Post by phillydi on Feb 12, 2012 17:46:34 GMT 1
I started a new Deeks centric story on fanfic.net. Check it out:
Sins of Another Father
By phillydi
Here we are…back again (!) continuing where the team left off with my previous two stories, Touche' and Statement of No Objection. But this fic can still be read as a standalone if you prefer. Please let me know what you think because your reviews are all very precious to me and I love knowing you're out there hopefully enjoying the ride.
You can find the next chapters here: www.fanfiction.net/s/7780679/1/Sins_of_Another_Father
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Prologue
BLEEEEEEEEEEEP! BLEEEEEEEEEEEP!
The jarring ring tone from the phone on his nightstand prevented him from drifting back to sleep again. Deeks fumbled around the counter top trying to find a way to stop the god awful noise before it assaulted him again. He grabbed the phone and dragged it accross the table before he pressed it to his ear. Deeks was tempted to ignore the call but it was probably Kensi wanting to know if he was awake.
"Good morning Sunshine. And yes, I'm still naked and wondering why you're not in my bed right now?" Deeks said seductively.
"Excuse me? I'm looking for a Gordon or Marty Brandel?" the voice on the other end inquired hesitantly.
Deeks dragged his body to the side of the bed and slowly propped his torso up with his elbow. His heart began to beat erratically in his chest. No one had called him by that name in a long time.
"Who is this?" Deeks whispered into the phone.
"You don't know me but my name is Jenkins and I may have found something that belongs to you. It looks like a journal by a Karl Brandel. Do you know him?"
"Only by name," Deeks stammered. "He was my grandfather….Look, where did you find the journal?"
"I bought the place over on Patton Lane. 168 Patton Lane? I think you use to live there. It's a real fixer upper now. I bought it to rehab and turn it over again for profit. Although in this economy I have to have my head examined," Jenkins droned on about the renovations but Deeks wasn't listening. The unexpected memories of his childhood home sucked him in like a worm hole and he was sent sailing uncontrollably back into his past.
Deeks knew the little home on Patton Lane well. He spent many unhappy days and nights hiding away behind its sad walls. Love had died there a long time ago. Deeks was lost in thought as he forgot about the man on the other side of the line.
"Are you there Mr. Brandel?" Jenkins asked. Deeks snapped back into the present dragging the hurt behind him like a wet and dirty blanket. He had forgotten how much it killed him to take that trip down memory lane. Most of the time he kept the memories locked up behind an impenetrable wall.
"The name's Deeks. Brandel was my father," Deeks said abruptly. "My family and I lived there when I was a boy. Where did you find the journal, Mr. Jenkins?"
"When I was renovating the fireplace in the dining room I found the old book hidden away behind the bricks and mortar. The name on the leather binding says Karl Brandel and it's got a lock on it. So that's all I had to go on. I have a friend in the county assessor's office that helped me track down the former owners. That's where we found a Gordon Brandel who lived there back in the 80's."
"But how did you find me?" Deeks asked.
"Your neighbor, Bobby Nichols said he grew up with their son Marty Brandel but he thought you may have changed it to Deeks when your mother remarried," Jenkins continued. "Looked you up on the internet and there you were."
Great, Deeks thought. Nichols was a big mouth even back then. Some things never change.
"Look, I wouldn't go through all this trouble but I think this book may be important to your family. I know I'd want it back."
Deeks laughed to himself. Oh yeah, just what I need….more warm, fuzzy memories of my family.
Deeks relented. "Fine. Give me an hour and I'll meet you there." Deeks hung up the phone without waiting for a response from Jenkins.
"Who knows," Deeks said out loud as he shuffled to the bathroom scratching his head. "It may be good for a laugh." But knowing his family, it was not bloody likely. Deeks stopped in front of the sink and stared at his battered reflection in the mirror. Deeks had sustained a number of cuts and bruises on the container ship and it was going to take awhile before they all faded away. But he wasn't thinking about the injuries right now. He was thinking about that journal and his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Why would someone go through the trouble of hiding his grandfather's journal in a fireplace? It didn't make sense. What secrets would the old book reveal about his father's side of the family? Deeks was sure it was worth giving up an extra hour of sleep to find out.
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Later that day…
"Are we keeping you up, Ms. Blye? Maybe you need to go home and rest before you put everyone in this room to sleep as well." The team, minus Deeks, had gathered in Ops to recap the last few days spent in San Diego helping to bring down a dangerous drug lord and saving a kidnapped Navy Lieutenant from a certain death.
Kensi looked over at the Ops Manager in embarrassment. She had been daydreaming about the night before and hadn't even realized how loud her yawning had been.
"Sorry Hetty, I didn't get too much sleep last night," Kensi explained.
