Author's Notes: Thank you to every person who has reviewed, read, followed, and favourited this story so far - I'm so grateful! To those who gave feedback - you're awesome. Also, thanks to my friend G. Enjoy!
~ Necessary Action ~
Kensi abruptly opened her eyes, with her heart pounding in her chest, as she reminded herself it was just a nightmare. The cries and screams of children in dark spaces wasn't really a figment of her imagination, but she was out of the warehouse now. She wasn't responsible for the bad things that happened, though Kensi didn't feel very reassured by her mental lecture.
Sighing, Kensi rubbed her face with her left hand, and realised her right arm was weighted down.
It was still the early hours of the morning, but the lamps remained on all night so she was able to easily discern the tiny form cuddled securely to her side. Jody had fallen asleep as far away from Kensi as possible, but now she couldn't be further pressed against Kensi if she'd tried.
A smile broke over Kensi's lips; the sight of the adorable little girl curled against her arm was enough to ebb away the darkness of her mind.
Careful not to wake the child, Kensi blindly reached for her phone. The screen flickered on, and Kensi saw she'd missed a few texts. Most of them were from Deeks, of course. There was also one from Leo, though Kensi decided to deal with it later. Feeling unable to leave the bed for Jody's sake, Kensi opened her messages to see what Deeks had to say. Mostly he asked where she was, and joked about how much she must be missing him.
She rolled her eyes, though with a smile, and tapped out a reply.
~ None of your business, Shaggy. Don't worry, I'm still in the US. No Hawaii this time. You up yet, Surfer Boy?
Kensi doubted he would be. The sun was only just starting to light the horizon outside her window, from what she could see, and DC was three hours ahead of LA. Placing her phone back on the bedside table, Kensi returned her attention to the little girl she was already becoming fond of. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bond with Jody or not, since she had no idea how long she'd be looking after the girl, but Kensi knew the connection they were forming was rather unavoidable.
She also needed Jody to trust her, otherwise protecting her was going to be a lot harder and Kensi didn't want to worry every five minutes that Jody was going to take off running. She didn't know how fast three-year-olds were, nor did Kensi intend to find out.
Regardless of her own paranoia, Kensi knew they had to leave the safe house that morning. She needed to retrieve her clothes and badge from the motel. Just as importantly, Jody needed clothes of her own – plus, they had to get some real groceries to avoid another desperate pantry raid. Kensi was content to live off snicker-doodles, if it weren't for the fact she'd eaten most of them the night before.
Jody, however, couldn't live off canned apples every day.
Feeling the child wriggle beside her, accompanied by a low groan, Kensi realised she wasn't alone in her nightmares. It made her feel worse; Kensi would rather endure all the nightmares, even if it only spared Jody one night's sleep. She leaned to wake the girl, but Jody turned her head and stared up at her saviour with sad, green eyes. Kensi previously assumed Jody had instinctively moved closer to her in the night, but when the girl didn't pull away – Kensi realised Jody actually sought her comfort. It was a very reassuring sign.
'Morning, Honey.' Kensi smiled, trying to be a friendly as possible. 'Are you hungry?'
Jody nodded, then raised her small hands to rub the sleep from her eyes. She remained close to Kensi, and only moved when Kensi herself got out of bed. Jody crawled to the edge, and reached for Kensi in silent pleading to be picked up.
Feeling relieved by the new-found trust, Kensi obliged. Jody sucked on her thumb, while loosely wrapping her free hand around Kensi's neck; she felt safe and content enough to simply be held. It was a big improvement from the day before, though Kensi couldn't help worrying it wasn't going to last.
'How about we go out for breakfast?' Kensi offered casually
There wasn't really a choice in the matter. They had cereal, but no milk. There weren't any eggs, meat, or otherwise either. The best they'd have for breakfast would be canned peaches. Kensi did not think anything from a can could ever resemble a real breakfast.
'We're in our pyjamas, though.' Kensi said, trying to remain calm and reassuring. She attempted to make sure nothing was a big deal, while dreading another undressing incident. 'Let's have a look in this bag, okay?'
Kensi placed Jody on her hip, as she crouched towards the thrift bag. She sorted through some of the items, and kept an eye on Jody. The girl was interested, though she merely watched as Kensi picked out a pair of blue shorts and a yellow shirt. Kensi could tell why someone was giving the clothes away – they weren't exactly new, but still in good condition, though the designs were rather awful.
