Hello my lovelies. I would like to thank .666, Guest, Shadow Wolf Darkness, Petunia3116, Swimming Clara and Guest for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA
Callen couldn't help but fiddle with the band around his ring finger as he drove the Deeks family plus Clare to his and Marty's engagement party. Nor could he stop his eyes going to it whenever the sun reflected of the platinum surface. It made everything so much more real somehow. Made the future come into a sharp focus he hadn't really been believing even though he had said yes to Marty's proposal. They were gonna get married. Soon he would be wearing another ring on that finger as well. It was… he couldn't put into words what was going through his mind. So instead he drove and resolutely refused to think about what the ring meant, and instead thought about the receiving of it.
Earlier that day…
Marty and Allie had returned home before Callen and Roberta, though Marty claimed that was because he hadn't needed to go to a jewellers for Callen's engagement ring, because he knew a guy. Callen still wasn't sure about that one. But anyway, as soon as they were through the door his daughter was on him, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the couch so that he and Marty could exchange rings. And wasn't that far too similar to the future marriage ceremony. But Callen didn't say anything about that, and instead pulled out the simple leather box from his pocket.
"So how we doing this? Cos there is no way I'm getting on my knee again." Deeks asked jokingly, though the question was still very much in his eyes.
"Well I guess we'll just… swap boxes?" Callen suggested not really sure how this was supposed to go.
"That is not romantic, G. You need to put the rings on each other's fingers, properly. Why don't you go first, I know Martin will love what you chose." Roberta replied sitting herself on the edge of the chair trying to restrain her excitement as she desperately waited for the moment when her son would see the ring they had picked out. It was so perfect for him, she was sure. He was going to love it, and she couldn't wait for his reaction. In fact she was pretty sure she was more excited than ever of the men, but she was Martin's mother, it was her prerogative as mother-of-the-groom-to-be to be excited.
"Okay. Marty, here." Callen responded moving so he could see no one other than the man before him as he opened the box to show him the gold band nestled inside. Though it was not your simple band. It was instead shaped to look like continuously rolling waves, moving up and down as they went round with the engraving confirming the image.
Deeks looked at the ring and it took his breath away. He wasn't sure what he had expected from G. I mean he loved the guy sure, but he didn't really seem the romantic type, not to mention the fact G was still trying to get his head around this whole marriage thing. He really hadn't been expecting much. But what he saw in front of him was beautiful and perfect and it was obvious that G had indeed searched for the right ring for him, and he didn't think it was just because he had had his mom with him. No G had chosen this for him. G wanted him to wear this as a sign that he belonged to him, and Deeks couldn't have been happier. Therefore he held out his hand with a smirk at the eye roll he got before the other man pulled the ring from the box and slipped it over his finger. It was a perfect fit, almost as if it was made for him.
"I love it, G. Almost as much as I love you." He said before leaning forwards and kissing his fiancé not caring that his daughter and mom were in the room with them. Nothing mattered right then apart from showing G how much he appreciated his new engagement ring.
Roberta watched her son and soon to be son-in-law share an embrace. It was nice to see Martin so happy. But when it seemed they weren't going to be coming up for air any time soon, she felt the need to take control of the situation once more. Therefore without any embarrassment she spoke.
"Right, Martin. Your turn." Came Deeks' moms voice interrupting them, making Deeks roll his eyes this time, though he did pull out a cloth from his pocket.
"Sorry it doesn't have a box." He said as he slowly unwrapped it, revealing what at first look seemed nothing more than a plain platinum band. But then he held it up to the light, and in doing so the engraving upon it became apparent. It was a complex pattern. There was a collection of almost geometric shapes, but while they looked separate at first glance, somehow they seamlessly flowed from one to the other. It was like looking at a puzzle, trying to find where one ended and the other began. And the more you looked at it, the more your saw how the shapes were connected together. It was so intricate, and it captured Callen's eyes instantly. He would never get bored finding new things upon it to study.
"I thought it was a bit like you. Always one more layer, one more puzzle to figure out." Deeks explained quietly, slightly embarrassed now he said the words out loud, as he gently pushed it onto G's finger.
"Thank you, Marty. It's amazing." Callen replied already waving his hand in the light to see how when it hit a different angle it gave a different view of the engraving. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his lips as he turned to the man he loved who had found this for him. Had thought so much about what ring to give him that he and found one that reminded him of him. He didn't have the words to express what that meant to him. But looking into Deeks' eyes, he knew he didn't need to. The other understood perfectly.
"Oh. I can't wait until the wedding." Roberta sighed from her seat, holding her hands over her heart and forcing herself not to cry at the exchanging of rings she had just witnessed. Those boys, they were so perfect for each other.
Callen pulled up outside dovecot, and he couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his lips when he looked over at Roberta in the passenger seat. Her jaw was practically on the floor at the sight of the house in front of her.
"You grew up here?" She asked is disbelief. It was so different from the small pokey homes she had had when Martin was younger.
"From the age of fifteen, yeah." Callen replied with a smile, though his words reminded Roberta of the conversations they had had when they were shopping, when he talked about growing up in care. No doubt he had been amazed to have this place when he came here at that age. From what he had not said to her, she knew he hadn't had anything much before then.
