Left Behind

by kryptoniansky

Deeks and Kensi are given protective custody of an eight-year-old boy when his parents go missing. The abduction is a matter of national security, but the investigation only leads to more mystery and danger. Densi. Set in later seasons, though Nate is included. Monty is also a main character in this story. May contain general spoilers or references. Rating may also change.

5. Waves of Truth

Author'sNotes: Thank you for your patience. It's just after 4am, but I had to get this chapter up for you. I had most of it written for a while, but only recently got around to finalising it. I am not entirely certain of any accuracy regarding Agent Sullivan, so if it's inconsistent to anything said on the show - my bad. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as it's the longest one for this fic so far and will also contain a soon-to-be reoccurring OC character for this story, and significant plot progressions. It also contains several scenes shown in the video tributes for this story, which the link can be found in my profile. Thanks again, to all of my readers and reviewers!

Warning: this chapter contains spoilers regarding Agents Sullivan, Hunter, and Renko. If you are not caught up-to-date on the show, please be advised of those major spoilers.

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~ Waves of Truth ~

With the official (albeit false) excuse of still being sick, Daniel didn't attend school the next day. Kensi, while sympathising for the fact Daniel and Deeks wanted to stay with Monty, wished another day of work hadn't gone to waste on her part.

They brought Monty home early in the morning, and Daniel did not leave the dog's side for the rest of the day unless he had to. Monty slept on the couch most of the time, with a large bandage wrapped in layers around his side and back. Deeks also didn't stray too far from his beloved dog, and it left Kensi wondering what to do with all their extra time.

Some of the neighbours stopped by in the afternoon, including Cole, to see how they were. Betsy even offered to have them over for dinner that night, and because none of them were willing to attempt another around of amateur cooking after such a stressful ordeal with Monty, they agreed. Deeks was always the one to greet the visitors, as Kensi had taken to doing any work she could at the table with her laptop. Most of the time she was conversing with Nate through a video call, while the others behind him expressed their annoyance that May Ellis wouldn't be at the boat shed until Friday afternoon.

'Can I have a cookie?' Daniel asked Kensi, leaving Monty's side for the first non-urgent reason all day. He walked over to where she sat at the table, and eyed the large jar on the kitchen counter filled with a tempting pile chocolate cookies, which had been home-made for them by Betsy.

'No.' Kensi said firmly, looking up from her laptop after ending the conversation with Nate. 'We're going to dinner in less than half an hour.'

'But I'm hungry now!' Daniel whined.

Deeks smirked at the situation, watching from where he leaned his elbows on the kitchen counter with a surfing magazine in front of him. He was glad things seemed calmer now, after the long day they'd had. Looking at the couch, where he knew Monty was sleeping, Deeks exhaled and shuddered in memory of how close he'd come to losing his canine pal. Daniel was worried about the dog too, but it wasn't the full reasoning behind the boy's agitated mood. They'd received a call from Callen earlier, updating them on May Ellis, and Kensi had asked Daniel if he wanted to see his grandmother.

The eight-year-old hadn't replied; he just shook his head adamantly, and went back to Monty. Daniel didn't say a word for over two hours after that, until he'd spotted the cookies in the jar.

'We better get going.' Kensi sighed, rising from her seat.

She stretched, and closed her laptop, while Deeks flipped the last page of his magazine with disappointment. Kensi went upstairs to find a pair of shoes, and returned a moment later to see neither of the boys had moved. Casting them each a frown, Kensi didn't get the chance to admonish them when her phone rang.

'Yeah?' Deeks answered it, as it had been sitting on the counter right in front of him. 'Kensi's phone.' He said casually, thinking it was Callen with another update.

'What?' Kensi hissed when she saw Deeks straighten rather suddenly. 'And who said you could answer my phone?' She growled and snatched it off him while trying to put on a blue high heel shoe.

'Hello?'

'Kensi?'

'Oh.' Kensi flinched. 'Hi, mum. Hang on, I have to put you on speaker phone.' She said, unable to get her shoe on with one hand despite having skilfully done it many times in the past.

Kensi ignored Deeks' expression of uncertainty and placed her phone on the counter to continue the conversation, hurriedly trying to think of an excuse for not calling her mother earlier in the week to tell her about the temporary arrangement.

'Kensi, why is Marty answering your phone?' Julia wondered.

'Is that grandma?' Daniel wandered over.

His assumption was based only upon hearing a woman's voice on the phone, further clarifying how much of a stranger he considered May Ellis to be. It was all he'd been able to think about since they'd asked him if he wanted to see her.

'I-' Kensi blushed with awkwardness and already regretted putting her phone on speaker. 'Go put your shoes on.' She instructed instead, her mind rushing through possible explanations to tell her mother.

The fact they might still be watched by someone made her more on edge about their cover, so Kensi did not want to outright tell her mother the specifics over the phone.

'I was worried when you didn't call.' Julia said. She had been quiet for a minute, putting together the strange occurrences of Marty answering Kensi's phone at a late hour, and a child asking if she was his grandmother.

Suddenly, Julia became very concerned that she'd missed an extremely crucial detail about her daughter's life.

'I'm so sorry.' Kensi apologised. 'I was busy, and I know that's not an excuse but I...I'm sorry, mum.' She glanced up and saw Daniel reaching for the cookie jar. 'Deeks, move that damn jar to a higher shelf. He's going to spoil his appetite.'

Deeks snatched the jar from the boy's pending reach, and placed the container in an overhead cupboard, which resolved the child into a brief fit of whining. Deeks glanced warily at Kensi's phone on the counter, then sighed.

'Come on, buddy.' Deeks directed Daniel away from the kitchen, while Kensi spoke with her mother. 'You can have a cookie before bed, okay?'

'Okay.' Daniel grumbled.

He stomped his feet as he went to put his shoes on, which Kensi had instructed him to do.

The boy sat on the space of floor in front of where Monty was sleeping, and busied himself with lacing up his shoes. He looked over at the slumbering dog with concerned adoration and continued relief to see his canine pal was recovering. Getting up, Daniel moved closer to the couch and bent lower to gently pat Monty's head.

The dog's eyes opened to watch him curiously, and Daniel responded by offering him a smile.

'We're leaving now.' Kensi announced from the doorway, with Deeks standing beside her looking to have just received a punch in the arm. 'Daniel?'

'I'll be back soon, Monty.' Daniel whispered to the dog and kissed Monty's soft forehead. 'I promise.' The boy nodded, then hurried to join his protectors.

Deeks smiled proudly at the kind boy, whereas Kensi had been too busy flitting through her purse to have noticed.

Daniel shivered when he looked through the open doorway, and stared towards the spot on the road where Monty had gotten hurt the previous day. He fidgeted and felt cold all over, then jumped when something touched his left shoulder. Leaning his head back, he saw Deeks' reassuring nod and felt the chilling sensation fade. Daniel clutched Deeks' hand for safety when they left the doorway, then turned to look up at Kensi. She was busy locking the door, but when she turned around - Daniel could not resist. He remembered her shout when they all thought the beast was going to get him, and Daniel knew her yell had been for him.

She had been scared too; scared that someone was going to hurt him.

Slowly, with Deeks watching on with a barely-concealed smile, Daniel reached to clasp Kensi's hand as well. His tender action had surprised her, and it showed on her face, so much it discouraged the boy enough to pull his hand away. Kensi looked at Deeks, who tilted his head with a promoting expression to offer her encouragement.

Kensi exhaled a long breath, and extended her hand to softly grip Daniel's right hand.

The boy's hand was much smaller and more fragile than hers, Kensi noticed, while she and Deeks led the child across the road. It left a deeper impression on her memories as she replayed the moment when the beastly dog had lunged towards Daniel. It was frightening to think her hand could easy overpower his, and then consider the sort of damage crushing jaws could have done to the boy.

'Kensi?' Deeks noticed his partner's face pale a little as they crossed the road, which was poorly lit by overhead street lamps and minimal moonlight.

Daniel looked up at her and panic began to swell inside him. He pushed onward, using every ounce of strength he had to drag them both with him. The boy had a tight grip on Deeks' hand, though it was Kensi who was unable to let go of his. Daniel was glad the blood on the road had somehow vanished because he never wanted to see such a horrifying sight again.

Kensi brushed off Deeks' concern by ignoring the attention he gave her, and raised her free hand to knock on the pale green door of Betsy's house.

Kensi was consistently distracted and distant from the social scene when Betsy answered the door, then invited them inside. Deeks kept his gaze focused on Kensi, even when he was the one to greet Betsy and maintain the general flow of conversation by answering her questions as simply as possible. Daniel had calmed considerably once he was no longer outside in the street, though his shyness soon shone through as he agreed to help Betsy carry some plates to the table. Deeks left Daniel with Betsy in the nearby room, and headed over to where Kensi stood in front of a china cabinet.

Deeks touched her shoulder to get her attention, which startled her, but neither of them had to say anything.

Kensi glanced at his face, knowing he was silently asking her if she was okay and if there was anything he could do to help. Exhaling, Kensi shook her head and rejoined the others in the next room. Deeks remained standing by the china cabinet, listening to Kensi's departing footsteps. There were decorative plates and other various fragile objects safely protected by the glass of the china cabinet, yet he didn't notice the display. Deeks' mind was seeing something that could have been broken in ways glass could not, as he flashed back to the previous day.

He vividly remembered the sight of the two boys running for their lives, then Cole being knocked down before the beast went after Daniel. During that moment, Deeks felt as if his heart had painfully stopped - then he heard Kensi scream. He'd almost lost people he'd cared about in the line of fire before, and he had lost some too, but anything he'd ever endured before could not compare to the fear he'd experienced that afternoon. Deeks had come close to watching a giant dog do serious damage to Daniel, and possibly kill Monty. It had happened in seconds, and yet Deeks hadn't been able to move until Kensi fired her weapon – the echoing sound had snapped his mind back into focus. By then, all he saw was Monty lying on the road in his own blood.

