A/n: FLUFF ALERT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

"Where's MJ?"

Apparently my boyfriend is cooler than me, because these are the first things out of my parent's mouths when I walked into their house without him at my side.

"He's fine, we're taking a night off. Calm down."

My mother cackled. "Those don't last long."

"What the hell does that even mean Mom?"

She continued laughing. "Ah, nothing."

It was frustrating, but as the night continued, I become more frustrated and well- confused.

Holy shit.

The pain burned, damn, where the hell am I?

Someone was stroking my hair, kissing my hairline.

This bed was hard.

Smelled sterile.

I didn't really want to open my eyes, but that was the only way to confirm my situation.

Did I get shot?

Memories flooded back. Why yes, yes I did get shot.

I can't remember a lot of it, but it was a pain. There was a pain in being hit, a pain in falling to the ground, a pain in MJ's eyes as he took off after the shooter, taking him down in two shots and running back to me. A pain in his reassuring voice, "I got you. You're going to be fine. I got you."

It almost hurt more to see the worried look on his face. Worry over me.

My eyes fluttered open, and there he was. "Hey there."

I'm sure I looked like a mess, but I didn't know I actually was a mess. No words came, I just stared. He'd been crying, that was clear. Was I gonna die?

"How do you feel?"

No response.

"Damn it Callie," he walked up to me, grabbing my hand, lacing our fingers together. "This is my fault, I can't…"

"MJ, stop. Could you just maybe tell me if I'm okay?"

He looked a little relieved. "One bullet to the hip. Missed all your important organs and whatnot. You're going to be just fine. You'll have a badass scar, but I have a few of my own."

"So we're gonna compare bullet holes now."

"Always new things to try in the bedroom."

I unlaced our fingers and smacked him.

"Well, Dollface, while you're already pissed off at me for getting you shot and for that comment, you should know your parents know about your tattoo."

"They know?" I tried to sit up, but a pain coursed through my body.

"Easy girl," he said. "Do you know how to be hurt?"

"No," I snapped. "What the heck?"

"The doctors might have said something about how the bullet 'missed the tattoo.'"

"Ugh," I moaned. "What am I even saying I'm a grown woman."

He shrugged. "I'm a little afraid of your parents too."

"Are they here?"

"Yeah, pretty much everyone is. I should let you see them."

"Okay," I said, as he stood to go get them. "Hey MJ?"

"Yeah?"

"This isn't your fault. Don't beat yourself up over this."

He smiled weakly. "Too late."

Before I could protest, he was gone.

We ordered a pizza and Mom and Dad were watching Love Actually. I might have been on my phone texting him, but whatever. Within ten minutes of the pizza arriving, Dad's phone rang. He looked at Mom, but quickly got up and walked upstairs.

I didn't pay all too much attention to it until he was gone for 10-15 minutes. "Do you know who he's talking to, Mom?"

She looked skeptical. "Yeah, but I don't think you want to know."

"Is he talking to MJ?" That would have pissed me off.

Mom shook her head. "Not exactly."

I saw my Dad standing in the doorway. He held his phone in his hand, his eyes locking mine. He help his phone out to me. "Go talk," he whispered.

"Who is it?"

My Mom placed her hand on my knee as if to say, "Go. Its okay."

I got up, walked across the room. The number in dad's phone was unregistered, and I couldn't tell who it was. My dad pointed toward the stairs, offering me privacy. What the heck?

I settled on my old bed. Been making a lot of memories in here lately.

I pulled the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Little Miss Wikipedia! I hear you're dating my son."

Mom and Dad were just really glad I was okay. Mom was very comforting. Dad tried to downplay it.

"This is a wimpy first time getting shot. You should have seen my first," he said, but I could tell he was kidding. I could tell he was terrified but trying to hide it in light of earlier situations. Letting me be my own woman.

I did get a "we'll talk about that tattoo of yours later", but it wasn't threatening at this point. Yay for being an adult.

Ralph and Alex were also by, offering their 'first time being shot' stories. Not helpful actually. Sal and Keith were more helpful. Not talking about it, definitely more helpful.

Leah's appearance was a bit of a surprise. My boss knocked before entering, quietly sitting next to my bed.

"How are you feeling, Callie?"

"Tired. Sore," I said.

"Understandable. Rough day."

"A little bit."

"Anything you wanna talk about?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

"I may be your boss Callie, but right now, I'm here as your friend. If there's anything you need- I'm here."

"I'm um, I'm worried about my partner."

She smiled. "I talked to him a little bit ago. I can see why."

I looked confused, and she paused a beat. "Did he ever tell you about his last partner?"

He hadn't, besides being a 'piece of work,' he's never indulged any deeper.

I really wasn't prepared to hear what my boss had to say.

"I've heard a lot about you. I'd say he's exaggerating, but then I remember that you're Marty's daughter."

"Oh please sir, I'm nothing special."

I was talking to Ray Martindale. On the phone. My boyfriend's dad. My Dad's best friend. This was happening. Yeah it was weird, but also, significant.

Really significant.

What do I even say? He's a gentleman? I'm in love with his son? I'm a mess.

