Amy stood at the sink rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. He could see her IPod sticking out of her back pocket and the ear buds in her ears. Callen stood there for a few minutes waiting for her to notice him, but she was watching out the kitchen window as the kids played in the back yard. The dog finally noticed he was home and walked over, whining for some attention. She was wearing a pair of shorts that hung low on her hips and a tank top that had fit nicely a month ago now hung off one shoulder. Amy still didn't notice he was standing there even after he sat the vase of roses on the island and picked up the dog. She put the soap in the machine, started it and turned around to the dog in her face.
Callen laughed as she shrieked and jumped three feet in the air. "You scared the shit out of me, Callen. That's not funny." She said smacking his arm.
He put the dog down and pulled her into his arms. "I know, I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you while you were doing the dishes for fear you might drop a plate or cut yourself with a knife."
"Well, I appreciate that. Damn you are a sight for sore eyes." She smiled kissing him long and hard.
"Why can't I get a welcome home kiss like this every day?" he laughed kissing her again. "You know they'll be alright out there alone for a little bit, why don't you and I go upstairs and try to make a baby."
"I would love to." She grinned and let him lead her to the stairs by the hand.
The kids came running in the kitchen door.
"We heard you scream, are you okay?" Kristy screamed with joy when she saw Callen and lunged at him with her arms open. "You're home, you made it!"
"I couldn't miss your birthday, Kristy." He said kissing his step-daughter's forehead.
"Thank you. We're complete again." She said jumping up and down. "Ricky, Jenny Daddy I mean Callen's home."
Callen heard her slip and melted. "Kristy Honey, you don't have to call me Callen all the time if you don't want to."
Kristy looked from her Mom to Callen. "I would love to just call you Dad. You're more of a Dad to us than our father ever was."
Amy smiled with her eyes full of tears and brushed Kristy's hair from her face. "Baby, you call Callen whatever you want, you've got that right. I just ask that if we ever see your father again, you never let him hear you call Callen by Dad or Daddy or whatever else you choose to call him."
"Thank you Mom, I didn't want to make you upset if you ever heard me call him Dad. I've wanted to call him that for a long time now." Kristy said.
"I would be honored if you called me Dad." Callen told Kristy as he gently held her face.
Ricky and Jenny came running in the kitchen whooping and hollering. He held the two so tight and loved every hug and kiss they gave him. They stood there for little while talking about what the last week and a half had been like for them. Callen was truly moved when they told him how much he was missed. Amy stood next to him and leaned over to kiss him when the doorbell rang.
The kids ran to answer the door. Callen and Amy stood in the hallway. "That was the best thing I think I've ever heard next to you telling me you'd marry me." He smiled.
Callen and Amy heard Kensi and Deeks greeting the kids and right behind them was Nell and Eric. The kids invited them in and Kristy beamed as they presented her with their gifts. Callen told her to put them on the table so she could open them later. Amy passed out beer or offered to make margaritas. Deeks, Eric and Callen opted for the beer while the girls wanted margaritas. Amy offered lemon-lime or strawberry, the girls wanted a little of both. Callen led the guys out back while Amy broke out the blender and mixed up some drinks. The three ladies joined the guys ten minutes later laughing and carrying on about something.
Sam, Michelle and their kids arrived a short while later and Amy was back in the kitchen making another pitcher of margaritas. No one was leaving tonight unless they absolutely had to, so Amy felt the alcohol should flow freely. There was no way Amy would let anyone get too drunk in case something happened.
Hetty showed up about an hour later and immediately demanded a drink since she saw everyone with one in their hand. Amy gladly followed her back into the house and poured her a lowball from a bottle Callen didn't even know about. Hetty eyed her when she pulled the bottle from the cabinet and dusted it off. Amy stood back as she handed her the glass, waiting for her to take a drink.
Hetty smelled the clear alcohol and smiled. "Where on earth did you find this?"
"Kristy's god-father brought it back from Iraq ten years ago. I've only had a few drinks from it." She smiled as they walked out through the patio and into the back yard.
Callen saw the drink in Hetty's hand, unless Amy had bought more alcohol while he was gone, he didn't know where this had come from. "So what Hetty, you bringing you own bottle to parties now?"
