Well, it's been a year and I thought I'd do a little add on chapter to this story from last Christmas. This is my last Christmas story for this year lol :)

xxxxx

As Callen drove in the direction of his home, he couldn't help but think about how he ought to be going to Hetty's home. He took a deep breath, trying hard to keep control of his emotions. At that moment, the kitten started to cry. He had put the carrier in the front passenger seat and he glanced over at it. The kitten's paw was extending out from between the bars of the carrier door waving around. "Hey little girl, what are you trying to do?" Callen asked softly. "It's all right. We'll be home soon."

The kitten continued to cry piteously until Callen pulled into the driveway of his house. "Here we are," he said. He got out of the car and went over to the passenger door to get the carrier. He then brought it into the house and placed it on the living room floor before he went back outside to get the rest of the kitten's things. Once he came back inside, he closed the doors to the bedrooms, not wanting to give the kitten free rein to the entire house. He then found a suitable spot for the litter box and filled it then put some food and water in the small bowls. "Okay…I guess that's all for now," he said to himself. He then sat on the floor and opened the door to the carrier. At first, the kitten stayed inside, seemingly unsure of what to do. Then she slowly made her way out onto the floor. Once she had done so, she took off, running like a tiny bolt of lightning into the kitchen.

xxxxx

"I think today went pretty well, considering," Kensi said musingly as she thought over the past events of the day. She and Deeks were sitting on the sofa in their living room, just relaxing as they admired their Christmas tree.

Deeks nodded. "Yeah, Callen held up better than I thought he would, actually, but did you see the look on his face when Kamran first handed him the kitten?" He chuckled as he thought of it. "Classic deer in the headlights."

"Don't be mean," Kensi said, but she couldn't keep the smile from her own face. "He definitely was not expecting that."

"No, he was not." Deeks chuckled again. He gazed at the tree for a few more minutes thinking that it really did look nice. "I think I'm going to go to the 24 hour Walgreen's," he said as he slowly got up from the sofa and stretched. "I won't be long."

"I'll go with you. The Christmas lights are pretty in that area. So, why are we going there?"

"I just want to look at something. Hey Monty, want to go for a ride in the car?" he asked. He put Monty on his leash and then the three of them headed out to the car. Within 10 minutes, Deeks pulled into the parking lot. "We'll just be a few minutes, boy," Deeks said to the dog as he and Kensi got out of the car.

"Pretty deserted," Kensi whispered as they walked into the store.

"Look, half price Christmas candy already," Deeks said, glancing down the aisle filled with numerous varieties of sugary treats.

"Is that why we're here?"

Deeks shook his head. "No, just letting you know, in case you want to get some."

"I think I'm good. So why are we here?" Kensi asked curiously, following Deeks down an aisle. Suddenly he stopped in front of the pet supplies. "Are we getting a last minute gift for Monty?"

"Monty got enough gifts this morning, didn't he?" Deeks said, his eyes roaming over the various pet items. "Oh that's perfect." He reached down to the very bottom row and pulled out a cat toy called Tower of Tracks.

"Really, Deeks?" Kensi asked, totally amused. "This coming from the man who proclaimed our house a cat-free zone?"

"Our house is a cat free zone," Deeks said. "But Callen's house is not. I think the little guy, err gal would like it, don't you?"

Kensi inspected the box which showed a small tower of three rings, each with a ball inside it so the kitten could swat at them but they would just roll around and not fall out. "Yes, I do think she'll like it," she agreed.

"Okay, let's get it." Deeks carried it to the register and the two headed back out to the car.

"So, what's with your sudden interest in Callen and his new little addition?" Kensi asked after Deeks had pulled out of his parking spot.

"I don't know," Deeks said with a shrug. "I guess I just want to make sure Callen's getting on okay with the kitten. The guy has probably never had a pet in his entire life."

"Aww, Deeks. You're worried about him," Kensi said, smiling at him. "I think that's so sweet."

"I'm not sweet," Deeks said. "Like I said, I'm just making sure he's okay. Sometimes pets can be troublesome."

Kensi nodded. Inwardly, she thought Callen was going to be fine with the kitten but she wasn't about to discourage Deeks' impulse to help their team leader. She really did think it was sweet and it was a side of him she loved. "So, when are you going to give it to him?"

"No time like the present," Deeks replied.

xxxxx

"Come here, kitty…" Callen whispered as he made his fingers walk along the floor, trying to coax the kitten over to him. She was eyeing him from across the room, but so far he'd had no luck in getting her to come any closer. "Come on…I'm not going to hurt you."

The sudden sound of the doorbell startled the kitten who turned and fled back towards the kitchen. Callen smirked to himself as he got up off the floor and went to open the door. "Hey guys," he said, surprised to see Kensi and Deeks. "Come on in. I don't want to leave the door open. The kitten might get out."

