Hello again my lovelies. I would like to thank lulu625 and Beststoriesever (Guest) for the reviews. Also I noticed that last chapter didn't have the reviewer's names on it. Seemed that fanfiction didn't like the way I had the written or something. I have no idea. Anyway, here they are. I would like to thank French fan (Guest), No1 DB (Guest), LKK (Guest), Mulderette, Beststoriesever (Guest), Petunia3116, lulu625, for the wonderful reviews. You are all awesome.
Okay, so I am changing the ending to season 2 episode 11 'Disorder', because this one works better with my story. So apologies to those who like the one the show gave I love it too but...
Also I'm skipping the whole case, I hope what I have written here gives you an idea of what happened.
Anyway enough from me, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA, nor any of the lines I have taken from the show.
Kensi couldn't believe she didn't see it. The guy had been faking his PTSD so he could sell sensitive intel. She should have seen it. I mean she had spent so long with Jake, dealing with his PTSD, she should have known that this guy's wasn't real. But no, she hadn't. Instead she had let him hit her hard enough in the head that she lost consciousness and then she had had to shoot him on Santa Monica Pier. Well that certainly wasn't how she had planned on spending Christmas Eve. This case had drained her, all she wanted was… something. She didn't know what, but she knew she didn't want to be alone. Not with the thoughts and demons in her head. She just wanted something to take her mind away from it. Away from everything that was going on. Anything, but she also knew that it was unlikely she was going to get it.
Deeks looked at his partner as Sam and G walked off ahead of them, giving him a chance to talk to her. She looked tortured. He had heard enough on this case to know it was bringing up things from her past which she had tried to bury. He knew that it was never easy to deal with that sort of crap. What Kensi needed right then was a friend. And he was there for her. Sure he and G hadn't yet got round to decorating their tree, and he had hoped to be able to do it that evening. But he knew his lover would understand if instead he spent the time with his partner, helping her. In fact he was pretty sure that G expected him to do just that.
"So it doesn't look like you're gonna make it to Seattle." Deeks said as a way to start the conversation he knew they needed to have.
"No Deeks, I'm not going to Seattle." Kensi sighed in reply. She knew he had already worked out that she had no plans for the next day, but she didn't have the energy to try and hide the fact. Not now. Right now she was so done.
"Since this Christmas Eve has been so warm and fuzzy, I say let's keep this party going." Deeks responded not looking at her as he spoke the words, giving her a chance to turn him down if she didn't want company. Even if he knew she really needed it.
"I thought you had a date." Kensi replied, her eyes cutting to the two figures walking off in front of them while she tried and failed to keep the hopefulness out of her voice. Would Deeks stand up Callen just to keep her company?
"I do. But I'm sure he'll understand." Deeks replied smiling at her with one of his genuine smiles, not one of the sunny over the top ones, but one of the ones that said he was there for her. And Kensi seeing it knew she couldn't do it. Couldn't take him away from his time with Callen, the man he loved. Therefore she stopped walking and stayed where she was, waiting for Deeks to turn back to her.
"What is it?" Deeks asked when he noticed she was no longer at her side and backtracked to stand next to her.
"I know." Kensi stated simply. Not sure why she felt the need to do this now, whether it was all the secrets she had revealed throughout the case to her partner, or if it was because of what he was offering her. The way he was telling her that she was important to him. That she had a place in his life just as Callen did. Whatever it was, it was time.
"Know what?" Deeks asked confused by this sudden turn in conversation. What was Kensi talking about? They were supposed to be helping her after all.
"I know about you and Callen. That he's your boyfriend." Kensi replied simply, wincing slightly as she said the words, wondering if Deeks would be angry at her for not telling him she knew, or worse, if he would pretend that it wasn't true even though she knew it was.
