A/N – thank to honus47 for once again reviewing and making suggestions!

OhBuddy66 - for suggesting the girls have a different perspective on things!

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! Please keep reviewing, good or bad! I want to hear from you, let me know how I'm doing!

This story arc WILL be ending next chapter, it's time to move on! As for the overall story? As long as I keep getting such great suggestions, it may never end!

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Chapter 33

Sam watched Kensi out of the corner of his eye. She would work for a while and then zone out, usually staring at Deeks's empty desk with a frown on her face. He tried several times to get her to talk to him but she rebuffed him each time, giving him the "I'm fine" answer that Deeks had long ago clued him in to mean she was anything but. He'd tried to talk to Callen, but at the first hint that Sam wanted to get involved in the partners lives, he'd taken off for the gun range, mumbling something about requalifying, even though Sam knew he'd already done so last month. An idea crossed his mind and he stood up, grabbing his phone. Kensi didn't even notice him leave.

Once he was out of earshot, he called Michelle's cell. She answered on the second ring "Hey Baby! What's up?"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing? Are you checking up on me Sam Hanna?"

"What? No! No, of course not! I just, I need your help with Kensi."

Michelle was instantly alert. "Kensi? What's wrong with her?" Kensi had become a good friend over the last few months, part of a circle of women who had rapidly become close knit.

"Deeks called out today and she obviously wasn't expecting it, even though she tried to hide that fact. I can't get her to talk to me about what's going on. She just keeps staring at his desk like she's trying to will him to appear!"

"Do you think this has something to do with the way you told me they were behaving last night?"

"It has to be! They were fine before we went out to dinner on Wednesday night and by the time we flew home yesterday; it was like they could barely look at each other."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Can you call and ask her to meet you? Maybe go out to lunch? I'm hoping she'll talk to you. You know, the whole I've been there, done that, I can help kind of thing?"

Michelle snorted. She loved this man to distraction but he honestly had no idea about how to deal with women. "I'll call and ask her but I can't force her to go and I can't guarantee she'll want to talk to me, Sam."

"That's all I can ask. Now, when you call her don't let on that you know anything's wrong, she'll turn you down flat. Don't let her know I called you. Maybe you can pretend you need her help on something or that you need to just get out of the house, or…"

"Sam!" Michelle interrupted her husband. "I'm a trained CIA operative. I think I can figure out how to get Kensi to go out to lunch with a friend!"

"Oh. Yeah."

"I love you Sam."

"I love you too baby." Sam hung up and felt better. At least he was trying to do something. Deeks had been no help. Wouldn't give him any idea whatsoever except texting that he needed to work some things out, alone. Nothing else since then. Sighing, he went back to his desk to finish up his paperwork and keep an eye on his little sister. When Kensi's cell phone rang a few minutes later, he tried hard not to let her know he was watching her every move as she practically lunged at the phone. He felt bad when he saw the hope on her face die away when she saw the caller id. He listened to her side of the conversation.

"Hey Michelle. What's up?"

"Lunch? I don't know, I have an awful lot of paperwork to finish up here."

"Why would Cassie and Paula need my help with a catering snafu?"

"Oh. Okay, sure. I'd love to help check out the new caterer." Sam could hear the distinct lack of enthusiasm in her voice.

"Yeah, I know where that is. I'll see you guys in about 20 minutes." Kensi hung up the phone and looked up to find Sam watching her. He pasted a pleasant look of inquiry on his face.

"Was that my Michelle?"

"Does she know you refer to her as yours, Sam?"

"You know what I meant, Kens. What's up?"

"Apparently the caterer for Cassie and Paula's wedding bailed on them. They're doing a taste testing at a new place today and they want us girls to come and help. I'm meeting them there at noon."

"Well, have a good time and tell the girls hi from me." He was proud of Michelle. Now he could only hope that she'd be able to pry what was wrong out her and things could go back to normal around here. Or at least what passed for normal for them.

Kensi got up and left to go meet her friends. She tried to work up some enthusiasm for the venture but her heart just wasn't in it. She drove to the restaurant and found a place to park. Walking in, she looked around and immediately spotted Michelle, who was sitting alone at a table near the back. Michelle looked up and waved her over. Kensi sat at the table and asked "Where are Cassie and Paula?"

"Oh, I just heard from Paula. They had something come up and can't make it after all. They want a detailed review of the food from this place."

Kensi narrowed her eyes at Michelle who was looking as angelic as possible. "Sam called you, didn't he? There's no taste testing. He wants you to find out what's going on, doesn't he?"

Michelle smiled at her. She had known that Kensi was smart and wouldn't be taken in by any ruse for long. She reached out a hand and put it on top on Kensi's. "He's just worried about you and Marty. And…he's a guy. He doesn't know how to deal with these kinds of things so he called in the cavalry. That would be me. A friend who knows what it's like to work a dangerous job and who fell in love with the wrong man. Talk to me Kensi, what's wrong?"

Kensi answered with a question of her own. "Why would Sam care? He told me he wasn't crazy about the idea of co-workers dating."

Michelle laughed. "He's a great one to say that! Talk about do as I say, not as I do! You know he and Marty are in a better place now, right? That he's sorry for the things he said?"

"What things? What are you talking about Michelle?"

Michelle looked surprised. "You mean Marty never told you?"

"Told me what Michelle?!"

Michelle frowned; she thought for sure that Marty would have told Kensi about what Sam had said to him when he and Sam were on overwatch during the Sidarov case. When they'd been forced to partner up while Kensi and Callen had been in Iran, tracking down Janvier. She hesitated now, not sure what to say, not sure why he'd never told her.

