The morning dawned bright and early for the Director of Operations at the Los Angeles Office of Special Projects for NCIS.

Hours before the day was set to officially begin, the petite woman unlocked the secluded entrance and slipped inside.

The click of her heels penetrated the silence and echoed in the stillness as she made her way through the building.

She loved early mornings when nobody else was there yet. This was her time to greet her favorite environment, to reacquaint herself with the tranquil atmosphere that would soon enough be broken by the arrival of others.

She ascended the single step up to her open office area, habitually pausing at the front of her desk to turn and take in the familiar scene before her eyes.

Long gone were Hetty Lange's collection of treasured antiquities. Her flowered china tea service had been absent for almost a decade now.

When she'd left, she'd taken most of her things with her.

The intricately carved wooden desk still remained, as beautiful as ever thanks to many years of care and polishing.

But the rest of the things that had made the space personal to Hetty Lange had vacated when she did.

Nell had been surprised that Hetty had stayed on as long as she had. And yet she was surprised again when the older woman had finally put in her resignation for the very last time.

Hetty had enjoyed her retirement for a couple more good years until she'd peacefully passed away in her sleep one night.

Someone else had taken her place as Director, and sat at the desk, and made the space and the position theirs.

And when that person eventually moved on too, Nell had felt that it was her duty and her place to take up the torch where it had been left off.

Six years now, she'd been the Director of Operations. Eric had taken her out for dinner to celebrate her getting the job only twelve days after he'd already taken her out for their wedding anniversary.

My, how the time flew. And she loved every day of it.

Especially the Mondays.

Today was Monday. And today was doubly special, for today was also the first day on the job for her newest agent.

And he'd just walked in, right on the heels of the second person to enter the OSP this morning.

Martin Deeks, Jr. Or rather, Martin Blye, as he preferred to be known professionally.

Special Agent Martin Blye was recently hired to replace the agent Nell was losing in two weeks: none other than Special Agent Kayla Deeks.

Nell was disappointed to lose Kayla, but she understood her young agent's desire to branch out to other things and she didn't begrudge the girl for wanting to explore her future's vast opportunities.

After three years at NCIS, Kayla felt restless and eager to try something new. Not necessarily something better — (what could be better than the work they did?) — but definitely something new.

She had a thirst for experience, and her thirst would not be quenched by staying in one place all of her life.

Kayla had given her two-week notice one week ago, and it had taken exactly that long to find a replacement.

It was pure coincidence that Agent Deeks' own brother would fill her vacated position. Nepotism played no part — Nell would not allow that even of herself — and it was a favor given to no one.

Martin had simply been the best candidate who'd applied for the job. And after this day was over, he could decide if this was really where he wanted to be.

It was going to be a little odd having a Blye and a Deeks working together again at the OSP after so many years had passed since the original pair had left.

Nell grinned to herself. She could almost taste the tension brewing in the air.

There was a slight flavor of the old times…but it was different this time around.

Whereas the first Deeks and Blye had an unmistakable electricity in their partnership, the only spark between this Deeks and Blye was a healthy dose of true sibling rivalry.

Yes, these two Federal Agents were also siblings. And on the surface (and to those who really didn't know them), that appeared to be pretty nearly the only thing that they had in common.

Kayla mostly took after Deeks — both of them had unruly blonde hair and cheerful, teasing dispositions.

But her younger brother Martin was much more like Kensi, with his darker hair and somewhat reserved countenance.

Nell knew that Martin Deeks, Jr. had adopted his mother's maiden name only to maintain his own professional identity separately from his sister's and his father's.

He wanted to make his own way in the world, and it was not going to be on the merits of his family or anyone else.

Martin (Deeks) Blye had integrity and grit — things that Nell valued in her agents. He was skilled and effective, and easily liked by all who knew him well.

That was not to put Kayla Deeks down in any way whatsoever. She was an exceptional agent —smart, determined, loyal. And with a sense of humor and confidence that helped to keep her from dwelling on the horrors that the job often brought.

The other two agents on her best team were great, too. Nell had no doubt that Martin would fit in with them as Kayla had.

