Chapter 16

So, this seemed like the natural place to end this story. I hope you enjoy it. As always, thanks to my readers and special thanks to those who leave comments.

"Did you see that, Sam?"

"I did," he nodded. "Kensi and Deeks have a plan."

"And whatever it is, we need to give them a signal they can see ten seconds before we move."

"Ten seconds. It's not much." Sam looked across the open space at the last step Anna and Randy would take down to the beach. He faced Callen.

"It'll be close," Callen agreed. "I'll get Anna out of the way."

"And I'll take care of Randy."

They looked around. Neither wanted to leave their knife, and the belts were so narrow Kensi and Deeks might not see them in the darkness. Rocks would blend into the boulder. But they needed something and soon because they heard Anna and Randy getting closer to the end of the path. From their position Callen and Sam could see the last thirty-five feet of the path and make out the figures of the two walkers. They estimated Anna and Randy were covering approximately one foot per second which meant that in twenty seconds they would have to send a signal to Kensi and Deeks and ten seconds later make their move.

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Up on the path, Kensi and Deeks kept moving slowly down while keeping an eye on the beach below. From their position, they could hear Anna and Randy even though they couldn't see the actual end of the path, but they knew they must be near the end and time was running out. Kensi handed the monocular to Deeks. Both were getting anxious. And then Deeks smiled.

"Anna is going to be glad to see Callen," he whispered as he handed the monocular back to Kensi. Kensi didn't understand, but Deeks said, "Show time, ladybird." And they moved into position.

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On the beach, Sam looked at the boxers on the top of the boulder and then at his naked partner.

"Seriously, G. That's the signal?"

Callen ignored him. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?" He paused, "Maybe you should move your belt a little lower."

Both crouched at opposite edges of the boulder and watched as Anna and Randy came to the end of the path. Randy still had his left hand on Anna's shoulder and held his gun in his right, the hand on the beach side. Anna was only a few steps from the final step and Callen knew he would have to go when suddenly the silence was split by a loud voice behind Anna and Randy on the path.

"Stephanie! Stephanie!" Deeks' voice pierced the night as he zigzagged rapidly across the path past Kensi.

"Here, Randy! Here, Randy!" Kensi yelled and ran.

At the first word from Deeks, Callen and Sam were running for the path.

"Stephanie! Stephanie!"

"Here, Randy! Here, Randy!"

With each word, Kensi and Deeks moved down the path opposite one another creating two targets.

Randy turned. He saw a figure on the path behind him and fired. The figure disappeared. Anna pulled free, but in doing so, lost her footing. Randy turned back to Anna and aimed, but Callen swept in behind Anna. He caught her as she fell and pulled her down and to the side. Before Randy could fire, the blur that was Sam knocked him off his feet as the gun flew out of his hand and landed harmlessly some distance away on the sand.

Kensi and Deeks arrived a few seconds later to find Randy on his stomach and Sam straddling him waiting for one of them to give him some handcuffs or a tie to restrain him. Sam was calm, but Randy was hysterical.

"You have to release me! Stephanie, Stephanie! We need peace! I have to give her peace!"

Gradually, Randy stopped screaming and began to sob. As Kensi handed Sam a tie for Randy's wrists, Sam turned to Deeks, "His gun fell on the beach, Deeks."

Deeks stood at the end of the path, his attention focused on Callen and Anna lying in the sand. Sam hauled Randy to his feet and handed him to Kensi to hold, "Nice plan, Kensi."

"Thanks, but Deeks helped a little," she said deadpan.

They both looked at her partner, still focused on what was happening on the beach. Sam just shook his head and jumped off the path. He picked up the gun lying in the sand about ten feet away and then walked to the boulder and grabbed Callen's boxers. He walked back to the path and looked up at Deeks. "Really, Deeks?"

Deeks shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a happy ending." With that, he turned and humming the tune of "Unchained Melody" joined Kensi and led Randy back up to the path to the Audi.

"Or maybe just a sucker," Sam said under his breath and then called after them. "Nice job. Oh, and have Eric call the sheriff."

"You heard that, Eric?" Eric asked as he and Kensi each raised a hand in acknowledgement to Sam as they trudged up the path with Randy, now subdued and visibly broken, between them. He was only a threat to himself.

"On it," Eric replied.

Sam waited for a moment, but Callen and Anna were still locked in a very physical embrace. He dropped Callen's boxers next to them and then he started toward the ocean.

Out of the corner of his eye Callen saw his partner leaving. He gently rolled Anna off him and grabbed his boxers. As he slid into them, he called out, "Sam! Wait! Where're you going?" He helped Anna to her feet and then jogged after his partner as he was just entering the surf.

Sam looked at Callen and then out at the ocean. "It seems like a nice night for a swim."

"Sam," Callen began, but Sam shook his head.

"I made a promise."

"I was going to ask if you could pick up my clothes," Callen said with his trademark smirk and then put out his hand.

Sam clasped it and pulled his partner close. "I'll see you two back at the boat shed."

"Thanks, Sam."

Sam smiled and gave him thumbs up, and Callen watched his partner dive into the surf and disappear under the ocean waves. He turned and headed back to Anna who waited at the end of the path.

When he reached her, she asked, "Sam?"

