Hello my dears. I would like to thank Guest, Lic. Lu, Guest, Guest and Guest for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So here is the next chapter, I couldn't remember the name of Callen's neighbour, so I have made one up. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.
Sarah was busy preparing dinner for when her dad came home from his first day of work while thinking though everything she had learnt that day. She had spent her morning around the house, watching out of the windows for anything unusual, before deciding to spend her afternoon talking to the old lady across the street. Of course for the last she had the ulterior motive of wanting to find out more about Callen's friend Sam, and if anyone knew, she was sure it was it would be Mrs Reynolds. She knew all the gossip of the street they lived on.
She had been right. just one innocently phrased question and she was being told all about the young man that came to collect Callen regularly, not to mention had also been seen dropping him off at various different times of the night. In fact Mrs Reynolds had suggested she thought that the two men worked together. But if that was the case, why on earth had he broken into Callen's house that morning? The conversation had left her with more questions than she had answers, but at least the questions were now less vague. Her next problem would be finding a way of answering the more direct things she had in mind.
Sarah was pulled away from her thoughts by a knock at her door, answering it she found one of the men who had been on her mind so much that day. Hmm, it hadn't been her plan to interrogate him, but now he was here, maybe the best way to get answers would be directly from the source.
"Hi Callen, what can I do for you?" She asked smiling up at him as she opened the door wide allowing him to enter. She watched as he walked inside, and took note of how he seemed to study the layout of the room even though he had already been in it only a few days ago. What was it he was looking for? She wondered. Closing the door she continued. "Dad's not back from work yet." She said, just in case he had missed the fact that the drive had been empty. But she doubted he did. A doubt that was confirmed when he didn't seem surprised by her words, or try to find an excuse to leave.
"I came to talk to you, if that's alright." Callen replied with a smile moving to stand by the couch, but not sitting down. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable having him there before he relaxed. This was the first time it had just been the two of them after all, and he wanted to make a good impression. He didn't want her on guard for the conversation he had come to have, namely the one Hetty had asked him to have with his teenage neighbour about the call she had made to the cops that more, and subsequently her conversation with Hetty herself.
"Of course, what's up?" Sarah responded moving to take a chair at right angles to the couch, giving her the perfect opportunity to look out of the window as well as at the person in her front room. She wanted to keep an eye out for when her dad came home. Wanted to make sure that as soon as his car pulled into the drive she could put a plan into action to get the two men together alone once more.
Callen sat on the couch and thought over how he was supposed to start the conversation he had come to have. But looking into the shrewd eyes of the girl across from him he decided that to the point was the best way.
"I hear you called the police on my friend Sam this morning." He said leaning back comfortably.
"I did. But then I didn't know he was your friend, or is it colleague?" Sarah replied with a slight smirk on her lips as she tried to gage his response to her words.
But Callen was nothing if not good at his job. He had no idea where she had gotten the idea he and Sam worked together from, but he wasn't going to dispute it. That would raise more questions in her mind, he could see that in her eyes. She had a look as if she was waiting for him to deny it. Therefore he went for a variation of the truth, it would be good enough to appease her he was sure. "Both, or it was. Sam and I served together."
At that Sarah nodded. That made sense. That Sam guy had had the look that screamed former military, and while she hadn't seen it in Callen as obviously, thinking about it now, it made sense. Okay, that explained Sam, not why he had broken into Callen's house, but she doubted she would ever get an answer to that one, and she still had a lot of other questions. Therefore she turned to think of what to ask next, and one thing came into her mind then.
"So how did you know I called the police, Callen?" She asked frowning as she realised he had been so sure when he said the words earlier, and yet her dad hadn't mentioned him getting a call from the police while they were surfing, which is what that Henrietta Lange woman told her had happened. She was missing something there, and she wanted to know what it was.
"Hetty told me." Callen responded simply. It was nothing more than the truth after all.
"Hetty?" Sarah asked wondering who that was, or more truthfully wondering if that was the woman she had spoken to.
"Henrietta Lange." Callen said, confirming her suspicions, though of course that raised even more in her mind.
"Who is Henrietta Lange?" she asked hoping he could explain what role she had in his life, and in the police department. Who was she that she had the power to stop the LAPD responding to a call of breaking and entering? She needed to know.
"Hetty took me in when I was fifteen. She raised me. She is the closest thing I have to a mother." Callen replied succinctly. He really didn't want to get into the details, but he knew he needed to tell her that much so that she would not worry. He needed Sarah to know Hetty could be trusted. He needed her to feel safe. Especially considering the questions Hetty had been asking about the girl in front of him. He didn't doubt for a minute that she would find some way of meeting the teenager who had managed to catch Sam breaking into his home, no matter how much he really wished she wouldn't. He didn't want to bring the Deeks family into the world of his work.