I never thought about what MJ told his parents about me. I assumed he talked to them… but about me? It had just never crossed my mind.

Ray was basically what I expected him to be- a sweethearted goofball. He told me things he probably shouldn't have, but it was interesting and kinda deep.

My Dad smiled at me when I handed his phone back to him. "Okay?" he asked.

"Okay," I smiled.

As Leah walked out of my room, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Every breath felt like a challenge.

My precious MJ had… what?

I felt conflicted, sad… I wanted to hug him. Right away. But the man was avoiding me. Max stopped in, of course he didn't bring his precious daughter. Sadly. But I get it. My Mom was in as it was getting late. I was to be released in the morning. I wasn't waiting until then to see him.

"Mom, can you do me a favor?"

I didn't even have to say it. She smiled. "I'll go find him."

"Good talk?" Mom asked.

"Yeah. It didn't have to be so weird though."

Dad shrugged. "Seemed like a big deal."

"I mean it was."

Dad was smiling like crazy.

"Dad, what the heck."

He shrugged. Still smiling though.

"Dad."

"Nothin' baby girl, nothing."

I paused for a moment.

Something wasn't adding up.

My Mom found him and sent him to me, dragging his knuckles across the door as he walked in. "Hey, Callie."

He sat down far away from me, and I frowned. "MJ."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You didn't come kiss me," I realized how ridiculous that was to say, but it was unlike him. Quiet.

"MJ, come here." I shifted awkwardly in my bad, avoiding the soreness in my hip.

"Dollface, I'm not going to sit in your bed."

"Why not? There are always new things to try in the bedroom."

"That was not funny," he frowned.

"I know, sit."

He did carefully, and I grabbed his head and pulled him into me. I kissed him, and I realized his eyes were tearing up. I couldn't hug him, but I placed my palm over his ear and pulled his head to my chest.

"I'm guessing Leah told you."

"Talk to me, MJ."

"I messed up, Callie."

"MJ."

"He was my partner, and if I'd have been paying attention, he'd still be alive. He was my best friend. A jokester, an idiot. He taught me how to do my job, and I let him get killed. I refused a partner for a year after he was killed, until Leah told me you were coming. I told her no. I said I wouldn't. I wouldn't let you get hurt because I wasn't trying hard enough. But she brought you in anyway. And you changed my life. I thought that maybe I was better, that maybe I deserved to be happy. Happy with you. And then today, I almost lost you. I let you down."

I didn't know what to say. All of this time- these 9 months we've been together- I've been battling 'internal conflict' and whatnot, he's been worried about whether he deserved to be happy. He didn't want a partner because he was afraid of letting me get hurt. He was feeling guilty.

I pulled his head up again, meeting my lips against his. He resisted. "Callie, I don't deserve…"

"To hell with that," I said. "Like you said, Leah told me. Your partner's death was not your fault. She assigned me to you because you were beating yourself into the ground over something that comes with the job. You didn't pull that trigger and you did everything right, It's the life we choose. And also, you don't choose if you deserve me. I want you, and I want you to know that." I paused. My eyes matched his, tears glistening over. "I want to be bold. And I wanna be bold with you."

He snickered. "Stole one out of your Mom's playbook there."

I matched his laugh. "Who told you that story?"

"If you haven't noticed, I'm obsessed with everything about you."

"That's okay."

He perked up a little. "Really?"

"Mhmm. I'm kinda obsessed with you too."

"I don't know."

"Your dad calls me 'Little Miss Wikipedia.' You still have my bra from undercover. You keep contact solution in the bottom drawer of my nightstand. Your favorite brand of beer is actually Sam Adams but you buy Corona because you know its my favorite."

"Okay maybe."

"May I?" I asked. He didn't respond, so I kissed him anyway. "You're not allowed to feel any guilt about this. I'm inexperienced; you can only do so much. I'm gonna be okay, and so are we."

He looked into my eyes. "I love you so much."

I felt fearless. "I love you too. More than I think you understand."

"So this is like, long term?"

"You still thinking about impregnating me?"

"No, no… damn I suck."

"MJ," I said. "Stop being sad. I love you. We're not having babies anytime soon."

"I know. We're so not ready for that."

"You better come up with a better proposal than 'is this long term'?"

"I didn't, that's not what I meant…"

"I know. But that's what you've been thinking about. Whether or not I'd settle down with someone like you."

"Someone like me? And why do you say that?"

I smiled. "I have my sources. And someone amazing, someone who makes me not afraid of this."

"You're not afraid of marrying me?"

"Why should I be?"

"I could think of a few reasons."

"Ugh stop being sad," I shook my finger at him. "You're the best, do you hear me."

He shrugged.

"We're not ready to get married right now, but we will be someday. Don't you be afraid to ask me when we're ready."

He let out a little smile. It spread across his face.

"No more thoughts about impregnating me. I didn't know getting shot was this dirty."

"It's not, I've been meaning to tell you something."

"Now's the time, it's like a tell-all soap opera in here."

"My ringtone, You Are My Sunshine? You, you smell like sunshine."

I bowed my head in a quiet laugh. It was a privilege to fall in love with Ray Martindale's son.

MY partner.

Mine.