#caleb deeks

[ejzah]

A/N: Well, the time has finally come. Thank you to each and every one of you who has read and followed this story that originally started out as a silly tumblr post. See you for the next one!

***

In Miss Blye’s Class, Epilogue

Deeks popped his head into the bathroom, frowning at Caleb, who stood in front of the mirror, toothbrush still in his mouth.

“Hey, what’s taking so long? Usually I have to beg you to make it to two minutes and you’ve been in here for ten.”

“I think I’m getting sick,” Caleb mumbled around his toothbrush.

Deeks reached out, feeling his forehead. “Hm, are you really?” he asked, not surprised when Caleb’s eyes danced to the side, looking extremely guilty. “Ok, what’s going on?”

“Why can’t Kensi be my teacher again? If she can teach people in college, then she should know enough to teach first grade,” Caleb sighed finally.

“Caleb, we’ve gone over this all summer. You know why,” Deeks answered, starting to lose his patience just a tiny bit. He bumped Caleb’s butt with his knee. “C’mon, scoot.”

“Daaaad.” Hunching his shoulders, Caleb gave him a pleading look. “I just want to stay with you or Kensi.” There was a slight tremble in his voice underneath the whine, and Deeks sighed.

Putting aside his irritation and the need to leave, Deeks squatted in front of him. He gestured at Caleb until he came closer, leaning into his chest. Sometimes it was easy to forget that even though he’d grown in so many ways, both physically and maturity-wise, Caleb was still a little boy.

“Hey, I know that it’s scary to start new things sometimes. It’s true you probably won’t have all the same classmates and Kensi won’t be your teacher, and that’s going to be hard for a little bit. Soon, you’ll be too busy learning all kinds of amazing things and playing with all your friends, that you won’t have time to think about everything that’s changed.”

“I guess,” Caleb mumbled.

“You met Mrs. Craig and she was nice, right?” Deeks asked, and Caleb gave a one-shouldered shrug.

“She gave you a new book, which you’ve read no less that ten times since then, and you liked the classroom pet.”

“The lizard was pretty cool,” he admitted. Deeks could tell his protests were starting to peter out, so he hugged him a little closer, and reminded him,

“If you are having a really tough time, Kensi said you can come see her during lunch, but I bet you won’t have to.”

“And you’ll pick me up?” he checked.

“Absolutely. As soon as they let you out.” He paused, giving Caleb a minute to process everything. “You good now?”

“Yeah.”

“Awesome. Now we gotta leave before all three of us are late. Go get your shoes and backpack,” he said, kissing the top of his head, and nudging him towards the door. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you, dad.”

He walked into the master bedroom checkin his watch; they had approximately five minutes before they needed to leave. Kensi stood in front of the floor length mirror in one of her sundresses, and he momentarily forgot about the time.

“You look amazing,” he told her, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.

“Thank you.” Kensi eyed his reflection. “You better not change out of that suit before I get home.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Caleb was acting a little odd at breakfast. Is everything ok? Kensi asked as she reached back to put on a necklace.

“Just first day jitters,” he assured her, automatically closing the necklace clasp for her. “He’s worried the new teacher won’t measure up to his last one.”

“Oh, well, I heard she was pretty good.”

“Mm, extremely good. She’s taught me all kinds of things.” Deeks lowered his eyes suggestively, and Kensi leaned back slightly so she brushed again his chest, and he settled his hands on her hips. They stayed there for half a minute until he sighed in regret.

“School sucks,” he said in a fair approximation of Caleb. Kensi snorted, turning to kiss him before she wandered off to get shoes.

When they reached the living room, Caleb balanced on the back of the couch, Captain America backpack on, a Lego figure in one hand, and a book tucked under his other arm.

“You ready to go?” Deeks asked, holding out his hand.

“Yeah.” Hopping off the couch, Caleb ran to them, slipping between Kensi and Deeks to take each other their hands in his.

“I think I’m gonna give Matthew my Star Wars Lego,” Caleb said, looking up at Kensi. “Do you think I’ll see him at recess?”

“I’m sure you will. And after school, you get to hang out with me until it’s time to leave,” Kensi informed him.

“Yes!” Caleb pumped released Deeks’ hand to pump his hand in the air.

As Caleb chattered away, his fears forgotten for the moment, Deeks shared a look with Kensi.

Yeah, this was going to be a good year.

[ejzah]

A/N: Small one for today!

***

Most Ardently, Part 3

“Hey kiddo, are you ready?” Deeks called out, walking into the small dressing room where he’d left Caleb to put on his shoes while Deeks finished putting on his suit. That had been fifteen minutes ago and the chapel was starting to fill up. “All the guests are here and grandma said Kensi’s waiting for us.”

He didn’t get an answer, but he heard a soft inhalation. Looking around the room, he finally spotted a pair of black shoes peeking out from behind an upholstered chair. He moved around to see Caleb crouched in an impressively small crevice, arms wrapped around his knees, and head turned to the side.

“Caleb, what’s going on?”

Caleb lifted his head, looking like he’d gotten caught red-handed. When he didn’t say anything, Deeks lowered himself to the floor. Roberta would freak out about him wrinkling his pants or getting lint on his vest, if she saw him right now.

