I don't own NCIS Los Angeles! My native language is Dutch and I'm dyslectic so sorry for any mistakes.

Yes I am still alive...but I just moved out of the house, I had introduction week of the uni and my study is starting like Tuesday! So I have been really busy these last couple of weeks...without time to update this story. I feel terribly sorry and I hope you did not give up reading it. I hope you can enjoy it, even after the long wait. I will really update again tomorrow. That is a promise from me to you, my lovely readers (yes, it's late and that makes me a little crazy). So I hope I made up for the long wait (again: sorry!)

Chapter 11

'Are you really wearing that?' Kensi asked Deeks when she walked into his bedroom and saw him standing in front of the mirror. Deeks looked confused from his reflection to Kensi.

'What is wrong with this?' he asked her. Kensi took a few steps towards him.

'Nothing…but you always wear something like this,' she said. 'Maybe…something a little more formal? It is dinner at my mom's place…' Deeks turned around to face her and put his hands around her waist.

'Are you still sure you want to do this?' he asked and Kensi adverted her eyes. 'We can always just eat dinner and not ask her…if that makes you feel more comfortable. Or tell her that Narah has become sick and we can't possible leave her on her own.' Kensi shook her head slowly.

'I shouldn't be worried about the clothes you're wearing to the dinner,' she sighed. 'But I don't want it to see like…like we find it something normal…' Deeks touched her cheek.

'It should have been normal,' he whispered at her. 'And it will be, some day. You and your mom just have to get used to the mother-daughter thing. Just like we had to with Narah.' Kensi glanced at Deeks and for a few minutes they stared at each other. 'I mean it in a fosterparent-fosterdaughter kind of way, of course.'

'Of course,' Kensi said and she took a step backwards, away from Deeks arms. 'I am going to check if Narah is ready.' Deeks nodded.

'And I will pick another shirt,' he said and Kensi kissed him.

'You're too good for me,' she whispered at him and she quickly left the room. Outside she stood still. The moment had been strange. But it was not something she should think about right now. She took a deep breath to shake it off and she knocked on the bathroom door. When she heard mumbling she took it as permission to enter and she opened the door. Narah was sitting on the toilet with the lid closed. Kensi noticed she was looking tired.

'Are you almost ready?' she asked gently and Narah shrugged. Kensi entered the room. 'What is wrong, Narah? Would you rather stay home?'

'Can I?' she softly mumbled. Kensi took another deep breath.

'Thank you, Callen,' Kensi said relieved when she and Deeks dropped Narah off at Callen's place. Narah had walked inside rather quickly.

'No problem,' he said. 'Sam canceled our plans of drinking a beer so I have the time. And don't worry about picking her up. I can drop her off at school tomorrow. Then you can have an evening off.' Deeks and Kensi nodded and they continued their journey to Julia's house. The drive was quiet. Kensi waited a little longer in the car when they had arrived at the house. It was still strange for her to walk over to the house. To wait for her mother to open the door. To wait for her mother. She was still so used to her life without her mother. But each time Julia opened the door and smiled at her, Kensi's heart made a small jump. A jump of joy or sadness. Kensi had not yet determined that.

'Come inside,' Julia smiled warmly as she held the door open for Deeks and Kensi. 'No problem getting here?' Kensi shook her head as she passed her mother. The three of them walked into the living room and all sat down on the couch.

'Umm, Narah wasn't feeling too well, so she couldn't come,' Deeks told Julia, trying to break the uncomfortable atmosphere a little.

'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,' Julia replied and the silence fell again. Deeks was looking around in the room, Kensi's eyes were glued to the coffee table and Julia's eyes were glued to her daughter.

'It sure smells good, Miss Feldman,' Deeks said in another attempt. 'What are you making that smells so good?'

'Oh, please call me Julia,' she smiled and she glanced at Kensi. 'I made lasagna…it used to be Kensi's favorite when she was a little girl.' Deeks nodded interested and Julia took a deep breath. 'Well…umm…can I get you anything to drink? Some water or soda? Wine?' The way she said 'wine' sounded like she longed for a glass herself. And maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe some alcohol could take away the awkwardness.

'I would like some wine,' Kensi answered. 'Can I…umm…help you with anything?' Julia shook her head.

'No, the lasagna is in the oven and should be ready soon and I can get the drinks myself,' she answered Kensi. 'Mister Deeks, what would you like?'

'For you to please call me Deeks…or Marty,' Deeks answered with a smile. 'Mister Deeks reminds me too much of my boss.' Kensi smiled a little and Julia nodded. 'Oh and a soda is fine for me.' Julia nodded and she walked to the kitchen.

Narah sat on the only chair in the living room. He had only one chair. No couch. No TV. She looked around. He actually had nothing at all. A chair and some tin box. The way it stood prominently on the mantelpiece told her it must be important to Callen.

'So,' Callen slowly said as he came back from the kitchen with a mug with water for Narah and a beer for himself. Narah wasn't even surprised he didn't have a glass. A man that did not have a couch would definitely not have a glass.

'So,' Narah repeated and she looked at her feet. At her new shoes. At her new jeans. At her new top. She was in all new clothes. She sighed at the same moment as Callen and she glanced at him.

'What do you normally do?' Callen asked. 'When you're home?'

'Watch TV…' Narah answered and Callen nodded. 'What do you do?'

'Practice my Russian,' Callen answered and this time Narah nodded. 'Did you finish your book already?' Narah smiled and remember how he had sat down beside her. How he made her feel a little safer for some reason. As if he was the one who could really understand her. And he seemed really interested in what book she was reading.

