Proving Ground

Chapter 20

…

He sensed a presence before he ever opened his eyes. It wasn't Kensi. He would have smelled one of the fragrances she used when she wasn't on duty. He cracked open an eyelid and was surprised to see Teague sitting in a chair by his bed, one leg crossed over the other. He was studying an iPad and biting his lip, which he'd seen him do a couple of times. Once was after Yavuz had Remick thrown off that high rise.

"Bad news?" Deeks asked.

"Ahh…the twit wakes," he shot back with a smile. "You actually look like you're going to live."

"That's what they tell me," Deeks replied. "Something I can do for you, Benny?"

"You know I'm not overly fond of that name."

"Ask me if I care," He replied evenly. "Now what do you want?"

"You're sounding a bit testy," he said as he closed the cover on his iPad. "And here I thought we'd become friends."

"Not unless you quit working for Mosley," Deeks said quietly.

"Not yet. I'm off to Paris tonight on another little project of hers," he replied, biting his lip again.

"But you're not happy about it," he said, catching the surprise that flared in his eyes. "You bite your lip when something's bothering you."

"Clever bastard. Wasn't aware I had that particular tell," he replied softly.

"Want to tell me why you're here, Benny?" Deeks asked. "You're cutting into my nap time."

"I actually came to warn you," he said, his eyes darting around the room as if someone might be listening.

"About what?"

"I was once quite fond of Shay Mosley," he said, then laughed sadly and shook his head. "Then I screwed up on an operation. Badly. She covered it up…but there was a price."

"You get somebody killed, Benny?"

"That particular sin is private, dickhead."

"She's blackmailing you," Deeks said.

"She's a bloody user, Deeks," Teague said, his mouth looking as if he had eaten something nasty. "She finds ways to control people. Blackmail. Threats. Even by appealing to their better nature. She plays the 'feel sorry for me' card quite well."

"Well, I don't feel the least bit sorry for her," Deeks said.

"She didn't need you to. She's your boss. She knows how to use power to control people," he said. "She actually enjoys it."

"I quit, remember? I don't answer to her anymore," Deeks said.

"But Kensi does," he said quietly.

"What the hell are you saying?" Deeks could feel his blood pressure rising.

"She likes to punish people too, Deeks," he replied. "She knows Kensi's your weakness, and you pissed her off."

"How the hell did I do that?" He asked. "I did everything she asked and it got me shot, beat to shit and cut to pieces. So what part of that pissed her off?"

"You proved her wrong, you twit. You were good at your job. Excellent, actually," Teague said. "She believed you were a loser. A weak link and an easy target. You were the key to her plan to destroy the reputation of your team."

"Callen and Sam resigned, Benny," Deeks said. "So if that's what she was after, she got her wish."

"Bollocks! Why in bloody hell would they do that?"

"Tired of her games. Sick of not being trusted. Or maybe it was a preemptive strike," Deeks said. "She might have underestimated Callen just a little. He learned from the best."

"Henrietta Lange."

"She won't make it easy for Mosley to explain why her highly regarded team chose to resign after a difficult assignment that landed one of its members in the ICU."

"And the truth shall set you free," Teague said.

"Tough to picture you reading the Bible, let alone quoting from it," Deeks said.

"It was a requirement in my father's household," he replied. "Some of it actually stuck."

"I'm guessing not much of it."

"I was and still am incorrigible," Teague said, sounding proud.

"Not for Mosley."

"You can be a real wanker sometimes, my friend," he said.

"I'm assuming that's nothing good," Deeks said with a grin. "So, what poor wanker gets saddled with you next?"

"No one. It's a solitary, deep undercover assignment of a personal nature."

"For Mosley."

"You're a lot sharper than you look right now, Deeks. She has a family crisis I'm not at liberty to reveal," he replied, finally standing and walking to the bedside.

"Don't let her get you killed, Benny," Deeks said. "The truth might set you free too."

"Ahh…there's that naïveté again," he laughed. "Take care of yourself, Marty Deeks. I know you resigned, but if that should change…don't trust her."

