Wyatt (LA)

Kensi laughed at the joke KC had just told her. They were enjoying lunch when something caught Kensi's attention and she stood.

"Kens?" KC asked, concerned.

"Be right back." She started to walk towards a small boy.

KC didn't see the boy; she was looking at a text Callen had just sent her.

Kensi frowned when she saw the boy just sitting there, no adults near him. Something was wrong. The little boy toddled to her, his arms outstretched as if he'd known her all his life. Kensi bent down, noticing how thin the child was. There was something about him that drew her to him, somethng that reminded her of a time of her life she had tried to forget. He hugged her, allowing her to pick him up.

"Hi, buddy. What's your name?" Kensi asked softly, cradling him.

"Whyit."

"Wyatt? How old are you?" He held up one and a half fingers. "Where's your mommy?" He held her closer. "Daddy?" he shrugged. "Maybe we should take you to the police, see if they can find your parents."

KC put her phone up, scanning the crowd for her 'sister'. Kensi was walking back when she noticed KC. "We need to go."

She ordered a cup of milk to go and paid the bill, bringing the milk to Wyatt who drank it eagerly.

"I can't find anyone that knows him."

"Let's take him to headquarters. Maybe Eric and Nell can run a facial recognition or trace his movements somehow."

"Okay." Kensi gave Wyatt a cuddle. "Come on, buddy. Time to go."

KC opened the door for Kensi. Ideally, she knew they needed to have him somewhere else besides in the middle of the front seat of a Corvette, but they didn't have many options. She at least put the top up.

Kensi held him against her tightly, keeping him still until they got to OSP.

Callen was telling Deeks about the new puppy they'd just gotten. "She adopts strays like they're going out of style. That makes five dogs and a cat and she hasn't even been home a year."

"She's exactly like Kens. But since we have Monty, she doesn't have time for others, thankfully."

Callen was surprised when he saw KC come in on her day off, but tried to hide a grin when he saw Kensi. "Think again."

Deeks frowned, confused. "Kens?"

"This is Wyatt. He was on his own at the mall."

"Babe, has Sam eaten his lunch yet?" KC asked innocently.

"No...why..."

"Because I know you don't have anything nutritious. He's the only one who actually listens to his wife." She disappeared to the refrigerator.

"Oh, damn," he said, following her, trying to stop her before she started a fight with his partner again.

"Deeks, I need your help. I won't let him be alone like that," said Kensi.

"You promise me you'll turn him loose when we find his parents?"

"If they prove they can look after him properly."

"Babe, we don't always get to pick our parents." He knew that all too well. "As long as they're not a safety risk, he'll have to go back."

"Deeks, I can't..."

"Maybe we're not the best place for him. What about foster homes?" He regretted that as soon as he said it. He'd been placed in something like that after shooting his dad. It had been horrible. "I don't want to see you hurt, darlin'."

"I won't let him get hurt. When I saw him, I remembered how I'd felt living on the streets."

"We don't have a choice, do we? I can't let him go to a foster home and you can't let him go somewhere he's not safe. KC would be as bad as you are so we can't even put it off on them. What about Sam and Michelle?"

"No, they already have a child."

Wyatt held his arms out to Deeks and Deeks took him, feeling the little boy curl against him. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. "Okay, Kens."

"Thank you."

"But if there's some logical explanation for all ths, he goes right back to his family."

"Okay."

KC came back with some apple sauce and Cherrios. "Are you hungry, little man?" Deeks asked. His heart hurt as he saw the boy's eyes never leave that food. He had to wonder how long he'd gone without food. "Here, I'll help him. You girls go up to Nell and Eric, see what they can do."

Kensi didn't move. She couldn't leave him.

"Go on, Kens. I've got this." He didn't want her getting attached and getting her heart broken.

"Promise me he's safe here."

He looked hurt. "I would never let anything bad happen to him."

"I know you won't, but promise me anyway." Her eyes were full of tears.

"Callen will stay with him. Nothing will happen with them here. Come on." KC could tell Kensi was walking a fine line with Deeks.

Kensi reluctantly left the child. "You need to start trusting people, Kens," KC said once they were out of the guys' earshot.