A/N: So much for just a small chapter, eh?

The song that Eric sings is a real song, it's been stuck in my head for days and it's awful. Want to hear what the inside of my head sounds like? Go listen to "#SELFIE" by The Chainsmokers. I feel like Kensi is influencing my music tastes way too much nowadays.

Enjoy!

21 - Research

He's always avoided the library, being more of a comic book guy, but somehow she manages to get him to pick up a book.

Eric had been left to his own devices as his partner picked up the phone call from her mother.

"You can keep going if you want," she told him, gesturing to the latest game test Ozzy and Justin. "No, Ma, I was talking to Eric. Yeah, he's … No it's not like that. Mom! Oh God, please don't just," covering the phones microphone, Nell, cheeks burning bright red, turned to the technical operator, "I'll just be a minute, sorry."

"No worries, hi Mrs Jones," Eric shouted at the phone, laughing at the small and distorted response he could hear as Nell practically bolted out of the living room.

The pair had decided to head over to Nell's apartment after work, picking up take-out on the way and had been talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Nell had been trying to take a decent picture of the two of them, claiming that they didn't have a lot of nice pictures together while Eric argued that the forty pictures of them stored on his tablet after the last camera session said otherwise.

Nell had pulled out her camera phone, opening Instagram when Eric pulled her into his lap, finger dancing across his partner's ribs, knowing how ticklish she was while singing some ridiculous song he'd heard on the radio a few days ago.

"Let me take a selfie!" The technical operator sang, beaming at the red-head in her arms who was gasping for breath, crying out for him to stop.

Unfortunately, the fun was cut short when Nell's phone began ringing and without thinking, the analyst answered the call, out of breath and laughing.

And so, of course, when her mother heard that she was with Eric, the older woman immediately jumped to the wrong conclusions.

Eric watched as his partner ran into her room and tried not to listen as Nell tried to rationalise what had happened earlier; feeling slightly bad for adding fuel to the fire as far as Nell's mother was concerned, the technical operator decided to try and keep quiet. Leaving the game paused; Eric began wandering around the room, clearing away empty wrappers and plates before running out of things to do.

Looking around the room, Nell's large bookcase caught his eye. He knew his partner was an avid reader, a hobby that had become more pronounced during her unplugged weekends last year. Trailing his fingers over the spines, Eric read the titles, tilting his head to the side. Classics, science fictions, bright colours, volumes, trilogies and sets, large leather bound books and books that were obviously old and well loved; the man had to admit that his partner had developed an impressive collection over the years. Eric was more of a comic book guy himself, avoiding the library in favour of heading over to the comic store; he appreciated the written word but never understood how Nell could sit for hours and just read words, Eric had a need to stay active and busy.

Eric was just about to turn away from the bookshelves when something caught his eye. There, tucked away at the very end of the shelf was the thinnest book of them all by far, the book was so small that he couldn't even make out the title across the spine. Checking quickly to make sure Nell wasn't about to pull some sort of ninja move that Hetty would be proud of, Eric attempted to pull the book out.

It took a few seconds and given the way Nell packed all her books on the shelf so tightly, Eric had to pull out the book next to it to finally reach his prize.

Lifting out the reading material, Eric shook his head and smiled fondly; every time he thought he'd figured out his partner, she'd throw him another curveball. Moving back to the couch, Eric opened the book at hand, reading the title aloud.

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

In less than three minutes Eric had read the book cover to cover, the size 18 font and large pictures making quick work of the piece of fiction before him. Re-reading the basic book, Eric didn't notice his partner return to the living room.

"Going through my things again, Beale?" Nell asked, eyebrow raised and small smile in place.

"Nell, I, um, sorry. You were gone and I didn't know what to do. I hope you don't-"

"It's fine, Eric," Nell interrupted, placing a hand on her partners forearm as she sat down next to him on the small couch. "Why are you reading that anyway?"

"It was the only outlier. The rest of your books have words, this one had pictures," he added, one-sided smile spreading across his face. "Why do you even have this?"

"Because it's my favourite," Nell answered honestly. Chancing a look at her partner and catching his confused expression, Nell knew she'd have to explain herself. "When I was a kid, the other children would make fun of me; teasing me, calling me names for being smarter or for my hair or my family." Taking a deep breath, Nell tried to find the words to explain the children's book her partner was now practically cradling.

"You don't have to carry on," Eric said, turning his torso to face her.

"No, it's fine. Anyway, one day I came home from school and David was there; he saw me crying."

Eric noticed the glassy expression Nell had every time she mentioned her older brother; David was still a sore subject for the petite analyst.

"So, David asks me what's wrong and I told him about the bullies at school, how I never ever wanted to go back he laughed at me. I was so mad at him for laughing but he just pulled me upstairs to his room and gave me this, spent nearly five minutes searching under his bed for it. Told me that I was just like the little caterpillar; that right now, no one understood me, who I was or why I was so different but one day I'd shine. That I'd grow up and be something amazing," Nell finished, sniffing loudly, holding back tears.

"He was right, Nell. You are amazing."

"Thanks," the analyst whispered, leaning over to rest her head on her partners shoulder and smiling when she felt his arm wrap around her, pulling her closer.

Turning to the very last page, one that Eric had previously thought blank and skipped, Nell showed him the message addressed to her:

Hey there, little butterfly.

I hope you never get to this page but if you are here then know that I loved you and didn't stop fighting. I'll see you again one day, take care little sis.

Semper Fi,

David.

"This was what he'd left to me in the will. No one could understand why I was crying so much; it was his book."

"He loved you."

"Yeah, he did. You would have liked him. He was probably the only Marine who didn't like guns."

"Tell me about him," Eric prompted, wanting to know more about the fabled David that his partner so rarely spoke of.

"…He was a terrible guitar player," Nell started, struggling to think of a decent beginning, a decent way to describe and honour her older brother.

The two sat on the small couch, talking for what seemed like hours about David and Eric couldn't help but send out a small prayer, despite not being religious, thanking the fallen Jones brother for taking such good care of his partner during her youth and for helping her become the incredible woman he now knew.

A/N2: Okay, a few things about this chapter. One, A Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of my favourite books and I am an adult, don't judge.

Secondly, this chapter is dedicated to my cousin, David. He was more of a brother to me than anyone and I still miss him like crazy. He was a soldier and the best man you would ever meet and even with my love of the written word, I could spend years looking for the perfect phrase describing him and never find it. I began writing this entire thing as a distraction after the one year anniversary of losing him and, honestly, it's helped. Some of the chapters have been quite cathartic and based on real-life experiences. I'm not saying this for pity but I wanted people to know that David was real and he is gone and he will never be forgotten, not while I'm here.

And now, after that essay of an explanation, please leave a review. Let me know if you're liking my backstory hints and what you'd like to see more of...

Next chapter, Kensi's return from Afghanistan.