OFF GUARD
1
Callen turned around when he heard Anna call his name, and he nodded to let her know that he had heard what she had called out to him. Then he followed his buddies into the waiting helicopter for the ride back to Los Angeles.
He was very upset that he had to leave Anna behind. She was hurt, and he wanted to be nearby so he could take care of her. But it wasn't going to happen. He remained quiet for the entire ride home, even though he knew that Sam would have given him words of comfort had he asked. Instead, Sam respected his need to be left alone. They all left him alone, and that was the best for him for now.
Callen mused over the mission which had been horribly difficult at best. Anna had risked her life to help him find his father, and they did find him. Pavel Volkov had held the old man captive in an old, deserted, Russian spy school. Because he was so stubborn, he was still alive. In their haste to get out of the building before the gas overwhelmed them all, Anna got shot. Sam partially carried her as she was able to hop on her good leg. But she refused to return with them because of her jail break. She did not want to return to prison. So she stayed behind in Havana. Callen kept his feelings in check although he really wanted to cry.
2
When they landed in Los Angeles, Callen brought his father to the hospital. He was exhausted from the maltreatment by Volkov, and from exposure to the poor conditions in the old building. Nikita was almost glad to be in the hospital, although he would have preferred to be at home with Alex and Jake.
Every day, Callen sat with him, learning more and more about his past. He came to understand his father's reasons for what he did, but deep inside, he didn't like them.
One day, he told Callen that he wanted to see his daughter, and that request confused Callen because Alex had already visited him and gone home.
"My other daughter," Nikita insisted.
At last, Callen understood him, and he helped Nikita get ready for the journey to the cemetery. They did not stay long as Nikita was too weak. Not too long after, Nikita died, and once again, Callen returned to the cemetery for his father's burial. The younger man placed the token of the Hessian soldier on top of the headstone. He was glad of the closure, but very saddened by this new, more difficult loss in his life. It was hard to think about, finding his father, and then losing him almost immediately. He was infinitely grateful for the time he had to bond with Nikita while they were both being held in the old dilapidated school. That hug meant more to Callen than he realized at the time, and now, he missed it terribly.
3
During a case one day while the team was canvassing a local neighborhood, Callen passed by a flower shop. He thought the displays were amazing, and he was particularly drawn bouquets and bouquets of multi-colored wildflowers, whose arrangements were made of irises, daisies, peonies, lilies, gladioli, zinnias, hydrangeas, tulips, and day lilies, infused with bursts of baby's breath. For a fleeting second, Callen stared wistfully at the displays. Then he was brought back to reality when Sam tapped him on the shoulder.
Sam did not comment on anything, but he did let Callen know that he was aware. Callen acknowledged him, grateful that he kept his opinions to himself.
They finished perusing the street, and returned to the Hellcat, and took their time returning to OPS, having found nothing of use. They compared their findings with those of Kensi and Deeks, who also had nearly no information on this case.
After a short respite, they all went out again in completely different directions, hoping for a break. Through their earwigs, Eric told them that he had found the van they were looking for at a distant warehouse parking lot. All four were relieved.
The four agents scoured the area, taking extreme caution in peering into the van, and prying open its doors, only to find nothing at all except strange red lines drawn across the floor of the van. Upon touching one, Sam concluded that they had been drawn by red lipstick. He picked up a few small stones from the ground and took scrapings of the lipstick, and then he put the stones into an evidence bag and sealed it. He and Callen brought the evidence back to Eric and Nell, who were able to trace its origins to back to a nearby convenience store that bordered on an alley, near the location of the van.
Kensi scanned the alley, and finding no activity, she suggested they enter the building in question. She jiggled the lock with her tools, and Deeks pulled it open slowly. She entered, followed by the other three agents.
4
Loud music met them, and they ducked behind some piled up crates. Kensi stood up slowly and peered into the distance where she thought the music was coming from. She pointed with her chin, and Deeks made his way closer to the workspace from whence the noise was coming.
He stood on his tiptoes and counted the number of people he saw, and held up his hand twice, once for five, and again for two.
His companions nodded and split, going in three different directions from where he was located.
