A/N – warning, some light swearing.

A/N2 – this is sooooo gonna be AU shortly!

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Chapter 8

Bates stood outside the door to the cell block, trying out different conversations in his head. They all ended up with him apologizing and he couldn't find a way around it. He was about to nod to the guard to let him in he heard Northam call his name.

"Lt. Bates! Can I have a minute please?"

He was glad of the reprieve and turned to see what the officer wanted. "What's up Northam?"

Northam looked nervously at the guard and said "A moment in private, if you don't mind?"

Bates nodded and walked far enough away from the guard to be out of earshot, Northam following along. "Ok, now what's so important?"

"Sir, I need to tell you something that happened this morning with Detectives Deeks and Whiting." He paused, not sure if he really wanted to be a rat but worried about what would happen if he didn't.

Bates waited a bit and then finally said "And?"

"Sir, Detective Whiting called him Detective Deeks while standing in front of his cell. Loudly. We were both stunned by it. I know he deserves to go to jail for what he did, but not to be outted in front of the whole cell block. Something like that is going to get around and get him killed."

"Damn it! What was she thinking? Not only could that get him killed, it could compromise several open investigations!"

"When I confronted her, she said she just didn't think."

Bates raised an eyebrow and Northam went red. "There's no way she didn't do that deliberately. I'll be having a talk with her after I get Deeks out, about several things."

"Out?"

"Yes, the person who actually killed Boyle walked into the precinct about an hour ago and confessed everything."

If it hadn't been such a serious matter, the look on Northam's face would have elicited a laugh from Bates, but he was still trying to figure out how to tell Deeks he was sorry he hadn't believed him and that Tiffany Warner had confessed and was going to spend a long time behind bars. He looked at Northam again, an idea formulating in his mind. "Come with me and play along. Don't question anything I say or do, understand?"

Northam nodded and the two men went back to the cell block door. Bates nodded and the guard unlocked it. The three men walked through and down the hallway to Deeks's cell. He was sitting on the bed, his back to the bars, staring at the wall.

"Deeks!" yelled Bates.

Deeks murmured softly "Going blind and deaf for a bit." Then he reached up to rub his head, turning off his earwig at the same time. He slid it out of his ear and then slid the same hand down the collar of his shirt, removing the button camera from it. He pushed himself off the bed and shoved his hands in his pockets, turning to face his Lieutenant.

"Yeah?"

"You lucked out this time, you low life! Someone else just confessed to the murder you're in here for. You're getting sprung! Not that I don't expect you'll be back here as soon as we can prove the others you committed." Bates said loudly, hoping Deeks would catch on. He motioned to the guard to open the cell door. "Put your hands out in front of you. Northam, make sure you cuff this piece of shit!"

Deeks stood up and put his hands together in front of him, giving nothing away, desperately wanting to ask if it was Tiffany who had confessed but understanding he needed to play a part.

"Ha! You'll never pin anything on me, asshole. Hey! Didn't you know I've been upgraded to detective from low life?" he said sarcastically.

"You? A detective? Who in their right mind would ever believe that? Look at you! The LAPD would really have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel to let you on the force. You wouldn't make it through one day at the Academy!"

Northam had also caught on to what the Lt. was doing and aggressively slapped the cuffs on Deeks. He then pulled him out of the cell and pushed him along the corridor.

"I'm gonna get a lawyer! I'm gonna sue LAPD for false imprisonment! I'm gonna sue that cop that beat the shit out of me for assault and battery! Hell, I might even sue that bitch who tried to pretend I was a cop! Sue her for slander! Like there is any reality in which I'd ever want to be one of you!" Deeks spat out as he was yanked down the corridor.

"She only said that so that she could threaten you with going into general population. You know what would happen to someone they thought was a cop? She was hoping you'd get spooked and confess to the murder and then she'd let it be known that you weren't a cop after all. It was a nice try, too bad we got you on the wrong murder!"

"I'm gonna sue her for attempted murder! She can't get away with that!" Deeks yelled at Bates, his anger at the Lt. and LAPD in general, leading credence to the vitriol behind his words. It seemed to work as the cat calls that followed them as they pushed Deeks to the door were all supportive of him.

Once through the door, Northam let go of Deeks and muttered an apology while he uncuffed him. Deeks couldn't let it go. "What do you think now, Northam?"

The man took a deep breath and looked Deeks directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't give you at least the benefit of the doubt. Whiting and Steadman were so sure you did it, I let it color my judgment. I won't let that happen again."

Deeks looked at him, gauging his sincerity and then, satisfied, nodded. "Good."

