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Deeks looked up as Sam slowed the car to a halt, cutting the engine. It was dark outside, well after midnight but still hours before sunrise, but Deeks recognized the street through the dim glow of the streetlights. Sam had parked their SUV at the dividing line in the neighborhood, familiar from a few days ago and also feeling like another lifetime. On the left were the old, worn, and faded buildings that hinted at a previous century even as they proudly refused to be rubbed out of existence by the renovated residential buildings further west and the shops and businesses to the east the continued to press in, taking out the dated buildings one by one and year by year. At Deeks' instruction Sam had parked within eyesight of The Empire, John Keene's bar, and just around the block from Angus Murphy's old tailor shop.
"What now?"
David's voice from the backseat of the SUV focused Deeks on the strategy they needed to employ to get to Liam and convince him that murdering an aging Irish mobster, even one with fading power like John Keene, wasn't the right path to avoid permanent harm and likely prison time. Looking east and west, Deeks frowned, the hour and location doing nothing to help them. Even just a few blocks from the bustle of Times Square, the street was completely deserted, which gave them no cover. Any move they made towards the tailor shop would likely be seen by Liam. And not knowing his current state of mind, Deeks wasn't willing to test the patience of Liam's need for vengeance.
Even though it was past closing time for bars, even bars in New York City, the lights of The Empire were still on, the sharps arches of the neon lights forming the name blurred and softened in their reflections in the damp street and hop scotch of puddles in the pavement and cement of the sidewalks. Still, the bar looked like it was locked up tight, the front door secured in place and no movement evident from the outside. Thanks to Eric's help they had pretty solid confirmation that Keene was inside, probably surrounded by any number of men that he employed to protect him. What they didn't know was how long Keene would stay inside, and when he might decide to go home to Finola Murphy, who he would find was no longer in her apartment waiting for him. Deeks exhaled slowly, the clenching of his jaw for a brief second as the only outward indication of his frustration. Once again they were on borrowed and limited time. After the last week it was a situation he was growing weary of being in, especially when it wasn't of his own making.
"Sam, stay in the car and keep an eye on The Empire. We need to know if there's any sign of Keene leaving. If he shows his face at all it might already be too late if Liam has the front entrance in his sights."
Sam leveled a steady and sure gaze on Deeks. "And if he does show his face?"
"Stop him, protect him, do whatever you need to so that Liam doesn't make himself a murderer," Deeks replied, feeling a little sickened by his own words even as he delivered them with a clipped voice. David exhaled angrily and Deeks looked back towards the younger agent, raising an eyebrow in question.
"You'd save John Keene? After what he did to Liam's family? After the probably countless unknown lives the man has already taken? Eliminating him from the planet would be payback," David replied, the words clipped and edged with a harshness Deeks had never seen in David before. But knowing what David had experienced over the last day, the raw pain he was still feeling over Marina's death, Deeks knew there was irrationality and grief under the anger.
"We don't do payback, we do justice. We save him to save Liam. There are other ways to catch criminals. Ways that include the law, which is why Callen and Cody are questioning Peter Kovalev, to get the evidence we need to bring John Keene to justice the right way," Deeks said. David stared at Deeks, defiance and disbelief turning his eyes hard in the darkness of the car.
"I'm having a hard time understanding this considering we just broke dozens of laws in the Czech Republic and Russia to save Kyle and Hailey," David said, hurrying on to explain. "Not that I regret doing it. They were innocent bystanders and we had to do what we did. But why is this different?"
"Because we have an alternative," Deeks replied shortly. "If there had been another way of rescuing Kyle and Hailey through official channels I would have been the first person to take it. But we weren't left with options. And we all have to live with the part we played. This is different. Liam has choices, even ones he doesn't know about. And we have the chance to stop him from making a mistake."
David was silent for a long second before he spoke again. "What if he still wants to make it? What if he still wants to kill Keene?"
"I don't know," Deeks replied, thinking of how that decision would ripple through his own family, would tear apart Hailey. It wasn't something Deeks wanted to see, not for his sister and not for the man who had so willingly put his life on the line to save Deeks' family. But over the last week Deeks had become very familiar with the driving need to protect the people he loved. He wasn't sure it was his place to stop Liam from doing that for himself.
Shaking his head, Deeks centered his thoughts on the immediate plan ahead. "First we get to Liam and hope he'll talk with us. I think we circle around the block and try and find a back entrance to the shop."
