7. "...I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other." - Jojo Moyes, "Me Before You"
April 13, 2010
"You got a 2008 Ford F-150?" Morales asked as he walked up to Deeks, who was leaning on his Jeep outside his home, bags packed and ready to go.
"I can get what you need," Deeks said with a sigh.
"Automatic V6?"
"No. The V6 is only a five speed. V8 gets you a stick or automatic. Migs, I'm a salesman, not a trivia guy."
"Some buyer asks you for something you should know and don't..."
"I'll tell him I'm a middle man who sells cars, not makes or repairs them. Bates got one of those new iPads and he's loading up the trucks we've stolen," Deeks threw air quotes around the word, "lojacked and are moving them to our scumbag friends in Abu Sayyaf." Deeks smiled. "Besides, if you really want a workhorse truck that takes a licking and keeps on driving, the F-150's are good but I got some 2007 and 2008 Tacomas for you and while they're a V6, they're in-freaking-destructible. You can't wreck 'em. I also have some Yukons..."
"OK Willy Loman," Morales up his hands up in surrender. "If you're girl doesn't get here soon..."
"OK, first, she's not my girl."
"You had a date Friday night and if I looked at your phone right now, what are the chances I'd find a copy of that picture I took of the two of you all dressed up for your date."
"We worked a case undercover, not a date. And why did you take that picture?"
"So that's not a denial about the picture."
"Just because you found true love on an assignment in Thailand doesn't mean we're all looking to make a love connection."
"You could use a love connection."
"Why is it that every engaged guy's first goal is to get all his buddies engaged?"
"Besides the fact that you're assuming we're buddies maybe I want you to be as happy as I am."
"I just need to give Agent Blye some paperwork. Then I get to go back to work and that's all I've wanted for months."
"All work and no play makes Marty a dull boy."
Deeks shook his head. "No work and all rehab made Marty a bored boy. I had this assignment set up for weeks and was waiting for the funding to come through. Then I get myself gutted in Afghanistan hours after the assignment is approved and if I wasn't ready for the May 1st start date, they were assigning it to Reardon, who has been riding a desk for two years with his super-secret spy spray project. He looks like a freaking boy scout. I look like a stolen car salesman."
"He said with pride," Morales joked. "Nobody thought you were faking it and you know as well as I do that Bates would have figured out a way to move the money for the mission into June or July. This was always your assignment."
The Silver Caddy made its way to Deeks's drive way. "Oh good, your girlfriend is here."
"Agent Blye is here. Speaking of girlfriends, is Vita definitely coming this weekend?"
"Meets with her advisors tomorrow because her internship is done. She has to have her thesis in by April 28th. She can write it here or in her shitty room in Suitland. She's writing it here."
"While I'm always pleased to have the lovely Lt. Figueroa stay in my home, I expect you to be a gentleman and allow her to sleep in my room while you remain in the guest room."
"Oh Deeks, you're funny," Morales chuckled. "Agent Blye, good to see you," he waved over to Kensi as she got out of the SUV. "I'll leave you to make a love connection. And while you're gone, Lt. Figueroa and I will enjoy your hospitality, take care of your dog and make sure no teen pop idols befoul your possessions with their barely legal girlfriends. We plan befoul your possessions instead."
Kensi walked up. "Major Morales, you're still here?"
"Studying for the bar, ma'am. I'll be here until late July when I fly home to take the exam. Then off to wherever they send me. I'll leave you with this guy. It was a pleasure working with you, ma'am. If you and Agents Callen and Hanna need a hand, well, there's only so much contract law a man can study."
"Thank you Major for the offer and your help Friday. And we may take you up on that offer."
Deeks looked at Morales. "Remember what I said, separate rooms. My house, my rules."
"You're nuts," he said before turning serious. "Don't make anyone come get you this time. Semper Fi, my brother," Morales said, beating his chest twice.
"Take care of Monty," Deeks said with a smile before beating his chest twice. "Non sibi sed patriae," Deeks said seriously.
Deeks watched Morales walk to his house before turning his attention to Agent Blye. "Sorry about that. Rituals, what can you do?" he said to Kensi, "Thank you for coming."
"You said you needed to see me," she pointed to his uniform. "You're a Seabee now?"
"I get sent uniforms by the Admiral and that's what I wear. I'm just back from Afghanistan and on my way to DC, according to my uniform and paperwork."
"You're officially back on duty?" Kensi asked.
"Yes ma'am. Tommy is talking to "60 Minutes" Thursday with a DoD PR expert helping him out, the Pans have been very cooperative since they want access to Xue-Li and her child. The FBI and NSA are rounding up spies in sixteen states and the District of Columbia. Chinese Intelligence is in full meltdown because Ming-hua "call me Mike" Pan is willing to tell all for his wife's freedom and asylum. You're getting the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, I'm getting a ribbon for the real uniform I never wear and America is just a little safer. A good week's worth of work."
