Nate sat on the couch near the desks and reflected on his time spent with this team so far. They were like a tight group that wouldn't let anyone in; they always protected each other no matter how bad the situation was; they always trusted each other despite everything else…To Nate it seemed a repeat of the high school groups. The thing was that now, with a lot more psychological training, he knew why that happened. He now knew that this was like a defense mechanism. They didn't let anyone get inside that little tight group because an outsider is always someone that can't be trusted, someone that is new and probably too green to deal with the situations that they had to deal with every single day.

Nate had witness more than one time just how strong the bound between them was but it always managed to surprise him.

He had witnessed how they had all reacted when Callen was shot. Sam and Kensi had stood with him in the hospital until the day that he was released, with Kensi sometimes even holding his hand and stroking his forehead with endless patience.

Flashback

Callen had been lying in that hospital bed for over a week and Kensi and Sam hadn't left his side. Kensi was stroking his forehead and talking to him to see if she could distract him from the pain while Sam was sitting on the other side of the bed with a sports magazine on his hands, releasing the occasional joke to lighten up the mood.

He and Hetty had stopped by a couple of times with Eric to check on them but Sam and Kensi were always there with him. That was the first time that he had seen just how supportive they were. Kensi had even cooked him his favorite pie just because he had said that the hospital food was terrible!

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how the team had warmly welcomed Renko even though he had been away for too long and even though he was like a part of the puzzle that didn't quite fit (he was too different from all of them, like the perfect mix between Callen's problems, Kensi's commitment issues and Sam's calm temper).

Flashback

Renko was sitting on one of the desks sipping his cup of coffee under Nate's intense stare. The truth was that the Nate was only waiting to see how the team would react when they saw him. They had never given any indications that they had missed him and his name had never come up in any conversation so he was extremely curious.

Sam had been the first one to arrive. He had smiled at his fellow agent.

"You're back for good?"

"No…I'm just taking a break! I'll stay in town for a few days…"

"Great…You have to come with us to a new bar that opened near Kensi's house! It's absolutely amazing!"

After that it was Callen's turn to welcome him back.

"Renko…Nice to see that you're still in one piece! Let's see how long that will last…"

"Why do you say that?"

Sam and Callen looked at eachother and laughed. Renko just frowned and so did Nate but when Kensi arrived they both realized what they were talking about.

As soon as the younger agent saw him she put her bag down and went to him. Renko got up with a smile, thinking that she was going to give him a welcoming hug but Sam and Callen just smirked. As soon as she was close enough, Kensi gave him an innocent smile and punched him straight in the nose.

"Kenz…What was that for?"

"That was for that huge scratch that you did on my car the day before you left!"

Callen and Sam were laughing while Renko sat down trying to wipe the blood out of his nose.

"That was 6 months ago…I thought that you had let go of it!"

"Are you serious? I love that car and you scratched it…You should know that I don't forget things that easily."

Then she got closer to him again.

"Get up, Renko!"

"No way in hell! My nose has already suffered…"

"I'm not going to punch you again, I swear!"

Renko looked at her for a few seconds to check for any signs that she might be lying but after founding none he got up slowly and a bit afraid but this time Kensi just hugged him.

"I missed you, Renko!"

"I missed you too, Kenz!"

They pulled back and she went to sit on her desk. Renko turned to Callen and Sam with a smirk.

"That right hook is even better than last time…Has she been practicing?"

Callen was the one who answered him.

"Of course she has…She has been training for this day ever since she saw that scratch on the car!"

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how they had all faced Dom's death together instead of apart as it would have been expected from those three agents. He had seen how Callen and Sam had remained strong to support and comfort Kensi even though they were breaking inside. He had seen how Kensi had silently supported them both even though no one else could see that that's what she was actually doing. He had seen how Callen and Sam had stood one on each side of her at the funeral with Callen holding her hand the entire time.

Flashback

Kensi had been sitting on the couch looking at Dom's desk for one hour. Nate had been watching her from the upstairs ever since she had sat there. Sam had been in the gym for the same amount of time and Callen was nowhere to be found.

Kensi hadn't shed a tear ever since they had arrived to the operation's center and that was a bit concerning because she was the one who was closer to Dom. They had spent much time together and that had brought him closer to Kensi than with the rest of the team, even though they all got along pretty well.