Callen propped his elbows up on the center Ops table to keep his tired body upright and had stifled a couple of yawns himself before Hetty could catch him. God, he was exhausted. He looked over at Sam who rarely showed any signs of weakness. He didn't know how the man did it…must be all that Navy Seal training. But for the first time in his career he was having thoughts of retirement. He was getting too old for this crap. It was getting harder and harder to bounce back from each mission. They were lucky this time because it had been a successful operation. They had rescued the kidnapped Lieutenant and stopped the drug running submarine from making its way up the west coast. And other than a few cuts and bruises, the team was back home safe and sound. Callen straighten his aching body up to its full height and gave Kensi a tired smile.
"So was that before or after you left Deeks' house?" Callen couldn't resist the friendly ribbing. He could hear Eric snickering softly behind him but then give a yelp as Nell wacked him solidly on his upper arm.
"You don't have to answer that Ms. Blye," Hetty said as a reproach to Callen's question. "But I agree we should call it a day for now. Why don't you all go home and get some rest." Hetty watched as her team heaved a collective sigh of relief and turned to leave the room. They had all been through enough adversity this week to last a life time.
Kensi's cheeks had turned various shades of red at Callen's teasing. She knew the team had a pretty good idea that there was a 'thing' going on between her and Deeks. Ever since Ray had coined the term, their love affair had been a struggle of wills. Neither one wanted to admit they had the strength to open up their hearts and love again. Yet, the two had found a love that was worth going through every hurt and pain that life could throw at them. They agreed to be active participants in each other's lives and accept all the joy and heartbreak that comes with it. The only thing that had kept them going in the ship's dark prison cell was dreaming of the future they would have together.
She had been surprised at how much Deeks was looking forward to having kids, particularly a little girl. His description of their future daughter left her breathless. It was the last image she saw as she went plunging into the deep waters of the San Diego harbor before Callen rescued her off the side of the container ship. Yes, thankfully they would both live to see another day and hopefully come one step closer to seeing that dream become a reality. She really wanted Deeks to get a chance to hold his baby girl one day…their baby girl.
Kensi flew down the Mission stairs and stopped at her desk. She grabbed her backpack and jacket and fished her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. She was dialing Deeks as she headed out to the Mission's parking lot and her SUV.
"Come on Deeks, pick up the phone," she said impatiently. This had been the third time today she had tried to call and there had been no answer. She figured the first two times he had been sleeping but it was almost 3 pm. Where the hell was he?
Kensi pulled up to the tiny bungalow she called home. It was small but she loved it even if at the best of times it was a hoarder's dream. Deeks' car was now in her driveway. How did that happen? She had driven him straight back to her house last night after their return. She was afraid Deeks might have had a concussion after suffering a number of blows to the head. She insisted he stay with her last night, just in case.
Kensi unlocked the front door and stepped into the cluttered living room.
"Deeks? Where are you?" She yelled out.
Kensi hurried down the hall and went into her bedroom but all that was left was an empty mattress with the sheets bunched down around the foot board. She stopped for a moment to relive their first night together. He was so loving and unbelievably romantic. She smiled briefly but left the room to continue searching for the man who had made all her dreams a reality these few short weeks.
As she entered the kitchen, the back door had been left wide open. She stepped up to the open door and looked out over her small yard. She looked down and found Deeks sitting on the top step of the porch. His shoulders were slouched and leaning up against the railing that led down the steps to her drive way. He was so engrossed by the item he held in his hands, he hadn't even hear her coming up behind him.
"Hey there," Kensi said softly. "Didn't you hear me calling your name?"
Deeks looked up and turned his head towards Kensi. He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Kensi could tell he had been crying even as he tried to wipe away and hide the remnants of his tears. In his lap, he balanced an old leather bound book in his hands.
"Deeks, what's wrong?" She squatted down next to her partner and put her hand on the back of his neck.
"It's all here, Kens. It makes so much sense now. My dad didn't stand a chance," he blurted out in one long breath.
"What are you talking about?"
Deeks held up an old brass key.
"I have to find out what this key unlocks. It's the only way I can clear my grandfather's name and put to rest the pain and anger that has plagued my family ever since his death," Deeks said with a shaky voice.
Kensi looked at the hurt in Deeks eyes and couldn't speak. Words and questions would come later. Right now, she just wanted to ease his pain and leaned her head on his shoulder for support. He literally held the key that could open up an unknown door to their future. Only Kensi wasn't too sure she was ready to find out what was on the other side.
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Hopefully you'll join Deeks and Kensi on a personal quest to solve the mystery of Deeks' family secret. Their search will take them far away from the streets of Los Angeles and on a mission to find out what secrets Karl Brandel left behind. Let me know what you think so far….
