Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or the characters. I'm just borrowing them. I make no money from this.

Author's Note: So who saw the 100th episode last night? I did and, while I'm not going to mention any spoilers here, let's just say that I was expecting something like that. Guess we'll just have to keep wondering right along with Callen until more of his past is revealed. But I'll say this, Shane Brennan and the rest of the cast and crew definitely know how to keep you coming back for more by only revealing bits and pieces at a time.


As he started to head out with Sam, Callen glanced at Granger, not for the first time wondering just why he was insisting on riding along with Kensi. He shook his head, doubting he'd ever really understand the Assistant Director or the reasons he did anything he did. Still, at least he wasn't the one stuck with the other man, they'd probably end up killing each other if that were to happen.

Later, once the bad guys were caught and the gold recovered, he pushed all thoughts of Granger away. Whatever the older man's game was, he couldn't be bothered at that moment. Instead he went home to enjoy some time with his daughter. He smiled and shook his head as he spotted her struggling to reach the top shelf of the cupboard in the kitchen. "Need a hand?" he asked the vertically challenged girl.

She jumped, startled at the sound of his voice. "Gah!" she shrieked slightly as she toppled from her precarious position on the step-stool.

His eyes widened and he lunged forward to catch her, grunting as her momentum knocked the both of them to the ground. "You okay?" he asked the girl lying on top of him, his eyes quickly scanning her for injury.

"I'm fine," she said quickly before an annoyed look came over her face and she smacked his shoulder.

"Hey!" He glared up at her, though the slap didn't hurt. "What was that for?"

"Don't scare me like that!" Callie climbed to her feet and folded her arms over her chest.

Callen shook his head as he also climbed to his feet. "Believe me, I would have kept quiet if I knew you were going to react that way. You must have jumped a foot in the air with that maneuver. What were you looking for anyway?" He glanced into the cupboard then looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

She shifted guiltily. "Okay, so I was trying to reach your candy stash. But not for me!" she hastily added. "I was going to surprise you."

"Surprise me?"

Callie fidgeted. "I was going to make cookies, alright? But we didn't have any chocolate chips so I thought I'd use your snack size Hershey bars."

"You know how to bake? Wait, I have baking tins?" He didn't know which surprised him more.

"I think Hetty might have put them there," she said, a bit unsure before shrugging. "And I would bake cookies with Mom sometimes. I remember how to make them."

"Okay, but why?" He didn't understand where the sudden desire to bake had come from.

She fidgeted further, clearly reluctant to answer. "I thought you would like them?" At his look she sighed. "Okay, I was hoping to butter you up," she admitted.

Callen raised his eyebrow again. "What happened?"

Her head shot up and she stared at him. "What?" Her eyes widened as his meaning sunk in. "Nothing! I wanted to ask you for something not get out of trouble." A petulant look came across her face as she once more folded her arms over her chest and turned slightly away from him.

He blinked. What could she want to ask him that she thought she'd need to bribe him for? Hadn't she realized yet that he was unable to deny her anything? Actually, it was probably better if she never realized that. He shook the thought away. "So what did you want to ask me?"

She gnawed on her lip. "Never mind," she said, turning to walk away.

Callen placed his hand on her arm, stopping her. "Come on, ask. It was obviously important if you were going to go to all of this trouble."

Callie sighed. "There's a carnival that's going to be at my school this weekend. I was kind of hoping you'd want to go?"

He blinked again. All of this because she wanted to attend the circus? He smiled at her. "I'd love to."

She smiled up at him. "You think Sam and the rest of your team would want to come too?"

"I can ask them," he said, wondering why she wanted them along. He would have thought she'd prefer it to be just the two of them.

Callie noticed his look of curiosity. "It's just, the other kids-" She shook her head, unable to find the words.

Callen frowned at the mention of other kids. She never really talked about her classmates he realized. She'd tell him about her day, her classes and her teachers but she never mentioned any friends or people she spoke with at school. "Are you having problems at school?"

"Not really," she said but he could hear something in her voice that told him she wasn't being completely honest.

"Callie-"

She sighed. "It's not really anything big, it's just they know that Mom is gone and I think they've realized that you're really busy. So I've heard some of them talking about how I have no family. And I just want to prove that I do?" Her voice had a questioning tone to it.

It was Callen's turn to sigh as he pulled her into a hug. He remembered how cruel kids could be, especially to those they considered different from what they viewed as normal. He'd never wanted her to feel this way. "Of course you do, and I'm sure your family would be happy to come spend time with you this weekend," he told her. He smirked suddenly. "Just, if there's going to be any clowns there, don't tell Sam."

Callie frowned up at him. "Huh?"

He laughed and shook his head as he waved her off. A stray thought hit him. He hadn't exactly lied to Sam when he said he'd buy an island if he had $70 million. He would, it just wouldn't be as deserted as he'd led him to believe. After all, he'd definitely bring Callie with him and he'd end up missing the rest of their little family if they weren't nearby. "Forget it, all you need to know is that your family will definitely be there." Even if he had to bribe and/or threaten them. He wasn't going to disappoint her. Not for all of the gold in the world.