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"You have to do what?" Deeks exclaimed loudly. He was shouting across the room at Kensi who was changing, getting ready to be someone she wasn't.
Earlier that day, they figured out the reason for Jacobs' death. William Jacobs and a few of his fellow Marines were involved in a human trafficking ring in Los Angeles, and he had shown remorse and wanted out. Jacobs was a "recruiter" as one of his kidnapping buddies, David Ellis called him. He found women and children and brought them to his boss. Jacobs and his friends were essentially doing this for fun, finding anyone they wanted then plotting and executing their kidnapping. They had Ellis in the boat shed, and he had set up a meet with his boss Gary Blake later that evening.
Ellis was going to bring his latest victim to Blake for payment. Only this time, that victim was Special Agent Kensi Blye.
"I just have to sorta get kidnapped. That's all." Kensi said as she emerged from the changing area wearing a dress Deeks would have made a rather inappropriate comment on had he not been so angry and worried at the time.
"Kensi do you hear yourself? You are baiting a human trafficker. You have to be a kidnapping victim. God only knows where he will take you or what he will do to you if something goes wrong. I mean what if his guards put up a fight and we can't get to you fast enough?" Deeks shuddered at the thought. He couldn't lose Kensi. If something happened to Kensi now with so many things left unsaid he knows he will never be able to move on.
"Deeks." Kensi shook her head. She knew Deeks was overreacting, but she was still nervous herself. "Somehow I always end up as the bait. I've made it out every time. Today will be no different. Putting myself in danger is my job, you know that." And with that Kensi walked away leaving Deeks behind just as she had that morning in the firing range.
They made their way up to OPS to go over the plan one last time. Callen was babysitting Ellis at the boatshed, and as soon as the automatic doors opened Sam started barking orders at lightning speed.
"Kensi will be in the back of Ellis' van. He will drive in, get Kensi out of the back and pass her off to Blake. As soon as Kensi is ready, we breach and take him down." Deeks was getting more and more uneasy as Sam spoke.
"How do we know we can trust Ellis? What if he does something to jeopardize her?" Deeks says with wide eyes.
Kensi was about to speak up when Sam cut her off. "Deeks, it's a risk we have to take. Kensi will be armed, she can take care of herself if anything happens. Ellis knows this is his only chance of seeing freedom before he is 90, he isn't stupid enough to mess this up." Sam knew how Deeks felt, but his habit of being overprotective of Kensi was starting to get old.
"I'll be fine Deeks." And with that, Kensi walked swiftly out of the Operations Center, on her way to meet her kidnapper.
The ride to the boatshed was unusually quiet, like every other ride in Kensi's SRX had been that day.
As Kensi was about to get out of the car Deeks gently grabbed her wrist. "You made me promise you I wouldn't get myself killed. I want you to promise me the same." Deeks said. Kensi looked into his eyes, shocked at his sudden sincerity.
"I promise." Kensi smiled and shrugged out of Deeks grip.
Deeks opened the door for his partner and they shared a longing glance as she walked in. Sam and Callen were waiting for them. "Ready, Kens?" Callen asked.
"Always." Kensi replied with a smile. Deeks rolled his eyes at her confidence. Kensi spent a few minutes ruffling her hair to further sell her kidnapping story, while Deeks watched on not wanting to let her out of his sight.
Despite Deeks wishes, Kensi was now tied up with duct tape over her mouth in the back of a van. It was ironic, their day had started out so well now Kensi was on a dangerous undercover op, and Deeks was a nervous wreck.
They pulled into the designated meeting place, an abandoned garage and Ellis got out and aggressively pulled Kensi out of the van. Deeks heard the struggle through his earpiece. He hated this already.
Deeks was in the back of the Challenger fidgeting nervously. "Deeks, if you don't stop fidgeting I'm going to shoot you." Callen said, not even looking in the Detective's direction.
"Deeks, she will be fine. Calm down." Sam was trying to be the voice of reason, and save Deeks' life at the same time.
"This is what Kensi does. You have to trust her." Callen said.
"I do trust her. I don't trust him." Deeks replied, sighing and falling back in his seat. Kensi could hear everything they were saying, and she smiled a little behind the duct tape knowing that she meant so much to him.
Ellis was approaching Gary Blake pushing a fighting Kensi in front of him. As they got closer and Blake saw his latest victim he began to antagonize her in a way that made Deeks' blood boil.
"Well aren't you pretty." He said as he pulled Kensi's hair.
"Told you. Found this one after she had one too many at a club last night. Couldn't resist." Ellis shrugged as he described her fake kidnapping.
Blake wasn't here for small talk. "This is a rather unexpected deposit, almost suspiciously so." Blake began to walk in a circle where Ellis and Kensi were standing.