That image would be etched into his mind for a very, very long time.

Deeks, much like Kensi had, jumped when he felt a sudden touch.

He looked down and saw Daniel's arms wrapped around his middle while the child's face stared up at him. Deeks noticed Daniel's blonde hair and blue eyes more clearly than before, which Kensi kept saying greatly resembled his own. The child had never hugged him like that before, and Deeks couldn't work out why it felt significant somehow.

'I gotta wash my hands.' Daniel told him plainly.

Deeks didn't know why the eight-year-old needed help with washing his hands, until he looked over and saw Kensi watching him. She had just stepped in for Deeks to help get him back on track, much like he had for her minutes ago. Her face was marked with concern, whereas Kensi's brown eyes showed Deeks that she understood what was going through his mind. In her own way, by sending Daniel to request his assistance, Kensi was assuring Deeks that everything was okay now.

The boy was still there, unharmed, and what happened was now only a memory.

'Okay, buddy.' Deeks nodded, directing Daniel to the stairs they both assumed would lead to a bathroom.

Their assumption was correct - the bright white room was the first door they reached. The sink was unnaturally high, however, and there was no stool. Deeks first thought the occurrence was rather strange, considering it was Betsy's house and she wasn't especially tall herself. Daniel insisted on reaching it on his own, but the top of his head was barely visible in the bottom half of the mirror. The eight-year-old rolled up the sleeves of his light blue shirt as far as they would go, and tried again to wash his hands regardless of hardly being able to reach the taps either.

The boy stopped stretching and stepped back to huff with defeat. He turned around to face Deeks, who merely watched on with amusement. Chuckling, Deeks nodded in agreement to accept the irritated boy's on-verbal request for help.

He lifted the boy under the arms to balance Daniel against his hip, facing the sink. While Daniel rinsed the soap from his hands, Deeks noticed an odd colouring on the child's right forearm. Putting Daniel down before the water had finished draining down the sink, Deeks stared at the bruise in full awareness that it hadn't been there the night he'd helped Daniel out of the bath. He could tell it was a grab bruise – from someone holding on so tight it left a mark. Deeks had received many of those bruises during his childhood.

Deeks knew he should have asked Daniel about it, but his mind was still entwined by memories.

~ LB ~

When the pair returned to the table, dinner was already served.

Deeks sat at Kensi's right, while Daniel occupied the chair on her other side. Betsy sat across from Kensi, respecting any space they needed to be rid of memory-related distractions. She'd cooked a delicious lamb roast with vegetables and gravy, which all of her guests enjoyed.

The event lasted longer than they'd expected, yet felt to have gone by rather quickly. Betsy occupied Daniel by sending him into the living room to program her new cable box, once she'd heard he had some experience with TV-related electronics. The boy sat himself on her living room couch, in Kensi's clear line of sight, and kept pressing buttons on her remote. During that time, Betsy took the opportunity to speak without the presence of a child – the TV was loud enough to Daniel that he could not overhear what they discussed.

'How is Monty?' Betsy asked tentatively. She was easily able to recall the dog's name after Daniel had spent most of the duration of dinner re-telling her how amazing and heroic Monty was.

'He's good.' Deeks slipped into conversation mode, while Kensi remembered they still had a cover to conserve.

They were supposed to be a couple, therefore physical contact and general affection was anticipated. Kensi leaned her head to his shoulder while he spoke and, to his credit, Deeks hardly reacted. He gave the impression it was such a common occurrence that her advances were as expected to him as it was the others.

'He's recovering.' Deeks elaborated on Monty's condition. 'He'll be fine.'

'I'm glad.' Betsy exhaled. 'He was so brave. And what about Daniel; is he coping?'

'Kids are tough.' Kensi answered, repeating what she'd heard Deeks say numerous times in the past.

'They are.' Betsy agreed, smiling at the cute couple. 'Your Godson is a lovely boy, and very polite. How long did you say his parents would be away?'

Neither Kensi nor Deeks had actually given any sort of time frame regarding the parents absence. They didn't know how long the case would be going on for, and it had been easier to leave it open-ended. Even so, it would likely appear odd if they evaded the question when it was directly asked of them, which left Kensi to improvise on the spot.

'We're not entirely sure.' She said, whilst Deeks sipped from his wine glass to avoid being the one who provided an answer. 'They're travelling. If they like a place then they'll stay a bit longer. We don't mind, and they've earned a break from work.' She lied effectively.

'Well, you're doing a great job with Daniel.' Betsy nodded. 'You've been together, what, nearly two years now?'

'One year and eight months.' Kensi repeated the number she'd invented the night before, to keep things consistent and realistic.

She gave Deeks' arm a hearty squeeze and grinned broadly, hoping to portray that being with him romantically for that long was a good thing. Mentally, she imagined he'd have driven her insane by then – until his previous words reminded her he had far more optimistic views on the subject than she did.

'Time flies.' Deeks added, reaching for his wine glass again to hide his smirk as he felt Kensi squirm slightly in her seat.

'And with how well you're doing with Daniel...' Betsy said slowly, enabling them to guess where her words were going. 'Do you ever consider having a child of your own?'

'Wow!' Kensi coughed. 'We're, uh...I mean, we're not even married. Are we, honey?' She played with strands of his blonde hair, smiling slyly at Deeks' discomfort.

'Uh, right.' Deeks shifted awkwardly. 'She does that.' He told Betsy, his voice toned with sarcasm, as he cast Kensi a light frown. 'Nice, subtle hints.'

'You two are adorable.' Betsy chortled. 'And you will make great parents.'

'I keep telling her that.' Deeks reversed the attention to Kensi. 'I'm sure she'll come around when she watches little Marty J sleeping peacefully in his crib.'

'What if we have a girl?' Kensi rolled her eyes at yet another ridiculous name for their imaginary children.

'Little Kensalina then.' Deeks smirked. 'Little ninja. Smart, cute, and a charming personality.'

'So, he or she would take after me?' Kensi teased.

The group were interrupted by Daniel, who had switched off the TV and vacated the living room. The boy walked over to Kensi and leaned sideways against her, trying not to fall asleep.

She stared at him for a moment, while Deeks checked his watch and announced the time. Kensi couldn't believe how long they'd stayed, though her focus was primarily on Daniel while Deeks thanked Betsy for dinner. In attempt to prevent the boy from falling, Kensi wrapped an around around his middle to support the child's weight. She vaguely heard Deeks and Betsy exchanging farewells for the night, which gave her enough reason to leave the table as well.

'M'tired.' Daniel managed to utter before he yawned widely and his eyes began to close.

'I gotcha.' Kensi said, lifting the boy into her arms.

She hesitated, realising it was the first time she had taken direct action rather than point Deeks in the direction of the child.

She knew, at any other moment in the past, Deeks would have picked Daniel up and carried him home upon his own instincts or her insisting. Kensi glanced at Deeks and noted his surprise as well, though his amusement still shone through. She had no idea why he was always grinning whenever she took personal care of Daniel, and it annoyed her not only because it didn't make sense to her, but she also couldn't make Deeks stop.

Leaving Betsy's house, Kensi followed Deeks across the street to the safe cover house. Daniel felt heavier in a way that made her suspect he had fallen asleep. His head rested against her shoulder, and his arms hung loosely around her neck. The boy didn't move or make a sound when Deeks unlocked the front door and they were greeted via a bark from Monty. The dog was still sitting on the couch, yet appeared to be more alert than he'd been all day - his tail wagged happily and his eyes didn't just focus on what was in front of him.

It was a very welcome and gladdening sight.

'You good?' Deeks wondered, turning to shut the back door behind them and re-lock it.

'I'm good.' Kensi nodded. She securely held the child in her arms as she passed both Monty and Deeks on the way to the stairs.

Real progress was being made, Kensi believed. And yet, it was no less weird for her to be developing new skills and instincts regarding Daniel. Her confidence was slowly building, and Kensi felt better knowing Daniel was giving her a chance despite her lack of former knowledge or experience regarding children.

Daniel had been inside most of the day, situated with Monty, so Kensi didn't think he needed a bath before bed when it would involve waking him. A quick shower in the morning before school would suffice. She carried him to his room and lightly kicked open the door with her high-heeled foot, grunting in the effort not to drop the child. She was too stubborn to call Deeks for help, so Kensi was determined to continue balancing the child against her hip while she pulled back the sheets over his bed.

With an exhale of relief, Kensi very gently lay Daniel on the mattress and let his head fall softly onto the pillow. She removed his shoes, then pulled the sheets over him while Daniel continued to sleep. The boy grunted and rolled onto his side, but didn't wake. Kensi remained standing there, confused and wary of the new emotions she was feeling. She tried to brush it off at first, thinking one week wasn't long enough time to really bond with someone, but it was hard not to remember what they'd been through already.

If the beastly dog had badly hurt Daniel the day before, Kensi knew it wouldn't have mattered that a week ago she didn't even know the boy had existed - she would have been devastated.

The incident had reminded her of how fragile the eight-year-old could be, and how wrong she'd been about the chore of taking care of a child. It was still a terrifying ordeal and could bring a lack of control or peace, but now she knew there were good things too. Like the way Daniel's smile seemed to light up the room, or the sense of bravery he tried to enforce even when he was scared. The trust he'd placed in them wasn't something Kensi felt she could ever give to anyone in a single week, and yet Daniel was clearly determined to try. He wanted to give them a chance because, despite not knowing them very well, the boy knew they were there to help him.

