Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters
CHAPTER 20: ALL IN
After the flaming shell of Angelo's yacht was extinguished, the Coast Guards fished out most of a charred body. The pieces were unidentifiable, but DNA tests later confirmed it was Angelo. Another body was found weeks later by a fishing boat; the lackey that helmed Angelo's yacht. He was weighted down by his heavy bazooka, and sank straight to the bottom.
Upon receiving these reports, Deeks blew out a heavy breath. One of his most intense cases since he'd joined the LAPD had finally come to a close. Thankfully, he came out of it with all of his parts intact.
He'd known many wise guys during his professional life, but there'd never been anyone quite like Vincent Angelo. Sure he was irredeemably evil, but he was also sharp as a razor in his own way, and had way more style than brains.
A part of Deeks thought he might actually miss him. Especially compared to one of their more pedestrian terrorists. But in the criminal underworld, a chaotic end was often inevitable. Especially when the criminal in question was an ambitious, undisciplined psychopath.
Deeks was certainly glad to have the mobster out of his life. So were Ray and Jenna. Their long nightmare was finally over.
Deeks was beyond relieved that Ray got his girls back.
But the detective's good vibes were instantly harshed when Thapa had to make a hasty departure back to Nepal. Once the dust settled at The Paradise Sun Club, EMT's revived one of Angelo's fallen Gurkha squad, and he was quickly taken into custody. Thapa was charged with transporting him back to their country. He also had his own family to get back to.
Deeks deeply wished he had more time to hang out with his brother. He was such a cool guy. He hadn't even got a chance to introduce him to Ray. But the Gurkha soldier was anxious to return to his beloved wife and children. He shared a fond farewell with his American detective friend.
"It was good to cross paths with you again, sahib."
"I totally concur, brother," Deeks warmly returned.
"You seem to have tread your frozen lake wisely," Thapa observed sagely.
"Me and her," Deeks stated proudly. "I thank you for that."
"Remember that in life there are many challenges," Thapa stressed patiently. "You and your partner will face many trials."
"Then I hope you'll come save me again," Deeks told him sincerely.
"I hope so, too," Thapa graciously replied. "Take care, my friend. And thank you."
Ray's departure was even more abrupt. When everyone finally returned to LA, Amelia shared a tearful reunion with her emotionally battered father.
Holdren worked out an immunity deal, largely thanks to Hetty and Granger's connections. Amelia was back where she belonged. Back with her father. Just as it should be. She couldn't be happier.
As soon as they knew the blonde girl was going to be okay, Ray took his wife and child and quickly disappeared. It was very sudden.
Before he left, Ray vaguely hinted to Deeks that he wanted to get his family as far away as possible from bureaucratic BS.
Deeks understood his friend's need to go below the radar. Ray didn't want to risk his family in the Witness Protection Program again. He turned his back on the system entirely in order to do just that.
But it sucked that he couldn't give a proper farewell to his childhood friend.
With both Thapa and Ray gone, Deeks felt royally bummed out. He truly regarded them as his closest friends. But he still had his team.
Since the return from Catalina, the team comfortably settled back into their usual routine. Callen and Sam were still their bro-dacious selves, Hetty was still Professor X and Winston Churchill rolled up into one, while Granger was as badass and curmudgeony as ever.
Sometimes during off hours, Deeks and Kensi would hang out with Eric and Nell, either by catching a movie, playing video games, or grabbing a quick bite to eat. At times, these get-togethers felt a lot like double dating. But had Eric and Nell hooked up? Neither Deeks or Kensi could possibly say. The Wonder Twins were every bit as enigmatic as they were adorable.
Over at LAPD, Bates was glad that Angelo was no longer a thorn in the department's side. He expressed his gratitude to the detective with long silences and steely glares. Bates seemed perturbed that Deeks' relationship with his partner hadn't caused a bigger ruckus at NCIS, considering he'd gone out of his way to bring it to the agency's attention.
But like Hetty and Kensi, Bates and his detective seemed to share an unspoken understanding. Bates didn't truly seem interested in breaking up Deeks and Kensi's partnership. Deeks wondered if Hetty or Granger got to him. He suspected Granger. As Deeks pointed out to the Assistant Director, Don Blye's daughter deserved happiness.
Even when he was off carrying out assignments for Hetty, Nate was still tasked with checking in on Deeks and Kensi. Even though they'd both made happy and healthy improvements in their lives, the psychological scars of their respective tortures still cut deeply. The terrors tightly clung to their ultra-graphic nightmares. The trauma would always shadow over them. But they were more than willing to face these demons together.
Other than that, life continued to be amazing. Every night, they were either at his place or hers. They were inseparable, so everything was blissfully awesome.
