24/07/2010 Update - just changed New York reference to Washington.
Disclaimer in Chapter 1
Chapter 10
Sam was listening to some of the students around him talking about the new lecturer. He chuckled when he heard them discussing whether she was single or not. Sam looked over at Callen and surveyed what the students were seeing. Callen, Kat and Kensi were sitting on a picnic rug eating lunch after Kat's first lecture. Sam could see why the students thought she was single from their angle.
"Not doing good G, they think she's single and some of them are thinking about asking her out," Sam said to Callen through the earpiece.
Kensi and Kat heard Sam's comment as well. For safety, they had set all of them up with earpieces for when they weren't at the apartment, including Kat, though, because she wasn't used to it, hers had been switched off for the lecture. She still needed some practice, before she could handle it full time.
"Better fix that then. They watching?" Callen asked, looking briefly at Kat.
"Yep" said Sam.
"Where?" Callen asked, looking around slowly.
"No!" said Kat quickly.
"What?" Callen asked looking back at her, confused.
"I don't particularly want to know. If I've got to teach them this afternoon, I do notneed to know okay?" Kat said, nervously. She didn't want to know what students were thinking that way. She was nervous enough.
"Okay," Callen said, looking at her and deciding what to do.
Kat's eyes narrowed at the look on his face and wondered what he was up to. The next thing she knew he was moving toward her and she found herself lying back on the picnic rug with him above her. The smile on his face she was slowly learning meant mischief.
"What are you up to G?" Kat asked, nervously.
"Just doing my job," Callen replied, as he moved closer in to kiss her.
"You know, it would help if you looked like you were enjoying yourself," Callen added, seeing the nervous look that fluttered across her face as he got closer.
"Keep it clean G," added Sam with a chuckle.
Kat relaxed a bit, smiled and said, "What? Like this?" She reached up and put her hand on the back of his neck and pulling him down to kiss him. It was more than just a quick kiss this time. Callen felt her lips part slightly underneath his and he took advantage. There was no reason why they both couldn't enjoy themselves as well as do the job.
"Okay, G. The boys know she's taken now," Sam said, after a bit.
Callen pulled back and look at her. She looked as surprised as he felt. He had expected it to be good, but not quite that good.
"Guess you really are a good teacher," Kat said, almost shyly. She knew it had been a while, but she didn't remember being kissed like that before.
"Maybe you're just a good student," Callen said quietly, glancing down at her mouth.
"Okay guys, we got to go. Got a lab class to run," Kensi interrupted them. Callen moved off her and held out his hand to help her up.
Kat reached for her bag and let him pull her up.
"Thanks for lunch and everything," Kat said smiling at him.
"Anytime," Callen replied.
Kat started moving away, but he pulled her back.
"You forgot to say goodbye," Callen said. He didn't want their earlier work to be destroyed, because of something as simple as that.
"Bye," Kat said as he pulled her close for a hug.
"Don't go agreeing to a date with any of your students will you?" Callen whispered close to her ear, though from a distance he knew it could be mistaken for something else.
"Why would I do that? I've got you," Kat said quietly.
"Not interested in a younger version?" Callen asked, looking at her face.
"They're teenagers G, about 10 years younger than me," Kat said with a roll of her eyes.
"About the same as between us," Callen replied.
"Yeah, but you're older."
"So?"
"Better that way," Kat said with a smile, as she quickly kissed him and walked away with Kensi, leaving him smiling.
When Kat arrived home that night, Callen had a glass of wine and dinner ready. She looked at the wine suspiciously.
"What? Don't want it?" Callen asked.
"I don't mix well with wine, or any alcohol for that matter," Kat replied.
"Don't like it?" Callen asked, curious now.
"Oh I like it, it's just that a glass and I'm pretty much under the table." Kat vaguely remembered a night about 18 months ago when she'd been visiting a friend in Washington, one of those rare weekends away. She'd been extremely glad the next morning to find out that they hadn't actually left her friend's apartment. They had started the night with 'truth or dare shots', a bit of a tradition, which she usually didn't lose at, but that time had been different. She couldn't actually remember why though. Who knows what would have happened if they'd actually gone out.
"So? You don't have to go anywhere," Callen said, wondering what she was thinking about.
"On one condition then," Kat said as she took the glass.
"What?" Callen asked, intrigued. He wondered what he might be able to find out about her after she'd had a drink.
"You have to behave tonight, because I might not," Kat said.
"Really?" Callen said, and she saw the mischief in his eyes that she was starting to get used to.
Kat closed her eyes trying to decide whether to risk it or not. She'd had a good day but it was stressful trying to remember who she was supposed to be. The wine would help her relax, it's just that it would go straight to her head, relax more than just the body and she really didn't know what she would do.
"I'll behave," Callen said, helping her decide.
Kat opened her eyes and smiled, "Thank you, because I really could do with a drink."
"That bad a day?" Callen asked as he walked toward the table and made her sit.
"No, just exhausting trying to remember who I am, my head hurts," Kat said as she took a sip, then put her glass down and rubbed her temples.
"Then let's eat and let you relax," Callen said.
Kat took a second sip of the wine and started to feel it's effects as she felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders.
"So, how was your day?" Kat asked Callen, as he put her dinner in front of her.
"Good. Sam and I checked out the Uni. We know our way around. Had lunch and made out with the wife." He caught her blush at that comment and smiled. "Came home, made dinner," Callen continued.
"Usual huh?" Kat said, taking another sip of wine.
"Much quieter than usual. Any offers this afternoon?" Callen asked. Kat felt herself blush yet again and wondered if the wine had been a mistake.
"I don't have any dates with my students!" Kat protested, before smiling, "Kensi, on the other hand, might."
