AN: So. It's been a year. Okay, more than a year. I am incredibly sorry for the delay and promise to do my best to continue with regular updates now.
For those who don't know, I suffered a loss last summer. Though not entirely unexpected, it affected me far more than I could have predicted. I didn't want to write, and I wasn't in the right mindset to write this story anyway. I stopped following the few stories I was reading (that being said, if I dropped off reviewing part way through one of your stories last summer, please let me so I can continue now!).
By the fall, I was feeling better, and wrote a oneshot to get back into writing again. I started to work on this chapter, and then had a bit of a relapse that lasted a really long time. Grief is a powerful and unpredictable process. I spent another several months struggling, only to wake up one day a few weeks ago, and feel freer.
I'm doing a lot better now and enjoyed jumping back into this story. As I stated above, I will do my best to write regularly to finish this story. I have a plan at least through most of season 3 for this story. I also have several partially written oneshots and the beginnings of a post season 9 story that will be a few chapters.
Thank you so much to everyone who has sent reviews, PMs and support. I want to catch up on responses in the next few weeks and will do my best.
Cheers!
00
As a reminder – the last chapter ended near the end of season 2, with the team resigning and heading to Prague to rescue Hetty. Strange to write because it's been so long since the team dropped everything to fly overseas to rescue Hetty after she resigned and disappeared…oh…wait…didn't that just happen?
00
Episodes 2.24 – Familia (just the very end) & 3.01 – Lange, H.
Deeks sighs as his brain finds consciousness. He's sitting mostly upright, and for a moment he thinks he has fallen asleep on the couch. But the constant hum of the airplane's engines quickly reminds him where he is.
He opens his eyes and glances around the darkened plane. It's quiet and he thinks most of the passengers are sleeping. Callen and Sam are sitting several rows up on the other side of the plane. He can see the top of Sam's head in the window seat.
To his right, his wife is still fast asleep, her head slanted against his shoulder. The window shade beside her is pulled down most of the way over the window, and the sliver of window he can see at the bottom is dark.
Deeks has never been on an overseas flight before. He wonders if he would be able to see the Atlantic below them if it wasn't the middle of the night.
There had still been some light in the sky after their short layover in Chicago. He remembers holding Kensi's hand as the plane hurtled down the runway and lifted off into the sky for the second time that day. She had squeezed his hand and convinced him to open his eyes. The view out the small window had been the setting sun.
Deeks groans now and stretches his legs. He has been on a few shorter flights before with his wife. He is grateful that now, in the larger plane, he has a little more leg room, but he still feels cramped with his long legs.
He turns his head to press a kiss to the top of Kensi's head. Then he gently and expertly shifts her away from him.
Once free, he stands and suppresses a loud sigh as he stretches his legs. He takes a moment to get the feeling back in his lower extremities, and then shuffles down the narrow corridor between the rows of seats for the bathroom.
He relieves himself in the small bathroom and washes his hands. He then cups his hands under the weak stream of water in the sink and rinses his face. It helps him to feel somewhat more awake.
He leaves the bathroom and walks back up the rows of seats.
Kensi is awake when he returns. She blinks sleepily at him. Her eyes are dark and her forehead pinched. He knows she doesn't sleep well when she is stressed.
He sits and hooks his arm around her. "Good morning," he whispers, pressing a kiss to her temple.
She huffs a laugh. "What time is it?"
He sits back against his seat, arm still around his wife. "No idea."
"Mmm," she mumbles, leaning into his chest.
"You doing okay?" He asks.
She stifles a yawn. "Worried about Hetty. Anxious to get there."
He nods. "Me, too."
She twists and lays her hand over his chest. "How about you? Doing okay? I know you don't like flying."
His family had been pretty poor before he had been forced to shoot his father and landed himself in foster care, so he had never flown as a child. His first flight, with Kensi by his side, hadn't been what he had expected. The speed of the plane on the runway and the roar of the engines had been a bit of an assault to his senses. He's not afraid, exactly, but knowing he cannot exit the plane makes his heart beat a little harder.
"I'm not that bad," he whines.
She laughs. "No, you're not." She pats his chest and then yawns again. "I'm sorry this is your first big flight. It wouldn't be so bad if we had our vacation to look forward to."
"I'll just be well-practiced by then," he tells her.
"I can't wait." Kensi rests against him and breathes.
"You okay?"
She pats his chest. "Yeah. Just worried." She sits up to meet his eyes. "But I'm really glad you're here. I can't imagine doing this without you."
He leans in to kiss her. "You're really worried about this, aren't you?"
