Legal Love

Epilogue

3 months later

Kensi strode briskly down the sidewalk, her boots making a clacking noise as she walked. Her destination was a small coffee shop on the corner. Although in a prominent location, it was often overlooked in favour the big generic chain store coffee. It was an old favourite of Kensi's. She had discovered it once while out for a morning stroll and was delighted by its hidden charm. She hadn't visited it in a while; she wished she had.

A quick check of her watch told Kensi she was right on time. She was still getting used to the close proximity of her new house to the areas she frequented and the reduction in travel time. A glance to the left revealed her companion sitting in their usual booth. She smiled and walked over to him.

He rose and hesitated for a moment. But only a brief moment, then they simultaneously reached out to embrace each other and all traces of awkwardness were gone.

"I got your usual," he said as they sat down opposite each other. "I hope it's still what you like."

She could see unease on his face, his doubts cumulating in his eyes. His hand lay flat on the table.

"Thank you, Jack," she said, reaching out to take his hand and give his fingers a squeeze.

He looked about as nervous as she felt. This was the first time they had seen each other in months and neither of them were sure how to act. She could see that Jack had been internalising it all, but he seemed to relax at her words.

It didn't need to be awkward. Spending time together wasn't anything new for them.

"How have you been?" she asked, pulling her cup closer to her and reaching for the sugar.

Jack paused for a moment, stirring his coffee as he tried to find the right words.

"Better," he eventually came up with. "Not as bad as I was. I'm back at therapy regularly. It hasn't all been easy, there have been some tough days, but I'm doing a lot better."

He smiled at the realisation that he was able to look back on all his progress and say this. And actually mean it too.

"I'm glad," Kensi said, smiling at her former husband. She meant it as well.

"What about you?" he asked, shifting in his seat. "You seeing anyone."

The question hung in the air for only a millisecond, but it was long enough for all the connotations of past events this could be referring to. But his eyes told her his question was genuine.

"No," she denied, shaking her head and playing with a napkin. Deep in thought, her fingers brushed across the coffee shop's logo idly.

"I just thought maybe the lawyer..." Jack prompted.

Kensi blushed.

"No. I don't know what you're talking about," she denied.

The look she received in return told her he didn't buy it.

"I've just been taking some time to myself. I think it's what I needed," she explained before pausing and wondering if his questioning could be because he had moved on. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Jack took a sip of his coffee before placing it back down on the table.

"No. I'm been focusing on myself, trying to get myself into a better place." Kensi nodded at his words. It wasn't too dissimilar to what she had been doing. "I think it's what I needed too."

"I think it's what we both needed," Kensi stated.

Neither of them could argue with that.

They continued to chat and drink their coffees. They found that with the pressure of their marriage lifted off them they were able to talk easily and enjoy each other's company. When they parted, they parted as old friends with a hug and the promise to catch up again soon.

As Kensi walked back to Ops, she found that for the first time in many months – or what felt like years - she was not exhausted after spending time with Jack. She had even enjoyed it. She wore a quiet smile on her face.

Things were clearer now, easier.

. . .

When Kensi walked back into the Bullpen she was shocked to see a familiar scruffy mop of hair emerging from one of the corridors.

"Deeks?" she called.

He responded immediately, lifting his head and turning towards her. Hetty stood beside him; that was the least surprising part. She wondered what the older woman had been plotting.

"Ms Blye," Hetty said and she stepped in between them. "Perhaps you and Mr Deeks would like to have a little chat."

Viewing her suspiciously, Kensi nodded at her boss' suggestion.

"I think that would be a good idea."

They ended up walking along a nearby beach, alone and free from distractions. Kensi walked slightly ahead with Deeks following loyally behind. If asked to justify it, he would say the view was better.

"So, how are you?" Deeks asked.

"How about we skip that part and get to the part where you tell me why you were at my work talking to my boss," Kensi retorted. She had her interrogation voice on. It wasn't a suggestion.

"Ahh that," Deeks replied as if it was a normal occurrence. "She offered me a job."

Kensi stopped in shock, spinning around.

"She what?"

Deeks was able to stop just before running into her. They were close. Very close.

"She offered me a job," he repeated, his eyes lowering to meet hers.

"I got that part," Kensi replied softly, suddenly much more aware of her breathing and her heartbeat.

"She saw me that night at the bar, when I shot that guy. She said I have potential and with a bit of training I could be an okay agent."

"Hetty doesn't just offer anyone with potential a job," Kensi responded, curious and suspicious – not of Deeks but of her boss. "She could have hundreds of well qualified agents with much more experience than you. Why?"

Even as she spoke she found her curiosity drifting, caring less and less by the second, distracted as Deeks held her gaze.

"She said she was looking for a partner for a specific person, for you."

His voice had dropped in volume too. It was as if their interest in the conversation was dwindling, though not from a lack of concern. Their attention was otherwise occupied, being stolen away more and more with each passing second.

"Why?"

They seemed to have moved closer, almost touching, though neither of them remembered making the conscious decision to do so. Their eyes spoke a conversation that their lips did not, one of a much more intimate nature.

"She said you and I had... chemistry," his voiced had dropped to a whisper by the time he got to the end, his last words a mere breath. It rolled over Kensi's lips as he spoke it, uninterrupted by the almost nonexistent gap between them. Then the gap was no more. Their lips met in the middle, crashing together passionately. Kensi wound her hand into his hair, pulling him closer as his fingers caressed her hip.

When they broke apart, their breathing heavy, it hit Kensi that that this was the first moment between them that had really felt right.

She linked her fingers with his and turned to walk back down the beach, side by side this time.

"So, did you accept the job?" Kensi asked as they walked.

"Not yet," he replied.

"Yet?" She turned to gauge his reaction.

Deeks looked down for a moment as if the sand might give him some words.

"I don't know if I will. I feel like it could be a great opportunity for me and I would welcome the career change, but I don't know. There are some things that are more important, that I want more."

"Like what?" Kensi asked, still watching him.

"Like, will you have dinner with me tonight?" Deeks propositioned.

"I will," Kensi replied, still waiting on his answer. Though there was a part of her that felt she already had it.

"I'll pick you up at eight," he responded, smiling.

"Nuh uh, no way. I'm driving," Kensi argued.

"You'll kill us both!" Deeks exclaimed, chuckling.

Kensi laughed, gently shoving his shoulder in mock anger.

"Shut up, Deeks."

His response was only to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her closer, laughing with her all the while.

...

And, finally, 2 years to the day since I published the first chapter of this story, I can say The End.

There have been some good times and bad times. I've made some great friends through this fic and I've heard some really touching stories from people about what this story has meant to them. As a writer, that's what makes it all worthwhile.

If anyone's interested, I will do a Legal Love Q&A on my Tumblr (EmilyweepsforPilfrey). I have so much more of this story than what made it into the fic and so many details and reasonings and I would love to share it if anyone's interested. So if you have any questions (anonymous or not) that you want answered, head on over there.

This will probably be my last NCISLA story as I've kind of lost touch with the show. That being said, I've got a Densi fic I started about 2 years ago for a prompt half done, so maybe I'll finish that one day. Give me another couple of years. Maybe I'll write Assistant Director Love - the story of how a young blonde girl falls in love with the moody and mysterious Granger. Maybe not. You never know.

I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed (even the bad ones), reblogged, recommended, commented, reviewed my other fics to tell me to update this one, liked, messaged me, favourited and/or alerted. I want to thank everyone who messaged me/reviewed during my, shall we say, 'hiatus' to ask, beg and demand that I finish this. Most of all I want to thank your, dear reader, for sticking with this story until the end.