Sam snuck up behind one man, and put him in a choke hold, and the man fell to the floor. He waved for Callen to follow him, and the two men crept up behind two more miscreants, and knocked them out.
Then Kensi burst out from her hiding place, warning the crooks of the presence of Federal agents. The remainder of the thugs froze, and she and Deeks were able to cuff them. One girl surreptitiously reached for a gun, but Callen intervened, warning her to stand still. Annoyed, the girl put her hands in the air, and he confiscated the weapon. Sam put her in handcuffs, and then the agents led the crooks out to the telltale van, and herded them inside.
5
Once at the boat shed, a few of the villains were distributed throughout the big room while the others were brought to three different Interrogation rooms. The shakiest offender started talking a blue streak when he found out that he was looking at jail time. He divulged enough information to put his companions behind bars for several years each, including himself. He was just glad that it was over.
The one piece of information that none of them had was the name of their over-boss. Frustrated, the team asked Nell to call the LAPD to come and pick up the suspects, and they arrived shortly afterward.
Callen went up to OPS to see if he could find a visual on the neighborhood that he and Sam had scoured. There were enough street maps that he couldn't tell, so he asked Eric to clarify what he was looking for. He smiled inwardly when the street came up because the shop window was very distinctive. Then he asked Eric to zoom in on the flower shop, and he did so willingly, never guessing that Callen had an ulterior motive.
Several minutes later, Callen went to the garage and took the Mercedes, and drove over to the neighborhood of the flower shop. He sat in the car for a little while, staring at the window and its displays. At last, upon closer examination, he did find the name of the shop's owner: Angeline Deborah. He smirked at such a mouthful of a name. Then he got out of the car, wanting to learn more information about a girl who had the most fascinating name of Angeline Deborah. He wondered what her surname was, and then he decided to go find out by entering the shop. Callen made sure all of the alarms and locks on the Mercedes were set before he opened the door.
6
The interior of the shop was very aromatic. Callen thought he had stepped into an unbridled field of wildflowers. Beyond the display window, most of the flowers in the shop were color-coordinated according to their natural tones. For example, violets, pansies, and lilacs were purple, with the lilacs being more lavender than not. In a section of pink, there were many varieties of tulips and roses. A section that was colored yellow was filled with forsythia, daisies, and black-eyed susans. Hydrangea and cornflowers dominated another section with their multi-shaded blues. Remaining spaces were filled with a variety of white flowers that were shot through with every color of wild flower you could think of.
Callen stood in the middle of this unique wonderland, taking it all in.
Across from where he was standing, the shopkeeper was watching him. She was behind the counter, preferring to be unobtrusive until a customer needed her attention.
For a few minutes, Callen's eyes focused on the display of pink flowers, and he felt a mild pain shoot through his heart because he knew that Anna loved pink. Pink anything, and she was happy. He closed his eyes tightly, insisting that the memory go away. He didn't know where she was, and to think of her hurt too much. With an effort, Callen brought himself back to the reality in front of him. He took a step forward and found himself heading toward the section of blue flowers. He was intrigued by the huge, puffy hydrangeas that resembled colorful snowballs. He remembered that one of his foster families had had them in their gardens.
Another minute passed before Andi stepped out from behind the counter. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder, startling him.
7
Callen turned around and grinned foolishly at her. He was mesmerized by the tall, graceful woman in front of him. He got a kick out of her abundant, fly-away light brown hair, as he was used to Anna's impeccable, golden appearance. He put out his hand and introduced himself.
She took his hand in hers, and returned the favor, smiling happily at the handsome man in front of her.
His eyes became fixated on her name tag, and he questioned her. Laughing, Andi told him that she was indeed Angeline Deborah, but that she preferred to be called Andi.
With his blue eyes twinkling, Callen acknowledged this new piece of information. After a few moments of polite chitchat, he summoned the courage to ask her on a date. He was very surprised that she accepted.
They made arrangements to go out the following evening since it was her turn to close up the shop this night, and it would be too late to go out.
The following day, there was a lightheartedness to his step that he hadn't felt in a while, and Sam was very aware. He questioned Callen gently, but got no information that could stifle his curiosity. Callen laughed, and then breezed through the day, even when they encountered more dead ends.
