A/N – Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes! Looking more and more like I might be able to avoid surgery. Yay!

A/N2 – As always, my thanks to honus47 for reviewing and catching all the mistakes I missed. Any left are my fault.

Chapter 7

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Deeks pulled into the Starbucks parking lot and had to smile. This was becoming a ritual of the three musketeers, meeting for coffee before the start of class. He got out of the car and easily located both Phil and Charlie's cars already there. Locking up behind him, he strode into the store. Inside he found his friends at what had become their table in the back corner. Surprisingly, the group had grown by one as he recognized the pretty young female trainee who had wanted to be Charlie's attorney during yesterday's exercises. He hid a smile as he watched the young woman hang on his newest friend's every word. Phil looked up and caught his eye, smirked and lifted an eyebrow towards the two who were totally wrapped up in each other. It would seem that they had just added their own version of D'Artagnan. He ordered his coffee and made his way to the table.

"Hey guys and girl." He said as he sat.

"Hey Marty! This is Amanda Cross." Charlie responded.

"Ms. Cross, it's nice to meet you." Deeks put his hand out.

Taking it, she smiled brightly. "It's Amanda, please. It a pleasure to meet you as well."

"So, Marty, Amanda wants to join our little study group. I said that would be okay, if it's okay with you?" Charlie asked anxiously. "Phil's in."

"Of course! The more the merrier." Deeks took a sip of his coffee, closed his eyes and let out a loud contented sigh, causing the others to laugh. "What? A good cup of coffee is always a pleasure!"

Amanda held up her own extra-large cup and said, "Here, here," as she held the cup out towards him. Deeks lifted his and they clinked cups. "Nothing like a good cup of coffee to get the day started out right."

"Couldn't agree more." He smiled at her and she returned it.

"So, how's Kensi doing?" Charlie asked. Deeks had to hide the smile that threatened to break out. Somehow, he thought Charlie's asking, was more about letting Amanda know Deeks had a girlfriend, than out of concern for said girlfriend. Although, to be fair, both he and Phil did ask after her all the time.

"She's doing great! The doctor is very pleased with her progress."

Amanda looked like she wanted to ask but was too polite to do so. He smiled at her. "Kensi's my girlfriend. She was in a bad accident a couple months back and temporarily lost the use of her legs. She's in rehab in Savannah and getting better every day! I have no doubt she'll be able to walk again."

"I'm so sorry to hear that! Please let her know that I hope she gets better."

"I will, thanks." He had already been predisposed to liking her and her kind words solidified that.

"What does Kensi do for work? Is her company taking care of her? My mom works in the insurance industry, I'm sure she'd be willing to advise you about any concerns you might have."

"That's very kind Amanda, but we're covered."

He took a sip of coffee and was about to tell her about Kensi when Charlie burst out. "Kensi's an NCIS agent!"

Amanda blinked in surprise. "She is? Is that why you're becoming an agent too? Why you left the police force?"

"Well, part of it. I left the force for other reasons and decided I might as well join her at NCIS." Changing the subject, he added. "Is everyone looking forward to today's class?"

Phil shrugged. "Been around guns all my life. Figure this one should be a cake walk for me. Same for you."

Charlie nodded. "I'm pretty handy with a gun. Hopefully this will be easier for me than the testimony class."

Amanda put her hand on his and smiled at him. "You did great in that class! You really knew your stuff and didn't let Phil get to you." Charlie smiled back, clearly besotted.

Phil cleared his throat and asked. "How about you Amanda? Ever handled a gun?"

"Sure, my dad's a retired marine. He made sure all of us knew the proper way to handle a gun and to always respect it."

"Good man!" Phil answered.

She smiled at him. "He really is. You remind me of him, a little."

Phil put on his best hangdog look. "You really think I look old enough to be your father?"

The look on her face was comical as she tried to backtrack. "No! No, that wasn't what I meant. I just meant that you, you know, you carry yourself like him, you know, with confidence and…and…"

Phil burst into laughter and as she finally realized he was teasing her, she smiled uncertainly.

