The Retrieval Of

Kenna Shane Spencer

Home Not So Sweet Home

"Kenna, please take a breath and relax."

"We are stuck in Egypt, Eliot, a million miles from our kids, one who I've not seen in seven months." Eliot knew how she felt. They had been stuck at the airport nearly all day. She blamed him for being overly cautious and paranoid and now she was ready to kick some airport security ass if the plane didn't start boarding soon.

"Here," He handed her his phone. "Call Amy; talk to Faith; bitch at Nate; just don't hurt the airport staff." She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"This is your fault." She glared at him.

"Yeah, I know." She grabbed his phone and walked away from him. "I got big shoulders, baby. Bring it on." He said under his breath. Before they left Italy she had dyed her hair back to the honey blonde it had been before she…disappeared. His gut clenched with the memory of the last seven months without her. Kenna needed time to readjust to her old life but the anger was building inside her. For some odd reason she had felt the need to lash out since she woke up this morning.

"Eliot?" Broken out of his thoughts by the sound of his name, he turned around. A woman walked toward him, wheeled suitcase following behind. "Eliot Spencer, I thought you dropped off the face of the earth." Biting his bottom lip he tried to remember the brunette's name…Lisa or Linda, Lindsey maybe.

"I couldn't get so lucky." He chuckled nervously. The woman stepped closer, hugging him.

"What's it been like five years?" She moved away, hands still on his shoulders.

"Somethin' like that." He looked down at her name tag. Lydia…now it was all coming back to him. LA, an extra, extra long layover. Oh he was so dead. He glanced back at his wife on the phone.

"I have a layover in San Tropez next week." She ran her finger now his chest. He grinned uncomfortably at the woman and shook his head.

"As wonderful as that may sound, Lydia, I'm married now." The woman raised her eyebrows.

"Really, I thought you didn't do long term?" She smiled.

"Never thought I would." He glanced over at Kenna who was still, thankfully, caught up in her phone call.

"Too bad. I got his sweet little two piece in Thailand that I was dying to show you." Eliot cleared his throat nervously. It had taken him most of the last two and a half years to convince Kenna that she was all he wanted and needed for two lifetimes. But seeing him talking to Lydia might set them back a million steps. In the mood his wife was in he would be lucky if he ever slept in the same bed with her if she looked his way.

"Sorry to disappoint you." She left her hand on his chest as she talked to him and his southern upbringing stopped him from pushing it off.

"Well a man like you needs more than what one woman can provide. Isn't that what you told me in LA?" Before he could answer he felt a warm hand slip into his. Kenna stood next to him. He was so sleeping on the couch for the rest of his life.

"Hi, I'm McKenna Spencer." She said sweetly. Lydia was gonna die. Kenna didn't do sweet…EVER. The flight attendant removed her hand from Eliot's chest and took a step back.

"Lydia Albright." She said not so sweetly.

"An old friend of Eliot's, I presume?"

"Not so old." The claws were coming out and poor Lydia was gonna loose. Eliot squeezed Kenna's hand in hopes to curb her instinct to take the younger woman by the throat.

"It's always nice to meet Eliot's friends." The last word came out of her mouth more sticky sweet then he'd ever heard. "Are you delayed? If you are you should join us for lunch."

"I…that would…"

"Lydia's flight leaves soon." Eliot didn't care when the woman left but she needed to get out of his wife's proximity before it was too late.

"Awww too bad. I'm sure you two would love to get caught up." Kenna smiled and looked at her husband. "We're trying to get back to the states. Missing the kids and all. You know how that is."

"I wouldn't know. I don't have kids." Kenna put Eliot's phone up and showed her a picture of Faith.

"Our daughter just turned three." There was that smile again. So sticky sweet it made his teeth hurt. She touched the screen and a picture of Chance that Parker had sent him popped up. "And our son, he's seven weeks old." The other woman smiled faintly and nodded.

"They are very cute." Lydia was very uncomfortable.

"Yeah, we think so. I'm so sorry you can't join us for lunch." The younger woman smiled.

"Yes, it was nice meeting you McKenna. Eliot." She nodded and headed in the opposite direction. Eliot pulled his wife flush to his side.

