I apologize for such a gap in updating times on this story. I blame it on real life: sick children, sick self, crazy family at holiday times, and planning a women's retreat. This story is not dead, and I hope there are still a few of you out there who want to keep reading. Here's the next installment. Although slightly shorter than usual, I hope you like it.
"Hey, are we driving in together or separately today? I have that thing with Hetty this afternoon," Nell shouted across the apartment as she cooked breakfast.
There was no response, so she waited a minute before shouting again. "Eric? Did you hear me? Together or separate today?"
"I heard you. Can you, uh, can you just follow me for a minute?" Eric watched her switch off the burner on the stove before walking closer to him. She had a very confused look on her face but let him lead.
He led her to the master bathroom, where he pointed to the trashcan. "Is that what I think it is?"
Very confused but curious, she leaned forward and peered inside. Realization with a bit of dread and embarrassment hit her. She blushed before answering.
"Yep, it's a pregnancy test," she confirmed for him. "Unless you were thinking it was something else."
Eric was not amused. "When were you going to tell me?"
"When did you start picking through the bathroom trash?" Nell countered.
He sighed. She couldn't just answer a simple question. "My glasses fell off the counter into the trashcan while I was washing my face. I had to dig through there – carefully – to find them. In my pursuit, I found your, um, test." He paused and looked at her. "So what's going on, Nell? Are we… are you…?"
Nell shook her head. "No, I'm not. If you had actually looked at it instead of freaking out, you would have seen that it's negative. No baby. And I was going to tell you about it – I just wasn't sure how or when," she admitted.
"When... when did you um, take the test?" Eric asked.
Nell shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe two days ago? I think."
"So it was just a scare? I guess we need to be more careful from now on," Eric said as a wave of relief flowed through him. Children were kind of a foreign concept to him and the topic made him nervous.
Nell nodded in agreement. "Yeah, probably. I don't think we're quite ready for that stage yet. I'm good with letting Kensi and Deeks do it first." She smiled, thinking they were ok now. "Let's go eat breakfast before we're late for work."
Eric reached out and put his arms around her as she walked past him. "Hey Nell, I wish you would have told me sooner, even though it's negative. We're together and we need to communicate better. Not just about the easy, fun stuff but about the harder stuff, too."
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Eric. I guess I was nervous because we've never really talked about our future that way – about marriage, about whether we want kids some day, the picket fence and the dog and the minivan. I wasn't sure how you would react and I chickened out." She looked up into his eyes, hoping he would understand.
He kissed her forehead. "You're right. We haven't talked about that stuff, but we should. How about tonight after dinner?"
Nell looked up at him and nodded. "I'd like that."
"Ok. And now… race you to the kitchen!" Eric dropped his arms and ran to the other end of the apartment, the sound of his flip-flops slapping against the tiled floor.
Nell was close behind. "Beale, don't you touch my bacon!"
Already in the kitchen, he laughed as he loaded some onto his plate with a few pancakes. "Too late, Ms. Jones."
"Don't forget – I know where you sleep," she said with a wink.
It was almost seven o'clock. Kensi took a final glance at herself in the mirror and sighed. She and Deeks were going out on another date that evening. He wouldn't tell her where he was taking her, but told her she could dress casually. After trying on multiple outfits, she finally settled for a pair of dark blue maternity jeans, a light green cotton sweater, and some flats. Kensi wasn't happy with her appearance most days, comparing herself to a beached whale or the Pillsbury Dough Boy. She eagerly waited in the living room for Deeks to arrive.
Half an hour later, they were seated on a blanket on the beach. Monty explored the sand and rocks nearby as Deeks took the food out of the picnic basket. Kensi mentally told herself to behave and not drool. Her appetite had increased exponentially in the last couple weeks, and it seemed she could never get enough to eat.
Deeks did not disappoint her. He had made a chicken and pasta salad, a tray of fresh fruit, and chocolate cupcakes for dessert. He even had a bottle of sparkling apple juice, since Kensi couldn't drink real wine, which he poured into crystal goblets. Deeks loved making Kensi happy, so he made sure every detail of their date would lead to that end.
After they were finished eating and the food and dishes had been cleaned up, Kensi moved to sit in front of Deeks between his legs. She leaned back against his chest and relaxed as they watched the waves lazily meet the shore. Even at the water's edge, it was a fairly calm night with only the hint of a breeze. The sun was starting its slow descent into the horizon, but there was still enough light to see. Deeks wrapped his arms around Kensi and inhaled deeply. He smiled as his two favorite scents mingled – the ocean and her. The perfect combination.