"Warning noted."

"And don't let her know I was here."

"That's the least I can do, brother," Deeks replied.

"Grazie, mio buon amico," the man said with a smile and jauntily saluted him as he walked out the door.

Teague had looked surprised, but pleased that he had called him brother, but they had gone through a lot together and he hadn't wanted them to part on bad terms. He'd believed that Teague and Mosley were old friends. Now he knew that wasn't even close to the truth. Maybe they had started out that way, but that seemed to have ended some time ago. Teague had hidden his true feelings about her like a good undercover, but why he decided to reveal them now was an interesting question. Maybe it was an apology of sorts, for deceiving him. If it was, he had no problem accepting it. The warning hadn't been needed. Not after what he'd experienced working with her.

He slept on and off, waking only when a nurse checked one of his monitors and finally when the doctor came by to check on him. It was almost four and he wondered where Kensi and the others had gone to lunch if it was taking this long. He reached for his phone, groaning as pain flared in his chest and side.

"Calling for help?" McFadden asked as he stood smiling in the doorway. "Me and the guys might be able to break you outa here if the nurses don't distract us."

"No chance of that happening," Deeks said, grinning widely. "Shouldn't you be working?"

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"No. Just surprised to see you," Deeks replied. "You here to question me about the op?"

"Fuck no," he replied, sounding surly and uncomfortable. "I came to apologize."

"For what?"

"For not having your back out there," he said, staring at the wall across the room. "For you ending up in…that place…ending up here."

"Hey, brother. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You took off to protect Emiri."

"Even failed at that," he replied, turning as if to leave. "She got hit, man."

"She's alive, and I've got a feeling you had something to do with that," Deeks said.

"I just didn't move fast enough," he replied.

"Tough to outrun a bullet, buddy," Deeks said lightly. "Just ask me."

"Is she okay?" He asked, finally turning to look at him.

"Yeah. She is. Moving to San Diego," Deeks said softly. "Hope she knows how to surf, or learns. Waves at Black's Beach are epic."

"Be a little rough on a beginner," McFadden said with a grin.

"Have to be a surfer to know that," Deeks said with a wide smile.

"I catch an occasional wave."

"When I get out of here, we'll catch a few," Deeks said. "See if you rip or are just a Barney on a board."

"Deal, dude," McFadden replied, smiling softly as he came to his bedside and offered his hand. "Glad you made it, Deeks."

"Me too," he replied. "It'll feel good to kick your ass on a surfboard."

"Ain't happening, man," McFadden said.

"You ever call Annie? My personal and beautiful paramedic?" Deeks asked with a grin.

"Do I look stupid, Deeks?" McFadden said. "We're going out next Saturday night."

"Lucky you."

"Ain't luck," he replied cockily. "Gotta go, man. Get some rest."

Deeks liked him. He was a good man, and tough. If Kensi stayed, he would trust McFadden to have her back. He'd been surprised that Kensi hadn't agreed to resign like Callen and Sam. He knew she loved her job, but he had to admit it hurt to realize she wouldn't instantly agree to follow him out the door. It was something they had to talk about.

…

Hetty walked into Ops to catch the tail end of a low volume rant by Assistant Director Mosley. Nell looked angry, but she was keeping it as hidden as possible, while Eric looked like a deer in the headlights, stunned into wide-eyed silence.

"It was my understanding we have a video conference scheduled," Hetty said, interrupting Mosley's insulting comments. "I've just been on the phone with Director Vance, so I'm quite sure of the time. Is there a problem Assistant Director?"

"Of course not, Hetty," she replied sweetly, setting Hetty's teeth on edge. "Just clearing up a few things with staff."

"Not very pleasantly from what I overheard," Hetty said, unamused by the woman's unwarranted assertions.

"Then maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people during a private conversation," Mosley said.

"Nell and Eric are hardly just staff, and I didn't sneak, as you call it. I walked in quietly. You just weren't paying attention," Hetty said, indicating that the two analysts could return to their computers. "Eric? Please bring SecNav and Director Vance up on the big screen."

