"The adoption was closed but I saw him before they took him away and he had this birthmark over his right eye."

"That doesn't mean it's him."

"It's him."

"Dad. Daddy. Dad. Martin."

He's finally shaken out of his trance as Harper's voice gets louder and louder. Blinking rapidly in hopes to somewhat clear his mind and vision, he looks up and is met with a curious gaze. "Huh? What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Not really, no. But it's nothing for you to worry about." He gives her a weak smile as the teen sits down and he pats her leg in reassurance.

"When are we leaving for Riley's?"

His heart breaks even more because he knows how excited she was and how excited he was but that was before…"I'm sorry, baby girl, but we're not."

"What do you mean? You and Kensi already said it was okay."

He's not sure what to tell her. He can't explain that they had a huge fight without spilling the beans about them dating.

"I know you love her."

"How could you possibly know that?'

She huffs a laugh, shaking her head. "You and her are about as subtle as two peacocks in heat."

"That's…graphic."

"Take it up with Luke." She smiles with mirth.

His smile fades…Luke. Right after Kensi broke the news to him that night at the school he couldn't go back in and face the man so he texted his vice principal that Kensi had gotten sick and they were leaving. He's been avoiding both ever since. "There's a lot that you and Riley don't know."

"You talking about you and Kensi being hot and heavy in college or something else?"

"Can nobody have a secret around here?"

"Not with two teenage girls around."

A hint of a smile crosses his face. Kensi had a feeling their girls knew and as always she was right…He's trying his best to understand where she's coming from because his Kensi doesn't make any decision lightly, she never has. "How did you find out?"

"Found your letters when I was looking for batteries." A hint of a blush rises to her cheeks just thinking about the words Kensi wrote to her father and the pure poetic nature of it all.

"Yeah, that might do it." He leans forward, resting his head in his hands as the turmoil swirls in his mind but no sooner than he does that, a question leaves the 13-year-old's lips.

"What was the last thing she told you?"

"I don't see why that matters."

"It matters. You know it does, you're just too stubborn to realize that not everything is black and white."

"She said that she was sorry."

"Annnd?"

"And that she loved me."

"There you go." Harper nods, knowing that her dad is about to figure it out and grabs her bag off the floor. The bag that's been packed ever since her and her best friend decided to ask their parents about Christmas.

"But she lied to me." He says it more to himself than to the raven haired teen. Then it suddenly dawns on him what he's doing. "I shouldn't be talking to you about this."

"Who are you gonna call uncle Kip?"

"Maybe?"

She rolls her eyes, her hand finding it's way to her hip.

"I don't want to make you think less of her."

"Who? Kensi?" Her brow furrows. She imagined it had to be something bad for them to not be talking but maybe it's worse than she expected.

He doesn't say a word, but just looks at her with a sad expression written across her face.

"Trust me, unless she murdered you, I could never think less of her. She's my…"

He watches as Harper trails off with a wistful smile on her face. "Your mom."

The teen nods in confirmation, tears forming in her eyes. She never met her birth mother and there's always been a gaping hole in her life. As time went on she wondered more and more what it'd be like to have a strong and beautiful woman that protected her with such ferocity. That was until she started connecting with Kensi and then she did wonder anymore. "I can't help how I feel about her."

"You and me both, kiddo."

"So, are you coming with me or not?"