NCIS: LOS ANGELES

I do not own NCIS: LA

Chapter 1

Callen and Sam sat at their work stations satisfied from the case they'd just concluded. They were talking about going out for drinks to bring them down from the adrenaline high they usually got from working any case. Kensi and Deeks were doing their usual bicker/flirt/play mock irritation scene at their respective desks.

"Hey you two want to join us for some drinks and burgers?" Sam asked as he got up from his chair gathering his work bag with him.

"I could eat." Kensi said glancing over at Deeks in the process. When she made eye contact with him he immediately agreed to go along as well with a smirk plastered on his face at the fact that Kensi obviously was urging him to come to.

Callen stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. His mind was already drifting to one red-head intelligence analyst who he recently found popping up in his mind quite often. There was just something about the perky, energized woman that attracted him. He'd been trying to deny it to himself but couldn't help thinking that he was becoming more interested in everything involving the analyst each day he came into work.

But of course he didn't make this known to the other agents especially Sam, who would no doubt be quick to question him about it. Besides he didn't even know what he was feeling himself to even begin to talk about it. So no knew about his growing infatuation but if they really paid attention they'd notice how more and more often he would call Nell rather than Eric when needing help with something in the field.

"We should invited Eric and Nell to come along too." Callen said nonchalantly, trying to hide his pleasure at the idea.

Right as he made the suggestion he spotted Eric with his laptop case in hand coming down the stairs from Ops. "I'm definitely in!" Eric said slinging his laptop case around his body "I think I deserve a drink after the great work I did today." He said proudly

Callen simply smirked at the tech operator's mock cockiness

"Hey!" The familiar voice came from above. Callen quickly switched to the top of the stairs to see Nell Jones begin to walk down and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. "I do recall helping too" She came to a stop beside her good friend and partner, playfully shoving him. Eric in response played hurt and she swatted him again while rolling her eyes with a laugh on her lips.

"So what's going on?" Nell asked noticing how everyone was standing and seemed to be waiting for something.

Callen was the first to respond as he walked over to stand in front of her "We're all going out for drinks and food…" he thought for a moment "Deeks is buying– "

"Hey!" Deeks protested but Callen just laughed and continued.

"You in?" Callen asked. He didn't know why but he suddenly felt all nervous as if he had just asked her out on a date or something, but he quickly pushed the feeling away It's just drinks with friends, nothing else.

Nell had a hard time looking into G. Callen's eyes then, just as she always did. They were a strikingly mesmerizing blue that had her trapped each time she stared into them. She'd felt something for the agent since the first day she meet him. Aside from his amazingly good looks that attracted most women first, she had come to realize that he was much more than that. She saw that he wasn't the bad boy type that she initially picked him out to be, I mean he was tough and definitely knew how to pull of the bad boy façade if the job called for it, but behind all that she could see who he really was. He was best friend to Sam, practically brothers, and big brother to Kensi. She saw how he accepted Deeks into his team and expertly saw past the first impression "clown" façade to see that he was a perfect fit for Kensi and was overall damn good at his job. Callen was simply a nice guy once you got to know him and if you earned his trust.

But no matter how great a guy she thought he was Nell was sure that he would never go for a girl like her. If they were in high school she'd be the nerd and he'd be the jock, and no way does the jock end up with the nerd in real life. He was always nice to her and even came up stairs on occasion to check up on her and Eric but she refused to let herself think anything deeper into his actions, even if it seemed that more often than not he was calling her instead of Eric when in the field. She wouldn't allow herself to get caught up in someone who could never like her back the same way. Besides if anything Callen was, he was professional and she doubted he'd ever get involved with a co-worker.

Looking at Callen's smile she gave him a sad one back in reply to his offer. "Sorry guys," she said her lips then turning up with glee "but I've already made plans tonight. Rein check?" she added after she thought she saw a flash of disappointment cross the senior agents face.

"Awww, Nell come on" Kensi begged "You won't make me be the only girl with these guys, will you?" her lips pouted out slightly. Deeks couldn't help think that she looked really cute doing that.

"I can't Kensi, remember I told you I was going out with that guy tonight."

At that Callen tensed. Nobody noticed his reaction except Sam who threw him a questioning look. Callen was quick though and just as quickly as his irritation had appeared on his face it was wiped away.

"Oh my gosh!" Kensi said excitedly "You never told me that Nell, or else I would have definitely remembered."

"Sorry, I thought I did."

"Well it doesn't matter now," Kensi said still excited "So you're finally going to take him up on his offer?" she paused "hold on, you are talking about the one we met at the monster truck rally right with the nice arms?" she said with suggestive smile that had Deeks rolling his eyes a bit peeved to hear her words.

"No the one from the club a couple weeks ago." Nell replied quietly, embarrassed that she was having this conversation with the guys and especially Callen standing right there.

Kensi gasped "You mean the dark haired one with blue eyes that couldn't keep his hands off you all night!" she almost shrieked

Callen kept his face neutral through hearing the conversation but clenched his fist's tightly at Kensi descriptions and the fact that Nell was blushing deeply at Kensi revealing their night out. It didn't help his irritation that there were two guys in question that had been talking up and had their hands on Nell. But what did he expect, Nell was definitely a beautiful woman and once you'd had the pleasure of holding a conversation with her it was hard not to be attracted to her gentle, good natured personality. He would be a fool to think that she wouldn't attract men, especially if she was going out and all dressed up for the club scene.