Nell's keen hearing allowed her to eavesdrop on her two agents in question as they bickered like the true siblings that they were.

What a flashback to Deeks and Kensi. It was safe to say that the apples didn't fall far from the trees.

Kayla leaned back comfortably in her chair, serenely regarding the newest agent who sat at the desk kitty-corner from hers in the bullpen.

"I'm leaving you some pretty big shoes to fill, little brother," she voiced across the small distance, deliberately making the two-year difference in their ages sound more like ten. "You sure you're up for it?"

Martin didn't miss his sister's teasing tone, nor the impish sparkle in her eyes. "Whatever you got — bring it on," he answered simply and seriously.

"I mean, I don't want to see you make a big mistake," she egged ruthlessly, trying to coax a laugh out of him. Or at least a smile. "You know I care — you're like a brother to me, Marty."

"I am your brother," he reminded her tightly, unappreciative of her constant jabbing. "And would you please stop calling me 'Marty'? My name is Martin."

Her teasing quickly fizzled, but Kayla couldn't help saying, "Oh, lighten up. You're too much like Mom."

"Well, maybe you're too much like Dad," Martin countered smoothly. "The both of you never take anything seriously."

This was not a new argument for them; they both loved their parents and each other…but their equally strong personalities had always clashed as they grew up together and it didn't seem to be easing up in their adulthood either.

It was a good thing they would only be working together for one week. Nell had already had a few misgivings about putting them on the same team for even a single day.

But knowing them as she did, Nell trusted these two to put the team and the job ahead of their personal differences and make it work.

"I take plenty of things seriously," Kayla rebutted, the humor dropping from her voice as her brother's verbal barb hit its target. "I just don't let it get me down like you tend to do."

Martin held back a grin at her swift change in temper. Sometimes he only pretended to be annoyed with her just because it was fun to push her buttons too.

Kayla was more like their mom than she wanted to admit. And Martin knew that he wasn't really all that different from their dad, either.

They were kind of a stubborn little family, prone to lovingly irritating the daylights out of each other whenever possible.

Don't get him wrong; he was immensely proud of his sister, just as she was enormously proud of her brother.

And they'd have each other's back out there in the field — no problem.

And he'd dip into her hidden stash of junk food at the first opportunity.

Martin blended almost seamlessly with the team, partnering up with each of the three other members for a while to get better acquainted one-on-one.

Jessica Thomas was the senior field agent and team leader, working mostly with Ian Carson at her side but still game for the occasional partner-swap to keep things interesting.

Martin's usual partner would be Agent Tara Snyder, since her old partner Kayla was the one leaving.

He'd been part of it for only one day so far, but he liked this team already. They were good people, and good agents.

And he could tell that Agent Carson appreciated there being another guy on the team — Martin felt sort of bad for the other man, having to work with three bossy and headstrong women all day.

Nothing better than evening out the playing field.

Yep, he was going to fit in just fine here. He'd already proved his value twice today — first, when he tackled a fleeing suspect who had at least a one-hundred-pound advantage over him…and later, when he'd talked a distraught victim into relinquishing a gun she'd had pointed at their actual criminal.

In all, it had been a pretty good day. Eventful…exciting…and it felt good to know he'd made a difference, even as small as it was in the grand scheme of things.

And then there was his sister.

A fantastic agent, even if her reflexes weren't always quick enough to keep her from getting hit.

She'd taken a steel pipe to the shoulder and endured it like a champ, not even taking half a second to shake it off before flinging her attacker to the ground and drawing her gun to keep him there.

Martin pressed an ice pack against his sister's bruised shoulder, allowing a small smile to grace his face. "Just couldn't help yourself, could you?" he teased lightly. "Trying to go out in a blaze of glory?"

Kayla's own hand covered the ice pack as her brother stepped around to perch on the edge of her desk. "It's not exactly what I was going for," she answered evenly. "But I guess it sounds good in theory, huh?"

"Well…I won't tell Dad if you don't tell Mom," Martin bargained, just one of the many secrets they'd kept for each other over the years.

