bomb

"I know I was a jerk, but I want to make things right. If this is how we start, then so be it."

Callen nodded along. He knew she was right and there was nothing he could say to make things better.

Kensi curled into Deeks as best as she could without hurting herself more. She wanted to stop crying but couldn't.

He held her, kissing into her hair. "It's okay, baby."

"No it isn't. Because of Callen, I'm going to lose my best friend."

"You'll always have KC, Kens. Even if she doesn't come home with us."

"Talking on a phone isn't the same as seeing her in person."

"Don't I know it," he whispered softly, unable to believe he had Kensi in his arms, but this was not the way he'd imagined their meeting to be.

"I want to go home. But I want KC too."

"I don't know what I can do about this problem, partner," he told her gently. "Callen's seeing someone else. At least he has been."

"He dumped KC for someone else?" Kensi asked incredulously. "Does she know?"

"He didn't dump her for the girl. Sam and Michelle set him up on a blind date. Hetty helped."

"Why? I can understand Sam doing it. He hates her. But Hetty?"

"I don't think she did it to be cruel. She knew he was upset; Sam convinced her dating someone would help. I don't know how much he told her about KC. From what I understand, she's a blonde school teacher."

Kensi was shocked. "I don't believe him."

"Honey, if I was gonna be pissed at anyone, it would be Sam. Callen got lonely. It's easy to do."

"I meant Sam. I get Callen didn't have a choice in that."

"He did." Deeks surprised himself with that. "He didn't have a choice in the date, maybe, but he chose to stay even when he knew it was a date and he chose to have others. I don't know that there is a right and a wrong here. It just ends up with someone getting hurt."

"True. But still, it would be mean to leave her there."

"If that's where she wants to be, maybe it would be meaner to bring her home, make her live through it every time she comes to LA. I don't think she wants anyone else, even if she's lonely too."

"I want her to come home."

"You know I'd do anything in the world for you." He would even die for her, no hesitation. "But I don't know how to pull this one off, baby. It's gotta be KC who makes up her own mind to come home. She can't be forced."

"I need to talk to her. Apologise."

"In a little while, sweetheart. Give her a minute to cool down, to talk to Callen. Maybe they can fix it somehow." He wasn't sure how unless Callen was willing to put in effort. There was one thing about Kensi and KC; once you screwed up, it took something big to set it right again.

"He better. I want to kill him at the moment."

Kensi didn't disagree with him. She wiped her eyes and tried to calm down.

"Like what?"

"The beach would be nice. Maybe a spa trip with Nell..."