A/N: Over the last few months what is important to me has been at the forefront of my thinking and almost losing my husband made me live my life in a different way, with different priorities. Writing this short story made me think deeper of how I can make the most of the time I have with my family and that is what I wanted to portray in Callen's short journey on Christmas Eve. Thank you for reading and may the tidings of the season be all that you need, want and desire.

Ghosts

The Christmas season had come suddenly as had the birth of Nell's and my daughter. She'd surprised us by arriving almost three weeks early due to her umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck in-utero and a nice knot in it as well. We're happy she's here but it was a bit scary for us. Since she came early we had no name for her and it seems she needs one before she comes home tomorrow.

I'd left Nell and my adorable daughter at the hospital for the night and was driving home. There had been a light rain earlier in the evening and it had left a slick on the roads. I hadn't slept for the last forty-eight hours so it played with my brain a wee bit. As I pulled into the driveway I thought that I had seen a flash of lights in the front window, like a flashlight moving across the window. I thought that I had imagined it but I still went through that back door with my service weapon in my hand. There was nothing so I put it away in my gunsafe. I then went to the kitchen and got a beer from the fridge and back to my chair in the living room.

I set my mind to thinking about names for my little on and what I thought Nell might agree to. Those were few and far between because we have such different mind sets. After just a few minutes I gave up and picked up my book from the table next to my chair and took a few sips of my beer. Another flash occurred but my weary mind just pushed it aside. There was no explanation for it except exhaustion.

After a chapter or so of my book I felt myself nodding off and for some reason I couldn't fight it. I normally can. I felt like I just fell asleep when a loud noise woke me. "Bro, listen up…I am the Ghost of Christmas Present."

Before me stood a man who looked just like LLCoolJ, only he wore a whole lot of Christmas bling. His clothing was green and red and in his cap was a sprig of holly. I laughed because except for his size he'd make a right jolly old elf. "Sam come on, stop fooling around." I'd never seen him like this.

The big man grew even more serious. "Not fooling with you G. This is serious. You need to see how you're living your life man. You've got so much going for you but you live your life like it's a high speed race. Let's take a walk man." He reached across to me, took my hand and led me through a mist. "You've got a family to consider but you're still too cavalier with your own life." The Ghost moved his hand and a vision of me getting into the mini-sub that Sam and I would eventually sink came into view. "That was foolish of you G." He moved his hand again.

Once again he showed a scene of an op that could have ultimately could have gotten me killed. "But all of that was before Nell and I got together."

The Ghost nodded. "Yes it was, but what if you died. Nell would be alone and your beautiful daughter would never be born. Stop being so careless and selfish, other members of your team can do those things as well, let them. Every one of them is concerned for your well being. They worry about you and Nell." He waved his hand once more and he was gone.

Before long another sound woke me and before me stood a man I'd only met once but it was because of him that Nell and I are a couple. "Thomas, it's good to see you again."

The man before me shook his head. "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past and it seems your past is trying to catch up with you." He snapped his fingers and we were transported back to Romania and the Comescu compound. I was face to face with Alexa Comescu, but at the same time I was looking at my past and my future. It was a nerve wracking experience. He looked into my vision and nodded again. "You're worried about how to protect your family and what to do if the Comescu come for them." He snapped again and another dreamscape opened before me. Foster home after foster home spun before me like brief insights into my life. Some of the snaps, like the Rostoff's were pleasant but most were not. Most were images of abuse and hatred that I experienced as a child and I knew that was nothing I ever wanted for my daughter. I wanted to be there for her always.

The Ghost then snapped again and the procession of women whom I dated paraded by: Joelle, Anna and a myriad of others. Nell had no worries there I'd waited most of my life for her. He then snapped again and once again I was alone.

When I awoke again, a diminutive woman stood with her back to me. She wore a long blood red dress and a short fur trimmed cape. In her left hand was a whip. She turned to me abruptly and it was Hetty but it wasn't at the same time. There was something sinister in her demeanor. There was something that gave me the chills but I knew the good side of her as well. I knew that this was the Ghost of Christmas Future and that was something I didn't want to see.

