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Prepare yourselves for the end of this chapter. It's all kind of sadness and shock.
Three weeks had passed quickly. Kensi and Deeks were still working on their "thing". It had been sometime since both of them had a relationship, so they were worried in constructing a solid relation right from the start. Still, their way of be didn't changed a bit despite their romantic involvement. They would still quarrel and tease, but the difference was that now, they were together.
"Hey there!" Deeks said enthusiastically, seeing that Kensi had waked up. "I knew I was good, but this good!"
She patted him the arm with one hand, the other one rubbing the eyes. "You know I'm not a morning person!"
"You're just easy on the mornings!" Again he was punched on the shoulder, but still he smiled and gave her he mug full of coffee. "It's been three weeks since you don't visit Gary. Are you going there today?" He commented.
"No, and I think that won't be happening any sooner, or any often."
"Why so?"
"I spoke with the director. He said that after Rachel's case was done, which it is, he'd be put into the adoption system, so I won't have the chance of visiting him that often as I do. But worst is that I said him I'd try to explain that to Gary, but I couldn't even speak about it."
"If he knows by now and notices that you aren't visiting him, he may hold hate towards you, probably for the rest of his life."
"Don't say that, Deeks." She said, hurtful. "I don't want the kid to hate me."
"Then visit him this one time and explain this whole thing to him."
"I guess I should, right? It's the least I can do."
"It's a pity, I liked the kid." Deeks confessed. However Kensi didn't say anything, not wanting to reveal her personal thoughts on that. Deeks checked the wristwatch and said. "It's still a bit early, but I'll leave to work." He got closer, kissing her. "See you there, 'k?"
"Yeah, see you soon."
The work day was over by five in the afternoon. There was no case to solve, but they all had the feeling they'd be dealing with one in a matter of a few hours. Deeks was leaving to catch some waves and then he'd meet up with Kensi. She, on the other hand, had something important to solve. She had called Mr. Harrison Snyder, from director of the foster house, who gave her some bad news about little Gary.
Kensi entered the toy store, looking around, completely clueless. A middle age woman approached her, asking. "Good afternoon, may I help you?"
"Actually, yes, I do need help. I'm looking for something to offer to my nephew. He's sick in the hospital, tonsils removed, and I want to cheer him up, I just don't know what to get him."
"Alright, what age is the boy?"
"He's almost six. I want to buy him something entertaining but not very expensive. My sister says I spoil him, so I don't want to hear her giving me the speech all over again!"
"When not in excess, it's not bad to spoil kids."
Kensi smiled, and said. "That's what I keep telling her. I see him very little and he's my only nephew."
"I understand. Well, the best things to get a kid who's sick, and considering his age, it'd be a coloring book, diecast toy cars, a stuff animal, if he doesn't have one. Uhm, what more? Books? Video games if he has a game console."
"I think I'll go with a stuffed animal."
"I think he'll like it. Here," The saleswoman led Kensi to shelters full of stuffed animal and said. "choose the one you like. If you need any help, just call."
"Thanks." Kensi was left alone while the woman went to greet another costumer that had just entered.
She knew he didn't have a stuffed animal, and she knows that for a kid, that is very important. She remembered her white bunny she had when she was a little girl. She used to take it everywhere, and probably her mother still had it kept.
Kensi smiled, when her eyes sat over a fluffy light brown teddy bear. It had a checkered bowtie around the neck and a chubby black nose, feeling soft as velvet. She really loved the teddy bear, and she was more than sure Gary would love it too. She walked to the checkout counter, paid for the teddy bear.
"Thank you. A speedy recovery for your little nephew. He'll love what you got him."
"Thank you."
Kensi walked in the pediatric ward. Gary had checked-in the hospital a couple of hours ago, and with him, one of the responsible for the children at the foster house was with him. It was Melissa, the woman who always had noted when Gary and Kensi would leave.
"Hi, Melissa. Remember me?"
