A/N: Hope you're all enjoying reading this, as much as I'm enjoying writing it!
Hetty watched as Granger paced back and forth in the small space of her office. She observed his rigid body language, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally she reached below her desk pulling out a dusty bottle of her favorite single-malt. She poured out generous amounts into two glasses and pushed one across the surface of her desk.
"Sit Owen." Granger obliged, pulling the glass towards himself.
"This is a disaster Henrietta. We can't have an active explosive casually wandering around LA."
"My agents have identified the target remember? I have full faith that they will be able to detain the responsible parties and retrieve the explosive before it is too late."
Granger inhaled and exhaled slowly. He took a swig from his whiskey before muttering lowly, "I hope your faith doesn't fail you."
"It never has before."
When Sam returned to Mission, he found his team mates, Reina and the Wonder Twins sitting around the bull pen. On screen was a visual of a warehouse. Outside the building, Chaves, Torres and a few men were deep in discussion. One of the men was clearly Abdul, the militant that had betrayed Anwar, his dark skin and heavy build, a stark contrast to the light skinned, tattooed cartel members.
"That's where the truck ended up?"
"Yeah, we picked it up on traffic cams after you lost it," Nell replied.
Sam mumbled a quick apology which Callen quickly shrugged off. "I sent you out without backup. I'm just glad you weren't seen. Point is, we've got eyes on the warehouse." The partners shared a quick understanding nod before turning back towards the others.
"Doesn't matter," Eric said glumly. Sam looked at him questioningly. "The bomb was transported elsewhere the moment it reached the warehouse. We couldn't track it. We have eyes on the warehouse and Chaves but not the bomb itself."
"Granger's got his panties in a twist," Kensi added motioning at Hetty's desk where their Operations Manager was pouring a second drink for the Assistant Director.
"The target's clear. He shouldn't be worried," Callen added crossly.
"I'm going to assume Granger is-" Reina began, tilting her head to observe the tall, balding, tense man seated in Hetty's office.
"The Assistant Director of NCIS, more commonly known as Mr. Pain-In-The-Ass," Sam interrupted, cracking a smile and inciting chuckles around the bullpen.
Kensi's face however remained stoic. "He's an outsider and we don't care too much for those," she added bluntly, her eyes catching Reina's sharply. Deeks looked warily between the two women.
"Ah, I see," Reina said softly, breaking the eye contact. Before anyone could comment further on Granger's misgivings, the man himself wandered over to the bullpen, followed closely by Hetty.
"Do you have a plan Agent Callen?" Granger's voice was just as callous as ever.
"The target is the LAPD ceremony. That's where the bomb's going to be. We have to be there undercover. If we go in guns blazing, they might get spooked or worse set it off early."
"I thought you might say that Mr. Callen," Hetty said, a slight smirk teasing the edges of her lips. "I'll start choosing outfits."
The team spent the next few days gathering further intel on the cartel, training for possible scenarios, and becoming well versed in the layout of the hotel where the award ceremony was set to take place. To Kensi's dismay, Hetty had insisted that Reina join the operation. This was after all, her case. Despite the gravity of the situation, Deeks had never been in a better mood. It seemed, to Kensi, that despite the distance between her partner and Reina over the past two years, their relationship had barely suffered. They were joking, bonding, sharing meals and training together. Kensi told herself she was being stupid, after all, Deeks had just been reunited with one of his closest friends. It was natural for him to happy, yet she couldn't feel the same. What she felt…well it was jealousy but there was no way Badass Blye was going to admit that.
When Friday rolled around, Hetty handed Kensi and Sam uniforms, Deeks, a sleek blue suit, Callen, a handsome grey suit and Reina a stunning, flowing strapless blood red dress and a pair of black pumps.
"Mr. Hanna, you'll be going in as a hotel security guard, Ms. Blye, you'll be server. Mr. Callen, Mr. Deeks, Dr. Khan, you'll be going in as guests. Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones have made arrangements and registered you as staff members and guests respectively.
Kensi's brow furrowed, why was Deeks getting to go as a guest? And more importantly why was he getting to go with Reina?
"It's important that Mr. Deeks go as a guest, he'll be recognized of course. And Dr. Khan, in the event that Abdul is in the building, I would rather you go as a guest and thus be able to stand in one spot rather than risking the possibility that he may see you," Hetty continued firmly, watching Kensi's expression intently. Kensi's brow straightened almost immediately, a feeling of embarrassment making its way up her gut.
"Are we clear?" Murmurs of acknowledgement filled the space, Kensi hastily followed suit, walking forward to retrieve her outfit from Hetty. She could feel the little minx's eyes burning into her back but she refused look back. Instead she held her head high and entered the dressing area. When she emerged wearing the pencil skirt, white shirt and grey vest, Deeks was waiting for her. He looked impeccable in the suit; the blue brought out his eyes and drew attention to his silky blond locks. He had cleaned up his messy scruff and looked quite dashing. His head was bowed, his feet shifting in the black dress shoes, hands shoved casually in his pockets. She cleared her throat and his head shot up, his face breaking into his signature goofy grin.
"Well damn, the LAPD hired a smoking hot waitress,"
She couldn't help but grin back, throwing a halfhearted punch in the direction of his bicep. He avoided her fist easily, continuing to tease her.
"Shut up," she laughed. From the corner of her eye she saw Reina beaming in their direction. The petite, dark skinned woman was now dressed in the gorgeous red piece and looking rather exquisite. Kensi quickly realized that Reina was not smiling at her bur rather at them. Her and Deeks. Reina sent her a good-natured wink, before returning to finish her makeup and the message was clear. You guys are so cute together. Kensi smiled back tentatively, turning her attention back to Deeks' rambling.
