This chapter is essentially filler while I flex my writing muscles after being away for so long, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I don't want to make you wait any longer to read this, so my explanation for taking so long to post and a semi-lengthy apology note are at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: Los Angeles

A few days later, Kensi and Monica were preparing for movie night. Monica was in the kitchen retrieving "sustenance" (their guilt-less name for ice cream) and Kensi was just about to close her laptop when it chimed, indicating that she had a new email.

Ms. Blye,

Thank you for submitting your application to the Criminal Investigators Training Program (CITP) and the Special Agent Basic Training Program (SABTP) in Washington, D.C. Ms. Lange has informed me that you are to be fast-tracked through the admissions process and immediately enrolled for the upcoming summer session. In order to finish this process, we require an up-to-date medical and mental health record, as well as your university transcripts up to the most recent semester. Please send these materials to my office as soon as possible.

You should be aware that it is required that you maintain full disclosure about your academic performance and physical and mental health throughout the coming months. Ms. Lange assures me that she has the greatest trust in you and your abilities, and that you will be an excellent addition to the Los Angeles Office of Special Projects. However, I'm sure you are also aware that NCIS has the right to perform background checks and investigations into your records at any time.

An agent will be in touch with you in the next few weeks to set up an interview and basic skills test. Feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns.

Congratulations and best regards,

Amy Rickers

Department of the Navy, Human Resources Department: NCIS Division

Kensi stared at her laptop screen for a solid minute, processing the information displayed in her inbox. It wasn't like she hadn't known that it was coming, but the finality of an official acceptance made it feel all the more real. Her face split into a grin as it started to sink in that this was all coming true; she was going to be an NCIS agent.

"Hey, you know the number one rule is no laptops or phones," Monica said as she joined Kensi on the couch, a tub of ice cream in hand. She noticed Kensi's expression and laughed, "What's got you all smiley?"

Kensi turned to Monica and attempted to school her features into something a little more stoic. She wasn't sure how Monica was going to take the information, but Kensi had promised herself—and Deeks, who would no doubt hold her to her word—that she would tell Monica about the offer, and now was as good a time as any.

"Monica," Kensi started, "I have something to tell you…"

It was a wonder the neighbors didn't come knocking or call the police, because the excited shriek that echoed from apartment 6 was startling enough without the string of "ohmygod's" that followed behind it. Suffice to say, breaking the news went much better than Kensi had expected.

The Molina trial was all anyone could talk about in Kensi's classes the following week. Molina had pleaded "not guilty" on all accounts and rather than focusing on their impending midterms, Kensi's classmates were trying to figure out Healy's angle.

Even Monica was getting fired up about the case. "I mean, it's obvious that he killed the cop," she said one night while making dinner. "His fingerprints are on the gun, for goodness sake!"

"There's a good chance Healy'll use the compromised evidence report as an argument. They're also bringing in his brother to testify tomorrow," Kensi said, peering at the chicken, rice, and vegetables that were filling the apartment with mouth-watering aromas.

Monica swatted her away and continued to stir to contents of the pot. She scoffed and said, "As if Ramón Molina would testify against his brother."

"That's why they're trying to convince some of the girls to come to the stand, but they're all afraid to," Kensi replied, hopping up to sit on the counter. She pulled out her phone to double check the information. "Even if they did give their statements, Healy would eat them alive."

Deeks had been texting her updates from the courtroom all day. Apparently he was in deep trouble for skipping class to go on their shooting lesson, and Healy's punishment was that he sit in the front row and take notes for the defense. It was the kind of punishment Kensi would expect a grade school teacher to give a kid who couldn't pay attention, but Healy always had an angle, and this one involved not only humiliating Deeks, but forcing him to take a side that opposed his personal beliefs. Kensi had been doing her best to boost his mood all day, but each new text came through more depleted than the last.

They'd been texting since the morning after she'd dropped him off at the beach, even if they hadn't seen each other. He'd told her thank you again, and she'd cracked a joke about how it sounded like he was thanking her for a good night, and it had spiraled from there. Monica hadn't said anything, but every time Kensi's phone buzzed, she smiled knowingly at her friend.

She smirked now, her attention turned to the pot on the stove in front of her. "How many times have you texted him today?"

Kensi quickly stowed her phone back in her pocket, feeling irrationally guilty and a little embarrassed. "Not much," she replied flippantly. "He's just been updating me on the trial."

Monica raised an eyebrow incredulously. "I really hope that's code for sexting when the jury's on break."

Kensi looked at her friend seriously. "It's exactly what I said. Not everything is about sex, Monica."

"Whoa, Kens. I know that, okay? I just figured that with you guys getting closer…you know?"

