A/N: Next Chapter! I hope you like it! REVIEW PLEASE!


"Need help carrying that?" a voice said behind Maddie as she unloaded her box of stuff from the truck.

Maddie laughed and turned around to find Chris standing there smiling at her, making her melt all over again.

"I believe that's what you asked me at the bar that night." She replied smiling.

"It might be." He said laughing before taking the box from her as they started towards Callen's house as they moved her back.

"Sam filled me in what happened." Chris said as they walked up the sidewalk. "You should have told me."

"I know I'm sorry." She replied looking up at him.

"Is that why you cancelled?"

"Yes, I just…I couldn't deal with it all."

"Next time." Chris said turning to face her as they stopped on the porch "Tell me. I would have understood and not thought you didn't want to see me."

"You thought? God I'm so stupid. No Chris. I want to see you, I want to go out I just couldn't deal with all that at the moment." Maddie said pleading with her eyes to make him understand.

"Good." Chris replied putting the box down on the porch wall, before turning back to her and walking towards her. "Because I really want to see you."

"What are you doing?" she asked staring up at him wide-eyed.

He placed one hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. Chris just smiled and using the hand that was gripping her shoulder, he backed her up into the wall.

"Are you nervous?" Maddie shook her head softly watching him carefully.

Chris let his hands slide down from her shoulders to her waist, gripping her bare skin from where his hand went under her shirt. Her heart was beating in her throat as Chris touched her waist.

"You're beautiful," he murmured quietly as he wrapped one arm around Maddie's waist and pulled her flush against his body. She gasped at the sudden movement, staring up into his eyes.

"Nervous yet?" Maddie shook her head hesitantly.

"No," she stammered, Her heart was pounding in her chest, which Chris could feel and he merely smiled down at her, before hoisting her up so her legs were wrapped around his waist, eye level with him.

"How about now?," he whispered, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. Maddie shook her head again, and smiled.

"No," she said quietly keeping eye-contact with him, Chris raised his eyebrow and pressed her into the wall, still wrapped in his arms. Maddie laid her hands on his chest and stared back at him.

"You sure?" He whispered again. When Maddie shook her head yet again, he finally cupped the back of her neck and brought his lips an inch from hers. "You've got to be nervous." Maddie's breath was coming in short little pants, her legs tightening around his waist and her hands gripping his shirt.

"Maybe a little," she finally admitted. Chris smiled in triumph and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his hand, and he cupped her cheek. He leaned in a little as she did, her eyes close on their own waiting for him to kiss her.

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" a voice came from the doorway.

Chris and Maddie sprang apart from each other as he put her down quickly turning to find Deeks standing there with a grin on his face. Maddie narrowed her eyes at Deeks who continued to smile like nothing was wrong; Chris bent down to pick up the box and rolled his eyes at Deeks.

"Deeks." Maddie growled dangerously causing Deeks to look at her, his smile fading slowly. "You have 5 seconds to run. 5 – 4 -"

"Oh come on monkey." Deeks protested weakly. "I mean would you really want to be kissed…"

"YES." Maddie said walking slowly towards Deeks. "3 – 2 – "

"Maddie." Deeks said again looking to Chris for help. Chris just shrugged and watching Maddie amused.

"1." Maddie said softly but seriously.

Deeks looked wide-eyed before darting back in the house with Maddie on his heels running after him. Chris chuckled before following them inside and shutting the door behind him. Maddie was chasing Deeks around the house, weaving his way in and around everyone who was staring at the two as they all sat around and ate their pizza.

"Deeks!" Maddie snapped. "Stop running and man up!"

"And let you catch me?" he replied running and hiding behind Kensi. "Hell no."

"Kensi move." Maddie told her as she hid her partner.

"What did you do Deeks?" Kensi asked accusing him as she turned around.

"Why do you automatically think I did something?"

"Because you usual did. Now what did you do to my niece?" Callen asked him.

"I just walked in on her and Christopher over there in a very compromising position." Deeks tried to explain rushing it at the end once Maddie got passed Kensi and she chased him again.

"Really?" Callen asked looking back at Chris who was casually leaning against the wall watching in contentment.

Chris shrugged, "Trust me, Deeks walked in before anything could happen."

"You interrupted them about to kiss?" Nell asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah, I mean they haven't even been on a date. Was that bad?" Deeks wondered from his position around the small table in which Maddie was on the other side.

"YES!" Kensi, Nell, and Maddie responded together.

"Sheesh." Deeks replied. "I can't get a break" he added muttering running again from Maddie into the living room where everyone was while Maddie was right on his feet. She was about to grab him when someone grabbed her around the waist pulling her into their chest.

"Whoa." Chris said as he held her tight, making sure she couldn't get Deeks.

