Kensi and Sam walk into the bullpen to their partners smiling and laughing. This was good, whatever issues they had is over.
"So dinner tonight, are we going?" Sam asks Callen but mostly directed towards Deeks.
Deeks nods. If he is going to share Firehouse 51 with Callen, he has to get use to letting them in. He knows that Callen needs a family as much as he needed the second chance that Kelly Severide gave him.
"Do the Wonder Twins know about tonight?" Deeks asks.
"They do and they are looking forward to it. But mostly they appreciate being invited." Kensi answers.
The end of the work day approaches faster than Deeks would have liked. Even though he did end up agreeing to the dinner, didn't mean that he wasn't hoping for a case to happen so that he would have to reschedule the dinner. However, no case happened.
"Eric and Nell said that they would meet us there. They just need the address. The rest will of us will go together." Callen announces as he grabs his things. As much as he knows that Deeks is dreading it, he is looking forward to it. To get to spend time with firefighters and hopefully one day see their firehouse.
The team arrives at the address Deeks gave them. Now, they are just waiting on Nell and Eric to show as well.
"I'll wait for them. You 3 head on in. It is number 240." Deeks tells them.
Callen leads the way with Sam and Kensi following.
"Here we are number 240." Callen announces as he knocks on the door.
Inside 2 woman rush to the answer the door.
The blonde woman face fell when she saw who was at the door. More like who wasn't at the door.
"You guys must be Marty's friends that is coming to dinner tonight. Where is Marty?" The dark toned women asks.
"Still waiting on 2 people to arrive." Kensi answers warily.
"I am Gabby Dawson Casey and this is Leslie Shay. When Kelly called and said that Marty and company were coming for dinner tonight, Leslie got excited." Gabby explains.
"I am G Callen, this is Sam Hannah and Kensi Blye. We are with NCIS. " Callen introduced.
Deeks comes up behind Callen with Nell and Eric following. Leslie immediately wraps him into a hug and then pulls back.
"Marty, have you lost weight. Gabby, come take a look at him. Tell me what you think?"
Gabby took one look at Marty and ordered him into the back room. Marty went with Gabby and Leslie following. The other 5 members of the team took in their surrounding. Callen eyes fell on a group photo of the firemen and the girls in their dress blues.
"That was from a procession for a child that died after falling into a laundry chute. His dream was to be a firefighter, even visited the firehouse a few times. We couldn't save him, we got him out, but he still died." Casey explained as he and Severide entered the apartment.
"Do the girls have Marty?" Kelly asks.
"They do. Do you always hold procession for victims you couldn't save?"
"A few times, but it is usually for a fallen firefighter or a member of the rescue team." Kelly answers as he open the photo book and show it to them. It was all of them in their dress blues standing in a line saluting the passing vehicle. Next to Kelly Severide stood Marty in a suit also saluting the vehicle.
"That was taken at the procession for a member of my team who lost their life when a building collapsed. We were all in that building when the collapse happen. But Jose Vargas was the only one who died that day."
Callen stares as the photo, he has lost acquaintances and agents over the years in the line of duty. Next to Callen, Sam was also starring at the photo for the fallen firefighter. He has also lost friends on his Seal team and agents too. It is never easy to lose someone in the line of duty.
Marty came out of the back room and took a seat at the dinner table. Gabby and Leslie also came out to finish dinner.
"So how is he?" Kelly asks.
"His blood pressure is low and he has lost some weight. I am going to call Jay Halstead tomorrow to get in contact with his brother Will." Gabby responds.
Marty just let them talk. He is hiding a secret, not from his dad but more from his team.
Since I didn't have Shay dying in the building explosion, I had decided that Vargas was the one to die in explosions instead of having his lungs burned.