Deeks whistled lowly when they entered the grand hall of the hotel. Reina and Callen stood beside him, taking in the magnificent setting of the awards ceremony. The hall was filled with well-dressed men and woman, many donning dress blues, recognition pins and badges. There was champagne, cocktails and finger food being circulated by the servers, gentle violin music accompanied by the loud chattering of the attendees. The lights sparkled above their heads, like stars in the night sky, casting a golden glow over the guests. In the front of the room was a massive stage.
"So this is where our tax money goes huh?" Callen asked rhetorically, snagging three flutes of champagne as a server passed by him, handing his companions one each. They ventured further into the hall, Callen and Reina opting to stay towards the edge of the crowd while Deeks wandered towards the middle, greeting old colleagues.
Reina scanned the crowd, her hand clutching the flute of champagne tightly. Next to her, Callen could see her tense shoulders and her rigid facial expression. He leaned to the side until his lips were beside her ear and whispered, "Relax, this is supposed to be a celebration, remember?"
She grinned then, blushing at his proximity and allowed her bare shoulders to drop. But as quickly as her smile appeared, it disappeared. Her free hand shot forward, closing around Callen's forearm. "Abdul. There he is!" she hissed, her eyes trained towards the other edge of the room.
Callen's eyes followed Reina's to settle on a large, dark skinned man across the room. Abdul looked around tensely before turning on his heel and disappearing towards an empty hallway hidden by a veil of red curtains.
Eric's voice suddenly crackled into their in-ear coms. "That hallway has stairs at the end that lead to the first basement of the hotel. There's second way to the basement."
"Kensi, Deeks, take the second route. Sam, Reina and I will take the hallway. Take out anyone in your way quietly, our goal is the bomb and Chaves," Callen instructed quietly, making his way towards the hallway with Reina on his heels. Sam joined them a few seconds later. The trio ventured down the dimly lit hallway cautiously. It led to a sharp left only about 50 feet in.
Sam paused at the corner seeing an alcove that would provide sufficient cover. His fingers came up in a signal, indicating that he would wait, and keep watch. Callen nodded, moving forward, his grip tightening on his gun. Reina moved lightly behind him, her gun drawn. They could hear Eric providing directions for Kensi and Deeks. Reina and Callen had only made it down halfway down the new hallway when they heard Sam's hiss in their ears.
"I got three guys approaching. They're cartel but dressed like hotel security. I can take out the last one but the other two are out of my reach."
"Copy that," Callen responded. Reina looked around, and to her dismay there were no doorways or alcove that would provide cover. Callen turned towards her, his eyes wide when he came to the same conclusion. They could hear the approaching footsteps and looked at each other, indecision glinting in their gazes. Callen made the first move. He stuffed his gun into waist band, ensuring his jacket would hide it, and stepped forward. She took a step back in response, following his lead and tucking her gun into her purse. Her back hit the wall behind her. The guards were on the brink of turning the corner.
"Drunk?" he asked lowly.
"Drunk," she confirmed.
One of his hands moved forward to rest on the curve of her hip, pressing her against the wall, the other resting firmly beside her face. Reina leaned up, her hand grasping the lapels of his grey jacket and tugged sharply. Callen stumbled forward, his warm body slammed into hers. The contact sent a jolt up her spine and she felt her knees weaken. Callen suddenly realized that his face was impossibly close to hers and he struggled against the urge to kiss her full, red lips.
"Hey, you two aren't supposed to back here!" A voice echoed in the silence of the hallway.
Callen and Reina ignored him. She slid her leg up his, wrapping a heeled foot around the back of his knee and he dropped his head against her neck in surprise. His stubble scratched her sensitive skin and she felt her body temperature rise. Callen's eyes widened when he felt one of her hands move from his jacket, to wrap around his neck, fingers burying themselves in the short hairs at the base of his skull. His lips, almost instinctively, touched the skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder. He could feel her sharp intake of breath, which turned into a low moan, when his tongue darted out to taste the skin. The smell of her lavender shampoo clouded his senses and he struggled to control his breathing.
She was blushing intensely, her ears and neck on fire. The feel of his warm lips on her bare skin was almost too much, his scent invading her nostrils. He smelled like gunpowder, a subtle cologne and man. The intimacy was making her dizzy.
Suddenly, it was all over, his body was being ripped away from hers. "This is a restricted area. What the hell are you doing here?"
She let her posture slump, and let out a giggle. "Sorry," her squeal was almost inaudible. Callen, who had exaggeratedly stumbled backwards with the force of the guard's tug on his collar, was sporting a hazy almost annoyed expression.
"We were jus' lookin' for the bathroom, not lookin' for any trouble man," Callen drawled, allowing his words to slur together.
The two cartel guards looked at each other, shrugging. One of them waved his hand towards the front of the hallway and said, "Don't let us catch you back here again."
Reina let out another giggle, allowing Callen to take her hand. The guards turned around, continuing their path down the hallway. Callen signaled towards the shorter guard, and Reina nodded curtly. Together they crept up behind the two unsuspecting cartel members, knocking them unconscious with swift, constricting headlocks.
"Ugly 1 and Ugly 2 are out," Reina reported to the rest of the team.
Sam chuckled, "Ugly 3 is down as well,"
A/N: So Reina and Callen huh? Let me know what you think of them!