A/N: Written for Whumptober 2021. Takes place somewhere in season 4.
By far the worst part of being homeless was the cold. Deeks could handle the smell (largely thanks to Artie), the frequent hunger, and the burning hot days, but he absolutely loathed the cold.
In LA freezing to death wasn't a huge concern most of the year round, although the chilly nights could still be really uncomfortable. Iowa in the dead of winter, was another matter altogether.
Using the side of a dumpster for cover, Deeks pulled his thin, tattered coat around him, and waited. Sam was supposed to have met him half an hour ago, but so far he'd been a no-show. Muttering a few particularly unflattering things, Deeks stamped his feet several times.
Two weeks earlier, the team had been called in to investigate the death of former Lance Corporal Emanuel Gonzales. Gonzales had been found bludgeoned to death in the alleyway outside the soup kitchen he worked at in Marshalltown, Iowa.
Aside from the soup kitchen, Emanuel also worked to find beds, resources, and jobs for homeless people. According to his coworkers, he had no known enemies and was generally well-liked by the individuals he assisted.
After some digging, they'd found a witness who reluctantly said he'd seen a man following Gonzales. At first, the local police department had assumed it was a murder of convenience, but the Lance Corporal still had his keys, wallet, and phone in his pocket.
It was shortly after that revelation that the team was brought in and Deeks sent undercover as a homeless man named Harry. Harry was social when he wanted to be, but jumpier and could be more unpredictable than Artie.
The rest of the team was stationed in a house several miles away in the more affluent part of Marshalltown to investigate. He wasn't feeling bitter about that at all.
"Not at all," he muttered to himself, breath leaving a fog in the air.
"You talking to yourself now? I know you like to go method, but that's a little excessive." Deeks spun around at the sound of Sam's voice, swearing sharply.
"Don't sneak up on me like that," he snapped, now looking around the area. There was no one obviously visible, but that didn't mean much. Homeless people were masters at hiding and blending into the background when needed.
"Sorry." Sam held up his hands in a warding gesture, a half smirk visible as he stared at Deeks. "So, what do you got?"
"Not here." Deeks nodded towards an abandoned building a few hundred feet away. "It's too open."
"Fine. How you handling things?" Sam asked, following a few feet behind him. Deeks could feel his eyes on him, no doubt judging the state of his clothes. Like he expected a homeless guy to be wearing a full suit.
"Great. It's been fantastic," Deeks told him tightly.
"Really? You're looking a little rough there."
"Well, Sam, we're a little light on showers out here." He followed that up with a sarcastic grin.
"Don't be a smartass, Deeks," Sam fired back, and when Deeks glanced back, he looked annoyed. Mission accomplished.
He pushed open the barely-hanging-in-there door to an old textile company and stalked to the center of the room.
"So, did you find out anything new?"
"Yeah. Pretty sure Emanuel was trying to help someone who came to the soup kitchen. The night before he was killed, Emanuel met with a woman in his office. According to my contact, they were in there for at least half an hour," Deeks explained.
"Any idea what they were talking about?" Sam asked.
"No, but my guy says the meeting ended in shouting and the girl running out. The guy I was talking to was being squirrely though, so I have to back off for a while. But he did tell me he heard Emanuel call her Destiny and that she has black hair with green tips.
"Good work, Deeks. We'll get Eric and Nell searching for her."
Nodding, Deeks shifted back on his feet, feeling shifty after being in the same place for a relatively long time. Between being undercover and the natural violence that tended to come with living on the streets, paranoia had set in pretty hard.
"What about you guys?"
"We've pretty much ruled his ex-girlfriend out," Sam shared. "Otherwise, he hasn't kept in contact with any of his former teammates."
"Mm, so a loner like everyone has said." A shiver ran through him unexpectedly, catching him off guard before he could hide it. Sam eyed him critically, frowning as he examined Deeks more closely.
"Be honest with me, Deeks. You're our direct link to the killer and if something happens to you, we're back at square one." Nostrils flaring, Deeks' rage spilled over and he rounded on Sam.
"Well, last night I shared a dumpster with a family of rats and a guy tried to break my head open to steal all three of my personal belongings," he drawled, gratified when Sam grimaced. "But on the bright side, I found a half-eaten sandwich, so I guess it all evens out in the end."
Sam actually had the good grace to look a touch guilty.
"I'm sorry, man," he said more earnestly. "I know it's not easy. Is there anything we can get you?"
He really wanted to say yes. A thick coat and a few meals would be amazing, but he shook his head, shoulders caving slightly.
"No. It would look too suspicious if I suddenly rocked up with new clothes or good food for no reason."
"Well, at least take these," Sam said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a handful of granola bars.
