AN:

WARNING::::: UNUSUAL DISCLAIMER TO FOLLOW

Okay, I'm procrastinating (majorly) you caught me. I had no time to write this, but I did, so get over it. Ugh, I'm exhausted. But I wrote this.

Another Disclaimer: I'm not entirely sure I LOVE this, but I also don't hate it. Okay, here's what I'm going for... well, actually, I'll explain what I was going for in another AN after the story. Okay. That said, I love reviews, but if you have something negative about this particular chapter, please keep it to yourself. This is just stress letting itself out, and to be honest, I haven't even read this through just yet.

This new episode and the sneak peeks are freaking me out.

Okay, rambling AN done. Please pray for me, and enjoy this chapter :)

Blessings,

bookdiva

"What is going on?"

Deeks's back is to the bars of his holding cell, and Kensi's sudden question startles him. He turns quickly, sucking in a breath as he does. He winces, his throat not yet recovered from the choke-hold of Detective Steadman.

Of course, Kensi notices.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I'm a cop in prison," Deeks says as flippantly as he can manage. "What do you think happened?"

"Really?" Kensi sighs. "We're back to this?"

"Back to what?" Deeks questions, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice as he tries to maintain their usual banter.

"Answering my questions with questions."

Deeks sucks in a deep breath at that one.

"Low blow, Kensi," Deeks whispers, stepping forward to grip the bars that separate them. "And I'm pretty sure you were the one answering my questions with questions."

Kensi shifts slightly backwards.

"What is going on?" she repeats. "You were just arrested for murder."

"Is that what just happened?" Deeks asks, making one last-ditch effort at avoiding this conversation.

"Deeks!"

"Yeah," Deeks snaps. "I was just arrested. For murder."

"Well…" Kensi prompts. When he doesn't say anything, she continues, "Did you do it?"

Deeks's muscles tense up. His arms slide down to his side. His blue eyes darken in the one emotion he never shows her: anger.

"Deeks?" Kensi pleads. "Did you kill your ex-partner?"

There is a long, tense silence before Deeks manages to get any words out.

"When Sam was arrested for murder, you never believed it for a second," he states, his voice lower than Kensi has ever heard it. "You even pushed me on the ex-hooker to defend his honor. When you were suspected of not one but multiple murders, I never believed it for a second. I helped you prove your innocence and find the real killer."

"Deeks, I'm not—"

"And now you're standing here, asking if I did it?" Deeks snaps, his voice rising. "If you have to ask that question, I don't have an answer for you."

His words are hallow, and he sounds defeated. For a moment, Kensi flashes back to the only other time she's ever heard this tone from Deeks: right after the whole Siderov torture debacle.

"I can't do this right now," Deeks says, backing even further away from the bars. "I need to get myself out of this. I have to figure out what the hell to do next." Then, before Kensi can even react, Deeks hollers down the hall to the uniform who is supervising this visit. "Yo, Steve!"

Kensi startles at the sudden proximity of a uniformed cop.

"What?" Steve snaps irritably.

"I think it's time for the lady to leave, and for me to make my phone call."

Kensi's head snaps back around to meet her partner's eyes, but he studiously ignores her. Steve sighs.

"Ma'am," he starts, but Kensi doesn't even let him finish.

"I'm not leaving," she hisses, her body language daring the officer to try something.

Deeks sighs.

"Just go, Kensi," he says, his voice smaller and more defeated than Kensi has ever heard it before. "I can't do this right now."

And Kensi is hit by a sudden realization: she is making this harder for him. She is making this worse.

The horror of this realization is what allows Officer Steve Whatever-His-Last-Name-Is to lead her out to the precinct lobby.

"Is he okay?" Sam asks as soon as he sees her.

Kensi just shakes her head.

"No," she says, her voice barely a whisper. "No, he's not."

And she didn't do a thing to make it better.

AN2: So, the impression I get from the trailer is that they start thinking he's guilty. (If they make him guilty for real in the show... well, I'll probably still side with Deeks.)

The point I wanted to make is that both Kensi and Sam have been accused of MURDER before, and Deeks has stood by them. If the team does anything different, well... I'll probably never forgive them. (To be honest, I'm still working through the whole Sam questioning Deeks's character thing)

Okay, can you tell finals is stressing me out? lol Thanks for listening to the rantings of an over-stressed author :)

Blessings (again),

bookdiva