Here we are, chapter six. For disclaimer see chapter 1.

She was curled up, under the covers, but she wasn't resting. Callen could see her shaking. Then as he started to go over and try and wake her, she screamed and sat bolt upright. Callen realised that she was still in her nightmare, so he called out to her softly, not wanting to startle her. "Nell?" he stepped closer to her. "Nell, it's Callen." He was in her line of sight now, at the foot of the bed.

She looked at him, a glazed expression in front of her eyes and Callen realised that she was in shock. She hadn't had time to deal with it on the plane and then in the aftermath, they had met Mimi and everything got pushed to the back of his mind.

"Callen?" She asked dazed. She looked at him and her eyes cleared for a moment, then the gates opened and she started crying in great racking sobs while trying to get air into her lungs. Callen was beside her instantly and wrapped his arms around her. She clung to his shirt, tears wetting the fabric. After a few minutes, she was asleep. When Callen tried to remove her hands from it, he found that despite the fact she was asleep, her grip remained. So instead, he shifted them slightly and lay down on the bed, with her on his chest. He closed his eyes, intending to simply rest them, so that if Nell woke up he would notice. He was asleep before he realised it.

A light knock at the door to Nell's room woke him. He opened his eyes and looked toward the door. After a moment a second knock sounded followed by a soft voice. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour Nell if you want something." He heard footsteps moving away and noticed that they didn't head toward his room.

Mimi must have knocked on my door first. He thought. He looked down at the small woman on his chest then at his watch. They had managed to sleep for a couple of hours. He shook Nell's shoulder as he sat up, calling her name softly. "Hey Nell, you awake?" Nell made a small noise as she woke, causing a smile to come to Callen's lips.

"Mmmm, uh what?" she was a little confused as to why she was on Callen's chest, then she realised that she was in her own bed. "What happened?" she asked as she sat up. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on her bed.

"You were having a nightmare when I came out of the shower. You screamed and sat up." Callen rubbed her back, noticing that she hadn't moved away from him.

"I'm sorry." Nell remembered what happened. She had been dreaming about the plane dropping out of the sky, only it didn't stop until it hit the water, which was when she had woken.

"It's ok Nell, we're safe now." Callen said, rubbing her back.

Nell realised that she had spoken out loud and buried her face in her hands, trying to stop the tears. "How do you do it?" she asked as she rubbed her hands over her face and brushing her hair back. "How are you ok with what happened? Why, how come you…?" she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Why haven't I cracked?" At Nell's nod, he continued "Because we're alive and we didn't get hurt, so I put it away in a part of my mind that contains other close shaves that my friends and I have gotten out of over the years. Ones that we've walked away from. If you had been hurt, I never would forgive myself, Nell." At some point, his hands had left her back and hands and travelled to her face. He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her hazel doe like eyes. "Because we made it. And if I crack, then surviving means nothing because the bad guys will have won." He sat back and released her face. "or in this case, the plane and bad turbulence." He dipped his head to one side, wondering if that could even work. The break in the seriousness of his tone had the desired effect, Nell smiled.

"Now, what do you say to some dinner with good friends? I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the family." He clapped his hands together and got off the bed then turned back and helped Nell up. After washing her face, she met him outside her door.

"Thank you Callen." Nell said. Thinking about what he had told her, she realised that he was right, they had survived. Then she thought about the ones that had been badly hurt "What about the other passengers?" she looked up at him as they headed down the stairs.

"They're all going to be ok, even the ones that had to be taken out on stretchers." A male voice called from the bottom of the stairs. "The elderly couple need to stay in hospital for a while, but they are expected to make a full recovery." The voice continued as Nell and Callen got closer. "it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Callen, I'm Jason." He held out his hand for Callen to shake.

Callen took it, "Same here." He motioned to Nell, whom he had placed an arm around her hips. "This is Nell Jones."

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Jones." He bent low and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, French style.

Nell giggled as his moustache tickled the back of her hand. "Thank you. Mimi mentioned that you were getting back from Paris tonight" she said, in French.

Both Callen and Jason were a little taken aback but Mimi's husband recovered fast "I see you speak the language." He replied in kind.

"My Mom got into it in high school and her passion for it infected me, I guess." She shrugged. She looked at the man that Mimi had made her life with. He looked to be a lot older then her, closer to his sixties. His hair had gone silver, not white. It made him look sophisticated. His eyes were a bright green, like emeralds and he walked with grace, the cane at his side more for looks than for use.