"No, actually, this came from your wife's private stash." She smiled.
"It's on the counter." Amy told him and watched him walked back into the house.
He returned with a huge smile on his face and the bottle in his hand. "Where have you been hiding this?"
Sam saw the bottle and walked over, "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes, Mr. Hanna it is Arak." Hetty smiled.
"Amy where did you get this?" Callen asked.
"Kristy's god-father brought it back from overseas on one of his deployments when she was a baby." She smiled.
"I know Hetty hasn't had this much yet." He said holding the bottle up two-thirds of the bottle remained.
"I've had a little here and there over the years. Over the last twelve years." She said.
"You've had this hidden for twelve years?" Sam asked. "G get some glasses."
Callen immediately turned around and walked back into the house asking everyone else if they wanted to try it. He returned with four glasses a quarter full and handed them out. It was stronger than he remembered, but it was smooth. Sam was all smiled. Deeks and Kensi both took a sip and handed their glasses to Callen and Sam. Amy was please, but needed to remember to find a new hiding spot.
An hour later, Kristy's friends arrived. Lauren's parents drove her up from Pendleton and several of her friends from school also attended. They girls all disappeared into one of the sheds that Amy had cleared out. The adults stood around and talked until it was time to get the grill going. While Callen tended to the grill, Amy got the hot dogs and hamburgers from the refrigerator. When she walked back out and set them on the table, he was watching their friends talking amongst themselves and smiled.
"We've got some pretty great friends, don't we?" He asked her pulling her into his arms.
"They're more than just friends, Honey." Amy said kissing him.
"Oh come on you two, didn't you get enough of that on the honeymoon." Sam yelled across the yard.
"We haven't seen each other in a week and a half. Leave us alone." He yelled back smiling.
"You want to practice making a baby a little later?" Amy asked.
Callen gave her an evil smile. "It's been a week and a half, of course."
Hetty overheard the conversation and approached them smiling. "Did I hear you correctly? You're trying to have a baby?"
"Yes we are." Callen smiled proudly.
Hetty raised her glass, "Good luck to you."
That started the conversation about whether they wanted more than one. Honestly, they hadn't talked about more than one; a boy or girl. Amy just knew she wanted to give Callen a child of his own. Ricky desperately wanted a baby brother and Amy wanted someone to have and carry on the Callen last name. They asked about names, but Callen and Amy hadn't thought that far ahead. Then they asked about how the house would accommodate a baby. The plan was to have Kristy move downstairs into the guest room, Ricky would take Kristy's room, Jenny would move into Ricky's and the baby would get Jenny's room. Callen mentioned a possible renovation, but Amy really didn't see how unless they went out the back of the house.
After dinner Kristy begged to open her presents, so they brought them out and sat around the table watching and laughing. Callen gave Kristy a laptop so she'd stop taking Amy's, Sam and Michelle gave her a new digital camera, Kensi and Deeks went halves on a new IPod touch and Nell and Eric went in on some ITunes gift cards. Hetty gave her a hundred dollar gift card that she could use at any store she chose. Her friends gave her clothes and jewelry and other miscellaneous trinkets.
Amy disappeared into the house to get the cake. Callen followed her in to help. Callen took the sheet cake out while Amy grabbed the paper plates, plastic forks and the cake cutter. Kristy was waiting excitedly for her first look at the cake and cried when Callen set it on the table in front of her. She hugged him so tight. It was a simple cake with white icing and orange flowers. They all sang her happy birthday, Callen cut the cake and Amy handed the pieces out. It was a perfect day and Amy was so thankful Callen and the rest of the team made it in time for the party.
Michelle had just finished her cake and set the plate on the table. "Have either of you been into the guest room?"
Amy and Callen looked at each other, "No, why?"
Sam and the kids went in the house and came back out with their wedding gifts, setting them on the table around them. Callen and Amy were shocked.
"We said not to get us gifts, we don't need anything." Amy said.
"Well since we didn't have a bridal shower, we added those to it too." Kensi smiled.