David followed Deeks from the car, staying close behind him as they moved from shadow to shadow, melting into the darkness all around them. It took longer than Deeks would have liked to find a path around the block to the back alley of the old tailor shop. The alley stank of rotting food, heavy mold, and the remnants left behind by animals and people alike, the smell slightly dampened by the recent rain and cool chill of the night. Fire escapes lined the old buildings and Deeks grabbed hold of one, giving it a brief shake. It rattled loudly and loosely, not bringing any confidence to the idea of using the fire escape as a means to climb to the second or third floor where Liam probably was. Not only wasn't Deeks certain the metal framing would even hold their weight, but the racket of rusting metal would echo loudly through the alley and give them away.
"Over here," David whispered. Deeks followed his voice, finding that David was forcing one of the rear windows of the shop open, the old wood frame slightly swollen with age and water, but finally sliding with a quietly rough sigh of wood sanding wood. David gave Deeks a leg up to climb in the window and then followed through, both of them rolling as they hit the sagged and nearly rotted wood flooring with muffled thumps. Deeks froze, holding up a hand for David to follow his lead, and he held his breath as he listened for sounds from above. For long minutes there was nothing but the light breeze coming from the now open window. Deeks' ears perked up at the light creak of the wood floorboards in the second floor, towards the front of the shop. He looked back at David, still as a statue, and motioned his head towards the stairs. David's nod was sharp and confirmatory and Deeks knew he didn't have to say a word for David to follow. Although Deeks didn't have military training, David did, and his experience in covert operations and his tendency to follow orders was something Deeks was glad to have at his back.
They managed to make their way up the stairs silently until the last turn of the staircase. Deeks stepped on a warped wood step that settled and creaked loudly under his foot. He froze again, but not before shuffling from the second floor, and metal clicking alerted him that Liam knew they were there, and now had a gun aimed at them with the safety off.
"Liam, it's Deeks. I have David with me, don't shoot," Deeks said calmly. He waited until he heard the echo of the safety re-engaged and then he lifted his foot to the next step, the wood creaking again under his weight.
"Just you," Liam said, his voice drifting down from above. "David stays down there."
Deeks looked at David fast enough to see the flash of hurt that crossed David's face, firmly tucked away as he finally nodded briskly and retreated a few steps down the stairwell. Continuing up the steps, Deeks entered the second floor of the tailor shop, letting his eyes adjust to the room, even darker than the first floor below. He surveyed the room, absent of furniture except for a small wood table and two chairs. The streaks in the dust gathered on the floor showed that Liam had dragged the table over to one of the windows in the front of the shop, one chair next to the table where he was sitting. But it was what was on the table that caused Deeks take a deep breath. A rifle propped up on a short tripod was aimed out the window, which was mercifully closed. The window was filmed over with dirt and grime except for one edge where Liam had cleaned away a corner so he could see towards The Empire. Liam was slumped in his chair, legs splayed in front of him and his elbows resting on his knees. He leaned toward, his head bowed tiredly and cradled with one hand while his other hand held his handgun, fingers loose around the grip of the gun.
Moving slowly, Deeks went to pick up the second chair, bringing it over to Liam. When he was still ten feet away Liam shot him a silent warning look and Deeks stopped, setting the back of the chair down facing Liam and moving to straddle the seat, resting his forearms along the back as if that had been his intention all along. Deeks knew Liam would want him far enough away so he would see any move he might make long before he made it. Deeks was confident he could still move fast enough to startle Liam, but that was a last minute, last ditch option he didn't want to have to pursue.
They sat in silence for a long minute. Deeks watched Liam, saw the way he looked from the window to his watch to Deeks at about fifteen second intervals, the steady pace focused in a driven, almost obsessive way that made Deeks frown. Finally, Deeks shook his head, gesturing at the rifle on the table.
"What are you doing? With that, here? You shouldn't be here and you don't need to do this," Deeks said.
"I do need to do this. Keene expects me to come work for him and I know that's the deal I made, I was even willing to go through with it. But after Moscow—after seeing Hailey again and after seeing what you and Kensi were willing to do for your family—how can I do any less for mine?" Liam asked, his pleading eyes almost begging Deeks to tell him he was wrong.
Instead of addressing Liam's question, Deeks decided to start with a simple subject, something to distract Liam from the heavy decision he was facing. "Where did you get the gun?"
