Disclaimer: The characters of N.C.I.S. Los Angeles are property of CBS
They all stared at each other for a few minutes. It was Kensi to react first. She jumped up out of her chair and ran to Deeks to embrace him for the first time in two months. Deeks hugged her back; all the while nodding at Sam and Callen. After Kensi pulled away she whispered.
"I love you."
"I love you, too." Deeks whispered back; the couple approached the table and took a seat.
"Deeks." Both Callen and Sam said in unison.
"Gentlemen." Deeks said back to Callen and Sam. Then he looked at Captain Spears and smirked at him, and Spears just glared back at him.
"How long have the four of you been arguing?" Deeks asked.
"About three hours." Sam said with exasperation in his voice.
"Really?! Why do you have to be like that? Are you trying to channel your inner Britney Spears?" Deeks asked. The three agents looked at Deeks and then turned and stared, slacked and bugged eyed, at Captain Spears.
"Someone is in rare form today." Callen mutter; and Kensi punched Deeks in his arm.
"Do tell." Sam said.
"This guy was an undercover whiz!" Deeks said.
"Yeah so are you." Callen said.
"Except the brass never made me go in drag." Deeks said nonchalantly with a cheeky smile that reached his eyes.
"Drag?" Kensi said. Callen and Sam stared at her and then turned and gawked at Spears; which just pissed him off even more. Then Kensi put two and two together and then she punched Deeks again.
"Hit Me Baby One More Time." Deeks said; to which Callen busted out laughing and then Kensi hit Deeks again.
"Oops...I Did It Again." Deeks said; and then Sam starting laughing, which was followed up by another punch from Kensi.
"And for the record It's Captain Brock Spears." He had said
"I don't know, after the last three hours I think I'm agreeing with Deeks on this one." Sam said
"On top of that Brock translates into badger." Deeks said. Kensi punched Deeks again while Sam and Callen bust out laughing again. Deeks finally got the hint quit making the slams against Spears; Deeks started to rub his arm after the assault he just received from Kensi.
"Okay, on with the show: I still want to talk to whoever is in charge." Spears started to demand again.
"Go ahead; talk." Deeks said.
"You're not in charge." Spears said.
"We are talking about The Hermit Crab case right?" Deeks asked. The three agents turned and looked at Deeks with a concerned looks in their eyes.
"Later." Was all Deeks said, and the three of them concede to his point.
"Yes we are." Spears said.
"You said it yourself last year that the person of interest would be a federal agent did you not?" Deeks asked.
"Yes." Spears said.
"I'm a federal agent that has the most experience with the target of the investigation. So if you still want this to be a joint task force between the L.A.P.D. and N.C.I.S. then you will be talking to me, or at least your liaison will be talking to me." Deeks said.
Spears glared at Deeks like he wanted to shoot him for running rough shod over him, but he conceded to Deeks point.
"First order of business: this will be the command post for the task force." Deeks said.
"Absolutely not." Spears said.
"Its neutral ground and we will have access to both L.A.P.D. and N.C.I.S. databases. Take it or leave it." Deeks said. Spears huffed out a breath of air, but nodded his agreement.
"Tell your liaison officer to meet us here tomorrow at nine in the morning." Deeks said.
"Why?" Spears asked.
"I've been on assignment for the past two months; I literally just land stateside an hour ago. I need to get a shower, a clean set of clothes, brought up to speed on what has happened will I was gone, and I would like to sleep in a comfortable bed." Deeks said
"Fine; nine in the morning it is." Spears said, and then he got up and stormed his way of out the boat shed slamming the door behind him.
"See you later, Britney!" Deeks shout at the close door; to which Kensi punched him in his arm again, and Callen and Sam both started laughing again.
"Would you please stop punching me?!" Deeks said
"I will when you stop antagonizing the poor man." Kensi said.
"Thank you Deeks, I thought I was going to hospitalize the man if you hadn't shown." Sam said.
"Take my advice: Stay away from him. Spears isn't worth it, trust me." Deeks said
Everybody stood up and made their way to the door. When they were out in the parking lot Kensi stopped the group.
