Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Scififan33, Guest and Petunia3116 for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So two things, firstly I am sorry for the long wait for this update, but I got the flu and therefore haven't been up for doing much of anything the last few days. Secondly, I know I said in the last chapter that I wouldn't be including any of the story of season 2 episode 9, 'Absolution'. It seems I lied. I have recently re-watched it and found bits I want to put in.
So here is the new chapter, I tis set in season 2 episode 9, 'Absolution'. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA nor any of the lines I have taken from the show.
The team met in ops, to get the case details from Eric and Nell. They found out that they were apparently looking for some little black book of secrets that used to be owned by a Sebastian Renner who had been gunned down by the Hollywood sign. The time was ticking on them finding the book, and as such Callen directed how he wanted the team to spilt up.
"Deeks, Kensi see what you can learn from LAPD at the crimes scene. Sam and I'll take Renner's house." He said to the younger two partners, but he could sense an unease in Marty. What was wrong? He was fine when he had left him this morning. What had happened since then?
"Problem?" he asked the pair, though in truth he wanted to pull Marty aside and ask him that in private, but he knew they didn't have time for him to have that conversation right now.
"No. We're good." Kensi replied trying to rein in her smug smile at the fact she knew something no one else on the team did about her partner. She didn't want to give the game away and make Deeks tell Sam and Callen that he had a boyfriend after all. She was his partner and she would keep his secret, and hey, at least going to the crime scene would give her more chances to find out more about Deeks' mystery man. With that thought she moved towards the door expecting her partner to follow her.
Deeks stood there for a second, his eyes going between Kensi's retreating back and G's own before going back again. He wanted to tell G that Kensi knew he was in a relationship with a guy, but he couldn't exactly do that in ops, and now he had to go to a crime scene. So after a second of debate he shrugged and said "we're cool." Before following his partner out of the door after giving G one more look which clearly said 'later' to the man he loved.
It was five minutes into the journey before Kensi decided to brooch what was fast becoming her favourite topic of conversation. Deeks' boyfriend. She wanted to know everything about this secret her partner had shared with her. Because that was what partners did, they became as close as family.
"So you going to tell me your boyfriends name?" She asked looking over at her partner in time to see him roll his eyes at her choice of conversation.
"No." Deeks replied simply. There was no way he would tell Kensi who he was with. Who it was he loved. He could not see that going well. There was no way she wouldn't treat him differently if she ever found out that it was there team leader he was in a relationship with.
"Why not? It's not like I know the guy… wait it's not like I know him, right?" Kensi asked having a suddenly light bulb moment as the idea came into her mind. It would explain Deeks' reluctance to talk about the guy, the idea that maybe she did know his boyfriend. But all she got in answer to her question was silence, which confirmed to her more than anything else that yes, she did indeed know the guy Deeks was with. Who the hell was it? Because it couldn't be anyone from NCIS. I mean Deeks had told her he had been with his boyfriend since pretty much the time he started working there, and there was no chance for him to get with someone within the first few minutes he had been in the building. Sure he was a flirt, but even Deeks wasn't that good. Therefore it had be someone from his previous job. It had to be someone from LAPD. Maybe he was someone they had run into in the course of their investigations. It would explain why he didn't want to tell her. He wouldn't want her to react differently to the guy if and when she saw him again. Especially if there were others around. She understood Deeks wish to keep his relationship quiet at NCIS and she wasn't under any illusion that it would be any different in LAPD. With that thought she decided to voice her idea of who Deeks' romantic partner was and see how on the mark her hunch was by watching his reactions.
"Is it another cop? is that why won't tell me?" She asked simply watching Deeks out of the corner of her eye as he just sighed and turned to face her as he answered.
"We just want to keep it quiet, okay?" Deeks said with such sincerity on his face Kensi knew she couldn't dig any deeper. He had confirmed it. He was dating another cop, and she knew with one look at his face that she would leave Deeks to his secrets. Hopefully one day he would trust her enough to share the rest, but she wouldn't push him for answers. Their partnership was still too new for that to work, and at least she now knew his biggest secret. That he had a boyfriend. That was enough for now.
"Okay. But know, if you ever need to talk, I'm here." She replied simply letting the subject drop with a friendly smile for her partner before she turned her eyes back to the road.
"Thanks." Deeks responded with a smile of his own. He felt a bit bad because he knew she had decided that he was with someone from LAPD, but he hadn't lied. And well, G was a kind of cop right? And in truth he was relieved that Kensi had dropped it so easily. He didn't want to say anything about G. Because he kept thinking that anything he might say would give away exactly who it was he was in love with. Give her enough that she would be able to work out just who it was he was in a relationship with. Kensi was after all a trained investigator and she knew G. He had no idea what innocent remark he could make which would lead her to the truth. Best to say nothing at all for now. At least until he and G had had a chance to talk.
Kensi drove on for a few more minutes in silence until the idea she had had earlier came back to her mind and with a smile she spoke once more. "So, Keanu Reeves or Johnny Depp?"
"Excuse me? What?" Deeks asked completely confused. Why was she asking him about to male celebrities? He was very puzzled about wherever it was her mind had gone. But he was coming to the conclusion he would never truly understand his partner some times. She was a little crazy.
"Which do you think is the most attractive? Come on Deeks." Kensi replied with a roll of her eyes. What did he think she was asking?
"Seriously? You want to do this?" Deeks asked spluttering at her words. What the hell? She finds out he has a boyfriend and decides that this is a good way to spend their time? Well he guessed it was better than her quizzing him about G. And hey he could play this game well enough.
