Two weeks later we found a lead pertaining to the group with the fiery trident as its emblem. Sam and Callen were in the boatshed waiting for us to come back with the suspects, but what they weren't expecting was us not talking to each other. I put a suspect in interrogation one, while Kensi took the second suspect to interrogation two. The second man was holding limping as he walked past.
"You still can't be mad at me." Kensi said, coming back down.
"A hunch. You teed off on him like you were kicking a field goal. And you did that because of a hunch?" I asked, as we gathered around the table. "You don't kick a guy in his junk on a hunch. Jeez, sometimes, I don't even know you. Who does that?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Callen asked.
"I'm sure you notice the guy walk by limping." I said.
"What was that all about?" Sam asked
I didn't want to say it, but I took a deep breath and exhaled as I said. "Because Kensi kicked him right in the nom des plumes."
"No." Sam said, as both he and Callen looked at Kensi.
"Guy didn't even have his weapon out." I said.
"Really?" Callen asked.
"I…" Kensi began, but cut herself off.
"Mm-hm. Right in the cul-de-sac. Kicked him so hard it gave me a stomachache." I said.
"So what? It would have been better if I pistol-whipped him across the face?" Kensi asked.
"Yes." Callen, Sam, and I said simultaneously.
"What is it with you guys and you—? It—Really, it's not…It's not all that. Trust me." Kensi said, and then walked away.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
A few hours later, the four of us went to a street café to catch one more man who can connects to the rogues, but it didn't exactly goes as planned.
"Morning." I said, as Kensi and I approached with our gun drawn.
Silver lining: I was able to crack a joke at these guys expense. I saw Callen produce a badge, and from what I could see it was an FBI badge.
"Oh, buddy, that badge better be real or my partner's gonna kick you in the FBI balls." I said. Kensi and I shared a knowing look. Kensi's left of her mouth curved up in a partial grin.
"Ah, guys, Sam is down in the alleyway behind you." Eric said in our ears.
"You good?" I asked.
"Yep." Kensi said.
I dropped out of the party to go check on Sam. One look at the scene, and I knew.
"Eric, did you see where they went?" I asked.
"We're tracking them now." Eric said.
"We have to go to the boatshed." Callen said.
"We can't let them get away, Callen. If we do, our suspects are as good as dead." I said.
"We don't have a choice, Agent Deeks." Hetty said.
"Deeks? What happened?" Sam asked, coming around.
"Our case is dead in the water." I said to Sam. To Hetty I said. "You got it." I said.
The four of us went back to the boatshed with the three FBI agents.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Abandoned warehouse-
It was two hours after we lost the van that it was found. And by the time Eric found the van that the guys had used to kidnap our suspects with, it was already too late. Kensi, Sam, and Callen were working with the FBI and coordinating with L.A.P.D. to clear the scene. Detective Williams was the first on scene.
"What's going on Deeks?" Williams asked.
"This wasn't me, I swear." I said.
"Uh-huh." Williams said.
Half an hour later, Kensi found me on the roof just staring off into the distance.
"The trail is cold. The rogue group won't show itself for who knows how long." Kensi said, as she approached.
"I could have told you that. I can also tell you that the three dead guys are human." I said.
"How can you tell?" she asked.
"Because there was no structural damage to the building, and there was no damage done to the room that we found the bodies in. I lost this group once in Russia, and now they're in the wind again. I knew this was going to happen." I said.
"Deeks we didn't have a choice. We had to cooperate." she said.
"I'm sure those three dead guys downstairs would disagree with you." I said.
"Why does it matter if they're in the wind? They're going to come back eventually." she said.
"That's not the point, it's the principle." I said.
"We'll we didn't have much of a choice, now did we?" she asked.
"And when they come back I don't want to hear any whining." I said.
"Whatever." Kensi said.
"Kensi. Deeks." Callen said."
"Yeah." I said, as Kensi and I tapped our earwigs.
"All suspects have been found, and all of them have been decapitated." Callen said.
"Are you alone?" I asked.
"The FBI and L.A.P.D are on the other side of the room." Sam said.
"The men were decapitated so they couldn't come back as immortals. Did you guys find any useful information?" I asked.
"L.A.P.D. and FBI have no leads going forward." Callen said.
"So this case is official dead in the water." I said.
"Our hands were tied, Deeks." Callen said.
