I find myself in the armory three weeks after we got back from Russia, and three conversations stick out in my head: one that was in my house, and the other two when I was out on the street. That last two conversation involved an agent from another team in the NCIS organization. The conversations involving the other agent just happened today. But I'll start with the one at my house.
N.C.I.S. LA.
My house-
Last week we just finished a case where Kensi had to seduce a high-profile target. And I mean high-profile: fancy suits, sports cars, forty-foot yacht, the whole nine yards. I was uneasy about the whole thing, but I kept my mouth shut because it's not my place to voice my opinion on the matter.
The case had been for two days straight of undercover work, and I offered to make my lady bird breakfast: frittatas. I also remember Kensi saying that she loves my frittatas, but I was distracted by the case. I just finished taking a sip of coffee when Kensi asked. "You're still not thinking about my undercover op?"
"No. Well, no, maybe a little." I said, not wanting to lie. I was bothered by the op, but not for the reasons that she might think.
"Guy's a douche, now he's a douche in jail." she said.
Douche. How dirty, but I love my lady bird's dirtiness. I thought with a mental smile. "I don't care about him." I said.
"Good, because you shouldn't." she said.
"I was thinking about the fact you spent the last week in a world where money was no object. You know me, I couldn't care less about money, whether it be cars or watches—It doesn't matter to me." I said.
"But?" she asked, knowing the crux of the problem was in the next statement.
"But, um…I don't know, sometimes I think…You know, maybe I want to get those things for you. And listen, I—I—I love my job. You know how much I love my job, but I realize this week that I—I'm—I'm never gonna have that kind of money. To be honest, in the thousands of years that I've been alive, I've never had that kind of money." I admitted.
"I'm here, with you." she said.
Those four went over my head. I know that Kensi doesn't care for that life style, but I do want to provide certain luxuries for my girlfriend from time to time.
"Yeah, I know you're here with me. I'm just that, you know, and then…" I trailed off.
"And then nothing. I've date guys with money Deeks, lots of money—like plane money." she said.
"Plane money? Like a Cessna or—" I asked, attempting to make sense of what I just heard. My face also contorted in disgust.
"It doesn't matter." she said. There was a moment of silence, and Kensi understands that I want to dote upon her from time to time, but to her it's not about the lavish gifts, or the expensive houses, or the high end sports cars. It's about small moments like this: just the two of us eating a home cooked meal after a long day at the office. "This is all I've ever wanted, Deeks, even before I met you, this is exactly how I wanted to feel." Kensi paused for a moment, to let her words sink in, and then she said. "I don't care where I have breakfast, as long as you're there."
There wasn't much to say, so I kissed Kensi, and that was the end of the conversation.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Some street in Los Angeles-
The second conversation happened earlier in the day. I was out on the street with Anthony DiNozzo, and this conversation went as you would expect: him attempting to mock me.
Another mortal thinking that he's better than me. I thought.
DiNozzo and I just hi to a beautiful woman, who gave a stare that we took as not wanted. I'm pretty certain the actually meaning had an explicative in it, but its L.A., who knows what these people think. DiNozzo took his sunglasses off, styled his hair, and then checked his image in the storefront window. I knew exactly what DiNozzo was doing, and it was quite sad.
"Gonna get a murse to match you pant suit?" I asked.
"So tell me how a man of your stature winds up becoming a federal agent. Last I heard you were liaison between LAPD and NCIS." he said.
"Last you heard. What exactly did you hear?" I asked, wondering how this man heard. ANYTHING.
"With that shaggy 'do, you weren't very popular on the police force." he said.
"Au contaire, mon ami, I was the king of the constabulary ball." I said, and then walked a few feet away.
"So what was it? Internal affairs investigation land you here?" he asked. Just the mentioning of that department put me on edge, but I shrugged it off. "Drugs? I'm guessing you were a coke monkey."
"Not a coke monkey per se." I said.
"Deeks, I only say this to you because I care. It's dangerous for you to cook meth in you trailer. The gasses." he said.
"You know that you can OD on teeth whiteners?" I asked, after a moments pause.
DiNozzo laughed, and then I said. "Hetty recruited me."
"From a folk band?" he quipped.
"In a past life, I've been known to play a wicked melody on the violin. I also know how to dance the Viennese Waltz to said instrument. The things I've seen and done can make yours and your boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, careers look like a pleasure cruise." I said.
"Girls you are both pretty. But one of you clearly has better fashion sense." Kensi chimed in.
"Not to mention grooming." DiNozzo said, rubbing his chin.
"Listen. Ahem. It's actually called, uh, surf chic." I said, dusting the arms and shoulders of DiNozzo's suit. His suit is a size to smaller than what is necessary, but his frame is smaller than an initial glance.
"I believe it's pronounced "surf chick." he said.
