This chapter would not have been possible without immense help from Honus47, a fine fanfic writer in her own right! As always thanks to Stef and Donna for their support.

Disclaimer: If you recognize a character from TV - not mine. Ira and Migs are courtesy of Tess DiCorsi's "Scattered".

I do believe in Ghosts - Part 4

Major Morales started the meeting by bringing up a map of the area that had been divided into squares. The grid served as a guide for Morales' team in their search for Jack Simon. A good deal of attention was being paid to the foothills that had a vertical village of caves. He explained that the caves were used as shelter from storms for shepherds and their flocks. But also as meeting places when you didn't want anyone to know who or where you were meeting.

Once the background was laid out, Migs changed the screen to a specific point on the grid where a slip of intel from a local gave hint that Simon had been seen in the area. They needed to find a way to lure Jack out. He then asked Eric to add a split screen of the email Kensi received.

Kensi,

I know it's been awhile and I realize you may not even want to talk to me but I need your help.

Since I left you, in a very cowardly way, I have been in Kandahar. I told you once I seemed at peace here. I've been helping the military with intel about the Taliban. I feel good about still being able to help. But I've learned that the Taliban found out who I was and now there is a price on my head.

I need to get out of the area quickly and quietly.

Can you help?

I know I have no right to ask but I hope that what we once had would be enough for consideration. I never stopped loving you. I regret leaving you like I did.

Please Kensi

Jack

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! "

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, all eyes in the room and on screen snapped to Deeks. Kensi had only heard that voice a few times in all the years of knowing him. The first time was Scarli, then on the case with Nicole and Ray, the last time was Monica Davis. It was hard, cold, and bitter. As Kensi looked at her husband, she could see the sparkle leave his eyes and his mouth starting to turn into that infamous sneer. The hand that was once on the small of her back, left and she felt the chill left in its place. A quick glance down to her side saw two hands balled into fists. He didn't even realize that Max was getting ready to make an appearance. She needed to nip this in the bud and fast!

"Deeks . . . Babe, let Migs talk. Alright?" Kensi had her one hand on his chest, the other was rubbing his arm. Migs had the decency to look guilty about what he was suggesting. He knew he was asking a lot of his friends. Captain Miller watched the exchange making note of the couple. He was surprised at the mention of a marriage license and made a mental note to pass on this new information. It was obvious that the relationship between Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye was being kept hidden to all but those in this meeting. Very well hidden indeed.

Deeks looked at his wife and she stared back, hard. Willing the love for him to push the alias aside. Ira watched in wonder. Hetty had seen this "dance" between the two before. A silent communication that showed the depth of trust and love that few ever got to experience. Kensi knew she was winning as the sneer left his soft lips and a hint of sparkle returned to those blue eyes she loved so much. He was still angry though, as the set of his lips was still tight.

The Major cleared his throat. "Marty, please, hear me out. This guy had been taking money and other treasure from the region. He was burning the candle on both ends by selling intel to both us and the Taliban. If we can get him, we will be stopping a major threat to our troops. I wouldn't ask if I didn't have any other options."

"I agree, I'll do it." Kensi declared suddenly without even turning towards her partner. She knew it was her duty.

Deeks lost it. "Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea what you could be walking into? This isn't some junkyard in south Los Angeles! It's a war zone!" How could his wife just agree to go halfway around the world to chase a ghost without so much of a consideration of his feelings.

"Deeks, you know they're right, this was their best option. I'm their best option." Kensi may have been pleading but she was counting on his sense of duty would understand. "Besides you will be by my side. We do this together. Couple, pair, partner, twosome."

"I'm afraid not Mrs. Deeks." Hetty came forward. "This mission is sanctioned for you only. SecNav approved the joint operation with the CIA, however, Director Vance would only approve Mrs. Deeks' participation. Besides, Mr. Deeks is our liaison, not an agent, therefore he would not be able to go."

If Kensi thought she had Max Gentry contained before she was sorely mistaken as her husband exploded.

"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL SHE GOES WITHOUT ME!" Deeks was livid. "I was good enough to go rescue Nate. I was good enough to almost get blown to bits by a suicide bomber. You're now going to play the liaison card on me Hetty? Or did you forget that little side trip to Romania we took to rescue you years ago?"

Hetty was taken aback by the shot at the rescue mission. She gave him the paperwork to become an agent but understood his reasoning even more so once their marriage became public. Still she did not appreciate his tone. Kensi turned and reached out for her partner but he just pushed her hands aside and walked out of the boatshed. Those remaining just stared at each other waiting for someone to find the courage to speak up.

Finally, Ira Weiss spoke. "Let me go talk to him Kensi. I gave Migs the go ahead for the plan. I will set things right."