She fished out a pair of faded, slightly torn jeans and a plain shirt for herself.
Kensi placed Jody on the bed and braced herself. She showed the girl each piece of clothing, and made plenty of hand gestures regarding the changing of clothes. Jody continued to suck her thumb, though her eyes were worried and hesitant.
'We'd look a bit silly walking around in our pyjamas, wouldn't we?' Kensi joked, carefully moving to slip one of Jody's arms out of her pink sleeping shirt.
The girl squirmed and made a noise of protest, but didn't try to escape. Kensi gently looped the other arm through the sleeve, having gently tugged Jody's hand away from her mouth, then quickly slipped the shirt off her head. Kensi replaced it with the yellow day shirt, and exhaled with relief.
The pants were trickier.
Jody twisted away and tried to escape, but Kensi kindly brought her back and waited for the girl to calm before she made a second attempt to get her dressed. It took almost half an hour to change the child's outfit; Kensi vaguely wondered where all her patience had come from. Adding worn socks, and slightly tattered white shoes, to Jody's feet were easy enough - while the girl resumed her thumb-sucking.
Kensi left Jody on the bed for a moment, so she could change in the bathroom and brush her teeth. Standing in front of the mirror, Kensi cringed at the blackness forming around her neck. She hadn't thought Gale's grip was quite as rough, yet the bruising looked absolutely awful. Kensi tenderly touched it, surprised it only hurt a little when she put pressure on the marked area, and decided her neck must be more receptive to bruising than the rest of her body. She was glad her shirt had a high collar, to better hide the nasty colouring and enable her to avoid any odd stares or comments.
Kensi sighed, and peered over at the waiting girl still seated on the edge of the bed. She worried about taking her out, but knew it was unavoidable. Kensi inhaled a deep breath, and scooped the child into her arms again.
Kensi gathered her phone, gun, and wallet, then made her way into the main room with Jody secured against her hip. The girl didn't pay much attention to anything, just sucked her thumb and draped her arm over Kensi's shoulder. Kensi accepted that, and only hoped she could carry the weight of a kid against her side all day.
'Ready?' Kensi asked, moving to leave the house.
She locked the front door and ventured down the driveway. The neighbourhood was rather quiet, though the sun had properly risen by now, and few cars drove nearby. She'd spotted a shopping mall during the drive in the cab the night before - since she didn't have a rental car, Kensi decided to walk. It was only across a couple of streets; she saw no point in spending money to hire a cab when it would take more time waiting for one than it would to walk the distance.
Jody remained quiet in her arms, though that wasn't unusual. Kensi wondered about the communication skills of a three-year-old, and if the girl was supposed to be talking or if relative quietness was normal. She had no idea; Kensi's knowledge of kids was even less than her knowledge of cooking – both which she had no useful skills or experience with.
Though it was early in the morning in Washington, the mall was still considerably packed for a Sunday. Kensi wasn't sure if that was to be expected or not, as her Sundays usually had her planted in front of the television or working when she'd rather be planted in front of the television.
Kensi decided to get Jody some belongings first. She'd planned on clothes, but quickly changed her mind when they wandered by various toy stores – Kensi felt ashamed to only then realise Jody really had nothing with her. The little girl had no clothes of her own, no toys, and no family.
Kensi intended to change that.
'Let's go in here.' She said, unsure why she felt the need to voice everything they did when Jody was paying enough attention to see where they were going.
Kensi felt a shift in the little girl's interest when they were surrounded by nearly every toy imaginable. Even Kensi was tempted by the fluffy-looking bunnies and brightly-coloured wooden trains. She paid close attention to Jody's expression, when the girl wasn't constantly swerving to look around. Kensi wandered down the isle Jody seemed most intrigued by, and was glad to observe the shelves upon shelves of stuffed toys all around them.
Deciding she really did need to know how much progress she was making with Jody, Kensi took the risk of putting the girl on the floor. Jody stood close to her, and Kensi instantly held the girl's hand. The other was removed from her mouth, as Jody let Kensi lead her by some dragons and dinosaurs.
'Do you see something you like?' Kensi asked, after a while of looking around. Jody shyly nodded her head. 'Would you like to have one?'
'Yup.' Jody answered, inclining her head again. Her eyes were widely hopeful, though she made no move to actually choose a toy. She hesitantly watched Kensi, until she was encouraged to approach the shelf.
'Which one would you like?' Kensi asked.
