Chapter 7

Marty woke up with the sun streaming through a crack in the curtains, he turned over and grabbed the soft bear that was nearby and smiled sleepily.

"It wasn't a dream G. It's real…it's really real." He sat for a few moments and then it hit him, "its Christmas Eve…Santa promised he'd come tonight.

Marty slipped out of his bed and hastily made it so it was nice and tidy. He had to be good, Santa only came to good boys and girls, Ray had told him that.

He grabbed 'G' and ran to the door. Stopping he looked down at his clothes. He couldn't go out in his pajama's what if he ruined them, he never had nice things.

He looked at the pile of nice clothes, Miss Nell had got, he ran his hands over them gently, and they were great clothes. No one had said he could wear them though. He looked longingly at the surfer T-shirt but then reached for his too short jeans and faded A-team t-shirt. These were his, besides as great as yesterday was there was no guarantee that Callen would be allowed to keep him again. He knew better than to hope for things like that.

He looked at the bear…he supposed the next kid who came to stay with Callen would need it.

He climbed on the top of his bed and hugged the bear.

"You were my bestest friend 'G' even better than Ray…you look after Mr. Callen and Miss Nell. Yesterday was great but they'll get tired of me and I'll have to go today." He said. "I love you G." he whispered and placed him on the pillow of the bed.

He quietly slipped out of the bedroom and padded down the hall into the kitchen, it was still early and he hoped he could find some food without having to get in trouble.

Callen woke up as he heard a noise in the hallway.

"G?" Nell said as she stirred.

"Shh…I think Marty's up." Callen said pulling some pants on and getting up.

Nell rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"Wait a minute G; he's probably going to watch some DVD's." Nell said pulling on a shirt and reaching for a pair of slippers.

"I don't know." Callen's gut was churning this was Deeks' first morning with him.

They both slipped out of the room and walked down the hall, Nell opened the door to Marty's room, the bed was made and little G the bear was tucked up in the bed.

All the new clothes they had bought and the new sneakers were untouched in neat piles, but his old clothes were gone.

Nell looked back at Callen worried then they heard a crash and a small sniffle in the kitchen.

Deeks sat on the floor by the bin holding his hand as blood poured down his arm.

"What are you doing?!" Nell said worried as she saw the blood, Callen ran in and scooped him up and sat him on the counter.

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't know, I forgot to check for broken glass…" Marty sniffed as a tear rolled down he wiped it with his good hand angrily.

"What were you doing in the bin?" Nell asked as she got the first aid kit.

"Nothin'." Marty said looking at the floor.

"Marty?" Nell pushed as Callen washed and bandaged the wound. As soon as he was finished Callen let go of Marty's hand and he shot off the table and ran out of the room.

Callen shot Nell a look, "I'll go." He said, "You make pancakes." He said. He smiled as she nodded and he kissed her cheek. "Won't be long." He said and went back to Marty's room.

Marty had grabbed little G off the bed and was sobbing in the corner. "He won't come now G. I knew it… I made a mistake and He won't come again."

Callen stood the other side of the door listening.

"Why can't I get it right…Daddy Callen was nice, I don't want him to hit me…but he's gonna I got my filthy blood on his floor." He cried.

Callen opened the door and walked in, "Marty?" he started.

Marty curled himself into a ball and threw his arms over his head defensively, "I'm sorry da….Mr. Callen Sir, I didn't mean too!" he sobbed.

He yelped as Callen scooped him up and carried him to his room.

He put Marty down on the bed and Marty nodded slowly and stood up, he lowered his pants and lent over the bed biting his lip.

"Marty?" Callen stood the boy up and pulled and fastened his pants back up.

"Ya aint gonna belt me?" Marty asked confused.

Callen shook his head "Never, I just want to know what you were doing playing with the glass."

Marty looked at him confused, "Playing?" he shook his head, "I wasn't playing…" he looked ashamed. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to I was stealing sir, I didn't mean to…I…I was just hungry…I wanted to eat be…before you…" he sobbed silently looking away from Callen.

"Before I?" Callen prompted he needed to know what was going on in the boy's mind.

"Before you threw me away."

"Threw. You. Away?" Callen said slowly turning Marty around to face him, "Why would I throw you away?"

"Coz I'm a brat, you have Miss Nell, you don't need me, I'm a little Ass.."