"Who the hell are you and what did you do with my wife?" Kenna looked at him very innocently.

"What?"

"A year ago you would have had her against the wall begging for her life with the way she was looking at me."

"I guess I saw the way you we're looking at her." She leaned against him. "The last seven months did you think I was dead?"

"No." She smiled a small smile.

"Did you in any way, shape or form stop looking for me?" He shook his head. Kenna took his face in her hands and kissed him. "I'm not the same woman who walked into that party seven months ago Eliot. I'm stronger, more secure with the woman I've become since you came back into my life. I used to wonder how a man like you could fall in love with me. During the last few months I became the woman I needed to be to protect you and my family. A woman you could love without question."

"Kenna…you have been the woman I loved for most of my life. You don't have to change for me."

"But I had to change for me Eliot. I was hiding behind my attitude and it was only hurting us. The fight about Moreau we had before I…before I left was proof that I was being a spoiled brat. It was my way or no way. Even when you thought you won, I had another fight just waiting."

"Okay, so you've changed. I can live with that." He kissed her. "But you gotta know baby, don't ever doubt my love for you twenty years ago, now-or twenty years from now. It was me who didn't deserve your love back then." Kenna smiled. "Let's find a flight and get the hell home to our kids." Eliot looked at his wife. "I love you, Kenna."

"I love you too Eliot." They headed to the gates to find a way home.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Danny!" Kenna found McGarret's partner at luggage claim. The blond man smiled.

"Hey, Kenna…Eliot." Eliot got their bags. "I would ask you how your trip was but I could only imagine. Three layovers and two canceled flights. It's time to fire your travel agent." Eliot grinned.

"No kidding." They headed to the car parked right out front. They got in and headed toward McGarret's. Kenna watched the scenery go by. Eliot wasn't sure why his wife got so quiet but he knew better than to ask her in front of Danny. "How's Grace?" He looked over at the younger man.

"Growing like weed. She's excited that Faith came to visit." Danny looked at the man sitting next to hm. If he didn't know better, he would have thought the man was scared to come home. "Catherine took a few days leave to stay with the girls and Chance. I think she was worried the nanny and her boyfriend were going to get overwhelmed."

"Catherine? Really?" Kenna said. "Maybe she's practicing."

"Yeah, I wouldn't bring that up in front of either her or Steve. Friendly warning."

"You mentioned something, did you?" Kenna laughed.

"Yeah." He smiled. Looking in the mirror Danny saw a nervous Kenna Spencer. So unlike the confident woman he met a few years ago. He knew getting abducted would be hard on anyone but to someone like her it must have been twice as hard. Pulling into McGarret's drive, Danny parked the car behind a pickup truck.

"You okay?" Eliot looked at his wife.

"What if she doesn't…"

"Kenna, Faith missed you more than anything." Danny got out of the car. "Don't do this Kenna. I know how you get when things go sideways. Our daughter is the only thing that kept me going the past seven months. She never stopped believing you would come home. I needed that to keep me going. Knowing someone else believed you were coming home."

"She's three, Eliot."

"She's your daughter Kenna. You were her world. You still are hers, mine and Chance's." Eliot got out of the car and went around to open her door. "C'mon, let's go see our babies." He offered her his hand. She took it and stood. Kenna heard squeals from behind Eliot. He moved to see Danny, Grace and Faith came out of the house.

"Mama!" Faith ran toward her. The tears she had been hold back since Eliot had come to take her home began to fall. Faith launched herself into her mother's arms. "Mama, you're home." The little girl hugged her mother tightly. "Daddy said he'd bring you home."

"Yeah, baby. Daddy brought me home." She hugged the little girl.

"I missed you, Mama."

"I missed you too, Faith Valentine." The little girl pushed away and took her mother's face in her hands.

"Yous was gone a long time." She had the squished up angry face Eliot got when things didn't go his way. "Me and daddy was worried 'bout you."

"I know. I tried so hard to get back to you and Daddy." The little girl looked at Kenna with the eyes of her father.

"Auntie Parker brought me a brother." Kenna smiled.

"She brought you a brother, did she?"

