A/N - Emma's, Callen's and then Jacob's view. Hope you like it. Any mistakes are mine.

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

Prom Night Part 3

Emma's POV

"Mum, is Dad really okay with this?" she asked whilst her mother finished putting her hair up.

"Of course he is. He trusts Callen," Lauren said.

"Trust is one thing for Dad, being okay with this is completely different," she said. She hadn't been sure that tonight would happen for a while, even after his offer to take her. Dad and his older guy thing. She'd never minded about that rule before.

"Emma, you wouldn't be allowed out of the house if he didn't trust Callen with you," Lauren said.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked so different. Her mum was great at doing stuff with hair, she just hoped it stayed in because she had no idea how to fix it.

"All done," Lauren said finished with the hair spray.

She stood up and slipped on her shoes. Turning around for her mum to check everything over.

"So, do I look okay?" she asked her mum, suddenly nervous.

"You look beautiful Emma," Lauren said smiling at her.

"Dad still going to let me out of the house?" she asked. He hadn't seen her in the dress yet. They'd brought it whilst he had been away. She was sure that her father would prefer her to be wearing something resembling a potato sack, a very large potato sack.

"Let me worry about that. Shall we go see if your date is ready? It's almost time for you to go," Lauren said.

She turned around and looked in the mirror once more. Was she ready? She wasn't sure. She wanted to go and she wanted to go with him. These feelings were so different than the ones she'd had about going with Steve. She wasn't sure if it was just that she was grateful that he had rescued her from not going to her prom, or if it was because of the feelings for him that she had been pushing away for the last three weeks. After all she was just a kid and it's not likely he felt anything more than that for her, even if she did for him. She just hoped her father didn't realise any of this, otherwise she was sure he would change his mind and lock her in her room until he left.

"Ok, let's go face the music," she said, turning back to her mum with a smile. Lauren smiled at her gently.

"You really like him don't you?" Lauren asked.

"What?" she asked. Please tell me it's not that obvious.

"Callen," Lauren confirmed.

"Mum, he's nice. What's not to like?" Emma answered, hoping it sounded generic enough.

"Let's go," Lauren said. She breathed a sigh of relief that the questioning had stopped and sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening that her father wouldn't have the same insight as her mother did.

They got to the top of the stairs and heard voices downstairs. Lauren called down to them before she realised what was her mum was doing.

"She's ready." Lauren said and she felt the butterflies in her stomach go hyper. She started going down the stairs hoping to be at the bottom before anyone could see her. She wasn't that lucky. She was only a few steps down when he and her father moved into the entry way and looked up at her. Her breath caught as she saw him dressed up and realised that this could be harder than she thought. He looked really good in a suit. She looked away from him to her father, hoping that neither of them had been able to read her reaction. Her father smiled at her, that was promising. She kept moving down the stairs, having to look at the steps because she didn't think she could concentrate on her steps if she was looking at him. When she got to the bottom she finally looked up at him, a nervous smile on her face.

"Hi," she said, looking closely at him to try and figure out what he was thinking.

"Hi. Very nice," Callen said, smiling back at her. She blushed slightly and turned to her father.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, mentally crossing her fingers that he wouldn't stop her going out.

Her father took her hand and twirled her around slowly.

"Beautiful, but then I always knew that about you," he said, leaning over to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"So, I can still go?" she asked.

Her father pulled her into a hug, "Of course you can, just be grateful that Steve changed his mind otherwise I'd be saying no," he said quietly in her ear.

She stepped back and looked at Callen

"Guess it's time to go," she said.

"Photo first," Lauren said. She turned around to look at her mother. "One photo okay?" Lauren asked. She hated her photo being taken, at least normally. This time she didn't mind so much. She wanted to remember tonight.

She turned to Callen and gave him a questioning look.

"Fine by me," Callen said. They stepped back together near the wall and turned to face her mother. She felt his arm slip around her waist and tried hard not to give an obvious reaction. Her father could still change his mind. Lauren took the photo. She started to move to the door, Callen followed. Her father opened it for them and she smiled at him. She stopped and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Dad," she whispered to him.

He smiled back, "Have fun," he said.

She walked out the door and heard her father say quietly to Callen as he passed, "Remember, just friends." She blushed and hoped that the makeup her mother had done would hide it.

Callen held the car door open for her and when she was close to him, he said quietly, "You look beautiful Em."

She looked back at him, bit her lip nervously but managed to say, "Thanks," and smile at him before getting into the car.

Callen's POV

He was ready and he and Jacobs were sitting in the lounge room waiting for Emma. Thankfully, the talk was easy. Perhaps because Jacobs didn't feel like this was a real date so he wasn't questioning Callen about his intentions.

They heard Lauren's voice from the top of the stairs, "She's ready," and they stood up together and went out to see.

He looked up the stairs and couldn't quite believe that it was her. She looked so grown up and beautiful. Suddenly he didn't see her as a little sister anymore and he hoped Jacobs had no idea of the change. He saw her look at him and pause slightly on her way down. She glanced briefly at her father and then looked down watching the stairs as she continued down. He wasn't quite sure why, but at least it gave him a chance to get a grip on the attraction he had felt for her. She finally looked at him when she got to the bottom and smiled. It looked like she was nervous.

"Hi," Emma said. She was watching him carefully and he wondered if she had noticed anything different.

"Hi. Very nice," he said, smiling back at her. It was the safest answer he could say in front of Jacobs.

Emma turned to face her father.

"So, what do you think?" Emma asked Jacobs.

Jacobs took her hand and twirled her around slowly. He watched as well, the full picture confirming his initial opinion. She looked beautiful, grown up and not seventeen. He tried to find the 'little sister' feelings that he'd had over the last few weeks but it was like they had completely disappeared.

