Kensi and Deeks It Is the First Birthday of There Baby Boy Fanfiction

March 11, 2022 Post a Comment

Feb 2015

Ray Valentine stood just outside the open door to his home, kick his boots against the doorstep to dislodge the moisture, slushy snow that had compacted in the treads while he shoveled his driveway. The blizzard conditions and 14 inches of snow that fell overnight and through the morning closed the dealership and most of the expanse today, but he'd be expected at piece of work tomorrow. He'd learned the hard way their offset wintertime hither that it was all-time to shovel in the daylight when at all possible, before everything froze over with nightfall.

Stepping over the threshold as he unwrapped the scarf from his neck and pulled the hat from his head, Ray caught his reflection in the hanging mirror his wife used to cheque herself before she left the business firm for work as a teacher aide at a nearby school. Non that she needed to, she was cute even when she thought she looked a mess. He was especially fond of the style she'd had her hair for the by few years: a cute auburn color in a sexy long bob. As for his own appearance, Ray had stopped existence startled at least a yr ago by the paradigm in the mirror: his hair, cut shorter than it had ever been in his previous life and styled in a more "professional person" look, though it was sticking out in several directions now, which he idea made him look a little younger, or at least hipper. That and the fact that he kept information technology darker than its natural color, so whatsoever grays that might pop up were conveniently covered soon after.

Had the thumping of niggling, pajama-clad feet not been enough to warn Ray of the impending collision, the happy squeal of "Daddy!" a moment before would have done the trick.

"Oomph!" he exaggerated when the child launched himself at Ray's legs and wrapped his own tiny arms and legs around them. He plucked the three-yr-old up into his arms for a proper hug. "Hey there Johnny Bravo! Did y'all take fun in the snowfall?"

"I not Johnny Bavo, silly. I Johnny Martin Balentine!"

"Oh that's right, I keep forgetting. Good thing I accept you to remind me," Ray said, his typical response when they played this little game.

"I always amind you, Daddy," came Johnny's expected respond, followed by Ray's favorite part: a wet osculation to wherever on his male parent'due south confront he could reach beginning. Today information technology was Ray'south ear.

"So what did yous do outside that was so important you couldn't assistance your old human shovel?" He asked as he walked them toward the kitchen.

"Me and mommy builded a snowman!"

"You congenital a snowman? Where is he? Is he on the couch?" Ray spun around apace to look into the living room they'd just left. Turning back, he winked at his wife, standing at the stove stirring something. "Nope, I don't see him there. Hmm, how virtually the bathroom—is he taking a shower?"

Johnny giggled and Ray's however-damp feet warmed with the sound of it. "No, snowmans got to stay outside."

"Snowmen have to stay outside? Are you sure?"

The boy nodded and looked at him with serious blue optics, "Aye. If snowman come inside, he melt."

"Oh, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"No," Johnny said with a small quiver of his lip.

"Hey, no demand to go deplorable little man. We'll make sure your snowman is okay tomorrow before you lot go to schoolhouse and as soon as we get domicile besides." He put the kid dorsum down, "In the meantime, what is that deliciousness that I smell?"

"Mommy making tomato soup!"

"And grilled cheese," Jen said. "It would exist smashing if y'all two could set the table. Everything'southward almost set up. And the postal service's on the counter, hon."

Ray handed Johnny some newspaper plates and napkins to put on the table before locating the small pile of envelopes. One in particular caught his attention. The return address of a familiar post role box number indicated information technology had been sent by Lewis Ellis, the federal marshal assigned to Raymond and Jennifer Valentine since their relocation to Long Isle, New York nearly four years ago.

The only time they got mail from Lewis was when he forwarded something from anyone in their past lives. Jen had her parents and a sister and he had Marty, and over the years they'd received the occasional bits of news and numerous gifts for Johnny. Scanning its contents, a myriad of expressions crossed Ray's face, finally settling on a total-fledged smile when he turned it over. "Hot d-dog!" he said, making the terminal 2d switch from the "damn" he was about to utter.

"No daddy, we having gwilled cheese," Johnny corrected from the table.

"What is it?" Jen asked.

"Lewis sent some mail from an old friend, and it'southward nigh time," Ray held up the paper for her to read. It was a print-out of a Wikipedia entry for the word "thing." Hand-written on the back was an explanation simply a few would sympathize: "It's official – there IS a affair!"

"I don't get it," she said.