"So Special Agents Deeks, how does it feel?" Kensi asked.
"How does what feel?" Deeks asked.
"To finally join the big leagues." Sam said
"Feels great, though next time warn me about volunteering for filing in for somebody." Deeks said.
"Where's the fun in that?" Callen asked.
"Mental note: never volunteer for anything, again!" Deeks said,
"On a side note: congratulations." Sam said as he shook Deeks hand.
"Thanks." Deeks said.
"Congrats." Callen said.
"Thanks." Deeks said.
Deeks wave his head at Kensi to lead the way and she would have, but Callen stopped them.
"What, no congrats Kensi?" Callen asked.
"She will. In her own special way." Deeks said; which earned another punch in the arm.
"Ow!" Deeks said.
"Mental images are not necessary." Kensi with a sly grin on her face. Deeks cocked his head at Kensi with a cocky expression that was shouted Really, and then turned and walked away; but she shot a seductive smile back at Deeks.
"The things I'm going to do for my country." Deeks said.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Callen teased.
"Get a room you two!" Sam shouted as Kensi threw the keys to Deeks so he could drive back to O.S.P. and be brief by the rest of the team.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Kensi was staring at Deeks, discreetly; although it would be consider more like undressing him with her eyes. Though she thought she was being discreet about it, Deeks enjoy the little perv session that Kensi was having.
"If you can hold on another six to twelve hours you won't have to strain your eyes trying to seeing my toned and muscular body through these clothes." Deeks said still looking out the window. Kensi turned beet red with embarrassment, and felt her cheeks become flush. Deeks reached over grabbing one of her hands and then kissed it. Kensi felt her cheeks burn from the blood pooling there.
{How I have missed my boyfriend. He knows how to be a jerk and a gentleman at the same time.} Kensi thought.
And the rest of the trip back to the mission was made in comfortable silence.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
The door to ops was opening as the four agents made their way in. Nell walked over and gave Deeks a hug; whereas, Eric and Deeks shook hands. The agents took their usual place around the center console in ops next to their partners. Kensi and Deeks standing next to each other, with their arms gently resting against each other.
"Eric what do we have?" Sam asked. Eric brought a personnel file entitled Hailey Jackson.
"Just a heads up, unless you hacked the witsec database that file is five years old." Deeks said.
"And you know this how?" Callen asked.
"She was my partner." Deeks said. "After she was injured in the line of duty after our last run in with Aramis Devereux, she was given a new name and Hailey Jackson died back then."
"We could use this file to build a case." Nell said. Deeks was uncomfortable with the team digging into Hailey thinking that she could be connected to this, but he elected to keep his mouth shut.
"You disapprove Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked.
"Check if you want too, but I work beside her for five years. Hailey is clean." Deeks said.
"You said it yourself, there's a dirty cop at the L.A.P.D., and she was gone for what- five years. Don't tell me that isn't the least bit suspicious." Callen said.
"Both Hailey and I were ousted on the last op against Devereux, and then she gets her witsec name ousted." Deeks said. "What kind of fool would willingly give their new name up, to a sociopath of all people?"
"Question." Nell said.
"Yeah." Deeks said.
"Two questions actually: question number one: what's the point of the pictures?" Nell said as she brought the photos. The photos were of Deeks and some random blonde woman. Deeks resigned himself to his fate of explaining the meaning behind the photos and the second question.
"The photos are Devereux's calling card. He scours a city looking for the perfect couple. Normally selects a couple in the thirties. He takes six pictures and then he taunts the couple, but the pictures are the tip of the iceberg." Deeks said.
"Tip?" Callen asked.
"Yeah, the photos are what start the whole game. The game varies from couple to couple, and how Devereux feels at the time." Deeks says.
"Question number two: Who is this is woman." Eric asked. Next picture was of Deeks in bed with the blonde woman from the picture, which preceded this one, making love to her. Everybody's eyes widen in surprise and then turned to look at Kensi and Deeks. Kensi was very silent, fuming nonetheless, and Deeks was standing there with his face in his hand; completely embarrassed.
