mashmaiden

[mashmaiden]

adhd paralysis sucks bcuz im just sitting there and my brain is like

YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME

no work done no rest gained. literally no point of this at all

[mashmaiden]

You Had Me at Jack, Part 18

***

“How could you lose him so quickly?” Kensi asked, walking the length of the alleyway for some clue. It occurred to her that she might be falling into a trap, but her need to fine Deeks override any self-preservation. He’d gone missing on her watch.

“I don’t know,” Eric answered, sounding both confused and tense. “Something must have happened to his phone. Damn it, I knew I should have given him a watch instead.”

“Eric, there’s not time for that now,” Callen interceded. “Can you find video coverage around the club.”

“I’m looking now.”

“I’m checking traffic and surveillance cameras,” Nell added.

Kensi said nothing, phone still pressed to her ear as she scanned the ground. The pair of dumpsters outside the kitchen exit door caught her and her stomach swooped with a sickening feeling. She approached them slowly, with an almost certain dread. Just as she reached to open the closest one, Eric announced,

“I found him. Well, video from one of the security cameras. A woman and a man were carrying Deeks and put him in the trunk of a car. It looked like Deeks was unconscious.”

“He’s alive,” Kensi breathed out, almost weak with relief. “Where did they take him.”

“We’re still tracking the car,” Nell answered.

“But Kensi, at least one of them is armed,” Eric warned.

***

“Marie, if you kill me, you’re going to have two murders linked with the club,” Deeks stalled. Maria dropped the gun ever so slightly, her expression still unmoved, but he could tell she was at least listening. “A random customer is one thing, an employee is another. And I leave a lasting impression. There’s going to be cops crawling all over the second they find my body.”

“Not if they don’t find your body,” she replied calmly.

“That’s relying on a lot of ifs. And let’s face it, Marie, you’re not the type to get your hands dirty. Otherwise, I’d have figured out you were the one behind everything a long time ago.”

“Tell that to Mark Jackson,” she hissed. Deeks had suspected as much; though it would do little good without a recording. Lifting the gun back to its original position, Marie smirked. “I think I’ll take my chances.”

Not a second later, the boom of doors being battered down split the air. Deeks instinctively rolled to the side as Marie took off in the opposite direction. Zeke made a grab for him, but Deeks kicked out, catching him at the knees and the other man went down hard.

Deeks nearly went down too as the room blurred around him unexpectedly. He clumsily fell to his knees, and the doors finally opened, revealing the NCIS team. With Deeks’ growing haziness, it felt like something out of a movie, especially when Kensi race in still in her lacy dress and high heels.

“NCIS,” Deeks heard Callen shout as they moved further into the room. Zeke tried to sit up again, but Kensi flipped onto his stomach with an impressive kick, then pressed the narrow heel of her stiletto into his back.

“I will happily shoot you if you move,” she informed Zeke calmly. Personally, Deeks wouldn’t have minded if he struggled a little. She cuffed him without issue, moving on to examine the ropes around Deeks’ wrist.

Reaching under her skirt, she revealed a garter belt equipped with several pocket, and removed a reasonably sized knife.

“Wow, that’s kind of hot,” he murmured, shifting around so Kensi could cut the ropes and hopefully not him.

“You like that, huh?”

“It’s almost worth getting bashed in the head,” he agreed. Finally, his hands were loose and he shook them out, wincing at the tingling sensation.

“I bet you didn’t expect me to save the day,” she said, moving in front of him now.

“Did Callen and Hanna go after Marie?” he asked. “Apparently she’s the mastermind behind all of this.”

Kensi nodded. “Yeah, they’re in their pursuit. I don’t think she’ll get very far.” As she spoke, she gingerly touched the back and side of his head, where he’d been hit. Up until now, he’d mostly ignored the pain. With her touch and the reminder of hid injury, the throbbing came back in full force. “Wow, you’re still bleeding quite a bit,” she commented worriedly.

“That explains the dizziness. I didn’t think there were three of you, though that wouldn’t be terrible,” he rambled. A wave of nausea had come over him, adding to the general feeling of awfulness.

“Ok, you’re going to the ER,” Kensi decided.

“Whatever you say, Nurse Kensi,” Deeks mumbled, then promptly fell forward into her arms.