You can find more chapters here: www.fanfiction.net/s/7780679/1/Sins_of_Another_Father
Sins of Another Father
By phillydi
Here we are…back again (!) continuing where the team left off with my previous two stories, Touche' and Statement of No Objection. But this fic can still be read as a standalone if you prefer. Please let me know what you think because your reviews are all very precious to me and I love knowing you're out there hopefully enjoying the ride.
You can find the next chapters here: www.fanfiction.net/s/7780679/1/Sins_of_Another_Father
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue
BLEEEEEEEEEEEP! BLEEEEEEEEEEEP!
The jarring ring tone from the phone on his nightstand prevented him from drifting back to sleep again. Deeks fumbled around the counter top trying to find a way to stop the god awful noise before it assaulted him again. He grabbed the phone and dragged it accross the table before he pressed it to his ear. Deeks was tempted to ignore the call but it was probably Kensi wanting to know if he was awake.
"Good morning Sunshine. And yes, I'm still naked and wondering why you're not in my bed right now?" Deeks said seductively.
"Excuse me? I'm looking for a Gordon or Marty Brandel?" the voice on the other end inquired hesitantly.
Deeks dragged his body to the side of the bed and slowly propped his torso up with his elbow. His heart began to beat erratically in his chest. No one had called him by that name in a long time.
"Who is this?" Deeks whispered into the phone.
"You don't know me but my name is Jenkins and I may have found something that belongs to you. It looks like a journal by a Karl Brandel. Do you know him?"
"Only by name," Deeks stammered. "He was my grandfather….Look, where did you find the journal?"
"I bought the place over on Patton Lane. 168 Patton Lane? I think you use to live there. It's a real fixer upper now. I bought it to rehab and turn it over again for profit. Although in this economy I have to have my head examined," Jenkins droned on about the renovations but Deeks wasn't listening. The unexpected memories of his childhood home sucked him in like a worm hole and he was sent sailing uncontrollably back into his past.
Deeks knew the little home on Patton Lane well. He spent many unhappy days and nights hiding away behind its sad walls. Love had died there a long time ago. Deeks was lost in thought as he forgot about the man on the other side of the line.
"Are you there Mr. Brandel?" Jenkins asked. Deeks snapped back into the present dragging the hurt behind him like a wet and dirty blanket. He had forgotten how much it killed him to take that trip down memory lane. Most of the time he kept the memories locked up behind an impenetrable wall.
"The name's Deeks. Brandel was my father," Deeks said abruptly. "My family and I lived there when I was a boy. Where did you find the journal, Mr. Jenkins?"
"When I was renovating the fireplace in the dining room I found the old book hidden away behind the bricks and mortar. The name on the leather binding says Karl Brandel and it's got a lock on it. So that's all I had to go on. I have a friend in the county assessor's office that helped me track down the former owners. That's where we found a Gordon Brandel who lived there back in the 80's."
"But how did you find me?" Deeks asked.
"Your neighbor, Bobby Nichols said he grew up with their son Marty Brandel but he thought you may have changed it to Deeks when your mother remarried," Jenkins continued. "Looked you up on the internet and there you were."
Great, Deeks thought. Nichols was a big mouth even back then. Some things never change.
"Look, I wouldn't go through all this trouble but I think this book may be important to your family. I know I'd want it back."
Deeks laughed to himself. Oh yeah, just what I need….more warm, fuzzy memories of my family.
Deeks relented. "Fine. Give me an hour and I'll meet you there." Deeks hung up the phone without waiting for a response from Jenkins.
"Who knows," Deeks said out loud as he shuffled to the bathroom scratching his head. "It may be good for a laugh." But knowing his family, it was not bloody likely. Deeks stopped in front of the sink and stared at his battered reflection in the mirror. Deeks had sustained a number of cuts and bruises on the container ship and it was going to take awhile before they all faded away. But he wasn't thinking about the injuries right now. He was thinking about that journal and his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Why would someone go through the trouble of hiding his grandfather's journal in a fireplace? It didn't make sense. What secrets would the old book reveal about his father's side of the family? Deeks was sure it was worth giving up an extra hour of sleep to find out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later that day…
"Are we keeping you up, Ms. Blye? Maybe you need to go home and rest before you put everyone in this room to sleep as well." The team, minus Deeks, had gathered in Ops to recap the last few days spent in San Diego helping to bring down a dangerous drug lord and saving a kidnapped Navy Lieutenant from a certain death.
Kensi looked over at the Ops Manager in embarrassment. She had been daydreaming about the night before and hadn't even realized how loud her yawning had been.
"Sorry Hetty, I didn't get too much sleep last night," Kensi explained.
