"Please tell me that's the finish line…" Callen groaned as he adjusted his backpack that was beginning to rub his shoulders raw through the fabric of his coat. He was having trouble remembering why he ever willingly went along with this idea to begin with and didn't put his foot down and tell Hetty 'no'. Clearly, he was not built for outdoor excursions such as these. Either the next one was going to be a survival trip at a five start resort or he wasn't going. End of.

"Not quite," Sam responded vaguely, ducking beneath a lower hanging branch as he trudged on. They had made it past their first smaller mountain and it was almost warm with all the layers they were still wearing. The snow had mostly disappeared and the only hindrance was the combination of pine needles and thick mud that managed to tire them out enough to decrease their speed to half.

"Weren't we supposed to be at the finish line yesterday?" Callen persisted.

"Well between the blizzard and then you losing our compass, it's slowed us down some…" Sam pointed out with a long eye roll.

"I told you… That damn bird stole our compass!" Callen protested while trying to unstick his boot from a particularly muddy step.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam muttered, not slowing down in the slightest. "Let's just keep going while the sun is still up so we can go by that for direction. There might be a chance that we don't lose this after all."

"Deeks has got to be even worse with nature than me so I'm sure we're fine," Callen grinned slyly.

"Kensi probably has some good motivational tactics up her sleeve when it comes to that man though," Sam countered.

"True…" Callen sighed and then took another bad step into some deeper mud that seemed to eat his boot because when he went to lift up his foot came up without it. "Damnit! I hate mud…"

He tried to balance on his one planted foot while he leaned over to pull at his stuck boot, but when it came loose on one particularly hard tug he was unable to stop his momentum and fell back into the muddy path they had been following with an audible "oompf".

Sam erupted in laughter and had to bend over for fear of falling over himself.

"Not funny, man!" Callen cursed under his breath as he tied his boot back on and struggled to get to his feet. "A little help would be nice, though."

"Nah, you look like you're doing just fine," Sam managed between laughs.

*Densi*

"I think I see the finish line!" Kensi said with a grin thrown back to her partner who was tiring out much faster than herself.

"What?! Oh thank God!" Deeks gasped as he picked up his meager pace to try and catch up with her while she was just fifteen feet ahead. When he'd finally caught up with her, looking around frantically, she burst out laughing.

"Just kidding!" Kensi snorted and doubled over, but then remembered her ribs and cringed while stilling her movements.

"You kinda deserved that one… How mean was that?!" Deeks whined before falling to his knees. Their surroundings consisted of a few inches of snow, but it was pretty cold. Cold enough for Deeks to want to pitch the tent and snuggle up with his partner. Naked. While having mind blowing sex. Okay, so he didn't need an excuse to want that, but it was cold. The forest around them was growing thick and according to Kensi, that was a positive sign. "How long do we really have?"

Kensi looked thoughtful as she peered around her at what, to him at least, looked like every other scene they'd seen so far. Trees, snow, pine cones, and the occasional rock.

"I think we'll be done tomorrow," Kensi said honestly.

"Really?" Deeks asked hesitantly.

"Yep," Kensi said with confidence. "I'd say if we were really desperate we could make it there really late tonight, but we'd have to push our pace and keep going past dark."

Deeks knew she would push it for him, if he asked, but he also knew with her ribs and other body aches, they would do better to call it an early night and get a good start tomorrow.

"Nah, I think I could use the rest," Deeks shouldered the blame for their delay, knowing she wouldn't want to be the weak one who declined their second option of arriving tonight.

"If you insist," Kensi sighed, but she gave him an appreciative smile before reshouldering her bag and beginning to walk again.

"When is our next break, anyway?" Deeks asked as he stumbled behind her, legs numb and sore at the same time.

"Not for another couple hours," Kensi called, already several feet ahead of him.

"I hate camping…" Deeks grumbled under his breath.

