32Still don't own anything, still working out the kinks in writing, it is getting bigger than I had figured it would. I guess I just feel like there is a really good story to tell. Hopefully it it isn't dragging it out of all of you. Please let me know what you think of it. It has been fun writing, I start out going one way and end up differently than I expected. Trying to iron out the details of Nell's prior op. That is proving to be difficult.
Coming into the shooting range, she sees that Callen has laid out a few small guns from the armory for her to practice with. I guess Hetty didn't tell him that I have my own Nell thought to herself. Not that it is really anyone's business that she purchased a gun or that she had been practicing for months on her own. "Hi Callen, just let me get my weapons from my locker." She said as she entered the room. She continued to practice with each of her guns but felt more comfortable with the Smith & Wesson. Each NCIS employee had their own locker for their use in the gym and gun range. Each day she brought her gun from home and put it away before anyone was in the office and took it home with her each night. This was at Hetty's insistence, that she be protected and feel safe. She noticed that Callen was watching her with a look of concern and confusion.
"You already have a weapon? When Hetty asked me to meet with you and go over some shooting procedures, I assumed she meant from scratch. That you needed a beginners training." Callen stated slightly surprised. Between her having her own weapon and the change in her hair color, making her look a little more edgy, still Nell but a little different.
"When I moved to LA she convinced me to meet her here one Sunday, when everyone was off and she showed me how to use a gun. My first gun was one from Hetty's own personal collection she told me, and then once I got comfortable with that, I went out and purchased the one I have been practicing with. Never had much training other than what Hetty showed me. She showed me basic handling, stance and, of course, how to clean it." Nell explained. "She was concerned for me, being new to the area and living alone. She wanted me to be able to protect myself. She figured I already knew how to throw a punch and defend myself physically somewhat but figured because if my size I should also learn how to use a firearm." Nell realizes that she is rambling like she has a tendency to do. "Sorry, I don't know why I said all of that it was more information than you probably needed." Dropping her head and smiling softly.
"At least we are further along than I expected, I will put away the others I had gotten out. Why don't you get set up with what you want to work with and we will get going." walking to the back of the room, placing the practice firearms back in their case. Returning to the table with Nell, he looks at what she has been using and laughs a little "That is not exactly what I figured you would be firing but nice to see you can handle a good gun. I think I will just stand back here and see what you can do." Backing up and leaning against the counter directly behind Nell, he wanted to see how her stance and how relaxed she looked when she fired her weapon.
Approaching the line, "Get ready, I am sure I have a lot of work to be done. But I have to say, I think I do well." Putting her glasses and ear protection on, she raises her weapon and aims and squeezes of a few rounds. Readjusting, she rolls her head and shoulders and squeezes a few more times.
She looks at ease with the weapon, not surprised, everything that has been thrown at her she seems to learn quite easily. Although she looks like a little girl while standing there, her shirt is almost to her knees and mostly covers her shorts. Hard to take her seriously. He stands there with his arms crossed, leaning slightly back and smiles slightly.
As she turns around, she sees him, relaxed leaning against the counter and smiling at her. "You're smiling that can't be good, that bad, huh? What do I need to do?"
"Sorry Nell, it is hard not to smile a little, you look slightly out of place. You do well but it looks like you are shooting in your pajamas, I can't help it." Callen laughs trying to break the ice a little and ease into the lesson.
"Really, that's all you can say. I am trying to learn what to do here and you are making commentary on my clothes." Getting slightly more annoyed with Agent Callen "Is it because I look like I will break? I am stronger than you think." Whipping off her t-shirt, so she is again in the snug tank top from her fitting with Tara, "There is more to me than you think." She whips back around and walks up to a new target, squeezes off the remaining rounds in her clip. "Are you going to help me like Hetty asked or not."
"Nell, I am sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he says holding his hands up in defense. "This is a new side for all of us to see of you; you have to give it a second to sink in. Until today, none of us knew much about you." God remind me not to piss her off again, she is fiery, but it looks good on her. Not believing that he is thinking that way right now, he can't help but think of how sexy she looks, pissed off, and breathing hard and with a gun in her hands. "I want to help you, if you will let me. I really didn't me to offend you." Slowly walking towards her. "Let's start over." Holding his hand out to her, "So Nell, Hetty wants me to help you with some target practice, let's say we get started."
