Update time for you. I'm jealous of those of you having a warm summer. It's the middle of winter here in Australia and I'm freezing! (But we get no snow we I live so I shouldn't complain too much hey?) So I just have to keep my cold fingers moving by giving you more of the story!

Disclaimer: No characters of NCISLA are mine. I only wish they were mine.

ALONE

CHAPTER 9

Deeks stormed out of the bullpen and tore his phone out of his back pocket and ran through his contacts list, until he found the one he wanted. Angrily pressing the name he paced through the halls of the headquarters, stopping in the large gymnasium.

"Shep! Answer the phone you cowardly son of a bitch!" he spat as he listened to the dial tone ring and then a whisper breath on the other end of the line.

"Deeks, I was wondering when you would figure it out and call me. How do you feel about me now?" Shep sneered.

"Oh trust me Shep when I find you I'm going to…" Deeks shouted.

"What? What could you do to me Deeks? Trust me Deeks when we meet soon, one of us will end up dead and it's not going to be me"

"Why Shep? Why are you doing this to me? What have I done?" Deeks despaired.

"You want answers Deeks? Alright come to 6684 Chester Ave. I'm sure you know the place well. Come alone… I'll be waiting for you in one hour" Shep ordered and hung up the phone.

Deeks kicked the punching bag angrily with his foot as he stomped back to the bullpen to retrieve his car keys. He knew he would get questioned by the team and he didn't want to involve them in this dilemma. Sure enough, as he rounded the corner Kensi came to meet him;

"Deeks you okay? What's wrong?" Kensi worriedly asked him.

"I'm fine Kens. I gotta go" Deeks opened the box on his desk where he kept his keys, along with a silver chain that Ava gave him.

"You are not fine Deeks. And where are you going? Let us go with you" she grabbed his arm.

Sam and Callen came over to also help Kensi with her line of questioning.

"Deeks, either you tell us what's going on or I get Sam to water board you" Callen stared him down.

"Or I can shoot you" Sam added, pulling out his gun.

"Or I can use my letter opener" Hetty approached the bullpen with said opener in her hand.

"Those are my options?" Deeks looked at each member of the team, "Any other options that don't involve harm to me?"

The glares from Kensi, Sam, Callen and Hetty told him this was one argument he wasn't going to win. He sighed heavily before sitting on the edge of his desk.

"I called Shep" Deeks said, not wanting to look in their eyes, "He wants to meet me in an hour"

"Where's the meet?" Callen asked.

"The house I grew up in. The house I shot my father. The house where Shep came that night to help me and now the house he wants to kill me"

Kensi pulled out her gun, "We'll go with you"

Deeks shook his head vehemently, "No Kens, Shep specifically said to come alone. I can't take a risk with your lives. Not with you guys. Look I don't care what he wants to do with me but I'm not putting you all in jeopardy. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to any of you. You guys are the only family I have left…and the only family I ever wanted"

"Deeks that's why we want to come with you" Callen touched his arm, "We're all family here and if one of our family members is in trouble, then we all go in and help. It's that simple"

"Deeks you're my partner" Kensi came over, "Remember when I went on the run after Clairmont? You came to make sure I was okay at my mom's house. You begged me to let you help…that you didn't want to let me go out there on my own. Well I don't want you to go out there on your own and now it's my turn…" she turned to Sam and Callen, "...our turn, to help you. Please Deeks"

With a sigh and nod of agreement, Deeks stood in front of the team, "I guess there are times when family comes through for you. Thanks"

"Alright, now that is settled let's get to work. Sam, it sounds like Shep has a plan at the house. Which means we have to be ready for anything" Callen frowned.

"More ammo and back up weapons, I'm thinking" Sam mused, "Kens, you get the Kevlar vests for us all"

Ten minutes later, the team assembled at their cars and loaded them up with the necessary gear they needed when out at the house. Kensi watched Sam and Callen get in the Challenger and headed to the rear door of her SUV as Deeks pulled the Kevlar vest over his head.

"You want to drive out there?" Kensi smiled, jingling the keys in her hand, "It's an offer you don't get often you know"

Deeks smiled, "Oh I know. I guess I gotta take the opportunity when it comes" he took the keys.

The twenty minute drive was mostly in silence as Deeks kept quiet. Not listening to his incessant talking unsettled Kensi and she felt uneasy at her partner's obvious conflicting emotions at the moment.

