A/N - This one took a while to wrap my head around what I wanted in it. It's finally fallen into place over the last couple of days but ended up way too long to do in one post - unless I wanted to wait at least another few days to tweak the rest. Luckily I found a pretty good place to split it afterall.

Should be obvious who the pov is from as it does shift around. Hope you enjoy Part one of these moments from the reception as well as the few snippets from the others while Callen and Jessie were otherwise occupied. Love to hear your thoughts.


Chapter 183 - Wedding Part 6

Reception Part 1

Arkady studied Mac more intently than Mac would like and Mac studiously avoided meeting the other man's gaze in the hopes it would deter a conversation he knew in his gut wasn't one he wanted to have.

"We know each other?" Arkady asked.

"No." Mac was pleased to say he had never met the man. He still wasn't sure if he liked him or not but gave him the benefit of the doubt, mostly anyway, because if he was here than Callen must trust him.

"You seem…. familiar," Arkady continued.

"Nope. Sorry." Mac shuffled the cards in his hand and started to deal the next round hoping the older, though he wasn't entirely sure of Arkady's age so he could be wrong, man would let it go.

Mac caught the glimmer of amusement in Hetty's eyes when their glances crossed.

"You have brother maybe." Oh good grief did the man not know when to quit. "Sister who looks more like brother. Other family?"

Crap. That niggly feeling at the back of his neck flared. Another glance at Hetty gave him confirmation that the niggle was warranted.

"No." Mac put everything he could into that one word to try and stop the runaway train that was Arkady. Mac didn't miss the exchange of looks between Hetty and Gibbs either. Arkady slumped back in his chair.

"Hmph. Swear I see you before."

"You know what they say," Gibbs tossed two cards on the table and drew two more. "We all have a doppelganger somewhere in the world."

"Not me," Arkady said. "One of a kind."

"And the world is very grateful for that fact," Hetty murmured.

Mac watched her glance at the cards in her hands, sigh and drop them on the table in defeat. That made Mac curious because he was sure Hetty had something up her sleeve - both figuratively and literally. She rose.

"More drinks gentleman?"


Mac had had enough. The bickering, as good natured as it had been had morphed into an intense argument. The fact that they had switched to Russian wasn't a big deal. In fact it made things easier since it meant Mac could stay out of it … if he wanted to. Hetty and Gibbs knew he spoke Russian. Gibbs seemed to be doing the same thing with staying out of it. The secretive, and slightly smug, looks on Arkady and Garrison's faces spoke volumes. They had no idea their conversation wasn't as secret as they thought.

Mac tossed his cards on the table, deliberately hard enough to slide across it, grabbing the attention of the two arguing men and one infuriating woman who was deliberately poking the proverbial bear, or bears in this case.

"Enough," Mac said. "All of you." His gaze went back and forth between the three of them. Surprise in Hetty's eyes, though only because he was sure she didn't think he'd say anything and shock clear in the stunned expressions on the other two. Gibbs chuckled quietly beside him.

"What?" Arkady spluttered. The look on his face was priceless and disbelieving. Mac had no choice but to continue in Russian - it was too much to resist.

"No more arguing. Unless you want me to go get Callen." Mac raised an eyebrow and waited a couple of heartbeats before he continued. "I'm sure you aren't too old to remember what it's like to have a beautiful woman alone with a bed nearby, let alone adding to the fact that the woman was the love of your life and it was your wedding day. Right?"

"Who said they were love of my life?" Arkady muttered.

Mac saw Hetty's lips twitch out of the corner of his eye.

"So you are too old to remember?" Gibbs said and Mac barely contained the chuckle at the look on Arkady's face and the glower that quickly followed. Gibbs had spoken in English but it was clear from his comment that he too understood Russian.

"The ladies still love me."

"That's debatable," Hetty murmured.

"So," Mac looked at the three of them again. "Who's going to be the reason I go interrupt?"

"Leave my boy be," Garrison said. "We'll behave."

"Good." Mac reverted back to English. "Now play the game like mature adults. And Hetty."

"Yes?"

"Stop cheating."


Sam slipped into the vacant chair next to Max. Hetty was refreshing drinks with Gibbs' help and Garrison and Arkady had disappeared somewhere else. It was now or never.

"Mac."

"Sam."

There was a hint of question in the way Mac said his name. "Wanted to say thank you in person for looking after Kam… and me apparently."

"She was no trouble. Even if she swindled me out of my money." The fact that Mac hadn't said anything about looking after him suggested to Sam that he had been trouble.

"Kam doesn't swindle," Sam defended his daughter. "But she does play poker exceptionally well."

"She does," Mac agreed. "She's a great kid Sam."

"Thanks. Anyway, thank you. Michelle and I would love to take you out to dinner sometime to say a proper thank you."