Deeks thought about her words for a second and a million ideas and questions came into his mind, though one that didn't enter was the idea of denying it. He wouldn't do that. But he did wonder when it was she had figured it out, how she had done so, and what it was they had done which had betrayed them. But one look at his partners face and he realised that none of those questions mattered right now. What did was making sure Kensi was okay. What she needed was a bit of love and normality. It was then the perfect idea of how he and Kensi would spend their evening entered his head.
"Well that make things easier." He said with a smile before grabbing her arm and turning her towards her car. They had to get her checked out at the hospital before he could take her to the place he felt she needed to be, to do what he knew she needed to do. Or at least, he hoped she did.
Callen returned with Sam to the mission, knowing that Marty would be looking after Kensi, making sure she got checked out and then no doubt going for a drink or something. Not that he minded, he understood. Kensi needed him, Marty's partner needed him, and Callen would have been more worried if he hadn't gone to be there for her. So with a wave for his partner and a confirmation that Sam would come by the next day to pick him up from Marty's apartment to go to the game, he left.
When he arrived back at Marty's he feed Monty and then looked at the undecorated tree. He thought about doing it himself, but he really didn't know how to go about that, plus he knew Marty was looking forward to them doing it together. Not that he understood why, just that was what normal people did at Christmas. So he would wait for Marty to return. With that thought he settled down with a book and a beer, ready for a long wait.
Kensi finally got the all clear at the hospital, and after returning to the mission to collect their stuff Deeks took control of her car, deciding there was no way she could drive right then. She had a head wound after all, and a concussion. He then drove her to an unassuming apartment building. She had no idea why they were there, but when they got to a door and Deeks produced a key, she guessed this was where he lived. Well at least Callen wasn't waiting on the doorstep, so it was unlikely that she would see her team leader. She wasn't sure how he would feel about Deeks bringing her back to his place after all.
When they entered they were greeted by an overjoyed Monty who ran up to them and insisted that he be stroked and patted before he would let them move. Kensi couldn't help but laugh at that. She had forgotten about him, but now she remembered how he had gone to Callen instead of her. At least she could now explain that in a way that didn't make her think her partner's dog hated her. In fact the way he was weaving himself in-between her legs made her believe that the opposite was true. The dog was such a bundle of joy and excitement, he really did remind her of Deeks on some of his more frenetic days.
Kensi followed Deeks down the corridor to a doorway. One he walked through to let her see all of the room beyond, including the man sitting on the couch, with a beer in one hand and a book in the other.
"I see we have a guest." Callen said finally looking up from his book with a smile towards the junior agent who was hoovering in the doorway, as if unsure whether to enter of not.
"Yep. I brought her to help decorate the tree." Deeks replied moving in and bending down to give G a quick kiss on the lips. Kensi knew they were together, and while he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, he also couldn't kiss the man he loved when he returned home from work to find him already there. It wasn't actually possible in his mind.
"Good. Maybe she can stop you from putting every single decoration you have on it and drowning the poor thing." Callen responded with a smirk as he stood and pushed Deeks away from him before heading to the doorway that Kensi was still standing in unsure.
"Well better than leaving it to you. If I did that it wouldn't have any decorations on it at all." Deeks replied with a chuckle, enjoying the banter that he knew his lover was using as a way to help Kensi relax in their home.
"No, if you left it to me, there wouldn't be a tree at all." Callen answered with a wink to Kensi as he slipped past her to go and get both her and Marty a beer. No doubt they could both use one, and he had a feeling both him and Kensi might need something stronger once Marty got to the decorating part. He was glad the younger man had brought her back here. That he had told his partner about them. He didn't know everything that had happened during the case, but he knew it had shaken Kens and that Marty knew a lot more than him. He was glad that Marty trusted her enough to share this secret with her, to share them with her as he had done with Sam and Michelle.
"Are you sure you want me here?" Kensi asked when Callen had left. She hoped she hadn't driven him away. From what she could see he was pretty at home in Deeks apartment. Hell for all she knew he could have moved in. At the very least it was obvious he had a key. She didn't want to intrude on their personal time or space.