"Wow I didn't know the club was you're scene." Deeks said to Nell truely surprised

"It usually isn't I only ever went in college on occasion but Kensi dragged me out…"

"And you loved it." Kensi added cutting her off and nudging her with her hip making her laugh.

And Nell couldn't deny it. She had had fun out on her nights with Kensi. It was nice to have a girl to hang out with outside of the grueling hour of work. It was hard to keep friends with the work they did and the hours they worked, so it was convenient to be able to hang out and friend like Kensi who shared and understood the hours she needed to be in the office. Plus Kensi reminded Nell of her sister, Danny, at home that she rarely ever got to talk to or see since she started working at NCIS.

"Well, all I want to know is when do I get my invitation to join these nights out on the town?" Deeks said raising his eyebrows at the two women with a hinting smile and doing a little dance.

"Sorry Deeks, strictly girls only." Kensi said laughing at the frown that appeared on his face "Maybe if you don't bug Sam too much during the weekdays he and Callen will start bringing you out to public outing as well." She laughed

The comment stung a bit coming from his partner but he took it with stride and laughed it off with the others good naturedly, he knew she didn't really mean it.

Callen throughout this whole conversation had been resigned. The news of Nell's date irritated him at first but now he was feeling a bit hurt. He didn't realize how much hearing the news of her going out with someone would affect him. He wasn't sure if he had ever intended to try and figure out the depths of his fascination with the woman, but her going out on dates with other men removed any chances of it being an option for him. If she went out with this guy and ended up liking him he'd realized he would be crushed.

"Blow him off."

The words where just as much of a surprise coming out of his mouth to him as it was to all the agents and that stood around him. But once the words were out he realizes how much he wanted her to do exactly that.

It took Nell a second to realize that Callen's words had been directed at her. "What?" she asked confused

He shuffled his feet slightly all too aware that he had trapped himself in a corner. They were all watching him carefully. "I mean, we don't often get the chance to go out as a team so I was just thinking maybe you should just blow him off and come out with us tonight." He tried to look into her eyes and force her to see that he wanted her to come, but when she hesitated a moment too long he started to retract his earlier statement. Damn it Callen, you've made a fool of yourself… "It was just a thought of course, if you want to go on your date we understand." He kind of stammered out

Callen was acting strange. Nell wasn't sure but she could have sworn that something in him had just changed. He was looking at her in a way that she hadn't seen before. There had been times in the past when she wasn't paying attention where she could have sworn he was looking her way but whenever she looked up to face him he was always back to the neutral professional face he had. But this look was different, this one wasn't clouded and if she were being honest with herself she would say that it was almost a longing look.

She didn't know why but she felt as if she rejected the offer she'd be missing something big. The guy she was going out with seemed nice, but she was only going out with him to try and get back in the dating world and put a cap on her feelings for Callen. She knew that indulging in a night out just because he asked and blowing off her date would be back tracking in her goal to get over Callen. But what the hell, there was something about him that had changed suddenly and she had a feeling it had something to do with her. She wanted to know what that change was…what would one night do, just one more night of her Callen crush then she'd reschedule with…what was his name again…oh yeah Matt from the club.

"Ok." She voiced slowly

Ok? Ok did he hear her right "Ok?" he repeated

"Yeah." She said casting her eyes away from the intensity of his for a moment only to be drawn back to them "I mean you're right we don't get the chance too often to go out all as one so we should take advantage of the time we can." She said almost uncertainty still unsure of Callen's exact reason for the request she comes along with them. But when she sees a smile tug at his lips she felt more confident about her choice to go smiles back.

"Ok," Callen said one final time happily before he turned around to face the rest of the team who all seemed to be wearing curious looks or in Sam and Kensi's case knowing smirks. Callen tried to ignore Sam because he knew that there was no excuse for his actions with having Nell blow off her date and he would have to deal with the third degree he knew was coming from his partner later. And he didn't really care right now, Callen was just happy that Nell would not be going out with some random guy tonight. The thought of some other man's hands possibly on her body almost infuriated him. So instead he just asked "So who's driving?"

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Sam ended up driving them all in one of the Tahoe's they still had checked out from their previous case. Callen sat in the passenger seat and Eric, Deeks, Kensi and Nell all sat in the back.

Kensi who was sitting beside Nell leaned over to whisper in her ear "Don't think for a minute I didn't see that back there at Ops." It was all she needed to say for Nell to know what she was talking about. Nell was actually glad Kensi had picked up on something too, that way she was sure that she wasn't just going crazy but was right in her analysis that Callen was acting strange. But the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it in a car where everyone could easily hear in such close proximity.

She bit her lip nervously looking at Kensi to confirm that she knew what she was talking about then said "Later." To let her know they would talk which seemed to satisfy her friend enough because she went back to animatedly talking to Deeks. She was glad for this because it gave her some time to think over the scene back at the office herself.

As they pulled up to the grill and bar Nell happened to glance up at the rear view mirror in the car to see those striking blue eyes glancing at her in its reflection. Callen's eyes didn't overt themselves when hers met them which seemed to be mulling over something very carefully. After a second though his eyes softened at her returned gaze, and they kind of drifted off into their own world for a moment blocking out everything else.

"Ok! Let's eat." Deeks said clapping his hands hungrily making Nell jump from the world she had just been in. She noticed they were now parked in front of the grill and bar and ready to get out. She looked back to the mirror but the blue eyes had gone and now stood outside waiting for the others to join him.


Thanks so much for reading and I'd love it if you left a review, comments, suggestions, constructive criticism…they're all welcomed =)

-Nessa

Chapter 2: The Grill and Bar and more Nallen