This is the final chapter and I am very sad to bring the story to an end. There was so much enthusiasm and support and I can't tell you how grateful I am to everyone who took the journey with me and particularly to those who sent reviews. Enjoy the ending.

Odyssey

Chapter Twenty

Deeks stood outside the boatshed waging an internal battle. He could either go in or turn around and leave. If he chose to leave it would almost certainly signal the end his brief career with NCIS. It was only after living like a recluse for several weeks that he'd finally figured out what was bothering him. It had brought a measure of relief to recognize that he wasn't going crazy. Unfortunately it had also left him with a dilemma. He took a deep breath and opened the door. The air was filled with the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee which was a surprise. Normally when called in by Hetty for one of her 'chats' she served some weird tea from her seemingly limitless collection.

"Hetty?" he called, moving further into the building. When he received no reply he continued on to the small kitchen and poured a mug of coffee.

"You're here to see Hetty?"

He froze when he heard Callen's voice behind him. It took several seconds before he felt composed enough to turn to face his team leader. There was a sight trace of a limp when Callen walked toward him. Deeks stepped aside and gestured to the coffee pot. "Help yourself. I assume you made it."

"I did."

"Hetty isn't coming, is she?" Deeks asked.

"Probably not. I think this is her way of getting us in the same room."

"How's your leg?"

"Better. Your back?"

"It healed. It's not pretty to look at though." Deeks silently cursed the stilted nature of his response. He'd been prepared to face Hetty, not Callen and it had thrown him off-balance. "I'm due back at work tomorrow." In truth he wasn't sure if he would return to NCIS but that remained unsaid.

"I heard. You passed all your evaluations." Callen walked to the sofa, putting some much needed distance between them.

Deeks noticed how careful Callen was when he sat concluding that it would have taken time before sitting was comfortable. He could relate to that. Even after the deep cuts on his back had healed he'd still been reluctant to put pressure on it. "How about you?"

"Light duties for a few weeks," Callen replied. He sipped his coffee and fixed Deeks with a disconcerting stare. "I didn't get a chance to thank you."

"Just doing my job." Deeks saw Callen flinch at the terse response. "I mean it wasn't anything more than any of us would do for one of our team."

"You're right but that's only because we're exceptional." The hint of a smile crossed Callen's face before disappearing. "I also owe you an apology."

Deeks' chest tightened at the introduction of a topic he didn't particularly want to discuss.. "No you don't. You made decisions in the heat of the moment and it's no good second-guessing them now."

"I'm not second-guessing them," Callen said roughly. "I'd do the same again and that's what I'm apologizing for. I'd put you, Sam and Kensi in danger for the good of the mission." His shoulders sagged. "I don't know if that makes me good at my job or a complete bastard."

The unexpected confession deserved due consideration and not a flippant response. Deeks sat in the chair opposite Callen and set his mug down on the table. He knew that the slight tremor in his hand wouldn't have gone unnoticed. "How many times have you put yourself in harm's way? You could have been killed when the boat was hi-jacked. Even after you were shot you didn't take the safe option. When they were torturing me…" His mouth went dry causing his words to trail away.

"I know now that I didn't have the information they wanted. At the time I only knew that I couldn't betray our mission and that meant you had to suffer." Callen's stare challenged him to take his best shot.

"I could have stopped it and, believe me, I thought about it. I knew everything that Weller had uncovered. But, I also knew that Sam and Kensi were on their way to save us." He looked down at his hands and drew in an uneven breath. "Do you know what they were about to do to us?" There was blank incomprehension on Callen's face so Deeks pressed on. "We were seconds away from being beheaded. I'm sure the video would have been a big hit in certain parts of the world."

Callen's face turned ashen. "I…no-one told me."

"If you'd broken, or if I had, we'd have been dead before the rescue even started."

Callen ran a hand through his short hair. "If you don't blame me for what happened why have you been avoiding my calls?"

"I was ashamed." It was the first time he'd said it aloud and he hadn't thought he'd be confessing his dark secret to Callen.

"Why?"

"You all saw me," he said softly. "It doesn't really make sense but the thought of you seeing me helpless and scared…listening to my screams…I've tried all my life to be strong. It was important to me. They took that away and you were all there."

"You think any of us would judge you?" Callen asked fiercely. "They didn't take your strength or your courage. They tried and failed and you came out the other end proving beyond any doubt that you're one of the best operatives in NCIS. I'd be proud to have you watching my back any time."

Deeks studied his team leader, looking for any sign that Callen was just trying to make him feel better. There was nothing to show that the statement was anything other than the truth. "Thank you."

"We've all been in vulnerable situations. It comes with the territory. You have nothing to be embarrassed about." Callen leaned back, appearing more relaxed. "How about you and Kensi? Have you seen her since you got back?"

"Not much." After the incident on the ship they had both backed away again. He sensed, though, that something in their relationship had changed even though nothing had been said. For someone who talked incessantly he wasn't sure why he found it so hard to have a conversation that touched on personal matters. His hope that his feelings would diminish now that they were back in their normal surroundings had been misplaced. He'd broken the cardinal rule and fallen in love with his partner. "She's been busy. With both of us out of action she and Sam have been working some long shifts."

"Yeah. It'll be good to get the team back together."

It was phrased as a statement yet Deeks knew that there was the element of a question. It seemed Callen was as uncertain about the future as he was. "Yes, it will."

The main screen switched on and Hetty's face came into focus. "Good morning, gentlemen. How are you today?" she asked brightly.

Callen scowled at her. "Were you listening in, Hetty?"

"Why would you think that, Mr. Callen?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you set us up."

"I thought it was time for the two of you to work out your differences," she replied without any remorse. "Would it be fair to say that you've come to an understanding?"

"We have," Deeks said, resigned to the fact that they would never be able to get the better of their Operations Manager.

"Good. I will see you both tomorrow then. The owners of The Odyssey would like their yacht back, preferably without paying a fortune in ransom to the remaining pirates. I suggest you both give it some thought." The screen went blank.

After a minute of stunned silence Callen spoke. "Any ideas?"

"None," Deeks replied. He checked his watch. "It's almost noon. How about we get out of here, grab a couple of beers and a steak and think about it?"

Callen stood up, the residual stiffness in his leg causing him to grimace. "We good, Deeks?"

"We are," Deeks answered truthfully. "Yes, we are."

The end.