Kensi's Return

"Grease. They're going to look further and call me. We need to go to the safehouse." He paused. "I want you to stay there and rest before you go back to KC."

"I can rest at the hospital Deeks. I need to be with her."

"As long as you rest, you can do it wherever you're most comfortable."

"Thanks. Can you drop me off?"

He dropped her off at the hospital before going to the safehouse.

Kensi gave her friend a smile and then sat down, tired. KC could tell when Kensi got back that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" KC asked, worried.

"I don't know whats happening. Callen is missing," said Kensi slowly.

"What?" KC asked in a whisper.

"The guys are looking for him. They'll find him."

"What happened?"

"He had a fight with Sam over you. Sam thinks that he should apologise to you and try to fix things, but he's too stubborn to do it. He walked out on Sam."

"This is why I didn't want anyone else involved!" KC said near tears, finally realizing how pale Kensi looked, almost like she was sweating. "Kens...What's going on?" She managed to sit up and move towards her friend. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." But Kensi was feeling light headed. "I'm just tired."

KC pushed her button for a nurse.

"Don't worry about me," said Kensi in a small voice.

When a nurse didn't come, she managed to stand and go towards the door. "Hey! We need help in here!"

A doctor came running. "Are you alright?" he asked KC.

"It's my friend. Something's wrong."

The doctor looked over at Kensi, who was slumped over now that KC wasn't next to her.

"What happened?" The doctor moved over to Kensi. "She's burning."

"She's been overseas..."

The doctor frowned. "Where did she go?"

"Kens. Kens, can you hear me?" KC tried to get her friend's attention.

Kensi mumbled something and opened her eyes a little. "KC? I don't feel too good anymore."

"I know you don't, honey. There's a doctor here. I need you to tell me where you feel bad, okay?"

"My stomach feels like its rolling around."

As KC put her hand on her friend's stomach, Kensi winced. KC lifted the shirt just enough to see the bullet wound. "God! Kens..."

"Please don't tell Deeks." Kensi looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. "I lied to him. Granger didn't just set it up, he was the one that shot me. At point blank range, but I moved just enough to survive. I couldn't trust anyone, so I fixed it myself."

"Don't talk anymore. Just rest." She maneuvered her friend into the hospital bed where she'd just vacated. Nothing she felt, nothing she experienced, mattered at the moment. She had even gotten distracted from Callen.

"Is it bad?"

The doctor looked over at her. "You did a pretty good job of cleaning up, but it is infected. I'll get you some antibiotics, and we'll take it from there."

"You'll be okay, honey. It'll be okay."

Kensi closed her eyes, the pain getting the better of her. "It hurts so much KC."

"I know you are. It's okay."

"What's going to happen?"

The dotor turned his head from the IV he had inserted into Kensi's hand. "If you relax, I can fix this by tonight, maybe tomorrow morning."

KC found herself needing to sit and, to cover, she sat on Kensi's bed, holding her hand. "Think about when this is all over. Being an aunt or a weekend with Deeks."

Kensi turned her tear-stained face to look at her best friend. "Deeks an't know about this, KC. Promise you won't tell him."

"You don't think he'll find out another way, Kens?" KC asked softly. "Isn't it better it come from one of us?"

"Not yet, please?"

"I'll wait." She could promise that. "If you try to relax. What would you do with a weekend away? You must have thought about that over the past few months."

"I want to go somewhere nice. Maybe another country where it's got better weather."

"It's got to have choice surfing for your surfer dude," she teased lightly.

"We could go somewhere like Australia or something near there. I heard that it has a state sort of like here, never too cold, never too hot. It has perfect beaches for surfing. What do you think?"

Her back twinged. "Sounds really great, Kens."

"Are you okay? Do you want to come?"

"Perfect, honey. Don't worry about me, okay?"

"I have to."

"No, you don't. You just concentrate on getting well so you and Deeks can go on your honeymoon." KC teased to distrat her.

"I'm not married."

"You two sure act like it..."

"Hey!" KC smiled for her. "You can be really hurtful, you know? But I forgive you." Kensi smiled.

"Got any ideas for names for your niece or nephew?" KC kept aware of what the doctor was doing while she kept her friend distracted.

"No, do you?"

KC grew quiet for a moment before asking, "Kens...who's Fern?"

Kensi laughed. "Me, why?"

"Deeks used to talk about her when he was asleep. Ask for her."

"It was a name he used for me the first time we went undercover together. I hated it, but now I kind of like the name, not that he's ever going to know that."

*****

"Sam!" Deeks' voice rang out through the shop. "Over here!"

Sam came running, so glad to see his partner. "Are you all right, G?"

Callen was dirty and looked like he'd been beaten, but he managed to stand. "Yeah." He was a little dizzy but shook it off.

"Let's get out of here. You need to be checked out and we need to see how Kensi is. Maybe she an help out now that she's rested."

"Kens?" He had a sinking feeling what they had told him was true. "What happened to her? Where's K?"

"KC is at the hospital still. Kensi is with her. Why?"

"What the hell is KC doing at the hospital?"

"She had some issues with her baby. What's with you? You were there just this morning."

"What baby?" It was obvious from Callen's look he didn't remember. "Let's go..." He started for the car and had to grab the wall, hoping it wasn't noticed.

