Author's Note

Hey all! I know it's been while since I've written anything but I place the blame on school...

Anywhozerz, I wrote this little curse this morning and thought to just upload it. I can't promise that I'll be able to update as often as I like but I promise that won't be abandoning it.

This fic isn't necessarily related to the others that I've written, although it does have a similar storyline. In Gone and Secret, Deeks' sister is an adult named Sunny with a 4 year old daughter. I thought it would be fun to give him a teenage sister instead and just see where it takes me as I write.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

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Today would be a good day.

Deeks could feel it in the air. Everyone was happy, everything was going great. He was in a good place and nothing could take that from him. As he waltzed into the bullpen that morning, even the others noticed that he had a bit more of a pep in his step.

"Good morning, everyone!" Deeks exclaimed, setting his bag down on his desk and heading to the coffee machine behind him.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Kensi asked quizzically, eyeing her partner.

"Today is amazing! I can feel it," He answered enthusiastically.

"Yeah, keep saying that until we get a case," Sam commented disbelievingly as he worked on some report or another.

"You all," Deeks pointed as he walked back to his seat and plopped down. "Are just pessimistic."

"It's not pessimism, Deeks," Callen butted in. "Its realism."

"Says the team's residential pessimist," Deeks smiled teasingly at the older man.

Just as Callen was about to respond, a whistle sounded from above the stairs.

"We got a case!" Eric yelled as the team made their way up.

"What? No witty catchphrase this time?" Kensi joked with the specialist as she passed him on the stairs.

"Unfortunately no, there's nothing funny about this one..."

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"Laurel Perkins and Jackson Hemridge," Nell began once they were all settled around the operations table. "Both were eighteen years old."

Clicking a few keys, Nell brought up two pictures of the kids, each wearing blue graduation gowns and caps. "They were set to graduate from Los Angeles High School in a little over two weeks."

Deeks stiffened as Nell mentioned the high school and graduation ceremony. Kensi turned, giving him a quizzical look that he refused to reciprocate. Glancing back at the pictures on the screen, the two teens looked like average kids. The girl, Laurel, had wavy light brown hair that swept down her shoulders in a regal look. Her graduation cap sat atop her head like a crown and on her face she wore a wide confident smile. Jackson's features were a bit tamer but also reeked of confidence. He had sun-kissed blonde spiky hair and butch frame that depicted most-likely athletic extracurricular activities.

"They were the typical cute senior couple," Eric explained. "She was a cheerleader and he was the football team's star running back as well as the head of the cross country team.

"They were found early this morning in an alleyway across the street from a pizza place that witnesses report seeing them in earlier. A jogger saw them and called the police. Authorities arrived around 9:00 and contacted their parents and the school."

"It's a sad story, but why is this an NCIS case?" Callen questioned the two analysts.

"Jackson Hemridge was scheduled to attend boot camp after graduation and then enlist in the marines. His father was a naval commander that was honorarily discharged due to poor health, and his older brother is currently away on deployment... His grandfather and great grandfather also served, from what I can tell he must have been a bit of a military brat."

"Kid after my own heart," Kensi muttered with a sad smile.

Deeks gave her a sideways glance, but again refused to meet her gaze. This was getting out of control, Kensi though. He was in such a good mood this morning, and now all of a sudden he would barely even look at her. The fact that these two kids had died was sad and all, but it was their jobs, Deeks had to be more than accustomed to this by now.

"What about the school?" Sam asked.

"After the news broke, they released all of the students and most of the staff early," Nell clarified. "Hemridge and Perkins' teachers are still present as well as a few students who saw them last or knew them personally. LAPD asked them to stay for further questioning."

"Alright," Callen sighed, taking the charge. "Deeks and Kensi will check out the crime scene while Sam and I head over to the school."

"Sounds good," Kensi replied. "Send us the address guys?"

"No problem," Eric responded, glancing at his tablet to do just that.

With that, the four agents left the building. Kensi noticed the worried look on Deeks' face and even the warning glance that Hetty sent him from her office across the building... Something was seriously wrong with her partner and she could already bet that he didn't want to talk about it... This was going to be a long day.

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And that's the first chapter! Thanks for reading my awesome peeps! Please review and tell me what you like or don't like. If you have ideas that you'd like me to incorporate or make a separate fic about, PM me or just leave it in a review. Thanks again!