"What about your parents?" Sarah asked diverted from her line of questioning by Callen's response that Hetty was the closest thing he had to a mother. Surely his own mother would have been closer, right?
"I never knew them. I was raised in care." Callen responded with a shrug. But the tone of voice he used made Sarah know that he wasn't going to say anything more on that subject. Okay, she was fine with that. She wasn't going to pry. Therefore she turned her mind back to this Hetty woman.
"What does she have to do with the police?" She asked wanting to know how she had found out about the call. Okay she could see how she would know Sam was Callen's friend if she raised the man, but that was still a gaping hole in this mystery in her mind.
At that Callen debated what to say, but in the end decided the only way to ease Sarah's mind was to go with the truth. He didn't need to tell her any details, just enough so that she was okay.
"She works for a federal agency. When she heard about the call she contacted Sam, knowing we were going to have breakfast together this morning. That was how she knew who had broken into my place, and how she knew there was nothing to worry about. I'm sorry Sam scared you." He replied sincerely. He really was sorry that Sam had caused her to have to call the police, it can't have been a nice experience.
"It's okay, though you might want to suggest he doesn't go round breaking into people's homes. It really doesn't show him in the best light." Sarah replied smiling at him. She had her answers for now. She would need some time to go over them and see where they fit into the picture she was building of the man in front of her. The man she was trying to set up with her dad. Yes, she had a lot more to go on now than she had earlier.
"I'll mention it." Callen responded with a chuckle, he couldn't wait to repeat those words to his partner when he saw him the next day.
"So did you enjoy surfing this morning?" Sarah asked changing the subject without thought, as a suggestive smile appeared on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.
At that Callen just shook his head. She really was incorrigible. But he also knew he needed to nip this in the bud. He didn't want to find himself set up on some romantic date with Marty. They were friends, that was it. Therefore rather than answering her question he said "it's not going to work, you know?"
"What isn't?" Sarah asked innocently making her eyes wide as she tried to appear as if she knew nothing of what he was speaking, even if she knew she had been busted.
"Trying to set me up with your dad." Callen replied giving her a look that said he didn't believe her for a second, and he really didn't. At that Sarah gave up on the innocent act with a shrug.
"Why? Aren't you interested?" she asked sweetly a knowing look in her eyes.
Looking at her, Callen knew he couldn't say no, he wasn't interested. He couldn't tell her he didn't find him attractive, not like he had implied to Sam and Hetty. He couldn't lie to her, so instead he went for the truth.
"He needs time." He replied not wanting to mention her mom, but both knowing the words that weren't spoken. Marty needed time to grieve the death of his wife, his best friend. He didn't need a romantic relationship right then.
And Sarah looking into his eyes knew he was right. But the fact that he had also recognised that, confirmed to her more than anything else could that he was just the man for her dad.
"I know. I still think you'd be good for him though." She responded, before turning her head as something caught her eye out the window. "Speaking of dad, he's back. Want to stay for dinner? I'm making lasagne."
And that was why when Deeks walked through his front door it was to find Callen sitting on his couch.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked in a friendly tone of voice as he smiled genuinely at the man as he stood. He was surprised to see Callen there, but it wasn't an unpleasant surprise. No, in fact he would go so far as to say it was a good one⦠or at least it would be as long as his daughter hadn't done anything crazy to get the other guy there. But nope, he certainly wasn't tied to a chair, so that was one possibility out.
"Well I could say I came to talk to Sarah, but in truth I was just hoping to get another dinner invite. Your daughter really can cook." Callen responded smiling at the man in front of him, putting him at ease that this coincidence was not of his daughters making. That was good to know.
And Callen couldn't stop himself as he enjoyed how his words made Marty chuckle, and even more how that action caused creases to appear around his eyes as the twinkled.
"She is at that. Beer?" Deeks replied placing his bag down as he headed towards the kitchen to grab a couple of bottles.
"Sure." Callen answered as he watched Marty walk away, and as he did so his eyes didn't miss the blonde head that disappeared into the kitchen as the other man walked towards it, nor the smirk that she had on her face. Sarah really was a minx he decided, but he couldn't find it in himself to see that as a problem. In fact he rather liked that side of the kid. And he couldn't stop himself wondering how long it would be before she and Hetty met. And thinking about it he found himself torn between whether he couldn't wait to see what would happen, or if he should fear for his life when it did.