Squeezing himself as close as he could, Deeks waited for a few more seconds. “Are you feeling ok?”

Caleb gave a single nod, avoiding eye contact.

“Ok, are you sad?”

A head shake.

Deeks thought about what else could bothering Caleb enough to have him hiding. Ever since Deeks proposed to Kensi, Caleb had been ecstatic, his excitement only growing in the last couple weeks as the wedding date approached. A terrible thought hit him, one which he almost immediately dismissed, but he still had to ask.

“Are you upset about about the wedding?”

“No,” Caleb answered, speaking for the first time, sounding confused and a little outraged by the question. “I want you guys to get married. I love Kensi.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Deeks said, playing off his concern with an exaggerated voice. Knocking Caleb’s shoulder, he scooted closer. “So what’s going on then?”

“What if I can’t do it?” Caleb whispered.

“Do what?”

“Be your best man. I’ve never been a best man before and this is like the most important day ever, and I don’t want to ruin it.” Now that he started talking, the words came pouring out, almost too fast for Deeks to follow.

“Woah, hold up,” Deeks interrupted. “How could you ruin the wedding?”

“I could make a mistake,” Caleb said, dipping his head with uncharacteristic shyness. “What if I fall down or laugh when I’m not supposed to or drop the rings?”

Taking Caleb’s hand, Deeks gently tugged him so they were facing each other. “Hey, you are not going to mess up. And even if you do any of those things, no one will care. The only thing that will ruin the wedding, is if I don’t have my best man by my side.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Caleb considered for a few more moments, then wrapped his arms around Deeks neck in a tight hug.

“I love you, dad,” he said.

“Love you too, kiddo. Now come on, we’ve got a wedding to get to.” Deeks got to his feet with a groan, offering his hand to Caleb, who took it with a small smile.

[ejzah]

Can you write a story that Follows In miss Blye’s class?

I wanna see Deeks Propose and get married!!

Maybe have another baby?

A/N: So sorry for the very long delay. I hope this makes up for it and is what you’re looking for. There will be at least one more part! Takes place about one year after Kensi and Deeks started dating.

***

Most Ardently

“Dad, what are you doing?”

Deeks jerked, failing to conceal the ring box in his hand before Caleb leaned over his shoulder.

“Wait, is that a ring?”

“Yeah, kiddo, it’s—”

“Are you going to propose to Kensi?!” Caleb shouted, talking over Deeks. “When? Can I see it?”

“Woah, dude, slow down. I just bought it yesterday,” Deeks said, holding up his hand to stop the onslaught of questions. “I haven’t even had time to figure out the when and where yet.”

For a second, Caleb seemed to deflate a little, then gave him that perceptive look he got sometimes.

“But you have an idea of what you want, right?”

“What makes you say that,” Deeks asked.

Caleb shrugged, plopping down on the couch beside Deeks, and pushed a handful of hair out of his eyes. His hair had grown out to shoulder length, and while it was slightly less unruly than Deeks’ he still got a serious case of bead head most days.

“Cause you know what Kensi likes and you’re really good at surprising people,” Caleb explained confidently. Looking up at the ceiling he, he tapped his chin a couple of times. “I think you’ll propose on the beach.”

“Hey, you’re not getting any spoilers from me.” Deeks held both hands up and Caleb groaned, throwing himself back against the coach.

“Dad, c’mon! I’m your partner in crime. The Falcon to your Captain America.”

“I’m honored to be on the same level of Steve Rogers. That’s some A-level buttering up, but it’s not going to work this time.” When Caleb jutted his bottom lip out, an Deeks gently added. “Hey, I just want to figure things out a little more first, ok? I’ll let you in on it before I actually propose.”

“Ok,” Caleb sighed. He pursed his lips. “Are you going to get down on one knee?”

“Maybe,” Deeks said.

“You have to get roses and champagne,” Caleb continued seriously.

Deeks held back a smile at his investment in the proposal plans. Sitting down, he patted his knee and Caleb willing hopped on. Thankfully, at almost seven, Caleb wasn’t yet embarrassed by hugs and cuddles.

“Now how do you know about all that?”

“That’s what they always do in the movies.”

“Well, Mr. Expert, what else should I do?” Deeks asked.

“You need to say she’s witched you body and soul and you love her,” Caleb said, looking inordinately pleased with himself.

“Oh, is that right?” Deeks tugged Caleb into his side, tickling his ribs. “I knew we shouldn’t have shown you “Pride and Prejudice”.

“Daaaaad!” Caleb protested, giggling and wriggling as he made feeble attempts to escape. When Caleb was thoroughly breathless, Deeks stopped, hugging Caleb close.

“I appreciate all your advice, kiddo. You’re the best,” he murmured.

“You’re welcome.” Fiddling with Deeks’ color, Caleb said in a very soft voice, “I’m glad your asking Kensi to marry you, Daddy.”

“Me too. I just hope she says yes.” That possibility still nagged at the back of his mind and had from the day he’d first started looking at rings.

“She will,” Caleb told him confidently.

