A/N- Okay, so I needed a dose of Callen/OC and so pulled out this story as it is basically written and just needs polishing. I had originally planned the sequel to A Christmas Carol but there is too much work to do on that to start posting yet. This story won't affect the updates for Moving On.

This is just a little play with what Callen might have been like in High School and what would it take to get him to a High School Reunion, and of course, what might come after! ;-)

Approximately 75% friendship and 25% romance!

I know it's been a while but thanks go out to NotARedhead for her input into this first chapter.

Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer - Don't own anything recognised as someone elses. Just borrowing the characters for a little fun.

Chapter 1

"Mr Callen, I have a letter for you," Hetty said, as she walked into the bullpen, where Callen and Sam were sitting at their desks discussing the previous night's Lakers game.

"Which one of me?" Callen asked, as he spun around in his chair to face her.

"Original flavor, I'm afraid," she answered, raising an eyebrow. "It is addressed to G Callen."

Callen straightened up and stopped the chair from moving. "Should I be worried?" he asked. Letters directed aliases weren't common but they did happen. Those directed to him though were rare, almost non-existent.

Hetty looked at him with a slight smile. "That all depends on whether a high school reunion is terrifying to you or not."

Callen raised his eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Sam. "Um … I didn't graduate, Hetty," he began. High school hadn't really been his thing and he'd tried a lot of them. "In fact, I doubt that any of the high schools I went to would actually invite me back."

"Be that as it may, Mr. Callen, the invitation remains," Hetty continued. "It has travelled from far away," she continued, a mysterious lilt to her voice, "from someone who has tried very hard to find you."

Hetty's response did nothing to assuage the nervousness that had settled over him. Callen really didn't like surprises.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. His senses were suddenly on edge. "Tracking down G should have been almost impossible for anyone outside of official channels."

"Don't worry, gentlemen," Hetty reassured them. "They did not send it directly here." She turned the invitation around in her hands, as if she were a magician holding a magic wand. "But they did send an invitation to every federal and military agency in the US," she continued. "Clearly, someone has done their homework." Hetty sounded intrigued and a bit impressed.

"Who sent it?" Callen asked, his interest piqued and his nerves settling. He didn't like surprises, but he did enjoy a good mystery. Whoever had sent the mysterious invite had been either persistent or determined. A face flashed briefly through his mind – the face of a person who matched that description. A small smile started forming on his face.

Hetty noted the change in demeanor. "Alas, I cannot tell you," she said, finally handing him the envelope. "But perhaps you will recognize the handwriting."

Callen looked over the envelope, at the printed address on the front. There was no return address on the back. He pulled the invitation out of the envelope and skimmed it. It was a formal invitation but had a personal note at the bottom. 'You missed graduation. Here's your chance to make it up to me.'

Callen smiled at the writing he'd known so well once upon a time. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"So who sent it G?" Sam asked impatiently. He was tiring of the current round of 'guess who'.

Callen glanced over. "An old friend," he said.

Sam looked at Callen and noted the soft expression on his face. It wasn't an expression he saw on his friend often. "Good friend?" he asked.

"Best one I ever had," Callen answered. He hadn't let himself think about her in years.

"Guy or girl?" Sam asked. Callen looked up from the writing at Sam.

"Does it matter?" he asked him back.

Sam grinned. "Girl. You would have answered if it was just a guy." Sam cocked his head a bit to the side and regarded his partner. "So …" he said, "G had a girlfriend. Who'd have thought?"

Callen shook his head. "Not exactly," he replied as he let himself remember her.

She had been the only one at that last school to see through him. To accept him for who he really was and not care what anyone else thought. He'd lost count of the number of times she had taken him home, cleaned up some cut or graze, given him an ice pack and told him to help himself to whatever was in the fridge. He hadn't felt he like he deserved her friendship, didn't feel like he was good enough for someone so caring. He told her that once. He almost laughed as he remembered that moment. She'd promised him if he ever said it again, the next ice pack would be because of her. He hadn't made that mistake again. He had come close once though.

He'd only been at the school for four months before he'd quit and joined the military. As hard as it had been for her, she'd let him go. Knowing he never stayed in one place that long, knowing he wouldn't be back. He'd promised her a dance at their graduation before he'd decided to quit. Obviously, she hadn't forgotten that or him.

He'd had a chance to make it more than just a high school friendship when she'd finally ditched her egotistical self-proclaimed basketball hero of a boyfriend. But G hadn't wanted to start something that might ruin the special friendship that had developed between them. A mutual one, where they both needed and helped each other.

"Earth to G," Sam said, watching in amused fascination as a hazy look of memories washed over G's face.

G glanced over, raising an eyebrow and putting on his, 'it's no big deal' expression. (An expression that neither Sam nor Hetty believed.) "We never quite made it that far," he continued. "I quit school and left - joined the military."

Sam continued to grin at him.

"It was either that, or studying for finals," G said, trying to divert Sam's attention. "Boot camp seemed easier."

Sam shook his head and leaned back in his chair, chuckling as he watched G's gaze slip back to the writing at the bottom of the invitation.

"The event is formal, Mr Callen," Hetty said, breaking the mood. "Would you like me to organize something for you to wear?" She smiled innocently. Or, at least, Hetty's version of innocently.

Callen looked at her with a tilt of his head and a frown. "You're assuming that I'm going," he said.

"Whoever she was, whoever she is now, she wants to see you," Hetty said, matter-of-factly. "And she was obviously someone who provided you with good memories, a sparse commodity for you, it would seem. Why would you not want to go?" she asked him.

"Because of everyone else," Callen replied, as if that should have been obvious. There was no one else he wanted to see. Hell … there was no one else he remembered, unless it was connected to her.

"Do you care about anyone else who will be there?" Hetty asked. Callen shook his head and Hetty pressed on. "Then they don't matter. If you want to see her, go. If you don't, then don't."

Hetty turned and left, just as Kensi walked in and took her seat.

"What's up?" she asked.

Sam grinned at her. "G has a high school reunion invitation from a girl," he said, in an almost conspiratorial tone.

Kensi returned her gaze to Callen, intrigued. "Old girlfriend?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

Callen shook his head. "No."

"He wished though," Sam added. Callen glared at him as Kensi chuckled.

"So … she was the one that got away," Kensi said.

"Nope," Sam replied. "He was."

Callen rolled his eyes and shook his head at Sam and Kensi, then spun around in his chair, his back to them both. Sam and Kensi reached into their In boxes and started to work.

Callen, however, carefully folded the invitation and placed it back into the envelope. He smiled as he let himself remember back to that time with her, something he hadn't allowed himself to do for a long time. He was surprised how clear the memories were.