The band segued from one slow dance tune to another, and the young couple in the middle of the floor continued to sway together, oblivious to the changing music. Callen wasn't even aware that he had been gently stroking the bare skin exposed by the dip of Nell's dress until she let out a soft, contented moan. In fact, he was so caught up in the feeling of pride her sigh caused him that his fingers continued to move of their own accord over her silky skin. Suddenly, Nell snickered, causing him to look in the direction she was facing, and breaking his reverie. He caught a glimpse of Kensi and Deeks at the edge of the dance floor, making out like teenagers in the dimly lit ballroom.

"Wonder if they'll remember that in the morning?" Nell queried with a smile.

Callen turned to her to reply, as Nell looked up to face him. They were both shocked to find their faces only millimeters apart. Nell blushed as she realized she was staring at his lips, imagining what they would feel like pressed against hers. She glanced up quickly to see if he had noticed, only to find him smirking at her, one eyebrow raised. Busted.

"I think we could remind them. Maybe get the security footage and play it on the big screen in Ops," he murmured softly, leaning in so that his breath tickled her ear.

She shivered at the sensation. It took her a moment to regain her composure, so strong was her physical response to his nearness. When she refocused, she noticed Director and Mrs. Vance dancing nearby. Jackie caught her eye and winked conspiratorially, causing Nell to blush again before turning back to her dance partner. Who, by the way, had witnessed the whole thing.

"So, you and Mrs. Vance seem to be pretty chummy," he mused.

"I had actually never met her before tonight," Nell revealed. "We talked for a while earlier. I thought she was very nice. She shared some ...interesting perspectives...with me," she continued vaguely.

Watching the Director and his wife together gave Callen pause. They clearly loved each other, and she was supportive of his often challenging position as head of a federal agency. Yet, she was a very strong person in her own right. She was outspoken, but warm and compassionate. From his few interactions with the woman, and by all accounts, she seemed to be the perfect foil for the sometimes aloof and cool Leon Vance. She reminded him an awful lot of the woman currently in his arms. So, could her observations about him and Nell carry some credibility?

The more he mulled over the idea, the more he wondered why it had never occurred to him before now. He glanced down at the young analyst and found her studying him with curiosity. Flashing her an enigmatic smile, he replied, "Mrs. Vance and I had an interesting conversation tonight, too. She's pretty observant. Would've made a good agent herself."
Without any further comment, he pulled the redhead close again.

Nell, herself, had been analyzing the Senior Agent's behavior this evening based on her conversation with Mrs. Vance. Trying to remain objective, she could only conclude that Jackie may have been right. G. Callen was a colleague and a professional, but the almost nonexistent space between them was inappropriately close for co-workers. And the way he was gently, almost absently stroking her lower back was definitely heading into red light territory. Not that she minded, or anything.

By this point, Nell had admitted to herself that she was, indeed, attracted to her boss, and had been for quite some time. Despite her well-known control issues, however, Nell Jones was not the type of woman to pursue a man, especially one like G. Callen. He was out of her league, or so she had thought. Now, she wasn't sure what to think. Or if she could think at all, being in such close proximity to the handsome agent.

All too soon, the dance was over, and the band signaled that the party would be ending shortly. The couple made their way toward the exit, saying their goodbyes along the way. Callen noticed, with some degree of irritation, that several young men slipped Nell their numbers and asked her to call them as she walked by. She simply smiled and pocketed the slips of paper.

Finally, they reached Callen's car, and he held Nell's door for her before getting into the driver's seat. As he put the key in the ignition, Nell laid a hand on his arm.

"Callen...I don't want to go home yet," she blurted.

He turned a questioning eye toward the young woman.

"It's just that I had such a nice time tonight," she continued softly. "I really hadn't planned to come until Hetty forced me." She smiled and looked up at the Agent. "Now, I don't want the evening to end."

Callen relaxed and smiled back at her. "You know, I had a nice time, too. What did you have in mind?"

Nell thought for a moment, then turned to Callen with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Well, you're gonna think I'm crazy," she began. "But I was so nervous when I arrived, that I didn't eat anything. Then, I got so busy dancing, I forgot to eat. Now, I'm starving," she finished, with a slight blush.

