A/N - Final chapter, though epilogue by request - not written but if I have forgotten to explain anything or there is anything in particular you want to see with these two, let me know and I'll see what I can do. No promises though.
So, after all this time, I'm going to miss these two having lived in their world for so long.
Hope you enjoy the conclusion.
Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, favouriting and messages. They've all been encouraging and appreciated.
Disclaimer in Chapter 1
Chapter 21
They walked into the hotel room and Callen closed the door behind them. It was the same room they had stayed in the last time they were here. When Eric had told them the suspects were in Washington, Callen asked Hetty if he could take Tash. She had looked at him for a moment, before agreeing. It wasn't like he needed to take someone to help him get them. Gibbs had taken on the tracking and monitoring of the suspects, so he just needed to be there to make sure they got the right ones and the necessary information out of them.
Callen turned around to face Tash, not quite sure where things would go from here. It would be up to her. The case was over, quicker than expected. The suspects in custody, the necessary information passed back to the team in L.A. For now, the rest of the trip could be as personal as they liked. They weren't due back until Tuesday or later. Hetty had all but ordered him to take some of the holidays that he hadn't used yet. He'd agreed to a day, possibly more depending on how things went. He'd also agreed that once Tash remembered, he'd take some more time off with her.
Callen could see the tension in her back as she still faced away from him and he had a feeling that she was getting ready to talk, so he waited.
Tash was nervous, though not quite sure what kind of nervous. She tried to focus on what she needed to ask him, rather than what she wanted to do with him. It felt like so much had changed since earlier at the office when she had remembered things and what Tony had said. She needed to focus on asking him questions about that first. Tash finally turned around and looked at Callen.
"So, together huh?" Tash asked. "When?" She had tried to filter her memories and find a place when she thought they might have been together, but she didn't have enough to go on.
"A while ago," Callen replied. She rolled her eyes at his answer. It was very non informative. He smiled at her reaction.
"How long were we together?" Tash asked. Hopefully that wasn't too hard for him to give her an accurate answer to.
"Six months," Callen replied. Tash bit her lip, not really wanting to ask the next question. She looked away before she did.
"When did it end?" Tash asked softly. Callen waited until she looked back to him before he answered.
"It didn't. You just forgot." Callen held her gaze. Her heart leapt at the answer but she still frowned as she asked the next question.
"So we were still together that day?"
"Yes," Callen answered. He watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she continued.
"I'm sorry," Tash whispered when she opened them again. "I don't know why I was scared of you. I shouldn't have been."
Callen walked over to her and reached out to touch her cheek.
"Tash, you couldn't remember anything. Of course you were scared."
Tash looked up at him and took a breath, gathering her courage for her next question. He frowned, wondering what kind of question was making her so nervous.
"How together?" Tash asked him.
Callen raised his eyebrows. "You haven't worked that out yet?"
"Maybe. But I need to hear it from you," Tash admitted. Callen watched as she swallowed nervously and he realised she didn't want to answer in case she was wrong.
"We were living together." Callen let his hand drop from her face. He needed to let her lead, and touching her was too much temptation at the moment.
"And?" Tash asked. Callen smiled.
"Yes," he replied, knowing what she wanted to know. "We were lovers."
"This room?" Tash asked. "It seems familiar." She turned, as she asked the question, to look around at the room.
"It's where we stayed when we were here last time," Callen replied.
Tash turned back and slowly stepped forward, closer to him.
"Was there only one bed last time?" Tash hoped he felt the same way, wanted the same thing as she did right now. The only way she would find out was if she continued asking the questions, hoping he would continue answering them as he had been. He didn't seem to be too worried about Nate's rules at the moment and she was going to take advantage of that.
"Yes," Callen replied. He knew where this was going. He knew the look in her eyes.
"Did either of us sleep on the couch?" Tash asked, as she closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his neck.
"No," Callen replied, just as his phone rang. Callen pulled away.
"Don't get it," Tash begged. But he already had, needing to answer it, in case it was work.
"What?" Callen answered with a frown, not enjoying being interrupted. He listened before answering.
"Sorry Tony. Already ordered room service. It's been a long day. Thanks for the offer," Callen responded then hung up. He put the phone down on the table and turned back to her.
