A/N - Hope you enjoy a little Christmas magic in the middle of the year. countrygirluk56 - I tried to keep the steam to a minimum, at least in the first part of the Christmas Adventure! Honestly I did, just not entirely successful.
Lines usually indicate a change of pov but I've put a note in some of them just to help keep it clear. Mostly from Callen's view though as normal.
Enjoy.
Chapter 21
A few days before Christmas
"I've never done this," Sarah admitted.
"Never?" Callen looked up at her from tying her skates.
Sarah shook her head.
"Why not?"
"Too risky. With competitions and training, too much chance that things would go wrong. Honestly, the idea of moving around on a knife on a slippery surface doesn't appeal to me."
"You've got great balance." One last knot and he was done.
"On a solid floor yes."
Callen chuckled. "Sarah, you can dance in three inch heels and make it look like you're floating on a cloud. This should be a piece of cake."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence but it's still going to hurt when I fall."
Callen pulled her up from the bench seat. He shifted in close when she wobbled. "I promise I'll kiss you better later."
"In proportion to how much it hurts? Because I believe ice is a pretty hard surface with no flexibility at all, unlike wood flo-"
Callen cut off her ramble with a kiss. "If that's what it takes," he said, "the kisses will be in proportion to your pain."
There was a flicker of something in her eyes. He shook his head slightly and smiled. "Why do I have a feeling I just walked right into that one."
"Probably because you did," came Sam's voice from behind them, a hint of laughter in it.
"Come on Uncle G," came another little voice from just above Sam's knee. "I'm ready."
Callen kept his hold on Sarah but turned enough to face Kamran. "Can you give me a few minutes with Sarah? She's never done this before."
"Promise you'll chase me?"
"I promise I'll catch you too."
Kamran nodded and headed out, confidence in her step as she took off as soon as she had both skates on the ice.
"This'll be a first," Sarah said.
Callen raised an eyebrow in question.
"I'm used to four year olds running rings around me while I try and teach them. Not while they try and teach me."
"Trust me. I've got you."
Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go then. I'm not getting any more ready standing here."
Callen stepped onto the ice and held his hands out to her. Sam helped her move close enough to take them. Callen started moving backwards and pulled her along slowly. She didn't seem very stable.
Sarah clung to his hands tightly and glanced back at the exit. "You know let's just… "
Callen shook his head. "Nope. You're not chickening out."
"I'm not," Sarah protested. "I never chicken out. This is called self protection."
"Bend your knees," Callen ignored her comment. "Relax and breathe."
"You make it sound so simple."
"It is."
"For you maybe," Sarah muttered under her breath but Callen heard it anyway and fought back a smile. She had managed to bend her knees a little.
"Push to the side not straight back," Callen told her. "Otherwise you'll trip."
Sarah pushed just a little but there was no way she was relaxed enough. Callen caught her around the waist and spun them to the side barrier. She squealed and grabbed his shoulders. When he had them safely stopped he kissed her. It didn't take much to get a welcoming response. He pushed the surprise advantage and deepened the kiss. The taste and feel of her was distracting yet, this time, he made sure to keep a part of his awareness on how tense she was. He continued to kiss her until he felt her relax into him fully, until her responses let him know she'd gotten to the point where the only thing that registered was his kiss and being in his arms. When he pulled back she had a slightly dazed expression on her face.
Callen brushed a thumb gently over her kiss-swollen bottom lip and smiled. "Relaxed now?" he asked.
Sarah frowned, confusion flitted across her features. Callen moved her a little away from him and made the most of it by getting her moving before she could think too much and tense up again.
"Push from the inside of the blade to move your other foot forward."
This time Sarah seemed to get it and they managed to make their way around the rink slowly but steadily.
"See," Callen said. "Not that bad."
Sarah smiled at him with a little shake of her head. "Not sure the distraction technique is how they'd teach in skate school but it seemed to work in this case."
