A/N – Apologises for the delay. This FF writer needed to turn party planner over the last week. Now that has been successfully done and dusted, back to the writer hat.

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement on this story. Hope you enjoy this next little instalment of Callen and Jo's blossoming relationship.

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o

Chapter 4

A week later he managed to get into another fight. He'd done quite well avoiding any major confrontations until then. He'd been outside of the school grounds when it had happened and instead of going home afterward, he found himself at her place. Jo took one look at him and pulled him inside. He automatically went to the kitchen as she went upstairs.

"Who was it this time?" she asked when she came back down, first aid kit in hand again.

"Don't know," he lied. He knew exactly who it had been. Her basketball playing boyfriend and his friends, warning him away from her. She was wrong. It appeared the boyfriend did mind after all.

"Hope they look worse than you," Jo commented when she stepped up to him. He was sitting on the counter, rather than a chair. Chairs felt too normal, too comfortable and too welcoming. She made it hard enough with her welcoming smile and that look in her eyes that told him he was safe. Given his life so far, he wasn't entirely sure if that was possible though this felt pretty close.

"Where do you need the ice?" Jo asked.

He held out a hand and let out a small wince when she put it on.

"Hold it," she said. She was looking at his shirt and then stepped back.

"Shirt off," she ordered.

"Why?" he asked, eyes wide.

Jo rolled her eyes as if he was being deliberately vague. He wasn't. He was just terrified.

"Because you have blood on it," she told him, "and it is white. If we don't get the blood out quickly, you'll ruin it. Since you seem to like this one, figured you wouldn't want to do that," she added.

"How do you know I like this one?"

"You wear it often," she stated simply.

He tried not to think too much about the fact that she noticed things like that about him. Reluctantly he pulled it off while desperately hoping her boyfriend didn't visit this afternoon. He'd didn't want to have to run off without saying goodbye again.

She put it in the sink and ran some water on it. She turned back to him and gasped.

"G! What did they do to you?" she asked. She was looking at his chest.

He looked down and saw the bruising. He knew taking the shirt off was a bad idea. Just not bad in this respect.

"How many were there?" she asked.

"A few," he replied vaguely.

Jo shook her head at him in exasperation and went to the freezer to get another ice pack. She stepped back, placed it gently on the worst bruising and held it there.

"Were you going to tell me about this?" she asked quietly as she stepped between his legs to get close enough to use her other hand to clean up the cut above his eye.

It was at that moment that her mother walked in and he didn't get a chance to answer.

"Josephine!" Her mother exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Mum, chill. He got in a fight. I'm just fixing him up, not making out with him," Jo said.

He couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to kiss her. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, letting her continue to fix him up. She looked at him when she was done and smiled.

"Help yourself to some food. I'll just fix up your shirt, shouldn't take long to dry."

He stayed for a while, though was uncomfortable with her mother watching him so closely. He wasn't really sure what he had done. Either she didn't like him or she liked him too much. He tried not to read too much into the looks her mother was giving him. They worked on some English stuff, but when she offered him dinner, he decided to go. There was only so much he could take of being watched. He made sure he said goodbye this time.

The next week was similar, lunch times in the library, glares from the boyfriend and almost another beating from him, except that Jo happened to be show up at the time. By the end of the week he'd finally caught up with English and he didn't need the extra tutoring anymore. He was disappointed, but relieved at the same time. He didn't like attachments and he'd found himself gaining one with her. So, with the compulsory time done, he started to think that maybe now his avoiding her theory might just work. He couldn't have been more wrong. After a week of success, aside from the classes they had together, she finally cornered him at his locker on Friday afternoon after classes were over and there was no one left in the corridors. He usually left late to avoid her; apparently she had worked that out.

"What's your problem G?" Jo asked him from behind his locker door, he slammed it shut in shock. One day he'd work out how she managed to sneak up on him. No one else seemed to have that talent.

"I don't have a problem," he denied quickly.

"You are avoiding me," she stated.

"No I'm not," he said unable to avoid glancing away at the lie.

"You're lying," she countered. "Why? Thought we were friends."

"I don't have friends," he told her. For once, he wished it was different.

