Trimming the Wick
An NCIS LA fic
By: Santana
Authors Notes: This was started about two years ago, and has been sitting on my mini which I rarely use. I fired it up this weekend and was peeping through my documents and found it…almost complete…crying for attention. So I caved. The continuity will not follow with the show, so I guess you can pretend it happens after the Season 4 finale. With this one done, maybe I can concentrate on getting the other ones done too.
Not beta'd, all mistakes are because of my hasty fingers. No copyright infringement is intended. Just something to get us through until we get more new eps. Please enjoy this humble offering!
NCIS:LA
Hetty walked through the darkened building toward her office. Most of the activity was centered around the tech area, with facial recognitions running on full size screens, along with targets being tracked. There was always an operation in the works, and with multiple, yet capable, teams under her watch, she was able to rotate them in and out of service with ease to ensure that each received down time and enough rest to keep them sharp for the next mission, whatever it might be. Thus the reason she found it a bit odd to find her newest charge asleep on the sofa. It wasn't the first time she had found one of her people taking up residence on the sofa, but it had been a while, especially since she had helped Callen find his way into a new home.
But this time it was Martin Deeks she found sleeping there. He looked pretty comfortable in his t-shirt, sweat pants and socks, curled on his side, mouth slightly open, causing his shaggy blonde hair to wisp with each exhalation of breath. In all honesty, her young liaison looked exhausted.
She allowed herself a fond smile for the young man as she covered him up, much like she had Callen, with the blanket that lay across the back of the couch. Deeks stirred slightly at the act, but shifted quickly back into sleep. Little did she know, this wouldn't be the only time she would find him here, nor would it be the only time that she would feel the need to take care of him.
She stood there for a moment, watching him curiously. Her sharp mind going over different scenarios that would lead the young man to be here...right now...on the couch. Pursing her lips, and arching a brow, she turned and made her way to her desk to check on his apartment lease...just to make sure everything was as it should be...nothing more. After all, she didn't like to pry into the affairs of her people.
Around six a.m. she heard a light chirp of a watch alarm, and looked up in time to see Deeks sit up, stretch, rub his face and yawn. He put on his tennis shoes and did a few warm up stretches, before heading out for a quick jog. She hadn't come up with anything on the home front, everything was as it should be, his rent had been paid a week early as it had been every month, since he had moved in three years ago.
Forty five minutes later he came back in, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the showers. By the time the rest of the team came rambling in, he was sitting at his desk, working on his second cup of coffee. He received a scowl from his partner, Kensi Blye, when she noticed he had a powdered doughnut, her favorite, and there were no more on the breakfast tray. He merely smiled, took a bite, and made a show of licking the powder from his lips..."Ummmm...so good.' He said, flashing one of his cheeky grins in her direction.
Before Callen and Sam had a chance to sit down, Eric was leaning over the upstairs banister, whistling to get their attention. Deeks reached for his breakfast with the intent of finishing it during the briefing, but a delicate hand snagged it first, and this time it was Kensi's turn to flash a cheeky grin..."Oooohh...you're right, it is good." She popped the last of it into her mouth.
"Was Kensi...not is...was..." He mumbled grumpily as he followed her upstairs.
NCIS:LA
One month later...
"Where's Deeks?" Sam asked Kensi as he tossed another file on her desk.
She looked up from her monitor, her eyes searching the large space. "Dunno. Haven't seen him this morning." She said around the ink pen between her teeth. Then went back to pecking out her report.
"He does realize that his shift started at eight right?" He asked, sitting down and making a show of looking at his watch. "It's twelve after eight now."
Removing the pen from her mouth, "I'm sure he does, but then again, this is Deeks we are talking about...he can be...forgetful at times...or should I say, he gets distracted. He's like a kid with ADHD, jacked up on mountain dew and chocolate." She said, never missing a beat on the keyboard.
"It's about time you showed up." Sam said, causing Kensi to look up. Deeks walked over to his desk and plopped down in his chair without saying a word. He took off his sun glasses and Kensi gasped at the black eye now revealed. A closer inspection revealed a busted lip and bruised cheek that looked pretty recent. "What happened!" She asked, shocked at the state of her partner.
"A Bad guy didn't think he needed to go to jail. He had to be persuaded that the cuffs were the perfect accessory for his outfit." Deeks said, wincing as he took a sip of his coffee.
"You were on a case?" Sam asked.
