He didn't know what had possessed him to walk into the building, maybe the conversation he'd had with Sam a few days before. Maybe it was the case they'd been on where he'd locked up a suspect in a shelter. Whatever it was he was back in that same shelter walking along the rows of cages to look for a pair of eyes that had stopped him dead the last time he'd been there.
"You're lucky," The woman who accompanied him said, "We were planning on moving him as no one showed any interest in him."
"You weren't planning on euthanizing him were you?" Callen asked worried.
The woman smiled, "Of course not, this is a no-kill shelter, we just rotate them after a while, give them another chance in a different shelter."
For a second Callen's gazed darkened, the rotating comment reminding him of his own rotating life. The he stopped as the woman took her keys and unlocked a door.
"Hey!" Callen said softly as he looked into the deep brown eyes and his heart stopped.
"He doesn't like being alone, he was abandoned as a pup. He has some issues…" The woman started as the dog moved back in his kennel.
"He's perfect." Callen cut her off as he knelt down with his hand outstretched, "Hey boy… You wanna come home with me?" He asked as the dog sniffed him and took a step closer towards him.
The woman watched quietly with a small smile on her face, it wasn't often she got to witness the perfect match of dog and owner, but there was something about this man with the deep blue eyes who seemed to just 'get' the dog.
"I'll leave you too it, when you're ready you can meet me at the front desk, we'll sort his chip out and get the adoption papers signed.
Five minutes later, a happy dog walking by his side, Callen walked to the desk to sign the adoption forms.
Two weeks later Kensi and Deeks were walking into the mission when they stopped, Callen and Sam were speaking in hushed tones in the burn room.
"You're gonna have to tell Hetty about you and Eric." Sam said, "You can't hide it, you've been smiling for the last two weeks. She's gotta know something's up."
Kensi stopped dead putting a hand over Deek's mouth to keep him quiet.
"You think she'd take him from me?" Callen sounded worried.
"I doubt it, but what if you were called on a long term assignment?"
"I supposed he'd be fine, I mean… I don't know…?" Callen sounded uncertain. "I'm not giving him up Sam, he's the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him Sam, he just gets me."
Both Kensi and Deeks' jaws dropped and they looked shocked at each other.
"I got him a new collar yesterday, he looks so handsome in it." Callen remarked proudly.
"You're gonna make him wear that in public?" Sam sounded shocked.
"Yeah? What's wrong with it?" Callen asked defensively.
"A bit sparkly isn't it?"
There was some movement and Kensi looked through the crack as she saw Callen bend down, "It's perfect, it brings out the sparkle in his eyes. Come here Eric, give me a kiss." He laughed as Sam sighed.
"That's just disgusting."
"Eric can stay here for now, he's got water. You'll stay there for me won't you." Callen's voice took on a strange tone and as he moved Kensi jumped back almost knocking Deeks over. "Sit Eric, Stay!"
The Junior Agents scrambled for the bullpen as the door opened as Callen and Sam walked out, Callen lingering as he closed the door.
"He'll be fine." Sam whispered as they walked away from the room.
Kensi and Deeks were completely engrossed in their paperwork as Callen and Sam joined them in the bullpen.
Sam watched as Callen kept looking towards the file burn room.
"G!" Sam snapped as he caught him looking for the fourth time.
Callen looked down at his laptop, Kensi and Deeks shooting an amused look at each other.
Nell walked into the bullpen with her tablet in her hand, "Has anyone seen Eric today, he was due back from D.C. an hour ago?" she asked.
She stopped as Kensi sniggered and Deeks started choking on his coffee.
"What?" She asked, surprised as everyone looked at them.
"Nothing?!" Both Kensi and Deeks replied at the same time.
"WAIT STOP!" Eric's voice came down the corridor.
"Mr. Callen?" Hetty's voice came down the hallway and Callen's head dropped.
"Oh crap." He cursed and jumped up. "Eric, NO!" he yelled as he realized what was going on. He got as far as the middle of the bullpen when he was knocked to the ground by a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, licking him senseless.
Sam laughed as Callen tried to sit up pulling the dog to one side.
"Eric, Sit!" Callen said as the dog wagged its tail and let out a lopsided grin.
Eric walked into the bullpen and looked at the sight on the floor.
"Callen?" He asked.
Callen sighed, "Not you… Him! Down boy!" He grabbed the collar and pulled the dog into a sitting position, "Sorry he's excited."
Hetty walked into the bullpen.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hetty asked.
Callen stood up and the dog, taking one look at the look on Hetty's face moved back and stood on Callen's right, his head pressed tight up against his leg.
"I couldn't leave him home alone Hetty!" Callen pleaded, "He'd be lonely."
"Is this why you wanted two weeks vacation?" Hetty asked, trying to keep her smile from showing through.
"I couldn't help it… That case… the one just before Christmas, I had to go to the pound… I just couldn't forget about his eyes. He looked so lonely. So… I called to check on him. They were gonna move him, no one wanted him… so… I adopted him." Callen couldn't help but lay a hand protectively on the brindle and white dog's head.
Hetty's face softened as she looked between the lost man and the lost dog, both bound by a shared sense of abandonment and a new found trust in each other.
"So… Eric's a dog?" Kensi gasped.
"Yeah… why?" Callen turned to look at her and then Deeks who grinned.
"We… er…." Deeks started. "We overheard you in the burn room. We thought…." Deeks stopped talking as Kensi threw a rolled up ball of paper at him. Eric moved like lightning from Callen's side and grabbed the ball and dropped it in the trashcan, a trick Callen had taught him over the last two weeks.
"Well, at least one of you knows where to put the trash." Hetty sighed with a smile.
"I can keep him?" Callen asked quietly as he moved closer to her.
"I would suggest some training, but as long as he doesn't interfere with cases and he stays out of the way I do not see why you can't bring him to work. But… Mr. Callen… He is not a trained police dog like Monty, so he will not be allowed out in the field, and if he misbehaves all bets are off. Do I make myself clear?"
Callen smiled and hugged the smaller woman. "Thank you!"
"Come on Eric, let's get your bed."
"My bed?" Eric asked confused.
"Not you… Eric…" Callen said, indicating the dog.
Eric sighed, "You named your dog after me?"
Callen laughed as Eric ran up to his namesake and licked his hand, "No… He was called that at the shelter, it's his name… Mind you he does look a bit Beale…" Callen looked at the dog as if figuring something out.
"No Callen, just no…" Eric smirked as he scratched his namesake behind the ears. He stood up and walked towards ops, "He's not sleeping in our bed!"