Author Note - Once again, parts of this chapter have been written by southernbookgirl. Thanks to her help for keeping this going so I can wrap it up and move on to my next story! The dream referenced in this chapter is published as an independent story by southernbookgirl. Curious? Go check it out.

It was much later, when Kensi awoke from her "nap" if she could call it such (no one really rests when fearful for their life while in Taliban captivity) that she saw Jack had been returned. He was lying on his right side close to the cave wall, his body curled in a fetal position. Like her, one of his ankles was shackled to the wall and his wrists were bound behind his back. From the dark purple bruises on his face and swelling present on his cheeks and forehead area that Kensi could make out in the flickering firelight, she concluded that Jack had recently been beaten.

Kensi was close enough to Jack that she kicked softly at his feet to try and get his attention. Jack shifted just slightly and the NCIS agent was able to make out more of the damage that the Taliban had inflicted on her former fiancé. Jack tried to open his eyes, but he was only able to partially open his right eye. With his other eye, the swelling was so bad that that eye remained completely shut. He had a large gash at his hairline, covered in blood that had dried a dull brown-red. Jack's lips were swollen and chapped; no amount of Vaseline could help him with the dryness. As she took all of this in, Kensi had to take a steadying breath, or else her anger would cause her to say or do something that would alert the Taliban she was conscious once more. She didn't know who she was angrier at - their captors for what they had done, or herself for indirectly causing Jack so much pain by coming to find him.

The female agent stared intently at him for a moment, wondering if he was alright. As if he could read her thoughts, Jack shifted his head just slightly, as if to say, I am alright. Don't worry about me. Everything will be okay. Kensi moved her chin ever so slightly, and Jack took this that Kensi had received his message. After a few minutes of silence, Kensi tried to scoot over toward Jack as close as her shackle allowed to try and assess his injuries. However, Jack's head had fallen forward, his right eye completely shut; the former Marine had fallen back into a state of unconsciousness.

It was in this thought process that Kensi suddenly recalled a "memory" from a dream earlier. Deeks, Jack, guns drawn, bullets fired…the abruptness of its arrival to her conscious mind and the vividness of it brought such a clear and sharp pain that it was too much for Kensi. She slid down the cave wall and lowered her body to the floor, silent tears streaming down her face. The possibility that the dream could be a reality was so remote, yet at the same time so plausible, that it tore Kensi apart. The two men in her life – a past love, a current friend and partner – one laying across from her, the other thousands of miles away. While abandonment was nothing new in her life, Kensi was unable to fathom what would happen if one man left her life forever because of the actions of another.

She lost total track of time and really had no idea how long she had been pondering every awful possibility when Jack spoke up, his voice soft and strained.

"So tell me about him." He said.

"Who? I don't know who you're talking about." Kensi insisted, kicking at the dirt and trying to wrap her arms around herself protectively.

"It may have been a long time but I can still read you, Kensi. I told you about my wife, my daughter. Tell me about the man you have waiting for you at home." Jack prodded. Kensi maintained her determined, angry silence. Everything in her screamed "deny, deny, deny" but at the same time, she felt she needed to voice the truth to someone... Especially with the mess they were in. If there was a chance Jack might survive if she didn't, it meant a chance for Deeks to find out what he meant to her. She swatted away the tears at the corner of her eyes before whispering,

"He's my partner."

Owen Granger would never admit to being afraid of Henrietta Lange... But he was terrified of notifying her of Blye's disappearance. At the same time, he was enraged. Something had been off from the moment she suggested, or rather, insisted on sending Kensi.

First she had "choked" and missed the shot... Which he seriously doubted, there was no way that the daughter of Donald Blye would miss. Hell, she could have taken that shot at age nine if her father's bragging was to be believed. No, something had been off and he should have called Hetty on it long before this. Even before this mess began, Kensi had been acting oddly. She was snappy, and seemed constantly exhausted. He had also noticed that she had spent a great deal of time in the toilets, and refused to see the medic when ordered. And now? Now she was missing. And worse, he not only had Blye MIA, but Sabatino was gone as well. What a bloody mess. After three days of searching, he had nothing to go on and he couldn't delay any longer.

"Booker" he yelled, storming into the trailer. "Get me Henrietta Lange on a secure video feed." Booker paled at the order, but did as he was told. The moment Hetty appeared on the screen, Granger dismissed him and he took off. With a deep breath and an angry sigh, Granger spoke the words he dreaded.

"Agent Blye is missing."