Hey, here's the next chapter.
A bit short, but I've been ill this week and top that my aunt passed away due to cancer, so last week wasn't the most pleasant one in life and I didn't feel like writing a lot.

I hope to bring the next one somewhere this week.

Thanks for the reviews and the followers! Keep them coming.

Six

'well if we're going to be honest with each other. I can't for the life of me imagine why you would let him go that easily. He's one of the best I ever worked with.'

His words brought a silence over them, one that only got broken when Andrews turned around and walked away without saying a word.

'That was nice of you to say.' Kensi silently said as some minutes had passed and they had all had the time to gather their thoughts and let what had happened just a bit earlier sink in.

'It's the truth.' was the simple answer.

'But I can't believe he keeps working here? I mean those things they said out there about him? It shocked me and I'm used to a lot.' Kensi said.

'Well, I figure they won't say it out loud when he's around.' Callen replied.

'would there be any truth in it?' she couldn't believe what she was saying, but it had been on her mind and maybe she just needed reassurance from her two big brothers.

'Kens!' Callen said.

'I know, but , well I don't know, it's just he hardly spends time here, hardly talks about it….'

' I like to think it's because we offer a better atmosphere.' Sam suddenly broke into the conversation.

'Yeah, much better, that's why we're all in the bullpen singing Kumbaya.' She sneared.

'Kensi, that's enough.' Callen snapped.

Oh if only things were alright, then Deeks would be here and they could actually sing the bloody song if they wanted to. Somehow he's almost certain the blond cop would actually like that.

'Sorry, Kensi, but this is not the time okay? He's been treated badly by both parties, but at least we can focus on that fact that we were a bit more social. '
He said as he saw the look on the female agent's face. It nearly broke his heart. The look and the situation they were in. They never gave him a real welcome to the team, and yet he kept coming back to work every day. Sam was right, he probably did it to get away from the precinct and the abuse he got here. Only to receive a similar manner of treating at NCIS headquarters. He was almost certainly sure Hetty didn't know about this one or she would have stepped it earlier.

Stop blaming Hetty! His inner voice told him. 'it was just as simple to give him that welcome.' It was right, they made the choice of treating him like this, like he was a nobody who couldn't do a thing. But actually that had been a complete lie. Hetty had handpicked him. She might not have used those exact words, but she had done it. And Hetty wouldn't pick a hopeless guy. Deeks possessed skills, good skills. He knew the scene, him growing up here meant he knew the place like the back of his hand and he had firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of the LAPD. And despite whether they liked him or not, the guy had his way of dealing with the locals. And they might mock him for it, but someone with the legal baggage he had, out in the field? Well truth be told it had been handy.

'Okay, let's do it.' he said as he held his hand out. Kensi wordlessly dropped the card in it. He faced vault 45 and punched in the combination. A few seconds, a few moments of holding his breath, what if Sarah had given them the wrong code? But then the light turned green and the door slowly opened. Different folders lay inside, together with some official looking papers. He swiftly went through it until he found the folder he had been looking for. Closing the door he turned and waved the folder. The others followed him towards the table nearby, but before they could see what was inside, they were interrupted by footsteps coming their way.
Not much later an older cop came into view.

'NCIS?' he asked.

'Yeah and you are?' Callen asked.

'Daniel Woods.' The cop said. 'I, I did the investigation into Sarah's shooter.'

' Our file said you guys had a suspect?' Sam asked.

'Yes, a dirty cop by the name of Jason Carter. Marty had worked on an undercover operation that brought him down.' Woods said.

'Why him?'

'We hadn't had a clue as to who might have done it. Well not until a freaked out Marty enters the hospital. Finding out that she was Marty's Sarah led us towards him. Sarah not having any enemies, and well certainly not one with sniper training it was the logic reasoning. Jason was the only one who had known about Deeks being the undercover.'

'How did he find out?' Callen asked.

'Jason searched his background. The only problem he had access to the police personnel records. No way we would have been able to keep from Marty to become known to Jason.' Woods said.

'how did Jason find out about Sarah?'