"Marty finally got together with his partner!" When that didn't seem to aid analyze the issue, Ray explained nearly Kensi's nickname and his insistence that romance would bloom betwixt Marty and the brunette, despite what his friend claimed at the time. "I could always tell when Marty was crushing on a daughter dorsum in the day, just he never denied information technology or hesitated to deed on it before. With those baby blue optics and long blond pilus, he didn't have any trouble making fourth dimension with the ladies. Unlike me, he never dated more than than one daughter at a fourth dimension, just was more than what they'd call a 'serial monogamist' now considering he was true-blue but didn't desire the long-term commitment. So when I saw the style he looked at Kensi, and the way she looked dorsum, I knew the potential was in that location. The fact that he kept refusing to acknowledge it, though, fabricated me think he saw the potential too, simply was afraid she was someone he might really want to commit to."

"And it took him almost four years to get over his supposed fear of commitment?"

"Looks that mode. But now that he has, I fully expect to get a wedding proclamation within a twelvemonth."

Jen nudged her husband away from the stove, "Well you're getting luncheon inside 10 seconds, so go sit."

March 2016

"They're moving slower than summer Friday traffic to the Hamptons," Ray said equally he rubbed Jen's heavily pregnant belly with abdomen butter.

"Why practice y'all say that? They only merely got together a little over a yr ago, and now they're living together." Jen said, shifting onto her side to get more than comfortable in bed and so that her married man could reach the far side of her tum.

Ray had received another slice of mail forwarded from his former best friend via their federal marshal that 24-hour interval. This time it was a picture show of a bunch of moving boxes stacked in several piles in what looked like an already decorated apartment. It was hard to tell due to the angle, which Ray was sure was a deliberate selection in order to make the groundwork as bearding equally possible. Written on the dorsum in Marty's scrawl was "Home is wherever we are together, and now it's at the same address; hopefully information technology won't wait like an episode of Hoarders forever…"

"Because I saw there was something between them five years ago, why the hell are they dragging their feet?"

"Maybe they wanted to make sure information technology would work out before they let you in on it. Information technology would be awful if they told you about information technology right abroad and it ended just a few months later."

He kissed his wife and then her belly. "You're right," his words were tinged with sadness, "and we know that better than almost, don't we?"

"Yeah," she permit out on a sigh. "I know you want to transport him a sonogram picture show to tell them about this little i, but I simply… need to wait until she's born."

"Or he's built-in," Ray said with a gentle smile. "You're well by the bespeak at which we lost the last pregnancy, and your medico is confident this ane volition end with a alive nativity, only I empathise," he assured her.

"So exercise you lot want to send a picture of the babe's human foot with her…or his gender, weight, and a hint about the name this fourth dimension too?"

"Nosotros tin can probably send a shot including the kid's face, don't you recall? I mean, they're pretty generic looking as newborns. Plus I don't think we need to say anything about the name, since nosotros're not naming this one subsequently Marty."

"You sure you don't want to put Martina back on the list of girl's names?" Jen asked.

"Nah, that'd be overkill. Marty was thrilled that we honored him with Johnny's heart name, but we owe him a lot and that was the only way we could really acknowledge information technology. It was good, though, because he understands the importance of names. That's why he ditched his old human'south last name and took his mother's."

"That must have meant a lot to her."

"Probably. But it sure as hell confused me back when we ran into each other while he was undercover. I went forth with everyone calling him Max Gentry at starting time, and then when that was over and I could telephone call him Marty again, he forgot to mention he was no longer Brandel. The first fourth dimension I called him equally his informant and he answered the phone with 'Deeks,' I hung up, thinking I had the wrong number. We went through that most three times before he finally figured out it was me," Ray laughed at the retentiveness.

Jen'southward smile turned into a yawn. "Earlier I fall comatose, did you remember to ask Ms. Emma if she can sit for Johnny while I'm in labor?"

"Cheque. I also reminded Bob that yous're due in the next few weeks and he said he'll comprehend me on short observe."

"That's nice of him."

Ray scoffed, "Information technology'southward not similar he's not getting the committee on any sales he makes while he'southward taking my shifts. We need to program the next pregnancy amend and then you don't deliver during the build-up to Memorial Day."

"You complain 1 more time most losing money while I'one thousand pushing a babe out of my trunk and you lot won't have to worry about me getting pregnant ever once again, honey." She pulled his head downwardly and kissed him goodnight before rolling onto her back and endmost her optics.

"Yes ma'am." Ray chuckled as he reached to plow off the lamp. Settling himself into bed aslope his wife, he said, "I honey you, darlin'."

"Love you too," she muttered on the border of sleep.

November 2016

"What are yous still doing upward? I idea you lot were going to crash after putting Johnny to bed," Jen asked in a whisper so as not to startle their six-month-old while he fed greedily at her breast. A stapled pile of papers rested on her knee joint, an consignment she was editing for the teacher education program she had begun two months before.