"Room service? Long Day?" Tash asked as she held back a smile. "Did he believe you?" He'd lied, maybe he was really interested.
"Doubt it." Callen grinned. He stepped back towards her. "Where were we?"
Tash smiled. It did definitely seem that way. Her heart started to race even more and she slipped her arms around his neck as his found their way around her waist. She looked up at his face and saw the same look in his eyes that had been there earlier at the office.
"So what did we get up to then?" Tash asked. Callen saw her eyes sparkle, full of mischief and desire. Just like the last time they had been in this room.
"You tell me," Callen replied. Tash stood up on her toes, bring her body more fully against his. His arms tightened around her to kept her there.
"We were together, we were lovers. Did we see much of the city?" Callen could feel her breath on his lips as she spoke. She was so close.
"No," Callen answered. He could see it in her eyes, he could see she was almost back. At least enough for them to be together, to be what they were for each other.
"Then I guess we enjoyed the sights of the room," Tash concluded. Callen wondered how much she had remembered and whether she had actually remembered them being together. She'd never mentioned it if she had.
"Yep," Callen agreed. It was hard to let her take lead and not make the next move. He was grateful that he didn't have to wait long.
"Care to help me remember? A little prompt?" Tash asked as she touched her lips to his. That was all it took. She'd asked and he would comply, happily. Callen caught her lips and kissed her, no need to hold back anymore.
X
She looked in his eyes and he nodded. She swallowed nervously. He moved his head close to her ear and whispered, "You'll be fine Tash, trust me." Then he moved back to her lips and kissed her. It was supposed to be for show, but it didn't feel that way. She lost track of what they were here for. They had been watching and observing, but it was looking like someone was suspicious of them and they needed to make a quick and effective exit. Callen decided to heat things up so that when they left soon, it wouldn't look odd. He pulled back and looked at her again. Her breathing was heavy, she had no idea he could kiss so well. She didn't think she could stand up on her own. He must have sensed it, or this was just his plan, as he swept her up in his arms, looked for the exit and started walking. Part of her hoped it was the later. She wasn't sure if she could face him if he realised just how much she had been affected by his kiss.
"Keep going," he whispered. She turned her attention to his neck, enjoying the feel of his skin under her lips, the taste of him on her tongue. Looks like she might get to enjoy her job a little more than she used to. They walked out the door of the nightclub and he stepped straight over to the limousine that was waiting for them, still carrying her as he got in. The door closed behind them and she buried her head in his neck, taking some deep calming breaths. It was the first time they had done this together. Add to that, the almost being caught out, and she was very relieved to be out of the club.
"Well done," Callen said. She raised her head and looked at him. He seemed so, normal, like he did this all the time. She moved away, off his lap.
"Thank you," she replied, as she put her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, still trying to get her breathing under control. "Same to you."
X
"Tash?" Callen asked, concerned when she zoned out. Not exactly what he hoped for when he kissed her.
"Just another memory." Tash looked at him and smiled. "Our first kiss."
Callen smiled as he remembered it too. "You know you weren't the only one surprised by it." He knew she thought, at the time, that he hadn't been affected by it.
"Really? You didn't show it," she said as he distracted her as his hands moved gently over her body.
"We don't have to do this now," Callen assured her. Tash did the same to him, with a slight shake of her head.
"I want to. I still want this. Now. In this life," she replied. "I don't know why I don't remember. I just know this feels so right," Tash continued. Callen's fingers made their way to the buttons on her shirt. She smiled up at him when he paused, giving her a chance to stop this. "Please," she whispered. His fingers continued.
Tash felt different, like things were going to take a major step forward, and not just physically.
She reached up and kissed him gently before she said, "Just be patient with me. I have a feeling I'm going to remember a lot." Callen smiled back at her.
"I can be patient. We've got all night." He slipped her shirt off her shoulders and ran his fingers lightly down her arms. So right.
Tash slipped her hands under the bottom of his shirt and pushed it up. He helped her remove it then she looked at his chest, seeing the scars. They didn't seem familiar. Some were fairly recent. Tash frowned and, as she ran her fingers over them, she looked up at him.
"Recent additions?" Tash asked.
"Just over a year ago," Callen said.
X
She felt the shots before she could even register where they had come from. She felt herself falling backwards. God that hurt. The gun fire stopped and she heard Callen and Sam both call to her. She tried to sit up but she could barely breath lying down and moving made it ten times worse.
