"Truth or Dare?" Deeks asked, looking out the passenger window as he spoke. With an overnight surveillance shift, they'd exhausted most other forms of entertainment and resorted to middle school party games.
"Dare," Kensi said immediately, just as she had the last three times after Deeks asked her to share her most embarrassing moment on a date.
"Ok. I dare you to clean out the middle compartment out. It's filthy."
"That's a terrible dare," Kensi scoffed.
"Yeah, well, I'm limited by our current circumstances," Deeks answered, flashing Kensi a smirk. "And I figured we're sticking with G-rated dares still."
"Yes." She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll clean it tomorrow. Your turn. Truth or dare?"
"Truth." He'd alternated between each answer, and in the process, Kensi had learned that he once helped Ray write a final paper so he wouldn't flunk English class.
She mulled over possible questions, wondering if it would be wrong to take advantage of the light-hearted activity to pose a serious and far more personal one. After a few more seconds, she shifted to face Deeks. He was still focused on the window.
"You've told me that you've never lived more than two miles from where you grew up, said your dad told you he hated you one Thanksgiving, and that you shot him when you were eleven. Which directly conflicts with your Thanksgiving story. So, which one is true?" she asked, watching as Deeks stilled completely.
"Wow, that's quite a shift from petty shoplifting," he drawled, turning to look at her. Kensi lifted her chin, not backing down just yet. She supposed he could always refuse to answer, but she hoped he wouldn't.
"Well?"
"The two miles bit was a way to connect with a kid who we needed to help us. The rest…" he sighed and dragged his hands through his hair. "You're right, I did not see my dad any Thanksgiving in the last 20 years, because he's been in jail. He did tell me that he hated me, but I was 9." He flicked an uncertain look at her, and Kensi tried not to let her expression change. "The rest is all true."
"You never said exactly what happened," she prompted before she could stop herself.
Deeks turned to face the window again.
"My dad was beating my mom like he always did. Then he grabbed a gun. Threatened to kill both of us," Deeks said in an oddly wooden voice. "I think he was shocked I actually shot him. You can probably fill in the rest of the details."
The car was absolutely silent in the wake of his response, and Kensi felt suddenly chilled and a little sick even though she'd instigated the whole conversation.
"I'm sorry," she started to say, but Deeks just shook his head.
"It's ok. It was a long time ago. Time heals right?"
Kensi didn't respond, just stared at the back of his head, a darkened silhouette. Some things no amount of time could heal, she thought.
A/N: I figure Deeks told Kensi the full story once they got together.