"He's swimming back."

"Of course he is," she said with a smile.

Callen stepped onto the path and helped her up. "You hungry?"

"I'm starving," she said with uncharacteristic exaggeration as they headed to the Mustang. "Do you know how many hours it's been since I've eaten? Did you or Sam bring any food from the shower? And I'm really thirsty. I never got my smoothie. Does Sam have water in his car?" He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled as he listened without interrupting, grateful to hear her voice.

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A month and five days later, they waited at the hospital. Anna had gone into labor at 1:33 am and Callen had called Sam once he and Anna had arrived at the hospital. Sam had come immediately, as had Arkady, but the rest of the team hadn't arrived until several hours later. Right now they were scattered around the waiting room, empty coffee cups and vending machine wrappers scattered over the tables. It was almost nine hours later when the nurse approached Callen with the news that he was now the father of a baby girl. Arkady and his colleagues swarmed him and hugged him while the nurse waited. After the spontaneous celebration, she gently took Callen by the arm and led him away to see his new daughter and her mother. Arkady started to follow, but Sam put a hand on his arm and stopped him. Arkady looked hurt.

"I think I should be there. I am the baby's grandpapa," he whined.

"And Callen is the baby's father," Sam said with quiet authority and Arkady relented.

"So, that's it?" Deeks asked and then laughed when Kensi and Nell both gave him a look. "Just kidding. I'm not leaving until I see this little g because frankly, I won't believe it until I see it."

"A little girl," Kensi said and turned to Sam. "Do you think Callen has any idea what his life is going to be like now?"

Sam laughed, "I guarantee you, he hasn't a clue."

The blinds in the room were slightly open and the morning sun streamed through in sharp, parallel lines of light. Anna, sitting in a slightly raised position, held the small bundle and smiled when Callen entered. He thought she looked incredibly tired and incredibly beautiful. He came to her side and gazed down at the woman who had given him something he never thought he would ever have—a family of his own. He took a deep breath to control his emotions. She held their daughter up for him to hold. He took the small bundle in his hands and gazed down at the tiny face surrounded by the soft folds of the blanket. His daughter's face was fresh and pink, her eyes closed tight, and her movements a series of fits and starts. She was the most precious thing he had ever seen, he had ever held, and he knew in that moment that he would do anything for her. His vision blurred and he handed their child back to Anna. He leaned forward and kissed both of them gently on the forehead and asked, "Can the others come in?"

"Of course."

Before he left, he turned back, "Should we tell them her name?"

"I think so, but if you don't want to, we can tell them another time."

Everyone was anxiously watching for Callen to return, and when he did, they fell silent and waited. He had never been good with crowds, even his friends, and he hated being the center of attention. He hesitated. Sam's expression told him he needed to say something.

"If any of you want to come see . . . . " was as much as he got out before Arkady and the others, except Sam, passed him and headed to Anna's room. "Okay, then."

Sam patted him on the shoulder as they followed the others to Anna's room.

In the room, Arkady had taken up a position as close to Anna as possible without actually getting into the bed with her and the baby while the others stood around the bed, taking turns holding the newest member of the NCIS family and asking Anna how she felt.

After a few minutes, Hetty asked, "So, Mr. Callen, Ms. Kolcheck, have you chosen a name for your daughter?"

Anna looked at Callen and Callen looked at Hetty, "We have." Everyone turned their attention to Callen, and he turned his attention to Sam who was holding his daughter. "Her name is Michelle Amy."

The room fell silent. "I think that's a beautiful name," Hetty said quietly and then turned to Callen, "I will expect you back at work tomorrow morning, Mr. Callen." She turned to Anna, "Take care, Anna, and get some rest." She then addressed the others in the room-except Arkady, "I think everyone has paperwork that needs to be completed before the end of the day." So saying she left, and soon all his teammates gave Callen one last hug, said their goodbyes to Anna and Michelle Amy, and followed Hetty back to Ops. All except Sam. When only the four adults remained, Anna turned to Arkady, "Arkady, would you wait outside?"

"I am the grandpapa," he began and then saw Anna's expression and quickly exited. Callen and Sam and Anna remained.

"I don't know what to say, G."

"Don't say anything."

He couldn't hold back the tear as it slid down his face. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to me, how much this would mean to Michelle."

"We wanted you to know how much we loved Michelle and how much we love you."

For the two men who had gone through so much together—so much danger, so much grief, so much loss—this was a new chapter for them, for their friendship.

"It would mean everything to us," Anna said quietly, "if you would be our daughter's godfather."

"Of course, I will." He handed Michelle Amy back to Anna and gave G the strongest bear hug he'd ever given him. He had composed himself by the time he released G. "Pick you up tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Don't make me wait for you."

"Do I ever?"

"All the time," Sam said with a smile as he exited the room and took one look back at Callen and his family. "You take good care of my goddaughter."

"We promise," she said and Sam slipped out and headed back to work. He knew that the months and years ahead would be filled with frustration and worry and incredible joy for his partner because fatherhood was the one experience Callen's life had not prepared him for, but Sam would be there for him to encourage him and to share with him everything he had learned, as would Hetty and his entire team. And Sam knew that his goddaughter couldn't be in better, more loving hands.