SYLVIA
/CH 14/
a/n: I honestly don't know where that last chapter came from...but then, this whole story has gotten away from me and has taken itself in a completely different direction than I originally intended...so now I just go with the flow...I don't even try to plan out the chapters anymore...just let the muse and the emotion guide the story...
a/n: another interlude/scene of team bonding...
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Callen was waiting outside the complex when Nell pulled up in an NCIS SUV, moving to meet Chris when he exited the car, "We didn't know what to do...he's totally shut down; we were afraid what he might do if we tried to force him back to the hospital."
"Good call, even on a good day Marty does not deal well with hospitals," Chris said, "what the hell happened?"
Callen grimaced, "I pushed too hard...it was close today, to damn close- and after everything that's happened already..."
Holding out his hand to stop the agent, Chris asked pointedly, "I know you wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt Marty, agent Callen, so be straight with me...what exactly happened up there...if I'm gonna pull him back, I need to know what I'm dealing with."
Chris listened impassively as Callen relayed the afternoon's events up to and including his subtle threat to bench the injured detective.
"Did you and your partner not listen to a thing I told you last night at the hospital...well, did you," Chris ground, barely containing his anger, "The one thing he is afraid of the most and you throw it up in his face..."
"I didn't mean it like that...he's hurt, hell, he damn near died today..." Callen defended weakly, sighing deeply and running a hand across his short hair, "...look, I wasn't really trying to bench him, I just wanted him to realize the toll this case is taking on him, we just—the team...; you said it yourself, if we're not careful this case could kill him...there are other ways he can work the case...with his injuries he can't be out in the field..."
"Then you damn well should have said that...or just simple told him to go work in Ops," Chris replied angrily, "NOT tell a man already teetering on the edge that he can't protect his team...his partner..."
With that the ADA turned on his heel and made his way inside the building, while Callen turned away from the building shaking his head in defeat, his hands resting loosely on his hips.
After a moment, Nell came up to the upset agent, placing a hand on his arm, "You coming up?"
"Not exactly on anyone's hit parade right now..." Callen said.
"Even if Chris gets Deeks back he really needs to hear it from you...Eric is close to cracking the encryption on Parker's files...someone's got to help us go through all the files; not to mention whatever we find on Lanni's hard drive," Nell said. "Who better to go through the files than someone who knows her...would know what to look for..."
Callen just nodded, "It's alright...I'll be up in a minute..."
Nell gave him a tight smile, laying a hand on his shoulder in quiet support before going in the building.
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The coroner and the ambulance had departed and the CSI team was packing up the scene when Nell made it upstairs...she met Kensi and Sam in the hall outside the apartment.
"How's G," Sam asked, "Chris had fire in his eyes when he came up here...barely said two words to us before going inside..."
"Callen's fine...he'll be up in a few minutes," Nell assured the man, "how's Deeks?"
Kensi shrugged, looking at the closed door to the apartment, "Chris kicked us all out...wanted to talk to Deeks alone..."
To fill the sudden, uncomfortable silence, Nell filled the two agents in on what she had told Callen.
"So if we can trace Arrow Pharmaceuticals drug trials to the bogus testing sites we can finally shut them down: if this company is willing to do illegal testing then I bet they wouldn't have a problem with doctoring the results to get their FDA approval either..." Sam commented.
"...which means there could be ineffectual drugs out there right now...being used by hospitals and pharmacies..." Nell commented.
"...which could be what Parker found...what got him killed...?" Kensi said.
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Chris stood just inside the door of the apartment studying the man on the couch. He needed to get through his friends veil of self-recrimination that had bubbled to the surface...again...thanks to well-meaning but misspoken words of concern issued from a man Chris knew Deeks held in high regard. And thus did the seed of a plan take root...
"Hey Marty...heard you had a hell of an afternoon..." Chris said, sitting on the coffee table in front of the lax, unfocused detective, "...but the EMT's got you patched up...you're good to go..."
The man didn't move or acknowledge he heard his friend.
"Come on Marty...your tech has just about got those files decrypted on Lanni's flash drive...gonna be a lot of stuff to go through..." Chris continued, nudging Deeks leg in an attempt to elicit a response.
This time he got a response, just not the one he was looking for, as the man on the coach looked up at him with watery, pain filled eyes and gasped out hoarsely, "Lanni...Lanni's dying and Kensi..." now Deeks looked at his bandaged hands, "...Callen's right...can't protect my team...can't protect Kensi...danger...all my fault..."
"Like hell it is...your agent Callen is an ass..." Chris said with a disgusted snort, "what the hell does he know..."
Chris just raised his eyebrows in challenge when Deeks head shot up to meet his gaze, as the ADA continued flippantly, "Come on...he, can't be much of a team leader if he can't read his own people...know your strengths...your weaknesses..."
Angry now, Deeks moved forward in his seat, "you don't know anything...he knows us—trusts us to kno—"
Deeks suddenly stopped and met Chris's expectant gaze, the ADA asking casually, "...know what...?"
Deeks slumped back into the couch with a heavy sigh, "I hate it when you do that, ya' know..."
"Do what," Chris asked with mock innocence.
"You knew I'd defend him..."
Chris just smirked, before adding, "I haven't seen this team in action very long...but what I have seen, is that they are good people and they care about you..."
Deeks just nodded, as Chris continued, "There is no denying that your agent Callen could have voiced his concerns a little better, but his intent was never to hurt you..."
"I know..." Deeks said with a sigh.
"So, you got your head back in the game—ready to get back to work," Chris asked, standing.
Deeks nodded and slowly rose from the couch to follow Chris out of the apartment.
Chris and Deeks were met by four hesitant faces upon entering the hallway.
"Deeks," Kensi questioned hesitantly, laying a hand gently on his arm.
The detective gave his partner a small smile, "I'm good...I'm sorry..."
"Stop, we know who needs to be apologizing...and it isn't you," Callen interrupted.
Chris shot the two men pointed looks before signaling to the others to head to the vehicles.
As the rest of the team make their way to the elevators, Deeks and Callen stood uncomfortably, looking anyplace but each other.
Finally Callen said, "Look, I didn't mean it like it sounded...I know you would never purposefully put Kensi or anyone else on this team in danger...I didn't think—I just wanted you to back down, take care of yourself: you damn near died today..."
"It was just too much like before...with Taylor...and now with Lanni..." Deeks said, "...and it scared me because I knew you were right..."
When Callen tried to interrupt, Deeks held up a staying hand and continued, "...yes, you were right. Right now I am a liability in the field...but I can still investigate this case...and I can trust the rest of my team to watch out for each other when I'm not out there with them..."
Callen nodded and clapped a hand on Deeks shoulder, saying with a seriousness tempered by the knowing smirk crossing the senior agents face, "and just for the record, detective, I never had any intention of benching you..."
From their places in the vehicles, the rest of the team watched as the two men came out of the complex.
Nell looked over at Chris, who wore a small smile, commenting, "...so it looks like our boys made up?"
The two men split at the curb; Callen climbing into the SUV with Sam while Deeks climbed into the car with Kensi.
"You good now, G," Sam asked and received a nod in response.
"You and Callen okay now," Kensi asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, we're good..." Deeks said.
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