Episode 2.1 - Human Traffic. Part II.
When they arrive at the Mission, Kensi turns off the car, but makes no move to get out. Beside her, Marty is quiet and still; nothing like his usual self. His hand is still resting on her knee, so she drops her hand onto it and squeezes.
"I wish we could just go home and hide from the world," she tells him.
He flips his hand over and threads their fingers together. "Me, too."
They share a look of understanding, both knowing their individual and combined drive and sense of duty is too strong to turn their back on this now. But also kind of wishing they led normal lives; lives where they had fallen in love in college, gotten married, moved to the suburbs and now lived in their bungalow with two-point-five kids and nine-to-five jobs.
"I'm sorry," he begins, but she shakes her head, cutting him off.
"I like our life, Marty." She squeezes his hand.
"No regrets?"
"No regrets." She offers him a small smile. "You just scared the hell out of me this morning. I am not ready to lose you."
"I'm not ready to leave you," he says softly.
She feels her heart clench and turns in her seat as far as she can to face him. She reaches her other hand to their combined hands so his left hand is sandwiched between both of hers. "I missed you so much," she tells him, reminding them both they've basically spent the past half year apart. "And I'm so glad you're here with me right now."
"Me, too, Kens." He leans towards her for a quick kiss. "Me, too."
"We are going to finish this," she continues. "And then we are going to go home. Together."
"Together," he echoes, before taking a breath. "I'm really liking the sound of that."
"Then let's do this." She gets out of the car, knowing he's following her lead.
They walk together into the building. The main floor is pretty much empty, and is void of the team.
"They must be up in OPs," Kensi says as she drops her bag by her desk.
He nods. "Do they know...?"
He doesn't need to finish his sentence for her to understand exactly what he is asking. "I don't think so."
Deeks raises an eyebrow. "How do you not know?"
"They didn't know when I left yesterday. But after this morning... They were looking for you, too. I told Hetty I didn't care what she told them. She said she would try not to tell them to keep them objective."
He nods and opens his mouth.
"Don't you dare apologize again," she says sharply before he can say a single word.
He quickly shuts his mouth and then laughs. "How did you know what I was going to say?"
She rolls her eyes. "Because you're incredibly predictable. And I know you better than anyone."
He stares her down for a moment. "Okay, genius wife of mine, what am I thinking right now?"
"Probably something stupid and random because you think I'll never guess. So..." She trails off as she studies him. His lips curl ever so slightly and then his jaw tightens as he controls his expression. But she knows she has him. She knows it's something about her. His eyes are twinkling, so it's something he thinks is funny and she probably doesn't...
She reaches out and swipes at his shoulder. "You're wondering how many plants I killed when you were gone."
His mouth opens and he gapes at her for ax extended moment. "How did you...?"
"I told you. I know you."
"So?"
"So?" She echoes, not understanding.
"How many plants?"
"None of your business." She turns and begins to make her way up the stairs to OPs.
He laughs out loud as he follows behind her.
When the doors to OPs open, Kensi finds the rest of her team. Callen and Sam are staring at the big screen, along with Hetty, and Eric is sitting at his computer terminal with Nate beside him.
"Kensi, good, we were just about to call and-" Callen cuts himself off as he spots Deeks behind her.
Deeks clears his throat softly as he follows Kensi into the room and stops beside her when she stops.
"Look who I found," Kensi says to all the surprised faces.
"Mr. Deeks," Hetty says, stepping forward, "We were beginning to think you were dead."
"Not yet," Deeks says. "Not for lack of trying, though."
Kensi forces herself not to react to her husband's words. She knows he's vulnerable and armoring himself right now. And his humour is his best defense.
Hetty glances at Kensi and then frowns at Deeks. "You're not too badly hurt?"
Kensi watches her husband glance at Callen and Sam, who are both staring critically at him, and then look back to Hetty. "No, I'm fine." He points to his face. "This is all superficial."
Hetty tightens her lips like she doesn't believe him, but she lets it go.
"Glad you're alright," Callen offers.
Sam nods. "Good to see you."
Kensi allows herself a small smile at the look of relief on her team members' faces. And also at the small hint of belonging in Marty's expression. Because despite the less than stellar first and second cases worked together, he has made a good impression with Callen and Sam. And right now, Callen and Sam are genuinely happy to see him. And Marty recognizes that. She catches Nate's eye and they exchange a small smile. She knows he sees what's going on here, too. Even if the rest of the team doesn't know who Deeks is to her, he's as close to a fourth as they have left. And the team can't afford to lose another member. The fact that he's here and in one piece is healing for more than just her.
"Thanks," he says.
"That," Callen points to Deeks's face, "Was from the explosion?"