"I wasn't aware you were in charge of this meeting, Hetty," Mosley said.

"There are a lot of things you aren't aware of, my dear," Hetty replied. "Now…shall we get on with the business at hand?"

The split screen filled with a sour looking Director Vance and an obviously unhappy Secretary of the Navy. Hetty had spoken to both for a half hour before entering the building, bringing them up to speed on the operation Mosley had run and the consequences of her actions. It didn't take long for SecNav to get the meeting started, demanding to know what the hell kind of operation Mosley was running, berating her for losing her prime suspect less than an hour after capturing him. The decisions she'd made that led to the deaths of several agents were questioned as was her acceptance of the resignations of Callen and most of his team, leaving her stunned when she was ordered to fix that. When the tirade was finished, the screen went dark, the equivalent of hanging up on them.

"I believe it's fairly obvious that SecNav isn't pleased," Vance said as his face filled the screen. "And I'm not terribly happy myself."

"Perhaps you both received some bad intel," Mosley said, turning to glare at Hetty. "I was under the impression I have the authority to run this office as I see fit."

"But not run it into the ground," Vance replied. "Now, before we get into specifics, I'd like to know how Detective Deeks is doing."

Mosley looked over at Hetty, expecting her to answer, looking slightly flustered when she didn't.

"You have been to the hospital to check on him, haven't you Assistant Director?" Vance asked.

"I'm afraid I haven't found the time," she replied smoothly. "I'm been interrogating Berat Yavuz."

"For three days?" Vance shot back, his eyes widening at her response.

"I've been assured that he's recovering," she said. "As I indicated in my report, he quit in the middle of this operation, so I'm not sure I owe him the courtesy of a visit."

"But that didn't stop you from having him brought in by a tactical squad after he resigned to help you complete the mission," Vance said. "You had him taken out of the hospital on that occasion, is that right?"

"The daughter of our suspect would only talk to his alias, Max Gentry. She wouldn't reveal her father's private phone number until she did."

"Sounds like a valuable asset to have," Vance replied. "Why did he quit?"

"You'll have to ask him that question," she replied.

"I'm asking you, Assistant Director Mosley," Vance pressed. "And while you're at it, please explain specifically why Agent Callen and Hanna also tendered their resignations."

"They all seem to have a problem with my methods and my orders," she replied with a fading, smug smile. "In the middle of the operation they refused to stand down when I ordered them to, and Detective Deeks decided in that moment that he no longer wished to work at NCIS."

"That's rather an oversimplification, don't you think?" Hetty added.

"Hetty? You want to fill in the blanks for me?" Vance asked.

"Not necessary, Leon," she replied. "I had the entire discussion recorded. Actually it was more of an insurrection, although I suppose mutiny would be a more appropriate term."

"Over what exactly?" He asked.

"Yavuz's daughter Emiri had been taken hostage along with Agent Blye by the Turkish terrorist Mehmet Tilki," Mosley interjected. "We had already secured the stolen missiles and taken Yavuz into custody. The operation for all intents and purposes was over. I made the decision to turn the recovery of Emiri and Agent Blye over to the FBI. Deeks, Callen and Hanna had a problem with that decision."

"As did your own personally selected team," Hetty added.

"I don't recall any of that being in your report, Assistant Director. Eric? Play the recording," Vance ordered.

Hetty could almost feel Mosley's simmering anger as they listened to the critical replay. She had known Director Vance for quite some time, and as careful as he was to keep his emotions under control, he was having a difficult time doing it the longer he listened. When it was over, he looked down at his desk for a few moments and when he looked back up it wasn't hard to see how furious he was.

"I thought you were a better leader than this, Shay," he said tightly. "You lost the respect and trust of both those teams and now you've lost mine. Agent Blye deserved better from you. Hell! NCIS deserves better."

"Agent Blye shouldn't have been there, and neither should Agent Callen and Sam," Mosley argued.

"And why was that Assistant Director?" Vance asked, leaning so close to the camera that Mosley took a step back.

"I ordered them to stay clear of this operation from the beginning," she replied. "They disobeyed that order."