Daniel rolled onto his back again, his eyes still closed, and crinkled his nose slightly in his sleep. Kensi placed her hand against her mouth to withhold a chuckle, wondering when she started noticing the cute things Daniel did rather than mentally listing anything he might need or place her sole focus on the situation around him; all in effort to endure his safety and comfort, but nothing more.

Sighing, she carefully brushed some hair from his face with her fingers, then turned to leave the room. Kensi inhaled a sharp gasp of surprise when she almost walked into Deeks, who had been leaning against the side of the door's frame with that smug expression on his face.

'Stop it.' She hissed at him, elbowing Deeks aside so she could leave the room.

'What?' He laughed quietly, trailing after her to their bedroom.

His smile faded while he watched her remove her own shoes, as though the air of their shared room carried the weight of serious emotions. Kensi was the first to notice as she crossed the room to use their personal bathroom and saw the expression on his face, when she'd offered him a short glance.

'Deeks?' Kensi worried. 'You okay?'

'I'm probably over-reacting.' Deeks sighed, looking downwards to stare at his shoes.

'It wouldn't be the first time.' Kensi teased, though she approached him with concern and waited for him to continue.

'I took Daniel to wash his hands.' Deeks explained. 'I saw something...his arm, it-'

'It was bruised?' Kensi finished, nodding. 'Yeah. He got it yesterday. Some kid, Billy Kruger, was on his way to the Principal's office when he saw Daniel heading for the sick bay. He thought he was skipping class and tried to convince Daniel to join him. Daniel refused, Billy grabbed him, and Daniel shoved him back before running to the nurse.'

'He told you that?' Deeks looked at her, surprised.

'In parts.' Kensi shrugged. 'It wasn't hard to guess, once he hinted a bully was involved. What did you think it was?'

'I don't know.' Deeks dismissed, feeling stupid. 'It was grab bruise. I just wondered when he got it because it wasn't there the other night. It's no big deal.'

'Deeks.' Kensi stepped across his path when he moved to walk away. 'How did you know Daniel was stressed and emotionally drained, but not really sick?' She paused.

He didn't make a sound, nor showed any signs of trying to think of a response. Kensi was able to form a connection between Deeks' accurate guess and his reluctance to discuss the bruise on the boy's arm.

'You father?' Kensi whispered.

'It's nothing.' Deeks disregarded the topic. 'I over-reacted.'

'Okay.' Kensi accepted his words, despite not believing them.

He'd turned his back to her and headed towards the bed. Kensi didn't move, watching his retreating form until he stopped after a few steps. Somehow he knew she was still standing there, waiting.

'It just reminded me of then. The stress sickness, and the bruise.' Deeks admitted.

He tried to sound casual, as though he was talking of a time when he'd fallen off his bike rather than being hit by an abusive father.

Kensi acted as if she didn't notice his shift from confidence to vulnerability, even when a part of her wondered why he suddenly wanted to share those details with her. It was a subject he hinted at, but never really discussed. Kensi never pried, in worry of provoking painful memories for him while also respecting that it was a very personal matter for him.

Kensi paused when she heard movement down the hall. She suspected it wasn't Monty making his way to Daniel's room, as the sound was going in the opposite direction. She decided not to stop Deeks from talking, doubtful if the boy simply planned to use the bathroom or was momentarily wondering how he'd ended up in his bed.

'There were moments.' Deeks continued, unaware of what she'd noticed. 'Days, even, when we could almost believe he'd changed and things weren't going to get bad again. That maybe this time it will be okay, and we'd be a family. Other times it was just easier to pretend.'

'Daniel.' Kensi poked her head into the hallway, startling the child who had been trying to sneak towards their room. 'Go back to bed.' She instructed.

Daniel nodded, having received his confirmation that they were still there, then turned and hazardously retreated to his bedroom. Yawning, he crawled back under the covers and was asleep in seconds, with Monty joining him a moment later.

'I guess we should get some rest.' Deeks cleared his throat, and looked around for where he'd stored his clothes.

'Deeks.' Kensi stepped closer to him, making it harder for him to avoid her gaze. 'How bad was it?'

'He stabbed me with a broken bottle once.' Deeks stated, not entirely answering her query. 'I still have the scar.'

'Accidentally?' Kensi hoped.

She knew it hadn't been, by the way Deeks averted his gaze and didn't offer a retort. His reply hadn't entirely answered her question, but it left enough room for her to take an educated guess. Kensi almost wished she hadn't asked, and hadn't realised the extent of the suffering her partner must have gone through as a child. What had things been like for Deeks when he was Daniel's age? Had someone saved him, helped him, or let him know he wasn't on his own? The thought alone made her feel sad for her partner and friend.

'I'll never forget the day after.' Deeks added. 'He took me to the beach. We were there for hours, not really doing anything – we made sandcastles and stomped on them.' He sighed, frowning as though it confused him. 'It was probably the closest thing I had to a father.'

'How long did it last?' Kensi prompted, thinking there had to be a reason for Deeks to tell her so much now.

There was an underlining significance to the moment, and she was afraid to break it in case Deeks needed someone to listen and acknowledge.

'Until that night.' Deeks' tone changed, becoming darker and more emotional despite him doing his best to remain conversational. 'That was the night I shot him, when he was one drink away from killing my mum and me.'

'You had no choice.' Kensi said, placing a hand on his arm. 'You know that, right?'

'Yeah.' Deeks snorted, shaking his head.

He fell silent, and Kensi wasn't sure what she was meant to say or how she could help.

When she talked about her father, back before she'd had the answers she'd been searching for, Kensi rarely had the strength to mention it. Talking made her face it, and facing it reminded her it was real. When she could talk about it, nothing anyone said made it feel less real or easier to handle. At the same time, it was nice to know that someone had been there to listen.

'Did you ever talk about it?' Kensi wondered. 'To someone like Nate?'

Deeks lifted his gaze, his blues eyes dry yet spilling emotions she couldn't remember witnessing from him all at once. A smile parted his lips, though it was a sad one, and left Kensi feeling more confused about his abrupt need to tell her about his past in that particular moment.

'I'm talking to you.'

He'd spoken quietly, with a familiar demeanour yet heavy gaze.

Kensi felt her own emotions stir in the realisation of the meaning behind his words. She evaporated the remaining space between them by stepping forward to wrap her arms around him. Kensi hugged Deeks tightly, feeling his strong arms curl around her back in a returned gesture. Even so, it wasn't just in sad consideration of his past, or the shock and fear that had built on their doubts since the previous afternoon.

The two partners and friends embraced, comforted by the warmth and strength of the other.

It was for all the pain they'd endured recently and in the past, with the understanding that they didn't have to face it alone. There was more to Deeks than Kensi had originally suspected, and it was an odd thing to consider because she was already aware of knowing him better than anyone. How could she know Deeks the most, and yet still not truly know him? Perhaps the mystery was part of the journey – with each new portion of information she only understood him more, not cared any less.

The hug had started simple and symbolic, until Kensi heard Deeks inhale a breath that wasn't quite regular. It was slightly ragged and uncontrolled, as though he had fought a sniffle and kept his emotions at bay. His grip on her tightened, not uncomfortably but in a way that made the moment more intimate than a straightforward act of reassurance. Kensi closed her eyes, pressing her cheek to his, and breathed in his scent as they stood there. They felt like two metals melting into one, as their warmth was shared and their breathing became evenly matched.

They'd slept in the same bed many times before, and even kissed once or twice while undercover, yet the embrace they shared that night was the most intimate contact they'd developed. It sparked meaningful emotions and encouraged inner strength, though that's not how it will be remembered. It was one of those pure moments untouched by the cover they hid behind or the act they put on for others, and not just because it occurred in the safety of their own temporary residence.

The hug was personal, and heartfelt, yet it could only truly be described by what it was at the core, rather than just on the surface.

It was a turning point.

---

'Dammit!' Eric growled. He hit his palm against the side of the desk, which earned him a startled look from Nell.

'Whoa.' She commented, raising her eyebrows at his heightened frustration.

'Sorry.' Eric sighed, readjusting his glasses as he returned his glare upon the computer screen in front of him.

'You okay?' Nell checked.

'I will be.' Eric nodded tensely.

'Hey, Eric.' A tanned man with dark brown hair walked into Ops. 'Could you check the schedule for me? I need to know what time to be at the airport to pick up May Ellis tomorrow.'

'Sure.' Eric exhaled a long breath, and scrolled through the flight plans one more time. 'A little before one.' He answered, swerving in his chair to see who had spoken to him.

'You look surprised to see me, dude.' The man chuckled.

'Last I heard you were undercover in Arizona.'

'You two know each other?' Nell said in the form of a question, though the answer was quite of obvious as she observed their exchanges. She looked at their company again, wondering how she didn't know him if he worked with them and she'd been with the NCIS Special Operations team for over three years.

'Yeah.' Eric confirmed. 'This is Special Agent Nigel Sanny.'

'Oh.' Nell inched higher in her seat. 'In that case, we have met.'

'Yeah.' Nigel nodded, snickering. 'Monthly check-in, right? It's nice to meet you face-to-face, Nell Jones.'

'Likewise.' Nell nodded, while Eric glanced uncomfortably between them.

'We've got a lot of work to do.' Eric scowled and turned back around in his chair. 'Have you spoken to Hetty yet?'

'Uh, no.' Nigel shook his head. 'I've been afraid to.' He winced, though with amusement.

'And why would that be, Mr Sanny?' Questioned Hetty from behind him, startling Nigel and the others. 'I don't bite.'

'Jeez!' Nigel gasped, patting a hand to his chest. 'Uh, no reason.' He shrugged while fidgeting awkwardly on the spot.

