Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with NCIS Los Angeles. I only own my original characters.
This story is a continuation of It's All Relative and Times They Are A Changing but if you haven't read them it's okay as this story is a stand alone.
A big THANK YOU to AuggieDeeksNico for her amazing editing skills and don't forget to read her story MMA.
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It Takes A Village To Raise A Child.
Chapter One: Mothers
Hetty had sent home an envelope with Kensi detailing his first assignment as a NCIS agent and it was going to be an emotion filled one.
The case involved human trafficking of young children mostly boys from the complex where Sophie worked and where he spent a considerable amount of time in his youth. One of the children missing was the son of a marine private. Ironically he was going in as a lawyer.
Kensi rolled to the side of the bed and turned off the bed side lamp. Monty got to his feet jumped off the bed and headed downstairs to his little family. Marty rearranged his pillows again and also turned off his bedside lamp.
Kensi moved towards him. "I've never slept with a NCIS agent before." Cuddling against him, head on his chest, arm wrapped around him.
Marty let the warmth of her body relax him further, "I have and it's a beautiful experience."
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Thirteen Years Ago. Los Angeles CA
After her Mother's death life became rough for Sara Jane Montgomery. From that point forward everything that went wrong in her father's life was her fault. Yes, it was her fault he was an alcoholic gambler. The verbal abuse started around the time she turned six and shortly after that the physical.
By the time she was fourteen, he had gone to prison twice and she in foster care as many times. Every time he got out, he swore he had changed and she was back living with him. But the last time was different. He was gambling more and drinking heavier. Sunday nights were the worst as her father hosted a poker game. She would hide in her room, turn off the lights and pray he was so drunk by the end of the night that he wouldn't come into her room. More and more often, she would sneak out of her room Monday morning on the way to school, to find him face down on the card table passed out. One week she noticed his motorcycle gone, the next week the sea doo and week after week all his toys were gone and finally his truck.
The last Sunday night was the worst. She was under the blankets, arms over her head to block out the noise. She could hear her father's drunken voice above everyone else. Suddenly, her bedroom light was on and he was pulling down the covers. He violently pulled her from the bed and pushed her into the living room. The eyes of six men were upon her. Self-consciously, she tried to turn away but her father grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. This pushed her developing breasts out even further. She lowered her head to her chest and silent tears began to fall. The men were speaking in a language she didn't understand but one of the older men turned to her father and spoke.
"Yes, yes that will be fine." His voice heavily accented
Her father pushed her back into the bedroom and left her standing confused just inside the doorway. She started back to the bed when he returned with a large suitcase. He tossed it on the bed and turned to her.
"Pack as much of your stuff as you can in that." He pointed to the suitcase. "I'm finally getting rid of you and you're never coming back."
She stood bewildered and scared. He pushed her towards the bed.
"Daddy what's going on?" She pleaded with him.
"I'm not your father!" He yelled "I'm just some sap that was taken in by your Mother's pretty face. What an idiot I was, I'll never see her face again now you're gone."
"He's not going to wait all night for a piece of shit like you. Get moving! I'm finally getting rid of you and you're never coming back." With that he stomped out of the room.
She packed her clothes and the rest of her meagre belongings. It didn't take long and she pulled the suitcase out to the other room. All eyes again turned to her.
"Please, don't do this." She begged the man who she thought was her father, tears freely flowing from her eyes now. What had he done to her?
The oldest of the men took her gently by the arm but she shook him off. He father raised his hand to strike her but the stranger intervened.
"You gave away your rights to this girl." The man said pushing her father away. "Come dear, he will never hurt your again."
She reluctantly followed the stranger out into the darkened street and away from the only home she had ever known.
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Current Day Los Angeles.
Nell could hear Eric pacing back and forth outside the bathroom door. He was being very patient but soon his patience would wear thin. She looked at the four pregnancy tests sitting on the counter and knew when she did open the door, their lives would change forever. No, one test wasn't enough and he brought home four last night. She laughed at first but when she got up in the middle of the night to use the washroom and saw the tests she became scared and nervous. She lay awake for hours concerned what the results would mean for them. Was she ready to have children?
Coming from a large family, she had her share of taking care of younger siblings and cousins. When she moved to LA and away from her family it had been the most difficult thing she did but she needed to spread her wings. Children were never part of her future plans; she never wanted the white picket fence and toys in the yard but then came along NCIS and Eric. She wasn't happy about being pregnant but she knew Eric would be.
"Eric, you can come in now." She hadn't finished the sentence and the door swung open.
Eric looked at her but she kept her features neutral and nodded towards the test.