Deeks nods.
"Then where the hell have you been?"
Deeks proceeds to tell the team about his fortuitous escape from the car bomb, his treatment from the doctor/vet and his sixteen hour drugged nap. "Emilio Ortega is dead," he says. "But Lasik is in town. The friendly vet told me. If I can just meet with him, get him to incriminate himself, I could get information to take down an international scale human trafficking ring."
Callen and Sam glance at each other and then back to Deeks. Before they can speak, though, Hetty steps in.
"You're asking us to take over an LAPD investigation? Without any jurisdiction?"
Deeks sighs. "I'm asking you to help me with my investigation. And I am LAPD. This is my investigation. And technically, Lasik has ties in far more than human trafficking. I'm sure we can find something to make it your jurisdiction. At least enough to make the argument to the LAPD. If we do nothing, the LAPD will shut down the investigation. Lasik will find another source in California and he'll start again. We have nothing to lose by trying to take him down."
"That's very persuasive, Mr. Deeks."
"Thank you."
To everyone's surprise, Callen chuckles. "I guess you have a lot of practice."
"Uh...I'm sorry?"
"Apparently you used to be a lawyer?"
"That's right," Sam adds. "When Traynor briefed us, she said you were a lawyer."
"Really?" Eric jumps in. "That's so cool."
Deeks crosses his arms over his chest, both protective and a little defensive, but Kensi is pretty sure she is the only one who notices. As much as she wants to step in and tell the team to leave him be, she lets him field questions from the team, knowing both that he doesn't want her overprotective and that the team doesn't mean any harm.
"So?" Sam prompts.
"So?" Deeks echoes.
"You were a lawyer?"
"Yes," he answers. "Technically still am one. Not planning to go through the hell that is writing the bar again anytime soon."
00
~July 2004~
Kensi got home to find her husband flat out on their bed, a textbook on administrative law laying open on his chest.
She padded up to the bed and snuggled in beside him.
"How was your day?" She asked cheerfully.
He groaned. "Day two of hell was the same as day one. Except my hand hurts more." He waved his right hand at her.
"Only one day left."
He groaned again. "Why did I want to be a lawyer again?"
She laughed. "Beats me."
This time he laughed, too. "You're supposed to be supportive and life confirming in these situations."
"I don't remember that in the vows."
He laughed again.
"How about making sure you meet your goal of actually becoming a lawyer by making sure you pass the bar exam by pointing out that sleeping with your text book on your chest does not constitute studying."
"First of all, I am not sleeping. I am resting."
"Sure."
"And second, I'm learning through osmosis."
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the laugh that escapes her lips at the same time. "You're an idiot."
He shrugged awkwardly from his position. "That only makes you an idiot, too; for marrying me."
She made a show of sighing, but then rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm okay with that."
"I'm glad."
"Me, too." She reached across his chest for his right hand and tugged it towards herself. He groaned as she began to dig her fingers into the small muscles and tendons, massaging the overused hand; sore from all the writing.
"This is nice," he whispered. "I don't want to study anymore."
"Just one more day. Tomorrow night you won't need to study anymore."
"Unless I fail and have to take the bar again."
"You're not going to fail. You know everything you need to know. What does pro per mean?"
He huffed. "It's pro se."
"See? You know everything."
He rolled so he was facing her, his hand still in her care. "You think so?"
She nodded. "Who's the husband of the wife of the best lawyer ever?"
He made a face, but then smiled and said softly, "Me?"
She beamed and shuffled forward so she could kiss him. "Correct."
00
Kensi bites back a smile at the memory of her husband writing the bar exam. Three gruelling days followed by a day of sleeping. And then two months of waiting for results.
"Why did you stop being a lawyer?" Eric asks.
Deeks bristles slightly, clearly not comfortable with these personal questions from people he really doesn't know. "I wanted to be a cop," he says shortly.
"How long were you practicing?" Nate asks, genuinely curious.
"I was with the Public Defenders' office for about a year and a half."
"So, you spent more time in school to become a lawyer than actually being a lawyer?" Sam points out.
"Pretty much."
"Must regret that. Would have been easier to just apply to the police academy."
Deeks shakes his head once. "I don't regret a single moment of it. Best thing I ever did."
The questions stop for a moment, as the team is a little taken aback by Deeks's response. Kensi fights to keep her smile at bay. Because she understands what he means. Him wanting to be a lawyer brought them together.
"Hey, Kensi, didn't you date a lawyer once?" Callen calls out, clearly trying to take the attention off of Deeks.
She shoots her team leader a glare. Yes, she's grateful he's sort of trying to help out Deeks. But she wishes Callen could know how badly he is failing right now to leave Deeks out of this.
