A/N – I continued to do research on this area but, obviously, for the purposes of this story I had to take some liberties as I don't live in L.A. or anywhere nearby. Again, some of the statistics and history of the area came from Wikipedia, so consider credit given! The idea of good people banding together to create groups to watch over the weaker and defenseless is most likely a fiction of my mind but, hey! You never know!

basicnsync put it wonderfully in a recent review: "People don't often consider the sense of community that can develop among groups of people with shared experiences."

To my reviewer who felt that Callen was OOC by being ineffectual, you were right. For some reason, it's hard for me to hear Callen's voice. I tried to tweak it a little to make it more believable. As for Deeks being OOC and preachy, I was hoping to came off as more...passionate about the topic. Thank you for giving me my first critical review that was well thought out but also gave me lovely positive feedback!

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Chapter 7

They continued to walk, Deeks asking for Christy as they went. When he realized where they were heading, he stopped asking. Callen just followed him, having quickly learned to trust the other man's knowledge of the area and its people. More of the homeless acknowledged 'Artie' as he walked by. Callen didn't notice many, if any, that he thought were under the age of eighteen. He watched them all carefully, looking for someone who might be more than they seem. So far, Deeks was the only one who fit the bill. More than once, the detective would stop to chat and quietly hand out something from his pockets, feeding them some story as to how he'd come by it, if they asked. Callen watched the people and the area as they walked. "Artie, are all of these buildings abandoned?"

"No. While there is a large homeless population down here, there are plenty of people who live and work around here. Last statistic I saw said a little over seventeen thousand people are actual residents of this area."

"How do all of them feel about the number of people living on the streets outside their homes?"

"Not sure. I imagine most are just used to it and don't really think about it anymore. Some may feel trapped. A lot of residential hotels were opened in the area in the 1880's and originally housed seasonal laborers who are, by nature, transient. Times change, needs change, buildings were abandoned and left to decay. This area eventually became known as Skid Row and has been 'home' to the homeless since as early as the 1930's. Back then the homeless population in this area was rumored to be about ten thousand souls. As for the actual residents, these are people whose family has lived in this area since the late eighteen hundreds and it's home to them."

"How is it that you know all this?"

"I've been interested in this area for a long while. I took the time to do the research."

Callen digested the information as they continued to walk, knowing there was probably more to the story than a simple interest and some research. He was becoming more and more curious about the goofy detective who, at least that morning, he would've said he knew pretty well. He opened his mouth to ask more, when Deeks took a turn into the driveway of what was obviously an abandoned warehouse. The window glass and various doors were long gone but, surprisingly, very little trash was strewn around. A woman was standing in an open doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, her stance military parade rigid. Her hair was iron gray and pulled back tightly in a bun, her clothes old and worn but neat and clean. She was obviously expecting them and did not look happy about it.

"Hey Christy."

"Artie." The two stared at each other for a moment. Callen saw someone who actively disliked the man standing next to him. Deeks saw a proud woman whose confidence had been shaken and was looking for someone to help shoulder the blame. He knew her well enough to know she would never be one to try to push it all off on someone else. "Where have you been?" She finally asked.

"Here and there. You know me Christy. I don't stay in any one place too long. It makes me antsy."

"Don't you mean the need for your next fix makes you antsy?" She'd often wondered if he was as addicted as he seemed. Then, just when she was about convinced that he wasn't a drug addict at all, he'd display symptoms of withdrawal or being high as a kite. What she didn't know was that Deeks would read her and know when to put on an act to keep her thinking he was nothing but what he seemed. A drug addict who lived on the streets, begging for money on street corners for food and his next high.

"If that's the way you want to put it, then that's fine. " Deeks paused and continued in a softer voice. "I talked to Dodger. I know about the kids going missing."

The hard look on her face fell away and her anguish became readily apparent. "Maybe things would've been different if you'd been here! You started this and then you just left. You keep coming back and then you disappear again! I wasn't able to keep them safe!"

"Trip started this Christy, and he's still here."

"Bullshit! You and I both know that you led Trip down that path and practically spoon fed him the idea of creating the Protectors!"