"We had the kids help with some of the gifts. They said there were some things you've wanted for a while, but never got." Sam said.
Callen and Amy were shocked by the number of gifts.
"Come on, open them." Kristy said.
"But Honey, this is your day. We can open these another time." Amy told her.
"OPEN THEM NOW!" Kristy demanded.
As the sun set, Michelle got up and plugged in the light she, Amy and the kids put up over the weekend. The back yard was full of soft white light. Callen loved it as he looked around the yard. There were lights strung along the fence, in the trees and along the house. They'd even gotten rope lights that outlined the walk way through the yard.
"When did you do this?" he smiled.
"We did it over the weekend." Amy told him. "You don't mind, do you?"
"No, I like it. It reminds me of Christmas and our original plan for a December wedding." He smiled. "Let's start opening these presents.
They started with some of the smaller gifts. Which really shouldn't have been opened in front of the children, Callen was very eager for Amy to try on the sexy teddies. Quickly putting the lids back on the boxes, they moved onto the other gifts. Callen pulled a huge box over and started taking off the wrapping paper at the top. When he saw what was inside, he looked up and smiled. Amy stood and looked at the Kitchen Aid stand mixer that she'd always wanted and red to boot. The next gift was a deep fryer. Amy saw the trend and excitedly opened the next gift. From her parent's she gotten her own set of forms for cannolis.
After opening all of the gifts, they had a new set of red dishes, new pots and pans, a new Krueg coffee maker that could accommodate Callen's travel mug, a set of fine China, crystal glass ware and a new set of formal flatware. They were overwhelmed and looked at the gifts and their friends in awe. There were no words that could adequately convey their gratitude for the gifts. Callen and Amy tried to thank everyone the best they could and cleared the presents into the kitchen.
By ten o'clock, Hetty had left to go home and the kids were upstairs in Kristy or Ricky's rooms. The adults sat outside talking and drinking from the many bottles of liquor sitting on the table. In the midst of it all, they were trying to figure out where everyone was sleeping. It was agreed that Sam and Michelle would take the guest room, they kids would take over the downstairs, Kensi and Nell would take Kristy's room, while Deeks and Eric would either sleep in Ricky's or one in Ricky's room and the other in Jenny's. Since Ricky had an Xbox in his room, Deeks and Eric were going to play a few games before going to sleep.
Amy ran back into the house and brought out the box of gifts from Hawaii and started passing out the shirt, dresses and other goodies for their friends. The girls love their dresses and surprisingly, the guys like their shirts. Sam admitted that he might actually wear his. Callen told him that it wasn't too over the top on the phone, but he really expected the most over the top shirt with flamingos or Ukuleles all over it. Sam was so pleased that he actually put it on and modeled it. The group laughed for ten minutes over him strutting like he was walking the catwalk.
By eleven, Callen and Amy ushered the kids downstairs and the inebriated bunch of adults up to the rooms. Deeks and Eric's plan for playing video games went out the window. Both were passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Callen and Sam wanted to put the two in bed together, but the girls wouldn't have it. As funny as it would have been to wake up and find them cuddled on the bed, Amy and Michelle made sure one was on the floor and the other was on the bed.
Once the house was quiet, Callen and Amy retreated to their room. Callen begged for her to try on one of the teddies, but she refused because of all the people in the house. He would have to wait until they were alone or as close to alone as they could with the three kids in the house. They wrapped themselves around one another and fell asleep.
At eight, they woke to the sounds of laughter and knew the kids were awake. Callen and Amy headed down stairs to make a pot of coffee and start breakfast. Michelle had beaten them to the coffee and heard them coming down the stairs. She was in the process of making them each a cup of coffee when they appeared in the kitchen. They cleared the wedding gifts to the garage and started making breakfast. It was daunting, Amy made a huge batch of pancakes and by huge, it was mixed in her largest mixing bowl and it was almost overflowing with the batter. Callen got out the six pounds of bacon and took it outside to cook it on the grill. Once Amy was half-way through the pancakes, Michelle got out the eggs and started scrambling the three dozen eggs. Sam would bring in platefuls of bacon which Michelle put on the turkey platter Amy had gotten out for her. Three-quarters of the way through the pancakes, Michelle ladled the eggs into Amy's biggest frying pan and started cooking.
