A/N – Thanks so much for the support on this story. I know it's quite different from most younger Callen stories that seem to focus on the rough times he's gone through so it's been great getting the feedback and encouragement on this one.

Enjoy another flashback chapter – Still in Callen's POV.

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

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Chapter 3

He watched a few guys from his class ambush a younger student – circling him, taunting him. For what reason he didn't know, he didn't really care. But he did know that the younger one needed help and so he stepped in. Just as someone had done for him once.

He'd obviously got the bad boy thing going well, or his reputation had finally caught up with him, because they moved on fairly quickly once he came on the scene. Though at the backward glance one of them gave him as they walked away, he had a feeling that this was far from over. The young kid stuttered out a thank you and ran off.

He was about to move on again when she caught up with him. He was really crap at this avoiding her thing so far.

Lunch at the library these last couple of days had been, well for lack of a better word, fun. Or at least as close to fun as enforced Shakespeare could be for someone who didn't care who or what Hamlet, Romeo or Othello were or what they had to do with taming something or other. Somehow though, he was starting to get curious about them.

He shook off the thoughts as she stopped in front of him, causing him to stop too or run into her.

"Thanks," Jo said.

"For what?" he asked slightly confused.

"Helping Billy."

"Billy?" he queried.

"The kid," Jo replied with a tight smile. "He's my little brother. Those guys have been bothering him for a while."

"Maybe he should avoid them," he said. Just like I should be avoiding you.

"He tries, just not very successfully yet." Jo glanced briefly over to where Billy was waiting by a car and he saw the concern and worry cross her face.

Must be something in the air since he was having a hard time too.

Jo turned back to face him. "Do you need a ride?" she asked.

"You don't know where I live. Might be in the opposite direction."

"Might be. Doesn't make a difference. Offer's still there if you want it."

"I'm good," he replied.

"See you tomorrow then. Same time, same place," Jo added before she turned away.

"See ya," he said quietly.

Somehow she made him care about the English stuff. Somehow he actually started to understand it, even after only a few lunch breaks in the library. Before he knew it, the first week of school was over and it was Friday. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do on the weekend. Stay out of trouble would be good start. He moved around the corner of the school building and made his way toward the gate. Before he was out of the shadow of the building, three guys moved in front of him, stopping his progress.

Three familiar guys.

They'd been the ones that had been bothering Billy that day. He guessed staying out of trouble would have to wait until tomorrow.

They didn't even say anything, just started laying into him - all three at once. Not exactly a fair fight.

But he was good, knew a few things and landed a few punches on them before a teacher broke it up. He expected to be in trouble and was surprised when the teacher sent him home and took the other three back into the school office.

He was walking away when someone slid into step beside him. He almost groaned when he saw it was her. He hadn't even known she was nearby.

"You okay?" Jo asked, her voice full of quiet concern – genuine concern too from the sound of it.

"I'm fine," he replied. He moved his hand to his side out of her sight, hoping she hadn't noticed the damage.

"Want a ride?" she asked after a glance at his face. She had that determined look on hers and he had a feeling this was one of the times when she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Are you asking or telling?" he replied. She smiled.

"Telling. Let's go," she ordered gently.

He followed, not quite sure if it was reluctantly or willingly, and got into her car, knowing that there was really no way she could have made him follow. Billy was already in the back.

Jo didn't ask where to take him, she just drove. He didn't really need to get home anytime soon, so he didn't say anything about it.

"Any idea why I'm not in trouble?" he asked, watching her reaction carefully. He had a feeling she knew something about earlier.

"I saw it start, so did the teacher. There was no reason for you to be in trouble," she replied.

"Where exactly are we?" he asked when Jo pulled up the car to a stop outside a house.

"Home."

"Not mine," he said.

"Ours," she explained. "But feel free to call it yours too, if you want. Let's go. You need some ice," she finished before she got out of the car. He followed obediently with Billy by his side, who was glancing at him like he was someone cool. He hoped that wouldn't last long.

Jo dropped her bag by the door and pointed through to the kitchen.

