Thanks so much to those of you who were nice enough to read and leave a review for the Thanksgiving story. I hope you enjoy this one as well :)

xxxxx

Sam sighed heavily as he stared at the boxes of lights and decorations that Callen had gotten for him. Sam had nixed using any of the family's regular decorations, which he had put away into storage. Although he had donated most of the furniture and belongings from their family home, he had made sure to store things he thought would be meaningful for Kamran and Aiden one day as well as some things which personally meant a lot to him. To use the decorations this year though would have been much too painful.

"Good morning, Sam," Callen called out as he walked down the stairs to the below deck level of Sam's boat. He then handed Sam one of the cups of coffee from the tray he was carrying.

"Thanks, G," Sam said, appearing distinctly unenthused.

Callen gazed at his partner as he tried to figure out the best way to handle this situation. He had been nagging Sam since Thanksgiving about decorating the boat, sometimes subtly nudging him, other times being downright annoying as he practically forced the issue. So far though, Sam hadn't expressed much of a desire to partake in any celebratory activities. Not that Callen blamed him, but he also knew he needed to do it, maybe not for himself, but for Kam and Aiden. Finally, he decided that just taking action was the best strategy. Without saying a word, he picked up some of the boxes of lights and headed back up the stairs with them. However, once he got up on deck, he looked around uncertainly, having no idea where to start. He had been stupid enough to open up his big mouth telling Kamran how terrific the boat was going to look and now he had no idea how to accomplish that. He also needed to get a tree. He had thought Sam would go with him to pick one out, but now he realized he shouldn't have made such an assumption. Maybe he shouldn't have been so pushy. He had thought he was being helpful, but now realized he had been anything but that.

Callen was just about to forget the whole thing and head home when he heard his partner's voice. "Those lights aren't going to go up themselves G…let's get to work."

xxxxx

After working steadily for most of the morning and a trip to the store to buy more decorations, the boat was really beginning to take shape. For Callen, this was the first time he had ever really participated in a big Christmas decorating project such as this one and it was giving him quite a feeling of accomplishment. "It looks pretty good, doesn't it Sam?" he asked as he paused to take a break and take a good look at their handiwork so far.

A smile touched the corners of Sam's lips as he glanced over at his partner. Knowing Callen's past history the way he did, his friend's efforts to make sure the holidays were good for him and his kids meant a lot to him. He really did appreciate it, even though personally, he just wasn't really feeling the spirit this year. One of the things, Michelle had loved to do, was ride around in the car, looking at lights and holiday displays. They had done it often as a family or sometimes just he and his wife on their own. Now, all it took was to see a particularly striking light display or hear one of the Christmas songs that Michelle had loved, for Sam to feel like a hole had ripped through his heart and bring tears to his eyes.

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" The familiar voice of Deeks brought Sam out of his reverie as he and Callen looked over at the other end of the boat to see Kensi and Deeks bringing an exceptional-looking tree onboard. Callen quickly ran over to help.

"Hey Deeks, how did you know?" Callen asked quietly as they moved the tree to where they thought seemed like a good place for it.

"Kensi and I drove by here earlier today," Deeks said. "We saw you guys working on the decorations, but didn't see a tree. We thought we'd save you the hassle."

"Thank you," Callen said, glancing over at Sam who was talking to Kensi. "I don't think going to pick out a tree was something Sam was ready for this year." That was something Sam had always done with his family. He, himself, had never undertaken that particular task on his own and he appreciated not having to do so this year.

"Whatever we can do to help," Deeks said, his expression serious. "You know that, Callen. And speaking of that, have you guys had lunch yet, because we have pizzas in the car."

Callen's eyes lit up. "Pizza sounds great, Deeks. I'll walk over with you to get them." Sam and Kensi were still talking so he called over to them. "We'll be right back!"

Sam and Kensi watched as Callen and Deeks headed back to the car then Sam turned back to Kensi. "Thank you for bringing the tree…It was really nice of you to do that."

"You're welcome," Kensi said as she met Sam's eyes. "So…how are you really doing?"

Sam sighed then shrugged. "I don't know…everyone seems so happy this time of year and for me…I just want to get it over with so I don't have to think about it anymore."