"Not a lawyer," Eric quips before Kensi can say anything. "A law student."
Half a dozen comebacks spring to her mind which would shut down this line of conversation in a heartbeat. But she hesitates. Because she did date a law student. And she married that law student. And that law student became a lawyer, and then that lawyer became a cop. And he's standing next to her. And he's alive and she loves him so damn much. After this morning, she can't quite remember why any of this is a secret.
"Really?" Marty says when she says nothing for too long. He meets her eyes with a playful smile before turning back to the team. "Well, I know one thing. If I had managed to get her to go out with me when I was a law student, I would never have let her go."
Kensi rolls her eyes at his cheesiness, but it serves its purpose.
Sam scoffs and Callen chuckles. Behind them, Hetty smiles knowingly. Nate does as well, while beside him, Eric is laughing along with Callen.
"She would have eaten you alive, Deeks," Sam says.
Kensi opens her mouth to defend her relationship, but her husband gets there first again.
He shrugs in a carefree manner. "Debatable."
"Not from where we're standing."
Kensi frowns and then glares at Sam. "I can speak for myself, thanks," she tells him.
He has the decency to look sorry, but also looks interested in what she has to say to 'speak for herself.'
Kensi doesn't miss the look of surprise when she says nothing.
00
An hour later, they've managed to put together a plan to send Deeks back in to meet with Lasik, who his original target, Ortega, was working for. Lasik has protected himself well over the years, but is thought to be involved in a European human trafficking ring at minimum. Deeks can confirm Lasik had approached Ortega about setting up safe houses to move trafficked girls across the border.
They have Deeks - as his alias, Dale John Sully - call Lasik to set up a meeting.
When he hangs up the phone, he relays the address to them. It's a decommissioned power plant.
"He's going to be suspicious," Kensi says.
Callen nods. "He'll search you. Can't send you in wired, and he'll probably take your phone."
"Eric, pull up the blue prints," Sam asks.
Eric does so and the team studies them for a moment.
Sam shakes his head. "He's going to be watching the entrances." He points out the two main entrances. "Our only move is to sneak in during the distraction of you entering."
"But that leaves you vulnerable. We won't be able to have your back because we won't immediately know if something is wrong," Callen says.
Kensi doesn't like this plan. She doesn't like it one bit. But she doesn't voice her opinion out loud, knowing it's not her call. She meets her husband's eyes for a long moment. And she knows he can tell she doesn't like it.
"It'll be fine," he says, talking to her even though he's addressing the team. "Even if Lasik is suspicious of me, he'll want to know what I know first. He won't make any moves the moment I show up."
Callen is still staring at the screen, studying the layout of the building. "It's risky," he tells Deeks. "But if you're up for it, we'll back you."
Deeks cocks his head ever so slightly as he continues to meet Kensi's eyes. She wants so much to call off the entire operation and take him home. But this is what they do. And she knows he has demons about human trafficking in particular he needs to put to rest, for himself and now also for Jess Traynor. And if they're working together, their chance of success is that much better. She nods once, telling him it's okay to say yes.
"I'm up for it," he says to the team.
Callen looks away from the screen. "Okay. Kensi, you're on over watch." He points to a second building to the side of the main building. "Set up here. Looks like the best line into the building."
She nods.
Callen looks back to Deeks. "She's the best shot of the three of us."
Deeks smiles. "Doesn't surprise me."
"Sam, try to get in here." Callen continues, pointing to side entrance of the screen.
Sam nods. "You coming in the main entrance after Deeks?"
"I have another idea." He turns to Eric. "You said earlier that Lasik is a known cocaine user, right? And has a local dealer?"
Eric nods. "Yes. Tommy Bishop." He types on his keyboard to bring up a picture of the local drug dealer. "As far as we understand, the LAPD have him in custody."
"Detective Scarli is probably bringing in anyone related to the case," Callen says.
"Scarli's in charge of Jess's murder investigation?" Deeks asks,
"You know him?" Sam asks.
"By reputation more than anything. Tough and gruff, but gets the job done."
"Better get the job done. He sure as hell wasn't welcoming to us at the crime scene this morning."
Deeks shrugs. "Do you want me to apologize about that? I can't control another cop's behaviour."
Sam bristles. "I never said I expected you too. It would just be nice to be welcomed by the LAPD."
"That's almost funny coming from you, Sam," Deeks volleys back.
Sam tightens his jaw, but says nothing in return.
Callen clears his throat, regaining control of the room. "Sam, you sneak in the side door in the distraction of Deeks showing up. I'll come in the main door after Deeks. But I doubt they'll leave the door unprotected."
"Drug angle?" Sam asks, right there with his partner.