"I had snitches from my time with the NYPD five years ago. I called one of them, had him hook me up with a local small time dealer. Cash for a gun," Liam shook his head sadly, his voice pitching low and taking on a melancholy edge. "Even in five years, it's like nothing has changed here. It shouldn't have been as easy for me to get a gun. It shouldn't be this easy to kill someone."
"Liam, you don't need to go to the extreme end of the spectrum here. There are other ways of eliminating John Keene as a threat," Deeks said, sighing as he ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "Kensi didn't get the chance to tell you, but that was part of the bargain we made with Peter Kovalev. He gave us intel on the Kremlin and he's giving Callen and Cody information right now about John Keene's criminal dealings. Based on what Kovalev told us in Moscow he has enough to put Keene away for international weapons trading. We've got him. Your family will be safe."
The new information sparked a flame of hope in Liam's blue eyes, which quickly disappeared as other thoughts came in to extinguish it. Stubbornly shaking his head, Liam looked out the window and back at The Empire before turning back to Deeks, the quick glance satisfying him that he hadn't missed Keene leaving. "It's not enough. Putting John Keene behind bars isn't going to stop his influence. And it's no guarantee. He'll get out, or he'll make a deal like Kovalev did to take down a bigger criminal. Or he'll keep control even when he's inside. I can't do that. I can't let that kind of risk remain for my mom and brother."
"We'll protect them," Deeks promised. "Sam already went and picked them up. They're back at the apartment with Kensi, Hailey, and Rachel right now. We won't let anything happen to them, they'll be safe."
"It's not enough!" Liam roared, the sudden outburst surprising even Deeks. He refused to shirk or retreat and stayed sitting on his chair, waiting as Liam struggled with his anger, breathing deeply before he fixed haunted eyes on Deeks. "You didn't see Hailey. You didn't see how scared she was before we got on the plane in Moscow. I've never seen her so pale and I thought she was going to pass out with how fast her heart was beating and how she would barely take a full breath. I held her close, I told her hundreds of times I would keep her safe, but she was terrified they were going to come after her and take her away again."
Liam's voice shook as he lifted a hand to wipe at his eyes, pausing long enough to control his emotions. He cleared his throat and when he looked back at Deeks his eyes were like chipped ice, determination making his voice hard. "That was after only seven days of being kidnapped and terrorized. Seven days. My mom and Aiden have been with John Keene for ten years. I don't even know what has happened to them. I should never have left them and everything they've gone through is my fault. But I can't let it stand, not for another day."
Deeks struggled with a response. He could understand what Liam was going through. He could even admire the sacrifice Liam was willing to make. It was stupid but it was also brave. It was impetuous but there wasn't cowardice in his resolution to kill Keene. Deeks might even have been willing to let Liam go through it, the legal implications be damned, except for one thing. It was the card he didn't really want to play, perhaps the greatest weakness Liam had.
"You can't do this to Hailey," Deeks said, letting those six words lay in the still of the silence in the room between them. Liam looked at Deeks incredulously, regret and horror clearly warring beneath the surface. He gritted his teeth, shaking his head in refusal at Deeks' words.
"Those are dirty politics, Deeks," Liam hissed between thinned lips. "It's my choice. Hailey will understand."
"She might understand. She might even say she forgives you. But you'll hurt her forever. You think she's in pain now? Losing you will be something she'll never recover from." Deeks said. He was blunt but he believed every word. Deeks knew his sister. She didn't let everyone close, but those that she did had the power to hurt and damage in ways that could never be repaired. It was dirty politics, but Deeks didn't care. It wasn't just his sister he was trying to save. "Do you really want that for her?"
"Of course not," Liam snapped. "But how am I supposed to trust that John Keene won't be able to hurt anyone again? There is no guarantee."
"There are no guarantees in life, Liam," Deeks said softly, a counter to Liam's desperate outburst. "You make decisions based on what you think is best. You plan to reduce the risks but it doesn't always work out that way. I stopped being an NCIS agent so that at least between Kensi and me there would be one of us safe and away from that world. And I still got shot. That was never supposed to happen, not in my everyday life as a lawyer." Deeks shook his head in amazement at the impossible domino effect that had led to his injury weeks ago, and ultimately to the case with the CIA. "Safety for the people you love is an admirable goal, but you can't guarantee it. And you shouldn't give up everything for what looks like a final solution but is just going to result in the people who care about you hurt by your absence."
