As she sits in her car, watching the building across the street, she feels she's hesitant to get out. Henrietta Lange's life is filled with regrets. Most can be explained away by reason, by the need for survival, often it was her or the other that would walk away. But what had happened three weeks ago was a regret and not one to be explained away so easily. She had let herself be carried by emotions, by the fact that the three were with the team longer. Yet everyone knew he, as in Mr. Deeks was the best for the job. But the eruption between the two partners and then Mr. Deeks requesting to be pulled off the case had tossed everything out of the window. She had allowed Kensi, and later Callen to convince her they could do the job and under normal circumstances they would have had. But this wasn't a normal situation and now they were seemingly paying for it. There is only way forward now and it was time she took that road. Too much time had been lost already.

Making her way over to his home she wondered if he had seen her, just a half an hour earlier when he had come back from his surfing trip. Arriving at his door and finding it ajar her question had been answered. He had seen her and yet had managed to let her in the dark until the last moment. It didn't surprise her, he was good, really good.

He's showing no sign that he knows she has entered the room, but she knows he knows she's there. She hasn't seen him in the past three weeks, and while she hadn't told him to go back to LAPD for the time being, she hadn't called him back either. She had understood the need to get away from them, but she had also hoped that those three weeks would have been able the let the anger die down. But when he opens his mouth and clearly tells her that whatever it is, he's not at all interested she can tell he's still angry with her, with the entire team. It will make her task a little more difficult, but still she's not prepared to leave here without reaching her goal.

'Mr. Deeks' she breaks the silence as she enters his vision, he ignores her though, pretending to be engrossed in the show playing on TV.
'I'm here to ask for you help' she continues, pretending she doesn't notice the obvious ignoring from his part. Something flickers over his face, but he's got control she'll have to grant him that. He's also acting like a petulant child and she wants to tell him that as well, but refrains from it. While it makes her task a little more difficult, she can't blame him for feeling like this.

'Mr. Deeks, you are a valuable asset to this team and that's why I have come here, personally to ask for your help.' This time there is a reaction as his eyes shift from the television to her face.

'Really? You might want to inform your team on that insight. Should save you the trip to come here and save your investment.' He tells her and she can hear the coldness in his voice, but beside anger she can also pick up the hurt he's feeling. There is more going on here than that meets the eye, but she needs to put that on the backburner for now.

'Mr. Deeks, I intend to do that the second I know they are safe and sound back inside the mission. Because that's why I'm here, I'm not here to ask for your help for me, but for the team. We believe them to be in serious trouble.'
She has him now, she knows that and she also knows he knows that and she's pretty sure he knows that she knows that he knows he can't say no right now. His loyalty will always win over the anger and the hurt. He's just not the person to let the rest of them down, no matter how many times they'll let him down. She can't help but think there'll be a time she has to let him go, to let him go back to what he was, if only to protect him from himself and his need to put himself in danger to help the others.

'So, the invincible three need my help?' His smile is cynical and while she wants to slap him, she lets it go by like nothing happened. He'll say yes, they both know it, but she also knows he needs to get this out of his system and most importantly he needs to make the decision himself. She needs him to get up from the couch by his own, not because she ordered him to do so.

'Yes, they are in dire need of rescue and I believe you are the best person for the job.'

'What if I have this unexplainable urge to decline the invitation.' He replies.

'Well then I suppose you're not the man I thought you would be.' Despite knowing all she does and be willingly to let him stew a little, to somewhat throw his toys, she doesn't have all day and beside a little emotional blackmail never hurts. Silence fills the room and when he looks away from her, she makes her retreat.

She hasn't reached the door when he calls out to her, telling her to stop. As she turns she can see him getting his stuff and make his way over to the door. A small smile forms around her lips, the original plan is now coming in to play. But the smile doesn't last long as he informs her it's time for Nick Taylor to come out of hiding. She can see the anger, but also the angst beneath the outer mask he wears and she's not sure what way that is pointed. To the team that once again counts on him to save the day or the fact that he needs to revive a old alias, once again one he doesn't seem to like one bit.