"No it's pronounced chic. And with a suit like that, at least one size smaller than what you should be wearing, you don't get to critique my wardrobe choice." I said to DiNozzo. To Kensi I said. "We will be discussing this at a later time, partner."
A few hours later, while we were canvassing the local businesses, the third conversation occurred when DiNozzo called me out on my relationship with Kensi.
"It's never gonna work you know." DiNozzo said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Trust me. I've been there." he said.
"What do you mean? Plastic Surgery? God, I knew it because of that Ken doll chin." I retorted.
"You and Blye." he said.
"What, our partnership?" I asked.
"The other ship." he said.
"What other ship?" I asked.
"You know what ship." he said.
"I don't know what ship." I said.
"Your relationship." he said.
"You're shipping us? Cause you need to stop now before you embarrass yourself." I said.
"Okay, how can you possible do undercover work, and be this bad a liar? You couldn't infiltrate community dinner theater." he said, as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
"You do a lot of undercover work do you?" I asked. DiNozzo has only done one Op, at least one of consequence, and I'm ready to educate him with my knowledge.
"A ton. I do a ton." he said.
"As a Sears model, circa nineteen seventy." I said.
"Who hurt you?" he asked.
"Look here pretty boy, let me drop some knowledge on you." I said, and now it was my turn to place my hand on DiNozzo's shoulder. Actually it was more of grab, so I can turn DiNozzo to face me. "You do a ton of undercover work, but the only Op of worth was when you were tasked by the later Jennifer Shepard, God rest her soul, to seduce Dr. Jeanne Benoit to get information on her of arms dealer for a father, René 'La Grenouille' Benoit. Does that sound about right?"
DiNozzo was speechless. He was not expecting me know the truth of his record. "How do you know about that?" he asked.
"It's my job to know about the people I'm going to be interacting with on a day to day basis. I've been places, I've seen things, I've seduced women, and killed men to complete my objective. I've seduced women just make sure they were my target before I killed them." I said. DiNozzo just stared at me. He couldn't find the necessary words to describe what he just heard. "Cat got your tongue?" I asked.
"How do you know about my involvement with Jeanne?" he asked.
"Seriously? I said all that, and that's your take away. It's my job to be informed about the people I'm going to be working with. And let's be honest, Kensi would lose interest in you in no time at all." I said, and then walked away.
DiNozzo stood there for a moment, and then ran to catch up to me.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Present time: Ops: Armory-
Those three conversations are echoing in my mind that I didn't see Kensi walking in, let alone hear her at when she asks. "What's on your mind?"
"Not much, just a few conversation spanning this last week." I said.
"DiNozzo still bothering you?" she asked.
"DiNozzo isn't the problem." I said.
"Than what's bothering you?" she asked.
"You know what the problem is." I said.
"I do?" she asked.
"Seriously?" I asked.
"How am I the problem?" she asked.
"Last week you said that you had no problem not living the high life as long as I was with you. Today I have serious questions about that statement." I said, just short of snapping at Kensi.
"There was nothing to questionable about my statement—" she began.
"Nothing questionable? You took one look at DiNozzo and you practically acted like a puppy that got a new chew toy. You couldn't get away from me fast enough." I said.
"Is that what this is about?" she asked.
"Don't feign ignorance. You know well this is about DiNozzo. And DiNozzo? Come on. If you're going to fawn over a guy in a suit at least try better." I said.
"A guy with class. Like that guy from last week?" she asked.
I didn't answer right away. Not because I didn't have an answer, but because I'm listening to the cadence of my partner's voice. Something I picked up when I was arguing with Cortana.
"Yeah. At least I felt more threatened by him." I said, exasperated.
Kensi took the bait because her vocal inflection started to mellow out. Cortana's voice would always raise in pitch before a fight would break out. So I do whatever I could to keep their vocal range from hitting the higher octaves.
"What's wrong with DiNozzo?" she asked.
"Flip the script, and an attractive woman in a business suit/dress came in from out of town—" I began.
"Shut up, Ashono!" she said, frustrated.
"What, I'm just say Cortana." I said, and then reach out to take her hand. Kensi didn't pull her hand away, but she didn't close her hand around mine. "Let's be honest, you gave me a certain item two and a half years ago, and it had a huge significance between us." I continued.
"That was completely different." she countered.
"No it's not, and you know it. The only true difference is that Granger took my choice from me, I was force into that position. That doesn't apply here." I said.
After I finished speaking, I felt Kensi hand close around mine and I knew that I got through to her. But it was short lived. "I was just trying to help DiNozzo." she said.
"Okay. I'll remember that the next time a beautiful woman comes to town needing our help." I said, giving Kensi's hand a slight squeeze.
Kensi squeezed my hand backed, and we started bickering as if nothing happened. Although the conversation had come and went, the look in Kensi's eyes said there was more to be discussed. But that was a conversation for another time.