"A plus sign, a double line, a pregnant and a smiley face! We're going to have a baby! Nell, we did it, we're going to be parents." He pulled her into a hug. He stepped back with the biggest smile on his face. "Thank you for making my dreams come true. I got to call my Mom. Should I call my Mom or is it too soon?
"We should wait a couple more weeks, until I'm in my second trimester just to be on the safe side."
Eric nodded in agreement but she could tell that he needed to tell someone and it most likely would be Deeks. "We have to find a doctor and get an ultrasound." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the kitchen. "We have so much to do in the next six month."
Nell followed Eric into the kitchen, not quite as excited as him.
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She was going to be sick! She got up so quickly her knee hit the underside of the table jostling it, spilling her coffee on the Sunday edition of the LA Times that Marty was reading. She heard him calling her name as she raced to the first floor powder room, making it just in time before she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She was trying to catch her breath, head still hanging over the bowl when a facecloth came into her view.
"Kens are you okay? " Marty's voice laced with concern.
Before she could answer, she pushed his hand away and emptied her stomach again. When she was done, she leaned back and came up against his solid chest as he was sitting on the floor behind her. He wiped her neck and face before he handed her the facecloth again and she wiped her month.
"You okay?" He got up and took her extended hand and helped her up.
"Not sure really." She felt dizzy and leaned into him briefly before she reached for the spare toothbrush and quickly brushed her teeth. She tossed the toothbrush into the garbage and started for the door.
"I think I'm going to lay down for a bit." She started up the stairs, dizziness overtaking her again. Marty was instantly beside her helping her to the bedroom. She striped to her underwear and tank top and crawled under the sheets. She could hear Marty moving around in the bathroom and a cool facecloth was gentle laid on her forehead.
"I'm going to take your temperature." The mattress dipped as he sat on the bed and he placed the thermometer into her ear.
She shivered slightly and pulled the covers up to her neck. The thermometer beeped and he pulled it out of her ear.
"Your temperature is up a little. I'm going to get Sophie." He started to leave but she grabbed his arm.
"I just ate something that didn't agree with me, maybe some bad sushi." She gave a little snort laugh at her attempted of humour.
"That's funny Kensi but really …." Marty was interrupted again.
"Marty stop. I'm going to be fine, this will pass." She turned on her side and faced him.
"Like morning sickness pass?" A small amount of hope laced his voice.
"No, not morning sickness." She sighed. She hated to disappoint him again.
"Are you sure? We're not using protection and you're not on the pill." He started rubbing her back.
"I've had morning sickness before and it wasn't like this." She closed her eyes and waited for his reaction. This wasn't how she had wanted to tell him but she had been a coward.
"You've had a baby?" Marty looked down at the women he loved, his hand stopped moving and felt his world shift.
"No, I was pregnant before, twice actually. I never meant to keep it from you and I wish I told you differently." Kensi sat up in the bed and felt a little dizzy. She took his hands in hers when he didn't pull away she took that as a good sign,
"Let me explain, please?"
He nodded but didn't say a word.
"The first time I was pregnant was about a year into my relationship with Jack. That's the reason we got engaged. I miscarried about 9 weeks while he was deployed. The second time was after he came home and we were dealing with his PTSD. I was going to tell him Christmas Day but he left before I could. I miscarried again shortly after at about 11 weeks."
Jack, Jack, Jack, he hated that guy! He understood Kensi had a life before him but why did everything have to go back to Jack. Every time he thought he had broken through the last wall Kensi had put up because of Jack, another one would appear out of nowhere.
"It's okay; you don't have to go on." Marty squeezed her hands and started to get up.
Kensi pulled him back down. "I never meant to keep it from you. I just couldn't face that I might disappoint you." But she could see the disappointment in his eyes.
"When exactly did you plan on telling me?" She could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. She deserved it but it was still hard.
"I don't know." Doesn't matter how much it hurt she was going to be honest with him.
"This isn't something you should have kept from me. As soon as we started trying for a baby you should have told me." He got from the bed; his body language tense. "I'll leave you to rest. If you need me, just call okay?"
"Marty?" She called out to him. He stopped but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry."
"I know. " He answered as he walked out of the room.
She turned on her back and started at the ceiling. What had she done? All her insecurities came bubbling up to the surface now. She screwed up royally. The one thing Marty wanted most in life was to be a father and she wasn't sure if she could give him that.
She woke up a couple hours later. On the side table was a bottle of Advil, some soda crackers and a glass of water. Maybe things would be okay after all.
