Authors note- This was the most emotionally challenging chapter I've written for this story. Be warned...

The date

It was quarter to seven when Nell heard a knock on her door. She applied the last layer of mascara and opened the door slightly. She smiled wide when she saw Callen dressed in a suit which if she wasn't wrong her had borrowed from Hetty. He never wore suits unless he was working an undercover case that required one. She was a sucker for him a suit. She wouldn't mind him wearing them every day for the rest of his life. His usual attire of worn jeans and T-Shirts looked great on him but she was getting bored of that.

"Good evening my lady," Callen said brightly as he took in her beautiful sight.

"Good evening to you too."

Callen pulled a dozen red roses from behind his back and handed them to her. She observed them with a smile on her face. She was a sucker for flowers too, anyone knew that but what they didn't know was that she was worse of a sucker when it came to flowers from him.

"Thank you, G, they're beautiful."

"You're beautiful."

Nell smiled, "Let me get them some water."

Nell shut the door and returned a little while later, "Let's go?"

They made their way outside and Nell noticed that Callen had walked right past his car. She eyed him curiously and he gave her a sneaky grin in reply. The two continued walking and Nell realised that the reason that Callen wanted to walk it was because it was only a few blocks away. That or because it really was a beautiful night. As they walked they got a lot of conversation in, Nell liked it, she noticed that having him at her side talking and laughing with her made her almost forget about the tough day she had endured.

"What is this?" Nell asked as they entered the restaurant. Nell's eyes danced around the well-decorated room and then landed on his glowing blue eyes.

"A reservation for Mister Callen," Callen said to the waiter before turning back to her and sliding his arm around her waist. "A gift."

Nell didn't comment further. The restaurant was rated five stars and Nell felt that it was too expensive a place for Callen to be taking her. She held back her tears when she saw the price of the starters alone.

"How are you handling everything?" Callen asked, not looking bothered by the price he'd end up paying.

"Uh, what?" Nell asked being pulled from her thoughts.

"You know, the whole family thing?"

"Right, being adopted…" Nell hadn't really spent much time focusing on that. So many things had come up since getting those results. Yes it hurt, but she wasn't in the state of mind to care about herself. She wanted to care for her sister, her mother and her real although un-biological father.

"Callen, I've stumbled upon a magnificent philosophy. Family is family. And family doesn't have to be related to you, neither does someone who is related to you have to be your family. Family are the people you love and care most about and the people who feel the same for you. You're my family, so is the rest of the team and my family who I grew up with is my family. My parents loved me to death and treated me as their own. I was theirs and they were mine, still are."

Callen smiled fully at her, he believed her. "That's great, I knew you'd be okay. With a family as crazy as you it's hard to imagine that you're not related. You know what? Your sister called me the other day. I think she has a crush on me."

Nell laughed loudly, happy to be changing the subject, "No way! Who?"

"Adelyde. I told her that she was too young for me and she said so were you."

"You're kidding! Adelyde wouldn't! She was just joking around."

Callen shook his head, "She had me believing! She then went on to threaten my life if this old man hurt you. She kind of scared me a little."

Nell laughed again. There was an age gap between them but it never bothered her. She still thought of him the same way and she doubted that would ever change.

"Yeah Addy is a little scary, she is hard on the outside but she's soft on the inside. I wish I was around often enough to do that…"

"Do you regret it?" Callen asked. "Taking the job at NCIS?"

"I probably would have taken a job in the city anyway but NCIS has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It's tough but it's rewarding."

"So you wouldn't swap it for another?"

Nell shook her head. "Only I guess… if I was forced to. Would you?"

"Not while I have this amazing team under me."

"I don't think it's normal for a group of people who work together to be as close as we all are."

"Like you said we're a family and families aren't supposed to be normal."

Nell smiled. It was true. Her family she had at work was closer to her than either of her other two. She wished she could stay with them forever.

The rest of dinner went smoothly. Each loved the others presence and neither would want to change the beautiful night. As they left the restaurant Callen slipped his arm around Nell's petite waist and squeezing her softly.

"Thank you for that," Nell said as she put her arm around him too and slipping her hand into his pocket.

"Anything for you, Nellosaurus."

Nell laughed at the ridiculous name first thought of by Deeks. She had to admit that it wasn't as annoying coming from Callen.

"Hetty said you two spent the afternoon together, what did you do?" Callen asked. "I've always found it quite strange how you two can be practically best friends."

Nell smiled widely at him, "I knew you got that suit from her!"

Callen raised his free arm in the air, "Guilty."

Nell laughed and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked through the live streets of Los Angeles. "After I met with that person for my project Hetty called and asked if I would help her shop for tea. We drove all around Los Angeles until we found this small box of Egyptian tea. That did take up the whole afternoon."

"Did she at least give you some after you found it?"

"No, but she did share some Scotch."

"Of course she did. You've got to love that woman."
"Who wouldn't?"

"Granger?'

Nell laughed. Owen Granger was the assistant director who loved keeping an eye on their team in specific. He didn't exactly agree with the way Hetty handled the team. Nell hoped he wouldn't find out what Hetty had let her do and get away with. It would most likely damage her career. "I don't know. I think he's secretly in love with her."

"What, no! Like L-O-V-E?"

"Yes!"

"But she's older than him!"

"But you're older than me!"

"But she is a woman!"

"Oh so now love just stops when it sees gender? I don't think so!"

"Hetty and Granger wouldn't work. Their personalities are too strong to make fit."

"Whatever, it doesn't mean that I can't ship them!" Nell whined.