Ray crossed the room and aptitude to gently buss both Jen and the baby on the tops of their heads. He sabbatum on the ottoman in front of the glider rocker in which his married woman preferred to nurse first Johnny and now Kevin. He felt such gratitude for all the second chances he'd been given in life that had led to this moment: surviving an abusive babyhood, becoming Marty'due south informant, entering WITSEC with Jenna (now Jennifer), being a better male parent than his onetime man could ever imagine existence.

On a deep sigh he said, "Got a disturbing notation from Marty today and I can't sleep."

"Is everything okay?"

He shook his head and took a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his sweats and read aloud, "Please ship prayers. My partner in all things has been in a coma for weeks."

"I'm pitiful to hear that," Jen said. "Nosotros'll definitely send enough of prayers and positive thoughts their way."

"I feel awful because I know how much Kensi means to him. Merely I also just tin can't stop thinking nearly how close I came to losing you both not that long ago," he murmured, looking at mother and baby.

"Shh, sweetheart nosotros're alright," she reached for his hand.

"You lot know, when all that bleeding started and they rushed you into surgery shouting things like 'placental abruption' and 'reduced fetal oxygen' there was no i I could call in the middle of the night to come up exist with me, or even pray for you ii. Sure, we have friends here. People we work with, some from the neighborhood. Only at that moment I was desperate to hear someone I knew from our previous life tell me you two would be okay." He paused for several moments and watched their salubrious son go on to suckle. "Did I tell you lot I really dialed your parents' number?" At Jen's alarmed expect, Ray assured her, "I never put the call through. Just I admit I came pretty damned close. I recall the just reason I didn't was considering it wouldn't accept been fair to tell them what was going on so leave them hanging for so long."

"Non to mention the fact that nosotros would have had to be relocated for breaching a major security protocol."

"Wasn't really my priority at the time," he admitted.

With a gentle smile, Jen said, "If you ever find yourself in a similar state of affairs, please know that non upending our lives once again will ever be your wife's priority." She took his paw, "But I get information technology. We've been in this program for five and a one-half years now, and we've adjusted well, I call up. Only when we agreed to come up into it, I judge we were so focused on the rubber of our presently-to-be family that we didn't requite a lot of thought to what we'd exist leaving behind."

"Probably a smart idea, otherwise nosotros might not have done it."

"Truthful. Better to be alive and have but sporadic and indirect contact with our loved ones than be dead. Merely when nosotros're at our lowest, like when an emergency C-section terrifies us, or our happiest, like when we hold our babies for the commencement fourth dimension, I think that'southward when nosotros miss the rest of our family the most."

Ray nodded, "Fifty-fifty though Marty and I spent about a decade out of touch on and going in completely different directions, he'southward still the closest thing I have to a blood brother. We had a lot of similar experiences growing upwards – I tin can't even count how many times each of us went to the ER, or at least should have. He was always the start person I showed my latest bandage or stitches to, and vice versa. And believe it or not, only almost one-half of it was from our fathers, not that we ever told the infirmary staff the truth about that. The rest was us just being stupid and reckless. Like the time I thought he was faking being unconscious later a skateboarding stunt went bad, so I shoved fruit snacks upward his olfactory organ," he shook his caput at the retention. "I just wish I could be at that place for him right now, you know?"

"I do, baby. And you lot are, in your own way. I'g sure that listing of 'helpful suggestions' you sent him when he and Kensi moved in together was invaluable," she smiled.

"Had to give him the benefit of my experience," Ray said with a smirk.

"Why don't you practise the same thing now? Let him know what happened when Kevin was born and tell him what helped you become through information technology."

"Not certain my few hours of worry can compare to what he's been living through for weeks now."

"Information technology'due south not a competition, Ray. Your friend is suffering through something you've survived. Let him know. Information technology'll give him some hope."

Kevin detached and started crying simply and then. "You want me to accept him?" Ray offered.

"No thanks. Go write Marty, it's not like you lot're going to exist able to slumber through this anyway."

Ray sat on the living room floor leaning against the burrow, Kevin in his bouncy seat on his left and Johnny on his correct building with his new Lego set, a recent birthday nowadays. He occupied the baby with the colorful, noisy, spinning toys that hung above the seat when he wasn't helping the newly-minted five-year-old locate the occasional difficult-to find slice. Information technology was the only help the boy would accept equally he dutifully followed the directions to brand a space shuttle with the foot-killing blocks. Keeping the kids out of the kitchen was Ray'due south only job today, the twenty-four hour period before Thanksgiving, while Jen worked her culinary magic in advance of tomorrow'south large meal. Except for the idiotic cartoon playing on the Tv set that Johnny wouldn't let him turn off – what happened to classics like Transformers and Thundercats, he wondered – information technology was a perfect solar day.

