A Touching Reunion
I don't own anything having to do with NCIS Los Angeles or the bands/songs mentioned.
I'm not sure how I feel about this idea I came up with, but here it is...
Set between Season 4 post Raven and the Swans and Season 5 pre Deep Trouble
Deeks collapsed in his bed after another long day. His body wanted so badly to fall into a deep sleep – but his thoughts wouldn't let him. It's not the job that he keeps seeing over and over again in his head. Sure, it was a stressful day full of danger. Meeting someone from Hetty's past, the team throwing a plan together to help this mystery woman and at the end of the day catching the bad guys. It was just another day at the office really, no big deal. Well, he thought, it's not every day he gets his head caught between the thighs of Kensi Marie Blye, and oh yeah; he had been in position all right. That's a mental picture he will not soon forget. No. It had started that very morning – walking in on Kensi cleaning her gun with his T-shirt. Okay, so maybe he had been a little dramatic on what that shirt meant to him. It really wasn't about the shirt at all – but the way Kensi obsessed over him having been in a rock band. She threatened to scour the planet with every piece of technology in existence to find footage of him performing. Why was it so hard for her to believe he had been in a band? He had grown up in LA, after all. Who hadn't been in a band at some point? He would have thought she, of all people, would not keep underestimating him. He made a mental note to get with Eric when they had a free moment someday soon to help him with a plan… It was with that final thought as he lay there in bed, a slight grin forming at the corners of his mouth, that he finally fell asleep.
Unfortunately for Deeks, his little plan of surprising his partner would have to wait. Granger had approached him about a simple undercover op he wanted Deeks to fly solo on. Something about a possible weapons dealer coming out of retirement. All Marty had to do was sweet talk a hostess at the bad guy's club, get her to do some snooping for him. Leave it up to the crazy hostess, Monica, to go all sticky fingers on her boss' little bag of diamonds. Like he should have seen that coming, right?
You could cut the tension between Deeks and Kensi with a knife after that little operation. Kensi's jealousy reared its ugly head. Deeks' seemingly complete loss for words when it came to his feelings for his partner caused them to avoid each other after hours; things were just too awkward between them. With the spare time on his hands Deeks called Eric's phone. It was the weekend and he hoped he would catch him at home.
"Hey, Eric, remember that old VHS tape I had given you? I think it's time to do something with it."
"Sure, Deeks. What are we doing?" As Eric listened to Deeks, a smile started to grow on his face and his eyes got bigger.
"Promise me you will not say a word to anybody!"
"I won't, Deeks. Scouts honor," Eric replied. They ended the call. Eric retrieved the VHS tape from his desk and set about the task he had been given.
Sadly, before Eric could finish his little project, the team had their run-in with Sidorov. Months later Deeks returned to work. He had hidden himself away from the team, choosing to spend his time recovering with some old friends. Eventually, after being confronted by Hetty, then Nate, and finally Kensi herself, he had returned to work. Just as he and Kensi started working their thing out Kensi was shipped off on some classified mission. Deeks was thrown for a loop with Kensi being torn from his life. Once again he reached out to his old buddies; spending time with them to ease the pain Kensi's absence caused him. Long months passed by. Early one morning the guys got the call to head to the Mission. Nell met them and broke the news that Kensi had gone missing in Afghanistan, they were being sent to rescue her. The team went thru hell and back, but they found her and everyone returned home. Kensi had been through her own bout of torture. It took some time, but she returned to work and things fell back into a somewhat normal routine between her and Deeks.
As the team sat at their desks late on a Friday afternoon, Deeks asked what everybody was doing the following Friday night. "Hey, guys – some friends of mine are playing at a club next weekend and set me up with passes for me and a few friends. How 'bout we all take in their show? Sam, you could bring Michelle. G, you should ask Joelle. Eric and Nell already said they would go. Come on, it will be fun! What do you say? Kensi? How about you? Please?"
They all agreed to take Deeks up on his offer. He smiled as they all left for the weekend.
A week later - Friday night had finally arrived. The team met at the club Deeks had invited them to. They all sat together right up front by the stage. Kensi, Eric, Nell, G, Joelle, Sam and Michelle were all there.
"Kensi, where's Deeks?" Callen asked.
"I…uh, I don't know. He should have been here by now. I can't get him on his cell, I've been trying."
Sam looked at Eric and Nell, "Either one of you hear from him?" They looked at each other and then to Sam. Both shrugged and shook their heads no. Sam got the feeling something was up by Eric's reaction but couldn't decide if it was just him being weird in general or if he was hiding something.
"I can't believe this. This was his idea and he is not gonna show? Wait till I see him!" Kensi was thinking of all the ways she would make Deeks pay for standing them up. The band was going to start any minute and still no sign of Deeks.
The house lights dimmed and the crowd started cheering. A figure walked out from the shadows and stepped to the front of the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight. We have a special surprise for you this evening – a local band that had quite the following back in the mid 90's. A group of guys that started in high school playing covers of their favorite hair bands. Reuniting for one night only, please welcome Touching Wood!"