[ejzah]

A/N: I’m finally back with this story again! I’m hoping that I can get it wrapped up before July, but no promises.

***

In Miss Blye’s Class, Part 32

Despite the specter of Monica hanging over them, they had a good night. Caleb contributed significantly to keeping the mood light. He was delighted to have uninterrupted time with Kensi and made use of the opportunity. After dinner, he showed Kensi all his new books, as promised, even reading two all by himself.

Kensi seemed just as excited by his reading as Deeks, even though she got to seem him practice his skills every day. He’d come to love these moments of quiet simplicity. There wasn’t any pressure on any of them to be anything but themselves.

He watched Kensi help Caleb decode a difficult word, and he glanced up, seeking Deeks’ gaze, his approval with a wide grin. Deeks grinned back, reaching over to smooth an unruly curl down. It instantly sprung back up. Just like it always did.

“That’s one of the biggest, hardest words I’ve ever read!” Caleb exclaimed.

“I know, kiddo. I’m so proud of how hard you’ve worked on your reading,” Deeks said wholeheartedly.

“Me too,” Kensi agreed. “You’ve made so much progress these last few months.”

This alone was enough to convince that he needed to have a serious conversation with Monica. Up to this point, he’d held back for Caleb’s sake, and maybe because despite it all, he still felt some tiny bit of compassion for her. All that had gotten him was Monica pushing as many boundaries as she could.

He was done. He wouldn’t put his relationship with Kensi in jeopardy. Not anymore.

They spent another half an hour playing and talking before it was Caleb’s bedtime. Kensi decided to leave then, and he briefly imagined a time when she’d stay for a bedtime story and the good nights. He didn’t let his imagination drift too far with that daydream, but it was on his mind as he kissed Kensi goodbye at the door, lingering for a few extra seconds even though they’d both said their goodbyes already.

Once Kensi left, he ran the normal nighttime routine with Caleb: bath, teeth brushing, talking over the day, before a final book—this time read by Deeks. He made sure Caleb was fully asleep before he crept out and headed for the patio, pulling up Monica’s number on his phone.

“Hello, Marty. I did not expect to hear from you so soon,” she answered after a couple rings. “Did you miss me?”

“No. Monica, we need to talk,” he said, not taking the bait. She chucked, her voice fading for a second as though she’d turned away from the phone.

“I’m sorry, but I’m a little…occupied tonight.”

“I don’t care. After the last week, you can deal with some inconvenience. Now, we can either talk now or meet here.”

He could almost feel her debating the consequences of blowing him off for whatever plans she may or may not have. After several seconds, she sighed dramatically, the sound loud in his ear.

“Alright. I’ll be over in half an hour.”

***

Deeks was waiting in the driveway, leaning against his truck, when Monica pulled up to the curb in a black car. He didn’t want to chance Caleb hearing the conversation they were about to have if he happened to wake up.

Monica raised an eyebrow at his position as she approached, but didn’t comment. Uncrossing his legs, Deeks straightened, meeting her at the halfway point.

“This is cozy,” she joked, mimicking his posture. “So, what is so important that you pulled me away from what promises to be a very nice date?”

“Did you question Kensi about our relationship?” he asked bluntly. Monica didn’t show any sign of guilt or embarrassment, her expression blanking for a second before she laughed throatily.

“Oh, so the teacher went and tattled. I was 50/50 on which way she’d go. You know, she’s spunky. I like that—”

“On my god, Monica, stop. This isn’t a game. What were you thinking asking Kensi’s those questions?”

She shrugged flippantly. “Like I told her, I’m just looking out for you. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“That is not your job or your business. How many times do I have to tell you that you no longer have a say in my personal life before you get it? That ended when you divorced me,” Deeks reminded her.

“That may be true, but she’s also in Caleb’s life. And I’m still his mother,” she shot back, taunting him. “I still have a say in his life. Especially when it comes to such big changes.”

“No, you don’t. Not anymore. You’re the one who terminated your parental rights. If you want visitations we can get lawyers to work out an agreement, but this cannot go on. You don’t get to walk back in whenever you want and make demands. I won’t let you do this to us anymore.”

“I thought we didn’t need a contract,” Monica said, reminding him of his own words from a time when he was younger and far more naive.

“I thought so too, until you started interfering in our lives. It’s not fair to either Caleb or me to have you just showing up without warning and expect us to drop everything.”

“A mother should be allowed to see her son.”

That pushed him over the edge. He’d tried to remain polite and in control, but everything that he’s kept back since she left came pouring out.

“Oh don’t give me that crap, Monica. You abandoned him. That’s what it’s called when you leave a child without any warning or way of contacting you,” he snapped, inhaling deeply to regain even a tiny bit of control. He didn’t need the neighbors hearing the entire conversation. “Look, I have tried so hard to move on and not be bitter about any of this.”

He drew his hand through the air to encompass the last five years. “I know people change, sometimes what they thought they wanted doesn’t make them happy anymore, and-and I accept that, but the way you left destroyed both of us when you left. Monica, you didn’t even give me any warning. It took me so long to begin trusting another person, for Caleb to stop asking when you were coming home, and now that we’ve finally found peace and happiness, you come in like some kind of wrecking ball.”

