Hello my lovelies. So I'm back with a new story. This is set after Kensi has left for Afghanistan so she will not be in it, I don't think, and it is the second choice I offered at the end of The Honesty of Undercover as it got the most votes. The full summary I gave there is:

Set just after Kensi had gone to Afghanistan in season 5. Deeks discovers he is a father to a young girl, and has become her sole guardian. Having no clue how to look after a child he turns to the remainder of the team for help. A help which inevitably falls onto Callen's shoulders as the only one who doesn't have dependants of his own. Follow how the two men muddle through the strange new world of parenting, and in doing so find that they are drawn out of their individual solitary existences to becoming something more together. First as friends, but then as family, in every sense of the word.

But it wouldn't let me put all of that up as the summary on this site.

Also I would like to take this chance to say as I am dyslexic I apologise for any spelling or grammatical errors in the story. If Word does not pick them up, then I doubt I will, though I like to think I'm getting better.

Anyway on with the show. Here is the first chapter, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.


Deeks was pulled from the first real sleep he had in way to long by the sound of someone knocking on his door. He really wanted to ignore it, but he knew he couldn't. So with much grumbling, and almost tripping over Monty, he made his way from his bed down the hallway. This had better be damn important, was his thought as he pulled open the door. Though when he saw who was on the other side his eyebrow rose.

"Officer. What can I do for you?" He asked the female police officer standing on the other side, looking far to awake in his mind for four in the morning.

"Are you Detective Martin Deeks?" She asked in a crisp voice.

"Yeah." Deeks answered blinking at her, he didn't add on the question of who the hell else he was supposed to be. Best not to be rude to fellow law enforcement and all that. You never know when you would end up having to work with them.

"I am Officer Hall. I have been sent to bring you to the hospital. Your presence is required." She continued in the same crisp voice that showed no emotions. Though her words caused Deeks to wake as nothing else would. Why was he needed at the hospital? Was someone hurt? Well obviously they were, but who was it, and why did they need him?

"You know why?" He asked even as he ran though the different possibilities in his head. If it was one of the team Hetty would have called, if it was his mom the hospital would have called, unless… had she been attacked or something? He didn't even want to think about that possibility.

"No sir. Just what I have told you." Officer Hall replied, smiling slightly at in a reassuring way. She could see the worst case scenarios running through his head. She wished she could tell him more, but she really did not know anything else. Just that her captain had sent her to retrieve Detective Deeks.

"Okay, give me minute to get dressed, then we'll go." Deeks nodded, leaving the door open so she could come in if she wished, or wait outside. He really didn't care. All he could think about was what could of happened and to who.

The drive to the hospital was uneventful, apart from Deeks mind whirling from one possibility to the next, every one of them was worse than the last. In fact it had gotten so bad he was relieved when they finally pulled into the hospital parking lot. It was time to see why he was there, and what it was he was going to have to deal with.


Captain Davis stood in the waiting area outside the paediatrics ward of the hospital. He wasn't sure how he was going to approach the coming conversation, it wasn't something that he would normally handle after all. But as soon as they had run the name Martin Deeks through their system and discovered he was a detective, he knew he would have to be the one to do this. Professional curtsy and all that. The man he was about to meet was one of their own, so he would be the one to tell him how his life was about to change. At the sound of the door opening he turned to see Officer Hall leading in a scruffy looking man, who most would dismiss as no one. But Davis could see the way his eyes took in everything he could see, as well as how he evaluated the exits and the people in the room in a blink of the eye. He knew this detective was an undercover, and it was even more obvious in his behaviour as he walked towards him.

"Detective Deeks, I am Captain Davis." He said holding out his hand for the man to shake.

"Hey. Why am I here, Captain?" Deeks asked doing just that. He tried to keep his voice light, but he needed to know what was going on, and why he was in the paediatrics ward of the hospital. That made no sense to him, he didn't have a kid, or really know any kids, so why was he here?

"Earlier this evening we were called to an RTC. A woman and her daughter trapped in a car. We managed to get them both out, and they made it to hospital. But the woman died during surgery. Before she went under she knew her chances of survival were minimal. Therefore she named the next of kin for her daughter. The girl's father, whom she said had no knowledge of the child's existence." Davis said as if he was giving a report. He felt it was the best way to give all the information to a fellow cop. It was the way they all processed things, wanting all the facts they could get so they could make informed decisions.

"Okay, still not seeing what this has to do with me." Deeks interrupted confused and tired, and not a little frustrated by not having the reason he had been brought down here explained to him right away. Oh he knew what the captain in front of him was doing, and he respected the guy for it. But he really wanted to just get whatever needed doing done so he could go back to bed.

Taking a deep breath Captain Davis steeled himself for what had to do.

"The name she gave was Martin Deeks."

Deeks just blinked at that. Because that made no sense. The name of the child's father could not be Martin Deeks. Because that was his name and he didn't have children. He would know if he did, right? So unless there was another Martin Deeks out there, something was wrong here. "What?" He finally managed to get out hoping the captain would explain what he meant. Had someone stolen his identity? Was that why he was there?

"You are the girl's next of kin, her father." Davis replied in a gentler tone. He could see how confused Detective Deeks looked, and he understood that this was a lot to take in.

"I…" Deeks whispered shock evident in his eyes as he sat down on a plastic chair still trying to work out how it was they seemed to think he was a father. With that a question came into his mind. "What was the woman's name?"

