Hi! Another five minute gap in between work. ;-) Enjoy while they last this month. The big reveal to Kensi. BTW: remember Dee's comment about the private jets in the last chapter? It's been ten years. :O
Dramamama5: Great prompt. Won't have time to wrap my head around it as long as NOL is running. So, if you're willing to wait that long, remind me when this one is done. ;-)
He was biting back pain and hissed when the nurse removed his jacket. "That hurts."
The nurse, whose nametag read Janet, wasn't impressed. "Of course it does, dear." She inspected his shoulder. "Dr. Wilson will probably make a X-ray to be sure, but I think it's broken."
Callen groaned. Exactly what he needed. A broken shoulder. If that damned suspect had just stopped moving, he wouldn't have run into that car and landed on the wrong spot in his shoulder. It meant that he was not working for the next couple of weeks. It meant a sling. It meant moving in with Dee for at least six weeks. That last part, he didn't mind so much. All the other things, he could do without.
Kensi stuck her head around the curtain. "Is it bad?"
Janet looked up. "She with you?"
"Yeah." He grimaced as he shifted on the bed. "How's Sam?"
"Fine. He's mad about that suspect getting away, but he always is. Deeks is taking him back to Ops." She sank down in the chair next to him. "What happened? One moment you two were yelling my ear, next I hear is someone going down and Sam panicking. You disappeared instantly."
"That fool decided to make a run for it. So we started chasing him into the alley, Sam going around back and me running after him. I didn't see the car until it was too late. Landed on my shoulder, and according to Janet here, in the wrong spot."
Kensi looked up to the nurse. "Is it broken?"
"Dr. Wilson will have to make sure, but I think so."
"Ouch."
"Tell me about it." He wasn't looking forward to painkillers at all. Or the sling. "Think Hetty will let me take a cab to work?"
Laughing, Kensi shook her head. "I'm afraid that you're going to have to take it easy. Don't think Hetty is going to let you in at all." Then she seemed to realize something. "Where are you going to stay? Do you need to stay with us?"
Callen liked how she was going into complete protective mode when it came to any of them. He shook his head. "Thanks, Kens, but I'll be fine."
That wasn't going to get him off the hook. He could hope, though, but judging by the look on Kensi's face, he was going to have to tell her more than that. "Where are you going to stay?"
Mentally flinching, waiting for her outburst, he said three words. "With my girlfriend." When he carefully opened one eye, Kensi was staring at him. "Kens?"
"You have a girlfriend?"
He could hear Janet chuckle behind him and rolled his eyes. "It is a possibility, you know."
"I know." She was baffled. "How long have you been dating her?"
"Since November."
Calculating, Kensi wanted to jab his shoulder, but settled for his thigh instead. "Six months! You've been dating her for six months and not a word?!"
"Deeks knows," he defended himself. "And Hetty knows. Hetty has met her."
Another moment of complete silence. "Deeks knows? You told him?"
He shook his head. "I didn't tell him. He guessed. He's good at detecting. Seeing things that others don't."
"He was a great detective."
"Yeah. So, he guessed. Then I just had to tell him, you know. He even helped me with my Valentine's Day thing."
Something else dawned. "That is where that French dish came from."
"The ratatouille." He flinched again as he settled back against the cushions. "Yeah, that was made by me. I cooked for her."
Kensi's expression softened. "Callen… That is really sweet."
"I try. Anyway, Deeks helped with getting the food right. I bought candles, table linen and crystal wine glasses, because she loves a properly set table and I made a small thing of it." He smiled. "And yes, that does mean that I have a dining table and chairs."
Kensi grinned. "Okay, back up. Tell me everything. What's her name? Where'd you meet her? What's she like?" She too, settled back in her chair.
"Promise me you won't tell Sam. I swear, if Sam finds out, this whole thing I have with her will be hijacked, as Deeks put it, and I'm not doing the same as happened with Joelle."
Kensi put her hand over her heart. "I promise."
Put at ease, Callen continued. "Good. Her name is Deja, she owns a café called Indulge downtown and she's great. We met when I went to eat at the café, a few days after that case with Nadir. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but we started hanging out, then started dating. She's kind, and feisty, and she doesn't take any crap from me. I can't even stonewall her like I do with Nate, or with Sam and Hetty… She sees right through me. She's the first person that looks at me and doesn't see Callen, with his crazy past and dangerous job. She sees me; the guy who's scared to death about relationships and making any kind of commitment because everybody he's ever loved either died or went away. And so far, it hasn't scared her yet and I can tell you, I'm the most grateful man that walks this earth because of it. Does that make sense?"
"It makes perfect sense." Kensi smiled encouragingly at him. "She sounds special."