Monica shifted from one foot to the other, and opened her mouth like she was about to defend herself, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

“I don’t want to hear whatever excuse you’re going to come up with. You’ve manipulated our son, questioned my girlfriend, and violated my privacy.” He shook his head, licking his bottom lip. “There’s, uh, there’s no excuse for any of that. I wouldn’t believe it anyway at this point.”

Her face fell slightly at the last part, but he refuses to feel any guilt. She shifted from one foot to the other, looking down with her lips pursed, then lifted her chin.

“So, what exactly do you want if it’s not an apology?” she asked.

“We agree to put parameters on your visitation and parental rights,” he responded. “I’m going to get a lawyer. I suggest you do to.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll do whatever is necessary to protect my family.” He let that hang in the night air for a few seconds, then nodded. “Have a good rest of your night, Monica.” He didn’t wait for a reply, heading for the front door again.

***

A/N: I know this is a little heavier and dramatic than most of this story. I hope that’s ok. Monica’s just one of those people who doesn’t know when to stop.

[ejzah]

In Miss Blye’s Class, Part 27

***

Kensi stayed for dinner and while Deeks cleaned up. Over the course of the evening, Caleb slowly opened up a little more, even breaking a couple of smiles.

Deeks thought at least a part of his continued reserved behavior came down to embarrassment. While Deeks appreciated that Caleb recognized what he did was wrong, he also didn’t want him to wallow in guilt.

When he had finished cleaning the few dishes used for the pizza, and packed up the half-finished meal he’d started, Deeks made his way into the den. He found Kensi and Caleb with their backs to the door, bent over a book. He stayed in the doorway watching them interact, and listened to the rise and fall of Kensi’s voice more than the words.

“Wait, did you forget to read the fine print!!!!” Kensi exclaimed.

“They ate spicy salsa on accident and now it’s going to make them breathe fire,” Caleb announced in between giggles. “And then the whole house is gonna burn down.”

Deeks smiled as he recognized one of Caleb’s most favorite books. Even if it had be a crappy couple of days, he had a lot to be grateful for. Mainly the two people crouched over a book about dragons. He waited for them to finish before interrupting with a gentle clearing of this throat.

“Hey kiddo, it’s getting close to bedtime,” he said, and both Kensi and Caleb’s heads swiveled towards him.

“We were having so much fun, we completely lost track of time,” Kensi said, nudging Caleb with her knee. “I better get home. Have good night, ok?”

“Ok. Thanks for reading with me, Kensi.” He dipped his head, peeking up from under his bangs. “Can I hug you?”

“Of course.” Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around Kensi, clinging to her for several long moments. When he let go, Kensi brushed his hair back with a fond smile that made Deeks’ chest ache in a way that wasn’t physical. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Kensi,” he said.

“I’ll walk you out,” Deeks offered. “I’ll be back in a couple, buddy.”

Caleb nodded, turning back to the small pile of books and trains scattered nearby.

“Ugh.” Deeks rubbed his palms over his face as he and Kensi reached the front door. “This is not how I imagined today going.”

“Hey, we’re all going to have bad days. Compared to some of my other relationships, this is actually not that bad.

“Very reassuring.” Holding out his hand, Deeks waited for Kensi to thread her fingers through his. “I should have told you about Monica sooner,” he added.

“Yeah,” Kensi agreed. “But I also understand why you didn’t.” She sighed, her smile a little melancholy. “Exes are hard. Especially when there are kids involved.” She tugged lightly on his hand. “Let me know if you need anything. Talk, yell, cry. I’m here and I promise not to judge.” She nodded. “Well, not too much.”

Deeks chuckled, and shook his head. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” she told him, leaning in for a brief kiss. “Good luck with your talk.”

Deeks shut the door behind Kensi, dragging both hands through his hair. He’d been thinking about how to approach this conversation all evening, and still wasn’t settled on what to say. He walked back to the den; Caleb had cleaned up everything, with more care than usual.

“I’m ready to go to bed,” Caleb announced.

“Come here for a minute,” Deeks said, sitting in one of the chairs, and Caleb hung his head, shuffling over reluctantly. He stopped with his still lowered, which just made Deeks want to wrap him up in a big hug. He pulled Caleb onto his lap, settling him on one knee.

“Kensi said you told her you were upset about mom and that’s why you got mad and threw the block. Is that true?”

Caleb shrugged once, and then gave a single jerk of his head, still not looking up. Deeks gently tipped his chin up. The were the sheen of tears in his eyes.

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“I don’t know.” Another shrug.

“You know you can tell me anything,” Deeks reminded him. Caleb didn’t respond, so he prompted. “Why are you upset about mom coming to visit?”

“Because you always get sad when she does,” Caleb answered, with a hint of sadness and bitterness, which had no place in a five year old’s voice. “I like it when we’re happy. And I like having Kensi here, and I don’t want it to change.”

Deeks blinked at him in shock for a moment as he processed everything Caleb had just revealed. He’d tried to conceal his true feelings about Monica, but apparently he hadn’t been as successful as he thought.

