Well, I wasn't expecting to resurrect this story but here we are. I'm a bit rusty.

There's a knock on the door, startling her out of her chocolate coma. It's Christmas Eve afternoon and they don't have any expected guests. They did but then that blew up. She's just about to get up to answer it when the sound of a stampede comes down the stairs signaling that her 13-year-old is already on it.

"I got it!"

"Who is it?"

"I ordered pizza."

"With what money?"

"Um, you know. The money."

Before she can say anything else the door is opened and in walks Harper followed by Marty. Her heart does a little skip. She hasn't seen him or talked to him in four days yet that somehow has felt longer than the 20 years they were apart. "I-I thought you two couldn't make it."

He hands off the bags in his hands to Riley and meets her eyes. The first thing she sees…forgiveness. "Well, we um-"

"We're here to fix this thing and to have a fucking fantastic Christmas."

Kensi takes in Harper's words but is confused more than ever. "What do you mean?"

"She means that you two are gonna kiss and make up because your love is meant to be." Riley says with a shit eating grin on her face.

Her brow furrows. Okay, she had a strong feeling that the girls knew they were together but not that they were in love. She can't help but find Marty's eyes once more.

"They know."

"But how?"

"I believe Harper said we were as subtle as two peacocks in heat."

"Oookay." Confused, she is so confused.

"Oh, and they found the letters."

Letters? How is that possible? She knows there's some pretty R-rated stuff in those notes so she hid them. "Your letters to me? But I have them in the safe."

The teens' eyes go wide and they both shimmy with excitement as Harper clarifies. "We were talking about your letters to him."

"Oh." The older woman's face immediately turns a shade of red that only occurs on very rare occasions.

"You kept my letters?"

"Of course I did." She answers as if that's the most ridiculous question in the world but then again why would she expect anything less than that when she kept the biggest secret she ever could from him?

"Alright, cut the shit. You two need to talk." Riley blurts.

They both try to protest as the girls all but shove them into the living room and run into the kitchen. They've been trapped but she's grateful because the girls meddling has helped her out a great deal.

"Where are you two going?" Marty asks.

"We're making dinner." The teens say in unison.

"Making dinner?" The words leave Kensi's lips as she turns to Marty yet again confused at what's going on in this house.

"Apparently they want to try a recipe out for lasagna."

"Oh, I don't think we have the stuff for that."

"We stopped at the store on the way over."

They're just standing there at this point. She's afraid to say anything and it seems as though Marty is too. But if she wants to fix this she has to show him. At the very least hear him out when it comes to what he's been feeling.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He comes out with it before she can ask him anything. "I wish I had a better reason than I was just scared."

"You were scared?"

"Yeah, I was scared that if I had told you I was pregnant you would've given up your dream job and have come back."

"What's so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that? Other than the fact that eventually you'd come to regret me and our baby. I was so alone and didn't have anyone else to turn to and I wasn't about raise a baby that neither of us were ready for. So I just gave him up for adoption."

It hits her just as hard as it did in the school gym a few days ago saying those words out loud. She can't stop the sobs from escaping her mouth as he pulls her into his embrace. His lips touch the crown of her head and in that moment she feels the safest she's ever had in her life.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone, but I want you to know something. If I didn't make it abundantly clear before," he pulls her body from his and the tears that she feels in her eyes are mirrored in his, "I love you with my whole heart. I will never ever leave you again. Sure we have some things to work out but we'll get through this. You are and will always be more important to me than any job."

She feels a bit hesitant at first but finds herself being pulled towards this man and his lips. Thankfully he meets her halfway and even though it's a short kiss. It says everything. "Will you tell me how you're feeling?"

"You really want to know?"

"Of course I do." She takes his hand and pulls him to the couch.

He nervously bites his bottom lip and it takes everything in her not to pull it free. His eyes roam around the room as he releases a breath trying to gather his thoughts. "Honestly, I was mad at first but now that I've had time to process. I'm a bit excited."

"You-you are?"

