Author's Note:

Hey everybody! So, I'm back from my long hiatus…as best I can manage. For those of you who know me from my previous story, A Mission's Wake, my schedule can get pretty hectic sometimes. Anyways, I know I promised a sequel to my previous story, but I honestly can't get anything out of it. I think I ended it in an appropriate place, and I'll leave it as is. Because as much as I love the Densi fluff, it would be incredibly hard for me to write a story of simply that. I don't know, I'm weird like that. So this is my new story, based off the events of season five and anything through episode 10, which I flailed a lot during by the way. (Didn't everybody?) Anyways, thank you to all who are reading this, and I hope you enjoy. Will try to update every week :) Other than the continuation of my depiction of Sam's kids, you don't have to read my story before this unless you want to :)

Disclaimer: This goes for the rest of this story: I own nothing. I wouldn't be on fanfiction (however awesome it may be) if I did.

-C

Deeks couldn't believe it.

Well, that was the understatement of the year.

The best way he could describe what he was feeling right now was complete and utter heartbreak. Him and Kensi finally had managed to conquer their ever-challenging communication skills (or lack thereof) only to have everything stalled once more by a reassignment. Deeks didn't know where, didn't know what, and most importantly, didn't know when she was coming back. And that killed him inside.

Everyday, he had the privilege of seeing her beautiful face. They both knew that the other had their backs unconditionally. A form of trust that was special, even to exemplary duos such as Callen and Sam.

Now, there was just an emptiness in his heart.

He ran a hand frustratingly through his golden locks and turned to walk out of the mission. But where could he go? Home was definitely out of the option. It still smelled like sunshine and gunpowder, and being there without Kensi would only increase his heartache.

There could be the beach. It was a place of solace for Deeks ever since he was a little boy and needed comfort from the violent home life. The memory of two weeks ago, him and Kensi surfing out on the water washed over him, and suddenly it seemed a terrible idea too.

He was just completely and utterly lost without her. He felt the beginning of tears threatening to break the brink of his baby blue eyes. And when he was in the safety of his car, he couldn't hold them back any longer. Deeks started the car, not consciously knowing where he was driving until he was parked in front of a familiar house.

He had only been there twice. Once for a team barbeque, and another during the case with Sidorov. He shuddered, wondering how a single building could hold such happy memories and such bad ones, and at the end of the day still be the happy home of the Hanna family.

Sure, him and Sam didn't have the close relationship that him and Callen had. They probably never would. But one good thing that came out of the ordeal they triumphed was a closer relationship to the senior agent.

Deeks paused, still sobbing, and still unsure of why he was here. Sam didn't know about him and Kensi. He would understand why he was so devasted because of the clearly displayed friendship and connection they had, not because of their… 'thing' that had blossomed so unexpectedly. Although it hadn't come up with Kensi yet, he was sure that she wouldn't have wanted the two older agents who were brothers to her to know just yet.

The detective was so lost in thought that when the muscular figure began to approach the car, Deeks didn't even notice. It was only when he finally spoke, did the blond surfer look up.

"How are you holding up?" Sam asked, leaning against the door of the car, resting his forearms against the rolled down window frame.

He managed a shrug, the words caught in his throat. "I think you can answer that for himself."

Sam sighed, "Why don't you come inside? We can talk about it there. G's here too."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. I just…" Deeks trailed off, catching his jaw in his hand, as if to keep his mouth from running on and on.

"Michelle just finished dinner, and there's plenty for you. Come on, man."

It seemed to do the trick for Deeks. He tentatively got out of his car and followed Sam back into the house. Sure enough, the game was on in the living room, Callen leaning patiently against the doorframe waiting for them. It smelled awfully good in here, and it was warm too. He could hear Sam's youngest, an adorable daughter named Rosaline babble on about something she learned in kindergarten that day. He thought of this same exact setting, but with Kensi beside him. Yeah, that was something sweet making it a thousand times more savory.

They followed Sam wordlessly back into the kitchen, where Michelle was just serving their two boys, James and Alex, a heaping serving of spaghetti. Seeing them eat almost as much as their father made a quick smile play across Deeks's lips. He knew Kensi would have laughed. And he would have made her laugh more by making some comment about her own eating habits that he had come to adore. It was so perfectly Kensi after all.

"Honey, why don't you and the kids watch a movie in the living room? We have some important stuff to talk about," Sam whispered, dropping a peck to her cheek.

Michelle seemed concerned, but didn't fight it. She knew that Sam would tell her sooner or later what was going on.

"Sure, sweety. Come on kids, I think Ghostbusters is on tonight," she gently led the children out of the kitchen and several rooms over. Just to be sure, they could hear the television grow steadily louder as the volume increased to give them more privacy.

Sam quickly served them all a generous portion of tonight's dinner, but Deeks barely looked at it. His stomach was still churning and the very thought of food made him feel ill.

"Alright, let's talk. Why would Hetty reassign Kensi? It was completely random and uncalled for. It's not like she had done anything wrong," Sam started, also setting three beers down at the table with them.

"Not in any offense to you, Deeks, but-" Callen started quickly, as if to apologize for something his partner might have insinuated. G was always careful about checking what Sam said to Deeks, especially after the Navy SEAL admitted his question of the detective's character.

