We've just about come to the end of this story. This is the last real chapter. There will be an epilogue posted in the next week. I've loved writing this story, and hope to revisit this 'universe' in the future. Thank you to everyone who has supported this story, and taken the time to leave reviews. I've read and cherished each one.
For those who have asked, I will be getting back to ADLS once Law & Order is complete. The next chapter is almost finished.
Monday.
Kensi arrives for work with her engagement ring on a chain around her neck. She is not sure what the protocol is here. She thinks she probably shouldn't be wearing it to work regularly, but isn't ready to leave it behind at home.
She and Marty had made the most of their morning, and put off leaving the house as long as possible. Because of this, she arrives to work just on the verge of being late, and well after everyone else.
Sam and Callen both look up from their paperwork to say good morning. She returns the greeting and takes her seat. She watches out of the corner of her eye as Sam looks back down and then immediately back at her with narrowed eyes.
Callen hasn't stopped staring at her since he looked up the first time. He and Sam exchange a look.
She huffs, wishing they couldn't read her so easily. "What?"
Sam is still staring at her through narrowed eyes. "You seem happy," he observes.
Callen nods his agreement. "Really happy. Like, Eric-when-he-finally-reached-one-thousand-facebook-friends-happy. Not Kensi-happy."
She mock glares at him. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
He shrugs. "You're not usually this happy."
"What did you do this weekend?" Sam asks. He has a glint in his eyes like he thinks he knows the answer.
She shrugs. "Went to the shooting range. Went surfing. Got engaged." She tries to deadpan the last one, but she can't stop the smile that comes to her face.
Sam is quick to jump up and congratulate her. He pulls her to her feet and hugs her. "This is a good thing," he tells her.
She nods. "It is."
Callen eventually clears his throat and hip checks his partner out of the way. "Stop hogging her." He hugs her as well.
"Congrats, Kensi," he tells her. "All joking aside, it's really nice to see you so happy."
"Thanks, Callen."
Sam crosses his arms over his chest, but is still smiling. "You know this means we have to meet Marty now, right?"
She rolls her eyes. "You've met him."
"For a minute." Sam says.
"At a funeral." Callen adds.
"We need to really vet him. Make sure he's good enough."
She huffs. "Isn't that my decision to make?"
"Yes," Sam says. "But…"
"You have questionable judgment," Callen jokes.
She laughs. "Yeah, questionable judgement for choosing to work here with you people."
Callen laughs. "We're not looking to interrogate the man."
Sam nods as he joins in. "Just a week or so of observation."
"Have Eric run a background check."
"Interview his family and friends."
"Monitor him at work."
She rolls her eyes. "You guys do any of those things and I will make your lives a living hell."
"In all seriousness, Kensi," Sam says. "We just want to know him. You're family. And if he's going to be your family, too, then we should know him."
She is surprised to feel a sting in her eyes. Not so many years ago, she had no one. Now she has so many people in her life who care about her. She has her work family, her mother, and Marty. "Well, maybe you guys should come over and really meet him. You free on Saturday?"
"We can be free on Saturday," Sam agrees.
Callen nods. "We'll be there."
"Good." She turns to Sam. "And if we're all about being family, then you should bring your wife."
"I'll bring Michelle," he agrees.
She smirks. "Good. That way if you step over the line with Marty, I'll do the same thing…"
Sam huffs a laugh. "Good luck. Michelle can handle herself."
She keeps smirking. "You don't give Marty nearly enough credit."
Her words have the desired effect of rendering Sam temporarily without words.
Callen steps in for his partner. "I know exactly what I'm going to get you for an engagement present."
She glares at him, knowing from his tone this is going to be a joke. "What?"
Callen exchanges a look with his partner. As usual, the partners are on the same page and Sam jumps in.
"We'll get your fiancé a haircut," Sam says.
Despite her attempt to keep a straight face as the boys tease her about Deeks, she can't help but feel her heart swell at Marty being called her fiancé for the first time.
"I happen to like his hair."
Tuesday.
A new agent shows up in the office. Agent Charlie Black.
The team spends most of the morning teasing him about his name and 'accidentally' calling him Agent Brown.
Black takes the ribbing in stride and gives as good as he gets. He doesn't settle easily, though, and Sam has to 'suggest' he stop talking a few times.
When the team is called into the field later in the day, Black goes with them to observe.
What starts as questioning witnesses, quickly turns into a firefight. Black is quick to jump in to help, but doesn't listen to the team and runs towards the shooting.
Kensi tries to stop him, but he gets passed her. Callen yells at him. Finally, Sam tackles him.