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The next day, Marty glanced through the windowed wall that separated his and LAPD Detective Jessie Salter's office. Although Jessie had replaced him as the Liaison officer with NCIS, Jessie was "undercover" as an LAPD officer at the Chester B. Pearson Memorial Complex. He couldn't hear what was being said but Sara Jane Montgomery was trying, unsuccessfully, not to cry. Her youngest, a little girl about two, Maggie, had her head on Sara's shoulder and staring at him through the glass. The middle one, a boy about three, Jon was sitting in the chair beside Sara's staring off into space and sucking his thumb, undisturbed by what was going on around him. Marty would bet his best surf board this wasn't the first time they had seen their Mother cry. He hadn't seen her oldest Will, yet today. At 11, Will was smart and growing up hard and too fast. Will was trying to be the man of his family. Marty knew Sara was trying her best, like enrolling the children in every free age appropriate program she could but he also knew she was struggling with Will.
He heard the metal fire door in the hallway open and close with a slam and saw Will enter Jessie's office with a young uniformed LAPD officer. Sara stood and handed Maggie to Will then shook the Officer's hand. Will slumped in the other chair pushing Jon to one side.
Marty couldn't hear what was being said but the three adults spoke for a few minute with all of them occasionally looking at Will. Jessie motioned to Marty with his head to come over and he stood up and met Jessie in the hallway.
"Will had a run in with LAPD early this morning." Jessie explained. "He was found scaling the wall, coming out of an estate in Malibu."
"Coming out of an estate, don't you mean breaking in?"
"No, coming out. He hasn't said much but claims he just wanted to see what it looked like. But won't explain why that house."
"Did he take anything?" Marty looked into the office. Will was talking quietly to Maggie, who nodded her head and put her head down on his shoulder.
"No, there was nothing of value in his backpack."
"So, robbery wasn't a motive." Jessie turned to look at the three children.
"We don't think so but things just don't add up. Maybe you can talk to him. Kids seem to open up to you."
"I'll give it a try." Marty started walking towards the door to Jessie's office.
Jessie joined him and approached Sara. "Sara, you remember Marty?"
"Yes." It seemed like it took all her energy to answer Jessie.
"Marty would you mind staying here with the kids while Sara and I speak to Officer Doyle?
"Of course, you can use my office. It's sound proof." Marty lowered himself into the chair Sara vacated. Both he and Will watched as they left and closed the door to his office.
Marty glanced over at Will, who was holding a sleeping Maggie and watching his Mother in the other room. Marty got up and walked over to the small bar fridge Jessie kept in the office. He opened the door and took out two water bottles. He walked in front of Will and handed him one of the bottles.
"So, how did you do it?" Marty asked casually as he flopped into the chair again.
Will didn't answer, just stared at the water bottle.
"Come on Will you're a smart guy. Tell me how you got into the estate."
Will looked up at him. He liked the lawyer and trusted him a little, maybe. But he knew he couldn't tell him the whole truth.
"I checked out the place, looked for all the security cameras and figured out where the blind spots were." He wasn't lying, he did that years ago so he could leave the estate and no one would know.
"Wow." Marty watched him as he spoke. He was sure Will wasn't lying but he was holding something back. "That's pretty impressive."
Will just shrugged his shoulders. He looked down at Maggie.
"What's in the bag?" He nodded towards the backpack lying on the floor at Will's feet.
"Everything in that bag is mine. I didn't steal anything." Will became defensive.
"Ok, I believe you." Marty shrugged trying to keep the atmosphere light and calm.
"Why?" Will asked
"Why what?" Marty asked in return.
"Why do you believe me?" Will studied the lawyer sitting beside him.
"I don't have a reason not to. You've never caused any trouble around here and you've never lied to me. I think you just used poor judgement."
"I just wanted to see what it looked like inside." Will looked at Marty with guiltless blue eyes.
"Will, I really do believe you but you have to be more careful. You can't just go breaking to other peoples home for any reason. Can you do that for your Mom?"
Will nodded, eyes down cast staring at the water bottle. It wasn't others people home, they used to live there but he couldn't tell anyone that.
"Listen, Will if you're that smart to get past the security camera on the estate, you must have some mad skills." Marty could see a smile starting to form on Will's lips. They both looked up to see Jessie and Sara returning to the office.
"Use your powers for the good, Will. Use them for good" Marty stood up as they entered the office.
"Sara, you have a good boy here, he just make a bad judgement call." He gave Will a look and Will nodded in return.
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Deeks, holding Maggie while she slept, helped Sara and the rest of her family to the shelter. He passed Callen and gave him a nod. Deeks thought it was a little ironic that he was undercover as a lawyer and Callen as a janitor this time. He would have to thank Hetty for that one.