"I don't think anyone would expect it to be any different for you Sam," Kensi said softly. "Of course you're not going to be bubbling over with Christmas spirit."

"Still, I do want the kids to have a good Christmas…well, as good as they can have under the circumstances anyway. I feel bad for G. He's been twisting himself inside out, trying to get me to decorate the boat, and I've been resisting every step of the way. The thing is, I do want to do it for the kids, especially for Kamran, but I just haven't been able to get myself to follow through, not until today anyway."

"You know Callen doesn't mind," Kensi said. "He just worries about you. You're his best friend."

"I don't want him to worry," Sam said, his eyes sad.

"But you know he's going to," Kensi said. "What if the situation was reversed? Wouldn't you worry about him?"

Sam nodded, a smile touching the corners of his lips. "Of course," he stated. He'd worried a lot about his partner over the years. Now, not so much, but it wouldn't take much to bring that worrying all back to the forefront. He still didn't want G worrying about him though. Hopefully, the new year would be a better one than this one had been. He was more than ready to put 2017 behind him.

"Pizza delivery!" Deeks shouted out as he and Callen returned to the deck. "Are you two talking about me?"

"Oh yes, Deeks. That's exactly what we're doing," Kensi said, turning to smile at him. "You're just so fascinating. How could we talk about anything or anyone else?"

"That's what I thought," Deeks said with a grin. "How are you doing, Sam?"

"I'm good, Deeks," Sam replied. "Thanks for bringing the tree and the pizza."

"It was no big deal," Deeks said.

"To me it was," Sam said softly, looking a little big emotional. He was quickly able to pull himself together though. "You guys want some beer?" he asked. "I'll go get it."

After a lunch filled with light-hearted banter and a lot of laughs, Kensi and Deeks proceeded to help Callen and Sam with the rest of the decorations. By the end of the day, when they turned on the lights to inspect what they had done, the four of them were more than a little bit blown away.

"Wow…" Callen finally said as he looked at the colorful, but tasteful display of lights which adorned Sam's boat.

"This looks good," Deeks said admiringly. "Really good."

"It's beautiful," Kensi commented, leaning into Deeks as he put his arm around her.

Sam didn't speak. His emotions were all over the place. He was happy that his children, especially Kamran, would get to enjoy this, but heartbroken when he thought of his wife and how he would have liked her to have seen it too. Honestly though, he knew if Michelle was still with them, their holiday would have been very different. They would have still been in their family home, decorating the tree together, eating Michelle's traditional holiday dishes and Christmas treats, and just enjoying the season and each other's company. This year was going to be very, very different.

xxxxx

"I thought you were going to decorate the boat?" Kamran's eyes were filled with disappointment, practically on the verge of tears, as she, Sam and Aiden approached it. As far as she could tell, it was just about the only one on the marina without some form of decoration. It was cloaked in darkness and she thought it looked dismal and depressing. "Do we have to stay here tonight?"

"Where do you want to stay?" Sam asked in amusement. "With your Uncle Callen?"

"Did he decorate?" Kam asked, looking hopeful.

Aiden snickered. "Do you really think Uncle Callen decorated?" he asked.

They were now very close to the boat and suddenly it started to light up, a section at a time, until the whole boat was a dazzling picture of lights, the best in their section of the marina by far.

Kamran's mouth opened wide and her eyes shone in awe and delight as she gazed up at the beauty of Sam's boat. "Daddy…It's perfect," she finally said.

Just then, Callen was looking down at them from behind the railing. He waved, a big smile on his face. "I didn't decorate my own house," he said, looking down at Aiden, "but I did help with yours."

"Hey, Uncle Callen," Aiden said, grinning up at him. "Did you do all this?"

Callen laughed. "By myself? Are you kidding me? Of course not."

The family made their way onto the boat and Callen hugged both children. "It's good to see you guys," he said.

"I missed you, Uncle Callen," Kamran said, holding onto him tightly. "The boat looks so pretty, just like you said it would."

"Well, your dad, Kensi and Deeks had a lot to do with it," Callen said. "They worked very hard to make this boat the prettiest one here."

"I love it," Kam said happily.

