DISCLAIMER: I Do not own any of the characters of NCIS LA...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, if all goes according to plan, what you read with be the updated version of this story. Being my first story here, I was uncertain how to format it for posting and so... it was a bit cluttered in the reading. I hope that is no longer the case. Thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully, review. Please keep reviews, constructive and kind... even if one finds problems, they can still be kind... Thank you.

Another Christmas and G. Callen couldn't wait for it to be over. He had never hidden the fact that he didn't care for the holiday…or any holiday for that matter, his birthday included. It wasn't that he begrudged anyone else who wanted to celebrate. They had a good reason to, they had family. Callen had spent pretty much every Christmas since he was 5…alone. As a kid, it was downright painful, watching the foster families laughing, singing, munching on cookies while they opened presents. At times like these he was lucky if he even got to eat at all. Normally he was restricted to his room or he was locked out altogether…and sometimes his only gift was a beating. No, G. Callen didn't do Christmas.

It started every year on December 1st, without fail. Each and every morning was met with another touch of the festive decorations that came with the holiday. Twinkling lights and evergreen garland around every single banister, red ribbons and bows would pop up on the desks in the bullpen, a huge Christmas tree would appear, standing tall, in the middle of the mission decorated from top to bottom. Callen would simply sigh, shake his head and aim for his desk.

Then at the end of every day, he would drive home and find house after house trimmed in lights with a tree lit in the window and the occasional inflatable Santa and Frosty sitting in the yard. But not his house… his might actually be the only one on the block that was never touched by the "magic" of the holidays. He never decorated outside or in. He didn't answer the door to carolers any more than he did for Trick-or-Treaters, in favor of sitting on his bedroll reading his favorite novel or contemplating his next move on the chess board… After all, G. Callen didn't do Halloween and he didn't. do. Christmas.

Truth was, Callen tried to avoid all conversations that had anything to do with the Christmas holidays. In the beginning, he would leave as soon as the day was done while everyone else talked excitedly of their plans. He knew, if he stayed around to chat, that the inevitable mercy invites would start rolling in.

He couldn't avoid Sam though. Sam would start right after Thanksgiving and wouldn't quit until Christmas Eve, asking him to come for Christmas dinner at their house. He even went so far one year as to have his daughter, Kamran, call him and ask if "Uncle G" was coming to see what Santa brought her. That did nothing but earn Sam a glare from Callen and a lecture from Michelle about using his daughter to force his partner, his "brother", into something he simply wasn't comfortable with.

Then there was the Christmas celebration work party that Callen ducked out early to avoid every year since the team came together, until Hetty made it mandatory.

That was last year, and Callen wasn't happy. Sam, as it turned out, wasn't happy either. He was too busy looking for some robotic horse for his daughter. It had been sold out everywhere and according to Kensi was THE toy of the year… whatever.

Callen just snickered and walked away. So much to do about something so simple… until Sam threatened to tell his daughter that it was Uncle Callen who had failed to get her the biggest request on her list. Sam hadn't noticed the hurt look that flashed across his face at the thought that Kamran would think he had failed her in some way. No, all he saw was the famous G. Callen smirk that lead into an even more dangerous threat of him calling Michelle and telling her what Sam had just suggested. Even Deeks and Kensi had scolded Sam for it.

In the end, Eric saved the day when he came up with said gift and gave it to Sam at the party. Callen knew they worried about him and it bothered him as much as it annoyed him. He wished they would accept the fact that Callen simply didn't do Christmas.

He did try, though, for their sakes. Maybe not at first, but as the team really started coming together and getting closer, he would try to be involved. Once everyone started giving him a gift each year, he decided he would have to buy each of them one in return. He couldn't possibly accept theirs any other way. He drew the line, though, at any extra get togethers or parties. G. Callen didn't do parties and he didn't. do. Christmas.

After another month of decorations and Christmas songs all over the radio, unwelcomed attention, and eggnog, here they were on December 24. They were just finishing up their final case of the year.

All they had to do was go back to the mission, clean up, have their little get together and then everyone would be free to go. Sam would go home to his wife and kids. Kensi and Deeks would go home and spend the day together being stuffed with all the food their mothers would insist on cooking since neither woman would give up the kitchen. He figured by now that Eric and Nell were probably also spending the holidays together as well. Then there was Hetty… and Hetty would do what… well, whatever Hetty did. No one really knew WHAT Hetty did once she left work.

Then Callen would finally find peace from all the craziness of the past month. That's what he told himself. But before any of this could happen, he had to make a stop for Hetty on his way back to the mission. Callen had driven that day so Sam had decided to head back with Kensi and Deeks. Traffic was crazy and he didn't think he would ever get back.