"Whatcha thinking about, Princess?" he asked her.
Kensi shrugged her shoulders. "Just enjoying the moment," she responded. "Thinking about how peaceful moments like this are going to disappear soon." She paused and turned around to face Deeks. "I know our little guy is going to bring all kinds of happiness to our lives, but I'm really enjoying it being just you and me." At the sound of a soft whimper on her left, she added, "and Monty, too."
Deeks nodded in agreement. He leaned forward and kissed Kensi softly and sweetly, allowing his lips to speak his gratitude for these moments as well. When Kensi pulled back and opened her eyes, she noticed Deeks' hand in the picnic basket.
"More food? What is this course – more chocolate?" she excitedly asked.
Deeks chuckled. "Kind of," he replied. Instead of something to eat, he instead pulled out a small, square box and handed it to her. Kensi looked at him curiously before opening the box. Her eyes widened and her breathing got faster.
Inside was a beautiful, glistening ring. It was a yellow gold ring with a chocolate diamond in the center. Surrounding the center diamond were smaller white diamonds on a swirled filigree of white and yellow gold. From the way she held the box, the diamonds caught the light from the setting sun, making it sparkle all the more.
Kensi's hand started to shake and she didn't know what to think or say. "Umm, D-Deeks? What? Wait, is this…" she stammered out. Several thoughts and scenarios began frantically rotating through her mind like a tornado. Emotions were all jumbled in the mental storm and she had no idea what to think or feel at that moment.
Deeks could see her fears rising to the surface quickly and her defenses wanting to go up. He grabbed her hand in his to calm her down and began to explain.
"No, it's not that Kensi. I'm not proposing – at least not right now. It's not an engagement ring, or at least that's not why I bought it." He smiled gently at her as he felt her hand relax. She gazed into his eyes and took a deep breath. When a small smile appeared on her lips, he knew it was safe to continue.
"I was at home trying to get better, after my torture and after you had moved back to your place. After a couple of days I got really bad cabin fever and had to get out of the house," Deeks began. "I didn't feel like driving so I hopped on the city bus nearest to my place. Just rode it until I felt like getting off, which ended up being downtown somewhere. I'm not sure why, but I found myself standing in front of a jewelry store - you know the kind that puts all those shiny things in the window and then adjusts the lights to make them even more sparkly? Yeah, one of those." Deeks paused and looked at Kensi's eyes, which were sparkling as much as the jewelry in his story.
"I wasn't looking for anything at all, but this ring just completely made me think of you: your beautiful mismatched eyes, your fiery personality, your feminine side that you don't always like to admit you have." Kensi laughed at the truth in his words, which made Deeks smile even wider. He continued, now holding both of her hands in his, the ring box on the blanket between them. "The ring was the perfect mix of sunshine and gunpowder, like you. I didn't know why exactly at the time, and I had no real plans to give it to you, but I bought it right then. Now I want to give it to you – to wear on your right hand – as my promise to you. To always be here for you, to always love you, to be whatever you need me to be. A promise that our lives and our hearts will always be as entwined as the design of this ring."
Deeks sat still, holding Kensi's hands yet, and let his words sink in. He wasn't sure what her reaction would be. Kensi looked into his deep blue eyes for quite a while, sorting through everything internally. Her breathing and heart rate had calmed down. Deeks had said he wasn't proposing yet – something she found to be oddly comforting and disappointing at the same time. Her fears of what had happened the last time a man gave her a ring subsided a bit with the heartfelt words of Deeks' promises. He was genuine, he was trustworthy, and he was patient.
Kensi let go of Deeks' hands and picked up the ring box. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, wondering what she was going to do with it. He watched as she opened the box, took out the ring, and slipped it on her right ring finger. She looked up at him with a single tear trailing down her cheek. "It's perfect."
Deeks' face broke into a broad smile and he felt a tremendous sense of relief that she didn't get scared off completely by this gift of affection. Kensi studied her hand a little more, twisting her hand this way and that in the remaining rays of sunlight.
"I think I'm going to leave it on at work," she simply stated. It was just a few words, but the meaning behind them was enormous. Kensi loved him, wasn't scared after all by this gift from him, and she was ready to be more public about their relationship (beyond the pregnant belly) with their co-workers and friends.
Deeks leaned in and placed his hands on either side of her face. "You're perfect," he whispered just before their lips met. The sun set, but neither one noticed.