Callen got to her first and pulled her to her feet.
"Tash?" he asked, worried.
"Vest … off ... please," was all she could say. Callen reached around and unclipped it. That was enough to help her breath easier. She took a few deeper breaths.
"You okay?" Callen asked as he looked her over.
"Considering I just took three bullets to the chest, I'm good. Hurts like hell, but I'm good." She saw Callen close his eyes in relief, for just a moment before he pulled her to him and held her gently.
"I'll kiss you better later," he whispered.
X
Tash she looked up at him again. "Must have hurt. The three hurt enough through the vest." Her fingers still ran over the scars lightly as she spoke.
"You remember that?" Callen asked. There had only been one time where she'd been hit three times. He remembered being terrified for a moment as she went down, before he had consciously reminded himself she was wearing her vest.
"Yeah," Tash smiled. "I also remember you promising to kiss it better." She moved and kissed each of his scars from the shooting. Callen closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her lips on him again. Tash also kissed the one on the side, that she had stitched up.
"You're right. I did do a pretty good job," Tash agreed as she moved back up to kiss his lips again. Callen ran his fingers over her shoulders slipping her bra straps off and, as one encountered the scar from the shooting, he pulled back. He gently traced the scar and bent down and kissed it. He then ran his hands over her back, unclipping her bra. She held her breath as she looked at him as it dropped to the floor. Callen smiled at her and lifted her gently, as he moved them to the bed. He lowered her down carefully, holding himself above her. His hand slid down her leg and, instinctively, she moved it up around his hips.
X
They were on the dance floor and he pulled her to him, sliding his hand down her leg and lifting it up, he held her against him. He looked in her eyes and smiled.
"You said you liked fast," he said.
"Fast or slow, as long as it's with the right guy," her voice slightly breathless, as they continued to move to the fast music. As she spun back into his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck and the music changed to a slow one. They swayed on the spot for a while. She needed a rest, but wasn't willing to leave the dance floor, or his arms or admit either to him.
He didn't ask if he was the right guy. She didn't know what she would've said if he had. This was all because of a challenge, not because he'd asked her out and not because of work. Just a challenge that she had won.
X
"Didn't know you could dance so good," Tash whispered, after the memory faded.
"Which time?" Callen asked, as he kissed his way down one side of her neck.
"There was more than one?" Tash closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations he created on her skin, as his lips moved. Callen nodded against her neck. "Shooting Challenge," she said, breathless, as he moved away from her neck to remove the last of their clothes.
"Wouldn't have offered if I couldn't make it worth your while," Callen replied. She let her gaze run over his body as he moved back onto the bed.
"Was that before or after we got together?" Tash thought it must have been before, but she wasn't sure.
"Before." Callen ran his hands up her now bare legs. Encountering the scar on her thigh, he stopped and kissed it.
"Didn't get to kiss this one better at the time," Callen added, his warm breath whispering across her skin.
X
They were running after their target when suddenly he stopped, turning towards them. He threw something and then, turning away, he ran again. They kept running. She saw whatever it was and tried to dodge, but she was too late. She felt the pain in her leg and she went down as she tried not to scream. She knew if she did, Callen would turn and they needed to get this guy. She glanced down and saw the knife in her thigh and looked away quickly before the blood registered. He was going to be so mad at her. She looked to see Callen take down the target, handcuff him and then look around for her. His eyes widened when he saw her on the ground.
"Tash?" he asked. She could hear him in the ear piece.
"I'm okay," she tried to reassure him, though even she could hear the pain in her voice.
"What happened?"
"He threw a knife. I wasn't quick enough," she replied. She saw him get up and start to run, leaving the target. She was about to tell him to stop when she saw Renko come round the corner, right there.
"Damn, Tash. We should really teach you how to dodge," Callen remarked when he got to her. She closed her eyes and tried not to look. She could feel the faintness coming.
"Eric, need an ambulance," Callen continued, as he put his hands on her leg and put as much pressure as he could on it around the knife.
"You'll be okay Tash," Callen reassured her.
She shook her head and tried to focus on her breathing. "Can't do blood, my blood," she admitted.