She is silent for a long moment. She turns her face into his shoulder and speaks against him when she responds. "I'm worried about Hetty and what shape she'll be in when we find her. I'm worried about Callen. He's desperate, and I'm not sure if Sam can keep him in check. I'm worried about what we may have to do, about what might happen to us." She pauses before continuing. "And I'm worried about what happens when we get home. I mean…I resigned."
He buries his nose in her hair and breathes. He shares her worries and knows there isn't anything he can say about most of them. The final worry, though, catches him by surprise. In all the stress and fast pace of the last two days, he hadn't stopped to consider the personal toll.
His wife had grown up in a world where sacrifice was given for others. She had wanted to work in law enforcement since he had met her. She has wanted to be an NCIS agent for as long as he has known her. He's been by her side through her initial application, her interviews and screening, her training and several placements.
"Kens…" He murmurs her name, not quite sure what to say to her.
She lifts her head off his shoulder to meet his eyes. "I know it was the right thing to do," she says, referring to her resignation. "And I don't regret it. But…"
"But you're not done being a super agent," he finishes for her.
She manages a smile at his words. "If I'm not helping people, I don't know what else I would do. It's all I know. And I haven't solved my dad's case yet, either."
"You don't need to be NCIS to solve your dad's case," he assures her. "We have copies of all the NCIS files already. No matter where we are, we can keep working it."
She nods.
"And there are lots of ways to help people," he reminds her. "If you're not an NCIS agent, I'm sure every other agency will want you. Or you could apply to LAPD," he says, raising an eyebrow.
"We could be partners," she jokes.
He makes a show of sighing and shaking his head. "Nope. The LAPD has strict rules about no romantic relationships between partners." He smirks.
She laughs out loud and then quickly stifles her laugh. "Yeah, because us working together wouldn't work."
He laughs, too. "Not at all." He smiles at his wife until he sobers suddenly as realization kicks in. She has resigned. They aren't technically partners anymore. He takes a breath. Beside him, Kensi sobers as well. She, too, seems to have come to the same conclusion.
He had never expected to work with his wife, and especially had never expected to partner with her. But the last year has been full of unexpected things. He's enjoyed the work far more than he would have thought. And he loves working with his wife. He loves being her partner.
He reaches for her hand and squeezes. She squeezes back. They don't have to say anything.
"Maybe I could be a bounty hunter," she suggests after a long moment.
He rolls his eyes. During the long process of applying to and being accepted into NCIS, she had started worrying she may need a Plan B. One of his many helpful suggestions was to become a bounty hunter.
She smiles. "We could be bounty hunters together."
He huffs and sticks his tongue out at her. "Speak for yourself. I still have a job."
She scrunches her nose. "Fair point." She surveys him for a long moment. "I guess that's a good thing. We do have a mortgage now."
He frowns at her suddenly dour mood. He hooks an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close. "Don't think about that right now. We have savings. We'll be okay."
She leans into him. "I just want to get there. I hate all the waiting."
"Me, too." He leans his head against hers and closes his eyes. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
00
They land in late afternoon, but it's dark by the time they pass through customs and leave the airport.
Prague is a beautiful old city, and Deeks is sure he would love being here under pretty much any other circumstances. But it's dark and alien to him now. The few people the team interacts with after leaving the airport speak in harsh non-English tones that Deeks doesn't understand.
He and Kensi stand back and allow Callen and Sam to secure them all transport, burner phones and weapons. He is sure Kensi, at least, understands some of what is being communicated. Deeks keeps a neutral expression and hopes that, on the outside, he appears confident. On the inside, he's a bit terrified.
He's never been overseas before, let alone worked overseas. Since starting his law enforcement career, he's never worked outside of California, other than a few cases that took him along the Mexican border. He doesn't know the language, or the geography. And though the rest of the team doesn't seem to care that they are without NCIS support or sanction, he keenly feels how alone they are.
Within a few hours, Deeks finds himself tucked beside his wife in the back of an old van. The space is limited, and he's grateful for it because he and Kensi are pressed tight beside each other. The contact offers comfort. Neither Callen or Sam seem to notice them. In the front seat, Callen is quiet and brooding. Across from them, Sam is scowling down as he cleans his new gun.
The senior agent complains about the state of the weapon. He hates getting guns on the black market because you never know what state they're in.
The black market.
Deeks isn't worried about the state of his new gun. He's checked his over, and done his own cleaning. But Sam's words serve to remind him again of what they are doing.
Not only is the team working outside of the only country Deeks has ever worked in, but they're working without the protection or authority of NCIS.
He may be the only member of the team still employed, but he knows the LAPD will not be able to help him if anything goes wrong on this mission.
He looks to his wife, and then to Callen and Sam. He is worried about all of them.