They got to the rooms assigned to Sara, "Thank you for helping us; especially Will. She placed her purse on the table.
"He really is a good kid. Maggie is still a sleep. Which bed would you like me to put her on?" Marty asked her.
Sara showed him to the room she and Maggie were sharing. When he returned to the main room, Sara took both of his hands in hers. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for all you have done for us."
"You're welcome. Here is my card, if you ever need anything and I mean anything please call me."
She took the card in her hand, read it and then placed it on the table next to her purse. "Thank you."
Deeks stepped out of the room and started back to his office. Leaning against the wall in the elevator he couldn't shake the image of Sara standing in the room holding onto his card. He had seen many people come and go through the clinic over the years and wasn't sure why she and her children were affecting him this way. Maybe he would go bug Callen about being a janitor to get himself in a better mood.
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Will sat on the bed listening to his Mom move around quietly in the next bedroom. He glanced at Jon, who was playing cars on the other bed. Will slid off the bed and quietly went out to the main room. On the table beside her purse was Marty's business card.
Marty Deeks, Attorney at Law, Chester B. Pearson Memorial Complex
and two phone numbers. Looking around to see where his Mom was, he put the card in his back pocket and went back to his bedroom.
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"I've been asked to foster a little boy." Sophie knew she had to approach Callen cautiously. While they had a good relationship, she wasn't quite sure where it was going or if was going anywhere. She knew from Marty and Kensi, Callen was a bit of a wildcard when it came to relationships and staying in one place. She didn't want to introduce a child into the mix without knowing what was going on with him. On the other hand, she didn't want to lose him either.
Callen's head snapped up. He and Sophie were sitting on the deck enjoying a quiet Monday evening with a tea and the newspaper. There was no noise coming from the big house but Monty, Molly and the puppies Mork and Mindy were sniffing around the yard. Instantly his guard was up.
"What?" She narrowed her eyes at him and set down her mug.
"You're still recovering from being hit by a truck and a head injury. It may be a little soon. "He reached for one of the snicker doodles on the table.
"It could take up to three months to get everything organized. I'll be back on my feet by then."
"These are delicious by the way." Shaking the half eaten cookie up to her. "While I'm not opposed to the idea, it just came out of the blue. Give me some details. Who asked you?"
"Hetty. " She braced herself for his reaction
"Hetty? How old is he and where does he come from?" Callen wasn't sure he liked the sound of this. What if this was Hetty trying to carrying on her orphan legacy. He knew about himself, Loren and Grace but Hetty admitted there were "lots" more. Did she want him and Sophie to continue?
"Marty made the cookies and I'll tell him. Hetty says his name is Noah, he's almost seven and in an orphanage in Moscow. She didn't say anything about his history just he was in needed of a good home?" He was taking this better then she expected.
"Do you want to do this?" Callen questioned her. More importantly did he want to do this? Because of his line of work and his personal history he never wanted children when he was younger and now it wasn't an option with Sophie. He had no intension of leaving her for a younger woman just to have children. For once he felt at ease with his life.
"I don't want to see anyone suffer if I can help it. Since Hetty asked me on Friday, I've done a little research on Russian Orphanages on the internet."
"You have, what did you find out?" Was he in a Russian Orphanage at one time?
"It seems that most are well equipped. There are lots of toys; it's well staffed, with cooks, doctors and around the clock nurses. Some are specialized for children that have health or behavior problems."
"That doesn't sound too bad." He reached for another cookie.
"I guess the problem is when he turns seven he's moved to another institution and she's not sure if this one will be as good or if they can care for him. Did you know in 2010 there were 700,000 orphans, more than at the end of World War II?
"That's a staggering amount."
"It is and foreign adoptions are hard to obtain."
"Well if Hetty's involved, I'm sure she'll work her magic." He smiled and gave her a kiss on the lips.
He realized how in such a short time she had changed him. He wasn't looking for a relationship but one day she showed up at the boatshed with Deeks, part of an ongoing investigation. He wasn't happy she was involved in the investigation or another which saw her seriously injured but she was aware of what he did for a living, no lying or hiding. Widowed twice, her first husband was a LAPD office and the second was a CIA agent so she was aware of the life style. She was beautiful, smart, caring and understanding. She never tried to change him and accepted him warts and all. He could see how Deeks had turned out to be the man he was with Sophie guiding him.
Callen looked at her and said never more serious in his life. "If you're in, I'm in." Making a commitment to someone wasn't all that hard.
"I wonder why she didn't ask Kensi and Deeks?" He picked up the tea pot and filled both their cups again.
"I think she asked us because we're older and he's special needs."