Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or the characters. I'm just borrowing them. I make no money from this.
"Now isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?"
"Shh! Don't wake them."
"Who's got a camera?"
"Already got the pictures."
"And the footage from the surveillance cameras."
"If you wake them up I will hurt you."
Callen let the voices of his team wash over him without opening his eyes. He must have fallen asleep in the office again. He shifted slightly, stiff. Just how long had he been asleep for? How had he slept through the others' arrivals? They weren't known to be quiet in their entrances. A frown started to form on his face as he tried to take stock of his situation. There was a weight pressing down on his chest. Warm breath puffed against his neck and his arms tightened automatically around the body in his arms as memory returned.
He sighed as he felt the girl lying on top of him shift slightly and opened his eyes to glare at his murmuring coworkers. "If you wake her up I will shoot you," he threatened.
They backed up with their hands raised, retreating to their desks. All except for Sam. "Rough night?"
"Not as bad as I was expecting," Callen admitted, looking down at the head nestled beneath his chin.
His partner nodded in understanding. "I got you some coffee, it's on your desk."
"Thanks."
"No problem." He turned and headed for his own desk. "Deeks! Get that mangy mutt away from my chair, I don't need it getting fleas everywhere."
"How many times do I have to tell you, Monty does not have fleas!"
Callen ignored the argument, choosing instead to study the sleeping teenager. She'd woken a few times during the night, calling out for Erin. But she'd calmed quickly in his embrace. He checked his watch, surprised to see that it had been almost five hours since she'd last woken up. He never slept that long uninterrupted. And it had been a peaceful sleep.
He sighed staring at her. He had to get up but how without waking her? He was contemplating ways to extricate himself when the dilemma resolved itself.
Callie squirmed slightly against the arms holding her before opening her eyes. "Hi," she said quietly as she met his blue eyes with her own.
"Hey, you ok?"
She nodded, looking away. Upon spotting the other people now present in the building she blushed slightly and sat up, pulling herself off of the agent. She let her eyes wander to the other agents before pausing to stare.
Callen took the opportunity to sit up as well, stretching his stiff body as he did so. He frowned as the girl fidgeted slightly. He noticed she was staring at Kensi who was currently eating a doughnut. "You must be hungry," he said, realizing she hadn't eaten anything at all the previous day.
"Huh?" Callie said, before her stomach made a loud noise. Her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment.
Callen laughed as she ducked her head, blushing. "Wait here, I'll go see if there are any doughnuts left." He headed to the bullpen, missing the odd look she gave him.
She stared after him. Doughnuts for breakfast? Mom never let her have doughnuts for breakfast. They were for dessert, not a meal. She slumped as she realized that Mom would never again be able to forbid her from eating the junk food. Suddenly she didn't feel as hungry as she had a moment ago.
In the meantime Callen had reached the others. "Any doughnuts left?" he asked, stopping at his desk to grab the coffee Sam had gotten him. He gratefully took a large sip of the still hot liquid.
Sam shook his head. "Yeah, like you really need more junk food G."
"Not me, Callie. She didn't eat anything at all yesterday, remember?"
Sam shot him a look. "So you want to give her a doughnut?"
"What, it's a perfectly valid breakfast item," he defended.
"Says who? It's not healthy. You've got to get off to the right start here G."
Callen frowned, a trickle of doubt setting in. Sam was the one with experience with children, he would know better than him.
"Oh lighten up. One doughnut isn't going to kill her," Kensi said as she grabbed the box and handed it to Callen. "The girl just lost her mother. A little comfort food could go a long way right now."
Deeks snorted. "Speak for yourself. Not everyone deals with their troubles by going on a food binge."
Sam shook his head as the two started to argue. He glanced back at his partner and saw him looking at the box of doughnuts. He could read the doubt in his eyes. "G. One doughnut's not the end of the world. Kid's got to eat something. Just don't make it a habit." He grinned suddenly. "We don't want her getting all of your bad habits."
"What bad habits?" he shot back as he headed back to where he had left Callie. "Hey, we're in luck, Kensi hadn't had time to eat them all yet. There's a few different kinds, I wasn't sure what you like." He held the box out for her to look.
Callie bit her lip as she looked into the box but didn't make a move to take one.
He sat down next to her. "Don't see anything you like? I can run to the store, get something else." A jolt of nervousness ran through him, was he already messing things up?
She shook her head. "No, it's okay." More for his sake than hers she grabbed a powdered doughnut from the box. But she made no move to eat it.
"What's wrong?"
She stared at the doughnut in her hand. "Mom never lets-" She broke off, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Never let me have doughnuts for breakfast. Doughnuts are a dessert not a meal," she recited.
Callen wasn't sure what he should say. "Well how about we suspend that rule, just for today. One doughnut is not going hurt anything. You have to eat something." When she hesitated, he added, "If it really makes you uncomfortable, I'll go to a diner or something. You like bacon and eggs?" He stood up.
Callie's head shot up. "No, it's okay. Don't go to any trouble, I don't want to be a bother." She lifted the sugar-filled treat to her mouth and took a small bite. The sugary powder tasted like ash in her mouth but she forced herself to chew and swallow.
Callen knelt down and forced her to meet his eyes. "It wouldn't have been any trouble. Trust me, you are not a bother, alright?" She nodded and he stood back up. "I'm just going to get you something to wash that down with, I'll be right back."
