Author's Note: Okay, so I admit this chapter doesn't really have a whole lot of action in it, but not every chapter will (or can for that matter). That said, I still like this chapter a lot and can assure you all that Chapter 3 will definitely be much exciting and suspenseful. Enjoy

L.A. Blow Back

Chapter 2

"Are you sure she wanted both of us to come in?" Deeks questions as he and Kensi stroll through the entrance at OSP. He does have a point, in that Hetty would request his presence when he isn't even an Agent yet.

Kensi throws her partner a look.

"Okay, so, I'm just gonna take that as a yes."

In truth the whole team has been summoned into work on this beautiful Saturday morning, much to their dismay, but it is at Hetty's urgent request and that they cannot simply refuse. Callen and Sam are waiting near the bullpen when the younger members of their team arrive, fashionably late as usual.

Kensi and Deeks, though, do have a really good reason for their late arrival. Since they'd had to skip breakfast altogether, due to Hetty's call earlier, the pair decided to make a quick pit stop by Starbucks on their way in. It's only fair, right?

"Morning guys." Kensi greets the two older men as her eyes meet theirs.

"Bout time you two showed up." Sam remarks, his arms folded across his chest.

"Looks like they stopped for coffee." Callen says, noting the coffee cups in their hands.

"Obviously they didn't bring enough for the whole class either." Sam says pointedly.

"Yeah, sorry about that big guy." Deeks quips, with a grin. "But hey, next time I promise, alright?"

"We're holding you to that Deeks." Sam remarks. "Right, G?"

"I know I won't forget." Callen replies with a smirk.

Kensi shakes her head at the juvenile display going on before her. "Okay, so does anyone know why Hetty called us in on a Saturday?" the female federal agent asks, effectively interrupting the childish game of tit-for-tat that the guys are currently indulging in.

Callen straightens up at the question. "She didn't say, but she is waiting in her office."

"For what?" Kensi asks, between sips of her coffee.

Callen points a finger towards the shaggy-haired ex-Detective.

"Me?" Deeks questions, as he points a single finger to himself. "You sure?"

"You know of any other Deeks' that work here, Sam?" Callen asks his partner.

"Fortunately, no." Sam replies. "And this one keeps Hetty waiting much longer, we might not have him around for much longer either."

Deeks gives a chuckle at Sam wry sense of humor. "That's-that's actually a good one, Sam." The shaggy-haired man holds out his coffee cup towards Kensi then, and motions for her to take it. "Be a peach and uh hold onto this for me, will ya babe?" He says, smoothly, and with a grin.

Kensi gives her partner one of those 'I can't believe you just said that' kind of looks as she reluctantly takes the cup from him. "Don't ever say that again." She tells him dryly. "Or else this coffee might just end up somewhere very unpleasant…babe." She emphasizes her point with an evil glare.

Deeks doesn't flinch even in the slightest way. Instead he just eyes his girl with a wicked little grin plastered to his face. "Ooh, ouch. Actually, you know, I'm kind of finding this whole 'evil Kensi' thing really hot. Seriously, I am so turned on right now." He says with a wink.

Kensi gives her partner a scowl as she takes a step towards him. "Just go see Hetty, now, before I kick your ass there." She threatens, though unable to hide the tiny grin playing at the edges of her lips.

Deeks shrinks back playfully, and raises his arms in a defensive posture as he backs away. "Okay, I'm going. I'm going. Wish me luck."

Without warning a familiar voice from behind startles the shaggy-haired man, and he spins around on his heel to face the operations manager. The tiny woman completely takes everyone by surprise with her unexpected appearance.

"Ah, I see we are all here now."

"Oh geez, Hetty." Deeks says, clutching lightly at his chest as he turns around to face her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Deeks. Did I frighten you?" she asks inquisitively.

"What? Me? No way, I'm solid as a rock as always." He jokes.

"Good to hear." Hetty replies with a short nod. "If the four of you will follow me, Assistant Director Granger is waiting for us upstairs." She tells them.

Callen and Sam head right on up the stairs leading to the Ops Centre. Kensi walks by and hands Deeks his coffee cup back, as she heads up the stairs as well. Deeks follows closely by Hetty as they are the last to begin making their way up.

"Callen said you wanted to see me?"

"Indeed I do, Mr. Deeks. Meet me in my office after the briefing—we'll talk then." Hetty explains.

