Chapter 2
They slept late. It was almost eleven by the time Emma woke up. Callen had slept decidedly well for someone who doesn't sleep much. He had woken before her and, remembering her comments about jet lag, let her sleep. He did have an ulterior motive though. He was enjoying watching her. She looked so peaceful and he wondered, if somehow by watching her, he might learn something about the complicated woman she had become. As Emma started to stir, she moved closer to him and curled up into his side. Callen stroked her hair out of her face and her eyes fluttered open. He saw her smile and heard her say softly, "Morning."
"Good morning," he replied.
Emma raised her head up to look at him easier, that sleepy look still on her face. "It is still morning, isn't it?" she asked.
"Just."
Emma smiled and put her head back down.
"Hmm," she sighed. "Been a while since I slept that well. Thank you."
"Anytime," Callen smiled. "Slept pretty well myself too."
Emma moved and curled up in his arms, her head on his shoulder.
They laid there quietly for a few minutes, with Callen running his fingers gently over her shoulder and arm, before Emma spoke again.
"What plans do you have for us today?" Her fingers gently traced patterns on his chest, over his scars.
"Didn't know what you'd be up for, so haven't made any," Callen replied. Emma stopped her fingers and looked up at him. She didn't know if she had a right to ask, especially as she still hadn't told him what happened to her.
Callen wondered about the look on her face. When she caught her bottom lip with her teeth, looking nervous, he asked, "What is it?"
"What happened?" Emma gently touched one of the scars. She shook her head and continued, "Sorry, you don't have to answer that. I shouldn't have asked."
"Em, it's okay. I got shot." Callen saw the pain flash through her eyes. She hated the thought of him being hurt. Especially this badly.
"That's a lot of bullets at the same time," her voice soft as she looked away from his eyes.
"Five," Callen confirmed. He knew she knew a bullet wound. She could tell the difference between old scars and new ones.
Emma tried not to think about how hard he must have fought to still be here. "Must have wanted you bad."
"Yeah," Callen replied. That they had.
"How long ago?"
"Almost a year."
Emma frowned. "Last time I checked with Dad he said you were fine." Had her father lied to her? She wondered what she would have done if she had known he was hurt.
"Check up on me do you?" Callen was curious about her comment and her frown.
"Yeah. Once in a while."
Callen wasn't sure he believed her, so he probed a little further. "Only once in a while?"
Emma looked back at him and smiled, before admitting, "Once a year I call Dad and ask if you are okay."
"Why?"
Emma took a moment before answering.
"Because I wanted to know if there was still a chance you were coming back." Not entirely the truth, but close enough. She wasn't about to admit how much she cared about him, not yet. Not when she still wasn't quite sure how to describe it herself.
"I promised," Callen reminded her. Though he would admit that there had been many close calls in his life that had almost stopped him keeping it. But he knew that, even before he had left her ten years ago.
"Promises can't always be kept," Emma replied.
Callen wondered if she was referring to his or her promise. He saw the shadow that passed over her face when she had spoken. Deciding that today wasn't the day for sad stories, he rolled her over and kissed her.
Emma looked up at him and smiled when he pulled back. "Are you trying to distract me?"
"Is it working?" It was working for him.
"Yes, except that I'm decidedly hungry," Emma replied, trying to ignore the feel of his body against hers.
"For what?" Callen kissed her again before she could reply. Emma eventually pulled back.
"That and food," Emma admitted, her voice breathless. "Unfortunately, food is a little more important right now," she finished, just as her stomach rumbled.
Callen moved down her body and kissed her stomach.
"Guess we'd better take care of that first." He moved off the bed and pulled her up into his arms. "Do you want to eat out or stay in?"
Emma looked up at him and thought for a moment. She smiled, a sparkle in her eyes as she answered. "Perhaps we'd better eat out, or we might not see anything today."
Callen grinned, raised his eyebrows and ran his hand slowly down her body, he replied, "Then you had better get dressed."
Being New Years Day there wasn't a lot open or to do. They had lunch at a nearby cafe that was open, took a walk through the Los Angeles County Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. Callen encouraged Emma to talk about what she'd been up to. He found out about where she travelled, her favourite places and not so favourite places, like the top of the Eiffel tower in winter. Apparently way too cold, even for her. They ordered in for dinner that night, having come back to a kitchen that needed to be cleaned up. After they had finished, Callen decided he'd spent far too much time on domestic stuff recently and preferred to spend it with her, doing other more enjoyable things.
The next day was an unusually rainy day in L.A. which, thankfully, didn't cause a problem with Callen's plans for them. They spent the day at the Getty Centre, wandering through the exhibits, taking in the various displays of art and, even getting outside to the gardens during a break in the rain.
They stopped for lunch and, after they returned to their wanderings, Emma asked him, "Why do you come here?"
