AN: The results of the previous chapter. Set after the events of "Facing their Partners".

Hetty motioned to Nell to replay the sixty second video for a third time. Her boys winced as tyre caught McHughes in the gut. Yep, that was definitely the point of no return for them. Kensi snickered in the background. She looked like she wanted to ask Hetty to play it again (he was responsible for the first replay) but took pity on the boys.

"Do any of you have a reasonable explanation for that," the small woman demanded.

Silence.

"Miss Jones?"

Nell went to push the play button again when Deeks burst out, "No, please don't!"

He really didn't need to be reminded of the reason they had to be bailed out by Hetty. They probably could have talked their way out of all the taunting and only have gotten threatened to be reported to Hetty if not for that stupid tyre.

"Oh, please proceed then, Mr Deeks," Hetty said dangerously.

"He really should have gotten out of the way," Deeks said, trying to put a roguish grin on his face, it made him look constipated. "Like, this isn't a Looney Tunes cartoon."

Hetty peered over her glasses at him, "And what pray tell would you suggest someone do when a group of federal agents forcefully rolls a tyre at you?"

The shuffled their feet at that, none of them having an acceptable answer.

"Hmm, I thought so," Hetty said disapprovingly.

"I'd like to point out that we have already been punished," Callen commented, taking life into his own hands in breaking the silence.

"I'm not even a federal agent," muttered Eric to Callen.

"Something to add, Mr Beale?"

Eric's eyes widened comically as he vigorously shook his head.

"No ma'am."

"Hmm."

"It's not like the video shows our faces," tried Sam, wanting to sooth his boss' ruffled feathers.

"There shouldn't even be a video, Mr Hanna," Hetty scolded.

"We can't control the public," complained Callen.

Hetty turned to stand directly in front of him, a glint in her eyes, "But you can control yourselves, Mr Callen. After all, that is what each of you is trained to do."

"I'm sure Eric can delete it," Sam said soothingly. "Right Eric."

Eric compulsively tweaked his glasses before stuttering, "Actually, now that it's been uploaded to their servers and viewed all I can do- "Sam elbowed him sharply in the ribs, "I mean, yes. Yes, of course I can fix this."

"I'd like to point out that I wasn't the one who threw a tyre at them, if that helps my case any," Deeks said hopefully, Callen and Eric nodding on either side of him.

"I didn't throw it," Sam grumbled.

"But you did assault Officer McHughes with it," Hetty stated matter-of-factly.

"He assaulted Deeks first!"

"I would hardly call poking him assault," Hetty scolded. "You're better than that."

"He touched one of our own!"

"Technically, Mr Deeks is both theirs and ours."

"More like ours," Sam said insistently. "When have they ever had his back?"

"Your loyalty, while admirable, is rather too intense, Mr Hanna. Brain over brawn, if you please."

Deeks flushed at that, not knowing how to defend his technical colleagues and not really wanting to. Sam had a point, he had never felt as safe at LAPD as he did here at NCIS. And this was, like ten times more dangerous! He coughed in embarrassment.

They both turned to look at the source of their argument.

"I'm good with Sam sticking up for me," Deeks ventured to comment.

Hetty glared at him.

"But he went at it completely the wrong way," Deeks continued hurriedly.

"Hmm," was all Hetty said.

The boys exchanged nervous looks with ach other. Surely, she would punish them again? Even three days after the incident all their hands still ached from the amount of polishing thy had had to do. Deeks hadn't been able to look at that particular polish ever since, he had insisted that he and Kensi get a different one for home use.

Hetty inspected each of them carefully, with that unblinking stare of hers, before returning to her desk. She looked like a stern headmistress scolding a group of unruly teenagers. Which, admittedly, is what she had been feeling like recently.

What to do with them this time, though? She picked up some papers from the DoD and shuffled them absentmindedly while she thought. They had been appearing in front of her a bit too often recently. This lesson would have to stick. Hopefully for a few months this time.

"I think the gun range could do with a full clean out and documentation," Hetty said blandly, not looking up at them and appearing completely uninterested in them.

All of them groaned loudly.

They may as well clean out the whole mission while they were at it.

"Don't tempt me," said Hetty, quirking an eyebrow at them.

Their jaws dropped.

How did she even do that?

AN: Any other scenes you want to see from "When Boys Play"? I'll keep adding chapters for as long as the ideas come in!