"What if this is what I think is best?" Liam asked stubbornly.
Deeks shook his head at him. "You're young and sometimes not very bright, so I'm going to let that one pass." The slight quirk of Liam's lips told Deeks he'd hit a nerve and Liam was trying not to laugh or respond. "You know this isn't best. Not when you think about everything we've been talking about. Let us bring in John Keene the right way. Let the law take care of him. I'm not going to rest until he's in prison for a very long time and I'm a pretty damn good lawyer, Liam."
Liam looked up at Deeks, the hope in his eyes making him look much younger than his years. It was the kind of hope that was a clearly difficult to hold onto, a slippery thread that was an anchor in a turbulent storm or a flickering light in the windy darkness. But Deeks saw the instant Liam grabbed hold of hope, saw the way he straightened up, and how he put the handgun in his hand on the table, his fingers shaking just a little as he lifted them away and clasped his hands together. Deeks allowed a deep exhale of relief, not realizing until that moment how worried he'd been that he wouldn't be able to pull Liam away from the edge of a very high cliff.
"I know how hard it is for you to trust other people," Deeks said softly. "I know it because I've lived it too, in my own way. But you can't go through this kind of thing alone. Don't let him make you someone you're not, someone who is willing to break the law for the wrong reasons. We bring Keene to justice but we do it the right way. That's what makes us better than him."
Deeks stood slowly, approaching Liam so that he stood over him. He settled a hand on his shoulder and Liam looked up at him from his seated position, his face drawn and tired, shadows under his eyes competing with the almost healed bruises on his face. The beard growth on his jaw hollowed out his face, exhaustion and relief shuttering his eyes to half mast as whatever adrenaline he'd been functioning on ebbed away. The moment was heavy as Liam struggled to speak, his voice cracking with exhaustion and gratitude. "Deeks, thanks. I don't know how to—"
"I should be thanking you," Deeks interrupted, cracking a smile. "I prefer defending you against an illegal weapons possession charge rather than cold blooded murder. So you've saved me some effort."
Liam chuckled, rubbing his hands over his face before he stood and let Deeks pull him in for a hug. There were a few quick slaps on the back, but Deeks didn't miss how Liam gripped him tight for just a moment longer, and he squeezed Liam's neck warmly before letting go. Emotional words were sometimes hard between men, especially when one of the men was dating the other man's younger sister, but Deeks knew gestures could speak for both of them. They broke apart in time to hear David's voice from the stairwell.
"Since you two have worked everything out, can I come up now? I need to kick my partner's ass."
Liam laughed quietly and Deeks called David up. Beneath the concern on David's face Deeks saw the frustration he'd felt being left outside of the room while Deeks and Liam had talked. Deeks knew why Liam hadn't wanted to face David. He'd been certain David would be able to talk him out of his decision, he'd known the power his partner had over him.
"You don't get to leave me out of your stupid ideas," David argued. Liam sighed loudly, as if realizing he was going to be explaining himself a lot in the future.
"I was trying to protect my family. I was trying to protect you."
"Bullshit. You were going it alone as a way to save me the trouble. We're brothers, Liam." David spoke plainly, his tone leaving no room for argument. Liam looked shocked and watched David with wide eyes. "I'm either by your side going along with your stupid ideas or I'm going to talk you out of them. But you don't leave me behind ever again. Got it?"
"Yeah, okay. I got it," Liam whispered, agreeing quickly as if he thought David's declaration that they were brothers might disappear if he didn't.
Deeks glanced out the window, thinking about calling Sam to tell him to stand down and expecting to see the same quiet street in the wee hours of the morning. Instead, what he saw had him grinning and putting his arms around David and Liam's shoulders, steering them towards the stairwell and the first floor. "I think there's something we all need to see."
Exiting the tailor shop and onto the street, they came face to face with half a dozen police squad cars parked up and down the street, blocking any access to the block around The Empire. The lights of the squad cars swirled red, white, and blue, bathing the street almost like a fireworks display, even as the sirens had been kept on silent during their approach so it wouldn't alert John Keene the police were coming. More than a dozen officers were on alert and poised behind open squad car doors with their weapons pointed at the front door to the bar, which had been kicked open, a forgotten metal door ram on the sidewalk by the door.
