The explosion occurred on a Wednesday, 6 months into their relationship. The case had been long, requiring both Callen and Sam to go undercover to infiltrate a group of terrorists. Things were coming to a head, and it was nearly show time. Callen had convinced the leader of the extremist group that he was interested in buying a cache of weapons, and a meet had been set for that day. All systems were go, until Eric and Nell accessed the security cameras in the abandoned building where the meet was to take place. Nell suddenly felt a chill in her bones when she realized what was going on. There was no audio feed, but there was no mistaking what they were seeing- the radicals were looking at a computer image of Callen's NCIS credentials.

"Oh my God, Eric-Callen's been made. What are they saying?"

"I don't know- I can't read their lips. Callen, do you copy?" Eric shouted into his comm-link. "Callen? Nell, keep trying to contact Callen, I'll get Sam and the others on it!"

Nell watched as the outside cameras picked up Callen when he rolled up in his alias' car. She tried his cell, to no avail. She continued to try to reach him over his comm. "Callen! It's a trap! Don't go in there!" she attempted. She called to him multiple times, giving him the intel they had gathered, with no response from the agent.

In the meantime, Sam's voice came through her ear. "G- I'm on my way. Don't do anything stupid!"

Callen tapped the comm and quickly replied, "I got this, Sam. "

Nell jumped from her terminal and stood in front of the plasma, as though he could see her. "Callen, DO NOT GO IN! You've been made! It's a trap! They have a bomb, G!" she gestured wildly toward the screen.

"Thanks, Nell, I'm good," he calmly replied. As he exited the car, he glanced around furtively and took out his comm, leaving it in the car.

"Sam! He took out his comm- we've lost contact. How far out are you? How about you, Kensi?" Eric rambled.

Nell stood, frozen in front of the screen as the conversation buzzed in her ear. She watched as Callen went in alone and was confronted by the terrorists. She recovered long enough to give Sam the coordinates on their exact location, the number of men, and where the explosives were planted. Eric joined her, and they both watched in horror as the men attacked their agent.

Time seemed to stop completely when Sam, Kensi and Deeks stormed the building. There was silence in Ops, though Nell could swear she heard every shot that was fired. As the chaos died down, the 4 NCIS agents were still alive, though battered. They were racing towards the door when the bomb went off. The security feed was lost, and both the tech and the analyst rushed to their respective computers to find another set of eyes on their team.

Finally, a weak voice came over the comms- "Eric, we're good here. Weapons are secured, 3 down, bringing one in to custody."

"Sam, thank God," Eric breathed. "Got a bus coming your way- didn't know if anyone would need it."

Nell couldn't stop shaking. This had been close- too close, and she couldn't fathom what would've happened if the outcome had been different. After all was said and done, she had quietly left Ops and started the paperwork at her downstairs terminal. As much as she liked Eric, she needed to be alone with her thoughts right now. But her reverie was broken by Deeks' voice coming into the bullpen.

"...and I wouldn't have, if it hadn't been for Mr.'we-don't-need -the-bomb-squad' over there!"

Sam, entering the bullpen, threw over his shoulder, "Hey, If I hadn't seen that it was triggered by the motion sensor by the door, you and your shaggy self would've been toast. And I hate the smell of burned hair."

The group, a bit worse for wear, followed him to their desks, bickering good-naturedly. Nell rose from her spot and met them, giving Sam, Kensi and Deeks each a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried!"

"What? No hug for me? No 'glad you're okay, Agent Callen'?" Callen asked, amused.

Nell pointedly ignored him and excused herself back to her workstation, while muttering under her breath (but loudly enough to be heard by the agents), "Why? It's clear you don't care what I think."

Everyone stopped mid-conversation and observed Callen for his response. He turned toward Nell. "I'm sorry, Miss Jones, did you have something to say to me? "

"Nope, Agent Callen," she bit back. "Nothing at all. As if you'd listen." She changed directions, heading upstairs toward Ops.

Callen's expression reflected confusion and irritation. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed, following Nell upstairs.

The doors to Ops whooshed open, and he could see her sitting at her terminal, typing away angrily. "Nell..." he hesitated. When she didn't respond, he came up behind her and put his hands gently on her shoulders. She immediately jerked away in response. "Nell...don't be upset...it was the only way..."

"Upset? What the hell were you doing out there, G? I specifically told you it was a trap, and not to go in alone! Sam told you not to do anything stupid, and yet you chose to ignore us both and tried to play super hero!" she raged.

"If I hadn't gone in, we wouldn't have brought down the cell, or recovered the weapons! This was our only chance to get these guys, and we did. I'm not apologizing for doing the right thing!" he replied angrily.

"No, G, the right thing would have been to protect your team," Nell shouted. "I thought you trusted me. I thought you cared about your team. But I see today that I've been wrong about you. All you can see is the mission." She started to turn away, but he grabbed her arm.

"I do trust you- all of you! But as Senior Agent in Charge, I sometimes have to make decisions in the moment, and you have to trust that I know what I'm doing."