Kensi and Deeks came in hurriedly and Callen closed the door. "So…what's up?" he asked, giving them a curious look.

"Uh…well, we were in the store and we saw this…We thought the kitten might like it," Deeks said as he thrust the bag at Callen.

"Thanks." Callen opened the bag and pulled out the toy. "Hey this is pretty cool. I'm sure she will like it, if she ever comes out from hiding that is."

"Cats are a lot more skittish than dogs," Deeks said.

"She'll come out when she's ready," Kensi said, giving Callen a reassuring smile.

"You figure, she's been moving around a lot over the past week," Deeks said. "She probably doesn't know which end is up, but she'll figure it out."

Callen nodded. "I know. I kind of feel bad for her though and I was wondering if it might be better to, you know, have two of them?"

Deeks grinned. "Really? You don't even know where this one is and you already want another one? I think you may want to rethink that. Unless you're going for the title of crazy cat guy."

"She was in here until the doorbell rang," Callen said. "I'm really not sure, but then she wouldn't be lonely when I'm at work, so that would be a definite plus."

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Kensi said, ignoring Deeks' eye roll and head shake. "I wonder if the other kittens are gone from where Sam got this one."

"I don't know," Callen said. "I'll have to ask him where he got her and check it out." He took the toy tower out of the packaging and placed it on the floor. "Hey kitty," he called out softly. "Uncle Deeks and Auntie Kensi brought you a present."

"Really?" Deeks asked, grinning. "I'm now an uncle to a cat?"

"Maybe two," Callen said. "So do you guys want a drink or anything to eat? I've got lots of leftovers from the party."

"No, we've got plenty as well," Kensi said. "We're actually going to head home. We just thought we'd give this to you and check in with you."

"Well, thanks. I'm sure the kitten will really like her gift," Callen said.

"You need to give her a name too," Deeks said. "It's an important step towards her establishing an identity, unless you just want to keep on calling her kitty which is also a popular cat name."

"I'll think of a name," Callen said as he walked Kensi and Deeks to the front door, giving the room a once over with his eyes to make sure the kitten wasn't going to come bouncing out towards the door. "Thanks again and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Callen," Deeks and Kensi said in unison and they then headed out the door.

xxxxx

Kamran gave an exaggerated sigh as she sat with the family watching "Miracle on 34th Street." When no one responded to her, she sighed again even louder this time. Michelle and Sam exchanged a look, a smile touching both sets of lips.

"Is there a problem, Kamran?" Michelle asked.

"I'm just thinking of the poor little baby kitten," Kamran said, her eyes filled with exaggerated sadness. "I bet she misses me."

"Don't you mean she misses Eric?" Sam asked, grinning at his daughter's display of dramatics. "She's been with him for the past week, not you."

"But she knows I'm the one who got her. She doesn't understand why she keeps going from one place to the other. I bet she'd feel a lot better if I said goodnight to her."

"I think Uncle Callen will be able to say goodnight to her just fine," Sam said.

"I'm not sure if he really knows what to do," Kamran said. "I think maybe if I showed him…"

"I know G doesn't talk a lot," Sam said with a grin, "but even he can manage to say goodnight."

"Your father's right," Michelle said in amusement.

"Daddy?"

"What is it baby girl?" Sam asked, pretty sure he knew where the conversation was heading.

"Uncle Callen said I could go and visit her whenever I wanted."

"I don't think he expected you to be showing up tonight," Michelle said gently. "You need to give Uncle Callen and the kitten a chance to bond."

"What if Uncle Callen is sad about Hetty?" Kamran said to her father, deciding to try another tactic. "He's all alone on Christmas night. We should make sure he's okay."

Although Sam knew what his daughter was doing, there was the real possibility that Callen was upset about Hetty. He gave Michelle a questioning look and she just shrugged slightly, leaving the ball in his court. "Alright," Sam said after a few long moments of pondering. "But we're not staying long."

"Thank you, daddy!" Kamran squealed happily. "I'm sure that Uncle Callen will be thankful too and the kitten will be happy to see us."

"You're a big softie," Michelle whispered to her husband as Kamran ran off to get her jacket.

"Yeah, I know," Sam said, grinning at his wife.

xxxxx

Finally, Callen managed to coax the kitten over to him. She was now contentedly purring in his lap as he gently petted her. "Deeks was right earlier," Callen said, speaking very softly. "I really do need to come up with a name for you. What do you think? Any suggestions? No, I guess not." He chuckled at the kitten whose eyes were closing. She really was very cute and he already felt attached to the tiny bundle of fur. He had to admit that Kamran's idea had been a good one and never in a million years would he have even thought of getting himself a pet. Now that he had one though, already he couldn't imagine giving her up. "You really are a cute little thing…sorry, girl."

