Prompt: Can you do a fanfic where the team meets an old female lawyer friend of Deeks during a case. Deeks and she are close making Kensi a little jealous.
A/N: As I say many times, I believe I've written a version of this before. I will try to make it different if I can. Takes place during seasons 2 or 3.
"Get anywhere?" Deeks asked as Callen and Sam exited the main interrogation room in the boat shed. Their current contestant was an extremely obstinate real estate broker. One of his clients had been murdered shortly after leaving his office.
"Nope. He refuses to answer any questions about Captain Peters," he answered, shaking his head.
"And of course now he's lawyering up," Sam added with a look of distaste. "Hopefully we get something useful from Peters' lawyer; she should be here soon." He glanced back at the interrogation room door, shaking his head. "He's definitely got something to do with Peters' murder. Nobody is that smug and annoying for no reason."
"What about Deeks?" Kensi joked, offering a quick grin to offset the sting of her words.
"Don't act like you haven't benefited from my verbal prowess before." When Kensi didn't say anything, he persisted. "What about that witness last week who kept trying to get you to buy his homemade sandalwood candles?"
"Ok, I'll admit that it's been helpful occasionally," Kensi allowed. "Deeks asked so many questions about the process and where he sourced his ingredients from, that the guy eventually walked off. Pretty sure you ruined his day."
"And that sounds exactly like the Marty Deeks I remember," an unfamiliar voice commented. Kensi turned around, finding a a woman of medium height with dark blonde hair standing in the doorway.
"Lyla?" Leaving her side, Deeks walked over and to Kensi's complete surprise, gave her a hug. "I had no idea you were coming."
"You know me, I like to surprise." She shrugged, somehow adding innuendo to the simple statement.
"Oh, I remember," Deeks agreed, grinning in a way Kensi rarely saw.
Callen cleared his throat pointedly, making them both turn. The woman still had one hand wrapped around Deeks' bicep, like it belonged there.
"I take it your Captain Leonard Peters' lawyer," he said, and she finally released Deeks.
"Yes, I'm Lyla Morgenstern of Felling and Stevenson," she introduced herself. "I hope you don't mind my dramatics, but the who agent brought me here said it was alright for me to come in."
"It's fine. We're used to dramatics here," Sam said. His arms were crossed as he regarded Lyla Morgenstern with a raised eyebrow. "I take it you two go back a way."
"We do," Lyla agreed. She glanced back at Deeks who stood directly behind her, thumbs loosely tucked into his front pockets. "We were in the same law program and shared an internship. Anyway, when I heard Marty's name, I knew I had to come see him in person after all this time."
"It is good to see you again," Deeks told her, and he actually seemed to mean it."
"You too. I was kind of shocked when I heard you quit law to pursue a career with the LAPD," she continued. "Especially with how passionate you were about criminal law and helping the more vulnerable."
"Well, things change." He seemed slightly embarrassed by her comment. It annoyed Kensi for some reason she couldn't quite rationalize. Deeks apparently hadn't seen this woman in years, yet he still cared about her opinion of him.
"Then I bet you could tell lots of stories about Deeks," Kensi said, if only to draw Lyla's attention away from him for a moment.
"Yes, I do," Lyla agreed, turning to face Kensi after a few more seconds. "Mostly good. This guy was something else in law school. He could debate better than just about anyone in the program."
"That part we know," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "I don't think Deeks has stopped talking since he got here."
"That's just Deeks messing with you. I remember Marty Deeks being a serious, dedicated student in college. Sure, he had his lighter moments, but he always was campaigning for causes, arguing for the underdog in classes." Lyla gave Deeks another fond smile and he dipped his head, a blush tinging his cheeks.
"Lyla," he protested softly. Kensi could count the number of times she'd seem him truly embarrassed, or even a little shy and thrown off-guard.
"No, you were. Some of the professors hated you because you challenged them or because you were better at law that they were, and you were just starting out. If I recall correctly, you even got kicked out a couple times for being 'disruptive and disrespectful'."
"Ah, good old Frazier," Deeks said reminiscently. "He hated my guts."
"And with good reason," Lyla observed, leaning into him once again. They both seemed to have forgotten that there were other people in the room. "Seriously though, I don't see why you gave up your job as a public defender. I bet you could have made district attorney by now."
Deeks chuckled, giving a little, self-deprecating shake of his head.
"I was not cut out for arguing criminal law. They ate me alive out there."
"Well, I you're forgetting that I got to see you in court when I was on opposing counsel one time, and I thought you were amazing," Lyla disagreed.
The silence that followed felt charged to Kensi and she shifted from one foot to the other, unsure of how to proceed. The last thing she'd expected was for this woman to practically fawn over Deeks.
"Ms. Morgenstern, I hate to interrupt this reunion," Callen interceded finally. He shot Sam a quick look which Sam acknowledged with a raised eyebrow. He seemed more amused than anything. "But we're kind of on a tight schedule."
"Of course, my apologies." Lyla nodded, instantly the professional. "I'll call you once the case is over," she added more quietly, offering Deeks yet another friendly smile before following after Callen.
"Man, she's good," Deeks muttered, almost to himself. Kensi absolutely hated the hot flash of jealously she felt at the appreciation in his voice and eyes as he gazed after her.