"Wait, Hetty was the one to reassign her?" Deeks's hanging head shot up, completely ignoring the last comment. He automatically assumed it had been Granger…but this changed everything.

"She said so herself in the bullpen. Kensi assumed the same thing. Hetty quickly corrected her right before they left," Sam explained. "It still doesn't make any sense. Kensi didn't request a transfer, she looked way too shocked for that."

"Do you have any idea where they're going? What they're doing?" Deeks quickly asked, knocking his finger against the cold glass of the beer bottle.

"All we got was the 'need-to-know' and 'it's classified' crap," Callen growled irately.

"It might have something to do with the files she's been pouring over lately. Her and Granger have been spending unusually long periods at her desk, reading over paperwork," Sam suggested.

"Or it could be about something else completely," Callen pointedly commented, while throwing quite the dramatic glance over at Deeks. His ocean-eyes were still averting theirs, now watching the pasta he was poking with his fork.

The exchange between the partners the whole day had not gone unnoticed by Callen. His ever-observing eyes caught on to every detail. Although it had started as a joke with Sam in the morning, based on a bet made months previously, he began to believe that maybe it was true. They had finally crossed the proverbial line, although there were no official NCIS rules against dating coworkers. On the other hand, Hetty's rules were sometimes more important to follow than agency regulations.

Deeks finally caught on to the fact that Sam and Callen were both staring at him now, waiting impatiently for a confirmation they wouldn't get.

"What?"

"You know exactly what, Deeks," Callen added, growing frustrated with the detective. This was not about Hetty right now. Or NCIS. This was about their team, their friendships, and their little family that was concerned about each other. Of course it would affect how they operated at work with the answers they were looking for, but that hardly seemed important in the eyes of Callen and Sam at the moment.

"I don't think that I do," he insisted, looking them both dead in the eye. The conviction was there, but the waver in his voice said otherwise.

"Alright. Let's just say for a moment that we don't know or think anything about what you and Kensi did or did not do. Would any of it may or may not have an effect on Hetty's decision to suddenly reassign her?"

Deeks shook his head in confusion, "Okay, now you lost me for real."

Sam managed a chortle of laughter before continuing, "Look, let's focus on getting Kensi back right now. Tomorrow morning, let's talk to Hetty about completing this classified mission as a team, and then she could come home. Simple as that."

"Or we try to find out where she is on our own. Then go after her ourselves," Callen suggested.

The blond shook his head vigorously. "Hetty's not going to send us after Kensi, even if we backed it up with as much reason as there possibly is to find. Because right now, Hetty probably doesn't want us near each other, which doesn't answer the questions you two have, by the way. But she won't let us, end of story."

Deeks never felt so helpless before, especially when it came to Kensi.

"Okay, then let's just say for a second that we managed to find where she was. Without Hetty's permission, we could bring her home," Callen added.

"Like Romania," Sam commented.

"Exactly."

"Then it's definitely out of the question. Hetty wasn't technically part of NCIS when she went dark. This is a classified mission sanctioned by the US government. If we were to track them down, we would not only risk American lives, but Kensi's as well."

"So what, are you saying that there's nothing we can do?" Callen inquired in disbelief and frustration.

"Deeks?" Sam begged for his input.

The detective took a deep breath, his thoughts running a mile a minute. If the roles were reversed, and Kensi were in his position, he knew what she would do. It's no easy thing, but to keep the person he loved safe and guaranteed a flight home as soon as possible, was to leave her to get the job done.

"I agree with Sam. I hate it, but there's nothing to do without endangering her. And the most important thing right now is for Kensi to get home quickly and safely. This is my fault, and this is how we're going to fix it unless a better plan comes up," Deeks concluded.

"If that's what you think is best, then I'll go along with it. You know her better than anybody, after all," Callen finished, pushing the empty plate away from him. "I have to go home, think about some choice words I'm going to say to Hetty tomorrow morning."

"Just make sure that these choice words aren't your last, G," Sam warned light-heartedly. He seemed much calmer than he actually was about Kensi's sudden departure.

"Night."

"See you," Deeks bid farewell, and managed to shove a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. Man it was good, but his stomach was still churning uncomfortably. The whole of idea of not being in touch with Kensi was just making her sick.

"Can you be honest with me for one minute?" Sam asked out of nowhere.

"It depends."

"Pretend for a second that we're not talking about work. That it's just two friends chatting. Are you and Kensi…?" Sam left the question hanging.

Deeks took another swig of his beer before answering. "Since I don't know exactly what you're asking, I can't really answer it. But I'd be lying if I said no. Thanks for the dinner, Sam."

He was quickly out the door, not really waiting to say good night and all of that. The only person he wanted to say goodnight to right now was on plane headed to any destination in the world, and there was nothing in the world Deeks could do about it. But there was also nothing in the world that was going to stop him from bringing her home.

Teaser for next chapter:

"Mr. Deeks, Mr. Callen, and Mr. Hanna. I have some disturbing news," Hetty stalked into the bullpen one Tuesday morning. The three and her had barely spoken since Kensi's reassignment, which was almost a month ago.

"SECNAV got a call from Assistant Director Granger this morning. They've lost contact with Ms. Blye."