A/N: A tiny angsty fic featuring Deeks and Roberta.

"Look at them go," Roberta commented, watching the twins run through the grass. They'd both started walking early, but at 12 months old, they still had a classic toddler's run, hands held out to the side. "I swear it was just yesterday that you and Kensi told me she was pregnant. And boy was that a surprise."

"I think it was for everyone," Deeks agreed. He tracked Sophia and Caleb for a few moments. They were still within catching distance.

"You two must have had some kind of date night when you made them."

Deeks closed his eyes, sighing. "Mom."

"What? It's not a secret."

"Yes, but I'd be way more comfortable if you didn't bring up our sex lives every other day," he told her.

Caleb ran up to them, Sophia not far behind, his hand clamped in a tight little fist.

"Da-da! Fow," he exclaimed excitedly, and offered Deeks a handful of smashed leaves.

"Oh thanks, Caleb. I love weeds! Just don't pull any of Rosa's flowers cause she's worked real hard on keeping them alive all fall and winter," Deeks said, accepting a bunch of grass from Sophia. "Gracias." He pressed a kiss to each other their temples, and then they were off running again, babbling away to each other in a mixture of real words and toddler jargon.

"I'm real proud of you, Marty. You built a good life for yourself," Roberta murmured unexpectedly. Shifting to face her, Deeks saw her staring at the twins wistfully. "Most kids wouldn't have handled half of what you went through."

"Couldn't have done it without out you, Mama."

"Oh please, I was a mess. Half the time you were taking care of me more than I was you." She shook her head with a wry smirk edging towards bitterness. "You had a lousy father and a mother who couldn't stop him."

Turning to face her fully, Deeks cupped both her hands between his. They'd had a number of conversations like this over the years, usually out of the blue and without any real closure.

"Mom, I thought we agreed to let dad be in the past. You were and are the best mom I could ever ask for. Definitely certifiable, and unbelievably nosy—" Roberta snorted, though her eyes were suspiciously wet— "But I wouldn't want anyone else."

"You big liar." Shaking her head, Roberta elbowed him in the side. She smiled in the direction of Caleb and Sophia. "You've done a good job, kiddo."

Swallowing back the tight feeling in his throat, Deeks hugged her closer.

"Love you, mama."