Set anytime in the series after Deeks joins the fun. Deeks has a secret.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one. I'm just writing them as I want to see them.

Thank you to those of you that have read this story and an EXTRA BIG THANK YOU to those that reviewed, followed and favorite this story. I've enjoyed writing it.

I know very little about MMA fighting. If I've gotten something wrong about MMA or the UFC such as the training or fight scheduling, please remember this is just a story. Don't hunt me down, I wouldn't survive a fight. What you can do is send me a PM or add a comment to the review you leave with any help you want to give me regarding the story. A few of you have and I have found it VERY helpful. An Extra Thank you to K0nflicti0n for the help and inspiration for this chapter.

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The conversation with the Petty Officer's parents was a little disheartening. They were good people and awful things were headed their way. They were still so proud of their daughter. They didn't believe for a moment that she was guilty of what she was being accused of doing.

Deeks sat at their kitchen table with them, his hands wrapped around a cup of hot coffee while listening to them talk about their daughter. When his phone rang he checked the caller ID and saw the caller was Callen, "Excuse me but I have to take this. I apologize." Kensi looked a question at him. "Callen" was all he said before he stepped out on to the front porch. "Callen, what's up?"

"You guys are done. Eric and Nell discovered the Petty Officer was accidently granted access to the site she was seaarching. She was just trying to figure out what the site was and what she was supposed to do with it."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. Come on back, you're done."

"We drove two hours to get here for a computer glitch." Deeks scratched the top of his head and looked heaven-wards. He was astounded to say the least. "Can I at least tell these people that their daughter isn't in any trouble?" Deeks asked.

"Feel free. See you both back at ops." And Callen closed out the call.

Deeks went back into the house and explained what had happened. Within 15 minutes they were leaving the farmhouse and Kensi was driving them back to LA.

Before they actually left the small town, Deeks spotted a small café and pointed at it, "Kens, let's get some food."

As it was food, he figured Kensi would be more than willing to stop for a bite and he was correct. She immediately pulled the car over, parked it and got out to wait for Deeks.

Their lunch was good but devoid of any meaningful conversation. There was teasing and laughter and flirting but nothing else. Kensi wanted to bring up the bruises again but refrained. She wasn't sure he would talk to her about them yet but really hoped he was bring up the subject. Deeks on the other hand knew she wanted to talk about the bruises and waited for her to bring it up since he wasn't about to. Since neither was willing to broach the subject their lunch didn't take long and soon they were back on the road.

Once on the road Deeks pretended to be asleep for two reasons: 1) to delay the conversation he knew Kensi wanted to have and 2) he needed to decide what to do about Neil. As he laid there with his eyes closed, he realized that lunch was the first time in weeks that he was relaxing and laughing and it felt good. He couldn't keep this schedule and training up. He had a fight in 3 weeks and he was flat worn out. He hadn't been surfing or hanging out with Kensi; no down time at all. It really wasn't much of a surprise when his pretending to sleep actually resulted in his sleeping the rest of the way back to the Mission.

After Kensi woke him up she watched his face and saw the strain. Deeks saw she was about to ask him something but cut her off, "Not yet, Kens. Please."

"Ok. But soon."

He nodded his head in agreement before getting out of the car. They went into the Mission because they still had paperwork to fill out and about 3 hours before the end of their day. Deeks put his bag down at this desk but before sitting down to attempt his paperwork he walked over to talk to Hetty.

"Hetty, do you have a minute?"

"Mr. Deeks. What can I do for you?" Hetty indicated for Deeks to have a seat.

"As you know I have a fight coming up in Chicago." He hadn't told her, but this was Hetty after all, he was sure she knew.

"Yes, in three weeks Mr. Deeks."

"I need the week of the fight off. Not the whole week, well actually…I would like…" He sat back in the chair, took a deep breath and tried again, "I would like to take off the Wednesday before and come back on the following Wednesday."

"You have 8 days of personal time accrued. As long as we don't get a case that requires your participation, I think I can approve the time off." Hetty smiled at him. "How's the training?"

He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "Very tough." He stood up, "Thank you." She nodded her head in acknowledgement and he went back to his desk to finish out the day.

As the day ended and the team was packing up for the night, Callen surprised them, "Anybody up for a beer?"

"You buying G?" Sam asked.

"First round at least." Callen replied.

"Then I'm in," Sam said.

Kensi was next to agree, "Me too. Deeks?"

"Not to tonight, guys. I've already got plans." He informed them with a wicked, shit-eating grin; purposefully leaving them with the impression that his plans were sexual in nature.

Kensi looked a little hurt but he didn't let that stop him. He finished packing his bag and headed out for his true plans, another hellish training session with 'the devil's spawn'.

He arrived at the gym and Neil was waiting for him. "Get warmed up, we've got work to do." Neil was all business.

Deeks warmed up and headed into the ring. He squared off with a new sparring partner and the training started. It wasn't long before Deeks realized that Neil had prepped this new guy because he found every one of Deeks' weaknesses and he quickly found himself on the mat, struggling to fight his way out of it. Finally he just yelled "ENOUGH!" and stopped moving, dropped his arms to the mat.

Shock registered on his partner's face as he stopped fighting and stepped back. Neil came stood over him, "What the hell, Jason?"

"I have had enough."

"You've gotta train. You have fight in three weeks."

Deeks stood up and started to remove his gloves, "I know. But I can barely raise my arms, I'm covered in bruises and I am burned out! I'm taking tonight off."

"You can't! You HAVE TO TRAIN!" Neil yelled back.

Deeks took a couple of deep breaths as he was leaving the ring and walking away from Neil. But Neil didn't let it go and walked around Deeks to block his path to the locker room.

"Did you hear me?"

Deeks blew up at him, "God Neil, you should know better! As a former fighter and especially now as a trainer you should know better. I know you are new to training but come on." Neil just looked at him. "It's not going to make me a better fighter to beat me up every night." Deeks stared him in the eye and stressed, "We will do cardio and strength and speed training but I'm NOT getting back into the ring to take another beating from whomever you find to beat me." He took a deep breath. "The fight is in 3 weeks and I will be ready for it. I will either win or I will lose. But right now, I'm taking a break."

Deeks left a stunned trainer behind him as he walked around Neil. When he entered the locker room he muttered to himself, "At least I know why no one else would train with him."

Deeks showered and changed back into his street clothes. He sat on the bench to put on his socks & boots wondering which would be better to do, go home and sleep or meet the team for a drink. He thought about it for all of 2 seconds before reaching for his phone and texting Kensi, asking where they were.

The text came back within a couple of seconds telling him where they were. He replied that he was on his way. Smiling he left the gym and headed out to find his team and friends.