"That is Hailey Jackson, and can I bring to everybody's attention these pictures are before I started at N.C.I.S., so stop staring at me like that. I wasn't even the target Hailey was." Deeks said. Deeks could feel Kensi eyes on him, and he knew there was going to be some explaining to do; let alone the fact that he has hid the pictures of them that Devereux had taken last year.
"These pictures were taken five years ago, people relax." Deeks said.
"Anything else we can benefit from?" Sam asked.
"I don't think you guys are going to benefit from it, and if anything you're going want to beat me senseless." Deeks said.
"Yeah why is that?" Callen asked.
"This case is going against everything you guys have ever learned, but if the four of you are going to come out of this alive you have to do as I say." Deeks said.
"Four?" Eric asked.
"Nell will be getting more field experience this go round." Deeks said.
"Why?" Nell asked.
"For the beginning of the case I will, and until she gets murdered, be working opposite Hailey Jackson." Deeks said look at the picture of Hailey and him making love. Everybody stared at Deeks waiting for a response, and they were all concerned. Deeks body language and posture were okay, but his eyes were lifeless and empty. Kensi put on hand on Deeks' back to comfort him. It didn't, but he nodded his thanks to her. Deeks was on the verge of blowing a fuse, knowing that a good friend was marching to her death, that he excused himself, and went to the armory. Everybody stood there in silence for a time, until a gruff voice broke the silence.
"Is he capable of keeping his head together to see the case through to its completion?"
Everybody turned in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Granger. Kensi looked at Granger and then walked out to find Deeks.
"Do you think you could complete the mission knowing an old coworker is marching to her death? Let alone everybody in this room will be dead if they try to work it without Deeks, so what do you think?" Hetty asked.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Kensi was entering the armory and saw Deeks cleaning his gun. Kensi approached Deeks and wanted to talk to him about this case.
"What do you want Kensi?" Deeks asked without looking up from cleaning his gun.
"Is there going to be a problem?" Kensi asked.
"Really?!" Deeks asked looking up at her and putting the gun down. "I have a sociopath hunting me, I'm going to be watching a good friend die, and I got people looking at me wondering if I can handle this case. So you are going to have to be more specific about the "problem" you're talking about." He said.
"Hailey Jackson. Will she be a problem?" She asked.
"There might be some sparks, but she never tried to contact me after she went into witsec. So relax when we are around Hailey; and I'm telling you now to leave the claws retracted. I don't want to explain to L.A.P.D. why their liaison officer got the crap kicked out of her because she was fraternizing with another woman's boyfriend. Not only that I told you last year none of the women I have been with prior to meeting you have made me feel whole." He said. Kensi smiled when Deeks referred to himself as her boyfriend.
Deeks went back to cleaning his gun and Kensi watched on in silence. Then she remembered something Deeks said.
"I thought you said that we are the targets of this case." Kensi said. Deeks put his gun back on the table and thought hard about what he was going to say.
"Do you trust me?" Deeks asked.
"Yes! I trust you with my life; why would you ask a question like that?" She asked.
"Because you're going to do something that goes against your training." Deeks said.
"Which is?" Kensi asked.
"Let Hailey and Nell be my partner." Deeks said.
"What makes you think I would do such a thing?!" She exclaimed with exasperation dripping from her voice.
"I have evidence that about the case that involves both of us, but I left it at my house." He said.
"Why didn't you have me pick it up a few days ago?" She asked.
"Because I wanted to explain it in person what this case was going to do to the team." He said
Just then Kensi phone beeped. She checked her message and then said.
"We're needed up in ops."
Deeks put his gun back together, and then the couple headed back to ops. Though Kensi was worried about this evidence that Deeks was talking about, she didn't push.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Kensi and Deeks walked into Ops and wondered what was going on.
"Agent Blye, Agent Deeks." Came a voice. Deeks and Kensi looked at the big screen and saw Director Vance. Deeks looked at Granger like he was an idiot, shaking his head.
"What?" Granger asked.
"I would like to say congratulation on becoming and agent Mr. Deeks." Vance said.
"Thank you, sir." Deeks said.