'Perhaps you should join me in my office?' Hetty suggested. 'We have a lot of catching up to do.'

'Right. Sure. Yeah, I can do that.' Nigel gasped, looking over at Eric. 'I'll never get used to that.'

'She's a ninja.' Eric nodded with a smirk.

'No kidding.' Nigel stated.

'Today, Mr Sanny!' Hetty called from outside the room.

'I better go. If you see G, remind him he owes me twenty bucks.' Nigel waved and hurried from the room, his heart still racing from the shock.

He was about to descend the stairs when he almost bumped into Callen himself.

'Ten bucks.' Callen commented in rebuttal. 'I paid the other half of the bet. Hey, Nigel.' He grinned and reached to shake the other agent's hand in warm greeting.

'When did you do that?' Nigel snorted, grasping the offered hand tightly. 'It's good to see you, dude.'

'Yeah. You know, that time?' Callen shrugged.

'No, what time?' Nigel frowned, struggling to remember.

'The time, at the place.' Callen smirked. 'You'll figure it out. So how was the drug bust in Arizona?'

'Hot.' Nigel huffed. 'I missed the California beach every day. The big guy still around?'

'Sam?' Callen withheld a laugh. 'Yeah. I tried to get rid of him, but you know Sam.' He joked.

'Yeah.' Nigel replied. 'He owes me money too.'

'For what?' Sam asked. He walked along the upstairs corridor to join them, having just left the boxing area.

'The bet.' Nigel reminded him.

'Oh. That.' Sam glanced at Callen. 'Didn't we pay him, that time?'

'I tried to tell him.' Callen shrugged. 'Nice seeing you, buddy. Don't keep Hetty waiting.'

'Yeah, good to see you again.' Sam added, patting Nigel's shoulder as each they passed him on either side.

'What time?' Nigel called after them.

Rolling his eyes, he turned around and shrugged it off for now. Admirably, Nigel managed to bite back a yelp when he saw Hetty standing right in front of him, giving him a fixed stare. It made him second-guess how good it felt to be back after being away for so long.

'What bet did we lose?' Callen asked Sam as they headed into Ops.

'I don't know.' Sam frowned. 'I don't remember losing any bet to Nigel. That guy is the worse bet-taker ever in the history of worst bet-takers.'

'Damn good agent, though.' Callen nodded.

'Damn good.' Sam agreed, then turned to Eric. 'You found anything yet?'

'We're working on it.' Eric said through clenched teeth.

Nell decided to remain quiet, though her gaze darted to her partner once or twice in professional wariness.

'We still need to find those two cars.' Callen sighed. 'And the truck that blocked the view of the kidnapping. When did you say May Ellis lands in Los Angeles?'

'Okay!' Eric growled and halted his typing, reaching to pull off his glasses.

He swerved recklessly in his chair to glare at the stunned pair.

'This is not easy, alright? We are doing everything we can to find those vehicles, as well as find out where the Ellis' went after the kidnapping, and track any possible suspects associated with Lieutenant Ellis. In addition to monitoring any activity at the safe cover house where Daniel Ellis is or the Pentagon where the Lieutenant worked.' He detailed in a rushed, annoyed voice. 'We are scanning every ATM camera, traffic camera, dashboard camera, Taxi cam, patrol camera, cell phone, and everything else we possibly can to try and locate anyone or anything you need to proceed with the case. But we do not have all the answers!'

'Okay.' Callen said casually. He acknowledged Eric was cracking under the extensive, prolonged pressure being placed on himself and Nell. 'That's all you had to say.'

'You feel better now?' Sam added.

'Yes.' Eric realised.

'Wow.' Nell commented. 'Bad-ass.'

'You think so?' Eric blushed, peering at her with a smile.

Nell looked away and returned to her computer, denying him any confirmation. Eric glanced at the others to see if they thought his little outburst was tough as well. Their looks were more along the lines of concealed laughter rather than signs of being impressed, which only made him furthermore unsure. Eric he put his glasses back on and ducked his head with embarrassment, swerving around in his chair to continue working.

'Let us know if you find anything.' Callen added, partially in teasing, as he turned to leave the room.

Eric stared straight ahead with a dead-panned expression and sighed. It was passing moments like that in which he wondered if his life would have been easier if he'd become an agent rather than the computer technician.

It was a thought that never crossed the mind of Nigel Sanny.

He couldn't imagine being anything else apart from an NCIS special agent, and yet he always felt minimally secure about his job whenever he had to sit across from Hetty Lange.

'You disappoint me, Mr Sanny.' Hetty said, seated comfortably behind her desk. 'I told you, if you ever needed back-up then you should call me.'

'I had it under control.' Nigel insisted.

'You were over-powered by eight men with guns.' Hetty matched his frown with more intimidation than he could ever muster. 'It's a miracle you survived.'

'Huh.' Nigel glanced upwards and recounted the events. 'Honestly, I didn't count.' He sighed and bowed his head. He felt guilty in the way a child did after being caught hiding a broken vase under the carpet.

'You should have called me.' Hetty repeated. 'But, nevertheless, it was a job well done.'

'Thank you.' Nigel nodded, feeling marginally relieved. 'Does this mean we're cool about the not calling you thing?'

'No.' Hetty said plainly, narrowing her eyes. 'You need a partner, Mr Sanny.'

'I do not need a partner!' Nigel denied. His tone alone suggested it was a topic of frequent mentioning on Hetty's behalf, and equal objection on his.

'Are you caught up to date with the Ellis case?' Hetty abruptly changed the subject, confusing him for a brief moment.

'Uh, oh...yeah. Nate updated me.' Nigel nodded. 'I'll be picking May Ellis up from the airport in the afternoon tomorrow. I'll take her to the boathouse and wait for...uh, who exactly?'

'Special Agent Kensi Blye and her partner, Detective Marty Deeks.' Hetty said formally. 'You remember Ms Blye, I assume? She was your partner once.'

'Yeah.' Nigel snorted. 'Only for a couple of months, after...' He lowered his gaze and avoided hers.

'Are you afraid?' Hetty asked. 'That any partner you are paired with will not last for more than a year at the most?'

'Yeah.' Nigel admitted. 'None of them stuck, Hetty.' He looked up at her, his deep green eyes sad and equally stubborn.

'Sullivan's death affected all of us, Mr Sanny.' Hetty sighed. 'You need to move on.'

'And Renko?' Nigel shook his head. 'Hunter? I'm bad luck.'

'Ms Blye is still alive and well.' Hetty pointed out. 'You will transport May Ellis to the boathouse tomorrow - that is all.'

'What?' Nigel argued. 'You're benching me? No, I want to help! A kid's parents are missing - this is a big case. You'll need all the help you can get.'

'So do you.' Hetty said firmly. 'We are no closer to solving this case than we were two days ago. If you want to be a part of it, I suggest you agree to a work partnership. No one should face anything alone, Mr Sanny.'

'Fine.' Nigel grumbled and slouched back in his seat. 'But if they get killed, that's not on me.'

---

Friday morning at the safe cover house was not met with the usual routine Kensi and Deeks had already begun to put into place. As the sun started to rise over Los Angeles, no one at the house got up to have breakfast or prepare for their day of school/work. Monty didn't start barking or run to the downstairs window to watch the neighbourhood through the glass. The interior of the house remained quiet and still, as Daniel continued to sleep under the mounds of sheets without any occurrence of being abruptly woken from his slumber.

Kensi and Deeks were both used to getting up very early, for different and similar reasons, but after only a week they had become comfortable in their not-so-strange surroundings. Neither had brought their alarm clock with them, so they'd only relied on Monty or previously instilled instincts to wake up when they needed to.

And on Friday morning, no such thing happened.

The reason for their sudden oversleeping was not just a result of becoming familiar with their shared residence, but also the amount of comfort they currently experienced. The bed was always soft and cosy, yet they'd respectfully kept their distance from each other the best they could. It prevented awkwardness and unspeakable temptation, both which were no longer a factor once they were equally asleep. While pretending to be a couple, Kensi and Deeks were still ultimately just partners – or so they insisted.

There was no "thing", they would say, and yet the picture in the main bedroom that Friday morning not only said otherwise, but was completely off the reservation.

Deeks was asleep on his back, complying to the usual boundaries of his side of the bed, whereas Kensi rested closely against his side. He had one hand tucked under the pillow, leaving his exposed elbow in a pointed position, to which Kensi had slid over during the night to use as her pillow, and her left hand was reached over to rest against his chest. Her legs were bent and in sight, likely from kicking aside the blankets hours earlier, whereas Deeks remained partially covered by the remainder of the blankets from his stomach downwards.

Feeling restless, Kensi frowned slightly in her sleep and straightened her legs, moving one foot to loop over his nearest ankle. Sighing contently, her eyes slowly opened and the source of her comfort was revealed. Withholding a gasp, so she didn't wake Deeks, Kensi inched back and rolled over onto her own side of the bed. She lay there, on her back, and couldn't believe the state she had woken in. Her portion of the bed felt cold and strange, which made her force back a creeping desire to resume her curled up spot intimately close to Deeks.

She checked the time and was startled to realise they had to get Daniel up for school, otherwise he was going to be late. In her discomfort, Kensi left Deeks where he was and wandered down the hallway to Daniel's room. Concealing a yawn with the back of her hand, Kensi peered into the bedroom to see both dog and boy were curled up on the bed and fast asleep.

Monty sat up and watched her, then whined and didn't look eager to move.

'Daniel.' Kensi reached the bed and gave the boy a light nudge. 'Time to get up.'

'Mum?' Daniel uttered tiredly.

The boy rolled onto his back and opened his eyes.

'Kensi.' He corrected, looking away. 'Okay.'

