Sam and Callen left the bullpen towards the parking lot, bickering as usual followed by Deeks and Kensi. Hetty turned away from the bull pen smiling and sipping her coffee and muttered "They grow up so fast."
Deeks deliberately walked at a slow pace, setting up the pace for his Partner as well. Kensi noticed how quiet Deeks was and tried to decipher his thoughts. Deeks is not known to share any serious thoughts with the Team. He always deflects everything with a joke and that made the task harder for Kensi.
"Deeks!" Kensi addressed her partner as she failed to understand why her Partner was silent.
"Yes!" he replied in a monotone voice, so different from the lively voice that always had laughter.
"Deeks!" Kensi stressed on the word to communicate the worry she was feeling. She stopped Deeks by grasping his arm.
"Kensi!" Deeks warned with his voice and his eyes to let it go. Having never been on the receiving end of a warning from her Partner, Kensi was surprised.
"What is wrong with you? You were fine a few minutes ago." Kensi argued anyway.
Deeks wiggled his arm off from Kensi's grasp. "Nothing is wrong with me. I just remembered I have plans this weekend and I will not be available for the baby-sitting duties." Deeks replied and hurried away from his stunned partner. He's always cracks an inappropriate joke when she asked something like that and almost never shakes her away like that.
Kensi thought of following her partner and if necessary interrogate him but knew better to give him space. She hated being hounded by her Partner when she got cranky and wasn't about to subject her Partner to the same. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Kensi headed towards her car.
"Kensi" Sam's voice stopped Kensi from opening her car door.
"Sam" Kensi was surprised to find him still in the parking lot. Sam and Callen left a good five minutes before her Partner dropped the bombshell on her.
"Can you baby-sit without Deeks?" Kensi was surprised at the request.
"Why?" Kensi asked a simple question.
"Nothing Kensi…I just don't want him anywhere near my kids."
"I understand that but I want to know why." Kensi reiterated her question.
"It's nothing, really. Just…" Sam trailed off.
"Sam, Deeks is my Partner and someone I trust more than anyone else in this world…Yes, I mean I trust him more than I trust Hetty or even myself. I want to know…no…I need to know why a Senior Member of my Team is so intent on not allowing him to help me take care of the said Senior Member's children." Kensi's voice rose.
"He's got bad tradecraft. He can be spotted very easily…C'mon, Kens…He was shot to get to you because they couldn't find us. Do you honestly believe he wouldn't lead someone like Sidorov to my house and reveal that Quinn is just a cover for my wife?" Sam tried to reason.
"You and I both know that Sidorov has no way of knowing who Deeks is or for that matter who I am. Why do you hate my Partner?" Kensi was getting angrier as everything fell into place; her Partner's mood swing earlier and he rescinding his offer to help her watch Sam's kids.
"I don't hate Deeks…I just don't trust…" Sam trailed off searching for words to explain what he doesn't trust in Deeks.
"Wow! And you delivered that with a straight face." Kensi's voice clearly indicated her frustration and anger at Sam.
"Kensi, it's not like that…It's just…" Sam tried to explain only to be cut off by Kensi.
"You know what. Don't tell me. You're in luck. My Partner has plans this weekend and wouldn't be able to help me watch your kids." Kensi snapped and left a stunned Sam behind in the parking lot.
Hetty viewed the confrontation on a live security cam and pursed her lips. This trust issue between Sam and Marty needs to be solved soon or the Team wouldn't remain a Team. "Oh! Bugger!" Hetty muttered as nothing came to her mind that would tell her why Marty is not a trusted teammate for Sam.
Kensi headed straight to Marty's apartment but he was not there. His car was not in its usual parking place. Sighing deeply, she headed towards his favorite hangouts and couldn't find him anywhere. She headed to her own home, hoping that she could talk to him the next day when they meet at work.
Lieutenant Roger Bates was just about to lock his cabin and leave for the day when he heard a voice he didn't expect to hear anytime soon.
"Lieutenant Bates." The voice called. Bates turned around in surprise and questioned, "What are you doing here, Deeks? I'm not aware of any cross jurisdiction cases."
"I'm not here about any NCIS case. I just wanted to know if you need an undercover this weekend." Something in Marty's voice sent alarms ringing in the Lieutenant's brain.
"I know we have some long-term undercover ops but I am not sure if any of the lead detectives need an undercover only for this weekend." Roger replied.
"Could you check and let me know?" Deeks almost pleaded for an assignment. Bates hesitated only for a second before opening his cabin door. He needs to know why Deeks is desperate for an assignment this weekend.
"Talk to me, Deeks." Roger's authoritative tone would've made any other Detective or Officer under his command singing but not Deeks.
"I know I haven't been available for any undercover operations over the past few years but here I am." Deeks replied.
"I have assigned you to NCIS as a LAPD Liaison because it would ease the red tape and help us collaborate better with the cases. I need you working there and not on the streets for LAPD." Bates tried a different approach.
"I'm off on this weekend from NCIS. So, if you've got a job, I'm here to take it." Deeks replied.
Though Bates was getting frustrated, he knew that when Deeks is in this mood, it's almost impossible to get any information from him or to deviate him from the path he is on. Thinking swiftly, he hit a few keys on his computer and a few more mouse clicks and replied. "Right now, I don't see any ops that need an undercover only for the weekend. I will talk to other departments and let you know. Get some rest tonight."
"OK. I'll call you bright and early tomorrow." Deeks left the Lieutenant's cabin.
Once the Lieutenant was sure that Deeks was out of earshot, he called Hetty.
"Lange" Hetty's professional and genial voice answered the call.
"What happened with Deeks?" Bates skipped the pleasantries.
"He came to you?" Hetty evaded the question with one of her own.
"Yeah and he was looking for an undercover operation for this weekend." Bates conceded some ground. Hetty let out a breath of frustration.
"Please Ms Lange. Tell me that you haven't changed your mind about hiring him. He deserves better than the treatment he gets here at LAPD." The Lieutenant's voice was borderline begging.
"I'll deal with it and no I haven't changed my mind. The ball is in his court Mr Bates." Hetty replied.
Once the call ended, Hetty looked at her tea and sighed. I need something a lot stronger than that. Hetty pulled out the scotch from her desk drawer.