Callen nods. "Just need a box of kleenex and some duct tape."
00
Kensi exhales as she shifts slightly, adjusting her position. The ground beneath her knees is hard and a little damp, but she doesn't allow that to distract her as she directs her attention through her riffle scope. She has found an optimal position on the edge of a walkway, with her riffle propped on the edge of the railing, which gives her a line of sight into the upper window of the main building. She can see four men in the main room, and she's close enough to be able to lip read them through her scope, but they're not speaking English, so she has no idea what they're saying.
She doesn't like this plan. She has a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She just doesn't know if it's because her husband is going into a dangerous situation or because there is something operationally unsound that hasn't made it to her conscious thought process yet.
"Deeks is on his way in," she hears Callen's voice in her earwig.
"Confirmed," she says through the open line. She watches as one of the men walks out of sight and then several moments later returns with Deeks, as Dale John Sully. He's wearing a casual suit, characteristic of Mr. Sully, disgraced lawyer and wannabe human trafficker.
She exhales again and moves her finger to be beside the trigger, ready to react if the need arises. The team's hope is that Deeks will get Lasik to talk and Sam will be able to record the conversation without being discovered. But they all know the plan could go wrong in a moment, which is why both she and Callen are ready to become involved if needed.
She watches Deeks hold out his hands as he is patted down. After a brief discussion, he had gone in without any weapons.
Once he has been cleared, Lasik approaches him.
They begin to speak. She is able to lip read a few words now that the words being spoken are in English, but Lasik's back is mostly to her, so she can't see much, and Deeks is mostly just agreeing with Lasik, so there's not much for her to ascertain from him.
Lasik waves his hands a few times, clearly agitated, but not threatening. His hands are clear of any weapons and he's not moving towards Deeks. The other three men are also keeping their distance. Kensi is still unhappy with the situation, but not alarmed.
She's actually a little impressed. She's always known her husband must be good at his job, but this is the first time she's truly been able to see him in his element. His expression is a careful mask of Dale John Sully's aloof interest in making some money and not much else. She knows if she didn't know better, she would believe him to be a bad guy.
Deeks begins speaking more, making his move. Kensi catches words like 'safe houses' and 'pay offs.' She knows Deeks is making the business proposition to Lasik. The plan is for him to point out he did all the work with Emilio Ortega and can take over as the LA contact, saving Lasik from starting over and wasting the money he's already invested.
And he's good. He's calm. He's focused on Lasik and not the three guys shuffling around the two of them. He uses minimal gestures with his hands, motioning between them to recognize a partnership only. It's effective.
Lasik steps towards him and says something as he half circles him.
Kensi frowns as she tries to catch his words, but they're lost in a bad angle.
Deeks stays calm as Lasik steps closer, his body loose, telling the man he just needs a chance to prove himself.
Lasik leans in, his face now in Kensi's view.
And the words he says to Deeks cause Kensi's blood to run cold.
Because he calls her husband by name.
The look on Deeks's face confirms Kensi didn't misread Lasik. His cover has been blown and he never stood a chance.
"Lasik just burned Deeks," Kensi announces to the team. "Callen, you need to get in there now."
"On my way."
"What's going on, Kensi?" Hetty's voice comes through the comm.
"Lasik just called him Detective Deeks," she answers. "He knew who he was the moment he stepped foot in there." She swallows hard as she watches her husband turn slightly, his face turning up and towards the window. To those in the room, he would appear to be gazing out at what might very well be his last glimpse of sunlight.
But she knows better. He's looking to her.
I'm here, she thinks, hoping he can somehow sense her.
Two of the men raise their weapons.
"Callen." She demands.
"Less than a minute."
"I'm moving in," Sam announces. "Kensi, let me make use of the surprise. Then take down who you can."
"Okay." She moves her finger to the trigger.
Before Sam can do anything, though, Lasik and one of his goons drag Deeks to the edge of Kensi's focal point and press him up against a column. Kensi swears and realigns her shot.
She swears again when the goon takes a couple punches at Deeks. He takes a hit to the face and then several to the abdomen.
He doesn't fight back.
She knows it's to prevent the guys with the guns from using their guns, but it doesn't make her feel any better.
"Sam?" She questions.
"I can't surprise them at the side where they are," he whispers back. "It's a bigger risk to Deeks. The beams don't provide enough cover. Let's wait for G. But you let me know if they're making any move to take him out and I'll move in anyway."
"Confirmed," she says back, acknowledging Sam even if she doesn't like it. Hell, she hates it, but she trusts Sam's judgment. If the odds are too high Deeks will be shot or killed in Sam trying to get to him, better let the situation play out for another minute until Callen shows up as the distraction.
