Comminication Skills

I Love Your Baby!

It’s been a week and two days. I don’t think I’ve ever been more happy to wake up and get ready for work. I practically bounced up and down while I waited for Deeks to come pick me up. When he finally knocked, I flung the door open and ran to the car.

            “Someone’s eager,” Deeks commented as we drove.

            “It’s been weeks. Weeks in the hospital, weeks at home. I need this.” To tell you the truth, though, I was hoping going back to work would rid me of the horrendous nightmares that left me screaming and crying every single night. I’d slept less that four hours a night for the week and two days I’d been away from Deeks. It’d taken four coats of heavy make-up to cover up the bags under my eyes and put a little color into my cheeks. Anything to make it look like I was still alive.

            Deeks grinned at me. “Well, trust me: We’ve missed you at work. Things aren’t the same without you, Fern.”

            I smiled back, I couldn’t help it. “I can imagine. I’m pretty much the glue that holds the team together.”

            “There’s something I love about you: your modesty,” Deeks commented sarcastically.

            I just laughed. We parked at OSP and I tried to walk nonchalantly inside, but it was hard. I was bursting with excited anticipation. When I plopped my bag down at my desk, both Callen and Sam jumped up. They took turns hugging me and then both stood back to examine me.

            Callen looked over at Sam. “She look thinner to you?”

            Sam looked back at Callen. “Tired-er, too,” he agreed.

            I rolled my eyes at them. “Nice to see you, too,” I grumbled, but I didn’t really care. I was too happy to be back.

            Suddenly there was a shrill whistle from upstairs. I looked up to see Eric’s familiar face grinning at me. “We’ve got a case!” he yelled down. “And welcome back, Kensi!” he added.

            I smiled and hopped up the stairs to Ops. I’d been working out more and more for the past week, and I was feeling pretty good. Almost as if I wasn’t shot and beaten and sliced just a month and a half ago. Almost.

            Nell squealed when she saw me and ran over to hug me. “Tickets to a monster truck rally next week. You in?” she asked me when she pulled away.

            “Always,” I agreed, taking my familiar place next to Deeks behind the table.

            “How’s it feel?” he whispered to me as Eric pulled something onto the big screen.

            “What?” I asked him.

            “Being back.”

            “Oh.” I thought for half a second. “Good. Familiar.”

            He smiled at me. “Welcome back.”

            I smiled at him and then we turned our attention to Eric and Nell. “We have caught wind of two sleeper agents pretending to be a married couple located in the suburbs. We suspect that their bosses are planning an attack on the Army, Marine, Naval, Coast Guard festival next weekend. We want Kensi and Deeks to go under as a married couple in the same neighborhood to find out who it is and take their bosses down,” Eric informed us.

            “Kensi will be Mrs. Kayleigh Cooper, and Deeks will be Mr. Henri Cooper. You guys have been married for six months…” I only half listened as Nell explained our covers in greater detail. Another couple assignment? Living with him, sleeping in his bed, kissing his cheek to make it seem real… Could I handle that? Looks like I would have to. I glanced over at Deeks, but he was already looking at me. In fact, everyone in the room was looking at me.