A/N:- My idea of how I'd like "Spoils of War" to start.
Disclaimer:- I don't own any of this. but then, you already knew that. ;)

The bullpen was empty when Marty Deeks (LAPD Detective and NCIS Liaison) arrived for work. That in itself wasn't all that unusual; Sam was always here ridiculously earlier than was justifiably required, and Callen seemed to actually sleep there most nights. Those nights when he wasn't out with his new girlfriend, of course. But the senior agents were probably in the gym, or the firing range, honing skills that already put the best of the best to shame. So Deeks put his bag down, flopped down at his desk and fired up his laptop. There was paperwork to be done. There was always paperwork to be done. And if he didn't want Hetty – or worse, Nell – breathing down his neck about it, he may as well start now.

When he opened up his emails, he saw he had a new one, and did a double take at the sender; Kensi. Deeks pulled a confused face. His partner wasn't supposed to send him emails directly, they were only supposed to chat through the encrypted site that Nell had set up for them. Heck even their selfie-sending spree could get them into a lot of trouble if it were ever discovered.

Still, he hadn't heard from his partner in three days. He hoped she was okay, over there in Afghanistan, doing whatever it was she was doing. He opened the email. There was no subject, no content. Just a file attachment, that opened up a video.

It was Kensi, looking a beautiful as ever, despite the somewhat wild look in her mismatched eyes. Behind her, Deeks could make out what looked like a mobile home bedroom, probably the one she was staying in.

"Oh, what?" he breathed to himself. "Is she sending me porn now?"

On the screen, Kensi adjusted the angle of the camera, before sitting down on the bed. Her hair was a tangled mess, like she'd got helmet hair that she either hadn't had the time to deal with, or didn't care about at all.

"Deeks," she said. "Deeks, if you're getting this video, it means I missed my third scheduled log-in, and this was programmed to send to you automatically. I…"

She trailed off, licking her lips. She glanced around, letting out a soft laugh that held a world of disbelief.

"I couldn't tell anyone else. Hetty thinks there's a mole here, and even if there wasn't, it wouldn't make any difference. Nothing makes sense any more, it's like the world got jerked upside down. Granger, Booker, Sabatino… I can't get my head straight. But I do know one thing for sure; you're the only person I trust.

"I've seen him. Don't ask me how he's here, or what he's doing here, but I've seen him. I've seen Jack."

'Jack'? Deeks racked his mind for a 'Jack'. Then the realisation hit him, like a blow to the stomach. Jack. Kensi's Jack, her ex-fiancé.

Kensi paused on the screen, before swallowing and taking the plunge. "And I think he's with the insurgents."

If the first blow had winded Deeks, this one almost doubled him over in pain. His mind span, racing, slipping, refusing to focus on anything. On the screen, Kensi was clearly struggling with the same reactions.

"I have to know for sure. Maybe it's being over here that's playing tricks with my mind, making me see ghosts from nine years ago, but… but I doubt it. So I have to know. Why he's here, what happened, why… why he left me. I'm going to take a horse, and I'm going to head deeper into their territory. I have to know, Deeks. If you're getting this, it's been three days since I left, and… well, you can guess the rest.

"I'm so sorry, Deeks. And I want you to know this doesn't change anything. I still lo…"

She stopped suddenly, head snapping towards the door. After a brief pause, she got up slowly, creeping off screen, before returning a moment later and leaning closer to the camera.

"Okay, I only have a small window, I gotta go. I hope you never get this message."

Kensi leant forward again, and the footage cut out instantly.

Deeks' head felt light, his thoughts swimming, and he closed the laptop. He sat there for a moment, until he suddenly became aware that someone was speaking to him. He blinked, shaking his head, and turned to see the Operations Manager standing by his side.

"The others are waiting for you up in Ops," Hetty said. "You have a case."

"You knew about this?" he accused, pointing towards the laptop. "You knew she was missing?"

"She would be?" asked Hetty.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about," Deeks retorted. Hetty stared at him through her thick rimmed glasses. For a moment, Deeks almost shied back, before his drew himself up straighter and met her gaze.

"Director Granger is searching for Miss Blye even as we speak. And believe me when I tell you, Detective, he will not rest until he has found her."

"But you know you can't trust him. That's why you sent Kensi on her mole hunt, isn't it?"

Hetty shook her head slowly. "Before very careful of your accusations, Mr Deeks. Now I suggest you head upstairs, for your next briefing."

"No."

Hetty blinked, the largest look of surprise Deeks had ever seen on the woman's face. "I'm sorry?" she asked, head cocked to one side.

"You heard me, Hetty," Deeks said, shocked by how level his voice was. Inside, he wanted nothing more than to scream, and yell, and rage against the world. "I don't care what the next case is, and I don't care if you fire me right now. I'm going to find my partner, and I'm going to bring her home."

Hetty observed Deeks a moment, eyes weighing him up. "If that's your decision, then I must respect it," she said eventually, shaking her head softly. "I suggest you equip yourself. I'll reassign the case, and have Mr Callen and Mr Hanna meet you in the armoury."

She began to walk towards the stair case, then paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "You're going to Afghanistan."