It wasn't her money being spent, after all, though she knew better than to raise any pricey red flags through her alias. Hetty would not be pleased, and Kensi would surely have to have the unpleasant moment of trying to explain why she was buying toys for a three-year-old.
'Tha one!' Jody pointed at a higher shelf, indicating to a pink bear with a heart outlined on its chest.
Kensi reached for the stuffed toy and admired how soft it was. There was a purple bow around its neck, and it was the perfect size for Jody's small arms to wrap around. She offered the girl the bear, and smiled at the enlightenment filling the girl's usually sad eyes. Jody squished the bear to her chest in a loving hug, and cradled it slightly. She ran to Kensi and wrapped her arms around her legs with gratitude.
The girl insisted on being picked up, but Kensi didn't allow it this time.
'Let's keep looking around, okay?' Kensi tried to distract her. 'How about some books? Or...stuff?' She had no idea what to buy Jody, but knew a bear wasn't going to be enough. Kids liked to draw, she remembered, so headed for the arts and craft section. Her grip on Jody's hand slackened a little while they walked around the store, as Jody was more than willing to keep close to Kensi's side.
~ P ~
It took a while to make the selections, but soon Kensi had a bag full of toys and activities for Jody to play with.
Kensi decided it was time to have breakfast, and made her way to the food court. Jody clutched her pink bear with enough grip to suffocate a hamster, and was content to remain beside Kensi until they reached the food court. There were people everywhere, and Jody 's breathing became irregular as panic began to swarm her senses. Kensi, seeing a disaster about to happen, bent to lift the child protectively into her arms.
Jody calmed, and they were able to proceed.
Kensi ended up buying them sandwiches. It wasn't the ideal breakfast, but she wasn't in the mood to debate over which food was good or bad for a malnourished three-year-old. Jody didn't mind, though she picked at her bread and only ate parts of the sandwich. Kensi didn't care about any of the mess the girl made, from where she sat on Kensi's lap - as long as Jody ate something.
After sandwiches and juice for Jody, and lots of coffee for Kensi, the pair resumed their shopping. Kensi carried Jody for a while longer, but put her down again when they shopped for clothes. She tried to encourage Jody's freedom to pick the sort of clothes the little girl liked, but Jody was adamant to be picked up without any interest in the racks of dresses or jackets around them.
After some struggle, Kensi simply carried Jody around the store and selected the clothes for her. Jody didn't care either way, so Kensi merely tried to find practical yet pretty clothes she hoped would fit. She'd tried to measure them correctly by placing them against Jody, such as trying to check shirt sleeves against her arms, but the girl fussed and squirmed every time.
It took Kensi over two hours to shop for clothes.
She thought Jody would have gotten bored, but after everything the girl had been through Jody was content just be held in a non-dark place with someone who didn't hurt her. Kensi tried to be thankful for the lack of drama, but felt guilty each time. She'd seen a three-year-old before; they were supposed to throw tantrums, giggle at silly things, and run around energetically everywhere they went. Jody was nothing like that, and Kensi knew it wasn't a matter of age or personality. The bright innocence that usually shone in small children had been taken from Jody; Kensi only hoped it wasn't gone completely, and was merely suppressed until Jody could heal from the traumatic ordeals no child should ever have to face.
With clothes and toys bought, resulting in three bags of shopping and a financial dent on her alias' credit card, Kensi headed to the children furniture store. Jody was skinny for her age, but Kensi still wasn't used to carrying a three-year-old around for long periods of time. Her arms were sore, and she knew they'd have more shopping bags to lug back to the house before they left the mall.
Those undeniable facts led her to the stroller section.
Kensi stubbornly browsed the strollers, determined to not ask for help from a store assistant, and soon came across a mother with a boy not much older than Jody. She picked one of the products with the banner "Kiddy Click' n Move 3" above the rows of different-coloured strollers. Deciding it looked useful, and was worthy enough for a mother to buy for her kid, Kensi picked a pink one and caught the attention of a salesman. She didn't bother listening to him listing all of its features; Kensi knew it could fit things in the underneath basket, as well as a back pocket – she also knew it had rain protection and good brakes. Those things were obvious enough to her, and the rest weren't important.
She bought it, and steered the assembled stroller outside the store.
Kensi dropped the shopping bags on a bench and examined the stroller. The foam bar at the front wouldn't keep Jody securely in the seat, but she hoped it would be enough to prevent an escape as long as they kept moving.