Callen is removed and focused, Sam is harsh and short lipped, and Kensi is quiet.
Deeks realizes that the rest of the team is not without their own concerns. They have more experience than him in these kinds of situations, and they're good at masking their own worries.
Deeks understands that the team is purposefully avoiding verbalizing their concerns. And he's doing the same thing.
It makes him feel a little bit better.
00
The team takes advantage of the darkness and late-night hours. Despite any unverbalized concerns, they come together seamlessly as a team. They storm the house where Hetty was last known to be.
But she is not here.
And before Deeks can even get his bearings, they are on the way back to the airport with a new destination.
Romania.
00
"Are you okay?" Kensi asks quietly an hour into the five-and-a-half-hour flight from Prague to Romania.
He nods. "Yup."
She tilts her head and stares at him for a long moment.
"I know none of us are really okay right now," she says quietly. "But you seem…not okay."
He chuffs a laugh and smiles at his wife. "It's just…a lot."
The past day has been a bit of an assault to his senses. The overseas flight, the off-book work, the buying weapons on the black market. It's all worth it to save Hetty. But he had expected to find Hetty in Prague. He hadn't expected having to chase her from country to country.
Romania is another place with another language. It's just another location to showcase to Deeks how out of his depth he is.
"I don't like not understanding what's being said," he admits. "It's all well and good if nothing goes wrong, but without Callen and Sam, we're definitely limited in our ability to communicate. And without you, I'd pretty much be the crazy guy making hand gestures that the locals wouldn't understand." He waves his hand around to make his point.
"You have other strengths this team needs," she tells him.
"I know." He's begun to accept his place with the team. He hesitates before continuing in a lower voice. "Back at home, I know I contribute to the team. But here…honestly, I feel like I'm just tagging along."
He thinks she's going to argue with him, but she doesn't.
She stares at him for a long moment before sighing and leaning her head against his shoulder. "I feel like that a bit, too, right now."
He allows his head to lull against his wife's and closes his eyes.
"Callen and Sam wouldn't have let us come with them if they didn't want us here," she continues. "We'll get our chance to matter."
He finds her hand and squeezes hard. "I hope so."
00
The early morning sun is up when they land in Romania. Deeks is pretty sure it's been more than a day since he's seen sunlight, but with three flights and three countries, he's lost track of how long they have been gone, or what time it is at home.
As with Prague, he and Kensi stand back and allow Callen and Sam to take care of the details.
They secure weapons and find their way down to the beach next to the Comescu's family compound.
Having grown up in California, Deeks is drawn to the water. The white sand beach along the Black Sea looks similar to the white sand beach along the pacific. He decides he likes Romania more than Prague.
He and Kensi stay together, a few paces behind the senior agents. They watch silently as Callen stops interacting with Sam and it takes Sam several attempts to regain his partner's attention.
"That's the Black Sea," Callen eventually responds.
Deeks slowly releases a breath and glances at his wife. Kensi returns his worried look. Together, they both return their attention to Callen and Sam.
"Yes, it is," Sam replied tersely. He is clearly worried about his partner's sudden behaviour.
"I always assumed it was the Pacific," Callen says. "California."
Deeks feels his brow furrow. He has no idea what is going on now. He and Kensi exchange another glance. Her eyes tell him she has no idea what is going on either.
"You do know where we are?" Sam demands.
Callen nods. "Romania."
Deeks releases a breath he didn't realize until now he was holding. He's relying on Callen and Sam to lead the team through this. If Callen loses it, he doesn't know what they'll do.
He glances at his wife again and swallows hard. He actually knows exactly what he will do. If Callen loses it, then he's taking his wife to the airport and going home. He's keenly aware of the dangers this mission of theirs holds. And he's not about to follow anyone without a rational mind and well thought out plan.
Sam looks past Callen to Kensi and Deeks. He is calm and offers them a small nod.
Deeks feels himself nod back. Sam is not too worried to continue. He will keep following for now.
"We need to get off the street and figure out a plan," Sam says. He proceeds to send Kensi and Deeks looking for a place settle in and come up with a plan.
Once out of earshot, Deeks reaches to squeeze Kensi's hand. "You worried?"
She pauses before answering, "Yes. You?"
"Oh, yeah."
They fall silent as they walk several blocks back from the beach into a mostly empty industrial area. The first street is full of people, and the second looks a bit run down, but still in use.
"Callen knows too much about this area," Deeks speaks up as they turn down the third street.
"I don't think Callen knows what he knows," Kensi answers.
They stop at a door. It's shut, but unlocked. Deeks takes a breath and then slowly pushes it open. The inside space is empty of people, put there are tables of folded fabrics. The space is too clean not to be in use.