By the time they were pitching their tent and starting their fire, Deeks could not recall a single detail of their last real day of hiking. Every part of him ached with exhaustion and he had to admit that even if Kensi begged him for sex he would be unlikely to comply. Not unless he could get some sleep first anyway. Even Kensi was quiet through the whole process as she doled out portions of fish and beans that had been cooked.

"What will happen once tomorrow is here?" Kensi's voice tentatively broke the silence.

"Well, no more camping! Ever. Unless there is indoor plumbing, hot water, a real bed, and a commercial kitchen," Deeks listed dreamily.

"That isn't camping at all!" Kensi snorted and couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face, despite her building nerves. "I meant about us…"

Deeks' smile faded and he frowned, nervously eyeing her as he thought his response through. "Tomorrow will be the same as today, except without all the hiking and fish. And the day after that will be the same and so on, till you get tired of me."

"So, what? We're… together-together?" Kensi asked, needing to hear him say it.

"For so long as you'll have me, yes," Deeks gave her a shy grin and it made her stomach erupt into butterflies.

"That sounds more like a marriage proposal," Kensi snorted and then realized what she had said and began stuttering to cover herself up.

"One step at a time, Princess," Deeks grinned cheekily. "How about a date when we get back?"

"That sounds nice," Kensi said with a growing smile.

"Pizza and a movie?" Deeks offered. "Oooo, with beer and ice cream?"

"How is that any different from other nights we've had together?" Kensi balked playfully.

"Well the night ends with mind blowing sex until the sun comes up," Deeks licked his own lips clear of beans and gave her a wolfish grin.

The combination made Kensi laugh hysterically and her stomach clench. They really were a weird version of perfection.

*Neric*

Nell was bouncing off the walls and pretty much every surface possible today. They were getting close. Soon headquarters would be filled with the sounds of her team's laughter and banter. She missed the drama and comradory her team brought to her otherwise computerized and analytical world. Eric knew her well though, and she knew he sensed the reason behind her excitement, but he was nice enough not to point out how transparent she was being.

Humming under her breath, Nell flitted from Hetty's desk with a new pile of files that were going to be transcribed and filed away with a small grin on her face. Maybe not tomorrow, but the day after, she would see her team again.

Fortunately for Deeks, Kensi passed out almost immediately once they were cocooned in his sleeping bag together. He had fought off sleep for as long as possible so he could memorize the feel of her soft skin against his and her adorable snort when she'd bury her nose into the base of his neck. He could've stayed like that forever, but sleep had eventually claimed him. When he woke it was to her squirming against him and placing soft and wet kisses along the exposed skin of his neck and shoulder.

"Keeeeeeeens…" Deeks groaned, knowing his body wanted her bad, but he also wanted to get her into a real bed and there was a real chance that could happen tonight if they got going. His partner was currently trying very hard to make him rethink that decision. "But we could have tacos and sex tonight if we got going…" He struggled with the words, but he knew he had to get them out.

"I want all three…" Kensi pouted and nipped at his shoulder.

"God woman, you're going to be the death of me," Deeks growled and grasped her hips.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*Sallen*

"If I have to spend one more night in the wilderness I swear to God… I don't even care if we lose this damn thing!" Callen ranted as he used whatever limited excess energy he had to kick pine cones like a child throwing a tantrum.

"That's blasphemy!" Sam called back, already so far ahead that Callen was impressed he could hear him, even if he had shouted.

"Could you slow down or something?" Callen shouted, trying to pick up his pace.

"No way! I am getting to that damn finish line, with or without you because I may kill you if I have to listen to your whining for any longer," Sam growled, still stomping his way through nature.

"Awwww come on big guy!" Callen whined, trying his hardest to keep up.

"I think I see the ending flag!" Sam shouted and Callen watched as he sprinted over what he assumed was the last hill on their course and Callen summed up his remaining muscle strength and tried to forget about the aching pain as he picked his feet up and moved them forward faster.

*Densi*

"Deeks! Deeks! This is it!" Kensi looked like she would be bouncing if it didn't kill her. He was quick on her heels as he spotted the lone red flag just down the hill and around a slight bend.