"Remember that when these jokers come back for round two." I said.
"Mr. Callen." Hetty said, coming online
"Yes, Hetty." Callen said.
"The FBI can handle things from there. Come back to base, and we will work on our next move." Hetty said.
"On our way." Callen said.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
After Hetty had cut us loose, I went to drop in on Monica to see how she was doing, while everybody else ended up at our usual watering hole. Everything was going fine, until Sam mentioned the staring contest over the box. "So, Kensi, you want to tell us about the staring contest you and Deeks had over that box last month?"
"Oh, um…" Kensi began. Kensi didn't want to just blurt that I was married in a past life.
"Come on, Kensi." Callen said.
"It's not that big of a deal. I mean, if a simple box tripped Deeks up, this shouldn't that big a deal for you." Sam said.
"That's because it isn't a simple box, Sam. And you two are asking me to tell you something, although I have been given permission to do so, that Deeks should be telling you himself, and not me." Kensi said.
Nell, who had been chatting Eric up for the past few moments, perks up when Kensi finished speaking. "And what is that?" Callen asked.
"When Deeks was alive he was married." Kensi said.
There was a moment of silence before Callen said. "What?"
"You want to repeat that last sentence again." Sam said.
Nell heard the whole exchange, whereas, Eric did not. Eric was off in his own little world, as Nell listened to the conversation. She needed to know if Callen and Sam were aware of my relationship with Kensi in the past, or if they have yet to make the connection.
"I said that when Deeks was still alive, he was married." Kensi said, sternly.
"Wait. What? Deeks was married in a past life." Eric said, joining the conversation.
"Welcome to the party." Sam said.
"How long have you known?" Callen asked.
Callen knows. Sam is in shock to find out that Deeks was married, but judging by his reaction, Callen knew that Deeks was romantically involved with Kensi. Nell thought.
"Deeks told me when we were undercover last year." Kensi said.
"When?" Sam asked.
"When we were chasing that Russian sleeper agent." Kensi said.
"Now I understand the comment Deeks made about having practice." Sam said.
"Uh-huh." Callen said, attempting to school his features, but Nell had already clocked him.
"Callen." Nell said.
"Yes, Nell." Callen said.
"I'd like to have a word with you." Nell said.
"Okay." Callen said.
"In private." Nell said.
"Umm…okay." Callen said, and then Callen and Nell got up to leave.
"I wonder what that's about." Eric said.
"You're guess is as good as ours." Sam said, as the three of them watch Nell and Callen from a far.
Nell found a spot where Kensi couldn't read their lips, but even if she did try, Nell was positioned in such a way that she would see Kensi try to read their lips.
"How long have you know?" Nell asked.
"Known what?" Callen asked.
"You may be a stellar operator, but I've been at this a lot longer than you think. I was Hetty's source in London, England when I was ten years old. I know when there's important information that needs to be kept for later use. So I will ask again: how long have you known that Deeks was romantically involved with a woman that Kensi resembles?" she asked.
"Since Granger came on board." he said.
"So, just over a year." She said.
"Who all knows?" he asked.
"Present company excluded?" she asked.
"I'm guessing I don't have to ask the obvious question." he said.
"Do I have to answer that?" she asked.
"No you don't, and is Hetty okay with it?" he asked.
"Do I look like Hetty to you? My guess is that she brought Deeks on as Kensi partner, not knowing that Deeks was married to a woman that looked like her." she said.
"I've got to tell her." he said.
"What? No." she said.
"Why not? Kensi deserves to know." He said.
"It is not your place to tell Kensi. And can you think of the consequences if you did. He may not look like it, but Deeks is not a man you should cross." she warned.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" he asked.
"If you want to tell Sam you can, but Kensi is not to know that she is the doppelganger for Deeks' dead wife. I'm pretty certain Hetty would say the same thing as well. Not only that, think of what it would do to them? Deeks has probably came to the conclusion that Kensi isn't ready to know about this." she said.
"After Kensi gave him the box, I'm pretty sure Deeks has too." Callen said.
There was a moment of silence before Nell said. "Cheer up. Not only Deeks working with a woman that resembles his wife, but I'm working with a man that resembles someone I dated a long time ago."
"What? This group is complicated." Callen said.
"That's putting it mildly." Nell said.
When Nell and Callen rejoined the group Sam asked. "Everything okay?"