"Phil, be nice to her! We want her to stay with the group, she makes the rest of us look better!" Deeks pretended to scold him. The rest laughed as talk turned to the upcoming class and why they had all applied to join NCIS. None of the men mentioned the trouble Deeks was having with Agent Carrington and now Mark Roberts. Deeks finished his last sip and looked at his watch. "Time to go kids, don't want to be late!" Agreeing, they gathered their trash and left the store, Deeks waving a goodbye to the barista who waited on them every day, getting a warm smile and wave in return.

Outside, they went to their respective cars with 'see you there's' and headed out. No one noticed the car that pulled out behind Deeks, the man behind the wheel wearing a cap and sunglasses. Mark Roberts had followed Charlie home the night before and had waited for him this morning. He'd then followed him here and had been rewarded when his target had shown up a short while later. He'd sat slouched in the car and focused on Deeks, noting the make, model and plate of his car. Agent Carrington had sought him out and said that Deeks would be bad for the agency; that he shouldn't be allowed to become an agent. He'd been honored that the man had trusted him and, in his own warped mind, had taken on getting Deeks out of the program as his first true mission as an agent. He'd tried to show everyone that Deeks couldn't cut it during the cross examinations yesterday, but somehow the man had turned the tables on him and had ended up making him look bad. He'd barely passed and he was pretty sure it was because Agent Temple had the hots for the ex-cop. That could be the only reason why Deeks had received top marks and he hadn't, something that made him more determined that the man was bad for his agency and needed to go.

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They trooped into the classroom and took the only four empty seats together in the already filling up rows. None noticed that Roberts entered right behind them and took a seat two rows back, off to the side where he could watch Deeks. They continued to talk amongst themselves, teasing and joking while waiting for their next instructor to join them. When the man walked in, all talk ceased. He was an imposing man, built solidly and about as locked down as any marine they'd ever seen. Deeks gulped as he wondered if here was yet another agent who was going to take exception to the way he looked. He found himself thinking that maybe he should just get a haircut and shave, to fit in with the look of everyone else in the room, but dismissed the thought almost as soon as he had it. If he had to change who he was in order to become an agent, then maybe this wasn't for him after all. He watched the man walk back and forth in front of the room, his hand clasped behind his back and making eye contact with everyone. When it was his turn, he met those eyes with steady ones of his own.

Finished with his inspection of the trainees, the man stopped and began his speech. "My name is Special Agent Lucas Sheppard and I will be your instructor on weapons handling. Has anyone here ever shot a gun?" Every hand in the room went up. "Good, good. During this class you will not only be graded on your accuracy but also taught to treat your weapon with respect. Should you graduate from this academy, you will represent not only this agency, but the Navy, the Marine Corp and these United States. A gun is a deadly weapon and, in the wrong hands, can not only end a man's life, but can impact our relations with other nations. To point a gun at another human being is hard enough, to have to pull the trigger and kill him, can lead to personal trauma that will stay with you the rest of your life. Has anyone here ever had to take a life?"

Only Phil and Deeks hands went up. Charlie heard a snort behind him and turned to find Mark Roberts glaring at Deeks. Turning back, he nudged Phil and when he got his attention, cocked his head towards the row behind them. Phil looked and found Roberts, now staring ahead as if paying no attention to them, instead focusing only on the instructor's words. He frowned and turned back when he realized that Sheppard was addressing him. "Mr…."

"Johnstone, sir."

"You've killed a man?" Phil noticed all eyes were on him and he felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Retired seal, sir. I fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. I have, unfortunately, had to kill another human being."

"An enemy though, correct?"

"Yes sir, but a human being all the same." This answer seemed to please the agent as he nodded.

"And you, Mr…" Pointing at Deeks. "Somehow I don't think you come from a military background."

Deeks held in a sigh, thinking 'here we go again'. "Deeks sir. No, not military, police, ex-police."

"Ah, a LEO." Deeks had heard that expression used by agents of both NCIS and other agencies he'd worked with. Usually it was said with derision, but that was missing from the man's tone. He felt a slight uptick of hope that maybe this one wouldn't judge him on looks alone. Like Phil, he felt all eyes on him, some with curiosity; some with skepticism.