"You could have been killed, G. And even if you don't care about your own life, what about Sam? You knew that he would follow you in, so you knowingly risked his life, too," she spat. "What about Kensi? Deeks?"

"They assumed those risks when they took this job, Nell. It's all part of our job," he explained patiently.

"And that's just it, isn't it? The job. Yeah, I get it. Occupational hazards and all that. But what it boils down to is that the job is the most important thing to you." Unbidden tears began to slowly stream down her face. "What about me, G? What about us? Does none of it matter? I guess you did learn from the best, though. Tracy Keller's got nothing on you in the 'putting the job first' department."

Callen was so stunned that he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. And before he could make another attempt, the doors to Ops had opened and closed, and Nell was gone.

Sleep never came easily for G. Callen, nor for very long, but this was a long night, even by his standards. After many attempts to redirect his thoughts from his fight with Nell, he gave up and decided to face it head on. She was right, and he knew it. He had accomplished the mission, but at what cost? Sam and the others could have been killed. It was only thanks to Nell and Eric that any of them were alive. Even though he had long ago accepted the possibility of his death on a mission, it had never mattered much, because he was, as Sam had said before, a lone wolf. Except that now, he wasn't. He had never been in a relationship like the one he had with Nell, and it scared the daylights out of him. He was really in love with her, could see spending the rest of his life with her, but if he continued to act carelessly, what would it do to her? She could see and hear everything, and if he died because he refused to follow protocol, she would be devastated. He suddenly felt the depth of her anger and hurt, and knew he couldn't wait until morning to see her, when things might be too late. They might even be too late, now, but he had to try to fix it.

A soft, but insistent knocking on her door woke Nell Jones from what had been a very restless sleep. It was 2 am, and she was shocked to see Callen through the peephole. Warily, she opened the door.

"Nell, I need to talk to you, and no, it couldn't wait," he said grimly as he entered he apartment. She looked exhausted, but set about making a pot of tea.

Once they were settled in the living room with their tea, Callen cautiously began speaking. "I'm sorry, Nell. For everything." He ran his hand over his head before continuing. "Sam is fond of saying I'm a lone wolf, and there's some truth to that. You obviously know about my childhood. I grew up taking care of myself, and it sort of carried over into my career. Before I came to NCIS, I never had a partner for very long, and I never got used to someone else having my back. Sam's pretty persistent, though- kind of like someone else I know," he smiled. "I trust him completely now. I've always assumed that doing things on my own would protect him, and even Kensi and Deeks. I was wrong, Nell. As their leader, I should be protecting them, and I acted foolishly today. I owe them an apology. I owe you and Eric one, too. You guys were doing your jobs trying to keep us out of harm's way. I may not always do the right thing, but I'll try to look at every angle from now on instead of going off on my own."

He grasped her hand and continued. "I've thought a lot tonight about what you said. Nell, I love you- more than anything- and I am so sorry I hurt you. I've never had anyone in my life who cared if I lived or died before, so I'm still trying to get used to that. You were right- I wasn't thinking about us, or your feelings, and I'm sorry. I do love the job, Nell, but for once in my life, it's not the most important thing, and I'm sorry you thought it was. It may be hard to change my ways, but we'll figure out how to make this work. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Nell had been quiet through his entire speech, but her silent tears revealed the depth of her emotions. She took a deep breath and replied, "You know what the worst part was today? It was watching you sign your own death warrant, thinking I could have, should have done something to prevent it. G, I'm sorry for the things I said. I understand why you did what you did. And I don't ever want you to hesitate, or make mistakes in the line of duty because of me. You are the best of the best, and I trust your judgement. I love you, and I don't want to lose you. Just...don't ever do that to me again!" she playfully punched his arm.

"Yes, Madam Control Freak," he laughed as he dried her tears. As he held her that night, Callen knew for sure there was something else he needed to do.

Thursday arrived uneventfully, and the day promised paperwork and more paperwork in light of the just completed op. Sam had been surreptitiously watching Callen stare at the same form for at least fifteen minutes, while Kensi and Deeks argued over who had the best donuts in town.

"G? You alright?" Sam murmured to his partner.

Callen's reverie was broken, and he paused to focus on Sam for a moment before answering. "Yeah. No. Actually, there's something I need to do. Kensi, Deeks- team meeting," he commanded as he rose and motioned them to the center of the bullpen. He called Ops and instructed Eric and Nell to join them. The agents looked quizzically at each other, as the tech and the analyst joined their little circle.

"So, I guess you're wondering why I've called you all here," Callen joked. "After yesterday's op, I realized there were some things I needed to say to you guys." He paused a moment, looking around at each of his teammates.

"I'm sorry for the way I sometimes forget that you all have my back. I could've killed us all yesterday, and it could have possibly been avoided if I had just let you guys do your jobs. We're a great team...no, a family...and if I start to go off all 'lone wolf', don't be afraid to kick my ass. I trust you with my life. I mean it...you're my family, and I want to thank you for being there."

