A/N – Once again, sincere apologises for the delay in this chapter. Those of you who have been with me on this FanFiction journey and read more than one of my stories will know that this is rare. I do know now that with the changes in the last year in my life that any new stories I write will definitely be finished before I start uploading them as I can't be sure of just when I'll get time and motivation to write. Moving On will be an exception and I will continue to post in that as the chapters, episode studying and bunnies co-operate.

I know I haven't responded to the last lot of reviews and I am hoping to get to that in the next few days. I'm a little behind in the admin as well as story writing.

I do hope you enjoy this feel good chapter.

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

Chapter 11

Sunday 23rd January 3.30pm approximately.

Callen walked through the door of the apartment and held it open for Tabby, Alyssa and Hetty. He was still slightly stunned, and a touch in awe, at the sight of Hetty on a snowboard. Or perhaps more to the point, Hetty on a snowboard in the terrain park.

"Well, Hetty," he said with a slight shake of his head, "I must say I never expected to see you like I did today."

Hetty turned and looked at him, a smile twitched on her lips. "I will take that as a compliment that I surprised you with something unexpected."

Callen smiled. "Oh you do that a lot. I really shouldn't be surprised about anything with you should I?"

Hetty shook her head in agreement.

"I'm going to ride in the terrain park one day too."

Callen knelt down to help Tabby out of her ski jacket. "I'm sure you will."

"I really want to show you what I can do," Tabby added, tugging her feet out of the waterproof pants. "I wish Jackie was here," she sighed.

Ally took the ski clothes and hung them up in the drying cupboard.

"I'll tell you what Tabby," Callen said, helping the little girl up off the floor. "When this mysterious Jackie gets back, I'll come up with you and you can show me then."

Tabby's face lit. "Deal," she said before running off to her room to get changed.

Hetty looked at Callen, a slight look of concern mixed with surprise on her face. Callen smiled. He seemed to be doing a lot of that today.

"It's a promise I intend on keeping Hetty," he assured her. "You know I don't make ones I can't keep."

Hetty nodded slowly. "Yes … in life. Work is another matter."

Callen stepped closer to Hetty and lowered his voice. "Hetty, this is life. A life I'm am grabbing it with both hands. I promise you this is not an act or a role. This is me."

"I do hope so."

"I'm still on probation aren't I?" Callen queried.

Hetty nodded. "There is one more thing you need to show me first."

"I know. I just don't know how." Proving to Hetty that he was ready to move on from Faith was difficult. He didn't know what to do or say that would help. How could you prove to someone that your heart was ready to love again?

"Tell me something Callen," Hetty asked, "does Alyssa know about Faith?"

Callen shook his head. "No she doesn't," he admitted. "But Faith's family know about her."

Hetty's approval of this step in the process showed in her look. "A good start," she told him. "Keep going."

Hetty then turned away and left Callen standing by the closet still wondering how do do this last task. Maybe he needed a little Martha advice on this. He'd call her when he got back to LA and have a chat. Or maybe, he'd even go see her.

Callen removed his outer ski clothes and headed off to get changed almost bumping into Ally as she came out of the bedroom in her swimmers. He raised his eyebrows a little in curiousity.

"Hot tub," Ally said. "On the balcony. Why don't you come join me?" she offered.

Callen nodded. "Sure."

On his way out of his room after getting changed he saw Hetty and Tabby standing by the door ready to go out.

"What's up Hetty? You deserting us?"

Tabby shook her head eagerly, "No. We're going for hot chocolate and ice skating."

"Didn't want me to come?" Callen asked. He wouldn't mind seeing Hetty ice skating, though given his experiences today, he was sure that she would be a master at that too.

Hetty smiled knowingly. "We figured you had a better offer." She glanced toward the balcony. "And there is always tomorrow. See you when we return."

Tabby and Hetty walked out the door and just before it closed Hetty called back, "Behave Mr Callen. I'll be watching."

"I'm sure you will," Callen said softly to himself with a little smile. He didn't know how long he'd have before the two of them got back but he was most definitely going to make the most of this time alone with Ally – The first time he'd really been alone with her.

He stepped out onto the balcony and quickly closed the door behind him to keep the heat inside. Dropping his towel on the shelf next to Ally's he quickly climbed the steps and sank down into the hot water. He groaned in pleasure as the heat settled into the muscles that had started to make their displeasure at today's unexpected usage known.

Ally smiled at him. "Good isn't it?" she said. "I don't know what I'd do if we stayed somewhere without one of these after a day on the slopes."

Callen settled himself into the molded seat and let the bubbles and heat tend to his weary muscles. Skiing just wasn't like running after the bad guys.

"I think I could do with one of these at home. After a bad day at work it would be very welcome."

Ally's smile dropped a little. He moved over and slid his arm around her shoulders.

"You know what I do right?" he asked.