"Yep, his name is Chance Nathan….like Uncle Nate." She ran her hand down her mother's hair. "I don't think she stole 'im Mama 'cause he kinda looks like Daddy too." Eliot bit his bottom lip and tried not to laugh.

"Great. Our daughter thinks babies come from Auntie Parker now." Eliot sighed and Kenna looked at her husband.

"Would you like to explain to her where they really come from?" She asked him. He shook his head and pulled both of them into his arms.

"Let's go find this baby brother you talk of baby girl." They walked toward the house. "Technically Parker did steal him." Eliot whispered in his wife's ear.

"I guess you're right." They got up to the door and April was there with Chance.

"Long time, no see boss lady." She smiled. "He's a keeper Kenna." She handed the baby to Eliot.

"Thanks Amy. Thank you for everything. Eliot told me you held it together after…"

"You didn't give up on me three years ago. I was just returning the favor." A tall blond man came and stood next to her. "Kenna Spencer, Hunter Sinclair." Kenna smiled.

"Nice to meet you. My husband has told me some very nice things about you."

"It's good to have you home. " He nodded and moved past her to go down the steps. Eliot didn't miss the odd look and the curtness in both their voices. He put it in the back of his mind to ask Kenna about it later. They moved into the house where Kenna said her hellos to Catherine and Steve. Kenna excused herself a little while later to feed Chance in the privacy of McGarret's spare bedroom. She needed the alone time. In recent years Kenna had adjusted to not being alone. In the last seven months all she wanted was to be left alone. Today she had mixed emotions. Eliot came in with a sleeping Faith and laid her on the bed.

"Something wrong?" He sat down on the bed.

"Just getting used to all the noise again." She looked down at Chance. "It was only him and me for so long." Kenna closed her eyes and rocked slowly.

"Just don't stop talkin', darlin'. I know when the shit get's deep we all wanna pull inside ourselves. Done it a time or two myself. Just remember you have a lot of people who want to help you and get you through it."

"I know. I won't go down that long hard road again." She opened her eyes and he was looking at her. "I promise if I feel like I'm going off the rails Eliot, you'll be the first to know." She was hiding something. He could tell by the look in her eyes.

"Promise." He growled.

"I promise." Kenna smiled and burped Chance. Kenna stood and put the boy down in the small potable crib McGarret had brought in. She stood and leaned against the crib and looked at her husband. "I will be okay Eliot. I got over the worst having Chance without you. I think I can deal with this."

"Yeah, cause you're Kenna Shane Spencer, I know." Eliot stood up. "Just remember you have people who love you."

"That's what got me through the last seven months." She leaned over and kissed him. "I am so ready for a drink."

"I can do that for you." He took her hand and led her out to find them both a well deserved drink.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"I thought Eliot was the night owl." Steve stood on the beach next to Kenna.

"I thought you were my friend." She looked up at him.

"I wondered when this was going to be a problem."

"You knew Sinclair was dating Amy?"

"Not till he showed up here with her and Faith. Kenna he's not the man you think he is."

"He was a loose cannon with anger issues who killed people for a living." He looked down at her wide eyed.

"And what does that make you?" He shook his head. "You changed Kenna. I pretty much think it can happen to anyone."

"I never liked the bastard."

"He's going to school to be a CSI, Kenna. He has a job with the city of Boston and he really cares about Amy and your kids. He'll he didn't even know who Amy worked for until a few weeks ago. He could cut ties and run then, knowing the bad blood between you but he decided to stick it out."

"He's no good McGarret."

"He's changed Kenna. You saw him with Faith and Grace. You saw him with Amy. We changed. Why can't he." She looked at him.

"Because some people are evil deep down in their soul Steve," Kenna got up. "and that's a kind of evil no one can change." She started up the trail then turned around. "He hurts her and you'll never hear the end of it my friend."

"He doesn't and I won't let you forget that you were wrong." She walked up the trail and she remembered the last time she saw Hunter Sinclair.

(Flashback)

(New Orleans, LA 2002)

"Hunter, this is not what we were sent here to do so- back off." Kenna looked at her partner holding a gun to a young man's head.