“Hey, first of all, you do not have to worry about how I’m feeling, Caleb. That’s not your job, ok? If you wanna see mom, then that’s what we’re going to do. It doesn’t matter how it makes me feel.” He tapped Caleb’s chin, until he made eye contact again.

“Secondly, mom coming back isn’t going to change anything with Kensi,” he said.

“You promise?” Caleb whispered hopefully.

“Yeah, I do.” He let that sink in for a few seconds. “So, what do you think about mom visiting again while she’s here?”

Caleb considered the question with a tilt of his head. “I don’t know. I have to think about it.”

“That’s fine. It’s always good to think about things before you make a decision,” Deeks said approvingly. As they talked, Caleb had slowly melted into his chest. He could tell he was fading fast.

“Hey, one more thing.” Deeks rested his hand on Caleb’s back. “I know you weren’t feeling like yourself when you threw that toy today at school, but that can’t happen again, ok?”

Caleb nodded into his chest, sniffling a little.

“It’s never ok to hurt people, even when we have really big feelings. If you feel like you did today again, you come talk to me, or Kensi, or another grown up,” he told him.

“Ok. I’m sorry, daddy.”

“I forgive you. We still gotta make it right though, so tomorrow I want you to apologize to your friend, and Kensi.”

“That’s all?” Caleb asked in surprise.

“First time offender,” Deeks joked, hugging Caleb tighter. “It happens again though, there’s gonna be more consequences. Like losing privileges.”

“Ok,” Caleb whispered again, curling his fingers into Deeks’ shirt.

“Love you, kiddo.” Kissing the top of his head, Deeks held him closer. A few minutes more wouldn’t hurt.

***

A/N: And of course, the book referenced in this chapter is the wonderful “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri. It’s been a staple for me ever since Eric read it during one of his story time videos.

[ejzah]

In Miss Blye’s Class, Part 31

***

As Kensi was leaving work, Deeks texted asking her to come over for dinner. Apparently Monica had somewhere else to be, so he didn’t have to worry about her making unwanted appearances. Although Kensi would put up with interacting with her if necessary, Kensi was relieved to avoid another run in.

Deeks greeted her at the door with a soft smile. He’d ditched his tie, the top couple buttons of his shirt popped, and his sleeves rolled up to forearms. The sight of him instantly set her at ease and gave her a sense of comfort.

As soon as she crossed the threshold and closed the door, Deeks pulled Kensi in for a hug, pressing his face into her collar bone with a heartfelt sigh. She felt the last of the tension she hadn’t even noticed ease from her shoulders, and she melted into his arms.

“Hey,” he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.

“Hey. How was your day?” she asked. She brushed her fingers through the hair at his temple, tucking a couple curls behind his ear. “Seems like it might have been a little rough.”

“Eh, it could have been worse. Talia talked me down today. And also offered some highly illegal assistance,” Deeks replied with a smile she felt against her neck.

“So she’s gotten over you setting her up with that guy at the gala?”

Deeks pulled back, sliding his hand down to clasp their fingers together, leading her to the living room.

“Oddly enough, I think she actually likes him,” Deeks said, shrugging. He dipped his head to kiss her, but Kensi held him off with a hand to his chest.

“Wait, where’s Caleb?”

“He’s playing in his room.” His grin widened. “Why? Are you planning something indecent, Miss Blye?”

Kensi toyed with one of the open buttons. “No.” Deeks let out a breathy laugh as she dipped her fingers inside his shirt and dragged the back of her nails along his skin. “I just don’t think your son needs to see us making out just yet.”

“Ooh, making out. I like the sound of that.”

Settling his hands on the small of her back, he drew her even closer, lowering his head to meet Kensi as kissed him. He groaned softly, one hand rising to cup the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

She’d missed this. With everything going on, they’d spent little time together and romance had gone to the wayside.

Despite her insistence that nothing indecent was going to happen, Kensi slipped her fingers between the waistband of his pants and shirt, seeking out bare skin. They both sighed, little sounds of relief, when she succeeded, sliding her palms up the length of his back.

She lost herself in the feel of Deeks’ lips on hers, his down her sides, the fine buzz of arousal humming through her entire body. Deeks pulled back, Kensi made an involuntary sound of protest, following him with her mouth. He smiled against her lips, and kissed her once more, just a soft press of his mouth on hers.

Deeks ran his palms up and down her sides again, settling just at the top of her hips. “What about you? Did you have a good day?” he asked, sounding more at ease than a few minutes ago.

She hated the thought of ruining the peace by bringing Monica into the conversation. Deeks deserved a night without worrying about her.

“What’s wrong?”

Deeks gently touched her bottom lip, which she’d been unconsciously gnawing at. Of course he noticed.

“Ok, promise me you won’t freak out,” she started. Naturally, Deeks stood a little straighter, his eyebrows lowering in concern. Kensi rubbed her temples, eyes screwed shut. “Um, I may or may not have accidentally gotten into it with Monica a little bit.”

“What, when?” Deeks demanded in mild horror. “Please tell me she didn’t show up at the school like some kind of stalker.”