At one point, Kensi worried that they should take a night off every now and then. To set boundaries. But for now, she was going to live in the moment, especially since their relationship hadn't drastically affected work. She was thankful for the team's silent blessings.
However, not everything was hunky-dory in their private lives. When they relieved Julia from Monty duty, Deeks was upset to discover that his pooch had disobediently claimed the plush raccoon couple with the heart between them. The one he'd brought back from Mammoth. Monty didn't chew it up, but he loved to shake it around and sleep on it like a pillow.
"I tried to get it away from him," Julia explained exasperated. "But he really loves it. I just didn't have the heart to take it away from him. I think it reminds him of you two."
"Monty, c'mon," Deeks pleaded to the snoozing mutt. "I'll get you a manly Rocket Raccoon pillow. I got this custom made for me and Kens. Give it back."
"What!?" Kensi laughed out surprised. "You paid someone to make that!"
"I know a guy in Mammoth that makes custom plushies," Deeks admitted. "He co-owns a shop up there."
Kensi gazed down at the plush raccoons, snuggled under Monty's scruffy muzzle. "Baby, that's sweet," she admitted. "And pretty lame at the same time."
"Don't hide it, Kensalina." Deeks grinned, eyeing her smugly. "You love it!"
"It's cheesily sentimental," Kensi claimed.
"But it's totally us," Deeks insisted strongly. "Everything it represents is true. Especially what's written on the heart."
"Yeah," Kensi muttered. "And it's covered in dog slobber."
"That's really cute and corny, Marty," Julia wistfully opined.
"It looks like we'll have to share it with Monty." Kensi sighed.
"I love you, pal." Deeks gently stroke his sleeping dog's head. "But you have no respect for romance."
Monty merely snored.
It was well into February. The day was winding down as the sun set over the Mission. Callen and Sam good-naturedly bantered as they headed out. Eric and Nell had already left OPS for the day, so Kensi and Deeks grabbed their messenger bags and made for the door.
But they were halted by Hetty in the courtyard.
"I have arranged a special engagement for you, Mr. Deeks," she told him cryptically.
"An engagement?" The detective frowned.
"I took the liberty of contacting Mr. Martindale," Hetty explained.
Deeks froze. "You found Ray?"
Wide, quizzical eyes peered up at him, as the Operations Manager lightly canted her head. "Detective, I never lost him. He and his family are safe. They are acclimating to their new lives admirably. I managed to arrange a little reunion up at OPS."
"Wait, he's here?" Deeks said flabbergasted.
"No, he's on Skype," Hetty clarified. "I believe you never had the chance to bid him a proper farewell."
Deeks questioningly glanced over to Kensi. His lover merely nodded. "Go, I'll wait."
Deeks grinned at her and rushed his way up the stairs. As he climbed, Hetty eagerly gazed up at her agent.
"Care for some Scotch, Ms. Blye?"
Kensi shrugged. "Sure, why not."
She followed her diminutive boss into her open office.
Up at the OPS center, Deeks was delighted to find Ray up on the large monitor. He sat in front of a shadowy black curtain. Deeks had no idea where he was.
"Marty."
"Hey, man," Deeks greeted.
"Sorry I cut out the way I did," Ray apologized guiltily.
"It's all right, man." Deeks nonchalantly shrugged. "You're face is looking better. Well, relatively speaking."
Much of the bruises and cuts on Ray's face were fading.
He smirked. "I see you're still going for the retro Shaggy thing."
"Oh, c'mon, man!" Deeks feigned annoyance. "I get that all the time. I thought you were bigger than this."
"Zoinks! You're wrong!" Ray laughed.
Deeks rolled his eyes. "Aren't you the guy who actually wanted to be Johnny Bravo?"
"He's way cooler than Shaggy," Ray countered.
"Sure," Deeks skeptically drawled.
Things then turned serious.
"Marty, that kid Amelia, she's still with her dad?" Ray prodded, concerned. "Jenna and Carrie really took a shine to her, and Jenna's worried she'll wind up in the system."
"Amelia's good," Deeks told him. "She's with her dad. He's getting the help he needs. I think he actually loves her."
"That's great." Ray released a deep sigh. "I'm glad she's made it good. I'm trying my best with Carrie."
"You're nothing like your old man, Ray," Deeks told him.
Ray fell quiet.
"Carrie's happy to have you back," Deeks spoke through his silence.
The ex-criminal faintly smiled.
"You and Wikipedia still keeping tabs on Amelia?" He ended his silence.
"Yeah." Deeks nodded. "She gave me a Valentine's Day card. I'm her first crush."
"Oh, that poor traumatized kid." Ray sniggered.
"Just stand in her shoes. A gorgeous, debonair beach bum swept her away from her kidnappers. How else was she going to react?"