"Since when?" Callen asked. She could hear the frown in his voice. Odd that she knew his voice so well. They hadn't been working together that long.
"Always. Other people, I'm fine. In the middle of a fight, I'm fine. Once everything settles, not good." Her breathing remained heavy, though she was pleased she hadn't fainted yet.
"Keep your eyes closed. You'll be fine," Callen said.
"I know. Hetty won't be pleased though."
"Why not?" Callen asked.
"I've only been here a month and already I'm injured," she replied.
Callen smiled, it came through in his voice.
"You've got a stack of paperwork you haven't done yet. Don't think you're getting time off so easy," he reminded her.
She groaned as she remembered the paperwork mounting on her desk."How did I end up with so much in so little time?"
"We've been keeping you busy," Callen said, as they heard the ambulance sirens.
X
Tash moved so she was above him. She looked down at his face and tried to focus. It was so hard at the moment. Between the memories that she wanted back and what he was doing to her and making her feel, she was being pulled in two different directions. She wanted both desperately, but in different ways. Her breathing was heavy and laboured.
Callen looked up at her. She fitted perfectly against him like this and, as much as he wanted to move against her, he kept it to just running his fingers gently over her back. He smiled at the expression it created on her face, the way her mouth opened slightly, her eyes darkening just that little bit more.
"Just say stop, anytime," he told her. Tash buried her head in his neck as she tried to gain some focus, some sort of control.
"You want me to stop?" she asked him as she kissed his neck, trying to focus on him.
"No. I want you." His words sparked another memory that pulled her mind away.
X
"Are you always so cryptic?" she asked him.
"Only with you," Callen replied.
"Come on G. What is it you really want? Straight out," she demanded as she looked at him, her hands on her hips showing her frustration.
"You," Callen said, looking right at her.
"Me?" she asked. He must be joking.
"I want you," he repeated.
Her breath caught as he repeated the words. They hadn't spoken about things since the mistletoe kiss a few nights ago and she had thought that he must have been regretting it.
She shook her head. "You don't date cops."
"So, I'm breaking the rules," Callen answered as he stepped closer to her. She shook her head harder, fighting the tears that suddenly came to her eyes at his words.
"And what happens when you decide they weren't worth breaking? It's not going to be you that suffers." She stepped away from him. She needed to go, to get away, before she made a fool of herself even more. But he was quicker and pulled her into his arms.
"No more rules then," Callen whispered, looking into her eyes. "Tash, I love you."
She looked into his, hoping that she would see he meant it. He smiled and repeated it before he kissed her. When he finally pulled away and she caught her breath, she said, "New rule... Don't ever stop. I love you too."
X
"I didn't break the rule you know. Just forgot," Tash whispered, her head still against his neck. She could feel another memory coming and tried to fight it so she could tell him.
"Neither did I," Callen responded. "I love you Tash. Always have." She tried to say the words, but the next memory swept over her before she could.
X
Callen lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around him and buried her head in his neck.
"Where are they?" she asked.
"Out the back, two of them. The other team is in place. We just need the distraction," Eric told them through the ear piece.
"Think we can manage that," Callen replied, as he carried her to the back exit. As he got to the door, he whispered, "Show time." She looked up at him and kissed him as he pushed the door open. He stepped out with her and closed the door. He leaned back against it as they continued the kiss. She pulled back ever so slightly and watched him. She felt him tense and saw the sign she was waiting for. She swung her leg around fast and it connected with someone's face. She heard the groan and Callen quickly placed her on her feet and she reached for her gun which was under his jacket. As she turned, she felt her legs go out from under her. Apparently she hadn't kicked hard enough. Then she heard a crack and saw the assailant go down, out cold. Callen reached down to her and pull her up. As she stood, she felt unbalanced and almost fell against him. As he held her up, she looked down and groaned.
"Tash?" Callen asked, concerned.
"Hetty's going to kill me." She looked back at him and admitted, "Heel's broken."
Callen looked at her, relief in his eyes.
"So you're not hurt?" he asked.
"Not really. Probably some scrape or other, but as long as it's not bleeding, I'm fine," she replied.
"Good, so don't look down again," Callen ordered, as they started to walk away from the suspect who was now being taken care of by the other team. She stopped after a few steps.