He looked at his Lt. and was surprised by the hesitation written clearly on his face. When he realized Deeks was staring at him, his face became a blank. "Let's go up to my office Deeks. I have your stuff and you can sign for it. Also..." he paused "…we need to talk."

Deeks turned and preceded him. "Yeah. Yeah we do."

He walked with his head held high past the same cops who wouldn't even look at him when he'd been brought in in cuffs. Most had the grace to look ashamed, some looked confused. A couple more still looked angry, as if they couldn't quite bring themselves to admit they'd been wrong. Bruce Steadman fell into this category. "You may not have done this Deeks, but we all know you're a lousy rat and no one will ever want to work with you."

Deeks didn't bother to answer and was surprised when Northam did. "I would. I'd work with him any time." He looked at him with gratitude, not sure why the younger man had stood up for him, worried that it would make him the same target he, himself, had been all these years.

Northam broke off from them, pausing to hold out his hand saying "Good luck, Detective Deeks."

Deeks took it and said "Marty or just Deeks." Northam smiled and turned to go back to his own work. Bates and Deeks got into the elevator to go to the tenth floor. They were silent until Bates unlocked his door and then closed it behind them.

"Was it Tiffany? Was she the one who came in to confess?" he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Sounds like you already knew it was her. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I didn't know for sure. I suspected but I never asked. She'd already been through so much and I knew what Boyle was. I knew he'd been getting high and beating on the girls. Hell, everyone knew it but no one ever did anything about it! She was just a kid and scared out of her mind. She agreed to go to the shelter and get out of the life. I decided I'd be there for her if she wanted to confess and wouldn't push her if she didn't. For all I knew, she hadn't done it."

Bates sat down in his chair, Deeks in the one on the other side of the desk, facing him. "Would you have gone to jail for her, Deeks? Would you have done time for a murder you didn't commit to protect her?"

Deeks had to think about it and finally gave an honest answer. "I don't know. I really don't know. I think I wouldn't have known until it came down to going to trial. I knew I didn't do it so figured the evidence had to be pretty flimsy and a good lawyer would be able to get me out it. I was shocked when I heard about the fingerprint and the DNA evidence. I didn't know which end was up at that point."

"How do you think that your fingerprint got on that bullet if Tiffany committed the murder?"

"Do you want an honest answer?" Bates nodded. "Ok, then here it is. I think I was being framed by Clarence Fisk with help from someone within LAPD. Why, I don't know. His pet ex-lawyer, Monica Lee, came by to see me, pretending to be my lawyer. Then Whiting brought up all this "new" evidence against me. The DNA I could see, I'd stayed at the same hotel just before Boyle's murder when my place was being tented. That place used to do long term rentals and only had a few rooms they rented out to short termers. It wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility that I stayed in the same room. Let's just say, it wasn't the cleanest place, but at the time, it was the best I could afford. As for the bullet, if I were a betting man, I'd bet I'll be one bullet short when you give me back my gun."

"Who?"

"Whiting. She flinched when I said Fisk's name. When I told her about Monica showing up to see me, she bolted. Right after she outted me as a cop."

"Those are some serious charges."

"I'm not making any charges; I'm just telling you my theory."

Bates nodded and unlocked his top drawer, pulling out the personal effects envelope and Deeks's badge and gun. He pushed it all towards him. Deeks opened the envelope and pulled out his keys, wallet and cell phone, sticking them in his pocket. He signed the paperwork stating he'd received it all back in good condition. He stared at the gun and badge. Picking up the gun, he pulled out the clip and sighed. He showed it to Bates, there was one bullet missing. "I clean and reload my gun after every use. This was fully loaded when I surrendered it. There's one bullet missing just as I thought there might be, but I can't prove it." He put the clip back into the gun and placed it on the table. He stared it and his badge for a while longer, then pushed them back towards Bates. "I'm resigning from LAPD."

Bates sighed. "Look, kid, I'm sorry. I should have stood behind you. Northam had it right when he said the evidence and the claims of Whiting and Steadman were convincing." He paused for a moment. "I also remember you being somewhat skittish when you first started working with me. It wasn't that far a stretch to think back and wonder if it was because you were guilty of something."

"I was skittish because of the attitude of pretty much every cop I ran into. Boyle had poisoned them against me from the moment I informed IA about what he was up to. "

Bates took in a deep breath, knowing he was going to have to confess the rest. "The John Quinn case might have colored my thinking as well. You lied to me and you fooled me. I know you, and your NCIS team, helped me get Fisk, smoked out Quinn and saved my life, but I think a part of me has never forgiven you for turning on me."

"I never saw it as turning on you, Bates. I never suspected you were the mole. I just wanted what you did. To get Fisk off the streets and that RDX back where it belonged. I'm sorry if you feel I betrayed you. Right now, I know exactly how you felt."