Deeks chose to ignore this but Callen filed it away for later, under the heading of 'The Mysterious Secret Life of Marty Deeks'. "Christy, I'll tell you what I told Dodger. One person can't protect everyone all the time, here or anywhere else in the world. I know you did everything humanly possible to protect those kids. And I doubt my presence would have made any difference. There's something going on down here, something organized. I don't think it's random and I don't think you could possibly have seen it coming."

Christy's hands tightened on her arms and she blinked several times. "What? Like human trafficking?"

"Exactly!"

"What're we going to do about it?" She was obviously agitated now and Callen found he wasn't at all surprised that she was asking Deeks for direction.

"We're going to keep an eye on all the kids and start watching for anyone suspicious. Christy, I think these people might be dangerous. I've asked Dodger and Trip to keep an eye open but to not take things into their own hands. I'm going to ask the same of you. If anyone sees anything that can lead us to these bastards, you need to come find me. This needs to be a team effort!"

She just looked at him, no agreement on her face or in her body language. "Christy! Promise me! If you go in there all Rambo like, you could be killed. And then who takes care of your area? These people need you! I need you to be safe. Come on! Like Trip, you're ex-military. You know that operations go smoother with a team!"

She nodded reluctantly. "I've always wondered how you know all this stuff. You tell me you were never in the military or anything like that, yet you seem to know how things work."

"I read a lot as a kid."

She shook her head at what was an obvious lie, but she didn't push it. She never did with him anymore. She'd learned from experience that he was as stubborn as a mule and wouldn't give away anything he didn't want to. Lord knew she had enough secrets of her own. She took in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. She uncrossed her arms and held them out. Deeks walked into them and hugged her hard. She hugged him back and then pushed him away. "You stink boy!" Deeks just shrugged and both laughed a little.

Deeks turned the conversation towards the kids who had gone missing, scratching his ear and secretly turning on his earwig as promised, this being the first time they had any concrete information. "Who were the ones that went missing, Christy?"

"One of them hadn't been here for long; you would never have met him. Cute little kid, here with his family, name of Ramsey. His name's Louis and he's only nine years old! And before you ask, that mother and father, Clara and Phil, kept a close eye on him! He was taken in the night while they were asleep. The other one was one of our runaways. You might remember her. Gave us the name of Penny Lane but, unless her parents were Beatle's fans, that wasn't her real name."

Deeks did remember her but knew Ops would need more information on her to go on. "Pretty little red head, green eyes, freckles, about 5'2", 90 pounds?"

"That's her, I had a feeling you'd remember her."

"How old is she?"

"If you believe what she told us, fifteen. If I had to guess her real age, I'd say somewhere between eleven and thirteen."

Eric's voice sounded in Deeks's ears. "Heard that loud and clear Deeks. We'll dig around and see what we can find. Hopefully we'll find a missing person's report on Penny and can find information on the Ramsey's now that we have their full names. We'll let you know what we've found the next time you check in. Oh, by the way, we're getting the feed from both your and Callen's button cams with no problem. We're monitoring you 24/7."

He reached up and pretended to scratch his ear again, giving the earwig one tap, the usual response for "yes". He hoped they'd realize it was meant as a thank you. He turned it off again and looked back at Christy. He couldn't bear to see her so sad and down heartened.

He reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a candy bar, her eyes lighting up when she saw it. Like Polly, she questioned where he got it and seemed to believe his convenience store girlfriend story. She hid it away in a pocket to savor later. She gave Callen the once over and asked. "You going to introduce us?" The man in question had to smile. He'd kept quiet while Deeks had interrogated Christy without her even knowing it, not wanting to distract her, or him.

Deeks said. "Sorry, sorry! Greg, this is Sgt. Christine Mayhew, U.S. Army retired. Christy, this is Greg. He's an old friend and one of the good guys."

Callen again felt the warmth in his chest when he heard Deeks describe him. He held out his hand and said. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

"Hmmmph. Well, at least you have better manners than this one!" She took his hand and shook it hard. "Welcome." She leaned down and patted the patient Monty who leaned into her and sighed in contentment when she found a particularly itchy spot. "Hey Monty! It's good to see you, baby. I see Artie has been taking good care of you! You need to tell him he should do the same for himself!" She looked up at Monty's person and raised an eyebrow.

