I pullED into the OSP garage; my access code still worked. I opened my trunk, grabbed my go-bag , laptop bag, and my weapon and walked to the entrance of the building. I was still wearing the same clothes I had on when I left my Detachment 24 hours ago- desert tan boots, tan lightweight pants, black Under Armour long-sleeved shirt, covered with a foliage green fleece jacket that was government issue, and a Baltimore Ravens hat that had seen better days, with my Wiley X sunglasses on top.

I had at least freshened up in the available lavatory on the C-17 on the flight over. I had hoped to get a shower before I arrived but was told to get here immediately. I was so looking forward to a warm shower and shaving off six months' worth of facial hair growth that was required where I was.

Walking back into the building was bringing back memories. It had been a little over a year since I had last been here. After my last visit, my life had become very busy. I assumed it was due to what I had accomplished here last time. Wasn't really sure.

Walking down a hall I heard familiar voices. I reached into my pocket and felt for the envelope that I had stashed in there; it was still there. A promise is a promise.

I was closer to the voices when I heard Hetty say, "My decision is final, Mr. Hanna. I already placed the call yesterday. Your new team member should be here this morning. I had to pull some strings and call in some favors to get this Agent…. I worked out a deal."

I walked around the corner and into the bullpen. All four sets of eyes turned to look at me.

I popped a smile on my face and said, "You know when they do a trade in baseball...I always wanted to know what it would feel like to be the "player to be named later"." I got a round of chuckles.

Deeks was the first to speak. "Matt? …. Emil, is that you?"

BREAK

Hetty walked over to me and tapped my arm. "Good to see you. Major Lee is now part of a NCIS and AFOSI Joint Task Force. He is an exchange officer that I arranged to work with us. An NCIS agent is working with his Air Force Detachment that is deployed overseas."

Callen looked up at me. "Who'd they get?"

Hetty looked at Callen with her trademark stare. "Mr. Getz is now supporting AFOSI."

"Major? When did you get promoted?" Sam asked me.

"Six months ago. Passed the promotion boards."

Deeks got up from his desk and walked over to me. He gave me a hug. "It's great seeing you, man. You don't know how much. Getting to work together again." A smile grew across his face. Sam and Callen looked at their young partner closely, like they had seen something they hadn't seen in a long time.

"Come on, Dainty, couldn't have been that bad." Hearing his call sign that I gave him from our last meeting brought a laugh.

Hetty took control of the conversation again. "The Major will be filling in until Ms. Blye returns. I believe, Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna, that you find him an acceptable choice?"

Sam spoke up for the two of them. "Yeah, Hetty, he'll do."

Hetty then walked off towards her desk. Speaking over her shoulder, she said, "Mr. Lee, I trust that when I see you again that fur on your face will be gone. I need to update your bio-metrics into our system."

"Yes, Hetty, with pleasure."

Sam walked up to me. "How you been, Matt?"

Then Callen added, "And where have you been?"

"Last six months I've been assigned to AFOSI Detachment 2413 based in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Was part of a team working counterintelligence assets, going out into the field and capturing suspected Taliban agents and flipping them into working for us. Before that, and since I last worked with you, I have been farmed out, working with CIA, DIA, Air Force and Naval Intelligence. I've been busy. Think our last case got me noticed. Things kinda took off from there."

"Had to go native?" Sam pointed at the beard.

"Only way to fit in and and get respect over there. My Pashtun still needs a little work." I told him. "Gentleman, I would love to stay and catch up some more, we can do that later, but I really want to get a shower, shave and a change. I've been cooped up in a C-17 for 17 hours and would kill for a warm shower."

Callen looked at me and stared at the beard. "Alright, Grizzly, it's been a slow week. We'll come get you if something pops up. You remember where to go, right?"

"Yup." I grabbed my go-bag and headed to the locker room.

BREAK

Callen looked at his two other teammates. "So, what do you two think? Is this ok with you guys?"

Sam was the first to respond. "Could be worse. Hetty could have gotten someone we never worked with. At least Matt knows how we operate. We are a man down, G; we could use the help." Sam also gave a look towards G while shifting his head towards Deeks in a form of non-verbal communication. Sam knew that Matt had been a friend to Deeks ever since the one case they worked on almost a year ago. Matt even took him for a ride in an F-16. That was probably one of the reasons why Hetty asked for him.

"What about you, Deeks? You cool with it? Callen asked his LAPD liaison.

Deeks looked up from his desk at Callen. He had a look on his face they hadn't seen in awhile. "Yeah, I'm good with it. It's good to have someone we know."

"Do you guys trust him?" Callen continued to push. His own mind wasn't made up yet on the Air Force OSI agent.

"I trust him; he saved my ass last time." Deeks was quick to respond.

"How did he save your ass?" Sam had a look of concern on his face.

"Last case, when we went to that foreclosed house, Kensi and I had two Chinese MSS agents in the kitchen. A third one came out of the back and behind me, had me in his sights, we didn't know he was there. Matt took him down." Deeks let out a huge breath after he spoke.

"Didn't know that happened, Deeks." Callen now had the same look of concern that Sam did.

"Yeah, he felt bad about it because he was clearing the back of the house and the guy got passed him somehow, but he was alone clearing the back bedrooms. He apologized, but he didn't do anything wrong." Deeks was rubbing the back of his neck while defending his friend. He didn't understand Callen's lack of trust towards Matt.

"Well, G, I'll go along with Deeks. If he says he's good, then he's good. I'd still like to feel him out some more though. Make sure he can protect himself out in the field. I'd like to see how he handles himself. Let's give him a little evaluation" Sam said with a smile at the last part. Sam always took it upon himself to make sure his teammates could handle themselves in the field. He would worry about them until they proved themselves worthy. He also found it a little fun.