"That wasn't in your final report either," Vance said. "So let me get this straight. You kept one of the most highly regarded teams in NCIS off a case in which a truck load of Tomahawk missiles ended up in the hands of a Turkish national with suspected terrorist ties, at the same time you were using a member of that team as an undercover agent. You better have a damn good reason why you did that, Assistant Director. And you better find a way to convince Agent Callen's team to return to NCIS before the day is out. And I mean the entire team. SecNav wants you to fix this, so fix it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"You are on a very short leash here, Shay," He said. "Remember that. You and I will be having a private conversation about your actions and decision making before and after this operation."

"Of course, Director."

"Now go see Detective Deeks and thank him for me. He went above and beyond on this one, and that's something you need to recognize and acknowledge. Don't make me have to come out there and clean up your mess."

The screen flashed dark and Mosley took a deep breath. "Did you enjoy that Hetty?"

"Not particularly," Hetty said.

"You like sneaking up on people, don't you Hetty?"

"Leon called me, Shay," Hetty said calmly. "And I wasn't in the mood to lie for you."

"You'd stab anyone in the back to get your team reinstated," Mosley said.

"A bit of advice, Assistant Director. Own up to your mistakes, or you won't learn from them."

"And what mistakes do you think I've made?"

"Underestimating the people who work for you, for one," she replied. "None of them would be here if they weren't excellent at what they do, and that includes Mr. Deeks."

"I didn't fire him, Hetty. Or the others either."

"'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall'."

"I've read Proverbs, Hetty…"

"I suggest you take that particular verse to heart," Hetty said. "Don't make another mistake that will bring it to pass."

"Is that a threat?"

"You won't win this one, Shay," Hetty replied. "Swallow your pride and go see Mr. Deeks. If you can convince him to stay, the others might reconsider."

Mosley said nothing as she walked briskly out of Ops. Hetty let out a held breath and Nell turned away from her computer with a smile, and Eric wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. At least she thought it was imaginary.

"Get Mr. Callen on the phone, Nell," she said. "Tell him everything and make the strong suggestion that he and Sam should pay a visit to Mr. Deeks as soon as possible."

"Copy that."

"And as for what the Assistant Director was saying when I came in…I say poppycock. Although hogwash might be more descriptive."

"Thanks, Hetty," Eric said softly. "Do you think Deeks will agree to come back? It won't be the same without him, or Callen and Sam."

"Let's hope he has more sense than Ms. Mosley," Hetty replied.

…

Deeks had just been moved from the ICU into a new room and now patiently listened as his doctor warned him that although he was out of intensive care, he wasn't out of the woods just yet. The doctor was in the process of telling him to limit the number of visitors when Kensi walked in. She listened politely to his warning that he needed to rest, but she just smiled at him and moved closer to the bed. The doctors expression made him laugh, because she hadn't actually said anything, she just ignored him.

"You're friends don't take orders very well," the doctor said.

"He's my fiancé," Kensi said. "I'm staying."

"Well, his temperature is elevated, so don't stay long," the man said. "He's fighting an infection."

"Is it bad?" She asked, suddenly concerned.

"We're treating it," he replied. "Uninterrupted rest really does help."

"Copy that," she said, and the doctor shook his head and left.

"Your stubborn streak is showing, Kens," Deeks said, grinning at her.

She looked worried as she felt his cheek and then his forehead. "You're very hot, Deeks."

"I've always been hot, baby," he said, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning widely.

"This isn't funny, Deeks."

"I'll be fine, Kensilina," he said. "I missed you. Must have been quite a lunch to take this long."

"We got into a long discussion about Mosley," she said, looking distracted.

"What the hell's going on, Deeks?" Lieutenant Bates said, interrupting a question he was about to ask. "I had to flash my badge at some doctor and a couple of nurses to get in here. You causing trouble I should know about?"

"He's running a fever," Kensi said.

"What'd the doctor say?" Bates asked.

"I'll be fine," Deeks replied.