When he heard the neighbour's dog barking wildly and checked the time, Ray got up to glance out the front window. Seeing the mail carrier a few houses downwards, he said, "Keep an eye on your brother, Johnny. I'thousand getting the mail service."

When he came back in, he defenseless Jen'due south middle at the stove. She immediately spied the familiar envelope in his hand and came to the doorway between the rooms. "Could merely be a vacation menu," she tried to reassure him as she reached for it.

The fact that he hadn't heard anything more than from Marty regarding Kensi'south health in simply over three weeks didn't bode well to Ray, and he had taken to having Jen open anything forwarded past Lewis, simply in case. He noted the browns and oranges, and the glittery "Happy Thanksgiving" on the cover of the store-bought greeting carte du jour and relaxed. When he saw Jen'due south brow furrow, his worry returned until she finally read it to him, "She'southward awake and has a long route ahead of her, but we're hopeful for a total recovery. Cheers for your alphabetic character; information technology really helped and I read information technology often. Wish I could accept been as useful when you were struggling. After our inauspicious beginnings, who would think we'd take so much to be thankful for?"

She held him for several moments equally he let out a long breath. They returned to their tasks, certainly feeling thankful.

May 2017

"Kevin Jesse Valentine, you get back here correct now!" Jen chosen from the bathroom.

It wasn't two seconds afterward that their mostly moisture and completely naked toddler squealed as he streaked by Ray and Johnny while they read a book together on the couch. The 5-year-former said, "Kevin doesn't want to get to bed yet. But he has to, right, 'cause he'due south still a baby?"

"Kevin doesn't want to put any apparel on is more like it," Ray kissed Johnny'due south head as he got up to grab his younger son, who was now bouncing upward and downwardly on the far terminate of the sectional.

"That's silly," Johnny replied.

"Y'all used to practise the same matter, mister. In fact, yous're the reason nosotros have wall to wall carpeting. Didn't want you getting hurt again afterwards you slipped on the floor running away from me and mommy with wet anxiety."

"I'm a big boy now, I vesture clothes all the fourth dimension. Grown-up clothes like y'all, Daddy. With zippers and buttons. Simply little babies wear diapers and infant things with snaps."

"You are definitely but like your old man, buddy." Ray bodacious his eldest every bit he scooped upwards his youngest and held him shut, fully aware of how slippery a squirmy, wet, naked child could be.

Jen waited in the doorway of the bathroom with a towel, an eye roll, and a muttered, "Uh huh. If just he knew that you used to walk around naked whenever yous got the chance."

"Hey, I tin can't help information technology if Benny and the Jets hate to be cooped upwards." He handed their son off so Jen could finish getting him ready for bed. "We've got a pile of about 10 books to get through," he nodded toward Johnny in the living room, "So let me know when you're fix to switch."

Ninety minutes afterward, both kids were in bed and both parents had earned a beer. Ray swiped the mail off the kitchen counter equally he carried the bottles of brew and a bag of fries into the living room.

"No word from Jeremy yet, I presume?" Jen asked about his manager after taking her first sip.

"Nah, I would have told you as presently as I got dwelling house from work if I'd heard anything. They're supposed to let us know past the end of the week, but Jeremy'due south thinking my chances are good. And if not, I've got enough feel at this signal to get hired to sell new cars at the next place. Either fashion, it'due south fourth dimension for me to motility on from used vehicles."

He started flipping through the post, "Now let'south run into who'due south asking us for money this week… ooh, an envelope from Lewis. Wonder what it is, since Marty, your sister, and your folks sent birthday gifts for Kevin final month." He put the corner of the envelope against his caput and said, "Carnac the Magnificent predicts that Marty and Wikipedia are married and significant."

"They only only moved in together concluding year, give them time. My gauge is that Andrea has found the one."

"That's cheating; your sister finds 'the 1' at least twice a twelvemonth."

He pulled out a picture of a homo's left manus with a thin black circumvolve of metallic dangling from the ring finger.

"What is that? Looks similar a keychain." Jen wondered.

While Raymond Valentine would have made the same guess as his married woman, Ray Martindale, former weapons-runner extraordinaire, immediately recognized the pull band and safety pin from some type of grenade. But he said, "I think you're right."

