PICKS UP RIGHT AT THE END OF THE LAST CHAPTER.
Kids ages at this point
Anna 8 years old.
Clara 2 and a half
Chris 3 months
Donny just about to turn 4 years
Lilly 1 and a half
Jake 9 months
"Deeks you do realize we just had Christmas?"
"I know but now you have a year to top this."
Kensi looked at her mom and shook her head. Julia laughed as she bounced Lilly on her knee. Deeks simply smiled brightly at his wife.
CALLEN.
"Look what I found." Mac sat down on the couch next to Callen.
"What?"
"Remember when we went away for your birthday and on the way home we made our travel bucket list?"
"Yeah. We never did get to it."
"I found it in the back of the closet when I was looking for my brown boots."
Callen took it from her. "Let's see. Rome, China, England." Callen read off the list. "Too bad we never put Romania down we would have had one to check off."
"Maybe we could talk to Hetty see if we can get a week or two off and take the kids somewhere as soon as school is out."
"How about we take your parents too so they can watch the kids while we have some adult time."
"I'm sure mom would love it."
"Ok now where do we go?"
"Maybe somewhere close. I'm not sure how the kids will handle traveling."
"Good point."
"Let's ask your mom what she thinks."
"Ok but anywhere except Disney. You know how the characters freak out Anna."
Callen had to laugh. They had taken the kids to a movie and for some reason the theater had several Disney characters there. Anna had taken one look at them and had lost it. She had screamed and cried until they took her out to the car. Clara on the other hand love seeing them.
DENSI.
"Deeks are you going to help me or not?"
"Coming Princess."
Kensi had all of Lilly's old clothing out on the bed sorting it. She had grown so much that most of her stuff didn't fit any longer.
"Ok I found an empty tote in the garage."
"I can't believe how fast Lilly is growing." Said Kensi.
"Yeah she just sprouted up overnight." Deeks picked up a little pink dress and smiled. He handed it to Kensi to fold and pack.
"What are you going to do with it all?"
"Pack it away. One of us is bound to have another little girl at some point."
"I'm betting on Nell and Eric."
"Well Mac put her foot down and told Callen no more kids."
"We could try for another."
"Deeks I think two kids and two dogs are enough for now."
"You said when Lilly was two we could try for another."
"I know but I'm not sure another kid is a good idea."
"Ok I understand."
It took Kensi about an hour to pack all the stuff away because Deeks kept picking each one up and sighing.
"Fine we can try for another baby." Said Kensi.
"Really?"
"Six months Deeks. If I end up pregnant in six months then ok if not then I get an implant."
"Ok I can deal with that."
Kensi kissed Deeks and told him to put the box out in the garage.
CALLEN
"Momma I want juice." Said Clara.
"Ok do you want orange or apple?"
"Apple please."
Mac got Clara her sippy cup full of juice then carried it back to the living room where Clara was playing.
Chris was in his baby rocker sound asleep next to the couch.
"When is daddy coming home?"
"He should be here soon."
Anna had been playing soccer after school with Sam's daughter and had fallen hurting her arm. Sam had rushed her to the ER and called Callen right away. Mac tried not to panic as Callen rushed out. Anna loved soccer and wanted to join a team that summer. Mac just hoped her arm wasn't broken.
Clara looked up at her mom. "Mommy are you ok?"
"Yes little bug. I'm just worried about your sister."
"I don't want Anna hurt." Said Clara. She played with her stuffed bunny which had seen better days.
Mac stared out the window waiting to see Callen's car pull up. She picked up her cell and sent a text. *How is she?*
It had been over an hour now and Mac was going crazy. Her phone beeped and Mac jumped.
*Broken arm. Getting cast now. Sam is blaming himself big time.*
Mac let out a deep breath. Poor Anna she really wanted to be with her little girl but Chris had a cold and Mac didn't want to drag him out in the cold air. It may be Los Angeles but February is still a cold month at around sixty degrees.
"Momma?" Clara was standing next to the couch her hand on Mac's leg.
"Yes little bug?"
"Anna ok?"
"No she broke her arm."
Clara didn't know what this meant so she stuck her lower lip out. "It means she hurt her arm so we have to take care of her till she's better."
