I don't own NCIS Los Angeles! My native language is Dutch and I'm dyslectic so sorry for any mistakes. Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites!

Things will be a bit slower now. My exams are starting soon and my sister has her final exams soon. So we're both pretty busy.

Chapter 37

Julia had called Narah back inside when it was time to start dinner but the teenager had stayed seated, frozen in her spot. Julia had turned to Deeks and Kensi, who were wondering if they should go outside. Or to give Narah just a moment for herself, knowing she had opened the present. Kensi had offered to help Julia in the kitchen instead; an offer Julia gratefully accepted.

'So, are you enjoying our Christmas?' Julia asked her as she put on the stove.

'It's wonderful, mom,' Kensi smiled. 'Thank you for letting us celebrate it here...even though we no longer have another place to celebrate it...it was nice to be here with the four of us, like a real family.' Julia nodded and she turned to Kensi, looking serious.

'I noticed you were feeling a bit down yesterday,' she said. 'Is there a reason?' Kensi sighed while continuing stirring in a pan she didn't know the contents of.

'Christmas still has some sadness in it and yesterday was just a moment that sadness was a little too much,' she explained, knowing that it wouldn't be enough for her mother, but she didn't want to somber the day. But Julia looked at her with a meaningful glance and Kensi gave in. 'Nine years ago, on Christmas morning I woke up without my then fiancé. He left. And in some way, being with Deeks...being this family...it hurt a little.' Julia walked over to her daughter and pulled her into a hug.

'Doesn't seem like Deeks will ever leave you,' she whispered and Kensi nodded.

'Oh, sorry,' Narah mumbled as she walked into the mother-daughter moment and she was about to turned around when Kensi stopped her.

'Are you okay, sweetie?' she asked. She had noticed Narah's red eyes. Narah nodded but it was clear she was fighting against new tears.

'Kensi, this is your cue to leave,' Julia said, pushing her gently towards the living room. 'It's time for serious cooking.' She put her arm around Narah. 'Are you ready?' Narah nodded with a weak smile.

'It looks beautiful,' Deeks complimented when the dinner was set on the table and he stroked Narah's hair. 'You look absolutely beautiful...is this a new dress?' Narah consciously looked down. She had bought her black simple dress when she had been shopping with Emily; both girls agreeing it was a perfect Christmas dress. She looked up from her thoughts when she heard Deeks and Kensi laugh.

'You look beautiful, Narah,' Kensi agreed with Deeks. Narah sat down as well.

'How long did you two on this?' Deeks asked. 'This seems like a lot of work and we already had two starters...what more is to come?'

'It was time well spent,' Julia said. 'It gave us the chance to talk.' Narah smiled. She noticed Deeks and Kensi looking at her and she cleared her throat.

'I opened the present,' she said.

'What was inside of it?' Kensi asked. Narah took a deep breath and walked away from the table to the kitchen to get the box. When she returned into her seat, she held up the necklace with the ring.

'It looks beautiful,' Deeks said and he touched it to get a better look at it. 'Our Precious.'

'It...umm...it was my father's...wedding ring,' Narah said. 'My father was somewhat forced to marry my mother when she got pregnant with me...he did love her...but marriage at their age...he...he used to call me their precious because he loved Lord of the Rings...that is why he let it be engraved on the wedding rings...'

'It is really beautiful,' Kensi smiled. 'Do you want to wear it?' Narah looked at the ring for a moment, doubting what she wanted. She decided to push the box away.

'Not today,' she answered. 'Shall we start dinner?'

Carrying two plates Narah crossed the street and walked towards the car standing on the other side of the road. It was quiet out on the streets. Everyone was enjoying Christmas with their family and loved ones. Except agent Gomez and Finley. They had chosen to sit in a car out on the streets, all alone, on Christmas Day. So Narah walked over to their car with some food. Agent Gomez and Finley smiled when they saw her walking towards them and agent Gomez got out of the car.

'Merry Christmas,' Narah smiled and she handed each a plate.

'Thank you, Narah,' agent Gomez smiled. 'And Merry Christmas to you as well.'