"Wait in there. You'll find a couple of ice packs in the freezer. I'll be back in a minute."

She headed upstairs and he made his way into the kitchen, easily finding the ice packs. He held one to his head and one in his hand. When Jo joined him with a first aid kit and he instantly started to protest.

"I'm fine," he said backing away from her.

Jo raised her eyebrows at him. "What? You can handle a bunch of bullies, but a girl with a band aid has you running in terror." She was holding back a smile and he felt that insane urge to smile back return.

"I won't hurt," Jo promised. "I'm very gentle."

"I'm sure you are, but I don't need anything," he continued with his protest though even to his ears it lacked the conviction his earlier protests had.

Jo put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around so he looked in the mirror that was hanging on the wall.

"Your lip's bleeding and you have a cut on your hand," She told him firmly. "Let me clean it up. I promise no Disney band aids."

He looked at her in the mirror and found himself agreeing. "No Disney band aids," he repeated then turned back to let her clean him up. She was right, she was very gentle.

"Since you're here," Jo said, "how about we keep going on that English stuff? Might free up your lunch breaks next week."

He felt a surge of disappointment go through him at not seeing her during lunch. Oh, this was not good. He'd known this girl less than a week. How had this happened?

"Sure," he agreed. "Let you get back to your boyfriend." Let me get back to avoiding you.

Jo shrugged. "He doesn't care. Just means he has more time with his team mates," she told him while she continued to focus on cleaning up his hand.

"So he doesn't care that his girl is hanging out with another guy?" he asked and almost groaned for not keeping his mouth shut. He wasn't supposed to be getting attached, which meant he wasn't supposed to be getting to know stuff about her.

"He has no reason to," was her simple answer.

"Guess not." He mentally kicked himself for being disappointed by her answer.

Jo stepped away from him. "There you go. All done and not a Mickey Mouse ear in sight."

"Thanks."

Jo packed up the first aid kit and, as she was leaving the kitchen, she turned back to him.

"Help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge or cupboards if you're hungry. I'll be back in a minute," she said before she disappeared up the stairs.

He wasn't quite sure what to do as he stood there with the ice packs for a moment. He felt very weird and out of sorts. Something in him made him run. Self-preservation perhaps. Maybe terror of the unknown. He threw the ice packs back in the freezer and before he could think any more about it, he went to the door, grabbed his bag and left.

He managed to stay out of trouble for the rest of weekend. At least he thought he had. That was until he arrived at school on Monday and saw her waiting by his locker. He was about to find out that he had been in trouble all weekend without even knowing it.

"Next time say goodbye," she said angrily. "Lunch. Library. Hope you are ready for your test," she ordered before she walked away. Well, stalked off was a more accurate description.

He was very confused. He'd never seen her anything but happy and easy going. He knew he'd left abruptly Friday, but couldn't quite understand why she was so mad. A little he could have understood.

Lunch time arrived and he went somewhat reluctantly to the library. When he took his seat opposite her she didn't say a word, just handed him a sheet of paper with a load of questions on it and more paper to write his answers on.

"Why are you mad at me?" he asked her. He really shouldn't care but he did.

"You didn't say goodbye," Jo replied stiffly. She was still looking at her books and not him.

"So?" he asked.

"Don't do it again. If you do, don't bother coming back."

He could almost hear the tears in her eyes through her voice.

"Jo?" he asked. She finally looked up at him then and he saw he was right. "What's really wrong?" he asked.

"Why do you care?" she asked.

He frowned. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I just do."

Jo remained silent but he waited patiently to see if she would answer. His patience paid off.

"My father left without saying goodbye. It hurt … It always hurts," she admitted. "Please don't do it again."

It wasn't hard to hear the pain in her voice and he instinctively knew he didn't want to do anything to bring it about again. "I won't," he promised.

Jo smiled then, though the sadness was still in her eyes. At least he knew he was forgiven, though she still made him do the test, which was brutal. She said it was easy compared to what was coming. She also said that he still needed some work, so she'd see him same time tomorrow again.

He couldn't help the happiness that spread throughout him at the thought, even though he tried hard to fight it.