Huge thank you to bookdiva for reading this over for me.

Kensi stopped and watched as an elderly man took the time and care to lower the US flag to half staff. As he tied the rope off, he looked up and saluted the flag before stepping back and turning, catching Kensi's eye. She saw a tear roll down his cheek, and she wiped her own away as he gave her a small smile and nodded his head at her. He turned and walked away and Kensi went to the bench near by, sitting down.

She was lost in thought, her mind remembering the exact minute she had heard that a plane had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. She had been getting dressed and ready to head to class - the first couple of weeks of college taking some getting used to - when she had turned on the TV and sank to the floor, watching the news as it unfolded.

Minutes later, as she watched the live coverage of the event, another plane was seen on the screen and she watched in horror as it hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Just as she thought there was nothing worse that could happen, a little over half an hour later reports came in that the Pentagon had been hit by a plane.

Tears flowed down her face as she sat there, too stunned to do anything but watch as the United States came under attack. The news of the Flight 93 being hijacked, watching the Twin Towers collapse, she was paralyzed with fear, her heart aching with loss for the families and friends of every victim on board the flights, in the buildings, the brave men and women in the fire departments, police, and Port Authorities that would never again be able to tell their families they love them.

As a breeze hit her face, Kensi stopped and looked around, noticing the older gentleman coming back to her, carrying two bottles of water. As he approached her, he handed her one of them and took the seat next to her on the bench.

"Thank you." Kensi opened the bottle and took a drink, relishing in the feel of the water as it slid down her throat, thankful that she was still here to enjoy it.

"You looked like you could use something cold to drink. And I would never pass up an opportunity to talk to a pretty lady. I'm Charlie." He stuck his hand out and Kensi gladly accepted it.

"Kensi."

"So Kensi, what brings you out here today?" She turned her eyes towards the vast expanse in front of her, seeing small flags placed on the ground and other mementos friends and families had left.

"Visiting my dad."

Charlie nodded his head a little, looking around the cemetery as well.

"You know, I have a lot of friends here. I wish I came by more often to visit, but it's a lot harder nowadays to sit in a car for a long time and then walk around. But for the last twelve years, I have made sure that if at no other time, I am here to pay my respects, both to them and to every man and woman buried here. I was in the hospital when the attack happened, and wasn't able to make it out until two weeks later, but it has become my yearly mission to make it here."

"An important mission, I think." Charlie turned his head, looking at her. "One of the most important missions I've ever had. I asked the caretaker here if I could be on flag duty today, and he graciously agreed."

They both sat there for a few minutes, listening to the birds chirp. Kensi closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face, warming her.

"So young lady, when are you due?" She opened her eyes as she placed her hands on her belly. She smiled and looked down before looking back at him.

"A few more weeks. This last month is taking forever." His eyes crinkled as he chuckled.

"Mary, my wife, said that too. But it's worth it." He patted her knee. "Hang in there."

"I'm trying. But it's hard." She laughed a little and looked around, seeing her husband walking up. When he stopped next to her and put his hand on her shoulder, she smiled and looked at her companion.

"Charlie, I'd like to introduce my husband, Marty Deeks. Deeks, this is Charlie." Deeks reached his hand out, smiling at the man as they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you, young man. You have an amazing wife here. Hope you are giving her everything she wants." He pointed to her stomach, and Deeks laughed.

"Yes, sir. Everyday. I value my life."

Deeks stood behind his wife, rubbing her shoulders. The three were silent for a while, each of them reminiscing about different things.

"Charlie, can I ask you a question?" The older man turned to Kensi, nodding his head.

"You served in the military. I can only guess that you've seen horrors and been a witness to horrible things. When your children started asking questions, how did you explain?"

"I was always as honest as I could be, depending on what age they were at when they started asking. We kept things very basic but as they got older, I made it my duty to make sure that they understood that you can't forget tragedies like this. By forgetting, you are forgetting every man and woman who lost their lives and they friends and families that had to learn how to move on without them. And that's not an option. You should never forget them. Because they had to live our worst nightmare as a country in a way we will never fully be able to understand."

Kensi felt a tear rolling down her cheek again and she wiped it away.

"It's a heartache that as a country we all still feel, because we were witnesses to it. But your child… he or she won't be as touched by it as you and I. The moments of silence won't have the same effect, but that's expected. You don't feel the same kind of emotions about Pearl Harbor that my generation has, remembering the fear and terror and never ending questions we all had back then. I was just a kid when that happened, but I remember sitting on the floor in the living room listening to the radio when Franklin Roosevelt talked about a day which will live in infamy. And it will, as will September 11, 2001, as long as we never forget."

Kensi kept wiping the tears away as she remembered all the emotions she had felt that fateful day thirteen years prior and sent a prayer up for the families, knowing you could never truly get over the sudden loss of a loved one, but that they had been able to find some kind of peace and were able to move forward.

A comfortable quiet settled over them before Charlie looked at his watch just as a car pulled up.

"Well Kensi, Marty, it was a pleasure meeting you both. I wish you both nothing but love and light in your future and hope that the little one there doesn't give you too many fits." He stood up and shook Deeks' hand again before turning to Kensi, holding his arms out. She quickly stepped in them, and he whispered in her ear.

"Never forget."

Kensi sniffed and nodded her head.

"Don't worry, we won't."

Charlie pulled back and walked to the car, waving at them before getting in. Deeks took Kensi's hand and they both watched the vehicle drive away. When it was no longer visible, he wrapped his arm around her and guided her to the car.

"Come on, Princess. We need to get you some food." She nodded her head and looked out the window, seeing the rows and rows of headstones and memorials. She knew her past would help with Charlie's words. She remembered her dad telling her about Pearl Harbor, and she understood the significance of that day, always taking a moment on December 7th to remember the brave men and women who had lost their lives, lost their loved ones and those who had experienced it firsthand.

Kensi knew that she and Deeks would do the same for their children. Charlie was right - their kids would not feel the same kind of emotions as they would because they did not witness it firsthand. And Kensi prayed they wouldn't ever have to go through something like that. But they would make sure that the passengers lost on the planes, the brave firemen, police and Port Authority who rushed into the World Trade Center buildings when everyone else rushed out, the heroic passengers on Flight 93 who tried to take over the plane and crashed in Pennsylvania, the innocent lives lost at the Pentagon... all 2,977 victims of that day and the events that happened would never be forgotten.

AN - Leave a review and let me know what you thought, and share what YOU remember from that day.