Christmas Spirit
Title: Christmas Spirit
Length/Word Count: 2774
Pairing/Characters: Kensi/Deeks
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not my sandbox ... I'm just playing in it. I'll clean up when I'm done.
Summary: The ghost of Christmas helps Deeks find his Christmas spirit. Spoilers through 3x11 "Higher Power"
Written for ncis_verse Tues Challenge
It wasn’t that the Christmas party hadn’t been fun. But there was something about watching Hetty tap a keg in the middle of the afternoon that was unsettling. And once Kensi had left to catch her flight, there had been no sense in sticking around. If he hurried, he could get to the mission in time to help cook the food.
Slipping into his car he couldn’t help but sigh out loud. Running a hand through his hair, he frowned. This Christmas was already well on its way to being one of the worst he’d ever had. Between pretending to leave NCIS, and the subsequent fall-out with Kensi that hadn’t been easily fixed with dinner and a movie the way he thought it would, and the paperwork, and other cases, he hadn’t had time to do the things that always made the holiday special. Usually he spent the weeks before Christmas at the mission wrapping gifts and decorating and helping prep the food. He hadn’t done any of that. He would be lucky to make it in time to get the food ready before serving.
Pulling into the mission, he rushed inside, looking around for his favorite supervisor, Janice. Seeing her come around the corner he started towards her, but stopped dead when he saw Kensi behind her, nodding and laughing. They both saw him at the same time and he froze.
“Deeks, baby, it’s nice to see you finally made it,” Janice said with a grin. “Your pretty little partner and I were starting to worry, you haven’t been here all week.”
“I’ve been busy,” he shook his head. “All week? How long has she been here?”
Janice shrugged. “A few hours a night all week. Doing the things we usually see you doing.”
He nodded. “I see.”
“Yup. All that’s left is the serving. We’ve had everything under control without you, so don’t you worry one bit,” Janice grinned at Kensi. “She’s done a great job filling your shoes.”
Marty clenched his fists and nodded. He wasn’t sure why he was upset, but there was something about the look on Kensi’s face, the almost smug grin that she wore that annoyed him. Once again she had to go and prove that she was better than him. She had managed to finish her work, get out of the office, and do what he usually did without saying a word about it. She was almost as bad as the Grinch, stealing Christmas from the Whos. He could feel her eyes on him, and he couldn’t handle it. The silent judging on top of the fact that she wasn’t on a plane to some tropical paradise was more than he could handle.
“I’m glad to see Kensi’s been such a great helper,” he said with a nod. “I just stopped by to say that something came up, and I wasn’t going to be able to help with dinner, but it looks like she’s got it covered.”
He turned and walked away before either woman could say anything. It wasn’t until he dropped his keys trying to unlock his car that he realized how upset he was. Taking a deep breath he grabbed them from the ground and slipped into his car. Home. Or at least what passed for home anymore. All he had to do was pull it together long enough to make it home, and he would be fine. He’d turn on a movie, knock back a few drinks and sleep until the holiday was over.
***
He awoke to the sound of Monty whimpering. Opening his eyes he saw a woman standing beside the sofa. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up in surprise.
“Jess?” he shook his head. He must have drank more than he thought if he was seeing Jess Trainer standing in his room.
“Marty Deeks. Never thought I’d have to see you again,” she grinned at him. “But here we are.”
“Jess?” he asked again, sitting up. “What’s going on?”
“I’m just here for a visit. You’ve seen the movies, past, present, future,” she shrugged and smiled at him. “I’m here to help you get your Christmas spirit back.”
“My Christmas spirit is just fine,” he said shutting his eyes. “You don’t need to do this.”
“You’re sitting alone on your sofa on Christmas eve. There isn’t a single decoration in the apartment. I’d say there is something seriously lacking with your Christmas spirit.”
Deeks peeked open an eye. “What if I said I didn’t care?”
She held out her hand. “Just come with me.”
Rolling his eyes he shrugged and took her hand. He expected his hand to go right through hers, and gasp in surprise when his fingers touched cool flesh. Before he had time to react, he saw his living room shimmer out of view. When his vision cleared, he looked around in shock that the room he was standing in.
“Know where you are?” Jess asked softly.
“This is home,” he paused and looked around. “Or rather, this was when I was a kid.”
He looked around the house in wonder. The chipped paint and shoddy furniture was just a he remembered. There was a small tree in the corner that was almost brown, the floor littered with shed needles.
“You were ten this Christmas,” Jess said. “Remember that Christmas?”