Marty finally meets her eyes again with a hint of a smile on his lips. There's a bashfulness shining in his eyes and it's probably the most adorable thing she's ever seen.

"I mean, yeah. I know we can't just up tell him but maybe we could get to know him a little better and see where it leads?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"I'd like that very much."

"Me too."

There's so much more she wants to say but sometimes the most difficult things have the simplest answers. "I promise no more secrets."

"No more secrets." He agrees.

"So you kept my letters, huh?"

"You did too."

She leans against the back of the couch, twiddling with her thumbs. "I know it's probably not healthy but anytime I was going through some shit or it just felt like too much I'd take out your letters and it felt like you were right there with me."

"Well, I may read one every night and then start all back over again."

"How are we gonna tell the girls?"

Marty's arm finds its way around Kensi's shoulders as he leans back against the couch and pulls her into his side. "I'm not sure but we'll figure it out together. Right now though I think we should sit here and enjoy this beautiful tree as the snow falls outside and our girls-"

"Mom! Where's the butcher knife?"

Marty's arm just as quickly slides off of her shoulders as they both stand up from their briefly comfy position. "Okay, we better go before we're spending Christmas with the fire department."

"Oooh, firefighters. Think you could borrow one of their uniforms?"

He meets her eyes with a seriousness in his cerulean blues. "Who says I don't already have one?"

"Here's one for you, mom." Riley pulls out a box from under the tree which Kensi doesn't remember being there earlier this morning.

"It's from dad." Harper grins without missing a beat.

Marty looks at the girls in confusion. "It is?"

"You look surprised." Kensi says gleefully remembering how he's played this game with her once before.

"Well, I am. I thought I had given you all the gifts I got."

"Oh, well now I'm very intrigued." She says as her fingers begin to work the wrapping and eyes glued to his. Prying the box open, she looks down in search of the contents but all she sees is tissue paper. So she digs her hand around in the box when it comes into contact with another object and fishes it out with her hand. She's so excited about what it could possibly be that she doesn't realize how small it is until she's looking down at it sitting in the palm of her hand. "It's…"

Seeing the familiar box, Marty turns to his daughter with a shakiness in his voice. "Harper, where did you find that?"

"It's for her isn't it?"

"Well yeah, but how did you know that?"

"The stone is the same as her favorite necklace."

Kensi hears the conversation going on but all she can do is look at the contents of the small box as she flips the lid open. It immediately takes her breath away. The small gold band with a delicate moss agate stone in the middle is so beautiful that it makes her want to cry even more so the meaning behind it. She's doing my best not to get ahead of herself because Marty didn't give this to her himself but he clearly bought it for her to match the necklace he gave her for her 20th birthday.

"So, dad, what are you waiting for?"

"You two are okay with this?"

"You're joking, right?"

Both the girls huff a laugh and the brunette looks up to see the man of her dreams slide off the couch next to her, falling to one knee. "Are you sure?" She wants to tell herself to shut up but they did just make up and he needs to do this because he wants to.

"I'm as sure as I was the day I bought it 20 years ago."

"You've had it all this time?"

"Yeah, I was always hoping we'd find our way back to each other."

"We still have some things to work out."

"We do, but I'd really like for us to do it as husband and wife."

"Okay."

Marty smiles and proceeds with the speech that he's been thinking about for a long while now. "Kensi Marie Blye, I've loved you since I was 20 years old. We've been through a lot both together and separately. Lived a lot of life and the one thing I know is that I want to spend the rest of what I have with you. Will you marry me?"

She knew it was coming but those words still leave her paralyzed. All the decisions in their lives have led them here, to their daughters becoming best friends, getting back together and now this moment right now.

"Mom, you gonna answer the man or just leave him hanging?"

Riley's question pulls her out of her trance and the tears in her eyes fall as she meets her daughter's. She has to be okay with this and judging by the tears in her own eyes she's just as happy about this. Then Kensi pulls her gaze to Harper's who has the same look on her face before Kensi finally land back on Marty Deeks' cerulean blues. "Fuck yeah I will."