Okay, so being in the UK, I've only just seen the episode with where Nell gets flowers (or gives them to herself depending on what you believe). Having actually seen the way the scenes played out, this is my take on it. Written especially for all the Nallen shippers out there, coz there just isn't enough about these two.

"So are you in a thing now?" Eric asked. Nell glanced at him. "Like uh, with another person, like a relationsh…" Nell cut Eric off sharply.

"Don't say the R word. I don't have to be in a…" she trailed off.

"In a R word" he finished for her.

"To get flowers."

"No, no of course not. You could, I mean you could get flowers for a lot of other reasons."

"A lot of other reasons." She echoed. "Like if I was..."

"Like if you died." He offered.

"There you go."

"Or if you have major surgery."

"There's another one."

"Have you had major surgery?" he asked.

"I have not."

"And you are clearly not dead."

"Well." She drew out the word.

"So that uh leaves the R word."

"Uh huh. I have to go talk to Hetty."

Eric had no idea how much his question had truly affected her. For the first time she was actually having to put a name to what she was doing, what she was involved in. And that was much easier said than done. The first time it had happened, they had both been drunk…

It had been late on Friday evening and after a tense shoot-out in the Navy yard, the team had finally closed a case that had been looming over their heads for a week. It was Deeks who suggested they all hit the bar and let loose. No-one had disagreed and everyone except Hetty, who "had other plans", had made their way to a homely bar downtown with old fashioned booths, a couple of pool tables and a juke-box.

Deeks had shouted the first round of beer, quickly followed by Kensi who also brought tequila shots. Nell wasn't a big drinker but everyone was finally beginning to loosen up and she figured there wasn't any harm in a bit of a wild night. She had followed Kensi in licking the salt off her own wrist, knocking back the tequila and finishing it off with the lime. The guys had cheered and followed suit. As the drinks flowed, Nell became increasingly intoxicated, as did the others. She found herself challenging Kensi and Deeks to a game of pool even though she was useless at it, which led to Callen offering to partner her. She was seeing a different side of him that night and she liked it. He was playful and funny and for the first time since she had started at NCIS, he seemed to actually be paying attention to her. She had always had the impression that he tolerated her, perhaps found her a little irritating though she had no doubt that he knew she was valuable to the team. But now, he had his arm slung casually around her shoulder as they waited for Deeks to take his shot. When it was her turn, he leaned in and whispered a strategy to her, making her giggle.

It was after 3am when they had finally gotten tossed out the bar so it could close. Nell was so drunk she was barely standing and Callen wasn't doing much better. Sam had seemed the most sober and had flagged down several cabs. He pushed Kensi and Deeks into one and sent them on their way, knowing that Deeks was sober enough to get them to Kensi's place then on to his. Then he led a stumbling Nell to another cab, bringing Callen along a moment later.

"You live in the same direction." He told Callen when his partner looked confused at why they were about to share a cab.

"Right, right." Callen laughed as he slid into the seat beside Nell. Sam had leaned in and given their two home addresses to the cab driver before patting the roof and sending them off.

What had happened in the cab was a blur to Nell even now. All she could really remember was him kissing her, her kissing him back and then the pair of them stumbling through her front door and into her bedroom. Clothes and shoes had been torn off, landing in piles across the floor. She remembered the passion and the heat of his lips all over her body, the pure ecstasy of their encounter and how she had never been made love to that intensely in her life. It was like he was reading her soul and knew just where to touch her to make her scream.

It all hit her when she awoke the next morning feeling sick to the pit of her stomach, both from the hangover and the realisation that Special Agent G Callen was asleep next to her, butt naked under her cream silk sheets. She had slid out of the bed and quickly donned a pair of jeans and sweatshirt before hurrying to the bathroom to throw up. She hadn't heard him approaching until he was at the door and when she turned to look at him she could see he was dressed only in the dark blue jeans and the boots he had thrown onto the floor by her bed.

"You okay?" He greeted her with a deep gravelly voice that betrayed his hangover. She wiped her mouth and stood up, trying not to look at the toned chest she had been kissing only hours early, instead trying to focus on his face. Though knowing she had been kissing his lips as well meant looking at pretty much any part of the Senior Agent was difficult.

"I'll survive. About last night..." She started.

"I know, it's probably best that we…"

"Don't speak of it again." She finished. He had merely nodded and awkwardly picked up his shirt from the floor before pulling it on and heading for the door.

"I'll see you Monday Nell." He gave her a small wave as he made his way out, leaving Nell alone in her bathroom. She couldn't believe it had actually happened and knew it could absolutely, never, ever, happen again.