He nodded. It was the first Christmas that his father has spent in jail. His mom scarcely had enough money for groceries, let alone gifts.
“My mom hated Christmas that year,” Deeks said flatly. “She worried for weeks about the fact that there would be nothing under the tree.”
“It ended up being her favorite Christmas,” Jess said with a smile.
Deeks nodded. “I remember that too.”
He watched in wonder as his ten year old self tumbled down the stairs. He paused and looked at the bare tree, but instead of seeming disappointed, he grabbed a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water. Carefully walking across the floor, he watered the tree and tried to gather up the fallen needles.
Hearing the doorbell, Deeks looked at his younger self expectantly. The ten-year didn’t fail him, and quickly hurried toward the door. Deeks smiled at the neighbor whose arms were filled with presents.
“Merry Christmas Marty,” the neighbor smiled at the young boy. “I think Santa got confused last night. He left all this stuff at my house, and they have your name on them.”
Marty shook his head. “Santa isn’t real Mrs. Johanna.”
“You sure about that?” she asked as he let her into the house.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Remember the news article from The Sun I showed you last week?”
Marty nodded.
“Do you still think he doesn’t exist?”
Marty cocked his head and then pointed to his heart. “He exists here.”
She nodded. “That’s right. Don’t ever forget, the spirit of Christmas Marty. Now what do you say we surprise your mom with breakfast in bed and gifts from Santa.”
The ten year old nodded, and Jess turned to Deeks. “Where’s that spirit?”
He shrugged. “I still have it.”
“You know what Kensi was doing this Christmas?” Jess asked.
Deeks shook his head. “Spending it with her dad?”
“Let’s go see.” Jess held out her hand.
Deeks wasn’t surprised when the room shimmered out of view. But what he wasn’t expecting was to end in a room where a heated argument was going on.
“You told me that you weren’t reenlisting. That you were done, walking away, no more moving, no more tours, no more raising a half-wild kid on my own.”
“I said I was thinking of becoming a recruiter. But I can’t do it. It’s not me.”
“Daddy?” a small girl with long brown hair walked into the room. “Can we play basketball?”
“Your father and I are talking Kensi. Go play with your new doll.”
“But daddy said he’d play with me.”
“Your daddy lied. That’s what he does. He’s a liar.”
Kensi looked at her parents, tears in her eyes. “No he’s not. He’s a marine. Semper fi. That means always faithful. That means he doesn’t lie.”
“I don’t have time for this tantrum Kensi. Mommy’s guests will be here soon. Now go play with your new doll, in your room. And try to stay clean.”
Kensi’s lower lip trembled as she ran from the room.
Jess turned to Deeks with a frown. “By the next Christmas her mom was gone and Kensi was staying with her grandmother while her dad was deployed. Her grandmother didn’t even bother with decorations or a tree. Celebrating Christmas ended early for Kensi. The one year she did celebrate it on her own, her fiancé left in the middle of the night.”
Deeks sighed. “What’s that have to do with me?”
“Glad you asked. Why don’t we go look?”
Deeks took her hand with a sigh. When the scene shifted he was surprised to see that they were in the office at the mission. Janice was sitting behind her desk, and Kensi was curled up on the worn couch.
“I didn’t mean to make him mad. I thought he’d be happy to see me,” she ran her fingers through her hair. “I ruined his Christmas, Janice.”
Janice shook her head. “He did it to himself Kensi. Marty has always loved the holiday, and this year he’s been distant. He’s been different. It’s nothing that you did.”
“I should have told him I wasn’t going away. I wasn’t to surprise him, but I shouldn’t have let him give me that gift without telling him.”
“Don’t let it ruin your Christmas Kensi,” Janice said gently.
“He’s the only reason I celebrate Christmas. And now he’s mad. And I don’t know what to do.”
“He can’t be the only reason,” Janice said softly.
“But he is. Before I met him, I just ignored the holiday. It was never fun for me, I’d lie about having plans and hide in my apartment. Last year he let me tag along with him, and I wanted to do something for him this year. And all I ended up doing was lying to him and making him leave,” she sighed, and leaned further into the couch. “He’d have been better off if I hadn’t come here. If I had just lied again and hidden out for a few days, it would have been better for him.”
“Kensi, honey, you came because you wanted to help and you wanted him to be proud of you right?”
“I just wanted him to know that...” she shook her head, not finishing her thought.
“You’re in love with him aren’t you?” Janice asked.
