Sitting in a Tree
Another two months have gone by at NCIS: OSP since Callen has gone back into the field. Tonight his team had to infiltrate a black tie party as hidden protection detail. Not even the person they were assigned to protect knew about their presence which was just fine by them. And whether it was fortunate or not that an incident did occur that required Callen's team assistance, they ended up with them back at OSP headquarters around midnight updating Hetty on what happened at the party. And by the way she was dressed, it seemed like they dragged her away from another party. Hetty was dressed in a floor length red satin gown with a black shawl. Callen and his team were not going to lie; it was weird to see Hetty in something other than her usual suits.
"Yes Mr. Deeks, I am in a dress. I have worn them plenty of times, albeit not usually in the work place. It truly should not be that much of a shock." Hetty exclaimed with a note of exasperation as her patience broke at Deeks giving her a shocked expression throughout the briefing. Deeks than attempted to change his facial expression but was failing to do so. Thus, he started spluttering about how well Hetty looked in her gown. Thankfully for him, Annie decided to take the heat off of him by interrupting their conversation.
"Hetty, you owe me big time for leaving me alone with those wolves!" Annie stated as she walked towards the group and the vision of her in her ball gown took Callen's breath away. Tonight, with her black hair swept up in an elegant bun, Annie wore a floor length gown in the color of navy blue with rows of black sequences. It was tight-fitted to her body and the collar went all the way up to the beginning of her neck, accentuating her lean form. By the way her hip was popped out to the right, Callen could see a slit coming up the side of the dress all the way to mid-thigh, revealing a bit of leg. Little did he know that there was an identical slit on the other side of the dress.
"Is the party over with? I wasn't expecting you to come back here, but I am glad that you are still in the gown and not some man's button up shirt and tights like the last time you wore that gown." Hetty replied nonchalantly, completely ignoring Annie's irritability. Although the flush that was gracing her face was quite beautiful as well, Callen was trying to figure out if it was from embarrassment or irritation.
"Do not change the subject, especially seeing how you told me to wear this dress for this party and not the other way around." Annie fired back, shooting daggers at their little boss who just looked amused at the sight of a threatening ex-NSA agent.
"You are just upset that I left you behind without telling you what happened." Hetty countered easily.
"As annoying as that was, I am more upset that you left me behind to fend for myself against those designing vultures and their haggling!" Annie said as she took up her spot next to Callen and she crossed her arms in defiance keeping her gaze leveled on Hetty.
"Well, as you can see by who is our audience, there was a good reason why I had to quickly leave." Hetty motioned to Callen and his team and it seemed like Annie finally noticed that they were there as she scanned everyone.
Her eyes lingered on Callen a little too long, in Annie's opinion, as she appreciated him being in a suit. What she wouldn't have given to unbutton the rest of his dress shirt seeing how the top two buttons were already undone. Why did Callen have to be so attractive to her? Annie knew she was doomed for future cases involving him and suits. These hormones of Annie's was driving her crazy, being celibate for practically four years was not doing her any favors.
"Next time take me with you, I swear this was worse than that incident at the Playboy Mansion." Annie threatened and Hetty chortled at that.
"Playboy-" Deeks began to say in an interested and almost seductive voice, but under Hetty's gaze changed it quickly to a whimper of "Playboy Mansion?"
"Oh, you will love this story Deeks." Annie said, amused at Deeks' reaction to Hetty. Kensi's partner gave a weak smile while still under Hetty's gaze.
"Years ago, in the beginning of my career with the NSA and my second case with Hetty, I was supposed to go undercover at the Playboy Mansion with a few other girls. It was only for the duration of the party and the theme was a throwback to the origins of Playboy. In other words, we girls had to wear the classic bunny outfits." Annie explained with a knowing smirk playing across her lips. Once more the boys on Callen's team were fantasizing about the outfit Annie could have been in.
"Hef almost found us out, so it was up to me to distract the head honcho while the girls went on with our mission." She continued.
