Chapter 2
Thank you so much for reading, reviewing ( and so forth ) my new story. I will continue this but after this chapter the updates won´t be so regularly...I have to go to school again and I have so many pretty important class tests coming up the following weeks, but I plan on posting the third chapter before the stress begins. Maybe I will be able to finish it tomorrow, but I don´t want to promise anything.
note concerning chapter 1: I know that it was mentioned in one episode that Sam has two kids, but in my story "Christmas, oh what a lovely Christmas" I have already set up the characters Clara, who is the daughter and only child of Sam and Michelle,and Sam´s mother Sheila. Both of those characters will play a role in this chapter. You don´t have to read the Christmas story, it is just that one of my reviewers wished for a moment where Sam and Callen take Clara somewhere to see snow. I am thankful for the idea, because this is a nice plot for one of the chapters of this story. So I would like to thank my Guest reviewer at this point.
Chapter summary: Callen takes Sam´s family to Switzerland for the Christmas holidays.
A Christmas miracle
After the Christmas Callen spend with the Hanna´s,he wanted to give them something back in return. He remembers Clara, Sam´s duaghter, being so excited and fascinated with his stories...where he told her about his first time seing snow. She knew about snow from movies and from pictures, but it must be so exciting for a kid to imagine what one can do with it... you can build snowmen and have snowball fights.
I wish I could take her somewhere to see snow... it is something everyone should have experiencet at least once in their live.
It is a hot night in August in California and Callen cannot sleep, as usual... he sits in the living room, on his armchair, sipping a tee and he thinks about a way to celebrate Christmas with his best friend´s family this year. When Callen remembers Clara´s huge eyes and how mesmerized she was with his story, something hits him.
That´s it! I´ve got an idea...
With that thought, G walks around the house, in the middle of the night, in search for some of his old things... notes with addresses and telephone numbers of old friends from other agencies, from old contacts... It has to be somewhere... Shawn Connor´s number has to be somewhere...
Nothing could stop G Callen now from his plans.
Operation Chritmas miracle is set in motion: Callen will do anything to let Clara see snow this year.
The next day Callen arrives late for work. An hour too late.
Kensi and Deeks sit at their desks, fill in some reports and look up at Callen as he walks into the office, but Sam is nowhere to be seen.
"You´re late...what happened? You are lucky that Hetty is in D.C. for a meeting with Director Vance.." without answering Kensi, Callen asks: "Where is Sam? I think I might owe him an apology..."
"Well, he is in the gym... What is going on?" Kensi then looks at her partner Deeks, when Callen just disappears, on his way to find Sam.
Deeks only shrugs his shoulders. "Someone didn´t get his coffee this morning." referring to Callen´s entrance just a minute ago.
In the gym
Sam is just finishing his daily workout. With a towel over his shoulder, he starts to speak, without even looking at Callen. "You were supposed to meet me for a run this morning...you don´t call, and you´re even late for work. I had to take a cab to work, because my the Challenger isn´t back yet from the garage. It was your turn to give me a ride. You have some serious explaining to do..."
Callen feels sorry for his partner and he does not know where to begin with his apology...besides, the reason he forgot about the plans for the morning was including his partner´s daughter.
"I know, this is not an apology, but I had to do something really important this morning... something I can´t tell you just yet..." Callen does not want Sam to know about his plans, because he still has to make some calls to determine whether everything will work out just fine or if he has to cancel the plan of taking the Hanna´s to Switzerland.
Sam snorts. "So now you go all secretive on me again...Something important huh? What could that have been? Sleeping in? You don´t sleep, G, you also don´t have a family at home to care for like me, you don´t read newspapers... my own partner still keeps secrets from me... but I WILL figure it out..."
Sam then is interrupted by Eric who comes runnning into the gym... "Guys, we have a case...you better hurry."
Callen knows that Sam will not let it go...His partner gives him one of those looks We are not done yet
At the end of the day Sam refuses to let Callen take him home, and the next day he will have his Challenger back. They still have not talked about what happened in the morning.
Back at home, Callen kind of regrets not telling Sam about his plans, but hey, it is a Christmas gift for his friend as well, not only for Clara, but for the entire Hanna family.
G was able to find his former FBI parnter´s phone number that morning. He worked with Shawn Connor together for the FBI some years ago and he was the person Callen trusted most at that agency. They kept in contact, but after Callen´s shooting and recuperation...the time when he moved from hotel to hotel again and then into this house, his former foster family´s house, Callen forgot about calling Connor.
