Tap. Tap. The consistant tapping grated on her nerves. She aimed a glare at her friend, who ignored her and stared out the window.
"You know, working on the paperwork instead of ignoring it helps to get it done," she snarked. Eyes rolled.
"Whatever." The dismissive tone caught everyone attention. The whole team gathered to finish paperwork, except for Callen. He was out getting food for the group.
"What's up?" Nate asked, curiously.
"Naw, nothing." Sam ignored the looks from his team and focussed on his paperwork.
"Sam. Look, you've been bugging us all the last fifteen minutes tapping some ridiculous pattern onto the table. At least tell us what's bugging you," Kensi prodded.
"Just," Sam paused. "Just something G said today."
"Was he alright?" Eric asked.
"Yeah. We were in the suspects house, and he said something that I can't get out of my head." From the shadows around the corner, Hetty lingered, listening to her team.
"What did he say?"
"Do any of you know when G's birthday is?" Sam asked abruptly. Silence reigned over the office.
"No," Kensi supplied finally. "We never celebrated it. I guess it never occurred to me..." guilt cropped up in her eyes.
"I don't either." Sam admitted. Nate frowned.
"Did Callen mention his birthday?" He asked.
"No, we were looking at the birthday cards that were up on the wall. G mentioned he'd never gotten a birthday card. Just bugged me, that's all."
Shock flashed in Kensi's dark eyes.
"Never?" Dom piped up. "But I thought you guys gave each other cards and stuff for...your...birthdays." He trailed off at Sam's scowl.
"We do." Nate confirmed. "We never thought about G." Now guilt and pity were in everyone's eyes.
Sam shrugged. "He didn't seem too concerned."
"When one has lived a life without any recognition of special events, Mr. Hanna, it is difficult to become excited for something you have no knowledge of. I'm sure Mr. Callen appreciates the concern, but he does not need pity." Hetty finally stepped out. The team looked at her, startled.
"Mr. Callen will return soon. Perhaps you should ask him whether he would like a birthday party or not." She smiled a little. The team would not approach an emotionally distant G Callen, especially not on his first days back at work.
NCISLANCISLANCISLA
Callen plunked the bag down on the table.
"Food, food, food." He distributed the steaming food to everyone at the table, and settled down next to Sam.
He started to eat, when he noticed the tense atmosphere.
"What?" He asked. "Did I spill? Get an order wrong?" He glanced at everyone. "What?"
"G, do you want a birthday?" Kensi asked hesitantly. G's eyes connected with Sam's, the replay of the earlier conversation running through his head.
"No, it's not a big deal, is it?" Callen asked, returning to his food.
"Well, Callen, I mean, we all celebrate our birthdays. We thought you might want to, especially because we never see you at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or any other holidays." Nate said.
Callen grinned.
"I definitely spent at least two Thanksgiving's with Sam and his family," Callen said, his defence's slamming up.
"That doesn't count, Callen," Eric said, bravely speaking up to his friend. Callen sighed.
"Fine, look. It's not a big deal. I've never celebrated my birthday. It doesn't really matter. I don't celebrate Christmas, or Thanksgiving or any other holiday because I've never had one. So, what does it matter?" He asked. "I don't think having a birthday or Christmas celebration will complete my life. So, it's not a big deal."
"You always celebrate ours," Kensi said, shocked.
"It's important to you," piercing blue eyes connected with hers. "It's important to anyone here, than its important to me that you celebrate it. But those 'special days' were the same as every other day for me. Well, a little different. I saw other kids get things," Callen shrugged again. "Never bothered me. I grew up with it."
Seeing their stares, he placed his carton of food on the table.
"You must have at least celebrated Christmas," Kensi seemed like she was pleading with Callen, to ask him to tell her that his childhood had some joy in it.
His face turned thoughtful. "There might have been one, when I was 12. I got a teddy bear. Wasn't much use to a 12 year old. And I think it was a donation anyway, second hand, falling apart. The foster parents for that household wanted to see me appreciate their gift. So I just waited."
Callen fell silent.
"Waited for what?" Kensi asked.
"Well, at that point I don't think I'd been in a home longer than a month. I waited until I got moved again. Might as well put up with something annoying if it's only temporary." He smiled at them. "There you go, I had a Christmas." His smile was guarded, clearly telling them it was time to move on. Nate ignored him.
"One last question. When is your birthday?"
Callen's blue eyes turned to Nate's questioning ones. Callen didn't look upset that he had no birthday or Christmas celebrations ever, in fact, he looked more empathetic for the team's collective pity for him. He did not want their guilt.
"I don't know when my birthday is, Nate. I've never celebrated it. Didn't have to know something that no one cared about."