I don't own NCIS Los Angeles! My native language is Dutch and I'm dyslectic so sorry for any mistakes. Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites!

Sorry for the long wait (don't hate me for it!), but today is my last day in Oxford. The EF course took so much of my time. But soon I will be home again =(, and I'll update more often! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 9

The first thing Kensi felt when she woke up was her back. The half lying, half sitting position in combination with being thrown against a wall was really hurting her back. But the pain seemed to lessen when she looked down, seeing Narah asleep, her head resting against Kensi's side. Carefully Kensi moved her head onto a pillow and she slipped out of the bed, trying to reach the living room without a sound. When she reached the living room she grabbed her phone to call Deeks. She wanted to hear him. Apologizing for pushing him away. Maybe invite him for breakfast or for lunch. But his voicemail went to voicemail. When Kensi glanced out of the window she knew Deeks had gone to the beach, to catch some waves. With the phone in her hands, Kensi looked out of the window for awhile. Then she decided to make some pancakes for breakfast. While Kensi was preparing, a sleepy Narah walked into the living room with a hand at the back of her neck.

'Good morning,' Kensi smiled. 'Did you sleep well?' Narah shrugged.

'Does your neck hurt as well?' she asked and Kensi smiled.

'No but I know how that happened,' she answered. 'Would pancakes for breakfast make it better?' Narah nodded with a huge smile on her face, seemingly more awake.

'What are we going to do today?' she asked while Kensi put the first pancake on her plate. 'Do you and Marty have to work? Or are you free like normal people?'

'We are very normal people,' Kensi laughed. 'And actually we have the day off without any plans yet. Is there anything you want to do?' Narah shook her head as she stuffed a big part of the pancake in her mouth. Kensi laughed at the sight of her stuffed cheeks and Narah had to laugh as well, almost spitting out her pancake.

'I come in peace with doughnuts,' Deeks' voice sounded and Kensi glanced at Narah, who smiled. Deeks walked into the living room and handed Kensi the box with doughnuts. Kensi pulled his head closer and kissed him.

'I'm sorry about last night,' she whispered. Deeks sat down on the couch, smiling.

'All forgiven,' he said with a grin on his face and Narah started to laugh as well. 'So what are we watching?'

'Top Model,' Narah answered. 'Did you know those shows are fun to watch?' Deeks glanced at Kensi, who smiled at him.

'No I did not know,' he said as he stroked Kensi's hair. 'So how did you girls sleep?'

'Horribly,' Narah answered, not understanding that the question was mainly meant for Kensi. 'My neck hurts like hell! But Kensi made delicious pancakes.'

'Since when can you cook?' Deeks joked.

'You won't let me cook,' Kensi answered him. 'So that is why you never knew.'

'Do you have plans for today?' Narah asked. 'Or are you staying with us?'

'What are your plans?' Deeks asked curiously.

'No plans yet,' Kensi told him, patting his leg.

'What about going to the mall?' Deeks asked and Kensi and Narah looked weirdly at him, like he was joking. Deeks shrugged. 'Hey, I happened to know that both of you need new clothes. So why not go to the mall to get them? A nice day out…and I can have a men's day.'

'With whom?' Kensi asked him. 'Monty?'

'You have to know he is awesome company to have,' Deeks answered, 'And I think a girls' day will be good for you…so a day at the mall it is!'

'I will be back in two hours,' Deeks told Kensi and Narah as they were standing in the middle of a big shopping mall. 'You can only call me if you're going to need longer to finish. Kensi; try to enjoy this and Narah; this is no charity. You will be working to pay us back.' Kensi and Narah glanced at each other, not quite knowing how to react to Deeks.

'You're so dead if you leave us here,' Kensi told him. Deeks grinned as he stepped backwards.

'This is all out of love,' he smiled and he turned around. He walked away laughing. Narah glanced around and then she looked at Kensi.

'So…where do we start?' Narah asked. Kensi looked at the people who were walking around, carrying all kind of bags and she sighed. She so did not like shopping.

'Let's go to a big clothes shop and just get over with it,' she told Narah. Narah pointed at a sign near the stairs which told them that the clothes stores were at the second and third floor. Reluctantly they started their journey upstairs. They walked past the stores, looking into the windows for something they liked.

'What about a hair dresser?' Kensi said to the teenager. 'Do you need a hair cut?' Narah glanced at the hair and then shrugged.

'Maybe…' she said. 'Maybe we should get clothes first.'

'Maybe that is a good plan,' Kensi said and they continued.

'So what are you going to do with Marty for dropping us here?' Narah asked smiling and Kensi started to smile as well.

