Chapter 11
Callen woke up, he reached over for Nell, but she wasn't in the bed. He sat up, rubbed his hand over his face for a second trying to figure out what had woken him.
Nell wasn't in the bathroom, where he'd expected her to be. A quick check of the clock on the nightstand told him it was a quarter to six in the morning. He heard a noise again.
He quickly pulled on some jeans and grabbing his gun from the nightstand drawer and tucking it in his waistband he padded barefoot down the hall.
He stopped as he got to Marty's room.
He could hear muffled voices and the sounds of crying coming from the room.
"It's going to be ok Marty." Nell's voice came from the other side of the door.
Carefully and quietly he opened the door.
Nell was sat on the end of the bed holding a hand that was bigger than it had been when it went with its owner to bed that night.
Nell looked up.
"Is he ok?" Callen asked.
"I think he had…a growth spurt, I gave him Tylenol and changed him up into pajamas, he's now I think about 12."
"He gonna be ok for today?" Callen asked, He knew Nell had planned something, but if Marty needed them, everything could wait, it was only Christmas, for Callen it was still just another day and Marty's health was more important, they could always do the family thing next year.
Nell nodded and stood up, "I have some things to do, you wanna sit with him?" she asked.
"Momma?" Marty's voice came from under the duvet.
"I just have a few things to do, you boys can come out in about 10 minutes, Santa left a mess is all." She grinned as a slightly older Marty poked his head out from under the duvet and both her boys had confused looks on their faces.
"Santa came?" Marty asked confused, "But Santa doesn't come to me."
Nell looked at them both.
"Ok, seeing as this is both your first time, this is how it works, You will both wash up, and get dressed into something clean," she said shooting Callen a look knowing he wanted to wear his old t-shirt from the other day. "Then when you are washed and dressed and you young man, have brushed your hair, you can both come into the kitchen for Christmas breakfast." She told them.
"Yes Ma'am." They said in unison.
She turned and walked out, Callen looked at Marty who grinned as he tumbled out of bed.
"Wow!" Callen exclaimed as Marty stood up.
He was about two feet taller than he had been when he went to bed, the boy who had been ten years old now looked a lanky 12.
Callen looked at the clothing Nell had brought and grabbed a bag Hetty had labeled 12. "It looks like these will fit you."
"Thanks dad." Marty grinned, "Hurry up, Santa came!"
12 or 43, both boys felt like they were five as they rushed to comply with Nell's wishes.
Callen showered and went to pick up his T-shirt when he remembered Nell's words and instead grabbed the Aqua blue shirt he kept in his closet. Tucking them into his jeans he pulled on his socks and boots and went to see how Marty was doing.
Marty stood in the bathroom; he had his socks and jeans on, but was bare-chested and was examining his face and body in the mirror.
"Dad?" he called.
Callen knocked and opened the door worried, "Are you ok?"
"I…I dunno…I got this hair?"
"Hair?" he could see all the blond hair on the boy still sticking up as awkwardly as it had when he'd fallen out of bed, even though now it was wet from the shower he'd had.
"Weird hair…Look?" he lifted his arm worriedly. "And….it's other places too!" he looked stricken; "I'm turning into a monster!" he decided and sank down beside the tub his head in his hands.
Callen suppressed a grin and sat beside him.
"You are not turning into a monster…its called puberty." He said honestly.
"Puber…" Marty coughed as his voice shot up an octave, "Puberty? What's that?" he asked worried, "Can I die?"
Callen looked towards the door, not sure if he wanted to run away or call for help.
"It's something everyone goes through, male or female, although it is different to girls than it is to boys, they have different parts." Callen said suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.
"Parts?" Marty looked up intrigued.
"I am not having this conversation on the floor in the bathroom." Callen said he stood up.
Marty shrank away. "I'm sorry…I didn't want to make you mad."
Callen stopped, "I'm not mad kid, but this isn't the place for this," He held out his hand and the pair of them walked into Marty's room.
Marty sat looking uncomfortable and embarrassed.
"You know we can talk about anything kid, just between us man to man." Callen said.
Marty scratched his ear looking at the dog, which he pulled to sit beside him.
"I hurt a lot last night, Momma said it was because I got bigger…but it wasn't just that, my…er…my bit's hurt…they were sore and itchy and when I got up this morning, I couldn't pee…it was sticking up."
"It?" Callen asked confused.
"IT!" Marty stressed.
Callen bit his lip, fighting the urge to smile at the sight of Marty's distress.
"It's ok, that'll happen sometimes, mostly in the mornings." He said.
"Does yours?" He asked innocently staring at the older man.
"Sometimes." Callen admitted. "It's a natural thing, really nothing to be ashamed about."
Marty nodded, "And…I have a spot." He said showing Callen the small spot on the side of his jaw.
Callen sighed, puberty sucked at the best of times, poor Marty doing it all at once, must be terrifying.
"It's you body changing, you are growing up, becoming a man," He grinned, "I'll be teaching you to shave next." He smiled.
Marty looked up at him in wonder, "You…you will?!"
Callen smiled, mostly relived at the fact that part of his conversation was over, "Sure, come on."
And they were together when an hour later Nell knocked on the bathroom door and opened it to the sight of her two favorite men covered in shaving foam, Callen showing Marty how to wet shave. She pulled out her phone and took a picture.
"You guys had better hurry up, breakfast is ready," she said.
"Ok hun, we're coming," Callen said wiping the shaving foam off of Marty's face.
She looked at them both, "So handsome." She smiled and walked back into the kitchen, after texting the picture to Kensi.
They walked in as far as the living room and stopped.
The room had been transformed from the night before, More decorations hung from the tree and there was a fire burning on the TV screen. In the actual fireplace was an arrangement of pine cones and logs.
And under the tree.
"PRESENTS!" Marty squealed as his voice shot up and then down again. He clasped a hand over his mouth and looked to Callen who smiled.
"It looks like Santa kept his promise." Callen said stunned at the change in his living room.
"Not yet!" Nell said.
They both turned and saw the breakfast table piled high with food.
"Wow!" They said in unison.
Marty headed for the kitchen as Callen heard the door knock.
He opened the door to find Nate and Hetty standing at the door, their arms full of gifts.
"Merry Christmas Mr. Callen." Hetty said as he stood there his mouth agape.
Callen moved and opened the door to let them in as Nell wished them both a merry Christmas.
He closed the door and grabbed Nate by the shoulder.
"Could have used you an hour ago." He growled at Nate.
"Everything alright?" Nate asked concerned.
"Marty hit puberty this morning." Callen whispered.
"Ouch." Nate replied looking solemnly towards the boy. "You guys ok?"
Callen nodded, "Yeah, we're good now but Nate?" he asked.
Nate looked up, "Why are you here?"
"Callen and Deeks' first family Christmas…I had to be here." He smiled, "Now where's the coffee."
