Here it is: the final chapter! I can hardly believe that we are actually here, and that this is the end. I kinda feel like crying right now.
As usual, you guys have been absolutely wonderful to me with all of your reviews and messages. I'm not sure when it will be up (probably not for awhile) but I just wanted to let you know that I have begun writing a new Densi story, and I am so insanely excited about it. The storyline is truly original (from what I've seen) and I really cannot wait to see what you all think. It'll be fun to go on yet another adventure with you all!
Thanks so much for the support I've been given throughout this whole journey of Anew- I truly can't put into words how much it all means to me. This has been the longest story that I've ever written, and undoubtedly my favorite, as well as the most popular- thank you for making it all possible! *virtual hug*
So... how's that for communication? ;)
With love,
Hazel
Deeks stared at it for a long moment, his eyes narrowing in on the 'fragile' sticker that had been pressed against its side.
They'd waited long enough. He'd waited long enough.
In theory, it was a simple birthday present. One that was supposed to make up for his partner's rather forgetful nature. Deeks had tried his best to disguise his hurt at her managing to let his birthday slip away without so much as a card or 'well wish,' but she'd done a pretty descent job of covering it up.
The box.
What the hell could've been inside, anyways? Apparently, everything he'd ever wanted.
That had seemed like such a loaded statement at the time, one that couldn't possibly prove to be true. Kensi was everything that he'd ever wanted, and he was pretty damn certain that she wasn't hidden inside of the cardboard square.
Deeks pushed her bag over his shoulder, walking towards the back of the room before he could stop himself. He pulled it down from the top shelf, still reveling in it's lightness. Taking instruction from the 'fragile, handle with care' sticker, Deeks made certain not to shake up it's contents.
Instead he just tucked it under one arm with a rather coy smile, making his way towards the exit.
Deeks reentered the hospital room, tiptoeing inside to find Kensi fast asleep. Her mother was seated beside the bed in his usual spot, staring down at her granddaughter.
He waved goofily, gently setting the box down on the small table at the end of her bed. Julia remained in her same sitting position, but motioned for him to come forward. Deeks did as he was instructed, leaning down over Olivia to give her a small hug.
"She's absolutely stunning, Marty," Julia whispered with a grin as he pulled up a chair right beside her. "Kensi racked out about twenty minutes after I got here."
Deeks tilted his head to one side. "Not too surprising. She has a tendency of doing that."
The woman just nodded, looking back down to the little girl in her arms.
"I'm sorry we didn't call you," he added, rubbling his scruffy chin. "Kensi was rushed out of OSP by Eric, and I was... a little tied up."
"From what Kens told me, I can gather that you mean that literally."
He clenched his jaw up slightly, bobbing his head up and down.
"Yeah. But I made it out. And I'm here now... which is all that matters."
"I know Kensi was terrified," Julia said.
She wasn't being accusatory, or blaming him for anything that had transpired. She was merely making a statement- one that was totally and completely truthful.
"I know," he replied, both of his bright blue eyes dulling as he focused in on Kensi's unmoving face. "I still feel horrible about it."
Julia shook her head, furrowing both eyebrows. "You shouldn't."
"Why is that?"
"Because..." She turned her eyes towards Kensi, and then Olivia. "You have a healthy, happy, beautiful little family. What else could you ask for?"
Deeks smiled, his eyes lighting up once again.
"Not much at all."
Julia winked. "My point exactly."
Her gaze transferred over to the box that she'd missed when he'd first entered.
"What's that?"
Deeks froze, unsure of how to explain the little gift.
He could tell her the truth, but knew that it wouldn't sound very plausible.
Kensi forgot about my birthday, so she bought me a present a little while later. It's super weird though, because it's been a couple of years and I still haven't opened it. She says that it's everything I've ever wanted, so I've been too scared to open it. But now...there isn't really anything to loose if I do open it, except my sanity if it remains sealed.
No, that wouldn't do- so he settled on a much more normal cover story.
"Just another gift."
Yeah, he thought with a smile. To myself.
Julia nodded slowly, unsure whether or not she should be believing him. He had this odd look on his face, like he was fiercely concentration on something, or looking for a notation of some kind.
"Well, I should probably get going," she said, reluctantly standing up and gently lowering the little pink bundle back into her hospital crib against the wall. "I'll let both of your girls catch some sleep."
"Sounds like a good plan."
She approached the doorway, pausing before finally exiting.
