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They were at his place having a nice dinner; they were curled up on the couch next to each other. He even had some candles out around living room. Two on each end table, with the lights dimmed, it created a nice romantic feel in the air. The silence was actually nice, there was no urge to fill it with small talk. Everything seemed to be going great until he said those nine little words.

“You are a good person and I love you,” the love of her life, LAPD Detective Marty Deeks started his sentence with those nine words that made Special Agent Kensi Blye freeze. Heart pumping faster, she tries to ignore the lump forming in her throat, trying to pay attention to her lover, but she can’t seem to concentrate on what he is saying. All she can hear is the blood roaring in her ears. But the last time she ever heard those words, it wasn’t pretty. Those words only brought a broken heart, the very thing she’s tried to avoid ever having to experience again. It’s why it took so long for her to open her heart to him.

It all started soon after she met him. They spent weeks, month, even years flirting around each other, each ignoring the elephant in the room. They worked as partners for as long as they have known each other. One night… one impossible night… everything just came to a standstill. Over that last year, many things took place: rescuing Hetty from Romania, Deeks pretending to get fired, and now this. She had finally caught the guy who took everything from her, the guy who had murdered her father all those years ago. She spent the day chasing him, leading him away from her team, just so no one could get hurt. At the end of the day she was lost, she had no purpose now… she had finished what she set out to do. After talking to her mother Kensi had no desire to be alone. Talking with her mother made her realize something.

She, Kensi Blye, can’t go on like this. Day in and day out it’s the same: go to work, catch some bad guys, work on her father’s case, and go home. Home… Go home to an empty house, where the only sound heard is from her reality TV show watching. She can’t do it anymore. It may come to some surprise but she wants to hear some child’s laughter filing up her house. She’s even up for the white picket fence, the whole shebang.

There is one lesson her father taught her all those years ago that will always stick with her. He would say, “Kensi, remember Baby Girl … Nothing good ever comes easy, if you really want it go get it and don’t let anything stand in your way. It’s yours; all you have to do is take it.” Looking back, she realizes he’s right. She’s tired of being alone, so why doesn’t she go for it. She knows why… she’s scared. She has spent the last 10 years or so guarding her heart from ever becoming vulnerable again. So what should she do? Go for it? Or keep on ignoring the big elephant between them. After today she’s inclined to do the former. Going at it alone really sucked, there were times where all she wanted was to hear his voice. She even broke down and called him once, but she couldn’t find the courage to let home in. For his safety, she reasoned every time she talked herself out of calling.

Lost in her thoughts she didn’t pay attention to where she was going. She only noticed where she ended up, LAPD Detective Marty Deeks’s apartment. Wincing when the pain in her side became noticeable, Kensi slowly made her way towards his door. Pacing back and forth in front of his door, she couldn’t make herself knock to alert him of her presence. So lost in thought she didn’t pay attention to her surroundings until…

“Kensi….” His voice breaks her out of her musings. Startled she turns quickly, twisting her ribs in the process. Breathing in deeply she tries to regain her breath, holding her side as she waits for the pain to leave.

Cursing he quickly rushes to her side, and leads her inside. Making sure she’s settled on the couch, he goes to the kitchen and comes back with an icepack. Sitting beside her he helps her carefully press it to her side. Not saying anything, he just sits there; it’s up to her to make the first move… to tell him what she needs.

As the pain subsides, she turns to study him. Wearing fresh clothes, his hair a little darker than usual, with his hair just beginning to curl. He looks like he’s just come from the ocean, from surfing. At the moment though, nothing matters. Not today, nothing. At the moment their eyes connect and the world stops. All those fears that were coursing through her mind earlier are nonexistent. Nothing else matters, except for the look in his eyes, the look that has nothing except for love shining through.

She ended up staying that night, and the next. Over the next few months they never really defined what exactly was happening. There was no need. Everything was going good … great even, nothing seemed to change other than the fact that there was now a “thing”. She thought everything was going great, up until tonight, when he started with  those nine little words, and her whole world stopped.

Kensi remembers how it felt to wake up that Christmas morning all those years ago, to find everything exactly as it was the night before. Only there was one small difference. Instead of her fiancée sleeping next to her there was a letter. A letter … that to this day she remembers word for word:

 Dear Kensi,

You are a good person and I love. This just isn’t the life I’d hope I have. The life I wanted for us. I woke up this morning with a moment of clarity, clarity that has allowed me to see everything that has been going on lately concerning me, you, even us. I know with everything that has been going on lately, things have been different. Instead of becoming closer, we’ve been drifting apart. Looking back now, I can see how it all began. The only thing I can say is that I’m sorry. I’m sorry our life we were supposed to live together has turned into this. I hope one day you can forgive me for this. It’s just …. I’ve seen you late at night, poring over those files, looking for some clue into whatever it is your hiding from me. I took a second to see for myself what you’ve been working on and … Oh Kensi, why could you not just tell me the truth. At first I thought I could have helped you, but then I realized I couldn’t help you in the way I’ve been thinking of. No, you should be free to pursue until you learn the truth. You remember the saying: If you truly love someone then you have to let them go. Well … Kensi, baby I’m sorry. But this is it… you shouldn’t be stuck here, not like this. I know you, you’ll find who did it and baby, I wish all the luck in the world in your endeavor.

