Chapter 4

NCIS OSP, Los Angeles, California

Kensi hurried out of ops, intent on getting her things together and herself out the door as quickly as possible. Firstly because she was afraid Hetty, or rather Granger, would pull the plug on her joining Deeks on this case. Secondly, because she'd seen the way the FBI agents had been behaving around her Deeks and she wanted to be on scene to nip that right in the bud. She didn't notice that Sam and Callen were right on her heels.

Hetty watched her agents leave ops and sighed. She'd have to deal with Granger right now. She turned, expecting to find him frowning at her but instead, he was frowning at the blank plasma screen. "Owen?"

"I don't like this Henrietta. They were entirely too friendly with Deeks. You and I both know how to read body language. That whole group, well, with the exception of Ambrose, is already protective of him. We need to be sure Blye reminds him of where he works, who his family is."

Hetty had spent years training herself to not show anything she was thinking on her face but she almost failed this time. Instead of reading her the riot act about sending one of their agents to work on an FBI case that they had no jurisdiction on, he sounded like he agreed with her decision and for the same reasons. "Somehow I think Miss. Blye already has plans to do just that. It won't hurt to make sure though." She turned and left ops, Granger right behind her.

Eric and Nell had been quietly eavesdropping, careful not to call any attention to themselves as they listened to their bosses talk. Once the door closed behind Granger, they exchanged horrified looks. Eric was the first to speak. "You don't really think Deeks would leave here and go to work for the FBI, do you?"

Nell shook her head. "There's no way he'd leave Kensi without a partner. I doubt he'd go over to the dark side. Still, I'm glad Kensi's going to be there with him!" She looked less than convinced by her own words. She'd seen the way the team teased him about being just a cop. Over the years, it had become less mean spirited, but it still worried her at times, something she'd shared with Eric on more than one occasion. The times she'd been partnered with Deeks, when Kensi was in Afghanistan, had been fun. She'd learned a lot from him, things that weren't in any training manual, things that could only be learned on the job and he'd always been quick to praise her when she did something right. He'd made her feel capable but safe at the same time. If it weren't for Kensi, she'd ask Hetty to make her Deeks's permanent partner. Something she did not share with Eric.

Downstairs, Sam and Callen were standing by Kensi's desk as she packed up her laptop and anything else she thought she might need. Callen was the first to talk. "Call us if you need anything, you hear me? And watch those feebies, I'm not happy about the way they seem to have appropriated our Liaison Officer. If he's going to finally make the leap from cop to agent, it's going to be here at NCIS, nowhere else, certainly not at the FBI!"

Sam nodded and added. "Make sure to remind him that he's family and that we're all waiting for him to come back!"

"That's an interesting comment coming from you Agent Hanna. You, of everyone at NCIS, were the most dismissive of Deeks's skills, the last to accept that he belonged here." Granger's gravelly voice sounded behind them. The three agents turned and found both him and Hetty standing behind them.

Sam nodded and said. "That was my mistake, one I already owned up to several years ago. A mistake that I've tried to make right."

"And yet you still ride him about his lack of skills, his status as a cop and not an agent."

"He knows I'm only kidding him. I've let him know in no uncertain terms that I would like to see him become an NCIS agent and leave LAPD behind him."

Callen joined in. "We all have. He knows we care about him and would support him becoming an agent. I still can't figure out why he won't apply. He's been a federal agent in all but name for years now."

Hetty decided it was time to admit that she'd made the offer. "I handed him the paperwork almost six years ago now. All filled in and signed by me. All he needed to do was sign on the bottom line. He declined. Told me that he thought being a cop was more than what he did, it was what he was. I respected that and I expect the rest of you to as well." She looked at Kensi directly and said. "That doesn't mean we can't make sure that he doesn't sign on the bottom line somewhere else. Both Owen and I expect you to keep an eye on your partner in more ways than one, Miss. Blye."

Kensi nodded. She'd been a little concerned that she'd overreacted during the video chat but it appeared that everyone else had had the same reaction. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "You can be sure I mean to do just that Hetty. I'll keep all of you up to date with what's going on." She turned and walked out of the bullpen, heading to the door, leaving her team standing there watching her go.

~,~,~,~

FBI Field Office, Los Angeles, California

"Why hasn't she recruited you to the bureau yet?" The words echoed in his head and Deeks found himself staring at Agent Rossi. He was left speechless, something that was rare for him. He'd only known these people for less than half a day and one of them was already asking why he wasn't an FBI agent just because he was friends with one? He thought back over what David had said and realized it was a compliment to both him and to Cheryl. He cleared his throat and said. "I'm flattered and honored that you asked that but I've been with NCIS for almost seven years. If I was going to make the switch from cop to agent, it would be with them."

