Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters.

A/N: I've been itching to write a Nallen fic, but I've been busy with my fics on archiveofourown (still am), and I don't think I can handle writing a longer fic for these two. So, I hope this short fic of mine isn't too much of a disappointment, for those who enjoy reading stories with Nell/Callen.

Charms

Callen tugs at the golden watch, watching the link drop up and down, sliding beneath his fingers. He lets it brush against his palm softly, and wraps his fingers around it tightly and protectively. The watch fits perfectly in his hand.

He glances at it — eyes twisting with pain — and not at Nell. She understands; he's still scared, and needs time to accept all of this. He has earned it. To believe, he'd let this go, just like that, is something she knows is implausible.

She smiles and reaches for his hand. "G, I understand. I do," she lets out; her voice is muffled and broken. "You mustn't beat yourself over this."

"Nell, I know," he says, and squeezes her hand, as softly as he can manage. "I … we'll get through this. Together. I promise." His face softens, and he lets the golden clock hover over her face. "This — it'll help — it has to. Was gonna to use it, before you know, we lost the baby."

She sits up on the bed — her eyes soften — and smiles at him. "It's not your fault, G. No one is to be blamed. You didn't know."

"I shouldn't have spent you on that mission." He looks at her with earnest eyes, and tightens his grip on her hand. Until it hurts. She holds the pain back, but he notices, and slackens his hold. "Nell, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to do that. I—"

"G, we'll get through this, together. Tell me about the watch?"

"The watch," he says, "was gonna tell me the sex of our baby. I don't believe in charms, but before we went to do the ultrasound, I wanted to surprise you. Really, I did."

He chuckles; a long, painful, and harsh one.

Her brows smoothens, as a sweetened batch of fresh sugar, in surprise. "Charms?" Really? Sometimes, it's better, to laugh in a painful situation, than to let the pain always win. You were gonna use charms?

For the first time in a long line, he smiles. "Good ole' charm. Worked for the guy I got it from. Long link for boy. Short link for girl. Both links for either a boy or girl."

"You, uh, had this all planned out?"

"I did." He rubs her hands. "Charms, though! Stupidest thing I've ever thought about."

"No," she lets out, "okay, it's stupid, but still, it's nice. You know, when we get through this, I'd like to try again. For another baby. And we can use your silly charm to tell the sex of our baby."

He laughs. "Sure thing, Nell. I promise I'll be there for you. Give you anything you need. Until you recover." His words are soft, painful, but sincere. "I mean it."

"Thank you." Thanks for everything. Without his love and care, she doesn't know what might have happened to her. "Then let me go back to work. It's been months, and I can't wait to get my hands back on —"

"But Nell," he starts, but remembers his promise. He'll give her anything she needs, and this is something she needs. "Are you sure you're ready to go back to work? You've to clear that up with Hetty. Not me."

"Believe me," she adds, laughing, "I'm more than ready to get back to NCIS. I can handle Hetty. She likes me."

"And that's the problem."

For a long time, they both laugh together, trying to live life normally again. Life doesn't come with happy endings, but having someone there, to care and love one in one's darkest moments, is another story altogether.

She no longer believes in happy endings, but that doesn't discount being loved.