This is based on a suggestion by Hoosier65. Pretty sure this is not the direction you were thinking of when you suggested writing something about self-defense, but I gave the plot minions the shot of drugs you recommended and I think I might have messed up the dosage! This is totally not where I planned to go but they had other ideas!
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Chapter 15
Deeks leaned back in his chair, smiling as he listened to Sam chide Kensi about her breakfast choices, which this morning had consisted of three donuts and a large coffee. He agreed that her food selection was not the best, but better for her to be staring daggers at Sam now, instead of him. He chanced a look at Callen, who was trying to hide his grin behind his morning paper. He was about to earn brownie points with Kensi by defending her, when Eric popped up at the head of the stairs.
"We've got a case. You guys, it's Meaghan!" dropping this bombshell, he disappeared back into Ops. After a shocked silence, the team ran up the stairs and piled into the room. Meaghan had been unofficially adopted by all of them and they were worried about what had happened to her. Hetty and Granger were waiting on them.
"What's going on, Hetty? Where's Meaghan? Is she hurt? What are we doing about it?" Deeks fired the questions at Hetty without letting her get a word in.
"Miss. Shelton was arrested by LAPD for assault and battery about an hour ago, Mr. Deeks. The boy she supposedly assaulted is pressing charges. Mrs. Shelton contacted us immediately. Admiral Shelton is out of state and is trying to get on the first transport home. At best, he won't be here until late this afternoon. There is some…concern…that the events that transpired might have been triggered by the self-defense lessons you and Miss. Blye have been giving her."
"Meaghan? No way! That can't be right, there's some mistake. You all know her; you know that she wouldn't do something like that." Deeks protested.
"What do we have, Eric?" asked Callen. Like Deeks, he was sure there was some mistake. The young girl they had come to know would not have hurt someone without provocation.
"What we've been able to get out of LAPD is that Meaghan and a Paul Timmons went out for breakfast this morning. According to her statement, she thought it was a date. When they left the restaurant, he pulled her into an alley and started kissing her. She responded but, when he tried to get into her clothes, she told him to back off. When he wouldn't, she kneed him in the groin, at which point he slapped her across the face and threw her up against the wall. She punched him in the nose with the heel of her hand, like you guys had taught her, breaking it and forcing him to let her go. At that point, she ran. His statement is that she's been stalking him since school let out for the summer and that he wanted to meet this morning in a public place to tell her he wasn't interested. She wouldn't take no for an answer and followed him, bragging about how she could kick his ass at any time, that she'd been taking lessons. She forced him into the alley where she proceeded to beat him up. This is a he said/she said but the only one seriously injured is the boy." Eric paused. "Deeks, Paul Timmons is the son of Federal Court Judge Mitchell Timmons and he has LAPD going hard at the girl who hurt his son."
Deeks lip curled. "I know Timmons. He's a blow hard who thinks everyone else works for him. Based on that alone, I would discount the boy's story. If he's anything like his father, he's a bully and believes he's above the law. Are there any cameras in the area we can pull footage from?"
"So far I've got this from a traffic cam, but it only shows them going into the alley and doesn't confirm or disprove either one's story." Nell put the footage up on the big screen showing the backs of Meaghan and a boy slightly taller than her. The two went into the alley but, from the angle, it wasn't clear which one of them had instigated it.
"How about the businesses that abut the alley? Do any of them have cameras?" asked Sam.
Eric replied "One of the buildings is a branch of Pacific National and they do have cameras on all sides of the building. Those weren't as easy to access as the traffic cams but I was able to hack in and I'm searching the footage now. We're going to need a warrant if we find anything we can use to help Meaghan."
Hetty said "Get the footage Mr. Beale. Let me worry about the warrant." Eric brought the footage from the bank's external camera up on the plasma. He fast forwarded until he reached the time of the assault. They all watched as Meaghan and Paul Timmons kissed in the alley. They saw him start to rip at her clothes and her fighting him off, including the kick to the groin, eliciting various sounds of distress from the guys. When the video showed Paul slap Meaghan and throw her up against the wall, Deeks stepped forward, jaw clenched, hands fisted. The video confirmed Meagan's version of the story.
"Eric, get that on a thumb drive. I'm going down to the precinct and get Meaghan out now." Deeks growled as he turned to Eric, to find him already holding out the drive. He grabbed it and stalked to the door, furious to the core that someone had hurt Meaghan.
