Chapter 15

A/N: Here it is the final chapter…or is it? Enjoy! Thank you to my faithful readers. You know who you are!

Callen's POV

The helicopter ride from Kandahar exhausted, yet exhilarated Callen. The Taliban shooters busied themselves with targeting any military planes and helicopters that flew out of Kandahar so the chopper skipped through the sky like a stone on water. There'd been a few close calls but he now stood, safely, on the tarmac in Kabul. He looked down at the five pound bag of tea and wondered if it had been worth almost losing his life over. He thought about it for a mere second before realization set in; die now getting it or die a slow painful death because he didn't. He came to the conclusion that the tumultuous chopper ride was the right decision. Nodding to himself he went in search of Kensi to see what their orders were. He hoped to get out of here and home to Sara and the kids. He'd missed so much of their little lives already. His heart tore with sorrow at how much time he'd missed with them and his wife, Sara. Vance probably gave up on them a long time ago. He shook his head to clear it from that thought.

Kensi saw him coming through the window of the office. Her emotions were on fire as they were leaving tomorrow to go home. The only problem they had was a brief stop in Hawaii for a couple of days. It seems there were no flights out of Hickman for them to hitch a ride on. They could live with it for a couple of days.

When the time came they climbed on board the C-5aM for the ride home. They were leaving with a whole lot less baggage than what they came with and it felt good.

After a brief stop on Guam for refueling they settled in for a fourteen hour flight into Hickman. Both agents slept for a while but Callen, never a long term sleeper, got up and started pacing. Being aware that he'd see Sara in a few days made him nervous, kind of like a new bridegroom. He paced, the flight crew offered him coffee, food and both were refused, so the crew left him to his own devices.

Kensi woke from her own dreams of the future to find him pacing. She understood his feeling without even asking for she felt the same way. What if Deeks had moved on? What if he felt the need to go back to LAPD and no one watched his back like they used to and he didn't make it? To be honest neither of them knew what they'd be going home to.

After the flight both agents moved to the exit of the hanger. They were met by a Petty Officer and escorted to the Command Office and into the office of the Captain in charge of the flightline.

Captain Jones reached across the desk to shake Callen and Kensi's hand. "Welcome home Agent Callen and Agent Blye. I want to thank you for your service. I've been given an order to give you a bit of solitude for the few days you're to be here. I have a haul into Lihue for you and a nice stay at a resort. So the plane is on the flight line waiting for you."

Kensi stood stunned at the offer and caught Callen's start at the delay out of the corner of her eye.

Callen, who'd sat down, moved to the edge of his seat. "Thank you for that but we'd like to go straight home. This 'holiday' is just time that we need to be with our families after a year and a half. Is there any way that we can get home instead?"

Kensi nodded her agreement.

The Captain smiled. "I understand how you feel. I'd want the same but I have my orders from above. Take the time you may need it to decompress from the last year and a half. When you go home it will be so much better. The flight waits for you. Go and enjoy the island." The Captain looked down at the papers on his desk acting like they'd been dismissed.

Callen and Kensi got up and left the office. He gave the captain one last glance as he opened the door.

The captain never looked up.

Callen chuckled. "I guess that Hetty is going to have to wait for her tea." He smirked and gave a little laugh. "I think she's got something to do with this but I don't know why. It seems odd even for her."

Kensi had to agree. "Yeah, it has her finger prints all over it but, again, why? She knows we want to get home. Why would she do this?"

Callen had stopped trying to figure his mentor's motives a long time ago. "I know but this is what she is doing so we do it just like we always do. Let's go find that plane and get on with our lives." He looked her up and down, smirked and gave a good belly laugh. "By the way you may have to get a new bikini."

Kensi stood there thinking that her boss and friend lacked class and to be honest, he didn't come across in the least as humerous. She ran to catch up to Callen and when she did she punched him in the arm. "You're not funny you know. I have no money and I'm pretty sure my credit cards don't work anymore."

Callen just laughed at her and kept walking to the flight line where the captain said the plane would be.