"You bet. G has no idea how to decorate a tree. We need to teach him." Deeks replied with a sunny smile pulling her towards the three boxes that sat around the bare tree. She was surprised to see it was a real one, most people she knew had a fake, or a least she certainly did. It was tiny and right now just had lights on it. She hadn't really thought of putting much more on it as it was just her on her own.
"So why's he left?" Kensi asked still not able to shake the idea that she was intruding. I mean she was pretty sure that Deeks hadn't called Callen to let him know she coming. Oh god, she really hoped she wasn't in the way.
But before Deeks could answer a reply came from behind her.
"To get beer. I have a feeling we're gonna need it with Marty's decorating… mania." Callen said holding out a bottle to her while passing the other to Marty with a smile to let him know he didn't really mean it.
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm awesome at Christmas, and all other holidays." Deeks replied with fake affront. He knew G was joking, but it wouldn't stop him from playing his part.
"Of course you are." Callen responded moving to squeeze his neck and give him a kiss on the cheek before turning to face the tree. "So where do we start?" He asked looking at the two people who were now either side of him.
"The lights. You need to wrap the round it." Deeks answered quickly holding out the trail of leads to him.
"I do, do I?" Callen asked raising his eyebrow. He had a feeling Marty was going to get him to do all the bits which required wrestling with the damn tree, all in the spirit of Christmas.
"Yep, Fern and I will monitor you." Deeks responded though he swiftly yelled out a "hey" as Kensi hit him for calling her Fern.
"Told you not to call her that." Callen said smugly before sighing at starting to try and wind the lights around the tree, though he did mutter under his breath, loud enough for the other two to hear, "I should have burnt this damn thing while I had the chance."
This made Kensi laugh and relax. She wasn't in the way, instead she felt… part of something. Like she was seeing inside for the first time. Because while Callen and Deeks were similar at work, with the banter and the back and forth, she was seeing for the first time the open looks of love they gave each other. The easy smiles that appeared on their faces as they talked and laughed, and more often than not kissed. It was nice, and it made something warm grow inside her. Like she was becoming part of something, part of a family she had always known, but only before been a friend to. Now she was taken as a part of it as well, and it felt, well it made her feel whole again.
When the tree was decorated to Deeks' satisfaction the three of them sat down, with Kensi on the chair opposite to the two men, who sat on the couch as they always did. With Deeks leaning back against Callen as he played with his hair. Kensi couldn't help but smile at that. Now she knew why Sam had said the thing about hair playing the morning before the case. It was obviously something Callen didn't even realise he was doing half the time. They looked so sweet like that, curled up together, Kensi couldn't stop herself from taking out her phone and snapping a secretive picture of the two of them.
"So Kensilina, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Deeks asked turning to her with a smirk as he saw the startled look she gave him before slipping her phone back in her pocket. Oh he wanted to see that picture.
"Sleeping late, then lying on my couch eating rocky road while watching movies. Why?" She replied taking a sip of beer wondering when it was the Deeks would demand to see what she had been doing on her phone, and whether she would show him when he did.
"Fancy coming over in the afternoon while Sam and G have their man-date?" Deeks asked casually, though in truth he would like some company. They could take Monty for a run on the beach and have some partner fun of their own.
"Sounds good to me." Kensi agreed. Her Christmas suddenly looking up at the idea of spending some of it with her friend. Yeah, this was what she needed. Friends like these.
"Awesome." Deeks responded and soon a time was set. It wasn't much later that Kensi felt the need to go home. It was time to let the men be together alone, she would see them both the next day. So with a wave goodbye and a much lighter feeling inside, she left with a smile on her face.
And Callen and Deeks both returned to the couch and snuggled up together. Neither needed to say anything about what had happened that evening, they both knew why Kensi had been there, and they both knew they had helped. That was all that was needed. Now they just had to find a way to spend the rest of the night before Christmas morning, when they would finally give each other the present they had chosen. At that thought it became the perfect prefect Christmas Eve as they made their way to the bedroom.