"Oh." Clara went back to her bunny tea party. Mac shook her head. Clara took everything in stride. Looking back out the window Mas sighed. Looks like Anna would be home from school for at least a week depending on how bad the break was.
Almost three hours later Callen walked in with Anna. She had a purple cast on her left arm and looked like she had spent most of the day crying.
"Hey baby, how are you feeling?"
Anna just looked up at her and started to cry. Mac picked her up and carried her into her room to get her changed. Callen followed after putting a bag on the counter.
"You want to tell me what happened?" Mac stripped her daughter and pulled out her jammies.
"I fell down."
"Sam said that Cam was trying to teach her how to steel the ball and Anna slipped."
"Hey little bug it's ok."
Anna looked up at her and started to cry all over again.
"They gave her some pain meds and we stopped and picked up her prescriptions. She goes back in six weeks for another x ray to see if it's healing."
"You want me to make you some soup?"
Anna shook her head yes and sniffed.
"Ok do you want to get into bed or out on the couch?"
"Couch."
Callen took her out and got her settled on the couch. Anna looked up at her sister.
"Hi Anna."
"Hi Clara."
Clara ran out of the room and came back with Anna's stuffed cat. "Here."
Anna smiled and took her cat.
Mac heated up some soup and made a pot of tea. Callen came in and wrapped his arms around her. "She's fine."
"I know."
"We're going to have to deal with stuff like this with three kids."
"I know."
"Cam feels like it was her fault. Sam can't get her to calm down."
"I was never so scared. I hated sitting her waiting."
"I tried to call a few times but Anna would not let go of my hand. The break isn't that bad."
Mac shook her head yes and carried the tray out to Anna. "Thank you momma."
Callen checked on Chris and got Clara some lunch in the kitchen.
"Momma are you going to send me back now?"
"What?"
"Back in Romania if you got hurt you were sent away." Whispered Anna.
"Oh baby no one is ever going to send you away."
Anna looked down at her soup. "Are you sure you still want me?"
"Anna why would you ever think we wouldn't want you?" Mac looked up at Callen who was now standing next to the couch.
Mac leaned in and kissed her daughter on the head. "Anna we love you so much we would never send you back."
"Your mom is right. You're stuck with us kiddo."
"I don't want to play soccer anymore."
"You don't have to."
"Anna why don't you want to play now?"
"Cam is younger then me and better at it."
"Baby she's been playing it for longer that's all. You just need to practice is all."
Anna ate a little of the soup and drank her tea. "I'm sleepy momma."
"Ok you take a nap." Mac said as she tucked her in. Mac told Clara to go play in her room so her sister could sleep.
"Otay momma." Clara ran off to play leaving Callen and Mac confused.
Callen took her hand and led her into the kitchen. "What the hell was that all about?"
"I just hope it's the pain meds making her a bit goofy."
"I can't believe she thought we'd send her back just because she got hurt." Callen ran a hand over his head and started to pace.
"I'm going to call mom."
Mac went into the bedroom and called her parents.
"Nadya what's wrong?" asked her father.
"How did you know something was wrong?"
"I felt it. Now tell me."
"Anna broke her arm today playing soccer with Cam." Mac took a deep breath. "Callen brought her home a little while ago and she has been very upset. Then just now she asked if we were sending her back to Romania."
Mac heard her dad let out a deep breath. "In Romania many times if an adopted child is sick or hurt the parents will send them back to the orphanage. Families that are well off and able to adopt often only want healthy children."
"Oh god that's why she thinks we want to get rid of her." Mac started to cry. "Oh daddy how could anyone do that to a child?"
"It is part of the culture and not a good one."
Callen came into the room with Chris. He changed his diaper while Mac told him what her dad had said.
"Do you want us to come over?"
"You don't have to dad."
"We want to. Your mother is already getting things together to bring for the girls."
"Ok. We'll be waiting on you."
Mac hung up and looked at Callen. He sat on the bed holding Chris. "I though she understood how much we love her. She's been here a year now."
"I know. Anna seems so well adjusted."
"No wonder she's always so helpful. I guess she figured that if she helped out we'd find her useful."