"It's going to be okay Deeks" she soothed.

"I don't want Shep to die" Deeks said quietly.

"Why?" Kensi looked confused, "He's been doing all these awful things to you"

Deeks turned to her, "I want to find out why the hell he's been doing this before he dies first"

"Oh…that's fair" Kensi nodded, touching her earwig, "Guys if we can help it, can we not kill Shep?"

"Kens?" Callen asked.

"Deeks wants answers from Shep first" she answered.

Sam and Deeks looked at each other, "Copy that. We'll kill only if no other option" said Sam.

They parked a few houses down the street to get a layout of the house and surrounding area, "Eric any heat signal from the house?" Callen asked on the phone.

"Confirmed, one signal inside the house"

Deeks pulled out his phone and dialled Shep's number, "I'm here Shep" he said.

"So I see Deeks. Didn't you listen to my instructions not to bring anyone else?"

"Sorry, must have missed that one" Deeks shrugged, "You ready tell me why now?"

"Come inside. The door's open"

"Fine. Don't hurt my friends. This is just you and me now. Deal?"

Shep sighed, "Always a charmer hey Deeks? Okay fine I won't hurt them…for now. Move it Detective"

Deeks gave one last look his shoulder at the team, and apprehensively approached the door. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door knob and turned it anti-clockwise, releasing it open. He took a step inside, his gun raised and aimed.

"Shep" Deeks called out as he walked through the familiar hallways of the aged house.

He neared the kitchen at the back of the house and heard a noise.

"Don't say a word Deeks" Shep growled in his ear as his arm came around Deeks' neck holding him tight, a gun aimed at his temple.

Kensi gasped as she entered and saw Shep holding Deeks in a head lock, a gun at his head. She saw Callen and Sam beside her, guns raised and aimed and felt a new surge of confidence taking hold of her emotions.

"Let him go Shep" Sam growled.

"How ironic hey Deeks? You back here where we first met after that night. This time though it's you who will get shot" Shep sniggered in his ear.

"That night changed my life Shep. It had a profound effect on what I decided I wanted to do from that night on" Deeks choked.

"That night changed my life too Deeks"

"How?" Deeks tried to breathe.

Kensi angled her way more to the back to get behind Shep and get a better position before she made her move. Sam and Callen knew her plan and took a step forward to Deeks.

"Stay back. I'm warning you. He's dead if you don't" Shep warned.

A small nod from Callen told Kensi to do what she had to do. She crouched down and aimed, firing two shots at Shep's legs making him lose balance and enabling Deeks to scramble to safety to the side.

The injuries were not life-threatening and Sam quickly worked to stem the bleeding as Callen called for an ambulance. Deeks walked over to Shep and crouched down, wanting answers;

"Why Shep?"

"Because of your father" Shep grimaced in pain.

"What does my father have to do with this?" Deeks asked angrily.

"He has everything to do with this. Everything" Shep yelled.

The paramedics arrived and quickly loaded Shep onto the gurney and pushed him into the waiting van, "We'll take him to St Anne's" the driver said as he got in the seat.

Callen nodded and turned to the others, "Let's follow. His injuries aren't too serious."

"Hopefully after medical attention we can find out why he's done this" said Sam.

Kensi nodded in agreement but her eyes were cast on her partner. Deeks was leaning over the kitchen sink, trying to draw in deep breaths to calm himself;

"Hey you okay there?" she asked concerned, "What do you say we get out of here?"

Deeks turned and drew Kensi into a hug; "I'm sorry you got dragged into this" he murmured into her shoulder.

She drew back slightly and shook her head; "Nonsense. I'm here for you always, just like you are for me. That's what makes us a great team"

"I think the past of my crappy childhood is going to get a whole lot crappier from what Shep tells me" he frowned, "I'm not looking forward to hearing it either"

"We're right here with you Deeks" Callen came over.

"If the mush time is over, let's go see when Shep can be released to us. I got my water boarding skills all ready to go" Sam smiled.

"Oh no Sam" Deeks shook his head, causing to Sam to look at him in confusion, "You don't get to have all the fun with Shep"

So there we go. We are near the end…next chapter we find out why Shep wanted to hurt Deeks. Until next time…take care and thanks for reading, following and reviewing. Much love xxx