Emma stayed in the hospital for a week before the doctor finally agreed that she was ready to be released. Every night Callen slept on the couch right next to her and in the morning, he would go check in at work, grab her schoolwork for the day and breakfast for both. Every day they would sit and she would ask him a bunch of questions and he would do the same. Some nights the team would join them and they would laugh about all the silly things Deeks was telling them. Emma had never laughed so much in her life and it was a good change. The more time she spent with the team, the more she trusted them. Callen finally told Emma that Nell had found her diaries and that they were now evidence and that with all the information she wrote down, they've arrested all the parties involved in the whole 'Russian Dolls' organization. Thanks to Hetty threatening a few people, Emma-Grace didn't need to testify in any of the cases. JJ was the last one they tracked down and like the coward he was, he shot himself right before SWAT entered the room. Callen was scared that Emma would take it hard but she told him that for the first time in a long time, she could breathe. With the help of a few people, Emma was in the process of changing her name. She wanted the same last name as her dad but wasn't sure how Callen would feel about that. On her last night in the hospital, she asked him what he thought and he lit up like a Christmas tree when she told him that's what she wanted, only if it was okay with him. So, the ball was rolling on that and she finally felt like she was home. Callen might not know his name but Emma knew hers: Emma-Grace Clara Callen.

The morning Emma was released from the hospital, Callen drove her to the centre in Malibu to start her two weeks just like Hetty asked. Emma was grateful that she took Hetty's advice to go as it helped her heal in more ways than one. Callen kept his promise and came to visit her whenever he could. Ms. Feldman came with him once so she could meet her and they could talk about how Julia could help her when she left. Emma liked Julia and Julia was happy to have another 'baby' in her house that she could spoil. Emma was still in school and that was one of the first rules Julia made while they were talking about the rules of the house. Emma also discovered that Julia had a 20-year-old son named Zach but she'll meet him when he returns from training. He was Kensi's half bother but the way Kensi spoke of him, you would think they were real siblings.

As Emma was waiting for Callen to pick her up, she looked through the pictures on her phone. Emma met a few fantastic girls while at the centre and was looking forward to getting to know them better. She never thought she would make friends so quickly but they bonded fast and she liked having people to talk and laugh with. Listing to their stories brought back bad memories but as they told them the first day here, they are all survivors. And they have the rest of their lives to live how they want to and not how someone wants them to live it. Not to look back but look forward and with hard work, they can do whatever they set their minds to.

"Hi Emma, Callen's here for you." Sadie said to her with a smile.

"Sorry, I'm late. LA traffic is the worst. Something to look forward to when you get your license." Callen said as he hugged her. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Shh… not so loud." Emma said with a laugh. "I think the whole centre heard you."

"What can I say? I'm happy that I get to spend your birthday with you. The first of many more we're going to spend together."

"You didn't plan anything big, right?" Emma said as she picked up her backpack.

"Nothing big, I promise." Callen said as he waved at the ladies at reception. "Broke Deeks's heart but he'll get over it."

"Perfect! Just what I wanted." Emma said as she got into the car.

"Hetty did get you something." Callen said he got in.

"Of course, she did." Emma said as she looked at the box on the back seat. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know. But be careful… you never know with Hetty."

"That doesn't sound good but I'll be careful." Emma said as she lifted the lid. "Oh, my word!"

"How bad is it?" Callen said with a smile.

"Oh, it's bad. It's my new passport with the strange guy's last name on it." Emma said with a giggle.

"Hey, what's wrong with my last name?"

"Nothing… now it's my last name too! Best birthday present ever."

It took them two hours to get to Julia's house with all the traffic but Emma was glad they finally made it.

"You go on ahead and I'll grab your bags."

"Okay." Emma said as she got her backpack out of the trunk.

Emma made her way to the front door and saw a note.

Use the side door to the garden – Julia

"Looks like we're going through the back." Emma yelled towards the car to Callen.

As Emma opened the gate, she saw all the balloons and a banner that said: HAPPY BIRTHDAY on it. And the whole team was waiting for her with big smiles on their faces.

"What's this?" Emma asked, still in shock.

"This is your first birthday with us. So, we wanted to make it a day you will never forget." Kensi said while hugging her. "All of this is their fault." She added, pointing to Deeks and Callen.

"Of course, it's their fault but thank you for this. This means a lot." Emma said as she hugged Deeks.

"We don't do anything small in this family." Michelle said as she got her chance to hug Emma.

"We got cake, food, presents and karaoke." Kam said, bouncing on her heels.

"Before we do any of that… let me see it!" Julia said.

"See what?" Deeks asked.

"Did we miss something?" Eric asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Emma said with a smile but she started to take something out of her bag. "You mean this?" She said as she opened her passport with her new picture and name on it.

"Finally! I didn't think it would be here in time." Nell said as everyone was passing the little book around.