Now, several months later, G remembered that his former partner lives in Switzerland with his family fact, Shawn Connor owns a Ski-resort there. That was always his dream, to quit the FBI and settle down with his wife and his two kids somewhere peaceful, far away from his old life.
This was an opportunity Callen took to talk to Connor again and ask him for a favour he still owed G.
His old friend was happy to hear from Callen again and he promise to call him back when he knows if he can spare a vacation home in December. That is the time where many tourists are coming to spend the Christmas holidays there and almost everything is rented already.
It is already 2am when Callen is startled by his ringing phone. He fell asleep, waiting for the call. Connor laughs when his friend answers groggily and then apologizes for calling so "late" ( in Switzerland it is already late morning). He has good news for Callen. There is a spare vacation home for Christmas. Now Callen just has to book the flights and then everything willl be set and he can finally tell Sam about it.
Well, Hetty has to be convinced to let him and Sam go on vacation, but Callen knows that the Operations Manager will let them go, because both of them have unused holidays.
She might be really small, but pssshhh, she has a big heart.
She also always says something like: "When was the last time you took a day off, that was not caused by a bullet..."
Some days later Hetty comes back from her trip to D.C. and when Callen steps into her off in the evening, she already knows that her Senior Agent is up to something.
"What is it Mr Callen?"
In a long conversation, Callen explains everything to her and in the end she allows him to go through with his plan.
"Under one condition...you have to get me some tea. There was this time when I was a yound undercover agent, when I was in Switzerland, and there was this small store, where a mother of six children sold a very special tea..." -Callen interrupts her... "I get it Hetty...tea."
Both of them smile when he walks off to join his partner who agreed to go out for drinks.
In the bar Callen apologizes for his secretive behaviour and everything... and tells Sam the truth... the truth about what he has planned.
"You, Michelle, Clara, Sheila and me...we are going to go to Switzerland for Christmas!"
At first the ex Navy Seal is shocked, but then he is moved by his friends words...by what he planned for them. It will be a surprise for Clara and he is glad, that his daughter has a person, an "uncle" like G Callen in her life, who would do anything for her, like he, as her father, would.
"Ihave already booked the flights...you can tell Michelle and your mom, but it is supposed to be a surprise for Clara."
Soon it is December already and Christmas is approaching. One week before the trip to Switzerland, Sam and Michelle tell their daughter about Callen´s "present" for them.
Clara´s eyes widen and she starts to jump and dance around the house in glee. Both parents smile at that, because they have not seen their daughter this happy in months...her best friend moved away, because her father got a new job in New York. Clara has been sad ever since,
They then go out to buy new, warm clothes and shoes for the trip.
23rd of December, Los Angeles, 5am
Callen is waiting at the airport for the three Hannas. Their flight will leave in 2 hours. It will be Clara´s first flight.
From far away he can see them finally coming and then suddenly something small jumps into his arms and small arms wrap themselves aroung his neck. "Uncle Callen, uncle Callen! I am so excited!" -that is definitely Clara.
Callen laughs and hugs her. "So, have you packed warm clothes? It will be really cold there in Switzerland." Sam´s daughter answers: "Of course...grandma bought some nice new things for me." -she pulls a thick, pink winter jacket out of her bag.
Sheila, Michelle and Sam greet Callen as well, when they reach him and together they check in and eat something and then wait for the boarding.
Clara cannot sit still, because she is just too excited and also a little bit scared. Her uncle Callen had explained everything about planes to her, but she is still wondering how a huge plane could fly high up in the air.
Many hours later, the four are finally at their vacation house in Switzerland. The flight was long, but good. Clara enjoyed it as much as Callen expected. She was grinning all the time and looking out of the window, until she fell asleep.
There, Shawn Connor welcomes Callen with a hug, it was good to finally see him again, and he introduces himself and his wife to the others. The kids are already in bed, sleeping, because it is late. Clara is sleeping as well, she fell asleep in the cab again, on the way to the resort. Sam has to carry her when they step into the small but cozy house. Mrs Connor shows them around and when Michelle tucked her daughter in, the grown ups sit down in the living room, to get to know each other and Shawn and Callen tell stories about their time at the FBI.
All the reminiscing is good...Callen and the others are finally in Switzerland and their vacation can begin.
Sam and Michelle have a bedroom to themselves and Sheila, Clara and Callen have another one.
Everyone falls asleep soon after the long journey.
The next day, Callen is up first and he quickly takes a shower and prepares breakfast. When he looks out of the window it is snowing. It is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen... the environment is so beautiful...the trees wear a white dress of snow and everything else is covered in white as well... everything looks so fresh and pure.