An hour and a half later, breakfast was served. Amy had never made so much food at breakfast in her life. Not even when her entire family; Mom, Dad, Brother and his three, Sister and her four and Amy, Rick and their three were together. The kids ate their fill and then the adults sat down to eat. Everything was cold, so they took turns microwaving their plates. Amy had to get a second bottle of syrup from the pantry. After everyone had eaten and absolutely none of the food was left, she rested before attempting to clean up. She was thankful that there were no leftovers, because there was very little room in the refrigerator for them. Granted, they had used almost an entire gallon of milk, three dozen eggs and the six pounds of bacon. There were containers of pre-made food stacked everywhere.
By eleven, Amy had the kitchen cleaned and had pulled the ribs out of the refrigerator to flip them over and add just a few more seasonings before making the sauce. At eleven thirty, she had Callen start the grill so they could start cooking the ribs. There wasn't an inch of the grill that was available after she put the five huge racks of ribs on it. She poured the marinade into a pot and started adding to it. Molasses, brown sugar, some whiskey, onion, garlic and a few more spices were added to it before it was ready to be brushed on the ribs. By three, Sam and Callen pulled out one of the extra folding tables so Amy and Michelle could start setting out the food.
On Monday, Amy had started making the pasta, macaroni and potato salads. Amy, Michelle, Kensi and Nell shucked the corn, slathered it in butter, sprinkled it with spices, wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven. Once the dishwasher was done, Amy started cutting the fruit for the fruit salad. Hetty returned and offered to help, but Amy couldn't think of anything else that needed to be done. As they carried the food out to the table on the patio, she stood back looking at it all trying to remember if they'd forgotten anything. Callen had brushed the sauce over the ribs one last time and walked in to stand next to her.
"Good Lord, I think we've got enough food." He laughed pulling her to him.
"Something's missing." She said.
"The ribs are about ready to come off." He told her. "I can cut them for you. Do you want them on the turkey platter?"
"Yes, please. Thank you for all your help today." She smiled up at him and then kissed him.
"Not a problem, I wish I could've done more to help you." He said walking into the kitchen to get the roasting pan so he could bring the ribs in.
Once the ribs were cut and on the table, everyone lined up to eat. Two hours into the dinner, they heard screaming and yelling from the front yard. Callen and Sam went to look. Amy and Michelle knew exactly who it was. Michelle followed Amy into the kitchen and the cupboard where the gun safe was kept. Amy pulled her pistol, put it and its holster at her back and covered it with her shirt the best she could.
"Come on you chicken-shit bitch, get your ass out here." The woman screamed from the front yard.
"Who the hell is that?" Sam asked.
"That's Maggie. Toya was calling to warn me that she was coming out for the holiday. Apparently Maggie's pissed off because she's not getting child support from Rick anymore." Amy said.
"Come on you whore. What, you don't want your new husband to see how firggin' spineless you are? Or better yet how much of a whore you really are, Rick was right about you, I'll bet none of those three kids are his. Or I'll put money on the fact that you've screwed every guy you've got in there." Maggie yelled.
Where the hell was she? She was calling her out and she was too chicken to come out. Maggie laughed to herself. Amy could talk the talk, but couldn't walk the walk. She quickly tried to think of something else to say.
"Amy you're not going out there." Callen told her.
"Are you?" She asked.
"If I have too, I will." He said.
"Callen, she's not going to stop until she sees me and talks to me." Amy said as they heard glass shatter. Maggie had picked up a rock and threw it through Sam's windshield.
"Oh Hell No!" Sam yelled and headed out the door. "Woman, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but you're going to pay for that windshield."
"Make me you stupid gorilla." She yelled. "Amy get your ass out here!"
Amy walked past Callen and out the door. "What do you want Maggie?"
"Oh, you send you bodyguard out before you'll set foot outside, you really are a chicken-shit bitch aren't you?" Maggie spat.
"Actually, I'm out here to protect you. You just chucked a rock at his baby." She laughed.
