AN: I'm very glad other people enjoyed this! Your feedback means so much to me. Chap. 2 is probably my favorite of the story, I'm trying to make the others live up to it.

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It didn't take long for Callen to make good on his promise to get out of Deeks why he wanted to stay away from the Donatacci family. He accomplished this by winning Rock Paper Scissors – best out of three rounds.

"Don't make bets you can't handle," Callen suggested, while Deeks fumed.

Deeks had tried to take it gracefully and failed. "I know you cheated."

"You can't cheat at Rock Paper Scissors," Callen said.

Sam leaned back in his chair. "It's called psychologically studying your opponent, Deeks. There's no rule against that."

"Callen doesn't cheat," Nell confirmed. "Otherwise, he'd win against me more than just occasionally."

Callen sat up straighter in his chair. "Is that a challenge I hear?"

She assessed him critically. "Nah, I don't see much of one."

"You're on." He dramatically cleared off space on his desk.

"You do know we don't need the desk?" She asked.

"Get over here, best two out of three." He waited for her to sit on the edge of the desk and held up his hand. "Rock, paper, scissors, go." He threw paper and Nell countered with scissors. She took great delight in aggressively 'cutting' his hand in her victory.

"Ouch," Deeks said sympathetically, inwardly delighted at Nell's easy victory. It was always fun to watch their lead agent get taken down a peg; Nell doing it added a cosmic justice in his eyes. Callen was practically asking for it by challenging her.

"He almost always starts with paper." Nell slid off the desk to turn and face the rest of the group. She spoke with clinically detached gravity; she could have been explaining the motives of a killer. "Especially when he's coming off a victory over another opponent," she spared a glance at Deeks, "weak though that opponent may be."

Deeks resented her jibe, and Callen wasn't offended in the slightest at how easily she'd read him. "You're right," Callen told Nell. "I like to start with paper because it's the least threatening of the signs, it makes my opponent think I'm weaker than I am. It lulls them into a false sense of security and gives me the upper hand for the rest of the game."

"How's that working for you, G?" Sam asked. "She just cut your hand in half."

Callen smiled in appreciation. "It means I have a worthy opponent. Sorry, Deeks."

Deeks threw up his hands in dismay. "Can't you two get through a round without insulting me? Twice?"

Kensi was shaking her head. "That would take most of the fun out of it."

They played again – Callen threw scissors, Nell threw rock. She 'broke' the scissors and wondered if taking a bow would be too much. Probably. She did it anyway.

"The second round is trickier," Nell addressed Callen instead of the group this time. "Since you lost the first round, your automatic instinct is to go aggressive. However, rock is too aggressive of a move right after you've thrown paper. You know I'm more likely to copy the paper idea, since I've just seen it." She turned to Deeks. "Statistically, people are more likely to use a sign they saw in the previous round."

"Logical thinking," Sam nodded. Kensi was also rapt with attention, and Deeks wondered if they'd planned this out as some kind of skit to mess with him.

"Which means…" Nell gestured for Deeks to fill in the rest.

"Uh…it means…explain that last part again?"

"It means Callen thought I'd choose paper, which meant he couldn't choose rock, or he'd lose. He compromised with scissors, thinking it'd be an easy win."

"And you chose rock to beat scissors," Kensi nodded, clapping her hands together with emphasis. "Makes sense."

"No. No, it doesn't," Deeks was thoroughly confused. "There's no way you could know what he's going to choose."

"And yet I did."

"Three out of five," Callen suggested, since he'd technically just lost two out of three.

"I object, since you've already lost," Deeks said, in case anyone cared what he thought. "But I'll allow it because I'm enjoying watching you get beaten. Keep it up, Nell."

Kensi wanted to make sure Deeks wasn't taking any pride in this. "You do realize that just because Nell is winning, it doesn't mean you lost any less pathetically, right?"

"No, Nell and I are in sync, her wins are my wins. In spirit." Deeks winked at Nell, who shot him a sympathetic smile that didn't make him feel better.

"I'll accept three out of five," Nell agreed.

"Then let's go." Deeks leaned forward, presumably to watch the action more closely and figure out Nell's way of thinking.