When the situation is under control, Sam lectures the agent on the difference between being brave and being stupid. The hope is he was simply trying to make a good impression on his first day.
Later, Kensi gets home to a Marty-less house. It's not unusual for him to work late. She takes Monty for a short walk, and then rolls up her sleeves in the kitchen. She's no chef, but she can make something simple. She decides on chicken and pasta.
Dinner is mostly ready when Marty arrives home.
"That smells so good," he tells her. He shuffles up behind her and snakes his hands around her waist.
She leans back against him. "Should be ready in five minutes."
"How was your day?"
She groans.
"That good?"
She turns in his arms and reaches her hands to rest at the back of his neck. "New agent started today. Charlie Black."
Marty huffs a laugh. "Oh, man, that name… I wouldn't be able to not call him Charlie Brown."
Kensi can't help the smile that fills her face. "You would fit in really well at work, have I ever told you that?"
He smiles back at her. "Could I introduce myself as Deeks, Marty Deeks?"
She laughs. "Probably not."
He pretends to be disappointed before sobering. "Why was your day hard?"
"Black is just…I don't know that he's a good fit. At first I thought he was trying too hard. But he was pretty consistent all day. Like he's off his Adderall or something."
He nods. "Maybe he'll settle down after a couple days."
"I hope so." She cocks her head and smiles at him. "How was your day? Did something come up? You were late getting home."
He makes a face. "I was late because my mom called me right as I was about to leave. And you know how she gets if I avoid her calls."
She nods.
"And, well, I told her we're getting married." Despite his frustration with his mom, he smiles. "And then I got to listen to her get super excited, then yell at me for waiting two days to tell her, then back to super excited, then go into overdrive with questions I had no answers to."
"Like, date, location, food, dress, etcetera, etcetera?"
He nods. "Exactly."
"My team has been on me about that, too."
"It's only been two days."
"Exactly." She reaches up to kiss him. "We'll get there."
He kisses her back. "We will get there." He hesitates for a moment. "And I invited my mom over for Saturday. I know it was just going to be your team, but she kind of demanded, and I gave in. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Your mom's awesome."
"I love you for thinking that."
"She's awesome," Kensi repeats. "And I like her. She's a little…"
"Crazy?" He supplies.
"Eccentric," Kensi says. "When she wants to be. But my team can handle that. It'll be fine." She pauses for a moment. "And we never said it could only be my team. It just started with them. Why don't you invite some coworkers, too?"
He purses his lips as he considers her suggestion. "Would that be okay? I know your team keeps a low profile."
She nods. "We all know how to stay under the radar. And we all have working aliases for public situations. It won't be a problem."
"Okay. I'll ask a few coworkers. And maybe a few college friends?"
She nods. "And I guess we should invite Mindy."
"She'll be smug," he points out.
She makes a face and then leans up to kiss him. "I guess she has a right to be smug."
Wednesday.
Kensi sits across from her mother, playing her with hands. She doesn't know why she is nervous. Her mother had been out of her life for so long. She got herself through school, got herself into NCIS and met the man of her dreams, all without her mother around.
She doesn't need her mother's approval. But she desperately wants it.
"How is Marty doing?" Julia asks as she stirs her tea. They are sitting together in Julia's kitchen. "Am I ever going to get to meet him?"
"You've met him," Kensi counters quickly. "Why does everyone keep saying they haven't met him when they have?"
Julia smiles patiently at her daughter. "I have met him twice," she points out. "For about thirty seconds each time."
Kensi makes a face and looks down at her coffee. After joking with Marty about meeting her mother then night she had finally mustered the courage to knock on her mother's door for the first time in fifteen years, Kensi had followed through with actually putting them together in the same room. The only times her mother and Marty had met were twice when Marty had dropped her off, and the meetings was short and in the driveway of her mother's house.
At first, she wanted to avoid making Marty deal another one of her problems.
But now they've talked a lot about not keeping score. They're no longer only dating and involved in one another's life. They engaged and building a life together.
Julia mistakes Kensi's silence for hesitation. "Kensi, honey. I'm so glad we've reconnected. And I want to be part of your life. I only want to know Marty because he's important to you. But if I'm overstepping-"
"You're not overstepping," Kensi cuts in. She looks up from her coffee and meets her mother's eyes. She offers her a smile. "I'm glad we're part of each other's lives again. And I want you to know Marty. He is important to me." She pauses. "And I, uh, actually have some news."
Julia sits up a little straighter, looking eager for whatever Kensi is about to tell her. And Kensi doesn't miss the way Julia's eyes shift down to her left hand for just a fraction of a second.