Immediately Kensi's senses were on high alert. She stood and impatiently waited for it. Could it really be Deeks' old band was about to take the stage? She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she recalled Deeks telling her about his band – they were 15 and made of awesome. He was the front man and the lead guitarist. THIS she had to see…
The lights went dark. A screen at the back of the stage lit up. The scene looked like it was shot in a high school auditorium. A band was playing; the students were all standing and cheering. The camera zoomed in and panned across the stage. The banner hung behind the band with Touching Wood in block letters, just like on Deeks' old T-shirt. There, in the center of the stage, was a 15 year old Marty Deeks. His hair was longer. The biggest difference Kensi noticed was the lack of facial hair. He was tan and muscular back then, too, as was apparent due to the tank top he was wearing. They were playing Hot for Teacher by Van Halen and sounding pretty damn good. Kensi glanced around to Eric, G and the others. Eric had a big grin on his face while the rest of them looked like they had seen a ghost. They all were just realizing who they were looking at on the screen. As the sound faded the video continued.
There was some movement at the side of the stage and a shadow moved out in front of the crowd. Suddenly a guitar broke the silence. It growled deeply, sounding like a high powered engine shifting gears – the crowd recognized it as the opening of Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart and they went wild. A spot light kicked on and there, caught in its beam right at the front of the stage was Deeks. He grasped the neck of the guitar and worked the strings. He was wearing ripped jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off. He had left most of the buttons undone and he wore black wrist bands. The stage lights came up as the rest of the band ran out. The drummer grabbed his sticks and twirled them in his fingers as the rhythm guitarist and bassist joined Deeks. The whole band kicked in and Deeks stepped up to the microphone.
As he started belting out the lyrics Nell smacked Kensi on the shoulder, "Holy crap, Kens – did you know Deeks could play guitar and sing?" It was obvious Deeks could really sing – he was hitting every note effortlessly.
She looked down at Nell and shouted, "He told me he had been in a band but I just thought he was making it up. I was wrong about him – again!"
She looked over Nell's shoulder to G and Sam. It was clear that they were completely stunned. Deeks took command of the stage. If they didn't know better they would swear he - the whole band, actually - were honest to God rock stars. Michelle and Joelle joined Kensi and Nell, the four girls turned their attention back to the band. At this point in the song the crowd sang along word for word. Kensi's skin tingled and she was moving to the beat, caught up in the band's energy. Deeks stepped away from the mic as the band played the end of the song to a big finish. Everyone in the club, even Sam and Callen, were clapping and cheering them on. The band mates met back by the drummer. As a couple of them wiped the sweat off their faces and took swigs of beer, Deeks made his way to the front of the stage to stand in front of his team.
Deeks looked down at them and then focused on Kensi. She was looking up at him in awe. "See Fern, I told ya I hadn't blasted out the pipes in a while, but I got the rust knocked off now. You ready for more of this?" He raised one eye brow as he gave her a crooked grin. She nodded her head slowly and smiled at him. "How you all doing out there?" He asked the crowd. A deafening roar was his answer. He nodded and smiled. "Thanks for coming out tonight. I'd like to thank the guys in the band for agreeing to get back together. This whole reunion started out as a surprise for a special someone in my life, but then it became so much more. So thank you again, guys. Really, you got me through some dark times." He turned to each band mate and acknowledged them. Kensi began wondering exactly how long he had been planning this little surprise. Did he mean it was for her? "Okay, enough of this. You boys ready to rock?! Let's do it!"
They broke into Whitesnake's Still of the Night. The crowd went crazy and the band, well – they were killing it. Deeks was working the front row - throwing glances at some of the gals as he sang. He glanced back to Kensi…their eyes locked. She vaguely remembered hearing Deeks sing about tasting her love so sweet, and realized her face felt very hot all of a sudden. Kensi could feel the rest of the team looking at her. Deeks kept singing as he wiggled his eyebrows at her and then turned his attention to the rest of the crowd. They cheered wildly when Deeks hit and held the high note in the middle of the song.
"Oh my God, Kensi – your face is so red!" Nell squealed at her. She was hanging on to Eric's arm and they were both moving with the music. Sam and Callen just shook their heads, smirking. Joelle and Michelle kept looking from Deeks back to Kensi, wondering what she must be thinking. Deeks was blazing through the guitar solo. His fingers moved deftly over the strings, recreating the solo note for note, faithful to the original. Sweat dripped off him. His arms and chest glistened with it under the bright lights. Kensi couldn't stop staring at him. The man never ceased to amaze her.
Touching Wood continued to tear through some of the 80's and early 90's rock classics. Hits by Warrant, Poison, Slaughter, LA Guns, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, and others – each done to perfection both vocally and musically.
The final notes of Ratt's Round and Round were echoing away when Deeks stood at the mic and held up his hand, waiting for the crowd to quiet down. The rhythm guitarist put his guitar down and sat at a piano on the side of the stage.
"Okay, we've been rocking it pretty hard all night. I think it's time to slow it down a little, yeah?" The crowd cheered their approval. "I'd like to dedicate this next tune to the one person who always accuses me of having terrible communication skills." He looked down at Kensi and smiled. "I can't think of a better song to convey how I really feel. I couldn't say it any better myself. Now - all the rest of you out there, here's your chance for a slow dance." Deeks turned to the guys in the band, "You ready, boys?" They all nodded. "Big thanks go out to Firehouse for this little gem. This one's called When I Look into Your Eyes."