"Awww...group hug!" Deeks shouted. Kensi punched him in the arm. "Really, Fern? Where is the love?"

Callen put his hand up to silence them, then continued. "Now, there's something else I need to tell you guys." He suddenly looked sheepish. "I've...been seeing someone." They all exchanged looks. "Sam's been on my case about it, telling me I need to introduce her to the family. So, since you I consider you to be my family..." He paused and looked up at Sam, who was smiling approvingly.

"We'd love to meet her, G," enthused Kensi.

Callen smirked, then walked over to Nell, who was staring at him wide-eyed, tears glistening. He pulled her close and kissed her. Then, he turned to face the others, placing his arm firmly around her shoulders. "I want you guys to meet the woman I love. Nell, I think you already know my family."

The rest of the team shared looks that ranged from shocked to amused. Deeks was unusually quiet for a moment, before he had an epiphany.

"So, you're Mr. 'Agent Provocateur'?" he queried, pointing at Callen.

Nell's face turned crimson as Callen looked at her, puzzled. "We'll talk about that later," she whispered to him, as she surreptitiously winked at Deeks.

Deeks smirked, shaking his head. Kensi hit him again as she made her way to the newly revealed couple.

"You knew about this? You knew and didn't tell me? I can't believe this! Marty Deeks, the biggest gossip I know, held out on me, his partner!"

"I swear, I didn't know until just now!"

Kensi hugged Nell. "I am so happy for you guys!" She leaned in to whisper in the younger woman's ear, "Girl talk, later."

Sam stood to the side for a few minutes, arms folded. Finally, he walked over to Callen. "You finally picked a girl Mom would approve of," he grinned, giving him a quick man-hug. "But Nell, I thought your IQ was high enough to know to avoid guys like G."

"What can I say, Sam? Even smart girls like bad boys," Nell shot back, chuckling.

Eric had been quietly observing the scene before him. When he approached the couple, Nell glanced at Callen nervously. She knew Eric had harbored a secret crush on her for a while, but they had become such good friends, she had hoped his feelings for her would have changed. He took her hands in his. "Rockstar, if you're happy, I'm happy." He kissed her on the cheek, and turned to Callen. "Take care of her, Callen, or else I'll sic Sam on you." He smiled as he shook hands with the agent.

"So, when did this happen? And how?" Kensi asked.

Callen looked at Nell before replying, "About six months, now. As for how?" He turned to Nell and grasped her hand. "Well, I guess I have a thing for beautiful women who finish my sentences." He grinned at the group, but it was obvious he was speaking only to Nell as he continued, "I think I had always wanted to get to know her better. Something about the fact that such a small person can verbally take down a Navy captain is kind of a turn-on."

Callen paused, looking up at his team, his family. Hetty had quietly joined them, and was nodding her approval. Suddenly, he turned to Nell.

"You know, I really hadn't planned on telling everyone like this today, but I'm glad I did. I want to be able to share the happiness I've found with the people I care about. And Nell, you are the reason for that happiness. I've always lived life searching for my past, but since I met you, I realize that what I have here in the present is far better than anything I could find out about my past. For the first time, I'm looking forward to the future, and I want that future to be with you. Nell, I hadn't planned on this, either, but it just seems right, here surrounded by our family." He knelt in front of her, pulling the ring out of his pocket. "I love you, Nell, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you marry me?"

The tears that had been threatening finally spilled onto Nell's cheeks. She looked incredulously from Callen, to the ring, then back to Callen. "Yes," she whispered. She threw her arms around him, and the two kissed passionately.

When they pulled apart, it was to applause and whistles. Callen placed the ring on Nell's shaky hand, then each member of the team congratulated the couple in turn.

Hetty approached them, smiling broadly. "Mr. Callen, Miss Jones, I don't believe I need to tell you how I feel. I have been in your corner since day one, and I wish you much love and happiness. Now, I have a bottle of vintage Dom Perignon chilling, so everyone follow me."

"How did she..." Kensi began.

"She's Hetty," Sam replied, grinning and shaking his head.

As they all proceeded toward Hetty's office, Deeks had a thought. "So, as the official planner of the bachelor party, I guess I'd better start working on getting some strippers lined up..."

"Deeks!" everyone shouted simultaneously.

Callen held Nell behind for a moment. "I hope you didn't mind that I sprang that on you in front of everyone. It just seemed appropriate, considering this is where it all began."

Nell smiled. "It was perfect. Maybe we could have a more private celebration, later," she lowered her voice suggestively, as she pulled him into a kiss. "But where did you find such a gorgeous ring?"

Callen glanced up and saw Hetty watching from a distance. "It's an old family heirloom."

Hetty finally let a single tear fall, and murmured to herself, "Congratulations, son. You did good."

(Agent Provocateur = expensive lingerie store where Deeks saw Nell)

So, there you have it! It's been fun, and I appreciate all the support. Hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it!

The End