Callen propped his elbows up on the center Ops table to keep his tired body upright and had stifled a couple of yawns himself before Hetty could catch him. God, he was exhausted. He looked over at Sam who rarely showed any signs of weakness. He didn't know how the man did it…must be all that Navy Seal training. But for the first time in his career he was having thoughts of retirement. He was getting too old for this crap. It was getting harder and harder to bounce back from each mission. They were lucky this time because it had been a successful operation. They had rescued the kidnapped Lieutenant and stopped the drug running submarine from making its way up the west coast. And other than a few cuts and bruises, the team was back home safe and sound. Callen straighten his aching body up to its full height and gave Kensi a tired smile.
"So was that before or after you left Deeks' house?" Callen couldn't resist the friendly ribbing. He could hear Eric snickering softly behind him but then give a yelp as Nell wacked him solidly on his upper arm.
"You don't have to answer that Ms. Blye," Hetty said as a reproach to Callen's question. "But I agree we should call it a day for now. Why don't you all go home and get some rest." Hetty watched as her team heaved a collective sigh of relief and turned to leave the room. They had all been through enough adversity this week to last a life time.
Kensi's cheeks had turned various shades of red at Callen's teasing. She knew the team had a pretty good idea that there was a 'thing' going on between her and Deeks. Ever since Ray had coined the term, their love affair had been a struggle of wills. Neither one wanted to admit they had the strength to open up their hearts and love again. Yet, the two had found a love that was worth going through every hurt and pain that life could throw at them. They agreed to be active participants in each other's lives and accept all the joy and heartbreak that comes with it. The only thing that had kept them going in the ship's dark prison cell was dreaming of the future they would have together.
She had been surprised at how much Deeks was looking forward to having kids, particularly a little girl. His description of their future daughter left her breathless. It was the last image she saw as she went plunging into the deep waters of the San Diego harbor before Callen rescued her off the side of the container ship. Yes, thankfully they would both live to see another day and hopefully come one step closer to seeing that dream become a reality. She really wanted Deeks to get a chance to hold his baby girl one day…their baby girl.
Kensi flew down the Mission stairs and stopped at her desk. She grabbed her backpack and jacket and fished her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. She was dialing Deeks as she headed out to the Mission's parking lot and her SUV.
"Come on Deeks, pick up the phone," she said impatiently. This had been the third time today she had tried to call and there had been no answer. She figured the first two times he had been sleeping but it was almost 3 pm. Where the hell was he?
Kensi pulled up to the tiny bungalow she called home. It was small but she loved it even if at the best of times it was a hoarder's dream. Deeks' car was now in her driveway. How did that happen? She had driven him straight back to her house last night after their return. She was afraid Deeks might have had a concussion after suffering a number of blows to the head. She insisted he stay with her last night, just in case.
Kensi unlocked the front door and stepped into the cluttered living room.
"Deeks? Where are you?" She yelled out.
Kensi hurried down the hall and went into her bedroom but all that was left was an empty mattress with the sheets bunched down around the foot board. She stopped for a moment to relive their first night together. He was so loving and unbelievably romantic. She smiled briefly but left the room to continue searching for the man who had made all her dreams a reality these few short weeks.
As she entered the kitchen, the back door had been left wide open. She stepped up to the open door and looked out over her small yard. She looked down and found Deeks sitting on the top step of the porch. His shoulders were slouched and leaning up against the railing that led down the steps to her drive way. He was so engrossed by the item he held in his hands, he hadn't even hear her coming up behind him.
"Hey there," Kensi said softly. "Didn't you hear me calling your name?"
Deeks looked up and turned his head towards Kensi. He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Kensi could tell he had been crying even as he tried to wipe away and hide the remnants of his tears. In his lap, he balanced an old leather bound book in his hands.
"Deeks, what's wrong?" She squatted down next to her partner and put her hand on the back of his neck.
"It's all here, Kens. It makes so much sense now. My dad didn't stand a chance," he blurted out in one long breath.
"What are you talking about?"
Deeks held up an old brass key.
"I have to find out what this key unlocks. It's the only way I can clear my grandfather's name and put to rest the pain and anger that has plagued my family ever since his death," Deeks said with a shaky voice.
Kensi looked at the hurt in Deeks eyes and couldn't speak. Words and questions would come later. Right now, she just wanted to ease his pain and leaned her head on his shoulder for support. He literally held the key that could open up an unknown door to their future. Only Kensi wasn't too sure she was ready to find out what was on the other side.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully you'll join Deeks and Kensi on a personal quest to solve the mystery of Deeks' family secret. Their search will take them far away from the streets of Los Angeles and on a mission to find out what secrets Karl Brandel left behind. Let me know what you think so far….
You can find more chapters here: www.fanfiction.net/s/7780679/1/Sins_of_Another_Father