[mashmaiden]

[mashmaiden]

A/N: Deeks has a new fan. Rosa does not approve.

***

Rosa and her friend are sitting at the living room table with homework.

Rosa: Do you know what the answer is to question 5?

Friend, eagerly watching Deeks move around the kitchen: Mm-hmm.

Rosa, smacking her arm: Hey!

Friend: What was that for?

Rosa: Quit ogling my father.

Friend, shrugging: Why I’m 20 and totally willing.

Rosa: I don’t care. Go find another 45 year old man. Preferably one who is not married.

Friend: But they’re not as cute as your dad.

Rosa: That is not my problem. And please, stop. I don’t need to hear about how much you like him in a blue shirt or tight pants.

Friend, huffing: I only said that one time. And it’s the truth.

Deeks, coming in with a tray of snacks: Hi Ladies. Can I get you anything else?

Friend, smiling: Hi Mr. Deeks. *she swoons a little*

Rosa, tightly: Thanks, Dad. No, I think it’s more than enough.

Friend: Actually—

Rosa, covering her mouth: No, we’re good!

Friend: You’re no fun.

[mashmaiden]

[mashmaiden]

Gifset Per Episode: “Keep smiling”

[mashmaiden]

Double tap to the head. You must really love me.

[mashmaiden]

A/N: Sam might be getting old.

***

Sam, shuffling into Kensi and Deeks’ kitchen: Morning. Is that regular coffee?

Deeks, calmly sitting at the table with Caleb against his chest, Sophia cradled on his lap: Of course. Do you think I’d torture you with decaf? *he looks at Caleb* No of course I wouldn’t, would I Caleb? Your uncle is such a silly man, Sophie. There’s also some coffee cake or egg bite things if you’re hungry.

Sam, helping himself to coffee: Why are you in such a good mood? We were up til one cleaning up from the flooding in my house and then got me and my dad moved over here for the night.

Deeks, happily: No one threw up, bumped their heads, or tried to eat anything inedible in the last twenty-four hours. And, I got almost a full six hours of sleep. I’d call that a good day.

Sam: Huh, sounds like days when my dad doesn’t take an unsupervised trip somewhere. *he sighs, taking the seat opposite Deeks* I’m getting too old for this.

Deeks: I won’t take the easy joke since you just woke up.

Sam, malevolently: Just wait five years.

[mashmaiden]

Blunt Force, Part 4

***

“You ready to try that breakfast yet?” Kensi asked, nodding to the tray with the typical suspects for a liquid diet. He shrugged indifferently, but she seemed eager for something to do.

“I suppose.”

Kensi almost tripped over herself to get it for him, and he wondered if she was normally like this, or if the situation made her nervous. He had know way of knowing for sure having only met her yesterday. Well, that he remembered.

Setting the tray on the rolling table and carefully positioning it over his bed, Kensi took the plastic lid covering a small plate, revealing a bowl of lime jello and what he assumed was chicken broth.

“My favorite flavor. I guess it’s my lucky day,” he joked. To his surprise, Kensi smiled, almost looking relieved. “What?”

“Oh nothing, it’s just…the first time you were in the hospital once we were partners, you made a big deal about the jello,” she explained, waving her hand through the air.

“So, what you’re saying is I’m predictable.”

“No. It’s nice to know some things are still the same.”

With that comment to occupy his thoughts, he grabbed a spoon and started in on the small cup of jello. It didn’t taste bad, but he wasn’t particularly hungry. His thoughts drifted again.

He wondered if anyone had told his clients they would need new council. The district attorney would just love that. He’d been searching for an excuse to force Deeks out for months, and partial amnesia would be perfectly valid, unlike his frequent citations for Deeks’ appearance.

A second too late, he recalled that wouldn’t be necessary since he wasn’t a public defender and didn’t have clients anymore. Apparently he’d swapped out a briefcase and suit for a gun and a badge sometime along the way.

And wasn’t that something to wrap his head around? Even though he’d considered leaving criminal law, it surprised him he actually made that jump and so far to the other side. A dark voice in his head murmured that he’d always been the violent type, but he brushed that away with a shake of his head.

“Is your headache getting worse?” Kensi asked unexpectedly, and he inhaled deeply, glancing up from his uneaten jello.

“What, no I’m fine. Why?”

