It had been four months, one week, six day... or as she had been counting it, 134 days or 3216 hours. This was it, their final flight back to Los Angeles in the cover of darkness, flying out of the classified location they had been in for those 134 days. Kensi Blye lent back into the chair and closed her eyes. The six people around her talked in hushed conversations or just sat there taking in all that they had done. Granger sat in front of her his arms folded as he looked right at her. When Kensi reopened her eyes she met his gaze, the cold glare she had been giving him for the last four months, staring right back at him. Anyone around them would have been slightly off put by it, and had, many a time. But as assistant director assigned to the OSP office in Los Angeles he was used to that glare, and more. He knew that what she had seen had changed her if only slightly. She was already a highly skilled agent who could hide her feelings perfectly, but when she was pissed off, there was no escaping that, he'd seen it plenty of times with her partner back in LA and ha felt it every time she looked at him over the last four months. She might not have, had the same stare as Hetty or Nell but it was deadly all the same. But being the daughter of Donald Blye what did he expect.

"Operational debrief when we land, and then you will be field ready, agent Blye" Kensi nodded and glared at him once more before folding her arms and looking away from him. One of the other agents they had been working with had noticed from the time that even though Kensi was good at her job, did what she needed and followed what Granger said, there were constant eye rolls, or the glowering stares agent Blye often sent his way. Clearly they knew each other better than the rest of the team did, he didn't know which one to feel more story for, the assistant director or the hard as nails agent who seemed to have a chip on her shoulder the size of Canada.

"Blye what's the first thing you're going to do when you get back home? Me I'm gonna find myself an In and Out and get as many double double's as I can eat. Then get home and sleep in my bed for a week. Don't think I'll ever look at the sand at the beach the same way again." He looked over at Kensi who quickly looked over at Granger before looking at him, there was what she was going to do and what she going to say she would do, although not totally different things. They were different enough.

"Sleep in my own bed, catch up on top model, go see my mum" that last one was true although the other two weren't entirely truthful. The agent who had asked her nodded seemingly happy with her answer.

"Projected time of arrival, is 0300 hours, debrief will take about two hours so you all may want to set your plans accordingly." Said Granger Kensi sighed and lent back in her chair, they were in for a long night the best she could do now was try and get some sleep.

As predicted the flight they were on, got into a private air field, in Los Angeles at 3am. There were cars waiting for them, to take them to the mandatory debriefing, black, tinted windows the same kind she had gotten used to in the last four months. Getting in she was still half asleep, apparently she had been the only one to get any form of rest, then again she had been the first to get used to their, well now old accommodation, when tired enough she could sleep anywhere, and she had been tired, not just physically, mentally and emotionally as well. She hadn't asked to be reassigned, she hadn't even known about it till the end of the case they had, had four months ago. She was meant to be talking to Deeks about their thing, more like how to cross their frozen lake. But no Hetty and Granger had reassigned her. As they arrived to where they were having the Debriefing, Kensi opened the door and couldn't help but smile the first genuine smile she had, had in the last four months, the boat shed. Finally a place she knew, a place that felt like home, well at least a little like home. Walking in with the six others, she found a chair at the table that she had sat at so many times while the others who had never been here walked in slowly looking around.

"Please sit down" What followed was what seemed like the longest two hours of her life. She was this close to being free, back in Los Angeles, in the boat shed, so close to everyone she had missed over the last 134 days. Listening to Granger drone on and on would have put her to sleep, like it had a couple of the men around her if she had not slept on the flight. Noticing Granger's annoyance at the men who had fallen asleep; she sent a good hard kick to their shins under the table, waking them up instantly.

"Ok, Ok, I get it your all tired, I'm almost finished then you can go, Agent Blye you will be coming with me" the men around her snickered thinking she had more to come when Kensi frowned and went to question him, he held up his hand.

"To collect your car, I do believe you left it at OPS in the care of Henrietta" Nodding Kensi rolled her neck and listened to the last of the debriefing before bidding farewell those she had worked with. Only to once again get into one of the non descript cars and head off, only this time, back to where she had last seen almost everyone she cared about.