'Okay.' Kensi repeated, but had already taken a step back.

She quickly left the room and stood in the hallway, pressing her back against the wall. Kensi stood there for a moment, reminding herself that the title the child had spoken was not for her. What Daniel had just said would never be for her. Composing herself, she looked towards the open doorway of the bedroom she shared with Deeks. They were getting too comfortable, Kensi worried. They'd been at the safe cover house for almost a week now, and in such a short time a lot had happened.

It wasn't about babysitting anymore.

Kensi cared about Daniel; she worried he would get hurt, she made sure he didn't lack something he needed (food, clean clothes, entertainment etc), and she even reached the point where she enjoyed his company. It unsettled her because not only was Kensi concerned about what would happen when the case was over, but she also hadn't even noticed the shift. It felt as though she'd cared for him and tended to his care from the very first second they'd met, rather than the child had gone from an inconvenient part of her job to...what? What was he to her now? She liked to think they were friends, yet Kensi remained uncertain and confused.

'There you are, Sunshine!' Deeks jerked Kensi from her thoughts, as he walked out of their bedroom.

He saw her heavy expression and paused, but had no chance to say anything when Daniel left his room with a dark object in his hand. The boy was dressed for school, yet his hair was a mess of wayward strands. Kensi didn't want to remain standing under the scrutiny of Deeks' concern - so she did the first thing she thought would distract her, and at the same time involved the exact cause of her unsettled state; she took care of Daniel.

'Come on, kiddo.' Kensi prodded the boy towards the stairs when he'd stopped in the hallway. She used one of the many names Deeks had for the boy, which was another first on her bahalf.

'Why does he call you Sunshine?' Daniel wondered, looking up at Kensi as they walked down the stairs together.

'Why don't you ask him?' Kensi replied, not entirely certain though she also had never said Deeks could continuously call her that.

Still, it was better than "Fern".

She almost bumped into the boy when he stopped suddenly to wait for Deeks, who was sleepily following behind Kensi. She inhaled a breath to prevent saying anything, then walked around the boy and headed to the kitchen.

'Why?' Daniel asked Deeks, who had been listening in to the conversation.

'Why do I call her Sunshine?' Deeks repeated. 'Well...' He looked over at Kensi with a smile, aware that she was pretending not to have any interest in what he said.

'Why?' Daniel asked again, tugging on Deeks' shirt when he didn't answer right away.

'Her smile.' Deeks sighed, looking away from Kensi. 'When she smiles, it lights up the room. When she smiles at you, it's real. Like sunshine.'

'Oh.' Daniel said with disappointment.

He thought about the weird answer and looked over at Kensi, trying to understand the meaning of what Deeks had told him.

'Really?' Kensi asked Deeks when he stood beside her to make a cup of coffee.

He didn't comment, only flashed her a grin and winked.

Deeks moved to busy himself with feeding Monty, while Kensi directed Daniel to the table. The entire time it took for Daniel to eat his cereal, Kensi was upstairs locating a suitable brush and comb. Deeks offered the boy a sympathetic expression when he realised Kensi's intentions. Deeks took the bowl from the table, and kept his distance from his partner in case she got any crazy ideas about his own hair.

Daniel saw the comb and grumbled, directing his attention back to the object in his hands. Kensi swerved the chair so it was facing the kitchen rather than the table, and began to comb the boy's hair. It was a lot like a straighter version of Deeks' hair when they'd first met Daniel, but since then his blonde locks had become wild and disorganised. Kensi intended to fix that, as a distraction and because she found it a bit bothersome with how alike the boy and man were. She also felt it was part of her duty of care, and Kensi was determined to do everything she was supposed to to be rid of her "not good with kids" reputation.

'Tell me about the bruise.' Kensi said.

She remembered the conversations she'd had with her mother while getting her hair brushed when she'd been a small child. It had been the time when they'd talked the most, and yet Kensi was only briefly aware of mimicking the exact same method Julia had used.

'I did.' Daniel stated. 'Billy Kruger gave it to me. He wouldn't let me go.'

'What did you do?' Kensi continued.

Deeks discreetly watched on with interest, wondering what Kensi was up to, while he flipped through a magazine he hadn't finished the night before. They were both facing him, yet neither seemed to notice his presence, so Deeks assumed he shouldn't interrupt their moment.

'I shoved him.' Daniel ducked his head with shame.

'Yes, you did.' Kensi nodded, frowning when his movement took his hair out of reach. She pulled his shoulder back lightly and resumed brushing. 'Did you hurt him?'

'No.' Daniel spun around, making Kensi winced again when the comb slipped from her hand. 'I didn't, I swear! He fell a bit, but he was fine.'

'Okay then.' Kensi nodded. 'If you did nothing wrong, why didn't you tell us what happened?'

'I forgot.' Daniel shrugged, turning around in his seat while Kensi crouched to look for the comb.

Kensi was too busy trying to locate the comb and she didn't see the child's face. Deeks did, and he could see the boy was lying. Daniel was probably embarrassed, Deeks guessed and still didn't intervene.

'What happens to our stuff when we leave?' Daniel wondered slowly.

'We take it with us.' Kensi answered automatically, still bent to look for the comb while Deeks politely forced himself not to stare at her butt.

'What if I forget something?' Daniel continued. 'Or what if something gets left behind?'

'You'll leave before us.' Kensi said. 'Deeks and I will check the house over one last time before we leave, just to make sure. Don't worry, you'll get everything back.'

Kensi huffed as she re-emerged with a silent scowl, wondering how the comb had just vanished. Sighing, she looked towards the table and gave Daniel a nudge.

'Hand me the brush.' She asked.

Daniel fiddled with the hand-held camera on his lap and looked up long enough to get the brush. He held it over his shoulder for Kensi to take, then stared back at the lens of the camera he had aimed in his own direction.

'What's that?' Kensi asked

She wanted to continue the flow of conversation, as it was the longest she and Daniel had ever talked to each other without Deeks being involved. Kensi gave her partner a short glance and realised he was giving them their moment, which she appreciated and offered him a pointed look to let him know.

Daniel rolled his eyes at her question, as anyone should be able to see it was a camera, but he knew that's not what she'd meant. He bit his bottom lip and considered his answer.

'A gift.' Daniel told her while she brushed his hair until it was straight again, which also moved it out of his face. 'It's new. I never got to use it properly.'

'Oh. Well, it's nice.' Kensi tried to remain friendly before moving on to a rather important subject matter. 'You know, NCIS has invited your grandmother to Los Angeles for a visit. If you want to, you could go see her after school. I'm sure she'd love to see you.'

'No.' Daniel's face creased into a ridged frown. 'She won't want to see me.'

'You don't know that.' Kensi encouraged, while Deeks watched the boy's face with serious suspicion. 'She hasn't seen you since you were very little.'

'I don't care.' Daniel insisted. 'I don't want to. You can't make me, I'll-I'll scream. I'll yell so loud no one will want to be near us.' He feebly threatened, to which Kensi found annoying and Deeks hid a smile of brief amusement.

'Okay.' Kensi gave in. 'If you really don't want to see her, then you don't have to.'

'I don't.' Daniel confirmed.

He turned his camera around and glanced at Deeks, seeing the Detective had lowered his gaze again. While Kensi was distracted with brushing his hair, Daniel pressed the record button of his camera and turned it back around, adjusting it in a way he guessed would be able to film both himself and Kensi. He was getting bored, and wondered why brushing his hair was taking so long. It wasn't the only thing taking a long time, though. With a sigh of misery, Daniel looked downwards and knew he had to ask.

The question was burning inside him.

'Kensi?' He asked softly, catching Deeks' attention as well.

'Yeah?' She asked, also noticing the significant change in the child's tone.

'Will they come back for me?'

Kensi and Deeks shared a look, knowing who the child was referring to yet neither had an answer to accurately give. The situation turned very serious with that single question posed by the eight-year-old boy, who was still without his parents even after a week of NCIS putting in their best efforts to locate the parents.

'I mean, do you think they want to?' Daniel rephrased when he didn't receive an answer.

'I'm sure they want to, Daniel.' Kensi said sadly. 'They're your parents.'

'So, will they?' Daniel repeated. 'If they can, will they come back for me?'

'I think they will.' Kensi risked saying.

She remembered what Nate had said, and in the long run she felt her words were the right ones to say. She was giving the child no certainty, and yet reassurance was what he needed. The fact he'd asked her meant a lot to Kensi, and she failed to notice the look on Deeks' face. Suddenly, things had been reversed. Daniel worshipped him already, that much was clear, and yet now it was Kensi who was getting the questions and the trust.

Deeks was glad, and at the same time felt a little cast to the side when it mattered most.

'You're their son, Daniel.' Kensi continued. 'They love you. Anyone who loves you will always do their best to come back for you, no matter what. Especially your mum and dad.'

Daniel stared into the lens of his camera, then looked away, thinking about what Kensi had just told him. The boy didn't notice she'd stopped brushing his hair until her shadow fell over him, and he looked up at her.

'It's okay.' Kensi said softly, hesitantly placing a hand on his shoulder. 'You haven't lost them. We just don't know where they are. When NCIS finds your mum and dad, everything will be okay. I'm sure they're worried about you and missing you just as much as you are them.'

In a flash of movement from Daniel, the entire situation drastically changed.

The boy aggressively whacked her hand from his shoulder and set a deep scowl in her direction. She was startled and took a step back, while Deeks walked around the counter to see what was going on.

'You think you know everything there is to know, but you don't!' Daniel shouted at Kensi, then jumped off the seat and ran from the room.

He bolted up the stairs to retrieve his schoolbag from his bedroom and dumped his camera on his bed as he did so. The boy slammed his door and stood still to calm himself before he'd have to face his protectors again – preferably only Deeks.