Suddenly Sam and Callen showed up and went downstairs to sit down next to Kensi. Sam sat on her left while Callen sat on her right. They just stood there in silence for a few minutes until Kensi broke down. One single tear made its way down her face and Sam wiped it away but more tears followed after that one. Callen put his arms around her and just held her while rocking her back and forth while Sam stroked her back in attempt to offer some comfort that she desperately needed. She just clanged on Callen's shirt until her eyes were completely dry. The boys only let go of her once her sobs had completely subsided and even after that, Callen helped her up and led her to her car with his arm around her the all time. Sam followed them too and would confess Nate a few days later that Callen had actually spent that night in her house to make sure that she was okay.

When the day of the funeral came they all attended and once again, Sam and Callen had remained strong for Kensi and she had helped them through their pain too just by being there with them.

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how they had all reacted when Deeks tried to take over Dom's spot on the team. They had all tried to push him away but in the end, after a talk that Kensi had with the boys that he had also witnessed from afar, they had come to accept him.

Flashback

Sam looked at Deeks. He was sitting on Dom's desk and he didn't like it a bit. Callen was looking at him for the same reason and with the same thoughts running through his mind.

Kensi arrived and set her bag on an empty chair. Sam and Callen were expecting her to say something but she only said Good Morning and sat on her desk. Both agents frowned and got up at the same time. They both grabbed Kensi's arms and practically dragged her upstairs to an empty corridor.

Nate could only stare from afar while they talked but after a few seconds they got careless and he could hear what they were saying.

"How can you be so calm while that guy is trying to take over Dom's spot?"

"As hard as it is to accept it, Dom's gone and we must move on with our lives. We all know that we need a new agent here and if Hetty thinks that Deeks is the right man for the job then we must accept him and welcome him."

Callen opened his mouth to protest but Kensi stopped him.

"At least let's give him a chance to prove himself."

Then she gave them both the scariest look that Nate had ever seen on her face and went back to her desk. After that, Callen and Sam had really given Deeks a chance to become a part of the team.

End of Flashback

He had seen how Sam had reacted when Callen and Kensi told him that they had been in a relationship for over two years. He had witnessed how Sam smiled like a little kid on Christmas morning after unwrapping the present that he was dying to get.

Flashback

It was the team's night out and they had all gone to a club. Eric and Nate were there too with Sam, Callen and Kensi. Hetty had skipped it that night with the excuse that she had a meeting with an old friend. They were all talking and having a good time but Kensi and Callen seemed to be having a VERY good time. They had been really close to each other all night, whispering things in each other's hears, sharing meaningful looks when they thought that no one was watching and small touches here and there.

They were already a bit tipsy when Callen led her to the dance floor but the way they danced revealed a little too much intimacy and Sam noticed that too.

After three songs, they got back to their table and Sam was already smiling before Callen spoke but when he did, his smile managed to get even bigger.

"We've been together for two years and 5 months."

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how Hetty smiled when Callen and Kensi told her that they had gotten married over the weekend with Sam as witness.

Flashback

Callen and Kensi arrived together on a Monday morning, three weeks after their confession in the club. They always kept things professional at work but outside of it, anyone with eyes could see that they were a couple completely in love.

When they arrived that morning and sat on their desks Nate noticed that there was something different in them but he couldn't quite tell what it was. They were smiling a lot and so was Sam. After a few minutes Hetty arrived too and they said that they had an announcement to make.

Callen looked at Kensi and she nodded to give him permission to share the news with the others.

"Kensi and I got married this weekend with Sam as our witness. We didn't invite any of you because we wanted to make things as small as possible but we would like to have you for dinner tonight at our house!"

Hetty smiled and congratulate them as did Eric and Nate. They were finally building their own family without being afraid of anything. This was just the beginning of a beautiful life together, Nate would bet his life on it!

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how Sam had almost fainted when only three months after that they had announced that they were going to be parents because Kensi was 2 months pregnant.

Flashback

Sam was typing something on his computer and Callen and Kensi were talking.

"Do you want to say it or do I say it?"

"You're better with these things than I am. But please tell them what I told you to tell them!"

Callen laughed and Sam looked at them.

"Do you two want to share something with us?"

Callen looked at Kensi with a smile that she returned before nodding.

"Kenz is two months pregnant!"