Just outside of the action, Sam stood next to the SUV, his arms crossed over his chest and a satisfied smile on his face. With Liam and David following close behind, Deeks approached him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"
"Maybe five minutes ago I got a call from Callen that they'd already gathered enough information from Peter Kovalev that Eric was able to verify as genuine to issue an arrest warrant for John Keene. I was just about to call you when these guys showed up. I figured you'd see and come down," Sam said, narrowing his eyes at Liam. "You talk him out of his dumb idea and remind him that we don't leave anyone behind?"
"I know that now," Liam said, solemn and honest in a way Deeks had never seen. Sam nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. You know, we could go talk to the officer in charge. They might let you make the actual arrest," Sam suggested. Deeks thought Liam might take him up on the offer, but Liam was quick to shake his head.
"No, I think I should stay here. I don't want there to be any conflict with my past that might taint the arrest."
Deeks nodded with appreciation at Liam but was soon distracted by the noise and commotion as two police officers, with John Keene handcuffed and struggling between them, exited the bar. Keene was shouting loudly, threats doled out to every person as he laid eyes on them as he was forcibly picked up and carried towards a waiting squad car. His wild shouting paused when his gaze settled briefly on Liam, who was surrounded by David, Deeks, and Sam. Spitting the words out with angry vitriol, Keene's eyes were locked on Liam.
"You think this is over? You think this will stop me? You think you can stop me? This will never be over!"
Expecting Liam to tense up, or some of his previous uncertainty to creep back in, Deeks laid a steady hand on Liam's shoulder. Instead of tense muscles, Liam was relaxed, lifting his chin up as he stared back at Keene, keeping his eyes on the man until he disappeared into the back of the squad car.
"It's over for me."
Deeks knew Liam wasn't talking about the wheels of justice since those would still be moving for a long time to come. And likely they would all be called to explain their part played in bringing to light the information that took down one of New York's most powerful underworld criminals. But Liam was talking about the hold Keene had over him, and the hold he'd had over Liam's family. Deeks knew what it took to let that kind of anger go, to no longer allow people to have a controlling hold over your life. He'd watched it happen to Hailey and he'd experienced it himself with their mother.
Squeezing Liam's shoulder before he dropped his hand, Deeks looked at Liam, David, and Sam each in turn, wanting to put distance between all of them and the scene in front of them.
"I say we let the police handle this and we get the hell out of here."
The quick nods were all he needed to turn away from the police, swirling lights, and Keene's angry yells. It felt like a weight lifted to be able to finally relax, like they could all let their guard down. Piling into the car, the ride back to Hetty's apartment passed quickly through the scarce traffic. The sky was just beginning to lighten with tendrils of pink and gold threaded through the filmy clouds in the sky as they took the elevator to the eighty-second floor. The doors of the private elevator opened to reveal Hailey right on the other side, her hopeful brown eyes searching. Deeks watched as she mentally counted them, relief flooding her face and making her smile, her eyes resting on them one at a time as her grin widened and her eyes pooled with tears.
Sam and David exited the elevator first, giving Hailey hugs that lifted her off her feet before they ventured further into the apartment and towards the apartment where the murmurs of voices beckoned them. Deeks reached for Hailey next, her welcoming arms going around him to let him hold her tight giving him more relief than he wanted her to see on his face. He still didn't know exactly what Hailey had gone through, but as long as she would let him comfort her, and as long as it helped her, Deeks could remain in the dark if she needed him to be.
It took more willpower than Deeks knew he had to release Hailey and pull her around to face Liam, who looked at Hailey with apologies spilling from his lips. Hailey cut them off, her hands reached for Liam's face, cradling it in her palms as she stepped on the tips of her toes to touch her lips to his. Her touch froze Liam in place and his eyelids fluttered closed, his breath deepening even as Hailey's kiss seemed to wake him from his stupor. Liam's arms went around Hailey's waist, his palms flattening low on her back and pulling her close. Realizing he was about to see more than he ever wanted to of his sister and the man she loved, Deeks quickly turned on his heel and left them to their reunion.