Deeks ignored it and once again pulled out the photo of David and Carrie, holding it out to her. "Greg and I are trying to find a friend who was headed this way with his daughter. David was honorably discharged from the Navy, PTSD. When he goes off his meds, he heads this way but for some reason, this time he took Carrie with him. With everything we've been hearing; we're worried about her."

Christy took the picture and nodded. "Yeah, saw them this morning. He seemed okay and so was the little girl. Didn't stay long, didn't say where he was headed. Did you talk to Chet yet?" She handed back the picture.

"No, we're going there next." He paused, looking around. Turning back to her he asked. "Christy, where are all the other kids? It's after 3, school's out for the day." Callen's eyes went to Deeks face, surprised to hear that the lack of kids on the streets they'd walked down had concerned the detective and that school could have played a factor. He'd just assumed none of them attended and would be hanging around or out begging all day, no matter what time of day or day of the week it was.

"They're in Protective custody." Christy smirked at him, proud of her little play on words even while devastated at the necessity. He smiled widely, happy to see the Christy he knew return. "You gonna come in and say hi?"

Deeks looked up at the sky, again noting the time. They had some to spare, so he nodded and Christy turned to lead them into the warehouse. As they went further in, the faint sounds of childish laughter could be heard. It got louder as Christy eventually led them to a large room in the center of the building where a rousing game of kickball was going on. Several adults were sitting around the edges and cheering their side on. Callen did a quick head count and came up with eleven kids, ranging from what appeared to be about five to early teens. Christy whistled shrilly and the game stopped. She stepped aside and Deeks walked forward.

"Artie's here and he has Monty!" Several of the smaller children ran up to them, patted Monty and then began patting his pockets while the older ones held back, but watched avidly none the less.

He reached in and brought out a handful of lollipops and handed one to each of them. "Remember! No running or horsing around with one of these in your mouths!" The small heads all nodded yes, the admonishment a familiar one. He went to another pocket and brought out one of the small bags of balloons. Ripping it open, he handed a couple to each of the smaller children. When they moved away to play with their small treasures, the older kids sidled up to him. He handed out more lollipops and this time brought out the beach ball. One of the older boys grinned and took it from him, immediately blowing it up and batting it into the air. Deeks batted it back and soon everyone, Callen and Christy included, were trying to keep the ball from hitting the ground and away from Monty. The dog was chasing the ball from one to another, barking and wagging his tail, having a great time. After about ten minutes of spirited play, Callen caught Deeks's eye and tilted his head towards the door, indicating it was time to go. Deeks nodded in return. He called Monty over and they left the adults and kids to their play as Christy walked them out.

When they reached outside, Deeks turned to her and said. "This is a great place for the kids to play and still be under watchful eyes, Christy. It's good to see them laughing, having some fun and just being kids."

Christy responded. "It's a sound I'll never tire of. The kickball you brought last time is getting a little worse for wear. The kids play with it day in and day out."

"I'll see what I can do; maybe I can talk to a couple people." Thinking of the people on his team, knowing that they'd be happy to contribute whatever he asked for. He reached into his pockets one more time and pulled out a couple toothbrushes and tooth paste. "I don't think they would have been as excited about this kind of gift. Can you make sure that they're spread around to those that need it?"

Christy took them and smiled. "Yeah, I think there might have been some moans and groans if these had been given out instead." She pulled him into a hug. "Artie, please don't stay away so long next time, okay? And say hi to Chet for me?"

"I'll try my best and I will. You remember what I told you, if you see someone or something suspicious, no going in alone! Even if you think you're just doing reconnaissance. You send someone to find us and we'll come immediately. We won't care if it's a false alarm. And, if you see David or Carrie again, please, do the same?"

Christy nodded and wistfully watched the two men until they were out of sight. She once again thought about Artie's background. She was more sure than ever that he'd had some type of training even if he wouldn't admit it and it made her feel better, knowing he was back, even if it was only for a short while. The new guy he was traveling with also set her radar off. The man had an unmistakable air of command about him and she thought the two of them made a formidable pair. She turned back into the warehouse to watch the children play and to keep watch over them.

Once out of earshot, Callen started asking Deeks questions. "Were those kids part of families or were they all runaways?"