Callen knew that Jason was older than Mimi, but she had never told him just how much older. He was at least twenty years her senior. He walked free of any limps that usually came with age, but then, the man didn't do what he did for a living. He was well dressed in a white three piece suite with a green tie that matched his eyes. Mimi said that he had walked into the shop shortly after opening and asked for a job. She said no but after three weeks of him coming in every day at the same time and asking the same thing, she said yes. Within two years they were partners, and three years after that, they were married.

Jason led them to the dining room. Mimi had sent him to check on them, when after half an hour, they hadn't showed up. He came across them on the stair case just as the small red haired woman asked Callen about the other passengers. He had been watching the news all afternoon and had heard about the missing plane from his own pilots as he flew back from Paris. After being introduced to Nell, he was surprised that she knew French, and judging by the fact that Callen hadn't asked them to repeat anything, meant that he knew too.

Mimi had told him a little about the two of them from the letters that Callen sent. His wife had texted ahead and asked Sophia to disable the shower in the other guest room. He had a feeling that she was trying to play matchmaker. And he was going to be part of the plan. He saw that there was at least twenty years between Nell and Callen, just as there was between himself and Mimi. He guessed that this was going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

Nell and Callen followed Jason into the dining room, a very large room. It had French style doors along two walls that opened to the garden that they could see in the fading light. Callen guessed that this room was used as a function space when it wasn't dressed as a dining room. He felt Nell stop and his hand slid from her hip before he could pull up.

Nell didn't think she could get any more surprised until she walked into the dining area. A large heavy looking table filled the centre that was set for six. The chairs were high backed and had pale blue upholstery. The blue continued into the carpet and along the walls. "Someone likes blue." She said. The two other people in the room looked up from their conversation at the table. They looked about her age. But before they could say anything, a door to the side opened.

"Ah, there you are, I was starting to get worried. Everything all right?" Mimi came in carrying a tray of vegetables. She saw the lines under Nell's eyes and the flush in her cheeks. She looked toward Callen who nodded and placed his arm back around Nell's waist. "Right, well then introductions. Nell, Callen, this is our daughter Sophia and twin brother Steven. Kids, This is Nell Jones and …" Mimi paused for a moment, for dramatic effect, "G. Callen."

"Stone the crows!" Steven cried. "I thought Mum was having a go at us when she said that you were coming. Then Sophia said that you were here and I figured she had been pulled into the con." He walked over and shook Callen's hand, his grip put Sam's to shame. He released Callen's hand, who opened and closed it a couple of time to make sure that it still worked. "Great to meet you mate." He turned to Nell and lightly kissed the back of hers, just as his father had done moments earlier. "Mademoiselle. I have heard so much about you. We all have."

"Steve, don't embarrass them." Sophia groaned out and pulled out a chair and sat down.

The other adults laughed and Mimi showed them to their seats. Callen ended up with Nell on one side of him and Mimi on the other. The rest of the family sat on the other side. The table held a roast that smelled amazing along with plates of vegetables and sauces.

"I didn't know if you ate meat or not, that's why there are so many vegies out." Mimi said as Jason cut the roast.

"That's fine. I don't mind a bit of meat. What we had on the plane was ok, but this smells way better." Nell fell silent as they all remembered how close they had come to not being here at all. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean …" she trailed off as Mimi's hand reached over and covered hers.

"Hey, if we can't talk or joke about it, especially with what I don't know you do for a living, then we don't deserve to live." She said. She held the younger woman's hand a moment longer then sat back and passed a plate of meat to Callen, who passed it onto Nell.

Once everyone had a plate and filled it with whatever they wanted, Jason asked "Either of you say grace at the table?" When they both shook their heads he continued "Ok, dig in." and with that, the family pick up their cutlery and started to eat. After a moment's pause, Callen and Nell copied them.

Nell noticed Callen was using his right hand as little as possible and asked if he was ok.

"Uh, yeah, just wasn't expecting a superman grip." He looked up at Steve, who was hit by his twin.

"Steve, really? You know that the only people who can take that are your kind." She turned back to Callen, "I'm sorry, he was testing you."

"Superman grip?" Nell looked between the two.