"Not to be the bearer of bad news," Eric says, jumping into the conversation, "but I just broke the encryption on Ortega's cell phone and voicemail. I know how Deeks's cover got burned."
"We don't have time for guessing games, Eric," Sam hissed.
"Multiple calls from Detective Jess Traynor. Including a voicemail message requesting a meeting yesterday morning."
"Deeks's handler was on Ortega's, and with it Lasik's, payroll," Sam summarises. "Deeks never stood a chance."
"Just thought you should know," Eric said.
Kensi can't even respond. Because this new information does not track with what she knows. Jess Traynor had been young, dedicated and driven. She had seen the fire in her eyes first hand. There was no way the other woman was a traitor. No way.
But there will be time for that after she gets her husband out of this mess.
Having finished with the beating for now, Lasik calls off his guy and steps forward. Again, whatever he is saying to Deeks is lost to Kensi in a bad angle.
At one point, he stops talking and sends one of his guys out of the room in a hurry. Kensi knows this is because they have heard Callen arrive. He's pretending to be connected to Lasik's drug dealer and is arriving with what will look to Lasik like a good buying opportunity, but is actually be a kleenex box wrapped in duct tape.
When Lasik returns his attention to Deeks, he holds up his phone like he's showing Deeks a picture. Deeks shakes his head and says something like he's denying something. Then he tips his head forward and spits blood down onto Lasik's shoes.
That makes Kensi feel both better and worse.
Lasik fiddles with his phone and then shows Deeks another picture. And whatever he says to Deeks has him lunging forward. He is quickly subdued by two men and a swift punch to the gut that has Kensi flinching.
While he's doubled over, they drag him to the side and leave him on his knees on the floor. Lasik lines himself up in the middle of the room, facing the far door, back in Kensi's main sight line. She watches with him as Callen walks in with his duct tape wrapped box.
He pretends to ignore Deeks and says a few things to Lasik, pretending to be making a business proposition to sell drugs. When Lasik motions for him to pass the 'drugs' to the man who escorted Callen into the building, Callen turns and steps both back and sideways, guiding the man forward and into Kensi's sightline.
Kensi understands exactly what Callen is doing. She doesn't hesitate to take the shot.
As soon as he goes down, there is chaos, just as they knew there would be. They also knew two of the three of them would be in there unarmed, so both Callen and Deeks need to find weapons in the chaos.
Kensi manages a second shot in the chaos before the bad guys are smart enough to stay out of her sight line, though she doesn't know if she makes contact.
And then, with no idea if her husband or team is safe, she abandons her weapon and runs for the building.
"On my way in," she announces, though she gets no response. She can hear shuffling, shouting and gunfire through the open comm. She knows Callen would have gotten rid of his earwig prior to approaching the building, knowing he could have been closely searched, so only Sam is wearing one.
She makes good time sprinting across the concrete ground of the former power plant, but it still takes her longer to get there than she would like.
She enters through the side door like Sam had, and clears the halls as quickly as she can. It's quiet and still.
The main room is also quiet. There are two bodies, and though her heart thumps against her chest as she approaches each, neither are her husband or her team.
She hears muffled gunfire to the far side of the building, so she heads that direction, visualizing the floor plan in her mind. She can no longer hear anything over her comm, but with the thick concrete walls, she's not surprised.
When she comes to the second doorway, she hears shuffling on the other side. She chastises herself for not taking care to walk softer. She does so now as she approaches the doorway from the side, her handgun raised and ready. She takes a beat and then steps out, gun poised and ready.
The person on the other side of the doorway pretty much mirrors her efforts, and then almost as quickly pulls up his gun so she's not in his line of fire. She does the same.
"Do you think regular couples find themselves in these situations?" He asks.
She rolls her eyes. "Oh, shut up."
Deeks chuckles.
"Where are Callen and Sam?"
"They followed Lasik and his one surviving goon downstairs. I was following, but then I heard someone approaching..."
"I was in a hurry!"
"I wasn't judging."
"You good?"
"I'm good."
She takes in his bloodied face and then nods, letting him have this one. "Okay. Let's finish this."
He leads them to the staircase that leads to the basement level. They can hear footsteps, but nothing more. She doesn't bother with her earwig, knowing it's not going to work.
They make their way down the stairs and then cautiously into an open hallway.
Deeks taps her hip and then motions towards Lasik's body to their left.
And Kensi now knows she can hear two distinct sets of footsteps moving together. Which can only mean her team is safe.
"Callen, Sam," she calls out, announcing her and Deeks as she breathes a sigh of relief that they have all survived today.
"It's clear, Kensi," Sam calls back. And in a moment, he and Callen appear from around the corner. They both nod at the sight of her and Deeks. And the team seems to breathe a sigh of relief together.
