I DO NT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE NCIS OR NCIS:LA CHARACTERS, ONLY MY OWN.
The kids looked up and gasped when they heard a loud pop from the living room. Instantly they were on their feet running past their mother to see what was going on. Nick helped Annette to her feet as Marnie stepped out of the doorway. "Did you have a good evening?" Annette asked taking Marnie's hand as the two walked down the hall.
"It was positively one of the best nights of my life." She grinned.
Callen stood to the table pouring Champagne into two flutes. Five flutes of cider sat on the table. "What's all of this?" Alec asked with a suspicious look.
"Callen and I wanted to make an announcement." Marnie said before Callen could get it out.
Callie and Avery spun around and looked at Marnie's left hand. "You said YES!?" They shrieked and ran to her side.
"Yes, I said yes." Marnie said holding her hand out so the girls could look at the ring.
Callie looked back at Callen grinning as tears filled her eyes. Just as quickly as she was at her mother's side, she was running towards Callen. "Thank you so much." She cried as she bear hugged him.
Callen lifted her off the floor and craned his neck to look at her. "You're very welcome. I love you guys."
"Mommy can I be in the wedding?" Avery asked bouncing up and down.
"Of course." Callen told her. "You all will be in the wedding somehow. This will officially make us a family."
"Are you adopting us?" Alec asked, hopefully.
"He can't Alec, not unless your father give permission and in doing that, he signs away his rights." Marnie explained.
Alec frowned. "Dad's not about to do that is he?"
Marnie wrapped her arms around her son and rested her chin on the top of his head. "At least not right now. Maybe in a few years."
Alec started to cry as Marnie rocked him back and forth. She gave Callen a sad, pleading look as he walked over and put his hand on Alec shoulder. "Believe me Alec, I want nothing more than to be your father and unless he's around, I will be. I'll make up the most horrible rules and make you follow them." He said as Alec laughed.
"Promise?" Alec asked.
Callen pulled Marnie and Alec into his arms and kissed the top of Alec's head. "I vow from this day on to be the worst, best step father I can be."
Annette leaned heavily into Nick as she watched Callen make promises to her daughter and grandchildren she knew he'd go above and beyond to keep. With a sigh, she laid her head on Nick's shoulder. "I couldn't have wished for a more perfect moment." She told him.
Callen waved Callie and Avery over and the five stood there hugging, laughing and crying with joy.
After Nick proposed a toast and the kids guzzled down their cider, Marnie and Callen changed and put the kids to bed. Nick and Annette sat up for a while as Callen and Marnie told them about the evening. Soon they were the only two left in the living room. Marnie sat with her legs over Callen's lap and her back against the arm of the couch. His arm around her as they sipped champagne.
"I don't think we should even try to finish this bottle." Marnie said with a yawn.
He reached back, setting the flute on the table and smiled warmly, stroking her leg. "Thank you."
She cocked her head to the side, giving him an odd smile. "Why are you thanking me?"
Lightly, he ran his fingers through her hair. "Until you came back into my life, I didn't want this. I was focused on my job. I saw a woman and family as a distraction. If anything, you and the kids have given me a reason to work even harder to make the world a safer place. I want to protect you and them from everything that would possible harm you or threaten your sense of safety and security. Before I worked for the greater good. Now I work to protect my family. So they can grow up without fear."
Marnie sniffled as he spoke, a tear rolled down her cheek as she leaned in and kissed him. "You're talking too much." She chuckled.
Callen took her flute and sat it on the table behind them. "And what would you rather I be doing instead of talking?" he asked as she pulled him to her in a hot passionate kiss.
Marnie woke later that morning to the sound of Callen's voice, soft and low. He smiled as she rolled over. Pulling himself from the arm chair, crossed the room and bent over the bed to kiss her. "Are you sure?" He asked.
"What?" Marnie asked before she saw the phone in his hand.
Callen held the phone out. "So we'll meet you in the lobby around noon for lunch?"