"You don't look fine," Bates said, sounding grumpy as usual. "What the hell did they do to you, kid? You look even worse than the last time I saw you. Kensi? Fill me in will ya? I been busy dealing with bad guys and paperwork, and your boss never sent over the report I asked for."

Deeks looked away as Kensi described his ordeal and where they'd found him. He hated hearing it all again, and he especially hated the look of disapproval on Bates' face.

"Thought you people were supposed to back him up?" Bates growled at Kensi. "Where the hell were you during all this?"

"It's not her fault, Bates. They were ordered to stand down," Deeks said. "Now let it go. It's over."

"You still a free agent, kid?" Bates asked. "Cause if you are, I got a place for you when you're back on your feet."

"Not sure that's in my plans, Lieutenant," Deeks said hesitantly. "Didn't exactly like the last accommodations...I love dogs, but come on. The K-9 kennel?"

He stopped talking when he saw Mosley standing in the doorway. She was looking at him with a critical eye, but her usual expression had softened into one he wasn't familiar with. She looked almost humble, and definitely uncomfortable about being here.

"Executive Assistant Director Mosley," Deeks said, formally acknowledging her. "Can't remember if you've met Lieutenant Bates of LAPD."

"You owe me a report," Bates said as he turned to confront her. "And an explanation as to how the hell you let my detective get tortured and left for dead."

"I wasn't aware I owed you an explanation," she replied coldly. "That operation is classified, so if someone shared details with you…"

"Cut the crap, lady," Bates said. "I've had a high security clearance since Iraq. Deeks is LAPD, and so am I, so don't try and pull rank on me, cause I don't work for you and apparently neither does Deeks."

"Well, Lieutenant, I'm here to remedy that," Mosley said.

"Which part?" Bates asked. "Cutting the crap I hope, cause I'd like to know why you told his team to stand down. You left him with no back up and he ended up in here."

"Detective Deeks, I'm here to have a private conversation with you," Mosley said. "So I would appreciate it if you would ask your lieutenant to give us the room."

"Seriously?" Deeks said wearily. "You want me to tell my boss to get out?"

"Yeah…that's not gonna happen," Bates said. "In his condition I'm not sure he'd be able to protect himself."

"I'm not armed, Lieutenant," she smirked.

"Well, I am," Bates said. "He's one of mine, so say what you have to say, lady, cause I ain't leavin'."

"Me either," Kensi added.

"This an after op debrief, Assistant Director?" Callen asked as he walked in with Sam.

"Or an ambush?" Sam added. "How you feeling, Deeks? You look a little flushed."

"Fever," Bates and Kensi said in unison.

"Infection?" Sam asked as he moved past all of them to the side of Deeks' bed.

Deeks had his eyes closed and had started to pant. No one had noticed that he was struggling to breathe, his fists gripping the blanket and sheets as he tried to pull them off. An alert sounded from one of the monitors and a nurse hurried in, followed by the doctor.

"Give us some room, people," the doctor ordered.

They all backed up except Mosley. She stood at the end of his bed and watched as he began to cough, his face contorting in pain. The doctor quickly got an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, and he slowly quit struggling. The monitor flashed red, his temperature close to the danger zone.

"You're all going to have to leave now," the doctor said as he turned to face them. "If he keeps getting agitated he could end up back in ICU."

"We'll talk later, Deeks," Mosley said softly.

Deeks pulled the oxygen mask down and stared at her. "No. We won't. Say what you came to say."

"Deeks…" Kensi said.

"No, Kens. I want this over with," he said weakly.

"I came to admit I made a mistake," she said quietly. "With you and with the team, and I'm asking you to reconsider your resignation. I'm asking Sam and Callen to do the same. You're a good team, and you're a great undercover operative, Deeks. NCIS values what you did. This case wouldn't have been solved without you. I realize that now, and I'm sorry this happened to you because of my error in judgment."

Everyone stayed silent, even the doctor and the nurse appeared to be waiting for his decision.

"I'll get back to you," Deeks whispered.

The doctor put the oxygen mask back on and Deeks closed his eyes, ending the conversation.