Deeks walked towards the kitchen, looking through the open floor plan of the apartment towards the beginnings of dawn over Central Park. Having returned from their interrogation of Kovalev, Cody was sitting with Rachel on the couch, whispering into her ear and making her smile. Callen sat on an ottoman just above Katya and Kyle, who were playing with some of Katya's toys on the carpet in front of the couch. And Kensi sat as the third point in their triangle, watching her son with a soft smile and whispering to Katya when the little girl lifted her expectant face to Kensi, asking a question that made Kensi laugh. David joined the group, his smile a little pained as his eyes came to rest on Katya, but turning brighter when she gifted him with a welcoming grin.
Sam had approached Finola Murphy, who stood next to the tall glass windows of the apartment, her arms crossed and hugging herself tightly. Her eyes turned worried and fearful as Sam began to speak and she loosened her arms to reach blindly behind her for Aiden, who had been hanging back and away from his mother. But he rushed forward quickly when she held out her hand, becoming her anchor as Sam's explanation of what had happened at The Empire and to John Keene seemed to hit her. She paled, her knees almost buckling, but Aiden held her up, even at fifteen still taller and stronger than his mother.
Steps approached from behind and Deeks glanced over his shoulder to see Liam and Hailey approach, hand in hand and still looking a little dazed from their reunion. Liam's eyes quickly zeroed in on his mother and brother and he looked apologetically at Hailey, who merely smiled and released his hand to give him a gentle shove towards his family. Liam's approach towards Finola and Aiden was hesitant and likely very aware of the curious eyes of everyone in the room. Hailey's arms came around Deeks' waist and he lifted his arm to drape it over her shoulders. He looked at his sister and saw she was intently focused on Liam.
"He's waited so long for this, I'm not sure he thought it would ever happen," Hailey murmured. Deeks turned his head to look back at Liam and although he couldn't hear the conversation, he saw something of the younger man Liam must have been the last time he'd seen his mother. He was hesitant in a way Liam never was when it came to his work as an agent. But Finola made those hesitancies disappear when she stepped away from Aiden and reached for Liam, her lips trembling and tears running down her face, letting him hug her close as her hand reached up to smooth the hair at the back of his neck.
He'd been watching Liam and his mother so closely that it wasn't until Kensi was nearly upon them that Deeks noticed her approach. Kensi came around the Hailey's other side, her arm going around Hailey's waist as she leaned over to kiss the side of Hailey's head. Deeks felt Hailey measurably relax between them, held safe and tight in their arms. Across the room, Liam had loosened his grip on his mother, his face brightening with an unguarded smile as he looked down at her face. Finola was stepping back and pulling Aiden towards Liam, trying to bring her sons back together after an absence of ten years. Where Liam had been relaxed, Aiden was anything but. His face was stormy with anger and skepticism and he only grudgingly took the hand Liam offered.
"That looks like it's going to take time," Kensi said, her voice low.
Deeks shrugged. "Yeah, but at least they have time now."
Hailey nodded with agreement, looking from Kensi to Deeks, her dark eyes fathomless as she turned serious, her next words a struggle to get out. "Thank you for everything you did to come get me. There are debts I'm never going to be able to repay." Hailey stopped, choking a little as her eyes were drawn to Katya for a long moment before she looked back at Deeks. "I know there was never a question that you would come, but there is so much I wish could have been different. There were so many impossible choices you all had to make."
"And we would make them again," Kensi replied, her answer simple and honest. "We all would."
"We're just glad you're safe and back with us," Deeks said. Hailey nodded, her eyebrows furrowed.
"What happens now?" she asked. Deeks knew there were many layers to her question, and there wasn't a straightforward answer except to start with the simplest decision.
"We go home. And we help each other get through what we've all been through. There are some decisions that have to be made. And I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of paperwork to deal with," Deeks remarked. "But for the moment, I think we can enjoy that we've made it to the other side."
Uncertainty still clouded Hailey's eyes, but Deeks gave her a reassuring smile, knowing there were things she didn't need to know the details about. He hadn't been able to shield and protect her from all the violences of the world, but he could try and make her feel safer in it. Hailey was calmed by his smile and soon she slipped away from them, going to join Liam with his mother.
Kensi slid her arm around his waist and Deeks enveloped her with his arms, the days of constant fear fading away as she melted against him. Kensi turned her face into his neck, planting warm kisses under his jaw before she rested her head on his shoulder, finding the space between his neck and arm that she fit perfectly into. Kensi covered his hand on her waist with her, threading their fingers together and gripping his hand tight against her.
