Hey everyone, I just want to apologize for my characterization of Sam in this story to any of his fans, I guess I have created a monster. Also, I'm sorry for the ending of this chapter for anyone who was expecting it to take a different route... Hope you like it!
It was a little past 5 o'clock in the bullpen, Kensi and Deeks were sitting side by side awaiting Sam's 'friendly briefing'. There was an awkward silence that fell upon the open space, made worse by the fact that Deeks was refusing to make eye contact with Sam.
"Alright, first of all thank you for staying back with me today I appreciate it." Sam began. It was a very standard presentation opening. A fact not missed by Deeks who suddenly felt like he was back at university. "Like we had a choice" Deeks muttered, receiving a whack on his leg from Kensi. Sam chose to ignore the comment as he continued his introduction.
"Now my kids think that I work at a gym downtown called Comprehensive Fitness." Sam reveals his first slide, a picture taken from high above downtown LA. He picks up his sayoc training stick using it as an impromptu pointer positioning it above a building on the screen. "The building is located here." Kensi and Deeks move their attention to the television screen in front of them, pen and paper in hand ready to scribble down notes.
"That is how we met." Sam flicks to another slide which gives details about Kensi and Deeks' cover stories. They work at an office closeby to the gym and met Sam through their gym membership.
"Really? I'm an intern?" Deeks complains upon reading his job description at the office.
"C'mon Deeks it is a professional environment, look at your hair." Sam motions at the detective's unruly mop.
"I could style it differently for work!" Deeks argues. "Remember that case we went undercover at that office building to steal intel? I looked great in a suit! C'mon Kens, back me up here." Deeks pleaded turning towards his partner.
"To be fair he did look the part." Kensi offered, Deeks was looking to her for help afterall.
Sam sighed loudly in response, it was two against one. "Fine, what position do you want then?" Sam really could not be bothered arguing right now. The full day of paperwork had really worn his patience thin.
"Let me see... Oooohh the manager, no wait, legal team, no no I got it! The CEO!" Deeks' enthusiasm for his new cover story was clearly not appreciated by Sam who gave him a blank stare.
Kensi dropped her head down on the desk as the two argued back and forth for a few minutes about the possibilty of Deeks being a CEO.
"Okay fine, I'll be on the legal team." Deeks compromised. It was much better than his original cover as an intern.
"Kensi can be my assistant." Deeks smirked, receiving an unamused look from his partner.
"Yeah you can come into work everyday in those sexy little business skirts." Deeks jokes wiggling his eyebrows at Kensi who just shakes her head in response, not the least bit surprised as Deeks details his latest fantasy to her.
"Oh yeah, tight skirt, those sexy glasses, maybe a leopard print." Deeks continues.
"Yeah I bet that's the only criteria you ever looked for when you needed an assistant back in your para-legal days." Sam accused.
"Excuse me?" Deeks felt a little insulted, sure he joked about this kind of stuff all the time, usually he would brush it off and trade banter back. However, it was something in Sam's tone and the way he was looking at him that really rubbed Deeks the wrong way.
"You heard." Sam shot back, Deeks was about to answer back but he was interrupted.
"Oh my gosh stop! I'll be his co-worker on the legal team! This is only for one night! What the hell is wrong with you two?" Kensi raised her voice . She was more than a little frustrated with them exchanging personal shots at each other. "Now can we please just get on with this?" Kensi yelled. The two men suddenly became very quiet. She couldn't believe that Sam had gone to such extreme lengths in putting together their cover stories. They were only babysitting for one night.
"Okay, fine." Sam gave Deeks one last glare before continuing.
"This is my son, Max, he's nine years old, turning ten next month." Kensi and Deeks turn their attention to the screen as a photo of a young boy holding Sam in a wrestling headlock shows up.
Kensi smiles at the picture of them "That's really cute, Sam".
"He likes wrestling, so watch out" Sam warns. "He might break that scrawny little neck of yours Deeks." Sam adds.
"Yeah you'd love that." Deeks mumbles. It didn't go unheard however as Kensi hits him on the leg glaring at him. He tries his best not to react to the pain currently shooting down his thigh, staring forward and focusing on the screen in front.
"This is my daughter Aleesha, she is seven years old." Sam flicks to his next slide, a sweet photo of Sam kissing his daughter on the cheek as she smiles at the camera. "Awww that is so adorable" Kensi admires the two, the photo reminding her fondly of her own father.
The briefing continued for a further 30 minutes before Sam finally started to wrap it up.
"Alright are there any questions?" Sam asked, slowly beginning to pack up his stuff.
"No, I think you covered it all" Deeks somewhat sarcastically remarked, again receiving a glare from Kensi in response.
"Good, you will be quizzed on it tomorrow, night" Sam left them sitting there stunned as he headed home for the night.
"A quiz? REALLY?" Deeks whined.
"Oh my gosh..." Kensi sighed.
"Is it too late to pull out of this?" Deeks asked.
"Yes!" Kensi snapped her head towards him, glaring.
"Argh..." Deeks moaned, beginning to pack his stuff up, shoving the notes he had scribbled down into his bag.
"If I had of known how much there was to this baybsitting thing then I never would've agreed to doing this" Kensi began packing up also.
"This is ridiculous." Deeks added.