"Yes sir."

"How long?"

"Just over eleven years."

"And how many men have you killed in your career?"

"More than I want to count." It was a fact. He'd had to end the life of more people than he wanted to admit, yet all of them were necessary in order to stop others from dying.

"And were they all justified?"

Not knowing what the man was getting at, Deeks sat up straighter. "Yes, sir, either self-defense or in the defense of others."

"Does that make it easier?"

He looked Sheppard right in the eyes. "Never. I have to live with every decision to end a life for the rest of my days. However, second guessing myself afterwards is not an option as it could lead to hesitancy the next time I have to make that same decision, possibly leading to the loss of more life. It's an unfortunate necessity of the job. However, the moment it does get easier, is the moment I hang up my gun and start stocking shelves in the local 7-11."

"That, Mr. Deeks, was one of the best answers I've ever gotten to that question in all my days of teaching this class. The rest of you, make sure you hear and understand what he just said. You may think that becoming an agent absolves you of any responsibility when you take a life, but know that the person whose life you just ended was someone's son, perhaps someone's mother or father, a brother, a sister or a best friend. It should never be taken lightly and should always be a last resort when nothing else will work. If you can point a gun at someone and take their life without compunction or regret, you should not be carrying a badge and a gun." He smiled. "Perhaps the local 7-11 is hiring." The small joke lessened the tension in the room.

"Another thing to note. Just because you have a badge and a gun, does not mean the bad guys you're going after won't also be armed. Just as you're firing at them, they will be firing back at you. This is a dangerous job if you elect to be a field agent. You will, at some point in your career, take fire. It's possible you will even be shot. An experience that I hope you can avoid. Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Deeks, as our most likely to have taken fire, have either of you been shot?" Both of them nodded. Charlie and Amanda gaped at them a little. "How many times?"

Phil hesitated and when Deeks didn't respond, answered first. "Once, in the leg. I was lucky, my team wasn't."

"Watching a team member or a partner get shot is sometimes worse than taking the actual bullet yourself. Something else you will need to remember. Losing a team mate to deadly fire is a very real possibility and survivor's guilt has led to many a suicide. Mr. Deeks?"

"Twice, in the chest."

"You were shot on two separate occasions?"

"No, one shooting, two bullets."

"Were you on duty?"

"No, wrong place, wrong time. Store robbery. I wasn't on duty, but I was still a cop and I couldn't let what was happening continue. The owner was a nice guy and sort of a friend. I wasn't armed at the time."

Sheppard nodded. "Another good lesson. Once you take on this badge, you will never really be off duty. Even so, you need to be careful of what you get involved in when you aren't acting in an official capacity. Weigh the odds and remember that you aren't acting on your own, you are acting on behalf of this agency. At times, you will find that the chance to help someone outweighs those concerns, other times it won't." He smiled at Deeks to let him know he wasn't berating him.

"Now, during this class you will be taken to the firing range where you will practice with several types of guns, ranging from hand guns to automatic weapons." Hearing that, several people in the audience perked up. "AND, after each exercise, you will be expected to break down your gun, clean it and put it back together again." This time there were a few groans heard. "Ladies and gentlemen, a dirty gun can lead to misfiring, doing unexpected damage either to yourself or to innocent bystanders."

Deeks suddenly flashed to Sam sitting in the front of a van in Prague, cleaning his black market gun for about the tenth time while muttering about not trusting it. He found himself missing the big guy. He returned his focus to Sheppard as the man continued. "You will be graded not only on the accuracy of your shots, but on how quickly and how well you perform the task of cleaning your weapon. The gun you are handed today, will be yours for the rest of this class. On the last day, you will be taken to a simulation room where you will have to make split second decisions on whether to fire at a target or not. This simulation will include children, as well as other innocent bystanders, in addition to men with guns. How you react will determine whether or not you will proceed with this program. You will note that this is one of your longer classes. This is because it is one of the most important you will ever take. Your ability to handle your weapon correctly and accurately will make or break you as an agent. Are there any questions?"

