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

So here is, as promised, the next chapter. I hope you now can forgive me for the long wait! Chapter 13 and 14 already have been written and only need to be checked by my sister (who I thank for checking each and every time and for doing it so quickly!).

Enjoy chapter 12!

Chapter 12

'Narah, your phone is vibrating,' Deeks told the teenager from the couch. Narah, who was sitting at the table, shrugged and continued working on her homework. Her phone kept vibrating. Deeks sighed and tried to read the paper, but the buzzing sound was a big distraction.

'Don't you want to know who is calling you?' he asked, putting his paper down again. Again Narah shrugged and she played with the pencil in her hand. Deeks got up and walked over to the table to grab the phone but Narah was faster.

'I will turn it off,' she told him. Deeks sighed and he sat down.

'It was Emily calling,' he said. 'Why aren't you talking to her? Did something happen today at school?'

'No, nothing happened,' Narah answered annoyed. 'I just don't feel like talking to her. I am trying to make my homework! Is that such a crime?' Deeks was surprised by her answer and he decided to leave it alone. Leave her to do her homework and call Kensi, who was having an evening with her mother, to ask her about it. Girls are always closer to each other. When he looked up at her, he could see tears in Narah's eyes, threatening to fall. Something was definitely going on.

'I'm going to take Monty for a walk,' he announced to her. 'Do you want to join us to the beach? Or do you have much homework to make.' Narah shook her head at first but then she nodded. 'Yes or no, Narah?' He had tried to bring it with a smile but seeing Narah's face, he had failed.

'I'm staying to finish my homework,' she told him. 'Big test coming up.' Deeks nodded and he called for Monty, who came happily walking towards him.

'Okay, well we won't be gone long,' Deeks said. 'Good luck with your homework and call when you ne…'

'Bye,' Narah cut him off and Deeks just left his apartment.

'She simply refuses to talk about it,' Deeks told Kensi over the phone and he sounded very worried to Kensi. 'And there is definitely something going on. What teenage girl turns off her phone? I was surprised she even knew how to turn off her phone.' Kensi smiled weakly and when she turned she saw her mother looking at her.

'Deeks, can we talk tomorrow? My mom and I are just about to start dessert…and then we can think about everything before drawing conclusions. Friends fight sometimes. It is what makes it a teenage friendship.'

'Did you fight with the girl you normally spoke to every evening before dinner and then again before you went to sleep?'

'Umm…I did not have a friend like that, so I can't tell you. But Deeks, it will be fine. Everyone gets angry sometimes. Narah will get over it. In about a week she will be laughing if she would hear how worried you were.'

'Well sorry I look out for her…but I guess you are right. Maybe I should wait…You should go to your mom and the ice cream. We will talk in the morning. I love you.' Kensi smiled. She loved hearing those words coming from his mouth.

'I love you too.' When she hung up she smiled at Julia before explaining what was going on. 'We have some problem with Narah, who is probably in a fight with one of her friends. Deeks is worried…'

'Girls fight at that age,' Julia smiled and she handed Kensi her bowl of ice cream. 'It's probably about a boy they both like…but I would understand it if you want to go home and talk to Narah.' Kensi shook her head, looking at the ice cream.

'That isn't necessary,' she said. 'Deeks will manage without me…I hope.' Julia nodded and they slowly walked over to the couch. For some time they sat in silence, eating their ice cream.

'I have some videos,' Julia said. 'Of some of our summers…we could watch them if you would like that.' Kensi swallowed slowly. She did not know if she was ready to see her father in the garden, playing with her, like they had no worry in the world. Not knowing within five years Julia would have left them and he had left her alone.

'Or we could do something else,' Julia suggested. 'I have a lot of movies…or maybe we just talk to each other.' The evening had gone so well, but just like always at some point the awkwardness came creeping back in.

'I would like to talk,' Kensi smiled and Julia nodded.

'So tell me about Narah,' she said. 'How did you two meet that girl and decided to foster her? And why do I only hear about her now…you're her foster parents for two months now, right?' Kensi nodded.

'About two months yes,' she said. 'We actually met Narah during a case. She was a witness…the only one who wanted to tell us something. She needed protection and Deeks and I thought we could do it. She looked like she just needed a good second chance for a change. So we decided to take her in…and are still not sure if it was the best thing we could have done for her.'

Deeks had not slept for a moment that night. All he could think about was what was going on with Narah. He thought about every possibility but came up empty each time. So he stood yawning in the line for some coffee. He had just dropped Narah off at school and still had some time before he had to be at work. Enough time to get some needed coffee.

'Here you go, sir,' the lady behind the counter smiled and the amazing smile of coffee reached Deeks. Gratefully he took the cup and took a sip of the hot liquid. It was just what he needed. He paid and got in his car. In the Ops center it was quiet. Not a lot of people were in yet. But Callen, Kensi and Sam were already sitting at their desks.

'Good morning,' Kensi greeted him smiling. Deeks only nodded and he sat down at his desk. Maybe it had been wiser to call in sick. It was hard to keep his eyes open and one coffee wasn't enough to survive the morning, let alone the day.

'Did you get any sleep at all?' Kensi asked him and Deeks shook his head.

'I kind of was going through all the reasons why she would not speak to Emily,' he told her. 'And I came up with so many possibilities and many of them not even really possibilities but just the experiences of being a cop for all these years.'

'They probably just had a fight,' Sam said. 'That's normal for that age.' Deeks saw Kensi suppressing her laugh and he glanced at Sam.

'Just…don't say that,' he told Sam. 'Everyone is already telling me that, but can't I be worried about her? She rather made her homework than call with her friend.'