"No need." Mac shuffled the cards idly through his fingers and the way they worked the cards so expertly made Sam wonder just a little if Kam had truly won or not. "I don't keep score," Mac continued. "A friend needed help. It's what you do."

"Friend?" It was a subtle prod for more information, either about when Mac had looked after him or just what it was between Callen and Mac. Sam knew they were close. The man wouldn't be here if he wasn't and given that Callen had trusted Jessie with Mac, and thereby their future child as well as Kam, spoke volumes to the level of trust. He hadn't really needed Callen to say the words back then, it had been clear simply by the suggestion of the plan Callen proposed. The words had just been an added bit of comfort for Sam's chaotic mind at the time.

"Any friend of Callen's is a friend of mine." Sam saw Mac's eyes dart to his left and glanced over his shoulder. He spotted Arkady heading toward them. "Okay so maybe not every friend," Mac added.

They shared a chuckle over their mutual … uncertainness of the Russian. Hetty, Gibbs and Garrison joined them at the table, adding drinks to the platter of nibbles Arkady had brought with him.

Sam glanced around but could see no sign of Callen and Jessie yet.

"Sam," Hetty said, "Would you care to join the game?"

"Depends," Sam grinned. "Are you cheating Hetty?"


Jessie's groan came from just below Callen's ear where her head rested on his shoulder. "Is there anyway to stop him?"

Callen chuckled. "Not likely. You can blame Trevor for it. He's the one who set up the karaoke."

"You didn't say no."

"Neither did you." Callen turned Jessie around in his arms, pulled her back to his front and settled one hand on her stomach to hold her close while the other rested on her hip. His thumb brushed gently back and forth over a known sensitive spot. He lowered his head enough that his mouth was right near her ear.

"He's drunk Doc." Jessie shivered slightly in his arms. He knew it had nothing to do with being cold and everything to do with the way he'd made sure his words drifted over her ear. "Probably won't remember this in the morning." Callen grimaced as Arkady tried to hit a note his voice was never going to make.

"He'll remember," Jessie replied with a great deal of confidence in her voice.

"Really?" Callen had counted at least six vodka's that had disappeared down Arkady's throat since they had finally managed to rejoin the rest of the guests - late of course. How much Arkady had drunk before their arrival and when Callen wasn't looking he couldn't say but given Arkady was up at the Karaoke machine singing "You're the one that I want", both parts, the man being well and truly drunk was a logical conclusion.

"He's messing with Hetty G," Jessie said softly. "Can't you see it." She sunk into him a little more as his lips brushed her ear in a light kiss. He studied Arkady closer, all the time still very much aware of the woman in his arms. Sure enough the man fired looks at Hetty while he was singing. Hetty was doing her best to ignore him but Callen knew she was taking it all in. He also knew the look in her eyes. Payback would be a bitch and a half.

Callen shook his head. "Then he is truly drunk to have that much courage." He shifted his hand slowly, from her hip higher over her waist until it rested just under her breast. His thumb moved enough to brush against the underside.

"G," she warned but there was heat and very little actual protest in the tone.

Callen grinned. "Come one Doc." He kept his voice low and just for her. "They're all distracted. No one will notice if we slip out for a few minutes. The door's right there."

"G we can't."

"We can." And damn right now he really was tempted to walk her out the door, given the interest he heard in the tone and the subtle shift of her body so his touch was firmer where she seemed to want it. "You know exactly how well I can get under that dress."

The quick flash of memory in his mind was enough to send a rather large shot of desire through him. She'd been dressed. He'd just finished brushing her hair and was doing up her necklace when he'd caught her gaze in the bathroom mirror. Her cheeks still had a flush of pink on them from their time together and the heat still simmered in her eyes. His fingers had traced the necklace all the way down to the pendant. Then they'd gone lower still and traced the neckline of her dress. Her head had dropped back against his shoulder, her hair shifting to reveal the marks he'd left on her neck. The temptation that was her pulled him too much and he took the opportunity to gain a little more practice in his telling skills. His touches had only been feather-light, matching the whispered words. She'd given him the opening to throw her words back at him when she'd said they needed to stop and go because they were already late.

"You were the one who said they can wait. What's a little more?"

Callen had no intention of pushing her if she wasn't interested. He would've stopped there and then if he'd heard seriousness in her tone but he hadn't. The words chosen were accurate but the tone and the look in her eyes said she didn't really want to go. So he'd asked the question and then waited, gazes locked, her fingers over his to stop what he'd been doing. After a long moment she'd let go of his hand, dropped her head back against his shoulder again and half closed her eyes. He'd taken the invitation and with great care in pitching his voice to the level that he knew she loved, continued his tell, with just the slightest touch to match. He'd shown her exactly how accessible the split in her dress made her and it didn't take a lot to have her shattering perfectly in his arms.

Jessie turned suddenly so she was back facing him. She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. His hands settled at her waist.