"What the hell is 'ship?'"

Nell laughed. "Relation-Ship? Uhm…routing for their relationship? You really are getting old, aren't you?"

"Hey!"

"What?"

"I ship us…"

Nell giggled wildly and moved her hand from his pocket to his hand and squeezed it tightly. She looked up at the sky full of tiny bright lights and smiled a little wider. Callen watched as her mind left earth. He wandered what she was thinking about. It had actually become one of the questions he asked himself most often- what was she thinking about. Oh how he wanted to know.

"You know," Nell started. "My dad and I used to lay on the grass outside and just watch the stars and talk about nothing for hours. Obviously the stars are more visible in town than in the city so I loved it so much more when I got to go home. I cherished it. The last night I spent with him we did exactly that. I'm so grateful that my last memory of him was a good one."

"What's your favourite star?" Callen asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean everyone has a favourite star. I want to know which yours is."

Nell pulled Callen off the sidewalk and lay on the ground, not caring if she ruined her perfect dress. Callen followed her and put his arm out for her to rest her head on just in time. They looked up at the sky, ignoring the stares and comments from the passing people. It was a beautiful clear night and the stars were mostly visible. Callen couldn't help but wonder if the universe had made it like that just for them.

"Do you see that biggish start up there with a shade of yellow?" Nell asked pointing to the sky.

"Yes I see it."

"Count one-two-three big stars north and then one-two-three small stars east. That's it. It's not big. It's actually quite small but it gives off so much light it is astonishing. I love it. You can be a nobody in society but have such a big impact on people that can't be removed. That's what inspired me to make this career choice."

Callen smiled and linked his fingers with Nell except for one that pointed to the sky. "You see that star, the closest to yours? That's me. That's my star. I want to be the closest one to you. You're the most beautiful star in the sky and the only one I want to see. I want to be impacted to most by you, by your brightness."

Nell shook her head and stared at him with sad eyes. "No you don't."

"I do, Nell. I really do. I've fallen in love with you. I love you."

Nell stared into his eyes and felt pain all over her body. He said the words he'd never said to anyone before her. She saw the truth in his eyes. It was the last thing she wanted to hear. That he had fallen for her. She didn't think she deserved it. She didn't want to hurt him. She knew that she most likely would. He was without a doubt the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She felt a tear fall from her eye as she spoke. "I love you too."

Seeing the tear, Callen wiped it away with his thumb and placed a soft kiss to her cheek. He didn't understand why she was crying but he told her not to anyway.

It didn't take much longer for them to get back to Nell's apartment. At the door Callen leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Goodnight, Nell."

Nell turned towards her door and stared at it hesitantly. Finally she spun around to find Callen walking away. His footsteps were too loud in her ears.

"Callen," She called out to him and he turned to see her sad face. "Please, please don't leave…"

Callen nodded and walked back to her quickly before wrapping her in his arms and sealing it with a strong passionate kiss.

Nell pulled him inside her dark apartment and neither of them bothered to turn on the lights.

###

It was approximately 1am when Nell awoke in tears. She couldn't breathe. She could only feel the pain that had taken over each corner of her heart. Callen had said that he loved her. She said it back. She meant it. She knew that they could never be. It hurt, it felt like someone had stabbed a large hole into her heart and had left her to bleed. She looked at the sleeping figure beside her. The lights didn't need to be on for her to know what he looked like when he was asleep. He looked peaceful and happy, that was something you didn't get to see often with him. She climbed out of her bed and found her way to her bathroom. She didn't want to wake him. She closed the door and sat on the cold tiled floor. She wanted to make herself stop crying but every attempt she made failed. So she just sat there, alone, wishing with all her might that she didn't have to do it…

###

The morning sun shone brightly through the windows of Nell's apartment pulling Callen from the best night's sleep he'd had in a long time. He stretched his arm out towards Nell but only found cold sheets. He opened his eyes and sat up immediately. There was something missing. He looked around and cursed heavily.

"NELL!" he shouted as he ran through the apartment.

Finally. Not finding her. He sat on the floor in her kitchen and buried his face in his hands. Her apartment was half empty. She was nowhere to be found. He clenched his cheat where the pain was and picked himself up. On the countertop lay the beautiful red roses he'd given her the previous night and a note in her handwriting.

G…

Hetty has taken over the lease for my apartment until she can sell it. I told her to give all of my furniture to you. I know you could use it.

I love you. I know that those words have brought you so much pain in the past because they were untrue and meaningless. When you said those words to me last night I knew what they meant to you. That's why I cried. I knew that what you were saying was true, our love really is real. That's what hurt. Because I finally found you. I finally found love that was real. Love that I could see lasting. But I had to leave it. I had to leave you behind. I meant what I said. I really do love you. You do things to me that no one else ever could.

I am not able to tell you why but I really do have to leave. I am forced to. I don't want you hurt so I have o do this. You're too important to me.

I could never apologize more for allowing you to put your trust in me. I broke it. you never deserved that.

Please don't put Hetty through hell for not telling you where I am. Don't even let her know that you know that she knows. I asked her not to tell anyone. Please don't try find me Callen? I don't want to be found. Please?

I will always love you. Always.

-Nell

He didn't understand it. Everything was finally going back on track then this happened. He thought she was beginning to come to peace with the whole situation. He was wrong. He was very wrong. Why would she go? Where would she go? What forced her? He looked down and didn't bother to stop the multitude of tears that were falling from his eyes. The love of his life was gone. The love of his life had run from him.