'This will be more fun, right?' Kensi tried to make Jody enthusiastic about the stroller. The girl watched it warily, then frowned. 'Okay, well, my arms are sore.' Kensi huffed.
She shoved the shopping bags into the underneath basket, and pushed back the protective hood. Making sure the seat was comfortable, Kensi placed Jody into it and decided not to buckle her in unless necessary. After the suffering the child had been through, Kensi would rather not restrain her for any reason unless it was truly unavoidable.
A bozz from her pocket startled her, and Kensi got out her phone to see Deeks had finally answered her early-morning text.
~ What the crap? Kensi, are you seriously awake right now? Either you're in a different time zone, or something is really wrong. It's hard enough to wake you for work most days and now you're up before Monty?
Kensi could tell he was teasing her, as she was not known to be a morning person on the best of days, but she couldn't deny there was something wrong. Looking down at Jody, who was strangling her bear with love, Kensi bit her lip. She wanted to tell him, but was afraid that admitting the truth of how she came to have Jody in her care would result in losing the little girl.
Kensi couldn't risk having the child taken away from her, to send her back to someone who would only cause Jody pain.
~ Ha. Ha. I couldn't sleep. I'm three hours head of you, anyway. You got work today?
Kensi texted back, then returned her phone to her pocket. It buzzed again, but she ignored it for the moment.
Her final stop was the grocery store, which made Kensi wish she was still buying clothes. Deeks had done a lot of her grocery shopping in the past year, and more so once they got together a few months ago. They didn't officially live together, but with how many times they spent at the other's apartment – they may as well be.
Grocery shopping was not something Kensi had the patience or willpower to do, though it was oddly different when she wasn't just shopping for herself. She snatched doughnuts and ice cream without any consideration, then agonised over the children brands of snacks and wondered if there had always been so much to choose from. She scanned the ingredients and tried to decipher how bad things were based on sugar and daily intake graphs. Sighing, Kensi went with her eyesight. If it had apples on the front, she got it. If it wasn't coated in chocolate, sprinkles, or all the things she liked to eat, Kensi got it.
Jody sat in the seat at the front of the trolley and finally begun to engage herself in the selection process; she pointed to some of the foods she liked, which mostly only happened in the fruit and vegetable section. The lack of food Jody had been given in the past motivated Kensi to grab everything the girl pointed to, relieved she finally had a budding understanding of what a three-year-old would eat. The only few things Jody wanted that didn't make it into the trolley was a whole block of butter, and a bottle of salad dressing.
Kensi tried to only get healthy things, and remembered Deeks once saying if it had leaves it was probably good. She was tempted, more than once, to just call Deeks and ask what foods were best. He didn't have the healthiest diet either, but it surpassed her own when it came to meal stuff – like the sort of things people cooked; something which Kensi did not do.
When Kensi was convinced neither she nor Jody were going to die of starvation or sugar-overdose, she eagerly paid for the items and left the store. Her bill was not looking too good, she was sure, but had little time to focus on the wrath of Hetty when there was still the matter of getting the food home.
She left the mall and returned to the safe house; it was certainly easier with the stroller, as opposed to carrying a three-year-old and several bags of shopping at once across busy traffic. It was a miracle the stroller hadn't collapsed or tipped over with how many bags Kensi weighed it down with, yet somehow they made it back with all their shopping intact.
Stepping inside, she let Jody out of the stroller and watched to see what she'd do. Jody didn't budge; the girl kept hugging her bear while she watched Kensi carefully, returning her thumb to her mouth.
Kensi got out her phone, and smiled at Deeks' reply.
~ Not unless you count bathing Monty as work, which I do. I'm so bored your insane reality shows are looking less insane. What are you doing? Where are you?
Kensi could only imagine the sort of reply she could give; telling Deeks she was standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what to feed a three-year-old while balancing a bag of vegetables.
She hadn't even given Deeks much warning about her "holiday". He'd seen through her title for the abrupt departure, but respected her decision when Kensi insisted she had a friend in need and would be back in a few days at most. He didn't know she'd talked to Nell, otherwise Deeks would have surely mentioned it – or Nell would have texted her for ideas on how to make Deeks stop driving her crazy. It felt unfair to keep it a secret from Deeks, but Leo had begged for secrecy when he'd called her and Kensi knew he'd only do that if he had a dire reason.
Now, with the warehouse mission over, her silence was about protecting Jody.
