Sam walks in to the bullpen, expecting to be the first one in the office on this early Monday morning. They had just finished up a case the previous day and he guessed the other members of his team would sleep in a little.

He was wrong. Just as he turns the corner he sees a very smiley, yet still sad Deeks staring deeply into his computer screen.
Not again. He knew exactly what the Detective was looking at.

"Deeks, I swear if I come over there and I see you staring at a picture of Kensi, I will smash that computer into a million pieces with my bare hands."
Deeks jumps at the sound of Sam's voice. He was in such a trance he hadn't heard him approaching. Deeks quickly closes out the picture and slams his laptop closed.

"Um. Yeah. No I was just, yeah. I got nothing." Deeks grinned sheepishly, knowing he was busted.
"That's what I thought. You really need to get a grip. I don't stare at pictures of Callen constantly when he's away on a top-secret mission." Sam said in a teasing tone.

"Do you stare at pictures of Michelle constantly when she is on a top-secret mission?" Sam definitely wasn't expecting that. He wasn't even sure he knew how to respond.

"Maybe. But never as much as you look, I mean gawk at pictures of Kensi. And Michelle is my wife. Kensi is just your partner." Sam stated, trying to bait Deeks into admitting something he had suspected for a long time.
Deeks shuddered at the use of the phrase "just your partner." He hated it. He knew Kensi was more than that, and deep inside he knew he was more than that to Kensi.

"What if Kensi wasn't just my partner?" And there it is. Sam got the confirmation he needed, but decided to continue to press him.

"Is she more than just your partner?" Sam was choosing his words carefully, so this seemingly innocent conversation didn't turn heated. Sam was calm through the entire exchange, however Deeks was an emotional basket case anyway, and Sam's words set him off.

"Yes, Sam. Yes she is. I don't know why I have tried to hide it for so long." Deeks stood up from his desk chair and began pacing back and forth. "I don't know if Hetty would split up our partnership, or if I was scared that I would lose my best friend if I screwed up, or just scared of how much I actually do care about her. I can't function without her here. She isn't just my partner, she is everything to me."

Sam smiled. He had known for a long time that Deeks and Kensi had a "thing" but he didn't know how important Kensi was to Deeks.
After a couple of moments of thoughtful silence, Sam continued. "I knew you two were close, but I had no idea that you cared for Kensi that much."
Deeks smiled. "I really do love her." His smile revealed that this was the first time he was admitting it to himself. "I just wish I could tell her." Deeks slumped back down in his desk chair, defeated.

Sam thought about it for a few moments. "Deeks, you know you love her. And that is all you have to hold on to until she gets back. Whenever that may be. Well, that and your obsession with looking at her pictures all day long."

Deeks smiled again. "Yeah that is pretty pathetic isn't it?"

Sam grinned and said "Yeah, Deeks it is." Just as Callen walked into the room.

"What is pathetic?" Callen asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just Deeks hair again." Sam said shooting a wink at a very surprised Deeks. Sam felt the conversation he just had needed to be kept under wraps, not broadcast through the office.

"Yeah it is pathetic. You really should do something about that." Callen said, not realizing he had just missed a very important conversation between his partner and the LAPD Liaison.

A whistle from Eric beckoned Callen and Deeks up to the Ops Center, while Sam stayed behind to talk to the only person he knew that could fix this.

"Hetty can I talk to you for a second?" Sam asked as he approached his Operations Manager's desk.
"Certainly, Mr. Hanna. What can I help you with?" Hetty replied with a sly smile.
"Is there any way we can contact Kensi? I mean, I am really sick of Deeks complaining and moping around. He won't shut up about her." Sam said, as he was trying to make it seem like he was annoyed at Deeks, as opposed to trying to help him.
"Mr. Hanna. I understand your dilemma. And I know exactly what you are trying to do. I think it is very nice of you to help Mr. Deeks." Hetty saw right through his disguise.
"You heard?" Sam replied, hanging his head.
"Yes Mr. Hanna. I heard. You seem to forget how the voices of two angry men travel in this building." Hetty smiled. "I will try to work something out, but only because it seems to be affecting Mr. Deeks' work."

Sam walked up to ops, smiling, knowing that Hetty trying to contact Kensi had nothing to do with Deeks' work.

As they finished up the rather easy case, and were packing up to go home, Hetty called for Deeks.
Hetty began as Deeks sat down in front of her desk. "Mr. Deeks, it has come to my attention that the absence of your partner is beginning to affect your work."
"Hetty, I can do my job without Kensi, however I do work better with her here."
An all- knowing grin graced Hetty's face. "Mr. Deeks, I realize you can do your job without Ms. Blye, but I don't believe you can live your life without her, maybe you feel that you can't function without her."
Deeks slumps back in his chair, as he realizes that somehow the small ninja lady in front of him heard his conversation with Sam earlier that morning.
Seeing his demeanor change, Hetty continues. "Have you been communicating with Ms. Blye through the little present I gave you?"
Deeks sighed. "We've talked twice. It just isn't the same. I don't know where she is, or what she is doing."
Hetty sighs. She hates seeing one of her agents hurt. "Mr. Deeks, I realize this is difficult for you, especially after what I heard this morning, but I am afraid there is nothing more I can do. I will update you whenever I can of Ms. Blye's status."
Deeks sighed. "Thank you Hetty. I really appreciate it."

"I wish I had more to offer you. After all, Kensi is more than just your partner." Hetty said with a smile.

"Yes, Hetty she is."