Chapter 7

Authors note: Thank you to everyone who is following and liked this story. If you have any suggestions for things you would like to see in the story drop me a note and I'll see if I can fit it in.

Callen walked into his house and headed for the bedroom. Looking around he realized it was time to add some furniture. A bed would be a good start, he didn't think A.J. would want to sleep or have sex on the floor. He chuckled and looked around the room again. A dresser would be good too, some place she could leave her stuff. Callen went into the living room and put the gift he had gotten A.J. on the mantel. A couch would be good too. Looks like a trip to the store was in order, Callen would take A.J. with him; she could be in charge of picking the stuff out.

A.J. was lying on her bed looking up at the ceiling fan. She picked up her phone and sent Callen a text. *Hey how was your night?*

*Good, did you girls have fun?*

*Yep, Nell dragged us into Victoria Secrets.* A.J. could picture the look Callen now had on his face. She wouldn't be surprised if he drove over here now.

*You're trying to kill me aren't you?*

*No just giving you something to look forward to.*

*UGH! You're evil woman!*

*Yes but you still love me. :) *

*Yes I do. *

Callen stared at his phone. Did he stay home and stare at the wall all night or drive across town to his girlfriend's place. And did he just admit to being in love with her in a text. Sam was right he was totally whipped. His phone binged letting him know he had a text.

*Get your butt over here and I'll show you one of your suprises.*

Callen didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed a change of clothing for tomorrow and headed out the door. Half hour later he was letting himself in A.J.'s front door. He wasn't surprised when A.J. had giving him a key that morning. Dropping his go bag next to the couch and his keys on the coffee table with enough noise to let her know it was him and not an intruder.

"Ally." Called out Callen walking into the bedroom and stopping dead at the sight before him. She was sitting on the bed wearing some very small scraps of red lace. Callen swallowed hard. "Wow!"

"You can thank Nell tomorrow, she picked it out." Callen pulled his tee shirt over his head.

"I'm gonna buy that girl a dozen roses on the way to work." A.J. laughed at him as he struggled to get out of his jeans.

"Babe slow down before you hurt yourself."

Callen finally got his pants off and leaned down to kiss A.J. Breaking the kiss A.J. stood up.

"I need to give you an early Christmas gift."

"Ok." Said Callen a bit confused. "I thought his was my early gift."

A.J rolled her eyes, Callen may be very smart but he was still a typical man. "I got it tonight and it's kind of hard to hide." A.J. pushed her hair back behind her shoulder revealing the new tattoo that was placed over her left breast. She held her breath waiting on Callen to say something.

Slowly he ran a finger over the fresh ink, noting the skin around it was still red. He lifted his eye to hers and kissed her. "Best Christmas gift ever." Murmured Callen against her lips. Callen then leaned over to place a kiss over the new tat. Callen ran his finger over the image once more tracing the design. A black scrollwork heart now marked A.J.'s pale skin inside it was a single letter G done in a matching scroll work.

"You're amazing." Said Callen.

"You really like it?"

"Yes I do." Callen kissed A.J. as he walked her back towards the bed. "Now about this other gift I still need to unwrap."

Deeks Apt.

"OMG! Kensi you didn't"

Kensi giggled as Deeks stood staring at new tat with his mouth hanging open.

"Do you like it?"

"You have no idea how much I love it." Deeks wrapped his arms around Kensi and kissed her hard. "How much I love you." Said Deeks as he picked Kensi up and spun her around the living room. Kensi would never regret getting the small fern tat that now sat low on her hip.

The next morning Callen walked into ops and handed Nell one dozen pink roses, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Eric sat there with his mouth hanging open. Nell looked over at Eric. "What." She then turned back to her computer monitor. "I simply helped A.J. pick out his Christmas gifts. Guess he got one early."

"I'm almost afraid of what you got me for Christmas now." Murmered Eric giving his partner a sideways glance.