Kensi didn't answer Deeks right away. She busied herself with putting the food away, while Jody sat close-by on the kitchen counter like she had the night before. The pink bear remained tightly in her grip. She didn't answer when Kensi asked what she wanted for lunch, so Kensi was left to figure something out. She cut an apple into slices, and was relieved when Jody easily accepted the meal. Watching the girl eat, Kensi's mind drifted down the darker corners of her mind once again. It had been building all day, and Kensi tried to push it aside, but the images of the warehouse still haunted her.
Gale was dead, and Kensi felt shamelessly glad the monster was been put to rest. The twins were rescued and had returned home to their relieved parents, based on the text Leo sent her earlier. Eleven bodies were found at the warehouse, though – all children older than ten. It was what bothered Kensi the most, from an agent standpoint, as she watched Jody eating her lunch. Jody was barely three, and didn't fit the sort of targets Gale went for. She had also been completely hidden away, and considerably out of reach. He wouldn't have been touching her if she was sitting in oil and urine, would he?
Kensi shuddered, yet could not ignore her instincts. Once the doubt formed in her mind, she couldn't shake it away. She had to know the truth; Kensi needed to understand why Jody had been in the warehouse in the state she was found in. However, Kensi was in Washington under an alias during supposed vacation leave - how could she find out? Who was there to trust? It would be wrong to ask it of Leo, who was likely facing enough his own consequences for the unauthorised search, but Kensi couldn't let it go.
She needed answers.
Kensi stared at her phone, thinking about asking Deeks. She also considered calling Nell, then remembered something the analyst had once said. Nell told her Callen often talked about an agent in DC who he'd learned a lot from and could always trust. Kensi had met him once too, though it was a while ago.
Frowning, Kensi paced as she tried to remember the name.
'Gibbs.' She breathed.
Turning when Jody made a sound, Kensi noticed the girl was finished eating. Kensi dismissed her own need for food, and collected Jody from the counter. She fished through the shopping bags for a new scarf she'd bought, and quickly secured it around her neck as fashionably as possible. It wasn't an easy feat, while still holding the ever-clingy Jody in her arms, but Kensi managed to effectively conceal the bruising.
They left the house shortly after – though Kensi didn't know where Gibbs lived, she did know of one place in DC that would help her find him. It involved a risk, and yet she had to take the chance if she wanted answers.
Kensi called a cab, and was driven to the motel she'd originally intended to stay in before she'd ended up at the warehouse and her plans were derailed. Being as discreet as possible, Kensi carried Jody to the room and wasted no time gathering up her things.
She tucked her badge into her belt, and returned to the lobby to check out.
'Didn't know you had a kid.' The aged man at the counter commented. He looked at Jody, who quickly swerved in Kensi's arms to hide her face from the man.
'Well, I do.' Kensi retorted, and signed the form.
She left the motel, rubbing her hand over Jody's back to calm the girl's fear-driven shyness, and dumped her travel bag into the back seat of the awaiting cab. The drive was longer this time, and Jody was getting restless on her lap. She was no doubt still very confused about what was going on, and Kensi didn't know what to do about that. Now her alias was updated, thanks to Nell, Kensi revisited the idea of taking Jody with her to Los Angeles. There really wasn't much reason to stay in DC. Although, there was still the matter that legally Kensi shouldn't have Jody in her care at all – she'd taken the girl without notifying authorities.
'It's okay, I'll walk.' Kensi told the driver when they arrived at the Navy Yard, not wanting to subject the cab to the extensive security checks.
The less memorable her visit was, the better.
Kensi got out, holding Jody protectively close, and made her way to the entrance. She showed her badge and hoped it would be enough to get her through with her weapon, but she was halted by the request for her NCIS ID as well. Kensi sighed, wondering if it was standard protocol or if the presence of a three-year-old seemed a bit suspicious.
'I'm undercover.' Kensi explained, though it wasn't technically true. 'I can't carry my ID. You can look me up, if you have to; it's Special Agent Kensi Blye. I usually operate in Los Angeles. I just came to speak to Special Agent Gibbs involving a classified matter.'
'Very well, Ma'am.' The tall security guard nodded, after checking a nearby computer. 'Agent Gibbs came in an hour ago. Should I let him know to expect you?'
'I'd rather you didn't. The less that know about my visit, the better.' Kensi said.
She walked onwards to the elevator, and was about to step in when Jody suddenly started fighting her.