They went below deck and chatted for a bit before Callen decided to let the family have some alone time. "I'm going to head on home, Sam," he said. "You guys have a good night. I'll see you on Christmas Day."

"Bye Uncle Callen," Kamran said, hugging him once again. "I love you."

"Love you too." He hugged Aiden and then Sam walked down with him to where his car was parked. "You okay, big guy?" Callen asked.

"I'm good, G," Sam said with a nod. "Just wanted to thank you, once again."

"No thanks necessary, Sam," Callen said. "I just want you and the kids to be good. Enjoy the next couple of days with them and I'll see you Monday. You know where I am if you want to talk."

"Thanks G, I do."

The two men hugged briefly before Callen got into his car and headed home.

xxxxx

"You okay, baby girl?" It was almost midnight on Christmas Eve and for Sam, the whole day and night had been filled with emotional ups and downs. He came up beside his daughter who was standing by the railing looking out at the water. She turned to him and he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh baby, come here," he said and Kamran buried her face into his chest. "It's going to be okay," he soothed as he kissed the top of her head. "I promise you, it will be."

"I just…I miss her so much," Kamran said, between sobs.

"I know you do. I do too, more than you could imagine."

He hugged her for a little while longer before releasing her. "I hate that this happened," Kamran whispered, her attention on the water.

"I know you do. I wish I had the power to change it, but I don't."

"I know you don't, daddy," Kamran looked up at him lovingly as he put his arm around her shoulders. After that, they just stood there silently as they continued to gaze out over the peaceful harbor. Finally, Kamran shivered under the night chill and Sam spoke.

"Why don't we try to get some sleep," he suggested. "I think tomorrow is going to be a nice day."

Kamran nodded. "I think you're right, daddy," she said softly. "We should try our best for that to happen."

With that, the two headed back down below, making an effort to be extra quiet as Aiden was already asleep.

xxxxx

Unlike Thanksgiving, which had been spent at Dovecote, Kensi and Deeks had decided to host Christmas dinner. They didn't want Hetty to have to do it again and Callen's house was just too impractical. He would have had to go out and buy furniture just to host the holiday. In any case, Deeks was an excellent cook and his and Kensi's moms were all too eager to help with the festivities for the day.

The doorbell rang and Callen and Hetty came into the house, with Callen carrying a bag of presents. "Merry Christmas," they called out as they entered the living room and hugs were exchanged with Kensi.

"Please sit down," Kensi said and the two took a seat on the sofa. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Callen quickly shook his head. "I'm good, Kens."

"I'm fine also, Ms. Blye," Hetty assured her.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang again. "I'll get it," Callen called out since Kensi had gone into the kitchen to join Deeks and their mothers. He went to the door and found his partner and his children standing behind it. "Hey guys, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Uncle Callen!" Kamran hugged him tightly, a smile on her face.

For his part, Callen was just glad to see that she looked happy as did Aiden who he hugged next. "Merry Christmas, Uncle Callen.

Callen looked at his partner who had a trace of a smile on his lips, but his eyes looked sad. It made Callen sad to see it, but he knew there was really nothing more that he could do. It was only natural that Sam and the children would be grieving Michelle's loss. It was just something they were going to have to go through.

"How are you doing, Sam?" he asked his partner as the two hung back while Aiden and Kam went into the house to greet Hetty.

"I'm getting by, G…you know…"

Callen nodded. He really hoped that this day would help make the holidays a little bit brighter for Sam and his kids. The two walked into the living room and Hetty greeted Sam. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Hanna."

"Merry Christmas, Hetty," Sam said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. He then put down the bag of gifts that he was carrying.

"Hey everyone, Merry Christmas," Deeks said as he came into the living room. He was wearing a brightly colored Christmas apron and his hair was a little bit more disheveled than usual.

"Working hard, Deeks?" Callen asked, looking amused.

"Just making sure this is the best Christmas dinner any of you have ever had," Deeks replied with a grin. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back, but I just wanted to say a quick hello."

"Do you need any…" Callen began, but he was speaking to Deeks' back as the detective had already headed back to the kitchen. "help?"

Sam chuckled. "What were you going to help him with, G?" he asked, "burning something?"

