So sorry for the late update, but here is a fairly long chapter to make up for it! Really Neric-ish and some great team stuff! Hope you love it! I would love to hear how long you want this story to go. Thanks SO much for reading. :)
"I love you Fern, but you're going down."
"No way, Shaggy. Beale and I are gonna kick your ass."
Nell had partnered herself with Sam, Callen with Deeks, and Eric with Kensi. Nell and Sam were in charge of moving Kensi's boxes into the appropriate rooms, Deeks and Callen were in charge of rearranging their bedroom to accommodate Kensi's furniture and clothes, and Eric and Kensi had the task of moving Kensi's couch and other stuff into the living room.
After each team was given their to-do lists, the race was on.
Callen and Deeks drove to Deeks' apartment to get started, because they didn't have to bring anything with them yet. Kensi and Eric did the same, they would have to come back to get Kensi's couch once they got rid of his.
Nell and Sam started loading boxes into Nell's small SUV.
Callen and Deeks beat Kensi and Eric to their car, but Kensi made up for lost time by driving like a bat out of hell. Eric and Kensi were the first to get to Kensi's apartment, with Callen and Deeks right on their heels.
By the time they got to the door, Eric was in the lead but Callen had pushed him out of the way. Kensi was right behind him, until Deeks grabbed her by the waist and kept her from entering her apartment. They all burst through the unlocked door at the same time, and were surprised to find that they weren't alone.
"Hetty? What are you doing here?" Callen said, his surprise evident in his voice.
"Someone has to oversee this operation. I know what happens when this team is left without supervision. You have nearly wrestled each other to the ground just to get through the front door."
"So you are the official judge Nell was talking about?"
"That's correct Mr. Deeks. Now all of you better get to work before Mr. Hanna and Ms. Jones get here."
They were like a group of children playing together, and Hetty was the mother there to make sure no one hurt themselves.
Around thirty minutes later Nell and Sam arrived with their first load of boxes, and were beginning to unload. Kensi and Eric had almost gotten all of the necessary furniture out of the living room, and were starting to move bookcases and the coffee table. Most of the new partnerships were going smoothly, except for Callen and Deeks.
"Deeks this isn't going to work."
"G, this is my room. Why the hell do I care what you think?"
"Fine, we'll do this your way. But it still isn't going to work and when your dumb plan makes us lose, you're buying dinner."
"You're on. Now shut up and work, if I lose to Kensi she'll never let me forget it."
Hetty walked slowly around the apartment, taking note of each team's progress and trying to decipher which teams were working together successfully for future reference. She noticed that Kensi and Eric worked well as a team because of a mutual hatred of losing to their partners, and Nell and Sam worked well together because Nell had an organized, efficient plan and Sam had the determination and brawn to execute that plan. The reason Callen and Deeks don't work together well is their naturally rebellious personalities. Callen is used to being listened to but during this operation, what Deeks says goes. They had a lot of catching up to do if they had any hope of not finishing last.
"Hetty, Eric and I are going back to get the couch."
"Alright, I expect you to behave yourselves if you happen to bump into Sam and Nell."
"Oh, I always behave myself. But you know how Eric gets around Nell…"
Eric just shook his head and they walked out the door. Hetty walked into the bedroom to find Deeks and Callen arguing yet again.
"Gentlemen, Ms. Blye and Mr. Beale have gone back to get the couch, and Ms. Jones and Mr. Hanna are on their third load of boxes. By my estimation, it would take a miracle for the two of you to not lose this race."
"We'll just have to be miracle workers then."
By the time Kensi and Eric reached her apartment, Nell and Sam were about to leave with their third load.
"You guys are already here?" Nell said.
"Yep. We're gaining on you, Ununoctium." Eric replied.
"You better hurry up, Wolfram. We only have one load after this one." Kensi and Sam were watching the banter between the partners.
"Come on Eric, we've got furniture to move." Kensi loved watching him flirt with Nell, but she had a competition to win. Kensi and Eric went inside the apartment and Nell and Sam got in the car.
"Eric what was that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You and Nell."
"What about me and Nell?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Beale. You and Nell have a thing."
"We do not. She's just my friend."
"Wow, it's weird to be on this side of the table. You're partners that finish each other's sentences, have nicknames for each other that no one else calls you by, and you probably hang out outside of work all the time. Does that sound like anyone else you know?"
"Well yeah, you and Deeks."
"And you realize me and Deeks are moving in together, right? You like Nell, and Nell likes you. Denying it is only making your life harder. Believe me, I know from experience."
Eric really didn't know what to say. He was glad that Kensi moved on and started to move the couch out of her apartment and into the back of his truck. They loaded it, tied it down and raced back to Deeks' apartment. Nell and Sam were already unloading when they got there.
Kensi and Eric jumped out of the car and started to untie the couch. They spotted Nell and Sam outside.