She sizes him up, Maybe I got through to him, "I guess, I just take this very seriously, I don't want you to treat me differently because I am one of the computer geeks. I want to be able to defend myself properly." Taking his hand and shaking it. Her face reddening a bit, "I over reacted just a little bit, it has been a stressful day."
"Let's look at those targets you hit." Pressing the button for the target she aimed at while pissed off at him, looking at it, he is surprised, "You hit 3 very well placed rounds, 1 other, not so much, but the 3 are very well grouped." Walking over and sending another target down, he motions for her to come over, "Stand right here, I want to get a closer look at your stance and how you aim." She is so close to him, right now, he can smell her perfume; it smells like jasmine, it is breaking his concentration. Lowly to himself "Get it together man."
Standing with Callen directly behind her, she can tell something is distracting him. He is shaking his head and mumbling to himself, just low enough she can hear the rumble in his chest but not understand what he said. She relaxes and tries to steady herself but with him this close to her, she can feel his breath on the back of her neck and can tell he is still uncomfortable. She places her weapon on the table and spins around, catching him by surprise. She caught him; looking her up and down, unsure of what is making him act this way but she has an idea. She raises her hand and places her palm on his chest, cupped slightly so just her palm and tips of her fingers are touching him right over his heart. She can feel it beating very quickly and his breath changes. Quietly she says "Callen, please I am not sure what is happening with you, I have never felt you so uncomfortable around anyone before. But I think I have an idea." She sighs "I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier, I am not sure what got into me. I would normally never kiss someone like that. I am just having a hard time with this case. It has made me act a little out of the ordinary. But also realize that sometime you just have to go for what you want. You will understand why this one is so hard for me, shortly I am sure of that. Until then, I need you to help me."
Shocked that she is this close to him, so intimate, almost as close as they were earlier today. Her hand on his chest is making his heart pound.
"With that being said, I am not sure why I am saying this but here goes. After this case, I would like to have dinner with you. I think we could work on some of our issues together." She says slowly looking up at him, her hazel eyes sparkling at him. "I have decided I need to get over what has happened in the past and I need someone who will understand what I have been through."
Catching him off guard, he would have never thought Nell would have asked him on a date but he is still confused. "I think, if you are going to ask me to dinner, you should at least start calling me G, I would like to have dinner with you. I am not sure what you have been through but you can talk with any of us about it. I hope you know that." He can't imagine what she keeps dancing around and how it can be that bad.
"Ok, G, I promise we will talk, now can we get back to shooting?" she laughs "Never thought I would be saying that. There have been a lot of firsts for me today." Turning around and looking at the target.
"Now, what I want you to do is " getting closer to her and wrapping his arms around her, placing his hands on hers, and shifting her with his body "aim like this, it will give you more stability and accuracy but you already have great ability." He breaths deeply and relaxes as he pulls her closer to him and shifts her a little more. "Try that." Still trying to understand how she got him so flustered but he is ok with it. For once, he is letting his guard down a little.
"Ok" Nell squeezes the trigger and fires off 3 rounds and all of them hit center, exactly where they sound. Re-aiming, she takes 3 more shots, this time aim in a different spot, 2 hit the head and one is a little left of where she wanted it. "Well shit, that is not where I wanted that one." She can feel him laugh, "What is so funny?" she asks.
"You swearing, until now all I have heard you say was darn it." He says laughing. She realizes that she did swear and starts laughing too, "I try not to swear in front of people but it just slipped out I guess" With that, the ice is surely broken, they are able to work together for a little while longer and get some improvement in Nell's shooting but also a little trust into Nell's life with her co-workers.
Little did they know, they had an audience, Hetty had been standing there for some time, watching how they interacted together. Just in the shadows, like she always is, she smiles to herself. Not that I want a relationship in the office but Nell is right, Callen can help her and she might be able to reach Callen. She had always worried that Agent Callen would always be alone but right now she thinks maybe there is someone for him too. She is happy with the outcome, at least now, maybe Nell's believes she is part of the team and that they will be there for her when she needs them. She also knows, once this op gets under way, Nell is going to need someone, as it will bring up memories, ones that won't want to deal with.