“Oh, you just do this thing with your eyebrows and your lips part a little bit.” She gestured to her own eyebrows.

“Wow, you really do know me well,” he murmured, and she flushed, which made him wonder just what their relationship was.

“One of the hazards of working together everyday, I guess,” she said, clearly embarrassed. “We’re pretty good at noticing each other’s quirks and judging moods.

It felt a little surreal every time Kensi made some reference to their partnership, work, or a detail of his life he couldn’t remember sharing with her. Hell, she knew things about him he couldn’t even remember experiencing at all. It left him with a strange sense of loss, an emptiness he couldn’t quite verbalize.

He supposed at the very least it seemed he was happier as a LAPD liaison than he had as a public defender. The thought that left a very low bar for comparison since he’d been pretty miserable for most of his tenure with the county law department.

His musing was interrupted once again, but this time by a nurse with a wheelchair.

“Mr. Deeks, I’m here to take your for your test and physical therapy evaluation,” she informed him. “Would you like any help washing up or any other tasks?”

“No, I think I can handle it,” Deeks said, easily transferring himself into the wheelchair without any assistance. It gave him a moment of pause, because he’d never used one before, but he shook it off, accepting that there were certain things he just wouldn’t understand for now.

He brushed his teeth and watched his face, attempting to use the plastic comb on the back of the sink to tame his hair before eventually giving it up. It looked like “styled by pillow” would be it until he could shower.

When he rolled back into the room, Kensi and the nurse were waiting for him.

“I’m going to get breakfast while you’re gone,” Kensi said, quickly adding, “but I’ll be back here when I’m done.”

He considered telling her again that she didn’t need to stay with him day on and day out. He didn’t think that would work any better than less time, so he just settled on a nod of appreciation.

“Ok. Sneak me back a donut, ok?” He winked as the nurse rolled him out of the room.

***

When Deeks returned from his CT scan and physical evaluation (he’d been deemed physically sound, but would need to use a wheelchair until he left since he was still a fall risk), he found a tiny brunette woman in his room in place of Kensi. She sat with a laptop propped on her folded legs, furiously typing away.

The moment she registered him, she set the laptop to the side as his nurse rolled him into the room. He assumed the mystery woman was either a friend or someone from the same agency as Kensi.

“This will be fine,” he said, indicating the end of the bed. After laying down for so long, it was a relief to be upright and slightly more mobile. Even if the position did bring back a touch of nausea.

“Do you need anything else, Mr. Deeks?”

“No, I think I’m good. Thanks, Amanda.”

“Of course.” She offered him a smile and pat on the shoulder. “I’ll come check on you in a little bit.”

“Hi, I’m Nell Jones. I work with Kensi,” she explained. Once she’d left the room, the new woman stood up, smoothing her hands down the skirt of her dress.

“Marty Deeks, nice to meet you,” he replied, deciding to roll with it.

“Nice to me—” she started to say back before she caught herself with a sheepish laugh. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. So, are you my new keeper?”

“Only temporarily. Our boss, Hetty, ordered Kensi to home for a few hours, so here I am.”

That was good.

“I see you drew the short straw.”

“No, I offered,” she corrected him seriously. “We’ve all been worried about you, so I jumped at an excuse to come.” She shrugged, though she didn’t look any less earnest. “I needed to see you were ok for myself.”

“I am. If you count partial amnesia as ok,” he said glibly.

“Yeah, that’s something I’ve only seen in movies and tv before,” Nell Jones admitted. “It must be weird.”

That genuinely made him laugh. “Yeah, it kind of is. In my mind, a new “Pirates of the Caribbean just came out, which was not as good as the first and I have a deposition in the morning.”

“I guess the good news is that you no longer have a deposition,” she pointed out, drawing another half-laugh from Deeks.

“That’s very true.” He grabbed the kid-size cup of grape juice still left on his breakfast tray, leaning back in the wheelchair, and gestured to the chair Nell Jones had previously occupied. “Make yourself comfortable.” He cleared his throat before taking a sip of the very sweet juice. “So, Kensi told me all about 2012 me. What’s your perspective, Ms. Jones?”

She made a face and held up a hand. “Oh, that sounds so wrong for some reason. It’s just Nell. And do you mean who you are or our relationship?” she asked.

“Either. Everything is a revelation.”

Taking a seat, Nell smooth her dress down, regarding him with a tilted head.

