Chapter 10

Callen and Sam stood behind Deeks in shock; Deeks had not been the type to shoot without calling out first. It was the main rule of a good shoot, identify yourself to you potential victim. Give them the chance to do the right thing.

Deeks had not done that.

"DADDY!" Cassie screamed as she saw her father slump to the floor.

Kensi stood in shock as she saw him go, then she moved, stopping for one second to kick the gun away from Stefan's dead body, not sure if he was dead, she ran over to him.

"MARK!" she screamed falling to her knees. She lifted his head as her tears fell, "Honey, wake up!" she kissed his head.

Cassie grabbed his hand, "Daddy please wake up!" she cried.

Nell walked over to them, "The paramedics are coming," she told Kensi and then turned to Hetty, "I've informed Vance of the workplace incident and asked for IAD to come and investigate. He's vetoed that idea and is sending Gibbs' team to investigate."

Hetty sighed with relief, "Good, Gibbs will keep this in house and under the CIA's radar."

The sirens outside grew louder as the paramedics pulled up, Callen stood outside to let them in.

"This is a mess." Hetty sighed as she realized she would have to talk to the paramedics later, until they walked in and she looked over at Nell.

"Hetty?! You didn't think I'd let the regular paramedics in here do you. Jeff and Thomas have clearance, so I called them." She said smiling at the two ex-Agents who had left to become paramedics.

"Nell." Jeff said with a smile.

"Over here." She said pointing to Deeks on the floor.

"What happened was he shot?" Jeff asked as he examined him.

"No, held by some men, badly beaten…not sure what happened to him." Callen said honestly.

Jeff grinned while continuing to examine him. "See this is why I got out, much prefer the dangers with this job G."

Callen moved so Jeff and Thomas could get Deeks onto the gurney. "What's his cover?" Thomas asked.

"Name's Mark Jackson, handyman from Smith River." He said. He nodded to Kensi, "Wife Karen, 2 kids."

Thomas turned to Kensi, "Mrs. Jackson do you want to come with your husband?" he asked.

Kensi looked over at Cassie and the baby, "I…the kids…I…I can't leave them."

"Momma. I'll look after Callum," Cassie said bravely.

"And I will look after them both." Hetty promised, "Go with your husband Mrs. Jackson, and take Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna along for protection."

Kensi pulled Cassie into her arms and gave her a kiss, "You be good for grandma, hold onto the burn phone in my bag, I'll call you." She said and followed the medics out of the building.

Hetty pulled Cassie close to her and turned to Mae and Nell, "Get that out of my building." She said. "Oh and for heaven's sake take photographs, you know how Jethro gets about those." She said and scooped the baby up and walked over to her office.

Mae ran to grab a camera and looked over at Nell. "Jethro?" she asked.

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Agent in charge of the MCRT. Good friend of Hetty and Callen, a bit abrupt but a good guy."

Mae gulped, she'd heard of that team at FLETC, she took the camera up and started clicking.

Kensi paced outside the room where they were working on Deeks.

Callen and Sam stood off to the side.

"Kens?" Callen said softly. "Maybe you should sit down." He suggested.

Kensi looked over at him, the worry and fear evident in her face. "What if he dies?" she breathed and sank heavily into a chair.

She did not care that she was crying in front of her two co-workers, she was not badass Blye anymore, she was Karen Jackson, wife and mother and no wish to be a widow.

Callen sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "He'll be ok Kensi, I checked him at the crime scene, and Sabatino was there he's in hospital as well, he lost a hand." Callen told her.

"God…Because of us? Did he? Was he the one who told them where we were?" Kensi asked getting angry.

"Kens, they cut. Off. His. Hand." Callen said again.

Her hands flew up to her mouth. "Oh my God…and I was gonna…" she burst into tears again and swiped angrily at her eyes, "Sorry hormones."

She looked up as Sam offered her a cup of tea, "Thanks."

"Listen, you've just had a baby, of course your hormones are out of whack and to top it off your husband is in surgery, so it is natural that you're a bit….temperamental."

Kensi raised an eyebrow but resisted the urgh to hurt Sam, especially as he was right.

"Tell me," she said as she wiped her eyes, "What happened to him?" she asked.

"They were found together in a warehouse downtown. Sabatino had been there a while, it looked like they had been beaten, I think they cut off Sabatino's hand until he said what Cassie's name was or the name of you and Deeks. And then tracked you down, Deeks got you out of there and he was beaten so he would give you up." Callen told her even though Sam was glaring at him.

A nurse walked out, "Family of Mark Jackson?" she called.

"Here!" Kensi shot up, "I'm his wife Karen." She said

"Mr. Jackson was badly hurt when he was brought in, he was stabbed and had broken ribs, multiple contusions and a head wound, which luckily did not lead to him being concussed. He's been calling for you, maybe it would help if you can see him, Karen right?" she asked.

Kensi smiled, "Yeah."

The nurse smiled and opened the door for her; Deeks lay on the bed looking a lot like he had when he'd been shot the first time.

"Hey Karen." He groaned the bruising on his body evident for all to see.

"Mark…are you ok?" she asked rushing across the room to be at his bedside.

"I'm fine, it's not as bad as it looks, how are the kids, Callum, Cassie, are they alright, are they with you?" he asked.

"They are with Grandma Hetty, Stefan's gone, you saved her Marty you saved our baby girl." She said sobbing into his shoulder.

Deeks smiled, "For our children I'll always be there. What's gonna happen now?" he asked worried as he looked up and saw Callen leaning in the doorway.

"Now…?" Callen smirked. "Now Mark Jackson has to disappear, maybe it's time for Marty Deeks to come back,"

"I can't…for Cassie…it's not safe." Deeks snapped.

"You will be safer here than out there." Sam said.

"But, if you guys are caught with us?" Kensi asked.

"Kensi Blye and Marty Deeks are not wanted by anyone, Kayla Simons is, but she doesn't exist anymore, besides Kensi Deeks and Cassie Deeks aren't wanted at all, neither is Callum Deeks." Callen said.

Kensi smiled, "They're not are they?" are grinned.

"So maybe we can have Agent Deeks and Detective Deeks back at work as soon as Detective Deeks is healed and Agent Deeks as finished maternity leave." Callen suggested.

"I would have to speak to Hetty about that and we'd have to find somewhere safe to live and a new therapist for Cassie." Kensi said, "But it would be nice to be home." She said wistfully reaching for Deeks' hand.

"Yeah it would, we missed you guys." Deeks said.

Deeks looked at his wife, he needed to heal and he did want to do it here, family and the ocean so close and he could check on his mother again. They were back now and he didn't want to leave, but before he made any decisions he needed to know if the CIA were still looking for Cassie and if it were safe for the small family to remain in Los Angeles.

"I need to see the kids, can you call Hetty?" he asked.

Callen nodded and picked up the phone.

Deeks closed his eyes for a moment, or at least he thought it was a moment. But it must have been much longer as when he opened his eyes again Cassie was standing there biting her lip and watching him, Hetty standing behind her with Kensi holding Callum.

"Cass…" Deeks groaned as his arms were suddenly full of the eight year old.

"Daddy….are you ok? I missed you, Uncle Eric helped me make you a present, I like the mission it has a little house inside it and…."

"Wow there sweetie, breathe. Tell me later." He said kissing her head.

Kensi brought Callum close to him and Deeks breathed in the unique baby scent that was his son.

Kensi stood back up with Cal and looked over at him, "They are both safe and both fine." She told him.

Deeks nodded and looked over at Hetty, "Hetty. We have to talk." He said.