TIRED
A/N: This story is an idea that's been rattling around on my brain ever since I read, in an interview with Shane Brennan, that Kensi and Deeks might be separated at some point this season. This, therefore, is just what I think ought to happen. Enjoy! Oh, and please feel free to leave lots of reviews/comments on your way out – they are always greatly appreciated. Thanks
Chapter One
Our story opens to find Deeks, standing deep in meditation, within the confines of his own home shower….
Steam fills the tiny space around him, engulfing him, as droplets of hot water beat down upon him from the showerhead above. He lowers his head, breathing even and eyes closing tight, and lets the warmth of the water permeate every inch of his muscular body as he loses himself in thoughts of the day.
It's been a trying one, to say the least, but nothing about it weighs more heavily upon his heart than the untimely news he received from NCIS' favorite Assistant Director.
In the Bullpen, at OSP—
It was another slow, unassuming day steeped in the mundane stench of long hours spent filling out long overdue, case-related paperwork. The kind of tedious thing that would most assuredly leave an unwelcome taste in anyone's mouth after just a few hours endured. The paperwork in question was stacked unnervingly high, and in over-engorged piles, about the solid oak desks of OSPs three crack agents and one resident LAPD liaison.
The hands on the wall clock, mounted just over the entrance to the bullpen, silently neared the late hour of 5 o'clock in the evening when the deafening silence was at last broken by the quiet murmurings of the shaggy-haired LAPD Detective.
"Man, what I wouldn't give for a break from this nightmare." He whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. A snort of amusement then came from his partner across the way.
The Detective lifted his gaze, eyebrow raised, and watched as the beautiful brunette that was his partner made her way over to the tiny fridge near the back of the space where she retrieved, for herself, a cold bottle of water.
"What?" he questioned, his tone only slightly defensive as he eyed his partner carefully.
"Nothing. I just forgot that sitting still for long periods of time is a problem for you." Kensi teased, as she unscrewed the cap from her bottle of water.
Her playful jabs and infectious smirk have always been a source of undoing for the blonde Detective, and this time was no different. He covered himself though, as was so often his nature, with a brilliant return quip of his own.
"Forgive me, Fern. I forgot you actually like being cooped up inside for hours on end." The Detective retorted with a smirk. He knew that the use of his 'nickname' for her would get a delicious rise out of the dark-haired beauty in addition to the rest of his fiery quip.
"And there off." Callen muttered under his breath, with a look of amusement cast in his partner's direction.
Sam sighed in defeat as he muttered incoherent nothings of frustration directed, not just at the two junior members of the team, but also at his own partner as he unceremoniously stuffed a hand down inside one of his jeans pockets.
"You owe me fifty bucks, partner." Callen whispered cheerfully.
"You got lucky, G." Sam spat unhappily, as he passed several small bills under the table into the waiting hands of his partner.
Kensi glared at her partner, eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a thin line, over the use of his silly little pet name for her. "Deeks." The tone of her voice warned against the further use of anymore childish nicknames.
The shaggy-haired surfer cop just couldn't resist though, and so took his fate into his own hands as he decided to charge in, 'guns-ablazing', once more. "And, just for the record Princess—I'll have you know I am fully capable of going long periods of time without moving even an inch. Though I do rather enjoy more physically strenuous activities…you know, the kind that require great amounts of endurance." The quick-witted Detective made sure to wiggle his eyebrows at her for added effect.
Kensi only scowled at her partner and his sexual innuendos, and all the while hoped like all hell that the others wouldn't notice her blush. "Deeks, shut up." She snapped, trying her best to sound angry.
This was their game. The back and forth banter, the innocently flirtatious remarks, and the silly nicknames were all part of an elaborate dance the two often engaged in, as they skirted dangerously around the precipice of their true feelings-neither one quite yet brave enough to take that one final step over the edge. In essence, it was their 'thing' and had been for quite some time.
Deeks' cell phone vibrated in his jeans pocket then, and signaled the arrival of a new text message. He fished it out, rather unceremoniously at that, and after briefly eying the name on the Caller ID-pressed 'accept'.
Mr. Deeks-My office, now. Come alone.
His partner peered over his shoulder, as he read in silence, and though she did not speak, still he could hear the gentle in and out of her breathing as she hovered just near his ear.
"That tickles." He whispered, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Oh, sorry." She apologized sheepishly, not bothering to actually alter her position in any way. "Who's it from?" she asked next, referring to the text.
"Hetty." He replied quite simply, as his fingers danced over the touch screen of his Iphone ensuring that the text was cleared from its memory. "She needs to see me." He added, as he began to remove himself from his desk and Kensi made her way back to her own.
"See you about what?" Kensi questioned, curious as to what their boss might want with her partner. She plopped down into her seat once more, and watched as her partner meandered his way around behind the other desks so as to pass directly behind hers on his way out of the bullpen.
Deeks stopped himself just before passing his partner's desk, a wicked gleam in his eyes, as he leaned in close bravely invading her precious personal space. "I haven't the foggiest, my little Ferny fern. But I guess there's only one way to find out. Now isn't there?" he teased, a smirk plastered upon his face, as he gently tapped a finger against the top of her nose.
If only looks could kill, then Deeks might very well already be dead and buried after that little stunt.
LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA
The liaison officer strolled into the office of one Henrietta Lange, some seconds later, and found that the tiny woman was not at all alone in said space. Instead, she was accompanied by a rather stern looking Assistant Director Owen Granger.
Granger. The man had been such a pesky and irritating thorn in their side almost since day one. He was one of those people who, when he spoke, it was like watching Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean—only more refined and well educated. With Granger, one never could quite decipher the truth, if any existed, in the words that passed his lips when his mouth was open.
Deeks decided then, that whatever the reason he'd been called into Hetty's office, if Granger was involved it probably wasn't anything good or pleasant.
"Hetty." The Detective greeted the tiny operations manager simply.
"Mr. Deeks. Please, have a seat." The tiny woman greeted her liaison officer with a thin smile, and a sweep of her hand in the direction of the only other available seat.
"Detective." Granger nodded, his voice almost totally devoid of emotion.
"Assistant Director." Deeks returned the simple gesture in an attempt to at least seem courteous.
As Deeks took the seat offered him by the 'tiny ninja', as he so affectionately called her, he couldn't help but notice an unnerving grimness set behind the woman's thin smile. It made him cringe inwardly as terrible thoughts pushed their way into the forefront of his conscious thoughts. He became then all the more certain that whatever he was about to hear-it would not be pleasant.
...TBC...
…Stay Tuned For Scenes From Our Next Episode…
Excerpt from Chapter Two-
"Your plans, Detective." Granger said, in that low voice that would set anyone on edge upon hearing it. "Might wanna cancel them. Indefinitely." His tone remained indifferent.
"Come again?" Deeks shifted uneasily in his seat, and flashed that slightly crooked grin that was reserved for only those rare occasions in which he felt most nervous. One look at Hetty, and the seasoned Detective knew he wasn't going to like what came next.
Hetty took the opportunity to slide an otherwise unassuming looking manila folder across the oaken desktop until it came to rest just inches from the liaison officer's finger tips. The slight hesitation in her movements did not go unnoticed by the shaggy-haired surfer cop, and the unease he saw in her body language only served to further heighten his already growing anxiety.
His pacific blue eyes gazed unflinchingly at the simple object set before them, its implications far from lost on him, and the only thought his mind could muster, at the sight of the oh so obvious L.A.P.D. scrawl that covered the front tab, was a resounding 'Damn you Bates'.
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