Kayla accepted that immediately. "Deal." She gave him a long look, one that he easily recognized.

He was almost afraid to ask, but he did anyway. "What?"

Kayla's lips blossomed into a full grin. "I think Tara likes you."

"Agent Snyder?" Martin enunciated deliberately, attempting to keep the conversation on a professional tilt and failing to do so.

She nodded. "Yep."

He wasn't blind to the spark between himself and Tara, either. But he also wasn't going to give his sister the satisfaction of his acknowledging it.

"We are partners, alright?" he reminded her. "Nothing more."

"Okay." Kayla shrugged, her face and tone implying clearly that she didn't believe him the least bit about his new partnership being strictly platonic.

But Martin knew the argument was far from over. "Stop it."

"What?" she laughed.

"You have that look. Knock it off."

She snickered at his warranted paranoia, and couldn't help adding one more significant thing. "Mom and Dad were partners. And look how they ended up."

Martin scoffed, rolling his eyes in genuine humor at his sister's stubborn persistence. "You just had to go there, didn't you?"

"I'm just saying — sometimes that's where it starts. And now they've got twenty-seven years of marriage, two grown kids, and a house with a pool."

Martin pushed himself away from the desk he leaned against, ending the conversation once and for all. "You're crazy…and I'm going home. Goodnight."

He bent down to give Kayla a brief brotherly hug, mindful to avoid her bruised shoulder.

They might harass each other constantly and argue nonstop, but at the end of the day they were still close siblings and that would probably never change.

"Goodnight, Bro," she bid farewell to his retreating back. "See you tomorrow."

Martin collected his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he left.

He scrolled through the contacts and chose one to call, hearing two rings before the line was answered.

"Hey, Pop," Kayla heard Martin warmly greet their father through the phone as he disappeared from her sight.

Alone in the bullpen now, she leaned back in her chair and surveyed her surroundings in the quiet of the OSP.

She was going to miss this place when she was gone. But law school wasn't forever, and maybe someday she'd be an NCIS agent once again.

It was in her blood, after all. And in her brother's.

Another smile came to her face as she recalled a phrase her dad had favored as she and Martin were growing up.

He'd often and affectionately called them his 'little ninja assassins'. And their mom would always smile mysteriously like it was some secret joke between them.

Kayla would have to give them a call tonight too, and brag freely about Martin's first day on the job without him being within earshot of hearing it.

She pulled out her own phone and called her mother's cell number. "Hi, Mom. It's me."

Although her mom was on the other end, Kayla could faintly hear her dad's voice coming through the phone, too.

She figured they were probably sitting right next to each other as they talked to both of their kids on separate cell phones at the same time.

Her parents were quirky like that. They'd even been known to text each other when they were already sitting closely side-by-side.

Martin Deeks, Sr. absently ran his fingers back and forth over the top of his wife's bare foot where it rested cozily in his lap.

He'd been in the middle of giving her a foot massage when their son had called his cell phone, and not five minutes later Kensi's phone had rang with their daughter on the other end.

After a while, he traded phones with his wife so he could talk to their daughter too and she could converse with their son.

Even though they all lived relatively near to each other in Los Angeles and got together pretty often, it was still always nice to talk to them on the phone whenever they could.

Eventually, the phone calls ended and it was just Deeks and Kensi alone together again.

Just barely into their sixties now, they were still just as much in love with each other as they ever were.

With an impish gleam in his eyes, Deeks shoved Kensi's half-massaged feet off his lap and slid over so he could put his arms around her instead.

And Kensi accepted that happily. If she couldn't have his hands on her feet, at least she could have his arms around her body.

She turned just enough slide her own arms around him.

There was still electricity in their kisses, and passion in their hearts.

Deeks and Kensi had made a very good life together…and a great family with their (now grown-up) little ninja assassins.

They were very proud of the careers their children had chosen.

Back in the first few years of their partnership on the job, Deeks had teased Kensi about wanting 'little ninja assassins', and even commented once that they'd be 'fighting for the side of justice'.

He'd had no idea at the time just how right he would be.