"Oh, Kens, I can't even tell how special she is." His head fell back against his pillow. "I can't figure out why I haven't scared her away yet."
"Hey." Kensi took his good hand in his. "Of course you haven't scared her away. She'd be crazy if she let you go. You're smart and witty and loyal and protective to anyone important to you… You're a good man, Callen. So you have a few demons in your closet. Who doesn't? I know Deeks and I have our fair share of crazy things. If she really loves you, she sees right through that and decides to stay anyway."
He softly squeezed the hand holding his. "God, I hope so."
Kensi tried to swallow the lump in her throat. That was the most information he'd ever willingly shared with her about himself, about his private life. If that didn't give away how happy he was with this relationship, the look on his face did.
"Have you told her about the job? I know that's why Joelle left." Her voice was soft, as if she wanted to soften the blow her words might cause.
He turned his head to her. "No. I've been trying to figure out how to tell her."
"Are you afraid she's going to leave?"
Biting his lower lip, he started shaking his head. "No. Maybe. My gut tells me that she'll stay, but I'm afraid to trust that feeling." Which was no surprise. Sobering up, he chuckled. "She wants to introduce me to her parents when they come to visit end of the month."
"Good luck." It was out of her mouth before she could think about it. "You'll be fine."
"You think so? I've never met parents before. It scares the hell out of me."
Letting go of his hand, Kensi leant back in her chair. "I know. It scared the hell out of me too, meeting Roberta. But you know, she's more like Marty than I gave her credit for. And Marty I fell in love with." She winked. "What's the worst thing that could happen? They don't like you. They don't have to spend the rest of their lives with you, Deja does. It's sweet of you to worry, but you're a great guy, and you have nothing to worry about."
Nodding, he closed his eyes to let that information sink in. Maybe Kensi was right. Maybe he didn't have anything to worry about. Then again… "Her dad is CEO of Airbus."
"And?"
"I'll never make that kind of money."
Shaking her head, Kensi laughed. "Why are you men so worried about money?"
"What do you mean?"
"Remember that case we did last year where I came home in a 3000 dollar Balmain dress?" At his nod, she went on. "Deeks said the exact same thing to me. We'll never have the kind of money that buys me a Balmain dress. And you know what? I like my jeans and T-shirts better. Did you mention this to her?"
"Yeah."
"What did she say?"
"That she hasn't seen a private jet in ten years and prefers a B&B over a hotel suite."
"There's your answer."
It couldn't be that simple, could it? "But… Are you sure?"
Again, Kensi took his hand and squeezed it. "Callen… Listen carefully. If she's happy with what she has, why worry about having more? You two are perfectly capable of providing for us. Do not doubt our words for a moment, all right?" The more she heard about Deja, the more Kensi liked her. He'd done great picking a girlfriend, and he'd done so all by himself. Like Deeks had learned her to open up more, apparently Deja had done so with Callen.
Janet stuck her head back around the curtain. "I'm just checking your paperwork, dear. Is there a first name attached to that letter G?"
Without thinking, he answered. "It's Grisha. Initials GAN."
"Thank you." Janet scribbled something down. "Dr. Wilson will be with you in a moment."
It wasn't until he realized that it was awfully quiet in the seat next to him, that he looked back at Kensi. Her expression was somewhere between surprise and utter shock. "Kens? What is it?"
"You actually have a first name now?"
Oh, right. He was so used to it that he didn't hesitate anymore when someone asked him about his name. "I do," he confirmed. "It's Grisha. I even met my dad when we went back for Arkady last year. He told me."
If this day was going to bring any more surprises, Kensi wasn't sure she was going to cope. "Oh, finally! You finally have a name!"
He couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I finally have a name. No using it around the office, though. Save it for private settings, please."
Kensi eyed him for a minute, and then nodded in silent understanding. "Got it."
"Thanks."
Their conversation was temporarily halted when Dr. Wilson arrived to take a look at his shoulder. An hour later, he was standing outside with Kensi by his side, arm in a sling and a receipt for painkillers that would probably send him into next year.
"Where do I take you?"
"I take it the office is not an option at this point?"
Kensi shook her head. "Hetty called and said to take you wherever you said. As long as it's not the office."
"Right." He saw it coming from miles ahead. "Take me to the café, then. No point in going to the house if I can't do anything myself."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "And you can rest there?"
"Yes, little sister, I can rest." He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "Dee lives over the café. If it gets too much, I'll be in bed within a minute."
"Okay."
Half an hour later, Callen walked into the front door, Kensi on his heels. Jess was standing behind the bar. "What happened to you?"
"Tiny car accident. Dee around?"
Jess went to get Deja from the kitchen, who came rushing after her friend. One look at him and her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
After making sure he was okay, and being introduced to Kensi, she locked eyes with him. "We need to talk."