…

"Did you mean what you said in there?" Sam asked as they gathered down the hall. "Or are you just following orders."

"I'm going to assume you heard about my conversation with SecNav and Director Vance," Mosley said. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Vance called me on my way here," Callen said. "He wants us all back, and he wants to talk to Deeks when he's able."

"I'll stand by whatever Deeks decides, but if he chooses NCIS, you sure as hell better watch out for him next time. If this happens again I might just pull him back to LAPD," Bates said, pointing a warning finger at them before walking away.

"I didn't know how badly he'd been hurt until you told me earlier," Mosley said softly. "Teague didn't give me any details, except to say he'd been injured when Sadik was taken down."

"You didn't exactly ask either," Sam said.

"You're right. I didn't," she acknowledged.

"Teague set you up," Callen said. "Why would he do that?"

"We have history, but I didn't think he'd keep needed information from me," Mosley said.

"Whatever you have on him might not be working anymore," Callen said. "Blackmail can be a two edged sword, especially with someone as sharp as Teague."

"You think I'm blackmailing him?" She asked.

"Aren't you?" Sam said.

"Not in the strictest sense. No," she said. "But he does owe me."

"Maybe he's tired of owing you," Kensi said.

"I'd watch my back if I were you," Callen said.

"You think he'll betray me," she said.

"A man like that doesn't like to be led around by the nose forever," Sam said. "He'll want to be free sooner or later."

"So whatever you have him doing, be careful of his intel," Callen warned. "He might see a chance to turn the tables on you."

She paused to consider his comment and then smiled, but there was a touch of unease in her eyes.

"Teague took a liking to Deeks," she said. "He admired his talent. Even though he called him a twit, he said he was one of the better undercover operatives he'd worked with. I was too stubborn to realize he was right. Deeks is good, but he's different."

"That's an understatement," Sam laughed. "Doesn't mean he won't make a good agent some day."

"Then you're willing to reconsider your resignation?" She asked.

"That's up to Deeks," Sam replied. "If he agrees to come back, I will too."

"And what about you Agent Callen?"

"Sam and I are partners. Like I said, he'd be lost without me," Callen replied with a smirk.

"I hadn't realized what a hold Deeks had on all of you," Mosley said.

"He's part of our team," Callen said.

"He's family," Sam said.

"Then I guess I'll just have to convince him to come back," Mosley said.

"Just a warning. It won't be an easy sell," Kensi said. "He's been talking about getting out for a while now."

"And I made it easy for him to do that."

"You call what he went through easy?" Kensi replied angrily. "Did you ever see where Sadik left him? He almost died. He did die…so don't think it will be easy to convince him to trust you again. Because it won't be."

"Kensi. I know, and I'm sorry," Mosley said. "But I have to try. I owe him and NCIS that much."

"Go talk to him then," Sam urged. "He forgave me once. Maybe he'll do the same for you."

She nodded, and seemed to gather herself as she walked resolutely back to Deeks' room. He appeared to be sleeping when she entered, but he heard her and turned his head to watch her as she walked to the end of the bed. The top of the bed had been elevated to help him breathe easier, and he slowly pulled the oxygen mask down when she stopped and looked calmly back at him.

"Director Vance wanted me to thank you," she said. "He said you went above and beyond on this case, and as hard as it is for me to admit, I have to agree."

"Wow! Better late then never I guess," he said without energy. "For you, not Vance. I'll have to send him a nice note."

"You do that, Detective," she said, the surliness back in her voice.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, pulling the mask back up to his face.

"Teague never told me you were tortured," she said, her voice soft once again. "Or that you almost bled out…alone…in that terrible place."

He kept the mask on, and his eyes blinked slowly as he stared at her.

"You're not going to let me off the hook are you?" She finally said. "Well, I guess I deserve that. I didn't treat you very well, but you did pass my test. You proved you're good at your job, especially undercover. And, you taught me something, Detective Deeks."

"What's that?" He asked when she didn't continue, leaving the oxygen mask hanging loosely around his neck.

"Being a laid back wise ass doesn't necessarily mean that person's a goof-off," she replied.

