Hello again. I would like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.

So here is the next chapter, again set in season 1, episode 19 'Hand-to-Hand'. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.

Kensi arrived at the boathouse to find Sam still there, waiting for her, Callen, and the LAPD detective.

"So what's this Deeks like?" Sam asked without preamble. He knew G and detective would be here soon, and he wanted to know what Kensi thought before they did. He was confused when Hetty had called him and told him that they would now be working a joint operation with LAPD. I mean, they didn't work with them, they took cases from them. The cops usually had no idea what they were dealing with after all.

"He's… I don't know Sam. But it seems he and Callen have worked together before. He trusts him." Kensi replied, giving over the most important thing she had gained from the conversation she had overheard. If Callen trusted this guy, that meant they could too. Callen did not trust easily after all.

"Wait, Callen trusts Deeks?" Sam asked in disbelief. It had taken him weeks if not months to get that from G. There was no way he would give it to a guy he had just met. Kensi had to be wrong.

"Yeah, at least that's what I could work out, it was Callen's suggestion we work together. They apparently worked together on the Belotov case. He was the lawyer." Kensi responded with the only information she had. Though she to wondered just what detective Marty Deeks had done to earn Callen's trust.

"Callen suggested we work with him? What the hell happened between them?" Sam muttered. It was rhetorical question, he knew Kensi didn't have the answer any more than he did. But still, what was going on here? This was not like his partner, he was missing something, and it was something big and he wanted to know what it was right now.

"I do not think that is important Mr Hanna. Just know that Mr Callen does trust Mr Deeks, and therefore you should also." Came a voice behind him making Sam briefly shut his eyes before he turned to the speaker with a smile. Of course Hetty had heard him, she hears everything.

"Of course Hetty." He agreed, not letting it show that as soon as he got his partner on his own he was going to grill G about this Deeks. Find out just what it was that happened between them that made him trust him. Had Deeks saved his life or something?

"Good. They will be here soon. Please be polite." Hetty replied before moving to sit on the couch and await the last two people.

"I always am." Sam responded, not able to go without getting the last word in. He would be polite to this Deeks, but he wouldn't trust him until he proved himself. This guy was not an agent, he was nothing compared to them.

"Hmmm." Was all Hetty said in response. She knew Sam would not accept Mr Deeks easily, he was a complete opposite to the man himself. To his SEAL training. But she hoped he would see his worth. From looking at detective Deeks file she found a great deal of similarities to G. They were cut from the same cloth, and with the right training Mr Deeks could be as good as her favourite agent. But that wasn't the only reason she had been watching him. No. She knew of how G had gone about getting the meeting with Belotov, and she knew of the connection the two men had made with each other that night. She was the one who had made sure the letter was delivered to the right man after all. She was not stupid enough to think they would ever let it show in their work, but she did hope that they would be good for each other. That it would show them both what good it was to have someone in their life. Someone to come home to who knew who they really were, beneath the aliases and masks. It was why she had made sure detective Stone knew exactly who had been shot at Venice Beach, and why she had made sure he believed agent Callen was dead. She wanted to make sure that the next time her boy met the only man to get under his skin, that at least one of them was motivated to keep the connection alive. Of course she had other plans which would do it just as well, but first she needed to see how well the team worked with the one she wanted to be their fourth. See if he would take orders from G, and how he would work with Kensi. Yes, she would see how this turned out before she played her next card, moved the next chess piece to make sure those she cared for had exactly what they needed. After all, that was an operations managers job, and if she took it further than the brief, then so be it. G was her family, he deserved some happiness.

Hetty's thoughts were interrupted by the two men in question walking through the door, agent Callen in the lead and detective Deeks following with his shoulders back, full of confidence. Oh yes, never show the enemy fear Mr Deeks. That's the way.

"Detective Deeks, this is agent Sam Hanna, my partner, Nate, our operational physiologist, and Hetty." Callen said as he entered the room, though he did narrow his eyes at Nate being here. He wondered what the purpose of that was, but he found his eyes turning to the woman who was standing from her position on the couch and making her way to Marty. He briefly hoped she wasn't too harsh with him, but in truth he was wondering just how this would go down. After all Deeks had called her the scary little woman. Just how would he feel face to face with her in person?

"Detective Deeks, it's a pleasure to meet you. I have spoken to the chief of police and he had agreed to a joint operation. I know you will work well with the team." Hetty said putting her hand out for Deeks to shake.

The man in question looked at her, he had heard the subtle threat in her words about working with the team and he suddenly understood Stone's fear of this woman. She was not someone you crossed. "Of course, Callen and I have already shown how well we work together after all." Deeks replied shaking her hand and studiously ignoring the slight glare he was getting from the man at his side. He hadn't said anything about what else they had done together, it would be fine, right?

"Agreed. Mr Callen, do what you best." Hetty responded turning to her lead agent with a small smile before moving towards the exit of the building. She had done what she needed to do here, she had greeted Mr Deeks and asserted her authority on him. She was very pleased with her work of a sentence.

"Right…" And with that Callen became all business. Getting Deeks to tell him all he knew of the Blood and Guts Warriors and finding a way that they could solve both cases. Not that Deeks was happy with what he had in mind. He didn't want them to put another undercover agent in. He could take Zuna's spot and solve this case just fine on his own. But when he had turned to G to tell him just that he had seen a look in his eyes. It was a look which said let me help you, let the team help you, and as much as he wanted to, Deeks knew he couldn't say no to that look. It was one he craved to see, someone wanting to help him, how could he deny it now he saw it? So he accepted the idea of agent Hanna going in.

But he was Jason Wyler, he wouldn't let it happen without a fight. That was who his alias was, and Callen looking at his face knew it. He was just going to have to accept that at some time in this op, he might just see his partner and Marty come to blows. Great, just what he wanted. Having his heart torn apart. No not his heart his… something else. Deeks did not mean anything to him. Marty did not mean anything to him. But even as he said the words Callen knew they were a lie. This guy had worked his way through his barriers somehow, and he had no idea how to remove him.