"Lauren Casey." Davis answered making Deeks eyes widen. Because he knew that name, could even put a face to it. She was a beautiful woman he had met in a bar. They had dated for about three months before she called it off for no reason he could think of. Though, maybe now he had his answer. The thing was that was years ago. He needed to make sure the kid really was his.

"How old is…?" He asked but stopped speaking when he realised he didn't even know the girl's name. How messed up was that? He could have a daughter, and he didn't even know her name.

"Alayna, and she is four." Davis replied, understanding why the detective had stopped talking. He couldn't even being to comprehend how the man in front of him was feeling right then. He had been present for the birth of all his children, and had enjoyed watching them grow up. To suddenly discover you had a four year old daughter you knew nothing about? That you had missed those first years of her life? It must be mind-blowing and bewildering.

Deeks for his part found his brain shutting down. All the emotional parts of him cut of as he pulled himself together as only an undercover cop could. He needed to concentrate on the practical things right then, the rest he could deal with later. For now he needed to think about his… his daughter. Putting his mask upon his face he turned to the captain to gain all the information he needed. He understood why Davis had told him what he had earlier now.

"Alayna. How badly was she hurt?" He asked standing up and staring confidently at the man in front of him.

"A broken wrist. The rest is just bumps and bruises as she was strapped into her car seat in the back." Davis responded quickly, wanting to alleviate any thoughts of grievous injuries from the man's mind. He did not want him to worry more than was necessary.

"That's good. Can I see her?" Deeks asked nodding at his words. He was glad that physically the girl would be okay, though he doubted mentally would be as good. She had just lost her mother after all, and was now forced to deal with a stranger for a father. Oh god, how was this going to work? No don't think about that. One step at a time.

"Of course. She is currently with Mandy Dell from CPS. We had to call them you understand, we didn't know if we would be able to find you." Davis replied turning towards the doors which would lead them to the room the girl was currently in.

"Until you ran my name and discovered I was a cop." Deeks nodded. He understood the need to call CPS. They had a child who's only known parent had just died. CPS were the first on a long list of people you called in that case. He had no problems with them being there. And hey, maybe they could help him sort out what he would need to look after his daughter.

"Yes." Davis agreed, though he said nothing more as they came the room that held the child.

Deeks looked through the window at the sleeping girl, she had a mass of blond curls covering her head and facial features, and her arm was stuck out of the covers already in a plaster cast. She was small, but then she was four. He had no idea what was the normal size of a four year old girl. He couldn't believe he was looking at his daughter for the first time. That was his child. He was her father. He was pulled from his thoughts by a lady who he hadn't even seen, coming out of the room and turning towards him and Captain Davis.

"Captain, I presume this is Detective Deeks?" the lady said in a no nonsense voice. She was the type of woman whom he imagined did not suffer fools gladly.

"Yes. Deeks, this is Mandy Dell." Davis replied doing the introductions between the two people who had within their power to decide the fate of the child in the room in front of them.

"Pleased to meet you. So what happens now?" Deeks asked shaking her hand confidently as he turned his full attention on the woman who could take his daughter away from him if she so wished to. No he was not letting that happen. He may not have been there for Alayna for the first four years of her life, but he would damn well be there for the rest of them.

"Well as you have been named Alayna's next of kin, it is up to you." Mandy responded with a shrug, even while she studied the man in front of her with shrewd eyes. She knew that until a few minutes ago he had not known he had a daughter, and she wanted to see how he was taking the news. To see how he would treat the child who was currently in her care. Wanted to see if he was the right sort of person to raise the young girl.

"How so?" Deeks asked with a frown. What did she mean it was up to him? Surely there was paperwork he needed to fill out taking legal guardianship of his daughter, how was that up to him?

"If you wish to keep her, then you can. Though we will obviously be monitoring you both as you have not been in her life before. If you do not she will be placed in care." Mandy replied simply as if it was obvious, though at her words Deeks eyes narrowed. How could she possibly think he would not want to care for his daughter? How could she possibly even consider putting his child in care?

"No! She's my daughter. I'll look after her." he stated in a growl, already feeling protective of the child whose life was about to change is an unimaginable way.

"Good. Miss Casey left all her belongs to you, including everything Alayna owns. I have her apartment address, you will need to sort through it all. We will also have to make sure you own home is suitable for a child…" Mandy rattled off, pleased with the response she had gotten to her suggestion of taking the child into care. She was glad that Detective Deeks was willing to be a father to his daughter. She would need someone there for her.

But as Mandy looked up she realised that the detective was no longer listening to her, and was instead staring into the room at the child asleep. She couldn't help but smile at the lost look in his eyes. He looked like all new parents did when confronted with their child for the first time. Therefore taking pity on him she spoke in a gentler tone. "Mr Deeks, do you have someone you can call? I have a feeling you are going to need some help."

Deeks' first, automatic thought was to call Kensi, but he couldn't do that. She was off doing god knows what god know where. He couldn't think of anyone else. It wasn't like he could call Sam or Callen was it? I mean sure they were team mates, but this was a whole different level. This was personal. He was about to say no, when the answer hit him. There was one person he could call. One person he knew he could count on.

"Yeah. There is." He answered already pulling his phone out of his pocket. He needed to call Hetty. She would help him, he was sure of it.