Callen tried to think up a suitable retort to what Sam had said, but he was at a loss for words as the sad truth was Sam was right.

"I used to try to teach him to cook when he was a boy," Hetty interjected into the conversation, a fond smile on her face as she remembered back. "But sadly, he had no interest and I'm afraid not a lot of talent in that particular area."

"Hey," Callen said, unable to keep the smile off his own face through the teasing. "I can cook some stuff."

"What can you cook, G?" Sam asked. "A can of soup?"

"No…I…" Callen tried to think of something more skillful but remained at a total loss. "Let's talk about something else besides my perceived lack of culinary talent."

They moved onto other topics of conversation with Callen and Hetty striving to keep the topics light and 20 minutes later, Deeks called out that dinner was served. There was a roast beef and a ham, scalloped and mashed potatoes, asparagus, pan-roasted vegetables with spinach and hot rolls.

"Well, Mr. Deeks, I must say, I had no idea of your culinary prowess," Hetty said after the meal had ended. "That was as delicious a meal as I've had in quite some time."

The others echoed their praise for Deeks' cooking and he looked uncharacteristically abashed as he just ducked his head and said, "thanks everyone."

"Marty always liked cooking, even when he was just a little guy," Roberta said, looking at her son proudly.

"Don't even say anything, mom," Kensi cautioned, laughing as Julia laughed too. "Not everyone can be a great cook."

"I guess there's only one per partnership, right G?" Sam said, grinning at his partner.

Callen rolled his eyes good-naturedly, but in all honesty he was glad to see that Sam seemed to be having a good time and was at least getting a brief respite from the heaviness in his heart.

xxxxx

After dinner, it was time for presents. Gifts were exchanged with the team surprising Hetty with a set of beautiful Chinese figurines which they had all chipped in for. "It's also from Eric and Nell," Kensi explained as Hetty admired the delicate pieces. Eric had gone with Nell to visit her family for Christmas.

"It's lovely. Thank you all very much," Hetty said.

Other gifts were exchanged, mostly things like gift cards and the like. There was just one special gift, which was being saved for last, which the team was looking forward to and which Sam knew nothing at all about. "Sam?" Callen said when the last traces of wrapping paper and ribbon had been picked up.

"Yeah, G?" Sam looked at his partner in confusion as Callen passed him a large envelope.

"This is from all of us," Callen said. It wasn't even just the team. A lot of Sam's friends and colleagues at NCIS had contributed towards this gift with Sam being so well-liked and respected at work. "It's for you and the kids."

"What is it?" Sam asked, looking dumbstruck.

"Open it daddy," Kamran said excitedly.

"Yeah dad, that's how you find out what it is," Aiden said, grinning at his father.

Sam looked around the room and saw that all eyes were on him. Slowly he tore open the envelope and pulled out a bundle of papers and tickets. "Wh…" The first thing he pulled out were three airline tickets to New York City, leaving on December 27. "I don't understand…"

"There's more there, Sam," Kensi said, gently.

There was much more, hotel reservations at the Marriott Marquis through New Year's Eve, tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular which had Kamran squealing in delight, as well as tickets to see the New York Knicks which had Aiden looking particularly excited. There were gift cards for restaurants and tickets for Madame Tussaud's and a site seeing tour of New York among other things. "I…I don't know what to say." Sam teared up, totally overwhelmed by such generosity. "You shouldn't have," he whispered. "It's too much."

"It was a lot of people, Sam…not just us. There's a card there signed by everyone who helped," Callen said softly. "And you and the kids…you deserve it. A lot of people wanted to do it. You're a pretty popular guy at the office."

"Just accept it, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said. "If not for you, for the children. They seem to be very much in favor of the idea."

Sam looked at his kids and he realized he hadn't seen either of them look so happy or excited since before the death of their mother. He nodded as he hugged them both and looked around the room at his friends who were much more than just friends. They were family. "Thank you," he said, totally choked up by the gesture. "Thank you so much everyone."

xxxxx

"Mr. Hanna, may I speak to you in private for a moment?" Hetty gestured to Sam and he followed Hetty to a spot in the kitchen where they could be alone.

"What is it, Hetty?" he asked.