Callen looked at her as he answered. "Enjoy looking at beautiful things." He could see her lips twitch as she tried to hold back a smile.
"Is that what you tell the guys?" Emma lost the battle against the smile as she asked him that.
"No. They think it's to pick up chicks." Honestly though, not too many people knew he spent time in places like this. Hetty did, but she certainly didn't believe his line about picking up girls. It was a rare ability to be able to get something past Hetty, one he hadn't yet managed to learn.
"Does it work?" Emma tried not to sound too curious or jealous. She hadn't expected to feel what she did at the thought of him with someone else.
"Wouldn't know, never actually tried."
Emma gave him a curious look. "The guys must think you have the lousiest pick up lines then," she teased.
"Oh, they're not lousy. Just selective about who I use them on." He watched her and saw that she wanted to ask more. But she didn't. She just took his hand and they moved on to the next section.
"You know, if you like this kind of thing, there is this place in Rome, Galleria Borghese. Gorgeous paintings and sculptures. Went there when I was in Rome about six years ago," Emma said to him.
"I was in Rome when you were," Callen admitted. Emma turned and looked at him wide eyed at his words.
"What?" she asked in disbelief.
"I heard your voice. Couldn't do anything about it though. Was on a job," Callen replied.
"Where?" Emma asked.
"The Piazza near the Pantheon. I was having lunch with a contact. Heard you when your friends called. Tried to find you later, but couldn't." He'd worked his way out from there once the lunch was over, checking all the tourist spots he could find for her.
Emma sighed. "I flew out that afternoon, back to London."
"Guess I should have just gone to the airport then." Maybe he'd have run into her there.
Emma shook her head as she said, "I don't think that would have helped."
"Why not?"
"I flew out of Ciampino. Cheap flights. You would have gone back through the main airport," Emma answered, then continued in a whisper, "So close."
"Yeah, so close." Callen slipped his arm around her waist as they started to move on again.
A little later Emma felt him watching her and looked at him.
"What?"
"Just enjoying the view." She really seemed to be enjoying this place. Callen found he was watching her reactions more than looking at what was to be seen here.
Emma smiled. "That's your pick up line?"
Callen pulled her to him, holding her close."No. No need to since I already have you." Callen slipped his hand behind her neck.
"True, you do," Emma agreed as she reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He looked down at her as she pulled back and smiled at him. He let her go and slipped his arm around her shoulder as they moved on.
Emma's voice was soft and gentle when she spoke next. "You know I finally get it. Dad used to take Mum and I to places like this when I was a kid, before Claire. I never really understood why he loved it so much."
"What do you get?" Callen asked.
"Life isn't always beautiful or fun or happy. Especially the kind of life the two of you lead. He just wanted to be surrounded by something beautiful. Not the sadness or horror that he faced everyday at work. And sometimes, he just wanted to share it with us, something beautiful with those he loved." There was a touch of sadness to her voice now.
"Sounds like Jacobs," Callen agreed.
"Sounds like something you'd do too." Emma turned to him and slipping her arms around his neck. She smiled. "They say a girl looks for a guy like her father."
"I remind you of your father, do I?" Callen wasn't entirely sure that was an accurate comparison.
Emma saw the mischief lurking in his eyes and was tempted to tease him, but for now, she remained serious.
"You both care about more than just you or those really close to you. You put yourselves out there to protect so many people you don't even know. You face horrors no one wants to believe exist, yet you still can find beauty in the world," she said softly. "You actually go and find it, not just think about it." Callen wished she didn't know so well what this life was like, wished she hadn't been touched by the kind of things he had seen. But then, if she hadn't, she wouldn't understand him so well.
"Sometimes you need to, to forget," Callen admitted.
"I know," Emma whispered. Callen caught a glimpse of something on her face that she tried to hide. Something he felt she wasn't ready to talk about. So he took the conversation back a few steps, keeping his tone light and fun.
"You were saying I reminded you of your father. Hopefully not too much."
"Well, you are older," Emma teased him, thankful for the change in direction of the conversation.
Callen pulled her closer. "Not that much."
"Guess you aren't exactly old enough to be my father, unless you started really young." Emma gave a silent giggle.
Callen frowned. "Didn't start that young." Twelve was a little too young.
Emma giggled a bit too loud at the look on his face, earning them a look from an older couple to keep their voices down.
"Sorry, it's her first time. She's a bit excited," Callen explained to them seriously, though whether they believed that or not he wasn't sure, considering the way he was holding her close. They looked the two of them over and then turned away, shaking their heads slightly.
"Bit excited am I?" Emma whispered, the laughter still in her voice.
"Aren't you?" Callen gave her a look that did nothing to hide how un-fatherlike his feelings were for her. His look took her breath away and made her heart race.
"You know with that look, you probably don't need any pick up lines at all," Emma whispered.
Callen moved his head closer and said softly, "I'll keep that in mind," just before he kissed her.