"I don't know what you had to do to stop him, but thank you. You saved Liam, but you also saved Hailey and David, too. That couldn't have been easy, talking him down from justifiable vengeance," Kensi said.
"It wasn't exactly easy, but my goal wasn't vengeance, my goal was to save Liam. Even if that meant saving him from himself. Whether I'm totally comfortable with it or not, he's a part of our family. And I owe him for what he did for Kyle and Hailey," Deeks said, his thoughts turning darker. "I actually owe a lot of people. After I lectured Hetty about how she operates in gray areas that puts people at risk I had no problem using that to my advantage when it came to Kyle and Hailey."
Kensi was thoughtful, choosing her words carefully. "Hetty is all those things and she does put people at risk. But there's also nothing she wouldn't do for us." Kensi paused. "And there's no fall she isn't willing to take for us."
Deeks released his hold on Kensi so he could look her in the eye. "What do you mean?"
"I talked with Nell a little while ago. There's been some questions raised about Hetty's management of the Los Angeles field office. There's going to be an investigation," Kensi said. Deeks cursed, knowing the angry words he'd exchanged with Hetty weeks ago had been true, but regretting them all the same. "She wants us to call and check in, I was just waiting for you."
Nodding, Deeks followed Kensi into one of the bedrooms and took a seat next to her in front of a small desk. Kensi opened the laptop on the desk, clearly Rachel's if the photo of her husband and son on the desktop were any indication. Kensi activated the secure wifi connection and launched the video conference application, which quickly filled with a view of Operations. The smooth and dark surfaces of the glass screens and displays made it impossible to tell the time of day, though since it was barely morning in New York, it was still the middle of the night in Los Angeles. Still, Hetty stood alone at the center of the screen as if she'd been waiting for their call.
Hetty's smile was genuine as she saw their faces through the video conference. She leaned back to grip the edge of the console behind her, the only sign that she was at physically affected by knowing they were safe.
"Agents Deeks and Deeks. I trust your smiling faces are a sign that everything has been resolved?"
"Yes, Hetty. Peter Kovalev is being further questioned by the FBI and CIA, but the information he gave is enough to lock John Keene away for a long time," Kensi said. "I think we'd like to rest a bit and then get on the plane back to Los Angeles. Will there be any problem with us doing that?"
"Why would there be a problem with that?"
Deeks wondered the same thing, but Kensi quickly answered, showing once again she often thought several steps ahead of everyone else. "We were on Kremlin security cameras. Major Markovic is still out there and there were two dead people left in our wake as we escaped."
"Mr. Beale was able to delete all the security footage from your time at the Kremlin. If the Major is even willing to admit to his role in detaining an American citizen, his voice will not be heard outside of Russia. You are free to come home as soon as you wish."
Undeterred, Kensi pressed on, one question still on her mind. "What about Jack? What happened with the hostage situation in the Kremlin?"
Deeks looked from Kensi to Hetty, not sure the answer he wanted to hear. On the one hand Jack was to blame for much of what had happened, including risking the lives of every single member of his immediate family. But Jack had also paid for his mistakes and he hadn't hesitated to trade himself to save others when it was called for. Deeks didn't want Jack anywhere near Kensi or their family, but he didn't wish him dead.
"Russian news reported that the hostage situation was resolved with no lives lost and the instigator taken into custody by the Kremlin police. Even though they would have no idea he was a CIA agent, no doubt they would have questioned Agent Salvay to determine his motivations. I wasn't certain we would be able to gather any additional information, but I sent a message to an old friend in the Russian government. He would only tell me that Agent Salvay escaped."
Kensi gasped with surprise, her eyes flying to Deeks'. Impressed, Deeks looked back at Hetty. "Any sign of him out there?"
"Agent Salvay seems to have disappeared. The CIA is looking for him and is beginning internal investigations into the missions he was running, and the Russian police have also issued immigration notices. But he has yet to resurface."
"Hetty, Kensi mentioned there are talks of investigations at NCIS," Deeks said, hesitant to bring up the subject as Hetty's face settled into a smooth mask of calm. "What's going on and how can we help?"
"You need not concern yourselves about any of that. I have long learned the art of justifying covert operations. I am responsible for you but you are not responsible for me. Your only concern now is to bring your family back home safe and sound. I will see you upon your return."
Hetty cut off the transmission then, eliminating any follow up argument Deeks might have wanted to try. He turned a wry smile to Kensi. "I guess she told me, huh?"