"And I want to make sure you are of sound mind for this case, before I clear you to work it." Vance said.
"Granger." Deeks said. The Assistant Director glared at Deeks. "You are and idiot!"
Everybody stared at Deeks in complete and total shock at his outburst, then the shock wore off and then anticipation started to build wondering what was going to happen.
"You're walking on thin ice Agent Deeks." Vance warned.
"I'm on thin ice!? You're the one with the hammer and chisel about to break the whole darn lake!" Deeks exclaimed. "And it will be on yours and Assistant Director Granger's head!"
"How do you figure?" Vance asked.
"It will be you explaining to SecNav why the four agents in the Office of Special Project were killed in the line of duty and why it's shut down until the agents could be replaced." Deeks said.
"How will it be our fault?" Vance asked speaking for Granger also.
"Granger thinks I'm in too deep." Deeks said.
"You are." Granger said.
"The killer that we are chasing killed Petty Officer Jack Renner because of a connection at my old prescient." Deeks said
"And that means what?" Granger asked.
"The person leaked information that I was currently employed with N.C.I.S. and what better way to lure me out than by killing military personnel?" Deeks asked. "I've been chasing this guy for ten years; he has been chasing me for the last five. No one currently present in the room, with the exception of me, knows what this man will do, or his habits."
"Why can't I put Agent Callen in charge and you advise him?" Vance asked
"Callen." Deeks said without looking at him.
"Yeah." Callen answered with a surprised look on his face.
"What did Devereux tell you and Sam will I was out of the country?" Deeks asked.
"That if anybody except for you were to work the case they would be killed." Callen said
"Devereux is a creature of habit when it comes to choosing his targets." Deeks said. "He takes six photos of the target and his; usually it's a male target, lover."
Deeks grabbed a folder and showed Director Vance the photos of when Hailey Jackson and he were chasing Aramis Devereux. Vance's eyes widened when he saw the last picture when he was in bed with her.
"Are there a new set of pictures?" Vance asked.
"Yes." Deeks answered.
"Why hasn't anybody see them, or said anything." Vance asked. Deeks looked at the director and tilted his to the side and raised both of his eyebrows.
"Where are they Agent Deeks?" Granger asked.
"My apartment." Deeks said
"How long have they been there?" Vance asked.
"Before I went to Camp Pendleton." Deeks said nonchalantly.
"You are withholding evidence, and can be charged with obstruction!" Granger barked.
"No you can't Assistant Director." Deeks said sharply as he turned to look at him.
"How do you figure?" Vance asked.
"Aramis wants me dead. The pictures are his way of saying I'm next; the murder of P.O. Renner is to make sure I would be within reach at all times." Deeks said.
"That's pretty clever." Sam said. Deeks turned and glared at him. "Sorry."
"So what's the plan?" Hetty asked.
"Well the first order of business for Devereux will be for him to finish the job the last time we meet." Deeks said
"Which is?" Vance asked.
"Killing Hailey Jackson." Deeks said.
"And you're going to allow that?" Vance asked.
"I can't stop it." Deeks said.
"Why not?" Vance asked.
"The N.C.I.S. and L.A.P.D. are forming a joint task force to finish the Jack Renner case." Deeks said.
"So what's the problem?" Granger asked.
"Who do you think the liaison officer is going to be?" Kensi asked.
"They are willing throw Hailey Jackson to the wolves?" Granger asked.
"Throw her?! Her name in witsec was leaked to Aramis!" Deeks exclaimed. This got a shocked look out of everybody who hasn't heard that bit of information, even Granger was taken back.
"Okay; you made your point. You have lead on this case, but you better have back up nearby." Vance said.
"Define nearby?" Deeks asked.
"On site whenever you guy to deal with this guy." Granger said.
"Not happening; at best they will be in the parking lot, but they will not be within twenty feet of me when I meet with that psycho." Deeks said
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kensi asked.
"Aramis has been known to work with a partner. So if anybody comes within a certain radius they will die." Deeks said without looking at Kensi.
There was a moment of silence before Deeks spoke again.
"Anything else?"