They skated a few more laps and Callen helped her get the hang of a couple more ways to move on the ice. She had picked it up easily, though she would be a lot better if she relaxed more. He contemplated another kiss but Kamran skated past which reminded him of his promise. He delivered Sarah back to Sam and Michelle at the barrier. Neither of them particularly enjoyed skating and since he did, it was an activity he got to enjoy on his own with Kamran.
"I have a little girl who's wanting a game of catch," Callen told Sarah. "You can join us or wait here and I'll come back for you."
"I'll be fine right here," Sarah said quickly.
Callen brushed a light kiss on her lips before he turned and found Kamran coming up behind him. He caught her, before she passed him, lifted her up to get the squeal he knew would come, before he put her back on her feet. "Let's go."
Sarah POV
Sarah watched G chase Kamran around the ice, catching her before she ran into any trouble and being 'caught' himself even though she knew there was no way Kamran could've caught him if he'd skated as well as she suspected he did.
"He's good with her." Sam's voice brought her attention briefly away from G. "You should hear her beg him for stories at night when he's there."
Sarah smiled. "She looks like she's got him wrapped around her little finger."
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "He'll make a great dad of his own one day, even with everything he went through."
Sarah froze. Sam wasn't hinting at what she thought was he? She glanced over at him.
"Just saying," Sam continued, a not quite innocent tone to his voice. "He's good with little kids. What about you? You want kids?"
Did she want kids?
If Sam had asked her that a few years ago she'd have given him an indifferent answer. Sure she liked kids, loved them even. How could you not with Maggie's family. They were adorable and fun but that hadn't meant she'd wanted her own. In all honesty she'd worried that she wouldn't be any good at it. Given how her parents were with her, she'd worried what if she was like that with a child of her own? That thought had been sad enough to make her think more than twice about having kids. She knew you didn't need to be blood related to love someone. Maggie's parents, Michael and Emily, and their family were proof beyond a doubt, Dom's family too. But the 'what if' had stayed in the back of her mind even with all that.
What if it was something she inherited from them? What if that strong bond, that protectiveness and love everyone thinks a parent should feel for their child wasn't something she was capable of? Even though she knew she could, and did, love deeply the doubt had lingered.
Until Emma and Ellie had come along.
The first time the nurse had placed Emma on her chest, when they'd still be in NICU, she'd fallen so hard. This tiny little thing that was so dependent on them, at that point for everything even warmth. Emma wasn't even hers but her heart had ached with the amount of love this tiny little person had pulled out of her in that small moment. She was sure it had doubled when Emma's little fingers had grasped onto her pinky finger, even though her logical mind, and the nurses, told her it was just a reflex.
That moment was when she'd realised that her parents problem with loving her was just that - her parents problem. It certainly wasn't hers. Looking down at the top of Emma's head she'd known then that she would go to the ends of the earth to protect this little one in her arms; her and her sister. If she felt that much for Emma, she knew she could love her own the same. That had been the moment she'd realised that one day she'd want her own, because the doubts that she wouldn't love them enough had evaporated in an instant. If her parents had the ability to love her half as much as she already loved Emma and Ellie, her life would've been different. It would've been filled with love from them.
But if she was to have her own, she needed someone to share that journey with. Someone that would love them, and her, like she did - with everything they had. Not like her parents had, but like Maggie's parents did. Like Maggie and Joe did.
Her gaze drifted to G, still playing catch with Kamran, completely unaware of the question Sam had just tossed out of the blue at her.
They hadn't discussed children yet. Being totally honest, the future was scary to think about. Not because she didn't want to have a future with him. But because there was a higher risk than normal that he wouldn't be around. It wasn't a fact she could ignore. Dom's death made that very clear.
There was nothing more in the world she wanted than to share the rest of her life with him, preferably a long one. The reality was his job was dangerous so she tried to avoid thinking too far into the future; like where things might be in five years. She'd made her choice to be with him even knowing what she was getting into. She tried hard to enjoy each and every moment; tried not to let the worry of what might be interfere. She wasn't anywhere near 100% successful but she was getting better.
