A/N: So, halfway through writing part two of Like A Date one of my old writing buddies challenged me to write a one-shot a day for any fandom for a full month. Now, I've already done that so I tried to push myself a little further this time. I went out and found forty prompts and tweaked them a little to fit the NCIS:LA characters.

Most of these will heavily feature Nell and Eric because they're adorable and there simply isn't enough love for these two. I do, however, have a few Densi chapters planned and a couple of team-fics. All the chapters are related, no 'alternate universe/time lines' or anything of the sort here.

Anyway, without further ado, I sincerely hope you enjoy reading these as much as I have enjoyed writing them...

Disclaimer: I shall say this once and once only, I do not now, nor will I ever likely, own NCIS: Los Angeles. Okay?

1 - Subtle

They banter back and forth all the time; however Hetty can read the things that remain unsaid.

Over the years Henrietta Lange had picked up many vital skills during her time in the field. She knew how to make a bomb out of household objects, when the best time to give up on negotiations and pull out her gun. She'd mastered several martial art forms and both taken and saved more lives than she was willing to count.

It was her time in politics that had refined certain abilities such as how to answer a question without saying anything, how to remain intentionally vague without appearing so and how to read between the lines.

On the quiet days, days such as today, when there were no pressing issues to concern her agent with or deaths to avenge, that Hetty would sit back sipping the latest exotic tea that an old friend had sent her and watch her team.

"I'm just saying, maybe we could just watch the game instead of going running again," Callen called across the desk area to his partner.

"Uh-huh, you sure it's not because you can't keep up, G?"

"I didn't say that. I just said maybe we could spend time bonding or something."

"You want to 'bond'," Sam mocked, tilting his head and smirking, "Mr 'Keeps-It-All-To-Himself' wants to bond? Okay, what should we talk about?"

"You know what? Forget it." Raising his hands in defeat, Callen returned to the half-finished report he was writing on the laptop.

"Actually, I was kind looking forward to watching this. Was gonna make some popcorn, you want some Kens?" Deeks interrupted, perched on the corner of Callen's desk until said agent threw his stapler at the detective.

Moving quickly and catching the flying object, Deeks barely paused for breath before continuing, "Oh. Wow, real nice. I was just trying to encourage you to open up, let all that aggression and pent-up emotion."

"If you're not careful, I'm going to release 'that aggression' on you." Callen warned.

"Kensi, little help here?"

Pushing her chair away from her desk and spinning the seat to look up at her partner, Kensi smiled, "Actually, I have a better idea, why don't we do something fun for all of us?"

Picking up on the glint in her eyes and the way Deeks immediately seemed to back up, Sam decided to join in, "I know that face, I like this idea already."

"Wait, what?" Deeks said, head moving from staring at Kensi and Sam.

"I'm with you two, let's do it." Callen agreed.

"Guys, what are we doing?" Deeks asked, moving back from the three agents.

Stopping to watch the team, Eric looked at Nell who moved the folders she was carrying in her arms and spoke up, "Erm guys?"

"What're you doing?" Eric finished for the younger analyst who was trying to gesture to the team. Pausing to take some of the files from his own partner he looked up at the agents who had cornered Deeks.

Knowing the team as well as he did, Eric understood almost immediately what the agents were planning after seeing the smile on Kensi's face. "Come on guys, that's just cruel!"

"What's cruel? Eric, what are they doing?" Deeks called out, trying to watch both the team and where he was going.

"You wanna tie him up G?" Sam asked as he caught hold of the detectives' arms.

"Sure, we'll let Kensi do the rest."

"What's Kensi going to do? Kens!" Deeks called seeing his partner turn around to face Nell and Eric.

"Nell, grab the scissors," Kensi told her as both Sam and Callen forced Deeks down into his chair.

Confused at the request the young analyst looked up and the technical operator who took pity on her and decided to explain.

"They're going to cut his hair." Eric announced, not even fazed by the situation and ignoring Deeks crying out how unfair everything was and that Hetty would save him.

That was until the operations manager herself came over to the group holding a pair of oversized scissors.

"Quite the opposite, Mr Deeks, I believe a hair cut would be an excellent idea." Over the years, if Henrietta Lange had learnt anything then it was that things are not always quite how they appear. Watching her liaison officer shrink back against the chair as she approached, crying out that he would do anything, anything, for her to not cut his precious long locks Hetty couldn't hold in the laugh any longer.

Sam and Callen released Deeks who jumped out of and behind the chair faster than she had ever seen him move while simultaneously glaring and smiling at his partner who simply shrugged and joined in with the laughter.

Yes, her team bickered like children and drove each other, and herself on occasions, 'up the walls' so to speak but Hetty could read between the lines.

A/N2: So, should I give up now? Or should I carry on?

Let me know in a review!