Author's Note:

Yay, 10 chapters! Okay, so, please read my author's note at the bottom. Kinda important. Thanks! Big Nell chapter ahead!

-C

Deeks continued to work on creating a better faux brace for Kensi's ankle. Until they could afford a trip to the emergency room, and they didn't know when that would be, it would have to do. They remained in silence as the detective wrapped the final bandages around the injured ankle.

"Thank you," Kensi murmured as he finished.

"If you ice it, it'll keep the swelling down," Deeks added. He looked at her with bright blue eyes and replied, "And it's no problem."

There was a knock on the doorframe as Sam came in. He looked even more tired and worn out than he had before working on Callen.

"How is he?" Kensi inquired immediately.

"He'll make it," Sam premised. "The wound wasn't too deep, but if it's not taken care of, there will be a nasty infection."

"That's good, right?"

"It means we don't need to go to the hospital quite yet. I'm going to go out and get us some breakfast, see you guys soon."

Sam ducked out of the room, leaving the partners alone once more. Deeks scooted closer to where Kensi was leaning up against the headboard of the bed.

"What happened to you guys anyway?" Deeks asked, wriggling his arm back into its sling.

Kensi took a deep breath, recounting everything that had happened since separating for the operation. She recounted the car crash and shoot out at the old auto body shop. The brunette almost started laughing out of spite when she thought at the time it couldn't have gotten much worse. One explosion and a hike with a broken ankle later, here she was.

"What kind of history do you have with these guys anyway?"

Deeks inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down. His eyes flicked to the one name on the wall he wished he never would see again. "Marcus Paley."

Kensi followed his gaze. "And who's that?"

"Well some would argue with me; I don't think there's anybody worse in the cartel. I've lost comrades on the job. But I've had friends slaughtered by that monster."

Suddenly a thought occurred to Kensi. "Were you part of any of these operations against the Salinas Cartel?"

"I haven't had the pleasure," Deeks glowered darkly.

"We'll get them," Kensi confidently stated. "We always do."

Nell sped along the winding road up a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful morning, however the intelligence analyst had no time to enjoy it. She continued on in her Accord, following the directions to the mysterious address Hetty had left her.

"You have arrived at your destination," rang the monotonous voice from the GPS.

Nell slowed to a stop in the middle of the road, not seeing anything. She finally spotted a driveway sticking out from among the cliffs, indicated only by a single mailbox. She maneuvered her car and drove up the winding road. At last it evened out, revealing no less than a small mansion sitting on top off the cliff.

She pulled up at the front gate, which were locked. Before Nell had the chance to try to figure out how to unlock them, they swung open. Now more curious, she drove her car up the cobbled path right up to the front door. She gathered her purse, turned off the car, and made her way to the door.

Nell fished for the key she had received and carefully let herself in to an empty house.

There wasn't a speck of furniture anywhere. She poked around each room, but not even a painting decorated the walls. The intelligence analyst made her way into one of the first floor bedrooms when she spotted a strange mural on the wall. It looked oddly familiar. It was a simple design stretching from floor to ceiling, and it took Nell several moments to recognize it.

The design matched that of the railing on the second floor at Ops. If one didn't spend most of the work day up there, one never would have noticed it. Nell had a hunch and felt up and down the wall until something gave the tiniest bit. The whole wall suddenly slid open, revealing a secondary room.

Instead of stepping into a hidden room, it was like stepping into another world. The walls were plastered with computer screens and were constantly changing. Nell crossed the glass floor, which separated her from cases upon cases of various weapons, and sank into a leather arm chair at a desk.

She spent a few minutes looking at all the screens: security feed. Nell spotted OSP (or what was left it, she thought sadly), her apartment, Sam's house, several other places she didn't recognize. Probably all residences of NCIS agents who worked under her.

Nell wiggled the mouse and a search button tab came up. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before typing in: Salinas Cartel.

Every single one of the screens went blank before refocusing on different locations. Nell recognized the warehouse they worked the operation at. There were some storefronts, autobody shops. Slightly confused, she turned back to the computer which had dozens of files on it. Underneath the search bar it read: showing known locations of Salinas Cartel.

Nell's thoughts were in motion. The extra weapons, the security system that fed back here…it might be enough to hit the cartel back swiftly and decisively. Sam, Callen, Kensi, and Deeks were still out there.

"Searching for active safe houses…" mumbled Nell as she plugged it in. About a dozen or so houses from the street view popped up on the security feeds, plus the addresses. Nell clicked on the first one, and suddenly the inside was available on the screens. She went down the list, looking for her four friends.

At last she came across one labeled Spruce Street. With relief, she saw Callen on a couch and Kensi and Deeks in one of the bedrooms. Sam was nowhere to be seen. Nell snatched her purse from the desk and ran out the door, knowing exactly where she was heading next.

As her fingers drifted away from the handle, she murmured, "Thank you Hetty."

"McDonald's? Really?" Deeks asked as Sam emptied the bags of fast food on the coffee table.

"I thought you were the king of take-out," he retorted.

"Our take-out is much healthier than this," Kensi said as she made a face.

"Hey, I don't like it either. But it's cheap and the closest thing." Sam shoved a burger into Callen's hand and encouraged him, "Try to eat something."

"How did it look out there?" his partner asked.

"Didn't spot any tails. I haven't heard anything from NCIS. You?"

"It's been quiet," Deeks answered, settling on chicken nuggets. A crash on the door interrupted the agents from their small talk and sent them sprawling for their weapons.

I interrupt your fanfiction pleasure to bring you this (attempted-to-be-short) message.

So, here's the thing. I didn't start out writing multiple stories on fanfiction. So yes, updates came sooner and so on and so forth than they do now. But for those in guest reviews telling me I SHOULDN'T write more than one, I'd appreciate it if you stopped. I get bored. Really easily. I write about five different of my own stories on the side along with this. I get excited about an idea and I simply chase after it- hence multiple stories. Honestly, yes, it can get crazy. I'm not doing that anymore after the summer. In fact, I'm probably not gonna be on here at all during the Fall. So I don't know if there's only this one person who actually vocalized it, but I'd thought you ought to know I sat down today and got FOUR chapters ahead in this story. Uh, you're welcome? Normally I wouldn't give this the time of day but if you want to suggest something to me, phrasing it a little nicer would be swell. Sorry about the long rant! Love all of you!

-C