"There's a lot of brandy in that."
Her mouth quirks around the rim of her glass – third refill of the night, and believe her when she says that after a day with Deeks, she'll be returning for a fourth, maybe even a fifth. "I know," she lowers the cup and her bottom lip is tugged between her teeth. "I made it."
"So, Deeks?" Callen raises an eyebrow. It's not that he doesn't trust Deeks, but it's more like the combination of the L.A.P.D detective and the intelligence analyst that had been a bit of a concern for him. They were like Shaggy and Velma; good friends, but could they work together when they needed to?
"Is a great partner." Nell grins but it softens considerably when she sees the shaggy haired detective, sitting at his desk silently observing the party instead of socializing. "But, he's much better suited for Kensi. Him and Kensi – they work. I can't replace her and I wouldn't try."
"You're smart, Nell." Callen compliments sincerely; the man is quite good at sincerity when he wants to be. "If you ever become a field agent…"
"Don't." she interrupts that train of thought. "Callen – look, as much as I enjoy field work, can you honestly say you would take me with you?"
"Tracy."
"You called me a child." Not one of his finer moments, he'll grant her that. "And, don't even mention Inman or Brown. They both tried to kill me."
"You ripped the magazine out of his gun and hit the floor before Inman had time to realize what you were doing." His smirk is cocky – oh, he knows he's right and he's reveling in the moment for as long as possible. "And, you severed Brown's femoral artery." And, let's not forget… "Soft tissue damage in the shoulder. He would have bled out in minutes if Deeks hadn't called an ambulance."
"Yeah, well." A pretty crimson flush blossoms along her cheekbones and down her neck. "I don't think – "
"I think you think, too much." Callen teases, taking another sip of egg-nog. Whew. No more. All that brandy is making him feel a little too off-balance. He's never been particularly fond of losing control of all of his faculties. "If you ever decide that field work is for you, well, you'll have a whole team backing your decision."
"Even you?" and, oh crap, she's looking up at him with those eyes. Those stupidly beautiful hazel eyes and he knows he's a goner. If anyone is going to support Nell, it is going to be him, because to be honest any tension between them at first – calling her a child earns no brownie points – was his fault and he'd like for her to know that he doesn't see her like that, anymore.
"Especially me, Nell Jones." Callen smiles tenderly.