"I'm still a cop." Deeks said, his hackles up and feeling the need to defend himself. "I still work with the P.D." He was tired, and not in the mood to put up with being interrogated by his team mates.
Sam opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Callen walking by. "We've got a case. Let's go." Frowning, he got up and followed the rest of the team. He would get to the bottom of this...eventually.
NCIS:LA
Three Months later…
"Miss Blye...where is Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked, watching the young woman attack the punching bag with precision blows. Panting Kensi said, "Shower I think. I saw him come in a while ago." Before delivering another punch to the bag.
"He's been in there for a while, must really like those cold showers." Callen laughed, "Personally, I like them short and hot." He ducked, and lunged out of the way as Sam came after him. Their sparring session was a familiar dance between the two men. Sam smirked at Callen, "Hey Kensi, why don't you go and check on your partner." Sam said, after Hetty had walked away.
The younger agent froze mid strike, before finally hugging the bag to stop it's motion and peering around it at the two men still sparring. "Really guys? He's in the shower..." She whined slightly...it was obvious Deeks was rubbing off on her and the guys tried to hide their amusement.
'This could be fun.' Callen thought before speaking up, and backing Sam. "Well, he is your partner...your responsibility...but if you can't be professional about it..."
"Fine...but just know, I know what you two are up to." She stuck her tongue out at the men before turning on her heel and going towards the showers. Sam and Callen high-fived.
The mirrors were fogged, and Kensi could still hear water running in several of the showers...but she wasn't sure which one her partner was in. Standing just outside, to allow the others some privacy, she called out. "Deeks, the guys want you to come out and referee their sparring match. I think there's money involved..." No response. Two of the showers cut off, leaving only one running, and finally two people emerged, wrapped in towels, as they made their way to their lockers. Kensi turned her head slightly embarrassed. Oh...he was going to pay for this. "Deeks, you've been in here long enough...you're going to look like a prune." She stepped slowly into the shower area. Only, one curtain was closed. She walked slowly towards it, her stomach clinching as she did so. An inner voice told her that something was terribly wrong...but she also knew her partner and his knack for pranks. She pulled the curtain out just enough to peek in, but to still allow him some privacy. "Hey, didn't you hear..." no one was there. She snatched the curtain open and jumped back when she found him crumpled in the stall floor. She quickly turned off the water. "Someone call 911!" She yelled, before kneeling to check his pulse, and breathing a sigh of relief when she found it. "What happened to you..." She whispered, suddenly seeing the bruising on his ribs and what appeared to be a bullet graze on his upper arm.
"Kens?" He moaned, starting to stir.
She quickly grabbed a towel and covered him to try and warm him up and allow him a bit of modesty. "Shhhh...it's ok. I'm here. Help is on the way."
"Wha...what happened?" He blinked sluggishly, trying to bring his surroundings back into focus.
"You passed out...but you'll be alright. Just stay still." Kensi tried to coax.
"Easy for you to say...these tiles are freezing..." He hissed, "...really need to talk to Hetty about this shower timer situation." He tried to grin, but his eyes rolled back and he was out again.
"Deeks!...Stay with me!" Kensi felt panic starting to rise. It was an unfamiliar feeling that pushed her toward anger. "Where's that ambulance!" She yelled, just as the clack of heels on tile marked Hetty's arrival.
NCIS:LA
Hetty looked up to see Sam and Callen standing in front of her desk. "May I help you gentlemen?"
Callen crossed his arms over his chest. "What's going on with Deeks?"
"Yeah, this isn't the first time he's come in injured. Is he still working cases with the PD?" Sam chimed in.
Hetty capped her pen and gently laid it down before giving the two men her attention. "It would appear so."
"Well, what are we going to do about it. We can't have him out there risking his life when we need him here." Sam said.
"And what about his cover? If he's out there busting perps, then he runs the risk of being recognized by someone during a case. That puts all of us at risk." Callen added, while Sam nodded his agreement.
"Your concerns are duly noted and I will check into the situation. I must say, I'm happy that you have accepted him and that you are concerned for his well being." The older woman smiled slightly.
The men shuffled a bit. "I wouldn't go that far." Sam said.
"No...we're just thinking of the safety of the team." Callen added.
Hetty nodded in understanding. "Very well. In the mean time we have work to do."
Knowing that was their cue to leave, they did so, leaving Hetty with the unspoken assurance that Deeks was more a part of the team than they would ever admit. Now it was time to make it permanent. She reached for the phone to make a few calls. "Good Morning Commander Mitchell…..yes it has been a while...how have you been Frank?"
