Without a Trace
Author's note: Thanks for the reviews. Whether you like the story or not, I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA, just putting my own spin on my favorite characters.
Chapter 4
Eric, Nell, Callen and Granger watched her leave in stunned silence. None of them had ever seen Hetty act so…sad? Disappointed? Whatever she was feeling, it was a rare moment when she let her team see her like that. They continued to stand there for a moment. It was Callen who broke the silence.
"Eric, get me Gibbs on the big screen," Callen demanded. Granger turned to look at him.
"What are you up to, Agent Callen?" Granger asked with a concerned look on his face.
"I want to ask Gibbs who the hell he thinks he is that he can just take someone off my team on a whim. Eric, I said get me Gibbs!" Callen stared at Eric as he began fumbling with his headset. Callen was furious with Gibbs. He considered Jethro a good friend. It was one thing to work joint ops with other teams, but to just have him go behind his back and steal one of his own was beyond acceptable.
"You're out of line, Callen. Gibbs did nothing wrong. He asked Hetty for Deeks' assistance. He wasn't forced to go, he was asked if he would be willing to help. Deeks said yes, simple as that. If you want to be angry at somebody, maybe you should go round up Agent Hanna and Agent Blye and take it out on yourselves. Sounds like Deeks isn't exactly feeling the love in your little dysfunctional family."
No sooner than Granger had finished his little rant that Gibbs popped up on screen. Callen was glaring at Granger.
"Assistant Director Granger, Callen." Gibbs smiled. Once he noticed the scowls on both their faces he asked, "Is there a problem?"
Granger spoke up first, "Callen and I were just having a small disagreement here. Isn't that right, Agent Callen?" Callen nodded and then looked to the screen.
"How is Deeks, Jethro?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"He's great, G. Everyone here loves him," he grinned.
"Any leads on the case yet, Agent Gibbs?" Granger asked, not expecting there to be any. Deeks had only been there just over a day.
Gibbs got an even bigger grin on his face as he nodded, "Our suspect is in interrogation with DiNozzo confessing right now. Looks like an open and shut case. No security breach. Unfortunately for Chief Petty Officer Mitchell, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Callen couldn't believe it. "What did you need Deeks for if you've already solved it?"
"Oh, we didn't solve it. Detective Deeks did. It only took him a few hours poking around the local bars Saturday night to locate him. He found out where he worked. The guy even offered to get him a job." Gibbs chuckled, "We met him this morning before he punched in."
"Lucky break, Gibbs. Glad you got your man," Callen commented.
Gibbs shook his head, "Luck had nothing to do with it. I listened to him on comms - it was a thing of beauty. Once Marty started reeling him in the guy didn't have a chance."
"I'm glad he was able to help, Gibbs," Granger said with a bit of a smile.
"Great! I'll tell the team Deeks is done already and on his way back. That should make everyone happy again," Callen said, looking relieved.
"Wait a minute, Callen," Jethro warned, "Marty isn't on his way back just yet. Since we wrapped this case so quickly he asked if he could stay on a little longer. Leon thought it was a good idea. My newest agent, Ellie Bishop – she's green. She could learn a lot working with Detective Deeks for a few days. Vance was going to call Hetty this morning to update her," Gibbs explained.
Callen looked at Granger, his eyes filled with anger again. He glared back at Gibbs, "Nice talkin' to ya, Gibbs. Enjoy working with Deeks." With that, Callen spun and walked out. Jethro looked at Granger, a confused look on his face.
"Let me explain, Agent Gibbs. Callen and his team didn't take it very well that Deeks flew out to help you. It seems Deeks doesn't feel like he has been accepted fully as part of the team here even after all he's done for them. It was a wake-up call for them that he felt that way. Don't take it personally."
"Let me guess," Gibbs tipped his head in the direction Callen left, "G has a problem with Marty's personality?"
Granger nodded in agreement and added, "That and Agent Hanna had a hard time accepting him because he wasn't military. That changed last year after what Deeks went through for Hanna and his wife on the Sidorov case."
"We heard about that out here," Gibbs said. "Takes a hell of a man to come back from something like that."
"Then there's Deeks and his partner, Agent Blye. They are as strong as Hanna and Callen when it comes to the job, but Blye can be stone cold. Deeks takes it in stride, but it's wearing on him. Then Henrietta rips the rug out from under them both by shipping her off to Afghanistan with me to deal with the White Ghost, which turned out to be Blye's ex-fiance. I'm sure that is going to come back to haunt Henrietta." Granger stopped talking, having realized he was saying more than he should. He knew he could trust Gibbs to keep it between them, though. He shot Eric and Nell a warning glare. They both went back to what they were doing, well aware of Granger's intent.
Gibbs shrugged his shoulders, "So where does that leave Detective Deeks? Did he come out here to prove a point to his team? It looks like it's working, if that's the case."
"I think he just needed to clear his head more than anything. Henrietta hopes he returns to the team. Obviously, everyone here hopes he comes back, too," Granger pointed out.