Roberta was startled from her thoughts by the sound of car doors closing, and looking over her shoulder she saw she was the only one still inside. Quickly undoing her belt she scrambled out, not being able to stop looking up at the house. And for the first time she wondered who this Hetty really was, and wished she had asked more about the woman she was about to meet. Though in truth she had asked Callen much, though he had never given her a satisfactory answer in her mind, and Martin, well he just told her to wait and see.
Alayna had been straining to get out of her sit the minute they pulled up outside of Hetty's house. This was not her first visit there, and she couldn't wait to get into the garden and play with all the toys Hetty had for children. It never crossed her mind that Hetty had brought them just for her, even if both her dads knew that was the truth. Therefore as soon as her dad opened her door and lifted her out of her car seat she was off and running, knocking the big wooden door before the adults had even finished climbing out of the vehicle.
"Princess Alayna, you are looking as lovely as ever this evening." Came the dulcet tones of Duke, Hetty's bodyguard as he opened the front door and smiled down at the girl standing in front of him in a pretty pink dress which had more ruffles and ribbons on it than he had ever seen before. He was pretty sure most of them would be strewn about the garden by the end of the evening, having been pulled off as she played.
"Thank you, kind sir." Alayna giggled as she did an attempt at a curtsey while looking up at one her favourite adults. Duke always made time to play with her when she came round, as well as sneaking her into the kitchen for ice-cream when no one was looking. He was one of her great friends.
Duke bowed deeply in returned before turning to her fathers. "Callen, Deeks. I hear congratulations are in order." Duke continued. he had known Callen for all the years he had worked with Hetty, in fact he still remembered the boys 'interview process', which involved Callen breaking in and seeing just how far Duke let him get towards Hetty before stopping him. It wasn't far. Since then they had been firm friends, even if Duke usually sided with Hetty when it came to Callen's health. He had been so pleased when the boy had first turned up with Deeks and Alayna in tow. It hadn't taken him more than a minute to realise that Callen had finally found what he had been looking for for years. He had found himself a family. And when Hetty told him that the boys had gotten engaged, well he couldn't have been happier for either of them.
"Thanks, Duke. This is my mom, Roberta. Mom, this Duke." Deeks replied shaking his hand before leading his mom forwards.
Roberta raised her eyes at the man in front of her, he was wearing casual-smart clothes and she couldn't work out if he was Hetty's significant other, or her butler. But she decided to side on the side of caution and smiled widely at the man. "Duke, a pleasure to meet you."
"You too, Roberta. I can see where Deeks gets his looks." Duke responded cheekily making Roberta laugh delightfully as she battered her eyelids at him. This of course made Deeks groan at the flirting.
"Really?" He muttered as they made their way into the house.
"Hetty's in the garden. I'll bring out drinks for you all, the Hanna's aren't here yet." Duke told Callen as he started to move away from the group.
"I'll help." Clare offered. After all as much as part of the family Deeks and Callen made her feel, she was still an employee, just as much as Duke was.
"Sounds good." Duke agreed waving her to his side before nodding at the rest of the party and leaving.
"So who is Duke?" Roberta asked as soon as they were out of hearing range.
"Hetty's bodyguard and long-time friend. He does a good job." Callen replied smiling at her as he fell into step beside her. Alayna had already run on ahead with Deeks following quickly to make sure she didn't break anything as she careered through the house.
"Do I want to know how you know that?" Roberta asked cautiously, not sure if it was because Duke had had to do what was he was employed for, or if there was another reason.
"Let's just say I tested his skill set and leave it at that." Callen replied with a smirk as he guided them towards the French doors that led out onto the patio.
Walking through the doors Roberta was greeted by a riot of colour coming from the borders around the patio. The garden itself was large, but it did not seem to be so with the way it was cleverly broken by paths and plants. It was a true delight. "Beautiful." She breathed as she took it all in.
"I am glad you think so, Ms Deeks. I am Henrietta Lange, but please, call me Hetty. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." Came a voice from her right. Turning she was confronted with the shortest woman she had ever met. But one look into her eyes and she knew she was not weak. Even if she hadn't heard bits and piece from the others, she would know this was a formidable woman. One you crossed at your peril.
"Hetty, call me Roberta. You have a truly wonderful home." Roberta replied smiling down at the lady even as she straightened her spine.
"I like to think so. Why don't we sit, let the younger ones wear themselves out. Then we can get to know each other." Hetty suggested waving towards a table and chairs set up half in the shade and half in the sun.
"Perfect." Roberta responded moving with Hetty to take a chair, all the while both of them were sizing the other up, wondering if they would measure up to the woman with them, and wondering how they would fit into the life and family their boys had built for themselves.
And so they sat and talked, and learnt all they could about each other. It did not take long from them to realise that they actually got on rather well, nor for the conversation to turn towards the up-coming wedding, both putting forward suggestions for the event, even if it wasn't their own. They were the mothers of the grooms, and as such felt they would do a much better job of planning it than either of their boys would.
And Callen watching them from the grass couldn't help but narrow his eyes. He did not trust that look on Hetty's face, he knew she was plotting something, and he had a horrible feeling it involved him and Deeks. Just what was she up to now?