Hetty Lange stood just passed her desk, looking over the agents, and Tech analysts that she supervised. She knew even now that she was not currently their favourite, person and nor had she been for the last few months. Yes she was their boss and they had done everything she had asked them to do, when she had asked them to do it, but she knew, she knew everything; Callen no longer came to have tea with here, Deeks didn't come and talk to her whenever he needed someone who wasn't Kensi. Eric and Nell were always quiet whenever she was in OPS. It was safe thing for her to say that none of them had been impressed with her sudden reassignment of Kensi; she was one of them, their friend; their little sister and for one of them so much more. She watched as they walked back in and over to their desks, they had just wrapped a case, normally they would come over and talk to her about it, before packing up and getting ready to leave for the night, but that hadn't happened since she reassigned Kensi. Watching them joke around, and seeing Eric and Nell come down to join in she smiled they were a family, an ever dysfunctional one but a family none the less. As she watched the pack up, she moved slowly over to them.

"Mr. Deeks a word if you will" seeing him roll his eyes, she smiled with mirth, knowing what she did about him; she was his least favourite person of all. Shrugging as the others looked at him wondering what he had done; he walked over with Hetty to her desk and sat down. Sam, Callen, Eric and Nell stood there waiting till Hetty waved them off. She watched them all shake their heads before walking away.

"Mr Deeks, you were the last person in the Armoury today were you not?" She asked when Deeks nodded Hetty folded her hands together and looked at him with a rather stern expression.

"I do not like it when people leave things untidy you should know this Mr. Deeks, I expect to find that room clean when I come in tomorrow. Good Night Mr. Deeks" she said getting up and collecting her bag before walking towards the door. Rolling his eyes Deeks got up and headed towards the armoury she wouldn't get off his back until he had done it, and it wasn't like he had done it intentionally, they had been in a bit of a hurry and well it was Sam who made the mess he just happened to be the last one to walk out. Musing to himself about what he was going to say to the senior field agent when he came in tomorrow, he walked through the doors, of the armoury and was surprised to find the lights already on.

'Well naturally Hetty's been in here dork' he thought as he walked around the corner.

-
Granger and Kensi pulled up into the car park of OSP as they come to a stop Kensi got out, she wasn't going to spend any more time with Granger than she had to, she was finally free from taking he orders 24/7 walking inside the first person she saw was Hetty, of course, it couldn't have been one of the people she wanted to see, it had to be the only other person she hadn't wanted to.

"Hetty," she said curtly as she made her way past her heading for the firing range. She needed to blow off some steam and the way she did that everyone knew was by shooting paper targets.

"Henrietta"

"Owen, I see Miss Blye has returned to us unharmed, thank you" Granger nodded the two of them went over to Hetty's desk both wanting an update on what had happened.

-
Kensi looked up from cleaning her sig, expecting to see Hetty standing there waiting for her to start talking, what she didn't expect was her partner. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him, he as equally as shocked to find her here.

"When did you?"

"A few hours ago...this morning actually" Deeks nodded and walked over to her sitting down beside her, he couldn't believe she was here, this had to be a dream, he was dreaming right, he'd fallen asleep at his desk and any moment now, Callen or Sam would wake him up and he'd look across and Kensi's desk would still be Kensi-less. He jumped when he felt her punch his arm.

"Argh that hurt" Kensi smirked and nodded as he sat their rubbing his arm and looking at her oddly.

"You looked like you needed it. I am here Deeks, got in to LA at three this morning, had a two hour debrief with Granger and the rest of them at the boat shed then came here." Deeks nodded but when his head did the math he frowned.