'No!' She yelled with volume that echoed against the nearby walls. The girl swung her fists and squirmed will all her strength – the point that Kensi almost dropped her.
'Okay, okay!' Kensi said quickly, stressed by the attention she was drawing. Luckily there weren't many people around. 'No elevator; gotcha.' She exhaled, and took the stairs instead.
Kensi didn't know what was wrong with the elevator, but accepted it in her rush to see Gibbs and therefore leave the Navy Yard as quickly as possible.
~ Kens?
She halted at the top of the stairs, and looked around the orange-themed room with irritating skylights. She sighed, and checked her phone when Deeks texted her. She hurriedly tapped a reply, then shifted Jody's weight in her arms.
~ I can't talk right now, Deeks. Will text you when I'm done. Nothing to worry about.
Kensi approached the bullpen, glad to find the other three desks empty, and spotted Gibbs seated in front of his computer with a cup of coffee in hand. He looked over at her, though Kensi was yet to direct his attention to her, and narrowed his eyes with recognition.
'Special Agent Kensi Blye.' She re-introduced herself, but couldn't offer her hand as she tried to keep her grip on the squirming three-year-old in her arms. 'We met a few years back, in Los Angeles?'
'It was you.' Gibbs realised.
'What?' Kensi panicked.
'At the warehouse.' Gibbs continued. His curiosity increased, as he looked at the little girl held protectively in her arms. 'You wanna tell me what's going on?'
'Not really.' Kensi stated boldly.
'Then why are you here?' Gibbs wanted to know.
'There was something about what happened in the warehouse that didn't seem right.' Kensi sighed, moving Jody to her other hip.
'You took out the bastard.' He praised her. 'You rescued the kids.'
'Yeah.' Kensi looked downwards, trying to force the images of darkness and pain from her mind. 'Not all of them, though.'
'Can't save everyone.' Gibbs stated, sipping his coffee. He looked at the child she held, who was adamant to hide her face in the nook of Kensi's neck.
'Yours?' Gibbs asked.
Kensi shook her head, deciding to tell the truth. She rubbed circles on Jody's back, and stubbornly met Gibbs' gaze when he stared at her with a fixed look.
'She's yours.' He told her.
Kensi chose not to explore his meaningful words right then. She came there for a reason; she needed answers. Kensi sighed and alternated the weight of the child again. She'd have to give Gibbs more details, and it raised a fear inside her. Kensi didn't want to trust anyone with her secret of how she'd found Jody, and essentially kidnapped her.
'Something bothering you, Blye?' Gibbs commented when he observed her discomfort.
'I don't think Gale Boyd was the only one in the warehouse.' Kensi worded carefully. 'I found something that didn't add up to his MO. And there was oil – the suspicious kind.'
'Suspicious?' Gibbs raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.
'Military-grade stuff.' Kensi elaborated. 'We had a case in LA months back with that stuff. It hasn't been around for very long, and is mostly used for powering battlefield mechanics.'
'Yeah, Callen told me.' He said. 'Thought you got all the players in that one?'
'We did.' Kensi nodded confidently. 'It doesn't make sense.'
'Then ya missed something.' Gibbs stated plainly. 'What was it?'
Kensi frowned at his words, but paused to think on an answer to his question. She remembered the case, as much as anyone remembered a standard case from months ago, and was certain they'd shut the entire operation down. Shaking her head, she looked over at Gibbs while once again trying to keep the wriggling child in her arms.
'I think they're unrelated.' Kensi insisted. 'My instincts tell me as much. I know that's not proof, but I'm sure we didn't miss anything. We got them all, and they never had any ties to DC.'
'Make ya case.' Gibbs said.
'What?' Kensi startled. 'I can't; I'm on holiday.'
'Not anymore.' Gibbs rose from his chair, and indicated to the desk next to his.
Kensi looked at it and hesitated – this was not how she'd envisioned things happening. She couldn't afford to work a case, not with Jody and not with a somewhat unfamiliar team so different from the family she was used to. However, she did want answers. Kensi would have more control if she worked the case with the DC team, though Jody's weight in her arms reminded her she couldn't possibly investigate a case with a child attached to her hip.
Kensi stared back at Gibbs, and mentally sorted through all of her available options. With a heavy sigh, Kensi made a decision.
~ P ~
Kensi returned to the safe house several hours later.