Sheila comes down next, she hugs Callen and thanks him for all he did for the family.
"I am still wondering why you haven´t found the right girl, my dear, you are such a wonderful person." Sheila is like a mother to Callen as well and she kisses his forehead.
Clara comes running down the stairs, followed by her parents and she squeals when she sees the white stuff, that is snow, outside. The girl presses her face to the window and is in an awe.
Callen and the others have a hard time, keeping the girl from running outside...she is just too excited and finally they gave in and go let the breakfast be breakfast for the time being.
They put on layers of clothes and go outside...Callen takes Clara´s hand and slowly and carefully leads the girl into an entire new world. Michelle takes pictures and everyone is laughing when Clara plays in the snow. She is overly excited and happy.
She cannot describe the feeling of her first step on the snow-covered ground. It is just amazing. Her friends will not belive her.
Sheila can convince her daughter to eat breakfast and after that they go to the other end of the Ski-resort, where the Connor´s house is... other people, tourists are everywhere. Children playing in the snow...having snowball fights and you can see others skiing on snowy hills not far away.
The sun is shining as well, even though it is really cold, and everything looks so magical.
This is a Christmas miracle for Clara indeed. A Christmas she will never forget.
Callen and the Hanna´s are supposed to spend Christmas Eve with the Connors and Clara meets Tom and Sarah, Shawn and his wife Susan´s kids as well. At first she is very shy but the other two kids take her with them to play and new friendships are forming. Sam and Michelle go skiing as well, both have experiences with it and Sheila and Callen build a snowman with Clara. They have so much fun together and in the evening, after a nice Christmas meal they just sit together and talk and laugh. Clara is sitting on G´s lap and soon falls asleep. She is really exhausted from all the adventures in the snow.
25th of December- Christmas morning
In the morning Clara is the one waking up G Callen. He finally slept throughout the night...but now something, or rather someone, is sitting on his bed and hovering over his face.
"Merry Christmas uncle Callen!"
She drags him out of the bed and into the living room, where the others already sit to eat breakfast... The Christmas tree is huge and beautifully decorated, with presents under it.
Callen is greeted with a yell of "Merry Christmas" and a cup of coffee, that his best friend holds out for him.
Callen smiles, even though he is still really tired, but wishes the others a merry Christmas as well.
Usually the first thing Clara does on Christmas, is to open the presents, but this time she steps in front of her favourite "uncle" again and opens her arms, a sign for Callen to crouch down, and more or less tackles him in a bear hug. " This is the best Christmas and the best Christmas present I could have wished for. I love you. " Clara closes her eyes and buries her head in Callen´s chest, who smiles brightly and hugs her even tighter.
Both stay on the ground like that for several minutes and Sheila, Michelle and even Sam have teared up a little.
Callen had done the impossible, he had made their little girl smile again.
Truth be told, they have never seen Clara happier before.
This time it is Sam who takes a picture of the scene before them with his phone. It is a moment, he always wants to remeber.
He was at a loss already, thinking that his little angel would never be as happy again as she was before her best friend moved away. Kids should not go through something like that and neither Michelle nor him knew how to help her.
They just figured that it would take some time for her to get over it... But now Clara was really happy again. Since the morning where she stepped into the snow, she is smiling and laughing constantly.
And now she looks very content. This is a Christmas miracle.
Sam Hanna is immensly greatful for his partner and best friend, G, a man so broken himself, who did all of this to make a little girl´s wish come true.
Sheila and Michelle hug Callen as well and thank him for for everything.
"I am so glad that Sam has you as his partner, and that Clara can grow up with you as her uncle. I don´t know what to say...I can´t thank you enough for this. The last few months have been so hard on her and seeing her like this now is a wonder." Michelle steps back.
Sam puts a hand on his partner´s shoulder and looks him deep in the eyes.
No words are needed between them. They know what the other one feels at the moment.
Sam just pulls G close and gives him a heartwarming hug.
There is no greater gift than friendship.
THE END
Thanks for reading.
I hope you liked it.
And again, please let me know what you think. :)
Notes: In answer to one of the reviews. No, this wasn´t prompted by the next week episodes preview. I never watch those previes.
But I got curious now, so I googled the next week episodes preview and I watched a video of it... damn, I shouldn´t have done that...Now I really want to watch it and see what happens...it seems to be a really emotional episode...but I live in Germany, so I won´t be able to wacth the episode... :(
