AN: I realised that I forgot about Hetty's comment to Deeks to "not forget about the windows" in Chapter 13 of "An Interesting Case" and /u/altarp2308 wanted Hetty to scold Deeks about leaving something out, so this chapter was born. It takes plae immediately after the event of the final chapter of "An Interesting Case" Hope you enjoy!

Deeks couldn't help but feel a glow of pride as he watched all of his friends sort themselves out so they go to his bar. His bar. He still couldn't believe it sometimes - he owned a bar. A good one too, if he could say so himself. And he did. Say so. It had to be good if the team were using it as an after work hang out spot, right? And they tended to stay the evening - going beyond a quick polite pint. They seemed to genuinely enjoy the place.

Which was why he felt so happy hearing them suggest it to finish off the evening. It was a very satisfying ending to an odd sort of day. Okay, he hadn't exactly been thrilled but he soon got into it and enjoyed regaling them all with what happened. Or rather, a sanitised version of what happened. Sort of. There was no need to get their backs up about LAPD than they already were. They seemed to enjoy it. He even got the warm fuzzies over them being all protective of a younger him even if it was quite unnecessary.

He grabbed his own bag and turned to follow them only to almost collide with Hetty. Only her neatly sidestepping him avoided an embarrassing situation from happening.

"Oh, sorry, Hetty!"

Seriously, how did she pop out from out of nowhere like that? It was unnatural. Which was pretty much the best way to describe Henrietta Lange.

"You did not collide with me so all is fine, Mr Deeks," she said.

"A close call," Deeks felt the need to point out. "Didn't you leave with the others?"

"I had to return for something."

Deeks found it somewhat doubtful that Hetty had forgotten something. She just didn't do that. Not by accident anyway.

"Oh," was all he offered as a reply.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, as usual, Hetty somehow managing to make him feel small and awkward despite towering over her. If she wanted to say something why didn't she just come out and say it?

"You forgot about the windows, Mr Deeks," she finally informed him.

Deeks felt like he should let out a sigh of relief. Somehow, he was expecting her to say something much worse.

"Uh, the windows?" He repeated, rubbing the back of his head in confusion and then realised what she was referring to. "Oh, the windows."

"Indeed, Mr Deeks. The windows you have appeared to leave out of your little retelling."

Well, yes, of course he left them out. He wasn't stupid after all. There was really no need to mention the windows anyway. Due to the recent events and all that. Had he mentioned how protective the team got with him when it came to the LAPD?

"Well, it just seemed like it would be a bit, uh, a bit-" he grasped forms word.

"Superfluous?"

"Yeah, that," he said awkwardly, hoping the word meant what he thought it meant.

"Hmm."

He really did hate that noise when it came from her. Somehow, it always made you say more than what you wanted to. It worked now.

"They didn't need to hear about a glass window shattering and showering me in shards of glass," Deeks said with a bit of bravado. "It didn't add anything to the story."

"Hmm."

She was giving him that look that every one of them hated. It was an appraising, scolding and inquiring look all rolled into one. It was the kind of look that made you want to spill your darkest secrets. Who needed 'enhanced interrogation techniques' when you had that look?

"They didn't!"

"What's this about glass?" Sam asked, suddenly reappearing.

Deeks clutched at his chest and spun around.

"What the hell, man?" he demanded.

Sam didn't look too impressed by his theatrics, if the raised eyebrow was anything to go by.

"Just checking to see if you were coming," he said calmly, still with a suspicious look on his face.

"Of course, I'm coming. Why wouldn't I be coming?" Deeks said quickly, lifting his bag. "It's my bar, isn't it?"

Ignoring his babbling, Sam asked again, "What were you saying about glass?"

"That a glass of water would have been better than a bottle for my story-telling," Deeks made up quickly, though not entirely convincingly. "Much better for the atmosphere."

"The only atmosphere we had was anticipation to what you'd manage to pull off next."

Now it was Deeks' turn to give Sam a suspicious look. He didn't know if the man was accusing him of having done something stupid or not.

Sam brushed him off. "Did I hear something about shattering glass?"

"I think I will leave you two to it, gentlemen," Hetty interjected, starting to walk away. "I expect to see you both at the bar in no more than twenty-five minutes."

She got some form of agreement from both of them as they waved their hands in farewell.

"No, you didn't," Deeks tried in response.

"I think I did."

Both men stood with their arms crossed stubbornly, facing each other off. Neither willing to budge. Deeks certainly didn't want to but, unfortunately, he caved first.

"Some LAPD Officer tried a SWAT move by kicking in a window and diving through it," Deeks said as quickly as possible, in faint hope that Sam wouldn't pay much attention or miss something. "I was right under it."

"And you got hurt by the flying glass," Sam finished in a dangerously calm tone.

"Well, yes," Deeks replied matter-of-factly. "But only a little! And nowhere serious like my neck!"

Sam took a deep breath and closed his eyes for ten seconds before opening them again. He looked okay with this information. Sort of.

"Look, you can't tell the rest of the team," Deeks told him. Begged him.

Sam, next to Kensi, was probably the worst person to know about this (did a thrown tyre ring any bells people?) but that didn't mean he wanted the whole team knowing. Who knows what would happen if they did?

"And, why not?" Sam queried, folding his arms. "I thought you didn't want to leave anything out?"

Of course, his words came back to haunt him. Of course, they did.

"This wasn't exactly leaving something out..."

"What would you call it then?"

"Sticking to the major events?"

Sam did not look too impressed by his answer. Which meant that he was probably going to tell the rest of the team. Damn it! Damage control, Deeks, damage control.

"I'll let you have first crack at each new recipe of the beer that comes in," Deeks tried to bribe.

Sam snorted and shook his head.

"That's more like a punishment."

"That's all I'll serve you, then," Deeks quickly amended.

That would be hilarious to do, actually. Even if it might cause him to have an injury. Sam was giving him a look that definitely guaranteed that.

"I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement," Deeks said as he buckled his bag shut. He looked up to see Sam walking towards the door and went to catch up. "Right, Sam? Sam?"