"It's about the gift. I was the one who made all the arrangements, and I just wasn't sure…"

"Wasn't sure about what, Hetty?" Sam asked, looking at her in confusion.

"I didn't know what would be best. If you would want to take the trip alone with your children or if you would want someone to accompany you."

"But…there are only three tickets," Sam said.

"Four," Hetty corrected him.

"Four?" Sam repeated.

"I have the other tickets, Sam. No one knows about them except Eric and I and he has been sworn to secrecy. Also, except for the Radio City show and the basketball game, most of them are refundable."

Sam still looked confused and he stared at Hetty blankly.

"Mr. Hanna," Hetty explained patiently. "I am giving you the option to have your partner accompany you on the trip. However, he knows nothing about this, so if you would rather be alone with Aiden and Kamran, that is perfectly fine and he will know nothing about this."

"Oh daddy, please let Uncle Callen come."

Sam turned around to see his daughter standing there. "Were you eavesdropping, Kamran?" he scolded gently.

"No." She shook her head vigorously. "I mean, yes, I guess I was, but I didn't really know I wasn't supposed to hear."

Sam sighed as he turned back to Hetty who was smiling. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine, Sam," Hetty said. "Just think about it and let me know your decision."

Sam nodded and watched as Hetty went to join the others. "Can you go get your brother?" he asked Kamran. She nodded eagerly and hurried off, returning with Aiden only a few moments later.

"What's up dad?" Aiden asked.

"Hetty told me that there are extra tickets in case we wanted to invite someone to come with us."

"He means Uncle Callen," Kamran said in an exaggerated whisper.

Aiden smiled. "That's fine with me."

"And me too!" Kamran said. "Should we go tell him?"

"Wait," Sam stopped her before she went running back to the others. "Are the two of you sure about this? I just… I don't want you to think he has to come with us. Family time is important too."

"Isn't Uncle Callen family?" Kamran asked.

"Well, yes, but…you know what I mean."

"Even mom said Uncle Callen was family, dad," Aiden said quietly.

Sam gazed at his oldest son for a few moments and then nodded. "Your mom was right. Uncle Callen is family."

"Can I tell him?!" Kamran asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Yeah, go ahead," Sam said, "But he may have plans for the week. I don't want you to be disappointed if he can't come." He was pretty sure G didn't have plans, but he didn't want his partner to feel like he had to do this either.

"Uncle Callen! You get to come to New York with us!" Kamran ran back into the living room and everyone stopped talking as they stared at Kamran and Callen.

Callen shook his head slowly. "The tickets are for you, your father and brother, Kam," Callen explained gently. "I'm not going with you, sweetheart, not this time."

"Actually G, if you want to come along, the invitation's open," Sam said.

"But…I don't understand…how?" Callen asked. He looked over at Hetty and suddenly he understood. He walked over to her, a hint of anger in his blue eyes. "Hetty…I know you meant well, but Sam and the kids…they might have just wanted time to themselves…I…"

He felt Sam's strong arm around his shoulders as his partner pulled him in for a hug. "Hetty gave me a choice, G," he said. "It could have been just me and the kids. I chose for you to come with us and the kids agreed. Of course, if you don't want to come, that's another matter entirely."

"It's not that, Sam…I just don't want to intrude…"

"You will have your own room at the hotel, Mr. Callen," Hetty said. "Sam, Aiden and Kamran will have plenty of time to themselves."

"You're sure?" Callen asked, gazing at his partner questioningly.

"I'm positive, G. There's no one I'd rather have with us except…" he trailed off as a look of understanding passed between the partners.

"If you change your mind…"

Sam shook his head. "I'm not going to change my mind, G."

"Okay," Callen finally nodded his assent and Kamran squealed happily. "Yay! You're coming with us?!"

"Yes, if it's okay with you and your brother." Callen looked at Aiden as he asked the question. It was obvious that Kam was onboard with the idea, but he didn't want to do anything to go against what Aiden might want. Upsetting the family any more than they already were, was not something Callen wanted any part of.

"It's cool with me," Aiden said. "You're family, Uncle Callen."

"We're going to have a lot of fun," Kamran said as she went to Callen and gave him a hug.