At the last minute before all of the agents were to leave for the day, Nell got a hit on the lipstick. It was a high-end brand, but with an unexpected quirk. The lipstick had been infused with higher than usual color and flavor enhancements, none of which were illegal, but were very capable of causing allergic reactions in susceptible people.
8
With more in-depth investigation, Nell learned that lip balms, lip glosses, lip plumpers, and lip liners all share similar basic ingredients as the lipsticks. She spoke to Hetty, who agreed that the other girls in their office should be informed of the discoveries.
Copping an attitude, Deeks asked if men could have allergic reactions to the products, but Nell did not take the bait. She answered smoothly and told him Yes if he were to kiss a girl wearing any of the unfortunate products, and if he were allergic to the ingredients thereof. The others all laughed.
Callen made his way back to the flower shop. He parked and locked his car, and entered the shop. Another girl greeted him, and he learned that Andi was off. While he was talking to the girl, her lipstick color attracted his full attention, and he asked her about it. She had a very subtle, but very distinct reaction to his questions. Callen thanked her for her time, and then left.
When he got outside, he was met by several large thugs, all of whom demanded to know why he was talking to Gina. Callen told the truth, and they grudgingly let him get into his car and drive away.
He transmitted their pictures to Eric, who pulled up their identities on facial recognition. All were small time hoods, with ties to a bigger criminal.
Callen was frustrated. He had wanted to talk to Andi, but she wasn't available. Feeling morose, he accompanied Sam back to OPS. While there, Eric and Nell worked very hard to find the affiliations of the punks, and the more they looked, the wider the web became.
Sam decided that they had to go after top guy, and the other agents all agreed with him. With some very intense searching, they found the one person they all had in common. He rallied his troops, and brought Callen out of his funk long enough for him to accompany them on the trip to the kingpin's offices.
The man complained about police brutality although none of the agents had laid a hand on him, nor arrested him—yet. Sam used his most persuasive tactics and convinced him to join the agents on the journey back to the boat shed so they could sort out what the problems were.
When they arrived, Nell met them with the necessary papers that Sam needed, and through some very select questioning, they managed to get a hare-brained confession out of him. Callen was very skeptical, and insisted on more questioning.
Sam and Deeks both disagreed with him, but Kensi could see Callen's point. The men set her loose to question the kingpin herself. She used every trick in the book, and finally managed to capture a legitimate confession from him. The man became very belligerent, and took a few swipes at Kensi who had no trouble in trussing him. Deeks decided right then and there that he never wanted to get on her bad side. His friends laughed.
Nell notified the LAPD that they had found the mastermind behind the lip coverings that had been tampered with, and they arrived shortly thereafter. As he was leaving, the thug screamed epithets at them, and the agents all knew enough to keep him in the back of their minds should he ever be released from prison.
It was late when they all left the boatshed, and they were all exhausted. It had been an emotionally draining day. Nell and Eric went home, and Kensi and Deeks hung out in their bar for a few hours before they went home, too. Sam went home to his boat, and Callen returned to the flower shop.
9
He made sure to park where the car would be visible on a street cam before he entered the shop. He saw Andi across the way, and smiled at her when she caught his eye. He stayed by the blue flowers while he waited for her.
Callen leaned against a sturdy display shelf and felt his eyes close because he was so tired from the case that had just wrapped. He was completely unaware of what was going on around him, and he didn't come to until he became aware of a soft, distinctly floral scent. He opened his eyes, and grinned happily as Andi was standing directly in front of him.
She smiled at him, and offered her hand. Callen took it, and followed her out the door. Without asking him, Andi figured out which car was his and stood patiently by the door until he unlocked it. Callen handed her into the car, and closed the door. Then he went around to the driver's side and climbed in. He buckled his seatbelt, and Andi followed suit.
They talked quietly about whatever came to mind, and Callen relaxed. He was enjoying Andi's company, and made a point of telling her so. She smiled a soft smile at him, and then took his hand in hers. Callen felt his heart rate increase and he became flushed. He could not remember the last time he had felt such schoolboy feelings when he was with any woman. The absurdity made him chuckle.
Andi asked him what was so funny, but he declined to answer. He did tell her that if he told her what was funny, they would both be embarrassed. His silly explanation caused them both to laugh, but she accepted it.
