LIFE AS YOU (BLANK) IT
SEE
"This has got to be some kind of joke. I really should lay off the beer and pizza before bed." Deeks said.
"I assure you that I am quite real. I may not be who you think I am, Sahib, but I am real." Thapa said.
"Then who are you?" Deeks asked, "And where am I?" He looked around.
"This is a crossroads of your life. Here is where you get to make your choice." Thapa waved at the doors along the beach.
"What choice?" Deeks asked.
"You are dying, Sahib. You do not have much time left. I am here as your guide." Thapa replied.
"Wait, dying?" Deeks said.
"Yes, dying. And if you want to live you will have to fight for it. But I am here to offer you views on what your life would have been or could be. Come I will show you." Thapa waved him as they walked along the beach. The doors started to open and multiple people started to walk out. People Deeks knew. Callen and Joelle, Sam, Nell, even Granger all wandered the beach, watching Deeks as they passed.
"Here is your first door, Sahib. Your life right now." He opened the door and they stepped through into the Mission.
"My life is my job?" Deeks asked.
"Not just your job, Sahib. Don't you remember what I told you years ago?" Thapa said, an annoyance in his voice.
Just then a large sound of footsteps came pounding down as Callen and Sam walked into the main room. Kensi, visibly upset, followed behind. As if right on queue another set of footsteps came as Nell ran down from Ops, Eric following behind her, and almost bowled Kensi over.
Hetty and Granger met with the group.
"I just got off the phone with the Hospital. Mr. Deeks is in surgery and the preliminary look is not good. But they are working as fast as they can to stabilize him." Hetty reported. Sam hung his head, giving a silent prayer to whatever God would listen.
"What now?" Sam asked.
"Now is the time that Detective Deeks needs to be surrounded by his family. I don't want any of you to set foot back in here for the rest of today and tomorrow if need be." Hetty said.
"Wait, your benching us?" Callen said, an annoyed, shocked look on his face.
"Agent Bartlet's team will take over. I would rather have the B team working on this case then a majorly distracted A team, Agent Callen." Granger said.
"You expect us to just drop this?" Kensi finally spoke.
"No, I expect you to be where you all need to be. With Deeks. It's where you belong." Granger said.
"Wow, never thought I would ever hear those words come out of Granger's mouth." Deeks said.
"He may have a hardened exterior but deep down is a whole different animal, Sahib." Thapa said.
"He's right. Come on." Callen said, silently thanking Granger with a nod.
Nell and Eric looked to Hetty and Granger, who gave them a nod to go with.
"Come, Sahib." Thapa said as he followed them out the door into a bright light.
He found himself back in the waiting room. Callen stood pacing back and forth; Sam sat with his arm around Kensi who was struggling against the tears flowing; and Eric trying to distract himself and Nell, who had her arms wrapped around his, with something on his phone.
"You have always felt alone, Sahib. Months on end of undercover work for the LAPD, alienating your fellow officers you learned to hide in your shell like a turtle. Afraid to let people see the real you." Thapa said.
"Less getting hurt that way." Deeks said.
"Maybe so, but you effect people more than you think." Thapa said as he nodded toward the door, seeing Nate and Rose walk in.
"Nate!" Kensi said, a shocked look on her face as she jumped up.
"Hey. I was hoping to surprise you guys. Wish it was under better terms" Nate said as he gave Kensi a hug.
"I'm glad you are here." Kensi said as she let go of Nate and hugged Rose.
"Thanks." She whispered to Rose.
"Anything for you and Marty." Rose whispered back.
"This, Sahib, this is your family." Thapa reminded him.
"Daddy!" A unfamiliar voice rang our as a young girl ran into the room followed by a pair of women.
"Kam?" Sam asked as he scooped his daughter into his arms.
"Is Uncle Marty going to be ok?" She asked.
"I hope so, Princess." Sam said as he hugged his daughter and set her down.
He looked at Michelle and Joelle and before he could say anything Michelle answered.
"Hetty called us, told us what happened." She said.
Sam pulled Michelle into a kiss. "He will be happy to know you are both here." Sam said, hugging Joelle. Callen pulled Joelle into a hug and held her, obviously shaken as he whispered "Thanks" to her.
"You touch so many people that it leaves a mark. Even in the last possible place you think." Thapa said, as almost on queue a man that none of them are familiar with, but Deeks recognized immediately, stepped in and walked up to the group.
"Excuse me. Is Special Agent Kensi Blye here?" The man asked.
"Yea, that's me." Kensi said as she turned to the man. "Who are you?" She asked.
The man extended his hand. "Lieutenant Roger Bates, LAPD. I'm Deeks' commanding officer." Bates introduced himself.
"Bates?" Deeks said, looking at Thapa, who only nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, finally." Kensi said, taking his hand and shaking it.
"I'm sure both of us wish this was under better circumstances, Agent Blye." Bates said.
"Please, just call me Kensi." She asked.
"I wanted you to know that if you need anything you let me know. Both officially and unofficially. That goes for the rest of you." Bates said, looking to Sam and Callen.
"We appreciate it, Lieutenant ." Sam said, shaking Bates' hand.
"Marty is a pain in the ass but he is good at what he does. There isn't anyone else like him out there." Bates said.
"You don't know the half of it." Callen said.
Bates turned and left as the rest of the group settled in to wait.
"This way, there is more to show you." Thapa said as he walked into an elevator, Deeks following behind him.
The door opened, against in a large flash of light, as they stepped off into an unfamiliar hallway.
"How is it going, McGee?" A familiar voice came out.
"Almost got the wireless signal frequency. Once we nail that down that can help us determine where this came from." A male voice came out as Thapa stepped in to the Lab.
"Major Mas Spec is chugging away." Abby reported, typing a bit at her computer. She reached over to her phone and shot off a quick text.
"Who are you texting?" McGee asked her, looking over at her.
"Just Eric, we were talking earlier this morning but now he has gone silent." She said.
"Maybe he just got busy. You try Nell?" McGee asked her.
"Yea, same thing. No one is answering me." Abby said.
"Doesn't sound like them at all." McGee said.
Her phone dinged this time.
"Oh, finally." She said as he flicked the screen. Her entire body froze up and she dropped her phone onto the table.
"Abbs? What's wrong?" McGee asked as Abby almost tackled him, wrapping her arms around his neck as the tears started to fall onto his shoulder. McGee, softly rubbing circles in her back, reached over and grabbed her phone.
Hey, havn't heard from you or Nell in awhile, everything ok?
No, it's not. Deeks was shot. We are at the hospital, doesn't look good.
McGee set the phone down and tried to calm Abby down.
"Even on the other side of the country you have people who you touched." Thapa said.
"I'm sorry, Abby. I never wanted to make you cry." Deeks whispered to her before looking at McGee. Knowing if anyone could bring her comfort it was him, Deeks turned and followed Thapa out.
This story is based off a combination of a Christmas Carol and the episode Life Through His Eyes from NCIS (Which was a phenomenal episode BTW). Originally this was suppose to be an Episode for Tales from the Mission but the more and more I planned the story the more I realized this had to be a stand alone.
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