Deeks stared at Kensi as her eyes widened and she looked at Janice in surprise. She nodded her head silently as she chewed on her lower lip. Deeks felt Jess’s hand on his and he tried to pull it away before the scene faded.
He was back in his living room by the time he got his hand free.
“Ready for the future?” Jess asked with a sad smile.
He shook his head. “Don’t make me go.”
“You sure? I was going to tell you all about how you left your team and went back to being a cop. And I was going to show you the case that went bad that got you killed on Christmas Eve. And maybe let you see the way Kensi visits your grave every year.”
“I get it Jess.”
“Do you Marty?” she asked as she sat down on his sofa. “Do you really get it?”
He nodded.
“It’s not just about Christmas,” she said gently. “It’s about you. I cared about you so much when I was alive Marty, but seeing Kensi, she feels something so much stronger than I ever could. She needs you is a way I never did. And I think you need her too. I’ve seen what your future is like without her Marty. You don’t want that life.”
“I know I screwed up,” he said with a sigh. “But how do I fix it?”
“I can help a little,” Jess said with a smile. “But just a little. I can take you back to the moment you arrived at the mission. What you do from there is up to you.”
Deeks nodded and leaned over to gently kiss her cheek. “Thanks Jess.”
She nodded and held her hand out to him one final time. Grabbing her fingers, he squeezed them as his living room faded away. The feel of Jess’s hand faded to and he realized that his hand was now holding the gearshift of his car.
Turning off his car, he took a deep breath before heading into the mission. This time when he saw Janice and Kensi his face lit up, and he realized that theirs did as well. The grin on Kensi’s face that had seemed smug earlier now seemed nervous.
“Deeks, baby, it’s nice to see you finally made it,” Janice said with a grin. “Your pretty little partner and I were starting to worry, you haven’t been here all week.”
“I’ve been busy,” he said hugging her. “I’m glad you had such a capable helper.”
“She’s a gem,” Janice said happily. “You better snatch her up before someone else does.”
Deeks noted the blush that crept into Kensi’s face and he grinned. “I plan to. I’m hoping she doesn’t have any plans tonight once we’re done with dinner.”
Kensi’s face lit up and she shook her head. “I was actually hoping you’d come back with me to my apartment. I have something I want to show you.”
He nodded. “I would love to.”
He couldn’t help but watch her as they served dinner together. He could tell that something was on the tip of her tongue to say, but she kept quiet. He kept the conversation between them light, knowing that there would be plenty of time to talk later.
He could tell her surprised her when he told Janice that he was leaving his car at the mission and getting a ride back with Kensi. Janice had only nodded and promised to keep an eye on it.
Slipping into Kensi’s car, he couldn’t help but grin. “I’m glad you didn’t go away.”
“I’m sorry I let you think I was,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to lie, but I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to try to make up for everything.”
Deeks nodded. “We’re ok Kensi. You know that right?”
She nodded, but he noticed that she didn’t look sure of his words. He let the topic drop and kept the conversation casual until they pulled into her parking space.
He let her guide him to the door, and grinned when she nervously fumbled with her keys. Sticking her key into the door she turned to him.
“I know you didn’t get to put up a tree, or anything, and I know how much you love all that stuff. So I wanted to do something for you,” Kensi looked nervously at him. “But now I’m worried you’ll think it’s dumb.”
He reached out, and ran his hand down her face. “I promise, whatever you did, I won’t think is dumb.”
“I’ve always hated Christmas. Since I was a kid, it was always a bad day for me. Last year, despite everything, it wasn’t. You made it good.”
“What’s behind the door Fern?”
She opened her door and flipped on the light. In the corner of her almost clean living room stood a tall evergreen with glowing white lights. Beside it was an assortment of boxes and bags.
“I was hoping you would want to help decorate the tree. I have snacks and eggnog. And silly Christmas music,” she looked nervously at him.
“On one condition,” he said, trying not to grin.
“What?”
“Do you have any mistletoe in those boxes somewhere?”
She grinned up at him. “I might.”
“That’s good,” he met her eyes. “Though, now that I think about it. I don’t know if I can wait.”
She laughed as he stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Leaning in, he gently kissed her lips. As she melted against him, he deepened the kiss, running his tongue lightly over her lips. She moaned softly and yielded to his kiss. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there like that, but he knew it wasn’t long enough. She pulled away first with a gently smile on her face.
“I never got to tell you want I was going to say when I thought you were leaving,” she said softly.