"I'll, uh, I'll do that." Deeks replies, swallowing a lump in his throat as he walks. He can't help the foreboding feeling that seems to settle over him then.

"Granger." Callen greets the Assistant Director stiffly as he and Sam enter the Ops Centre. Neither man is surprised to see him here, as it just seems like whenever Hetty calls them in on an 'urgent' matter, Granger is bound to show up at some point.

No one at OSP has really seen the Assistant Director since their last video chat with him almost six months prior, and everyone remembers how that particular conversation left them feeling.

"Agents Callen. Hanna." Granger returns the gesture coolly. "Hope I haven't interrupted any important weekend plans."

"No." Callen replies evenly. "Sam?"

"It's cool."

The reception Owen Granger receives from Kensi Blye, next, is even more off-putting than those of her predecessors. She fixes the Assistant Director with a cold stare as she enters Ops right behind Callen and Sam.

"Agent Blye." Granger greets her, visibly stiffer, as if in anticipation of a less than graceful return.

"Granger." Kensi replies coldly. "Long time, no see."

Granger nods in her direction. "It has been a while." He says evenly. "I understand that you and Mr. Deeks are-"

"Nothing that concerns you. Sir." Kensi responds sharply, cutting Granger off before he can finish his thought. It's clear that the female federal agent still has her defenses up where Deeks is concerned.

A look of dislike crosses Granger's face, as he repositions himself so that he is facing Kensi more fully. "With all due respect, Agent Blye, when two of my Agents are involved with one another—frankly, it is my concern. Especially, if said involvement hinders their ability to do this job." His voice rises just a bit, and takes on a sharper edge in order to match his opponent's.

Kensi opens her mouth to respond to Granger's retort, but just then Hetty enters the room followed closely by Deeks.

Granger looks up as Hetty walks past the others.

"Hetty." He says, acknowledging the tiny woman's presence. "Agent Blye and I were just discussing the dangers of inter-agency relationships." He explains.

Deeks steps up behind Kensi, and lays his hands gently upon her shoulders. Coming up the stairs he'd heard (and felt) the tension growing between her and Granger, and its put him a little on edge.

Hetty stops just a few feet away from Granger. "Forgive me, if I fail to see how Ms. Blyes personal life is relevant to the case at hand." Hetty says sternly.

Granger remains silent as he stares intensely at the operations manager. The understanding that passes between the two does not go unnoticed by the room's other occupants. It serves as both a declaration and a promise of a future continuation.

Hetty looks past Granger now to the two tech specialists who have been sitting very quietly near the front of the room. "Mr. Beale, if you would please."

Eric and Nell exchange worried glances, but do turn back to their respective terminals as instructed by their fearless leader. The sound of fingers drumming against keyboards fills the high-tech room for all of about 15 seconds before images and documents begin to appear up on the plasma screen.

The first face to appear upon the plasma screen manages to elicit a small gasp from Kensi, who now stands with her partner near the back of the room. Everyone in the room seems to shift uneasily at the sight before them.

"No doubt you all recognize this man." Granger says pointedly, turning to half-face the plasma screen. There is an eerie pause following Granger's initial statement, as he lets this first little glimpse sink in with the other agents. "Kareem Hafeez." He adds finally.

"He's a CIA asset." Callen says, as he eyes Granger carefully. In his mind this new case is already off to a less than ideal start, and in his gut he has a feeling that something bad is going to happen before the whole thing is actually over. "What's he got to do with NCIS?"

Granger shoves his hands into his pockets, and turns back to fully face the team. "He's been missing for two months now. The CIA had no leads in the disappearance until three days ago, when a member of his security detail was found dead in an elevator shaft at the Washington Plaza Hotel in D.C." He explains.

"Who found the body?" Sam asks.

"A hotel maintenance crew." Granger reports. "The deceased's name was Victor Williams, and according to the M.E.'s report he appeared to have been tortured just prior to death."

"You still haven't answered the question." Kensi points out, her voice still carrying an icy edge as she speaks. "How does this concern NCIS?"

"Was Williams ex-Navy, Marine?" Sam asks in addition.

Granger shakes his head. "Not exactly." He replies. "The mission that Kareem Hafeez was originally recruited for was a recovery Op." Granger explains. "In November of last year, a convoy of Marines was transporting a prototype SR-A1 Wasp Drone to a test site 3 miles outside of Baghdad. However, the convoy never reached the test site. It was ambushed en route, and the drone was never recovered, despite the combined efforts of Marine Special Forces and a CIA task force."