Marnie stretched and tossed the covers back as she sat up. Callen was already at the bar filling a cup of coffee for her. "Are you talking to Sam and Michelle?" Marnie asked.
Callen shook his head. "I'll call down and book a room for you."
She sipped the coffee and sat at the table waiting for Callen to hang up. "So who are we meeting for lunch?"
After pouring himself a cup of coffee, Callen sat across from her at the table. "I called a friend of mine from the Virginia office."
Marnie nearly choked. "Special Agent Gibbs?"
Callen laughed, "Yes, I called Jethro. He's flying up this morning and will spend a couple days here. I want you to meet him and him to meet you and the kids and your parents."
Marnie gave him a worried sigh, "Why is it so important that we meet one another?"
"Next to Sam, he's one of my best friends and I trust him with my life. If something ever happens to me, I want you to feel comfortable enough to call him if you need something."
Marnie sat her cup on the table, Callen stood and rounded the table standing behind her. "Please don't talk about something happening to you. I try to keep that part of your job out of my mind."
"Jethro's really a good guy, Marnie." He said leaning over as she bent her head back, resting it on his chest as he kissed her.
"I know he is, I've heard a lot about him. Aside from being a good guy and good agent, he's also notorious for being gruff and hard on his subordinates, not to mention the world as a whole. Who's to say he's going to like me or even tolerate the kids? What if he doesn't support our relationship?"
Callen laughed and rubbed her arms gently, "I really think you're jumping the gun Marn. He'll like you and I'm pretty sure he'll like the kids too."
Marnie sighed as Callen moved to her side. She laid her head on Callen's chest again. "I hope you're right."
"I know I am." Callen assured her as the kids came running out of the bedroom.
After getting the kids to finally settle on what they wanted for breakfast, Callen called for room service. Roger had a huge smile on his face when he walked in and saw the beautiful platinum diamond ring adorning Marnie's left hand. He'd heard through so-workers that they'd ordered bottles of champagne and apple cider in the wee hours of the morning and hoped this was the reason why. He was pleased and wished them the best of luck.
While the kids, Nick and Annette ate Callen told them about lunch with Gibbs while Marnie took a quick shower. Nick suggested that Callen and Marnie head downstairs and meet with Gibbs to kind of soften the blow since Gibbs had little if no knowledge that Callen was even seeing anyone, little lone contemplating marriage. Callen agreed and went to tell Marnie. She was standing at the sink brushing her teeth when he walked in the bathroom and kissed her cheek. Once she was finished, she moved aside so Callen could shave.
Marnie sat on the edge of the counter talking with him. With shave cream still smeared on his face, he leaned over and kissed her. Instantly Marnie giggled, wiped the shave cream from her face and smeared a handful all over Callen's face. The two laughed as Marnie shot off the counter, taking the can of shave cream with her. Without ammunition, Callen charged her, taking her around the waist. Marnie sprayed him in the face with better than half of the can of shave cream. Quickly, Callen leaned in and rubbed his face on her cheek, hair and down her back. Callie, Alec and Avery walked into the bathroom in shock, Callen and Marnie slipped and slid across the tile floor as the wrestled.
"How old are the two of you supposed to be?" Callie laughed.
Callen and Marnie suddenly stopped, looked up at the kids and promptly burst into laughter. The next Nick and Annette knew, Callie, Alec and Avery began screaming as Callen and Marnie took off after them. They were stunned when Callen and Marnie were head to toe shave cream.
"What the hell are the two of you doing?" Nick yelled over the laughter and shrieks.
"Get it out of your systems now." Annette laughed. "I don't want you doing this at the wedding."
They stopped and looked at themselves. Marnie couldn't stop laughing and headed into the bedroom for a change of clothes. Fortunately Callen had yet to shower and dress. Marnie mopped up the mess on the floor before she showered again. Callen sat on the couch putting on his shoes when she walked out of the bathroom. She smiled at him and leaned over the back of the couch, kissing him.
"That was fun." Callen grinned.