I love you and I always will,

Jack

“Kensi…Kensi…” Noticing the faraway look in her eye, he tries to get her attention.

“Yea-” she responds, her voice barely more than a whisper. Clearing her throat she hopes her voice comes out stronger, “Yeah, I’m sorry Deeks. I must’ve spaced for a second. You were saying?”

Concerned he tries to catch her eye, but it seems she’s determined to avoid his gaze. “Are you okay? You’ve been awful quiet tonight.”

“I’m fine.”

And he thought he broke her of that habit. Now he knows something is definitely wrong. First he felt her tense in his arms and now she uses the phrase “I’m fine”, this was not going as planned. He knows it a big step but he didn’t think it would go like this. “You only say your fine, when you’re not,” he points out.

“Deeks,” she sighs. “Just finish what you were saying.” She doesn’t want to prolong this anymore than necessary. If he’s going to say what she thinks he is then there’s no point in prolonging the experience. She’d rather know now than in 5 … even 10 minutes.

“Are you sure? We could just forget this ever happened?” he suggests. “That didn’t some out right… I had this whole speech prepared. It was actually quite good if I do say so myself. Here, I wrote it down somewhere.”

Impatient she turns towards him and glares, “What are you talking about?”

In one move he slips off the couch and kneels in front of her. Taking a piece of paper out of his pocket he reads, “You are a good person and I love you Kensi Marie Blye.”

Her mouth dropped open at this. What the heck is he doing?

Using his other hand he presents a box to her. Slowly opening it he asks, “Will you marry me?”

 
A/N: This was my entry for Challenge 25: A Softer World

Chapter 3

"What the hell?" a voice yells, as Sam tries to get into a better position on the hard uncomfortable ground. Laying there Sam is confused, who would want to shoot at them? Jack works at the academy and she is just a consultant with on Star….

A light bulb goes off. Many people would rather see the Stargate Program shut down. Would they be willing to kill over it? It seems a bit excessive. If she was really the target, then why did they not take the shot earlier when she was out here alone? If it is not her, then that means Jack is… Now it does not make any more sense, he works as a training officer at the academy…

"Stay down!" The order brings her out of her thoughts as her eyes flick towards her husband when he pulls out his berretta and scans the scenery.

Not used to seeing the military side of him Sam does as he said. His eyes displaying a hard glint, not directed at her. But it makes the situation more terrifying.

Scanning the surroundings Jack doesn't see anything. It is a high possibility that the police have already been called by the neighbors, yet he pulls out his phone and dials the SGC. When he is connected he immediately issues orders, "Direct me to General Hammond ASAP."

His tone makes the airman on the line wince, "The general is in a meeting sir. I have orders not to interrupt for anything."

Frustrated, Jack takes the phone and stares at it a minute. There is no time for this, "This is an emergency airman, shots were just fired outside my home at my wife and I," then he adds sarcastically, "Does this count?"

Taking notice of the Colonel's voice, the airman immediately directs his call to the briefing room. Informing the general of the situation Jack closes his phone and sighs. Making another call, he makes arrangements for Charlie, "Thanks Kawalsky, we'll meet you back at base."

Taking another look, he realizes they're too exposed out here in the open. "Sam come on," helping her stand up he hurriedly leads her back towards the house.

Once they reach the living room, Sam wretches her arm out of his hold, she twirls around to face him. "What the hell is going on Jack?" she demands. Not waiting for an answer she continues to rant, "Who did you call? Why would someone want to kill you? You work at the Academy for god sakes, that doesn't strike me as a place to get you killed." Something else is going on, just looking at him tells her that. His expression is locked into his military mask, mouth set and eyes focused yet nothing revels anything. "Tell me what is going on or so help me…"

Listening to her, Jack slowly takes a few deep breathes. Who would want to shoot at them or him? Kinsley is at the top of that list, he would have hired someone in a heartbeat. Who ever did this, they will catch them, he is sure of that. "Sam, calm…"

"Don't tell me to calm down," she tells him. "One minute we were on our way to Charlie's…" she stops just as a realization struck him. "Oh God, Charlie! What about him? We need to go see if he's ok."

"He's alright, he's alright," he tries to calm her, "Charlie and Lou are going to look get him, we'll meet them at base," Jack tries to reassure her.

