Blink by Cascada. Team night out sees Melissa reflect on being the baby of the team and Callen dances. Drunk Callen. Melissa's point of view.
Song Link: watch?v=lDzsO0oC3-M
I yawn. It's late. I should be in bed. I'm off to Boston to testify on an old case tomorrow evening. We're at some popular club and the drinks have been flowing all night but I don't want to miss a second. I know I'm supposed to be young and resilient but even the best needs to sleep… except maybe Hetty but she's a force of nature so nothing is for certain when it comes Hetty. Oh and maybe Callen! I'm the baby of the team although Nell is only 29 (7 years older than myself). I need to stay awake… someone is going to have to get the drunk members of the team home and as I'm the sober one it seems the responsibility will fall on me. Aren't I supposed to be the wild young one? When did I become the responsible one?
…I don't want to blink, I can't close my eyes
These are the best years of our lives
I don't wanna sleep while I'm alive
I don't wanna miss a thing tonight
For once in my life I realized
What I've been given, in an instant
I don't need this to end to understand
That I'm gonna miss it, gonna miss it
I can't believe how the minutes keep passing us by
Better live my life
Here in the moment just own it and don't think twice
Let's go…
I look over at the dance floor. Eric, Nell, Kensi, Deeks and Nate are all dancing. Is Nate smiling? Eric and Nell make up a trio with Nate. The pair are dancing and Nate dances to the side and I feel sorry for him and internally debate whether to go dance with him or not. I know the team are all drunk and probably won't remember but do I really want to make a fool of myself? None of us are born dancers. Eric and Nell can keep to a beat and Kensi can at times. Deeks and Nate dad dance though. Nate is tense and has no sense of rhythm. Sam looks ready to doze off but Callen insists on talking or rather shouting (it's really loud in here) to him. I look to Kensi and Deeks who are both laughing and smiling as they dance. Oh to hell with it, no-one will remember if I dance with Nate! The argument to dance with Nate wins out. It's probably against my better judgement that I walk over and start to dance with Nate and grab his hand stopping them flailing and pulling him into beat with the music. He smiles as we fall into the music and the rest of the group greet me. I hug the girls in turn and then get one from Deeks as we all dance. I look over to Sam and Callen. Callen has been quiet tonight…
…I don't want to blink, I can't close my eyes
These are the best years of our lives
I don't wanna to sleep while I'm alive
I don't wanna miss a thing tonight
I don't wanna blink, blink,
I don't wanna blink, blink
I don't wanna blink
No, I don't wanna blink
There used to be a time when I was blind
I had no vision, wouldn't listen
Now every heartbeat is tellin' me
That I'm on a mission to make a difference
I can't believe how the seconds keep passing us by
Better live my life
Here in the moment just own it and don't think twice
Let's go
I don't want to blink, I can't close my eyes
These are the best years of our lives
I don't wanna to sleep while I'm alive
I don't wanna miss a thing tonight
I don't wanna blink, blink,
I don't wanna blink, blink
I don't wanna blink
No, I don't wanna blink…
Callen looks at me with a look in his eye I've never seen before. There's something new in the look as he stands up leaving Sam at our table and joins us with a smile. Now we've got three dad dancers. I gotta give it to him he's trying to dance on beat but it's just not happening and his balance is going fast with every drink. I know he's had at least 3! Callen falls towards me and I catch him before he falls to the floor. His hand rests on the top of my arm casually for support as I look at him. He attempts a smile.
'Sit down. You're drunk.' I shout.
'I want to dance.'
'G please. You'll injure yourself.' I answer worried that he'll do just that.
'No I won't!' G shouts back like a temperamental child as his hand falls away as he sulks. He's such a man child when he's drunk.
…Can't stop, won't stop
Give me some more
So many things that I wanna explore
Years ahead, more, we were put in for
Now I now
Let's go
I don't want to blink, I can't close my eyes
These are the best years of our lives
I don't wanna to sleep while I'm alive
I don't wanna miss a thing tonight
I don't wanna blink, blink,
I don't wanna blink, blink
I don't wanna blink
No, I don't wanna blink…
An hour later and I've herded the team into a minibus that Hetty has provided. There's been more dad dancing and G hasn't spoken to me since his outburst on the dance floor. First stop is Sam's, I've called Michelle and let her know we're on the way. Nell and Eric are giggling in the back row. Nate is looking out the window from the front row. Kensi is falling asleep with her head on Deeks shoulder on the seats opposite me. Callen is sat in the row in front of me and Sam sits opposite him. We reach Sam's and Michelle meets us as we arrive and ushers Sam indoors with a quick thanks.
'Don't tell Mishy… Drunk.' Sam whispers as Michelle helps him inside.
Next it's to Nell's and Eric ever the gentleman escorts Nell to her door and receives a kiss on his cheek for his troubles before getting back into the minibus. Eric's house is the next drop off with both Eric and Nate getting out. Both are wobbly on their feet and I watch as the two men get inside after a few attempts of putting the key in the lock. Deeks place is next and yet another double drop off. I walk them inside, opening the door for Deeks as he carries Kensi inside before adding my goodbyes and walking back to the minibus. Now there's only two people left and G stays silent. I tell the driver G's address and then alert G when we arrive. He's ignoring me and doesn't look at me as he gets out of the minibus. I watch from the minibuses side door. He manages to get to his bottom step before he trips and I rush over to sit him down. There's no way I'm leaving him alone in his house tonight. I dart back to the minibus and pay the driver, grabbing my bag from my seat before re-joining Callen who hasn't moved from where I sat him. I support some of his weight as I grab his key from his jeans back pocket to let us in.
'That's naughty.' He slurs scandalously as I do.
'Do you want to sleep out here?' I answer sounding like a parent to a child.
'No.'
'Well then…' I answer putting the key into the lock and pushing the door open. I turn the living room light on and G grunts as his eyes adjust to the light. I lead him straight to his bedroom and sit him down on his bed without switching on the light and return to the living room to lock the front door. G is lying down on his bed looking up at his ceiling, almost falling asleep when I return. I take off his shoes and he doesn't respond and I pull the covers over him. He lets me which surprises me and so I decide to walk to the living room and head for the kitchen to pour some water and grab some aspirins. I return to G's bedroom with water and some aspirins for the morning and place them on the chair for when he wakes up. He's going to have one major hangover! He's already asleep when I arrive back. I smile. He looks so vulnerable, like a child. I've never seen him so vulnerable and I realise it's the first time I've been in his bedroom. It's neutral and there's only a bed and the kitchen chair. It shouldn't surprise me it's so minimalistic that's Callen in a nutshell. I shut the door and leave it ajar and walk down the small corridor to the living room, switching off the light and sinking into the living room chair, pulling my feet under me and resting my head against my arm and I attempt to fall asleep… I'm at G's house at night! How did that happen?