His stomach growled loudly and Deeks accepted the food gratefully. He was too hungry to consider declining out of pride or principle.
"Thanks."
"They're a gift from Kensi. She said they were your favorite." There was soft, knowing shift in Sam's voice that Deeks chose to ignore, even as he smoothed a finger over one of the crinkled wrappers.
"They are." He cleared his throat roughly and then added, "We should probably clear out before someone gets suspicious."
"Right," Sam agreed. "Use the cell phone Nell gave you if you need anything, Deeks."
"Got it," Deeks agreed, knowing he wouldn't. It would be too risky. "I'll see if anyone is feeling chatty."
"How is he?" Kensi demanded the moment Sam walked through the door. He gave her an amused look, which she ignored.
"She's been pacing for the last hour," Callen revealed. "Tell her before she starts trying to cook again."
"He's cold and grumpy," Sam offered.
"Well, did you give him the food?"
"Yeah, I did." Kensi opened her mouth to protest and he gently added, "And he said he'll be fine. This isn't his first time working undercover this way. He can manage."
She didn't find that particularly reassuring. Deeks was perfectly capable of defending himself, and dealing with less than ideal circumstances, but she was still worried. It felt wrong to stay behind, especially when Kensi had no consistent means of contacting him.
"I still don't like it," Kensi mumbled, returning to her seat at the dining room table. They'd set up in unassuming ranch on a quiet street, turning the living and dining rooms into their research station.
"Can you get ahold of Nell?" Sam asked, clearly ready to move on. "Deeks had some new information."
"Hey, Kensi what's up?" Nell answered, a minute later, her face appearing unnaturally chipper over the video call.
"How's Deeks?" Eric butted in, appearing next to Nell. "Did you give him the socks?"
"No. We're not giving Deeks Yoda socks." Sam shook his head and turned the laptop his way. "You can chitchat later, right now I need you to find a young homeless woman named Destiny."
"Um, any other information, like a last name? Or prior location?"
"Deeks said she had black hair with green tips," Sam offered.
"Right," Nell muttered dryly. "Alright, searching for women named Destiny in Iowa. Hm, I've got several thousand names. Let us check if Emanuel Gonzales registered her with the food shelter or recommended her for any government services."
"Bingo. I've got a Destiny Birchman, Destiny Pellitano, and Destinee Schimka. Destiny Pellitano is 19 years old. The other two women are in their thirties."
"Nice work," Callen said, leaning against the back of Kensi's chair.
"And I found her Facebook page," Nell added, displaying the profile picture of a young woman with dark blonde hair. "She last posted about five months ago."
"Oh crap," Eric said unexpectedly. His eyes were narrowed in concern as he read whatever was on his screen.
"What is it?" Kensi demanded, clutching either elbow in her hands.
"Destiny is the daughter of Francisco Pellitano, the head of a small crime syndicate throughout Marshalltown and several other neighboring towns," he explained, pulling up the image of a balding man in a business suit. "Several of his men have been arrested for violent crimes, and even a few death, although he's managed to stay fairly clean."
"What's the story with his daughter?" Kensi asked, a niggling feeling growing in her stomach.
"Well, obviously Francisco didn't file a police report, but a friend of Destiny's made a post about six months ago, asking for help finding Destiny. Apparently she left home and hasn't contacted anyone since."
"But she definitely had contact with Emanuel Gonzales," Nell said. "He found her a shelter and was trying to get her to apply for a job according to his records."
"I imagine that would make a man like Francisco Pellatino very angry," Sam commented. "Maybe he found out somehow that Emanuel had been helping her, went to confront him."
"He'd probably do anything to find his daughter," Callen added.
"And stop anyone who might get in his way."
"Like Emanuel," Kensi murmured. "We need to warn Deeks."
"Hey, he was just looking into Destiny today," Sam reminded her. "I'm sure he's fine. But we'll still check in with him."
"Probably a good idea to text him since you already met with him today," Callen said. "It might look suspicious if he gets two visits in one day."
Biting her nail, Kensi had to force herself from snapping at them. Now was not the time for discussion, not when Deeks was potentially in danger.
Sam texted the number for Deeks' phone and they waited five incredibly long minutes. He had instructions to find a private location and return contact as soon as possible. The other two times they'd needed to reach him, he'd texted back within three minutes.
"Call him," Callen prompted. The tension in the room rose as they waited, Sam's phone pressed tightly to his ear. He shook his head after about 30 seconds.
"He's not answering."
"Then we need to fine him now," Kensi said firmly, glancing to Callen and Sam. If they didn't approve, then she would go on her own.
"You're right. Eric, track Deeks' location."
Kensi just hoped it wasn't too late.
