A/N - Thanks for the reviews and alerts. Really appreciated.

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

Callen vs Hetty

"What can I do for you, Mr. Callen?" asked Hetty.

"Tell me what this is about," Callen said, putting a piece of paper on her desk.

"It's a resignation letter," Hetty replied, after glancing at it briefly.

"Yes. Yours," Callen said, watching Hetty carefully.

"Yes," Hetty replied simply.

"Why?" Callen asked, taking a seat and settling back. He figured this could take a while, so he might as well get comfortable.

"Because I am resigning," Hetty said, looking over her fingertips at him.

"Like hell," said Callen, holding her gaze.

"Excuse me," said Hetty, sitting up a little straighter. It didn't make her much taller, but it certainly gave off the impression that it did.

"No, Hetty. You can't leave, I won't let you," Callen said, shaking his head, smiling at her.

"You have no choice, Mr. Callen," Hetty replied, giving him one of those looks that she gave when she knew she was right and he was wrong. Only this time he didn't back down.

"I always have a choice, Hetty. I choose not to lose you," Callen said, still holding her gaze.

"It's done," Hetty said, being the first to look away. Callen smiled slightly over the small win. It gave him hope.

"No, it's not. The director hasn't accepted it yet," Callen said. Hetty looked back at him quickly, her gaze narrowing on him.

"What have you done, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked in a tone that implied she was getting very impatient with her agent.

"Hetty, who do you think they could get to replace you? Who would put up with Sam and I being late so often? Technically, we both probably should have been fired by now, but you never make it official," Callen said, starting his attack. He would get her to change her mind, and he wasn't leaving this chair until she did.

"You make up the time, eventually," Hetty replied, starting to look through the paperwork on her desk.

"True, but who else is going to let us get away with all the crap we pull in between cases to let off steam?" Callen asked her.

Hetty looked up at him but didn't reply, so he continued.

"Who else is going to let me get away with sleeping on the couch more often than I sleep at my own place?" Callen asked.

"At least I know you are getting some sleep," Hetty replied.

"Who else is going to put up with Eric chewing up the power for his late night gaming sessions on the big screen, or the way he dresses?" Callen asked.

"It will be an improvement if someone can get him to wear decent attire," Hetty replied.

"You know that's not going to happen. Eric would rather quit than have to dress in 'work clothes,' and we can't have Eric quitting, can we? Not now that we've broken him in to the way we work," Callen said.

"Eric won't quit," Hetty replied confidently.

"Maybe, maybe not. What about Kensi? Who else is going to help her cover for the nights she doesn't go home? I can't see anyone else letting her raid the wardrobe on a daily basis. Especially at the moment. Just how many sets of clothes from the wardrobe department does she have at her place? Five? Six?" asked Callen.

"Eight, actually," Hetty replied. Eight? He really should get a move on fixing Kensi. He hadn't realised it was that high. He turned his focus back to Hetty.

"And Sam. I've never known anyone except you, who could come up with a reasonable explanation on why we have gone through seven punching bags in the last week and still manage to have upper management replace them by the next morning, no questions asked. What will Sam do if he doesn't have his punching bag?" Callen asked her.

"Perhaps he will have to find another," Hetty added, looking directly at him, suggesting he might fit the bill.

"Hetty, we need you. Not someone else. You. Without you, we're just a bunch of rebels with no one to pull us into line on the odd time that we need it. You are as much a part of this team as the rest of us," Callen said, hoping to convince her.

"Mr. Callen, my resignation stands. I cannot lose another agent on my watch," Hetty said.

"Fine," Callen said, tossing his letter onto her table. Hetty looked up at him, shocked.

"What is this, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked, almost the same question he had asked her earlier.

"My resignation," Callen replied. This was his last card, the one he had hoped not to have to play.

"I cannot accept this," Hetty replied.

"Why not?" Callen asked, trying not to smile. This was what he wanted.

"You are too talented to lose, Mr. Callen. This agency needs you," Hetty replied. Perfect.

"Right back at ya, Hetty," Callen said. Hetty looked at him, he looked at her and neither of them said a word. He wasn't going to back down on this one. Eventually, Hetty pursued her lips, trying not to smile; he watched as she picked up both resignation letters and put them into the small shredder that was beside her desk.

"Back to work, Mr. Callen," Hetty said after the last piece of paper had disappeared through the blades.

"You too, Hetty," Callen said as he turned and left her office space, a triumphant smile on his face only after he had turned away.

"I saw that, Mr. Callen," Hetty said, which only increased his good mood. Hetty was back.

Now, who next?

A/N - Just how much did Eric push Callen's gaming skills - That's next.