"Not here," he murmurs.
They push on down the street.
"Do you think Callen could have spent time here…or maybe even was born here?"
Beside him, Kensi runs a hand through her hair. "He said he hadn't been here before. But I guess… He doesn't really know anything from his past, about his parents…not even his first name."
Deeks has known about Callen's past, or lack-there-of, for some time now, but the reminder still takes him aback.
"I can't imagine what it would be like to not know who I am."
"It's a scary thought," she agrees.
"I mean, my dad was an asshole. And my mom was…limited. But at least I know where I came from."
She stops for a moment and he stops with her. She meets his eyes and stares for several seconds. Then she offers him a tired smile.
"Your past isn't who you are, Marty." She lays her hand on his chest, over his heart. "This is who you are. Your past doesn't define you."
He can't help himself. Despite their location and circumstance, he dips his head and kisses his wife. There are so many things he wants to say to her in this moment. That he is who he is because of her. That he'd had no idea who he was before he met her. That he was lost and doesn't know how long he would have searched for himself if she hadn't bumped into him at that gym so many years ago.
It's because of their location and circumstance that he keeps it short. "I love you."
She smiles at him. She's tired and her eyes are pinched with worry. But her expression is clear. "I love you, too."
00
Less than an hour later, they make their way back to the beach with a camera.
After finding a suitable location – an abandoned garage – and leading Callen and Sam to it, they had been sent to do some surveillance of the Comescu's compound.
The Comescus certainly expect them. The only thing on their side is time. They caught a quick flight to Romania from Prague. The faster they move now, the better.
The Comescu family compound is a secure looking beach house.
"How do you want to do this?" Deeks asks as they reach the sand of the beach. He glances at the beach house and then back to Kensi. "They may not expect us yet, but they're going to notice us standing here taking pictures."
Kensi frowns as she, too, stares at the beach house. And then she looks to him and smiles.
He isn't sure what her play is, but he doesn't try to stop her when she steps forward and kisses him. Hard.
She pulls away with a laugh and presses her hand against his chest, pushing him backwards.
Her demeanour changes and suddenly she's free and uncaring. He recognizes that she is playing a role.
She holds up the camera and motions for him to back up further.
"Back up, honey," She calls. "I want pictures of my new husband with the water behind him."
"Ah, honeymoon in Romania, I like it," he calls back as he understands her plan. "Romantic Romania."
She beams at him and lifts the camera.
He makes a show of posing for the camera; smiling, holding up his arms, pointing towards the water, curling his arms up to show off his muscles, the thinking man pose.
Kensi laughs as she slowly moves around so her camera is angled towards the beach house.
"Anyone watching?" He asks as lifts one leg straight out to the side and tilts his body the other way.
"No. And the what the hell are you doing?" She asks.
"I have no idea. I'm running out of ideas."
She laughs again and walks towards him. She kisses him again as she passes him the camera. She takes her turn being the one in front of the camera.
She does less poses than him, but makes faces at the camera, which in turn make him laugh.
"We're definitely going to need a honeymoon in Romania photo album to display these bad boys," Deeks announces.
She rolls her eyes. "No, we don't."
"We do," he insists. "These pictures are priceless."
"We already have honeymoon pictures."
He smiles at the reminder. "That we do." He snaps another photo, taking care to focus the camera not on his wife, but on the house behind her. "Do you wish we went somewhere more exotic?"
"Like Romania?" She snorts a laugh. "No. We have the beach close to home without spending too much money."
He has long accepted that Kensi doesn't care about money the same way he does. She is sentimental and attached to the material things that mean something to her. But she doesn't strive for expensive things.
Having grown up in a poor and abusive home, and then having spent his adolescence in foster care, Deeks always told himself he would go to school so he could get a good job and make good money. Not because he wanted to be rich. But because we wanted better.
He wanted more than he had had growing up. He wanted nicer than he had had growing up. Young Marty Deeks had wanted a nice house and a nice car. He wanted furniture without tears. He wanted big meals that didn't leave him still hungry when he scraped his plate clean. He wanted hot water and air conditioning. He wanted appliances that worked all the time. He wanted a family he could trust. He wanted pictures on the walls to illustrate all sorts of cool things he had done. Not to show off, but to remind him of all he had.
Deeks swallows hard at the sudden memory. He hadn't thought of his much younger self's hopes and dreams in a long time.
Before he had met Kensi, and before he had gone to college, and before he had turned eighteen and been released from foster care, he had been a teenager stuck in the system. He didn't have stability. He rarely had love. He never had a meal that made him feel full. He had spent so much time wanting more.