"Mr. Deeks? Please try not to get arrested! We need you here and it won't help Miss. Shelton." Hetty called out to his back. He slowed but didn't turn around. He nodded in response to her words and left the room, Kensi, Sam and Callen close on his heels. She and Granger would not be far behind them. "I need to make some calls, get that warrant expedited and find out where the Admiral is." She said to Granger as they left Ops. Granger offered to track down the Admiral while Hetty dealt with the warrant.
After driving across LA at top speed, Deeks strode into the LAPD precinct where they were holding Meaghan, the rest of his team running to keep up with him. Familiar with the layout, he raced up to the third floor where he knew the detectives would have Meaghan in an interview room. Laura Shelton was the first person they saw when they came in the door. Rising from the bench where she had been sitting and ripping a tissue apart, she met them halfway. "I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to call. They're acting like Meaghan is some kind of criminal instead of just a young girl trying to escape a bad situation. You do believe her, don't you?"
Deeks said "Not only do we believe her Mrs. S; we have video proof that Meaghan's version of the story is what actually happened. Who's the arresting officer? Do you know?"
"A detective by the name of Nick Stevens and I don't like that man!" she replied.
Deeks grimaced, yet another LAPD cop who hated his guts. "Mrs. S, do you have a lawyer you can call?"
"I was hoping you could represent her Marty. I know she trusts you and will do whatever you tell her to." she replied.
Sighing, Deeks went up to the front desk where the Sergeant behind it studiously ignored him. Finally he said to the man's downturned head "Johnson, where are they holding Meaghan Shelton?"
"That would be none of your business, Deeks. Why don't you run along and cause trouble somewhere else?" the man said without lifting his head from the paperwork he was filling in.
Deeks slapped his hand on the desk causing the Sergeant to jump and finally looked up, at which point Deeks said "It is my business! I'm here as her attorney. Now tell me where she is!"
Johnson laughed and said "She must be stupider than she looks. They have her in room 2. Give her my condolences on having you for an attorney. She'll be lucky if she doesn't end up getting life!"
Deeks didn't respond, just turned and headed down the corridor towards where they were holding Meaghan, the others watching him go. Finding the room in question, he burst in, startling Nick Stevens and causing Meaghan to say his name in relief.
"What are you doing in here Deeks? This is my case. Get the hell out!"
"I'm here because I'm representing Meaghan Shelton in this case as her attorney. As she is a minor, this interview should not even be happening without a parent present or without their consent, which I know for a fact the Sheltons have not given. This ends now! In addition, I have video proof that Meaghan is telling the truth and we will be requesting that LAPD press charges against Paul Timmons for assault and attempted rape. Charges for false arrest against LAPD may also be under consideration." Deeks replied, slapping the thumb drive down on the table in front of Stevens. "Did you even try, Nick? Did you even look into anything to do with this or did you just suck up to Judge Timmons and do whatever he told you to?"
Nick Stevens stared at the thumb drive on the table and then looked up at Deeks, trying to find a way out of this that wouldn't earn him a reprimand from his superiors. "I'll look at the video, and if it confirms her story, she can leave, with our apologies." He left the room to find a laptop he could watch plug the thumb drive into.
Meaghan got up from her chair and walked into Deeks's arms. He hugged her close and asked "Are you okay sweetie?" She just shook her head no into his chest and started to cry. Deeks wished Stevens was still in the room so he could beat the crap out of him. Meaghan had been traumatized by the attack and then immediately subjected to being charged with assault.
He held onto her until Stevens came back in. "The video proves Ms. Shelton was telling the truth. All charges have been dropped and she is free to leave. Paul Timmons is still in the building, we'll be letting him, and his father, know what charges are being pressed against him."
"I'm going to take Meaghan downstairs to her mother. I want to be present when the Timmons boy is notified of the impending charges." Stevens opened his mouth to protest. "Don't buck me on this Nick or you'll be directing traffic for the rest of your life. This girl is the daughter of a decorated Navy Admiral and she, personally, has close friends in both NCIS and the CIA. Don't make me turn them loose on you! Let me do this and I'll tell the Sheltons to not go forward with the false arrest case."
Stevens reluctantly nodded. "Timmons is in room 5. I'll wait for you to get back before moving forward." Deeks took Meaghan by the shoulder and ushered her out of the room.