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!

Chapter 18

Thank God for Mister Gardner's biology class, Narah thought relieved when she was sitting with her friends around a table and the teacher was more out than in the class.

'So how are you getting us into the precinct this time?' Ming asked with a playful smile on her face. 'I rather like one of those cops.' Narah laughed.

'I will not get you arrested again,' she assured her friends.

'But what about your mom?' Emily asked confused. 'You were really trying to find her...we went to some druggies' layer to see if the big drugs dealer could tell us where your mom was. People only do stupid things when there're desperate...especially you.' Narah raised her eyebrow at her friend, not knowing to be offended or not.

'What do you mean "especially me"?' It came out more forceful than she intended.

'Calm down, Nah,' Emily said quickly. 'I didn't mean it in a bad way...but more like...well because the gang is after you. You don't go much out on the streets these days...'

'Em is right,' Ivan joined in. 'Everyone here knows Ice Cool supplies Fratres Armis. We were lucky there were no members or that no one recognized the big snitch.' Narah looked angrily at Ivan.

'Don't call me a snitch!' she hissed at him. ''Cause I am not! I tried to protect everyone! Do you think I like being away from these streets? But I have to! And beside NCIS is not like the cops!'

'Wow, Nah, calm down girl!' Ming told her as she put hand on Narah's shoulder. 'No need to flip out.' Narah leaned back and crossed her arms, glancing angrily and hurt at her friends. Did they really see her as a snitch?

'Miss Monero, please try to participate actively in the group assignment,' Mister Gardner told her, choosing that exact moment to walk back into the room and check up on them.

'I will,' Narah smiled fakely and she grabbed the assignment papers. Mister Gardner nodded contently and walked away once again.

'Okay, what we meant was: what is the next step in finding your mom?' Ivan asked. Narah shrugged. She didn't know anymore. She didn't know if it was still worth trying to find her mother. Could there be a reason why she was so hard to find? Could it be a sign?

Deeks walked into the corridor after checking the perimeter of Lewis' house when he caught some of Kensi's conversation on the phone as he walked into the room.

'Okay, keep me update on your findings.' She ended the call quickly and looked at Deeks, who was standing in the door opening. He waited for her to say something and it seemed like she did the same.

'Oh, excuse me,' Xandra Lewis apologized as she moved passed Deeks. 'I just need to get my sun glasses quickly...oh and Cooper is in the garden if you're looking for him. He's going to meet Melissa.'

'He never said anything about that,' Deeks answered surprised. Xandra raised her eyebrows.

'Would you when you want a quiet moment with your girlfriend instead of a moment with your girlfriend and two Special Agents?' she asked him. 'So just let him.' Deeks and Kensi hurried to the garden, only to see Cooper get in the car and drive off. They ran to the car and followed him.

'Did Eric and Nell find anything?' Deeks asked Kensi.

'No, not yet,' she answered and Deeks had the feeling something was off. He wanted to continue asking Kensi when he noticed a dark SUV behind them without any plates.

'Kens, dark SUV, no plates,' Deeks reported to Kensi, who glanced in the rearview mirror and she sped up some more, closing in on Cooper's car. Deeks grabbed his phone and called Cooper.

'Cooper, there is a possible tail. I need you to turn right and just drive. If he follows, we know it's a tail.'

'Detective Deeks...it's just a car. I am meeting Meli...' Cooper's answer was cut short as Deeks and Kensi saw a car from the left ram into Cooper's car. Kensi had to brake and turn the car not to hit Cooper's mangled car. They both jumped out with their guns ready. A man tried to get out of the car that rammed Cooper's, but had the bad luck of crushing his door.

'NCIS, don't move,' Deeks ordered him with his gun pointed at the man's head. 'Hands on the wheel. How is Cooper, Kens?'

'Unconscious, I'm calling the EMTs,' she yelled at him. Deeks turned around to see if he could see the dark SUV, but it was gone.

'I freaking told you to protect my family!' Commander Lewis yelled angrily as he barged into the waiting room where Deeks and Kensi were sitting, waiting for news on Cooper. 'I told you that were after my son! You had to protect him and now he is in the hospital!'

'Honey, calm down,' Xandra said and she put her hand gently on her husband's shoulder but he shrugged it off, being too angry to be comforted.

'They called me freaking paranoid!' he yelled. 'I was making it all up! Now look what happened! Am I still paranoid?!'

'Commander Lewis...' Deeks tried but he was interrupted by a man in scrubs walking into the waiting room.

'Family of Cooper Lewis?' Commander Lewis' facial expression immediately softened and he turned to the doctor, with his wife at his side.

'I'm Commander Lewis, his father,' he said. 'How is my son? Can I see him?'

'I'm doctor Parker and I have treated your son at his arrival ,' the doctor started. 'Your son was very lucky that the agents were near; it could have been a lot worse. He broke his arm and has a severe concussion, but it should heal by itself with the proper amount of rest...And of course you can see him, but start with two at the time.' The commander nodded and with his wife he followed the doctor to their son. Callen and Sam, who had arrived alongside the Commander and his wife, stepped towards Deeks and Kensi who were sitting defeated in the chairs.

'What happened?' Sam wanted to know.

