Interagency Cooperation
Bard15
Summary: this will be slightly AU because I'm sure it doesn't exactly mesh with both shows timelines. This just came to me when I was watching numbers and noticed an actress that had been on both NCIS LA and Numbers…she was an LAPD detective on both shows, just worked in different departments. On NCIS she was Deeks handler in Human Traffic (Jess Traynor), on Numbers she worked bomb squad. Since I'm posting under NCIS LA I'm going with Jess Traynor.
A/N: hope it doesn't suck to much...I've been grading papers and writing lessons for three days trying to get ready for school to start (oh, joy)...I needed a break and this idea just came to me...wrote it in like two hours, so let the reader beware!
Right now it's kind of a friendship fic but I would like to add chapters and turn it into a case story, with the teams working together on a case (esp something with Sam and Colby since they both have military backgrounds…or maybe some Colby & Deeks friendship with surfing or something…no slash; why waste perfectly good looking men!)
***NUMB3RS***NCIS LA***NUMB3RS*** NCIS LA***
It was a beautiful LA day…a day Marty Deeks would love to be out on the waves, or interrogating a bad guy, or drinking stale coffee on a ten hour stake out; to be anyplace but here.
Jess Traynor didn't have family in the area nor a lot of friends, so the arrangements had fallen to the HR department of the PD, which in turn fell to Marty, he felt he owed her and needed to do something to make her service more personal.
A majority of the seats in the funeral home were filled with colleagues and associates, some Marty recognized from the LAPD some he didn't. He was surprised when the NCIS team showed up, maybe Kensi he could understand; they were partners of a sort when he worked cases with the agency…but Sam and Callen had definitely been a surprise.
"Hey Deeks, how ya' holding up?" Kensi asked quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder, while exchanging concerned looks over his head with Sam and Callen.
It had only been a few days since the close of the case that nearly took his life and he still had the injuries to prove it. They noted he walked carefully, an arm always pressed over injured and bruised ribs and the cuts and abrasions on his face were now sporting mottled bruising; his sunken, dark rimmed eyes showing the depths of his exhaustion and grief.
With a heavy sigh and a mirthless chuckle her replied, "I've had better days you know…"
"You sure you're up for all this," Callen asked. "The doctor said you needed to take it easy…when's the last time you ate or slept?"
"I gotta be her for Jess…" Deeks said quietly.
"You don't have to do it alone…we're here to help you," Kensi said earnestly.
"We know its tough losing anyone in the field…more-so when it's your partner," Sam said solemnly, laying a strong hand on Deeks other shoulder he continued, "We're here if you need us."
With a smile that didn't reach his eyes he replied, "Thanks guys…means a lot…she was a good friend, a good cop…"
"She was willing to do whatever it took…" Callen commented, letting the rest of it hang.
They all knew she had been willing to do anything, up to and including putting herself in the direct line of fire…and she had paid the ultimate price for that dedication.
Looking around the room Sam asked, "All these people LAPD?"
"No…Jess worked in a few departments during her time with the PD…had quite a few contacts…some of them must be from those agencies." Marty said, also running his eye over the room.
Marty noticed a few new people enter the room and look around with some uncertainty. "Thanks for everything guys…I need to go mingle…"
Deeks approached the three men, holding out his hand. "Marty Deeks…you here for the memorial service for Jess Traynor?"
Returning the handshake, Don Epps said, "Yeah; Don Epps, my bother Charlie and this is Colby Granger."
"Marty Deeks, you were her partner on the case. Sorry for your loss, she was a hell of a detective. Wish we were meeting under different circumstances," Colby said.
"Yeah, me too," Deeks replied, asking, "So how did you guys know Jess…Detective Traynor?
"A case a couple years ago…the letter bombings…" Don supplied.
"She did get around…" Marty said with a mirthless chuckle. "Wait, that was the case she worked with the feds; the bomber planted the bomb in her car? You know that's one of the reasons she changed departments…and look where that got her."
"Yeah, that was our case." Don said.
"Epps…Epps, Agent Don Epps then?" he said, realization dawning and the first real smile in days appearing on his face. "She had a lot to say about you agent."
Exchanging an uncomfortable look with a now snickering Colby and Charlie, Don said. "Yeah, I'm sure none of it good."
"Ah, no, said you were a damn good agent…just a real, uh…well…"
"A real what," Don asked suspiciously.
"She, uh, said you were a real hard ass," Deeks finally answered, the grin on his face taking the sting from his words, "Must come with the suit."
"Yeah, well she was a good judge of character," Charlie said, clapping his brother on the back.
"Hey, she wasn't real fond of you when you snatched her suspect out from under her…" Don teased back.
"That's make you Charlie Epps…the math guy…" Deeks asked. "Solving cases with math…"
"Uh, yeah, the math guy," Charlie said with a shrug. "And I'll have you know math has many practical applica…."
"Not the time Charlie," Don interrupted, turning to Deeks. "Do not get him started."
With an amused snort Deeks commented, "Murder, math and mayhem…"
A moment of uncomfortable silence came over the group before Colby asked quietly, "I hope you got whoever did this."
Face suddenly hard Deeks answered a little more harshly than he intended. "Put the bullet in the bastard myself."
The outburst got the attention of several near-by groups including Callen and Sam, who moved up to stand near Deeks.
"Problem, gentlemen," Sam asked.