Calming down she starts to shake, the situation pressing down on her. Noticing Jack quickly reaches over and pulls her into a hug. Very lightly she whispers, he had to lean down to catch it, "I want answers." Sirens sounding in the distance and getting louder as they got closer.

Voices outside the door breaks the moment, the back up Jack called had gotten here before the police.

 

Chapter 1

Home

Stepping around the couch a woman feels a sharp pain on the bottom of her right foot, "Ouch, Charlie you really need to stop leaving your toys all over the place," Dr. Samantha Carter yells to her son from the empty room, "Hurry up, we have to leave in five minutes."

Seven year old Charlie O'Neill was upstairs looking for something; injecting some whining into his voice he calls back "Moomm, I can't find my homework!"

Exasperated Sam sighs, "Did you try your desk? What about the kitchen?" She grins at this; he's too much like his father, never remembering a thing.

"What did you say," a voice sounded from behind her.

Not realizing she had said that aloud, she turns around quickly as Sam quickly backtracks, "Nothing, Come on we're going to be late again." She leads Charlie out of the kitchen and takes a sweep of the kitchen. Noting the dishes need to be done and the laundry needs to be folded, she adds them to the top of her list of things to do when she back as she puts on her coat. Her work allows her to work from home, which really works with having a kid. It is only sometimes that she needs to go in and fix some problem. But that only happens rarely. Which is kind of disappointing, it would be an overall thrill to work up close and personal with such an amazing device. Once she gets Charlie off to school, she comes back home and conference calls with the technicians there. Which if they don't hurry she will be late for todays. Remembering the reason for the tardiness she asks him, "Did you find your homework?"

"Yep, I still don't see why I have to do it, I mean its work. I don't need to know how to write, I'm told I can be very creative," came the reply. Usually when that happens he is being yelled at.

"Charlie! Ask your father. Writing is a very important skill to have," before she could go on Sam is interrupted.

With a growing smirk on his face Charlie interrupts, "Dad hates writing." At the mentioning of his dad, his face grows worried, "When is dad coming home, he's going to miss my game."

Equally as worried, Sam sympathizes. Being a training officer should not include this much unknowing and fear. Her husband should have been home by now; it makes one wonder if this is all worth it. The lies get equally tiring as the worry. She had enough of them when he was Special Forces. But this was supposed to be a permanent assignment. It doesn't seem that way. Maybe she will have to act.

At the SGC

"Unscheduled off-world activation" came over the intercom. General George Hammond heard it clear as a sunny day in his office. It drew him out of the upcoming event. The president's upcoming visit is a big stress causer. The security detail is a pain. The secret service are not willing to let the president go anywhere without them. It is difficult because they cannot have access to all floors in which the president wants access to. Yet, the reception is the cause of his current headache. He puts his paperwork aside and goes to investigate.

"Who is it?" General Hammond demanded as he walked down the control room stairs into the control room. SG-1 and SG-2 are two days late and that's never a good sign. The resent quiet activity of the Gou'ld has everyone worried, so precautions must be taken. Those include sending out two teams on the same mission instead of the normal, sending one team. Even on scouting missions, like the one SG-1 is currently on. Originally they were supposed to go alone but the decision was made to have Ferretti's team accompany them.

"SG-1's IDC sir," Walter informed the worried general, silently wishing it had been nothing serious delaying them. Late teams always strike fear into everyone's hearts.

"Open the iris," the general ordered.

With the iris opening the event horizon rippled and out walked, dripping wet and looking none too happy about it, SG-1, which consist of Colonel Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, and Major Charles Kawalsky, and SG-2, which consist of Major Louis Ferretti, Lieutenants Kyle Green and Fred Goodwin, and Dr. Sara Copper.

"Welcome home people." Without giving them time to respond, the general immediately demanded, "What was with the hold up?"

"We had to wait out the storm but when it showed sign of not letting up we decided to high tail it back here," Colonel Jack O'Neill reported, sounding just as unhappy as he looked, soaking wet and dripping all over the gate room, tired eyes and a frown permanently resting on his face. As Hammond dismissed them he stated, "Briefing at 0900 tomorrow."

Using the rest of his energy he heads towards the infirmary for the mandatory check and then home to his wife and kid. By the time he is done, he hopes to be able to make Charlie's game. The last few times he has been home things have been tense. Sam is mad for some reason. She has not come right out and said anything but it is the little things he noticed. She won't willingly instigate conversation. She turns her back at night, goes to sleep before he reaches the bedroom. They used to lay there and talk about anything and everything, now there is none of that. The last few conversations we tried to have, have ended in arguments. Charlie has not heard any of them so far, yet Jack knows it is only a matter of time. Maybe he'll give her a call once he reaches the infirmary.