He had said that like as if it was the most natural thing in the world but Sam looked like he was about to faint at any time.

"She also wants you all to know that she doesn't want anyone to touch her stomach when she starts to show."

After a few seconds of silence everyone jumped up to hug them both and to congratulate them. Sam stroked Kensi's stomach in a joking manner and that earned him a punch on the stomach.

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how Sam and Callen reacted on the day that Kensi called them to work to tell them that she was in labor.

Flashback

Kensi was on the final stage of the pregnancy so she had been staying at home for the past month. Callen and Sam were working but they were constantly making sure that their phones had enough battery for the day and that they didn't have any missed calls from Kensi. They were both worried with her and it was actually amusing to see them like that.

The last day that Kensi had worked, her stomach was already big and despite her initial warning, everyone liked to touch it to feel the baby moving underneath. Even Hetty had stroked her stomach a couple of times with a smile on her face. Callen was the one who enjoyed it the most and with good reason because, after all, that was his baby girl. Nate could still remember the day that they had announced that they were expecting a girl and how big their smiles were.

Now, Callen and Sam were sitting on their desks filling out some paperwork because they had nothing else to do. Suddenly, Callen's phone rang and everyone jumped from their respective places because it was Kensi's ringtone.

"Hey honey! Is everything okay?"

He put the phone on loud speaker so Sam could hear the talk too.

"Not really…Callen, I'm in labor!"

Callen's eyes widened and Sam got really pale as did Eric, Nate and even Hetty.

"Are you sure, Kenz?"

They could hear the cry of pain that followed that question and they all cringed when they heard her in so much pain. She answered them after the pain subsided.

"I'm pretty sure…"

"Okay, just stay calm and breathe. I'm on my way there. Just stay calm, baby!"

"Easy for you to say! Just get your ass over here immediately Callen!"

"Okay, I'm going to hang up now. I'll be there in 5 minutes! I love you, Kenz! Stay calm, honey!"

Callen hang up and Sam looked at him.

"You do know that your house is 10 minutes away, right?"

"Do you want to bet that I can be there in 5?"

With that they both walked out of the door. Eric, Nate and Hetty looked at eachother and the older woman was the first one to voice what they were all thinking.

"Let's go meet them at the hospital! I'll drive!"

And they all went after her to see the birth of the first daughter of their two friends.

End of Flashback

He had witnessed how Callen smiled when he held his baby for the first time while Sam kissed Kensi's forehead before going to see the baby too.

Flashback

They had been in the hospital for 6 hours now hearing Kensi's cries of pain. Callen had been with her the entire time and they would go in to see her every few minutes. He was almost sure that Callen's hand was already broken because of how much Kensi was squeezing it but Callen didn't say anything about it. He just stroked his wife's forehead and wished that he could take all that pain away from her.

The doctors had told them that she was ready to push just a few minutes ago so they had to wait outside. Only Callen was in there with her.

Sam was having a hard time listening to all her cries of pain because she was like a sister to him and he didn't like to know that she was in that much pain.

After a few more minutes though, everything turned really quiet and they all held their breathes waiting for something else to happen but what came after weren't Kensi's cries of pain but the cry of a newborn baby.

After half an hour they were allowed back inside and they all smiled at the sight before them. Kensi was lying in the bed completely exhausted with her head resting on Callen's shoulder while he was sitting next to her on the bed with their baby in his arms.

Sam kissed Kensi's forehead and looked at the baby in Callen's arms. Little Anna Callen was beautiful but with parents like hers, there was really no surprises there. When she opened her eyes to look at them, Sam's smile got even bigger. She had her father's blue eyes.

Then, Callen kissed Kensi on the lips and said loud enough for everyone to hear:

"She's not allowed to date until she's at least 30 years old."

End of Flashback

He had indeed witnessed many surprising things during his time with this team but now he knew that everything had been worth it. Sam had gotten married just a few months ago too. Eric had found a girlfriend who shared his passion for technology. Hetty was still Hetty. He had found a girlfriend too and was convinced that she was the one. Kensi and Callen were still in their own little bubble of happiness, surrounded by two beautiful children, Anna who was 3 years old and Sam who was named after his godfather and was only 4 months old. Everything was just as it was supposed to be.

All is well when it ends well.

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So? What do you think?

Please let me know what you think about it…

Sarah