Thank you to everyone who followed/favourite/reviewed my story, I appreciate the support.

Also, thank you to everyone who read my story but didn't leave a review. Maybe one time you'll feel inclined to leave a review.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with NCIS Los Angeles. I only own my original characters. Thank you to Bob Dylan for letting me use the title of one of his songs.

This story is a continuation of It's All Relative but if you haven't read it that's okay as this story is a stand alone. This is only the second story I've ever written, so I'm still learning the craft, please bare with me.

A big THANK YOU to AuggieDeeksNico for your amazing editing skills and don't forget to read her story MMA.

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Times They Are A Changing.

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Chapter 5 – Comings and Goings

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Callen stared at the bottle of Scotch and the two glasses sitting on Hetty's desk. She invited him into her office, pulled out the Scotch and then her cell phone rang. She looked at him apologetically and walked into the vacant bullpen. He sighed and ran his hand over his face. It had been a long stressful week.

They finally wrapped up the case involving the murdered female NCIS agents and the attempted murder of Sophie. Michael St. James now sat in a federal prison awaiting trial on four counts of murder for Federal Agents: Maureen Atkinson, Kathleen Humphreys, Trudy Rosebank and Marsha Scott and one count of attempted murder for Dr. Sophie Cooper. Jessie had been correct; the connection was through their Mother's. All of the agents, Kensi's and St James' mothers were alumni of Alpha Pi at Pepperdine University.

Nell researched St James after his arrest and found the he had been arrested for voyeurism, stalking and attempted assault and spent some time in a mental hospital. Katherine St James was a single mother, who while attending Pepperdine left Michael with a neighbour more often than not while she was at school or work. The neighbour also looked after 5 other children and Michael being the oldest often was left out and overlooked because of the needs of the younger children. By the time Michael was starting high school, he was awkward and withdrawn. He excelled in art class and creative writing but by the time he graduated his drawings were sexually disturbing.

He drifted from job to job with no close friends, girlfriend or purpose in life. After the stay in the mental hospital, he was living at home when a chance encounter with Agent Trudy Rosebank and her mother changed everything. Being starved for any type of attention at this point when Trudy spend a few minutes in small talk, Michael was smitten and obsessed. He even went as far as following her to Seattle. His fantasy ended when he saw Trudy with her boyfriend. Then he raped and killed her. Another chance encounter at his mother's club he met Agent Marsha Scott who introduced him to Kathleen Humphrey and finally Maureen Atkinson and history repeated itself each time.

St James got sexually frustrated and started making mistakes. Callen was glad he did as it probably saved Kensi and Sophie's lives.

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Next week would be the last for Deeks training and no one was sure where he was going. If he came back to this team what would happen to Jessie? Callen liked the new LAPD Liaison Officer and could see why Hetty wanted him for NCIS. He was much younger than Deeks but had all the smarts to someday make an excellent agent. He could always be assigned to another team in this building. Also, if Deeks came back to the team how would it play out between him and Sam? Deeks and Sam had left a lot unsaid when Deeks left for Georgia and Sam seem to be pulling further away from the team. He was civil to Jessie but made no effort to include him.

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Hetty approached her office with some hesitation. The next few minutes were going to change the dynamics of her number one team once again.

"Well Mr. Callen, it's been a long week." She sat down at her desk and poured them each a scotch.

"It has and I have a feeling it's hasn't ended." He took a sip of the Scotch, it tasted good going down.

"How's Dr. Cooper doing?"

"Very well, came home from the hospital Wednesday."

"You're staying at her place to help her out." It was a statement not a question.

He looked over his glass. She knew damn well he was. "What are you up too?"

"I'm not up to anything. " It's already been done. Dr. Cooper just might be the one to help him settle down.

"That can't be the reason for this." He held up is half empty glass.

"As you can assume with the return of Mr. Deeks and the addition of Mr. Salter, we are over the maximum for agents on your team."

"So Deeks is returning. Was there any doubt?" He chuckled as Hetty refilled his glass.

"You're the first to know. Kensi doesn't even know. I thought I would leave that up to Mr. Deeks."

"The solution to this is why we're drinking Scotch on a Friday afternoon? Why do I feel like your stalling?" Callen know Hetty rarely revealed the whole truth at once.

"The case you're working on got more complicated this afternoon. The disappearances turned international with the body of a child turning up dead in Canada. The child was last scene at the homeless shelter of the Chester P. Pearson Memorial Complex."

"Where Sophie works."

"Yes and where Mr. Deeks spent a considerable amount of time. Most of the staff knows him as a lawyer not a cop."

"So if we don't wrap this up next week, you're sending Deeks in." Callen sipped the last of the Scotch in his glass and placed it on the desk.