The second time it happened, they didn't have the luxury of blaming alcohol. She had been out to dinner with friends from college at a classy restaurant, picked by her friends to show off how far they had come, and they had headed to an upmarket wine bar afterwards. Dressed to the nines in a killer strapless black dress with a tight bodice and A line skirt, and heels which heightened her an extra couple of inches, she had been surprised to see Callen sitting at the bar. She really didn't have any idea why he was there or if he was with anyone but in the end that hadn't mattered. He had spotted her immediately and as she sat with her friends, she could see him watching her with a smirk on his face. After an hour she excused herself to go to the bathroom and had caught him rising from his seat as she passed by. Just before she pushed open the door to the ladies room she felt someone grab her wrist. Spinning around she saw Callen and a smile crossed her face as he pushed her against the wall.

"You're all dressed up Nell." He told her. "You look beautiful."

"You don't look so bad yourself." She responded, taking in how sharp he looked in his blue jeans, black shirt and black jacket. She knew they were entering a dangerous zone but she hadn't been able to get him out of her head since their first encounter, and apparently neither had he. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"Any of those guys special to you?" he asked. She merely shook her head in response and watched as he ran his tongue over his lips before leaning in and kissing her deeply, his hands placed on either side of her head against the wall. She could taste the wine on his lips and tongue but knew he wasn't drunk. She had seen him drunk and this was not it.

"My car is out back." He said suggestively once he had pulled back from her.

"I'll tell my friends I'm calling it a night." She had no idea what possessed her to go along with it, other than the absolute desire to be in his arms and never have him stop kissing her like he had just kissed her.

They had driven to her place in near silence, only looks being exchanged between them, and when they made it inside, there was none of the clumsy fumbling of the first time. This time was sensual and tender. He spent an eternity kissing her and touching every inch of her body with such gentleness Nell was in heaven. Once they had made love, Nell curled up in his arms with her head resting on his chest, her fingers traced over the scars from when he had been shot.

"What are we doing Nell?" he asked.

"I don't know." She told him as she kissed his chest. "But I think you started it." She grinned, lifting her head to look at him. He smiled back and began to gently stroke her hair.

"Do you think we need to…finish it?" he asked tentatively. Nell stiffened just a little then pushed herself up to look him in the eyes.

"Do you?" she asked back.

"I don't want to."

"Me neither."

"Then it is what it is." He said as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"No definitions."

"No definitions." He agreed.

It wasn't like they were together all the time. They would go weeks without seeing each other in the biblical sense. But she noticed a change in Callen when he was around her day to day. He took to standing nearer to her in ops during briefings. When she was seated at a computer he would place one hand on the table beside her and the other on the back of her chair, leaning in closer than was necessary. He watched out for her, checked in that she was okay after a tough case, made sure she got home if she left the office late. She wondered if she was doing anything differently, if he noticed changes in her like she did in him.

Things definitely changed when he came to her door at 1am on a Saturday morning. He looked haggard, beaten up and defeated. Nell had been on vacation and wasn't aware of the case he had been working on but from the looks of him it hadn't gone well. She invited him in and offered him a beer. He didn't seem to want to talk about whatever had happened but she was fine with that. They simply curled up on the couch in each others' arms. It was like Callen just needed someone to hold, someone to comfort him, and Nell was glad he wanted that person to be her. He had stayed at her place right through the weekend. They had gone out for lunch, had take-out for dinner and spent a glorious Sunday morning in bed together.

It was the Monday morning after that when the flowers arrived at the office for her and she knew immediately who they were from. The small but colourful bunch of flowers had told her there was something more than just sex going on between them. Sam was the first to notice them and had made a comment about a secret admirer. With Callen standing right behind her Nell became nervous and moved the vase from one side of the desk to the other, subconsciously moving the flowers away from their giver. When Eric arrived a moment later and also commented on the flowers, the tone of Callen's voice became protective as he tried to divert attention away from the bouquet. But she knew that Eric wasn't going to let it go and that had led to the conversation which now had her thinking deeply about just where she and Callen were going.

Were they in a relationship and just hadn't acknowledged it? Did Callen think there was more to it than she did? Was she overthinking a kind gesture? Being in a relationship was not something she had planned, and certainly being in one with an agent she worked with was never on her agenda. All she knew was that the R word had been brought up and she knew eventually she and Callen would have to define what they were, one way or another.

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Reviews motivate me and my muse :) Zoe.