"Alright, Sam, test him out later. I think today will be a slow day anyway. He may be wiped from the flight, but it would be a good time to see how he reacts." Callen smiled at his partner.

"Should I be concerned about what you two are planning? Seems more of a hazing than an evaluation?" Deeks was pointing at both agents.

BREAK

After my shower I walked up to the sink. I took out my clippers and attacked the six months of growth on my face. I was never a fan of beards, but they were a necessity if you were working with tribal leaders in southeastern Afghanistan. Soon the sink was full with dark brown fuzz, and I was down to stubble. I looked in the mirror and finally felt like I was home.

My phone vibrated on the sink, a text message from Deeks.

"Heads up, Sam is looking for a workout partner." - D

I knew they would test me to make sure I measured up. I typed out a reply.

"Let him know, anytime, anywhere." - M

I was planning on putting on normal street clothes but changed into a unit shirt from Tactical Air Control Party, or TACP, the Air Force unit I belonged to when I was in Afghanistan on my third tour. We worked with a 2nd Army Ranger Battalion unit calling in airstrikes and close air support. It had the unit shield on the back with one of our unofficial slogans, "Death on Call". Finishing the ensemble was a pair of workout pants and my shoes. I headed out to the gym area. If Sam wanted to "work out", I was game.

Since I was still a little stiff and sore from my flight, I decided to get on the treadmill for a little bit. The distance counter read 2.2 miles by the time Sam walked into the gym in his gym clothes with Callen and Deeks in tow.

"Hope you didn't tire yourself out, Matt." Sam gave me a look that may have supposed to have been menacing, but I saw right through it.

"I usually do six miles before I start feeling it." I turned off the treadmill and walked towards Sam, cracking my neck and stretching my arms. "What do you have in mind, Sam?"

"Up for a little sparring?"

"What do you consider 'little'?" We walked over to the mat on the gym floor. I noticed Hetty had walked into the corner of the gym, out of sight. I was the only one who noticed her there. I shot her a wink; she just nodded at me.

"I'm going to hit you with a few scenarios; you have to work your way out of them." Sam was right in my face, trying to intimidate me.

"Alright, let's go." A plan was forming in my head; I was gonna sandbag this a little bit.

The first scenario started with Sam in back of me. He wanted to simulate someone trying to grab me from behind. I felt him move but he got the upper hand and had me in a naked choke.

"You gotta be faster. That's not gonna do. Again," he told me.

We did it again; and, again, I failed and he ended up having me on the ground.

"Again." He was getting annoyed, but I didn't let on anything. After a third attempt I could tell he was getting pissed. So, on the fourth attempt, I let him have it. He came at me from behind. I felt the arm. Moving fast, I grabbed his wrist, gripped and turned, getting my legs in a position to hip toss him onto his back. He ended up in a rear naked choke by me!

Sam tapped my arm and looked up at me. I had a smile on my face. He told me, "Again." This time he tried a different approach and I adapted to his attack and again he ended up on the mat in another choke. He attempted to break the choke. Don't get me wrong, he is bigger than me, and a little stronger, but I used that against him. As long as I stayed out of his strength I could keep him under control.

I broke the hold and stood up. He spent the next hour and half with scenarios. He got me on occasion, but a majority of the time it's me getting the upper hand. Callen and Deeks were watching from the sides, each with chuckles and smiles on their faces. They had never seen Sam so frustrated.

"Come on, Sam, you gonna let the flyboy best you? I may need to call your SEAL buddies and have them take your card away," Callen taunted.

Deeks was also enjoying every minute of it. Sam saw this and looked at Deeks. "You wanna step in here, Giggles?" Deeks instantly shut up.

I looked at Sam. "Come on, Shark Bait, what else you got?" I was circling the mat and I knew I had Sam right where I wanted him. He made a charge and telegraphed his move; I stepped to the side and executed a Sambo scissor takedown into a heel lock and he tapped the mat. "Satisfied," I asked him.

"Yeah, you're good. You sandbagged me, didn't you? How long you been training?" He asked me.

"I've been doing Sambo since I was six. My uncle is instructor. I am also an instructor at Edwards. Also, been working on Krav as well for the last few years." I smirked at him.

Callen was in the corner, laughing his head off.

"YOU KNEW?" Sam basically barked at Callen.

"You didn't read his file, did you?" I put it on your desk. "Don't say I didn't warn you, not my fault you didn't read it." Callen was shaking his head at his partner.

"I won't forget this. G. Next time we spar you're in trouble." Callen's smile went away instantly at the threat. Sam walked over and shook my hand. "Alright, you'll do, but if you screw up, we're gonna talk."

I already knew Deeks had my back, and it seemed I had won over Sam. Callen I wasn't so sure about. He was tough to read. Just have to take it one day at a time. "Callen, you wanna go a round?"

"I'll pass. I know when not to step into the lion's den." He backed up and headed over to the weight area.

Sam saw the opportunity to rib his partner, "I tired him out already and you saw all his moves; you got this." I shot back a look at Callen, took a drink of water and pointed to the mat. Callen just kept walking. Sam uttered a "Wuss."

It was just me and Deeks left. I pointed at the mat.

He laughed. "No, no…. I know when I'm beaten. I'll just stay behind you in the field if I need to. How did you do that? He's got what 40 lbs on you?"

"It's mostly mental, Deeks. I'm going to take another shower. Meet me at the range in 20? I need to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, sure, about what?" His interest was piqued; I could tell.

"Let you know then, when there's no extra ears around."

"Ok, see you in twenty." I headed into the locker room.