'Don't worry about it, Deeks,' Callen assured him. 'Narah will tell you about it, when she is ready.' Deeks took a deep breath and the last sip of his coffee. Now he needed to find something more before…

'I have a case for you,' Hetty announced and they all curious looked at her. 'A friend of mine called; his granddaughters are missing. If you would all join Mister Beale and Miss Jones. They will be able to tell you more.' Hetty turned around and slowly walked back to her office.

'This sounds serious,' Callen told the team.

'Yeah, she did not even go upstairs,' Deeks agreed. 'Normally she would if she was personally involved with the case…'

'We better go and see what Eric and Nell have for us,' Kensi suggested and they all walked upstairs.

'Jasmine and Gwen Hasting,' Nell told the team while two pictures of young girls turned up on the screen. Two girls smiling happily. 'Jasmine is fourteen and Gwen is ten years old. They did not get home after school. Their father John Hasting called the cops pretty soon. He told them that his girl would never be late. Not after his wife died.'

'Leanne Hasting died in a car accident after she went to get the groceries,' Eric continued from Nell's story. 'She died on impact. Hasting and his daughters were only told after a day. She died three years ago and since a couple of months Hasting has a new girlfriend: Isabelle Rhodens. Hasting said the girls love her and that she loves the girls.'

'They walk home from school or do they take the bus?' Callen asked.

'They walk home according to Hasting,' Eric answered. 'It's only a five minute walk and Isabelle is always home waiting for the girls.'

'Could this have something to do with Hasting's or Isabelle's work?' Sam asked. 'Or someone who wants to get revenge to either one of them?'

'Doesn't seem like it,' Nell answered. 'Hasting works at a private security firm and Isabelle works part-time as a cleaner at a hotel. Neither of them have trouble at work or a criminal record.'

'So who is the grandfather?' Deeks asked curiously and all turned to him. He put his hands up in defense. 'Hey, I am the one asking the question everyone is thinking. Everyone wants to know this contact of Hetty.'

'Some things are meant to be left alone, Mister Deeks.' Deeks jumped and cursed silently when he heard Hetty's voice behind him. Someone really should give that ninja an alarm.

'I guess so,' Deeks smiled at her.

'I suggest you go to the house of the Hastings and find these girls,' Hetty told them and without another sound the team walked out of the room. Outside Kensi punched Deeks in his arm.

'Ouch!' he yelled out while rubbing over his arm. 'Where is the love?'

'The love will come back when you stop asking stupid questions about Hetty and her life,' Kensi answered him. 'Now get in the car.'

There was a dead silence in Deeks' apartment. Narah was sitting at the table, working on her homework, with her phone nowhere to be seen, and Deeks and Kensi were sitting on the couch, watching her. Following every move the teenager made.

'She looks fine to me,' Kensi whispered to Deeks. 'She is making her homework, like she promised she would.' Deeks point at the table.

'Then where is her phone?' he asked. 'She never leaves that thing out of her sight.'

'It might be charging,' Kensi suggested and she stroked Deeks arm. 'Beside, Callen was right: when she is ready, she will tell us.' Deeks took a deep breath and Kensi stroked his hair.

'I hate this,' he said. 'It sucks to be a parent. All I get is worries and no sleep at all. How am I going to survive this?' Kensi laughed and she gave him a tender kiss.

'You will get over it,' she told him. 'Or we get stronger coffee.' Deeks smiled. The oven started to beep and Kensi got up to get the casserole out of the oven.

'Narah, could you...' Deeks asked while he moved towards the table. As he got closer, Narah quickly closed her books, shoving them away. Deeks looked at her and she stared back; not a word was spoken. Kensi put the casserole down without noticing the tension.

'Looks good,' Deeks told her absently and Kensi smiled at him.

Deeks wanted to walk Monty before they went to sleep so he called for the dog. Kensi spent her time without Deeks cleaning up Narah's stuff that was spread all over the table. That girl was even worse than she was with cleaning. It was a wonder that Narah could find her homework every day. Kensi grabbed the tiny pile that could belong to her or Deeks and searched through them to see what she could throw away. Putting them back, her eye fell on one of the papers sticking out of a book. It seemed to be written hastily and with emotions. The paper was crumbled and at some places the writing was smudged by what seemed to be tears . Curiously Kensi sat down with the paper in her hand. It seemed like an assignment for English – which should have been turned in a week ago – and that Narah had to pick a feeling that was close to her. Kensi had to swallow some tears away when she saw what feeling Narah had picked:

Lonely

It's a feeling deep inside that never leaves my side. Always the feeling of loneliness. No matter how many people are around me. I'm alone in this big world. Everyone eventually leaves me. My mother and my father. My foster parents…no matter how much I like them..it always ends.

Soon I get a new family, once again. A new house, new clothes, new rules. A new life. First I dreamed of the new lives I would get each time. But nothing is permanent I discovered. Even the one thing that seems the most consistent changes.

My foster parents took me in because they had to. They were ordered to. It was to protect me. But now the case has turned 'cold' (as it is called). I'm no longer of use to them.

I felt less lonely with them, even though they worked a lot. But they listened to me. They cooked for me. Talked to me. Spent time with me. Gave me rules. They seemed to care about me, but now, now they will just give me away. To the next family. Back into the loneliness…

The paper was not finished and Kensi suspected that Narah had picked another feeling after rereading what she had put down. Something more cheerful. Something that would not alert her teacher. But it did alert Kensi.

Kensi did not show the paper to Deeks when he came back with Monty from their walk. She did not talk about it with Deeks. She first wanted to talk to Narah about it.

To be continued...