He nodded. “I love you too Fern.”
Length/Word Count: 2774
Pairing/Characters: Kensi/Deeks
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not my sandbox ... I'm just playing in it. I'll clean up when I'm done.
Summary: The ghost of Christmas helps Deeks find his Christmas spirit. Spoilers through 3x11 "Higher Power"
Written for ncis_verse Tues Challenge
It wasn’t that the Christmas party hadn’t been fun. But there was something about watching Hetty tap a keg in the middle of the afternoon that was unsettling. And once Kensi had left to catch her flight, there had been no sense in sticking around. If he hurried, he could get to the mission in time to help cook the food.
Slipping into his car he couldn’t help but sigh out loud. Running a hand through his hair, he frowned. This Christmas was already well on its way to being one of the worst he’d ever had. Between pretending to leave NCIS, and the subsequent fall-out with Kensi that hadn’t been easily fixed with dinner and a movie the way he thought it would, and the paperwork, and other cases, he hadn’t had time to do the things that always made the holiday special. Usually he spent the weeks before Christmas at the mission wrapping gifts and decorating and helping prep the food. He hadn’t done any of that. He would be lucky to make it in time to get the food ready before serving.
Pulling into the mission, he rushed inside, looking around for his favorite supervisor, Janice. Seeing her come around the corner he started towards her, but stopped dead when he saw Kensi behind her, nodding and laughing. They both saw him at the same time and he froze.
“Deeks, baby, it’s nice to see you finally made it,” Janice said with a grin. “Your pretty little partner and I were starting to worry, you haven’t been here all week.”
“I’ve been busy,” he shook his head. “All week? How long has she been here?”
Janice shrugged. “A few hours a night all week. Doing the things we usually see you doing.”
He nodded. “I see.”
“Yup. All that’s left is the serving. We’ve had everything under control without you, so don’t you worry one bit,” Janice grinned at Kensi. “She’s done a great job filling your shoes.”
Marty clenched his fists and nodded. He wasn’t sure why he was upset, but there was something about the look on Kensi’s face, the almost smug grin that she wore that annoyed him. Once again she had to go and prove that she was better than him. She had managed to finish her work, get out of the office, and do what he usually did without saying a word about it. She was almost as bad as the Grinch, stealing Christmas from the Whos. He could feel her eyes on him, and he couldn’t handle it. The silent judging on top of the fact that she wasn’t on a plane to some tropical paradise was more than he could handle.
“I’m glad to see Kensi’s been such a great helper,” he said with a nod. “I just stopped by to say that something came up, and I wasn’t going to be able to help with dinner, but it looks like she’s got it covered.”
He turned and walked away before either woman could say anything. It wasn’t until he dropped his keys trying to unlock his car that he realized how upset he was. Taking a deep breath he grabbed them from the ground and slipped into his car. Home. Or at least what passed for home anymore. All he had to do was pull it together long enough to make it home, and he would be fine. He’d turn on a movie, knock back a few drinks and sleep until the holiday was over.
***
He awoke to the sound of Monty whimpering. Opening his eyes he saw a woman standing beside the sofa. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up in surprise.
“Jess?” he shook his head. He must have drank more than he thought if he was seeing Jess Trainer standing in his room.
“Marty Deeks. Never thought I’d have to see you again,” she grinned at him. “But here we are.”
“Jess?” he asked again, sitting up. “What’s going on?”
“I’m just here for a visit. You’ve seen the movies, past, present, future,” she shrugged and smiled at him. “I’m here to help you get your Christmas spirit back.”
“My Christmas spirit is just fine,” he said shutting his eyes. “You don’t need to do this.”
“You’re sitting alone on your sofa on Christmas eve. There isn’t a single decoration in the apartment. I’d say there is something seriously lacking with your Christmas spirit.”
Deeks peeked open an eye. “What if I said I didn’t care?”
She held out her hand. “Just come with me.”
Rolling his eyes he shrugged and took her hand. He expected his hand to go right through hers, and gasp in surprise when his fingers touched cool flesh. Before he had time to react, he saw his living room shimmer out of view. When his vision cleared, he looked around in shock that the room he was standing in.
“Know where you are?” Jess asked softly.
“This is home,” he paused and looked around. “Or rather, this was when I was a kid.”
He looked around the house in wonder. The chipped paint and shoddy furniture was just a he remembered. There was a small tree in the corner that was almost brown, the floor littered with shed needles.
“You were ten this Christmas,” Jess said. “Remember that Christmas?”