“No, she didn’t,” Kensi assured him quickly, resting a reassuring hand on his arm. “No. Last night I dropped by to bring you some coffee. You weren’t home—”

“But Monica was here. Damn.” Deeks groaned, tilting his head back as Kensi nodded in confirmation. “What did she say?”

“Deeks, it’s not important,” she tried to evade, but Deeks wasn’t having it.

“Yes, it is. Monica’s my ex, she’s here because of me, so whatever she says and does is partially my responsibility. Please tell me.”

“As far as I’m concerned, Monica can take responsibility for her own choices.” Deeks made a face at that, but didn’t disagree this time. “But if you really want to know, she asked about our relationship, told me she wanted to make sure I was good enough for you—”

“You’re kidding.” Deeks made a noise of disbelief, shaking his head. He took a couple steps away, like he needed to walk off his annoyance.

“And—” Kensi hesitated yet again.

“What?”

This was the part she was looking forward to sharing least, but Deeks needed to know.

“She’s been pumping Caleb for information and looking at the messages on your phone,” she told him reluctantly.

His mouth opened slightly in apparent shock, and then he chuckled bitterly. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said. “I suspected she was taking advantage of Caleb’s chattiness, but not to this degree. My phone…well, boundaries have never really been her forte.”

Kensi held her arms out; after a moment, he melted into her again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know it’s not my fault, but you don’t deserve this.”

“Thanks. Why didn’t you tell me about this last night?”

Kensi shrugged. “I guess I was rattled and angry and I didn’t want to take that out on you. Or give her the satisfaction of running right to you. She’s kind of infuriating.”

“A little,” Deeks agreed with a tired chuckle. “I’ll talk to her about this.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do.”

Before they could start a small argument, Caleb called out from the hallway. “Daddy, is it time for dinner?” he asked, a slight whine in his voice as he approached. “I’m like infinity hungry.”

“Yeah, it’s in the oven,” Deeks responded.

“How much—Kensi!” Caleb shouted when he noticed her. With his usual exuberance, he ran across the room, and launched himself into her arms.

“Hi, Sweetie.”

“Are you staying for dinner?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Caleb grinned, his smile a smaller version of his dad’s with a few extra gaps. “Awesome. You wanna see my new books?”

Kensi shared a smile with Deeks as she let Caleb drag her towards his bedroom.

This was what she’d been missing.

***

A/N: Yes, I did borrow a quote from my nephew.

[ejzah]

In Miss Blye’s Class, Part 28

***

After a couple days of thought, Caleb decided he did want Monica to visit again, so Deeks called the number she’d left during that first night. He was honestly a little surprised when she answered. Or that she’d actually stayed in town at all.

Twenty minutes before Monica was supposed to arrive on Thursday night, Deeks pulled a chicken and roasted vegetables out of the oven for dinner. He’d debated including Monica in on the meal—it all seemed a little too domestic for his comfort—but decided any other option would be obviously rude and petty. He had resisted the urge to do any extra cleaning, even though cleaning was one of his natural stress responses.

The doorbell rang as he was flipping a separate pan of potatoes.Deeks waited a moment to see if Caleb would come running to answer it. Either he hadn’t heard it from his room, or was ignoring it.

Deeks wiped his hands on a spare towel, tugging at the hem of his shirt as he walked out of the kitchen. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long night.

He opened the door to a smirking Monica, her arms crossed over her chest.

“I almost thought you weren’t going to answer,” she said, ducking under his arm.

“Nice to see you too, Monica. Please, come in,” he said wryly, closing the door behind them. “Caleb’s still finishing his homework, but he should be done in a few minutes.”

“Homework?” She chuckled, and he didn’t need to look to know she’d rolled her eyes. “In our day they gave us a couple pictures to color and called it a day.”

“Yeah, times change. I’m finishing dinner, if you wanna follow me. Otherwise, you’re welcome to the TV in the den.” He gestured with his chin, and Monica tilted her head, scrutinizing him for a few seconds that felt unbearably long.

“Hm, I think I’ll take the first option,” she decided. “It’s been a long time since I’ve watched you cook.”

“I don’t seem to recall you being that impressed before,” Deeks commented without thinking.

“Ooh, somebody’s feeling spicy tonight,” Monica said teasingly. “You know what they say about absence.”

Deeks chose not to comment on that, silently walking into the kitchen, and occupying himself with checking the potatoes. They needed a couple more minutes. When he turned around, he found Monica watching him again.

“You want anything to drink?” He pulled a couple glasses from the cabinet next to the stove.

“It feels like a wine kind of night. Do you have anything red?”

“I might have a cabernet somewhere.” Shaking his head, he put one of the regular glasses back, pulling out a wineglass instead. A drink sounded pretty good right now, specifically a large shot of scotch. That seemed like a poor choice though, for a multitude of reasons, so he filled his glass with water, and started searching through the small collection of alcohol he had on hand.

He found a merlot from a couple years back, decided that would have to do, and uncorked it. Monica stayed silent through the whole process, making him feel uneasy.

“So, who’s Kensi?” Monica asked abruptly as he passed her a glass of wine. The question was so unexpected, he said nothing, and she apparently interpreted it as willfully ignoring her. “I heard Caleb say the name the other night when I came. Clearly he expected someone else. And, he accidentally mentioned her a couple other times.”