Deeks huffed out a small sigh and answered. "Some of those kids have families and they live together on the streets. Families down on their luck, hoping for a better tomorrow. Families that refuse to be torn apart. To some, it sounds selfish but most of these families are convinced it's only temporary. And yes, some of those kids are runaways. They're running for a reason." He stopped and looked at Callen, waiting to see the understanding in the older man's eyes. From the small things the man had dropped over the years, he knew he would get this. He wasn't disappointed as Callen nodded.

He continued. "The ones that Christy can talk into going to Social Services? She gets them there. If she can't talk them into it, she tries to keep an eye on them here, making sure they have enough to eat, that they go to school, that they're safe. All the Protectors do the same."

"Why don't they use more of the abandoned buildings like this? Set up bedrooms and common areas?"

"They do. Not everyone who is homeless actually physically lives on the street. You might call them squatters but if the building is empty, you'd think no one would care, right? But no, sometimes the owners flush everyone out and put new locks on the doors and windows, if any still exist. If they can't lock them up, they board them up. Not that it keeps them out for long." He looked away from Callen and the older man had a sneaky suspicion as to why that was and silently applauded any actions he may or may not be taking.

"What did you mean about school not being out for the day? Do they really go?"

Deeks nodded. "Yes, most really do go to school. If they don't want to make the trek to one or are worried that the teachers are going to figure things out and turn them in, they have another option. There's an organization that has volunteer tutors who come to the various areas to teach homeless kids. It was founded in 1993 and called School on Wheels. Donations buy field trips, school supplies, among other things. They have a learning center in the heart of the Row. They're trying to educate as many kids as they can, trying to give them the best chance for a better life, a better future."

Callen's eyebrows rose in surprise and he filed yet another fact away to be reviewed at a later date. He asked another question that had been bothering him. "Isn't it dangerous to be down here, no matter what your age? "

Deeks's face darkened. "Dangerous? You're damned right it is. The Protectors do their best but there are areas down here that even I'm afraid to go into. Those are areas that wouldn't take kindly to even the idea of the Protectors, seeing it as someone having jurisdiction over them, telling them what they can and can't do. The worst of the worst go to those areas. Murderers, rapists, the violent offenders, some made violent by their life, some just violent by nature. Those kinds of people are prodded into the bad areas by the Protectors, driven out of their territory. Everyone is warned to stay away but, you can't stop people from being curious and sometimes, someone ventures in. Sometimes they come back, worse for wear. Sometimes….sometimes they just don't come back at all."

He heard the harshness in Deeks's voice and completely understood where it came from, especially after meeting some of the people he had today, seeing those kids play so happily with the simple toys Deeks had brought. He looked at the younger man sadly and said. "Some of that's amazing, some of it is just plain scary! It sounds like the Wild West or some kind of post-apocalyptic story."

Deeks just raised an eyebrow. Trying to inject some humor into the conversation and direct Callen's focus away from asking the personal questions he knew were bubbling just under the surface, he asked "Post-apocalyptic? I don't think I've ever seen any zombies running around! Cowboys or gunslingers either, for that matter."

"You know what I mean!"

Deeks sobered and nodded. "Yes, G, I do. It's a huge issue and it's something that I do what I can to help alleviate, like so many others. I don't have a lot of extra cash, so I try to do little things, including giving my time and some ideas to try to make things better without tons of money. It's a drop in the bucket. But, if everyone would do what they could, even if it was just a little something, don't you think the world would be a better place?"

Callen nodded his agreement, knowing that he had a lot to think about once they found David and Carrie and took down whoever was taking these kids. He replayed the meeting with Christy in his head for a moment and then asked several questions that he'd been dying to know the answer to. "What did Christy mean when she said you were behind the Protectors, not Trip? And why does most everyone down here from the small kids to the adults seem to know you? How the hell often are you down here?!" Deeks simply shrugged and that all too familiar stubborn look appeared on the man's face and it was then that he knew was beaten; Deeks wasn't going to answer his personal questions…yet. He had no intention of stopping them, hoping to eventually wear the detective down; even knowing he was the king of deflection. He, himself, was the king of perseverance, although some have been known to call it stubbornness. Sam, for instance. Deeks turned and led the way out of Christy's territory and towards Chet's.

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A/N2 – In googling things like whether or not there are schools in the Skid Row area, I stumbled on School on Wheels. What a wonderful idea! There really are good people out there!