"It was." Marnie agreed.
Within minutes the two were out the door and headed downstairs. In the elevator, Marnie mentioned that she wanted another cup of coffee and asked if he wanted one. Callen smiled down at her and told her he'd already had too much and suddenly needed to run to the men's room. With a laugh and soft kiss, Callen headed off to the restroom while Marnie headed to the coffee shop. Two patrons ahead of her, she saw a set of jet black ponytails bobbing back and forth as she hummed a happy tune. Leaning to one side, Marnie looked at the woman's clothing and was almost sure she knew her.
It wasn't until the woman got to the head of the line and placed the order that Marnie was one hundred percent sure of who she was. With coffee in hand, the woman glanced back at the line and smiled. Suddenly Marnie's stomach was in knots. "Abby?" She asked before she got too far away.
Abby spun on her heels and looked at the line, not recognizing anyone, she proceeded to walk back towards the lobby. Marnie quickly gave the barista her order and watched as Abby wound her way through the busy lobby. As the clerk handed Marnie her order, she lost sight of her. She nearly ran from the coffee shop and into the lobby craning her head as she searched for her. At the front desk, with the clerk was where she found her.
"It's just for a couple nights." Abby told him. "They didn't know I was coming, therefor only one room was booked."
"Yes I understand that, however the room that was booked only has one bed. You're asking for a second room to be booked under Mr. Callen's name."
Abby nearly growled at him. "No I'm not. I'm trying to book a room in my own name."
The clerk looked over Abby's shoulder and smiled. "Good morning Ms. Wilson, congratulations."
Marnie stepped closer to the desk. "Thank you, is there a problem with the room my fiancé booked for Mr. Gibbs?"
"No ma'am there is no problem with his room." He started.
Abby looked back and smiled at Marnie recognizing her from the line in the coffee shop. "But there is a problem with me trying to book my own room."
"Can we add a reservation for Ms. Sciuto?" She asked. "Or if Mr. Gibbs and Ms. Sciuto don't mind sharing; a room with two beds?"
"We do have a double occupancy room available, but I can't reserve it without speaking with Mr. Callen. Being that you're not on the credit card he used to reserve the room."
Marnie nodded and smiled at Abby as she turned to look for Callen. She caught a glimpse of him as he walked across the lobby and shook a man's hand. "Excuse me, I see Mr. Callen." She said and quickly weaved her way through the clusters of people standing here and there. Gibbs saw her first and smiled. "G, we need to book a different room or a second room." She said catching him off guard.
Callen gave her an odd look. "Why?" He asked turning to Gibbs.
"Abby was at the house when you called and I offered to buy her a ticket." Gibbs smiled.
Callen placed his hand on the small of her back as he led her to the front desk with Gibbs at his side. Immediately when Marnie walked up, he noticed the tension between the two and swore they were sizing one another up. Marnie had voiced her trepidation over meeting Gibbs. While he did have a reputation for being hard-nosed and gruff, Gibbs did truly have a good heart. He lived by a very strict set of rules that began with his first wife and has carried on through the years. The last time Callen knew, there were over fifty. Marnie and Gibbs were similar in that respect, she too had a very strict way she lived her life. Her morals and values were close to saintly and one of the reasons he loved her so.
Her reluctance to even so much as kiss him until after the divorce was filed. Her struggle and refusal to allow him to bed her. Even after proposing, ring on her finger, she declined the intimacy that morning. Marnie felt their first time should be special, not in the living room of a hotel with her children and parents in the other rooms. In honestly, he wasn't disappointed. In fact, he expected nothing less and again loved her for that.
Abby stood with her back to the desk as they walked up, bouncing excitedly in true Abby fashion. As soon as they got within five feet of her, she squealed and took off towards Callen. Marnie stepped back for fear of being knocked out of the way as Abby threw her arms around Callen. Gibbs and Marnie stared at one another again. Callen caught the looks going between them and immediately pushed Abby away. The four stood awkwardly for a few minutes.