A/N: My head was thinking things.

He walks up, standing next to the man in the corner of the room. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Ye-yeah, I can't take my eyes off of them." The new dad looks over at the brunette man, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "We named her Gabriella."

"Gabby." He repeats her nickname, wishing with all his heart that she would be able to hear him call her that one day. A bittersweet smile graces his face as he watches the little girl in her basinet all sprawled out like her mother use to when she was the same age.

The older man looks back at the bewildered young man standing in front of him with a serious yet prideful smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, son."

Deeks looks on still in a bit of a shock that he's here, standing in front of him. "It's really nice to meet you, too, sir."

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here, aren't you?"

The shaggy blonde just nods.

"Well, I came here to tell you how proud of you I am. How eternally grateful I am that you've brought her out of her shell. Thank you for loving her the way she deserves and being the best man that I could've ever dreamt of for my little girl."

"Thank you, sir. It really means a lot to me. Kens, has told me all of these great stories about you and what an amazing father you were." He looks across the room at the creature their love created. "I hope I can be the same."

The former marine wonders just what its going to take for him to finally believe in himself. "Which also brings me to the other reason for my visit. I want to tell you that you're going to be an amazing father to your little girl. You are such a great man, Martin Deeks."

"I don't know. What if I can't protect her or screw her up?"

"Marty, look at me." A seriousness crosses over his face as he looks into the cerulean blues that belong to his son-in-law, conveying as much honesty as a look can. "You are an amazing man. Do you understand me? You are without a doubt the best husband to Kensi. You love her and cherish her with all your heart. I know that. I see that every day. Most importantly, she sees it everyday." Donald can see that he's slowly getting through to the shaggy blonde. "Now I want you to look at your left hand."

Deeks lifts up his hand, examining it. His lip immediately curls up into a smile when his eyes lock onto the piece of metal and the words echo inside his head. "I am yours now and forever."

"If you love your daughter as half as much as you love Kensi then she's gonna be the luckiest kid in the world."

"Thank you, sir."

"You are most definitely welcome, son." He really wishes things were different and he could actually get to know the man that has his daughter's heart for real, but life doesn't always work out the way you want it to and neither does the after. "I really I were here."

"So do I, sir."

This kid is respectful, he likes that, but they're family now. "And I'm also gonna need you to stop with the sir stuff. You can call me Don or dad if you'd like."

"Thank you, dad." He lets out a contented sigh. That name use to send a chill throughout his body. But now because of him he somehow just got his childhood back. The happy childhood he deserved. Is it crazy that the ghost of his father-in-law has made him feel more loved in the last 10 minutes than his very much alive father ever did. "For everything."

Donald pats him on the back, trying to connect as much as he can with the detective. "Take care of my baby girl for me."

"Always."

He's broken out of his trance when he hears that cute little grunt that always leaves her lips when she first wakes up. Her eyes flutter open giving him a view of those mismatched chocolate orbs that always send him into a tizzy. God he loves her so much. "Hey, you."

"Hey. Who were you talking to?"

Deeks makes his way to the chair that's next to her bed and sits down next to their daughter who's sleeping away in her bassinet. "You're gonna think I'm crazy."

She reaches for his hand, intertwining their fingers as a smirk crosses her face. "Baby, you know I already think you're crazy."

"Okay, fine. I was-I was uh talking to your dad."

The new mom's brow furrows in confusion because she thinks her husband just said that he was talking to her dead father. "I'm sorry?"

"You know. Donald Blye the real life G.I. Joe."

"What do you mean you were talking to him?"

"Well you know how in all those tv shows where someone dies and then a character sees them and even talks to them sometimes?"

She nods her head in understanding.

"It was like that but with your dad, which is crazy because I never even met him."

She's intrigued to say the least. "What did he say?"

"He said…" When he replays the words that came from his father-in-law's lips back in his head, his tears being to fall. "He said he was proud of me. He said…that he was so thankful that you found a man better than he could've dreamt of and that…."

"And what, baby?"

"And that I'm going to be an amazing father to Gabby."

Seeing the tears in his eyes when it finally hits him, all she wants to do is wrap her arms around him and never let go. "Come here."

He goes to her as she pulls at his arm and sits down next to her. Once her arms wrap around him, he lets it all out. "I don't understand." He rests his head on her shoulder, letting years worth of tears flow.

"Don't understand what?"

Deeks takes hold of her hand, intertwining their fingers. They both watch on with euphoric smiles as their rings clink together and a peace washes over the both of them. "I don't understand how your father can make me feel more loved in 10 minutes of a dream than my father ever did in my entire life."

She turns her head to rest against his. Unlocking their fingers, she places her hand on his cheek, wiping away his tears. Their eyes lock in a dueling battle of love. "Because your father was a horrible person that saw in you what he couldn't see in himself. He could see what kind of person you were becoming and knew what great things you were going to do so he tried as much as he could to weaken you, but it didn't work. Baby, he was envious of you. Real fathers, like my father are excited about the greatness their child has in them. They don't try and kill their child's spirit, they help it grow and flourish."

"I'm gonna be that for her."

"I know you are, baby." She runs her fingers through his golden locks. Sad for the little boy that was told he would never amount to nothing, but so very grateful that he didn't let his spirit get crushed. He's gonna be the most amazing father.

Their girl is still sleeping so they figured they better get in a few zs themselves before they can't. She rests her head in the crook of his neck, curling up into his body as much as the bed will allow.

She tilts her head up, giving him a soft smile. "I love you, Martin Deeks."

Smiling at her words, he leans his head down, bringing his lips to hers. "I love you, Kensi Deeks."

Just as their eyes begin to close a soft gurgling sound emanates from the bassinet followed by a high pitched cry. And so it begins.