"He's the bad guy, Hawks. You said that yourself."

"He's done bad things."

"Don't make him make you do bad things Hunter. You're not like him." Kenna didn't flinch when the gun went off. "Then again. Hunter back down now. Holster your gun and stand down." The man turned and looked at her. Kenna had her gun drawn and aimed at his heart before he could turn fully toward her.

"It was our job to take him out Kenna. Or have you forgotten that?"

"We have ways of doing things and you're not following protocol."

"Since when have you been big on protocol?"

"I've always been a fan of the concept Sinclair, I just don't always agree with it. Let's get the hell out of here before we get caught." Kenna holstered her gun and grabbed the man by the shoulder and dragged him out of the house. It was the last time she was ever going to work with the hot head again.

(Present)

Kenna tucked in Faith and Chance. She lay next to Eliot who she knew wasn't sleeping. He pulled her close and kissed the back of her neck.

"I thought I was the restless one." She cuddled closer to him.

"I'm more of a night owl now." Lacing her fingers in his, she relaxed a little more. "I see the appeal."

"You can get lots done in the middle of the night." He pressed closer to her.

"I think we've done our fair share of things in the middle of the night."

"Yes we have." He kissed her neck again and she turned her head and his mouth captured hers. Kenna turned in his arms and deepened the kiss. "I can think of a few things we haven't done in the middle of the night."

"And what would that be Mr. Spencer?" She moaned against his mouth.

"How about a little swim in the ocean?" He whispered in her ear.

"Something tells me McGarret might not appreciate the show."

"He's up too?"

"Yeah." Kenna shifted and slowly started stroking him though his boxer briefs. "And you know I hate sand anyplace other than under my feet." He worked her top off and she slid her hands in between him and his shorts. Slowly he moved his hands over her body and slid her panties off. Two nights of hard and fast fucking had taken the edge off but tonight he knew what they both needed was slow and tender. Kissing his wife slowly from her lips down her neck, Eliot's hand moved over her body and aroused her like never before. Kenna moaned.

"You drive me insane, you know that?" Kenna smiled.

"Do you know you make me wet?" She moved her hips pressing his hardness against the area she was referring to. She moved her leg over his hip and let his hard length slowly push into her. If it was possible she was tighter than ever before.

"Dear God Kenna." He bit into her shoulder to stop himself from getting any louder. She moved her leg higher, taking him deeper, if that was possible. The feel of her nails biting into his shoulders urged him to move his hips. "Kenna." He gasped.

"Miss me cowboy?" She whispered in his ear.

"You really have to ask?" He moved slowly and she ran her hand through his hair.

"You cut it." She whispered as her lips moved down his neck.

"You daughter fell asleep on me with gum in her mouth about two months ago. I had to." He loved the feel of her hands in his hair but tonight the sensation was incredible. Maybe it was because they were safe on American soil or maybe it was that they were all under the same roof again but just being in the same room with her drove him wild.

"Mmmm I like it." The last two days he either had it under a hat or tied back and she hadn't noticed it was shoulder length. He rolled over and tucked her under him as he slowly pumped in and out of her.

"Thanks." He kissed her and continued his slow steady movements in and out of her. Shifting a bit Kenna could feel that she was close but she didn't want the feeling to end. Her hands moved over his muscled back and down to his hard ass, cupping his cheeks and pulling him deeper inside her.

"Eliot…." She moaned his name like no other woman had. He moved back to his side again, taking her with him and then on to his back. Running his hands down her beautiful breast and down her hips, she moved with him until they both found release. Kenna collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily. "Oh baby, that was incredible." She moaned against his shoulder.

"Glad you approved." He chuckled. She slid off him, pulled the covers over both of them and snuggled into the warmth of Eliot's arms. "Get some sleep. Chance will be getting hungry soon."

"Mmmm maybe we'll get lucky and he'll sleep though the night." Kenna said drowsily.

"Maybe." Eliot returned as he closed his eyes. "Night, darlin'."

"Night, Eliot, sweet dreams."

"Now that your home maybe I can have some." He kissed the top of her head and they fell into a dreamless, uninterrupted three hours of sleep.