Ally nodded. "I know what Paige did and I know what Hetty does – at least enough to know that I don't know what Hetty does. If that makes sense."

Callen tilted her head to his so he could look in her eyes. "It's dangerous, but … I'm good at what I do, Ally. Hetty seems to think I'm one of the best. I'd like to think she's right but I know that there are people out there better than me." He studied her eyes, trying to read her. "Are you okay with that?"

Ally nodded. "I'm okay. I just have to get used to having someone else in my life in that line of work. Assuming you plan on staying in my life that is," she subtly asked.

Callen smiled, dropped a gentle yet lingering kiss on her lips. "Until you tell me to go," he said when he pulled back.

"I won't," she said softly.

"You sure about that?" he asked. Even he could hear the hopefulness in his voice.

Ally smiled, a sweet gentle smile that was so full of promise he felt like he could float away, it lifted him that much. "I'm sure. I wouldn't be here with you if I wasn't sure. I would never put Tabby in that position to grow attached to someone I wasn't planning on staying with."

Callen brushed his fingers over her cheek. "I am very glad to hear that."

He settled back in the water, keeping her close as they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then Ally moved on to his lap and his arms automatically slid around her to keep her safe. She looked him right in the eyes.

"G," she bit her lip briefly before continuing. "What would you think if Tabby and I moved to LA?"

Callen sat up a little straighter. "You want to move to LA? Really?"

Ally giggled a little. "I take it you like the idea."

"What gives you that impression?" he asked.

Her fingers brushed his eyes and then his lips. "If your eyes were any more excited and brighter I'd say you were like a kid on their first Christmas morning finding their most wanted present right there under the tree."

Callen couldn't help but think of his Christmas Carol dream. How close she was. "You have no idea how close you are."

Ally tilted her head and studied him. "Your dream?"

Callen nodded.

"And you're not going to tell me any more are you?"

Callen shook his head. "I want this relationship to go where it goes because of where we take it, not because of where we think it should go because of a dream."

Ally touched her forehead to his. "But I like where it sounded like that dream was going," she said softly, her breath brushing over his lips. Then she moved her head a little and brushed her lips over his just where her breath had been.

Callen pulled her close, captured her lips and kissed her as he'd been wanting to all day. They were alone, just the two of them and now he didn't have to worry about Tabby or Hetty walking in.

Callen pulled back as an alarm when off. He frowned. He wouldn't put it past Hetty to have had some kind of radar installed. Ally laughed gently at the look on his face and the frown disappeared quickly. He loved hearing her so happy, especially after the last few days.

"What?" he asked. "I'm not happy about being interupted. Are you?"

Ally shook her head. "No, but it's time for us to get out. Any longer won't be good for us."

Callen gently moved her off his lap. "You go. I'll put the cover on and see you inside."

Ally started to get out of the hot tub but she turned her head first. "G, I…"

She seemed a little nervous and Callen read her easily. "It's okay Ally. I won't risk Tabby either."

She smiled. "You really are one of kind G Callen. I don't know how I got so lucky." Then she quickly got out of the hot tub, grabbed her towel and went inside.

Callen wouldn't be rushing quite that much. He was sure a dose of cold would do his control good. He told her the truth. He wouldn't risk Tabby and he remembered what she had told him at Christmas about her family trying to take Tabby and making mountains out of molehills over guys. Even though he doubted they would try anything again, considering everything that had happened, he still wasn't taking any chances. He'd seen first hand how devastating it was for Ally not to have Tabby and the other way around and he wasn't going to be the one to put them through that. He would, however, fight with everything he had, and more, should they try again, to ensure that Ally and Tabby stayed together.

And if that meant spending a little time out in the cold to cool his response to that kiss, then so be it. That being said, standing outside in wet swimmers in below freezing weather didn't last all that long before he headed inside for a quick shower.

By the time Callen was done, Ally had had a shower herself and popped a tray of cookies in the oven and the kettle was boiling.

"What about some hot chocolate?" she asked.

Callen smiled. "Here or at the ice skating?" he asked.

"Here." Ally turned to him. "Tabby and Hetty have a little tradition of hot chocolate and ice skating on the first night. Just a little time for the two of them to spend together. I usually just curl up with a book until they come back, usually a couple of hours later in time for dinner."

"So we have a couple of hours," he said, slipping his arms around her waist from behind. She leant back into him. "You sound like you have a plan," she said. He could hear her smiling.

Callen gently turned her around. "Kind of."

"Uh oh," she said with a tilt to her head. "That sounds serious."

Callen nodded. "In a good way. There's something I need to tell you – actually someone I need to tell you about."

Ally nodded. "I'll just make the hot chocolate and grab the cookies out of the oven." She reached up and brushed her fingers over his cheek and then rested her hand on his shoulder. She smiled. "It's okay G, whatever it is, it will be okay."