Kensi nodded and sat down on the couch. The Wonder Twins left the call, Hetty excused herself and left. Migs turned to Miller asking for the room. When he left, the Major turned back to Kensi.

"You and I understand duty. But I have to ask, is that the only reason you agreed to do this?"

Kensi's mouth opened but nothing came out. She wondered if she might have been the cause of Jack's change in allegiance years ago. "I didn't do enough." It came out in a whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"When he came back from his first tour. He had been injured but also he was different. I did everything I could to get him help. I begged. In the end, it wasn't enough. I couldn't reach him and now I don't even know this person. And I have to wonder if I had been able to reach him, would he be doing the things he was doing now?"

Morales studied the agent, his friend. Kensi Blye Deeks was usually a study in confidence. The person standing in his screen reflected the hurt of someone who failed a loved one. He wondered if Marty might've been right, this might not be the best plan.

Kensi continued quietly. "I hardly ever think about him anymore and when I do, it's just a passing moment, hoping that he was alright, that he had found the help he needed, the help that I couldn't provide. And now, all of the sudden, here he is. Since I first saw Jack's face displayed on the screen in OPS, I have been having a problem processing anything. It's almost like I have forgotten how to breathe."

Migs was shocked to say the least, but his attention was quickly focused back on the mission. Kensi's ex-fiancé, who she hadn't seen or heard from in years, was a person of interest and they had to stop him. Migs concern was obvious. Sure, it's been a long time, but it was still a devastating event in her life. She felt like a failure, because she couldn't help him get better. She had to pick up the pieces of her life after he left that Christmas so many years ago. Migs had heard the stories about how cold and distant she had been and then she met Marty Deeks. It took him a long time but the woman she was now was remarkable. She and Marty are so happy together. They watch out for each other so well that it would be a shame to let anything come between them from her past. He will do everything in his power to prevent any harm coming to her.

Kensi shook her head to clear her memories. "What's the plan?"

Migs walked over the map and started. "I had a plan in mind but when your techs mentioned how Jack found the Cherokee file, I think we should use that as a way to get you over here without raising Jack's suspicions. I'll have you email Jack telling him you need to do some follow-up because of new intel having to do with the family involved in the case and you are coming to the area. We'll set a location that we can control and then once arrives, we'll take him."

Kensi nodded along with what was being said but she was only half listening. Her heart was hurting for her husband. Deeks was her heart and here she was agreeing to help Jack. No wonder he was upset.

Ira walked through the boatshed door, he remembered Kensi telling him that when Marty had a problem, or they had a disagreement, he would head for water to sort things out in his head. Ira walked toward the dock outside the boatshed and sure enough, there stood Marty, with his hands in his pockets staring out to sea. Ira made sure to make a little noise as he walked up to the Lieutenant but he needn't worry as Marty had heard him as soon as he set foot on the dock. "What do you want Ira?"

Ira should've known that Deeks would have known it was him. He had remarkable instincts. It was what helped Nate's rescue plan be successful. "Marty, I want you to put the husband side of your brain aside for a moment and bring forth the agent/cop side. This is the only viable option we have and your wife, the agent, is the only person able to pull this OP off and I think you know that. This man was selling both sides out to the other. Afghanistan was losing money that their citizens needed and their national treasures are being stolen. More importantly there was the human cost to both sides. This man needs to be run to ground. He needs to be stopped!"

Deeks turned to the agent. "I understand that Ira, I do! But Kensi is, well, Kensi is stubborn. She tries to fix things that are broken. I've seen her do that twice and both times it did not end well for her. And then there was what she had to go through when I was captured. If it wasn't for her, I'm not sure I would've gotten past it. I'm worried that the same thing is going to happen when she gets over there. She will lose her focus and worry more about how she can "fix" Jack rather than catching him. And I gotta be honest, bad things always seem to happen to one of us when we're apart. We work as partners, not separate entities. What Hetty is doing by keeping me back here is wrong. I belong beside her!"

Ira could hear the frustration in Deeks' voice. "Marty, Migs is there and will watch over her. You know that. If you're there she will worry about both you and the mission. That is a harbinger of trouble. She needs to focus on the mission and get this guy. Not be worrying about you."

"I guess you're right Ira. I don't like it, but I trust you and Migs to watch out for her."

Internally Ira breathes a sigh of relief. Marty's thoughts turned back to his wife. As angry as he was, he knew he had to back down. He knew Kensi better than anyone. They had come so far in the years they had been partners and then husband and wife. But this was a fight he knew he couldn't win. He needed his wife to know he trusted her and to let her go on the op.

What could possibly go wrong?

- TBC -