'Well…I don't know yet,' she answered. 'But we are stuck here for two hours…so I think we can come up with something…' Narah stopped at one window and pointed at a T-shirt.

'What about that one?' she asked. Kensi also took a look.

'Shall we see inside?' she asked and Narah nodded.

Deeks looked around to see if he could find Kensi and Narah. About two hours ago they had called him that he could come later. Now, four hours later since he dropped them off, it was time for him to pick them up. When he saw them, his mouth fell open. Kensi and Narah were sitting on a bench with a drink in their hands, surrounded by so many bags. And Narah's hair was shorter. Now it just reached her shoulders.

'Hey,' Kensi greeted him and she kissed him. 'We're done with shopping.'

'Well I think we ran out of money,' Deeks told her shocked.

'What?' Narah asked and she glanced at the bags. 'This is not that many. We saw that one woman…' Kensi and Narah started to laugh and Deeks looked confused.

'What happened with Kensi and Narah?' he asked them. 'What did you do with them?'

'You wanted us to go to the mall,' Narah laughed and Deeks nodded.

'Yes, I think I created two monsters,' he said. 'Okay, grab those bags and let's get to the car. See if it all fits inside.'

'That woman will have more trouble,' Kensi said. 'She had like twenty bags. Her husband was following her with more bags in his hands…next time you should come along to carry the bags…but I think Narah has everything she needs right now.'

'I am really never letting you go to the mall ever again,' Deeks said as he hauled several bags to the car. 'There are four pairs of shoes in these bags!'

'And there should be more,' Narah said. 'That's what you get when you buy clothes for a second hand child.' Kensi put her arm around Narah's shoulder.

'Well, you are no longer a second hand child,' she replied. 'You're completely new now.' Deeks smiled as he watched them. It had been a good idea to give them a girls' day, no matter how much money it had cost him. It was all worth it to see two big smiles on their faces.

'How is everything going with your homework?' Kensi asked when they were at home again. Narah was sitting on the couch with her phone once again in her hands. She barely acknowledged Kensi's question. She simply mumbled a bit.

'We did not hear that,' Deeks told her and Narah sighed annoyed.

'I don't have homework,' she told them and she stood up, looking at Deeks and Kensi. 'Can I please go to my friends? They asked me to come.'

'No,' Deeks answered firmly and Narah's face turned angry. 'Sorry Narah, it's late and I'm not feeling up to driving you right now. And we still need to speak about two days ago when you decided to skip school and didn't come home till eleven pm, without saying a word about your whereabouts.'

'Jeez, it was one day,' Narah answered annoyed. 'I came home safely in the end! Why do you care so much?!'

'We're your foster parents,' Kensi said. 'We're supposed to care.'

'No, you're supposed to collect my money and leave me to do whatever I want to do,' Narah shouted. 'That is what foster parents do! They don't care about stupid homework! Not about skipping school! Nor the time I get home! They don't care at all!' Tears were streaming down Narah's face. 'And they always leave! Always…' With those words she ran to the spare bedroom, slamming the door closed, leaving both Deeks and Kensi both speechless.

'We need to learn to handle this better,' he stumbled and he sighed.

'Well, this is a confusing time for her,' Kensi said. 'Everything is changing for her…maybe we need to bring structure back…with rules. Every functioning family has rules right. So we need to get rules.'

'And punishments,' Deeks added. 'She came home way too late and we did nothing about it. No punishment…We need to improve as parents. We should ask Sam advice.' Kensi shook her head.

'No, we're her foster parents,' she said. 'We should be able to handle this on our own. So what kind of rules did you have growing up?'

'Don't make daddy angry,' Deeks answered bitterly and he sighed. 'We better use your rules. Your dad seemed like an amazing one so I bet he had good rules.' Kensi smiled and she nodded.

'He did have some good rules,' she said. 'Though at that time I did not agree of course.'

'We located four of the girls and women,' Callen told Deeks and Kensi when they arrived at the Ops center for work. 'They were not yet out of the country. The FBI and Eric and Nell are still looking. The FBI decided to speak with Aaron McKinney, who attacked you.' Deeks noticed a stiffening in Kensi's movement and he placed his hand on her back. But he did not get a grateful look from Kensi so he removed his hand again.

'Can't we speak to him?' Kensi wondered and Callen shook his head.

'The FBI isn't releasing McKinney to us,' he answered.

'All we're allowed to do is hope for Eric and Nell to locate the other twenty-three girls and women,' Sam answered. 'We have found evidence of the traffickers leaving to Mexico and Russia with the girls and women. Interpol has been put on alert as well.'