"I can't walk like this. I don't know why Hetty thought it necessary for me to wear five inch heels," she complained, planning on taking them off. Before she could, Callen lifted her up in his arms.
"Close your eyes Tash. Just in case," Callen said. She did.
X
"I take it Hetty didn't kill me over the shoes," Tash whispered, before she rolled onto her back. She didn't have the strength to hold herself up anymore. Callen followed, looked down at her and smiled.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? You are, and have always been Hetty's favourite, since that first day," Callen told her as he gently stroked her face.
"Why?" Tash asked.
"Because she realised you needed us, even more than we needed you," Callen replied.
Tash looked at him, watched as he came closer to kiss her again.
Callen paused, recognising the change in her look as she continued to remember, and he waited. Waited for her to come back to the now, to him, before he continued.
X
"Natasha my dear, what happened?" Hetty asked as she arrived at her desk. It was her first day and she had come in early, not wanting to be at home.
"Door," she replied shortly. She had a bruise on her cheek that no amount of ice last night or make up this morning could hide properly.
"Come with me," Hetty ordered gently. As she stood up, he walked around the corner.
"Mr Callen. Good morning. This is your new partner, Natasha Farrow. We'll be back with you shortly." Hetty continued to lead her away. But not before she saw the look on his face. A look that almost made her groan. She knew what it meant. He wouldn't believe the door story. She'd been right.
He'd taken her home that night, on the pretense that it had been a big day and she shouldn't be driving. Well, he was probably right, since she'd fallen asleep at her desk as well as in the car on the way home. But she knew better. He knew what had happened to cause the bruise. Not a door, but a fist. He wanted to make sure she was safe.
As they walked to her door, she saw a figure standing near it and tensed. It was him. The newly ex boyfriend, the one responsible for the bruise.
"Is that him?" Callen asked her.
"Yes," she said quietly. Callen left her side a few steps from the ex and she stopped, not sure what was going happen. She certainly didn't expect what she saw. Before the ex could react, Callen had him up against the wall, hand at his throat.
"Touch her again, come near her again, you'll find yourself six feet under. Do you understand?" Callen's voice so protective, so angry. The ex just nodded and, as soon as Callen let him go, he ran. She never saw him again.
X
"Protective weren't you?" Tash opened her eyes and looked up into his blue ones that were looking down at her.
"Of course I was," Callen admitted. He knew what she was meaning, what she would have remembered from that first day. He wouldn't let anyone her hurt, not when he could stop it. Not then, not now, not ever.
"Why? You'd only just met me." Tash closed her eyes as he moved his body against hers; as his touch continued to take her breath away. She wouldn't have it any other way. This was so right, so familiar, so perfect.
"He hurt you. You were mine to protect." Callen stopped moving, stopped touching her and waited for her to open her eyes and look at him. When she did, he whispered, "You are mine. Always."
Tash felt something in her mind shift. She realised the story book was starting to take shape. She had enough now, enough to know who she was, what they were. Enough to start living again. It wasn't just the consciously remembered memories, the little ones that had slipped back into her mind, unnoticed, had helped too. But the biggest thing, the reason she was back. Her heart. Callen had seen it, at the cemetery that day. The heart remembers, even if the mind doesn't. She felt it that first day, when he'd first touched her hand at the beach. The safe feeling she'd had with him and the team. The familiarity of his kiss. Needing him. That wave of dizzying emotion from earlier today. She just hadn't been looking in the right place for the memories of them. Now she was. Now, she had found them.
Tash smiled at him and Callen saw the change too, saw that she was back.
"Welcome back," Callen whispered to her.
"Good to home," Tash said softly. She reached up and stroked his cheek, feeling the tears form in her eyes. But this time, they were happy ones. "I love you," she whispered to him. A stray tear slipped from one of her eyes and Callen reached down to kiss it away. Tash smiled up at him and slipped her hand behind his neck, her fingers gently running through his short hair. She pulled him to her and kissed him.
Tash knew exactly who she was and where she should be right now. She let go of everything else, everything but him, his touch, what he was making her feel and what she felt for him.
Callen knew she was his again. Everything was as it should be. She was his and he was hers. The way it was meant to be.
~~~~The End~~~~~~~~
A/N 2 - So, thanks for reading and sticking with such a long story (my longest one yet!). Would really love to know what your thoughts are.