He wonders what that younger version of himself would say if he could see what Deeks had now. A house. A wife. Nice things. Hot water and air conditioning and an ice maker in the fridge. More than enough food to feel full.
Kensi cocks her head, puzzled by his pause. Not quite worried. She narrows her eyes and smiles at him.
He focuses the camera on her and takes a picture. They may not need an album. But he needs this one picture on his wall at home. To remind him of everything he has.
"You okay?" She calls.
"I'm okay, wifey," He calls back.
She rolls her eyes again. "Should have gone with a family vacation and not a honeymoon."
He laughs. "No, honeymoon is perfect. I love honeymoon. Do you remember how many places we talked about going? I don't think Romania ever came up."
"Which it clearly should have, because it comes with a beach," she retorts, pointing to the water.
00
August 2002
A month before their wedding, Kensi and Deeks enjoyed a rare night where neither of them were working. Deeks was laying on his back on the couch. Kensi was stretched out between him and the back of the couch. Her head was on his shoulder and her arm was stretched across his chest.
Their local rental was already booked and paid for, but it didn't stop them from discussing all the places they would love to go for their honeymoon.
"Mmm, Hawaii," he said. "I hear there are fancy hotels on the beach with hot tubs on the balcony."
"Because that sounds safe," Kensi replied.
He laughed. "Your turn."
"Hmm, Italy. So much beautiful architecture."
"One day," he half promised and half hoped.
"Your turn."
He thought for a moment. "South Africa."
"Yes," she agreed immediately. "Such beautiful coastlines."
"Your turn."
She was quiet for a moment. "Iceland."
"Iceland?" He opened his eyes and almost sat up. "Really? With all the…ice?"
She snorted a laugh. "Not that much ice."
"But…but…the cold."
"It supposed to be so beautiful."
He settled back and made a show of sighing. "If I have to."
She laughed. "Yes, you have to come with me on a hypothetical trip to Iceland." She yawned and settled her head back onto his shoulder. "Your turn."
"Australia."
"Yes." She nodded against him. "All the beautiful cities and animals and nature."
"And the surfing is supposed to be amazing."
"Of course you would be focused on surfing." She paused. "Wait." She swiped a hand at his chest. "All of the places you have picked have surfing."
He laughed. "Oh, you noticed that, did you?"
She laughed along with him. "You're ridiculous."
"But you love me." He lifted his head and reached for her hand. He brought her hand close and pressed a kiss to her finger, right next to her engagement ring. "And soon you're going to be stuck with me forever…"
She kept laughing, but stayed close. "Looking forward to it."
00
"Next time we discuss hypothetical honeymoon locals, remind me about Romania," He quips.
She laughs, and then sobers. She meets his eyes. "You're ridiculous."
He smiles at her. "And you're stuck with me." His smile widens. "In fact, you chose to be stuck with me. Forever." He raises his left hand and motions to his ring finger. The fact that he isn't actually wearing his wedding band doesn't detract from the point he is trying to make.
"And I'd choose it again."
He drops the camera and smiles at his wife. "Me, too, Kens. Me, too."
They stare at each other for a long moment. And then he takes a breath and lifts the camera again. Because they're still in a foreign country without any NCIS support or sanction. And Hetty is still missing and likely in danger. And they are still possibly in danger. And Callen still may be having some sort of breakdown. He needs to focus and they need to get these pictures taken.
00
Less than an hour later, Deeks is crouched behind some bushes along the water side of the beach front property. Kensi is crouched beside him. He can hear her steady breaths beside him and the sound of the waves behind him.
In the past hour, Deeks has eaten three gelatos, been recognized by guards at the beach house, been chased through the now somewhat familiar Romanian roads by said guards, helped capture one of the guards to use as bait to draw some of the Comescu's away from the beach house, and had headed to the beach house with the team to finally get Hetty.
Deeks sighs, exasperated. "I hate waiting."
Kensi shifts beside him, pressing a bit more firmly against him. And he knows it's a purposeful movement and not her balance shifting. "Callen and Sam will let us know once they leave."
The hope is to draw as many bad guys as possible away from the beach house. They need to even the odds if they have any chance of saving Hetty and getting out alive.
"It better be soon. We have to be super-fast in there, because they're just going to turn around and come back when they realize we're not in the garage anymore. We'll only have a few minutes."
"We'll be fast," Kensi says, ever focused.
He takes a breath. Of all that has changed in the last hour, the one positive is that Eric had somehow hunted them down through their burner phones and they are in contact with Director Vance again.
According to Callen, Vance had sanctioned the mission and wasn't accepting their resignations.
Despite his willingness to save Hetty no matter what, the fact that NCIS is behind them again makes him feel a lot better about the mission.