"That is the plan."

"So what team are you putting Jesse on?" He put his hand over the glass as Hetty tried to refill it.

"No, he's staying with your team."

"Hetty, I don't understand what your trying to tell me." He was a little frustrated with her.

"Mr. Hanna is going temporality to the USS Benjamin Franklin, as an agent afloat."

"You're reassigning Sam?" He was shocked and saddened at the same time.

"For the time being, he's not functioning well with your team. I had hoped with Mr. Deeks gone, he could get his footing back here. I think a change of scenery might do him good and there is a good physiatrist on board."

"Do you think his behaviour is PTSD related?" He leaned back in the chair, thinking about Sam's behaviour over the past weeks.

"Not sure but I will be getting weekly briefs on him."

"I understand but I'm not happy with this." Sam was his best friend and partner; it was like losing a part of himself.

"Me either Mr. Callen but what more can we do? I assure you this assignment is only temporary."

"Does he know?"

"Yes, he will be leaving Monday morning. "

"I'll go see him in the morning." He closed his eyes for a moment and rolled his headed not looking forward to it.

"I'll warn you he's not happy."

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One week later:

Even the mundane seemed special tonight. As Kensi waited for her turn in the bathroom, she wasn't as impatient as usual. Normally, she would end up using the bathroom down the hall while he was in the ensuite. But having to wait for Marty to finish in the bathroom meant he was home. Those eight weeks were the longest of her life but now he was here and to stay. When she had picked him up at Andrews Air Force Base, they decided to have a quiet evening at home. Tomorrow would be soon enough to catch up with the world.

She was sitting on the end of the bed when he came out of the bathroom. He'd been waiting for this night for, well, eight weeks.

"You done already?" He walked over to his side of the bed and pulled the covers down.

"No, I was waiting for you to finish." She got up and headed to the bathroom.

"You usually use the other one."

"I know." She turned, smiled and wiggling her hips just a little more than usual as she walked away.

Deeks shook his head at Kensi and started adjusting the pillows so he was propped sitting up. He slid under the covers and linked his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes. He was starting to drift off when he felt movement on the bed and opened his eyes to see Monty crawling up beside him. Monty nudged at his hand and laid his head his leg.

"Hey buddy." He rubbed his ears and Monty's tail thumped against the duvet. Fatherhood looked good on Monty. Kensi named the puppies, Mork and Mindy and it was cute to see them running and tumbling around the backyard still being puppy clumsy. They still slept most of the time but it was time to start training them and he was looking forward to it.

They both sighed at the same time and that made him smile. He closed his eyes again. Life was good and he was counting his blessing. He had a roof over his head and food on the table. He could remember a time when he was a kid that there was no food on the table. He had Kensi, she was beautiful, intelligent and so far out of his league. If you told him when he was 9 and living with his abusive alcoholic father and disconnected mother that he would end up with someone like Kensi he would have told you that you were crazy. But here they were buying a house; she was wearing his engagement ring and trying to get pregnant.

The person he had to thank for guiding him from a frightened and confused eleven year old to the man he was today was recuperating just across the yard. He was surprised when he went to visit Sophie earlier and found Callen there looking very much at home. Callen left them alone to give them some privacy. Marty didn't press Sophie for details however the body language between them suggested they were lovers. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. He liked Callen but not sure if he wanted Sophie any further to the NCIS world considering her resent accident. Hetty was right; the whole team helped and supported Sophie while he returned to Georgia. He still carried a large degree of guilt regarding that decision. Sophie still had some memory loss and the broken leg was healing a little more slowly than the doctors would like but for the most part she was doing well.

Monty turned his attention to Kensi as she crawled across the bed on top of the covers. He was excited that his two favorite people were together again and he danced between them before flopping down for a belly rub.

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" She asked as she rubbed Monty's belly.

"Surfing for sure, it's been too long and I have to get up to speed on the current case."

Hetty had sent home an envelope with Kensi detailing his first assignment as a NCIS agent and it was going to be an emotional one.

The case involved human trafficking of young children mostly boys from the complex where Sophie worked and where he spent a considerable time in his youth. One of the children missing was the son of a marine private. Ironically he was going in as a lawyer.

Kensi rolled to the side of the bed and turned off the bed side lamp. Monty got to his feet, jumped off the bed and headed downstairs to his little family. Marty rearranged his pillows again and also turned off his bedside lamp.

Kensi moved towards him. "I've never slept with a NCIS agent before." Cuddling against him, head on his chest, arm wrapped around him.

Marty let the warmth of her body relax him further, "I have and it's a beautiful experience."

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I hope you enjoyed this story. I'm planning a third. Hopefully, you will join me when it does come out.