As for kids, she knew there was that possibility that he might not want to have them. If having children had been a deal breaker she'd have brought it up long before now. Yes, she'd be disappointed but she had him and if that was all there was, then so be it. He was enough. Without him, she wouldn't be whole.
Sarah pushed that thought out of her head because it would only lead to more thoughts about life without him, and came back to Sam's question. The real question right now was, was Sam asking because he wanted to know or because G wanted to know. As soon as the thought came into her head she shook it off. If G wanted to know he'd just ask her. So she figured this was coming from Sam.
Sarah let out a slow breath before she turned to Sam, smiled and deflected the question. "Don't worry Sam. You've got plenty of time on your biological clock."
"Excuse me?"
Michelle tried to stifle a giggle which made it harder for Sarah to fight to keep this serious. She didn't often get a chance to mess with Sam's head.
"I get it," Sarah nodded. "You want to be an uncle and you're worried you're going to miss out."
"No," Sam protested. Michelle laughed out loud. "It's G," Sam said, "he's getting older."
"Nothing to worry about Sam." Sarah tried not to let too much of a smile on her face. It wasn't easy. "There's nothing wrong with G's ability to perform." Then she pushed off the barrier, made her way across the ice slowly to Callen and Kamran and hoped like crazy Sam would drop the subject.
Callen POV
"She ventures out on her own," Callen said. "I must be a good teacher." He reached out to Sarah and pulled her close, not entirely sure how good her stopping skills were. "That or Sam's driven you away," Callen added.
Sarah blushed.
"Second one huh. What did he say?"
"Nothing you need to know."
Callen glanced up at Sam and Michelle. Sam looked a little startled, confused or embarrassed, he wasn't quite sure which. "Or perhaps I should ask what you said to him."
"So Kamran," Sarah ignored him which just made him more curious. "How about you show me what you can do?"
Kamran took Sarah's hand and they started to move. Callen stayed close enough to intervene but let Sarah skate on her own. She was doing pretty good. Perhaps skating with Kamran would be a good thing.
After a lap Kamran looked up at him and said "I can take care of Sarah, Uncle G. You can go."
Sarah laughed. "I think you've been dismissed," she said with a smile.
So did he. Looks like he wasn't the only one Kamran wanted to skate with now. He didn't mind though. "You okay?"
Sarah nodded. "I'll be fine. I promise I won't go too fast."
"Be good Kam," Callen warned gently. Kamran could skate quite well and he hoped she understood that Sarah didn't.
"I will," Kamran piped up and took Sarah's hand again.
Callen watched them for a few moments to make sure they were okay before he headed back to Sam and Michelle. He was curious what had sent Sarah running but didn't come straight out and ask. The looks Michelle kept throwing at Sam made him more than a little curious.
Sam pointed to Sarah and Kamran. Callen looked over at them. He smiled and watched as Sarah spun Kamran around with her hand, like they were dancing. They were laughing and having fun. That's what he hoped for from today. It was almost Christmas and she'd agreed to stay in LA for it rather than going back to Denver. They were going to head out there for New Year's instead. He wanted to make this first one together special.
"She's good with kids," Sam said. Callen turned when he heard Michelle make a noise that almost sounded like a snort.
"Yes she is," Callen agreed. He'd seen Sarah with her family. He'd also watched one of her classes they ran for little kids and their parents. She'd made it fun and, even though what the kids had done wouldn't be anything he would call actual dancing, those little ones had left with big smiles on their faces.
"Have you thought about kids yet?"
Michelle smacked Sam on the arm. "Sam! That's enough."
Callen chuckled. So this was what had sent Sarah scurrying away. The inevitable 'do you want kids' conversation. Probably something that should've been between the two of them rather than instigated by Sam, but then Sam had always been at him to find a nice girl. Now he'd found one, kids was bound to be the next thing for him on Sam's agenda.