Callen won his first round when he chose rock and Nell chose scissors. He raised his arm, as if he were going to 'smash' the scissors as hard as he could, and Nell was set to take the pain like a champ, shutting her eyes. However, Callen stopped at the last second and tapped her hand with his own.

"Going easy on her, huh?" Deeks wasn't impressed, remembering the pain when Callen had hit him after winning the same move.

"He's smarter than you," Kensi whispered.

Callen ignored them, addressing Nell. "I suppose guessing is as good as your well-thought out strategy, huh? I took a chance on rock, and won."

She wanted to argue, but he was actually right. On a whim, she'd picked scissors, which she'd seen him play in the previous round.

"A rare misstep, Nell." Sam shook his head in dismay.

"I've got this," she assured everyone.

But she didn't. Callen won the next round when she threw rock and he chose paper.

"Damn it," she muttered, as he covered her hand. He didn't let go and pulled her closer.

"What was that about going aggressive after losing a round? You fell for your own trap by choosing rock – a trap you laid out for me two minutes ago. Do you need some pointers before we continue on?"

She wrenched her hand away from him. "You wish."

"What, no explanations for how you plan to win?" Callen taunted. "How quickly the teacher becomes the student. You've been outlining your strategy for me this whole time. I just took your open playbook and used it against you."

"This is too tense," Kensi said, biting her thumbnail. "I don't know what to do. I can't look away."

"I thought it was a simple game of chance," Deeks lamented. "My entire life view has been flipped upside down."

"You're tied, two to two," Sam reminded them. "It comes down to this round. Winner takes all."

Callen stood, jumping up and down a few times. He felt the moment called for it.

"What does the winner get?" Kensi asked, realizing they'd never set stakes.

Callen thought for a minute. "If I win, Deeks tells his story like he was supposed to, but hoped we forgot about."

"Agreed, and if I win…" Nell pretended to think. "Deeks tells his story."

"Unfair stakes!" Deeks exclaimed.

"You already lost, remember?" Kensi rolled her eyes.

"Yeah like a year ago," he muttered. "You realize we've spent an extremely long time watching two people play Rock Paper Scissors."

"Silence," Callen ordered everyone. "I need to prepare."

"Yeah you do." Nell opened and closed her hand, as if it were an exercise that would ensure her win.

He stepped closer until she had to tilt her head to look up at him. "You're going down."

"What am I thinking, Agent Callen?"

"It doesn't matter what you're thinking. I'm analyzing every round we've played today. I know what you're going to choose. The question is: can you outmaneuver my outmaneuvering of you?"

Nell didn't know how she kept a straight face at that. "Since we apparently both know what I'm going to play, it'd be pretty stupid of me to still choose it – wouldn't it? Or is that your strategy?"

"Oh man, I lost track of what was going on like twelve minutes ago." Deeks rubbed his hands over his face.

"Just do it," Kensi pleaded. "I'm not good at waiting. Or suspense. Suspenseful waiting is the worst."

Callen and Nell both threw rock. Then they both threw scissors. Then rock again. "This is going nowhere fast," Callen remarked. "This time, Nell, don't pick the same thing I pick."

"Maybe you're picking the one that I am," Nell countered. "Ever think of that?"

They both threw paper and it was like the space between them froze for a moment. Without saying anything, they both moved forward slightly to shake hands. And that was that.

Deeks scratched his head. "What's going on? Was that paper? Did you both choose some weird, handshake version of paper?"

"Yes, and it was the fourth time we picked the same thing. So we conceded," Nell informed everyone.

"I've never heard of a 'fourth time' rule, and you can't concede," Deeks argued. "The game doesn't work that way."

"I don't know," Sam put in. "They both did it, I think it's game over."

"No one won?" Kensi asked, sounding disappointed.

"The point you're missing, Kensi, is that no one has to win," Callen explained. "Deeks already lost. He still has to tell us his story."

Nell fell into the chair at Callen's desk and propped her chin on her hand. "Should we have popcorn for this?"

Deeks paced to the far side of the room before turning back with reluctance. "It's nothing sensational or anything I'm particularly proud of."

Kensi was immediately intrigued. "Did you work with them at one point? Petty crime?"

