It took longer than anticipated to complete the required paperwork and answer the rest of Kilbride's questions. By the time they made it back downstairs, the rest of the team was in the bullpen.

"Well, you don't look as upset as I'd expect after an hour with Kilbride," Sam commented, crossing his arms over his chest as they walked in. "What's going on?"

"It wasn't a bad meeting," Kensi said, catching Deeks' eye. It reminded him of the day several years ago when they'd announced they were moving in together, only this time the news was so much more important. "We do need to tell you something though."

"It's kind of big news, so we thought maybe everyone could come over for dinner tonight," Deeks offered.

"That's a little cryptic," Callen muttered.

"Yeah, we'll be there," Sam answered for everyone.

Kensi and Deeks grabbed sushi dinner on the way home. They had about half an hour before everyone was supposed to arrive, which would give them just enough time to put out plates and silverware, grab drinks, and set up a laptop for Nell and Eric.

They'd originally planned on scheduling a separate video call with their favorite nerds, but decided it would be easier to tell everyone at the same time. Besides, it felt right to include Eric and Nell with the rest of the team.

Kensi's phone started buzzing as they walked through the door with their hands full.

"It's Anita," she told Deeks, handing him a paper bag of sushi while she took the call.

"Hi, this is Kensi."

He heard Kensi answer as he put the bags in the fridge and grabbed a stack of plates. When he returned to the living room, Kensi mouthed to him,

"Our background check and house inspection cleared."

That was a relief. The social worker who inspected their house had mentioned a couple of concerns which could have held up the process. Apparently it was as significant as she first thought though if it didn't get flagged.

Kensi continued talking, turning her back to Deeks, now mostly speaking in single words that didn't add much context. He stopped setting the table to watch her.

"Of course. That makes sense." She nodded several times. "We'll be ready. Um, is there anything we should get in addition to the list you sent?" Kensi listened for a moment and nodded again. "Ok. Yes, thank you. We'll talk to you tomorrow."

When she hung up, she didn't immediately turn around.

"Kens? Is everything—did something change?" he asked. It was a possibility; there were no guarantees with fostering. Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "What's going on?"

She turned in his arms, looking up at him with a watery smile. "We're officially approved to foster Caleb, Jesse, and Maria. Anita's bringing them tomorrow morning at 10," she said.

"Oh wow," Deeks breathed. "This is really happening." Even as they completed each step, it had all felt slightly surreal and far removed. Now, they'd had three kids in less than twenty-four hours.

"I know. Is it ok that I'm both extremely happy and completely terrified?"

"Yep, cause I'm right there with you." He held her closer, squeezing his eyes shut. "God, I almost didn't believe it would actually happen, but baby, we're going to be parents."

She pressed her face into his chest, fingers gripping tightly at the back of his shirt. They stayed in one another's arms for several minutes, releasing emotions built up over the course of several long years. Eventually, Deeks lifted his head.

"We need to quit crying before everyone gets here," he said, and Kensi snorted, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"Yeah, that might not send the right message," she agreed, rubbing her thumbs under her eyes.

Deeks kissed her softly, then once again. After tonight, the life as they knew it would be entirely different.

Eric and Nell "arrived" first, catching Kensi and Deeks up on their latest tech exploits while they waited for the had just arranged a new contract with some up-and-coming company and Eric was helping train new engineers and tech specialists. As Eric started going into greater detail about the classes he taught, the doorbell rang, and Deeks excused himself to answer it.

The rest of the team stood huddled on the front porch together. Though there were three separate vehicles parked in the driveway, Deeks wondered if they'd arrived earlier and taken the time to chat.

"Hey, thanks for coming. Make yourself comfortable," he said, waving them in.

Callen raised an eyebrow at the laptop setup as everyone found a seat, then turned back to Kensi and Deeks. "You've got the meerkats here too? That's ominous."

"We thought it would be easier if we told all of you at the same time."

"Hi guys!" Nell called out while Eric waved. "Sorry we couldn't make it in-person."

"We appreciate everybody taking the time to come over," Deeks said, feeling unaccountably nervous. Of all times for his best skill to fail him. "Can I get you guys a drink?"

"How about you tell us why we're here first," Sam suggested. "Before G dies from curiosity."

"Oh right, from the guy who spent the entire ride over debating if one of you were sick, dying, or moving across the country," Callen retorted.

"Ok, just to be clear, no one is dying," Kensi said firmly, holding up a hand. "It is life changing news though." She caught Deeks' eye, and he nodded encouragingly. "We've been offered a foster placement and we decided to accept."

A moment of silence rang through the room and then Fatima jumped up, offering them each a hug.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed as Deeks heard Nell gasp something over screen.

"Yeah, congrats. That is huge news," Rountree added.

"I'm so mad I can't hug you right now," Nell lamented, holding her hands over her chest on-screen. "That is the best news possible."

"Especially since we were kind of death spiraling over here," Eric said. "Like worst case possible scenarios."

"Sorry for worrying you." Kensi offered then an apologetic smile. "We thought about telling everyone separately and in a less dramatic way, but Deeks thought the occasion deserved a little more fanfare."

"Well, I for one, approve." Nell said.

Deeks turned to Callen and Sam, who were noticeably silent. "What, no snarky comments?"

They'd both been generally supportive through his and Kensi's IVF attempts and all the meetings and time-off that came with the process. Callen was still somewhat of a wildcard in these situations, but he'd been counting on Sam.

"No snarky comments. Just this: I'm happy for you," Sam said, finally cracking a smile.

Standing up, he gave Kensi a hug first, pulling Deeks in a bit more roughly, and patting him on the back.

"You're going to be a great dad," he whispered to Deeks, squeezing the back of his neck reassuringly before he stepped back. Deeks cleared his throat, Sam's approval hitting him harder than he expected.

"Thanks, man."

"So, tell us about this kid? How long have you guys been planning this?" Rountree prompted. "Cause you've done a really good job keeping it quiet."

"We haven't actually met yet because we found out less than two days ago, which seems crazy since it feels like so much longer," Deeks answered. "And, uh, it's children. Three to be specific."

"Wait, I think we're having issues with the audio, because I swear you just said three," Eric said, holding up his hand.

"No, you heard him right. We're fostering three children." Kensi folded her hands together, shifting closer to Deeks. "Which means there's going to be a lot of changes."

"That's a lot to take on at once," Nell said, concern in her voice. "Are you going to be able to handle it alone?"

"It is a lot, and we know it's going to be rough and probably really messy for a while, but we know we can do this." Taking Deeks' hand, Kensi squeezed it, both giving and seeking reassurance.

"Exactly," Deeks agreed.

"And they won't be doing it alone," Sam spoke up. He nodded around the room. "Because they have all of us to help, right?"

"Of course," Fatima murmured.

"Definitely."

"I will fly in to babysit," Nell declared.

Pressing her hand over her chest, Kensi let out a choked sob. Deeks blinked back a few tears, overwhelmed by their response.

"Thank you. That means a lot."

Sam gestured to each of them in turn. It's what you do for family." He paused a beat to let it sink in. "Now somebody get me a beer so I can toast these two lunatics."

"Coming right up," Deeks said, heading into the kitchen.

He looked over his shoulder, taking in the group of mismatched people debating who would take on the first sitting duties. He had a feeling the coming weeks would involve a lot of tears, heartache, and struggle, but it helped to know they had a whole group of people to help them through it.