Maggie walked towards her fists balled. Amy stood her ground. "Bitch, you've really got it coming, standing there like you don't know why I'm here."
"I know exactly why you're here and it's not my problem that you're not getting child support from Rick. You started it and I finished it." She said.
"You smug bitch, where's your new husband? I'm sure he'd like to know exactly what kind of woman he married." Maggie yelled trying to egg her on.
"Enlighten me, exactly what kind of woman did he marry?" Amy asked.
"You're a whore, a con artist and a schemer, you and Rick did nothing but defraud the government. Does he know that you sat back and watched Rick cheat on you, allowed Rick to cheat on you?" Maggie asked taking another step closer to Amy.
Callen was at the window listening to the whole conversation; Maggie was saying absolutely nothing he didn't know. Kensi and Michelle appeared in the doorway.
"What do you bitches want, this is a private conversation." Maggie yelled at them.
"Doesn't sound too private to me since you're out here screaming it for the entire neighborhood to hear." Michelle laughed.
"What the hell are you looking at skank bitch with a bad weave." She screamed.
"You're the one out here with pink hair. Check yourself before you start talking about other people's appearances." Michelle told her.
"Yeah, go hide under a rock. You stupid whore." She said.
"You really need to stop name calling." Sam said.
"Shut up stupid gorilla." She said to him.
Amy could tell that Sam was getting angry. Kensi and Michelle stepped out of the house and stood five or six feet behind Amy.
"Oh so you're so special now that you have an entourage? You're so pathetic, can't fight your own fight, gotta have others do it for you." She laughed.
Callen and Deeks walked out to stand behind Sam.
"So which one of the three musketeers is your new husband?" she asked.
No one said anything. Toya appeared behind Maggie and whispered something in her ear. Maggie spun around and got in Toya's face. "You pathetic piece of shit. I don't give a shit what I'm ruining. This bitch is responsible for ruining my daughter's birthday, Christmas, Easter and every other frigging holiday. She dropped you like a hot rock; you should be here with me cussing her ass out."
Toya looked at Amy, giving her an apologetic look. "Maggie, as angry as I may be at Amy, now is not the time for this. Let's go."
"Screw you, Toya." Maggie said pushing Toya on her back.
Remembering Toya's back, Amy stopped herself from running. Toya struggled to get off the ground.
"I think that's enough Maggie. You need to get off my property now, before I call the police. There are plenty of witnesses here that will corroborate the fact that you just assaulted Toya. You know she's got a bad back, right?" Amy said patiently, but almost at the end of her rope.
"Fuck you Amy." Maggie said and went running for her.
Amy stood there unafraid of the woman. Maggie stopped within inches of her face and laughed.
"You don't scare me, Maggie. You never have." Amy smiled.
"I will rip you head off right here, right now." Maggie threatened.
"Touch me and I'll make sure that's the last thing you do." Amy said seeing Callen walk over out of the corner of her eye.
"Let me guess, you're her newest victim?" she asked him.
"Not victim, I'm her husband. I already know everything that happened between Amy and Rick. Not to mention your part in all of it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing you could ever tell me that would change my mind about her. I highly suggest you get back in the car and leave. If you ever decide to set foot in this part of California again, I'll have you arrested." He told her.
"You can't do that." She said and spit in his face.
"You just made a very serious mistake." Sam said walking over to them. "You just assaulted a federal officer. Hey Deeks, why don't you call your friends with the Culver City PD and have them pay us a visit."
"My pleasure." He said pulling his phone from his pocket.
Hetty came walking out of the house. "What in the Hell is going on here?"
"Piss off you old bag, go back to you knitting." Maggie laughed.
Hetty tried not to laugh. "My dear, I don't know who you are, but I highly suggest you leave before I hurt you."
"With what, your geriatric Jujitsu?" Maggie laughed at her again.
The team looked at each other, waiting for the mini-ninja to strike
Hetty pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and handed it to Callen so he could wipe off his face. "Did you spit on him?"
"I did," she said proudly, "what are you going to do about it?"
They could hear the sirens in the distance. Hetty looked at Kensi who started to walk towards them, her hand on her weapon.