"But that would have been at five am this morning, what have you been doing all day. I was in here earlier you weren't in here." Kensi nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Hetty came in with my house keys, that Granger had taken off me after I left here, by then it was seven, I went home changed, tried to sleep more, couldn't went to see my mum she was at work. Went and did some shopping as everything at my place was off, went and paid all my overdue bills. That was fun to try and explain. Hetty called me to come back in about two hours ago. I used the Gym for a bit. Took a shower here as... you know I have no hot water at home, having had my power cut off, then came in here" Deeks nodded he knew even back when she had first left that she'd change that things between them would change.

"So I'm the first person, you've seen apart from Hetty, you had ample opportunity to see Eric and Nell, why didn't you?" Kensi nodded she looked over at Deeks she knew that she could have gone up to see them, but she didn't know if she wanted to, or if she could handle the wonder twins at the moment. She was still wrapping her head around everything that had happened over there. The fact that she had left so many people here high and dry with no word or reason, there was also the things she had, had to do that would haunt her for a while, she knew she could work at compartmentalizing them but something's were still just to fresh in her mind to do that right now.

"No offence to Eric or Nell but they weren't the people I wanted to see first," Deeks nodded and smiled he was glad she was back, even if they were all the way back at the start again, she was back here where he could watch her back, keep her safe and know that, she was alive because he had done his job. He then looked around the armoury wondering what on earth Hetty had been talking about this place was spotless, or was this just another Hetty ploy; that woman confused the hell out of him. He was about to say something when he heard his name.

"Deeks"

"Yeah Kens" he looked over at her and for the first time in a long time saw the look on her face that he would do anything to make go away. His partner, his Kensi was a strong, stoic woman who didn't show her emotions at all. But right now they were all over her face, and in the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I just- want to see my mum, will you come with me?" Deeks nodded and got up pulling her up he wrapped and arm around her shoulder smiling as she leant into him.

"I don't know what Hetty is up to, but I'm glad I found you in there. Eric was my ride home. My cars in getting repaired, I'd have had to have walked home." Kensi chuckled and threw him her keys. It might not have looked much to anyone else, but to Deeks it answered the question he was too afraid to ask. What were they now?

Julia Feldman got up as she heard, her door bell ring, wondering who that could be she made her way from the kitchen where she had been enjoying a glass of wine, after a long day at work. Opening her front door she found her daughters partner.

"Please no, you can't-

"Mum I'm fine, I'm right here" said Kensi stepping out from where she had been hiding. She wanted to surprise her mother but now knew that the warning Deeks had given her on the way over, wasn't merely him just not wanting to do it.

"Kensi, you're ok?" Julia asked stepping out to hug her daughter Kensi smiled at Deeks as she wrapped her arms around her mother and sighed, she would never admit to anyone that, as tough and as kick ass as she may be, the one thing apart from Deeks that she needed, to know that she was home and not just dreaming, was a hug from her mum. Coming back from the hug Julia looked her daughter over before looking over at her daughter's partner. The last time she had seen him was when he had come over to let her know that Kensi had been reassigned, when she had asked for more information, he had simply shrugged and said that he had told her all he knew, all that he had been told; and that was she had been reassigned effective immediately and that for now at least it was indefinite.

"When did you get back, Marty said you were gone indefinitely" Julia said as she ushered them inside and through to her kitchen.

"I got in this morning, what Deeks told you, is what he would have been told by Hetty our boss. I'm really sorry I didn't get to tell you. I had no idea till Granger told me we were leaving, trust me; I too currently have issues with both the assistant director and operations manager. Granger knows this, he had to spend four months with me and you both know how I can get when someone pisses me off. I respect both of them I do because they are just doing a job" Kensi then turned to Deeks before taking his hand she looked at him for a minute before turning back to look at her mother.

"If they had asked me, or at least told me earlier, I probably would have been ok with it, but they didn't and that is what pisses me off." Deeks squeezed her hand as Julia nodded and got up kissing her daughters forehead she started puttering around the kitchen. When asked what she was doing, she replied that her husband, youngest daughter and son would be home soon and, that they were more than welcome to stay for dinner if they wanted to. Kensi looked over at Deeks who nodded as he got up and stood behind her resting his arms on her shoulders working the knot he knew would be there. He'd seen it in how she was sitting back in the armoury.