"Well, now we have two Callens at NCIS. Now we only need to find the old one's name and we'll be okay." Sam said as he slapped Callen on the back.

"You guys will find it." Emma said as she looked at Callen.

The rest of the evening passed way too fast for Kam's liking. Emma got everything a 16-year-old could wish for: a new laptop with all the bells and whistles, a new E-reader so she didn't have to carry all her books around, gift vouchers that she was sure will be used soon and lots of money that she can put in her account as soon as she opened one. Around 10 pm, Sam carried a sleepy Kam to the car while Michelle said her goodbyes.

"Let me know when you have time in the week and we'll go shopping and have lunch together." Michelle said as she hugged Emma.

"I will. Tell Aiden I say thank you for the card and I can't wait to meet him."

"I think it's time we head home too." Eric said looking at Nell. Feeling all the eyes on him he quickly said, "What I mean is… is that…" he started but Nell took pity on him.

"What he means is, he's my ride home. Emma, I'll see you on Monday after school. Oh, before I forget. You're ID to get into OPS, we'll finish the paperwork later and then I'll show you around." Nell said as she hugged her.

"Thank you for the gift and I'll see you Monday." Emma said while hugging her back.

"Okay, Pixie. We're heading out too. See you Monday after school." Deeks said as Kensi came to hug her.

"See you Monday afternoon, Shaggy." Emma said as she hugged him.

After everyone left, Julia told them they could clean up tomorrow morning and that it was time for bed. Callen helped Emma carry her bags to her room. Julia asked Emma how she wanted her room decorated but Emma told her that it wasn't necessary and that just having a room was more than okay. But like most people in her life, Julia still decorated her room in pink, purple, light blue and butterflies. Funny that's how Emma felt, like a butterfly finding her wings again. Callen kissed her on her cheek as he told her happy birthday one more time and then headed out but he'll see her tomorrow for lunch and a walk on the beach. Even though she lived in LA, she's never been to the beach. She was looking forward to experiencing it as most kids do. Deeks said he'd even teach her how to surf but she wasn't so sure about that. Deeks was like the big brother everyone wanted, he was funny and even when he called her Pixie, she knew he did it with love. Kensi and Nell were like her big sisters, and she can see them doing girls' day out in the future. Sam and Michelle were now her godparents and she knew that when she needed them, they would be there for her.

Emma woke up early on Sunday and decided to start cleaning from last night. It didn't take long and when she entered the house, she saw Julia walking into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ms. Julia." Emma said as she placed the plates in the sink.

"Good morning, Emma-Grace. Did you sleep well?" Julia said as she made herself a cup of coffee.

"I did, thank you." Emma said as she grabbed her tea from the counter.

"What time is Callen picking you up?"

"He said pick up around 12:30. We're just going to grab some lunch and take a walk on the beach. And then home for an early night since I'm back to school full-time tomorrow."

"That sounds good. I'm heading to the store to grab a few things for the week. Any requests?"

"I don't know. I mean Olga would always buy what she wanted me to eat so I don't know what I like." Emma said as she looked down at her hands.

"How about you leave the rest of the dishes for me to clean and you go get ready. Then we'll go to the store together before Callen gets here."

"Are you sure? I can do the dishes when I get back tonight."

"Leave them for me. You already cleaned up most of it. Go get ready and we'll head out." Julia said with a smile.

Emma gave Julia a smile when she got up to get ready. For the first time she could choose what she wanted to wear, what she wanted to eat and how she would spend her days. It felt weird but it also felt so right. Quickly opening her bag, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. She didn't have any clothes left after the explosion, so Nell and Kensi went shopping for her while she was in the hospital. They picked out clothes that she always saw the girls at school wear and always wished she could dress like them. She couldn't wait to go shopping and pick out some stuff herself but for now the clothes she had were enough. She was putting on her clothes and debating which shoes she should wear. Kensi got her some Converse high tops and ankle boots for her birthday but since they were going to the beach after lunch, she decided on her Converse. After brushing her teeth and braided her hair, she gave herself one last look in the mirror. What she saw made her smile even bigger: she looked so happy. She was a typical teenager. She could go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Yes, she still needed to tell someone where she was and what she was up to but she knew they only asked her to tell them, so they could make sure she was okay. A little blue box caught her eye as she walked past her chest of drawers. Emma discovered the little box in the box Hetty gave her with her new passport but she's yet to open it. Going to the chest, she opened it and covered her mouth with her hand. Inside the box sat a silver necklace with blue/purple butterfly on it and on the back was a date inscribed on it. She would never forget that date; that was the day they found her. The day she found her family.

"You ready to go?" Julia asked as she passed Emma's door. "Oh my, that's beautiful. Who gave you that?"

"Hetty did. Would you mind helping me put it on."