"Ask me later." Callen said.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
The following day when Callen and Sam were out running down a lead, Sam asked. "What was that all about last night?"
"Nell swore us to secrecy about Deeks being married to a woman that Kensi strongly resembles." Callen said.
"Which means what?" Sam asked.
"Oh come off it. You know what that means." Callen said.
"So what if Deeks was married—wait a minute? Deeks was married to a woman that Kensi looks like?" Sam asked, when Callen's words finally sunk in. "And Hetty's okay with this?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Callen asked.
"How is that even legal?" Sam asked.
"She wasn't even aware of it when Deeks was brought in to replace Dom." Callen said.
"So what now? We keep going as if nothing has changed?" Sam asked.
"Think of the consequences if we were to intervene like this. It would probably destroy Kensi if we did." Callen said.
Sam was introspective about what it might do to Kensi. Kensi has suffered a greatly after Dom had died. It's not like it the team didn't suffer after Dom's death, but the person who works closely deceased, usually takes the biggest hit. "Not only that, think of the Hetty's wrath if we were to open our mouths."
"I'll pass." Sam said.
"We have two jobs." Callen said.
"Protect Los Angeles…" Sam began.
"And protect Kensi." Callen said.
As Callen finished speaking, the partners had arrived at their destination.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Boatshed-
We were working on a case involving a known cartel member who had been killed in a shootout with the police. But I digress, the case is beside the point. It happened! If someone would have told me that Kensi would have used touché properly, I would have been very skeptical. But Kensi did use it properly.
"It's probably the most important decision of his life." Kensi said, tossing me a bottle of water that she pulled out of the fridge as she was walking back over to the table.
"Yeah, we're gonna do everything we can to make sure he stays safe, no matter what he chooses. But we can't hold ourselves responsible for the consequences of his decision." I said.
My sentence stopped Kensi in her tracks. "Really?" she asked.
"What? It is his decision. It's not like we weren't honest with him. He's not a kid." I said.
"Heh. Please, I shudder at the thought of your decision-making skills when you were that age." she said.
"Sh. I'll have you know I was actually very mature for my age." I said.
"Mm-hm, probably as mature as a drunken twenty-something-year-old in a Girls Gone Wild video." she said.
"Wow. Do you know of those based on vicarious viewing, or is it something much more first-hand?" I asked.
"Touché. Bad example." she said.
"Because I got my credit card ready and the pause button—"
"Hey, moving on." she said.
"Yes, we are moving on. Next subject: Kensi Blye finally using the word touché in the proper context. Partner you make me so proud after six months of bickering about how to finally use the word properly."
Kensi gave a giddy smile, and then reigned it in, but I got lost in the smile. Another smile linking this beautiful woman to the one from my past. I look back at the plasma before it becomes too creepy.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
The cover house-
"How is everything?" I asked, as we entered Monica's apartment.
"I've got good news, and I've got great news." Monica said.
"How do I choose? Hit me with the good news." I said.
"Good news is I'm feeling better now that you're here." she said, kissing me.
"That goes without saying." I said, after breaking the kiss.
"The great news is that the diamonds are being exchanged tomorrow morning. This way there won't be any interference from the public." she said.
"That's great news. I just need to know where the diamonds will be stored, and then I will be in to grab them." I said.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked.
"I need you to take a few pictures, and then get out of the club. After that I will take it from there." I said.
"Oh, sounds like fun. I can do that, no problem. How do want to do this?" she asked.
I had a great plan that I wanted to use, and it was pretty foolproof. That was until we go to put the plan into action the next morning.
Come morning, I'm in a mustang that Max would drive, I would never be caught dead driving a mustang. I thought. I was looking for a place to park when I hear gunfire coming from the main road. I burn rubber to see what had happened. As I'm pulling out of and alley, I almost run over a woman running through the cross walk. It turns out that the woman was Monica. I see the man that was chasing her, get out as Monica is getting in the passenger seat, fire two rounds, and get back in.
"What the hell did you do?" I asked, pulling off my sunglasses. Monica kiss me and bite her lower lip. I drive out of the alleyway, with squealing the tires. As I'm driving away, the man returns fire shooting out the rear window.
This broad went and stole the diamonds. Which in turn threw a monkey wrench in the whole plan. I was hoping this day never came, but now I don't have much of a choice. I thought as we were driving back to the cover house.