Callen's place was being fumigated, and Hetty offered her guest room at her place.

That night, she went to get a drink of water, passed by the guest room, and didn't like what she saw.

'Oh dear, I think I know what this is.' She thought.

The next morning.

'Man, those bacon and eggs smell amazing. You in a cooking mood?' Callen asked when he came downstairs.

'Maybe. Or maybe I'm trying to help someone who had a rough night feel better. Come, sit.' Hetty replied.

Sitting down. 'And what makes you think I had a rough night?'

'1, you look like a bit of a wreck judging from your eyes. 2, I passed by your room on my way to the kitchen, and I saw you tossing and turning quite a lot. You usually don't do that unless it was a really bad dream.'

Callen knew she was right. It was the same as when he was living with her as a teenager.

He tried to enjoy the warm breakfast.

'So, was it the 1 where you're trying to hide from an abusive foster parent, but he finds you anyway? Or the one where you can't save me?' Hetty asked.

'The first. If it was the 2nd one, I probably would want to cling to you all day and not want to let you out of my sight. I'm sure you remember when I had that.' Callen replied.

'Back when you started to think of me as your protector instead of just your foster parent.'

Hetty remembered that time fondly. He didn't want to go to school because he was afraid something would happen to her. And while she was explaining to him that while she admired his concern for her, she still needed to work. He said something that still clung to her very deeply:

'You feel more then just my foster parent! You feel like the mom I never got to know.'

'That's when I knew you were breaking out of your shell with me. And I was so proud of you then. And I still am.' She said.

'And I'm thankful you still let me sleep here.' Callen replied.

'You'll always have a place here. Just, try not to break in if you don't have to. The repair bills you and the others rack up on a daily basis with your jobs is annoying enough.'

'Hey, we can't exactly tell criminals to not shoot at us, or all the other things they try to do to us. Would be pretty funny if we could though.'

Hetty chuckled. Then they finished breakfast and went to work.