"How was work today?"

That was a question she didn't used to have to ask. But things were changing. Despite Hetty's best defense, NCIS regulations forbid them from pursuing a relationship together. Hetty didn't bother giving them an option to break up, but sent him back to LAPD. She was working diligently to find a loophole and bring him back home.

"It was okay," he said as she handed him a glass of wine, sitting across from him on her couch.

He wasn't kidding. Work was okay. They hadn't put him under Bates this time. He now worked with a new team of cops. He was partners with Detective Daniel Green, and they worked on a team with Detectives Kyle Harris and Matt Davis. They were nice to Deeks. They respected his work at NCIS. They watched too much basketball, always talked about their soon to be Mrs. They volunteered. Deeks fit in with them. No, they weren't the family Deeks had at NCIS. But he wouldn't be suprised if by the time he comes back to NCIS, because he will come back, they would all be his friends.

"Case?" she asked.

"Not today. You guys?"

"Yeah, it was pretty easy though. Just a drug overdose on an aircraft carrier."

"Sounds interesting," he said.

"Yeah, it was okay."

He pressed the wine glass to his lips. "What, trouble with your partner?"

"Nell's doing great as an agent. She's just…"

"Less fun?"

"I was going for less attractive."

"Nell is a beautiful woman," he said, nodding.

"Yes, she is. Still not attracted to her, though," she said.

"I know. You're all mine, Fern." His free hand went to her waist and he pulled the glass away from his face so she could kiss him.

She rolled her eyes. As if there was actually ever any competition? Please.

"She'd kill us if she knew we were having this conversation. And Eric would too," Deeks said.

"No, she'd kill you. And Eric, he'd probably hack you, not kill you. He's not good with weapons."

Deeks nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of partners," he said, after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"I know Nell. I trust her with my life, and I trust her with yours too. But you don't know my partner. I know it makes you nervous not to know the man who's supposed to have my back every day."

She started to give him the 'how did you know that I think about that' stare, but it was useless.

"So?"

"I want you to meet him, Kens."

She felt suddenly relaxed, like a huge weight beginning to ease.

"Okay. I'll meet your partner."

"But I don't want you to just meet my partner." He got the pissed off stare again. "I want you to meet my team."

"Your team? I thought we were your team," she tried not to feel as disappointed as she was.

"You are my team, and NCIS is my family. But I want you to know and be comfortable with the guys I'm going to be spending the majority of my days with for a while. Plus, they're really good guys. You'll like them. Davis has a little one now, and Green just got engaged, and Harris volenteers to coach a high school basketball team every year. He can hook us up with tickets."

She laughed. "Why would we want high school basketball tickets?"

"Date night?"

"Still?"

"It's something different."

"Different alright."

He looked anxious. "Come on Kens, please? Will you meet them?

She nodded her head. "Yeah, Deeks. I'll go meet your team."

His lips bounced off of hers once again, and then he said "Thank you. This means the world to me."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved her hand around. "You better get me tickets."

"If I don't, I'll go buy you some. High school games only cost like 7 bucks."

"Or you could call Kip and get us hooked up with some real tickets," she said sarcastically.

"Now what's the fun in that?"

"Well first of all, there would be less high schoolers." High school was not a fun time.

"Big games are less romantic."

She cocked her head to the side, but she really couldn't argue that one. She imagined her head resting on his shoulder, watching the kids play. Suddenly, the vision turned from some random kids to their future kid, a strong girl with brown curls or an athletic boy with blond bangs. It got romantic pretty quickly after that.

He snapped her out of her short vision. He held up his almost empty wine glass. "To my partner. My partner through everything, not just NCIS."

She grinned, raising her glass back at him. "To someday, with my best friend. The partner I'll get back soon.

"To the best partners, someday soon," they agreed.

What exactly they agreed on, a lot of things. Someday soon was a great way to sum it up.