“Well aside from colleagues, you’re my friend, pseudo older brother.” She smiled conspiratorially. “You’re the kind of guy you can tease and joke with, but you’re also always there to lend a shoulder or defend depending on the situation. You’d walk me to my car late at night and block a bullet for me. Or help move a couch up three flights of stairs.”

“You make me sound like some kind of superhero,” Deeks commented. Her open and enthusiastic admiration made him uncomfortable.

“You are in a way. The whole team is really. But you’re you have a really special way of connecting with people that makes you different,” she explained.

“I guess I’ve always been a people person. It’s how I conned my way out of a lot of detentions. Or as the majority of supervisors have lamented, a trouble-maker.”

“You still are sometimes, but only in the best way. Honestly, if we didn’t joke around and act a little silly sometimes, we’d be miserable.”

He noted the difference between her and Kensi’s descriptions. Kensi had mentioned a rocky start while Nell presented a mostly positive version.

“You’re also really good at giving nicknames,” Nell added.

“Really? The prosecutors aren’t so appreciative.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing.”

“What’s one of nicknames for you?”

For the first time, she hesitated, then softly answered, “Sometimes you call me Nellosaurus. Or Velma and I call you Shaggy.”

“Like—?”

She nodded. “Scooby-Doo.”

“Gee, thanks,” he drawled, and she made a noise of protest.

“It is said with love. I happen to think Shaggy is an amazing character,” she insisted, trying to keep a straight face.

They broke into unexpected laughter, Nell nearly doubling over in an attempt to regain composure. Eventually, she sat up again, wiping under her eyes.

“Can I hug you?” she asked unexpectedly.

“What—yeah, I guess,” Deeks said, a little throw off by the wide swings in mood. Coming towards him, she bent down, wrapping both arms around him. Her hands just met in the middle of his back, and she squeezed him gently, pressing her face into his shoulder, with a shaky inhale.

“I was really worried about you,” she whispered.

***

A/N: I get to call Nell tiny, because I am also very short. I keep expecting to have this story finished up, but then there ends up being more to write

[mashmaiden]

You Had Me at Jack, Part 17

***

It happened more quickly than Deeks could react to; an arm hooked around his neck from behind while someone else grabbed both his arms. He reacted instinctively, ripping one arm free to blindly elbow whoever was in reach, electing an angered growl of pain.

He heard Kensi calling out to him, but he didn’t have the breath to respond. Jerking his arm back three times, he felt the second person release him. Just as he reached up to pry the arm off his neck, the familiar press of a gun in his back had him freezing completely. A cold sweat broke out on his neck, and he silently willed Kensi not to come looking for him.

“Don’t even think of moving, you little traitor,” a voice hissed in his ear. Then, something heavy slammed into the side of his head. Pain exploded through his skull in the seconds before his knees gave out and he lost consciousness.

***

“I can’t believe you did this.”

“You said to keep an eye on him.”

“Yeah, and that didn’t mean knock him out. What the hell are we going to do now?”

Deeks kept his eyes closed, focusing on the two people whispering. One female and one male, thought. He’d woken up a couple minutes ago disoriented, his head aching. It took slightly longer than he liked to remember why he was there and register the rope binding his hands behind his back. He was sprawled across a cold, concrete floor, the faint chemical odor in the air.

“I told you we should have just killed him.”

The woman made a disgusted sound. “God, you’re such an idiot. Go check if he’s awake yet.”

As Deeks heard the man come closer, he was tempted to take the opportunity to fight back, but reminded himself someone in the room was armed. A pair of hands roughly turned Deeks over, and he jerked away, eyes springing open, the response not entirely put on. He stared up into the face of one of the dancers from the club.

“Don’t try anything or I’ll shoot you,” he warned, bent over Deeks so he blocked whoever stood behind him.

“Zeke, what the hell man?” Deeks demanded, glancing around what he could see of the room. It looked like some kind of storage warehouse. It was too small to be a warehouse. “If this is about the hundred dollar bill that lady in the front row gave me, it’s all yours.”

“You can stop the innocent act, Jason,” the female voice said, and Deeks felt a jolt of legitimate shock and dismay as he recognized it.

“Marie,” he murmured. She stepped into view, looking down at him with a resigned smirk.

“Such a shame,” she lamented.