"Yeah, his put's Sam's to shame." Callen saw the look on Nell's face and nodded "Yep." Nell looked back to Steve. He was smaller than Sam both in height and weight but she could see the muscles under the shirt he wore. They looked like Sam's, but again smaller.

"How?"

"I doubt that Sam has to rope a runaway bullock every hour or hold down a calf that doesn't want to get branded." Steve answered, he saw the look of confusion on their faces so he continued "I work on a cattle station a couple of hours from here. Trust me, no city slicker will ever have the muscles of a bushie, no matter how many weights they lift." Still seeing the doubt there, he said "Tell you what, when the races are finished, I'll take you out there for a couple of days. I'm sure that my foreman won't mind."

"That is a great idea. You'll enjoy it." Mimi said, looking at her guests.

The rest of the meal was conducted in silence until Jason stood to clear the table. Callen and Nell stood with him and started to pull plates toward themselves. "Oh no you don't." He placed his hand on one that Nell had grabbed, "You follow Mimi into the living room. You are Mimi's guests. Go, sit, talk. I'll bring in something in a minute. Tea?"

"That would be good. Thanks darling." Mimi stood and showed Callen and Nell the way to another room off to the side. It was smaller than any room they had been in so far. They took chairs that surrounded a fire place that had been started. It had started to get a little cold after the sun had gone down. "Now, what do you want to know Nell?"

"Um?" Nell wasn't sure what she meant.

"You looked like you wanted ask questions all through dinner. Pick one question and I'll answer it."

"Just one?" She had a million but she was hoping to get a few more than one answered.

"You look about done in. You haven't slept much in the last 24 hours." Callen said from where he sat beside her on the couch. He had his arm around her shoulder again. He couldn't help it.

"Oh, right." Now that she thought about it, she was tired. "Um, well I guess it would be how you got the scar."

"Right back to the beginning hey?" as Nell nodded and leaned against Callen, Mimi settled in her chair.

"It was in March 2006. I was near Innisfail visiting a friend. We were on cyclone watch as Cyclone Larry was heading our way. The rains and winds closed the roads before we could evacuate so we hunkered down in the house. It hit the coast early on Monday morning the 20th. We all in the bathroom until the eye passed over us. Now, we knew that we weren't supposed to go out, but her kids were getting restless. We went out for about ten minutes until the winds started to pick up again. As we were heading back in, my friend spotted a piece of debris the wind had picked up. It was heading straight for her son, who had wandered across the street. I raced toward him and managed to reach him just as the board hit us. It caught me across the face as I ducked." Her hands mimed the place the board had hit her.

"You said that you ran into yourself earlier." Callen mentioned. She had told him the story in one of her monthly letters, and included a photo, of all things, but she never mentioned that.

"I managed the get a look at what was written on it be for it hit me. It said 'Mimi's trash and treasure'. There was more trash than treasure after Larry though." She finished her tea and looked at her guests. Callen had a look that said "Fair enough." Nell, even though she was almost nodding off, looked a little shocked.

"You went outside during a … cyclone?" She paused at the word.

Mimi noticed and explained a little. "They're a bit like a hurricane, but smaller in size, not force." She stood and started to collect the cups. "We have a big day planed tomorrow, what with finding dresses and whatnot. Now I won't be here when you wake up. I'll be at the shop at about 6 to put the new dresses up in the window. Sophia will bring you to the shop when you're ready." She watched as they got to their feet, Nell leaning on Callen. "Have a good night you two. I still can't believe that you're finally here, GeGe." She hugged him before turning to Nell. "And that I get to meet you, Nell." She patted her shoulder "Sleep tight." Picking up the cups, she headed back toward the kitchen.

"Come on Nell, bed." Callen put one arm under Nell's and guided her up the stairs. They somehow managed to make it to the top without falling over. The long flight, the drama on board, excitement at meeting Mimi was crashing on them. Callen opened Nell's door and let her in. He watched a moment as she stumbled to the bed, falling onto it. He watched a moment longer, relaxing as he noticed her breathing even out in sleep. He closed the door and went to his room.

So here we are. Many of you were requesting a longer chapter, so here it is. Hope you enjoyed it. Cyclone Larry was real and did major damage in 06 to North Queensland. Don't know if there is a shop called Mimi's trash and treasure. I made it up for my story. Sorry if it feels a little choppy.