He turned the movie over and establish Marty's print that said, "Nosotros've never been the near traditional couple—after ~~three~~ tries the 'normal' mode, she asked and I said yes!" Ray grinned when he followed the arrow from the crossed-out give-and-take to what he assumed was Kensi's script explaining, "He did Not advise iii times! Ane was a pre-proposal, 1 was when I was unconscious, and ane was incomplete! Hopefully planning the wedding doesn't have this long…"

"Remember they'd be offended if I write back and tell them that a nice quick ceremony by a justice of the peace is the way to go?"

Jen gently smacked his breast, "Yous can bet that if I wasn't meaning and we hadn't just been relocated here, where we knew absolutely no 1, nosotros would have had more than merely a quickie wedding past a JP. Although your proposal was very romantic," she leaned over and gave him a kiss.

"Human, I wish I could hear the stories backside all these proposals. Guessing they're still agents if she was unconscious for one of them, though. And what the hell is a pre-proposal?"

His married woman rolled her eyes, "Exactly what you did when we kickoff felt Johnny kick and you said, 'Hey, you call up we should go married earlier he really starts pushing his style out of you?'"

"Ah," Ray nodded and had the grace to grimace slightly. "What tin I say, I got carried away in the moment. But you liked the on-my-human knee popping of the question at the top of the Montauk Lighthouse at sunset?"

"I was very impressed with that. Even more impressive was the fact that you had a redundancy program in the event that I didn't want to climb all those stairs, given that I was six months significant."

He chuckled, "Between you and me I was kinda hoping you weren't up to it. Asking you while I was pushing you on a swing prepare within view of the lighthouse was a lot less pressure." Sighing, Ray continued, "That was really a time I really wanted Marty's input. He was always more suave with the ladies when it came to romantic stuff like that. Did I ever tell you lot near how he asked his appointment to the prom?"

"No."

"Go along in listen this was earlier all those 'promposals' were big on the net. Hell, this was before we even knew at that place was an net. But anyway, one day he cut English form to go to the In-N-Out, bought her favorite burger, and presented it to her at luncheon. On the napkin he'd written, 'Are y'all In to go Out to the prom with me?'"

"That'south cute. Not net worthy, but definitely creative," Jen said.

"Which is why it actually boggles the mind that Wikipedia ended upwards popping the question. Must have been a hell of a proposal, though."

December 2018

"Y'all recollect the kids volition notice if we put off decorating for Christmas until a little afterwards this year?" Jen whispered equally she brought the residual of the dinner dishes to the sink for Ray to wash, the kids in the next room watching Television.

"Considering it'due south all he's been talking almost for the past calendar month, I'd say Johnny will be a difficult one to fool." Noticing his wife's moist eyes, Ray quickly rinsed a plate, stale his easily and pulled her into a hug. "Oh, sweetie, I'm deplorable you're hurting so much and that we can't even tell the kids why you've been distressing lately."

Jen grabbed onto him, hid her face confronting his chest, and permit the tears flow. A few minutes later she turned her head to the side and said, "It'due south not like I was probably ever going to see him again, but information technology's so difficult knowing that he's non here anymore, yous know? And the fact that he was sick for so long and they never told me… information technology just kills me that I couldn't offering him whatever kind of comfort considering they didn't want to upset me."

"Your folks beloved you, and your dad was very protective of you. He would accept known you lot'd have wanted to go dwelling to run into him."

"They brand exceptions sometimes, Lewis said! Dad and I could accept both flown to another location for a short visit… it's merely not off-white."

"Your mom explained in the letter of the alphabet that your father didn't want to run any take chances of exposing yous. He loved you so much, baby. He still does."

"Mom! Kevin spilled his sippy loving cup," Johnny chosen from the living room.

"I'll handle it," Ray said, giving Jen a brief buss and grabbing some paper towels before heading toward the kids.

He returned a few minutes later to find Jen at the table, fixing a cup of tea and opening the day's post. "Here," she said, property a piece out to him.

Ray sabbatum and studied his married woman for a moment before determining that she was done crying and talking well-nigh her father for the time being. The past few weeks had been a roller coaster of emotion for Jen since being notified of her father'south expiry, made worse he was certain, by their status as protected witnesses. Turning his attending to the envelope, he opened it and found a picture of a bar's specials board, the name of the establishment cropped off. On the dorsum Deeks had written, "Part-time for now, but nosotros may have found our retirement gig."

"Huh," he said.

"What?" Jen asked.

"Looks like Marty and Wikipedia own a bar."

"Really? Did they leave their jobs every bit agents?"

"Doesn't await like it. He said it's still office-time."

"Why practise y'all look so surprised?"

He shrugged, "Approximate I tin can't picture Marty choosing to deal with drunks every twenty-four hours afterwards the childhood he had."

"Not everyone who goes to a bar gets drunk," Jen said.