Just then, the doorbell rang and startled the kitten who bolted off his lap and once again fled into the kitchen. "Really?" Callen said, shaking his head as he got up from the floor. "This feels like total déjà vu."

He went to the front door, half expecting Kensi and Deeks again so he was surprised to see his partner and Kamran at the door. "Come in, hurry," Callen said, closing the door as soon as Sam and Kamran had entered his house. He then stood and looked at them speculatively. "So…what's up?"

Sam shot his partner an apologetic look. "Kamran wanted to come and say goodnight to the kitten," he said, feeling really lame as he uttered the words.

"Well, if you can find her Kamran, go for it," Callen said as he grinned at his partner.

"You don't know where she is?" Kamran asked, looking distressed.

"She ran into the kitchen when the doorbell rang," Callen said.

Kamran nodded and went running off into the kitchen.

"So, are you afraid I can't take care of her?" Callen asked.

"Of course not," Sam said. "Trust me, G…this is all Kamran. She's just attached to the kitten. Don't worry though, we're not going to come traipsing over here every night. I promise. "

Callen knew that Kamran had her father twisted around her finger, but he had to admit that if he had a daughter, he would likely be exactly the same way. "So, you're not just checking up on me?"

Sam hesitated and sighed as he looked down at the floor and then at Callen. "Well, I have to admit, once I gave in, I figured it was a good opportunity to make sure you're doing okay, G…"

"I'm doing all right," Callen said. "And I appreciate that you're worried about me, but, you don't have to be, Sam. I admit this has been a rough day, but I'm getting through it." He hesitated, appearing lost in thought for a few moments before going on. "That's not to say I don't miss her. I keep thinking of things I wish I would have told her, but…" he trailed off, suddenly appearing sad and vulnerable and Sam couldn't help but give his partner a heartfelt embrace.

"She knows how much you loved her, G," Sam said softly.

Callen nodded and finally pulled back from his partner, blinking back the tears in his eyes.

At that point, Kamran came walking in from the kitchen, holding the kitten in her arms. "She was hiding in the corner, but she knows me so she came out."

"Now that you know she's okay, it's time we headed home," Sam said to his daughter.

Kamran looked like she was about to protest, but evidently thought better of it and just ended up nodding. "Goodnight baby," she said softly as she kissed the top of the kitten's head. "I'll see you again really soon."

"I promise I'll take good care of her, Kam," Callen said.

"I know you will, Uncle Callen." Kamran walked over to the cat bed and placed the kitten into it, but she immediately jumped out and ran back towards the kitchen once again.

"Oh, by the way," Callen said as he walked to the door with Sam and Kamran. "I was wondering where you got this kitten."

"There was a guy giving them away outside Charlie's Coffee Shop," Sam replied. "Why?"

"I don't know…I was kind of thinking it might be good to get another one…so she isn't lonely…"

"Really G?" Sam grinned at hearing those unexpected words coming from his partner's lips. "I've got to admit, I never thought I'd hear that coming from you."

"Well, maybe I'll check it out, see if there are any left. If not, I could go to a shelter."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Uncle Callen," Kamran said happily. "I think she would be very happy to have a friend to play with."

"We'll see how it goes," Callen said. "But anyhow, thanks for checking in with us. I appreciate it and I know the kitten does too."

"Good night, G…Merry Christmas," Sam said.

"Merry Christmas," Callen said as closed the door behind them.

xxxxx

After Sam and Kamran left, Callen settled back down on the floor and eventually the kitten came back to him. "So…what do you think about having one of your siblings come to live with us?" he asked softly as the kitten once again settled on his lap. "I'm actually not sure if that will be possible, but if not, we can go and try to get you a friend at the shelter. There are lots of other kitties that need good homes. Hopefully this will be a good home. I'm going to try really hard, that's for sure. I know what it's like to be out there all alone and scared…" He wasn't even sure where those words had come from, and he tried to put them out of his mind, not wanting to be wallowing in his emotions of the past.

"So, Hetty…I've got a kitten. Do you think that's a crazy idea?" he asked. "You certainly never encouraged me to get a pet, but that was probably because of my job, right? Anyhow…hopefully I can do a good job taking care of her, but she needs a name… I thought about naming her after you, but…I don't know that doesn't really seem to fit her…"

At that point, his mind drifted back to a conversation he had had with Hetty probably eight or nine years ago. "Go with God, Mr. Callen or whoever it is who watches over you." Hetty had said to him. "I have a guardian angel. She's tiny, but very tough." He smiled at the memory even as his eyes filled with tears once again. "Are you tough, little girl?" Callen asked, stroking the kitten's soft fur, enjoying the rumble of her purrs. "I like to think it won't be just me watching over you, but maybe you'll be watching over me too? Are you my new little guardian angel? You came to me on Christmas so the name fits. I think I'm going to call you Angel."

xxxxx

*The guardian angel conversation was from the Season 1 episode Blood Brothers.