She never spoke but pointed with her whip to where she wanted my attention. The mist she pointed to was black as ink and just as thick. It was so thick that I needed to squint to see what she needed me to see. She pointed again but this time with more emphasis. I looked harder to the spot where her whip was. I saw candles and heard organ music. I'd never been an ardent church attendee but I knew where I was. A coffin had been placed on the altar and a woman sat in the front row crying. I recognized the red hair as my wife's. Three children sat next to her with tears in their eyes.

The Ghost snapped her whip and the scene changed to the cemetery where my sister is buried. The whip pointed to a gravestone with an engraving; Grisha Alexandrovich Nikolaev Callen, 1970-2025. He died defending his country. I was aghast. Nell and the children, Sam and his family, Deeks, Kensi and Eric were all there as well as Hetty and Granger. They all wore somber faces.

I turned to the Ghost. "Is there nothing I can do to change this? I don't want to leave Nell and my future family or my friends. Tell me how to change this outcome, please."

The Ghost slowly shook her head as if to say no. She snapped her whip again.

I woke the next morning in my chair with a half of bottle of beer still sitting on the table and my book over my chest. The Ghosts had left a vivid picture of my past, present and future and I didn't like what I saw. Most had been reminders of how I live my life and were left there as a prompt to change my ways. I couldn't afford to be so free with my safety anymore. I have a family to take care of and who need me. There'd be no more lone wolfing for me. Wait, how long had I been asleep? Did the Ghosts take just one night or had I been asleep longer?

First things first though. Our home was barren of the season. We'd been so caught up in work and the birth of our daughter that Christmas had almost passed us by. The only decoration turned out to be my annual card from Janvier. That needed to be changed, for Nell. She deserved better. I raced to the door as a newspaper boy walked by. "Hey, what day is it? Did I miss Christmas?"

The boy's face showed surprise, firstly, because no one ever spoke to him this early in the morning and secondly, no one ever missed Christmas. "No Sir, you didn't miss Christmas, it's today. Have a Merry Christmas Sir!" With that he moved off to the next house and threw the paper to the porch.

My mind raced to how I'd get my holiday together before I went to pick up Nell and the baby. I grabbed my cell and placed a call to Hetty. "Hetty, I need a huge favor from you."

Nothing about Callen ever surprised her. She lived with him for too long for that. "Good morning Mr. Callen. How is Nell doing?" She didn't wait for an answer. "What is this favor you need so urgently on this beautiful Christmas morning?"

I thought for a moment. "Hetty we have nothing for Christmas, no tree, no decorations, no nothing. How do I go about this? I've never had to do it before."

Hetty smiled to herself. Something was going on with her Callen but it was a good something. "Mr. Callen, you shall have Christmas at your house. I will see to it. Just get yourself ready to go and pick up Nell and your daughter. When you return it will all be there waiting for you. Now get moving. Nell needs you there."

I don't know why but I felt relieved. "Thank you Hetty."

Hetty just smiled more. "Merry Christmas Mr. Callen and wish the same to Nell for me."

I went to the hospital to pick up my family. As I walked into the hospital and onto the floor where Nell waited I felt the need to share my new emotions. I wished each and every nurse, nurse's aide and resident doctor a Very Merry Christmas. Nell was wide-eyed when I got to her room. When she saw me she started laughing. I grabbed her, kissed her under the piece of mistletoe that I smuggled in and then took my daughter into my arms to snuggle her. I shared my idea of a name for our girl and Nell agreed so we named our daughter Noelle. It seemed appropriate after the night I had but I wasn't ready to share my experience with Nell yet.

When we arrived home we walked through the front door to a seven foot tree with beautiful glass ornaments and white sparkly lights, gifts of every hue, shape and size sat under the tree. A dinner of turkey and potatoes was in the oven waiting for us, as well as a bunch of other vegetables. On the counter sat a tray of Christmas cookies, a custard pie and a box of chocolates that I was sure had been flown in from England. Hetty had pulled out all the stops to make our Christmas special.

Merry Christmas from the Callen home to yours.