Kensi clears her throat and reaches into her pocket for her engagement ring. She hadn't been sure how she was going to tell her mother, and hadn't wanted seeing the ring to give everything away.
"Marty and I are getting married," she says quietly. She holds up the ring for a moment before sliding it back onto her finger. It's still new, but the weight of the ring is comfortable and quickly getting familiar. She holds her mother's gaze for a long moment. She can't decipher the expression on Julia's face. It gets to be a little too much and she looks down again.
Julia surprises her when she stands up and hurries around the table. "Oh, Kensi."
Kensi allows her mother to tug her to her feet. And then Julia hugs her. Kensi only hesitates for a moment, still not used to having her mother in her life, before hugging her back.
"I'm so happy for you," Julia says. She pulls back, smiling at Kensi. There are tears in her eyes.
"Thank you," Kensi says quietly.
Julia releases a laughing breath. "You've been here for fifteen minutes! I can't believe you waited so long to tell me."
Kensi laughs, encouraged by her mother's smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how to bring it up."
Julia reaches for her hand and lifts it to have a good look at the ring. "He did good."
Kensi nods. "He did." She loves the ring. It's simple and beautiful, with a pair of diamonds set into a white gold band.
Julia squeezes her hand and releases it. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"With?"
Julia laughs again. "With planning the wedding?"
"Oh, that…" She laughs as well. "It's only been a couple days. We haven't really started to plan anything. We're thinking something small, but we don't know when. Or where. Or everything else we need to figure out."
Julia smiles warmly at her daughter. "I'm sure it will be perfect no matter what you decide." She reaches for Kensi's hands and squeezes them. "I don't want to overstep, but I really want to help with everything you need help with."
Kensi squeezes her mother's hands back. "I'd really like that."
Julia hesitates before continuing. "And I think I'm going to have to insist on really meeting this man of yours now."
Kensi knows her mother is joking, and is nervous Kensi may take it too seriously. Their relationship is moving forward, but moving forward slowly. She wants desperately to have a strong relationship with her mother, and she's sure her mother feels the same way. She laughs to tell her mother her joke is okay.
"Well, we're actually having my team over on Saturday. I'd- We'd really like it if you came to…if you're free."
"Absolutely," Julia says immediately. "I'll be there."
Thursday.
In a quiet moment at work, Kensi finds a moment of privacy to make the call she has been meaning to make all week.
It's not that she's been avoiding the call. She just hasn't spoken with her former partner since he left, other than a quick text when he started his new job at the LA Field Office. He had told her to keep in touch, and to tell him when she got engaged. She hopes he meant it.
"Hello, partner," he greets as soon as he picks up the phone.
"You're not my partner anymore," she retorts. "You left me for another partner."
Cole laughs. "Not exactly how I remember it. Also, I don't have a new partner."
"No one wanted you?"
He laughs again. "Did you call for a reason Kensi? Or just to taunt me about what I'm missing out on?"
She laughs as well, but sobers quickly. "Uh, actually, yes. I'm calling for a reason."
"Is it the reason I think it might be?" He asks.
She makes a face. "I hate that I'm such an easy read to everyone."
"Only because we care," he says easily. "Now tell me your news so I can be happy for you."
"Marty asked me to marry him," she says.
"And I'm happy for you. I told you that boy was all in."
"I know you did."
"Any plans yet?"
"Not exactly."
"Well, if you need any help, Ellie and I put together our wedding in two months."
"Didn't you have some huge wedding?" She asks.
"Almost three hundred people. Ellie has a huge family. And I was a Marine brat, like you. Lots of people my dad served with were there, and their families."
"That's…a lot of people. We're thinking small. But I'll definitely take you up on the offer of help once we start to get some things sorted out." She pauses. "In the meantime, we're having some people over on Saturday. I'd love for you to come if you're free. You and Ellie, I mean."
"We'll be there."
Friday.
It's been a long week for them both, and Kensi is looking forward to spending an easy night in with her fiancé and then sleeping in Saturday morning. They have an early dinner and then curl up on the couch together.
"How's your new agent working out?" Marty asks.
She makes a face. "He didn't. Too independent and too much of a loose cannon. We need to be independent and confident, but we still need to work closely as a team. Black wasn't at work this morning and Hetty said he wasn't coming back."
Marty makes a face. "That's too bad."
She nods. "It's hard to find someone who really fits, you know?"
"I'm sure it is."
She closes her eyes and leans against Marty's shoulder. "I'm just looking forward to a fun weekend."
"Me, too."