"So you brought me here to say goodbye," Kensi said quietly.
"No, well, yes but first, if you need anything related to this case, call Chief Petty Officer Jackie Thompson in Admiral Bates's office. She actually runs Naval Intelligence. She just allows the Admiral to think he's in charge," Deeks joked.
"CPO Thompson, got it."
"Second, I got you this," he said as he reached over to a gift bag sitting on his Jeep's front passenger's seat.
"For me?" Kensi smiled as she pulled the tissue paper out of the bag.
"For you."
She pulled the gift out of the box. "A box set of the four "Lethal Weapon" movies and a "Men in Black" DVD...gee, thanks."
"I didn't get you "Men in Black II" because it was awful."
"Thanks. I'll be sure to clear my calendar for these."
"I also got you this," he said in a much more serious tone. He handed her a thumb drive. "This is everything Naval Intelligence has on the disappearance of Agent Vail." Deeks was surprised to hear Kensi gasp. "There isn't much. Major Martin Vail, awesome first name by the way, is well liked in the Intelligence community and a good guy even if he is Army. He was the go-to logistics genius at the Pentagon until he retired two years back. Agent Vail's mother has worked for Senator Lockhart since he got to DC. CIA, FBI, DEA, ONI, MCIA, DIA, every agency is looking for him. This is what they have. Honestly, it isn't much."
"Thank you," Kensi was nearly breathless.
"I've put an alert in my portfolio. If any agency I have direct contact with hears anything about Agent Vail, I'll be sent the info on a secure server. I'll make sure someone calls you if I can't."
"Command...Marty,"
"Deeks," he corrected her.
"Deeks, thank you. I don't know what to say."
"Tommy owes us a meal when I get back. Maybe we can share it with Agent Vail."
Kensi flashed a big smile. "That would be nice. When are you leaving?"
"Now. There is a transport landing at Edwards about noon. I'm off to Suitland and then to locations undisclosed."
"How long are you going to be gone?"
Deeks just looked at her.
"Yes I know better. I was just wondering when Tommy will take us to Neptune's Net."
"You and I can finish our meal at Neptune's Net some other time. Tommy is taking us to the Palm or Studio. We earned it."
"Yes we did," Kensi looked down and took a deep breath. "Well, be safe, thank you for the DVDs and really thank you for the files on Dom."
"If you haven't heard from me when you find Agent Vail, call CPO Thompson. I want to hear how you saved the day," he said.
"Be safe Commander," Kensi said quietly as she turned to walk to her car. His phone chirped with a one word text message from Morales - "Schmuck."
He took a look at his phone and at Agent Blye as she was walking away. He walked briskly behind her, closing the gap before she got to her vehicle. "One last thing," he said as she turned around. He leaned in and gave her a long kiss goodbye. When he finally pulled away she just stared at him. "Don't worry Fern," he said with a smile and a wink. "I'll be back."
October 5, 2010
The ping of his alarm clock woke him up. Clean up days when an assignment was over always made him antsy. The vehicles were all online and Bates was pleased with how Deeks spread around Reardon's Overwatch spray. Two of his clients showed up in North Korea which was the talk of the U.S. intelligence communities. He packed his suits and had them FedEx'd home two days earlier. The Navy's tech whiz was coming to pull out all the special secure wiring in his undercover apartment.
And then the building exploded. He was in a pile of rubble when he felt someone shake him. "Mr. Martin? Mr. Martin? We've landed," the attractive flight attendant with Alma on her name tag told him. "We're in LA."
It took Deeks a second to get his bearings. He slept for the entire five-hour flight from Hawaii. Unreal. And the pain kicked in as he moved. Great, all beat up and now stiff - it would be a glorious walk to the cab stand. "Is it alright if I use the restroom?"
"Of course. The plane is empty. We waited until everyone deplaned before waking you. It was the least we could do," Alma said.
"Thank you," he said making his way to the lavatory. After relieving himself, he saw his reflection in the restroom mirror as he washed his hands. He hoped it was the shitty lighting because the man he saw looking back was terrifying. Stepping out of the lavatory, the pilot was waiting for him.
"I just wanted to shake your hand, sir," Capt. Anderson said extending his hand. "It takes a brave man to run into a pile of rubble to save children he only saw a few times jogging." The Captain gave Deeks a hardy handshake before handing the gym bag with Deeks's few belongings bought in Hawaii - including the gym bag. "I don't understand how anyone could blow up an apartment building where innocent civilians live."
