Deeks opened his eyes and confusion began to creep in him when he found himself lying comfortably on his bed. He had no idea why he ended up in his bedroom. The last thing he remembered was opening the door for his partner.

"Kensi." He mumbled her name as he sat up, combing his messy hair with his fingers in the process.

Flashbacks of the past nights entered his mind. He recalled how she had been knocking on his door, whispering his name and calling his cellphone plenty of times every night for the past 13 days. But still wanting to be left alone, he never entertained Kensi and he felt bad doing that to her.

The second night she knocked on his door and left unsuccessfully, Deeks regretted his action when he heard her sad sigh before retreating back to her car. He wanted to open his door for her but he didn't want to face her yet. He had been alone in his place since Zoey left him, wasting his time drinking, crying and brooding over his failed wedding. He knew he needed to get over it somehow but right now, he still didn't know how.

"You're awake."

Kensi walked in her partner's bedroom and saw him staring into space. Holding a tray of hot soup and water, she strode towards him. She placed the tray at the nightstand before sitting on the bed.

"How are you?" Smiling, she asked him as she touched his forehead. Her face brightened in relief after feeling that he was not as hot as he was hours ago. "Your fever dropped."

When she caught him on his doorsteps, Kensi was stunned to see her partner. He was a mess, his hair was unkept, his clothes were dirty, he was drunk and burning with fever. She almost dialled 911 in panic but thought Deeks wouldn't want to wake up in a hospital so she decided to try taking care of him for the meantime.

Kensi struggled in bringing him back inside the house noting that unconscious Deeks was heavy. After several attempts, she found a way. Slowly and carefully, she successfully brought him to his room and settled him on the bed. She gave him a lukewarm sponging, changed his clothes and made him drink his medicine. A sad smile formed on her lips when she remembered who he was calling in his sleep.

()()()

She just finished changing Deeks' clothes and was nowfixing his blanket atop his body when she heard his murmur.

"Zoey..."

It was almost inaudible but Kensi heard it clear. He was calling his fiancée.

Feeling his forehead, she silently hoped that the medicine she gave him will start taking effect because his fever was still high and he was beginning to chill.

"Zoey..."

Kensi sat on the bed and ran her fingers through his hair, stroking it as gently as she can. "Everything will be alright, Deeks." She said in a low voice.

She was surprised when with his eyes still close, he grabbed her hand from his hair and tugged it under his neck, holding it tightly as if his life depends on it. "Zo..." He whispered one last time before succumbing to sleep.

She remained seated until she was able to pull her hand away from him when he moved. Despite knowing that Deeks thought of him as his fiancée, Kensi was glad that she helped him in some way.

Exiting his room, she was welcomed by the sight of her partner's chaotic living room. There were clutters everywhere, empty beer bottles and his dirty clothes were spread all over in what once was a neat place. Unlike her, he was a clean guy wanting everything in order. Deeks even teased her about her hoarding capability one time. Of course it didn't come without a price, a punched instantly landed on his arm after he said that to her.

And now seeing how Deeks and his home were a mess, hate grew in her heart for Zoey.

'How can she hurt him when all he did was loved her?' She wanted to ask the woman.

It pained her to see how broken her partner was. His cancelled wedding left him devastated and she can only hope that someday, Deeks can move on from it.

Trying to focus her mind on helping her partner and not hating the woman who abandoned him, Kensi decided that it was best if she clean while she's there. It didn't last long when the room was empty with clutters and all the dirty clothes were on the washing machine.

She brought out a can of soup from the kitchen cabinet and placed it on the counter, making her see them from time to time. She wanted to feed Deeks with it when he woke up.

()()()

"Thank you for this, Kensi." Deeks said after finishing his bowl of soup.

At first, his partner wanted to feed him but he insisted that he can eat by himself. Kensi let go in the end.

"Welcome. You're lucky you have canned soup on your pantry or else I will make you eat my version of noodle soup." She said giving him a wink.

For the first time in almost two weeks, he laughed genuinely imagining how things would have been different if she prepared the food. Kensi was not known for her kitchen skills, accidentally slipping to him one time how she tried boiling eggs but ended up burning them.

Kensi smiled hearing her partner's laugh. She missed it. She didn't want to admit it but she missed him, his baby blues, his shaggy blonde hair, the way he teased her and her hitting him in retaliation after. She missed everything about him and she marveled on how he meant more to her than she realized.

"How's work?"

She was pulled from her trance when Deeks spoke. "Nothing new. Solved some cases."

"How's everyone?"

"Well, Callen lose a bet to Hetty. Again." She began trying not to laugh while her partner was looking at her interestingly. "Sam bought a new muffler for his car. Eric showed us his new gadget that only Nell appreciates. That's pretty much it."

"How about you?"

"Uhm, I don't think I have something to tell."

They looked at each other. Deeks knew apology was needed so he brought it up.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

Feeling uneasy, Deeks ran his fingers through his hair. "For ignoring you."

Kensi smiled. "I understand. Believe it or not, I know what you're going through."

He remembered how she was left by her fiancé one Christmas morning. "Jack?"

She nodded.

"How did you do it? Made it through, I mean."

"It wasn't easy. There's no right step to follow or take for you to move on. No one can say that you have to do this or that for you to feel better. It's all up to you. Me? It took me months before I chose to let go of him and the idea that he was gone, that he left me. I can only do so much for a person, Deeks, and if me loving him after everything wasn't enough for him, there's nothing I can do." Kensi explained, startled at the recognition that the mention of her ex-fiancé didn't bring the usual pain at the memories it always brought whenever she talked about him.

Deeks nodded his head, giving her words a thought. He stared at her and smiled, feeling grateful that she was there for him.

His relationship with Kensi was complicated. When he became a liaison officer of LAPD at NCISOSP and was partnered with her, he knew she doubted his competence to protect her and watch her back at first. Deeks can't blame her, he too had apprehensions why he was chosen to be part of an elite federal group. He was an ordinary undercover detective, although he was good at what he does, he wasn't the best.

Over time and some seriously solved cases later, he had proven to her and to the entire team that he can work with them. It was hard, NCISOSP was a tightknit group and being one of the newest members, there were times he left like he didn't belong there. But he didn't give up, he showed them he was a good cop and a better undercover detective.

And now, Deeks knew that they trust him and he trust them too. He earned their respects and Kensi became one of his dear friends and not just a partner. Who would have thought that after how they banter and bicker almost everyday, they will develop a friendship that only the two of them can understand? It was friendship like no other, he believed. And he was very thankful for it.