"I'm serious," Sam said. "Come on G. You've found your girl. Now you just need the final piece."
"Sam, we don't need kids to be happy."
"Are you saying you don't want them?"
"All I'm saying is there's plenty of time for us to decide." Giving Sam a straight answer wouldn't be all that much fun.
"You're not getting any younger." Ouch. He wasn't that old. He might be a couple of years older than Sam but still. He wouldn't take that lying down.
"You know Sam, I've heard that men can father children right up until old age. And Sarah's still young. Plus," Callen smirked, "they say practice makes perfect."
Michelle laughed, Sam spluttered and Callen turned back to Sarah and Kamran in time to see a beginner skater flailing just behind them. He pushed off, skated quickly to them but there wasn't enough time and Sarah was crashed into and taken down.
"You okay?" Callen held out a hand to help her up.
"Ow."
"Need a kiss?"
"More than one." She held up her right hand.
"Ouch." There was a nice inch long cut in her hand. Hopefully it wouldn't require stitches but until it was cleaned up he couldn't be sure.
"I'm sorry Sarah," Kamran's voice came from below, a little shaky.
Sarah leaned down carefully to be closer to Kamran's eye level. Callen kept a good hold on her.
"It's okay Kam," Sarah said in a soft voice. "It's just an accident. That's all. I'll be fine."
"But you're bleeding." There was definite worry in Kamran's voice.
"Yes, she is," Callen said. "Let's get off and take care of her." He put one hand around Sarah's waist, reached out to Kamran with the other hand and guided the girls off the ice. Sam picked Kamran up and moved her out of the way. Callen guided Sarah to the first aid hut. He convinced them to let him take care of her himself.
"Sorry this is going to sting." Callen started to clean up with cut as gently as he could.
Sarah hissed when he put the antiseptic on it.
"Doesn't look too bad now it's clean," Callen told her. "I'm sorry," he added as he dabbed the cut dry. It shouldn't need stitches but it would be uncomfortable for a while.
"For what?"
"You're hurt. I shouldn't have pushed you."
"G," Sarah said softly. "It's not your fault." She reached out with her good hand and lifted his gaze to hers. "It was an accident."
"If I hadn't left you alone -" Sarah placed a finger on his lips.
"It could just as easily been me to crash into someone else. G. I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."
Callen put some butterfly strips over it and then started to wrap it with a bandage.
"Still, you got hurt." He frowned. "Maybe we shouldn't have come."
"And miss out on the fun?" Sarah grinned. "And the kisses you now owe me?"
Callen started to smile but a small flinch from her when he secured the bandage on her hand had it disappear quickly.
"G, stop feeling guilty," Sarah said. "We'll be back with Kam in a minute and if she sees it then how do you think she's going to feel? She was the one I was with and the one who sent you away. It's no one's fault."
Sarah had point. Callen couldn't let Kamran feel bad about this. With her good hand she pulled him close, brushed a kiss over his lips and smiled. "And that's not one of the ones you owe me."
"Hurts more than that huh?" Callen rested his hand beside her legs on the bed and he leaned in close to repeat the kiss but a much longer one.
There was a sparkle in her eye when he broke the kiss.
"Just how much hurt can I get away with without you worrying?" Sarah asked.
Callen smiled. "Guess I should take you home and find out."
A spark of heat flared in her eyes. "Didn't we agree to dinner too?"
"We did." Home would have to wait. If Callen ditched to take Sarah home no doubt Kamran would think Sarah's injury was bad. Callen stood up and stepped back so she could get up. He reached out and steadied her when she wobbled. He'd forgotten she still had the skates on.
"Well then," Sarah said, "Now I'm patched up, let's get back on the ice before we have dinner."
"You want to get back on?" That was surprising.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I'm stubborn and I'm not going to finish like this." Sarah slipped her good arm around his neck. "Please G," she said softly. "Will you take me back on the ice for just a little bit?"