'Kens-' Deeks went to say, looking at her though he could only see her back.

'I don't know why I even try.' Kensi said in clear frustration, keeping her hurt face from view as she turned and left the room as well.

Deeks remained standing near the kitchen, confused and uncertain. He knew Daniel's outburst had upset Kensi, though he didn't think she wanted comfort right now.

Neither did Daniel.

Deeks had the feeling of missing something, as though a thread had snapped without him noticing until everything else unravelled along with it.

~ LB ~

'He hates me.' Kensi said with defeat, leaning against the cold stone border around a window at work. 'Daniel hates me.'

'No, he doesn't.' Nate assured Kensi, standing across from her. 'There's more to his irrational rejection of you. The level of bonding you have already established with the boy should enable you both to overcome any initial dislike.'

'Then why did he do that?' Kensi frowned. 'What did I do wrong?'

'Nothing.' Nate promised sincerely. 'There is an underlining cause here. Daniel likes you, cares about you, and trusts you almost as much as he does Deeks.'

'Yeah. Right.' Kensi scoffed, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

'There's something about you that triggers a fear or lack of emotional stability for Daniel on a level he's too young to deal with, so he acts out in the only way he knows how to.' Nate reasoned. 'He's probably as frustrated by his outbursts as you are.'

'What do I do?' Kensi wanted to know, hoping someone could steer her in the right direction. 'It's so easy for Deeks. One smile, and the kid loves him.' She grumbled and crossed her arms defensively, which Nate noticed with slight amusement.

'Keep trying.' Nate advised. 'Let Daniel know you're not going to give up. He needs someone to remain strong and consistent so he can feel secure. It's only been one week.'

'And how much longer is it going to be?' Kensi asked. 'What if we don't ever find his parents? Or what if we do, and they're dead? What will happen to Daniel?'

'The game of "what if" is extremely dangerous.' Nate sighed. 'It exposes all of our fears and insecurities at once. You have to stay positive, for your sake and Daniel's.'

There was a long pause.

Nate narrowed his eyes with suspicion, as he watched Kensi drop her arms and the anger began to completely fade. The recent outburst from Daniel was just the beginning. Nate saw it now, once her frustration had dissolved - there was something else eating away at her. Kensi had her defensive walls up, and she was far too stubborn or strong to allow herself to be vulnerable when she wasn't in control of a situation, and yet Nate knew her too well.

He knew her enough to see there was something else, and it wasn't going to be discussed with him.

As part of his job, Kensi had told Nate things she hadn't said to anyone else (except, maybe Deeks), but this wasn't something she was going to share and he respected that. He wasn't worried because Kensi would talk about it, just not to him. He looked up when he saw Deeks approaching them, a smile passing over Nate's lips as he watched the interactions between the two partners.

When Kensi left to talk to Hetty, Deeks remained behind in her place.

He watched her leave, then faced Nate with an oddly meditative expression. He expected Deeks to ask if Kensi was okay, but he didn't say a word. Nate and Deeks had perhaps the most relaxed intercommunication when Nate was doing his job, whereas many other members of the team knew talking to Nate was usually a tense moment because of the things they shared. Even if it helped. It was just one of the aspects about his profession that Nate had accepted, and yet not once had he received that same reluctance and dread from Deeks.

It didn't make sense to him. While he and Deeks also hadn't really talked because the Detective hadn't been at NCIS as long as the others, Nate knew Deeks had a very rough childhood and continued on to have less-than-ideal experiences with other members of the LAPD.

Nate was patient. He had to be, or else no one would ever talk to him when things became too much. He'd watched Deeks, studied him even, and bid his time. His psychological talks with Deeks were short and far between, and each time the Detective gave the impression of getting things off his chest then moving on. It was a breath of fresh air, and he never showed much reluctance or worry regarding any "session" he had with Nate.

Even so, the expression that crossed over Deeks' face, while he watched Kensi walk away, was something Nate simply could not ignore.

Not this time.

'Marty?'

Deeks blinked and turned to look at Nate with surprise. He wasn't used to people he worked with calling him by his first name, and he was accustomed to "Deeks", which made Nate's method of catching his attention even more effective.

'I'm fine.' Deeks said. 'I'm worried about my partner. And Daniel. But me? I'm good.'

'Are you?' Nate wasn't convinced.

'Yeah.' Deeks nodded adamantly. 'We talked about the Monty stuff. Nothing else has happened since then. Not really.'

'This morning happened.' Nate reasoned.

'To them.' Deeks insisted, on edge for the first notable time while talking to Nate.

'But you were there.' Nate continued, knowing Deeks wouldn't evade him for much longer.

'Ha, okay.' Deeks nodded, a bit annoyed yet trying to play over it with humour. 'Okay. I get that this is your job, and you're great at it - so no disrespect, but I don't have anything to say. I've got a job to do. It's simple: save the kid, catch the bad guys, and solve the case.'

'The parents.' Nate said firmly.

'What?'

'Save the parents.' Nate elaborated. 'Daniel Ellis is safe. Your first instinct is to protect the child, above all else?'

'He can't protect himself.' Deeks frowned. 'It's my job.'

There was a moment of quiet, to which Deeks averted his gaze and Nate considered what had been said in a very reluctant tone. He'd heard about the bruise on Daniel's arm, and the cause, yet he hadn't figured out until then that perhaps it had an affect on Deeks in ways it hadn't for Kensi. He'd had hints and suspicions, and now to realise what he wished he hadn't - Nate felt sad for his co-worker and friend.

'Could you, protect yourself?' Nate asked carefully. 'Did anyone save you?'

'That's what this is about?' Deeks scoffed. Despite his tone, his eyes showed traces of more defined emotions than the casualness he tried to display. 'How do you even know that?'

'Like you said, I'm good at my job.' Nate said patiently. 'You haven't answered my question.'

'I did what I had to.' Deeks frowned.

'We all have things in our past who have shaped who we are, yet we don't want to face.' Nate said. 'You're not alone, Marty.'

Surprising Nate, Deeks ducked his head and chuckled. It was an unusual reaction, and at first Nate felt he'd overlooked something, until Deeks returned his gaze and spoke in a rather genuine way. He seemed troubled, but Nate was pleased to see the trust Deeks demonstrated in ways Kensi had to build up to. They each had layers of shields to protect themselves from being hurt, though Deeks' tended to fall faster than Kensi's – but only if one knew what to look for, and Nate fortunately did.

'You know the first time I realised that?' Deeks asked rhetorically. 'It was when Hetty let me pursue the case the LAPD had given up on. The same case where Callen and the others showed up to back me up. But, really? It was her.'

'Kensi?' Nate guessed.

'I was gonna shoot the guy, and I would have, but I heard her.' Deeks shared. 'Kensi drew the line, and I would have crossed it if it hadn't been for her. Going to law school, and becoming a cop, it was my way to save people. I was needed, and being a cop is who I am.'

'He threatened that.' Nate understood. 'He threatened what you stood for, and threw it in your face.'

'You asked if anyone saved me.' Deeks sighed, looking downwards. 'Kensi. She saved me that day, and she was the first person I didn't owe for it.'

'You need to talk about this.' Nate encouraged.

He wanted to dig deeper with Deeks' previous belief that any time someone helped him, he had to owe them back. He'd barely noted this previously, and had a higher suspicion where it may have stemmed from. Deeks was still trying to overcome it as well, and Nate wanted to help.

Deeks looked up and offered him a calm expression, one of peace and lack of troubling emotions. Nate could not comprehend the ease in which Deeks handled their sessions and wondered if he wasn't the only one Deeks had to talk to on a personal or emotional level. The man recovered too quickly, as though his troubles had already been put to ease.

He hated talking about them and it didn't evoke happy memories, but Deeks could handle it.

'I already have.' Deeks stated.

Nate watched the Detective glance through the window beside them, and realised it was true. Somehow, regardless of all the things he had just learned, Nate knew Deeks hadn't been referring to him.

'Hey.' Callen intervened, walking up the stairs nearby. 'Shouldn't you be getting Daniel from school?' He asked Deeks.

'What?' Deeks asked, baffled, and looked at his watch. 'Crap.' He uttered and dashed off to find Kensi.

Callen shook his head with enjoyment, and bypassed a thoughtful Nate on his way to the Ops center. He spotted Sam waiting for him with a disgruntled expression, and sighed. Callen looked to the main screen at the image of May Ellis from years ago, preparing to resume the case and hopefully take a significant leap towards solving it.

Or, more importantly, locate Daniel Ellis' parents before it was too late.

'Last minute fact-checking?' Callen guessed.

'She could hold the key to everything.' Sam confirmed. 'We gotta play this one right.'

'Is she at the boathouse?' Callen wanted to know.

'Sanny just dropped her off.' Eric confirmed. 'He's with her now, waiting for you.'

'Refresh us.' Callen instructed. 'What do we know about May Ellis?'

'Everything, or the recent stuff?' Eric prompted.

'The useful stuff.' Callen requested. 'Anything that might help us.'

'The short version or the long version?'

'Short version, Eric.' Sam glowered.

'Right.' Eric gulped and faced his computer screen, bringing up information and images on the main screen while he spoke. 'May Ellis, 62 years old, has never been married. She's the mother of Lieutenant Michael James Ellis, and grandmother of Daniel. She's lived in various places of Florida most of her life – Brooklyn before that.'

'Her twin sister, April, died in a car accident when she was sixteen.' Nell added. 'Their mother was also killed. May was in hospital with a head injury for three weeks. Their father broke his collarbone and was pretty bruised, but he lived to raise May until she graduated High School.'

