Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or the characters. I'm just borrowing them. I make no money from this.

Author Note: And we've reached the end. This is the epilogue and starts around the same time as the Season 4 episode Recruit. Also, according to the NCIS:LA wikia, Hetty's birthday is in January. But the second season episode Special Delivery where Nell was introduced showed that not to be correct, as that episode took place before the Christmas one. So I'm going with the idea of her birthday actually being in October.

"You've got everything? Your notebooks, pens, paper?"

"Yes."

"Cellphone?"

"Right here. With your number and the rest of the team's set on speed dial."

"You're going straight home after school?"

"Yes, and if that changes for some reason I will call you."

"You remember what we discussed about varying your route, making sure no one is following you?"

"Yes! Dad, we've been going over this every day for two weeks. I've got it, I promise. It's just high school, it's not like I'm heading into a gunfight or anything."

Callen glowered at the thought. "Don't be so sure." He'd seen the statistics on school shootings in recent years.

"Dad, I'll be fine, I promise. I'll call you if anything happens. Besides, I'm sure you've already asked Eric and/or Nell to monitor various sources for mention of the school."

He carefully kept his face from reacting to her words. She really did know him too well, he realized. "I'm just worried."

"I know Dad," Callie told him with a sigh. "I know you're new to this. But I have done this before. Not in this school but still. I'll be fine." She leaned over and hugged him. "I'll see you later, have a good time at work. You be careful and stay safe." She opened the door and got out.

Callen watched her enter the school. He remained there, staring at the entrance for a few more moments before he sighed and pulled away. Time to get back to work. After one more stop. He visited Amy's grave and had a talk with Hetty, then headed for the office.

He entered the building and greeted Kensi, receiving a comment on his tan. They just barely missed being hit by Sam's chair. Yes, it was good to be back.

Later as they were preparing to travel to Dubai he called Callie. "How did everything go at school?"

"It was fine. No problems."

"Sorry I couldn't be there when you got home."

"It's fine, I figured something came up at work. Are you going to be home soon?"

He winced. "Yeah, about that." He explained without giving any details that he had to go away but he'd be back soon. "Hopefully only a couple of days. In case of anything, call Hetty." At least she was old enough and responsible enough that he could leave her alone for a couple of days. He'd consider this the test, if she failed then next time something came up she'd be staying at Sam's house with Michelle.

"Okay. We knew there was a possibility that something like this could happen. You did mention it," she pointed out.

Yeah, but he hadn't been expecting it to happen so soon. "I'll talk to you again soon. I love you."

"Love you too Dad."

He was thankful when the plan went off with only a small hitch and they were able to save John Harris, rescue the other two Americans, and stop the terrorists. He was glad to be on a plane and headed home. He managed to sleep a little on the plane and once they landed he quickly headed home.

He found Callie asleep in her bed, a book lying open on her chest. He carefully removed it but she stirred anyway. "Dad," she asked sleepily.

"Hey," he said, brushing the hair out of her face. "I missed you." He placed a kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

"Missed you too," she mumbled before sleep claimed her once more.

He smiled, glad to be home.

Days passed, becoming weeks and they settled into their new routine of sorts. Sometimes cases came up necessitating Callen staying out all night but nothing that brought him out of the country again.

As he was dropping Callie off at school she handed him a package. "Can you give that to Hetty for me?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "How did you know it was her birthday?"

"I might have asked Marty," she said.

He looked at the thin package. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "Uh-uh, not ruining the surprise. And no peeking."

"Fine."

"Thanks Dad."

He glanced at it as he drove, curious what it could be. It didn't weigh much, and when would Callie have had time to purchase anything?

"What's that?" Sam asked as he walked in.

"Present for Hetty."

Deeks came over at his words. "What'd you get her?"

"Not me, Callie. And I don't know." He headed for where he could see her at her desk. The rest of the team exchanged looks before moving closer to observe.

"Mr. Callen, what can I do for you today?"

"Callie asked me to give this to you." At her raised eyebrow he continued, "No, I didn't tell her it was your birthday."

Hetty took the package and looked at it curiously before opening it. A shocked look came over her face as she stared at it, a single tear slipping down one cheek.

Callen was stunned at the show of emotion. "Hetty?"

She cleared her throat. "You have a very remarkable daughter Mr. Callen. Please thank her for me." She lifted a double picture frame out of the box and showed it to him.

One side contained a picture of the whole team and Callie, surprising him since they'd never posed for it. She must have photo shopped them into it, he decided, remembering seeing her with a camera a few times recently. It was a very good job too. He and Sam stood beside each other, Kensi on his other side with Deeks next to her. On Sam's other side stood Eric, with Nell in front of him. Directly in front of him and Sam was Callie, his hand on her shoulder. Hetty stood beside Callie. He glanced at the other half of the frame and realized what had shaken the older woman. It was a poem in his daughter's neat handwriting.

Family

Important to us all,

It tells us who we are.

But family is not just the ties of blood,

But the ties of the heart as well.

Though most of us share no blood,

We are all family just the same.

Thank you for being the wonderful Mother and Grandmother

That our family needs.

For Grandma Hetty

He swallowed as the message sunk in and handed the frame back to Hetty. She carefully placed it in the center of her desk. "She does have a way with words," he finally said.

"Indeed she does, indeed she does." Hetty shook her head, catching sight of the other agents watching them. "Well what are you all standing around for? Don't you have work to do?"

They scattered, returning to their desks and Callen started to join them, pausing when Hetty called out to him.

"Oh, and Mr. Callen." She gave him a look when he turned to face her, though the corners of her mouth were twitching. "Grandma?"

He stared at her, unable to come up with a response.

"Well, I suppose it is better than Granny or Grams at least," she said, waving him off to his desk.

Author's Note 2: And thus the story is over. But be on the lookout for what I am tentatively calling Life With Callie, which will be a series of chapters dealing with the events of various season 4 episodes (and possibly season 5) and how Callie's presence in Callen's life affects them. Probably won't be any major influence to most of the episodes but to the characters, especially Callen, and how they react to various events is another story. It might be a while because I need to re-watch certain episodes.