"Woohoooooooooooooooo!" Deeks shouted and did a childish jump in the air. His voice echoed through the hills and he did a little dance where he stood, making Kensi giggle at him.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" Kensi smiled joyfully at her partner. She took his hand in hers and together they walked down the shallow slope at a comfortable but quick pace.

*Sallen*

"I've got it!" Sam shouted as he held the flag in the air and shot his flare gun into the air. Callen was still a good distance away, but even he couldn't deny the joy of finally being finished. He wasn't lifting off for LA until he got a good burger though.

*Densi*

"You wanna do the honors?" Kensi asked, handing him their flare gun.

"Why yes, I would," Deeks smiled, kissing her firmly on the lips before taking the gun and lifting it into the air to fire off. The red blazing sparks shot into the air and they watched in awe as the sparks broke apart at their peak in the sky. Deeks looked over to his partner and stared lovingly at her as she watched the flare fall slowly from the sky. He couldn't help but dwell on just how lucky he was to finally have gotten her. Watching her face he saw the reflection of what their future could hold; moving in together, getting engaged, then married, having a couple or couple dozen ninja assassins running around their ankles, PTA meetings, soccer games, family outings with the team, their own children getting married, having grandbabies, retiring together somewhere warm and exotic with a beach, and spending every morning of the rest of their lives going to bed together and waking up together. He wanted it so bad and he would work his backside off to make this work and when she looked back at him, he thought he saw in her eyes that she wanted that too.

*Sallen*

Callen was finally stumbling up to his partner when the helicopter arrived just twenty minutes after the flare had gone off.

"Thank God!" Callen nearly fell to his knees. "You think this guy could stop at a burger joint?"

Sam guffawed until he saw who was already in the helicopter. "Please tell me you didn't finish and had to use the flare to escape this trip?"

"Nope!" Deeks grinned from his seat, having to shout to be heard over the sounds of the helicopter and his headphones.

"Dangit!" Sam cursed, frowning at the cheerful duo who were sitting side by side on one side of the helicopter.

Callen didn't seem to care as he handed Deeks his pack so that he could climb in to sit on the opposite side as the other partners. Once Deeks had set Callen's bag off to the side, he reached out to grab a clearly annoyed Sam's bag so he too could climb in.

"You guys are looking a little thinner…" Kensi commented, eyeing the men across from her. To her it had looked like they had starved and been thrown through a blender. She knew that she and Deeks couldn't have looked much better, but they were definitely well fed, if a little bored with what their diet consisted of. "I got a couple extra cans of beans if you'd like a snack before we land?"

Sam's eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped.

"Gimmee!" Callen reached as far as he could within the confines of his seatbelt while Kensi dug through their pack and handed Callen a can of beans and a can opener. He was frantic as he worked to get the can open and then tipped the can up to spill come of the beans into his mouth. "I don't even care that they're cold…" He mumbled between mouthfuls.

Sam looked like he was torn between stealing the can from his partner and trying to maintain some dignity as he tried to ignore the sounds of bean slurping. Deeks and Kensi shared looks of amusement as they muffled their laughter. It was a short 20 minute flight to the airfield where they saw the tiny spec called 'Hetty' grow slightly larger and larger until they landed. The helicopter cycled down and the team removed their headphones and gathered their bags to climb down. Deeks was careful to discreetly help Kensi down to take the weight off her ribs. The exhaustion for all four agents was growing fast and their sluggish pace up to their fearless leader showed it.

"It is good to see you all in one piece," Hetty said stoically with a twinkle in her eye. "First, I will wish a congratulations to Callen and Sam for winning this year's challenge."

Everyone looked blankly at Hetty in clear confusion.

"Actually, Callen wasn't quite caught up with Sam when the flare went off and the other flare went off before these other two were next to each other," the copilot spoke up as he approached them all.

"I see, so Kensi and Deeks are the winners of this challenge," Hetty smiled.

"Yeah!" Deeks shouted and almost jumped into the air in his excitement, but found he was too tired. "We did it!"