"I don't understand how anyone could park a car bomb next to an apartment building, sir, innocent civilians or not. I'm just glad the children were safe and only the building was lost." Well, the building, his new fancy iPad, five months' worth of field notes and a rug he found that would have looked awesome in his bedroom.
"Sadly, fifteen years in the Air Force showed me that people do terrible things to one another in this world. People like you remind us all that there are good and decent souls out there."
"Well thank you for your service to our country, sir," Deeks said, playing civilian with ease as he walked to the plane door. "And thank you for getting us safely home."
"Are you sure you don't want a wheelchair Mr. Martin? It's not a problem for us..." Alma started to ask.
"I walked through this airport to go to Davao City, I'm walking home," Deeks said with a smile. Of course, he was going to flop into a cab and then his own bed. His own bed sounded awful good.
Deeks slowly walked down the gangway to the terminal. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the terminal and returned to life as Marty Deeks. He saw Special Agent Kensi Blye standing with a wheelchair and a sign reading "Derek Martin" in the waiting area.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Martin, I thought you could use a lift." Kensi's smile hadn't changed in nearly six months, that was for sure. And it was glorious.
"Am I under investigation for something?" he asked, hoping it would be a joke.
"No," she said quietly, getting serious. "I saw the name Derek Martin in an intelligence report two weeks ago. He's an L.A.-based pharmaceutical salesman working in the Philippines. He was jogging past a luxury apartment complex, waving to three kids waiting for a school bus when a car bomb exploded."
"Really? I've been out of the country, this is all news to me."
"Well, if you sit down, I'll be happy to tell you what I know."
"The bag can go on the chair," Deeks dropped the gym bag strap from his shoulder to the wheelchair seat, "but I'm walking."
"Are you always this difficult?"
"No. But if I can walk, I walk." The two started to walk through Terminal Two slowly. Of course, the plane landed at the furthest gate. "Listen, uhm, I'm sorry about Agent Vail."
"You heard?" Kensi asked with a small hitch in her voice.
Deeks could have told her he was at ONI when the video of Agent Vail showed up; how Bates had everyone related to Naval Intelligence on alert in six continents to offer aid to anyone who needed help rescuing Agent Vail; how they all watched the failed rescue - with Deeks himself pointing out NCIS's main players - and were sickened by the outcome. He could. But he didn't. "We heard, I heard, just before I left. I am sorry."
"He died a hero. He was a good man."
"After working with your team a few months ago, I have no doubt."
They walked a few steps quietly before he heard Kensi take a deep breath. "So about this Derek Martin."
"Great last name but it works better as a first name," Deeks said with a smile.
"And a good man. Staying at a five star hotel on a long business trip. Jogged in the area near the hotel every day."
"Dope. There probably was a gym in that five star hotel and trust me, it is hot and humid every freaking day in Davao City."
"Dope, maybe, but good man. Use to wave hi to some kids waiting for a school bus every morning outside their parents' luxury apartment building. Running by one morning a car bomb took out the backside of the building where the children lived."
"Terrible people in this world."
"Mr. Martin ran right into the blast area and jumped into the rubble. Found the kids, passed them up to first responders. When he was pulled out of the rubble, he noticed an unattended ambulance."
"Gee, it was as if he knew how terrorists acted in times like that."
"He did - use to sell pharmaceuticals in Bali. And that was a good thing since he noticed the ambulance driver run away from the vehicle and got the first responders to safety. Local military is taking credit for noticing the ambulance but those at the explosion mentioned the American civilian."
"Good man, that Derek Martin. I think I heard there was one death."
"A Dale John Sully. He was a marginal businessman. Seems he was connected to a luxury SUV theft ring in Los Angeles that was selling stolen cars overseas."
"Karma, man, karma."
"So, were you Dale or DJ?"
"Marty Deeks, USN. And seriously, do I look like a Dale or a DJ?"
"No, but you could sell a Sully."
"I could," Deeks said shaking his head. "Besides, the only guy I know with initials for a first name is your Agent Callen. So riddle me this Special Agent Blye, why are you here?"
"I was reading the intelligence report about the Davao City bombing. The name Derek Martin jumped off the page."
"Why are you reading intelligence reports about a random bombing in the Philippines? Don't you have an intelligence analyst for that?"
"Hetty doesn't like intelligence analysts," Kensi replied cryptically.
"OK."
"We divide the intelligence reports among ourselves based on areas of expertise. Callen does Russian and Europe, Sam has the Middle East and Africa. I have Asia and the South Pacific, Renko has North and South America."
"Renko?"
"Special Agent Mike Renko works long term undercover operations for the agency and is temporarily assigned to us. Hetty still hasn't found a replacement for Dom. She said she was close on someone but they stayed with their agency."
Or branch of service, Deeks thought. "OK, so you see Derek Martin, which isn't an exotic or rare name by the way, and think its me."
