Hello again my angels. I would like to thank Petunia3116 and French fan (Guest) for the lovely reviews.
You'll all be pleased to know I have just plotted out this story up to season 2 episode 17 (mainly because that's how far my son and I have gotten in our re-watching). What I should say is that I'm not going to go into the details of the cases, as they aren't going to change. What I will be focused on is the interactions of the team and how they change from what we see on scene, be it words or thoughts or whatever, as well as adding those you don't see which relate to this story. I hope I will give you enough backstory so that the scene's I do include in the chapters make sense, if not please tell me. Because I will be watching each episode over and over again to work out what I will be adding, and therefore I'll know them pretty much inside and out and might miss something. Thank you.
With that said, this is set in season 1, episode 20 'Fame'. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA nor any of the lines I have taken from the show.
Callen manged to get into the office and go to the gym without Sam any the wiser about where he had spent his night, and now he was just finishing up reading the paper while talking nothing to both Sam and Nate who were putting things into their lockers. It was just a normal relaxing morning, but somehow it seemed brighter than the ones before. Mainly because he had got to watch the sun rise with Marty in his arms and seen his smile as he lay in his bed. Yeah, the day was definitely brighter than they usually were.
He hadn't seen Marty yet in the office but he knew he was there. He just hoped the team would accept him and wouldn't give him too much of a hard time. And he really hoped Sam would accept him. He did not want to be put in the middle if he didn't.
Standing and folding his paper Callen made his way to his desk, only to be confronted by a yawning Marty. He couldn't help the small secretive smile that came to his lips at the thought that he was the reason the detective was so tired.
"Well, well. Deeks." He said causing the younger man to look up at him with a smile of his own.
"Callen. Doc." Deeks replied when he saw who else was walking towards them, trying to keep his smile small and not reveal how much he just wanted to sit there and just stare at his new team leader. That really wouldn't be keeping the secret that he had, a few hours ago, woken in G's arms.
"Sorry, I'm a little sore in the delts." Nate replied holding out his hand for the detective to shake. He had realised how he had recognised Detective Deeks' picture when he heard that he had also worked on the Belotov case, and he remembered when he had seen it. It was just after Callen had left ops with his secretive smile on his face. That had piqued his interest. He was an operational physiologist after all, it was his job to read the deeper meaning into people's behaviour and actions. And G Callen was his most frustrating subject. Anything that could help him unlock some of what was in his mind he would take and observe, and he had a hunch that detective Deeks could well hold some answers for him.
"But the glutes are good?" Deeks asked with a smile at the doc as he referenced the conversation Nate had been having with Sam. He had liked him when they had met before, and he wanted to make a good impression on his new colleagues, on G's colleagues.
"You heard that?" Nate asked feeling a little embarrassed, though in truth, around here that was nothing new. Callen took great delight in winding him up most of the time, and Sam often helped. Though it was all in good fun, or at least he hoped it was.
"I did." Deeks responded settling at the desk Hetty had told him to take. He wondered if she had done it on purpose, sitting him directly across from G. He was going to have a hard time not staring at him. Was this some kind of test?
Pulling his mind from the man across from him he turned to the one who was coming to take the seat next to his. "Sam." He nodded with a smile, hoping to get on G's partner's good side. Though he hoped saving him the previous case would go towards helping him with that.
"That desk is taken Deeks. You can't sit there." Sam stated, not happy to have the floppy haired cop in Dom's place. That was Dom's desk, and no one else had the right to use it.
At Sam's words Callen felt himself tensing. This was not going well. He wanted to say something as he saw Deeks start to rise from his chair, but he had no idea what. He really didn't want to have to choose a side. Luckily for him he was saved by Hetty.
"Mr Hanna, I asked detective Deeks to sit there. I did so politely. Detective Deeks has been appointed our LAPD liaison, filling a chair, though taken, has been vacant for some time."
There was no questioning the censure nor the understanding that she had in her words for Sam.
It was time for Callen to intervene before anything else could be said. He needed Sam to know that Marty's addition to the team had his approval. "Welcome aboard, Deeks."