When none were forthcoming, he nodded. "Very well then, we will adjourn to the firing range. Please exit through the door to my right." Everyone stood up and started to file out of the room. When Deeks, Charlie, Phil and Amanda reached Sheppard's level, he spoke again. "Mr. Deeks, a word?"

His three friends looked at him, two with worried expressions on their faces. He nodded and said. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." They reluctantly agreed and slowly left, Phil and Charlie looking back more than once. Somehow he had a feeling Amanda would be up to speed by the time he reached the firing range. Once the room was empty, he turned to look at Sheppard, his stance defensive. "What can I do for you, Agent Sheppard?"

Sheppard smiled and it relaxed his whole demeanor. Gone was the uptight military man and in his place was simply a curious man. "I wanted to reiterate that your answer was one of the best I've gotten in all my years of teaching this course, including some other LEO's I've had the pleasure of teaching in this program. I've seen plenty of men and women come through here, all gung ho about getting a gun and shooting up the bad guys. It's nice to have someone help bring them down to earth a bit. Someone who understands the gravity and responsibility of carrying a gun and being authorized to use deadly force. Walk with me."

Deeks nodded and the two men left the room, heading to the firing range. "So, Mr. Deeks…"

He interrupted. "People call me Deeks or Marty."

"I've noticed your friends call you Marty so I'll go with Deeks. Can't give the impression that I'm playing favorites. You said you were with the force for eleven years, what division?"

"Started out as a beat cop and when I made detective I chose undercover. That's why I look and dress like I do, can't look like a cop or it makes it pretty hard to infiltrate gangs or drug rings. It can, in fact, get you dead." He knew he sounded defensive.

Sheppard frowned and tilted his head at him. "Why should I care how you look or dress unless it impacts your ability to do the job? Mind you, I wouldn't expect you to show up to work in pajamas, but I see nothing wrong with the way you're currently dressed."

Deeks almost laughed. "Some seem to think the outward appearance is an indication of the kind of man I am, the kind of agent I'll be. In other words, I'm not worthy to wear the badge." Sam's words during the Sidorov case still rankled, although he bore no ill will towards his team mate for them. Sam had more than made up for that mistake. Still, Carrington making assumptions about him hit a bit too close to home.

"Who the hell would think…oh wait, let me guess? Carrington?" Deeks reluctantly nodded, his face carefully blank. He wouldn't have said anything but Cora already knew and he knew she wasn't going to let it drop, especially as they were both pretty sure that Carrington had co-opted a fellow trainee to try to bring him down. He didn't say anything further and Sheppard let it drop, respecting his unspoken desire not to discuss it any further. He had his own opinions about Carrington and he had a good feeling about Deeks. He was as sure as he could be, that the man walking beside him would be more than just a good agent. He'd keep his mouth shut but his eyes open during the coming weeks. He had eyes and ears everywhere. Changing the subject, he asked. "So, why did you leave?"

If Deeks were sitting, he would be squirming uncomfortably, not sure how much he wanted to share. He decided he'd go with a version of the truth. "My girlfriend was in a serious accident. She currently doesn't have the full use of her legs. Right now she's in rehab in Savannah. I wanted to be with her, so staying on the force wasn't really an option as we have no idea how long it will take. Glynco is close enough to be able to go through training while still supporting her in whatever ways I can."

"That's too bad, I hope she's doing well?"

Deeks smiled widely, causing Sheppard to smile in return. "Yes sir! She's doing very well, the doctors are very optimistic."

"That's good to hear. So, where are you from, originally? I've taught this course at several police academies over the years, all over the country."

"Los Angeles, born and bred."

"Really, I wouldn't have been able to guess." Sheppard smirked at him and Deeks laughed. "Guessing you also surf?"

"You bet! One of the best sports there is. Just you and your board against the water. It's like flying."

"I've never tried it, although I have taught in L.A. It must be, oh, nearly a decade ago, when I was last there. I remember a couple of names. Any chance they could be someone you know?"