'This is the short version?' Sam whispered to Callen while Eric talked in the background about May going to college in Florida on a scholarship, yet decided to persue nursing.

'It is for them.' Callen answered quietly.

'She was engaged to a sailor, Michael Williams.' Eric continued. 'He died at sea before their son, Michael Ellis, was born.'

'Eric.' Callen sighed. 'Shorter version. Start with Daniel.'

'Daniel was born almost three years after Jasmine Boyer and Michael Ellis married.' Eric said with a huff, not pleased to skip over the information they'd spent quite a while gathering to ensure NCIS had a complete history.

'After Daniel was born, there was a significant spike in communication between lieutenant Michael Ellis and his mother, May Ellis.' Nell added.

'The doting grandmother.' Sam commented.

'Maybe.' Callen said. There was no way to really check what had been discussed or said during the constant phone-calls during that time.

'Then, in January four years ago, everything stopped.' Nell continued. 'No calls, no visits that we were able to check, and just...nothing. It was like they didn't even know each other. A week later, the family moved to Los Angeles.'

'May Ellis has had no further contact with her son, daughter-in-law, or grandson since.' Eric finished. 'No Birthday cards, phone calls, or anything.'

'Let's find out why.' Callen nodded to Sam, turning to lead the way out of the Ops center.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed to the bullpen, not listening to the exchange behind him - Nate joined them with the intention of tagging along. Callen was distracted by Hetty, who was sitting at her desk with a cup of tea in front of her. The sight wasn't at all unusual on the surface, except on either side of her were piles of files. Even from where he stood, Callen could see the red "classified" labels on the top and around the edges. There were six stacked in front of Hetty, who was busy arguing on the phone in a language Callen didn't know.

Something was certainly going on.

'G?' Sam spoke behind him.

'Yeah.' Callen said slowly, still watching Hetty. 'Yeah, I'm coming.'

---

He remained standing, with the cool city air sweeping his dark hair around his face, as his brown eyes stared into the distance.

The moment was calm, as the people filling the Los Angeles street continued about their business all around him. People called cabs or boarded buses, others talked on their phones or to their friends, as the man remained still amongst it all. Behind him was a cafe where he'd be refilling a coffee once every hour since late that morning. He wore a dark suit and had a newspaper tucked under his arm, though it was outdated. The man was a solid statue within a storm of activity, his gaze fixed and serious on a single sight far across from him.

And, finally, he looked away to answer the high-toned rumble of his phone. He slowly raised it to his ear, his eyes now attentive to every aspect of his immediate surrounding.

'Hello?' He asked in a firm, deep tone.'Yes.' The man answered calmly, listening carefully to what the caller was saying. 'I'm there now.'

'What should I call you?' His male caller questioned, his voice thick with an accent.

'Ian.' The man said. 'It is the only name anyone knows. Use it, but when necessary.'

He hung up and walked towards the intersection a little to his left. Passing a trash bin, Ian dropped his phone into it and crossed the road. With the ocean horizon to his right, he walked along the street with a tall, composed posture. There was a bus stop at the end, which he paused to wait at.

Ian stood beside the seats, with only an elderly couple for company and a tanned college student who was distracted by the rock music he pounded into his ears through his Ipod. The bus arrived in less than a minute, and Ian boarded. He sat at the very back, looking to his left through the window at the passing streets. He got off at the first stop, several minutes later, and crossed another street to a vastly green park. He no longer had the newspaper with him, having purposely left it behind on the bus seat.

His dark eyes scanned the area of the park.

Moving to sit on a bench, Ian kept his gaze casual though his attention was extremely focused on every detail he observed. Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, he lifted out a long-lens camera, and checked his watch. Across the pond was a woman with strawberry blonde hair tied up into a reasonably short ponytail - she wore a tight pink tank top, and high pale blue shorts, as well as running shoes. The woman was his primary interest, as Ian discreetly snapped photos of her every movement while the woman jogged down the dirt track on the other side of the pond. She exhaled and paused at a seat, lifting a leg up to re-tie her shoelaces. When she looked around, Ian lowered his camera enough to make it look as though he was taking pictures of the numerous ducks swimming around in the pond, being fed by a nearby man and his small son.

The woman checked her pulse, then the time, and resumed jogging.

Ian continued to take photos until she had left his line of sight. Reaching into his pocket again, he got out another phone and placed his camera on the space of seat beside him. With his hands free to text as quickly as he needed to, Ian tapped away at the buttons and rose from the bench. He pocketed the phone, then grabbed his camera. Giving the park one final glance, Ian turned and left. He arrived at the road and peered both ways before crossing. A red car screeched to a halt at the curb, and Ian didn't need to verify the driver before he got into the front passenger seat.

Ian slipped on a pair of sunglasses while the car, without hesitation, increased speed and vanished into the mass of Los Angeles traffic.

~ LB ~

Sam and Callen left Special Agent Nigel Sanny in the main area of the boat shed, to go over the paperwork he'd been given by Hetty, as the pair headed for the interrogation room nearby. While they stepped into the room to greet the elderly lady, May Ellis, Nate also entered the boat shed and moved to sit beside Nigel so he could clearly observe the incident within the interrogation room.

'It's wonderful to meet you!' May greeted the pair with a smile. 'You gentlemen must be Calvin and Dan.' She said, reseating after standing long enough to shake their hands.

'Callen and Sam.' Callen corrected her. 'Did Agent Sanny tell you why you're here?'

'Sanny?' May repeated with a frown, then realised that was the name of the other man she'd been talking to earlier. 'Oh, no. No, I don't know why NCIS wanted me to come all the way here just to talk to me. I do own a phone, you know, though I don't always use it.'

'What was she like?' Nate asked Nigel, who was trying to read over his paperwork but kept glancing at the screen instead.

'She's like most old ladies.' Nigel shrugged. 'Friendly, talks too much, and doesn't have the best memory. She talked a lot about her time as a nurse with enough details, but she's shockingly terrible at recalling names. No matter how many times I corrected her, she kept calling me "Sunny". It was annoying.' He huffed.

'That might be because of her age.' Nate said, not sounding convinced. 'Or from the head injury she suffered as a child when her twin sister was killed.'

'Why did you have to tell me that?' Nigel whined. 'Can't just one person we deal with have lived a happy life without something painful in their past? I was happy thinking of her as a harmless old lady who had no idea why NCIS had summoned her halfway across the country, and decided to treat it as a mini-holiday. Then you say things like that, and my happy little fantasy is ruined.'

'We all have something painful in our past, Nigel.' Nate commented seriously, still watching the screen.

'I know.' Nigel said darkly, his gaze sinking downwards to the file spread open in front of him. 'But I was content with my denial. Don't ruin it with facts.'

'When was the last time you spoke to your son?' Callen asked May.

'Oh, goodness.' May frowned, thinking for a moment. 'It must be four years now. Yes, I'm sure it was at least that.'

'And he never called you, not once?' Callen prodded for more information. 'That didn't seem strange to you?'

'It was a hard decision.' May said sadly. 'But it's for the best. He did it to keep his family safe. That's all I want, for them to be safe.'

'Safe from who?' Sam asked.

'They never said.' May sighed.

'Do you recognise this?' Callen asked. He slid a photograph, of the teddy bear found at the kidnapping scene, across the table.

'Why, yes.' May nodded, staring intently at it. 'I gave this to Noah. Where did you get this, Agent Calvin?'

'Noah?' Sam repeated.

'My grandson.' May told them. 'Why do you have a picture of it?'

'You mean Daniel?' Callen sighed. After getting his hopes up regarding the interview, it was hard to accept that any name the woman gave them would essentially be useless. 'It was found during an investigation and we're trying to find out as much as we can about it.'

'Oh.' May frowned, confused. 'Well, my grandmother made it and passed it down to each generation – to my mother, then to me. I kept it in storage, but when my little grandson was born I simply had to give it to him. He adores that bear.' She smiled fondly, touching the surface of the photo.

'Speaking of storage...' Callen continued. 'Did your son, Michael, ever mention having a storage container?'

'A storage container?' May repeated. 'No. And I can't imagine why he would need one; not here in Los Angeles.'

'Why's that?' Sam wondered.

'Well, because he didn't take much with him when he moved.' May shared. 'They barely even took enough clothes to get by. Almost all of Noah's belongings are still in my own personal storage back at home. They never called about it or picked them up, so I assumed they bought new belongings.'

Sam and Callen shared a look. They each suspected the move might have been intended as temporary or short at first, and then was extended. Either way, if the Ellis family seemed to have a plan to return to Florida, what held them back? Was it because of the danger their family was in, or was it more than that?

'Did your son or daughter-in-law say anything about the move?' Callen pressed. 'Even something small?'

'Hmm.' May went quiet as she looked at the table between them.

She concentrated hard on recalling the event, though it happened four years ago and her memory was not the best.

'Yes.' She finally looked up. 'There was something about needing two moving trucks. I remember thinking it was strange – all they had were a few bags and just about every sheet they ever owned. They didn't even take their furniture.'

'Did you ask Michael about it?' Callen prompted.

'I didn't see him.' May said. 'We'd said our goodbyes by then. Kyle had stopped by for a few final things – he's the one who told me about the trucks.'

'Kyle?' Sam sighed, certain it wasn't the actual name with May's poor recollection of them.

'Yes, I've known that boy for all his life.' May smiled. 'He is very close to my son – I'm sure Kyle spent more time sleeping over in our house than he did in his own bed.' She chuckled at the fond memories. 'They both served their country together too.'

'When was the last time you heard from...Kyle?' Callen asked.

'A little over a year ago.' May nodded. 'I don't think he's spoken to my son since then. They had a bit of a fight before the move.' She shook her head with disapproval.