"I'll check in once you're all settled in at the new house tomorrow, okay?"
Deeks chuckled. "We'll probably need the help."
Julia shot him a small grin before slipping back out through the threshold.
Deeks sighed once the three of them were alone once more, but his heart rate instantaneously rose back up without delay.
The box.
Waiting for her to wake up could take hours, and the last thing he wanted to do was just sit there and stare at it.
He'd already been doing that for three whole years.
There was a set of two chairs beside the table at the end of her bed, and Deeks quickly moved in that direction, lowering himself down into the one on his left.
He pulled the box down to the floor and whipped out his pocket knife, silently clicking it open so the blade was exposed. It effortlessly sliced through the tape on the top, but Deeks' hand paused upon reaching the end. That was when he noticed it- there were two layers of tape holding the box shut.
He could've sworn that there had originally been one, but assumed that his mind was just playing tricks on him.
Gosh... should I wait? Will she be upset? It is my present after all.
Deeks nodded, wordlessly reassuring himself.
Yeah, it was time. Far overdue, actually.
He let out three short and uneven breaths before lifting up both of the top cardboard flaps and slowly peeking his head inside. It was only about halfway full, and his eyebrows immediately furrowed. Deeks couldn't exactly decipher what he was looking at, as it was a wide array of different things.
Papers. Pictures. Awards. Birthday Cards.
Anything and everything from Kensi's childhood was there, directly in front of him.
His world tilted sideways, his vision narrowing as he lifted a particular photo from the box, one that was sitting on top of the stack.
It was them. Him and her.
The same photograph that Kensi's mother had given them so many months ago, of the two of them back in the first grade.
So his suspicions had been right all along. Kensi had reopened the box, just so she could add something to it.
Deeks stroked the image with his thumb for a moment before setting it back down gently. Next he pulled out a photo of baby Kensi, sitting on the lap of a man who he immediately knew to be her father. The resemblance was uncanny.
One by one he continued pulling out various mementos from her life over the years, and Deeks quickly came to the realization that Kensi really had been right.
It was everything he'd ever desired, because it was just her.
Her life, her family, her story. Everything that she'd kept locked up inside for years, and had only recently begun to show him.
And Deeks had it. All of it, at his fingertips.
Some of the story lines were delivered through black and white photos, others through grainy polaroids, and just a few through various sports awards.
Deeks learned that she'd been captain of the varsity soccer team in the seventh grade, and that they'd gone to state. He learned that the young version of Kensi Blye had been a surprisingly avid reader, and found two or three books with mulitple highlighted lines on each page. He saw a tiny teddy bear with a note attached, one that said it was from her Aunt Laura, whoever that was.
Deeks could gather that her favorite color was blue, that she enjoyed visiting the beach, and always spent each and every one of her birthdays with her father.
Mystified, he continued lifting item after item from the box, until a decent sized stack of pictures and papers had accumulated atop the table.
"You finally opened it."
His head snapped upright, his eyes widening as Kensi suddenly appeared by his side. She was wearing yoga pants, a white henley and an almost shy smile.
"I did."
"What do you think?"
His breathing evened out as he took note of her expression, which was soft and kind.
"It's..." Deeks shook his head. "Wow. You... you were right."
"About what?"
He grinned at her, just a hint of tearfulness lacing his eyes.
"It's everything I ever wanted."
Kensi's smile widened as she bit her lower lip. "It is?"
He nodded. "It is."
She took a seat beside him, lifting the photo of the two of them from the table.
"I love that one," Deeks said, peering over her shoulder.
"Me too," she added in agreement, tapping the picture. "It's my favorite."
A slight pause.
"I think that's about to change."
Kensi turned her head to the side, lifting both eyebrows.
"Why do you say that?"
Deeks slowly retrieved his wallet from one of his back pockets, flipping it open and whipping out a picture.
Kensi's gaze focused in on it, her eyes growing wide. She didn't recall it being taken, but that part honestly didn't matter.
It was the most beautiful photo she'd ever seen.
Deeks was sitting in the chair beside Kensi's bed, wearing an expression of total and complete admiration. Kensi was holding Olivia close to her chest, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"How did you... um...?"
"Nell slipped it into your bag back at OSP," he said, shrugging. "I guess she just knew that one of us would find it."
Kensi reached one hand over, plucking the picture out of his hands.
"What are you doing?"
She smiled, grabbing his hand as she gently lowered the photograph down into the box.
"Putting in the last piece of the puzzle."
