"What time are we going over to Sam's?" Grace asked. Sam had invited Callen and Grace over for a 4th of July cook out
"Five," Callen replied.
"Ok," Grace replied, "Hey, do we have any white wine?"
"No, I don't usually- what do you want with wine? You're only 15," Callen said.
"I'm making pasta salad to bring to the cook out and if you add a white wine reduction sauce it tastes really good ," Grace replied.
"So that's how your mom made such good pasta,"Callen said. "Tell you what, I need to go and pick up beer for tonight. How about we go now and you can get what you need."
"Sounds great. I'll probably need another pack of noodles too," Grace replied.
"You'll probably need more, that pack of noodles is three years old," Callen said.
"That's just wrong," Grace said.
"Yeah, well, I don't cook much."
"I've noticed," Grace replied with a smirk.
"Ok lets go," Callen said. He and Grace walked out the door to the to the car. once at the grocery store Grace grabbed a cart. "I'll go get the beer and wine and you get what you need. sound good?"
"Yep"
"What kind of wine?" Callen asked, "funny I never thought I'd ask my 15 year old daughter that."
"Whatever's cheapest works fine," Grace replied as she walked off. Twenty minutes later Grace and Callen met in the checkout line. After checking out, they went home, Grace making the pasta salad while Callen filled the cooler with ice and beer.
"Hey, Dad," Grace called around 4:15 as she put the lid on the container of pasta and handed it to him. "Will you put this in the cooler?"
"Sure, we need to leave in about 10 minutes," Callen reminded.
"I know, I just got to put on my bathing suit and grab the sunscreen and I'll be ready," Grace replied. She ran back to her room and put on the light blue tankini top and bottom and a pair of navy blue swim shorts.
Throwing her cover up on and redoing her pony tail, she grabbed the bag that had her sunglasses, sunscreen, and towels in it and her guitar. Walking out to the living room, she saw her dad waiting. he had already changed into his swim trunks and a t-shirt.
"Ready to go?" he asked slipping on his sunglasses.
"Yep," Grace replied.
30 minutes later they pulled into Sam's driveway. Grace had met Sam's wife, Michelle, and their kids, once, a couple weeks ago.
"Hey G," Sam said, appearing from behind the wood fence that went around the back yard as Callen and Grace got out of the car.
"Hey Sam," Callen greeted.
"Glad to know I exist," Grace said sarcastically.
"Do you hear anything Sam?" Callen joked. Grace side shoved Callen (you know when you kinda shove someone who's standing beside you) but he shoved back. Grace grabbed the bag and G grabbed the cooler.
"Grace, how good to see you again," Michelle greeted as they walked into the back yard, giving Grace as hug.
"Good to see you too Michelle," Grace replied.
"You too G," Michelle said, ''you both need to come around more often."
"Uncle G!" Alexis, Sam's 7 year old daughter, and 5 year old son, Will, yelled, running to give him a hug.
"Hey Lexi. Hey Will. Have you two been good?" Callen asked bending down to eye level with the small children.
"Yes and see mommy painted my nails," Alexis said showing her finger nails out for Callen to show.
"Daddy got me this backhoe to play with in the sandbox!" will said before Turing to go back to his sandbox.
"Lexi come and play!" Lexi's friend, Amanda, yelled from the play set. Lexi waved and ran off toward the play set.
"Ok Sam, please don't tell me the her friend's mom is single because if you do I'm walking right out of here," Callen said standing up.
"No, she's Lexi's best friend and her dad is one of the men who was on my SEAL team," Sam explained. "and he actually has a son around your age grace."
"Great," Grace smiled, "now I won't have to listen to y'all talk about nothing all night." she teased.
"Oh, Gregory!" Sam's mom, Elaine, exclaimed using the alias Callen used around Sam's mom and dad.
"Ready to meet Sam's parents?" Callen asked Grace.
"I don't know. Do I need to come up with a cover story?" Grace joked.
"Probably," Callen replied. "Hello Elaine," he greeted. "Nice to see you again."
"You too Gregory, and who is this?"
"This is my daughter Grace, Grace, this is Sam's mom Elaine," Callen introduced.
"It's so very nice to meet you Grace," Elaine said, "I didn't know you had a daughter Gregory."
"Neither did I until she showed up on my door step about a month ago," Callen replied.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I knock on the door asked if he was Gregory Callen and told him I was his daughter. You should of seen his face," Grace said with a smile.
"I bet it was great," Elaine smiled," so how have you been Gregory?
Grace took this time to escape and find Michelle.
"Hey Sam!" Grace said, "where's your wife?"
"In the kitchen," he replied from the grill.
Grace grabbed the pasta salad out of the cooler and headed inside.
"Hey Michelle," she greeted, happily.
"Hey Grace!" Michelle replied with a smile. "How you doin'?"
"Pretty good. Night mares haven't been as frequent as normal."
"Good"
Michelle knew what Sam and Callen did for a living. She also knew Grace's story and her job at NCIS.
"What it that you have in your hand?" Michelle asked.
"Pasta salad," Grace grinned.
"Mmm, sounds good," Michelle said.
"It is, anything I can do to help?" Grace replied.
"You could make the salad," Michelle suggested.
"Ok," Grace replied. She washed her hands and started in the salad. Her and Michelle talked about lots of things.
About ten minutes later, Grace had finished the salad, Michelle had finished the potato salad and coleslaw and the two were chatting idly. The door bell rang.
"Oh, that must be Nell," Michelle said, setting her glass if wine down on the counter and moving towards the front door.
"I didn't know Nell was coming," Grace said.
"It was a last minute thing. Sam said her plans fell through," Michelle explained, "he also said your dad has been staring at her like a love sick puppy the past year and a half."