"Enough." Callen said sharply and Marty jumped. "enough." He said softer. He pulled the boy into a hug.

"You are a wonderful, special little boy, I love looking after you and if you want you can stay here for as long as you need."

Marty looked at him, hit blue eyes wide with wonder. "Forever?" he breathed, "Would you be my daddy forever?"

"I will be your daddy for as long as you need me to be," Callen promised.

Marty threw himself into Callen's arms, "I love you daddy Callen." He said.

Callen's smile was bigger than it had been when Marty had said it the night before in his sleep. This time he was awake. His smile faltered as he realized that eventually this would end. It had to right? But one thing Callen had learned over the years, when you had a happy moment, hold on to it for as long as you can. They never lasted forever.

"Hey Shaggy, shall we get you changed into some of your new clothes, Nell's making us pancakes."

Marty grinned, "Yay…" he took two steps and stopped, "Daddy? You called me shaggy, like Scooby Doo?"

Callen smirked, "You don't like it?" he asked.

Marty broke into a huge grin, "I love it." He grabbed Callen's hand and pulled him to the bedroom to get changed.

Nell was cooking the pancakes as Sam came in with Monty.

"I wondered where he was." Nell said as Monty came sniffing into the kitchen.

"I took him back home last night; Marty looked a little too overwhelmed to meet the dog too." Sam said.

"You want pancakes?" Nell asked.

Sam grinned, "Yeah Michelle's got me on Granola bars for breakfast."

Nell took an extra plate out and laid him a place.

"Pancakes!" she called.

There was a commotion as the bedroom door opened, "Come on Daddy! Pancakes!" Marty's voice called from down the hall.

Daddy? Sam mouthed to Nell who shrugged.

"Shaggy…wait your socks!" Callen called

"ARRGGHH!" Marty screamed as he was bowled over by Monty. "DADDY!" Sam and Nell watched as Callen ran out of the room and grabbed Marty and lifted him out of Monty's reach.

"Shh….It's ok Marty, it's just a dog, and it's Monty. He's friendly look." He said as Marty slowly lifted his head, Callen moved him around to his hip and moved to the sofa. Marty clung to Callen tighter.

"Trust me?" Callen asked.

Marty nodded.

"Monty." Callen said and the dog padded up. Callen reached down and stroked him behind the ear.

"Will he eat me; my nasty daddy said that dogs ate little boys?"

"No, you know why?" Callen said stroking Marty reassuringly on the head.

"No…why?" Marty asked slowly putting a hand out and laughing as Monty licked him and his tail wagged.

"Because he's your dog." Callen said.

Marty stopped and turned to Callen his face split into a huge grin, "My dog? My very own DOG?"

Callen nodded, Marty wrapped his arms around the dog and laughed, "You're my dog, I love you Monty."

Monty wagged his tail in agreement.

"Look Miss Nell, Mr. Sam…Daddy got me a dog!" he said excitedly.

Sam looked at Callen pointedly, "Daddy did, did he?"

Callen stood between the kid he'd just promised to protect for as long as he needed him and his partner, "Yeah Sam, Daddy did."

Sam nodded in the direction of the backyard.

"Hey, Shaggy, you and Monty go to the table to eat some of Nell's pancakes, I'll be there in a minute."

"Ok Daddy." Marty said and they ran into the kitchen.

Sam paced on the back porch as Callen joined him.

"What the Hell G?!" Sam snapped.

"What?" Callen asked.

"Daddy? Deeks is a member of the team, you can't do this."

"Deeks is a grown man; Marty is a ten year old boy who needs a dad,"

"And when he grows up?" Sam asked,

"I promised him I'll be his daddy for as long as he needs one, and right now he needs one, he needs protecting." Callen countered.

Sam looked at him sadly, "I know you are G, but who's looking out for you, If…when Deeks gets better, he's going to be a cop again, not your son. If you let him in, he's going to feel like family, how are you going to cope when you lose him again."

"I won't lose him; he'll be back on the team as Deeks." Callen said.

"That's not what I mean G, when he's grown you won't have the little boy, the one in there that runs around calling you daddy."

"I'm his team leader Sam; it's my job to protect him." Callen said and walked back into the house.

"Yeah, but whose going to protect you?" Sam said to himself.