"To be honest, I'd love to keep him here. We could always use his kind of help," Gibbs stated. "Leon is already on him about becoming an agent. After hearing what you told me I understand him hesitating, though. He wouldn't have that problem here. He fits right in."
Granger nodded. "The argument you'll get from this end is that he fits right in here, too, although they have a funny way of showing him. I'll discuss it with Henrietta. Of course, it ultimately is up to Deeks what he wants to do."
"Of course it is," Gibbs agreed. "Have a good day." Gibbs made the cutting motion at his neck to someone off screen and it went black.
Granger looked to Eric and Nell, "You didn't hear anything." His face was stern.
Nell and Eric turned to each other and back to Granger, "Understood." They said in unison. Granger stared them down, nodded, then turned around and walked out.
As soon as the door to ops slid shut Nell looked at Eric, her eyes wide. "Holy crap, Beale! Do you think Deeks will leave us?"
"Nell, do you really think Marty would leave Kensi for a job in DC? I mean, I know they aren't officially together, but they kinda are. Aren't they?" He looked confused.
"True and he wouldn't leave the beach, would he? Deeks would hate the cold weather!" Nell reasoned.
Eric started to relax, "Yeah, he wouldn't give up surfing. Nah, he'll come back."
Nell looked at Eric mischievously, "Soooo…about what Kensi asked. You think we can track him if we tried?"
Eric glanced around ops as he stretched his arms over his head, interlocking his fingers and cracking his knuckles. He nudged his glasses up, smiled at Nell, and started typing furiously on his keyboard. Nell turned to her own keyboard, a smirk growing on her face as she, too, went to work.
Granger stood on the balcony overlooking the mission, his hands in his pockets. Hetty was at her desk on the phone, probably with Vance. Callen was at his desk, also. He had his laptop open but didn't appear to be doing anything. Sam and Kensi were nowhere to be seen. Granger lowered his head and then walked over to the stairs. Before he descended he stopped to think about the future of OSP. He knew Hetty was going to have to answer for her actions concerning White Ghost, it was just a matter of time. Granger sighed as he made his way downstairs.
Callen had remained at his desk since leaving ops. He sat there in deep thought, trying to calm his anger at his good friend, Jethro. Granger had a point, he didn't steal Deeks. He was asked and went of his own accord. Callen knew they all had to have a serious talk when Deeks came back. He was just about to go looking for Sam and Kensi when Sam walked in and sat at his desk.
"We need to talk, G. I sent Kensi a text and told her to meet us here," Sam stated flatly.
Before Callen could reply they heard footsteps approaching. It was Kensi, her eyes clearly red from crying. She sat in her chair and looked at both of them, waiting for somebody to talk. They all sat and stared at each other, not knowing what to say. It was a very awkward moment between them. Finally, because he felt it was his duty as team leader, Callen spoke.
"I talked to Jethro." It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Immediately Kensi perked up, hoping for any news on her missing partner. "What did he say? Is Deeks okay?"
"It sounds like he is more than okay. Apparently just a few hours after meeting Gibbs and his team on Saturday he hit the streets, stopping in bars and asking around. Deeks found their guy, tailed him yesterday, and they took him in for questioning this morning. He confessed. Case closed," Callen said dryly.
"You're joking, right?" Sam asked incredulously.
Kensi gave Sam a not so friendly glare. He held up his hands in surrender.
Callen shook his head, "No joke. As Gibbs put it, it was a thing of beauty - the guy didn't have a chance once Deeks started working him."
Kensi couldn't help but smile. After working with Deeks the last few years, knowing how he could get through to people, it didn't surprise her at all that her partner was able to locate the suspect so quickly.
"So he's on his way back? He'll be here later this afternoon?" She asked optimistically.
"That's what I asked, too, Kensi - but Jethro said Deeks asked to stay since they closed the case so fast. He didn't want to come right back. Vance cleared it with Hetty this morning after our briefing. Gibbs told me he has a new agent that would benefit from working with Deeks. Vance agreed." Callen explained.
"Deeks gets a week off to play NCIS trainer for Gibbs' new agent when he is not even an agent himself? Seriously, is the new guy that incompetent?" Sam questioned.
Callen smiled at that, looking right at Kensi before turning back to Sam, "Gibbs said Vance is on Deeks to make the switch to NCIS – and who said the new agent was a guy, Sam?" Kensi felt her stomach tighten up at Callen's comment.
"How do you know the new agent is a woman?" She demanded.
"Because Jethro referred to her as a "she" and her name is Ellie Bishop." Again Callen smiled. He knew Kensi was jealous of any woman that interacted with Deeks, but he couldn't help rubbing it in when he had the chance. Sam was trying to hold back his smile. If Callen wasn't careful Kensi might just kick his ass right here in the bullpen. They were already skating on thin ice with her. He wanted to spare himself that same fate.
Kensi threw her laptop open and started keying in a search. It didn't take long for a picture of a very blonde, very beautiful agent named Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop to come up. She let the breath she was holding out in a loud huff, slammed her laptop shut and stalked up to ops.
TBC