"Well, that was interesting," Sam comments.
"Not exactly what we planned, but I guess we got the result we wanted," Callen adds, motioning to Lasik's body. He won't be hurting anyone else ever again.
Deeks uses his jacket sleeve to wipe blood away from his nose and mouth. "Lasik found out Ortega was using his money to pay off a dirty cop."
"We know. Eric broke the encryption on Ortega's phone right after you were made and it was too late," Callen says. "It was Jess Traynor."
Deeks shakes his head. "That's what Lasik said to me, but it doesn't make sense. Jess wasn't... She wouldn't do that."
"I know you trusted her," Sam says. "But there were multiple calls and at least one message."
Deeks runs a hand through his hair. "There's got to be more to this."
00
An hour later, the scene is swarming with crime scene techs and additional NCIS agents. Hetty managed to keep news of the scene firmly away from LAPD in light of the knowledge of a dirty cop's involvement.
After leaving her husband being checked out by paramedics, Kensi heads back across the power plant's courtyard at a slower pace this time to retrieve her riffle from its perch. She slings it over her shoulder and across her back and then makes the trek back to the parking area.
Deeks is sitting on the back of the ambulance, but this time Callen and Sam are with him. He shoots her a look of warning as she approaches and she knows something is up.
"What's going on?" She asks to announce her presence.
"We're just trying to determine if Deeks's was compromised by his feelings for his handler or not," Sam says, standing tall, arms crossed over his chest.
Callen is not making a show physically, but he's scowling and uncomfortable. He's holding an evidence bag with a cell phone.
Deeks is clearly refusing to be intimidated. He's sitting on the back step of the ambulance, leaning back. He's refusing to jump up and become defensive.
"Just to be clear," Deeks says evenly. "Are you accusing me of being compromised or being part of this?"
Kensi exhales in shock. "You can't be serious." She looks to Callen and Sam. "What the hell is going on?"
"Show her," Sam says.
Callen raises the evidence bag with the phone. "Lasik had pictures of Jess Traynor and Deeks at the same house. According to Deeks, it's Traynor's house."
With both Sam and Callen's attention on the phone, Kensi exchanges a glance with her husband. He meets her eyes and tells her everything she needs to know with one look. The pictures were taken the night Jess Traynor called Kensi to her house after Dom died.
The night Kensi was gifted with a couple hours of the comfort of her husband's company.
Which was now being used against him.
The picture of Deeks leaving Traynor's house confirm everything. She even recognizes the clothes he was wearing that night.
"I don't think I follow," she says carefully. "What does this prove?"
"Why was he there?" Sam says.
"She was my handler," Deeks says. "I trusted her. I still trust her."
"Were you sleeping with her?"
"No. But she was a good friend."
It's clear Sam doesn't believe him. "You should never have been at her house during a case."
"Maybe not. But there were extenuating circumstances."
"Which were?"
"None of your business."
"Deeks, if you want our help-"
"I'm grateful for the help today, I really am," Deeks cuts him off. "We took a really bad guy off the streets, and that was all I wanted. And now I need to clear Jess's name. Because she is not the bad guy. And if you'll help me again, great. If not, I'll do it myself."
Sam continues to glare at him, but from Callen he earns a glimmer of respect.
"She lost her cousin to human trafficking when she was a kid. She was nearly a victim herself. She dedicated her life to stopping as many of these people as she can. There's no way she was selling information. And from the reports you got from the LAPD, she passed on every piece of information I gave her."
"So, she wasn't stopping anything," Callen summarizes.
"Not a thing."
"Eric confirmed it was her number calling Ortega. Her voice leaving the message. How do you account for that?" Callen asks, not challenging, but demanding an explanation.
"There's been setbacks in the operation. Some of the information Ortega's given me hasn't been good. In light of what I know now, he probably knew for a while that I was a cop. But if she was on to that before me, she wouldn't have reported it up the chain of command because she wouldn't have wanted the operation shut down and me pulled out. She would have tried to find out who was selling information first."
"So, you think she incidentally set herself up to look suspicious?"
"Yes."
Callen sighs and exchanges a look with his partner. Sam looks like he needs more convincing.
Kensi meets Deeks's eyes and can practically feel his exhaustion. He needs this to be over as much as she does.
"It doesn't hurt to look into it," she announces before Callen and Sam can make a decision.
Callen looks at her in surprise.
"We may not have known Detective Traynor, but if what Deeks is saying is true, someone needs to look into this. I know if I was in this situation and one of you were accused of being a traitor I wouldn't stop before getting answers."
Callen considers her words for a moment before nodding. "Okay, let's get Eric on it."