Kensi's phone vibrates and she quickly answers.
"Yeah," she whispers.
Deeks watches as she nods and then hangs up.
"We're on," she says.
Deeks takes a breath. "Let's do this."
After working together for a year, they move together seamlessly. They don't have to speak as they work together to clear the yard and the open areas of the main floor.
Callen and Sam are already working their way towards the back of the main floor.
Sam nods towards them. Again, they don't need to exchange any words to understand. Sam goes after Callen as Kensi and Deeks stay to make sure no one else enters the house.
A minute goes by.
Deeks keeps moving, his gun trained on the back door. Kensi's back is to his back, as she keeps her gun trained on the front door.
Another minute passes.
Deeks is starting to get restless. He's keenly aware of how fast they need to be. If the bad guys come back, the team is done. There is no way they can hold out against another dozen when they're now trapped in the house.
Another minute passes.
Deeks turns for a moment and shares a look with his wife. He debates calling out to the team.
Callen and Sam reappear with Hetty.
Hetty is prone and being carried between them.
"What happened?" Deeks calls.
"Is she alive?" Kensi asks.
"She's alive," Callen calls back. "She got shot."
Sam takes Hetty's full weight and motions for Kensi and Deeks to lead. "Car's out front and half a block down."
Kensi doesn't hesitate to head out the front door, cautious but quick moving as she ensures the way is safe. Deeks is right behind her.
Sam follows with Hetty. Callen takes up the rear, making sure no one follows.
00
The next hour is a blur of blood and controlled panic.
Callen drives. Kensi sits next to him, her phone in her hand on speaker. She relays geographic information between Callen and Eric in order to get them to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible.
In the back, Sam and Deeks struggle against limited space to keep Hetty alive.
The hospital is clean and modern.
With his limited travel experience, Deeks had expected something different. But he is happily surprised when Callen pulls into the ambulance bay of an ER.
Of course, the people rushing out to help Hetty are talking quickly in a language he doesn't understand. His car door is closest to the ER door. A man in scrubs starts demanding information from him in harsh, unfamiliar words.
Deeks gapes for a moment, motioning into the backseat where Sam is trying to get Hetty out of the car without making anything worse for her.
The man steps forward and says something to Deeks again. The words sound the same, and Deeks thinks he is probably repeating his earlier question. Regardless, he still doesn't understand.
Suddenly, Callen is beside him, speaking in easy Romanian as he answers the doctor's questions.
Deeks steps back as a team settles Hetty onto a gurney.
Kensi appears beside him, and they watch together as Hetty is wheeled into the hospital.
The doors swing shut behind her, leaving the team alone in the ambulance bay.
"She was still conscious," Sam says. "That's a good sign."
Deeks nods along, though he's not sure how good of a sign it is. Kensi squeezes his hand. He looks down, surprised to find his hand in hers. He's not sure if he reached for her hand, or she reached for his. He takes a breath and squeezes back.
The ER doors swing open and a man steps halfway out. He yells something towards them and motions to the car. Then he steps back in and the door shuts behind him.
Callen doesn't actually have to translate his words for the team to understand, but he does anyway. "We have to move the car." Callen glances towards the car and then sends a worried look towards the hospital. He shares a look with Sam. His concern is palpable.
Deeks squeezes Kensi's hand before addressing Callen. He holds out his free hand. "You two go find out about Hetty. We'll take the car and try to find a parking lot."
"Thank you," Callen says. He tosses the keys, which Deeks catches without issue.
When they're left alone, Deeks turns and wraps his arms around his wife. She hugs him back tight.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Kensi asks.
He knows she knows he doesn't have any more information than she does. He holds her tighter and presses his lips against the side of her head. "I hope so."
"Me, too."
He opens his mouth to say more, but the door swings open again. The same man as before appears and waves his hand angrily towards the car. Deeks still cannot understand anything the man says, but understands implicitly. They really need to move the car out of the ambulance bay.
Deeks waves his hand in apology as he releases his wife. "Sorry, man," he calls, though he's pretty sure the Romanian man won't understand him.
He heads for the car and jumps into the driver's seat. Kensi gets in beside him. Her eyes are more reflective than usual, and he knows she is fighting against tears.
He turns on the ignition before reaching to squeeze Kensi's hand. He doesn't need to say anything. She squeezes his hand hard, nods, and then releases his hand.
He puts the car in gear and begins to drive forward. "We're going to find a hospital parking lot. Then we're going to find Callen and Sam. We're going to do everything we can to make sure Hetty is okay. And then we're all going to go home."
Beside him, Kensi exhales heavily. He can hear the emotions she is trying to hold back. "Just like that?"