As Julia puttered around her kitchen getting dinner ready, she watched her daughter, and the man she knew her daughter considered her best friend, Julia had seen it even back when he had introduced himself to her the first time. Marty Deeks, was still head over heels in love with her daughter, however there was something different about Kensi something she hadn't seen before at least not with her daughter.

"Ken-

"Honey we're home," Allen Feldman walked into the kitchen to see his wife, and step-daughter sitting there, who the man standing behind Kensi was he didn't know on instinct he pushed his children behind him.

"Allen honey, this is Marty Deeks He's Kensi's- Julia stalled she didn't know how to introduce Deek as her husband and children did not know Kensi's profession, they knew her as event manager.

"Allen this is...Marty Deeks he's one of the other event Mangers, he deals with the road crews mainly, he's- Kensi looked at Deeks and smiled

"He's also my boyfriend" Deeks looked at her and winked as Julia just started at them. Allen looked from his step daughter to his wife clearly this was news to Julia, but from how she had introduced him they had met before. Seeing the look on her stepfather's face Kensi went on to explain that, they had been friends and working together for years, and had only recently decided they wanted to give this, thing between them ago.

"Just so you know, Kensi might be an adult, and she may only be my stepdaughter but I will hurt you if you hurt her" said Allen as he let go of his kids who wanted to get past to see their sister.

"Duly noted, trust me, our friends have said the same thing to me, well some of them have, not all but I imagine the others will in time. Which reminds me, Kens if Sam says anything I am going to call him on it, because really he cannot talk all that much. He and Michelle did the same thing really so the man can talk all he likes but it will be pot meet Kettle" Kensi laughed and knew that his incessant babbling was the Deeks way of trying to get over his shock at what she had said. They had only vaguely talked about it when she was reassigned. He however did have a point as she remembered Callen telling them the story as they stood on the beach after they found out who Michelle was.

"Another day, for now I just want to spend my first night back home with the people who mean to most to me, my family"

Later that night as Deeks drove them away from the Feldman residence he turned to look at Kensi one burning question on his mind, one that had been there since he had seen her sitting in the armoury this afternoon.

"Kens?"

"Mmm" Kensi turned from looking out the window and over to Deeks, she saw the question in his eyes before he even asked it.

"I meant what I said to Allen, I know things for us got a little screwed up with Hetty and Granger and that mission they sent me on, but I still-

"You know that gurka told me how to cross the frozen lake, he said to take it slowly, to look at everything there was also something else but I can't really remember now, it was over four months ago. But it was something about not rushing it, that, rushing it is what people always make the mistake of doing, but taking it slowly, and taking your time. You'll get there" Kensi smiled tiredly and nodded.

"I like that...I'm sorry my lack of sleep is now catching up with me" Deeks nodded as he pulled into his parking space at his place.

"I figured you'd sleep better in a warmer place then in your cold one. And the sheets lost your smell awhile ago so I may also be, being a little selfish. That and Monty missed you" Kensi laughed as they got out and made their way up to his place. Opening the door they found Monty asleep on the couch.

"Well he's in for a shock tomorrow, come on Fern, let's get you to bed." Deeks walked through his place and opened his bedroom door walking in after her and finding a shirt for her to wear. After changing in his bathroom, Deeks came out to find Kensi fast asleep on top of the covers. She hadn't even made it to getting her Jeans off. Carefully removing her shoes, and Jeans he slipped her legs under the covers before getting in himself.

"I'm glad you're home Princess, you don't know how much I missed you" he said kissing her forehead before laying down and watching her sleep.

"misse' you too Max" Kensi muttered snuggling into him. Deeks chuckled and wrapped his arms around her keeping her safe as she slept. She was home finally, 18 weeks, and six days later she was back in his arms like she had been the night before everything had gone haywire. Tomorrow the rest of their world would know she was back, for now she was all his and his alone.