"No, just you lot'll observe more inebriated people at a bar than most other places."

Jen nodded her agreement. "His begetter was a mean drunkard, wasn't he?"

"Meaner than a junkyard dog by the time nosotros met," Ray confirmed. "Marty always said his old human being wasn't that bad when he was younger. Kinda absent because he worked a lot, merely once he got laid off and started spending his days at the local bar, things went downhill fast and he started using his wife, and and so Marty, as a punching bag. Only thing worse is someone who's that nasty when he'due south sober, like my old man."

Jen considered him for several long moments. "I'yard sorry that's what bonded the two of you initially, your terrible fathers. Makes me appreciate my wonderful dad all the more though," she said, offering Ray the commencement smile he'd seen in weeks.

April 2019

Ray groaned as he straightened upward, a clamper of smooshed cake in his manus, "I think Johnny had the right idea when he suggested a bowling party." He looked out the nearest window overlooking the backyard to brand certain his oldest son was yet safely digging up worms with his best friend. Ray shook his caput as he recalled the one time he and Marty had washed something like not also long after they'd met. They had planned to sell the worms for allurement and hide the greenbacks from their fathers. Unfortunately, old man Brandel came abode early and saw all the holes before they had thought to fill them in. Ray figured the just reason Marty hadn't gotten the shit kicked out of him was considering Ray was at that place and Marty was smart enough to exit with him for a while.

"A agglomeration of three-year-olds throwing bowling balls effectually? That's not asking for trouble. Johnny tin can have that for his next birthday if he notwithstanding wants it," Jen said.

"Every bit long equally information technology'south non in the house, I'm all for it. Keeping control of six toddlers is tougher than herding cats, even with their parents hither. I'm glad nosotros saved the gift opening until after Kev'due south nap and then we tin clean 1 mess before making some other."

"Speaking of, a package arrived from Lewis during the political party. We should probably add information technology to the pile." With that, Jen went to the hall closet and pulled out a shipping box.

Ray returned from the kitchen with make clean hands and a knife to slice through the packing tape. The box inside had clearly been unwrapped and re-wrapped. "You'd think subsequently all this time the marshals service would end opening the gifts for the kids to check their contents. Information technology'southward bad enough they read all the postal service, coming and going."

"This is how they keep us safe; they need to make certain at that place'south aught in there that will identify us or the senders. I imagine later on several years people tend to get complacent so it's simply equally important now as it was in the beginning," Jen shrugged.

"Complacent -heed to you and the fancy words. Your teacher training program certainly has expanded your vocabulary."

She grinned, "Tin can't teach the fancy words if you don't know them."

An envelope was nether the gift, and contained a picture of an ornate wedding cake with a brunette bride and blond groom topper. The dorsum said simply, "She's stuck with me forever at present; we said our 'I Do's.'"

Ray had a huge grinning on his face when he said, "I was beginning to worry that they'd cleaved up, it'south been so long. I'm betting we missed some political party if it took them two years to programme information technology."

"Has it really been two years?" Jen asked, wandering around the living room and tossing newspaper plates, plastic cups, and juice boxes into a large garbage bag.

He nodded, "Nosotros got the news of their date correct around Kevin's commencement birthday. I hope it doesn't take them much longer to have a child."

"I think you lot're more excited about the idea of them having a baby than you were almost us," Jen teased.

"You know what they say about misery loving visitor."

"It'due south a good thing I know you're joking about that."

"That I am. Truth is I want Marty to experience what information technology'southward like to be a good dad; to be the opposite of our own lousy fathers. To know what it's like to make your kids happy instead of miserable and agape."

"What makes you think they even want children? You can't tell me this is something the two of you lot e'er talked almost."

"More like complaining about the crap our fathers did and agreeing it wasn't something nosotros'd wish on anyone else. Though there was a time when a girl Marty was dating thought she might be pregnant and he told me he'd bear witness that he could heighten a child improve than his old human had, even if he was a teenaged father with no job prospects."

Jen stopped cleaning and approached Ray every bit he picked up the couch cushions checking for whatever messy surprises they wouldn't desire to find later. She put her easily on his shoulders, "It's a shame he doesn't have you lot as a role model, then, because you lot're a wonderful father, sweetheart. And husband."

Ray pulled his married woman into his arms for a long embrace, "Give thanks yous, baby. That's all I need to exist."

December 2022

"Come on Dad," Johnny whined while moving his fingers quicker than Ray idea humanly possible on his game panel, "I'm near to level up."

"If y'all don't become to bed shortly, Santa'south going to fly right over this house," he said.