He nods. "Just like that. Easy as pie."
She exhales again, though this time there is a hint of humour.
He smiles, glad he has reached her. "And speaking of pie, I'm starving. After we find Callen and Sam, and make sure Hetty is okay, let's see if this hospital has a cafeteria."
"Agreed."
00
As Deeks predicted, they find a parking lot and leave the car there.
When they return to the hospital, they pause in the atrium of the main entrance. They don't know where in the hospital Hetty is, or Callen and Sam, and they don't speak the right language to ask.
Before they can begin their search for the team, Sam appears and waves them over to a quiet corner. He's holding his cell phone in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.
"Any news?" Kensi asks.
"They took her straight to surgery. Callen is in the waiting room in case there's news." He turns and provides directions to the waiting room while point down the hallway to their right.
Deeks expects to feel some relief, but doesn't. Being in surgery doesn't mean Hetty will be okay. And there's still the fact that the team is on foreign soil.
"We need to call Eric and let him know what's going on," Kensi says.
"Already done," Sam answers. He holds up his cell phone. "I just got off the phone with Eric and Director Vance. They're going to have Hetty transferred to Landstuhl Hospital as soon as she's out of surgery and stable enough for transport."
Kensi turns to Deeks. "That's the army hospital in Germany," she tells him quietly.
Deeks nods, filing away the information. "That's good, then, right? That'll give her the best chance."
Kensi nods, as does Sam.
"They're the best," Sam says.
"Are we going with her?" Deeks asks.
Sam shakes his head. "She'll be on a trauma transport. Vance wants us all to fly home immediately, before any remaining Comescus realize where we are. Eric is booking us flights home tonight."
Deeks feels a sense of relief now, not just because they're going home, but because there is a plan. NCIS is taking care of the details now. Hetty will be getting the best medical attention and the team will be flown home. Something occurs to him and he looks towards Sam. "Will Callen be okay with leaving Hetty?"
Sam chuckles, as if amused Deeks has spoken his own thoughts allowed. "I haven't told him yet. But I doubt he'll leave her without a fight."
Deeks allows himself a small smile. "Good luck with that."
Beside him, Kensi laughs.
"Why should I have to tell him?" Sam asks, carrying on the joke.
"You're his partner," Kensi points out. She holds up her hand. "Also, not it."
Deeks quickly follows suit by holding up his own hand. "Not it."
This time Sam laughs out loud. "You two are making me miss my kids."
They all share a smile. It's be a long and stressful few weeks for the team. Sam hadn't taken the news of their marriage well. But Hetty's words ring true to Deeks now; that they are a team and will come together when they need to.
Deeks knows that there is still more for the team to work out, but he feels better now, knowing they can overcome their personal issues, at least for the short term, to deal with a crisis.
"In all seriousness," Kensi says, "he'll listen to you." She pauses. "Well, he won't. But he'll listen to you more than to us."
Sam nods. "You're right."
Deeks feels his stomach rumble. He nods towards the bottle of water in Sam's hand. "Can you point us towards the cafeteria."
Sam turns to point down the hallway to their left. "End of the fall, turn right." He turns back to them. "Sorry I didn't get you anything. I barely had enough bani for a water."
Deeks shakes his head. "Don't worry about it." When they landed in Romania, they had exchanged a small amount of Czech crowns for Romania bani. He and Kensi had gone through the bags in the car to find the money before returning to the hospital. "We'll grab something to eat for all of us and meet you in the waiting room with Callen."
Sam looks grateful. "Thanks." He waves the hand holding his cell phone. "I'll call if I hear from Eric before you get to us."
00
Several hours later, Deeks wakes with a start. His heart is beating rapidly in his chest, but his memory is clear. If he was having a nightmare, he doesn't recall the details.
The now too familiar roar of the plane's engines reminds him he is in the air. Unable to get a direct flight, they had flown from Romania to Amsterdam, and then gotten on a second flight to take them home, via Chicago. By Deeks's math, by the time they get home it will be six flights in…well, he's not sure how many days. Two? Three? Four? Too many time changes and too much travel has completely wiped out his ability to track time.
Beside him, Kensi is asleep. She is sitting upright with her head tipped back against the seat.
He stares at her for a long moment, before leaning closer. She's a little too far for him to reach with his lips, so he settles for tipping his head against the side of hers. She doesn't wake, but she leans back into him.
He thinks about their talk on their way to Prague; their worries about Hetty, the team, and the future.
Hetty is okay. During their layover in Amsterdam, they had confirmed Hetty had arrived at Landstuhl without issue and was considered stable. Her homecoming would follow theirs by a couple days.