"You know," she said, "if anyone is going to… play it should be me. You didn't let me before."

No he hadn't. He'd slipped them out of the bathroom and their bedroom as quickly as he could. "For very good reason. Because it wouldn't have been just you playing and if we'd stayed there much longer someone would've come for us." And interruptions were one thing he didn't want causing havoc today of all days.

"They're distracted now." Jessie's eyes sparkled with heat and something else. She wasn't suggesting… She shifted against him, her body brushed against him and the flicker in her eyes meant she definitely felt his reaction, and enjoyed it. "And as you said," she continued, "the door is right there. Are you up-" her voice lowered, the words that followed were for his ears only, words that were spoken as close as possible to them to ensure it. Callen lost track of everything but the sensual web she wove around them and the potential of her words.

They both came back with a start to the sound of a throat being cleared next to them.

Sam.

Jessie pulled back. Callen saw the blush on her cheeks but knew she had nothing to worry about. If Sam had actually heard anything, he wouldn't have stuck around. For a tough SEAL, Sam could embarrass easily with the right topic.

"Any chance you'll let me dance with your girl G?" Sam asked. "Or are you intending on keeping her all to yourself?"

Callen glanced at Jessie. She shot him a little smile that told him she was fine with dancing with Sam. "I think I can spare her for just one."

"I'll give her back," Sam said with a grin. "You can dance with Michelle."

"Actually," Callen said, "I'm in need of a drink." Actually what he was in need of was his wife and a very private room but for now a drink and some time to work his mind away from the picture she'd just painted would have to suffice.

With that Sam danced Jessie away from him and Michelle looked at him with a knowing smile on her face.

"What?" Callen asked, playing innocent as he turned toward the bar. Michelle slipped in beside him as he walked.

"Sam might not have been able to read what was going on, bless the strangely oblivious man, but I've known you longer G."

"Nothing was going on."

"You're blushing. And considering you didn't even blush when you caught Sam and I out that time."

Hell. Callen knew exactly what time she meant and he'd done an exceptionally good job of blocking that memory out of his head. He pushed it back quickly to the locked box that it had been in for years.

"Does make me wonder," Michelle mused, not so innocently. "Just what she was whispering in your ear."

The drinks were handed over and Callen took a larger mouthful than he normally would have to give himself time to think of how to respond to that. Too long if Michelle's chuckle was anything to go by.

"I highly doubt it's anything I haven't -"

"Michelle," Callen cut her off quickly with a warning.

She stopped, thankfully and shrugged before she took a sip of her drink, the smirk that was somehow similar to Sam's still there. He still hadn't quite worked out who learned it from who.

"Wonder all you want," Callen finally said. "What she was whispering stays between her and I." Hopefully later it wouldn't just be words.

"I'm happy for you G," Michelle said, the shift from teasing to serious almost made his head spin. "You finally found the one who could reach all the way in here." Michelle tapped his chest lightly above his heart. "I've worried about you, you know."

"Never meant to make you worry."

"I've seen you with other women, not a lot I know but," Michelle took a breath and he heard the sigh that followed. "You'd never give them more than a quarter of you - and that was if they were lucky. You held back so much and yet you had so much to give. You think I didn't see hints of that when we worked together? I saw it when you first met Kam." She smiled. "That first time you held her I could see how much you craved a family of your own. For that brief moment I saw the you with no walls." She placed her hand on his arm. "You craved, needed desperately, someone to love and to love you back with no reservation. But you couldn't accept it. You always seemed to push it away. Until Jessie came along and wouldn't let you do it anymore. You deserve that G. I'm so glad you found her."

"Found more than her," Callen managed to say through an incredibly tight throat. Oh he remembered that moment when he'd first met and held Kam. That moment was burned into his brain. She'd been so small and delicate, so trusting. She hadn't even cried when this stranger had held her. Just looked up at him with what he swore was a smile, but she'd been too young for it to have been a true one. The emotion that that look, smile and trust from such a little thing had caused, had slammed into him that day and almost knocked him off his feet. He hadn't realised Michelle had witnessed that. "Wanna dance?" Callen asked her.

Michelle knew him well enough to know that the conversation was over. While he might be getting very good with Jessie and talking through emotions, and in turn getting better with others, straight to the heart conversation with anyone else, was still something he struggled with.

Michelle held out her hand and smiled. "Half a dance anyway since you were angling for Jessie to be back at the end of just one."

"I'm sure you won't mind getting back with Sam," Callen told her as his hand settled at Michelle's waist, her hand in his. It was a totally different feel having her in his arms than Jessie, expected obviously, but it was comfortable. After all they'd known each other a long time.

"Maybe," Michelle said with a hint of mischief in her tone that Callen had grown to know meant trouble for someone, "I'll whisper in his ear and see if I can make him blush."

Oh yeah, he knew exactly who was in trouble.

"Just let me get to the other side of the room first."