When she looked at him like that she could get him to do anything.
"Okay," Callen agreed, "but I'm not leaving your side."
Sarah smiled. "I'm good with that."
Sam POV
"Sam," Michelle said. "Look at him."
Sam looked at Callen and smiled. Callen was back out on the ice with Sarah. He smiling and relaxed. To be honest, Sam couldn't remember a time when he'd seen his friend looking like this.
"He's happy," Michelle said. "Stop pushing the idea of kids on him. Let him enjoy this time."
"He's missed so much." Sam slipped his arm around Michelle's waist and pulled her close. "Don't want him to miss anything else."
"She's good for him." Michelle's hand covered his on the barrier. "If anything he's got more of a chance now to not miss out than he had before. More reasons to come home at the end of the day, to play things a little bit safer."
"I know." But damn if he didn't want to see his friend as happy and with a full a life as he had. Callen had missed out on so much and now he had his girl. Someone who he was able to be himself with, who loved him for who he really was and Sam wanted Callen to have it all. Was there anything wrong with that?
"They haven't even been together for year, Sam. Give them time."
Michelle slipped her hand up to his cheek and brought his face to look at hers. "You don't want to chase her off do you?"
"I won't." With everything those two had been through a little prodding about kids wasn't going to send Sarah anywhere.
"Then wait for a bit."
"Til next year?"
Michelle rolled her eyes at him and Sam smiled.
"Late next year," Michelle told him, "since there's hardly any left of this one."
"Okay," Sam agreed. Michelle pulled his face down for a kiss but before their lips could meet Kamran was tugging on his arm
"Daddy, can we eat yet?"
Michelle chuckled. "Yeah," she said. "Let him enjoy the benefits of pre-children first."
Sam smiled and picked Kamran up. As much as he didn't particularly appreciate the interruptions, and there were many, he wouldn't have it any other way. Kamran and Aiden were two things in his life he did not regret at all.
Callen POV
"You know you're actually doing pretty good when you relax." Callen held her good hand as they moved slowly but smoothly around the ice.
"Guess you are a good teacher."
Callen pulled Sarah into his arms and steered her to the barrier. She wobbled a bit. "Hey!"
"Come on." Callen smiled. "I haven't kissed you better yet."
Callen lifted her bandaged hand and kissed it over were the cut was. She smiled. He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers before he deepened the kiss.
"Down payment for later," Callen murmured when it was over. He moved to lean against the barrier next to her. A glance at Sam showed Sam was watching them while talking to Michelle.
"So did Sam give you the kid talk too?" Callen looked back at her as he asked the question. He wanted to see her reaction to his words. Sarah's eyes widened.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"Say?"
Callen's lips twitched but he didn't smile. "To the do you want kids question."
Sarah glanced away. "I didn't exactly answer."
Callen waited. Sarah eventually looked back at him and sighed before she answered.
"I told him he had plenty of time on his biological clock for becoming an uncle."
"What else?"
"What do you mean what else?"
"Come on." Callen raised an eyebrow. "I know there was more to it because I swear he was close to blushing."
Sarah bit her bottom lip then rolled her eyes. "Fine. He suggested you were getting older. I told him he didn't have to worry about your performance."
Callen laughed. One day Sam would learn to be careful around Sarah. Given the way she turned Deeks' comments back on him he thought it would've happened by now.
"What did he say to that?"
"I didn't hang around to hear."
Callen shifted and trapped her between his body, his arms and the barrier. Trapped her with his eyes too. "What's the real answer?" he asked softly.
"About?"
Oh Sarah knew exactly what he was asking and she was nervous. Her eyes gave her away. Callen wondered whether he should give her an out, not ask the question, but then he was almost positive he knew the answer already. And, now that the elephant in the room was there so to speak, thanks in part to Sam and his own curiosity about her answer, perhaps it was the time to push, just a little. It didn't need an outright discussion, just enough so they knew for sure that they were both on the same general page.