"It's okay Sam; we were just talking about Jess…"
"Look, sorry, didn't mean to bring it up…" Don explained.
"No, it's okay, it was me…just not quite done processing, you know…" Deeks interjected, holding a hand out to keep Sam from moving into the feds space.
Callen noticed Deeks was hunched over his injured ribs more so than when they first came in and his breathing was starting to sound a little ragged. "Deeks, you all right, you don't sound too good?"
"I'm fine…just need to…" Deeks never got any farther before his eyes suddenly rolled up in his head and he collapsed.
Sam grabbed him before he hit the floor, throwing one arm over his shoulder and trying to gently support the Detective around the waist without putting undo pressure on his injured torso.
"G., get us an ambulance…" Sam said.
Meanwhile Colby had come up on the other side of the unconscious man and helped take some of the weight, causing Sam to comment. "It's his ribs, watch out for his ribs."
"Over here," Don said, waving the group to a small alcove with a small couch, "Charlie, find us some water."
Settling him gently onto the couch Sam muttered, "I knew we shouldn't have let you outa' the hospital…damn stubborn…."
Sam's quiet rant was cut off by the approach of Callen and Kensi. "The ambulance is on the way…how is he?"
"Still out, having problems breathing…has to be his ribs," Sam said. "He shouldn't have been out of the hospital…"
"Yeah, well he wasn't gonna be stopped. He was determined to be here." Callen said.
"Is he gonna be alright?" Don asked.
"Oh, he will be if I have to tie him to that hospital bed myself…he's not goin' anywhere this time 'til the doctor releases him," Sam groused.
"Thanks for the help." Callen said, reaching out to shake Don then Colby's hand.
"Yeah, yeah, glad to help." Don said. "Just hope he's gonna be okay."
"He will be, I'll kill him if he's not," Kensi said from her kneeling position by her partner.
The two agents both raised an eye at Kensi's comment, causing Callen to chuckle, "Ah Deeks just has a way of bringing out the best in his partners.
"Must be why he got along so well with Traynor," Colby commented. "She definitely had a way with people…not."
"I thought Traynor was his partner?" Don asked.
"Where'd you work with Traynor?" Sam countered.
"Bombing case a few years ago…she brought in our guys to help out." Don said, making introductions, "Don Epps, FBI; Agent Granger and Professor Epps."
"Wait…Epps, Professor Charles Epps?" Callen questioned.
"Yeah, that's me," Charlie answered. "Do I know you?"
"No, but I have heard your name mentioned a few times…you've done some work with NSA and Homeland security," Callen explained. "Hetty mentioned you a few times."
"Hetty? You mean Henrietta Lang," Charlie asked. "Last time I spoke with her she was taking the operations position at NCIS Special Ops."
"That she did." Callen said, holding out a hand to Charlie he shook it while making introductions, "NCIS Agents Callen, Sam Hannah and Kensi Blye; NCIS Special Ops."
Sam looked at his partner incredulously at the forthright introduction, "G?"
Giving his partner a smirk, Callen answered the unspoken question, "Don't look so surprised Sam. The professor here has a higher security clearance than we do."
With an embarrassed chuckle and shrug, Charlie interjected, "Well, I don't know about that…"
"So, what, you know their boss?" Don asked.
"Yeah, worked on some statistical analysis for some NSA cases involving…." Charlie said, trailing off with a shrug, "…uh, that I'm not supposed to talk about."
Sam just frowned, "After all the ops we've been on and a math professor has a higher clearance."
"How do you think I feel, my baby brother has a higher clearance than I do at the FBI," Don said with a laugh.
A sudden groan got everyone's attention as they turned to the injured man stirring on the couch. Deeks looked at the assemble crowd with bleary eyes before saying, "Having a party without me?"
"No, you idiot…you're the man of honor…" Kensi said.
Just then a few uniforms were seen showing the EMT's through the crowd.
"And your chariot awaits," Callen commented as the EMT's came up to the group.
"Ah, what…no, really, I'm fine…" Deeks said quickly, spotting the EMT's.
"No, you're not." Sam said pointedly. "Now you're gonna let these nice men take you back to the hospital or I'm gonna drag you there myself and tie you to the bed 'til the doctor says you're well enough to leave."
"Oh, Sam, kinky…really though, I'm fine…" Deeks joked as he tried to rise from the couch, only to gasp in pain and fall back into the couch breathing heavy.
"Fine huh," Sam snarked.
Suddenly defeated Deeks said quietly, "But Jess, the service…"
"Deeks, she wouldn't want you to kill yourself…she would want you to take care of yourself," Kensi said. "There are plenty of people here for Jess…right now, let us take care of you…."
With a pained sigh, Deeks gave a small nod so Kensi moved aside to let the paramedics to her partner.
The agents watched as the paramedics quickly assessed and loaded the injured man onto the gurney and wheeled him towards the waiting ambulance, his partner by his side.
Pulling out his card, Charlie handed it to Callen. "Here, take my card, let us know he's gonna be alright and tell Hetty I said hi."
Callen took the card and nodded. "I'll let Hetty know."
The men shook hands once again before Colby said, "I think the service is about to start, we need to find seats if we're staying."
They all nodded…they would stay for Traynor, but they would also stay for Deeks…to have his back, because that's what a team did…whether in a fire fight or an emotional one, they would support each other…no matter what the agency.
The End…..for now?