"I think I see where this is going." Callen remarks.

"Three months after, the CIA picks up chatter about an American 'weapon' being prepped for sale at a black market auction. Intelligence reports linked most of the chatter back to another man I think you all know very well." Granger nods towards Eric and Nell, and within seconds another photo appears on the plasma screen. "An Iraqi radical known to his associates as Colonel Haseed Rahman."

Kensi hears the sharp intake of breath from her partner, and feels his grip on her shoulders suddenly tighten. This isn't right. It's too soon for Deeks to have to experience all of this again. She hates that this is happening, and honestly it makes her want to walk over and slug Granger in the face. Instead, though, she lays a hand against one of his on her shoulder, and gives it a gentle squeeze. It seems to help a little bit she notices.

"Kareem was recruited and sent undercover to infiltrate Rahman's organization, and ascertain whether or not the drone was actually in his possession. Turns out, the Colonel did have the drone. Unfortunately, someone tipped him off about a 'traitor' in his organization, and so the CIA had no choice but to pull Kareem out before his cover was blown completely."

Sam perks up a bit at this point. "That's where we came in." he says pointedly.

"Yeah, that part I still don't get." Callen admits out loud. "Why was NCIS involved in this to begin with?"

"Call it, uh, a strategic choice on their part." Granger tries. "Anyway, the short version here is that two months ago a Special Forces unit was deployed to recover the missing drone using Kareem's Intel, but it wasn't there. Then two nights later…Kareem disappeared."

Everyone in the room shares an uneasy look with one another. It is as if they can all sense what's coming next.

"CIA Director Campbell seems reluctant to believe one of his own has turned, so best to tread lightly there." Granger says.

"Director Campbell has requested that this team be assigned the task of locating Kareem Hafeez, and if possible, the drone." Hetty adds.

"Why us?" Sam asks simply.

"Well, as it is, Director Campbell is currently pre-occupied with 'other things' at the moment. He also feels that, since NCIS helped create this mess, that we should be responsible for cleaning it up." Granger explains.

"Typical." Sam snorts, with a light shake of his head.

The look on Callen's face says that he agrees with his partner wholeheartedly, but even so he steels himself and asks the next, most obvious question. "Do we have any leads?"

"Just one." Granger replies, as he motions towards Eric and Nell once again.

"The CIA flagged this man boarding a plane in Baghdad last night. His name is Kasam Haswari, and according to the flight plan he'll be landing at LAX in less than 2 hours." Eric says informatively as a third photograph flashes up onto the plasma screen before them. The name listed just beneath the photograph is Kasam Haswari. He is a clearly well built individual and a full-blown beard covers a good portion of his face.

"Haswari has been on the CIA's watch list for some time now, and the only reason they're letting him enter the country is because they believe he's on his way to do business with Kareem Hafeez or whoever might be controlling him." Granger explains. "We need to pick him up as soon as he gets off that plane, and find out what he knows."

Hetty steps forward once more, and takes hold of her team from Assistant Director Granger. "Mr. Callen, you and Mr. Hanna go on ahead to the airport. I have some things to discuss with Mr. Deeks, so he and Ms. Blye will have to catch up with you."

"Mr. Callen. Mr. Hanna. You are dismissed." Hetty says with a wave of her hand. "Mr. Deeks if you and Ms. Blye will wait for me in my office, I'll be with you shortly."

As everyone else files out of the Ops Centre they are somewhat unaware of the watchful eye trained intensely on them. Granger is silent as he watches the room slowly empty of its former occupants, but his eyes remain fixed upon Deeks and Kensi in particular. He sees every move they make together on their way out, and he makes careful mental notes of every single one.

After a few minutes the room is finally empty, save for Eric and Nell, whom Hetty subsequently dismisses as well before finally turning her attention back to the Assistant Director.

"You knew?" Granger says at last, his voice low and even in the otherwise empty room. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the Assistant Director is referring to Kensi and Deeks.

"Of course I knew, Owen. What kind of Operations Manager would I be, if I didn't?" Hetty replies calmly.

Granger does not appear to particularly like that one single bit, and the expression that dances across his face is clear evidence of this fact. Granger's displeasure, though, does little to stir the tiny woman it is directed at.

"Has the Detective been evaluated recently?" Granger asks. "Has Agent Blye?"