Sam had noticed and took his arm. "I'm driving."

"Don't you always?" Callen went with his friend, Deeks going behind them, truly flabbergasted. This seemed more like the old Callen, concerned about the girls, but why didn't he remember KC's pregnancy or the fight that morning? And why was Sam almost carrying his partner out?"

Sam grinned, but it was a worried grin. He couldn't wait to get back to the hospital and see what was wrong. He knew Deeks was anxious to get back to Kensi too.

"I'll go check on the girls." Deeks told them as soon as they arrived. "You need me, send someone. Or I'm sure Kens will want to check on Callen." Especially after he filled her in.

"All right." Sam took Callen to the reception desk. "Excuse me, can someone look at my friend. He seems to be having trouble remembering some things from this morning."

"Have a seat," a nurse said, not bothering to look up.

"Thanks." Sam dragged Callen over to a hair.

Deeks hurried through the hallway to what had been KC's room, reeling almost as badly as Callen when he saw Kensi in the bed and KC sitting with her. "Kens?" He rushed to her, KC moving out of the way just in time. Her eyes were closed and he couldn't tell if she was resting or unconscious. "Hey, Fern."

Kensi opened her eyes sleepily. "Deeks?" She questioned with a yawn. "Where's KC?"

"I'm here, Kens," KC said from behind Deeks.

"Is it time to go?"

Deeks looked from Kensi to KC and back to Kensi again. "Go where, darlin?"

"No, Kens. You have to stay here overnight, remember?" KC said softly.

"Right. Deeks, I want to go home."

"Tomorrow morning. I'll take you myself. Promise." He told her softly.

"Okay." Kensi thought for a minute. "Where's Sam?"

"With Callen." He answered simply, but something in Deeks' voice made KC's heart stop.

"Callen? Where?"

"With Sam." Deeks hoped she was drugged enough that it would pass.

"Don't be annoying. Where are they?"

"That's my Fern," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Callen's getting checked out."

"Is he okay?"

Deeks was torn between not causing either woman more stress or saving his own butt if Kensi found out he lied to her.

"Is...he...okay?" KC asked in that tone that was almost as scary as some of Kensi's looks.

"You need to go see him," Deeks whispered softly to her, trying not to be overheard.

"I want to come, KC." Kensi looked pleadingly at her.

"Honey, you need to stay here with Deeks. Make sure he gets some rest. I'll be right back, okay?" KC said gently.

"Okay." Kensi settled into the pillows. "Come sit, Deeks?"

"Of course," he said, being very careful as he sat on the bed, his arms around her.

"I have to tell you something."

"Okay," he whispered, rubbing her back as he did when she was upset or had a nightmare.

"I lied before. I told you Granger set me up to get shot, but he didn't...He shot me, Deeks, tried to kill me, but I moved just enough. I tried to patch up myself but I made it worse." Kensi lifted her top to show him the injury. "The doctor fixed it." She had tears in her eyes.

He did too, but tried desperately to hide it from her. "It's okay, baby. You're safe. You're going to be okay. I promise."

"I'm so scared, Deeks. For me, for KC. I don't know what to do."

"I'll handle it, Kens. Just rest. That's all you have to do right now is just rest." He whispered into her hair.

Kensi finally fell asleep against Deeks' shoulder. After the day she'd had, he was the one thing that could comfort her.

*****

Callen still hadn't been put into a room when KC found them. She looked pale and could feel the pain, but wouldn't allow herself to give into it. She was actually afraid to approach when she finally found them. Sam looked up and gave her a smile. He still didn't like her, but he had made a silent vow to try harder. She was a nice person and he had been hard on her, but these last three months had shown him how bad he had been and he wanted to fix it. "Hey, come and sit before you drop."

"I'm okay." She looked at Callen. "How is he?"

"Don't know. Waiting for a doctor to see him. How are you?"

"Me? I'm great." She lied and didn't care if he knew or not. "I'll go see if I can get a doctor's attention." She went towards the desk and begged, bribed, and threatened a doctor for Callen. She was pale, exhausted, when she turned around, but nodded that, yes, she had managed to get one.

Sam gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks. Maybe you should get some rest."

"Deeks seems to think it's bad?"

"Yeah, so do I."

"I'm not leaving him, Sam."

"Are you sure? Cause I can stay with him if you need to rest." The look on Sam's face was genuine.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure what's going on and I'm not sure if we can fix it. It doesn't matter right now. I still love him, he's hurt, and I can't leave him."

"Okay, come on then." Sam helped Callen up and led them to the room indicated by the doctor.

Halfway there, she was helping Sam support Callen. Callen finally sat down with the doctor, his energy gone after the short walk. He was tired, but he had noticed that KC was near him. He wanted to talk to her, but couldn't gather enough strength to do so. KC got as close to him as she dared, still something in her heart not quite able to hold him, get close to him, after what he'd put her through during the last few months. Callen watched her and something came to mind. He suddenly felt guilty, realizing that he had treated her badly lately.

Sam stood there, worried about both of them, worried that Kensi and Deeks hadn't joined them. "What is it, doc?"

"He seems to have hit his head pretty hard. He doesn't remember anything from the last few hours."

"Yes. A severe one."

"Sorry. I'm so sorry," whispered Callen.

"You're mad."