More Than Meets the Eye.

Chapter 5

"No..." Jess warned just a second too late.

Deeks felt the hand on his shoulder and within seconds twisted, locked his fists together and smashed Sam in the solar plexus winding him.

"Don't touch me!" Deeks growled.

Sam doubled over as Deeks rapidly backed away.

"I...I didn't ....I..." Deeks looked horrified that here, in the boat-shed of all places he had hit a teammate. "Sam I..." he backed away as they all looked at him worried.

"Deeks...Stop." Sam straightened up and moved towards him.

Deeks backed himself into a corner, his mind mixing flashbacks of his father with images of Sam.

He dropped to the floor covering his head.

"Mr. Deeks." Hetty's voice cut through the chaos in his mind.

"Hetty?" Deeks' voice was smaller, scared even. A part of Deeks cringed, this was something he had never hoped they would see.

"Why couldn't you just leave it alone." he cried, his shoulders shaking as he silently sobbed and turned his face away in shame.

"Deeks we want to help you." Kensi said softly trying to touch him but pulling her hand away as he flinched at her touch.

"We need to call Pete." Jess said to Hetty writing a number down. "He trusts Pete."

Hetty nodded, "Mr. Beale, call this number and have someone pick up Mr...?" She looked at Jess for confirmation of Pete's surname.

"Just Pete...or Sarge, tell him the kid needs him." Jess said to Hetty.

Deeks stood up, knowing that all his exits were blocked, he headed for the bathroom covering his acute need to be alone.

Kensi stood up to follow, but Callen stopped her. "Let him have his space Kens, beside we need to talk. All of us."

He moved to the large table and sat down, the others following suit.

"What set this off?" Kensi asked.

"Sam and I did." Callen admitted.

Kensi's eyes widened, "I thought you had changed your mind? Deeks was off, I told you that...What the hell did you do to him to leave him in that state?" she ranted.

"We followed him, I was worried after his run in the other day that he would be leaving himself vulnerable to attack, I mean he knows some moves, but not enough to defend himself or us against a surprise attack. I didn't want him to become another Dom." Sam said to a hushed table.

Jess shook her head, "I thought you worked with him, you knew him. How on earth did you think that jumping him, in that alley of all places was going to help?"

"It's just an alley. Deeks needs to be prepared for anything." Sam argued.

Jess wiped a tear of frustration that leaked from her eyes, "He hasn't told you?" She suddenly realized.

Sam turned and looked at her, "Told us what? He shouldn't keep secrets from his team."

Jess stood up and thumped her hands down in anger on the table.

"You call yourselves his friends. My God if he has friends like you I would hate to see his enemies."

"We were doing it for his own good. He needs to toughen up, not be so flippant all the time, every time he turns things into a joke. He needs to take self awareness and self defense seriously."

Jess' face darkened.

"He takes self defense deadly seriously." She said, "He's been an expert in that his whole life."