00
By the late afternoon, they have a name.
Detective Frank Scarli.
At first glance, he is just the detective assigned to investigate Jess Traynor's death by car bomb. But at deeper look, courtesy of Eric, he has an off shore account not quite hidden well enough with a few recent deposits.
They set up one more operation for the day, to have him incriminate himself. Deeks calls him, asking to meet to discuss Jess Traynor's case. He acts like he believes Jess is guilty and doesn't know what to say. Scarli suggests a parking lot and Deeks goes along with it.
Once the operation is ready to go, Deeks steps away to call Bates and let his boss in on what's going on.
Kensi stays with the rest of the team, but keeps an eye on her husband. His body in hunched and his tone flat as he confirms that, yes, he is alive, but no, Jess Traynor was not the traitor. She knows he's exhausted and in more pain than he's admitting to simply because he doesn't make a production of calling his boss to announce he's alive. A situation like this almost always calls for humour in the book of Marty Deeks.
"Bates is on board," Deeks says as he rejoins the team. "He's good with NCIS running point, but as soon as Scarli incriminates himself, it becomes an LAPD matter."
Callen nods. "Agreed."
Callen and Sam head up to OPs to meet briefly with Eric, to run the tech through the coming events.
Kensi feels her brow furrow as she takes in her husband's appearance.
"Don't say it," he says quietly.
"You don't know what I was going to say."
He tries to offer her a smile, and though it falls flat, she sees humour and affection in his eyes. "I know you as well as you know me," he tells her.
"Yeah? So, what was I going to say?"
"Probably something about the fact that I look like crap. I'm injured. Probably have some cracked ribs. Maybe a concussion. Look exhausted. Probably shouldn't be doing this."
She purses her lips and then shrugs. "Yeah, probably something along those lines. But you do look like crap, so all of those things are kind of a given."
He actually laughs at her words.
She smiles, proud of herself for making him laugh despite the awful day.
"I look that bad?"
She nods. "Little bit."
He sighs. "Well, when I look better, I'll read your mind again."
"I look forward to it."
"But for now, I need to do this."
"I know. That's why I wasn't going to say anything to stop it."
"You're amazing. Do you know that?"
"I try." She smiles softly. "And Marty? There's one more thing I'm thinking..."
He stares at her for a moment before matching her smile. "That you love me?"
"That I love you," she confirms.
"I love you, too."
00
Deeks drives out to the parking lot with the team close enough behind to move in easily, but not so close for Scarli to notice.
They have the car wired and listen as Deeks parks and then Scarli gets into the passenger seat.
"I'm glad you made it, kid," Scarli tells him.
"Yeah, well, I almost didn't," Deeks says in response.
There is a pause and then Deeks speaks again. "So, what do I do?"
"About what?" Scarli asks.
"About Traynor? What do I tell Internal Affairs?"
"Truth can't hurt, Deeks. She's dead."
There's another pause before Deeks says, "I trusted her."
"We all trusted her," Scarli says.
Kensi exchanges a look with Callen and Sam as they stand around the corner of the car.
"He's good," Callen says. "Turned it right around on Scarli there. If he's guilty, he's already done."
"He is good," Sam echoes.
Kensi nods her agreement.
"She told me this story one time," Deeks continues. "About her and her cousin, Christina. When they were kids, they were walking home one night and a van pulled up. Two guys jumped out and tried to abduct them. Traynor got away. But her cousin, she, uh...wasn't so lucky. They found her body down in Mexico eighteen months later. Human traffickers. So, I keep asking myself, you know, with a history like that, how could she be in business with a scumbag like Emilio Ortega?" He pauses. "And that's when I realized; she wasn't. She was just trying to figure out who was." He pauses again. "So, while I was busy out there undercover, she was trying to win Ortega's trust so he would tell her who he was really paying off."
"Let's move," Callen says and they shuffle forward silently, moving to surround the car.
"That would be you," Deeks accuses.
"If Lasik hadn't killed them, I would have," Scarli says. "I'm sorry, Deeks."
Kensi circles around the car. Deeks is sitting in the drivers' seat. Scarli is in the passenger seat, his attention focused solely on Deeks. He's also pointing a gun at Deeks, but she's not too concerned because she knows the moment he sees them that he'll surrender his weapon.
"No, you're not," Deeks practically whispers.
"Lower your weapon," Sam says at the passenger window, catching Scarli by surprise.
Deeks makes a quick move, securing Scarli's weapon right out of his hand.
Kensi lowers her own weapon as Deeks steps out of the drivers' side door and Sam practically drags Scarli out of the passenger side door.
"Did you get all that?" Deeks asks.