Rossi nodded his head but wasn't deterred. "If it's been seven years, it doesn't seem like you plan on making the move. Can I ask why?"

Deeks floundered a little, remembering what he'd said to Hetty so many years ago. He could say the same thing now but the words just didn't ring true anymore. Instead he responded the same as he had with Hetty earlier today. "It's something I'm seriously considering."

"Well, considering isn't the same as doing. The FBI is always looking for good people. You should keep that in mind." This time it was Reid who spoke. Deeks grinned at him, not sure why he'd felt such an instant bond with this team. He wondered if it was because they reminded him of his own team at NCIS or if these people just had that certain something. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this op, no matter the danger involved. It was kind of nice working with people who didn't know you all that well and had no preconceived notions.

The elevator door opened and they all trooped inside. Hotch changed the subject and asked. "So, what is it between you and Ambrose?" This was his major concern right now. The last thing they needed was to have the man undercover on the outs with one of the supporting team members.

Deeks tried to find the words to tell the BAU team about the several interactions between his team and Ambrose without sounding like he was either whining or throwing the man under the bus. He knew Hotch was concerned that the animosity between the two of them would be a detriment to the operation. He started slowly. "Several years ago, there was a case where a bomb blew up in the back of an ex-marine's truck. The man himself had been medically discharged under honorable conditions but he ran from the scene. The FBI found and arrested him but we felt we should at least be involved, seeing as it was a possible terrorist threat involving an ex naval officer. Let's just say Agent Ambrose was less than forthcoming and blocked us in every way he could. We kept investigating on our own and discovered that the real bomber had been responsible for another one years earlier that sent an innocent man to prison, where he was killed. Ambrose worked that case as well. The young man's girlfriend had been working tirelessly to get his name cleared and ended up becoming a target. When we caught the actual bomber, Knowles was set free with no apology until two of my team members forced one from Ambrose. That didn't sit well with any of us. Again, I'll say that I don't think he's a bad guy, I just think he's…not so open to…other's opinions if they disagree with his."

Hotch sighed. "Was that the only interaction you've had with him?"

"Well, no, we had one other that involved hacking into the FBI and CIA databases during a joint NCIS/FBI/CIA op where two agents were killed and another was seriously injured. We tracked the leak to his phone, along with another agent from the CIA. We had to bring both Ambrose and Lowell in for questioning, along with our NCIS agent working on the task force. Our technical analyst found malware on both Ambrose and Lowell's phones. It turned out that a young high school student had hacked some of the 'mean girls' phones to find out what they were saying about her. Unfortunately, these girls were family members of the agents, including Ambrose's niece. Once they got onto their home networks with the hacked phones, they were infected. A somewhat enterprising young man used the girl and got into the networks to try to find secrets he could sell. He didn't succeed. To say Ambrose wasn't pleased with the…interrogation…at the beginning of the case, might be an understatement. We may also have…followed him for a while until we were sure he wasn't the mole."

Derek shook his head and said. "And now you show up in the middle of his case, at his own request. That must be a bitter pill to swallow."

Deeks nodded. "I get it, I really do. If I was in his shoes, I wouldn't be happy to have to include him on one of my cases, but we need to find a way to make it work."

The others agreed as the elevator reached the ground floor and they headed out to the coffee shop. The conversation turned to happier topics as they all shared a little bit about themselves, trying to cement the bond that had already started to form. As they left the coffee shop a half hour later, Deeks was walking closely with J.J., looking at pictures of Henry and Michael on her phone when he heard his name. He looked up to see Kensi heading his way.

Kensi was not happy. She'd just entered the FBI building to find Deeks and the blonde woman, Jay Jay or something, coming out of the coffee shop and looking very chummy. She suppressed her initial reaction, or so she thought, and called out his name. The two of them looked up from something they were looking at on her phone and Deeks's face lit up at the sight of her. J.J., however, saw what Kensi was trying to hide and hid a smirk of her own. It would appear that their detective's partner was something more than that. The two of them paused, holding up the rest of the group until she reached them.

"Kens! You have to see these pictures of J.J.'s kids! They are totally adorable." Said Deeks. J.J. smiled, thinking that the woman hadn't fooled him either. At hearing his words, Kensi felt some of the tension leave her body and she found herself smiling warmly at the blonde woman. Deeks held the phone out to her and she dutifully took it. She had to admit, the two children were cute as all get out. She was more interested in the dark haired man in the picture with them, however.

"They are very cute! Is that your husband J.J.?" She asked as she handed back the phone.