"Mr. Deeks that was very foolish of you." Hetty stated from her spot on the couch next to Eric and Sam.

"I say Maddie gets one shot at him." Sam voted grinning.

"Me too." Callen answered grinning with Sam from where he stood with Nell and Kensi.

"What?" Deeks whined out.

"I like that idea!" Kensi said excitedly.

"Who's side you on partner?" Deeks questioned her with a look.

"You never interrupt a girl from getting kissed Deeks, that's a no-no."

"I would have to agree with them Mr. Deeks." Hetty said giving her consent as Deeks looked at her in disbelief. "Ms. Maddie, one shot. Just don't hurt him too much. Mr. Higgins let her go."

Chris nodded and let go of Maddie slowly who turned around to him, kissed his cheek and turned back to face Deeks. Deeks was over in the corner looking at Maddie with a slightly scared look on his face as she walked closer to him. Once she was close enough, within arms length, she stopped and stared at him.

"You ever do that again and I'll make your life a living hell. Got it?" She told him quietly.

"Yes ma'am." Deeks squeaked very scared of her.

"Good." Maddie replied her voice turning back to normal but her eyes held something else it. Everyone watched on in anticipation, waiting for Maddie to hit him. However Maddie simply turned around going to leave when she heard Deeks said softly.

"Thank God she didn't hit me."

Maddie rolled her eyes and whipped around so fast Deeks didn't have time to react to Maddie as she hit him hard in the shoulder. Deeks stumbled yelling in pain. "OW!"

The entire room erupted in laughter as she watched with a smile on her face from the pain he was in.

"Damn it girl." Deeks stated rubbing his arm. "Where the hell did learn to hit that hard?"

"Sam." She replied smiling at him walking over to Sam who high-fived her.

"Told you all the practice would pay off Lil'G." Sam replied laughing.

"Ha-ha. Laugh it up, while I'm just in pain over here!" Deeks told them still rubbing his arm, making everyone laugh even more.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly as everyone helped putting the house back together and the girls decorated as much as Callen would let them and it was just before dinner when Maddie was looking for Callen but she couldn't find anywhere.

"Sam. Where's G?" she asked.

"Don't freak, but him and Chris are out back talking." Sam told her.

"How long have they been out there?"

"10 minutes maybe." Sam said. "Don't worry about them."

"I'm not. I just didn't know." Maddie replied smiling at him.

Outside with Callen and Chris

"Maddie said you wanted to talk to me?" Chris asked him as the two drank their beers together and sat down on the two lawn chairs Maddie made Callen buy.

"Yeah." Callen started. "Listen, it's not just you that I would talk to ok? I would talk to anyone if they wanted to go out with her, even if it was Sam and especially if it was Deeks."

Chris chuckled but nodded his head in understanding. "I get it."

"Good. I trust you Chris, hell Hetty trusts you and that's good enough for me. Its just Maddie is like a daughter to me and I don't want her to end up hurt." Callen stated quietly. "With everything that's happened with her I'm kind of protective, especially over the whole Steve situation."

"I would never, ever hurt her, you have to know that." Chris told Callen seriously.

"I know you wouldn't." Callen replied. "You have to know though that Maddie might…she might be uneasy about some things."

"You mean about being physical?" Chris questioned.

"Yeah."

"Trust me. We're going to take it slow." Chris told him. "I'm not going to rush things with her. I – I really like her Callen. She's smart, funny, and beautiful."

"I know you do. And trust me she really likes you too and I'm sorry about her cancelling her date. That's my fault. The whole thing was just a complete mess."

"She loves you Callen."

"I know she does. I don't plan on making that mistake again and I feel completely horrible about it all."

"But she forgave you."

"Yeah she did." Callen replied smiling as he took another drink. The two of them continued to drink the rest of their beer in silence for a while before Callen broke the silence again.

"If you make her happy," Callen said. "Then I'm happy."

"I'll do my best." Chris replied softly.

"Good." Callen answered getting up out of his chair with Chris doing the same. "Oh and Chris?"

"Yeah?"

Callen walked towards Chris and stood right in front of him, with his face that he only used when interrogating suspects. "You hurt my Maddie, and I will personal see to it that your life be a living a hell." Callen told him dangerously. Chris looked at him with a mixture of pure shock and sheer fear to Callen's pleasure. "I know how to make people disappear."

He then turned around and headed inside smirking, he was almost inside when he realized Chris wasn't following. Turning around he found Chris in the same spot that he left him watching Callen leave.

Callen let out a laugh and smiled, "Let's go lover boy."

Chris smiled and shook his head before catching up to him.

"So I can ask for this Friday then?" Chris asked as they went inside.

"Yeah Friday would be fine." Callen said smiling patting Chris on the back.