Carrying Jody against her hip for an extended period of time felt to have rendered her arms dead, which intensified when the girl fell asleep cradled in her arms. That was how Kensi carried her inside late in the afternoon, and gently placed her on the bed without disturbing the blankets.
Exhaling with relief, Kensi walked to the kitchen and leaned against the side of the pantry. She hadn't exactly agreed to leading the case, as Gibbs insisted, yet Kensi found some middle ground she could work with. Gibbs would lead the investigation, and she'd spend the afternoons helping where she could. No fieldwork, and no leadership. Kensi was disappointed, as it would have surely been fun to lead the DC team for a while, yet after everything that had happened – Kensi just wanted it to be over so she could go home.
Thinking of everything, and everyone, she missed in Los Angeles, Kensi got out her phone to text Deeks. She told him something had come up and she might not be home for a few more days. Kensi said not to worry, though she knew he would anyway. He also, as predicted, responded with an array of questions and confusions. Kensi stared at the screen and wondered if it was truly fair to keep him in the dark about what was going on. Since when did they have secrets like that? They were a couple now, and Kensi didn't want to lie to him or brush it off as something unimportant. Jody was very important – perhaps even more so than Kensi herself had initially realised, as she reluctantly considered what Gibbs had told her earlier.
She's yours.
Kensi didn't answer the text from Deeks. Instead, she called him and listened nervously to the ringing. He answered rather quickly.
'Kens?' Deeks worried. 'Talk to me. What's going on?'
'I owed a favour to a friend, like I told you.' Kensi said. 'We busted into a warehouse and saved a pair of kids that would have met a worse end than you can ever imagine. A lot of other kids weren't so lucky.'
'Jeez.' Deeks breathed, saddened by what she was saying. 'Are you okay?'
'A bit bruised, but I'm fine.' Kensi answered. 'Something about the warehouse seemed off - one thing didn't make sense. I'm looking into it now, with official back-up, and that's why I need to stay a few more days.'
'Anything I can do to help?' Deeks almost pleaded with her to invite him to join her. Kensi was just as tempted to agree.
'Not really.' Kensi said, wishing she didn't feel as though she was lying to him. 'I've got it covered.'
Any advancement in the conversation was cut short by a terrified scream from the other room. Kensi almost dropped her phone in shock, and knew without a doubt that Deeks had heard the terrified sound. She considered hanging up on him, as a way of shoving aside the need to explain, but couldn't.
'Hang on.' Kensi told Deeks, wincing at the timing, and hurried into the bedroom.
Jody was bawling. She sat upright and forcefully rubbed her hands against her tearful eyes. Her whole body shook with emotion, and her face paled beyond what Kensi thought was possible.
Kensi placed her phone downwards on the bedside table, hoping to muffle Deeks' hearing range, and sat on the edge of the bed.
'Honey?' Kensi reached slowly towards the girl. Jody flinched away from her and her sobs increased. 'Did you have a bad dream?'
Jody removed her hands from her face, and looked over at Kensi.
The fear and turmoil etched into her small features broke Kensi's heart. She disregarded considerate space and pulled the little girl into her arms. With Jody settled willingly on her lap, hysterically clinging to her protector, Kensi rocked the child in hope of reassuring her everything was okay. Although there was nothing was okay about a three-year-old screaming like that, as if the chilled hands of Death itself had gripped her soul. Resting her chin on Jody's head, Kensi rubbed the girl's back and tried desperately to soothe away any darkness trying to leave traces on an innocent little girl who was so undeserving of the terror-ridden nightmares.
Kensi glanced at her phone, and reached for it, while keeping Jody curled on her lap for all the warmth and security she could offer the girl.
'Kens?' Deeks asked when he heard her sigh. 'Everything okay?'
'There's something I haven't told you.' Kensi said quietly. 'I'm protecting someone – I'm the only person in the world that she has to keep her safe right now. I'll tell you all about it when this is over, but right now I can't afford to be distracted. She is my priority right now, Deeks. I'm sorry.'
Kensi hung up and tightly closed her eyes. She didn't want to shut Deeks out, though it was what she was good at, but Kensi didn't want to lose focus from her primary mission: protect Jody. She should have been sitting in the bedroom while the girl slept, in case she was needed, and not standing the kitchen chatting to her boyfriend.
'It's okay, Honey.' Kensi continued to rock the sniffling child wrapped securely in her arms. 'It's okay, I'll keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise.'
Author's Notes: Thank you for reading! Please take a moment to review, as I'd really appreciate the feedback.