The piano started in and Deeks stared right down at Kensi as he began singing. Kensi was frozen in place. She felt as if everyone were staring at her. She glanced to her friends. Eric and Nell were holding hands and watching Deeks, singing along. Sam and Michelle were wrapped in each others arms, swaying to the music. G and Joelle were looking at each other bashfully, both with grins on their faces. Kensi turned back to Deeks. She could feel her eyes begin to tear up as he played along on the guitar and sang, the rest of the band kicking in as they hit the chorus. Deeks' eyes never left hers; he was pouring his heart into the lyrics. She knew without a doubt he meant every word he was singing to her, and she knew she felt the same way about him. The tears began to run down her cheeks as she stood there staring into the eyes of the man she loved, wondering why it was so hard for her to let him know.
Once the song was over, Deeks sat his guitar down and hopped off the stage. He stood in front of Kensi and gently wiped a stray tear off her cheek. She looked into his eyes as he leaned down and kissed her ever so softly before pulling her into a tight hug. The spotlight found them and the whole place went nuts. As he loosened his grip on her he whispered in her ear, "Just so there's no confusion, I love you Kens. You know that, right?" He stood back and looked at her.
Her eyes threatened to start leaking again, but she smiled at him and then said, "I know, Deeks. I love you, too, and have for a long time."
Deeks grinned at her and nodded. "Good to know. Good...to...know."
He hopped back up on the stage and grabbed his guitar. "So everyone, what do you think? You all have time for one more?" The audience replied with a roar. Deeks smiled and looked at his band mates. "Whaddya say fellas?" They all nodded at Deeks. He faced the crowd again. "Okay, ladies. This one is for you!" The drummer started off with a familiar beat. "Let's blow the roof off this joint!" The crowd cheered again as the band ripped into Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me. Kensi, Nell, Joelle and Michelle were all dancing together. Deeks watched appreciatively while Kensi showed some pretty impressive moves as she sang along. He shook his head at her and smiled when he caught her eye. She grinned back and kept dancing.
Deeks and the boys brought the house down. They received a well deserved standing ovation when they were through. The house lights came up and the crowd started thinning. Deeks was still at the back of the stage talking with the crew. Kensi and the others all stayed by the stage, waiting for Deeks. Finally he made his way over and jumped down with them.
Eric was the first to run up and shake Deeks hand. "That was awesome!"
Deeks smiled, "Thank you for fixing up that video we started with tonight. Let's hope the cameras you set up earlier caught this whole show in all its glory!"
Sam and Callen both smacked Deeks on the back. "Man, Deeks – what else do we not know about you?" Sam smiled. Deeks grinned sheepishly at him.
G chimed in, "So I take it the reason you pulled your disappearing act after Sidorov and then Kensi's mission was to put this together?"
"Not exactly, I had already been working with the guys before Sidorov. But yes, it gave me something to focus on."
Everyone said their goodbyes and left for the evening, everyone but Kensi.
Kensi punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Hey, partner."
"Hey yourself." He held a disc out to her. "Here you go, Princess. No need to scour the planet for footage of me. Here's your very own copy, both from the old days and tonight."
She took it from him and looked at it, then at him. "What? Really?"
"All you would have had to do was ask nicely, Fern, instead of mocking me," he grinned at her. "I've had old video of my band since high school. Eric hooked us up with some sweet equipment to record the show tonight. A couple of the guys are still playing in other bands, so this was a onetime thing for us - figured it would be nice to have a video of it just to look back on someday. I gotta be honest, we were pretty awesome tonight!" He grinned and his blue eyes twinkled at that.
She shook her head, "It was okay, Deeks." Kensi tried to hide the smile but failed miserably.
"Whatever, Kensalina. I'm pretty sure you were impressed."
"Actually, yes I was. You were...you ARE really good. I don't know why I ever doubted you," she admitted softly. "So tell me - have you been planning this since that morning I was using your shirt for a rag?"
"Of course. Unfortunately we hit a few bumps in the road that kept it from happening sooner. And before you ask - yes, the reason I ignored...everyone after the, uh, after Sidorov was because I was hanging with the guys. The music was my therapy, an escape. Relearning tunes we used to play, adding new ones. It was something I had been working on even before then, though. I wanted to surprise you, prove to you, actually, that I hadn't made it up."
She nodded in understanding, "Well, Mr. Rockstar, have any plans for the rest of the night?" Her eyes gleamed as she looked up at him.
"Why, Fern - do I get the sense that you are my number one groupie? You wanna take me home and get naughty, don't you?" He gave her his biggest grin.
She blushed, "Maybe. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Absolutely not, Princess." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. What she said next almost bowled him over.
"Maybe you can show me what that line in Still of the Night meant." She smiled and started walking away, glancing back over her shoulder at him.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'I love it when you talk dirty to me' he said to himself as he took off after her...he couldn't stop smiling.
Touching Wood, indeed.
The End