"We need to do a better job with her." Said Callen.
"How?"
"I have no idea."
An hour later Sara and Victor were at the house. Sara came in and went right to Anna.
"Oh my little one what happened?"
"I fell down."
Sara fussed over Anna while Victor went to see Mac and Chris in the bedroom.
"Nadya." Victor pulled Mac into his arms.
She couldn't help but cry. "Oh dad what are we supposed to do?"
"Just keep loving her Nadya."
Mac loved it when her parents called her by her Romanian name. It always made her feel better.
"Now how is my grandson feeling?"
"His temp is back to normal and he seems better."
"Bunic." Called Clara as she spotted her grandfather.
"There's my little one." Victor picked Clara up. "Bunica has a gift for you in the living room."
Clara giggled and Victor put her down. She ran down the hall to find her grandmother. Mac picked up Chris and handed him over to her dad. Together they walked out to the living room.
Anna was holding onto a new stuffed animal.
"Clara come her baby."
"Hi bunica."
Sara pulled out a new stuffed bunny and gave it to Clara.
"Bunny." Clara hugged the bunny. "Look Anna I got a bunny." Anna smiled at her sister. Clara then climbed up onto the couch and sat as close to her sister as she could. Anna looked so sad sitting there. "Anna you want my bunny too?"
Anna looked at Clara and started to cry.
"Momma." Poor Clara thought she had done something wrong.
"It's ok baby. Anna just doesn't feel good."
Clara hugged her sister. "Don't cry Anna."
Sara wrapped her arms around both girls.
"I think it's time for her pain meds." Said Callen.
"Anna is your arm hurting?" asked Mac as she kneeled by the couch.
"Yes momma."
"Ok daddy is getting your medicine." Mac brushed Anna's hair back from her face. "I like your new kitty."
"Me too."
Callen gave her the pain meds and Anna snuggled into her grandmother.
A while later Sam called to check up on Anna.
"How is she G?"
"She thinks we want to send her back now."
"What? Why?"
"Some weird Romanian thing I guess."
"We finally got Cam settled down. She still thinks it's her fault."
"Accidents happen Sam."
"I know that but our kids haven't figured that out yet."
"Guess not."
Callen walked into the living room. Sara was on one end of the couch holding Anna and Mac was on the other holding Clara. Victor sat in the chair holding Chris.
"Ok who wants dinner?"
"Me daddy." Said Clara.
"Ok pizza or chicken?"
"How about chicken we eat way too much pizza." Said Mac.
Callen grabbed his keys and headed out for food.
"Mom we were thinking about planning a family trip as soon as Anna is out of school."
"Oh that sounds like a wonderful idea."
"Callen want you and dad to come too."
"He just wants us to baby sit doesn't he?" asked Victor laughing."
"That's not the only reason."
"Ignore your father he is been in a teasing mood all day."
"We're not sure where to go yet. I was thinking somewhere close for the fist trip."
"I have an idea." said Victor. "I will charter us a private jet and we can go anywhere you like."
"Dad you don't have to do that."
"You're worried about taking three children on a plane correct?"
"Yes."
"This way they will not bother anyone if they get scared or if this little one crys."
Anna sat very quietly listening to her family.
"We could go to DC and visit your brother." Said Sara.
"Micha would love that." Mac looked down at Anna. "What do you think Anna would you like to go visit your uncle?"
"I guess so."
"You can meet your uncle Gibbs and thank him for the doll house he made you for Christmas."
Gibbs as promised had built Anna a huge Victorian doll house for Christmas. He had built it in parts that were easy to put together or take apart to move it. Anna loved it and often let Clara play with it too saying it wasn't fair that Clara didn't have her own.
He had also built Clara a rocking horse as her gift. He designed it to look like a Gyspy pony and Clara love it.
"We can pick a few places to stop and spend a day or two at each. Oh this will be so exciting." Said Sara.
They were on the iPad looking for stops when Callen came home.
"Dad is going to charter us a private plane for our trip this summer."
"Really? Thanks dad."
"Anything for my family."
"We are planning on a stop in DC to see Micha." Said Mac.
"Anna were do you want to go?" asked Callen.
"I don't know."
