Nell was practically skipping as she walked down the seemingly endless corridor to Kensi's room. It was gorgeous outside, the case they'd caught was a short one, Kensi was awake and getting better, her and Eric were progressing nicely. Did she mention that Kensi was awake and getting better?
She couldn't help but smile widely at that thought, starting the nurse that was walking past. Oops, Nell schooled her features so she didn't look like a crazy person. The grin crept through again anyway. She couldn't help it, just remembering the while period where they lost contact with the plane then them reappearing and discovering that Kensi was seriously injured and in a coma being medevacked to safety! She had never felt such lows then highs then abrupt lows as that. Shuddering at the memory, if she felt like that, she didn't even want to know what Callen, Sam and Deeks went through witnessing that in real time. Just the thought of it gave her nightmares.
But Kensi was alive! And conscious! The skipping nearly happened again but she held herself back. She had arrived and Kensi's room anyhow.
Peering around the door (which had been left open), Nell checked if Kensi was awake. She was. And alone. Great!
"Hey," she greeted, sidling in.
Kensi looked up from her hands, that she had been staring quite intently at. A book was splayed open next to them. She looked tired.
But she beamed at Nell and returned her greeting cheerfully.
Nell settled in the very familiar chair closest to her friend.
"Been left alone?" Nell asked, noticing that there was no evidence of anyone else having been in the room.
Which was odd considering they'd all been let off early. They had an unspoken pact not to leave Kensi alone for long periods of time for the immediate future.
"I sent Deeks home to get some sleep," Kensi explained. "I don't think he's slept properly for three days. And my mom is coming later."
Nell raised an eyebrow, "And he listened?"
"I called Sam."
"Cruel. But effective," Nell replied, nodding and then gave her a hesitant look. "I can leave if your mom's coming."
Kensi immediately shook her head.
"She won't be here until the evening," Kensi assured her and then pulled a face.
That got her another raised eyebrow from Nell.
Shaking her head, Kensi elaborated, "I love my mom but she's driving me crazy."
"That's what moms tend to do especially when their only child is nearly killed," Nell pointed out.
She felt that Kensi from time to time needed to be reminded of what was normal behaviour from parents. Especially mothers. Her friend was very quick to get frustrated with people doing what she deemed to be 'coddling'. Not completely her fault, of course. Nell couldn't imagine just not having her mom in her life for fifteen years.
"It's not the coddling," Kensi said quickly, seeing Nell's expression, muttering under her breath, "wouldn't mind if she stopped," then continued in a normal tone, "It's the talking!"
"The talking?" Nell repeated slowly, confused.
"Yes!" Kensi replied exasperatedly. "I can't stand it!"
"You can't stand talking. To your mom."
"Yes! I mean no, yes...Oh, not like that," Kensi tried to explain.
Too bad that explained absolutely nothing. Kensi huffed as she realised that Nell wasn't getting it.
"It's just weird. We didn't speak for like fifteen years then we try and patch things up which sort of works and then this happens," she waved her left hand around pointedly, "and now she won't stop talking about the past. At all."
Nell waited a moment until Kensi's heavy breathing calmed down before replying, "Again, normal behaviour for someone whose estranged until recently only daughter nearly dies," Nell repeated, in a firmer tone. Honestly.
Kensi glared at her briefly before softening (somewhat) into a thankfully familiar smirk.
Resting her head back, she chuckled, "Thanks, Nell. I needed that today."
"Bad day?" Nell immediately asked, scanning her eyes up and down her friend in concern.
She got a dismissive wave in return. Which didn't assuage her concern at all.
"No more than usual."
"Hmm."
"Granger was right, you really do have the 'Hetty stare' down."
"Good," Nell said happily, inwardly quite flattered.
She looked at Kensi carefully for the first time this afternoon. Her friend was looking tired and drawn, a bit ill actually. Nell didn't even think the word weak for fear of violent reprisals. But it had definitely been a harder than usual day.
It was a good thing that Nell Jones always came prepared. She heaved the rucksack she'd brought with her onto her lap.
"What's in the bag?" Kensi asked, reminiscent of Deeks and that box.
Nell had to smother a grin at that thought but started to yank things out to explain. Two "fancy" plastic wine glasses, a packet of smooshed brownies, little cocktail umbrellas and bags of chips.
"What the?" Kensi asked, looking on at the increasing pile on her bed in confusion.
Nell grabbed the last thing from the bag and hid them behind her back before turning to answer.
"I was thinking that we hadn't had a Girl's Night in ages but of course I can't be here until two in the morning and I don't think they'd appreciate monster trucks in here and you can't drink alcohol, so..."
And with that she brandished the juice boxes of apple juice and a movie on monster trucks she had been hiding.
Kensi could help herself as she laughed loudly and, more alarmingly, burst into tears. Nell nearly dropped everything to hug her but Kensi waved her away while wiping at her face and sniffing deeply.
"I'm fine," she said in answer to Nell's worried look. "Just really tired and super super grateful. Thanks Nell."
Nell beamed at her and eagerly received the hug Kensi gave. Her grip was still weak, she couldn't quite draw her arm in but it was still a Kensi hug.
"You've got a laptop here, right?"
"Yep, Deeks even left me America's Next Top Model DVDs," Kensi replied, leaning down the side of her bed to seemingly grab it.
"I'll get it," Nell said quickly, easily scrambling across the bed. "Models or monster trucks?"
Kensi frowned briefly but allowed Nell to sort the laptop out. Nell had noticed at a precious visit that she could prise it open very easily.
"Oh, monster trucks definitely," she answered, gathering all the goodies Nell brought together and patting at a space she'd made next to her. "Get under the covers."
"Don't mind if I do," Nell replied, doing just that and snuggling into Kensi.
A screeching noise filled the screen. The two women hushed each other as the DVD began.
And that's how Julia found them two hours later.