"But – " Sam sputtered uncharacteristically.

"Both team members needed to be together at the finishing flag before the other team reached theirs and if Callen was just arriving when the helicopter got there, then I'm afraid you lost," Hetty explained and shrugged. "Now, without further ado, I have a full dinner waiting for everyone in the hanger and a medic if anyone needs it before our plane takes off in three hours. Shall we?" She angled her body toward the hanger that was awaiting them.

Deeks was tempted to lift his partner and carry her to the hanger so she wouldn't need to work any harder to get to that medic than necessary, but he was also afraid that he would drop her in his exhaustion. Instead he helped her walk over to the hanger, following behind Callen and Sam who seemed to have found a second wind at the mention of food. Once a couple feet away from the hanger, whose door was open, Deeks could smell the delicious scent of the foods within and began guessing as to what was just inside. Steak… potatoes… green beans… fresh bread… and something sweet… He felt Kensi urge them forward just a little faster until they cleared the doorway. It was almost exactly what he had thought. A longer table with seating for seven was set with name tags for each person with a large dish that was covered with a silver dome to keep everything warm.

"Bon apetit," Hetty said, her arm extending out toward the table.

They each took their seats and just as they were beginning to wonder who the other two people were that were going to join them, Nell and Eric appeared from outside, both smiling brightly at the rest of the team.

Only squeals escaped from Nell as they walked around the table exchanging hugs and handshakes with Nell and Eric expressing their happiness that they were all back in one piece. Finally after a few minutes they took their seats once Callen began to give them anxious looks and staring longingly at his silver dome. A few waiters came around the table and took the domes from each person's plate to reveal steak, turkey, mixed vegetables of every color, russet potatoes, and a creamy looking soup. The four who had been wilderness bound for the last week eyed the food hungrily, but were interrupted when the waiters brought around side salads and fresh bread while another waiter poured wine and water for each person.

Callen's patience snapped when the smell filled his nose and mouth and he dove in with as much etiquette as possible given his hungry state. Everyone else followed soon after until finally half way through, they felt full enough to speak between bites. Soon the room was filled with laughter as each person reenacted a story from their adventures and every once in a while Nell and Eric would pipe in with a funny story that had happened while they were all away. An hour and a half passed before the hikers began to grow visibly tired with all the extra food consumption and wine.

"We should really get you looked at," Deeks said, pushing his chair back to help Kensi out of her seat.

"What happened?" Eric asked, already leaning back in his seat with his hands resting on his bloated stomach.

"Fell down a mountain," Kensi cringed and Nell noted how pale Deeks went as he watched her carefully.

Nell forced her face blank as she thought about the changes in their interactions since this challenge. There was definitely something different. She watched as Deeks gently cupped her elbow with one hand and held the other just behind her back as she stood, as if waiting for her to tip at a moment's notice. Once up he was close but not touching her as they walked to another room and shut the door behind them.

An hour and a half later they were all boarding a plane that was slightly larger than the one they had arrived in to accommodate for Nell and Eric as well. Hetty had insisted on being the copilot of the place for their trip back so with a wave goodnight, she disappeared behind the pilot's door at the front. After everyone was onboard, one of the waiters snuck on behind them and set a large platter, a tub of vanilla ice cream, some plates, and silverware down on a counter toward the front.

"A dessert for the trip back," she said and waved goodbye as she climbed down the steps to leave the plane.