'I would have invited you over for dinner but you refuse to come inside when we're all inside,' Narah said and she glanced inside the car. 'I really don't see why you would want to be in a car at this hour...doesn't seem comfortable.'

'It's not as bad as it seems,' agent Finley said. 'You should ask Deeks and Blye about that...they spent a lot of hours sitting in a car watching a house.'

'You should get back into the house,' agent Gomez told Narah. 'Spend time with your family instead of your personal protectors.' Narah smiled. She liked hearing people say "your family". It made it real. Not just something she had in her head and felt in her heart. They were a family in other people's eyes as well.

'I will,' she said. 'Enjoy your dinner and if you would like some desert as well, I dare you to come inside and get some.' Agent Gomez and Finley smiled and Narah walked back to the house.

None of them wanted to move. Deeks, Kensi and Narah were perfectly comfortable, with just the three of them lying in bed. There was just enough space, if no one moved, to stay in the bed. But they had to get out. Today would be the last day of packing so they could start moving tomorrow. A knock on the door disturbed their nice quiet moment. Julia's head showed and she smiled.

'Are you ready for breakfast?' she asked while she walked inside with a tray.

'Oh, mom, you shouldn't have!' Kensi said and she was on her way out of bed when Julia put the tray down on the bed.

'Just stay in bed,' she said. 'Otherwise the purpose of the breakfast in bed will be gone.' She sat down on the edge and smiled as Deeks, Kensi and Narah looked over the food and drinks of their breakfast.

'Oooh waffles,' Narah exclaimed and she immediately went for one.

'Grab a plate!' Deeks said as he feared for the crumbles that could fall on the bed and he handed Narah one of the plates. Narah took a big bite of the waffles and smiled. Deeks and Kensi stuck with the coffee for now.

'Do you need me to do anything at your places or your new home today?' Julia asked while she took a piece of apple. 'I have all the time...'

'Julia, your friends are coming over this afternoon,' Deeks said. 'You should prepare for that. So we will be okay without you.' Julia gave him a short nod.

'Okay, but they aren't coming till one o'clock so if you need me before that, I can come,' she said and this time Deeks and Kensi nodded.

'So, last time, Deeks,' Kensi said when they stood in his with moving boxes filled living room. Even the painting of the dogs that were playing poker had been moved from the wall. Not that Kensi allowed it into their new house. They would donate it to something, though Deeks feared the trash.

'Yeah last time,' Deeks said and he smiled at her. 'We have had some good times here, didn't we?' Kensi nodded and she gave him a kiss.

'You should pack up the upper shelf in your closet,' she said to him. 'And I will see how Narah's packing is going.' She walked over the girl's room and she knocked on the door. A soft mumbled made her walk inside and Narah was sitting on the floor. There was stuff spread over the floor. Kensi sat down next to Narah, glancing at the stuff.

'How is the packing going?' she asked and Narah shrugged.

'Not that much to pack,' she said and she pointed at the stuff. 'This is all...not even enough to fill one box.' Kensi put an arm around Narah's shoulder.

'Well, be sure that you get many more stuff for the next time you move,' she assured her. 'And you're forgetting the boxes with your clothes and your shoes. Those were a lot. I believe Deeks decided to not let you shopping for the next year.' Narah smiled a little and Kensi gently rubbed her arm. 'You collected all this in about three months...imagine how much it will be in a year.'

'Then we have to hope that we're not moving again soon,' Narah said.

'Yes,' Kensi said, 'and don't worry about that. Hetty gave us aliases for the house so it can't be matched to us that easily. So as it seems we're going to be living there for at least the next three years...for when you move to college.' Narah raised her eyebrows and threw one of the books in the box.

'Kids like me don't go to college,' she mumbled.

'You said something like that before,' Kensi noted. 'But you are not the same kid as the kid you were at that time. You became a B-student, like we asked you to. So if you want, you could even go to college.' She saw a little spark of something similar to hope and maybe excitement in Narah's eyes. She and Deeks had been saving a little money since they started the adoption procedure. Just in case Narah did want to go to college and it seems they might need it.

TBC.

My apologies for the short chapter but I hope you still enjoyed it!