Same Day

Three hours later

Polihale Beach, Western Kauai

Sara's POV

We left the hotel around 5:30, picked up a picnic supper and drove around the southern end of the island. We drove through the sleepy little towns that make up the southern edge of Kauai. During the day those same towns were busy with throngs of tourists from the ships that stopped in the harbor outside our hotel and the everyday life of the resident Hawaiians.

At Ele'ele, we made the turn towards the western end of the island and Polihale Beach. This beach and sunset came with high marks for being awesome and as we drove we saw the sunset building up to a good one. The clouds out over the Pacific were taking on a rosy glow and the sun had begun its glide into the water.

We arrived to Polihale after a painstakingly slow ride through the old cane fields and Monkey Pod trees. After we parked the car we walked through the warm white sand to watch the crashing waves and the sun as it sank further toward the horizon with the look of fading into the water. The rays were red and gold and bathed everything they touched with their colors. It amazed me with its splendor.

We heard a car coming down the dirt road but didn't pay any attention to it. It was probably just another set of tourists here for the same thing we were the glorious sunset before us. We watched as the colors became redder and the clouds in the distance took on the image of darkness. The car parked behind us as we watched the solar splendor. The next thing I knew I had been pulled into an embrace with Marty kissing me. I pulled away, not understanding what had just happened. My hand, still on his chest gave us that moment of intimacy but my mind still reeled from his actions. "What's going on Marty?"

The look on his face and the tone of his reply broke my heart. He let go of me rather abruptly seemingly leaving miles between us. "Nothing…I just kissed my sister and betrayed a good friends trust." The look on his face is one I will never forget because it was full of self-loathing and self-hate for the action he'd just taken. He turned and walked away from me, down the beach.

"Marty, wait…" I wanted to chase him down the beach but was too shocked by what happened to get up and go after him. I just sat on the blanket and began to ponder about what had just happened. I knew what I felt but he had never given me an inkling of his feelings. How did I miss that? Eighteen months and all he had to show for it were more broken dreams. Maybe I'd led him on without thinking about it or by depending on him too much. If I knew him I would never know about what went on in his head just now. He doesn't talk about his feelings very often.

I sat there with tears forming and a voice spoke into the darkness of my soul bringing light to it, a voice I knew and loved intensely. "Do you come here often?"

It seemed like it had been a million years since I heard those words. Even through my pain of what I'd done to Marty I couldn't help my response to that voice. "Oh my god, seriously; is that still your best pick up line?" While I loved hearing those words from those lips, and I really did, I spoke those words even though my heart was breaking for Deeks.

Callen sat down behind me and pulled me back into his arms. Nothing ever before or since has felt so good. "What just happened with Deeks?"

I turned my head and looked into his blue eyes and wasn't really sure of how to explain it. I never really got that answer from Marty. "I think that he's confused by our closeness and the events of the last eighteen months. It has been a lot to process for him. He'll be okay." I just hope I was right.

Callen wanted to get up and leave right away but I'd come to see the sunset and really wanted to see it. To be honest, part of me wanted to make sure Marty was alright even if it was from a distance.

The sunset, as promised was spectacular with rays hitting the few stray clouds that were left and lining them with gold. The islands of Nihau and Nihoa, in the distance, were also outlined with the golden light. It was a vision straight from heaven. I have to admit my worries for Marty may have clouded the true impressions of it though.

As we walked back to Callen's jeep I caught Marty and Kensi out of the corner of my eye and hoped that I'd not lost the friendship of a man that I had come to like and respect, a lot. As we drove away I remembered that my shoes were still in Deek's rental as well as our dinner. I could get the shoes tomorrow. Kensi and Deeks could eat the meal. I hoped Callen didn't have any ideas about dinner at a restaurant.

Either way our spouses are back and for that I'm grateful. I hoped that Marty and Kensi would be as happy as I am.

A/N: Polihale Beach is a real place with those gorgeous sunsets. You should visit it someday. I posted another story 'Emotions' a while back it is really the epilogue to this story but in reality the story never really ends for them.

s/13054536/1/Emotions

Just in case you want to read it.

A/N: Thanks for being so patient.