"We've only had two dates, if you even want to call them that-"

"Definitely dates," Monica interjected.

"-and I'm just not ready for it to get physical yet. We haven't even kissed yet."

"You haven't kissed yet? What are you doing? What is he doing? The second date is when he's supposed to kiss you!"

"When have you ever known me to follow the 'rules'? We're taking it slow. He gets it." At that, Kensi smiled a little to herself.

"My God, you really like this guy," Monica said in wonder.

"More than I want to admit," Kensi replied curtly before jumping down from the counter. "And more than I want to discuss. When's dinner?"

In true Monica form, she rolled with Kensi's dismissal of the subject and said, "5 minutes. You wanna get the plates?"

Kensi nodded and pulled dishes from the cupboard. She was selecting silverware when Monica asked, "So, are you going to the beach on Saturday?"

It was Homecoming weekend and sort of a tradition that while the rest of the student body was crammed into Greek Row, their small group of friends tramped down to the beach, blankets and cold beers in hand. Last year, Kensi and Jack had gone, but it was right after Jack had come home from his second deployment, and when Orly and the guys had started to set off firecrackers, Jack started to get tense, and he and Kensi had made a quick exit.

Kensi mentally kicked herself for thinking of him. Of course, she thought about him every day—there were three years of mostly happy memories—but the clarity of those memories was starting to fade and blur around the edges. Kensi kept telling herself it was a good thing, and she believed it. Regardless, every now and then, the realization would hit her that it wasn't "Jack and Kensi" anymore, but just Kensi. For as much as it seemed that her friends were trying to fill the space left, Kensi still couldn't forget it.

"Kensi?" Monica prompted, breaking her from her reverie.

Kensi shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I don't know," she answered honestly.

"We're not doing this again, Kens," Monica warned. "I'm not letting you back out of living your life because everything reminds you of him."

Kensi swallowed and shook her head, not looking at Monica. "I'm not-,"

"Yes you are!" Monica interrupted. "Why are you so afraid of facing it, Kensi? He's in the past, and you have a future to look forward to. And a damn good one at that. You have people who love you. And they're right here. We are right here. And it feels like you're ignoring us for memories."

Kensi pressed her lips together and looked down at the silverware in her hand. The edge of a fork was biting into her palm and she used the sensation as an anchor as memories and guilt threatened to pull her out to an unrelenting sea. It was no use arguing, because Monica was right. "I just don't know what to do with myself sometimes," she said truthfully, hating how small her voice sounded.

"That's okay," Monica told her softly. "That's why you have me. And everyone else. We don't expect you to be who you were before he left. And we definitely don't want you to feel like you have to pretend. We just want you, scars and all. I wish you would understand that."

Kensi stayed quiet, mulling over her words. After a few moments, she said, so softly she didn't think Monica would hear, "I miss him." She was over tears—had been for a long time—but her voice cracked all the same and she sucked in a trembling breath before looking up at her friend. "Just when I start to think it's getting better, when I start to actually let myself forget, I'm reminded of him, and everything comes flooding back."

"Kens," Monica started, but she didn't finish. She seemed at a loss for words, so uncharacteristically Monica.

"I'll go to the party on Saturday," Kensi said, more strongly this time. She could only allow herself to be vulnerable for so long before feeling like she was going to lose herself. "It'll be good to see everyone."

Monica's smile was warm, but it didn't reach to cover the sadness and pity in her eyes. "Good," she said, turning back to the food, which had been left unattended for a few minutes, and starting to sizzle uncontrollably. "Set the table before I burn this," she instructed. As Kensi walked by, Monica threw her hip out to bump Kensi's playfully, and Kensi reciprocated, laughing almost too loudly, just relieved that the moment was over.

"Deeks, don't!" Kensi warned, her voice jumping an octave. She ducked out of the way, her feet slipping on the sand, but she wasn't fast enough to dodge the stream of cold water that Deeks shot at her with his water bottle.

"Hey, Secret Agent Lady, what happened to having the reflexes of a cat, or whatever?" Deeks teased as Kensi gasped and sputtered, shaking the cold water from her skin.

They'd returned to the beach on Thursday for another day of surfing and letting off steam from a tough week of midterms for Kensi and trials for Deeks. The two surfboards that lay in the sand had seen a day of good waves and happy riders, as Kensi had gotten up a few times and ridden the waves all the way through. They were drying off and packing up to leave when Deeks had instigated this battle.

He turned towards the wide expanse of water and tilted his head back to swallow the rest of the water from the bottle, reveling in his triumph.