Before she can say anything further, her phone rings.
Kensi groans and reaches into her pocket.
"It's my mom," she announces when she lifts the phone.
She answers the call. "Hi, mom."
"Hi, honey. I'm just calling to say I'm excited about tomorrow and ask if I can bring anything?"
"Bring anything?" Kensi echoes.
"Yeah. I'd love to bring something, if I can. Is everyone bringing something? I make a mean seven-layer dip if that's okay."
"Uh…" Kensi feels a sudden jolt of apprehension. Marty meets her eyes and cocks his head, concerned.
"Kensi?" Julia asks.
"I'm here. I'm just…realizing we haven't actually done anything to prepare for tomorrow…"
Marty's eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. He turns his head to stare around the living room. They've unpacked all her boxes, but their living space is still cluttered. Not everything has a home. Not to mention, they haven't cleaned. Nor bought any food.
"Oh, dear," Julia says. "What time are people coming?"
"I just said in the afternoon," Kensi answers, running a hand through her hair.
"How many people?"
"Not that many," she says quickly. "Just my team from work…That's four for sure. Hetty and Granger are maybes. And then Sam's wife. Oh, and Cole and his wife. And you, and Marty's mom." She meets Marty's eyes. He looks panicked now as well. "And some of Marty's coworkers…and their partners. And his friends from law school." She swallows hard. "And I invited my college friends. I mean, I had to. Mindy set us up."
"That sounds like a lot of people, Kensi," Julia says.
"That does sound like a lot of people. How did it get to be so many people?" She asks out loud. "I didn't think we knew that many people."
Marty stands up. "We have to clean. Shop. We need food. And plates. And cups. And…something to put in the cups." He turns around. "We're not going to have enough seats for everyone."
"Kensi," Julia says through the phone. "You sound like you need help, and I want to help. Can I help?"
"Yes," she says, nodding. "Yes, please. We need help."
"I'll be right over."
Kensi stands once the call has ended. "How did we invite all these people and forget to actually plan anything?"
"I don't know. It was a busy week. And I'm not used to having a lot of people over."
"Me neither."
"I'm so glad your mom called."
"Me, too."
"How many people do you think are actually coming?"
"I have no idea."
Saturday.
Thirty-something people show up Saturday afternoon.
It could have been a disaster, but it turns out to be really nice.
Kensi doesn't normally like to be the center of attention like this, but everyone is happy for her and Marty. It's a comfortable, not-at-all formal engagement party that they have somehow put together at the last minute.
She meets the coworkers and friends of Marty she hasn't met before, and happily greets those she had met before.
Mindy arrives and gloats to everyone that will listen that she set up the happy couple. Kensi does nothing but smile.
Monty has a blast. He greets every last person and cons his way into several bites of food. He takes a liking to Sam, and follows him around while the agent eats off a paper plate.
Kensi re-introduces Marty to her team. In the busyness of the week, she had forgotten to warn Marty about Callen and Sam. But, like she had predicted, he holds his own.
When Callen and Sam present him with a gift bag containing scissors and a razor, he turns it back around on them, teasing Sam for going bald young and Callen for not being able to grow a beard. Michelle clearly approves of Marty, and does nothing to help stand up for her husband and his best friend.
When Cole shows up, Kensi immediately likes his wife. Ellie Cole is strong willed and has a sense of humour to rival Marty's. She is a perfect fit for Kensi's former partner.
Cole and Marty also seem to hit it off.
As do Kensi and Marty's mothers, to both of their surprise. Julia and Roberta jump easily into conversation together, and Kensi has a sudden realization that the women will be amazing grandmothers together one day.
Their living room and kitchen are packed with people, reminding them both that they need to start looking for a bigger house. But everyone is happy and glad to be there for them.
When it starts to get late, Kensi and Marty stand up together.
"We just want to thank everyone for coming over to celebrate with us today," Marty says.
"It was just about a year ago that our friend Mindy set us up on a blind date," Kensi adds. "But you probably all know that, because she's told everyone."
"I've known Kensi since college," Mindy speaks up. "We were roommates. After college, I became a therapist. I work with kids, and spend a lot of time working in the foster and legal systems. That's how I met Marty. I knew immediately that they belonged together. But it took forever to get them to agree to go out."
Kensi and Deeks both laugh.
"We're glad we agreed now," Marty says.
"We are," Kensi agrees.
"It's been a hell of a year," Marty adds, "But I wouldn't change a thing."
