Chapter 9

Callen limped back into the bullpen to the good wishes of his various co-workers. Of course he had released himself from the hospital before the Doctors wanted, went home alone, managed to stay there for one day before deciding he could heal just as well at office; none of this surprised his team.

He was the one who was surprised when he got to his desk and spied a wrapped present on the middle of it.

"Who left that here?" he asked pointing to the box as if it was an offensive object.

Sam looked up from typing his report. "Dunno."

Kensi glanced up from her lunch. "No clue," she muttered around her sub.

Callen turned to Marty who raised his hands and said, "Not me. I don't do gifts."

"You don't suppose it is a bomb?" Callen queried as he sat down behind his desk and poked a finger at it.

"Nope," answered Sam.

"So you do know who put it there," Callen accused.

"Yep and I am not saying," the big man grinned.

Callen poked at it again with a suspicious finger.

"Just open it already," Kensi admonished.

Callen quirked an eyebrow at her, gave it a few more pokes, just to be annoying, and then started to carefully pull the paper away from one corner.

"Oh for goodness sakes," Kensi said, crossing over to his desk, taking the package forcibly from him and ripping the paper off. "Here, she said thrusting the denuded box back at him.

"Ah, thanks?"

"You're welcome. Open it," she growled.

Callen set the box on his desk and carefully lifted the lid. "Huh," he muttered setting the top, which said Wal-Mart. Tissue paper still hid the contents. He folded back the tissue paper and lifted the item out of the box. It was a pair of jeans, Levi's to be exact. A smile crept across his face.

"I keep my promises Mr. Callen," Hetty said silently gliding around the corner, as was her norm. "And there is more," she indicated gesturing towards the box.

Callen laid the jeans on the desk and peered back into the box. A flush crept up his neck and quickly covered his cheeks. He grabbed the lid and slammed it back on the box.

"Hey," Kensi said indignantly. "What gives? What else is in there?"

Callen sprang from his desk, shoved the box under his arm, grabbed the jeans, and limped off toward the locker room.

"Mr. Callen," Hetty called after him. "I couldn't recall what the final verdict was, boxers, or briefs." Callen's shoulders hunched even further as he slunk from the room.

Kensi, Sam, and Marty stared at her.

"What?" she said innocently. "We were trapped for three days in a tomb. We talked about a great many things."

"Hetty!" came an ominous growl from the distance.

"Some of which are confidential and won't be discussed further," she said clamping her mouth closed like a clam. Hetty glided over to where a bemused Sam stood. "It's briefs isn't it Mr. Hanna?"

"Who me?" he squeaked.

Hetty gave him a withering look. "Of course not you. Everyone knows you are a boxer boy. I meant Mr. Callen. Isn't he a tighty-whitey."

Marty and Kensi snickered. "Oh I wouldn't snicker Mr. Deeks considering you like to go commando and you Ms. Blythe are a thong girl at heart." The team just stared at her. "What," she defended herself. "Do I not dress you all? Do you not think I happen to notice what you do, or don't as the case may be, wear as undergarments."

She had them there. Sam cleared his throat. "Briefs," he whispered. "G wears briefs," he finished looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Ah-huh. I should have gone with my gut. Oh Mr. Callen," she called wandering off after him. "I can exchange the boxers. Now do you prefer classic, mid-rise, or sport briefs?"

"I hope I NEVER get stuck anywhere with Hetty," Sam said gazing after the retreating woman's back. Kensi and Deeks nodded their concurrence and then went back to work.

Eric wandered down the stairs to the bullpen and IPad in his hands. "Did I miss something?"

"No," said Sam sitting back down at this desk.

"Well, it was only something 'brief'," replied Marty.

"I think it was Deeks who is 'missing' something," Kensi tossed back.

"Why don't you stop 'boxing' around the subject Sam and tell Eric," Marty said. Sam and Kensi groaned. "All right, I admit, it was a stretch. But all the good ones were used up."

Eric stood there looking perplexed.

"Never mind. Eric did you find anything?"

"Unfortunately, no. I have no idea who was chasing Hetty and Callen or why. Dead ends all around."

"Huh. Well knowing Callen, it will raise it ugly head again sometime." The rest of the time nodded their head in concurrence. Eric turned and headed back up to Ops. Kensi watched as he bounced up the stairs. "Boxers or briefs?" she wondered aloud.

"Under-roos," supplied Marty.

"Bathing suit," Sam returned.

Kensi nodded "Point to Sam," Marty conceded.

As they settled back around there desks, a thought crossed their collective minds. Only one person they had not considered.

"Pure silk, of course" the disembodied voice of Hetty sang out.

Silence settled over the bullpen; no one was going to touch that one.