“Oh no, we’re not going there,” Deeks said firmly.

“That means she’s important. Did you finally break your vow of celibacy and start dating again?”

God, she was infuriating sometimes. He took a couple steps back, purposely distancing himself.

“Monica, I am not discussing my personal life with you.”

“I think it’s my right to know who’s coming into my son’s life,” she insisted with a careless shrug. She paused to take a long sip of her wine.

“No, it’s not,” Deeks said more quietly, but with no less conviction. “Maybe if you were here more than once every year. Or if you even kept in touch regularly. You haven’t though, so I get to make the decisions about who is in Caleb’s life.”

Monica gave him an incredulous look, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I’m guessing I’m not one of those people, huh? I’m not this Kensi who makes both of you light up.”

“If you’re implying that I’ve said anything negative about you to Caleb, that is the farthest from the truth.” He lowered his voice on the off chance that Caleb chose this moment to walk in as seemed his way. “I’ve done my very best to never let my own feelings and opinions about you influence him. Seeing you tonight was completely his own decision.”

Her eyes widened as she tilted her head again, mouth slightly open. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“When have I ever lied to you, Monica?” he asked, and she seemed stunned by the simple question.

Beyond her shoulder he saw Caleb appear in the doorway, standing there hesitantly when he noticed Monica in the room too.

“Hey kiddo, you finish your homework?”

“Yeah. Is dinner ready?”

Setting her wine aside, Monica turned and offered Caleb a smile. “Hi Caleb. There’s my big boy,” she said, holding her arms open.

“Hi Mommy.” He smiled back shyly, accepting a hug a little stiffly.

“Did you miss me?” she asked.

“Kind of,” Caleb answered honestly.

Monica’s face feel briefly before she recovered herself. “Well, I missed you.” She poked Caleb in the stomach, eliciting a little giggle from him. “Let’s set the table while Daddy finished dinner.”

As they walked out of the room, she fixed Deeks with a determined look that he knew could only mean trouble. Slouching against the counter, he pressed his palms against his eye sockets. He hoped this hadn’t been a terrible mistake.

***

A/N: Yes, Monica just brings all the drama. And yes, she’s the villain of this story.

[ejzah]

In Miss Blye’s Class, Part 26

***

As principal, Sam Hanna made the call home about Caleb’s behavior, which meant Kensi didn’t get the opportunity to glean any details from the conversation. She also didn’t see Deeks during car rider pick up since since she was on bus duty.

The whole time, her mind kept drifting back to Caleb. He’d remained emotional the rest of the day once he returned from his chat with Sam, nearly breaking into tears a few more times, and mostly keeping to himself. It hurt to see him so off-kilter and upset

For the first time since the day she met Deeks, she found herself angry with him. He should have warned her about this; they talked nearly every day. He’d certainly had the opportunity, so it seemed an intentional oversight. As much as she tried to separate her responsibilities as a concerned teacher from her personal feelings, she couldn’t. It hurt that he’d hadn’t said anything. After everything they’d discussed and shared, he’d kept something this important to himself.

She tried not to be jealous of Monica, an unknown she’d never fully considered a threat. Maybe she should have.

Her phone buzzed while she was putting in some of the fourth quarter grades. A banner with Deeks’ name popped up with a message that disappeared too quickly for her to read. She briefly considered ignoring it to spite him, but then picked the phone up, reminding herself she was a mature adult. Playing games would solve nothing.

Deeks: Hey, can you come over tonight?

Kensi felt a wave of relief, and started typing, then erased, repeating that process several times before she settled on a very eloquent, “Ok”.

***

When Deeks got the call from St. Bridget’s he immediately thought something terrible must have happened. Though it was a relief, he was almost more shocked that Caleb was in trouble. He rarely got into disagreements with other kids, let alone acting aggressively.

Kids made mistakes though, even “good” kids. He didn’t want to come down too hard, but also couldn’t just ignore it.

He spent the drive to the school and in the car line, debating how to handle the situation. Caleb made the decision for him when he walked out, head down, and got into the truck very obviously doing his best not to look at Deeks.

“Hey kiddo, how was your day?” Deeks asked, deciding to forgo mentioning the incident for now.

“I got in trouble,” Caleb muttered into his knees.

“Yeah, I know. You want to talk about that?”

Caleb looked up for just a second, barely making eye contact, and shook his head before folding in on himself again. He stayed quiet the whole ride home, refusing to tell Deeks what was wrong or answer any questions beyond the fact that he’d thrown a toy at a classmate.

“Ok, go get started on your homework,” Deeks told Caleb when they got home, dropping a kiss on his head. “We’re going to talk about this throwing thing more later, ok?”

“Ok.” Caleb gave another nod, gently bumping him head against Deeks’ chest.

“Love you, kiddo.”

Deeks watched Caleb shuffle down the hallway to his room, then closed his eyes, blowing out a long, slow breath. Frustration mixed with a heavy dose of anger burbled up inside him.