"Beautiful, but then I always knew that about you," Jacobs said, leaning over to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"So, I can still go?" Emma asked. He held back a smile at that, waiting for Jacobs' answer, wondering if he would say no. Jacobs probably would have liked to if he knew what he'd had been thinking.

Jacobs pulled her into a hug, "Of course you can, just be grateful that Steve changed his mind otherwise I'd be saying no," he said quietly in her ear. Callen heard him and smiled this time.

Emma stepped back and looked at him.

"Guess it's time to go," Emma said.

"Photo first," Lauren said. Emma turned around to look at her mother. "One photo okay?" Lauren asked. He wasn't sure whether Emma would agree, he knew she hated her picture being taken. Emma turned and gave him a questioning look, almost like she was asking his permission.

"Fine by me," he said. They stepped back together near the wall and turned to face her mother. He slipped his arm around her waist, standing close to her. He could smell her perfume and it felt very right having her so close. After the photo Emma started to move to the door and he followed. Jacobs opened it for them. Emma stopped and reached up to give Jacobs a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Dad," she whispered.

Jacobs smiled back, "Have fun," he said.

Emma continued out the door and Jacobs place a slight restraining hand on him as he passed, "Remember, just friends," Jacobs said quietly. He nodded, though he wasn't quite as sure of that as he had been this afternoon when he'd easily agreed. He still wasn't quite sure why things had changed, it couldn't just be the dress. He wasn't that shallow.

He held the car door open for her and when she was close to him, he said quietly, "You look beautiful Em."

Emma looked at him and he saw her bite her lip nervously before she said quietly, "Thanks," and smiled at him.

He closed the door after she had gotten in and took a deep breath as he walked around the car. Just friends, you don't want to get on Jacobs bad side.

Jacob's POV

He was in the lounge room with Callen waiting for Emma. They were just talking about general stuff, as they normally did. They heard Lauren's voice from the top of the stairs, "She's ready," and they stood up together and went out to see.

He looked up the stairs at Emma, she looked so grown up. He looked past her to Lauren and saw the nod and look that Lauren gave him. Emma was nervous and Lauren needed his help. That and Lauren didn't want him to make a fuss over the dress, but she'd already told him about it earlier. She wasn't his little girl tonight, she was a beautiful young woman going to her prom. He glanced sideways at Callen, wondering if agreeing had been a mistake. He could see the appreciation in Callen's eyes and felt nervous, not something he liked to feel when it came to his daughters. He watched Emma walk carefully down the stairs, watching where she put her feet. When she finally got to the bottom she looked at Callen and smiled. That smile made him even more nervous, but she looked happy, so he reigned in the desire to ground her there and then and send her to her room.

"Hi," Emma said. She sounded nervous.

"Hi. Very nice," Callen said, smiling back at her. Very nice huh?

Emma turned to face him.

"So, what do you think?" Emma asked.

He took her hand and twirled her around slowly. "Beautiful, but then I always knew that about you," he said, leaning over to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"So, I can still go?" Emma asked. No, you can go to your room and let me pretend that you are five again. But he didn't say that even though he wanted to. He pulled her into a hug, "Of course you can, just be grateful that Steve changed his mind otherwise I'd be saying no," he said quietly in her ear. At least this way, he trusted that Callen would behave. Because Callen knew exactly what he was capable of, Steve didn't.

Emma stepped back and looked at Callen.

"Guess it's time to go," Emma said.

"Photo first," Lauren said. Emma turned around to look at her mother. "One photo okay?" Lauren asked.

Emma turned and gave Callen a questioning look, almost like she was asking his permission. He wasn't sure if he wanted a photo to prove tonight happened. He was still in denial that she was growing up. At least he still had Claire.

"Fine by me," Callen said. They stepped back together near the wall and turned to face Lauren. He watch as Callen slipped his arm around Emma's waist, standing close to her. Suddenly he was wishing he was on a mission and hadn't had to witness tonight. It was almost like it was one of the hardest things he had to do, let his little girl grow up. After the photo Emma started to move to the door and Callen followed. He moved over and opened it for them. Emma stopped and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Dad," she whispered.

He smiled back, "Have fun."

Emma continued out the door and he placed a slight restraining hand on Callen as he passed, "Remember, just friends," Jacobs said quietly, hoping Emma wouldn't hear. Callen nodded, but didn't actually look at him. He watched them walk to the car and Callen open the door for her. He saw her pause, look at Callen and say something with a smile before she got in. He watched Callen walk to the other side. And he watched them drive away, all the time wondering whether he had done the right thing. He knew this made Emma happy, but would there be a price to pay later? He hoped not, because if there was, Callen would pay a bigger one if he hurt her.

"They're gone Craig, come inside," Lauren said to him.

He turned back and looked at her. She smiled at him, "She's going to fine Craig. She a sensible girl and remember, you trust Callen with your life."

"I know," he replied. He walked inside and pulled Lauren in for a hug.

"What was that for?" Lauren asked when he pulled back.

"A Sorry. I had a call from work, I have to go into the office for a while," he said.

"Oh, I had plans for us, with Emma being out and Claire being at that sleepover," Lauren said with a smile on her face he always found hard to resist.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise," he said, grabbing his keys and jacket. He leaned over and kissed her goodbye.

"Keep the plans in mind for later," he whispered before he turned and left.

He hated lying to her but he couldn't do it. He couldn't let Emma go out with an older guy, at least not without keeping an eye on her. He might trust Callen with his life, but he just wasn't sure if he trusted Callen with a part of his heart. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do when he got there, but he'd figure it out. Mainly, he just needed to make sure he wasn't spotted.