Chapter 28

Deeks startled awake when the captain announced their final descent into L.A. He looked down to find Melanie was staring up at him with those big brown eyes. He grinned at her and said "Hey little one. How long have you been awake, missy?"

"She woke up just seconds before you did Marty." he looked over to find Isabelle smiling at him. He smiled back, happy they were almost home. His smile faded as he realized he would either be having an uncomfortable conversation with Kensi shortly or maybe, just maybe, a knockdown, drag out fight. Isabelle tilted her head at him and frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Just something I need to deal with after we land." he replied and pasted the smile back on his face. They talked a bit more about her plans once she got settled back in her old home and he made her promise to call him when she started looking for a job. When they landed, he asked "What do you want to do? Try to get off now or wait for the plane to empty before trying to take Melanie down the aisle?"

"Would you mind waiting? Everyone gets up and then goes nowhere anyway."

"That's fine with me. " he looked back down at the baby and asked her "You okay with that Melly?" He heard Isabelle laugh at the silly nickname. They had to get up to let the guy in the window seat out but then sat back down to wait for the mad rush out the door to calm down. When they were pretty much the only ones left, they got up and Isabelle gathered her and Melanie's things. On the way down the aisle he peeked into the overhead where he had put his go bag only to find it empty. He figured Kensi must have it.

On the jet way, Kensi had stopped to wait for the rest of her team, carrying both her and Deeks's go bags. Sam and Callen joined her and Sam asked "Where's Deeks, Kens? Wasn't he seated next to you?"

Kensi looked towards the plane and said "He switched seats with another passenger who was unhappy being next to a crying baby. They were pretty much all the way in the back of the plane." She hmmphed. "I was stuck with that witch the rest of the way home."

"I didn't hear any crying baby." said Callen.

"Deeks." was all Kensi said.

Sam grinned and Callen just shook his head. "Well, almost everyone is off, so where the hell is he?"

They watched the open door to the plane and finally saw Deeks appear. He stopped to talk to the two attendants while holding a baby, with a small brunette woman standing by his side. They actually made a nice little family unit. The male attendant shook Deeks's hand while the woman gave him a quick peck on the cheek. As he walked away they could hear them saying "Bye Marty!"

He and the brunette stopped when they reached the trio. Deeks introduced Isabelle to his team and Sam helped her open the stroller that was waiting for her. Deeks carefully put Melanie in it and calmed her when she whimpered. He looked at Isabelle and asked "Are you sure your folks are going to be here to pick you two up?"

"Yes. They should be waiting by the luggage carousel. Marty, I can't thank you enough for all your help with Melanie."

"It was my pleasure. I'd like to go with you to the carousel, just to make sure the two of you meet up with your folks. Is that okay? I don't like the idea of the two of you alone."

"You don't need to do that! We'll be fine." Isabelle saw the determined look on his face and said "What about your friends, aren't they waiting for you to go home?"

"Guys?" he asked. All three nodded and said that they were fine with accompanying them to meet her folks. She sighed and gave in, secretly liking having an entourage as they went up the jet way and headed to pick up her luggage. When they arrived at the carousel, her mom and dad were waiting as expected and there were tearful hellos along with introductions. Finally the NCIS team said their good byes and headed to the parking garage. Sam and Callen had come in Sam's car and Deeks with Kensi. They split up at the cars, with promises to see each other at work in the morning.

Deeks got into the SRX, dreading the conversation he knew he and Kensi needed to have. Surprisingly she didn't say anything until they arrived at her place. He allowed the silence, figuring if he pushed it right now they would be saying things that they might not be able to be take back. When they pulled up she said "We need to talk, Deeks."

"Yes, we do." he replied "No time like the present?" She nodded and they both got out, grabbing their bags from the back seat. He followed her to her door in silence. Once in, he placed his by the door and folded his arms across his chest. "Okay Kensi, talk. What the hell was all that about this morning? What should I have done differently?"

"It wasn't about the shot Deeks." she started. She stopped, not sure how to proceed. This had been much easier in her head when she was sitting alone in her seat on the plane.

"What do you mean it wasn't about the shot? I've spent the whole day going over what happened in my head, trying different actions that all resulted in you getting killed! You've got me doubting my instincts! Do you know what could happen the next time something like this occurs? I could hesitate and get one of us killed!" his voice rose with each sentence. "If this wasn't about that, then what the hell was it about?"

"Kids!" she blurted out.

"Kids?" he asked, taken completely by surprise. "What do kids have to do with you going off on me this morning about taking that shot?"

"Nothing! It's just…you came back to the table last night after playing with those little league kids and all you could talk about was when you had kids this and when you had kids that! We've never talked about our future and here you were talking about your children like it was a done deal! You knew I don't really like kids. I started to wonder if you were just assuming I'd give in or if…" she paused.

"Or if what?" he asked. When she didn't respond he continued. "Kensi, I was jazzed when I got back to the table. I never meant to assume anything. When the time came I figured we'd talk about it and, if you wanted kids, I would've been the happiest man on the planet. If you didn't, well, then I would've been content with you and a series of Monty's. You always tell me I can't communicate but neither can you! At least I've been working on it, trying hard, but I seem to be the only one. Now tell me what else you were going to say!"

She noticed that he'd spoken of their talking about kids in the past tense and that he hadn't once used any of the nicknames he had for her. What did that mean? He kept looking at her expectantly and she blurted out the rest of her thought. "I started wondering if you were just with me for now and if you would leave when you found someone more suitable for the white picket fence and 2.5 kids!" She looked down at the floor.

There was silence and then he said quietly "I'd thought, I'd hoped, that you knew me better than that Kensi! You know me better than anyone else in the world. If you could think that about me, what kind of man does that make me?" he paused. "Is that what you really think of me Kensi? That I'm only with you to scratch an itch, all the while looking over your shoulder for, what, an incubator?" he whispered.

She looked up and saw the hurt on his face. She reached out a hand and said "Deeks…" and was devastated when he backed away from her touch.

"No. No, I need to go." he said and turned towards the door.

"Deeks, please! I didn't mean it like that!" she cried as he opened the door. "I love you! I love you so much it scares me!" she confessed.

He paused but didn't turn around, some of the tension going out of his body. "I love you too Kens." he said softly as he walked through the door and quietly closed it behind him. She looked at the door, waiting for it to reopen and for him to walk through, telling her it was okay, that they'd figure it out, they always did. When it finally dawned on her that that wasn't going to happen, she snapped out of her trance and ran to the door. Opening it, intending to go after him, she was just in time to see the taillights of his car heading away from her building. What the hell had she done?