Down stairs

"Ok let's see it." Said Deeks.

A.J. smiled at him and pulled her tee shirt over to show her new tat.

"Nice one A.J. not as nice as Kensi's but still nice."

Just then Callen came up behind A.J. "What did Kensi get?"

"A fern." Said Deeks proudly.

Kensi just smiled from her desk.

Callen looked over at Kensi and shook his head. "What are you gonna get now Deeks a Twinkie tattoo?" asked Callen sitting down at his desk.

Kensi looked at Deeks with her eyes wide and smile on her face. "Yeah I doubt it. I already know I'm going to get a sun with a bullet in the center."

"Ok I'll bite," said A.J. "I get why Kensi got the fern but a sun and bullet?"

"Because Kensi smells like sunshine and gunpowder, my two favorite smells." Grinned Deeks.

"You're all crazy." Said Sam from his desk smiling at his team mates. Just then Eric let them know they had a case. For now the fun would have to wait.

It was almost midnight when the team got back from their case. Sam dropped into his chair, Deeks and Kensi on the couch. A.J. leaned into Callen and yawned. Hetty came to stand in front of them.

"Good work everyone. I don't expect to see any of you until midday tomorrow. Now go home."

None of the agents had to be told twice. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and having only a half day was a great gift. This time tomorrow Kensi and Deeks would be in Hawaii, Sam would be putting Christmas gifts together and Callen and A.J. would be enjoying an enter week together.

Christmas Eve dawned bright and sunny. Callen left A.J. a note and headed home. Grabbing everything he would need for the week including the wrapped box on the mantel. An hour later he was back at the beach house with breakfast. A.J. was just coming in from a run and ran her arms around him from behind.

"Pancakes yummy." Said A.J.

"Only the best for you." Callen slipped the wrapped box in front of A.J. "Open it."

A.J. picked up the box and smiled at Callen. She pulled the silver paper away to find a long black velvet box. Opening it A.J. found a silver charm bracelet. It held 5 charms, one was a blue enamel star. She looked up at Callen and her smile grew. Next to the star was a pair of handcuffs, a surf board, a heart and the letter G.

"I love it." Said A.J. Callen helped her hook the bracelet and leaned in to kiss her.

"I also got you something else." Callen pulled his shirt over his head and A.J. nearly lost it. There on his chest was a matching tattoo to hers, except the letters A and J were inside it.

"When did you get it?" asked A.J. as she reached up to touch it.

"Yesterday when Sam and I were on lunch, Nell told me where you got yours. We were near the place and it just felt right."

"Sam didn't try and talk you out of it?"

"Nope he thought it was romantic."

"I love you." Said A.J.

Callen pulled her in close and kissed her. "I love you too."

Christmas party.

Christmas Eve was almost over. The day had been spent running down leads that went nowhere. Hetty had called it a day at close to 7 pm. She knew Deeks and Kensi had a flight at 9pm and she wanted them to enjoy a bit of team Christmas cheer before they left. The team was grouped around the desks drinks in hand laughing and enjoying themselves. Deeks was in his chair with Kensi perched on his lap. She was slowly playing with a diamond heart that hung on a gold chain around her neck, her Christmas gift from Deeks.

A.J. and Callen were on the couch a glass of Hetty's scotch in their hands. Nell and Kensi had both made a huge fuss over her bracelet. Both women adding their ideas for charms Callen could get her for her birthday and Valentine 's Day. Sam had insisted that Callen and A.J. come over for Christmas dinner the next day refusing to take Callen's comment they were going to spend the day in bed.

"G I don't really want to picture that ok. You're both coming over at noon and spending the day." Hetty was also invited so there was no way the two agents could say no.

It didn't take long for the party to break up and the agents to go on their ways. Little did they know that the new year would bring them one challenge after another.

In the next chapter I plan on taking on the Blye K eps but in my own way. It will also start in on the Granger story line I have hinted at.