"Could be. The L.A. police force is pretty big, it's hard to know everyone."

Sheppard threw out a couple names, some of which were familiar to Deeks but no one he knew personally. Then when he mentioned a Sergeant Roger Bates, Deeks felt a momentary concern. "Yeah, I know Bates. He's a lieutenant now and is, was, my commanding officer."

"Seemed like a good guy."

"He can be." He can also be a pain in the ass, he thought to himself.

"What does he think about you going to the dark side?" Sheppard would have to be stupid not to know there was a certain tension between federal agencies and local police forces, each wanting to keep the other out of what they felt was their business.

"He actually doesn't know. Only a couple people back in L.A. know. As far as most of them think, I'm just here for Kensi."

"Any particular reason?"

"Not really, just want to sink or swim on my own, as it were."

"I can understand that. So, what does your girlfriend do for work? Is she out on disability? I'm not prying, just want to be sure you're covered." Deeks hid a smile, thinking how closely the man's words mirrored Amanda's from earlier. The good people associated with NCIS far, far outweighed the bad.

"Actually, she's an NCIS agent and I knew enough about the agency to know I'd be proud to carry a badge for it."

Sheppard laughed. "Making it a family business?"

Deeks laughed in return. "You could say that."

"How does she feel about you becoming an agent?"

"She's been trying to get me to come over to the 'dark side' for years." Deeks made air quotes when he said dark side and both men smiled. "She's one bad ass federal agent, I can tell you that. No matter how good I get, she'll always be the best there is."

"Spoken like a man in love, and I should know. My wife is one bad ass marine and can wipe the floor with me at the shooting range." They looked at each other and both starting laughing, not noticing that they were under observation by the rest of the trainees who were patiently, or in one case, not so patiently, waiting at the firing range. Roberts, in particular, was disturbed by the sudden outward display of comradery the older man was showing for someone who he should be bouncing out of the program. He wasn't sure how Deeks did it, how he pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, but it was his duty to make sure that everyone saw him for what he was. Someone who didn't deserve to be in the same company as the rest of them.

Reaching the rest of the group, Deeks meandered over to his friends while Sheppard took his place in front of the firing points. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Glynco firing range. Let me introduce you to Agent Henderson. He'll be setting up the targets and taking them down after each of your turns." A man who had been standing off to the side, waved in acknowledgement of his introduction. "Unlike indoor ranges, being outside teaches you to account for vagaries such as wind direction and velocity, along other such outside influences that can impact your ability to hit the target. During your training sessions over the next four days you will be subjected to rain and wind, heat and cold. You will be trained on how to adjust your aim accordingly." Most of the trainees looked up at the blue sky and the still trees that showed no wind was blowing at the moment.

"Not to worry. If the local weather doesn't cooperate, we have our own ways to produce rain, wind, heat and cold. Each of you will be stationed somewhere across this country or will be an agent afloat. It may be hot, it may be cold, but in all cases, my job is to make sure you are capable of accurately discharging your weapon under less than ideal conditions. For today, we will simply make use of the lovely day the beautiful state of Georgia has provided us with. While there are firing stations for five people, for this first round, I want to assess each of you, so we will go one at a time. Who wants to go first?" Almost every hand went up, Phil and Deeks being the exception. Both knew they were good marksmen and didn't want to look like they were showing off. It amused both of them to know what the other was thinking. Sheppard, too, understood and wasn't disappointed, in fact he'd planned on the two of them going last.

He pointed at one of the men. "You."

"John Lefebvre, sir."

"Please take your station." He said and pointed at the middle one. He turned back to the class. "For this initial assessment, you will each be using a SIG-Sauer P229, the standard issue weapon for all NCIS agents. You will be firing at three targets that range from ten yards to twenty five. You will be expected to hit center mass on at least one of five shots at each range. No shot should miss the target completely. When you are done, please take your weapon with you as you will be responsible for cleaning it once everyone has had their turn. You will not be taking them with you when you leave, as you don't have the authority to carry it yet. You will leave it in a locker assigned to you in the training room located inside. Mr. Lefebvre, you may begin."