"Wait, wait, wait, you and Hugh Hefner?" Sam asked incredulous and Callen had this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. As nice as the image of Annie in the classic Playboy bunny suit was in Callen's mind, he knew what it meant to "distract" a man like Hugh Hefner.
"Hahaha, no! I was just going to get him blackout drunk." Annie laughed along with Hetty. She looked revolted at the thought of sleeping with Hugh Hefner and she was. She would never sleep with someone on the job just to keep the mission going. She may have taken the more "seedier" undercover positions to prove her worth in the NSA, but Annie would never stoop that low.
"But what he told me while I was getting him drunk is what makes this story," She started up once more.
"Here I am trying to ignore his advances, while maintaining a flirtatious, bimbo persona, and he brings up the fact that I remind him of someone. Hef goes into great detail about how one night, during the beginning of the Playboy business in Chicago, he meets a beautiful woman dressed as one of his bunnies but wasn't one. Hef was quite smitten with the woman. But he only was in her presence for one night and after that Hefner has never seen her again. I was quite taken with the story naturally as well as guilty for probably giving him liver cancer from all the hard liquor I was passing to him. So much so that I was asking him my own questions, including the name of this woman who still captivates his mind. And guess whose name he said?"
Annie arched her eyebrow and returned her gaze to Hetty. She had this amused smile on her face that lit up her brandy colored eyes that warmed Callen from the inside out. Everyone knew enough where this story was heading and whose name the legendary Hugh Hefner said without the obvious gesture Annie gave.
"So, Hetty and Hef sitting in a tree, huh?" Sam asked with a small grin which earned one from Hetty.
"Oh, we weren't sitting in a tree I can assure you." Hetty replied in her usual cryptic and illicit manner. Annie started laughing at the gaping expressions on the boys' and Kensi's faces.
"As much as we would all like to hear about how good Hef is, I'm calling it a night. See you all tomorrow. Remember Hetty; never leave me behind at a fashion like that again." Annie stated and turned to leave, that is when Callen and his team saw that her dress was backless. This showed everyone a nasty burn scar on her lower back. It was about the size of a baseball but had an almost star shape to it; the points of the 'star' were more elongated and curved than it should have been.
"What the hell happened to your back?" Deeks put it so bluntly while the rest of Callen's team remained speechless. Although Hetty was impassive about it like Annie as she calmly turned around to face the team cutting off the view to the scar.
"Classified mission: my first mission with Hetty actually." Annie replied gently, Callen and his team stared at her in disbelief.
"Yes…Nepal." Hetty stated which made Sam and Callen raise their eyebrows. Callen did not know about what exactly happened in Nepal but he could recall that something major happened during that job to get Hetty connections to the CIA and the NSA to help him solve a case a year ago. Callen remembered how uptight Hetty reacted when he mentioned Nepal and she wound up telling Sam all about it. Apparently it was one crazy story.
"Wait, Annie was the third person?" Sam asked. Hetty nodded her and this time it was Annie's turn to be surprised.
"You told him?"
"Yes." Hetty replied simply and Annie stood there with her mouth open.
"Don't worry my dear. I made sure that Mr. Hanna had the clearance level and that telling him would not breach national security." At this, Annie nodded her head and smiled wickedly at Sam.
"Seeing me in a whole new light huh Sam?" Annie winked and then retreated to her office to grab her clothes and change before she went home. Sam stood there with his mouth hung open, more so than Annie did previously, while Callen and the rest of his team waited expectantly for Sam or Hetty to enlighten him.
"Sorry, neither Mr. Hanna, Ms. Smith, nor I can tell you the specifics without double checking to make sure that this won't create a matter of national security." Hetty responded and gave a meaningful look towards Sam before she dismissed them. After she left, Callen, Kensi, and Deeks turned to Sam.
"I completely agree with Hetty. Although, I now know why Hetty and Annie get along so well. Oh, and to never get on the opposite side of a mission with Annie." Sam stated and walked away leaving Callen, Kensi, and Deeks in the dark. Callen wondered if he would ever truly know Annie or if she would forever remain a mystery to him.
