Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or the characters. I'm just borrowing them. I make no money from this.

Author Note: A bit angsty at first but Callie did just watch her mother die. Other than that I'm not sure how believable her reaction is. Please let me know what you think. And yes, I know that's not how someone from CPS would act in real life, I have nothing against them this is just the way the story played out in my mind.

And thank you to everyone who has left a review or added this to their favorites or alerts. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it.

Callie sat in the back of the ambulance as one of the EMTs checked her over. "Hey, sweetheart," the older man said. "Doesn't look too bad, you're gonna be just fine," he reassured her after he shined a penlight into her eyes. He reached over and grabbed something, twisting it before pressing it to the side of her face. She flinched away from the cold. "Easy honey, it'll help. Can you hold it there for me?"

She nodded, accepting it and pressing it to her cheek. He was right, it did feel better after a few seconds.

"Good. You just hold that right there, alright?"

She nodded and he gave her another smile before stepping out of the vehicle. Her eyes swept past where he stood talking to another EMT to the flurry of activity taking place near the building. It was getting dark now but there was still enough light for her to see. Her eyes tracked over all of the people moving around, searching for a familiar face. She spotted the other agents first, Deeks, Kensi and Sam. But her eyes kept moving, kept searching.

There he was, in the center of the activity. Talking to the cops. Another familiar face was there but she ignored it, she couldn't bare to look at Uncle Owen right now. Would he blame her for her mother's death?

Instead Callie kept her gaze focused on her father. It felt strange to even think it, she had a father. She stared at him, willing him to turn around, to look at her. But he didn't.

Tears stung her eyes. He'd promised he wasn't going anywhere. But then he'd left her here. Mom was gone, she'd-

Callie closed her eyes as she let the thought form. Mom was dead. What was going to happen to her now? Her eyes returned to Callen but still he didn't turn. She slumped. He wouldn't want her, not now. Despite what he'd said earlier, she'd seen his face when she questioned him before this whole mess. He didn't want her then, why would he want her now, after she'd already gotten her mother killed. Mom had taken the bullet meant for her, it was her fault she was dead. He probably thought she'd get him killed too.

She drew her knees up to her chest as she let the cold pack drop to the ground. She was all alone now.

Raised voices drew her attention back to the door of the ambulance. "Hey, you can't go in there lady!" She looked up to see a woman in a pants suit being blocked by the EMTs. There were two large men, also in suits with her.

The woman took out her I.D. "I'm Angela Simmons with the Los Angeles Child Protective Services. I was told that there is a child in there who has just been orphaned. I'm here to take her into custody."

Orphaned. The word echoed in Callie's mind as the last bit of hope in her died.

The two EMTs exchanged an uncomfortable look. "Did you clear that with the feds?" the one who had been treating her asked. They had been told not to let anyone near the girl.

The woman shot him a nasty look. "I don't need anyone to tell me how to do my job. Now has she been checked out and cleared to leave?"

"Yeah, she's alright, just some cuts and bruises though she is suffering from shock which is to be expected." He ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I still think you should clear this with those federal agents first."

"And you need to stay out of my business." Simmons turned to Callie. "Callen, correct? I need you to come with me."

But Callie wasn't paying any attention, lost in her own mind and depression.

Simmons grew impatient. "Didn't you hear me? I said you're coming with me, now let's go!"

"Hey, be a little nicer, she just watched her mother die," the EMT told her.

Simmons ignored him, reaching over to grab the girl's arm. "I said let's go!"

Callie recoiled as she felt the hand grab her arm. "Let me go!" She swung her arm out, connecting with the woman's face more by luck than anything else.

Simmons released her, glaring at her. "You little brat!" She gestured to the two men with her. "Stevens, Jacobs."

Callie scrambled back as the two men entered the ambulance. "No! Leave me alone!"

Deeks sighed as he watched Callen ordering the various cops and other feds around. "Think he's gonna be okay?"

Kensi shrugged. "I hope so, this has been a hard day for him."

"Yeah, today sucks. Though there was one good thing out of this whole mess. What do you think he's going to do?" He turned to look back at the ambulance.

"It's not really our business Deeks."

But he wasn't listening. "We got trouble," he said, already heading for the commotion he could see.

"What?" Kensi turned and swore. "Sam!" she called, hurrying after her partner.

"There a problem here?" Deeks asked as he took in the scene. The EMTs were looking disgruntled, standing off to the side of the vehicle. Directly in front of the open doors was an angry looking woman, a red mark forming on her cheek. Inside he could see two large men in suits, with Callie cowering in the corner. His hand inched toward his weapon.

The woman turned to him. "Who the hell are you?" she snapped.

"Marty Deeks, LAPD. What's going on here?"

Callie's head shot up at the familiar voice and she scrambled out of her corner. "Marty! I don't want to go with them!" She tried to run to him only for one of the men in the ambulance to grab her. "Let me go!"

That did it. Deeks drew his sidearm, Kensi copying his actions as she arrived. "Let the girl go."

"This isn't your concern," the woman said.

"Like hell it's not! Who the hell are you lady?"

"Angela Simmons, LA CPS. I'm here to take the child into custody."

"On who's authority?" Kensi questioned.

"That's none of your concern."

"Bullshit. She's a witness in a federal investigation, she's not going anywhere."