Grace snickered a bit and Michelle opened the door.
"Hello Nell, how nice to see you again," Michelle greeted, with a smile.
"You too Michelle. Thanks for the invite," Nell replied. "Hi Grace."
"Hi Nell," Grace smiled cheerfully.
The three women made their way to the kitchen and chatted for a bit longer until the BBQ was ready. Once the food was all set up outside, they dug in.
Sam's SEAL buddy's wife, Ashley, and son, Jacob, had shown up and Grace and Jacob were getting along quite well. To well for Callen's liking.
"She's an attractive teenage girl, get used to it," a voice said, startling Callen from where he was leaning up against the fence.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Nell," Callen replied.
"Sure you don't," Nell said, sarcastically. "You're only giving Jacob the stare down because you feel like."
"How'd you?"
"You have the same look on your face as my dad did when my sister and were at that age," Nell replied.
A splash, a squeal, and a "you are so dead Jacob!" later. The two teenagers were in a full in water war.
"Really? you don't seem like the type to have water wars with boys," Callen said.
"Oh really," Nell asked with a smirk.
"Really," Callen smirked back.
"How about now?" Nell asked as she poured a whole cup of water over Callen's head. Nell started to giggle.
"You think that's funny?"
Nell just nodded in response because she was laughing so hard. before she knew what was happening, Callen had picked her up and thrown her into the pool. the splash had Grace and Jacob's water war forgotten.
As Nell resurfaced, she was bright red. "It is so on Callen!'' she said.
True to her word, it was on. Grace helped Nell push Callen into the pool. As a result, Nell got pulled in and so did Grace.
As the nght went on, everybody except for the ones under 10 and over 50, were dragged into it by the end. Nell had Grace, Sam, and Ashley on her team and Callen had Michelle, Jacob, and Tod on his. evryone was soaked to the bone afterwards and with the sun almost set and the fireworks starting, Sam started the campfire to help warm every body up.
At about 10, Sam's parents had gone home and Lexi, Will, and Amanda were fast asleep in the house. Grace got up from her spot around the camp fire to grab her guitar out of the car. After getting back an tuning up, she asked for requests.
"you know Sweet Home Alabama?" Tod asked.
"Who doesn't?'' Grace replied with a smile.
She started playing. Everyone was singing by the end. Several requests and an hour later, Tod and Ashely decided it was time to head home. Grace played a couple more before it was time for everyone else to head home.
"Here, I'll help you take this out to your car," Callen said to Nell.
"Ok,'' Nell said, a little unsure. Grace smiled from where she stood packing her guitar up.
"i would like to hear the praise for giving G the little extra push he needed to help him get with Nell," Sam said, once the couple diapered behind the fence.
"He hasn't asked her out yet Sam,'' Grace repled, picking up the guitar case."Besides, all you did was invite Nell. You didn't push dad to even talk to her."
"fine, ruin my fun,'' Sam said.
"I will thank you very much.''
::
"Thanks for helping me with the crockpot Callen," Nell said, once they had gotten to her car.
"you're welcome," Callen smiled.
"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow,' Nell said, bouncing up and down on her toes.
"Yep,' G replied. "bye Nell."
"Bye Callen," Nell smiled. she got in her car and left. Once she was home, she relized that she was pretty sure her and Callen had done some pretty major flirting that night and she woundered if he relized must of, right? one thing was for sure, if he EVER brought it up she would probably be morified because tonight she had let her guard down.
::
"you ready to go Grace?" Callen asked.
"yes," She said. The two of them said goodbye to Sam and Michelle and left.
On the way home Grace fell asleep and Callen refected on the night. What was it that was going on between him and Nell tonight. It definatly qualified as flirting. They had even gotten in a full flege water war. what was going on. He had let his guard down for one night. ONE NIGHT! and now she was bound to know he had romantic feelngs for her.
"Grace wake up," Callen spoke softly once he had pulled into the drive way, "We're home."
"Mmm, Ok," She said sleepily. Callen unloaded the icechest and Grace unlocked to door.
Grace hopped through the shower so her hair wouldn't look like a puff ball in the morning and said goodnight to her dad.
Callen stayed up late, thinking about the nights events.
At about 3 A.M. he heard Grace yelling. He sighed. she really needed to talk to Nate, Heck he might even need to talk to Nate.
As he walked down the hallway he heard Grace yell again. this one sounded worse than her other night mayers. Once in her room, he shook Grace gently and called her name softly. She was swetting and getting to the point were she was thrashing violently.
"Grace!"
Her eyes opened. She starred at her father, wide eyed, her eyes glossing over with tears.
"Daddy?''
Callen instantly knew something that didnt usually happen in her dreams did tonight because she had only every called him daddy a couple times before.
"I thought, i thougth you were gone, that they'd..." Grace didn't finish before she burst into tears but she didn't have to finish for Callen to know exactly what she was going to say.
"Shh, shh, baby girl, I've got you," Callen soothed as he held her tightly. "Every thing is gonna be alright."
Grace sobbed into Callen's chest until she fell asleep. He was definaitally going to have her talk to Nate as soon as he got back from wherever he was.
::
A/N just a light fluffy chapter well until the end. It was originally better but half of it got erased and I was sooooo mad. How's life been for y'all. I've been good, but I have a problem. I've read pretty much all of the nallen stories on here ex apt for the ones with bad grammar. So to my readers. If you have an idea for a story,even if it's not nallen, I encourage you to write it. And if you want, I'll even be your beta. You know the world can never have to much nallen.
I always love to hear what you think. If you have an idea for this story let me know and if it can fit with the overall plan I have I may just use it.
Lots of love, Emily.