A/N This story came about after a twitter user sent me a tweet asking for a Callen story. I cannot at this time remember who tweeted and asked for this, but this story is dedicated to them.

My other stories will be updated, only I have the flu and haven't written today, so I pulled this one out to fill the gap.

Disclaimer...Don't own it...but I did sneeze on it, ya want it back?


Jack.

Chapter 1 – Prologue.

Six months ago.

Callen was sitting in the bullpen, he was watching Deeks break and Kensi go over the protocols for using a knife; she sat on the edge of his desk showing him the knife her father gave her as a child.

"It's nice," Deeks said admiring the knife and turning it over in his hand.

Kensi looked at him, "Did you ever get anything from your father as a kid?" she asked sipping her tea as he looked at the knife.

Deeks looked at her and pulled up his shirt at the waist, showing her a scar on his right hand side torso, "This count?" he asked with a wry grin, "Sorry, he was never big with gifts." He said, "But this is a great knife!" he said enthusiastically

Hetty walked past the bullpen and over to Callen, "This is for you Mr. Callen," She said handing him a manila envelope. "You have two weeks off to arrange things if you feel you need it."

"If I feel…!" Callen, "Hetty!"

Hetty smiled, "I am glad Mr. Callen, Come, we should find you a suit, the parole hearing is today."

Callen followed her shooting a look at his team as he walked past, Kensi and Deeks were still in conversation and Sam was looking at him concerned.

Hetty held up a suit jacket for him to try on,

"Did you know about Jack?" Callen asked.

Hetty nodded, "I had an idea, I looked deeper into Ms Rossetti's file, although I did not know the full story until we were contacted this morning,"

Callen looked at himself in the mirror, "How am I going to pull this off? I mean, I can't let this become common knowledge, he'll be in danger, but I can't leave him there either, not now I know." Callen ran a shaky hand down his face. "How could she do this?" he asked sitting heavily in the chair next to the mirror.

"I do not know the workings of the inner mind Mr. Callen, all we can do is step up with the information given, the question is do you intend to step up for him?" Hetty said.

"Of Course." Callen answered instantly.

"Good," Hetty replied. "Take Sam with you," she ordered.

"Hetty!" Callen exclaimed. "I don't want everyone to know, for his safety."

"I am not talking about everyone Mr. Callen; But Mr. Hanna has the experience that will soon become invaluable to you. Trust him, for now we are all that need to know."

Callen nodded, he knew the wisdom in her words and if he couldn't trust his partner then whom could he trust. He walked through the bullpen stopping only to grab his gun and bag. "Sam, with me." He said and headed for the door.

"We got a case G?" Sam asked.

Callen said nothing but climbed into the challenger, "LA superior court." He said.


Sam started the car and headed downtown. "You giving evidence, come on G you gotta give me something?" Sam said.

"Not now Sam." Callen snapped turning to look out of the window his gut churning.

Callen picked up the phone and made a call, "It's me…Yeah I know, you're going aren't you?" he waited as the person on the other end talked, his eyes going wide, "On a case?! You knew this was coming up today before I did couldn't you let someone else take it?" he asked incredulously.

Tracy sighed down the phone, "You know how it is Callen, I have to be here for this case, and the job comes first,"

"Not before this it doesn't." Callen snapped. "How can you do this to him?"

"You're no worse than I am; you've never been there for him." Tracy snapped her patience growing thin.

"I didn't know!" Callen replied shocked, "I had to wait till the Bahamas for you to tell me the first time, I trusted you to look after him."

"You care so much you go and take him." Tracy said.

"That's cold Trace." Callen said looking away from Sam's questioning eyes.

"Look I came back from our op with more than I intended, I did my part what more do you want from me."

"Nothing Trace, just nothing I'm sorry I called you." Callen said sadly and hung up the phone.

Sam pulled up outside the court and they walked in the building, "An old case?"

"Fall-out from one." Callen admitted. He walked over to a security guard and flashed his badge, "Juvenile cases?" he asked.

"Room 105." The guard said and handed him back his gun after checking his and Sam's badges.

Callen jogged up the stairs Sam on his heels, "You need to fill me in." Sam said holding Callen's arm.

Callen shrugged him off, "Don't have time Sam, we're late, you'll figure it out." He said as they arrived at the courtroom.


Opening the door, they walked into a bustle of activity. The bailiff announced the next case, "Jack Rossetti Parole hearing."

The judge looked at the docket and the folder with Jack's information inside it. He looked up and then down to the dark haired kid, sitting with his lawyer, "Jack Rossetti?"