Kensi was the first up to lift the lid and beneath it was a large layered chocolate-chocolate cake that looked so moist she was surprised it was still holding together. Drool pooled in her mouth as she nearly shook in an effort to slice pieces for each person and Nell stepped up to help scoop ice cream out. Luckily they were fast and within minutes Kensi was shoveling the cake into her mouth. Deeks was happy to see that despite the injuries and their latest developments, he could still count on her being herself. They had all but finished the cake when exhaustion began to settle in for everyone but the tech-duo and one by one they filtered to the back of the plane where similar bunk beds were nestled. They were a little wider and longer than the ones they'd slept in on the way out to their adventure, but had the same style curtains and framing. Callen was the first to claim a bed and then Sam soon after. Then it was Deeks who ushered Kensi toward the back. He insisted she take the bottom bunk, because of her ribs, and once she was settled he gave her one last look of longing before climbing up into his own bunk above hers. Ten minutes of not actually sleeping, he knew he wouldn't be getting any real rest without her in his arms. He could hear the heavy breathing of Sam and the soft snores of Callen, but nothing from the bunk below. It was a real struggle not to just screw protocol and climb into the bed below beside his favorite partner. He needed to feel her warmth and soft breathes against his shoulder. He needed to know that she and everything they had gone through was very real. It took an hour of glaring at the ceiling above him before his body took over and he fell into a restless sleep.

Kensi woke groggily to the pressure changes in the cabin as the plane began to descend to the ground. Home. She couldn't wait to get into her favorite pajamas, eat a whole pizza and tub of ice cream and pass out in her own bed. It would be even better if her partner in crime would be with her, but somehow it felt awkward to ask. Wouldn't he be sick of her by now? 10 days in the wilderness was enough to test any partnership and maybe it would be pushing it to ask him over so soon. Kensi tried not to pout over her decision as she pulled the curtain back to reveal an empty sleeping area. Trying to not twist her torso, she got to her feet and without too much wobbling, walked to the front cabin area where the lounge area was. Stepping into the brighter area, she first saw Eric and Nell on the left toward the back of the area. Eric was quietly playing a game on his tablet, while Nell was fast asleep on his shoulder. Then she saw Callen tuning out to the world around him as he gazed out the plane window, clearly lost to everything but enjoying the seat and view. Sam and Deeks were closer to the front and having a quiet debate over the over use of some hand guns over others. Kensi took the minute that Deeks hadn't noticed her to study him carefully. He looked exhausted with large purple bags beneath his eyes and the overall slope of his posture that made him look years older. She bit her lower lip in concern and deep thought when he looked up to catch her gaze. He gave her an easy smile that spoke of a level of trust and love that she wasn't even aware they had until that moment. Sam caught on quickly though just as she returned his smile and caught eyes with her before looking back to Deeks. He probably knew in that instant that something had happened between them, but she wasn't going to say anything one way or another.

"I'll leave you two to it," Same grinned mischievously as he joined his own partner several feet away.

"Hey," Kensi gave him a shy smile and his brightened. "You look horrible."

Deeks' smile faltered and he cringed. "Didn't sleep as well as I thought I would. Guess I need a real bed to crash in."

Kensi nodded as if excepting this as a good answer.

"You gonna sit?" Deeks held his hand out to the seat Sam had just vacated.

"Uh, yeah, thank," Kensi mumbled before plopping into the empty seat and then turning her gaze to the window. "So close to pizza and ice cream…"

Deeks almost choked on his laugh and shook his head in mirth. "Only you, Princess."

All was quiet between them until they felt the place land and the wheels touch ground.

"So maybe we can grab a pizza and some ice cream on the way back to my place? I got a limited edition Dirty Dancing that's still in its plastic," Deeks said, trying his best to hide the lingering anxiety that she would turn him down and want some space for a bit.

"You mean pizza and ice cream plural, right? Cos I'm not sharing," Kensi grinned, the fluttering in her stomach threatening to consume her.

"Anything for you, Princess," Deeks' smile was contagious and he couldn't seem to tame it. "Anything for you."

A/N: Wow this took forever… I am going to call this the official end of this fic so as not to leave you all hanging any longer. I hope this brings enough closure for everyone : ) Not to fish, but if anyone has some lingering plot ideas they'd be interested in seeing come to life, my co-author and friend and I are looking to start up a new writing project. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

In case anyone was wondering, I am now the proud momma to a 9 month baby girl we named Caitlynn and she is the light of our lives. It's been so long since this update that she is now already starting to crawl and instilling fear into our dog and cat.