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

Author's Note: I have nothing against private schools or those attend them. I just needed Callie to be against them. Oh, and I don't have any real knowledge of how the school system works in California. Where I grew up we went to the high school of the town we lived in and I know in NYC that you apply for different high schools like you do with colleges. So I decided that if there were a couple of different high schools near where you lived you could pick which one you wanted to attend, pending approval that is.

"No, you've got to hit harder than that. Like you're trying to hurt me."

"But I don't want to hurt you."

Sam blinked as he heard Callen and Callie's voices coming from the gym. What were they doing here, and on a Saturday? He was only here because he'd left something in his locker. He stepped inside the doorway to see the two on the mat.

"Try again," Callen said to the girl as he made a move to grab her.

Sam watched as she half-heartedly dodged and threw a punch. Callen let it hit him before he continued forward and grabbed her around the waist, turning her around so that her back pressed against his chest.

"See? A punch like that's not going to stop anyone. You have to put your full body weight into it."

"What's going on?" Sam asked, stepping fully into the room.

"Hey Sam," Callen greeted. "Callie asked me to show her some moves so that if she's ever in a situation like with Connors or Arkady's men, she can fight them off long enough to get away."

"Sounds like a good idea. What's the problem?" He glanced at the girl who was studying her feet.

"She doesn't want to use it against me, and if she doesn't practice on someone then she won't be able to use it if a situation does come up." Callen sighed.

Sam shrugged. "How about I take a turn against her?"

Callie's eyes widened as she looked up at him. "What? But you're huge! You'd squash me like a bug!"

"Most of the people you'd find yourself up against will be significantly bigger than you," he pointed out. "And I know how to pull my punches, I'm not going to hurt you."

Callen felt the need to step in at that point. "Now when you say you're going to pull your punches, do you mean the same way you pull them with me?" He gave his partner a look that said the answer had better not be yes.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I'd do anything that would hurt her?"

No, he didn't. "It's okay Callie," Callen told her. "Sam's just going to provide you with a simulation of a possible situation. And you don't have to worry about hurting him, the big guy can definitely take a punch."

"Alright," she finally said though she still looked doubtful.

"Okay," Sam said as he stepped onto the mat, facing her. "If you're faced with your attacker he's going to come at you like this." He started to lunge for her and she backed away. "That's good, you want to keep some distance between you. But if for some reason you can't, if he corners you, you'll have to fight back." He gestured for her to do something.

Callie looked at him. What was she supposed to do against someone his size? She finally settled on the one thing she knew worked against any guy.

Sam shook his head as he blocked kick, grabbing her leg and pulling her close. "Not really a bad idea, if it connects it will definitely give you time to get away. But if the guy's had any training he'll be expecting that and will use it as a chance to grab you."

Callen nodded from the sidelines. "Instead you should aim for the knee or the ankle. Your attacker will think you're going for the groin and will actually make it easier by moving his leg into a good position. Strike with enough force and he'll fall to the ground and be in no condition to chase you."

Sam let her try the move out. "Better," he said as he let it connect. "But you'll really have to put more of your weight behind it in a real situation." He could tell though that she was putting more force behind it than she had with Callen. He gestured for her to step back and came up behind her.

"Another situation you'll find yourself in is where you are grabbed from behind," Callen told her as Sam proceeded to do just that. "Now I know all of the movies show the victim being able to grab their attacker's arm and toss them over their shoulder but it's not really an option with you."

Callie shook her head as she felt the way Sam was positioned behind her. "Yeah, I try that and I'll end up on the ground with Sam on top of me. If I can even budge him, that is."

"Instead, you want to elbow me, get me to release you. Preferably knock the wind out of me so I'm in no position to chase after you," Sam told her as he held her.

Callie nodded her understanding. Sam pulled her closer to simulate the situation and she dragged her arm across her body, her elbow lashing out at him. Her eyes widened as she felt her elbow connect with something right before Sam released her. "I did it!"

Callen winced as he watched the blow connect. Sam had underestimated the height difference and hadn't crouched low enough when he'd grabbed her. Consequently the blow had landed significantly lower than the stomach Callie had been aiming for. "That you did. You okay big guy?"

Sam groaned, waving him off as he knelt on the floor.

Callie turned to look at him, eyes wide. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"D-don't worry about it Callie. You did good, that's exactly the sort of thing you want to happen in a real situation. The bad guy's on the ground and you're able to run away." Sam waved off her concern as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Exactly right Mr. Hanna. That was a very nicely executed move dear," Hetty said, startling them. She looked at the large agent. "Perhaps you should work on not underestimating your opponents," she told him.

"I'll keep that in mind," he told her.

"So what brought this about?" Hetty asked.

"Callie was a bit worried about finding herself in another situation and being unable to defend herself. So we're showing her a few moves. Only for defense of course," Callen told her.

"Of course," Hetty agreed before glancing at the girl who was only a couple of inches taller than her. "Come with me my dear. There's a few tricks I can show you to use against much larger opponents."

Callen and Sam watched the two walk away, before sharing a look. "If Hetty's showing her some moves then I'm done being the test dummy," Sam told his partner.

"I'm not doing it either," Callen agreed. They shared another look, then simultaneously said, "Deeks." Callen smirked at his partner. "He can be her new punching bag for whatever Hetty shows her."