He nodded. It was the first Christmas that his father has spent in jail. His mom scarcely had enough money for groceries, let alone gifts.
“My mom hated Christmas that year,” Deeks said flatly. “She worried for weeks about the fact that there would be nothing under the tree.”
“It ended up being her favorite Christmas,” Jess said with a smile.
Deeks nodded. “I remember that too.”
He watched in wonder as his ten year old self tumbled down the stairs. He paused and looked at the bare tree, but instead of seeming disappointed, he grabbed a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water. Carefully walking across the floor, he watered the tree and tried to gather up the fallen needles.
Hearing the doorbell, Deeks looked at his younger self expectantly. The ten-year didn’t fail him, and quickly hurried toward the door. Deeks smiled at the neighbor whose arms were filled with presents.
“Merry Christmas Marty,” the neighbor smiled at the young boy. “I think Santa got confused last night. He left all this stuff at my house, and they have your name on them.”
Marty shook his head. “Santa isn’t real Mrs. Johanna.”
“You sure about that?” she asked as he let her into the house.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Remember the news article from The Sun I showed you last week?”
Marty nodded.
“Do you still think he doesn’t exist?”
Marty cocked his head and then pointed to his heart. “He exists here.”
She nodded. “That’s right. Don’t ever forget, the spirit of Christmas Marty. Now what do you say we surprise your mom with breakfast in bed and gifts from Santa.”
The ten year old nodded, and Jess turned to Deeks. “Where’s that spirit?”
He shrugged. “I still have it.”
“You know what Kensi was doing this Christmas?” Jess asked.
Deeks shook his head. “Spending it with her dad?”
“Let’s go see.” Jess held out her hand.
Deeks wasn’t surprised when the room shimmered out of view. But what he wasn’t expecting was to end in a room where a heated argument was going on.
“You told me that you weren’t reenlisting. That you were done, walking away, no more moving, no more tours, no more raising a half-wild kid on my own.”
“I said I was thinking of becoming a recruiter. But I can’t do it. It’s not me.”
“Daddy?” a small girl with long brown hair walked into the room. “Can we play basketball?”
“Your father and I are talking Kensi. Go play with your new doll.”
“But daddy said he’d play with me.”
“Your daddy lied. That’s what he does. He’s a liar.”
Kensi looked at her parents, tears in her eyes. “No he’s not. He’s a marine. Semper fi. That means always faithful. That means he doesn’t lie.”
“I don’t have time for this tantrum Kensi. Mommy’s guests will be here soon. Now go play with your new doll, in your room. And try to stay clean.”
Kensi’s lower lip trembled as she ran from the room.
Jess turned to Deeks with a frown. “By the next Christmas her mom was gone and Kensi was staying with her grandmother while her dad was deployed. Her grandmother didn’t even bother with decorations or a tree. Celebrating Christmas ended early for Kensi. The one year she did celebrate it on her own, her fiancé left in the middle of the night.”
Deeks sighed. “What’s that have to do with me?”
“Glad you asked. Why don’t we go look?”
Deeks took her hand with a sigh. When the scene shifted he was surprised to see that they were in the office at the mission. Janice was sitting behind her desk, and Kensi was curled up on the worn couch.
“I didn’t mean to make him mad. I thought he’d be happy to see me,” she ran her fingers through her hair. “I ruined his Christmas, Janice.”
Janice shook her head. “He did it to himself Kensi. Marty has always loved the holiday, and this year he’s been distant. He’s been different. It’s nothing that you did.”
“I should have told him I wasn’t going away. I wasn’t to surprise him, but I shouldn’t have let him give me that gift without telling him.”
“Don’t let it ruin your Christmas Kensi,” Janice said gently.
“He’s the only reason I celebrate Christmas. And now he’s mad. And I don’t know what to do.”
“He can’t be the only reason,” Janice said softly.
“But he is. Before I met him, I just ignored the holiday. It was never fun for me, I’d lie about having plans and hide in my apartment. Last year he let me tag along with him, and I wanted to do something for him this year. And all I ended up doing was lying to him and making him leave,” she sighed, and leaned further into the couch. “He’d have been better off if I hadn’t come here. If I had just lied again and hidden out for a few days, it would have been better for him.”
“Kensi, honey, you came because you wanted to help and you wanted him to be proud of you right?”
“I just wanted him to know that...” she shook her head, not finishing her thought.
“You’re in love with him aren’t you?” Janice asked.