"Yes. I heard you as Derek Martin. But I've also spoken to Chief Thompson several times after the Pans were arrested. She's great."
"She runs that office."
"She does. I knew she wouldn't confirm or deny but I asked if ONI knew Derek Martin. She said she could confirm that Mr. Martin was flown to the USS George Washington once he was stabilized before returning to Honolulu. Then there was an undercover operative in the intelligence report. He was in Davao City for months, 36-hours on the George Washington and ten days in in Honolulu to supervise the bombing of the terrorist camps and provide after-action reports. Then Derek Martin shows up on a flight manifest."
"And a little NCIS investigative work got my flight."
"Even got Mr. Martin bumped up to first class."
"Ah, so that's how they knew," Deeks said. He wondered why he got the attention of the flight crew and a hero's bump up to first class would do that.
"Hetty made a call. Seems she knows someone at Hawaiian Airlines. Once she mentioned your name, he was familiar with the news out of Davao" They walked passed security and exited the airport. Kensi left the wheelchair with an airline official who told her she could still push Deeks to her car. Deeks declined politely. He figured he did look as bad as he seemed in the plane lavatory.
"Were you in the hospital in Hawaii?" she asked once they were in the parking lot.
"A day. Then the assignment I was on had its payoff so I watched that and then did video conference debriefs because I'm in no shape to go to DC right now," Deeks told her as they got to her SUV.
"So you set up the attacks on the Abu Sayyaf camps in the Philippines?" she asked as he got in the car. After he gave her a look, she said, "I've read the intelligence reports. An undercover operative was in Davao City from May until mid-September selling microchipped vehicles to terrorists in the Philippines. When more than five of the vehicles were in one place at one time, the US military would bomb those locations. There were seventeen attacks in three days."
"Fascinating. Do you tell everyone you pick up at the airport about your work reading material?"
"Only the people who are major players in the reading material. Was the car bomb for you?"
"It served two purposes. The Davao City apartment complex where Mr. Sully was killed had mostly wealthy US expats living there. That's always a place that would be on a terrorist's greatest hits list. A terrorist organization could kill a loose end and make a political statement in one fell swoop."
"You weren't there."
"Went across the street to get some coffee and an American newspaper. I was due back in Los Angeles September 30th. I figured I needed to know about pennant races and other truly American things."
"You could have died."
"Not that day. Any assignment where what was needed to be done was done and you walk home – big win."
"You're walking slowly."
"But I'm walking…And you just missed the exit to my place. If you…"
"I know where I'm going."
"Agent Blye, I'm not…"
"Hungry? I'm hungry."
"I remember you eating before I left. Are you usually hungry? Is that why there are Kit Kat wrappers in you cup holders?"
"We had a long surveillance a few days ago. I didn't have time to clean up."
"A few days ago?"
"So you're a neat freak?"
"You've seen a Naval uniform, haven't you? White is rather unforgiving." He looked out the window and saw Neptune's Net in the distance. "We're going for dinner?"
"I figured you'd it would be a nice welcome home."
"Please don't tell me Tommy's there."
"No, but he's taking us someplace expensive. Did you know he sold his life story to a movie producer? The guy who made the "Lethal Weapon" movies bought the rights. Archie Kao from CSI is up for the role of Tommy."
"Please tell me they got Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for you and me"
"Yeah, right."
"I'm just grateful you knew who they were. Did you watch any of the "Lethal Weapon" movies?"
"Really liked the second one, thought the first and third were OK. Hated the last one."
"Second one was the best. Apartheid-era South African villains with diplomatic immunity – best bad guys ever. And Riggs lived in Malibu."
Deeks smiled as the pulled into the parking lot. The place was empty but it was barely 4PM. Kensi offered to bring him his food – fish tacos with fries, clam chowder and Blue Moon Harvest Ale. He eased himself into a table on the balcony.
Kensi returned with the food. She had a seafood plate that he had no doubt would be clean in minutes along with a bottled ice tea. He opened his beer and raised a toast, "To quote Dorothy Gale, 'there's no place like home.'"
"'The Wizard of Oz,'" she said as she lifted her ice tea bottle.
"Someone signed up for Netflix," he said with a smile. "I told you, Fern, I'd be back."
"Shut up and eat your dinner," she returned his smile. "Welcome home, Commander."
-30-
Thank you all so much for your kind and comments for this story. You are all so generous.
Thank you again to callmesandy/lightedwindows for the AU idea of Deeks in the Navy.
Hopefully the program will provide a better cliffhanger next summer and we can all go AU with that. In the meantime, I have so much reading to catch-up with, I am going to be entertained by these character no matter what.
Thanks again!
Tess
August 10, 2014