'I noticed a car behind us and when we gave Cooper instructions to shake off the tail...he was suddenly rammed by another car from the left,' Deeks explained.

'The tail was probably a distraction,' Kensi added. 'It was a bit strange that they would use a dark SUV without plates to tail Cooper. It's too obvious for a tail car.' Callen and Sam nodded in agreement.

'Did the driver from the other car survived?' Callen asked.

'Kind of,' Deeks answered. 'That guy will be somewhere upstairs...or maybe he died on the way over...he was pretty bad.'

'And you two are okay?' Sam asked worried and Deeks and Kensi nodded.
'Bit of a painful stop,' Deeks admitted. 'But otherwise fine.'

'Yeah, but then again you are a bit sensitive,' Kensi couldn't help to remark and Deeks smiled.

'But you know you love that,' he replied and he gave her a little nudge.

'Oh yeah, you two are fine,' Sam laughed.

'You want to go home and have the evening off?' Callen asked them.

'No, we're really fine,' Kensi answered. 'Beside, we now know the threat was real so we need to find the people behind this before someone really gets killed.'

'Okay, but then you can start by finding out how things are with the driver from the other car,' Callen told them. 'See if he's alive and awake yet...for now it's probably best to keep you two away from the Commander till Cooper is out of the hospital.'

'Okay, I understand...don't worry about it. Of course she can stay here.'

Narah sighed as she listened in on Julia's conversation over the phone with probably Kensi. It seemed like she was staying the night with Julia, in her fancy house. Narah pushed her homework out of the way, no longer feeling like making it, and walked out of the room. She had better things to do than listening to Julia babbling with Kensi about how was it was absolutely no problem that Narah stayed with her. But no one thought about asking her. She would be fine staying at Deeks' apartment. She would have Monty to protect her and the number of Ops on speed dial. It would be nothing like the night at Kensi's place. That man would not return. A little shiver went down the girl's spine as she thought back to that terrifying night. She still hadn't returned to Kensi's place, afraid of what could have happened. But at Deeks' apartment she would be safe. The gang had forgotten about her. They left her alone. There was no longer a threat.

'Hey Narah,' Julia said as she entered the study where Narah had ended up walking lost in her thoughts. 'Deeks and Kensi are caught up with their case, there for you are staying here for the night, okay?'

'Will you bring me home when I tell you it's not okay?' Narah asked and Julia took a breath.

'No, I would not.'

'Then why bother asking me?'

'You're right...' Narah looked up at Julia, who was nodding. 'So Narah, let's put it this way: you are staying here for the night. I will make the guest room ready now, so if you follow me, you can see where you sleep tonight.' Narah sighed and reluctantly she followed Julia upstairs. In the guest room, she couldn't help letting her mouth fall open with amazement.

'This room is freaking big!' she exclaimed. 'My friends will never believe that I slept in a freaking ballroom!' As she turned around, she saw Julia smiling at her.

'What?' she asked and Julia shrugged, walking slowly towards her.

'It's nice to see you so enthusiastic,' she explained. 'Never really saw you like this.' Narah shrugged this time.

'Not really much to be so enthusiastic about when you're in protection because a gang probably wants to kill you for talking.'

'True,' Julia nodded. 'Well, I have extra blankets in case you get cold and some pillows if you need them.' She walked over to a closet and opened it, revealing a big flat screen. 'You can watch some TV if you want to...and I will check on you later.' She handed the remote to Narah, who immediately let herself fall on the bed.

'No need to check on me,' the girl managed to say. 'I'm not planning on moving.' The woman smiled.

'I promised Kensi I would,' she replied. 'Oh, there are some clothes in the closet...like some sleepwear and some toiletries in the bathroom. Just grab what you need.' Narah nodded while she zapped past the many channels.

Kensi had asked Callen if she could leave for just two hours and as she had guessed, he said yes. She did notice the questioning look in his eyes while she asked. But she could not explain. Just not yet. She looked at the address that was on her screen. She had looked at the address so many times, she could dream it now. It was like the house was staring at her and Kensi glanced at it one more time, doubting if she should go. The house itself showed nothing to be afraid of, but the idea of it scared Kensi. She was not ready to face all of this. She took a deep breath, knowing it was something she had to do. So Kensi laid her phone on the passenger seat and stepped out of the car. An older lady passing by smiled politely at her, like she was telling Kensi there was nothing to worry about. Slowly Kensi walked toward the big brown door and suddenly she wished Deeks was by her side. He would know a way to make this less nerve wrecking with one of his jokes or stories. But he was not here. He was at the hospital and Kensi was on her own. She lifted her hand and knocked on the door. A young woman opened the door with a big smile on her face, but it disappeared as she saw Kensi.

'Alice Monero?' Kensi asked the woman and the woman looked suspiciously at Kensi. Then she nodded.

TBC.

Okay exams are over and almost all the research reports and essays are finished, so time to write ^^ Though of course in a week it starts all over again. But as long as you're patient, you will get more chapters...eventually. Also being split into two places with two different laptops, isn't that easy...since I am not that smart to send all the chapters to the other laptop xD

Anyway, more importantly: a big thanks to my sister for checking all my chapters time after time and a congratulations to her for becoming second in a writing contest ^^