"Do you want kids?"
Sarah swallowed and let out a slow breath before she spoke. "Someday," she admitted. "Not ready yet."
Callen smiled. He moved his head close to hers. Just before his lips touched hers he whispered, "Someday sounds good."
That's all they needed for now. They had plenty of time. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her again, his arms moved around her waist and he pulled her close. A soft moan rumbled in her throat. Her arms moved around his neck and she gave as good as he did to the kiss. He felt himself start to lose track of where they were and pulled back.
"Time to go," he said. Sarah blinked up at him and gave a little shake to her head. He loved that he affected her so much when he kissed her. They skated over to Sam, Michelle and Kamran. Callen stepped off first and helped Sarah off the ice onto the rubber matting.
"Can we go for hot dogs now Uncle G?"
"Sure."
"And ice cream?"
Callen looked at Sam. Sam shrugged. "This is Uncle G's shout. Up to you."
"My shout?" Sam and Michelle had been the ones to invite them out. He wasn't quite sure when things had changed.
"She asked you about dinner." Sam grinned. "You said yes, therefore you're up."
Well then, if that's the way Sam wanted to play it, he could play the game too.
"Ice cream too then." Callen crouched down so he was eye level with Kamran's level. "And maybe s'more's after and we can't forget the hot chocolate and -"
"Hey," Sam interrupted. "That's plenty of sugar for one night."
Callen looked up at Sam with a look that was definitely not as innocent as the tone in his voice as he said. "But you said it was up to me."
"Then she comes home with you tonight," Sam fired back.
Callen rose and slipped an arm around Sarah's shoulders. He glanced at her before looking back at Sam. A quick raise of an eyebrow and a smirk on his face. "Not if you want me to get started on that practice."
Sam spluttered, Michelle laughed and Sarah looked at them all curiously.
"Is there something I'm missing?" she asked.
"Oh honey," Michelle said, "with these two, there's always something missing."
Callen grinned. "Let's get these skates off and feed the little monster." He ruffled Kamran's hair as he spoke.
"My baby girl isn't a little monster," Sam defended his offspring. "She's the perfect angel."
Callen looked at Sam, his lips twitched but he held back the smile. "That's before all the sugar."
Christmas morning
Callen reached behind him, pulled a soft blanket off the couch and brought it over their cooling bodies where they were lying on the rug on the floor next to the Christmas tree. It may be California but there was a definite chill in the air this Christmas morning. He smiled.
"That is most definitely my favourite Christmas present."
Sarah gave a soft laugh. The lights from the Christmas tree danced over her skin that the blanket didn't cover. "That wasn't your present," she said.
"I don't know." Callen let his fingers drift over the exposed skin of her shoulders and arm. "I think something under the tree that I get to unwrap and enjoy qualifies as a present."
"Then I guess I don't need to give you the other one."
Callen leaned over and brushed a soft kiss over her lips. "Never said you had to get me something."
"We agreed." Sarah's hand caught the back of his neck so she reached up to give him a soft kiss of her own. "Only if we find something that we think is perfect."
"You were." Callen deepened the kiss.
Sarah sighed contentedly when the kiss eventually finished. She smiled, reached under the tree and brought back a small envelope which she gave to him.
Callen slid his finger under the flap before he pulled out two tickets. He turned them over.
"Tchaikovsky?" The tickets were to the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. Callen narrowed his gaze at her. "Have you been talking to Hetty?" Hetty knew how much he liked this composer's music. She'd been the one to introduce him to the music a long time ago. He'd found some kind of connection to it that he couldn't explain.
Sarah shook her head. "I don't need Hetty to tell me you like him. It's him or Rachmanioff that you choose every time you put the music on for dinner here."
"Maybe I thought you'd like it." He hadn't realised that.
"I do, wouldn't be on my shelf if I didn't," Sarah said. "But I also have about ten other classical composers there too yet those are the only ones you choose."