Jack stood up as Callen gripped the bench nearest him and sat down.

"Yes your honor." He said sullenly.

"So you've done three years for grand theft auto, have you learned your lesson?" she asked.

Jack nodded and his lawyer spoke in his ear, "Yeah ya honor."

The judge nodded. Callen smiled, he remembered Judge Matthews from when he was Jack's age she was firm but she was fair.

"I see you have been in the foster care system since you were, 9 years old having been removed from your mother for neglect,"

"She didn't neglect me!" Jack snapped, "She was working for the government and was held against her will, she'd have come back for me, ma'am!" Jack informed the judge.

"Well I have some paperwork here that says she signed you over to the care of the state until you are 18." She said looking at a document.


Callen stood up as Sam looked on stunned, "Rossetti's kid?" he whispered.

He gave a curt nod and walked to the front, "Your Honor?" he said.

The judge looked up, "May I approach the bench?" he asked.

"You are?"

"Special Agent G Callen, NCIS." He said showing the bailiff his badge and credentials.

He handed them to the judge and motioned Callen and Jack's lawyer to come to the bench.

"Well Callen," Judge Matthews smiled, "You grew up."

"Yes Ma'am and on the right side of the law too." Callen smirked.

"So I see," she said and started to read the paperwork,

Jack slouched in his chair looking at the new man warily, he grabbed his lawyers arm, "Who's that? I haven't done anything?" he said a hint of fear in his voice.

"I'll find out," Jacks lawyer said calmly.

"Your Honor, this is irregular, this was just supposed to be a parole hearing, I need to get Jack into a new placement if he is being released today,"

"That's why I'm here," Callen said, "I'm his father."

"Do you have proof of that?" the Judge asked,

Callen place the envelope on his desk, picking it up the judge read the contents, "Very well, are you willing despite your job to take custody of him?"

"Yes, my job won't be an issue; I'd give it up first." Callen said

The judge smiled at that answer "I do have to ask Agent Callen, why did you not come before when Rossetti was placed into care?" she asked,

"I didn't know about him until 3 years ago, I…er…arrested his mother and she told me." He admitted.

The judge smiled, "Callen, you do get yourself into some scrapes. But it is good to see you have turned out alright. I will give you a 12 month trial and award custody of Jack Rossetti to you, if in that time he commits another offence he will go back to jail." She smiled, "Good luck Mr. Callen."

He turned and looked at his son, sitting in the chair eyeing him intently. Jack's eyes had widened in surprise at the name, he knew who he was but had never expected to meet him,

"Jack Rossetti,"

Jack stood up, "This is Mr. Callen, do you know who he is?" the judge asked.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, My mom told me all about him." He said shooting Callen a dirty look.

"I am awarding you into his care, Mr. Callen has petitioned the court to take you on, I will be writing in a date for twelve months time and Mr. Rossetti, I want you to have improved as much as you can, and hopefully the stability will be good for you."

Jack shrugged and grabbed his bag as the judge banged the gavel on her judgment.


Callen walked out of the court room with Jack behind him. Sam followed and watched as the pair interacted, or rather Callen tried and Jack resisted.

"Jack?" Callen asked.

"What."

"Do you have everything? I mean do you have anything stored we need to pick up?"

"Yeah, My mother." He snapped.

"I talked to Tracy, she's on assignment in Turkmenistan, and she's signed the papers for me to look after you."

"I don't need looking after." Jack sulked, "I don't need her and I don't need you!" he sat with his arms folded on a bench, "I ain't going with you and you can't make me."

"Get in the car Jack." Callen said offering to take his bag.

Jack held his bag tighter and moved away.

"Jack, get in the car, it's either this or foster care and both of us know that's not a place you want to be."

Sullen Jack walked over to the car, "This one?" he asked.

Callen nodded and Jack climbed in and slammed the car door.

Sam grabbed Callen's arm, "Why are you doing this man? You don't owe Rossetti anything."

Callen looked at his son, staring out of the window holding back his emotions.

"I owe him." Callen said.

Sam looked at the boy, he was the spitting image of Tracey he looked back at the worried face of his partner, "I'm sure Hetty could find good foster carers for the boy." He tried reasoning.

"No kid of mine will ever end up in foster care if I can help it." Callen grumbled as he moved away from Sam.

"No kid of…..Callen, who is Jack's father?"

Callen looked his partner right in the eye, "This goes no further right…for Jack's safety,"

Sam nodded, "Ok."

"He's my son."