"Hetty has always had her secrets and she always will. I'm not sure what's going to happen with this investigation, but I don't think she's going to allow it to touch any of us," Kensi replied.
"I don't like the idea of her taking the fall for us," Deeks said. Kensi rubbed his shoulder, trying to ease his suddenly tight muscles.
"I don't either, but it may be something we have to accept. I don't think she's going to let us come to her rescue," Kensi replied. Deeks mulled that thought over, internally balking at the idea of Hetty being blamed for the trail of blood they'd left across Europe. Kensi was searching through the pockets in the coat that draped over the back of the chair, clearly looking for something. He was about to ask her what had her so relentlessly focused when she pulled a small flash drive from the pocket, showing it to him.
"Cody found this in the apartment where Jack was holed up in Moscow. It had my name on it," Kensi said. Deeks glanced from the flash drive to her face.
"Do you want me to leave while you see what's on it? I'd understand if you did," Deeks said quickly. Kensi shook her head and plugged the flash drive into the computer port, quickly accessing the drive.
"No, there's nothing on there you can't hear," Kensi replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before she reached for his hand. On the computer screen there was only one file on the drive, a video file. Kensi took a deep breath and clicked on the file, opening the video player.
Jack's face appeared on the screen, nearly filling the camera, which had clearly been on the laptop in his Moscow apartment. Deeks recognized the stark walls and dingy lighting of the room from when he and Kensi had been there days ago to question Kovalev. Jack looked tired, the creases in his forehead deep as he furrowed his brow. His lips were pressed tightly together until he seemed to realize the camera was recording and they eased into a slight smile. A smile for Kensi, Deeks realized. Although Jack's face was troubled, there was a certainty and kind of peace burning in his dark eyes.
"Kensi. I hope you'll see this eventually even though I don't have a sure way of getting it to you. I have a plan for what I need to do tomorrow and I intend to follow through. It won't do nearly enough to make up for all my mistakes and what I put you through, but it's all I can do. If it means that maybe your family will be safe then it will be worth it. All I can ask is that you don't come looking for me. I have a feeling that husband and team of yours won't let you anyway, but just in case you have any idea that you owe me anything, you don't."
Jack paused on the video, looking to his right off screen as if distracted by a far away thought. Kensi's hand tightened in Deeks'.
"I can never apologize enough. And it's too little, too late and you may not believe me, but it was the thought of you out there in the world living your life that somehow made me think all the bad things I did were worthwhile. If you moved on after I ruined your life, ruined what was so good between us, then maybe I didn't completely destroy you. And you moving on and living your life is going to be the thought that gets me through what happens next. You don't need to worry about me anymore, Kensi. Whatever happens, your slate is clean."
With one last grin, one that made Kensi take a deep breath, the video terminated. Deeks glanced worriedly at Kensi, wondering at her reaction. Instead of sadness or concern, Kensi was smiling, shaking her head just sightly from side to side. "For just a second there, he was the Jack I used to know. The guy who could make anything happen, who took care of people. I'm glad that'll be the person I remember."
"What do you think happened to him?" Deeks asked. Kensi cocked her head to the side thoughtfully.
"If he truly escaped then he'll disappear. He learned a lot from the CIA and I don't think he'll make the mistake of showing his face where anyone might recognize him."
"Are you tempted to try and find him?" Deeks asked curiously, no anger or suspicion in the question. Kensi shook her head.
"I have all the answers I ever needed. And there were answers I thought I needed from him but it turns out I don't," Kensi said, turning away from the laptop screen and reaching out to stroke his jaw lightly. Kensi leaned in to kiss him softly, her lips lingering against his as she spoke. "You are the answer to all the questions I didn't even know I had. You and the life we've made together. I think it's more than time we got back to that life."
Deeks smiled, reaching up to frame Kensi's face with his hands, fingers tracing the delicate arches above her eyes before cradling her jaw and touching her soft skin. He closed his eyes briefly, listening to the sound of Kensi's breathing and inhaling the scent of her, so familiar. Her warm hands came to rest on his chest, flattening over his heart, one finger tapping a steady, echoing beat against his heart. And when Deeks opened his eyes he found Kensi staring at him, a radiant smile beckoning him, and her liquid dark eyes full of love and contentment.
"It's time to go home."
To be continued