"Why not?"

"Look Jo, I'm not a good friend to have. You deserve better." He wasn't prepared for her reaction. She pushed back against his locker, her hands on his chest and that anger flared in her eyes again. She hadn't hurt him, hadn't been rough, but the shock had made it simple for her to do what she had. He hadn't even tried to stop her.

"The only thing better I deserve, is not to have my friend lie to me or avoid me. You are more than good enough, and if you say it or hint at it again, then the next ice pack you'll need will be because of me. Do you understand?" she asked.

"Understood," he agreed. He wondered where her reaction had come from. He knew her well enough to know that the physical threat wasn't real. That she would never do it, but the fact that she had said it, made him realise just how serious she was.

"Good." She let him go and backed away. "Now. Do you want to come over tonight for dinner and a movie?" Jo asked.

"What about Martin?" he asked.

"He's not allowed. Mum's got a date, so not allowed the boyfriend over. Have to babysit Billy," she said rolling her eyes.

"But I am?"

"You're a friend. Friends are allowed," Jo said with a satisfied smile. "Though to be sure, come over just after seven."

She turned and walked away. He stood there and watched her, slightly confused, but oddly happy. Apparently she liked him just a little. At least enough to consider him a friend. Enough that she appeared willing to fight for him. It had been a long time since someone had done that for him. Part of him wanted to run, not wanting to risk the same outcome as before, but the majority of him craved this - a friend who cared. So, that night he found himself outside her place, around six thirty, waiting for her mother to leave.

They watched a movie with Billy while they ate dinner, then Billy went to bed and it was just the two of them. Jo put another movie on and they sat on the couch watching it, but she fell asleep about half way through it. He switched off the TV and gently shook her shoulder.

"Jo," he said. Her eyes opened slightly. "I should go home."

"Stay," she said sleepily, her head still dropped to the side just resting on his shoulder. "Don't like it when she brings her date's home."

He frowned at her words, not liking what they suggested. "Why?" he asked.

"Creepy," she said, her eyes opening a bit more as she moved to sit up.

"Do they hurt you?" he asked, hoping to whatever God was out there that they didn't.

"No, got a lock on my door, but -" Jo stopped, as if she just realised what she had been saying. "Sorry, you're right. You should go home." She stood up and smiled. "Thanks for coming over," she said, making a move to the door. He put a hand on her arm and she stopped and looked back at him.

"Jo, I'll stay if you want," he told her. Not like they'd miss him at his current place.

She looked at him for a moment, seeming unsure and a touch nervous, before saying, "Please."

He nodded and followed her up stairs. When they got into her room, she turned to him.

"The chair is pretty comfortable, or there's the floor," she said. "Or you can stay on the couch downstairs if you'd prefer."

"Where do you want me to stay?" He figured she wanted him to stay up here with her, otherwise she would have left him downstairs.

"In here," she admitted.

"In here it is," he said. He noticed the relief on her face at his answer. "Got some extra blankets?" he asked.

"Hall cupboard," she said, with a small smile. "Thanks G." He went into the hall and found some blankets and even a pillow. He had just closed the cupboard door when he heard her mother come in loudly downstairs.

"Shhh," her mother whispered as whoever she was with stumbled in too. "You'll wake up my kids."

"So? Your girl's old enough to join us," came a male voice.

"She wouldn't be interested," her mother replied.

"Wouldn't hurt to ask."

Callen felt a cold shiver go over him at the words and moved quickly back into Jo's room, turning around and locking the door quietly. He certainly hadn't liked the sound of that conversation.

"Everything okay?" Jo asked from behind him. He turned around and put a finger to his lips so she wouldn't say anything more.

She glanced at the door and hearing the footsteps outside the door pause, she froze, eyes wide. The footsteps moved on and he heard her let out the breath she'd been holding. She turned and slipped into bed. He didn't want to ask about her reaction.

He moved over to the chair, pulled it closer to the bed to rest his feet on and got comfortable under the blankets and pillow.

"Night Jo," he said quietly.

"Night G," she answered back before she turned off the bedside light.

He had made a decision that night. He'd stay whenever Jo's mother went out on a date, just in case.