how to deal with it. I'm not good with feelings."

"I know." Michelle said softly. "I wasn't either until Sam came along. It's hard to remember what feelings are sometimes, for people like you and me."

"And what kind of people are we exactly?" Kensi asked with half a smile.

"We're women, in a business surrounded by men who sometimes look down on us, think us weaker than them because we're women. And because they think we're weak, we build up a shell, a wall. We make ourselves strong and shut out our feelings." Michelle said, almost regretfully. "but you have to remember, Kensi, that we're still women. You're still a woman; still a girl. You have feelings. You have a heart; I've seen it, Kensi. You're an amazing person, very caring, and selfless."

Michelle paused and Kensi let that compliment sink in.

"And when you find a man that makes you feel like a girl, makes you remember those nervous, butterflies-in-your-stomach, smile-because-he's-smiling feelings…just remember that maybe it's okay to knock down some of that wall and let those feelings show. It's okay to let someone it, Kensi. I know it's hard. I was in the same boat you're in right now with Sam at one point. And what happened? I married him and now we have a family." Michelle smiled at her, and Kensi could see how much she loved Sam. It made her smile.

"Just promise me that you'll knock down some of that wall. Maybe not today, or tomorrow. Promise me you'll do it someday?" Michelle asked.

Kensi thought about Deeks, how happy he made her when he was around. She thought about how she felt right now when he wasn't around. She thought about all their banter, his jokes to make her feel better when she was down. He had her back all the time, and not just because it was his job to watch her back. He was just always there for her, no matter what. She thought about that wall Michelle had talked about, knowing it was true. She thought about how much she had already let Deeks in already. He knew her better than anyone. So maybe…maybe it was okay to knock down that wall a little bit more.

"I promise."

So there's chapter 4 for all you awesome people! It's a little longer than the last couple, so hope that made you guys happy =)

And to all you people reading the story, try reviewing! You guys are obviously interested in the story, so I wanna know what you think! Feedback is great, so REVIEW! Pretty please =) Like seriously, reviews just make me so happy, and I want to know if there's anything I can do to make the story better.

I do have to tell you guys again, though, that you're all amazing! I wouldn't be anywhere in this story without you guys!

Thanks, as always, for reading =)

I'll update some point in the next week, so stay tuned!

-DaughterOfPoseidon333