Lefebvre took position at the middle firing station and picked up the weapon waiting for him. He aimed and fired at the first target, causing both Deeks and Phil to wince. Sheppard said nothing. When the man was done firing, Henderson went out and pulled down the used targets, replacing them with fresh ones as Sheppard replaced the used SIG with an unfired one. Bringing the used targets back, Henderson carefully marked each one with Lefebvre's name. One by one, each of the trainees took their turn, until only Phil and Deeks were left. The two looked at each other and Deeks shrugged, walking up to take his place.

He stood at the firing station and picked up the SIG, hefting it and noting the differences in weight between his own gun and this one. He automatically opened the chamber and inspected it. Satisfied, he snapped it shut. He then ejected the clip and inspected it, finding all 15 bullets present and accounted for. He slid it home and was about to take aim when Sheppard interrupted. "Mr. Deeks, can you explain why you felt it necessary to look over the gun that was provided to you?"

Deeks floundered, not sure if he was being brought to task for having the temerity to second guess whoever had provided the gun. "I always check out a new gun before I use it. I need to see what it weighs, I guess I feel a need to be sure everything is in its place." Sheppard smiled at him and turned to the rest of the class.

"Can anyone tell me why Mr. Deeks thought it would be a good idea to not shoot the gun immediately, as the rest of you did?" No one responded. "Whenever you handle a new gun, always make sure that you inspect it. If you have time, never assume that the person who gave it to you, even another agent or myself, made sure the gun was properly set. There may be occasions where you won't have the time and will have to trust that the gun given you is in the best shape possible. You may continue Mr. Deeks."

Deeks took aim and rapidly fired at the closest target. When he finished the requisite five shots, he moved to the one farther away and carefully sited along the barrel, taking his time and firing smoothly. He moved to the last, but furthest target, set himself and fired off the five shots. When done, he placed the gun down and waited. Henderson did his thing and Deeks moved out of the way for Phil to take his turn. When everything was ready, Phil followed the same procedure, checking the chamber and the magazine. He then fired at his three targets and put the gun down.

"Very well, that's the last of you. While Agent Henderson tallies the results, you will follow me into the cleaning room and will take apart your gun and clean it carefully. When you're done, let me know and I will inspect it. If I approve it, you will go back to the classroom and wait there. Agent Henderson and I will join you when everyone is done and will give you your results."

The group moved into the cleaning room, Deeks, Phil, Charlie and Amanda choosing a table where they could all sit together. Hesitantly, John Lefebvre approached their table which had one empty seat. He cleared his throat and asked. "Do you mind if I take this seat?"

Phil looked at him and grinned. "Sure, misery loves company!"

Deeks laughed. "I don't know, I find cleaning my gun very relaxing."

Phil rounded on him. "Are you serious? I mean, I understand the need, but its pure drudgery! You can't actually enjoy it?"

"Yeah, I kinda do. It's neat and it's methodical. You have to pay attention but you don't need to think about it, you know?"

"Oh please, tell me you aren't one of those neat freaks!" Deeks blushed a little. "Oh my god, you are!" Phil chortled. "You think you know a guy…" Deeks just punched him in the shoulder and then opened the cleaning kit they'd all been provided with. He frowned a little as it wasn't quite as extensive as he'd like. He looked around and found a cabinet located against the wall. Standing up he went to open it just as Sheppard came through the door.

"Looking for something Deeks?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, do you have any finer cleaning cloths than what's in the kit?"

"Ah, a man after my own heart. Sure, let me get you one." He pulled out his keys and opened the cabinet, reaching in and pulling out some thin cloths. "This what you're looking for?"

Deeks took them and ran his hands over the top one. Grinning he said "This will do just fine. Thanks Agent Sheppard."

"You're welcome. I'll be paying close attention to yours, need to make sure it was worth all the effort of opening this up for you." They both laughed and Deeks went back to his table while Sheppard began making the rounds, looking over people's shoulders, making some of them nervous.