"No that is it for now." Vance said. Then he turned to somebody off camera and signaled them to cut the feed. And then the screen went black.
Everybody stood there in silence. Deeks could fell all of the eyes in the room were on him; not he wasn't used to a mess load of eyes on him, but it was kind of unnerving that his families lives were in the balance. The next thing that happened was that Granger walked by him and stopped in front of him. Deeks stared at Granger for a bit and then he tilted his head forward and narrowed his eyes back at Granger. Granger held eye contact with Deeks a bit more and then walked out of the room. There was cheering and whistling after the door to Ops shut behind Granger.
"Hetty." Deeks said without turning around.
"Yes Mr. Deeks." Hetty said.
"Could you follow me please? We need to have a word in private." Deeks said. Then he turned to Kensi. "I'll call you later."
"Okay." Kensi said.
Then Hetty and Deeks left Ops.
"Wow Shaggy grew a pair if he's talking like that to both Assistant Director Granger and Director Vance." Eric said.
"As Deeks said; if anybody but him works the case they will be dead." Callen said. "I wonder what they are talking about."
"What Deeks and Hetty are talking about?" Sam asked, to which Callen nodded.
"Probably the photos that he has been hiding since he went to Camp Pendleton." Nell said.
"That's right. If we follow the pattern it will have six pictures with him and a woman. So who's the woman?" Callen asked. And it took him and Sam all of two seconds to figure out who the woman was. Then the two men turned and stared at Kensi.
"What?!" She asked, and then it dawned on her why they were staring at her.
"Deeks said it himself: Devereux goes after lovers. I'm guessing that while you and Deeks were on assignment last year you two kiss and made up over the fallout of the Afghanistan mission?" Callen asked.
Kensi didn't even answer Callen. She tore out of Ops with tears streaming down her face. Nell followed after Kensi hot on her heels. There was a moment of silence before Sam spoke.
"Kensi is the bait, and Deeks is the target. Deeks wasn't lying about this man."
"Lying, how?" Eric asked.
"Hannibal Lector intelligence, minus the cannibalism." Callen said.
The room fell into silence.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Nell found Kensi in the armory crying her eyes out. Nell slowly approached Kensi, and then put a gentle hand on her friends shoulder. Kensi look up at Nell and then continued to cry for a time.
"I'm sorry." Nell said.
"You know what he told me before the meeting with Director Vance?" Kensi asked as she started to calm down.
"What?" Nell asked.
"That you were going to have to be his partner for this case." Kensi said.
"Why?" Nell asked.
"Isn't it obvious?! I'm the bait, and he's the target." Kensi said.
"I'm sure Deeks will think of something." Nell said.
"Now I understand why Deeks was fighting to keep this from spilling over and involving the whole team." Kensi said, and then started to cry again.
Nell hugged her best friend to help comfort her. Kensi hugged her back. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the two women crying. Kensi because her boyfriend might die, and Nell because she might lose a good friend who is practically like a brother to her.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
"You want something to drink: water, milk?" Deeks asked.
"No I will pass. What was so important that we can to your apartment, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked.
Deeks walked away towards his bedroom. He was in there for two minutes before he came back out holding a manila envelope. Hetty look at the object, and then her eyes got wide with understanding. Hetty took the envelope and walked over to his table and opened it, dumping the contents out onto the table. Hetty scanned the pictures and stopped on the picture of her to agents in bed making love. She looked at Deeks for a moment before she found her voice.
"What do we do?" Hetty asked.
"No matter what happens, Kensi will get kidnapped and roughed up." Deeks said.
"Just like you did when you were taken hostage?" Hetty asked. Deeks nodded his head.
"The only thing we can do is keep Kensi out of the field for as long as possible until we are out of options." Deeks said.
"What about you, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked.
"I'm working on that." Deeks said. "Do we still have Overwatch?"
"Overwatch?" Hetty asked.
"That government project that produced tracking spray." Deeks asked.
"Yeah, why?" Hetty asked. All Deeks did was waggle his eyebrows and then Hetty realized where Deeks was going with this.
T.B.C.