"Yup, that's Will. He was a New Orleans detective when I met him on a case. After we got together and had Henry, he transferred to the Metro Police Department in D.C." She smiled at Deeks who grinned back. He turned back to Kensi and introduced her again to the rest of the team, waiting to see how she reacted to Derek Morgan. Deeks was well aware that the man was extremely good looking and he felt a little stirring of jealousy thinking of his girlfriend's reaction to the handsome agent. When she just smiled pleasantly at him and moved on to Rossi, he felt his heart swell with pride. She was his, he was hers and they would work everything out. They all walked with her to the front desk and waited for her while she checked in and got her visitor's badge, finally leading her upstairs, exchanging further pleasantries, nothing involving the case.

They got to the fourth floor and headed into the conference room but Deeks held back, grabbing Kensi's arm. "We'll be in in a minute." The others nodded and Deeks pulled Kensi back out into the hall and around the corner. He opened his mouth but Kensi forestalled him.

"I'm so sorry baby! It was stupid, I was stupid! It's just that, no matter where we go, there's some woman who knows you! Last night it just got to me. I wanted to do something nice for you and the whole evening just got away from me. I knew even before I found out what Kathy is to you, that you would never do the things I accused you of. I hope you can forgive me?"

"Yes, I can forgive you, Princess. But, we need to work on our communication skills a little more! We've gotten better but sometimes, it feels like we backslide and things get said. Hurtful things. We both need to work on this, do you agree with me?"

"Yes! I'm sorry I made such a mess of last night, it's just….I really wanted it to be special." She reached up and stroked his cheek. Looking around, he found there was no one in the area and he put his hands against the wall, on either side of her head, and leaned down to kiss her. She stood up on tip toe and deepened the kiss, eliciting a groan from him.

After a couple minutes, he pulled back and panted. "We need to get in there before they come looking for us. We do not need them finding us like this."

"Uh huh." She wasn't capable of actual words at the moment. They looked at each other and grinned, their worlds back on track. He moved back and she straightened her clothes a little. Together they walked into the conference room to find all eyes on them. Kensi blushed a little but refused to look down. Derek and J.J. exchanged glances and grinned. It was pretty obvious that the brunette had just been well and truly kissed. Deeks looked somewhat rumpled himself.

Trying to anchor herself, Kensi looked around the room and noticed the pictures up on the plasma. She frowned when she saw that all of them looked like Deeks. She moved closer and read the information posted under each picture. When she saw that each had a date of death, her eyebrows rose and she turned to Deeks with a question in her eyes.

"What exactly is this case about Deeks?"

Hotch stepped in, having decided to brief her himself. He led her through the discovery of scopolamine in the body of Steve Campbell by the coroner, the matching case in Hawaii and the newest body found in L.A. The concerning coincidences of the other five men who matched the criteria. The consensus that they were dealing with a serial killer who had been operating for years.

Kensi looked at him in disbelief and then turned to Deeks. "You mean they're going to set you up as bait for a serial killer? NO! No way in hell!"

~,~,~,~

NCIS OSP, Los Angeles, California

Sam set his latest origami on his desk and frowned down at it. He looked up at Callen who was reading a Russian newspaper. "G?" Callen ignored him. "G!" He threw a rolled up piece of paper at his partner.

Sighing, Callen put the paper down and asked "What Sam?"

"I'm bored! Let's go into the gym and play some basketball."

"No! I don't feel like it."

"Come on! There's nothing to do! We're all caught up on our paperwork. There's no new case to work on. No cold cases we can be researching. I can't just sit here!"

"You miss Deeks!" Callen looked at him incredulously.

"What? No, of course I don't! What makes you say that? Besides, he's hasn't even been gone a full day yet!"

"This situation isn't any different from other lulls we've been in before. You've never been this antsy. The missing piece of the puzzle is Deeks."

"Kensi isn't here either!"

"No, she isn't, but we both know its Deeks's absence that's making you feel like something's off."

"Ok, so maybe I miss his constant chatter about anything and nothing. I never realized how much he filled the void." Sam shook his head, trying to get rid of the empty feeling inside him. He found himself wondering what it would be like if the scruffy detective were never to come back. It made him feel somewhat sick to his stomach. "What do you think the case is about?"

"I don't know Sam. Kensi will fill us in as soon as she can. I'm sure he's going to be fine."

"How do we know that? Can we trust the FBI? I mean, come on! It's Ambrose!"

"Sam, Ambrose isn't the only FBI agent on this case. I've heard of Aaron Hotchner. He's a good agent with a very good closure rate. I'm sure he and his team will do everything they can to keep Deeks and Kensi safe!"

"It's not the same!"

