Author's Notes:

Title: Par For The Course

Rating: T

Story Premise: G decides his team needs to grow closer. He challenges them to go beyond their comfort zones and do things they never thought they could or would.

Pairing Warning: Kensi and Deeks, well, a little, but it's not the focus of the story.

Darkfic Warning: Possibly as always. It comes with the territory of my writing name.

NCIS: Los Angeles and its characters are owned by CBS and the producers of it. I do not own anything, but if I did I would torture G Callen more. I am grateful to CBS and the producers of NCIS: LA for their contribution to the world of entertainment.

My stories are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This is a work intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by CBS and the producers of NCIS:LA. I gain no profit from the creation and publication of this story.


Par For The Course

Teed Off

Chapter 1

G squinted in the bright afternoon sun in spite of wearing sunglasses and an aqua blue visored cap pulled down over his eyes. He returned his focus to the grass at his feet and the equipment in his hands. G practiced for this moment it seemed like a bazillion times. Yet still he couldn't master it. At least he couldn't master it the way he desired to do it. He leaned over and swung the piece of equipment and stared after the small aqua ball as it flew through the air to his right. Darn. Not that way! After a shorter distance than he imagined, the aqua ball dropped to a well-manicured lawn and rolled for too long and right off an edge into a sand trap.

Giggles and boos erupted from a small audience behind him. G leaned over and pulled an aqua blue tee from the grass and walked back to his audience.

"I like us dressing the part of our ball's color. It helps me keep track of who's who," Sam said. "By the way, better luck next time," Sam said, strolling past him.

G watched his partner ready himself; placing a dark blue tee in the grass and giving a practice swing. The guy was muscled in all the wrong places for golf, but he pulled off the game well, usually. With the equipment in both hands, Sam took a hard swing at the ball as if it were a baseball and the golf club in his hands were a bat.

The ball traveled through the air further than G's had, but hung to his hard left. "Fore," Sam yelled. The dark blue ball sailed past their green onto the next and barely missed a man and a woman standing on a well-manicured, smooth lawn. It stopped a few inches away from a flag which marked the second hole on the nine hole golf course.

G roared with laughter. Deeks and Kensi joined him.

Sam straightened and glanced their way. He leaned over and picked up his tee off the grass and walked up to his team.

"I'll bet you teed off those people," G said, still laughing at his partner's complete lack of direction.

"Your turn," Sam said, eyeing Deeks. G noticed his partner's complete desire to ignore his jeers. Sam slid his club into a golf bag and slung the bag over his shoulder. "You can stop acting so smug. I'm one hole ahead of all of you." He chuckled at his own joke.

"You can't play that way," G said. "Just like before it counts as two strokes against you."

"This sucks big time," Sam said.

"I'll bet it does," Deeks said, walking past the two men to set up his first stroke of the game.

"Let see if you can do any better," Sam said, standing back and watching his team member get ready. "Last time you sucked worse than either one of us."

"I've practiced," Deeks said, after setting up the chartreuse tee and ball. Deeks adjusted his chartreuse baseball cap. He swung his golf club and completely missed the ball. Jeers from the crowd erupted and sailed over to him. "It was a practice run."

"You certain you don't need more practice," Kensi asked.

Deeks looked up from where he was hunched over his ball. "I was practicing."

"Yeah, right, Deeks," G said.

"One more excellent practice stroke like that and we'll need to teach you how to play big boy golf again," Sam said.

G watched the less muscular Deeks laugh and refocus on hitting the ball. Deeks swung again, this time hitting the ball square on. G watched it travel through the air.

"At least it's the straightest one so far," G said.

"And that means?" Kensi asked.

"It's straighter." The ball fell to the ground a few feet from the tee off. Deeks leaned over and picked up his tee. His team came over and glanced over Deeks' shoulders.

"Seriously, that's as far as you could get it?" G asked. "That's an embarrassment to our whole team."

Sam felt his team member's arm muscles. "You need to work out more, Deeks, that's your problem."

"Nope, his problem is he can't golf worth a…" Kensi said.

"Worth anything," Sam said. "Looks like you're the first stroke. Watch those divots."

"How many par is this hole?" Deeks asked, changing out his wood club for an all metal one.

"Not enough for you," Kensi said, laughing and patting him on the back. "Go easy on that grass, partner."

"What? I've never smoked."

She shook her head.

"Besides I wouldn't talk, Kensalina, yours landed in the water hazard."

She glared at him and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch." Deeks smiled. He aimed his club iron at his ball and swung it. A huge divot flew through the air with the now aerial ball.

"They're gonna make you pay for that one," Sam said. "You're gonna be reseeding their lawn by the time this game is over."

"At least my ball landed on the putting green."

"Whose putting green?" G asked. "You and Sam must've practiced together this week." He winked at his partner.

"Watch it. I'm gonna slug you." Sam made a face at G.

"I'm just saying."

"Luckily he didn't have to call 'fore' this time," Kensi said. She giggled.

"Very funny guys," Deeks said.

"That's three strokes for you," she said.

"Different strokes for different folks." Deeks picked up the divot and placed it back where it lifted out of the plush lawn.

Sam chuckled. "Ah Deeks, that phrase doesn't go with golfing."

Deeks slid his club into his golf bag and lifted the bag onto a shoulder. "Well, how about this?" He smiled and walked along side his team to the next player's ball.

"About what?" Kensi asked, pulling out a wedge and standing on the other side of the water hazard.

"Remember, you've got to add an extra for that one, Kensalina."

"You don't need to remind me." She swung her club. The golf ball lifted high in the air and landed on the other side of the putting green. It kept rolling off the edge into a sand trap, joining her team leader's ball. "Seriously? This game sucks."

"Nope, wait for it."

"I'm done waiting for your little quip," she said.

"This isn't just any little quip."

"All right Deeks, give it to us already before we throw you into that water hazard," Sam said, tilting his head toward the algae coated pond next to him.

"That's par for the course." Deeks stepped back from his team before they could reach out and punch him in the arms.

"Now that's the best I've ever heard from you," Sam said.

"Agreed," G said.

They all laughed and strolled toward the next team member's ball.