NCIS:LA
"You scared the crap out of me." Kensi said, sitting back in a chair with her feet propped up on the side of Marty's hospital bed.
"Really? You were that concerned?" Marty asked while looking through a fringe of blond hair at his partner.
"Of course I was concerned...do you know how much paper work I would have to do if I had found you dead in the shower?" She asked, quickly covering for a truth that she wasn't sure she wanted him to learn. She did care about him, but it wasn't something that she wanted to admit to quite yet. Especially after losing a partner not so long ago. Keeping him at a distance was the only safe thing to do...but safe for who?
"Oh." He said softly, looking down and fussing with the blanket that covered him.
Kensi didn't like the way her partner was acting. He seemed down and unsure of himself. "Hey, I saved you something." She said, tossing a cup of unopened Jello to him and smiling broadly.
His mouth quirked up a bit, but then his nose wrinkled. "You can have it." He tossed it back.
Confused, she looked at the container, then back at him. "But... you like warm Jello."
"Green...I like the green kind...that's orange...that's just gross when it's warm." He laid his head back and closed his eyes. He was so tired and his head was throbbing unbearably. 'Damn concussion.' He just wanted to go home and snuggle down in his own bed. "When can I get out of here." He sighed.
"No sponge baths?" Kensi teased, wanting desperately to lighten the mood of her partner; He seemed depressed.
"Nurse Debbie is on the ground floor. I don't think they would appreciate a special request to have her come up here just to give me a sponge bath….How's Monte doing? Who's taking care of him?"
"I am. He's been at my place since you were admitted…He's a cover hog, and he snores…just like his father I'll bet." She watched him closely, and was rewarded with a slight smile.
"Admit it, you liked what you saw in the shower…now you're just curious about everything about me. I hog the sheet, not the blankets…I don't snore….and I stay on my side of the bed…if you don't believe me, you'll have to find out for yourself." He looked at her slyly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He really felt like crap, in more ways than just the physical, and he was sure she knew it. Still, he tried to lighten the mood. "Please tell me you aren't cooking for my baby. He has a delicate stomach."
"No, I bought more of that expensive organic food that you were out of. By the way, he said he wants steak tonight…which sounds like a plan…I could go for one myself…about time Monte and I have a date, afterall, we are sleeping together." She smiled broadly at Deeks, who tried to laugh, then held his ribs and winced.
Sitting the Jello on the table, Kensi couldn't stand it anymore. Her curiosity was killing her, and it was obvious that her partner wasn't about to volunteer any information. "Deeks...what happened."
"I passed out." He peeped at her and grinned.
Rolling her eyes Kensi fought the urge to poke him. "Before you passed out...who did this to you?"
The grin faded and he closed his eyes again. Taking a deep breath, as much as his injured ribs would allow, he began, "I've been working undercover for the past few months...everything went down last night. The guy we were after and a few of his closest friends decided to throw a surprise party...surprise!" He said holding his hands out to his side. "They had decided to double cross their dealer, take the drugs and the money and eventually take over the distribution aspect of the dealers business."
"Did the dealer get away?"
"Yeah, but not without a few party favors."
"What happened to him? Is he in custody?"
Deeks looked around for a moment, taking in his surroundings, an act that Kensi found curious. "Sort of…he actually passed out in the shower. You found him." He said, wincing and holding his side.
"You were the dealer?" Kensi asked, her delicate eyebrows practically hitting her hairline.
Deeks smiled sadly and nodded. "Two other undercover officers were shot...one didn't make it. I'm not even sure if his family knows. I was supposed to do the notifications, but I wound up here instead." Seeing the question in his partners eyes, he added. "Yeah, we got 'em. It wasn't the way we wanted it, but whether in jail or dead, he and his gang won't be dealing any more...so I guess it's just as good an ending as any." Again he started worrying with his blanket. "Hetty is pissed at me huh?"
"I don't think so...not at you anyway. I'm sure she's not too happy with your superiors though. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you're the only one who's been by...so I just figured...well I really screwed up this time."
"Don't worry about it partner." she said, making sure she put emphasis on 'partner'. "You were doing your job. But someone should have let us know something…especially if you were injured."
Just then they were both distracted by the sound of the door opening. They were surprised to see Hetty instead of the doctor. "Yes Mr. Deeks. We should have been informed of your extra curricular activities….and your injuries as a result." She said, motioning to his injured body in the hospital bed. Deeks tried to sit up in bed, but Hetty stopped him. "As you were Mr. Deeks, you're in no condition to be moving around so much. You need to give your ribs a chance to heal without aggravation...which will give us time to get a few things straightened out. Miss Blye, could you give us a bit of privacy?"