"Firstly, Owen, Mr. Deeks is now an Agent under my supervision. The paper work is in my office if you'd like to see it. Secondly, are you questioning my judgment?" Hetty counters.

"No, not yours. Theirs." Granger replies sternly. "You and I both know how difficult it is to walk away from a traumatic event without some kind of emotional scarring. He was held captive and tortured for 31 days. I'd say that qualifies as traumatic, wouldn't you?"

"It was traumatic. For all of us." Hetty says calmly, never once losing eye contact with Assistant Director Granger.

"My point exactly, Hetty." Granger replies, his voice stern but still quiet. "The stakes here are far too high, and as far as I'm concerned Mr. Deeks' overall stability is questionable at best and an unprofessional relationship with another member of his own team complicates things even further. I know this isn't something you want to hear, Hetty, but maybe we should consider cutting our losses on this one." His suggestion hits the tiny woman standing in front of him like a brick wall, and her utter displeasure shows.

"Here me now, Owen Granger, these are my Agents." The tiny woman reminds the Assistant Director sternly, her eyes fierce and unrelenting as she glares up at him. "I have the utmost faith in my team, and do not take kindly to threats against them. You would do well to remember that."

"Who's threatening who now?" Granger replies pointedly, arching a brow at the tiny woman.

"Make no mistake, my words carry no threat—veiled or otherwise." Hetty assures him, her voice calm but firm. "Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I can appreciate the great deal of pressure you're under right now. However, taking your frustrations out on them can only end badly."

Now the Operations Manger seems to soften a bit towards the Assistant Director. She reaches out, and gently lays her hand against Granger's wrist. "I tell you these things, Owen, as a friend and because I care. Trust me."

Assistant Director Granger can hardly argue with the Operations Manager, nor could he ever to be completely honest. He is silent for the most part, but the single, slight nod that he gives her is really all that is needed.

Then he watches as Hetty turns and walks out of the Ops Centre leaving him there all alone with his thoughts.

Hetty steps into her office a few minutes later to find Deeks and Kensi waiting there for her just as she had asked. She takes a deep breath and then lets it out again before making her way around to her side of the heavy oak desk at the center of the space.

"I know the rest of your team is waiting for you, so I will be brief." Hetty tells the two agents. "First of all, Mr. Deeks I apologize."

Deeks and Kensi share a slightly confused look at Hetty's words, but it is Deeks who responds. This actually makes sense as he is the one at whom Hetty's statement was directed.

"For what?" Deeks asks slowly.

Hetty reaches down into the bottom, right-hand drawer of her desk. It is from within that she produces a shiny new NCIS badge and a standard-issue Sig Sauer complete with matching holster. She places the items upon the desktop, and carefully slides them towards the shaggy-haired man.

"It is rather premature, but in light of current circumstances Director Vance has given me permission to forgo standard procedure. Mr. Deeks, you are hereby granted full Agent status effective immediately." She informs the shaggy-haired ex-Detective.

Deeks isn't quite sure what to say to something like this. Technically he wasn't even supposed to start, at any level, until Monday. This is rather premature, at least in his mind anyway, and honestly he isn't even sure if he's actually ready yet. He doesn't dare share this somewhat minor hesitation with Hetty or Kensi—or anyone else for that matter.

Deeks picks up the NCIS shield and clips it onto his belt in very much the same fashion, as he would have his old LAPD badge. Next, he reaches for the Sig. Oddly enough though, he pauses just over the side arm. He isn't sure why he hesitates, or if it even really means anything. Finally though he does take up the brand new Sig Sauer and proceeds to attach it to his hip as well.

Deeks' slight, momentary hesitation does not go unnoticed by his sharp-eyed partner. Kensi does not say or do anything to draw unnecessary attention to this though, instead she remains quiet despite the tiny nagging sensation she feels growing in the pit of her stomach.

"I trust that the both of you can still work effectively together, and keep each other focused." As she speaks, the tiny woman's eyes dart between the two partners cautiously.

"Yes ma'am." Kensi replies. "We will." She adds, sharing a look with Deeks.

Hetty then narrows her eyes solely at Deeks. "And I trust, Mr. Deeks, that regardless of the situation—you will always do the right thing."

Deeks gives the tiny woman an understanding nod.

Hetty returns the gesture, and waves a wand dismissively at the two. "Very well then, off you go. And do be careful out there."

…TBC…