Callen laughed heartily. "I could eat. Name the place." When Nell told him what she was craving, he laughed even harder. "Your wish is my command."

If the servers at In-and-Out Burger were surprised to see an attractive couple in Dior and Armani drive up in a Jaguar to order 'animal style' burgers, fries, and sodas, they didn't show it.

As per Nell's idea, they took their food back to her place to eat. Once inside, she placed the food on the coffee table in her living room and excused herself to change into more comfortable clothing. "I could see me trying to explain the 'special sauce' stains on the dress to Hetty. I'm sorry, I don't think I have anything that would fit you, though," she joked.

Fortunately, Callen kept a go-bag in his trunk, so he brought it inside and changed into jeans and a tee. When Nell returned to the living room, she was immediately struck by the fact that a man who could rock a tux as well as G. Callen could look even sexier in just plain, everyday clothes.

"You look cozy," the Agent smirked, eyeing Nell's yoga pants and NCIS t-shirt. He was pleasantly surprised at the new sides of the analyst he had seen tonight. He had always suspected there was more to her than the quirky persona she displayed at work. And seeing the many other facets of her personality, from glamorous and confident in her ball gown to relaxed and playful in her living room, made her even more attractive to him.

She rolled her eyes at his comment. "The Dior was amazing," she sighed. "I'll have to hand it to Hetty, she really was my fairy godmother, choosing that dress for me." She popped a fry into her mouth and mused into the distance, "I actually felt beautiful tonight." She quickly looked up, embarrassed. "Sorry, said that out loud, didn't I?"

Callen stopped eating and turned to fully face her. "Nell. You are beautiful. Yeah, the dress was nice, but you don't need the dress. You would have been the belle of the ball even without the Dior. You, Nell Jones, are a smart, sexy, funny, beautiful woman."

Silence descended upon the room as Nell, shocked, absorbed the meaning of his words. As seconds passed, and Nell continued to stare at him without speaking, Callen began to wonder if his spontaneous admission had been unwelcome. He was just about to make a joke to cover his discomfort, when Nell gave him a shy smile.

"Thanks, G." she said as she squeezed his hand. Then, to break the tension, she added, "Hey, are you gonna eat your pickles?"

The rest of the meal was filled with both teasing banter and pleasant conversation.

"I don't get it," Callen groaned, as Nell stole some of his fries. "How can someone as small as you eat so much? I feel like I'm going to explode."

"Good metabolism, I guess," she replied cheekily. She became aware that they had settled back into the sofa during dinner, and now, her head was resting lightly on his shoulder. She turned her head to face him. "Hey, Callen?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it just me, or is this starting to feel like a date?"

"Depends. Would that be weird?"

She contemplated for a moment. "No, I don't think so."

He responded by putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "Okay, then."

They remained that way for a while, and the weird thing was how right it felt. Finally, Callen looked at his watch. "It's really late. I think I should head home so we can both get some rest."

Nell walked him to the door. "Thanks for the ride home...and everything..."

"I enjoyed tonight," Callen smiled, and walked outside. He turned around, hands in his pockets. "Hey, do you like Coldplay? They're at the Hollywood Bowl next weekend, and I managed to score a couple tickets. Would you like to go? I mean, like, on an actual date?" He actually looked a little nervous.

Nell's heart melted and her face lit up. "I'd love to. See you Monday."

As he began to walk away, Nell could hear the voice of Jackie Vance in her head, telling her to 'go for it'.

"Ah, what the hell," she thought to herself.

"Hey, Callen?" she called. When he turned back to her, Nell took a few steps forward, grabbed him by the shirt, and pressed her lips to his. Almost instantly, his arms wrapped around her, and he kissed her back passionately. After a few heated moments, he reluctantly pulled away, kissing her one last time on the forehead and heading to his car with a grin and a swagger.

Nell smiled, shaking her head as she watched him leave, and not for the first time that evening, thanked her lucky stars for fairy godmothers.

So, there you have it! I wanted to leave this as more of an origins type story, so I decided to stop here. Just a note- I really never intended for Jackie Vance to take over, but she is one of my favorite underrated characters, and she kind of got in my head :) Hope it wasn't a distraction. Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites- you guys make my day, and encourage me to keep writing.