The child rolled his eyes briefly before returning them to his screen, "Save it for Kev. I know who actually puts the gifts under the tree."

"And then know this," Jen said as she collapsed next to her married man on the couch. Their 11-year-old son was on the flooring in front of them, simply giving them the time of solar day at present that they had announced he needed to put the game away and become to bed. "If you're non in bed with the lights out in the next sixty seconds your father and I will be in ours, and whatever presents we might have put under the tree tonight will stay well-subconscious until next Christmas." With that, she fix a timer on her phone and showed it to the boy.

Johnny promptly stormed off, muttering nether his jiff.

Ray called after him, "Don't wake your brother up!" He shook his head and placed a hand on his wife'due south thigh, squeezing gently. "I tin't believe he hasn't even officially reached puberty still."

"I'm sure he will accept by the time of his next concrete. He probably has all those nasty hormones running through his claret right at present, just waiting to abound hair on my little boy'south body," Jen shuddered at the thought.

"That was a practiced comeback by the way, only don't forget y'all should only make threats y'all're willing to follow through on."

"Oh I know. I don't bluff anymore – existence a mom and a teacher has served me well. And we both know I'g a large softy and probably would have relented and given him the Christmas presents for his birthday."

"His birthday's in November."

"Exactly," she winked. "Oh hither, I virtually forgot. I'm guessing this is from Marty and Kensi, since the kids received holiday gifts from my mom and sister already," she pulled an envelope from her bathrobe and handed it to Ray.

"Y'all remember? Usually they send a packet with bodily presents," he confirmed the render address of their federal align's P.O. Box.

He ripped it open and pulled out an Amazon gift card with a annotation newspaper-clipped to it: "Sorry, homo, merely tin you buy the gifts this year… things are a little busy here!" Clipped backside the note was a picture of a child on a swing set, taken from backside, in what looked like a backyard. Ray held it out for Jen to see before turning information technology over to read: "No, nosotros did not have the longest pregnancy on record; nosotros decided to skip all the diaper-irresolute and colic and started our family with a 3 y/o. Hope I'm equally adept at it as I'one thousand sure you are!"

"Woo hoo!" Ray said with a huge smile.

Looking closely at the picture, Jen said, "It's hard to tell for sure, only the child looks big for three. I bet if we send them some of the dress Kevin outgrew last twelvemonth, they'll fit before long enough."

"Can't come across if it'south a male child or a girl." Ray re-read the note, "And Marty didn't say."

"He or she is not wearing a wearing apparel, then daughter or male child, they apparently wear those cute little kiddie jeans and tees we have so many of."

"I'one thousand assuming they adopted, which I hope means this child has less of a take a chance of existence the daredevil Marty was." He tapped the flick and said, "We sometimes hung out at the school playground later on the piddling kids and their folks left for dinner. This way no one would see us try to come upwards with ways to do a three-60 on the swings."

"Pretty sure that's impossible."

"Ha! Try telling that to two adolescents with a lot of time to kill and nowhere to exist. I recollect we came closest with one of united states pushing the other all the manner up every bit we ran nether the swing. But we knew we'd need more consistent power. Pity we were never able to swipe a burn down extinguisher from the schoolhouse similar we talked about," Ray said with a small shake of his head.

They continued to stare at the photo and Ray allow out a sigh. "I'm happy for them. He'll be a proficient dad, no dubiety. And Wikipedia volition probably be the almost protective mama bear there ever was."

"I wonder if they're still agents. You retrieve it'southward possible they run the bar full-time?"

"I doubt they can brand plenty coin from a bar to back up a family of three after more than two years of COVID restrictions, just I hope they're out of the line of burn down. They deserve to be rubber."

"We all do," Jen agreed with a peck to her hubby's cheek. "Now let's put the presents under the tree and then gloat the fact that we still are."

July 2024

"Sign here, here, here, and initial at that place, there, and at the bottom of every page. And everywhere nosotros crossed something out."

Ray did so quietly for several pages, passing each along to Jen for her signature. He paused, looking over a sail of newspaper, "What's this one for over again?"

Lewis Ellis put on his glasses and perused it. "Releases the federal government of any liability should you be injured or killed past anyone having to practice with Nelson Sanders once you lot leave the Witness Protection Program."

"Didn't nosotros sign that one already?" Jen asked.

"That i specifically releases the marshals service of liability," Lewis explained.

"Yous guys really comprehend your asses, don't you?" Ray said.

"Near people who leave the programme aren't doing it under such favorable circumstances."

"It helps to take friends in the right places," Ray said.