'Finished it many times,' she answered him and she glanced at her bag beside her. The book was inside it. She took it almost everywhere. Suddenly she needed to know something. 'Do you have something from your parents?'

'Just memories,' Callen answered saddened. 'I was young when I lost my parents.'

'And then you ended up in the system,' she said and Callen nodded.

'Yes, I ended up in a system where no one wanted me,' he answered. 'My home was always temporary. This house has been my home the longest. For two years now…and three months when I was a child…' Narah looked around and this time with other eyes. This had been the place he stayed the longest with a foster parent. Three months.

'Wow, Julia, the lasagna was really great,' Deeks told Julia when they had finished their dinner. At the start the silence was still present but as the evening progress the small talk started. 'Did you do something special with it?' Kensi glanced at her mother and saw the sadness in her eyes. 'I made it with extra love.' That was what Julia used to say when Kensi was still a little girl and asked the same thing.

'Umm…nothing special,' Julia answered with a saddened smile. 'Can I get you a desert? I have ice cream…cookie dough…' She glanced again at Kensi.

'I would love some,' Kensi answered with a smile.

'Good, otherwise I would have been stuck with the ice cream,' Julia said, attempting to joke and Deeks and Kensi smiled, just to be polite. 'Would you like something as well, Marty?'

'I would like some ice cream as well,' he answered. Julia quickly gathered the plates and left the room.

'That went well, right?' Deeks said to Kensi, who slowly nodded.

'Only Narah wasn't here and the plan was for them to meet,' she replied. 'Now we can't ask her…'

'Ask me what?' Julia asked who walked in that exact moment with bowls and the ice cream. She put them down and gave both of them the ice cream. 'What do you want to ask me, Kensi?' Deeks nodded encouraging at Kensi and she just glared at him.

'We meant to bring Narah along so that you could meet her,' Kensi started to explain. 'About a week ago a man tried to break into my house, when Narah was home alone. He was long gone when Deeks and I got there…only now we don't want to leave her alone and we wanted to ask you…' She glanced at Deeks for a little help, but received it from her mother.

'…if I could take care of her while you two are at work?' Julia finished.

'Actually…yes,' Deeks answered.

'I see,' Julia replied slowly.

'But now you haven't met her and would it just be weird to ask this of you…' Kensi rambled. 'And I don't want it to be weird…it is already a weird situation…and…' She abruptly stopped when Julia put her hand on Kensi's. Since the day Kensi had seen Julia again for the first time in fifteen years, she had not been touched like this by her mother. When she realized she was staring at her hand, she looked up. Julia was smiling at her. All Kensi could see was her mother's smile. It was different from what she remembered. It was sadder.

'If it helps you when I take care of her, I will,' Julia slowly told her. 'She is your child, so she must be a good child.' Kensi couldn't find the right words. She could find no words at all.

'Are you sure, Julia?' Deeks asked for her and Julia nodded.

'I will be happy to help you,' she said and she patted her daughter's hand. 'This can be a chance to do things better.' Kensi bowed her head.

'Thank you, Julia,' Deeks said, as he realized he would be the only one who could do some talking. Julia and Kensi were just looking at each other.

Narah could not sleep for some reason. Callen did not have a bed – not surprising at all – so she was back to sleeping on an air mattress and in a sleeping bag. She would have thought it was easy to fall asleep since she was used to sleeping like this. But she could not sleep. She had got used to sleeping in a bed. And maybe the fact that Callen seemed to be taking apart some electric machine could be a reason. The way the screwdriver made contact with the metallic side. Narah sighed and she gave up. She crawled out of the sleeping bag and she grabbed her jacket. She did not feel like talking to Callen but neither could she stay any longer in this room which felt so small. She walked over to the window and opened it. The fresh breeze welcomed her and she stuck her arms outside. It was nice outside. She looked back inside and the light in the kitchen was still on. She doubted for a moment but then she grabbed her phone and climbed out of the window. A rush of adrenaline came over her. She was escaping the house of a trained agent…with ease. She walked to the road and started to run. She started to run to nowhere special. She just went running. She ran passed all of the dark houses. Everyone seemed to be asleep in the neighbor, except her. She was running.

She kept running till every muscle in her legs hurt and she had reached the beach. Panting she sat down in the sand, which was still warm. That did surprise her. Not that Callen had no furniture or that nothing happened with the youth center case. No, that did not surprise her. But that the sand was still warm, did. It was nice to sit in the warm sand after a tiring run. If she just laid down…if she could find the calmness. But the calmness did not come. Narah was on edge. She scanned the area. Why was she so stupid to leave the house? Why did she need to feel free and unprotected?

'It is indeed a nice night for sitting on the beach,' a male voice said and Narah turned around, her heart beating fast in her chest. Her eyes met blue eyes and her heart relaxed as Callen sat down beside her. 'You could have told me you wanted to sleep on the beach, Narah.'

'I…umm…I…' Narah could not find a reply. 'How?'

'I am a trained agent,' Callen answered her. 'I heard you getting out of your sleeping bag and how you climbed out of the window.' Narah blushed for her foolish thinking that she was smarter than Callen, the trained agent. 'But I thought you would like a run so I tailed you. You're a fast runner.'

'Thank you,' Narah smiled. Then she looked at him. 'Are you going to tell Deeks and Kensi I snuck out of the house?' Callen shook his head.

'Did you sneak out of the house?' he asked her with a smile. 'I thought we were going to sleep on the beach…' He pointed at the bags next to him, which Narah hadn't noticed before. She looked at him with a big smile on her face. Then, out of nowhere, she felt the urge to hug him.

'Thank you,' she whispered in his ear while she hugged him.

To Be Continued Soon
(and that is a promise!)

So that was it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review ^^