As he walked into the mission long after everyone else should have arrived, he was surprised by how quiet it was. As he walked down the hallway and entered the main room he looked around. The only lights still on were the Christmas lights strung throughout and the Christmas tree. Everyone was already gone. Callen found it strange that it should bother him so much. He checked his phone for messages but there were none.

He walked into the bullpen and all he found was a small stack of gift cards lying on his desk. No notes… nothing. He slowly made his way back to the locker room and took a quick shower before heading back to his desk to gather his things. With his laptop and cards packed in his duffle he looked down at the bag he had by the desk with his gifts for everyone including Michelle and the kid's. He figured he might as well stop at Sam's and drop their gifts off on his way home. It wasn't much, but he wanted to make sure the kids at least had their presents.

He walked slowly down the hall stopping to briefly look back at all the twinkling lights one more time. They'd be gone the next time he came into work. He had to admit they cast a comforting glow on the normally chaotic space. With a sigh he flipped the switch that turned them off one last time and headed out.

About a half hour later he pulled into the driveway of his best friend and partner. He sat for a moment looking up at the house. They too had their Christmas tree lit and sitting in the picture window. He expected nothing less from the big guy. He loved the holiday. Sam loved anything that meant family time. He was happy for him. Callen knew all too well how lonely it was without family. Though he would never admit it. He was glad that they all had family to be with. He climbed out of the car and grabbed their packages and headed for the front door. He paused briefly before ringing the doorbell. He knew Michelle would insist he come in for something to eat. She knew he never kept food around at home and that meant most of his meals were fast food.

He also knew that he would politely decline with one excuse or another. He didn't want to interfere with their family time. Sam saw enough of him at work and deserved at least a little time where he wasn't in the way. His family deserved to have some time with their dad and husband alone.

He waited and when no one answered, he knocked. "Maybe the doorbell wasn't working," he thought. Still no one came. "Sam hadn't mentioned going out of town. Then again, they wouldn't leave the Christmas lights on if they were leaving home for long." Now what was he supposed to do? He looked at the packages and decided he'd just have to wait and hand them out late. If this was Sam's way of tricking him into returning Christmas day, he had another thing coming.

Resigned, Callen trudged back to his car and headed home. He couldn't figure out why he felt so lost at the moment. Why did he feel so disappointed and hurt that they hadn't waited for him to get back to the office? That's normally what he longed for, wasn't it? After all, G. Callen didn't do Christmas, right? Right.

Callen slowly weaved his way through the streets leading up to his house. He couldn't help taking notice of all the lights that lit the now darkening yards. It really was almost magical. Not that he believed in that kind of thing. Why hadn't he noticed just how nice it all looked before? He pulled up to his garage and turned off his car. He sat a moment, contemplating this melancholy mood he found himself in. Usually, he was glad to finally be home and away from the craziness of his team and their incessant Christmas banter.

He grabbed his duffle and the packages that would be left unopened now until after the New Year and headed for his front door. As he approached the walkway, he felt the all too familiar prickle on the back of his neck when something felt wrong… out of place. He set his bags down and looked back towards the road and around the yard while feeling the comfort of his gun tucked in at his lower back. Something was off and he couldn't figure out what. It was then that he noticed the soft glow of light coming from inside his house through the shade of his front picture window.

Gun now drawn, he unlocked and slowly opened the door. He didn't know what to expect as he entered but it certainly wasn't what he found as he stepped into the front room. There, in the corner, opposite his only chair, stood a Christmas tree decorated and lit. He stood there staring at the tree with his brows furrowed in confusion and thought…"who breaks into your house and puts up a tree?" Figuring it was safe to put his gun down, Callen tucked it back into its holster at his back as he closed his door and walked slowly into the room.

After a moment his eyes were drawn to a big red bow. There, hanging above his fireplace, hung a picture. Upon closer inspection he realized it was a picture of the entire NCIS team including himself. At the bottom of the picture, engraved in the frame was the word, FAMILY.

It took a moment before Callen felt the tear that ran down his cheek and quickly swiped it away. Family… G Callen didn't have family… at least that's what he always told himself. He looked down on the mantle where he kept his tea box holding all things precious to him and noticed smaller picture frames scattered next to it on either side. One held a picture of Gibbs and Abby Sciuto. Another was a picture of Sam, Michelle, and the kids and still another held a small drawing he knew could only have been done by one Kamran Hanna.

He didn't know how long he had been standing there just staring at those pictures when he heard the sound of carolers outside his door… Sighing, he stood there debating whether to even go to the door. "Why not", he thought.

He slowly opened the door and there standing on his front lawn, belting out the sounds of the season, stood his entire team. Callen stood there watching them as they sang their hearts out, all the while wondering to himself, "when did this happen? When did THIS motley crew become a family?" What started out as just another Christmas to be avoided or at the very least tolerated, became something more…maybe, just maybe, G Callen DID do Christmas…