"Yes. You're the one who took Gary a few times this past weeks."
"Yes. I called Mr. Snyder and he told me Gary was at the hospital to remove the tonsils."
"He had been complaining about some throat pain for these past days, and when the doctor examined him, he said he needed to remove the tonsils as fast as possible. He went to surgery about a little ago and he's in the room already. Last I checked, he was still sleeping, but go in there. The doctor said it'd take about half an hour for him to wake up."
When Kensi went in the room and Gary's eyes, trembled and he looked at the door, huskily saying. "Melissa?"
"No, Gary. It's me, Kensi." The kid tried to speak but it only made him cough and take the hand to the neck. "Don't try to speak much, okay? I know it hurts. Here, look." She showed him the teddy bear, that judging by his sparkling eyes made Kensi believe he had liked it. "I got you this. You like it?"
Gary nodded his head, and sit up, seeing everything as a blur and feeling everything spinning around. Still, he hugged Kensi tightly, thanking her in a low and sore tone of voice. More than that teddy bear, Gary was happy for seeing Kensi there.
"It's better if you lie down." Kensi slowly helped Gary lying back down on the bed. "You're still dizzy because of the anesthesia."
Carefully she pulled the bed sheets to under Gary's chin and even placed the teddy bear next to him, which he immediately hugged and kept his arm wrapped around it.
"You came to see me?" He spoke low.
"Yes. I called Mr. Snyder, and he said you were at the hospital, to remove the tonsils, so I came by to see you." She said while sitting on the edge of the bed.
"He said we won't go out anymore. Why?"
That question… Now she couldn't really avoid it, so she tried to explain it to him, in a careful way. "It's like this, right now you don't have anyone to take care of you. Mr. Snyder told me after your Aunt case was solved, you'd be entering the adoption system. That means that now you'll have a family who'll love. Someone will adopt you; take you home with them-"
"For how long?"
"Forever, Gary. You'll have a family."
Gary's eyes filled up with tears as he asked. "Why can't I stay with you?"
"It's not the way it works. I have a job that takes some of my time, and it's a dangerous work. Sometimes, I don't know if I can get hurt. Besides, I'm single. These things make it harder for me to keep you… But, on the good side, if you're adopted by others, you'll have a mom, a dad, maybe even siblings."
"And if I don't want to go?"
Kensi sighed and avoided looking at Gary's eyes. "You just have to go." She felt her heart breaking when Gary started to cry. She felt powerless to the point of not knowing how to comfort the little kid. "Gary, listen to me, I'll try my best, the best of the best to help you. I'll make sure you'll be adopted by a good family…"
Kensi gave up on speaking because Gary wouldn't stop crying. She pulled the kid to her lap and eventually he fell asleep, drenching her shirt with his tears. She placed him back on the bed, covering him carefully and putting the teddy bear next to him. She stared at the little kid with swollen eyes from crying. She thought of everything he had been through and in how he didn't, or any other child, deserved it. Kensi kissed his hair and looked at him for a while before leaving.
"Where have you been?" Deeks asked when she finally picked up his call. "I've been waiting for you at your house, but you weren't there."
"I went to see Gary. He was at the hospital, had his tonsils removed…"
"And…?" He asked back, noticing her sad voice.
"And he asked me about the adoption. He burst into a cry and only hushed when he fell asleep."
"How are you?"
She sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I don't know. I… I really don't know. I feel so broke, and sad… I tried to tell him I couldn't adopt him because I'm single and have a dangerous work, but nothing work. He just kept on crying…"
"Wait for me. I'll be there in ten."
Without giving Kensi a chance to say anything else, Deeks hung up and left to her house. He could hear the distress in her voice. In ten minutes as he said, he was knocking on her door. He entered and when she looked at him after closing the door he said.
"Marry me… Marry me and we adopt Gary."
Feel surprised enough? Oh well, the continuation comes in the next chapter!
