Ambush

As Callen drove to Taylor and Skylar's home that night, he kept thinking about the case. How Jay saved his ass and that phone call to his mother. Taylor would never make that phone call to Riaane, partly because Taylor wanted nothing to do with her mother and Riaane wasn't exactly easy to get a hold of.

He also kept thinking of how stupid it was to go infiltrate the militia. Hetty was right- it was a stupid idea. It wasn't just himself now. He had a daughter to protect, to love, and to be there. More of these stupid idea's, and he may end up with more bullet holes or dead. He owed it to his daughter to stay alive, for her.

Taylor was in the bathroom, putting makeup on. "You're a fucking asshole. You know that, right?"

"Language," Callen warned.

"I can call you whatever I want."

"I was at work, Taylor," Callen tried to explain. Unfortunately 17 year olds didn't always realize that their mom or dad was serving their country and making it a better place for them, especially when their dad didn't show up to a soccer game.

Taylor looked at him through the mirror. "How much is this going to happen? Just say you're going to come, and never show up."

"I don't know," he said honestly. He hoped it wasn't going to happen. "Did you win?"

She looked at him and wasn't going to answer that. Her team did lose, but it was to the best team in the valley and Los Angeles area.

"Are you going out?" Callen asked, as Taylor put mascara on.

"I think it would appear so," she retorted.

"Like that?" Skinny jeans and a tank top that revealed a lot of cleavage. Not appropriate wear for seventeen year old.

Taylor looked at Callen for the first time. "I thought it was a little better than the bikini I was going to wear. But the bikini was a little cold for a November night in California."

Callen rolled his eyes. "Where you going?"

"Football game."

"Your boyfriend's?" The one and only time Callen had met Cody James; Cody struck him as the quarterback type of guy.

"Not my boyfriend," Taylor brushed by Callen, going downstairs and he followed her into the kitchen as she took a sip from the milk jug.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Callen asked.

"I have practice until 9. Maybe," Taylor said as she walked by him again. Callen took that as his signal to leave. He wasn't getting much more out of his daughter.

Cody and Taylor were lying on the hood of his jeep, that night, after the game. Santa Monica had won, of course. They drove to a secluded spot and watched the waves crash over the rocks.

"What's wrong, Tay?" Cody asked.

Taylor sighed. "Oh, just my dad."

"What did you dad do this time?" The one time Cody had met her father, he had seemed like an interesting character. He was more scared of the Super SEAL her father was with though.

She sighed again, putting her head on Cody's chest. "Said he was going to come to my game tonight. Never showed up. He did come by, while I was getting ready."

"So? He came later. What's wrong?"

Taylor sat up and looked at the boy. "Because. It's my dad. He tells me these promises and never follows through. When I was fourteen, he was supposed to come to one of my games at regionals. He didn't show up and I didn't see him for another eight months. If he's going to do that again, I don't want him in my life."

Skylar Vandenhoven walked into a local bar and was surprised to see Taylor's father and another man beside him. "Callen," she said, slipping into a seat next to him.

"Skylar. What are you doing here?"

"Well... Blind date didn't go so well, so I ended up here. You?"

Callen raised his eyebrows. Skylar should know why he'd be drinking on a Tuesday night. "My work and personal life don't mix."

"Ah. She flipped?'

"Yes," Callen turned to Sam. "Sorry. My partner Sam Hanna, this is my ex-sister-in-law, Skylar Vandenhoven. She's the one raising my juvenile delinquent."

Sam outstretched his hand and Skylar shook it. "You've been doing a hell of a job, Skylar."

"Not good enough," Skylar admitted. "It's hard raising a teenager, working a full time job and trying to maintain somewhat of a personal life."

Sam smiled. "Our work and being involved in our children's lives are a hard balancing act."

"One I haven't figured out yet," Callen said. "Being an agent and a father is a difficult thing."