"I think so too," Callen said, returning her embrace.

"Hey, anybody for dessert?" Deeks called out. "We've got apple pie, chocolate cream pie and custard pie. All home made by yours truly…and really good if I do say so myself."

"Deeks really is quite the cook," Callen said as he and Sam went to get some pie.

"Yeah, you should see if he'll give you lessons," Sam said, grinning at his partner.

"Maybe I will do just that," Callen said with a smirk. "Maybe I'll surprise you one of these days by making you the best gourmet dinner you could ever imagine."

"That's some imagination you've got partner."

"It's alright, Uncle Callen," Aiden said who was digging into Deeks' chocolate cream pie with obvious enjoyment. "You don't need to know how to cook. You just need to find a good woman and make sure she can cook for you."

"Is that the kind of stuff you're teaching him?" Callen asked his partner with obvious amusement.

Sam shook his head, trying to hold back a smile. "He never learned that from me. It must be those kids at school because I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of stuff they teach there."

"Don't worry, dad," Aiden said. "I actually do know how to cook." He turned to Callen. "Maybe I could give you some pointers."

"Maybe you can, Aiden," Callen said, smiling at Sam's oldest son. The day was turning out even better than he could have hoped.

xxxxx

"Thanks Kensi, Deeks," Sam said. He and his kids, as well as Callen and Hetty were all gathered at the front door, ready to say their goodbyes. "I can't begin to tell you how much today meant to us. I really appreciate what you did."

"You mean the world to us Sam," Kensi said gazing at him emotionally.

"We just wanted you and the kids to have a good time," Deeks said.

"Well, you definitely accomplished that and much more," Sam said. He then proceeded to hug both his junior team members. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Kensi and Deeks echoed.

"We'll see you next year," Deeks said with a grin.

"See you next year," Sam said.

At that point, the group members headed out to where their cars were parked. When they reached the Challenger, Sam turned to Hetty, his eyes filled with emotion. "I know you had a lot to do with all of this, Hetty. I just want to say thank you…I don't know how I will ever repay you for such generosity." He had looked at some of the tickets. For the Christmas show, they were right up front and the basketball game tickets were courtside. He hadn't told his son, choosing to surprise him the night of the game.

"Repayment was never even a thought in my mind, Sam," Hetty said. "But if it's important to you, the best way you can repay me is for you and your children to have the very best time imaginable on this trip."

"We will, Hetty. I promise," said Sam.

Hetty nodded and said her goodbyes to the children who each hugged her exuberantly. She then turned to Callen. "I'll meet you in the car, Mr. Callen."

Callen nodded to her and turned to his partner. "Quite a day," he said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. He had been emotionally up and down throughout it, but definitely more up than down and it was all because of these people who loved him and had tried so hard to make the day good for him and his family. "I…thank you, G…"

"You're welcome." Callen knew a long, drawn out conversation about what he was feeling was not what Sam needed at the moment. He needed to go home and have a peaceful night with his kids. Kensi and Deeks had given them a big basket of leftovers so they definitely wouldn't go hungry. "I'll talk to you tomorrow? We can figure out our travel plans." In all honesty, he was excited about the trip. It had been entirely unexpected, but he very much appreciated Hetty's idea to include him.

Sam nodded. "I'll call you."

The two men then embraced and Kamran and Aiden hugged Callen as well. "I'm so happy you're coming with us," Kamran reemphasized, looking up at Callen happily.

"Me too, Kam," Callen said, giving her a fond smile. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," the Hanna family echoed as they got into their vehicle and pulled away. Callen then went over to his car where Hetty was waiting for him to drive her home and spend a little quality time together.

"Is everything all right with them?" Hetty asked, her eyes on Callen as he got behind the wheel of his car.

Callen looked at her and nodded, a smile on his face. "I think so…as well as it can be this year anyway. What you did…It means a lot to them."

"What we all did," Hetty corrected, smiling back at him. "Now let's get going, Mr. Callen. I ordered a specialty Christmas tea from overseas that is supposed to be quite extraordinary."

"Sounds good," Callen said as he pulled his car away from the curb. "Merry Christmas, Hetty."

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Callen."