"Every word," Callen confirms.
"So, tell me, Deeks," Scarli calls as Sam puts him into handcuffs, "How does it feel to turn on your own people?"
"That's rich, coming from you," Deeks calls back.
"You burn so many bridges at the LAPD that now you have to bring in the feds? What kind of cop are you?"
"A better cop than you," he says flatly.
"Tell that to Traynor. She thought you had her back and look where that got her."
"Hey!" Deeks calls, striding forward.
Scarli scoffs. "She got everything she deserved."
Kensi watches in shock as Deeks pulls his gun and presses it to Scarli's chest.
"What did you say?" He demands. "You want to say that again?"
"Deeks," Callen warns, but Deeks doesn't respond.
"Say it again." He demands again, his gun still pressed against Scarli's chest. The traitorous cop is now silent.
"He's not worth it," Callen tries.
Still, Deeks doesn't respond.
"Say it again!" He practically shouts.
Kensi steps forward and lays a hand on her husband's arm. "Put it down," she says softly.
He releases a shuddery breath and then does as she requested. He disarms his weapon and returns it to his waistband. He steps back, practically staggering under the weight of his emotions.
"You saw that," Scarli says to Callen and Sam. "You all saw that."
"I didn't see a thing," Callen says immediately. "You see anything, Sam?"
"Not a thing," Sam responds.
Kensi wants to thank them for having Deeks's back, but she's too concerned with his current state of mind to give them too much thought at the moment.
After giving himself some distance from Scarli, he turns in a circle, looking more than a little lost that there are no more wars to fight today.
"I need...I just need a minute," he manages to say with a relatively even tone, before heading around the corner of the closest building.
Kensi bites her lips as she watches him go, debating whether to follow. Callen and Sam have Scarli well in hand, waiting for the LAPD, who are now on their way. She knows there is little time for Deeks to pull his head together.
"I'll be back," she says, not waiting for a response before following after her husband.
She finds him just a few feet around the corner of the building, just far enough away to be out of view of the parking lot. He's crouched down with his back to the wall, staring off with an unfocused gaze. She doesn't hesitate to crouch down beside him.
"I'm here," she says quietly.
"I know," he whispers back.
After a moment, he carefully reaches for her hand. She smiles as he threads their fingers together and allows him to tug her hand towards his chest.
"I didn't mean to overreact like that."
"It's okay."
"It's just...Jess was..."
"She was a friend. I get it."
"It's not just that." He sighs. "She was young, had her whole life ahead of her. Could have done anything, but chose to do this. Was fighting this fight because of her cousin. She was so driven..." He turns to meet her eyes. "She reminded me of you," he whispers softly.
"Oh, Marty."
He sniffs. "That someone could end her life so easily. And that Scarli could care so little." His chest heaves.
She shifts so she's kneeling beside him and grabs his face in her hands. "It wasn't me, Marty. I'm still here. The difference is that I have you."
"You do have me," he whispers. "Even if I'm a mess right now."
She leans in to kiss him, hard and deep. "You are allowed to be a mess right now. But you're my mess, you hear me?"
He huffs out a laughing breath but nods. "I'm okay with that."
"Good. Cause I wasn't taking no for an answer. Now, LAPD is on the way to pick up Scarli. Bates will be with them. You'll need to make a statement. And Bates will expect some kind of ghost joke, I'm sure." She pauses when he smiles at her. "And then we're going home. Because I really missed my husband and I haven't slept beside him in months. How does that sound?"
"Really, really good."
She kisses him again. "And you know what's even better?"
"What?"
"You're home."
He nods. "Almost."
"No, I mean, you're home. No more long term assignments. No more being separated for months at a time."
He clearly hasn't given this recent thought since his operation went upside down and sideways the previous evening. He swallows hard as he stares into her eyes and then puffs out his cheeks as he exhales.
And then he smiles softly. "I'm home."
AN: I find that my perspective sometimes changes when I spend so much time analyzing episodes for this story now. I know there has been debate as to whether Deeks and Traynor were together (in the show). At the end of the episode, Scarli asks Deeks "How was she in bed?" about Traynor. He would NOT have known about what has already happened with Deeks earlier that day/him being shown the pictures. Scarli was selling information to Ortega. Lasik found out Ortega was buying information from someone and had him followed, which led to the pictures. So, if Ortega didn't know about the surveillance/pictures, he couldn't have told Scarli. And Lasik thought the dirty cop was Traynor. That means the bad guys didn't lead Scarli to believe Deeks and Traynor were sleeping together... right? (I may have confused myself more by trying to make sense of this...). Anyway, this is why I had to change the last scene with Scarli, because in this universe, there was no reason for him to ask that particular question.