Kensi feels tears well in her eyes. After everything they'd gone through to get here, it takes her breath away that he would say that. There are so many things she had wished she would have done differently at the time. But now, looking back, she wonders if everything had to happen the way it did to end up here. "Me, too." She pauses for a moment. "And we want to thank everyone who has supported us and helped us." She rolls her eyes at Mindy's triumphant look. "Starting with Mindy."
She pauses while everyone laughs.
"And I want to take a moment for everyone who couldn't be here today." She turns to Marty. "My dad would have loved you, if he was still here."
Marty reaches for her hand and squeezes.
She turns back to the crowd. "Not many of you know, but I lost a good friend in the spring." She closes her eyes for a moment at the thought of Renko. She knows she can't say many details, as most of the people standing before them don't know what she really does for a living. She knows Renko's name was in the press, so she can't call him by his last name either. "Mike was a great friend, and he really pushed me to open up to Marty. I don't think we would have gotten here if not for Mike."
Marty squeezes her hand again. "To our friends and family. Both those who are here, and those who can't be here." He raises his glass and everyone else follows suit.
"Cheers," Kensi echoes the room and then takes a sip of her wine.
"And to the happy couple," Sam calls from the crowd, holding his glass up again.
"Cheers!" Everyone echoes.
Kensi feels Deeks drop her hand and wrap his arm around her waist. He presses a kiss to her cheek. "To us," he whispers for only her to hear.
"Cheers," she whispers back.
Sunday.
Kensi blinks as her brain finds consciousness. It's early morning. The light filtering in through the window tells her the sun is on its way up into the sky.
Beside her, Marty is sound asleep.
She wonders for a moment why she is awake. Then she feels hot breath on her arm. She turns onto her side. Monty is sitting beside the bed, staring imploringly at her.
"You need to go out?" She asks the dog.
He stands and wags his tail.
She groans and swings her legs over the side the bed.
"Why aren't you waking him up?" She asks.
Monty keeps staring at her, his tail wagging back and forth.
She stands and pulls on pajama shorts and one of Marty's tee shirts.
Monty leads the way towards the back door. She lets him out and he is quick to trot out the door and do his business.
She yawns as she lets the dog back into the house. She opens the cupboard beside the sink to retrieve a dog cookie.
Monty takes the cookie from her and hurries towards the living room. He curls up on his dog bed with his treat.
"I'm going back to bed, Monty," she calls after him. "If you need to go out again, wake Marty, please."
She makes her way back up the stairs to their bedroom.
Marty is still asleep. She slips back into bed beside him.
He stirs. "You 'wake?"
She moves closer to him, settling along his side. "Hopefully not for long."
He mumbles something undecipherable as he wraps an arm around her. "Yesterday was fun."
"Yeah. I didn't realize we had that many people who cared about us."
"Me neither. Nice, though."
"Yeah." She settles her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes. "I'm really happy, Marty."
"Me, too." He yawns. "You do realize, though, that we failed to plan one party. And now we have to plan a wedding?"
She laughs. "We have lots of help."
"We do." He holds her a little tighter. "I'm feeling a lot stronger these past few months, Kensi."
She turns her head against him to press a kiss to his shoulder. "I'm glad."
"I felt a bit stuck," he tells her. "Before I met you. I just didn't feel like I could be happy. But now… I'm happy. And there are so many things I want to do."
"We have our whole lives together to do so many things, Marty."
"Like get married."
"Yes. And honeymoon in Hawaii."
"Also, visit Australia. I've always wanted to go."
"Sounds amazing."
"Kids?" He whispers.
The thought would have scared her a year earlier. But she's stronger now. And she knows Marty would be an amazing dad. It's something they have talked about in hypotheticals only so far. "Yes."
"Ten?" He asks.
She snorts a laugh, knowing he's joking with her. "Let's start with one and see where that takes us."
"Sounds good."
She closes her eyes again. "Sounds amazing. But first, let's sleep."
"Done."
Kensi starts to drift off, her head pillowed on the shoulder of the man who will soon be her husband. "Marty?" She whispers.
"Yeah?"
"Let's not plan some distant wedding. I really don't want to wait to be your wife."
His breath catches and it takes a moment before he can respond. "That's something I can definitely get on board with."
She smiles against him. "I love you, you know?"
"I know," he confirms. "And I love you. So much."
"You weren't what I expected," she whispers. The previous night had made her think back to their initial set up and first date.
"You weren't either," he responds, knowing exactly where her mind is. "But I wouldn't change a thing."
She thinks back to all the good and all the bad of the past year. She had found the man of her dreams, and had almost lost him. But they had found their way together. And she knows now that they're stronger for it.
"Me neither, Marty. Me, neither."