"Two tickets? Any idea who I should take?"
Sarah smiled up at him."Your present, your choice."
"Don't think Sam would be interested," Callen faked thought. He knew exactly who he was going to take.
"If Hetty knows you like him, maybe you should take her," Sarah suggested.
Callen studied her for a moment. She was serious. She really didn't mind who he took.
"Not Hetty," he said with a smile "You."
"Only if you want to."
"I do. You're right. They're perfect." They'd made the decision to only do presents if they found the right thing because neither of them had possessions that didn't mean something. Buying a gift for the sake of giving something wasn't in either of their natures. Callen shifted and reached over her for his present. He looked down at her when her hands wandered down his chest. She smiled and he felt his body started to show signs of recovery.
"Cold hands," she said mischievously.
"I noticed. I'll warm you up later." He backed up the promise with a quick yet heated kiss. "Your turn."
His present was a bigger than hers so she sat up to open it. Callen pulled the remaining blanket off the couch for her and she tucked it around her body under her arms.
"It's heavy." Sarah gave him a curious look.
"Only one way to find out."
Sarah carefully lifted the lid. She was still slightly tentative with the hand that had gotten cut a few days before but she didn't need any help which was a good sign. A soft breath fell from her lips.
"Kensi helped me pick them out." Callen lifted out one of the knives from the box. "She said you worked best with these kind."
Sarah looked up at him. "I…"
"You're disappointed." Callen hadn't been completely sure of the gift but he'd kept coming back to it so he'd trusted that his instincts had him going in the right direction. Perhaps he'd been wrong.
Sarah shook her head vehemently. "No I'm not."
"She thinks you're ready. I just -" Sarah cut off his words with a kiss.
"Thank you," she said softly when she'd finished with him.
"You don't mind?"
"G why would I mind? You want me safe." Sarah smiled. "There's nothing more perfect than that. It's just unexpected. Kensi didn't say anything like that to me." She shrugged. "I mean she said I was getting better but..."
"She's not done training you," Callen told her, "but she feels you're capable enough to be safe." He tucked her hair back behind her ear. "I asked her not to say anything. I wanted these to be a surprise."
"Why so many?" Sarah looked back down at the box on her lap and ran her fingers gently over the contents.
The box held four knives all small and foldable, but one just a bit smaller than the others.
"We'll find a place at home, in the car and at the studio for these," Callen slid the one he'd previously pulled out back in the box next to the other two that were the same size, "to be hidden safely. And this one," Callen pulled out the smallest knife, "you can keep on you when you're not dancing or at home. It's small enough to slip into your pocket or some other way that Kensi said she'd show you." They'd made sure they were legal and safe for her to carry concealed.
"Thank you," Sarah repeated.
Callen shifted the box off her lap back under the tree and lowered her gently back to the pillow and rug. He brushed some hair back from her face.
"Sarah, Kensi's really proud of how hard you've worked. I know it scares you to think of what might happen."
Kensi had been working with Sarah since just after he'd been shot, teaching her how to use them safely and adapting dance moves to help make it simpler for Sarah to understand and remember should she need to. If Kensi hadn't felt like she was good enough to be capable and safe Callen knew she wouldn't have suggested getting the knives for Sarah yet.
"Scares me more to think about life without you." Sarah's hand went up to the back of his neck. "G, I know it's not going to be easy and sometimes we have to do things we don't like. But the benefits are I get you." She pulled him down for another kiss.
"You do." Callen reached over her again and extracted another present he'd hidden in the branches last night where she wouldn't spot it before he was ready. "And on that note I have one more present."
"But I only gave you one."
Callen looked down her body, though it was still covered in a blanket and back to her face. "Really?"
Sarah blushed. Callen was getting better at bringing them out in her, or she liked where the kind of thoughts that the blush was caused by could lead and didn't fight them so much. He didn't mind either scenario.
"You know what I mean," Sarah said.