"That's it?" He asked with a slow smile.

"And that once in awhile you can be a man of few words," she said. "Which, by the way, I appreciate. You can be tiresome, Deeks, but when it counted, you came through and I thank you for that."

"Okay."

"One word may be a record for you, Detective."

"Director Vance gave you an ultimatum, didn't he?" Deeks said.

"More of a warning shot across the bow," she replied evenly. "Actually it was SecNav who told me to 'fix it'."

"Is that what you're trying to do?"

"If I can," she replied. "Just tell me what you want in order for you to return."

"Seriously?" He said, grinning cockily. "That must have been one hell of an ultimatum."

"Not the finest moment of my career," she replied. "Go ahead, Detective Deeks. Tell me. What do you want?"

"Respect."

She looked stunned by his answer, and her face went from stern to a soft look of surprise.

"Didn't expect that did you?" He asked. "Although a new truck might be nice. Maybe a parking space next to yours or Hetty's. Let's see. A raise. Shorter work hours. Longer vacations…"

"There's the Deeks I'm familiar with," she said.

"I'm not gonna get any of those things, am I?" He asked.

"Of course not. But, I will give you the respect you deserve," she answered. "And you should know…Sam and Callen won't return unless you do."

"So what you're saying is that I would be ruining their careers if I didn't come back."

"Something like that."

"And there's the Mosley I know," he replied.

"I'll need your decision within the hour."

"Or what? Vance flies out and kicks your ass?"

"Watch yourself, Detective Deeks," she said. "If you come back, I'll still be your boss, and I have a long memory."

"Copy that, boss."

"Is that a yes?"

"For now," he replied.

"And what does that mean exactly?"

"It means I have a long memory too," he replied.

"Fair enough. I'll see you in a couple of months," she said.

"Make that three months, Assistant Director," he replied and pulled the oxygen mask up over his face and closed his eyes.

…

…

The ocean had been smooth all morning, the soft, undulating swells gently rocking the boat. Kensi snuggled closer, one of her long bare legs draped across his, pinning him in place. Not that he minded. Having her asleep in his arms under a warm sun would never be a bad thing; it's just that he had the urge to go swimming. They'd been drifting around San Miguel Bay north of Ensenada for a couple of weeks, part of their much needed escape from LA. Sam's boat was still a little rough around the edges, but it was an oasis of calm for him. It had been a month since he'd been released from the hospital, and it hadn't taken much convincing for him to agree to join Callen and Sam on the maiden voyage of his boat. He had named her Michelle, and it was bittersweet when they cleared the harbor and headed out to sea.

Sam had been quiet that first day, and all of them had left him to himself. The cruise down the coast had been cathartic for him as well as for Sam, and by the second day, Sam was smiling again, and they were all basking in the morning sun in shorts and flip-flops watching Kensi dive into the dark blue water in a red bathing suit. On the third day, Sam had started in on him about getting into shape, and his appeal to Callen had been greeted by an honest-to-god giggle. Every day since, he'd had to endure workouts Sam had devised to make sure he'd be operational by the time he had to report in. The first few days were rough, and at times he labored to catch his breath, but it was his ankle that caused Sam the most concern. He still had a limp and Callen would give him that skeptical look whenever he tried to convince him it didn't hurt like a sonofabitch during workouts. Sam finally just gave him a pair of swim fins and shoved him off the stern and into the sea. After that he began to enjoy working out in the water with the two men. Most days' workouts would turn into a series of competitions, and he did pretty well when he wasn't distracted by Kensi's body moving sensuously through the water in one of her sexy swimsuits. If he watched too long, he'd find himself getting dunked underwater by one or both of the guys. But today, there had been no workout, and he looked down once again at the woman nestled in his arms.

"Hey princess. You gonna sleep all day?" He whispered into her hair.

"Sshhh," she replied.

"Somebody eat too many pancakes this morning?"

She pinched his nipple and he winced. "Ouch!"

"Should I kiss it and make it better?"

"Yes, please," he grinned, as her warm tongue sent pleasurable chills through his body.