Deeks methodically took apart the gun and began cleaning it, humming a little to himself. When he finished and put the gun back together, he looked up to find his table mates waiting on him. "You done already?" Phil asked sarcastically, having finished a while ago, as had everyone else. Deeks merely smiled and nodded. He watched while Sheppard walked around inspecting the guns the rest of the recruits had cleaned and reassembled. He had each one take it apart and start over, while giving words of encouragement. When he made Mark Roberts redo his, the man's face turned bright red with anger, although he kept himself in check as he started pulling the gun apart with more fervor than was strictly necessary.

Sheppard got to the table Deeks was sitting at last, as he'd been the last one to finish. He inspected Amanda's gun first. "Close, Ms. Cross but I'm going to have to ask you to do it again." Amanda just smiled and nodded. "Mr. Caldwell, may I?" He held out his hand for Charlie's gun. Turning it over several times, he shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to do the same." Charlie sighed and took the gun back. Lefebvre had already started taking his apart before Sheppard could even inspect it, causing the agent to smile. "Mr. Johnstone?" Phil handed him the gun. Sheppard turned it over several times, opened the chamber, closed it, ejected the clip, ran a finger over it, then shot it back it before he handed it back. "Good enough, although it could be slightly better." Phil grinned and nodded.

Turning to his last pupil, Sheppard held out his hand and Deeks put the gun in it. The agent turned it over and raised an eyebrow, opened the chamber and nodded his head, then ejected the magazine. Slapping it back in place, he handed it back. "Well, Mr. Deeks, I'd lie if I didn't say the gun looks cleaner than when we gave it to you. Congratulations." Deeks merely nodded and took the gun back. Roberts seethed in the background as he scrubbed the parts of his gun with more power than finesse. Phil noticed and worried. Sheppard continued. "You and Mr. Johnstone may go back to the classroom to wait for the rest of the class to join you." Both nodded and stood up, giving quiet words of encouragement to Charlie, Amanda and John.

On the way back to the classroom, Phil brought up Roberts. "You know he's going to be a problem, don't you?"

"I don't see what he can do to me. I just need to be on my toes and do my best. Let him wear himself down worrying about me instead of his own performance."

"Marty…I don't know. It really bothers me that he and Carrington seem to be together on this targeting of you."

"I appreciate that. Look, Agent Temple is aware of it and is planning on bringing it up to her superiors. Agent Sheppard figured it out pretty quickly when he was talking to me. I don't see either Carrington or Roberts being able to put one over on that man."

Feeling somewhat appeased, Phil turned the conversation to Charlie and Amanda, the two of them getting more and more silly on the topic of young love, although both were well into adulthood and not all that much younger than the two of them. They both just felt decades older based on experience alone. Gradually, other students straggled into the room, most coming over to talk with them, asking quiet questions about war and law enforcement. Charlie and Amanda appeared, John tagging along. The five sat together and exchanged information on themselves. Roberts was one of the last to appear, the look on his face saying more than Deeks wanted to know. Somehow he was pretty sure he was to blame for the other man's poor performance, at least in Roberts's mind. Sheppard finally appeared and took his place at the front of the room.

"Most of you did very well. I understand that being under scrutiny and feeling like you needed to perform well your first time out, could negatively impact your results. Keep at it and your performance can only improve. The range is available to anyone who wants to put in extra practice time, just talk to one of us before you do so."

Agent Henderson entered the room and handed a sheet of paper to Sheppard, disappearing as silently as he'd appeared. Sheppard looked it over and nodded. "Ladies and gentleman, I have the results of your first round of target practice. Again, please remember that this is only the baseline and you will have plenty of opportunities to improve your score as the training continues. In first place, we have a tie between Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Deeks. Congratulations to both of you." A round of applause followed his words, while Roberts crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. "I won't read all the names, but will post it on the wall for you to review yourself, at your leisure. At this point, class is over for the day. I will expect to see you bright and early tomorrow morning when we will start your training in earnest." He turned and put the list on the corkboard, using a push pin.