“You wanna fill me in? Or maybe, I don’t know, untie me?” He didn’t have high hopes that playing dumb would work for long, but maybe long enough to figure out an escape plan.

Marie just rolled her eyes at his suggestion. “Please don’t make this harder than it had to be. We’ve always been real with each other. I know all about your girlfriend.”

“Tracey? You knew she was a client from the beginning. I’d say this reaction is a little overboard.” He twisted enough to lift his wrists slightly. “You coulda just told me to break it off.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it,” Marie said, dropping to her knees, her eyes flashing with real anger. The change was striking, and despite his current position, Deeks felt oddly impressed with how well she’d tricked him.

“I knew something was up when she started coming in every night, asking questions, casing the place like a cop. Then Zeke saw her sneaking around backstage and that clinched it for me. Especially when we found the office door unlocked.” She reached out brushed Deeks’ hair from his eyes. “And you were always right there, coming to the rescue.”

“Sounds like you’re jealous,” Deeks joked. Her eyes tightened slight before her fingers tightened in his hair, jerking his head back hard enough he gasped.

“Don’t lie to me,” she hissed. Then with a deep breath, she released him, smacking her hands on her thighs. “Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be.”

“If you think that would persuade me, you don’t know me very well after all.” He smiled at her, forgoing any pretense. “I’m not saying anything.”

“Then it’s about to get real painful for you.”

Deeks had approximately three seconds to turn away before Zeke kicked him in the stomach. The assault continued until Deeks was curled in on himself, wheezing for breath.

“Ok, I’ll tell you,” he gasped out.

“I knew you were smart.” Marie got back down on her knees; Deeks gestured her closer, painfully uncurling.

“My name’s not Jason. And your martinis suck,” he said, laughing even as he anticipated the next round of pain.

For a second, he thought Marie might punch him in the face. Instead, she stood once more, calmly pulling a gun from the back of her waistband.

“It’s a real shame. I liked you a lot,” she lamented, removing the safety and aiming it directly at Deeks’ face.

***

A/N: Was anyone expecting that? Apparently I can’t let Deeks go without a little whumping.

[mashmaiden]

A/N: Kensi, Deeks, a baby, and a disapproving Sam. What more could you ask for?

***

Sam, walking into Kensi and Deeks’ house: Hey, where’s everyone?

Deeks, calling through the house: Hang on, I’ll be out in a minute. *he arrives shortly after with a tiny baby cradled against his chest* Hey, how’s it going, man?

Sam, suspiciously: What’s with the baby?

Deeks: Oh, this is Olivia. She’s just four days old, but she’s already really strong and loves to snuggle. Want to hold her?

Kensi, appearing behind him with the twins: Hey Sam. Baby, did you get her bottle yet?

Deeks: I was just about to. You want to hold her now or after she eats, Sam?

Sam, shaking his head: You two are ridiculous.

Kensi, shifting Caleb in her arm: You’ll have to be more specific.

Sam: You already have a teenager and twins who are barely one, are you really considering adopting a newborn?

Deeks, raising an eyebrow: Who said anything about adoption? This is our neighbor’s baby. She had to go back to the hospital, so we’re watching Olivia until she’s back home.

Kensi: She and her husband figured we’d be better set up for it since we still have a lot of baby stuff from the twins.

Sam: Oh, well that’s better. Give her to me. Hi sweetheart, I’m your Uncle Sam.

Kensi, tilting her head: She is super cute, though. *she sighs* Maybe another baby wouldn’t be the worst.

Deeks: We can always add another bed.

Sam: I can’t with you two.

[mashmaiden]

Well, some people hold onto [the tattoo tracing paper] if the tattoo is meaningful. It’s like a keepsake. Isn’t the tattoo the keepsake ?

[mashmaiden]

A/N: Inspired by the shredded form I received from a parent last week.

***

Callen: Why are you doing paperwork during Kensi’s party?

Deeks, still writing: I have to get this application filled out for tomorrow. The first one isn’t presentable.

Callen, rolling his eyes: Deeks, they’ll accept it even if it’s a little wrinkled.

Deeks, holding up a shredded paper: Yes, but I have twin two year olds. I present Exhibit A.

Callen: How does that even happen?