"Really?" He wanted to know more about that. Couldn't hurt to have something else up his sleeve to tease Kensi about.
"Yeah, I think I heard at least three guys ask her out," Kat said. Kensi had turned them all down very gently.
"What did she say?" Callen asked.
"Not telling," Kat replied. Kensi had asked her not to tell Callen what she'd said to the students, though Kat wasn't exactly sure why.
"Why not? You know I could just ask Eric, he'll know." Eric had monitored the lab for them this first time, knowing it could be dangerous for Kat or Kensi to slip up if something Callen or Sam said distracted them.
"You could, and that's up to you. But I'm not telling," Kat said firmly, taking another bite of her dinner. Really, if he kept cooking like this she'd never want to eat out again.
"So you had a good day?" Callen asked, giving up on Kensi's dates.
"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Students seem a pretty good group," Kat replied, thinking that it hadn't been as bad as she was expecting. The students had responded to her and Kensi quite well, and not just the guys.
"Found any quiet ones yet?" Callen asked.
"Spotted a couple," Kat said smiling. So he'd remembered. "Dinner's great. Thank you."
"Least I can do," Callen replied.
Kat took another sip of wine and decided that would be enough for the night and put it down away from her.
"Had enough?" Callen asked, as he looked at where she had placed the wine glass.
"Safer," Kat replied. "Umm, I have a favour," she continued.
"What?" Callen asked.
"Friday night, there's a faculty get together. Drinks, nibbles, nothing much but it is formal and I have to go. I mean, normally I try and get out of these things but I can't this time," Kat said, not looking happy about the prospect of going.
"Why not?" Callen asked.
"It's for me. When a new faculty member joins, the Dean puts on something to introduce every one. I'm sorry. I really hate them but, can't get out of this one," Kat replied, eyeing off the rest of the glass of wine. It couldn't really hurt if she finished it could it?
"So? The favour?" Callen prompted her.
"Will you come with me? It'll probably be completely boring for you," Kat asked, nervous now.
"Of course, I'll be there," Callen said, wondering why she thought he wouldn't. It's what he was here for.
"Thank you," Kat said, relieved that she wouldn't have to do it alone.
When they'd finished dinner he stood up, took the plates to the kitchen and disappeared into the bathroom When he came out he held out his hand to her. She took it, curious at what he was up to. Callen walked her to the bathroom.
"Go, bath's ready," giving her a gentle push to the door.
"What? You ran me a bath?" Kat said, slightly shocked and turned to look at him.
"Figured you might need one ... To relax!" Callen said at the look on her face.
Kat walked through the door and saw the candles and the bubbles and turned back to face him. She looked at him, like she was trying to work out something. She wondered how come he wasn't really married, he seemed to do it well.
Kat stepped over to him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered and stepped back, slowly closing the door.
Callen walked away from the door and after clearing up the kitchen, he decided to call Kensi, to see how they both had done today.
"Callen," Kensi answered.
"I hear you have a few dates lined up," Callen said, casually.
"No you didn't, you want to know if I do though," Kensi replied, knowing that Kat wasn't going to tell.
"So do you?" Callen asked.
"Nope," Kensi replied, making him ask the next question.
"Why not?"
"None of them did it for me," Kensi said.
Callen chuckled.
"How'd she do today?" Callen asked, serious now.
"Pretty good. Few times she didn't recognise her name, but we covered. You know, she turned down a date herself?"
"She didn't mention that," Callen said, curious as to why she hadn't told him.
"Figured she wouldn't. You missed a pretty good lecture, even had me interested and understanding some of it," Kensi said. Callen noted she sounded impressed.
"Might have to check one out one of these days," Callen replied thoughtfully.
"You should, might see a different side of your wife," Kensi replied.
Speaking of who, Kat came out, dressed in her pyjamas and stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Seeing him on the phone she turned to leave.
"Night Kensi, see you tomorrow." Kat stopped and turned back to him with a smile.
"Checking up on me were you?" Kat asked.
"Maybe. I hear you turned down a date," Callen said, watching her closely.
"Maybe," Kat replied, a slight blush to her checks. Perhaps she should have made Kensi agree not to tell too.
"Any reason why?" Callen asked, walking slowly over to her.
"Didn't stand a chance considering what he was up against," Kat said before she really thought about it. She blushed.
"Goodnight," Kat said, stepping back toward the bedroom. Callen stopped and looked at the clock. It was still early.
"Going to bed already? You okay?" Callen asked, slightly concerned.
"Better if I do, I shouldn't have had that wine," Kat said, looking at him.
"Why not? Didn't it help?" Callen asked, remembering that she had needed to relax.
"Yeah it did, but …" she stopped.
"But?" Callen prompted.
"I need to go to bed. Being around you is, too tempting after wine. You have to know that I find you attractive, right?" Kat asked, nervous. She didn't know if she was saying too much.
"The feelings mutual," Callen replied, gently. She smiled, slightly relieved that she hadn't just made a fool of herself.
"Goodnight G, thanks for dinner and the bath," Kat said as she turned to the bedroom.
"Night Kat," Callen replied, watching her go.
Kat woke up to find him not there. It was two in the morning. She got out of bed and found him asleep on the couch. She smiled. He really was sweet. Kat gently took the blanket off and touched his arm. Callen woke up quickly and grabbed her hand. Her eyes went wide.
"Sorry," Callen said as he released her.
"My fault, I didn't mean to startle you," Kat said softly.
"You okay?" Callen asked, looking at her carefully, wondering if she'd had another nightmare.
"I'm fine, now come to bed," Kat said softly but firmly.
Callen looked at her for a moment.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I've got used to you being there, and it's your bed too," Kat said simply.
"You sure?"
"I promise I'll behave. Come to bed please?" Kat said with a grin, holding out her hand.