"Nothing happened," Kensi protested and Deeks felt like hitting his head of the desk in sheer frustration. Couldn't she just keep her mouth shut, just for once? Why did she always have to have the last word? "There was no tequila, no strip poker. Alright?"

Deeks could see from the looks on their faces that Callen and Sam didn't buy that for one single minute, and he didn't blame them. Okay, it was time for some more damage control. "We just had sex. Four times. I was amazing." He shot a wide beam around the group.

Sam patted him condescendingly on the shoulder. "Good one. Kensi almost had me going there."

"But you gave the game away. Four times? Yeah, right." There was no way Deeks would be so bright-eyed and bushy tailed if that was true, Callen thought. "You just can't help yourself, can you Deeks?"

"Sad but true. I can resist everything but temptation." Deeks was very careful not to look at Kensi "the lady doth protest too much" Blye.

Eric leant over the railings and blew his favourite whistle very loudly. Deeks hated that whistle and had a favourite fantasy wherein he took it and made very sure Eric would never use it again without surgical intervention. "You're not going to believe this."

"We already know," Callen called up. "Kensi told us."

"Kensi?" Eric looked confused. He would have thought she'd have looked more concerned. After all, Deeks was her partner.

"Yeah – she let it slip that Deeks goes commando."

"Only sometimes," Deeks corrected. He felt it was important to get that point across, although he wasn't altogether sure why. "And since when were my underwear habits a suitable subject for a public announcement?" Next thing I know, they'll be asking me if I dress to the left or the right.

"Since never." Eric gave them a blank look. "I don't know what you're all talking about, but I've got news about Nicole Martindale." I just hope Deeks changes his pants regularly if he doesn't wear any underwear.

Deeks was out of his chair and up the steps like a greyhound that has just seen the rabbit let loose round the racetrack. "Nicole? What's happened to her?" Despite everything Nicole had done, he still couldn't forget the woman she'd once been. And, in the end she'd tried to make amends. She knew it was over, that it had never been real. He'd screwed her up and in some way, Deeks felt he owed her. He just wasn't quite sure what he owed her, that was the only problem.

Kensi busied herself at the coffee pot, carefully making sure her back was turned. She'd seen the look in Deeks' eyes, the way he sprinted up the stairs and heard the anxiety in his voice. He clearly still had feelings for Nicole. And she'd thought last night had been special. She should have known better. Deeks was just another player, and she'd played right into his hands. Well, the only consolation was that at least she wasn't in love with him. Last night had been fun, nothing more. It wasn't like she'd lost her heart to him. In fact, right now she wasn't even sure that she even liked him. Two-timing bastard. She lagged upstairs behind the others, her heart in her boots.

"LAPD have let Ms Martindale go, without pressing any charges."

"What?" Callen thumped the table in disbelief. "How could they do that?"

"She co-operated," Deeks said quietly. "She gave us the information, she let us set up the whole thing."

"You did a deal with LAPD, didn't you?" Kensi didn't believe she was hearing this. "You managed to sweet talk some patsy in the DA's office into letting your fuck-bunny walk out of this scot free. For Christ's sake, Deeks – have you completely lost the plot?" What were you thinking, Marty? Can't you see how dangerous she is? No, you weren't thinking, were you? Not with your head anyway.

"It was my call." He was fighting to control his temper. "And it was agreed in advance. By NCIS and LAPD."

"Agreed by me." Hetty folded her arms. "Any objections, Ms Blye?" Hetty was normally an excellent judge of character but she was about to learn what a big mistake she had just made.

"Have I any objections? Well, apart from the fact that you've paired me with this idiot who thinks with his dick, how about the fact you've let a woman who set up a contract kill walk away from that scot-free? Is that enough to be going on with?" Kensi was like a runaway train with a full head of steam.

"That's it." Deeks whacked his fist down on the table. "You've gone too far this time." He wasn't quite sure which remark had annoyed him the most, the crack about Nicole or the crack about him. Kensi had really hit below the belt this time. It was a good thing he wasn't in love with her, because right now he didn't even like her much. "I'm out of here," he muttered and stormed out of the room. He'd never felt quite so close to Max Gentry before. Max would have lost it completely, gone berserk and to hang with the consequences. And it was so tempting to give in to the rage that was boiling up inside him. How could she say that? Is that what she really thinks about me? What a bloody fool I am. I really thought I'd got it made. The sweet taste left over from last night evaporated in an instant, leaving only a sour bitterness.

"Well?" Kensi glared at the remainder of her team. "Am I the only one who thinks Deeks has completely lost the plot?"

"I think you need to take a deep breath and calm down," Hetty said calmly.

"I'm fine." She needed to keep stoking the fires of her rage, to nurse her wrath and keep it warm.

"You aren't listening to me, Ms Blye. I told you to calm down. That wasn't a suggestion, it was an order."

Callen took hold of her arm. "Kensi – you're too close to this. Stand back."

"He's my partner." Her jaw set stubbornly, Kensi refused to back down. "I'm worried about what Nicole might do to him."

"How about you stop to think about what you just said might do to Deeks? Because whatever happened between the two of you last night, you have to put it to one side. This is serious. You do realise you've just sent Deeks out there in a tearing rage?"

"God knows where he's gone." Sam looked across at Eric. "Any chance you can trace his cell?"

With a sinking heart, Kensi realised that she knew exactly where Deeks would be. And with whom.