"How about Sea World." Said Sara. She opened the page for it and showed Anna. "You can pet dolphins and see whales and lots of fish."
"They let you pet dolphins?" asked Anna.
"Yes they do see." Sara showed her a photo of people petting a dolphin.
"Can we go momma?"
"Of course we can."
For the first time all day Anna seemed happy.
DENSI
"Oh man I forgot how good baby making sex was." Said Deeks as he lay there trying to catch his breath.
"It's no different than regular sex Deeks."
"Yes it is." He turned and looked at her. "Way hotter."
Kensi shook her head and got out of bed. "You're crazy."
"Hey you knew that when you married me."
Kensi laughed at him and got dressed. "What no round two?"
"Deeks my mom will be home with the kids in like ten minutes."
"I can do ten minutes."
"Deeks get dressed."
"Fine."
Kensi was just walking into the living room when the front door opened and Julia came in with the kids.
"Hey mom how was your day?"
"Just fine. We went to the museum and had lunch then walked around the farmers market."
"I had fun mommy." Said Donny showing her the toy dinosaur he had. Lilly was asleep in her grandmothers arms.
"This little one has had one very busy day."
"Here I'll take her."
"Hey mom."
"Marty."
Deeks hugged his mother in law then picked up Donny and hung him upside down.
"Hey little man have fun today?"
"Put me down daddy."
"What was that? I thought I heard something." Deeks used his free hand to tickle Donny.
"Daddy no stop." Donny was giggling and squirming now so Deeks flipped him upright and put him down.
"What do you got there little man?"
"A dinosaur, grandma got him for me today."
"I got Lilly a stuffed tiger." Julia pulled it out from her purse.
"Sweet."
Deeks headed into Lilly's room. "Her Kens your mom got her a tiger."
"Oh that is so cute."
"Mommy I'm hungry."
"He is so your kid."
"Yep and this one takes after you. She can sleep anywhere."
"Ok I'll go start dinner. How about pasta that's quick."
"Sounds good. See if mom wants to say too."
"Will do Princess."
Kensi walked into the living room. Donny was watching TV and her mom was on the couch. "So Deeks and I decided to try for another baby."
"Really, oh Kensi that is wonderful."
"We're giving it six months to try. I got pregnant right away with Donny and Lilly."
"And if you don't get pregnant in six months?"
"They we are going to settle for two."
"Kensi do you want another child?"
"I don't know. Deeks really does."
"Then maybe you need to talk about this more."
"Mom if I get pregnant then I will love this baby just as much as my other two."
"I'm sure you will."
CALLEN'S HOUSE.
It was almost ten when Sara and Victor headed home. Callen was changing Chris when Anna came into their room.
"Hey baby your arm hurting again?" asked Mac.
"No momma."
"Come here baby." Mac pulled the blanket back and Anna climbed in next to her. "You want to sleep with us tonight?"
"Can I?"
"Of course you can."
"I can't wait to pet a dolphin."
"Well it will be a few months before we can go. You have to be out of school first."
"Ok." Anna snuggled into Mac's side and slung her broken arm over her. Mac kept stroking Anna's hair until she was fast asleep.
Callen finished with Chris and put him in the bassinet next to the bed. Chris gurgled a bit then settled in and yawned.
"We should be able to move him back to his crib tomorrow night." Said Callen.
"He looks a lot better tonight than he did this morning."
"How's this one doing?" said Callen quietly.
"She looks good. No temp and she said her arm doesn't hurt."
"I'll bring her pain meds in here in case she wakes up in pain tonight."
Callen came right back and shook his head. "Remember when I said we should get a bigger bed?"
Clara had woken up and found her sister missing and went to find her. So now Clara was up against her mother's other side."
"There is still room for you."
"I still think we should go buy a king size."
"We can do that." Mac said. "We're due for a new mattress anyways."
Callen got into bed and lay on his side to watch his girls. "You can get that storage bed you saw on tv."
"That would be perfect."
Callen stroked Clara's hair and smiled as she snuggled deeper into Mac's side. "Are you going to sleep like that tonight?"
"Probably not but I don't mind."
"I love you." Said Callen quietly.
"Love you too."