'So again we can do nothing?' Kensi asked, now getting annoyed. 'First the youth center case and now this case? Is this going to happen from now on?'

'Kens, calm down,' Callen told her gently. 'Being forced off this case by the FBI and Interpol means we can look into the youth center case.'

'Not before all the paperwork is finished, Mister Callen,' Hetty announced. 'I still need a statement of Miss Blye about what happened and the paperwork of this case. There have been made quite some expenses on this case.' The small woman turned to Kensi. 'And you need to speak to a psychologist.' Kensi sighed.

'I don't need that,' she said. 'I am fine. I spoke with Deeks!' Deeks lifted his head up when he heard his name. He was scanning through his paperwork. Kensi gave him a meaningful look and he just nodded.

'I still want you to talk to a professional, Miss Blye,' Hetty told her. 'Before the end of this week.' She turned around and left the team to their selves again. To their paperwork.

'Two weeks and we have been called by the school twice now in regard to Narah,' Deeks sighed as he and Kensi drove once again to Narah's school. 'And again because she did not behave!' Kensi smiled reassuring at him.

'It will be something small,' she assured him. 'Narah is a good girl…just a bit conflicted at the moment.' Deeks raised his eyebrows at her.

'Why are you so calm?' he asked her.

'Because I have misbehaved in High School as well,' she answered. 'Never something really bad – turn right – nothing that got me expelled. And school doesn't call when it's bad. The principle would call. This was just a teacher.' Deeks took a deep breath and soon he parked the car near the school. Together they walked inside where they saw Narah sitting on a bench next to an office door. Both hurried over to here.

'What the hell happened!' Kensi asked, slightly freaked out when she saw Narah's black eye. Narah shrugged and crossed her arms. Kensi crouched down in front of her. 'Did someone punch you?'

'Miss Monero decided it was a good idea to hit one of the students,' an older male told them, as he appeared out of the office. He extended his hand. 'Mister Stratosky, Narah's math teacher.'

'What happened?' Deeks asked.

'First of all, who are you?' Mister Stratosky asked. 'I'm only authorized to answer such question to the parents or the guardians of the student.' Deeks and Kensi both showed their badge and Mister Stratosky seemed to straighten up, making Narah smile.

'NCIS agent Kensi Blye en LAPD detective Marty Deeks,' Kensi introducing themselves. 'We're Narah's foster parents. So you can tell us and we would like to know it now.' Mister Stratosky nodded nervously.

'Of course…' he stumbled. 'Miss Monero started to get violent out of nowhere and attacked another student. Without any warning. I barely managed to pull them apart, explaining Miss Monero's eye injury…' Deeks and Kensi glanced at Narah. 'The other student was less lucky with a broken nose. Miss Monero refuses to speak about her motives for the attack.'

'We will deal with it,' Deeks told the man. 'We're very sorry for what has happened.'

'But that is not the policy of our…' Mister Stratosky started to agrue but Kensi interrupted him.

'We will deal with it!'

'Narah, we have decided there are going to be some rules,' Deeks told the teenager when they were sitting at the table at Kensi's place, Narah holding an icepack against her eye. 'Because we will no longer tolerate this behavior of you…for which there is some blame with us as well for never setting any rules.' Narah shrugged as she has done so many times before but Deeks and Kensi noticed something new. Some sadness in Narah's posture.

'But we also know that we can't just give you rules,' Kensi continued. 'We need rules as well, since we are new to raising a child. So we're going to set up some rules everyone can agree to.' Again they got a shrug as reaction. Kensi pushed a piece of paper towards Narah. 'We want you to give us the first rule and write it down on the paper.' Narah raised her eyebrows but grabbed the pen Deeks offered her.

'Okay,' she said and she thought. 'Rule number one: no controlling or tracking.' Deeks and Kensi nodded. That one they could understand.

'Rule number one for you: no skipping school,' Deeks said. 'And homework before anything else, including using your phone.'

'Come on!' Narah protested. 'I might need the phone to ask my friends for help!'

'You can ask one of us,' Deeks replied.

'Like you are ever here,' Narah mumbled and she threw the pen down.

'One of the rules we also had was no big mouth,' Kensi answered and Narah rolled with her eyes. But as they progressed, Narah became more willing to add rules. Not only for Deeks and Kensi, but for herself as well. And in half an hour they finished their rules.

'Which one is going to be the hardest to follow?' Kensi asked Narah as the teenager read them over.

'Homework first without any contact with the rest of the world,' she answered. 'Without a doubt! But I am going to try it.' Deeks and Kensi smiled, more hopeful of success this time.

TBC.