"Get a room you two," Callen said as he padded by, diving smoothly into the sea.

Deeks laughed and whooped when Sam ran past and cannonballed off the bow. He would have followed, but his phone suddenly rang, and Kensi sat up and looked at him. Hetty said no one would contact them unless it was important, so he got up and reluctantly picked up the phone.

"Hetty."

"Good morning, Mr. Deeks."

"This isn't going to be something I want to hear, is it?" he said as he walked to the bow and watched Sam and Callen racing to some imaginary line.

"No, I'm afraid it won't be," she said. "Benjamin Teague's body was pulled out of the Seine early this morning. He'd been tortured and his tongue cut out."

Deeks grabbed the railing and fought to maintain some semblance of control, but the news hit him hard. Kensi wrapped her arms around him as he struggled to make sense of it all. Repressed memories flooded back. He closed his eyes as the image of Remick falling through space came back to him. But this had nothing to do with Yavuz or what happened to Remick or to him. This was about Mosley.

"Someone wanted him found," he finally said.

"Yes," she replied. "Certainly a warning of some kind."

"For Mosley?"

"Why do you say that, Mr. Deeks?"

"Because that's who sent him to Paris," Deeks replied. "He was doing a deep undercover assignment for her. He said it was something to do with her personal life."

"Bugger."

"Does she know?"

"Yes, and she was quite shaken," Hetty replied. "She left quickly and has gone dark."

"Do you know what it's about?"

"I can't, in good faith, answer that, Mr. Deeks," She said. "But I thought you would want to know."

"He warned me not to trust her, Hetty," Deeks said.

"It appears he should have followed his own advice," she said. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your vacation, Mr. Deeks. Give my best to the others, and take as much time as you need before coming back."

"Maybe I shouldn't come back."

"Whether you do or you don't is a decision you need to be certain of," she replied. "You won't be good at this job if you second guess why you're doing it."

"Copy that."

He wanted to throw the phone into the depths of the ocean, but instead he turned to wrap his arms around Kensi, holding her close until Callen and Sam climbed back on board. He told them what he knew, and Sam squeezed his shoulder as Callen watched him carefully.

"You okay?" Callen asked.

"I told him he should walk away. Get free of whatever she had on him," Deeks said. "But he just laughed and called me naive."

"He obviously knew the risk he was taking," Callen said. "We all do. It comes with the territory."

"He stayed in the game too long," Sam said.

"Yeah, but how do we know when it's been too long?" Deeks asked. "Do we stay in until it's too late…when we're facing down the barrel of a gun or lay dying in a pool of our own blood?"

"Deeks…you went through a traumatic experience," Callen said. "But you survived."

"You questioning your decision to come back?" Sam asked.

"Yeah…no. Maybe," he replied. "I remember Thapa saying we all have an expiration date. I just want mine to be after I live a good, long life with time to have kids and see them all grown up."

"And what about me?" Kensi asked.

"I want to be with you when you have grey hair and using a walker to cross the street," he said, grinning when she shoved him.

"No one knows when their time is up, Deeks," Sam said. "Michelle didn't. But she lived her life to the fullest, every single day, and as much as I wish she was with me right now, knowing she did that is good enough for me. It's all any of us can do."

Deeks moved to wrap him in a quick hug, while Callen gripped his partner's shoulder and looked out at the sea.

"Michelle would have loved this," Sam said softly as he took a step back. "So we need to enjoy it for her."

"How about a couple of beers and a nice cold swim?" Callen said with a smile.

"We can toast getting the band back together," Kensi said.

"And christen the boat," Deeks suggested.

"I'd like that," Sam said. "I got champagne in the galley. Dom Pérignon."

"Of course you do," Callen said.

"Lets make it a celebration of living life to the fullest," Deeks said, pulling Kensi to him and holding her there.

…

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Thanks to everyone who read this story. I appreciate all who followed it and favored it, and I loved reading every review written. They were inspirational. For those guest reviewers I couldn't respond to, please know I would have thanked you personally if I could have. It has been a pleasure.

Until next time,

Sweet Lu