Deeks stared at Kensi as her eyes widened and she looked at Janice in surprise. She nodded her head silently as she chewed on her lower lip. Deeks felt Jess’s hand on his and he tried to pull it away before the scene faded.
He was back in his living room by the time he got his hand free.
“Ready for the future?” Jess asked with a sad smile.
He shook his head. “Don’t make me go.”
“You sure? I was going to tell you all about how you left your team and went back to being a cop. And I was going to show you the case that went bad that got you killed on Christmas Eve. And maybe let you see the way Kensi visits your grave every year.”
“I get it Jess.”
“Do you Marty?” she asked as she sat down on his sofa. “Do you really get it?”
He nodded.
“It’s not just about Christmas,” she said gently. “It’s about you. I cared about you so much when I was alive Marty, but seeing Kensi, she feels something so much stronger than I ever could. She needs you is a way I never did. And I think you need her too. I’ve seen what your future is like without her Marty. You don’t want that life.”
“I know I screwed up,” he said with a sigh. “But how do I fix it?”
“I can help a little,” Jess said with a smile. “But just a little. I can take you back to the moment you arrived at the mission. What you do from there is up to you.”
Deeks nodded and leaned over to gently kiss her cheek. “Thanks Jess.”
She nodded and held her hand out to him one final time. Grabbing her fingers, he squeezed them as his living room faded away. The feel of Jess’s hand faded to and he realized that his hand was now holding the gearshift of his car.
Turning off his car, he took a deep breath before heading into the mission. This time when he saw Janice and Kensi his face lit up, and he realized that theirs did as well. The grin on Kensi’s face that had seemed smug earlier now seemed nervous.
“Deeks, baby, it’s nice to see you finally made it,” Janice said with a grin. “Your pretty little partner and I were starting to worry, you haven’t been here all week.”
“I’ve been busy,” he said hugging her. “I’m glad you had such a capable helper.”
“She’s a gem,” Janice said happily. “You better snatch her up before someone else does.”
Deeks noted the blush that crept into Kensi’s face and he grinned. “I plan to. I’m hoping she doesn’t have any plans tonight once we’re done with dinner.”
Kensi’s face lit up and she shook her head. “I was actually hoping you’d come back with me to my apartment. I have something I want to show you.”
He nodded. “I would love to.”
He couldn’t help but watch her as they served dinner together. He could tell that something was on the tip of her tongue to say, but she kept quiet. He kept the conversation between them light, knowing that there would be plenty of time to talk later.
He could tell her surprised her when he told Janice that he was leaving his car at the mission and getting a ride back with Kensi. Janice had only nodded and promised to keep an eye on it.
Slipping into Kensi’s car, he couldn’t help but grin. “I’m glad you didn’t go away.”
“I’m sorry I let you think I was,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to lie, but I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to try to make up for everything.”
Deeks nodded. “We’re ok Kensi. You know that right?”
She nodded, but he noticed that she didn’t look sure of his words. He let the topic drop and kept the conversation casual until they pulled into her parking space.
He let her guide him to the door, and grinned when she nervously fumbled with her keys. Sticking her key into the door she turned to him.
“I know you didn’t get to put up a tree, or anything, and I know how much you love all that stuff. So I wanted to do something for you,” Kensi looked nervously at him. “But now I’m worried you’ll think it’s dumb.”
He reached out, and ran his hand down her face. “I promise, whatever you did, I won’t think is dumb.”
“I’ve always hated Christmas. Since I was a kid, it was always a bad day for me. Last year, despite everything, it wasn’t. You made it good.”
“What’s behind the door Fern?”
She opened her door and flipped on the light. In the corner of her almost clean living room stood a tall evergreen with glowing white lights. Beside it was an assortment of boxes and bags.
“I was hoping you would want to help decorate the tree. I have snacks and eggnog. And silly Christmas music,” she looked nervously at him.
“On one condition,” he said, trying not to grin.
“What?”
“Do you have any mistletoe in those boxes somewhere?”
She grinned up at him. “I might.”
“That’s good,” he met her eyes. “Though, now that I think about it. I don’t know if I can wait.”
She laughed as he stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Leaning in, he gently kissed her lips. As she melted against him, he deepened the kiss, running his tongue lightly over her lips. She moaned softly and yielded to his kiss. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there like that, but he knew it wasn’t long enough. She pulled away first with a gently smile on her face.
“I never got to tell you want I was going to say when I thought you were leaving,” she said softly.
He nodded. “I love you too Fern.”