"Of course." Julia took the offered necklace and moved behind Emma. "There you go. Perfect fit."

"Ms. Julia?" Emma said as she turned.

"Emma-Grace, we talked about this. You can call me Julia."

"Sorry, I keep on forgetting."

"It's okay. What's on your mind?"

"I don't know if I've said this already but thank you for taking care of me and letting me stay here. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know."

"You're welcome, my dear. You can repay me by taking care of yourself, going to school, working and helping around the house. That's all I'm asking for, okay." Julia said as she wiped away a tear from Emma's face. "How about we head out and grab some tea on our way."

"That sounds great." Emma said as she hugged Julia.

It took them about an hour in the store because there were so many choices. Emma was a bit overwhelmed with everything but with Julia next to her keeping her calm and she made her choices. After the store, they went to the farmers market to grab some fruit and veggies for the week's dinners. Emma loved the farmers market and Julia said they could visit every weekend if she wanted. Emma couldn't wait to learn how to cook and experiment with different recipes. When they got home, Emma helped Julia unpack everything before heading to her room with the few things she had bought at the store. Julia told her she'd take her to the bank one day after school so that she could put her money in there. Emma was helping Julia pack the dishwasher, when the doorbell rang.

"That will be Callen. I'll be back later and unpack the dishwasher before bed." Emma said as she grabbed her purse and cardigan.

"Have fun." Julia said.

Emma opened the door and saw Callen standing there.

"Hi, you ready to go?"

"Almost. I just need to change my shoes." Emma said as she took off her sneakers and put on her flip-flops.

"Bye Ms. Julia." Emma yelled into the house before she closed the door.

"So, what did you do this morning?" Callen asked when they drove away.

"Julia took me to the store to grab some things for lunches and dinner. Then we went to the farmer's market. I never knew there were so many choices. I mean do you really need five types of milk? And 20 types of cereal?"

Callen just laughed. "You'll get used to it. The more you get out, the more confident you'll get. You have so much to experience. You never got to live your life the way you wanted to live it so, now it's your chance to live it the way you've always wanted to."

"I know. They said it's going to take time. Like this morning, I got to pick out my own clothes. Something I was never allowed to do. I got to choose what I want to eat and drink without someone telling me no or you can't have it." Emma said playing with her fingers.

"I know and we're going to take it day by day. We're here for you if you get overwhelmed, just tell us if we need to take it slower or if we need to back off."

"I think that I can handle it."

"Okay, enough heavy talk. What do you want to do first? Grab lunch or go for a walk on the beach?" Callen asked with a smile.

"Grab lunch, then go for a walk."

"And then ice cream before we head home." Callen added.

"That sounds awesome."

The closer they got to the beach, Callen could see Emma getting more excited. She was like a kid in a candy store. He had to remind himself that she never got to experience the same things normal kids got to experience. Yes, she went to school and interacted with other students but only in a school setting and always with someone looking over her shoulder. He didn't want to be like Olga or Daniil, telling her what to do or not to do. She needs to feel they trust her and that she'll let them know when something bothers her.

Soon they found a food truck that they both agreed looked good but it took them a while to decide what to order. Callen suggested they order a few things and then she could try some and see what she liked. After they ate, they made their way toward the beach. Emma took off her flip-flops and smiled when she felt the sand under her feet. They walked and talked about school and what Emma wanted to see and do now that she could freely go wherever she wanted. Now and again, they stopped to see people surfing or little kids playing in the water. Emma loved the beach and she couldn't wait to come back. She could see herself coming here after school or on weekends just to sit and read a book or look at everything. Like Callen promised they got some ice cream before Callen dropped her off at Julia's.

"So, you're not going to see me tomorrow after school. I've got an undercover assignment but I'll text you when I can to check how your day was. And we can go for dinner or something as soon as I'm done." Callen said as he walked her to the door.

"That's okay. It's your job and I need to get used to you doing undercover work." Emma said with a smile. "Thank you for today. I like spending time with you and good luck with the assignment." Emma said as she hugged him good night.

"I'll try my best to stay safe. Have a good night and tomorrow at school, be safe and remember Daniil isn't here anymore. You don't have to look over your shoulder anymore." Callen said as he hugged her back.

"Right, no Daniil. No more bodyguard." Emma said to herself.

"No more bodyguard. Get some sleep and I'll text you tomorrow when I can."

"Night, Callen."

"Night Emma-Grace."

When Emma got inside, she went to unpack the dishwasher as she had promised. After she was done with that, she made herself a cup of tea and headed to bed. When dressed in her PJs, she ensured that she had everything for school tomorrow. She assured her alarm was set and then she went to bed. Laying there Emma realized that tomorrow was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. She's going to school without someone always following her. She can talk to anyone she wants without being punished. On the one hand, she was scared and on the other hand, she was excited to start this new chapter.