The team was okay. Kensi, Deeks and Sam were on their way home. As expected, Callen had objected to leaving Hetty behind. He had talked himself onto Hetty's medical flight to Germany and would be staying with her until she was flown home.
They still had a future. His wife was warm and unharmed beside him. And, despite her resignation, she was still an NCIS agent. He's grateful for that, knowing it's not something she is ready to give up.
His liaison position is still intact, and that means he still gets to come to work each day and partner with his wife.
He recalls Hetty's final act towards him prior to disappearing. She had given him an application to join NCIS. She wanted him to become an agent.
It wasn't something he was willing to do, at least not right now. But knowing that someone as powerful as Hetty saw him and valued his skills made him feel good about his work. He is grateful that she wanted him permanently with the team, and he is grateful that she wanted him to be secure if she didn't survive her little side mission.
Kensi moans as she, too, finds herself awake.
He pulls away so he can turn and meet her eyes.
She blinks a few times and her eyes are tired when they meet his.
"Sorry if I woke you," he whispers.
She makes a face and reaches for her seatbelt. "You didn't. I have to pee."
He snorts a laugh. "Can't help you with that."
She swats playfully at him as she stands up. He catches her hand and tugs her close.
She comes willingly and ducks her head to press her lips to his.
After the kiss, he squeezes her hand and lets her go.
He turns to the window beside him and opens the shade. It is somewhat light now and he cranes his neck, trying to look down and see the ocean below the plane. What he sees he thinks are just clouds below him. He stares for a long moment before closing the shade and turning back to the rest of the plane. He is surprised to find Sam standing in the narrow aisle beside Kensi's empty seat.
He clears his throat. "Sam," he greets.
Sam nods towards him. "Deeks. I was just stretching my legs. Kensi?"
"Bathroom," Deeks answers.
Sam nods again. "I know Callen isn't here, but I just wanted to say that you did a good job. Both of you. I had to spend too much time worrying about Callen. There's no way we would have been successful without you."
"Thanks, man," Deeks responds.
"It occurs to me only now that being LAPD you never worked overseas before."
Deeks nods. "Correct."
Sam takes a breath and stares at him for a long moment. "You handled yourself well. You were calm."
"As you said, your focus was on Callen. You both needed Kensi and I to have your backs. If I'd panicked, I wouldn't have been helping."
Sam almost smiles. "That's true."
Before they can say anything further, Kensi returns from the bathroom.
"Is everything okay?" She asks.
"It's fine," Sam says.
Despite Sam's words, Kensi looks to Deeks for confirmation. It's telling to both Deeks and Sam. Deeks smiles at his wife. "Everything's okay. Sam and I were just discussing working overseas for the first time."
Kensi settles beside him, though her eyes flash towards Sam. "You did great for your first overseas work," she says to Deeks while looking at Sam.
Sam nods. "Yes, he did."
Sam's words momentarily silence Kensi. Sam takes this opportunity to head back for his seat.
Deeks reaches for his wife's hand. "Everything is okay."
"He wasn't being…well, Sam?"
He laughs and shakes his head. "No. He was being nice." They had all gotten along when the adrenaline was pumping, a team coming together to do what was needed. But now that the urgency has faded away, Deeks feels things already beginning to shift back to normal.
"I wish things could be okay all the time."
He drops her hand in favour of wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. He presses his lips to the side of her head. "They will be."
She relaxes against him. Her head drops to his shoulder. "I hope so."
He tips his head against hers and settles. It'll be another couple hours before they land in Chicago, and then there's another layover and another several hours long flight home. He closes his eyes, grateful they have all survived this situation. Grateful he gets to spend this time now with his wife.
"I'm tired," Kensi complains, "But we've slept so much already. I wish we could do…something. Go for a walk. Get out of our seats."
"Want to join the mile high club?"
She laughs against him, any remaining tension gone. She turns her head so she is laughing against his shoulder.
He laughs as well.
"I am too tired for that right now," she half apologizes.
"It's okay. Thought it was a long shot."
She settles against him again. "Maybe after the layover in Chicago."
He laughs again and she joins him. It feels good to share a moment of levity. It reminds him how much he not only loves his wife, but loves being around her.
"Looking forward to it," he mumbles as he bites back a yawn.
Her breathing has already steadied as she closes her eyes. "Me, too."
00
AN: For those who know this episode well – I chose to keep details about Hunter's involvement out simply because it required a lot of additional explanation (which the majority of readers don't seem to want to read) and didn't exactly add to the parts of the episode relevant to this story.
Lastly – At one point in the episode, Hetty's bio is up on screen, and shows her birthday as February 29, which I thought was perfect for Hetty.