Deeks: Though he won’t commit to it, I think Caleb was attempting to make paper mache. Sophia colored the other page with markers. Small children have the innate ability to now the prime moment to cause chaos.

Sam, nodding in sympathy: Kam once chewed on my passport. She made the neatest little row of teeth marks straight through my name.

Callen: And I bet you still gave her hugs right after.

Sam: Damn straight.

[mashmaiden]

5x12 is the one I watched in its entirety tonight. But I also caught the last 30 min of 5x11 and first 30 of 5x13, lol.

To all y'all who've been badgering me:

I've officially seen an episode of The Rookie from beginning to end! 😂

Dunno if I'll keep going, but Lifetime started playing it where they had Castle going for ages, so it's what's on TV at dinner time. We'll see how things go! 😂😂

[mashmaiden]

Blunt Force, Part 3

***

Kensi woke up the next morning, cheek pressed into the blanket covering Deeks with her left hand loosely resting on his arm. The last thing she remembered was a nurse coming in to check Deeks around 3:30. She squinted at her watch; it took her eyes a few extra moments to focus on the bold seven on the small screen.

Minus the routine checks, Deeks slept through the night, much to Kensi’s relief. She’d worried he’d be plagued by the pain and nausea, but apparently the medication did its job since he’d only stirred a few times. She eased away from Deeks to avoid waking him up and slipped out of the room taking her go bag with her.

Yesterday, one of the nurses had shown her a restroom usually reserved for employees. It was stocked with toiletries and had a larger sink and mirror, which the nurse had encouraged Kensi to use if needed. Fortunately it wasn’t already in use at this time in the morning, so she locked herself inside.

She changed into a fresh pair of jeans and t-shirt, swiping some deodorant on as an afterthought. Balling her used clothes into a ball, she shoved them into one corner of her bag, picturing Deeks’ teasing smirk.

As Kensi turned to the sink, she caught a flash of her reflection, and grimaced at what she saw. She might not have been injured, but she didn’t look all that much better than Deeks. The stress and minimal sleep had taken its toll; he eyes were shadowed and a little bloodshot, her hair stringy and matted.

Grabbing a spare hair band, she pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail, then bent over the sink to splash several handfuls of cool water over her face. It didn’t do much for her appearance, but she at least felt more human. She finished it up with a quick brush of her teeth before stuffing everything back into her bag, and hurriedly leaving the restroom.

It had only taken her about ten minutes, but Kensi didn’t want to risk missing Deeks waking up all alone. Fortunately, he hadn’t moved an inch in the time she’d been gone. He had one cheek turned into his pillow with his lips slightly parted.

Good. He needed the sleep, especially if his concussion symptoms persisted.

Ignoring the voice that told her she was being creepy and stepping way over boundaries, Kensi swept a few strands of hair out of his eyes. Then because she was this far in, she allowed herself to cup his cheek. His skin was reassuringly warm. For how physical they tended to be with each other, she’d only touched Deeks’ face a few times, and in this way even more rarely.

The memory of the one time she’d kissed him, under the ruse of maintaining a cover, sprang to mind. It had been rushed and overridden by the adrenaline of the moment, yet she still remembered the softness of his lips, the slight rasp of his beard under her fingers. It left her with an aching want that she usually suppressed. Now though, he had the desperate urge to lean down and press her lips to his.

Kensi hastily pulled her hand back, curling it against her chest to prevent acting on that urge. Clearing her throat, she glanced around the room, like someone might have caught her in the moment of weakness. She didn’t even have a brain injury to excuse her lapse in judgment.

Moving the chair back to what Kensi deemed a safe distance—Deeks didn’t need her fondling him in his sleep—she pulled out her phone. While he slept, she checked her emails and texts.

Callen wanted yet another update, Nell wanted to know if she needed anything, and Eric let her know he’d picked up Monty and would take care of him as long as needed.

Damn, she hadn’t even thought of Monty. Hopefully he hadn’t missed any meals or bathroom breaks.

She sent off a short update to Callen, then texted Nell, asking if she could bring more clothes and other necessities. Even though Deeks would likely encourage her to leave, Kensi had no intention of abandoning him unless ordered to.

A heavy knock interrupted the relative quiet of the room and an aide opened the door, a tray balanced on one arm.

“Good morning, Mr Deeks!”