"No," he scowled and surveyed the room. They weren't going to let it go, and besides, he did have an obligation to tell them if anything from his past might interfere with their operation. He heaved a sigh before admitting, "I dated Salvatore's daughter Sylvia."

"That's it?" Sam sounded let down. "That's hardly newsworthy."

"I was a kid, it was like fifteen years ago, before I joined the LAPD. Before I had any interest in law enforcement, actually. I didn't know who Salvatore Donatacci was, but his daughter was beautiful and smart and…she might have fallen in love with me. I didn't exactly feel the same about her. I mean she was wonderful, but we had our differences that she overlooked more easily than I did. Mostly, I wasn't ready for the commitment."

Kensi knew her partner better than any of them and easily predicted where this was going. "What did you do?"

"I broke up with her. She didn't take it well, and neither did her father. Or her brothers, uncles, cousins, that great step-aunt –"

"Wait a minute," Nell knew it didn't add up. "Relationships come and go, especially with young people. It's hardly anything to get that worked up about. How long were you together?"

"Two years, give or take." Deeks hoped they'd accept that and drop it. He should have known better.

"I'm not buying it," Callen said. "No way an entire family hates you so much that you don't want to see them over a decade later."

"What. Did. You. Do?" Kensi repeated.

Deeks sat at his own desk, overcome by an air of defeat. "I might have broken up with her…via letter."

"You ended a two year relationship by writing her a letter?" Kensi barely kept herself from shouting.

He cringed. "A letter where I lied and said I was going to war."

"What war was there in the late 90's?" Nell's question was mostly rhetorical.

"I didn't exactly think ahead. It seemed romantic at the time. I thought she'd hold a torch for me for a little while, and then move on."

"Real charming," Callen noted, as Sam coughed 'coward' under his breath.

"Cut me some slack, I was afraid, I was terrified," Deeks tried to explain. "You don't get it, I found out who her father was and her family wasn't as powerful as they are today, but we'd heard stories and I decided I didn't want to end up in a river somewhere because Sylvia grew sick of me one day, or I overheard something I shouldn't have. Admittedly, hindsight is 20/20…if I'd been more of a man about it, it might not have caused the problems it did."

Kensi wished she could say any of this surprised her, but it sounded like something that would have happened to him. Or rather, that he'd have caused to happen to himself. "Don't tell me she still thinks you're fighting some imaginary war."

"No, the ruse didn't last long. I stayed with a friend in another town for a couple weeks and Sylvia, uh…she caught me when I went home to get more clothes."

"This is getting more pathetic by the minute," Sam said, with no small amount of glee. "Please, go on."

"She'd told my mom what I'd done. My mom yelled at me. Sylvia yelled at me. I thought I was going to be buried in cement for every day of the next three months. It was a bad time, guys. I don't want to relive it and this is already triggering flashbacks. Let's say I've avoided them for a long time now, and I've stayed away from any cases involving her family."

"Ah," Sam sat back and steepled his hands together. "Young love. Casts quite the long shadow."

"At least you don't have to worry you ruined the rest of her relationships by comparing everyone to you," Nell offered. "After that, I'm sure everyone she dated seemed like a better choice."

"Yeah, she got married a few years ago. He's in prison now." Deeks shrugged, as if to say 'what can you do?'

"As sad as that story is, I'm sure she and her family have moved on," Kensi tried to cheer him up.

"Probably. I'd be a distraction, though, and I intend to keep my distance from them. It's a shame, because Sylvia and I could have had a future, if her family weren't entirely comprised of criminals. I could have gotten past my commitment issues. Maybe. A few years, or ten, and –"

"Ten? Yeah, I think maybe she's the one who dodged a bullet," Callen said.

"Her husband is a convicted felon! Are you saying that's better than me?"

He was met with silence from everyone. "Very funny."

"Aww," Kensi walked by him and ruffled his hair as he batted her hands away. "We still love you, Deeks. Why else would we have kept you around this long?"

"My striking good looks? My unparalleled brilliance? My –"

"And the moment's gone." Kensi kicked his chair and he had to grab his desk to keep from toppling over.