"Bitch, don't put a hand on me or I'll sue you for assault." Maggie screamed.
Amy's hand was on her pistol as Kensi got closer. Callen nodded to her. Maggie swung at Kensi, missing her, and then lunged at Amy hitting her square in the jaw. Amy's head snapped back sending her flying backwards. Callen caught her. Amy stood upright ready to swing, but Callen stopped her.
Maggie had a look of horror on her face as she looked up the barrels of four pistols. Toya just stood there stunned. Maggie ran at Kensi, knocking her over as she tried to get to Amy again. Amy pulled her pistol and held it inches from Maggie's head.
"I will not hesitate to shoot you, Maggie." Amy told her. "You've already assaulted two federal officers. I'd stop while you're ahead."
Two police cars pulled up in front of the house and cautiously walked towards them. "Someone want to tell us what's going on here?"
"This woman has assaulted two of my agents and one of my agent's wives." Hetty told him.
The officer walked up to Maggie, "Ma'am, you're under arrest."
"This is bullshit. This won't stand up in court, you're all full of shit." She screamed as the officer tried to put cuffs on her.
"Stop struggling or I'll put you on the ground." The officer ordered.
Maggie wouldn't stop kicking at Amy, so the officer threw her to the ground and put his knee in the middle of her back. Once she was cuffed and had stopped struggling, they rolled her over and sat her up so they could question the others about what happened. Callen explained that she showed up on the property screaming, yelling and cussing for Amy to come out. Sam added that Maggie had thrown a rock through his windshield, thus adding a charge of damage to government property since the Challenger was leased to him for work purposes. Hetty handled everything else with the officers.
Amy walked to Toya. "Thank you for warning me about Maggie coming. Are you okay, you didn't hurt yourself when you fell did you?"
"I'm fine, thank you though. What about the baby, she brought Emily with her. I don't want her." She said.
Callen walked up to the two of them. "Social Service will be called and they'll take her until someone from Maggie's family can come get her."
"Well, they need to come get this child out of my van now." She said.
"Amy, are you okay?" Callen asked her seeing that her jaw was already swelling and bruising.
"I'll be okay, Honey." She said trying to smile, but winced in pain.
"Since when do you pack some heat?" Toya laughed.
"Since someone tried to kill me last year, Rick kidnapped the kids and I was kidnapped." She said matter-of-factly.
"Are you serious about someone trying to kill you and getting kidnapped?" Toya asked floored.
"No, that's how Amy and I met." Callen smiled.
"Congratulations, by the way." Toya smiled.
"Toya, this is my husband G Callen. Honey, this is LeToya Hartnell." She said.
"Nice to meet you." Callen said shaking her hand. "I'm going to talk to the officer about Emily."
"Look Amy, I want to apologize." Toya started.
"Stop. It's over and done, but we can never be friends like we were before." Amy said.
"I understand. I miss you." She said.
"I miss you too, but it doesn't change anything." Amy told her.
"Please wish Kristy a happy birthday for us. I'm sorry about Maggie." Toya said.
Amy turned around. "Michelle, could you go get Kristy for me?"
Michelle went in the house and came back out with Kristy in toe.
"God, she's so grown up." Toya said with tears in her eyes.
"Kristy, someone would like to wish you a happy birthday." Amy said as she walked towards them.
"Hi Toya" she said awkwardly.
"Happy Birthday, Kristy." She said not attempting to touch her.
"Thank you." She smiled.
Callen and one of the officers walked over to Toya. "Ma'am, we'll go ahead and take the child from you."
"Thank you." She said opening the sliding door on the van, taking Emily out of her car seat and then taking the car seat out of the van. She handed the car seat to Callen who followed the officer back to his car. "I'm going to head home. I'm sorry for the interruption."
Callen called Amy over to him, Amy asked Toya to hold on for a moment as she walked away. "Do you want to invite her to stay for dinner? We've got enough food and she did care enough to call and warn you about Maggie."
Amy looked back at Toya and then over at their friends. "I guess, you guys can't talk much about your cases while she's here."
"That's fine. Invite her to stay." He said kissing her.