"Don't worry. I'm hoping this will be for both of us." As he held out the small flat box to her he felt the proverbial butterflies in his stomach.
Sarah held it in one hand and stayed lying down. "Light this time."
"Just open it please," Callen all but begged.
Sarah chuckled but did as he asked.
She looked up at him. "A key?"
Callen nodded. "To my place."
"But I don't go there unless you're there." That had been the agreement. To keep her safe, just in case someone had found where he lived. As long as he was there he could protect her if something happened.
"I'm hoping that will change."
"It was to keep me safe."
"You'll be safe," Callen assured her. "We've set up surveillance and hooked it into ops."
Over the last three weeks he'd had Eric and Nell's help to set up a security system. The whole house inside and the yard were covered by always on motion sensors as well as video cameras. The external cameras. also always on, would feed directly to a computer set up with a program that ran a basic facial recognition check on those who came onto the property. The program had been loaded with information for those who were safe to be on the property. If a face didn't match, the program would send the photo to both his phone (assuming he wasn't on an undercover mission) and Ops where the visitor would be identified. At the same time the cameras inside would kick in to record just in case they weren't friendly. Callen could access and switch the cameras on any time he wanted to check in and Sarah would also be able to turn them on if she was worried, which would alert him to the fact. They had also installed concealed panic buttons at various locations that he would show her that would bring help fast. It was quite possible he was going overboard but he figured it was best to make sure all the bases were covered.
"Why?" she asked him holding up the key.
"I'm hoping it will be our place."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "You want me to live with you?"
"I want us to live together." He'd fought the idea for about a month before he'd come to the conclusion that having her live with him would actually be safer because he would be able to control the situation.
"Why?"
Callen took a few moments to gather his thoughts. There were many reasons he'd come up with. He thought of the ones that wouldn't scare her.
"Because I don't want to think about where to take you home after a date. Because I want to wake up in the morning with you. Because I don't want to have to figure out where to go after work." He watched her smile get a little brighter with each reason and knew he was on the right track to convince her to say yes.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"It's safe."
"Not that." Sarah shook her head. "This is big,"
"Yes," Callen agreed and really wished she'd just answer his question.
"Why?" Sarah asked again.
Callen had a feeling he'd missed something important and thought back to his previous answers. "Because I want you home with me."
"I already am whenever I'm with you. When?"
Callen frowned, feeling a touch confused. "When what?"
"When do I move in?"
He'd take that as a yes and smiled. "Today."
Sarah laughed lightly and shook her head. "We have plans for today. How about tomorrow? Maybe Sam can help. I'm assuming getting a moving company to help would be a little too much of a paper trail."
Callen frowned. He hated that she had to think that way.
"Plus," she added with a smile that took the frown off his face, "most of them would be on holidays so if we want to do this tomorrow we'll have to do it ourselves anyway."
"We can ask Sam today." Callen smiled. "Maybe the rest of the team will help too." It was a big job but maybe, just maybe, she'd be home with him by tomorrow night. That felt like the best Christmas present ever. Not favourite though.
Sarah brought her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him close. "I love you. Thank you."
"For?"
"Trusting me enough to want this."
Sarah brushed her lips over his before she pulled him a little closer and settled into the kiss that had him forgetting everything but her warmth, her taste and the smell of her skin. Her phone beeped and she pulled back.
"We need to get ready to go to Sam's," she told him. There was a very reluctant look on her face.
Callen shifted, trailed kisses along her neck to her collar bone and ran his hand down her side to her hip.
"G," she moaned as she arched against him. "You know Sam won't let you live it down if we're late."
Callen shifted and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry about Sam, I've got it covered."
"So we're going to be late?" There was hope in her voice.
Callen lifted his head and smiled. "Very," he said before his mouth caught hers and his hands shifted the blanket off her body. She wouldn't need it to keep her warm. He was more than capable.
And as for Sam, he'd simply tell Sam he was practicing.