"So, when am I going to have to address you as Agent Deeks? I knew this would happen sooner or later."

"Never. I think I'm done with law enforcement, in any form."

"Your partner know about this?"

Deeks face went blank. "No one knows but you." He stood up and hesitated. Bates may not have stood by him in this but he had taken him on when no one else would. He owed him for that at least. He held out his hand and Bates took it.

"Let me know if you ever change your mind. You're a hell of an operator."

Deeks nodded and started to leave. A thought crossed his mind and turned back. "Could you do me a favor?"

"I can try."

"Could not enter my release into the system for a few hours?"

Bates looked confused but nodded. That was something he could do. Deeks nodded back and left, closing the door softly behind him. Bates looked down at the gun and badge sitting on his desk and sighed. He picked them up and put them in the same drawer he'd taken them from, locking it up again. He turned and stared out the window at the California sky.

Deeks pulled out his phone as soon as he hit the lobby and turned it on. It still had some power. He ignored the missed calls and texts. He found the contact he wanted and hit dial.

"Grant MacDougall."

"Grant, it's Marty."

"Marty? Hey man, how you doing? Still slumming at LAPD?"

"Sort of. Listen, Grant, I need to ask you a favor."

"Name it! I still owe you big time."

"I have a friend who just confessed to a murder she committed eight years ago when she was a teenager and hooking. The guy she killed was a cop who liked to get high and beat on the girls. He got very aggressive with her that night because of me. Would you take her on? I'll foot the bill. I'll find some way to pay you."

"Of course I'll take it and I'll take her on pro bono. Like I said Marty, I owe you."

"That was a long time ago, Grant."

"You saved my life. That's not something I'll ever be done paying you back for." Deeks and Grant had gone to law school together. Grant had joined a large firm and specialized in criminal law, Deeks had gone into the Public Defender's Office but, despite their disparate paths, they'd kept in touch and stayed good friends. One night, after Deeks had left to join LAPD, they'd gone out to a bar to catch up. Somehow they'd managed to get caught up in a bar fight and a guy had taken hold of Grant, holding a knife to his throat. Deeks had talked him into letting Grant go. Grant still insisted he owed Deeks his life, although Deeks had always tried to tell him the guy had never had any intention of actually hurting him.

"Are you sure? I can pay you."

"I'm sure Marty. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. And, who knows, maybe I'll make a name for myself by getting her off."

Deeks laughed, his friend had already made a name for himself. Prosecutors hated him. "Thanks man. Her name is Tiffany Warner and she's at the Wilshire precinct."

"Okay. I'm free at 2, I'll head over then."

"Thanks again. I'm going to try to get into see her now. I'll let her know you're coming."

"Great. Hey, we need to get together soon, you hear me?"

"I'd love to. I just need to get some things done first."

"I hear ya. Talk to you soon buddy."

"Bye."

Deeks hung up and walked over to the door to holding. He recognized the man at the desk and sighed. This might be harder than he'd thought. "Johnson. I'd like to see a Tiffany Warner in holding."

The man looked up and surprised Deeks by holding out his hand and saying "Glad to hear you finally got that mess cleared up Deeks. I'll let you in." Deeks shook his hand and followed him through the door.

Johnson yelled out "Tiffany Warner!"

He hadn't seen her in person for over a year. She looked good. Sad and discouraged, but good. He walked up to the bars. "Tiff?"

"I'm so sorry Marty! I never thought they'd arrest you for his murder. I came down as soon as I saw it on the news."

"I know, Lt. Bates told me everything. Look, I've gotten you a good criminal lawyer. He's one of the best!"

"Then I probably won't be able to afford him! Marty, I don't have all that much saved up!"

"He's a friend and he's doing this pro bono. That means no hourly fees. You just need to pay his out of pocket expenses and I'll help you with those."

"Really? I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you to Grant when he shows up this afternoon. Look, I have things I need to do and not very long to do them. I'll keep in touch with you and with Grant, okay?"

"Yes. Marty, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be. We both know it was self-defense and Grant will work that angle. As for the rest? There was no way you'd know that I'd get caught up in this. You keep your spirits up, you hear me? Is there anyone in your life that can help you out?"

She nodded; still surprised that she could say that. Doug hadn't left her side until he'd been forced to, promising to come back, to help in any way. "Yeah, I do have someone. Doug has promised to stick by me no matter what."

He smiled at her and nodded. "Good for you. I've got to head out. Keep your head down and stay safe."

"I will. Bye Marty."

"Bye Tiff." He turned and walked out, already thinking about his next steps.