'Thank you.' Callen said, standing. 'We appreciate the information you've given us, the for travelling all this way.'

'Anything to help.' May nodded. 'But, Agent Calvin, what is this about? Is my son okay?'

'It's just few loose ends.' Sam said, not wanting to worry her until they knew more. 'We'll be in touch.'

'Okay.' May exhaled and looked downwards, already worrying about whatever it was they weren't telling her.

Callen and Sam left the interrogation room and joined the other pair, who had been observing the live footage of the interview. Nigel had abandoned his paperwork, yet looked more bored than anything, whereas Nate continued to stare at the screen with a thoughtful expression.

'May I?' Nate requested.

'Sure.' Callen shrugged. 'I don't know how much more we can get out of her.'

'I do.' Nate nodded. 'She never refers to her son by name, probably in a trained effort to protect him. Yet she freely mentions her grandson by name.'

'Not the right name.' Sam grumbled.

'Even so, she not once asked about him.' Nate creased his eyebrows. 'Daniel is adamant not to see her. I don't know if May Ellis is even aware of it, but she's involved too. Maybe not directly, but she could still have answers we're looking for.' He said surely and walked towards the interrogation room.

'Well, if anyone can find out more - it's Nate.' Callen sighed. 'I guess all we can do now is wait.'

'Great.' Sam complained, dropping into a seat beside Nigel. 'More waiting.'

~ LB ~

The images of trees and traffic flickered across the surface of the glass Daniel stared through. He sat in the back seat of the SUV, his head tilted away from his protectors in the front seat, and was yet to make a sound since they'd left the safe cover house moments earlier.

He knew May Ellis was in Los Angeles. He knew she hadn't told NCIS what they needed to know, or else things would already be very different. And Daniel also knew his quiet contemplation as an outsider wasn't going to last. Soon they would ask him, and there was only so much he couldn't say.

Nate had been right to assume it, because Daniel indeed wanted his story to be told.

'We're here.' Kensi announced, bringing the car to a halt.

Daniel sighed and waited for Deeks to open the door from the outside, before he slipped from his seat. Landing on solid ground, Daniel looked at Deeks and wondered what was going on. He could feel a cool breeze on his face, as the boy stared trustingly upwards at Deeks and awaited instructions or explanations.

Deeks didn't speak either.

He reached his hand towards Daniel, slowly and intentionally - willing to wait as long as he had to. Daniel frowned with unsureness, then lowered his blue gaze to Deeks' larger hand. Without previous hesitation, he clasped Deeks' hand with his own and allowed the Detective to lead him around the car. Kensi followed the pair, yet respectfully kept some distance.

'Take a deep breath.' Deeks encouraged quietly, watching as Daniel obeyed. 'Remember the feeling. Now see.' He turned one final step around the SUV, exposing Daniel to the sight that spread out far before them.

Daniel gasped and his hand slipped from Deeks. He could his first true glimpse of what he'd always hoped to witness. They stood on an empty road, near a space of sand and the occasional dock. Ahead was something Deeks was more familiar with than anything else, and to which Kensi felt soothed by.

The sea is vast and untameable, but at a glance it may appear calm and enduring. To the eight-year-old boy who had always dreamed of seeing the stretching blue water reaching to the horizon, it was quite simply the sight of freedom.

It held none of the answers he had wanted, yet Daniel was not disappointed.

It was not a bright and sunny scene as he had expected, given the later hour of the day. Daniel gradually stepped away from the road and tugged Deeks across the sand. When they were mere feet from the shoreline, the boy halted with fear.

'It's okay.' Deeks said and placed a hand on the child's shoulder. 'It'll still be here, when you're ready.'

Daniel exhaled and retreated from the water.

With a safe distance between himself and the shore, the boy could absorb the sound of the crushing waves and gentle breeze colliding against each other. He felt calm and, for the first time in a long time, in control. Daniel even cracked a smile when Deeks turned his attention to Kensi, trying to splash water at her with his feet. She squealed in surprise and disgruntled shock, then tried to flee because she knew retaliation would only provoke a water war. Deeks laughed and continued annoying her, despite the grin spreading across her face as well.

Daniel remained standing on a slope of sand, watching his two protectors playing near the water's edge in which he feared. They were fine, unharmed and accepting, but could he take the same leap? It had been a week, and yet it felt longer. So much had happened, and so much had changed. Watching Kensi and Deeks, Daniel began to understand something he hadn't before.

'There were moments.' Daniel whispered to himself, clutching his camera to his chest as he recalled and repeated what Deeks had said not too long ago. 'Days, even, when we could almost believe he'd changed and things weren't going to get bad again. That maybe this time it will be okay, and we'd be a family.' The child felt tears prickling his eyes and ducked his head in dismissal of the joy and serenity around him.

The ocean was as freeing as he had hoped, and as inspiring as he had dreamed of, yet its foreboding and never-ending presence scared the boy. The capabilities and realisations were not something he felt able to deal with. Lowering his gaze slowly, he flipped open his camera to view the little screen attached to it. He picked the most recent footage from before the fateful day of meeting Kensi and Deeks.

'Are you sure?' Jasmine Ellis asked her husband as they stood in their lush, appropriately portioned backyard.

'They won't give up.' Michael said firmly. 'One way or another...' He paused and turned to look at the camera, annoyed but primarily exasperated by the sight.

'Turn that off!' Jasmine snapped as she hastily approached it, roughly pulling the camera from the child's hand. She accidentally left it switched on, even as it was dropped onto the nearby garden table, and Daniel was pulled into sight.

'Are you going to leave me?' Daniel asked, rushing forward. He was scared and upset as he clung to her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

'You knew one day this would happen.' Jasmine pushed him away and left the view of the camera. 'We can't outrun them forever.'

'No.' Daniel sniffed, sinking onto the brightly green grass of the yard. 'Please don't go!'

'You'll be okay.' Michael placed a hand on his shoulder. 'NCIS will look after you.'

'Will you come back for me?' Daniel wanted to know.

'Turn off the camera.' Michael instructed and reached to switch it off.

Daniel stood on the cooling beach, with sand between his toes, and bit his lip as the sight of the ended footage. A blank screen gleamed back at him, reflective of his own lack of answers and assurance.

'Other times it was just easier to pretend.' He whispered the final line Deeks had said the previous night, prior to Kensi's interruption.

'Hey, Daniel!' Deeks called to him from the shore, his drenched hair having no impact on his wide smile. 'Come here, buddy.'

Daniel closed his camera and considered the smiling, inviting faces of his protectors shining over at him. Something about them seemed different, though the boy couldn't work out what it was. He peered at the slapping water reaching the shore and hesitated, then exhaled and wandered over.

'What is it?' Daniel wanted to know.

'A ship.' Deeks told him and reached both hands towards the boy, awaiting permission.

'Here.' Daniel passed his precious camera to Kensi. 'I want to remember this forever.'

'Okay.' Kensi nodded and raised it, preparing to press the record button.

'That's my boy.' Deeks chuckled when Daniel jumped bravely towards him.

He seized the child under his arms and hoisted the eight-year-old onto his shoulders, while Kensi recorded the entire moment. Daniel was unsteady at first, then felt dangerously far from the ground as he clutched to Deeks' hair. A calmness soon fell over him, when he looked far and beyond to the blue water of the ocean-filled horizon.

'I don't see it.' Daniel frowned. 'Where?'

'Look closer.' Deeks pointed, placing a hand on Daniel's knee for insurance. 'It's there, you just have to know where to look.'

Daniel squinted his eyes and searched along the water's edge, until a darkened shape became clear. His previous thoughts were washed away, including his momentary wish that Monty was there to share the event with them, when he saw the sight he'd been seeking.

'I see it!' Daniel exclaimed, unknowingly releasing his hold on Deeks as he pointed it out to Kensi. 'Look.'

'I see it too.' Kensi smiled at the boy, who was in the most joyous state they'd seen him in all week.

'Let's get a better look.' Deeks said, skilfully dropping Daniel back onto his feet.

He bent to roll up the hems of both their jeans, and clasped the boy's hand to lead him along the shoreline, closer to the water each time. When they reached a pile of rocks, Deeks took notice of the pending water and moved away.

'I'm not afraid this time.' Daniel told him with a proud smile.

Kensi halted as she watched the scene in front of her.

The grin on her face faded slightly when she realised the things that had been swirling in her mind were much less confusing in hindsight. Their professional portrayal of one had left her wondering what it really meant to have a family. Now she knew. A Kensi watched Deeks and Daniel walk side-by-side along the waterline without fear or uncomfortable hesitation; Kensi knew. Family wasn't about blood, it was about feelings.

She was glad Daniel felt safer and happier, and yet her eyes primarily fell to Deeks. Her partner and friend, who was in more ways than one...her family.

As Kensi watched on while the sun sank lower in the shy, colouring the watery surface with colourful shades, she could not tear her eyes from the lovely image in front of her. It wasn't the sunset or sea that had captured her attention, but rather the man who had captured her heart. And deep down, as Kensi watched the eight-year-old boy laughing through his wonderfully rare smile, she wondered if some bonds were formed faster than others or if certain truths were safer to ignore until they could no longer be denied.

---

Author's Notes: Whew, what a long chapter! I'm exhausted, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please take a moment to send a review - what do you think of Special Agent Nigel Sanny? Who is the mysterious Ian? What are your thoughts about May Ellis? Will Nate, Nell, or Eric uncover information that could help their case? Do you like/dislike that Julia will be a part of this story? Any theories or questions? And so on - please share your thoughts and offer feedback as it's not only helpful but makes my day.

Thanks again for reading! Next chapter is has been pre-planned out, that's how important it is. It will contain more of Julia, more case development, and Nate will finally get to meet Daniel!