The rest of the class surged up to get a look at where they stood, while Deeks and Phil stayed in their seats, waiting for their friends. They watched the pushing and shoving as each one tried to get close enough to find out where they fell. Amanda and Charlie found their names and headed back to them, smiles on their faces. John followed shortly after, having attached himself to the crew surrounding the two most experienced people in the class. Charlie smiled as he waited for Amanda to take a seat before sitting himself. "I took sixth place and Amanda took eighth. How'd you do John?"

"Third." He was obviously very proud of his results but didn't crow about it.

Deeks stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you and congratulations to you and Mr. Johnstone."

"Marty and Phil, John. Is it okay if we call you John?"

"Of course!" John was happy he'd found some people he felt comfortable with and could hang out with. He wasn't the most extroverted and didn't make friends easily. He sat down as Deeks did the same.

Charlie leaned over to Deeks and Phil leaned in to hear what he had to say, the others doing the same but trying not to intrude on the core three. "Marty, Roberts came in twenty-fourth out of the twenty-five students. The guy in last place admitted he'd only fired a gun once before today. I heard Roberts muttering something about teacher's pets and bias. You really need to watch your back."

Deeks closed his eyes and offered up a 'why me' to the cosmos. Getting no answer, he opened his eyes and found three concerned and one confused pair of eyes looking at him. "Look, I don't know what I can do about either of them. Neither one has done anything to me directly. Yes, Roberts tried to trip me up on the stand but that was what he was supposed to do. Admittedly, he did it with a bit more…intensity…than strictly necessary but if we hadn't seen him talking to Carrington before class, none of us would have thought twice about it."

Phil responded. "Yeah, but we did see them and you know they're both gunning for you."

John hesitantly piped up. "Are you talking about Agent Carrington, the guy who ran the Orientation and gave Mr….Marty…a hard time?"

Phil and Charlie exchanged a look with Deeks and then Deeks nodded. "Yeah, he seems to have taken a dislike to me and we think he enlisted Mark Roberts to help him wash me out, but we don't have any proof. It could just be a coincidence."

John swallowed hard and said. "I don't think it is."

"Why not?" Amanda asked.

"Look, I know I'm not the most outgoing and I tend to blend into the background." He sighed. "People tend to forget I'm there and talk in front of me." He sounded sad.

Deeks leaned forward and put a hand on his arm. "You know John, that trait can be a very useful trait in an agent, especially if you're working under cover."

The younger man brightened. "You think so?"

"I know so. There's this guy back in L.A. that I worked with. He was nothing to look at, tended to blend into the background so you never really noticed him. Yet, he had the highest conviction rate in the department and was one of our best undercover operatives. Now, what were you going to tell us?"

"Well, he was talking about you and saying that you didn't seem like the right kind of person to become an agent. He was…l don't know, I'm not a profiler."

Deeks nodded encouragingly. "Just tell us your observations."

"He seemed a little too adamant about someone he didn't know. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say he isn't all that stable. I know everyone undergoes a psych eval before they can officially be admitted to the program, but I've read and heard about people who can pass, even when they have issues that should preclude them from being accepted." The group turned to look at Roberts, who was still standing in front of the list, his hands fisted at his side. They all felt a little worry at his words.

Finally, Deeks looked away and stood up. "Come on, let's head out for the day. There's nothing we can do except wait to see how everything plays out. Besides, I'm starving! We missed lunch." The rest nodded and stood up, silently following his lead as he headed out for the parking lot. Once outside in the clear air and sunshine, they felt a little better. Walking to their cars, Deeks looked at the man who appeared to be their newest member. "Hey John, we meet at the Starbucks down the street every day before class. Can you be there an hour before it starts?"

John blinked. "Really?" He said before he could stop himself. Mustering his confidence, he tried again. "I mean, sure, I can make it."

"Good. See you tomorrow?" Deeks asked.

"You bet!" The shy young man was practically beside himself at being included in what was rapidly approaching the cool kid's clique. The rest grinned and nodded. They all got into their cars and headed out. Feeling an itch between his shoulder blades, Deeks slowed so he could look behind him and was chilled to find Roberts standing in the middle of the parking lot, staring after him.

~,~,~,~