Callen nodded. "I know. It's just going to be hard. I haven't really talked about her for a long time." Aside from with Sam recently that is.

She rose up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss just as the timer for the oven went off. "I have it on good authority that I'm a very attentive listener."

"Really?" Callen smiled. "Who would that be?"

Ally grinned as she moved out of his arms to the oven. She picked up the oven mitts and then turned briefly to him. "Tabby." She turned back to the oven.

Callen waited until she had safely deposited the cookie tray on the heat pads before saying teasingly, "And you took her word for it?"

"Absolutely," Ally replied. "Sometimes it just not worth arguing with her."

"I'll bet. But Poker is one of them."

"Oh yep. That's one of them."

Ally popped half a dozen biscuits on a plate and the rest on a wire rack to cook and passed them to him.

"I'll be in soon with the drinks."

Callen took the plate to the lounge room and settled on the couch. He tried to figure out where to beginning.

Ally put the drinks down on the table and settled down next to him. His arm slipped easily around her shoulder and pulled her into his side.

"The beginning is always a good place," she said softly.

He looked down into her blue eyes. Eyes that looked remarkable similar to those of his dream – not in the colour or whose they were but in the love that was shining out of them. Was it possible she already loved him? Could he be that lucky to find this new love of his life so easily? He hoped so.

"The beginning huh?" Callen nodded slowly and started, "Her name was Faith. Faith Louise Everett."

Callen didn't know how long it was before he stopped talking. Ally was right – she was a very attentive listener. Once he started, he just kept going. The cookies were gone, the hot chocolate gone and he wouldn't be surprised if somewhere along the line Hetty and Tabby had slipped in quietly and he'd missed it.

"She sounds wonderful," Ally said quietly when he finally stopped. "I can see why you loved her and I can see why it hurt so much to lose her."

Callen smiled a small smile. "I lost them too though. I shouldn't have let them go," he said.

Ally moved and hugged him. "Sometimes it's hard to see the people that loved those we loved. It reminds us too much of them and if they were people who were in our lives often, I can only imagine how much harder that would be. I had trouble with people who were in Paige's life and I wasn't even a part of that. She did keep me separate from that side but seeing Tobias, Derek and Georgia. That was hard. Especially Derek and Georgia – they were there right at the end and seeing them just brought it all back."

"But you didn't run from them like I did," Callen said.

"Not in the same way," Ally admitted. "But I did. I found ways to be too busy to see them or I couldn't stay long or something. Anything to limit my exposure to them, to the grief and pain that came with seeing them. But in the end they wouldn't let me go and I am very grateful for that. If Derek and Georgia hadn't done what they had to give me time to grieve Paige, I don't know what would have happened with Tabby and I. Maybe I would have lost her."

Callen tightened his arms around her. "I won't let anyone take her away from you."

Ally smiled and corrected him. "From us."

"From us," he agreed. He kissed her softly. "Thank you for listening. For understanding. For agreeing to meet them?" he tentatively added.

"I'd love to," she said.

"Maybe once you move to LA, we can go down there for a weekend – the three of us."

"That sounds wonderful," Ally agreed.

Callen looked at her carefully. "So does that mean you're moving to LA?" he asked.

Ally nodded. "Hetty's been wanting us to for a while but family were here. Now that's all changed and if Conrad takes this job in Chicago there'll be no one here for us. Plus, even if he stays, there's more in LA for Tabby and I than here."

Callen's heart swelled. It had been so long since he'd felt that. He knew he loved Ally, loved Tabby. He just wasn't quite sure when he'd tell them, or how. Just saying the words here and now didn't quite seem special.

Come on G. You know you want to. You know she feels the same. Don't make me push you.

Callen heard her voice. Heard Faith in whisper in his ear. In his mind he whispered back, "I could never make you do anything. You always had a mind of your own."

"So tell her… Now."

Callen slid his had behind Ally's neck and tilted her head up a little so he could look in her eyes to see her reaction when he did. He took a slow breath and opened his mouth.

"Ally I -"

The door burst open and he stopped and looked up.

"I'm sorry, are we interupting something?" Hetty asked with a little raise of her eyebrows.

Callen released Ally and they both stood up. "No Hetty. We were just talking. How was the skating?" he asked as Ally moved over to them and helped Tabby get out of her things.

"Great," Tabby said almost bouncing up and down.

"Still please," Ally said in mock sterness.

"Sorry," Tabby said. "It's just Hetty scored a goal."

"What?" Callen said moving over to join the group. "A goal? I thought you were skating?"

"Yep. We joined an ice hockey game."

Callen shook his head. "Maybe we should have gone with them. I would have loved to see that."

"All in good time Mr Callen. There's always tomorrow."

Always tomorrow. Yes, there would always be a tomorrow with this new little family of his. He'd make sure of that.