"Almost makes me feel sorry for anyone stupid enough to come after her now."

Callen gave him a look. "They come after my daughter and they deserve whatever they get."

Sam held up his hands. "Easy G, I did say almost."

They found Hetty and Callie in the former's office, just in time to see Hetty hand the wide-eyed girl something. "Now remember," the older woman was saying, "this is only for emergencies, situations where you feel you are at great risk. If I discover you using this for no reason or against your fellow classmates you will regret it."

Callie nodded her head frantically, assuring the woman she understood.

"Good. Gentlemen," Hetty turned to the two agents. "It's actually rather fortunate that you are here. It saves me some time. The investigation has turned up no sign that any of you have been compromised. Our analysts have worked long and hard going through your files and tracking the movements of those parties involved. There has been nothing to indicate that Janvier contacted them. So your statuses are operational again. Once your vacation is over, that is. I think another two weeks should be long enough to take care of everything."

Callen frowned. "Two weeks?"

She looked at him. "Gives you enough time to get everything in order. Rather fitting that you return to work at the same time that your daughter returns to school, don't you think?"

His eyes widened as he glanced at Callie. He hadn't even considered that school would be starting again soon. He still had to make arrangements, get her enrolled. Looks like he had calls to make. "Well, guess we'd better get going."

Callie nodded. "Thank you again Hetty. And you too Sam. And I'm really sorry about, you know."

"Don't worry about it. Just remember only use it on the bad guys."

She smiled at him, then followed her father out the door.

Sam turned to look at Hetty. "So what did you teach her anyway?"

Hetty gave him an enigmatic look. "Wouldn't you like to know." She sat down at her desk. "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Go! I don't want to see you or your partner back here until your vacation is over!"

"You forgot about school, didn't you?" Callie asked as they got in the car.

"Yeah," he admitted. "But to be fair, I'm still new to this. What was the name of your old school? I'm going to have to contact them for your transcripts then contact the nearby high school, once I know which one it is."

She gave him a look as she told him. "But you know it's a Saturday. You won't reach anyone until at least Monday."

He shrugged. "Gives us some time to research options. Maybe a private school would be better."

"Dad, I don't need a private school. I've gone to public school all of my life. And I am not going to wear a uniform."

"I'm just saying, maybe we should consider all of our options. An all girls school wouldn't hurt."

Her jaw dropped as she stared at him. "Seriously?! You want to send me to one of those schools? Do you know what type of girls go there? The ultra rich, ultra snobby, look down on anyone who doesn't fit their world view type of girls. Forget it."

"Wow, really dislike that option huh?" She glared at him. "Okay, okay. Public school it is."

"And I want a say in which school since I'm going to be the one stuck attending for the next four years."

Once they arrived home, he pulled out his tablet computer and looked up the information on their school zone, finding out which of the local high schools they were zoned for. Then he researched their reputations, which were safest, which had the better teachers or courses offered.

Callie sat, using her own computer to surf the web, occasionally glancing at her father and rolling her eyes at his actions.

Finally, Callen decided on which school he thought was the best option and informed Callie. She quickly pulled up the school's website and looked through the page. "Okay," she said after a few minutes.

He raised an eyebrow. "Not going to fight me on this?"

"Nah, I like their literature and language programs."

"Of course."

Once Monday came around he started making calls, first to Callie's old school, then to that district's head office. He sighed as he got off the phone with them. "Looks like we have to go in in person."

"Why?"

"They want proof that I'm who I say I am."

She shrugged and got ready.

Once they got there it went smoothly. Callen explained the situation and showed his custody papers. They had him sign a few papers and handed over Callie's transcripts.

Upon leaving, Callen contacted the high school they had decided on. The principal was understanding and agreed to meet with them right away, so they headed straight there. Again things went smoothly and Callie was quickly enrolled.

Returning home, Callen sighed. "We have to talk. There are some ground rules that we have to go over."

She tilted her head at him. "Like what?"

"You know how important my work is, how secretive. You can't tell anyone what I do or even that I'm a federal agent."

"I kind of figured that."

"You also can't tell anyone where we live, can't have friends over. I'm sorry but it's really not safe."

She shrugged. "Well there's also the fact that they'd have nowhere to sit," she pointed out. That rule wasn't really a big deal to her. She'd never really been all that popular anyway so her having friends over was few and far in between.

Callen blinked, having expected some resistance to that one. "I will drive you to school, and providing I don't get stuck on a case, I will pick you up. If for whatever reason I can't or I agree that you can go somewhere after school, you are to tell me where you are going to be and when you will be home. You are not to go anywhere without telling me first."

"Dad! I'm not a little kid! I can get home on my own. And seriously? Informing you of where I am at all times?"

"I'll agree to letting you get home by yourself," he said after a minute. He'd probably get stuck at work more often than not anyway. "But the keeping me informed is non-negotiable. And if for whatever reason you can't contact me you will contact someone else on the team or Hetty. How else am I going to keep you safe if I don't know where you are?"

Callie's eyes softened. "Fine. But that's it." She peered at him suspiciously. "No following me or running background checks on anyone."

"Would I do that?"

She gave him a look, not buying his innocent act for a second.

"Alright, fine." At least until she decided to start dating. Which wouldn't be for a good, long time if he had anything to say about it.