Deeks actually felt pretty good about sharing his story. "This was nice, to get it out in the open. Like a weight's been lifted. Want to hear about my next girlfriend after Sylvia? Lynn was fantastic, I mean she did tie me up and throw me in that lake, but –"

"We are not your therapists, Deeks," Callen cut the story short, to everyone's disappointment. "What you need is a professional. Or at least date women who don't want to kill you."

"Ha!" Kensi laughed. "Good luck with that one."

Deeks didn't think they understood him. "I know how to play the game, alright? It's not my fault that I attract…passionate women."

"You have to want help before you accept it. We're here for you." Callen was only half joking.

"Like I'd ever take dating advice from you," Deeks scoffed. "You'd probably intentionally lead me astray."

Sam didn't see how that could make things any worse. "I don't think it's possible for anyone to sabotage you more than you do to yourself."

Deeks shot him a wry look. "Married people are especially not welcome to give me advice. What if I ended up…" he shuddered, "married?"

Kensi felt obligated to back up that sentiment. "That would be terrible…for any woman stuck with you."

"Marriage isn't that bad, Deeks," Sam tried to argue. "It has its benefits. Like she can't leave you that easily. She really has to fight her way out, and usually it's not worth the pain or the expense. You being, well…you, would probably benefit from it."

"Why does your explanation of marriage sound a lot like keeping someone chained in your basement?" Callen arched a brow at his partner.

"Michelle is one lucky woman," Nell said wryly, then feigned alarm as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Has anyone actually talked to her lately?"

Sam threw a pen in her general direction. Nell ducked and it hit Callen who was standing behind her. He flung it back at his partner even as he told Nell, "I can confirm, she wasn't in shackles last week."

"Last week?" Nell sounded skeptical, and everyone turned to Sam.

"Michelle is not locked in the basement," Sam promised. "Besides, none of you are in any position to judge. Get back to me after ten years of marriage, we'll see how you feel."

"I don't think I'd keep my wife locked up," Callen smirked. "Well…unless she deserved it."

"It's all fun and games, huh? Women can be crazy, too," Nell warned him. "You go to bed one night, and never wake up. And everyone's like, 'Hey, where'd Callen go?' and your wife says 'I don't know, he went to the store and never came back' and no one can ever find you. But for the next five years, your house has the most beautiful lawn and the flowers are always the first to bloom in the spring."

Dead silence met her. "God, Nell…" Callen took a few steps backwards.

Sam frowned. "G, didn't you just buy a woodchipper?"

"I don't want it now!" He exclaimed. "Not if I'm going to end up in it. You want it, Sam?"

"Hell no," Sam said. "That's just wrong, Nell."

"My point, exactly," she said. "Women can be sociopaths. How well do you really know anyone?"

"Anyone? No idea. You? Too damn well." Callen sounded a bit disturbed.

"You guys aren't making marriage sound that appealing," Deeks informed them. "Or relationships in general."

"It's a matter of perspective," Sam admitted.

Callen decided to sum it up for him. "Everyone knows if you want a quality relationship, you have to put in the time and the effort."

"You're forgetting luck," Deeks reminded him. "Some of us definitely have more luck than others."

"Ever hear the saying 'you make your own luck'?" Callen asked.

"Sure, take credit for something completely out of your control."

"I make it happen, my friend," Callen said, half jokingly. He gestured to himself for emphasis. "This is skill. And years of refining myself into the perfect specimen you see before you."

"You should consider stand-up, G," Sam suggested.

Deeks gave Callen the benefit of the doubt, though. "You know, I suppose I can see it."

Nell started laughing, and Kensi sent Deeks an odd look before announcing it was time to call it a night. "Deeks, you and Callen can continue this conversation in private."

"I'll walk you out," Sam told her, shaking his head at Deeks as they left.

Nell found herself genuinely curious as she turned to Deeks. "Callen won you over awfully quick."

Deeks thought about it. "That's because I'm a reasonable man, Nell. I'll give Callen some credit for where he's ended up in life. He's earned it." He waited a beat before telling Callen, "You're still one of the luckiest men I know."

"I never said I disagreed with that," Callen replied, as he gathered his things to leave.

Nell threw her arms around Deeks in an impromptu hug. "And you're one of the sweetest men I know."

He wouldn't argue that. "Tell some of your friends, huh?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "The ones who matter already know."

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