Kensi rushed over to her, making a hushing gesture. “I’ll take it. He’s still sleeping,” she whispered.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman apologized.

“It’s ok. Thank you.”

Kensi shut the door quietly, but when she turned around, she saw the damage had already been done; Deeks’ legs shifted restlessly under the blankets as he started to wake up. He blinked several times, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion briefly. Then he landed on Kensi and his eyes cleared with recognition. And maybe a touch of disappointment.

Hey,” he murmured in a voice hoarse with sleep. Kensi quickly set the tray of liquids and jello to the side, hurrying over to him.

“Hey. How do you feel?”

He inhaled deeply, and stretched, his spine cracking audibly with the movement. “Better. I mean, my head still hurts, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to explode anymore.”

“That’s good,” Kensi said, feeling unaccountably awkward again. “Do you want some breakfast?”

His nostrils flared at her question and he gave the tiniest shake of his head. “Could I have some water?” he asked.

“Of course.” She filled one of the little plastic cups from the pitcher on his tray, handing it over to Deeks. His hand shook as he lifted the cup to his lips, taking an experimental sip. Apparently it settled well enough, because he took a larger swallow, and sighed deeply, closing his eyes.

“Did you stay here all night?” he asked, still speaking quietly.

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wouldn’t leave you like that,” she said, imagining him waking in the middle of the night all alone and confused. Not to mention, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway.

“Thanks.” He gestured vaguely, adding, “For all of this. Sticking around, explaining everything.”

“That’s what partners do,” she told him simply.

“Mm, partners.” Something in his voice shifted and he opened his eyes, observing her a curious look. “How exactly does that work if I’m not an agent?”

“You’re our LAPD Liaison,” Kensi explained.

“That sounds made up.”

Kensi almost laughed, even though she realized he hadn’t meant it as a joke. “The position was created so we’d have less conflict with the LAPD.” He didn’t interrupt, so Kensi continued, sitting down again.

“I didn’t have a partner at the time, so our boss, Hetty, paired us up. At first it was really rocky, I guess it still is sometimes—” she smiled softly. “We eventually learned to trust each other and we make a good team.” That seemed an inadequate summation of everything their relationships entailed, yet she didn’t know how to do it justice without veering into areas she’d rather not discuss just yet.

“It’s so weird to hear you talk about me, us I guess, in the past and have no memory of it,” he mused.

“It’s pretty weird from my point of view too.”

“Am I any good at it. Liaising?” he wondered, sounding doubtful.

“One of the best,” Kensi confirmed without an hesitation. At any other time, she’d have insulted him, teased him about his ego, but now he needed honesty. He needed to trust her and himself. “You have a way of looking at cases from a different angle than any one else would ever consider. It gets you some odd looks, but usually pays off.” She paused, considering how honest to be. “You’re also an amazing undercover operative.”

“I go undercover?”

“Yeah, pretty often. Sometimes for longer operations and other times last-minute roles that last a few minutes or hours. You’ve created several unique aliases, including a homeless man named Artie, who wears a disgusting jacket.”

“Ok, now you’re just making stuff up,” Deeks commented with a grin.

“I swear I’m not.” Kensi held her hands up. “You also have several criminal aliases you’ve used to infiltrate various crime rings and organizations,” she added. “Most importantly though, you have a way of connecting with witnesses and victims that never fails to amaze me. You’re great with kids.”

His expression softened at the last revelation, vulnerability in his eyes. “I’ve always wanted to work with kids. To help people. I like knowing that I was finally able to do that.”

So he’d already become disillusioned with criminal law. He’d never gone into much detail, but she’d figured out he’d been pretty miserable with representing dangerous criminals. A question was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back, not wanting to take advantage of Deeks’ vulnerability.

“You do help a lot of people. Every single day.”

He nodded, almost to himself, his eyes distant. “Do you trust me?” he asked unexpectedly. “As your partner.”

“Absolutely,” Kensi answered emphatically. “With my life.”

***

A/N: Turns out an amnesiac and concussed Deeks is very open. And Kensi can’t resist that.

[mashmaiden]

To all y'all who've been badgering me:

I've officially seen an episode of The Rookie from beginning to end! 😂

Dunno if I'll keep going, but Lifetime started playing it where they had Castle going for ages, so it's what's on TV at dinner time. We'll see how things go! 😂😂

[mashmaiden]