"Hopefully, she'll outgrow it," Ray muttered.
"She's been asking about Jenna and Carrie," Deeks filled in. "What can I tell her?"
"They're doing awesome," Ray happily reported. "She just can't see them again. We're on the down low permanently."
"That's a real bummer," Deeks murmured meekly. "Amelia was really attached to them."
"Yeah," Ray said just as somberly. "But she's got her dad and her own life. It's for the best."
Deeks wordlessly nodded.
"Now, finally." Ray brightened the mood. "Tell me when you pulled that blonde bottle brush of a head out of your butt, and realized you have a thing with Wikipedia?"
Deeks grinned. It was the exact opposite of how he reacted when Ray teased him about this the first time around.
He had quite the love story to tell...
Much to the sheer joy of Julia, she finally got her holiday with her daughter and her surfer boyfriend. Not to mention a reunion with the boyfriend's finicky mutt.
As planned, they went to Catalina, where they checked into a nice, beachy hotel in Avalon City that Julia recommended.
For Kensi and Deeks, it was strange to be back on the island. But their room was beautiful, and it was fortunate that the hotel allowed dogs. They even received an informal, friendly reception from some of the local law, due to their roles in shutting down Angelo's criminal hotel. (And setting the gulf on fire.)
Deeks, of course, enjoyed basking on Avalon Beach. (But it was too crowded for Monty.) Catalina had great shopping, the best historical movie theater in the world, and kickass restaurants. It was mostly decked out in fine Spanish architecture, with some Mediterranean mixed in. This time around, the lovers were free to explore all of it. They weren't just cooped up in a snooty hotel looking dangerous.
They boldly adventured across the island's rocky terrain and gawked at huge flocks of migrating birds.
During one eventful hiking trip to Two Harbors, Deeks and Kensi were enjoying a light picnic when Monty suddenly threw a fit, pacing back and forth, whimpering pitifully. Much to the puzzlement of the couple. Even the lure of leftovers couldn't calm him down. As it turned out, some harmless island mice were skittering through the brush.
"It's okay, Monty," Kensi soothed the canine. "The mice can't hurt you. I've trained with the best cat in the world."
"He thinks they're snakes," Deeks claimed.
"How do you know?" Kensi asked dubiously.
"Are you kidding!" Deeks insisted. "Just look at that eye of the tiger! He thinks we're all in danger."
"You really believe that?" Kensi muttered.
"I keep saying he'll save your gorgeous ass someday." Deeks smirked. "He wants to be your hero."
Kensi scoffed. "If he wants to be my hero, tell him to stop eating my sponges."
All in all, Kensi enjoyed their getaway. Spending time with Deeks and her mother was surprisingly comfortable. Since Julia was a city girl, they mostly hung out at night, often at the Catalina Casino. Deeks was delighted to discover that mother and daughter shared the exact same taste in movies.
They'd even wound up attending a yacht party with her. As it turned out, Julia knew a lot of well-off retired hippies. They all somehow got roped into a moonlit cruise around the island. It was weird, but Julia had a great time and everyone was friendly. Monty was very confused, but in his usual, adorable way.
But as much as she enjoyed lazily lounging around the beach with her boyfriend, Kensi's wild heart longed to be out in the real wilderness. Rustic RVs and crackling camp fires were more of her vacation scene.
She yearned for the deep woods, burnt marshmallows, and the man she loved. Precisely in that order. She planned to take him on a camping trip next time.
For now, the open ocean, remote pebbly beaches, the exotic rock formations of Lover's Cove, and snorkeling through majestic kelp forests, would more than do.
One morning they came upon a small herd of wild bison, which made Kensi feel that there were at least some proper camping vibes on the island. (Monty, of course, ran in the other direction, but Deeks was so excited, you'd think they'd discovered the last herd of dinosaurs.)
On a perfect Sunday afternoon, the lovers lazily lay together on a hammock under two shady palm trees. They were still damp from the ocean, and were wrapped tightly in each other's arms. Kensi was in a two piece swim suit, while Deeks wore white and blue trunks and nothing else. He peacefully dozed. Kensi watched him sleep, tenderly threading his scruffy hair. Since she'd watched over him after his torture, his secure, child-like unconsciousness always got to her.
In the glaring sunlight, Kensi noticed a figure strolling toward their hotel building. There was something familiar about the profile.
Kensi squinted her eyes. She made out a young woman small in stature, with tresses of blonde hair, and very funky clothes. She carefully rolled out of the hammock, hoping not to disturb Deeks. Being a ninja, she succeed in doing that. Kensi tied a towel around her waist and hurried toward the hotel.