"I told you. She was just too pretty to resist." Ellis was nervous, and it was starting to show.
Back in the Challenger, hearing this exchange wasn't doing anything for Deeks nerves. "Can we go in yet?" Deeks was sounding every bit the impatient child.
"As soon as Eric gives us the sign that all Blake's men are out of the room." Sam said.
"What do you want me to do with her?" Ellis asked. The faster this guy was in custody, the faster he could work out a deal and hopefully go free.
The plan was to take Blake alive so he could identify other men involved in human trafficking in Los Angeles.
"Since it was such a surprise transaction, I have nothing planned for her. Maybe I should take her for a few days." Blake sent a sly smile Kensi's way.
Deeks had heard enough and luckily for him Sam and Callen had as well. "Kens, take Blake down. Were on our way in." Callen barked into Kensi's ear as they exited the car and prepped to breach the building.
Eric chimed in. "You're good guys. All the guards are sitting just on the other side of the door."
"Kens. On my count you take him down." Callen said as he counted down from three.
They stormed into the garage, easily taking down the five guards. As soon as he heard gunfire, Blake reached for his weapon. Kensi was fast and took him down with ease. His weapon misfired on its way to the ground sending a bullet into the wall.
Sam, Callen and Deeks were clearing the building when they heard the shot. Sam and Callen began yelling into their coms, while Deeks took off running in Kensi's direction.
As he burst through the door, weapon drawn Kensi knew this nightmare of an operation was over. She could stop being a kidnapping victim and go back to being Kensi Blye.
"Oh my God, Kensi. Don't scare me like that. I thought you were dead." Deeks was freaking out, but felt a huge wave of relief wash over him when he saw Kensi smile.
"What the hell took you so long?" Kensi was beginning to handcuff Blake and Ellis. Deeks just smiled and helped Kensi walk them out of the building and into NCIS custody.
Another bad guy taken down, another day the city was saved by the superhero like NCIS Agents. Another time Kensi risked her life to arrest a terrorist.
The team had all gone home after their long day, except for Deeks and Kensi. Deeks was sitting at his desk waiting on Kensi to change. She came out of the changing area expecting to find the bullpen empty instead she found her partner waiting.
"I thought everyone went home. What are you doing here?" Kensi grabbed her bag and started to leave.
"I thought my partner deserved Titanic and takeout for a job well done." Deeks flashed her a crooked smile.
Kensi smiled back at him. "Sounds great."
"I'll meet you at your place in fifteen minutes. Try to make it at least presentable." That earned him a punch to the arm. Kensi turned and walked out the door.
Ten minutes later, Deeks was knocking on Kensi's door. He laughed when he heard the Titanic theme music floating through Kensi's apartment.
Kensi was already seated on the couch ready to push the play button as soon as Deeks arrived. She even left the door unlocked. "It's open."
"You really shouldn't leave your door unlocked, Kensalina. Some creep could just walk right in." Deeks set the food on her coffee table.
"One just did." Kensi smiled up at him and reached for the remote, but not before Deeks snatched it from her hand.
"Can we just talk for a second please?" He handed Kensi her food and tossed the remote away.
"Talk about what?" Kensi was beginning to get anxious. The last thing she ever wanted to do was talk.
"Well, I know you hate communicating. So, I will talk and you listen. Okay?"
Kensi nodded and folded her legs under her as she turned on the couch to face Deeks.
"Today was really difficult for me." Deeks started.
"Deeks- I…" Kensi was trying to get him to stop but he cut her off.
"No, Kensi I need to get this off my chest. Please?"
Kensi sighed. "Fine. You talk, I'll listen."
"Today was the first time in a while I had thought about losing you. The last time I thought I might lose you was when you were held captive in that horrible laser room. I was terrified then, but so much has changed since that day."
Kensi's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't expecting their dinner and a movie date to get this serious.
"Kensi, I know my being really protective is annoying. I just can't bear the thought of losing you. Especially today. If something would have happened to you today before I got the chance to say this I would never have forgiven myself. I love you Kensi."
Kensi froze. She was completely shocked at what he had just said. She didn't even know how to respond, and Deeks took her silence the wrong way.
He sat there looking at her shocked face for a few long moments before it started to make him angry. He had just taken a giant leap of faith and his actions were not being reciprocated.
"Fine. I see how you feel." The hurt and anger he felt was clear in his words. Deeks stood up and started to walk out of Kensi's apartment.
Kensi ran after him, his harsh actions pulling her out of her trance. She grabbed his arm pulling him as close to her as she possibly could and pressed her lips to his.
She communicated the way they do best, without words.