She watched him walk away and sighed, setting the doughnut on the table beside the couch. She just wasn't hungry. She let her head fall forward, chin resting against her chest and closed her eyes for a moment only to jump as something cold and wet touched her hand. "What?!" She opened her eyes to see a grayish dog sitting in front of her, sniffing her hands. "Where did you come from?" she wondered as the dog began to lick the powder off of her fingers. She giggled and the dog wagged it's tail before resting it's head on her knee.
"What's the matter?"
The dog whined and turned to stare at her partially eaten doughnut.
"You hungry?" The tail thumped against the floor. "I don't know, are you even allowed to eat something like that?" The dog whined again before rolling over, paws up in the air, clearly begging. Callie laughed. "Oh alright, but just a small piece." She grabbed the doughnut and hesitated, looking around. But no one appeared to be watching so she broke off a small piece and tossed it to the dog.
She watched him gobble it up. "You must be really hungry, I didn't think it tasted that good." He placed his head on her leg again. "You want more, don't you?" She broke off another small piece, letting him eat it out of her hand. Absentmindedly, she took a bite of it herself before breaking off another piece. A few more rounds of this and she was surprised to note that the doughnut was completely gone. "Sorry," she told the dog as he looked expectantly at her. "It's all finished."
He tilted his head, staring at her for a moment, then jumped up on the couch beside her, licking the powder off of her face and causing her to laugh. Her laughter soon drew attention.
"That a boy Monty," Deeks said as he wandered over. He winked at Callie as she glanced at him. "He's always had a thing for the ladies, especially the cute ones."
Kensi snorted. "You mean he's like you and will chase anything in a skirt."
"Hey, I'll have you know that Monty and I are very selective in our choice of women. It's not our fault that there are so many good looking ladies around."
Callie laughed at their byplay. "He belongs to you, Marty?" she asked as she scratched Monty behind the ears. The dog flopped down on her lap, clearly loving the attention.
"Yep, this is Monty, honorary NCIS agent."
"You might want to keep your distance before you get fleas from that mangy mutt," Sam piped in.
"He's not mangy!" Callie piped up. "I think he's adorable."
"Ignore him," Deeks told her. "He's still upset that Monty saved his life. And for the umpteenth time he does not have fleas."
"There's no accounting for taste," Sam said with a shake of his head. "And I was referring to Deeks."
"Hey!"
Callen had paused on his way back when he heard the first giggle escape the teenager. He stood in the corner, watching as Monty managed what he couldn't. He got her to smile, got her to laugh, got her to eat. He owed that dog a nice juicy bone. He felt someone join him but kept his eyes on his daughter.
"She always did have a soft spot for animals," Owen Granger said wistfully before turning to face the Senior Field Agent. "I owe you an apology."
Callen glanced at him briefly before returning his gaze to Callie as the rest of the team gathered around her. "No, after what you did, dealing with that social worker last night, we're good. But you owe her an apology, and an explanation." He gave him a hard look. "You really hurt her yesterday. And now she is blaming herself for Erin's death."
Granger closed his eyes and sighed. "I know. Believe me I know. I never meant to hurt her."
"No," Callen said as he turned to regard the other man. "You wanted to hurt me. And I deserved it." He turned away from the older man. "But she didn't."
"No, she didn't. And neither did you," Granger admitted, causing the younger man to look at him in surprise. "You've really stepped up, when I didn't expect you to. I was wrong to keep you out of Callie's life."
He shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know that you were. Yes, I'm taking responsibility now. Do I plan to be a part of her life? Yes. But would I have reacted the same way if I'd known sooner? Or if Erin was still alive? I don't know. I'd like to think I would have but I can't. Not when just after discovering the truth I was thinking how much better off she would be without me in her life. Even now I'm still thinking it."
Granger studied him carefully. "If that's true then why? Why haven't you already pushed her away? Why are you allowing her to get attached to you?"
"Because I'm all the family she has left and I won't abandon her. She needs me." He took a deep breath. "And I think I need her, just as much if not more," he admitted quietly.
The older man nodded thoughtfully. "Erin made me her godfather so she isn't completely without family," he said as he watched the man to gauge his reaction.
Callen shook his head. "Doesn't change my mind. I'm still going to be there for her." He glanced at the girl in question before turning back to Granger. "I will be going for custody. You aren't going to fight me over that, are you?" The expression on his face said that that would be the wrong thing to do.
Granger also turned to look at Callie. "No. It would not be in her best interests. You know, I wasn't lying when I told that social worker that Erin wanted Callie to go to you. She kept her will up to date because she knew that something could happen to her and she made sure Callie would be provided for in that eventuality." He turned back to Callen. "There are two versions of that will. One where Callie goes to me and one where she would go to you. Erin left the decision of which to use up to me. Up until yesterday I would have said you didn't deserve to have anything to do with her and would have fought you every step of the way. And I would have been wrong to do it. You are a good man, Agent G. Callen and I'm happy to admit that I was wrong about you." He held out his hand.
Callen glanced at him in surprise before nodding as well and shaking the man's hand. They probably wouldn't ever like one another, there was too much bad history. But they could respect one another and be civil for the sake of the young girl they both cared deeply for. He noticed Callie look around before her gaze fell on the two of them. A mask of confusion etched itself on to her face. "I think it's time for that apology and explanation," he said before leading the way over to her.