All the way home.

Chapter 34

Nate walked up behind Callen as he watched Deeks and Kensi help get the shelters kids ready to catch the schoolbus. To him it was reminiscent of some of the nicer group homes he had lived in. He watched Deeks carefully. This was the Deeks he had trusted to have his back, the Deeks he missed. This was the Deeks he wanted to remember. Not the Deeks who had hurt his boy, not the Deeks who had sworn to kill him in the hospital bed.

For a moment he found himself wondering how much like Deeks, Jake would become when he grew and how much like himself he would be.

"You ok?" Nate asked quietly nodding towards the door to the back yard. Nate grabbed the folder Callen had left on the table as he left.

Callen nodded and followed Nate out.

"Do you think I did the right thing Nate, signing that paper?" He asked looking at the folder in Nate's hand.

"You did the right thing. One day Jake will be old enough to understand what happened and maybe he'll want to meet Deeks. But for now both of you are thinking about what is right for the boy."

"Deeks is OK though isn't he? I mean...he's not gonna lose it and come after Jake again? That, in there, was the Deeks I remember before he went missing."

"Deeks is Deeks...The medication he will have to take for the rest of his life. He had said I could tell you if you asked. He would never be granted a firearms license again, he has some residual damage for the whole experience, mostly where he was hit around the head by Marc Giamatti. But he is one hundred percent Deeks now."

Callen nodded, "Hold on." he said coming to a decision, he walked back into the house. "Ma'am do you have a pen and a piece of paper I could use?" he asked Caroline.

"Sure son, no problem." She smiled handing him the items.

Callen leaned against the table and wrote on the paper. Handing the rest of the paper and the pen back he thanked Caroline and went to join Nate outside.

"Here." He said handing Nate the paper. "When you are absolutely sure that Deeks will never be a threat to Jake again you can give him this. It's our new address. Deeks can write to Jake as well if he wants to."

"Are you sure?" Nate asked.

"Yeah...." Callen let out a breath, "Yeah...It'll be good for Jake...I think. You are still gonna come and work with him aren't you..." Callen grinned, "I can pay you now you know."

"Yeah you can...I broke my toaster the other day, so our original arrangement still stand yeah?"

Callen looked at him surprised, "You're not gonna start charging?"

"For Family? Callen I've been your counselor for years, I don't help you for the money, I help you guys because you are my family and I care about you." Nate said honestly.

"Thanks." Callen said swallowing a lump that appeared in his throat.

"Our family is a little broken at the moment, but I'm still hopeful that it will be fixed."

"Nate..." Callen growled in warning, "I am not going back to NCIS. Jake needs me."

"Fair enough, what about Hetty?" Nate asked, he turned as Kensi giggled in the kitchen as Deeks grabbed her and spun her round.

"I don't know Nate." Callen moved away from the laughing in the kitchen and sat on the porch steps. Caroline looked through the window and nodded at Nate and moved to stop Deeks going outside.

Nate moved to sit next to him.

"It's been a while...Have you talked to her since that day at the meeting."