"Are Deeks and Callen still arguing?" Kensi asked.
"Yep. They're way behind. Team CD is going down." Nell replied, never ceasing from her work.
"Team CD. I like that. If they are team CD what are we?" Kensi looked at Eric.
"B&B, Blye and Beale."
"Okay, I like it. Then what are they?"
"They're B&B too, Beauty and the Beast." Eric stopped working to look at Nell. She couldn't stop the blush that rose to her cheeks.
"Thanks, Eric." Nell replied almost sheepishly.
"Hey, wait a minute. How do you know that he meant you were the beauty?" Sam replied with a smile.
"She's definitely the beauty." Eric answered for her.
"Nell come on, we need to go." Sam said. She climbed in the car and Sam drove away. When Eric finally tore his eyes off of the spot she walked away from, he found Kensi staring at him.
"And you guys don't have a thing?" Kensi stated defiantly, with her hands on her hips.
"Come on, Blye. We have a race to win." They carefully carried the couch inside and pushed it into the designated place. Now all they had to do was move the coffee table back and replace some of the small things they had put away to move the bigger furniture.
Nell and Sam walked in the door just as Kensi and Eric released the coffee table. It was a mad dash for first place, Kensi ran around placing things where they needed to go while Eric was throwing books onto the shelves. Nell and Sam were sprinting between the house and the car, throwing boxes into the right rooms. Callen and Deeks had gone back to Kensi's to get her dresser, it was a given that they were going to end up finishing last. The only thing left to do was fight for first place.
"Kensi, I'm done. Is there anything else we need to put away?"
"No, I'm almost done too. Go get Hetty before your Beauty does."
Eric ran into the kitchen to get Hetty, he would have run over her if she hadn't heard him yelling.
"Hetty we're done!"
"Calm down, Mr. Beale." She walked into the living room and started examining Eric and Kensi's work. Just then, Nell bolted into the room, running into Eric in the process. His arms instinctively went around her, and she nearly fell into him. "Hetty we're finished."
"Alright, Ms. Jones. It seems Eric and Kensi have finished. That means you and Mr. Hanna are in second place, and Callen and Deeks get to buy dinner."
Kensi raised her hands above her head in victory, and gave Eric a high five. Eric looked down to Nell, who was still standing very close to him. She whispered quietly: "If I had to lose to anyone, I'm glad it was you Wolfram." He was hoping no one noticed the blush on his cheeks.
"Should we call them or just let them keep thinking they have a chance?" Kensi asked.
"Let them think they still have a chance. They'll work faster that way." Nell said as she sat down dramatically on the couch. Eric sat down right next to her.
Callen and Deeks walked in the door arguing, and they found the rest of the team sitting around laughing.
"You guys are done?"
"Told you that you guys were going down." Kensi taunted.
"Hey, Kens? Do you see what I'm seeing? Every team that had a female member was successful. The strictly male team failed miserably." Nell remarked.
"We did not fail miserably. We were only a little behind, that's all."
"You know the reason they failed? On each of our teams, it was clear who was in charge, obviously Kensi and I. But on their team, they spent valuable time arguing over which way to do things. That would also be the reason Eric and I and Kensi and Deeks are the more successful partnerships."
Callen and Sam were about to retort when Hetty stepped in. "Alright, I'm going to stop this verbal assault before someone's feelings get hurt. It is evident by today's results that your current partnership arrangement works best. The argument over which partnership is the most successful does not need to happen in my presence."
"Oh come on, Hetty. We all know Kensi and I are your favorite." Deeks replied cheekily.
"Shut up, Shaggy. You and Callen have to buy dinner." Nell replied.
Deeks ordered pizza and the team sat around the room talking and laughing like the family they were. Kensi and Deeks were cleaning up the pizza boxes, and once they got into the kitchen Kensi pulled Deeks aside and pointed to the couch.
"Kensi, what?"
He turned to see Nell and Eric sitting close together on the couch. Eric had his arm around Nell and he noticed that when Callen and Hetty turned away she leaned farther into him.
"Really? Nerd love. How cute. I guess now I'm not the only one who fell for their partner."
"You never were Deeks."
"I love you, Kensi."
"I love you too Deeks."
They walked back into the living room hand in hand to thank their team for helping them move.
"Thanks guys. We couldn't have done it without you." Deeks started.
"And thanks Nell, for making it fun. We got all this stuff done in record time." Kensi continued.
"No problem. I know my team, the best way to get something done is to make it a competition," Nell snuck out of Eric's grip to walk over and hug Kensi and Deeks. Sam and Callen were next, then Hetty. Eric was last, and Nell was waiting for him at the door.
Kensi closed the door after them and whispered "I love you guys."
Deeks hugged her from behind and whispered back "They love you too."
He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and then threw her onto their bed.
"But not as much as I do."
More Neric?
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