A short while later, Callen pulled up to a seaside restaurant, and parked the car. They got out and strolled aimlessly down the boardwalk toward the beach. On a whim they decided to walk along the seashore. Andi convinced Callen to take off his shoes and socks so he wouldn't ruin them, and he grudgingly complied. Andi made a face, and put his things into her satchel with hers.
The water was cold enough to make their ankles hurt, and Andi became amused by Callen's efforts to warm up his feet. She cautioned him to relax completely and enjoy himself, and, with an effort, he did, and he found the water to be much more enjoyable.
When Andi decided that her feet were actually numb, she pointed toward the bank of restaurants, and Callen nodded. They made a point of walking on the parts of the sand that were still warm from the sun although they couldn't see them since it was dark. He frowned, and she laughed.
Andi insisted that they stop at a rinsing station, and kept the water on her feet until the sand was gone, and Callen copied her. He was glad to get his socks and shoes on again. When he was ready, she took his hand and led him to the restaurant that she wanted to go to. Once seated, they skipped the cocktails, and ordered a surf'n'turf dish for two. Andi and Callen talked the night away, and left not long before the restaurant closed for the night.
10
With almost no discussion, Callen understood that Andi wanted him to spend the night with her, and he was happy to oblige. She told him how to get to her house, and by the time they arrived, Callen realized that she had given him the most indirect route to her house that she could think of. Andi got a kick out of his pure reaction to her wiles, and he laughed with her.
Shaking his head, Callen got out of the car and made sure it was locked securely after Andi got out. Again, she took him by the hand, and she led him across the yard to the front door. She unlocked the door, and let Callen enter before she did.
He was very impressed by the big living room, and he liked that it was so airy. Andi put her satchel on a nearby hook, and then brought him into the kitchen. She asked him if he wanted or needed anything to eat or drink, and he said no. Then she took his hand a third time, and led him upstairs to her room.
Callen stopped just inside the door and surveyed the pretty room. He was amused by the collection of stuffies piled up in the middle of the bed. He noted the big, colorful balloons tied to a dresser handle, and asked her what they meant.
Andi told him they were from her birthday celebration earlier in the year, and he was surprised that they were still inflated without sagging.
He noticed that her desk was laden with all kinds of books and papers, and she told him that she was attending school on the nights that she was not at the flower shop. He became fascinated by her explanations of all things philosophical, and he asked her many questions, only stopping when she had had enough. Callen acquiesced graciously, and Andi responded by standing directly in front of him.
He became heady while she stood there, and he sank down onto her bed without thinking about it. Andi grinned, and then leaned over, cupping his face with her hands. She kissed him very gently, whetting his appetite for more.
Callen stood up, and hugged her closely before he kissed her himself. He was as gentle as she had been, and Andi responded by kissing him again, but not as softly as before. She pressed against him, suddenly wanting him with her entire being.
He was startled by the amount of passion she was emitting. In reaction so that he wouldn't fall over, Callen gripped her in a tight, compassionate hug, nearly squeezing the life out of her.
Andi broke the kiss because she was overcome by a fit of the giggles. She was so embarrassed that she buried her face in his neck for a moment before she surfaced and kissed him again with all of her passion.
Callen felt like she was going to swallow him whole, and he loved it. He squeaked slightly when their teeth bumped together, and Andi did snicker this time. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead on his. She put her arms around his neck and stayed there for several minutes, trying to get her body to calm down. But it would not.
Andi gripped his bristly face with her hands again, and kissed him hard, as she put pressure on him. In reaction to her advances, Callen flung his arms around her just as he fell over backwards onto the bed, with her on top of him.
He was so shocked that he burst out laughing. Andi captured him again, and then she began to play with his face, trailing her hands down to his neck and beyond. Callen wiggled under the pressure, and Andi simply increased it, working her hands down to his belt. She loosened it, and then pulled his shirt out of the way. She slid back a little, and told Callen to move up so that he was completely on the bed, and he did.
Then Andi lay down on top of him, sliding herself down toward his feet. When she had cleared his chest, she began to kiss him all over his body. Callen squirmed under her ministrations, and he became determined to catch her so that he could remove her shirts.