Amy walked back over to Toya, Kristy and Michelle. "Sorry, Toya if you have no other plans for tonight, Callen and I would like to have you join us for dinner."
Toya was clearly taken aback by the offer. "With everything that's happened, you still want me here?"
"Callen and I figure it's the least we could do, I know it's a long drive home and I'd like to see how much the kids have grown. I have tequila." She said remembering her best friend's love of tequila.
Toya smiled widely. "Got Margarita mix too?"
Michelle chimed in, "We can make up another pitcher right away, I'm sure we can all use another drink after this."
Toya turned to the five faces eagerly staring at them in the van, "Do you guys want to visit with your cousins for a while?"
"Yes!" They all cheered. One by one, they all got out of the van and hugged Kristy, so excited to finally see each other after a year of sneaking behind their mother's backs texting.
"Kristy Honey, can you make sure they eat, please?" Amy asked as Kristy led them into the house.
Kensi walked out of the house with an ice pack and gave it to Amy. "Toya, this is Michelle and Kensi. Over there is Michelle's husband Sam and the surfer-looking guy is Kensi's partner Marty Deeks."
"It's nice to meet all of you." Toya said humbly. "It's good to see you made friends."
"Well, they all work together, Callen and the rest. Michelle and I hang out the most. Come on, I'll show you the house."
"Whose house is this, your husband's?" Toya asked as they stepped into the entry.
"No, it's mine. It was my great-grandmother's house. She left it to me. We've been here over a year now." She smiled. "Callen owns a house a block away."
"I take it you didn't know about the house otherwise you would've left Rick a lot sooner." Toya said.
"Right. I found about the house in April right before I wound up in the hospital." She said walking into the kitchen to make another pitcher of margaritas.
"The hospital? Ok, start back from the last time we talked." Toya said.
Amy went back to November two years ago. Michelle, Kensi and Nell listened. Toya's jaw dropped several times when Amy explained how the team provided them with protection, how she wound up having emergency surgery, was almost murdered in the hospital, moved into the house, filed for divorce, and the rest of the story. By the end, Toya stood there dumb-founded, shaking her head. She knew her former friend was a strong woman, but to have survived all of that. They ladies showed Toya around the house, Toya was in love with Callen's Jag and was so happy that Amy finally got her mustang. She told Amy how happy she was that life finally handed her something other than lemons for once.
Once they were in the screened-in patio, Amy handed her a plate and told her to help herself. She admitted as she piled food on the plate that she missed Amy's cooking. Amy made it a point to tell Michelle that the collard greens recipe she's made at New Year's was Toya's moms. Toya was touched that Amy still made the recipe. They joined the others outside, Callen and Sam had brought another table out of the garage and set it up so everyone had a place to sit. Toya's middle child walked over and gave Amy a huge hug. Over the last year, Amy had texted with the girl several times just to make sure they were okay.
Callen got a call from one of the officers about an hour after they'd taken Maggie away to ask if they'd be pressing charges for Maggie hitting Amy. She had to think long and hard about how she answered that question. Amy knew she was in enough trouble with the two existing assault charges for Callen and Kensi. It was Michelle and Toya who convinced her to push forward with it. Callen relayed to the officer that they would be and also told him that they'd be seeking a restraining order as well.
Callen came over and sat with Amy and listen as his wife and her former best friend caught up. He was happy to see the two laughing and joking the way he thought they would have years ago before the rift. Admittedly, he was curious on whether or not the two remained friends. He looked around the yard at the children playing; Amy had told him once that she referred to Toya's kids as her nieces and nephew. It was good to see Kristy, Ricky and Jenny playing with them again.
By seven, they kids had calmed down. Callen was helping the ladies bring the food in the house and put away any leftovers. Amy asked if everyone was ready for dessert, but they were all still too full, so she waited to put the pies in the over. They went back outside and sat talking. Amy and Callen told Toya about the wedding and their trip to Hawaii. Toya asked how Carole and Joe were; Callen suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with them two days before. He hesitated before telling Amy what her Mom had said about her treatments. Amy finally pulled it out of him, while he could tell it bothered her, she didn't allow it or the events from earlier in the day bring her down.