"Michelle! Spill it now or I'll go back to OSP and get it out of Sam. I can guarantee you that that won't be pretty."

"Ok, ok. When you and Callen were in Iran, you know that Sam was upset that he was partnered up with Marty. He was worried about me and scared out of his mind something bad would happen. You know Callen is like his brother, he wanted the safety net of working with someone who's every move he could predict. Marty, well, Marty was an enigma to him."

"What happened?"

"He may have questioned Marty's character. Told him that everything about him was different, his hair, his beard, his clothes, his jokes. I heard it on the comms. Marty was pretty pissed and, I think, really hurt by Sam's words."

Kensi paled, realizing now why her thinking, even for a minute, that he was using her, making it sound like she was questioning his character, would have hurt him. It must have reminded him of a very dark time in his life.

"How could Sam do that Michelle? Deeks has never done anything but back us all up. Look what happened during that case! Look at what he went through to protect you!"

"He knows that now Kensi! He told me that he went to Marty's room just before he left the hospital to find me. He apologized to him and told him he'd never make that mistake again. Kensi, Marty told Sam that he thought he was done being a cop. Sam made sure to tell him that would be a mistake, that Marty was a great cop and would make a great agent. He truly believes that. Don't be mad at him now, it's all ancient history."

Kensi looked at her and said in a small voice. "How can I be mad at him, Michelle, when I did the same thing to Deeks, just not in as many words?"

"What do you mean?"

Kensi told Michelle about the argument the two of them had had and how she had called his feelings for her into question and his reaction to that. How she'd admitted her feelings for him and his response, including walking out and disappearing without a word. Michelle's stomach dropped. "You both have some apologizing to do. But, if I know one thing, it's that the two of you can work this out. I've seen the way you two look at each other. There's a real and binding love there Kensi. It will be worth any effort to make this right. I know from experience. No one else knows this but, Sam and I broke up at the end of the joint op we met on. I loved him and he loved me but we were both too stubborn to try to find a way to make it work. We were so sure that it couldn't, neither one of us willing to have to leave our job to make a family. In the end, there was no way we could stay apart and still be happy. We found a way to make it work and you will too." She smiled at the younger woman.

Kensi smiled back, taking hope from Michelle's words. Despite his text, she was sure she'd see him tomorrow and they'd work this out. Finding herself starving, she and Michelle ordered lunch and spent the rest of their time together talking about love and relationships. Well, really more about comparing ops, close calls and scars.

When Kensi got back to OSP, Sam looked at her hopefully. She glared at him and sat down without a word.

"So, how was lunch Kensi?"

"Really, Sam? You want to play it that way? You want to pretend that you didn't sic your wife on me to find out what's going on with Deeks and me?"

If Sam had had a tail, he would have tucked it between his legs and run off to the gym. "I'm sorry Kensi. I was worried about you two and neither one of you will give me a straight answer. I only did it because I care so much about both of you. You're family and family watches out for each other."

Kensi softened as she heard the sincerity in his voice. "I know Sam. I also know that you called Deeks's character into question during the Sidarov case. What were you thinking?"

Sam looked stunned. How had a conversation about whatever was going on between the two of them, turn into a discussion about that? He squared his shoulders. "That was between me and Deeks, Kensi. I will tell you that I was dead wrong and I let him know it. He knows now that I respect him and that I want him to become an agent, to really join the team. He knows this team isn't as good without him. I know that because I've told him exactly that. Now, did you tell Michelle what's going on?"

Kensi grinned at him for the first time today. "That's between me and Michelle, Sam."

Sam opened his mouth to try and come up with a witty comeback when Kensi's phone rang again. He watched the same emotions as earlier play across her face when she hopefully looked at the caller id. She answered and, once again, he got only her side of the conversation.

"Hi Laura." She frowned.

"Yes, I'll be there tomorrow. I'll need to talk to Deeks about what time to pick him up." She was so sure he wouldn't back out on class, no matter what his text had said.

"He did?" Sam saw her eyes fill with tears. Now what?

"By myself? I don't know it that's such a good idea."

"Yes, I know we missed last week's session."

"I'm sure the girls would be disappointed but there's always next week."

"Really Laura, I don't think…"

"Yes, I know we made a commitment to …."

"I'll see you around 10."

Kensi hung up the phone, looking shell shocked. Laura had gently, but with a fist of iron, overridden every excuse Kensi could think of to cancel the class tomorrow. Somehow she'd been manipulated into holding it alone. Now that she had hung up, several additional arguments came to mind. She contemplated calling Laura back but, somehow; she had a feeling that the outcome would be the same. She looked up to find Sam watching her worriedly.

"It's okay, Sam. Laura was just calling to make sure I was going to hold class tomorrow seeing as how Deeks isn't going to be able to make it." She swallowed hard.

"Why would she insist on holding class if Deeks cancelled?" he asked.

She thought hard about the answer to that. Laura and Deeks had become close. There was something that connected the two, something she was left out of. She wondered if Laura had been in touch with him. Now that she thought about it, she was pretty sure that was exactly what had happened. She sat up straighter. There was a reason why Laura had been so adamant about holding class. She now found herself looking forward to the next morning, hoping the rest of the day would go by quickly. She looked up as Callen walked back into the bullpen after being MIA most of the day. She smiled at both her teammates.

"I'm not 100% sure, but I know I intend to find out."