Andi did not make it easy for him, but she let him think he had won. Deftly, he slid her shirts off over her head, and he tossed them aside. Somehow, his shirts sailed across the room, too. Then he clutched her in an embrace that she wouldn't soon forget.
Callen rolled them over, and he lay on top of her, grinning foolishly at her. Then he began to kiss her, starting with her eyes, and working his way down to her waistband. He frowned for a moment, and then opened her pants and slid them off her.
Andi undid his pants and managed to push them off his body. Then she pushed him off her because she wanted to see all of him. Callen stood in front of her, just as mesmerized as she was. He was very appreciative of her suppleness and beauty.
She feasted her eyes on him, from head to toe, and grinned widely when she paused for a split second to study his junk.
Callen acknowledged her with his lopsided smile. He reached out his hand to caress her breasts. Then he held her with both hands as he pushed her gently down onto the bed, with one leg between both of hers.
Andi smiled at him. He was so beautiful and she couldn't get enough of him. She wanted to move beyond the foreplay and make love with him in the worst way. She could feel the heat from his junk and she longed to stroke him.
Callen began to caress her, softly at first, and then with more pressure as she began to moan. He used a feather-light touch the closer he got to her special place, making Andi insane with desire. Barely touching her, Callen stroked her folds.
The lightness of his touch made Andi absolutely crazy with desire. She was so frustrated by his gentleness that she took his hand and applied the pressure herself just to relieve some of the tension. Out of the corner of her eye, Andi saw him grin. She pretended to glare at him, and he switched tactics and kissed her instead, biting her lip slightly.
Andi didn't know what to do with him. He was so much fun and ever so frustrating at the same time that she lost herself to his caresses and embraces. She felt herself quicken and knew that she was ready to receive him. Andi held him in her hands, and then guided him into her precious domain.
He started slowly at first, and then increased his pressure more rapidly than he wanted to because he was so full of desire. He wanted to get as close to her as he could.
Andi helped him in any way she could as she couldn't get enough of him. Seemingly with a mind of their own, her legs wrapped around him, holding him close, almost trapping him. Her back arched, meeting him passion for passion, and she moaned with pleasure.
Callen felt himself burst within in her, bringing her to climax along with him, and when he was sated, he collapsed on her, resting his head on her breasts.
They both panted from the exertion, and both were delirious with happiness. Callen lifted his head so he could look at her directly, and grinned at her. Andi smiled back, and stroked his head.
After a little while, he withdrew from her, and they both felt a momentary loss. Callen then moved up alongside of her and put his arms around Andi, alternately smushing her and thanking her for being so receptive to him. Andi was amused and she took his bristly face in her hands so she could kiss him softly.
Callen kissed her back with a slight urgency. Andi sensed it, and responded in kind. They began by kissing each other repeatedly, working themselves into a frenzy that had to be met with ecstasy upon ecstasy, and they spent the night making love over and over until they couldn't move. Sated at last, Callen snuggled into her, and Andi put her arms around him, and held him close.
She was very happy to have had him, but she could also sense that something wasn't quite right with him…that he was missing someone or something. She couldn't tell what it was, and she wasn't going to ask him either. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it had to be a girl, and she had to be the one that caused him to stare at the pink flower display.
Andi felt bad for him, but she also promised herself that she would love him and take care of him for the girl until he could find her, and she was wise enough to know that she would not be the permanent keeper of Callen's heart, no matter how much she wanted to be.
As they relaxed, Andi could feel the heat dissipating from their bodies, so she sat up partially to pull the sheets and blankets up over them, making sure they were well covered. She did not want him catching cold on her watch. Once the sheets were set, Andi turned onto her side. She stroked his face, and he smiled in his sleep. Then she kissed him softly and settled down, laying her head on his shoulder in such an angle to hear his heartbeat. Her eyes closed slowly as she thought how lucky she was to have gotten the opportunity to know Callen so intimately. Gradually, her breathing slowed, and Andi fell asleep, feeling very happy and light-hearted.
EPILOGUE
The following morning, they woke up and greeted each other as if it were something they did every day. They lazed around for a little while, until it was time for Callen to bring them both to their jobs. Then the day became a regular one…