Lewis nodded, "But the cognition that Nelson Sanders was killed in prison might not take been enough to convince me to leave protection, personally. It was skillful of your pals in NCIS to institute data that you'd been spotted in the Midwest to your other former associates, become a feel for how hot things are for you now."

"Gotta say, I think I'yard a petty insulted that no ane wants me dead anymore."

"The mode I heard it, a couple of them even said, 'Ray who?'" Lewis chuckled. "But at that place's no point in pressing your luck, so every bit nosotros discussed yous all volition keep your current aliases, social security numbers, and other documentation when you leave here. You lot definitely heading back to L.A.?"

Ray nodded, "Nosotros should easily be able to land jobs there. I tin can sell cars anywhere, and the schools are in desperate need of expert teachers like Jen."

Jen said, "Most chiefly, my family is at that place, every bit well equally the best friend Ray e'er had. Nosotros can finally tell the kids that they have a grandmother, aunts, and uncles now that we don't have to come with excuses why we don't meet them or even talk to them on the phone."

"Does that mean we also have to give them credit for all the extra gifts over the years?" Ray wondered.

"Where are the boys, by the manner? It'south clumsily quiet in here." Lewis asked.

"Downwardly the block at the but house with a pool. When nosotros told them virtually anybody has a puddle in L.A., they couldn't wait to motility." He checked his cell, "Speaking of, the moving company will be here in about an hr."

"Well and then it seems like you lot've got everything covered. I'd suggest you continue the minor changes you fabricated to your appearance when you first relocated."

"I prefer the auburn hair, then I was planning to. And Ray now wears spectacles for reading that I think he'south going to accept to upgrade to a pair of progressives soon, so they're not going anywhere either," Jen said with a grinning.

"I wouldn't fifty-fifty desire to know what I'd look similar if I stopped darkening my hair," Ray admitted.

"Even though I'1000 no longer officially responsible for you, if anything worrisome comes up, requite me a call. And on that note, we're finished with all the paperwork and the only matter left is to wish you good luck," Lewis said every bit he held out his hand.

"Thanks, man," Ray said, shaking hands with the marshal.

Lewis hugged Jen good day and headed toward the door of their business firm, fully stacked with boxes awaiting the moving visitor. "Oh, I near forgot. This came for you today." He pulled an envelope from his adjust jacket pocket and handed it to Ray.

"Wow, no P.O. Box return address," Ray observed.

"No demand to keep information from your previous life away from this one anymore. Take intendance of yourselves," Lewis said equally he walked out the door.

Left in the quiet of the completely packed firm they'd lived in for the more than 13 years since entering WITSEC, Ray and Jen looked at each other. "How practise you lot feel?" she asked.

"A little nervous, if I'g honest. It feels similar he just took our invisibility cloak abroad."

"It's not too late you know, we can stay on Long Island even if we're not in the programme. Tell the kids they have family unit and accept everyone come visit us hither."

"Nah, we've been all through this. Nosotros both want to be back home with the rest of the people we honey. Nobody in L.A. wants me dead and every bit long equally I go on working legitimate jobs, that shouldn't alter."

"I tin't look," Jen said equally she pulled him into an embrace and they both let out a long breath. "Who was the mail from?" she asked eventually.

"Marty. Skillful news is nosotros now have his address, so I can write him directly that we're coming back. Or we can just drop by his business firm one twenty-four hour period and surprise them."

"He might already know. I bet that's a welcome home card or something." Jen said.

Ray opened the envelope and pulled out a photo of a very chiseled and bare-chested Marty Deeks – if the scruff on his chin and hints of his longish hair brushing his well-defined shoulders were any indication – holding a newborn, pare to skin. The note on the dorsum explained, "Guess we won't be avoiding the diapers and colic after all."

Handing the film to Jen, Ray said, "Correction: nosotros're stopping at their house first thing because I gotta go the name of Marty'south trainer. Look at that gun prove. Do yous take any idea how many cars I could sell if I looked similar that?"

"Kensi is i very lucky woman," Jen said with a low whistle, fanning herself with the motion picture, a sly smiling on her face.

"What? Wait, what do you – y'all know what? Perchance we should stay in New York. I mean both take beaches, and access to mountains and the country. Plus you can't build snowmen in Fifty.A. Not to mention I'k finally in line for the next manager opening. And I already had one wife prefer my best friend over me-"

"Aww beloved," Jen said, wrapping herself around him once again, "Don't worry, you're the only DILF for me."

"That's practiced, considering Wikipedia has a gun and knows how to employ it."

She laughed and pulled Ray toward the door. "Come on, let's go go our kids. Our next adventure awaits."

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Source: https://wikideeks.com/2021/09/15/second-chances-a-deeks-m-fanfic/