Callen sighed, knowing that he was not going to get anywhere with his partner when he was in this kind of mood. He stood up and said. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Up to ops. Let's go see if we can get the Wonder Twins to figure out what the case is about. That's the only thing that's going to settle you down."

Sam got up from his desk and was already half way up the stairs before Callen finished speaking. The team leader shook his head and followed the big man upstairs at a slower pace, unaware that Hetty and Granger were both watching them. When the two agents disappeared into ops, Granger turned to Hetty and said. "I know how Sam's feeling. The Mission feels….empty. I know he's been on assignment before but something feels different this time."

"I agree with you Owen. Shall we join our team in ops?" Granger got up from his chair immediately and headed for the stairs. Much like Callen, Hetty sighed and followed at a more sedate pace. She, too, was feeling unsettled but was not going to allow herself to imagine the worst.

Sam burst into ops and said to Eric. "Can you hack into the FBI database and find out what case they have Deeks working on with them?"

Eric looked up from his computer screen and opened his mouth but nothing came out. He closed his mouth and swallowed. He took a deep breath and said. "I could try, but I think I'd be caught almost immediately. Penelope Garcia is good, really good at her job and she's obviously taken with Deeks. I would bet that she has alarms all over this case, just like we would, especially after I got caught tweaking her backstopping. We wouldn't get far and I don't think that would help with the interagency cooperation."

Sam opened his mouth to insist that he try anyway, when Callen, Granger and Hetty entered ops, hearing the tail end of the conversation. Granger frowned at the technical analyst and said. "I thought you were one of the best in the business. Are you saying you can't get in and find out what this is all about without getting caught?"

Eric straightened up, offended at the man's words and replied. "Yes, I could get in without being caught, but it would take a couple of days and Kensi would have updated us by then anyway."

Granger opened his mouth to retort but realized the techie was right. He turned it into a sigh instead. He still didn't know why this case had him, along with the rest of the team, so hot and bothered. Callen looked at them all and asked quietly. "Why don't we just ask?" Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at him in shock. "We have Garcia's direct line, do we not? Why not just call and ask her? If she's as taken with Deeks as Eric thinks, she'll be more than happy to fill us in on what's going on if we tell her we're worried about him. It's not like this is a state secret and, even if it was, we all have the security clearance to be told."

Eric and Nell stared at each other and then Eric turned to his computer and started typing. He requested a video chat with Penelope, which she accepted right away. He threw it up on the big screen and the two of them got up to join the rest of the team. Penelope took in the group looking at her and had a good idea as to why they'd called. It would appear that the very lovely Detective Deeks's team was worried about what was going on with him. She smiled and made them ask. "What can I do for NCIS this wonderful afternoon?"

Hetty answered. "Miss. Garcia, would it be possible for you to bring us up to speed on the case that Mr. Deeks, and now Miss. Blye, are working on with your team?"

"Why do you ask?"

"We find ourselves worried about him. He means a great deal to us and we, none of us, like being in the dark as to what he's facing."

Pleased with the answer, Penelope asked. "Can you hold for a moment?" Hetty nodded. Penelope put the chat on hold and pulled out her cell phone. She texted Hotch. 'Deeks's team is asking what the case is about. They appear very unsettled. Can I bring them up to speed?'

She waited for a minute and finally a text came back. 'Yes. I understand how they're feeling. I'd feel the same way if it was any of you.' She smiled and brought the chat back online.

"Ok, I've been given authority to let you know the details of the case. Do you want me to send you the file first?"

Hetty nodded and said. "Yes, please." Penelope started typing and Eric's computer beeped. He opened the file and put the pictures up on the plasma, next to her. The team looked at the pictures in shock, thinking that each man could be a brother to their Liaison. She walked them through the discovery of Steve Campbell's body and the coroner's findings, along with the case in Hawaii and the second one in L.A. She explained her search parameters that had uncovered the other five possible victims. Eric nodded as she spoke, thinking that he would have done exactly the same. When she finished, there was silence. Each one of them was thinking through the things they'd heard.

Sam looked up when he realized exactly what the FBI planned to do. "They're going to set him up as bait for a serial killer? Oh, hell no, not going to happen!"

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A/N – It was a long time between updates on this story. It started with the flu, progressed to bronchitis followed by my boss unexpectedly resigning, putting a lot of her work on me. Add to that a story that wouldn't go away (The Opposite Game – one I'm still not sure wasn't fever induced) and I've not had time to update this. Hope it's worth the wait? I promise I'll be getting into the action next chapter!

A/N2 - thanks to honus47 for once again reviewing and finding all my mistakes even though I reread it about 10 times before sending it on!