He could hazard a guess that Monica’s surprise visit played a part in Caleb’s unusual behavior. Deeks had spent the entire hour she’d stayed trying to conceal his feelings like he always had in the past when Caleb was involved. He’d always told himself that he wouldn’t say or do anything to tarnish Caleb’s opinion of his mother, but maybe he’d been wrong.

Twisting his head side to side to try to alleviate the growing ache at the base of his skull, he settled his hands on his hips. He still needed to make dinner and finish some work. He also really needed to talk to Kensi. He didn’t quite know why he’d put it off, but the longer he waited, the harder it seemed to tell her about the latest development.

Deeks raked a hand through his hair, sending a text to Kensi, asking her to come over, then headed into the kitchen to figure out what he could throw together.

***

Kensi arrived at Deeks’ house shortly after five. He answered her knock with a spatula in one hand, and a smile that seemed less genuine than usual.

“Hey.”

“Hey, come in. I’m just finishing dinner,” he said, gesturing her in. Kensi followed him back into the kitchen, where a covered pot sat on one burner on the stove and a pan of what looked like mixed vegetables sizzles in a skillet. Deeks stirred the contents a few times, giving the pan a few shakes instead of using the spatula.

“Sorry about what happened with Caleb at school today. We’re going to talk about it a later when he has a chance to settle down a little. He’s been a little…off the last couple days. Though I know that’s no excuse,” Deeks explained, focusing on the food.

Kensi studied him as he worked, noticing the tight set of his shoulders and slightly stilted movements.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Kensi responded, hesitating briefly before she forged ahead. “He mentioned that his mom is back in town.”

Deeks stilled, his head falling forward for a moment, and she heard him swear under his breath.

“I was going to tell you,” he said.

“So, why didn’t you?” She kept her voice perfectly even, though the confirmation that he was keeping this from her made her chest tighten with a strange kind of pain. “If for no other reason than Caleb’s sake. He was kind of a mess today.”

Flipping off the front burner with a sharp twist of his wrist, he turned to face her. “To be honest, I’m still trying to process all of this. Monica just showed up without warning, like not even a call, and asked to see Caleb. I don’t know how to feel about any of it.”

“Oh.” Her dismay at this revelation obviously showed, and Deeks’ head snapped up.

“Not like that,” he clarified adamantly. “I’m not in love with Monica at all.”

Kensi studied his expression, searching for any lie in his statement, even if he didn’t realize it. She saw confusion, frustration, maybe even anger, but nothing that suggested he was concealing feelings for his ex-wife.

“I believe you. I’m sorry—”

“No, it’s ok,” Deeks interrupted quickly. He chuckled softly, tiredly. “It’s been a weird few days.”

Moving towards the table, she pulled out a chair, and motioned for Deeks to sit down. The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly, and he sat with a heavy sigh while she took the seat next to him.

“Tell me what happened,” she prompted.

He brushed at his hair a few times before settling his chin on his folded hands.

“Two nights ago, Monica showed up, and asked to see Caleb. It’s not the first time she’s done that, but usually she gives some kind of warning. Or asks if she can come beforehand.” He rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip, his eyes distant.

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen her, I think I assumed she just wasn’t ever coming back. Once I got over the shock, I realized I really didn’t want her in the house, but she convinced me to let her in.” He shook his head. “She tried to act like nothing had changed, flirting, asking about my job, and the more she did, the more…” he trailed off.

“What happened with Caleb?” Kensi asked gently.

“Oh, the poor kid was so confused,” he said bitterly. “You know, he used to talk about her, even a few months ago, but he hasn’t recently. I think he finally came to terms with the fact that his mom is not a consistent part of his life, and then she just rocks in her wanting to do play games and read him a bedtime story. I don’t blame him for being upset.”

“It’s a lot for a little kid.” Kensi reached over and tapped one of his hands with her fingertip. “And how does the elder Deeks feel about it?”

Deeks smiled more genuinely at her question, rubbing his hands over his eyes. He looked tired in a way that went beyond the physical. The last of her irritation faded away as she cupped her hand around his.

He tipped his chin up, pursing his lips against his teeth. “Oh, I am…worried about my kid, frustrated, and beyond angry. I’m so sick of Monica disrupting our lives.” He gave Kensi an abashed look. “That probably sounds incredibly selfish.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Kensi assured him, sliding her hand up to curl around the back of his neck. “None of this is fair, and it makes perfect sense that you want stability in your life. I’m not judging you.”

Deeks leaned into her touch, and she gently brushed her thumb along his skin.

“Speaking of guilt, I never meant to keep this from you. I’m—”

Kensi pressed her finger against his lips, gently silencing him.

“No apologies, Deeks. I understand.” Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around him as much as she could at such an odd angle. His head fell onto her shoulder, his breath warm on his skin, and she just held him tighter.

“You’re way too good to me,” he murmured.

“No, I’m not. I just love you,” she told him, running her fingers through his hair several times. She felt him relaxing in her arms after a few seconds.

“Ugh, I need to finish dinner,” he said without making a move to get up.

“How about I order pizza?” Kensi suggested. “Then maybe you can have that talk with Caleb.”

***

A/N: Drama. That’s it. Oh, and maybe a little bit of emotional whump.