"Thanks." Deeks replied and their eyes met once more, the stare holding for a second too long while he took the support G was giving him with the look and with his words.
"So, you're sort of a temp." Sam asked interrupting the shared look, completely oblivious to it in fact. He was still smarting at the detective having Dom's desk, at having him on the team.
Callen didn't like Sam's words, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Luckily Deeks took it without a thought. Making Callen smile once more as he heard his reply to his partner.
"Temp? Yeah, I like that. See, with cops, having a negative nickname is a good thing." Deeks responded smiling at Sam before he found his eyes returning to the man sitting across from him, even if he knew they shouldn't. He needed to play this as if he was undercover, needed to make sure no one knew the truth of him and G. At least in this he was unlikely to get killed, though looking at Sam he changed that to probably unlikely. It seemed the big guy just didn't like him.
"Okay. No time to waste. We have a case." Hetty said interrupting all the undertones and sub-plays that were happening between the three men. She would have to hope they could sort it out between themselves. She knew none of them would be too happy if she got involved.
Nate had watched and listened to all the words spoken, he had seen Callen tense as if he wanted to defend the detective before Hetty had spoken, and he had seen the look they had shared. It made him realise that there was something more going on between Callen and Deeks than any of them knew, and he really wanted to find out what it was. Not that he would ask either of the men in question, knowing full well that if he did he would not get an answer. But he could instead do some digging. He just had to work out where to start, though the obvious answer to that was the Belotov case.
He had watched and waited for the team to move out on their new case before he made his way to the ops centre to see Eric. It was time to try and get some answers.
"Hey Eric, do you still have those profiles that were done for the Belotov case?" He asked causally, trying to make it look like it was just a passing interest.
"Err, yeah probably. Why?" Eric asked completely confused about why Nate would be asking about that case. I mean they put it to bed months ago.
"I was wondering if I could see Deeks undercover information." Nate responded simply smiling at the tech operator who became instantly wary. Only Callen had really seen that, and while Eric had no idea how he had got the supposed lawyer who was Deeks to organise the met, he had a good idea that the team leader would not be happy for anyone else to see whatever it was he had.
"Okay." He answered, though still not reaching for his keyboard, still not sure if he should do as Nate was requesting.
"I just want to get a feel for the guy. See what sort of undercover roles he's taken on and it's the only other case information we have apart from the one just gone." Nate continued trying to make it sound like he was just him doing his job.
"Right, well… here you go." Eric finally conceded and put the information Nate had requested up on his computer screen, deciding it would be best for everyone if he didn't put it up on the big one.
Nate sat there and read the small amount of information they had, and just like Callen had done eleven months earlier he saw the same line, and suddenly understood just what angle Callen had decided to work that case with. The question was, just how far had he and Deeks gone, then and now? Because from the looks he had seen earlier he was inclined to believe they had done more than just talk, and had done it recently. But he couldn't be certain. So he decided to set about watching and observing. Time to see just how Deeks and Callen were when they were together to see if his hunch was right.
"Thanks Eric." He said as he closed down the file and stood away from the computer and headed back downstairs. He didn't know how long the team would be out, but he would be ready when they returned. He had the information they needed on their case so he had a valid reason for being around them all and he would see what he could see.
The team returned and congregated as they always did in the bullpen to exchange intel and ideas. Nate watched while the team discussed the details of the case, of the midshipman who had been shot while driving a celebrity's car. He added his two cents worth, but most of the time he observed how Deeks and Callen behaved to each other. There didn't seem to be any overt signs of any sort of relationship between the two, but he knew he was dealing with two very good undercover agents. He wouldn't expect them to give the normal tells. He did notice how tense Deeks seemed to be around Sam, as if he was trying very hard to gain the man's approval, while also noticing how Callen would tense slightly whenever Sam called Deeks temp, or gave him a look of dislike. Not to mention the number of times the two men's eyes connected, if only briefly. They were very subtle but that behaviour did lend credence to his idea that there was something going on between the team leader and their new LAPD liaison.