"Totally." Kensi agreed, the two beginning to walk out of ops.
"What the hell was up with you two in there?" Kensi asked as they headed to her car, her driving this time.
"Why don't you ask Sam?" Deeks replied a hint of anger in his voice.
"Seriously Deeks?"
Deeks just turned his head away from her in response, refusing to take any responsibilty for what had transpired earlier.
It wasn't until a full five minutes later that the silence was broken by a much more upbeat Deeks.
"So you wanna grab dinner and have a few beers tonight?" He suggested casually.
"Yeah sure, can't have too many though, we gotta be at the top of our game for our test." Kensi joked.
"Argh, don't remind me!" Deeks complained as the two headed to her place.
Later that night they were sitting on the couch sharing a beer and watching television. Well, Kensi was trying to watch but Deeks was making it damn near impossible.
"So why do you think Sam hates me so much huh? Is it my dashing good looks? My witty humour?" Deeks just had to choose this moment to talk. It was the portion of the show with the judges comments.
"Try giant ego and non-stop talking, shut up I'm trying to listen!" Kensi replied turning the volume on the television up.
"It must be my hair, yeah that's it, Sam wishes he could have these locks" Deeks brushes a hand through his hair for emphasis.
"Argh!" Kensi turns the television off, slamming the remote down on the coffee table to emphasize her anger. "Is this still bothering you?" She angles her body towards him on the couch.
"Of course it's still bothering me." Deeks replies, locking eye contact with her.
"You've never let him bother you before." Kensi reasons.
"Something's changed. I don't know what it is but he really has it in for me." Deeks takes another sip of his beer, rubbing a hand through his hair in frustration, unable to work out what he's done to piss Sam off.
"Oh gosh Deeks not another one of your conspiracy theories." Kensi throws her hands in the air.
"It's true!"
"I'm gonna need another beer..." Kensi motions to get up from the couch.
"No, no more beer, we gotta ace this test tomorrow which means a good night sleep and a clear mind in the morning." Deeks reaches out and grabs her arm gently guiding her back to the couch.
"Deeks this isn't an exam." Kensi sighs, rolling her eyes slightly at her partner.
"It's still important." Deeks somewhat pleads with her to take this more seriously, there is even a hint of desperation in his voice.
Kensi frowns slightly "Why are you so determined to please him?"
"I just am okay." The answer was cold and abrupt. A tone that she wouldn't often associate with her partner.
"Okay fine. When you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen." Kensi folded her arms, "I'm waiting."
"Kens."
"No Deeks, there is something going on and I want to know what it is." She refused to let it go, especially when she could see that it was bothering him so much.
"It's just... I'm sick of having to prove myself to him..." Deeks confessed.
"What do you mean?" Kensi wanted more out of him, she knew that there was far more to it than just that.
"It's like a constant battle. One minute I think I have his respect and the next minute it's like I'm a piece of gum at the bottom of his shoe." Deeks sighed frustratedly.
"Hey, look he's been under a lot of stress lately with Michelle and everything, I think he takes a lot of that frustration and aggression out on you." Kensi suggests.
Deeks unexpectantly let out a laugh in response. It was a laugh she hadn't heard an awful lot from him before. There was no hint of humor. "Just like my dad used to... I guess I really rub people the wrong way huh?" The deep sadness in his voice just about broke her heart.
"Deeks don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Put Sam and your father in the same category, they are completely different people."
"I know that it's just..."
"Your dad was an asshole Deeks, he was a drunk coward who would take all of his failures in life out on you." Kensi reached out for Deeks' hand, squeezing it gently as she held it in her own. The contact instantly brought comfort to Deeks, it was an added reassurance that he wasn't alone, that she understood what he had been through. She brought his hand up to her lips giving it a small kiss. Deeks smiled softly at her, seeing the genuine warmth and concern in her eyes.
"I think Sam knows." Kensi almost whispered, avoiding eye contact with Deeks yet still holding his hand in her own.
"Knows what?" Deeks questioned, noticing almost immediately that she was avoiding his gaze.
"About us." She confessed finally bringing her gaze to meet his.
"What? We've been careful." Deeks protested.
"Really? So you talking about Little Marty's running around is what you call being 'careful'?" Kensi emphasized the word 'careful' by using bunny ears to illustrate her point.
Deeks smiled in response. "They knew I was joking."
"Oh yeah, what about your little comment that your 'best work is on camera'?" Kensi put on her best rendition of Deeks' voice as she recalled the moment after the case had been wrapped up and they were leaving for the day.
"Well it is." Deeks replied, moving closer to her. It was clear what he was trying to do as he leaned in and began kissing her neck.
"I'm still mad at you." Kensi protested, trying to sound annoyed yet failing miserably as he continued his onslaught.
"No you're not." Deeks could tell that she was slowly becoming putty in his hands as he gently pushed her back onto the couch. He quickly removed his shirt, before rejoining her, his body covering her own as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, tongues fighting for dominance.
"You know, we should do this in front of Sam's nannycam?" Deeks smirked breaking the kiss to allow his witty comment and for desperate need of air.
"You really want Sam to kill you?" She replied, somewhat breathlessly.
Deeks shrugged in response capturing her lips once more.
"It'd be worth dying for."