"Oh sure..." Glancing nervously from her boss to her partner, she stood up and made her way to the door, but before she left she added, "hang in there partner."
Hetty made herself comfortable in the now empty chair. "Mr. Deeks, we have a very serious matter to discuss."
"Yeah, I was wondering when you would bring it up." He said, scratching his head nervously. He was finding it hard to be still.
"It seems you've been burning the candle at both ends for the last few months, and it may be time to trim the wick so to speak. I had your commander fax over a copy of your schedule and I have to say that I am not at all pleased by what I saw." Deeks was about to say something but Hetty held up a stilling hand. "First of all there is a matter of you sleeping at the office. Would you care to explain?"
"I only do it when a stakeout runs late. To save time and get a little more sleep, I just come straight to the office. I can get an extra hour of sleep when I would normally be hung up in rush hour traffic." He explained.
Hetty nodded. "That sounds like a pretty good reason, but I'd rather we didn't make it a habit. Now, about coming into work with the injuries you've had lately. It has been brought to my attention on several occasions, that you have been seen in less than desired condition."
"I'll admit that I've had a bruise or two, but it's nothing to be concerned about. I still did my job."
She smiled, and shifted her gaze to her hands. Her voice soft, but still authoritative, "Granted, but you have to realize that when you come into work with a black eye, it raises questions when you are out in the field...questions and suspicions. You want to blend in and go unnoticed, not stand out Mr. Deeks."
The young man had nothing to say, he knew this was going down hill fast, and didn't think he was going to like the final destination.
"Finally, we come to this." She waves her hand in his direction.
"It's really nothing." He tried, but was shot down when she looked over her glasses at him and arched a brow.
"Your nothing consists of three broken ribs, from a fight I presume. A gun shot wound..." when he was about to object, she added, "even though it's only a flesh wound, you suffered from excessive bleeding Mr. Deeks...thus the reason you fell in the shower and suffered a concussion. The officer on the scene of last nights operation said that you refused medical treatment. That is very reckless...no...I'm afraid this cannot go on."
She stood up and walked to the door, opened it and gestured for someone to come in. She held the door open as Callen, Sam, and finally Kensi walked into the small room. "I wanted you all here so that there would be no misunderstanding as to what is about to take place and so that I will not have to repeat myself. Mr. Deeks' current employment situation is no longer compatible with that of NCIS. I'm afraid that two jobs is a bit much for anyone to handle, especially when it comes to law enforcement. As of this moment, Mr. Deeks will no longer be burning the candle at both ends. Mr. Deeks, your assignment as liaison between the LAPD and NCIS is hereby being terminated.
Deeks looked up, shock filled his expressive blue eyes. "But...wait...I'm fired? Just like that?" He felt betrayed...this couldn't be happening.
Again Hetty held up her hand as she took out her phone and hit speed dial. "Director Vance, we're ready when you are..."
Through the speaker came the deep voice of Leon Vance. "Martin Deeks, please repeat after me..."
NCIS:LA
All the papers were signed, I's dotted and T's crossed and she had filled in the date herself. She looked at the young man, in the hospital bed, as she closed the folder. "Your badge please..." Hetty held out her hand and it was quickly filled with Deeks LAPD Badge. "You won't be needing this one any longer." She smiled as she slid the badge into her right pocket and from her left she pulled out another. "Welcome, Special Agent Martin Deeks, to the NCIS family." She handed him the badge, which he open and inspected while grinning.
"I'm really part of the team now...I mean REALLY." He said looking from the badge to everyone in the room...then realizing how goofy he must sound, he tried to tone it down a bit. "I mean, cool...it's about time."
"I'll expect better scores on your next round of assessment tests...that is if you would like to keep the badge...and your job Mr. Deeks." She finally couldn't hold back her smile. Her team was finally complete. Each person complimenting their partner perfectly.
"Yes ma'am." He said, relaxing at her smile, then he asked thoughtfully, "Does this mean I get a raise? I mean, I'm down to one income now..."
"Oh Brother." Kensi said rolling her eyes as the others in the room moaned.
"Organic dog food isn't cheap…" Deeks continued while Sam started making the 'No' motion to him. Getting more money out of Hetty was never an easy feat.
End