Nelloween - Trick and treat.
Chapter 1.
She stood staring her heart leaping into her mouth as she watched the torpedo launch from the plane and head into the water, her hands shook as moments later as a large explosion left the water.
She gasped and ran tearfully from the room.
Finding a corner, she sank down sobbing into her knees. He was dead…it was all over and he did not even know. She herself had only found out that morning.
Two months earlier, it had been Halloween, the team had gone out for drinks, Deeks trying to get them all to go trick or treating, however the bar they had entered had had a Halloween night theme going on and they had all ended up trying Absinthe.
Sam had spat his out declaring it disgusting, along with Kensi, Deeks and Eric who had all rapidly gone back to beer, Nell…who had drunk Absinthe before, dropped hers on a sugar cube, with Callen following suit.
Finally, after a lot of begging on Deeks and then Eric's part, they, Kensi and Sam left to go to a club. Callen begged off citing paperwork that he needed to do and Nell was not in the mood for clubbing so she declined as well.
Watching them go Callen downed a drink of water that Nell had insisted that they both drink to counteract the alcohol they had just ingested. "So you want a ride home?" He asked.
"You're not driving?" Nell asked worried.
Callen smiled, "Nope I thought I'd get a cab with you and then walk from your place." He offered.
She laughed, "Good Hetty would kill you if you got pulled for drunk driving." She stood up and gathered her coat and bag, "I was going to eat first, it helps after having absinthe." She told him.
"You've drunk that a lot?" he asked.
"Once or twice in college; enough to know what to do to avoid a really, really bad hangover." She smirked.
He stood up and opened the door for her, "After you Milady." He grinned, bowing as he held the door open.
They walked along the parade of shops until a small shop they hadn't seen before caught their eye, a small Romani restaurant, Nadia's it said in muted red lettering.
A woman dressed as an authentic Romani gypsy stood at the door, "Welcome young ones, you come to eat yes, the best food ever here, it will change your lives." She said with a twinkle in her dark brown eyes.
Normally, Callen would have had all his senses on super alert at this, but the absinthe had dulled them and the smells from inside were enticing him, sparking memories he could not quite reach. Before he knew it, Nell was pulling him inside.
"We have to try this G.," she said almost salivating at the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.
She looked so excited that Callen agreed, secretly loving the way she almost bounced in excitement at the menu and the chance of trying something new.
He smiled as she looked through the menu, pointing out things she did not understand and asking him to translate for her.
They talked and laughed as the meal progressed and it never occurred to either of them that there was no one else in the restaurant.
The old woman walked over to them when he asked for the bill, "Did you enjoy your meal Mr. Callen?" she asked with a kind smile.
"I did thank you." He said, "Reminded me of my childhood." As he said it, he was surprised to remember the food he had picked had been favorites of his as a child.
"Ah yes, children…they have the fondest memories do they not." She said handing him back his card, "The meal is on the house, plus this for a fellow Romany…" she handed them both woven bracelets of red ribbon and motioned them to a small room in the back, "Coffee?" She offered.
Despite wanting to leave Callen and Nell both nodded, the music was nice and the Red and Rose colored candles made for a nice ambiance, the woman ushered them into the room and leaving a small black feather unnoticed on the lintel of the doorway and smiling she left them too it.
They drank the coffee and started talking again, Callen noticing the way the light flickered of her hair and Nell noticing the way his eyes sparkled in the semi-darkness.
Maybe it was the food, maybe the atmosphere, but within moments of the woman walking out, both Nell and Callen found themselves kissing, tearing at their clothing, giving into their lust and not registering where they were.
The woman sat outside the room drinking her tea and waiting.
Just as the couple inside reached their climax, she smiled and turned to an empty corner of the room, "It is done." She smiled.
Callen woke up on Nell's couch as she emerged from her bedroom, neither having any idea how they got there.
"Callen?" She said surprised.
He smiled embarrassed, "Morning Nell, how's the head?" he asked.
She yawned, "Fine, I slept like a log, thank you for bringing me home." She said.
"I…" Callen stopped as she made him a coffee, "I don't remember coming home, and I thought maybe you had brought me here?"
Nell looked blank and shook her head; "No…the last thing I remember is going into that restaurant, Nadia's…and coffee…" she blushed as she remembered his hands all over her…but said nothing.
Callen looked at the black feather on the table in Nell's otherwise pristine apartment, "I think I might have torn a pillow or something?"
"Don't worry about it, how are you going to get home, you don't have any clothes here." She said as she stood up to go and shower.
"I…" Callen looked out of the window, "My car is outside?" he paled at the thought of being so drunk that he drove them home and couldn't remember it.
"You have a go-bag in the trunk?" she asked.
G nodded and stood up, "Can I use your shower after you…I'm not sure how much we drank but I think we should get a cab to work today, I don't wanna drive if that's ok with you?"
Nell nodded, "Sure and good idea."
As soon as they had gotten to work, the night before had been forgotten as they were caught up in the next case…
Until that morning, Callen and Sam had left looking for the missing sub and Nell had taken the first five minutes she had had spare in over a month to take a test to find out if what she had suspected for the last few days was true.
She had put on weight in the last month and she had felt nauseous, but had dismissed it until she had sat in the bathroom at the mission and stared at the two blue lines that confirmed what she suspected.
She was pregnant with Callens child, but neither of them could remember conceiving the child.
She had decided to wait until the case was over to tell him, whether he would, be a part of the child's life or not she owed it to him to tell him, they were not in a relationship, he was fifteen years her senior and she like him. But she had no idea why she would have allowed anything more than harmless flirting, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what state Callen had been in, there was no way he had forced himself on her.
All of that, the worry, the planning, the future had just been blown up…her child would never know its father.
She sobbed for all this child had lost, for the loss of her teammates, for the loss of what would have been.
Then Kensi and Deeks came through on the comm. She had forgotten was still in her ear.
"They're alive, Callen and Sam are alive!" Kensi said ecstatically.