'He didn't by anything Marty did. He kept his personal en work life separated. He did talk a bit about Sarah, but no one ever knew who she was. It had always been in passing that she had been mentioned. Sarah actually was the one who gave us the clue. Jason lived in the same neighborhood as Sarah. She had seen him in the store and on the street. We believe Jason came to watching her every move, probably because he was interested in her. Marty by that time had moved out, but they were best friend so they often spend time at each other's place. That's how Jason put the connection between the two and we presume the plan.' Woods said.

'Anyway, here's the file. Call me if you need anything else' the cop said as he placed the file on the table. After saying goodbye he left.

After that they decided to go back to the mission. To look at everything at peace and perhaps with Eric and Nell close by should more digging seemed necessary. They were a quiet bunch as they made sure the vault had been locked and then made their way back to the car. All 3 going over what the Officer Woods had said and what could possible have gone down all those years ago. They all knew that undercover and everything else connected to it had its dangers. But now they were faced by the consequences. Actually it was the first time they faced the fact that someone who had nothing to do with the operation got hit. The only reason of becoming a target had been a connection to one of them and it made them sick to the core. They might not have know Deeks back then, hell their team hadn't existed back than, the attack had been on a close friend of one of their own. And that made Sarah one of their own as well, no questions asked.

After celebrating with a beer, they had gone to work. He did the searching on his laptop, Sarah took to find the articles of around that time. To see if they could find something about this one. The name of the cop hadn't been spoken between them, although both knew the name. Somehow it had become a topic neither wanted to talk about it and the other respected that wish. But right now they might have a chance of closing it, finally putting an end to it and that drove them forwards.

'So, the only problem we, and the LAPD have is that they can't place him on the scene. He had an alibi, thanks to friends. Woods was sure it was phony, but never could prove it.' he said.

'So he's still running around.' Sarah said.

'Yeah'

'And he's taking a new shot at us.' She went on.

He hadn't said anything about recognizing one of the guys shooting at them the other night. But then again they didn't have to. Just by telling her what she needed to find on the net, she had known. Hell she wore the scars of that day. She would never forget about it and as long as she lived with it, so would he.

'I might have something.' Sarah said, breaking the silence that once again had fallen between them.

'Okay'

'In this article they make a reference to an old plant. It looks like some traffic over there held suspicion.'

'why?'

'It's an abandoned power plant so it shouldn't warrant any movement around the premise.'

'You think he hid there and might still be there?' Sarah asked.

'Only one way to find out. Any address of area in the article.' He asked. She nodded and gave him the address.

Luckily she put down the tablet at the moment she told him, because that's why she never saw him freeze for a second. But it's better that way, no need for Sarah to know what's being going on in his life and that that place had almost cost him his life.

They had no idea of what they were getting into as they got in the car and started to make their way over. A part of her mind told her to call that lady back and tell her what they knew and that they would indeed love some back up. But she didn't. She knew he wasn't ready for it yet and in the end she was here for him. She could only hope they were making the right decision.

Besides she had given the team a clue and if they were as good as Marty claimed they would be able to put two and two together as well. Perhaps needing to call in for back up wouldn't be needed. Part of her didn't want it to be needed, wanted for it to be empty when they arrived there. She actually hoped that it would be the case because she had no idea how she would react to it all. Somehow the whole 'rescue Marty and get him back inside the team ' plan had turned into finding the guy that had shot her all those years ago. And even when she could tell that this was important to Marty, she wasn't sure he knew what they were going to do when they got there. That was a big part of why she wanted to place to be empty on arriving there. She just had no idea what Marty would do when they found him there. While she prided herself on knowing her best friend so well, this was actually the first time she had seen him like this. It was like he had nothing to lose and it frightened her to the core. But she would be there for him, every step of the way. That was a promise she had made to him. It was never spoken between the two of them, but it stood there right between the two of them. And they both lived by the promise.

Way too soon they arrived at the plant. He had parked a little further up the road, hiding the car as much as possible from prying eyes. They would walk towards the building to see if they could find a way on the premise without being seen.

'You ready?' he asked.

She wasn't, but her head took over from her heart as she nodded and proceeded to follow him.