A sudden sting on the back of his legs made him choke on the water and he turned to see Kensi standing with a towel in her hand, smirking. "What were you saying about my reflexes?" she asked slyly. Deeks liked playful, uninhibited Kensi. He liked every version of Kensi, but this one, the one standing in front of him, was the Kensi that lay underneath all of the hard exteriors and troubling past. It was an essential piece of her, the kind of person she could be when she let it all go. And she was stunning.

"I'll show you reflexes," Deeks said. He chucked his water bottle to the ground next to his towel and ran toward her, reaching out to tackle her, but she was too quick. He stumbled forward, fingers grasping at air instead of her waist, his intended target.

"Come again?" She laughed. Deeks pivoted and she shot off like a racehorse, her long legs kicking up sand as she sprinted away. Deeks followed after, equally as fast, though he'd had a late start.

What had started as a chase quickly turned into a race with no finish line as Deeks caught up to Kensi. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and when she looked over at him, a competitive grin split her face and Deeks faltered for a minute before again speeding up. His lungs burned and his breathing came out in short, gasping laughs. He shook his head as she veered toward the water and ran in, diving headfirst when the water reached her thighs.

Deeks stood on the shore, the water just brushing his toes. He watched her resurface, a wide smile on her face. "You win!" he called out to her, gasping for air.

She beckoned to him, and Deeks waded in. He ducked under the water and swam out to where she was treading. He didn't dare touch her, even though he so badly wanted to. It was like the bikini she was wearing was taunting him. It was simple and black and not nearly as revealing as the dozens of other girls on the beach today, but it did things to him. Things that made Deeks happy he was mostly submerged in water.

"What were you saying about running track in high school?" Kensi asked when he broke the surface a few feet away from her. The water reflected the sunlight and it lit her face from below, highlighting gold flecks in her eyes. Deeks swallowed before answering.

"I'm a little out of practice. And it's not fair that I was racing a Marine."

"I'm not a Marine. And you're a sore loser."

"You might as well be!" Deeks countered. "At least I'm not gloating about winning."

"Don't worry, Deeks. The puppy dog eyes are kinda cute."

Deeks smiled cheekily and swam closer to her. "You think I'm cute?"

Her eyes went wide and she backed up a bit. "I didn't mean it like that," she said defensively.

"It's okay, Kensi. You can be totally honest with me. You think I'm adorable."

"In a brotherly way, maybe." Her cheeks were already flushed from the sun and their race, but Deeks saw the color deepen.

He floated closer to her, stopping when he was about a foot away, just close enough to invade her space, but far enough away that she still had room to breathe. "Don't worry," he said, keeping his voice low. "I think you're pretty adorable yourself."

Her flush deepened and her eyes connected with his. Deeks half expected sparks to go bouncing across the waves around them, her stare was so electric. He was so tempted to lean in, to close the distance between them, and just…

"There's this thing on Saturday," Kensi said, breaking their connection and looking back to the beach, to the horizon, to her hands fiddling in the water, anywhere but his face. "Down here on the beach. A few of us…we get together every year after the game. You can come, if you want."

She finally looked him in the eye again, a strange mixture of emotions flickering across her face in the reflections off the water. Deeks knew he'd gotten a little too close. He'd leaned in a little too far and she'd backed off, using the invitation as a buffer, though not an unwelcome one. She was offering him some balance on this shaky tightrope. So he took it. Obviously.

"Sure, that sounds like a good time," Deeks told her, keeping his face and tone casual even though he was pretty sure the lightness in his chest would keep him afloat without the help of his treading.

Kensi nodded. "Good," she said, a small smile lifting her lips. She let out a breath of relief, though Deeks wasn't sure whether it was because she'd avoided their moment or because she'd been meaning to ask and was happy to finally have done it.

"You ready to head back in?" He asked, and she nodded. They took their time swimming back to shore, letting the waves carry them most of the way.

A/N: You know how sometimes Life happens and you lose all motivation to do anything that isn't work, and even then, you're slogging through it because you have to and not because you want to? That's been me the past eight months. I have done nothing but schoolwork/applying for graduation/trying not pull my hair out when dealing with difficult professors and vengeful landladies, and I regret losing my passion, even though I had absolutely no control over it. I'm sure you can relate when I say that sometimes Life pressures you and it's just too much to handle all of that as well as having the energy to actually enjoy it, and I want to say sorry (again) for taking too long to post. Now that I've graduated university and I'm free to explore my creativity again (in between working a part-time while I look for a "big kid job"), I'm able to write a lot more. I really appreciate the messages I got here and on tumblr from those of you who missed reading about these characters, and I'm so incredibly grateful to those of you who stuck with this through the past few months. Thank you x 1,000. You're all rockstars!