Much to her pleasant surprise, the young woman actually turned out to be who she was hoping for. It was Astrid. She was dressed in a eclectic red and purple outfit, and had a green streak running down the middle of her long, flowing blonde hair.
Kensi eagerly rushed up to her through the light blue, open air lobby. "Hello, Astrid."
The young woman awkwardly gaped at the Special Agent.
"Hello, Kensi," she said a little formally. "It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has." Kensi's smile cracked.
She'd lost touch with her since her deployment to Afghanistan.
Astrid was a girl Kensi felt connected to. The girl who was on her own on the streets. Just like Kensi had been when she was younger. That was still a part of her past that was too painful to revisit.
With the agent's encouragement, Astrid turned her life around. Her super genius earned her a scholarship to a major university. She eventually managed to make some friends, despite the anti-social challenges posed by her Asperger Syndrome.
"Are you on vacation?" Kensi queried.
"I'm here with Mike," Astrid informed her robotically.
Mike was her father. A rather shifty, deadbeat one.
"I'm here with my Mom," Kensi told her.
"You're with your partner," Astrid bluntly pointed out. "I saw you cuddling with him on a hammock outside."
Kensi's cheeks slightly blushed. "Yeah, Deeks is here, too."
"You're in love with him," Astrid stated knowingly. "That's always been obvious."
Kensi was flustered. Astrid's directness and brutal honesty could be a little much at times. But she was glad to cross paths with her again.
The agent changed the subject. "How about a game of poker? Do some catching up?"
"Okay." Astrid accepted the invitation.
A tropical sunset sank beautifully at the ocean's horizon. Deeks and Kensi peacefully strolled across Avalon Beach with Monty, whom Deeks had on a leash.
Julia was meeting up with a group of her co-workers that recently arrived on the island. They were spending their evening and their disposable incomes in Avalon's boutiques, freeing Deeks and Kensi up for their stroll.
Deeks wore a T-shirt while Kensi was in a tank top. Both donned shorts. They trailed bare footprints in the cool, soothing sands. A salty breeze gently billowed by, swaying the leaves of the slightly slanted palm trees.
"Glad you caught up with Manic Pixie Dream Girl," Deeks commented casually, referring to Astrid.
"Yeah." Kensi formed a warm smile on her lips that Deeks found pretty alluring. The smile of a happy woman. In the years he'd known his special ninja assassin, he'd never seen her looking this content. He was honored to share that with her, just as she did with him.
It was an exquisite evening. The sky was an enchanting mixture of an exotic pink and deep blues, with silver stars glimmering on the blue edge of the sky.
Palm trees and the Spanish structures of the island fell into the massive shadow of the Catalina Casino. A pleasant breeze glided through the palm trees, as the waves gently swayed on the shore. The last rays of red sunlight flickered on the horizon.
The beach wasn't too crowded for once. Even the usually paranoid Monty was well at ease.
Staring out at the surf, Kensi's mind drifted to a conversation she'd had with Deeks. An intimate, if not unusual, conversation they shared on the beach outside of a certain crappy beach house.
Deeks noticed her mind seemed to be elsewhere, gently pulling them to a stop.
Monty cautiously sniffed at a seashell half buried in the sands.
"What's up?" Deeks gazed at his lover.
"Believe it or not – I'm actually thinking about Max and Fern," Kensi confessed awkwardly. "They seem to have gotten out of the Angelo situation completely unscathed."
"Yeah, I guess they did," Deeks murmured thoughtfully, glancing briefly at the surf.
"Do you still think that Fern is the right girl for Max?" Kensi queried. "I mean, in their own warped way, they were pretty committed. Angelo couldn't come between them, and trust me, he tried." She stared out at the sunset. "They seemed to be all in."
"You know how I feel about happy endings, Kensalina," Deeks warmly reminded, shifting his gaze back to her.
She met his gaze with her own.
"Max and Fern obviously had a thing," Deeks told her.
"Just like how we have a thing," Kensi added eagerly.
"And Max knows Fern is different from his usual floozies," Deeks also reminded. "They're off living their own happy ending thing. Just like we are."
Kensi took that in.
"Only they're enjoying their happy ending in the backseat of a Mustang," Deeks brassily muttered. "It's more their speed."
As crass as that sounded, Kensi knew it to be true. Like her and Deeks, Fern and Max were insatiable. They never could get enough of each other.
"Yeah," she agreed.
Hand-in-hand, the two continued to enjoy being out in paradise with Monty.
To my dear readers, thank you so much for checking out my story! I loved writing it, and I hope you enjoyed the characters' adventures. I also appreciate the feedback you gave me. Also, a special thanks to my brother, who helped me with this story. He offered great advice and helpful suggestions. I'm truly grateful to you all, and I enjoyed sharing in this journey with you.