Simmons sneered at them. "I thought all of the bad guys were dead." She looked at them with disgust. "You cops are all the same, shooting first, making more work for me." She drew out some papers. "This is a court order stating that the girl is to come with me."

Kensi and Deeks exchanged a look, hesitating.

Simmons took that hesitation as acceptance. "Let's go." The two men climbed out of the ambulance, one of them pulling Callie out with him by her arm.

"No!" Callie struggled in his grip, causing the other man to grab her other arm. "Let me go! I don't want to go with you!"

Deeks opened his mouth to object when there was a blur of movement. He blinked and one of the men was on the ground, unconscious and Callen stood there pointing his weapon at the other. "Let her go," he said dangerously.

The man took one look into Callen's eyes and released the girl.

Callie staggered, only to find herself being pulled up against a familiar chest as Callen twisted his body to shield her from sight.

"I've had enough of these interruptions. I have a court order to bring that girl into the custody of the Los Angeles Child Protective Services."

If it was possible Callen's eyes hardened even further, his blue eyes like ice as he focused his gaze on Simmons and shifted his aim to her. "You're not taking my daughter anywhere!"

Callie gasped at his possessive tone, staring up at his face as his arm tightened around her. Did he really mean it?

But all of his attention was on Simmons.

"What?!" She did a double take as she took in the clear resemblance between the two for the first time. "I was told she's an orphan."

"You were told wrong," Sam said as he joined them, adding his intimidating bulk to the mix.

Simmons didn't know which way to look as she stood there gaping like a fish. "But I have a court order," she whined.

Granger stepped forward out of the crowd of onlookers. "Agent Callen, why don't you take your daughter home?" he said pointedly. "I can handle the rest here."

Callen gave him a look of surprise before nodding to him gratefully as he finally put his weapon away. He swung Callie up into his arms and turned to walk away, Sam falling into step beside him.

"But-"

"Ms. Simmons, I am Owen Granger, the Assistant Director of NCIS. He is definitely that girl's father, and what's more, as Erin O'Rourke's next of kin I can confirm that it was definitely her wish that the girl end up with her father in the eventuality of her mother's untimely death. I would suggest you let this matter drop or you won't like the consequences."

Anything else that was said was missed as the three passed out of hearing range. Callen paused as he felt Callie's hand come up to grip his shirt. He looked down to see her staring up at him in confusion. "It's ok моя дочь, I'm here." He let one hand rise to stroke the back of her head. She gave him a weak smile before resting her against his shoulder. He continued to stroke her hair as he followed his partner to the Challenger. A moment later she was asleep in his arms, worn out from the day's events and the emotions they had caused.

He paused as they reached the car, staring down at her. He didn't want to let her go. He glanced at the Challenger. This wasn't going to work.

"Got you wrapped around her finger already, huh?"

Callen glanced up at his partner's smirking face. "What?"

"You don't want to put her down, you're afraid she'll disappear if you do."

He gaped at him.

"I'm a father G. Trust me, that's normal."

Callen sighed. "I don't know if I can do this."

"See, I told you to stop eating all of that junk food. It's making you too weak to carry a tiny thing like her."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Sam sighed as his partner's doubts rose to the surface. "Then why didn't you let CPS take her?"

He shot Sam a glare. "You know why! I wasn't going to let her go through the hell I did!"

Sam shot him a grin. "Then you've already made your decision G. Trust me, you can do this. It's scary as hell but the rewards are worth it."

Callen wasn't so sure, then he felt Callie's head move on his shoulder and looked down at her. He sighed, he had to make this work, for her sake. She was trusting him to make it work.

Sam gave him another knowing look as he saw him staring at the girl's face. He turned as Deeks and Kensi joined them.

"Granger told us to head back to headquarters." Kensi looked between the two. "Thought you'd have already left."

"G's trying to figure out how to get in the car without having to put her down. Looks awfully comfortable, doesn't she?"

Callen shot him a glare but there was no real heat to it.

Deeks snorted. "Good luck with that, there's no room in that backseat."

Sam shot him a look. "You got something to say about my car?"

"Just saying from experience, he's not going to be able to get in the back without waking her up."

Sam looked like he wanted to say something else but Kensi interrupted first. "Enough. Callen I've got room in the back," she offered.

Callen glanced at Sam who nodded at him. "Thanks Kensi. See you back at headquarters?"

Sam nodded and opened his door. But he stopped to watch as Callen gently laid Callie down on the backseat, carefully strapping her in before sliding in next to her and lifting her head up to rest on his lap. He smiled knowingly. This was just what his partner needed, someone to care for, to live for. He shot the two younger agents a look and they nodded their understanding before getting into the vehicle as well. With that, Sam climbed into his own car and pulled out.

Callen spent the trip back to headquarters in silence, simply staring at his daughter's sleeping face. He paid no attention to other two's quiet bickering, had no idea if they tried to engage him in conversation. His entire focus was on the girl in his lap. He was terrified that he was going to mess this up.

She frowned in her sleep, whimpering a little.

He stroked her hair to calm her, whispering to her "I'm here, моя дочь. I'm here," until she calmed.

He didn't know if he'd made the right decision but the decision was made and he was going to stick to it. "I'm here," he whispered again. "And I'm not going anywhere."