At OPS he's silent as Nell and Eric tell him everything they know and what they suspect has happened last night. And he's a bit surprised by how little info they have for the moment. But soon he berates himself, this is a deep undercover operation, one with little to no communication to base camp. Nell and Eric kept an eye on the surroundings, the premises of the gang, a huge house outside LA and the house Sam had been staying. There had been unusual activity at night around the last place that had caught their attention and when they played the video for him, he could understand.
A group of men were seen entering the house, only to exit a couple of minutes later, clearly dragging something along. By the size of it, it had to be Sam and if they had gotten to him, there was no way they wouldn't have gotten to Callen and Kensi, they were actually living on the estate for the time being. Something had gone wrong big time and he felt a little pang of guilty raise up inside of him.

If only he hadn't let Kensi's childish play get the better of him, he would never have requested to be removed from the operation and he would have been by her side. Callen would have been with Sam and somehow he's sure their covers wouldn't have been blown. He would have known what to do and how to handle the situation. Yea it might sound a little cocky, but this was his territory , this was his playground and he knew it like the back of his hand. He had faced a lot of dangerous situations, changeable situations but up until now he had always managed to escape. Okay sometimes with the help of others, but he had always managed to walk away and be ready for a next one.

The last three weeks had been hell. He had been torn between worry and anger. He had defied Hetty by simply announcing he would go back to LAPD for the time being, feeling he could do more there then here, just sitting on the sideline. He had expected her to turn up at his place, demanding to come back, but she hadn't. Perhaps it had been the plan to let him cool down, not that it worked. But it also meant he placed himself on the outside and therefore hadn't received any information. Well not until an hour ago when she had come to his place and told him they needed his help.

In the past three weeks there had been moments where he was ready to go back, to crawl back there and beg for forgiveness and for his place again. But anger and pride had won out time after time. If they believed they didn't need him, well he wasn't going to be in their way.

Well he never was one to keep his resolves and one word from Hetty had him pretty much running behind her. Oh he had tried to deceive her, but had also known she knew he couldn't say no. She knew him to well to know he wouldn't let them in harm's way. Even when he wasn't sure he wanted to stay within the team, he wouldn't want to be known as the one who let them down.

So that's why he's sitting inside a beaten up, old pickup truck, driving towards the estate held by the gang. His mindset fully on Nick Taylor. The more gentle, loving demeanor of Marty Deeks had been left behind, had been seemingly erased the minute he stepped out of the Mission and into the truck. He was Nick Taylor, a low life who made his money on the wrong side of the line. A scumbag who didn't mind a little torture to get what he wanted and that had become his trademark. He cleaned up the mess for others and that was gonna be his way in this time.

As before his reputation was enough to open doors and the second he got out of the car, one ran inside to find their leader. That was why he found himself faced with Nestor, an older man and the one who ruled here.

'Well, well didn't think we would see you again so soon.'

'and yet here I am.' Nick replies. There is a little tense moment between the two, as often the relationship, the understanding between criminals rested on fragile trust, trust that could easily be broken.

' And what brings you here.' Nestor finally asks, breaking the silence between the two men.

'Money, or more the lack of. ' Nick clarifies, ' I came to see if you had some work for me.'

Nestor eyed him, really taxing him.

'And what if I don't have any for the moment?'

It took everything inside of him to remain Nick for that moment, he couldn't seem too eager, couldn't afford to know the other had work for him, so he remained quiet for a moment. A moment to push Deeks back to the background, back in his little hiding place and let Nick take over once more.

'Well, I suppose I'll have to try my luck somewhere else.' He answers and starts to turn again.

He hasn't gone that very far until he can hear Nestor calling him back and admitting that he has indeed work for him. The last statement had done its job, but letting slip Nick was prepared to go somewhere else, to someone else he had placed Nestor on a possible hit list and with him being the executioner. There was no loyalty among them, Nick answered to the one who paid the most and up until the moment it had been Nestor and his gang. But Nick had no trouble switching sides, as long as there was a hand to feed him dollar bills he was on board. Nestor couldn't do anything else then to let him, just to save his behind.

Nestor led him inside the huge house. As expected and like he remembered from his former dealings with this man, the prisoners were kept down in the basement. Opening the door slowly, he slowly saw the three people inside the room. Three pair of eyes stare at him and he just looks back, but not really seeing anything. The only thing he sees is the need to remove this people from here.

The only conversation to be heard is between him and Nestor. After awhile they agree on a prize and he accepts the job. With a little flick of his hand he commands some of Nestor's men and give them their tasks. They are not going to like the treatment, but he couldn't care less, he's not getting paid to be nice.

This is the second and middle part of the story. Next one will be the last one and a closure :)
Let me know what you think!