Hi, all! A chapter this week after all. :-) Hope you all enjoy!


He was pacing outside the shop. His third today. The other two hadn't lived up to his expectations, so here he was. It was his only free day that she wasn't here this weekend. Sunday was his day off and her workday. Saturday was the only day they really had together, and even that sometimes didn't work, because of his job or the level of crowd at the café.

He had his friendship with Sam back on track, basically. He'd been dropping subtle hints, but nothing concrete. Sam hadn't met Dee yet and Grisha still wanted to keep it that way. At least until it was more official.

Which was the reason he was pacing outside the jewelry store. He'd looked online, browsing through shops, but not really finding what he was looking for. He'd studied Kensi's ring closely, and though it fit Kensi to a T and Marty had done a great job picking it out, it wasn't something he'd want for Dee. So he kept looking.

Finally opening the door, he went inside, only to come back out empty- handed half an hour later. Nothing he saw seemed to fit. Not that he was sure what he was looking for. Something elegant and small. Delicate. Simple. Understated.

Dee didn't like big things. She owned tons of earrings, but wore only one or two pairs of them on a day-to-day basis. Classic diamond studs or small hoops. With the exception of New Years Eve and a few parties they'd attended since then, those were the only ones he'd seen her wear. That, and a thin, twisted bracelet, which he'd learned, was a present from Nanna.

So nothing big. Nothing really fancy either, because that just wasn't who she was. He needed something a bit quirkier, but after the three shops, he was slightly disappointed. Surely there were more girls out there like Dee? Where did those guys buy an engagement ring?

Another shop. The gentleman nodded his understanding at his explanation that he wanted something a bit more different than all those other guys were purchasing. Again, though, he didn't find it.

Becoming frustrated, he left the shop, wondering what to do next. Maybe he just wasn't going to find her ring today. Perhaps the universe was conspiring against him in this search for the symbol that was going to make things permanent between them.

Maybe he was looking at this from the wrong angle. Dee loved all things vintage. Old. She preferred vintage china and linen napkins. Old-fashioned manners. Even her brush and comb, he was told, were inherited from Abuela a long time ago. She always said it was the stories. Having belonged to someone else, made that they'd seen other times, other places. They'd already lived a life; she was prolonging that, adding stories of her own.

Okay, so a vintage ring then. One that'd hopefully already had a happy ending. But where to find one? He hadn't searched online for that kind of shop. He wouldn't know where to find it. Pulling out his cell, he dialed a familiar number.

"To what do I owe the pleasure on this Sunday, Mr. Callen?"

Grisha grinned. "Hetty, you have to stop calling me that out of work. I do have a name, now, you know."

"Yes, I know. And I should start using it, indeed." She cleared her throat. "It will take time. What can I do for you right now?"

"Please tell me you know one or two vintage jewelry shops."

"I might… What are you looking for? Earrings? A bracelet?"

"An engagement ring."

It stayed quiet on the other end of the line for a little while. "You were serious about wanting to marry her."

"I still am."

He could hear her smile. "Very well. There's one a few blocks from the market you go to at Victory; it's run by Lily Anderson. She has lovely pieces. I'm confident you'll find something you like there."

He turned around and went in the direction of his car. "I need it to be different from all those other things out there, Hetty. I've been through four shops, and they all look the same to me. They're either too big or there's too much sparkle."

Hetty understood. "I know. That is not her. And it won't work with her profession either. I do know that, Mr. Callen."

"Good. So I won't find that there?"

"You won't," she assured him. "Tell Lily I said hi, she'll guide you through the process. Have you picked a time and place yet?"

Climbing in behind the wheel and putting her on speaker, he shook his head. "Not yet. I figured that finding a ring was higher on my priority list. No proposal without a ring."

"Very true. In that case, good luck finding the perfect ring… Grisha."

He laughed. "See, you'll get the hang of it. Thank you, Hetty. I'll see you tomorrow." Hanging up, he shifted gears and set off in the direction of the vintage market. It only took him two tries to find the shop. It was small, filled top to bottom with glass showcases and knick-knacks. This was more like it. This was a shop Dee would shop in.

An older lady appeared from the back, carrying a cup of tea. She smiled at him. "Well, hello, dear. Good to see you've brought some sunshine. What can I do for you today?"

"Uhm…" Suddenly ill at ease, he looked around. "I'm shopping for an engagement ring. And I couldn't find anything in a regular shop, so Hetty send me here."

"Hetty Lange?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, how wonderful! How is she? It's been ages since we've talked. Does she keep busy now that she's retired?"

Clearing his throat, Grisha nodded. Retired was a stretch, especially since she was all over everyone since Granger seemed to stick around. No such words as retirement in Hetty Lange's book. But of course Lily didn't know that. "She's fine. We try to keep her entertained."

"Good, good." Lily looked around, then back at him. "Let's have tea first, shall we? I always find that tea calms the nerves."

"Do I look so nervous?"

She gave him a pointed look. "Nervous, not so much. Frustrated, maybe." Within a moment, she was back with tea. She gestured towards a couch in the direction of the window. "Do take a seat, my dear. Sugar? Cookie?"

He declined. "No, just tea. Thank you."

They sipped tea and talked about nothing in particular. Grisha asked her questions about the shop, she asked him questions about Hetty, mostly. Then she put her cup down. "Now, to stop beating about the bush. You've come here for a reason. An engagement ring, you said?"

"Yes."

Her eyes rested on his face. "What's her name? Tell me what she's like? Does she wear a lot of jewelry on a day-to-day basis?"

He told her. "Her name's Deja. She's gorgeous, generous, kind, spontaneous. Calm and collected, comfortable in her own skin. She takes most things at face value, not afraid of a challenge, which I why she started dating me, I guess. The only things she wears a pair of earrings, not too big, and a delicate bracelet her grandmother gave her. She's a chef, so it can't be too big, because that would only be in the way."

Lily nodded. "And why aren't you buying her something new?" she asked.

"Because Dee is like that. She loves all things vintage. She says they have a story. I had to buy vintage china and wine glasses before buying anything else."

"And you don't mind?"

He shrugged. "I like the idea of adding another happy ending to what I hope has already been one."

"Well, then." Lily rose, indicating that he should follow her. "It's only the engagement ring? Not a wedding set?" At his wide eyes, she chuckled. "I'll take that as a no."

She showed him different trays with rings; some small, others bigger. Some had a colored stone, others an intricate design. They were all better than the ones he'd seen so far, but not one really stood out to him. After the last tray, he looked up at Lily and blushed. "I am being difficult, aren't I?"

She patted his hand. "No dear, absolutely not. You know her best; you'll know what is right when you see it. Give me a moment, I have a few more in the back." She came back a few minutes later with two more trays. "These are for special occasions only, and I think I've just found one."

His eyes traveled over the rings and rested on one. It was everything he wanted for her. Delicate. Not too big. Unique. Stunning in its simplicity. Hetty had been right, directing him towards Lily and her shop. He found the perfect ring. Lifting a finger, he pointed at it.

"That one."