"I do. So what's your answer?" Kensi asked with a smug smile on her face. She could tell he was so going to play.
"Keanu Reeves in Point Break." Deeks replied after a beat causing Kensi to burst out laughing as she turned to him.
"Oh my god, please tell me that movie wasn't why you became a cop." She managed to get out between her laughter. In fact she was laughing so much Deeks was getting concerned about her driving. Not that he wasn't always concerned about her driving, but he decided that at least one of them should keep their eyes on the road.
"Is it my fault my life imitates art? What can I say, I'm a cool undercover cop who surfs." Deeks replied as his hand hovered towards the steering wheel making Kensi mock glare at him as she turned her attention back onto what she was doing, namely driving.
"You've even got the hair." She muttered with a shake of her head. It all made so much sense now.
"Hey there is nothing wrong with my hair. It's awesome." Deeks replied defensively before deciding to keep the conversation going, and away from his G. "Okay my turn…"
With that Kensi and Deeks traded suggestions, with Deeks even getting his own back by sliding in a couple of female celebrities and demanding she answer, not that Kensi did. It didn't take long for Deeks to return to his usual chatty self, telling Kensi things she didn't need, nor want to know. But it was good to have her partner back and so she just relaxed and let him talk. Before, that was, he got so annoying and she back to wondering if she would get away with shooting him.
As Sam drove to Renner's house he noticed the frown on his partner's face that didn't seem to disappear. He thought it might have been due to Hetty's abrupt words to him, but if it had been it should have gone now. No this was something else. Time to make G talk then.
"What's on your mind G?" He asked casually.
"Huh? Nothing." Callen replied pulling his mind from wondering what was up with Marty. He was worried that something had happened with Kensi that had upset him, it was the only thing he could think of. And Callen couldn't help but notice that they came in together. He didn't think Marty and his partner had plans for this morning, but he really couldn't ask him about it while they were at work could he? Though he would have thought Marty would have told him if he was meeting up with Kensi, right? I mean he knew he was meeting up with Sam after all. So why didn't Marty tell him? And it wasn't even as if he could convince himself that they just arrived at the same time, because he had scanned the parking lot, and Marty's car wasn't there. So Kensi had to have brought him in. Which was raising far too many questions in Callen's mind about what they had been doing and what Kensi had said or done to his lover.
"You and Deeks have an argument?" Sam asked taking a stab in the dark at possible reasons for G to be even more brooding than he usually was.
"What? No, nothing like that... It's just..." Callen replied trying to find the right words that explained what he was feeling, and what he was wondering, without actually saying anything concrete. Because he has seen how Kensi looked a little bit smug, and Marty had seemed a little uncomfortable… and he couldn't help but remember how Kensi had said relationship instead of partnership days ago. I mean okay, sure she could have said something to his man that had upset him, but he couldn't think what. Marty was not the sort to get upset easily after all. No, all his mind could come up with was maybe Kensi had got the wrong idea with all of Marty's flirting, maybe she had tried to make a move. But if she had surely she would be upset rather than smug, right? I mean Marty would turn her down… right? There was no way he would reciprocate. Marty wouldn't cheat on him. He loved him… right?... Did Marty still love him? Were they still okay? Had he missed something somewhere? He thought they were fine, but what if he was wrong? It wasn't like he had much experience of relationships that didn't involve undercover work. What if he had said or done something wrong that made Marty think twice about being with him? What if he had decided he would prefer to be with Kensi, or any woman for that matter, rather than him? Damn it. This was why he didn't date co-workers, it made everything so much more complicated.
"It's what, G?" Sam asked with a frown as he watched his partners face out of the corner of his eye, trying to work out what the hell was going on in his mind now. Not that he could ever truly tell what G was thinking, the guy was a damn enigma.
"Did Kensi and Marty seem a bit different to you?" Callen asked making it sound like he wasn't really concerned by the answer, trying to make it seem like it was just a casual question about their colleagues. Not that Sam was fooled for a minute.
"No. But then I'm not the one in a relationship with one of them." He replied simply raising his eyebrow at how his words seemed to make G start. What the hell was going on?
"Marty seemed a bit ... Off." Callen finally replied trying to find the right word to describe how Marty had seemed to him. He didn't want to tell Sam any of his worries, he didn't want his relationship to cause any problems within the team, and he knew he could trust Marty. Really he did. It was just…
"A bit off. Off in what way?" Sam asked with exasperation. I mean what sort of description was off? His partner really needed to learn words to describe feelings, especially now he was in a relationship.
"I don't know. He was fine this morning when I left." Callen replied his frown deepening. This wasn't helping him and right now he needed to concentrate on the case. It was just, he couldn't get the thoughts out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried.
"Then perhaps you should ask him." Sam suggested simply. He wasn't going to try and get into the middle of G and Deeks' relationship. That would not end well. He just hoped his partner sucked it up and did as he suggested and he talked to the damn floppy haired man.
"Yeah, perhaps I should." Callen agreed but rather than getting his phone out and doing just that he instead turned the conversation to the case and what they would hopefully find when they got to Renner's house, namely his little black book, or at least clues as to where it was hidden. He would talk to Marty, but not while they were supposed to be working. They all needed to concentrate on the damn case. That was his reasoning, and it had nothing to do with his unfounded worries that maybe the younger man had gotten bored with him and wanted to move on. Not at all.