Summary
After Nell has her first lethal shoot she finds comfort in an unexpected person
Chapter 1
After her lethal shoot Nell hadn't returned to OSP. She didn't want to talk to anyone. Kensi, Sam, Eric, Deeks and Hetty had all tried to talk to her. She just didn't want to talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone. She just wanted the images that we're going round her head to stop.
It had been a week since she had fatally shot her attacker and no-one in OSP had heard from her. Callen, Sam, Kensi, Deeks and Eric were all talking at the in the bullpen.
Most of them were avoiding the topic of Nell until Eric asked "Has anyone heard from Nell? I've tried to call her, but she doesn't answer. I've been round to see her, but she won't answer the door. Has anyone else tried to get her talk or been round to see her."
"I think we've all tried" said Kensi, everyone nodded, everyone except Callen.
Sam turned to Callen. "You haven't been to see her, you haven't called her. Have you done anything G?"
"Look, I remember my first shoot and I remember the aftermath. People kept trying to talk to me, getting me talk about it, but I had to work through it myself and when I was ready, well I didn't talk but that's me. She just needs time. She'll reach out when she's ready." Said Callen.
Hetty appeared around the corner. "Make haste we have a case." She said as she pointed to the stairs, but no-one moved. "I know you are all concerned about Ms Jones, but we have a case and she would want us to focus on that." They nod as they started to head up to OPS. Eric was the last one to head up to OPS. Hetty stopped him. "Mr Beale, I know you are concerned for Ms Jones, but we will get her back here as soon as we can." Eric smiled. "Now make haste, we both know that the team needs you." Eric headed up to OPS to brief the case on their current case.
After a long day Kensi, Deeks, Sam and Eric headed out for the night leaving Hetty and Callen in the office. "Catching up on paperwork are you Mr Callen? It's about time."
"I thought it was about time Hetty, and I was thinking about Nell and how my first shoot affected me. I remember I was the same I just wanted to work it through myself, I didn't want to talk to anyone see anyone. I knew it was something I had to do and the more people tried force themselves on me the more I didn't want their help."
"Hmmm, this sounds like something Ms Jones needs to hear Mr Callen." Callen nodded and finished up his paperwork and headed over to Nell's.
Cut to Nell's Apartment
Nell had been laying on her couch all day, trying to get some sleep, she was exhausted but all she could see were the images running through her head, pictures of the man she had shot laying there bleeding on the ground. Even when she did manage to doze off she had nightmares the man she shot, the images there was just no reprieve in sight.
Callen knew Nell wouldn't have anything in; he stopped by the market and bought some ingredients to make tacos. As he headed over to Nell's he thought back again to his first shooting. Hetty was right if anyone could get through to Nell it would be him.
Hetty watched via security cam in Nell's hallway as she saw Mr Callen approach the door.
15 minutes later Callen arrived at Nell's apartment and knocked on the door. Nell looked through the peephole to see Callen standing there looking right back at her. It was almost like he could see straight through the peephole. She didn't respond. She stood with her back to the door as Callen spoke.
"Nell. I know you're there and I know you've had everyone from the office trying to call you, Eric, Sam, Deeks, Kensi and even Hetty and I have to admit you're a brave women for ignoring Hetty (Nell smiled- the first time she had smiled in a while). Everyone except me. I've been through what you're going through I remember my first shoot. I was working for another agency I was being shot at I had taken cover I took numerous shots and 2 connected into the target, square in the chest. After the shooting I felt like I was in a daze I couldn't move, couldn't breathe I remember holding the gun in my hand I was shaking I think I was in shock. I locked myself away. My partner, co-workers, boss, the company shrink they all tried to come and talk to me and tell everything I was feeling was normal, but I couldn't get his face out of my head, everytime I closed my eyes I could see his face. I couldn't sleep because I would dream about him; dream that I didn't kill him."
Nell took a deep breath and turned to unclick the lock on her door and opened it to reveal Callen standing on her doorstep with a bag of food. She smiled as she stepped aside and Callen stepped into her apartment.
"Nice place" Said Callen
"Thanks. Can I get you a glass of water?"
Callen nods as he bought the groceries into her kitchen.
They sat down on her couch. Callen looked at Nell. "I'm not going to ask you how are you because I know what you're feeling I've been there. So what do you need?"
Nell thought for a moment. "Does it get any easier, do you ever stop seeing him. Do the nightmares ever go away.
"Honestly, I still see him occasionally, not often. The nightmares go away but they take time. I know that I did the right thing in the end and that I wouldn't be here if I didn't shoot him."
Nell nodded and Callen smiled at Nell.
"Okay you look like you could use some food. When was the last time you ate?"
Nell shook her head. "I don't know. I can't remember."
"Alright well no offence, but you look like hell. Go take a shower, freshen up and I'll cook some food." Said Callen
"Wow, gee thanks Callen." Callen smiled as Nell headed off to the shower.
Callen got to work on dinner and 12 minutes later Nell finished her shower and headed back into the kitchen where Callen was just serving up tacos.
"Looks great, thanks G" Said Nell as they tucked into their tacos.
Soon after finishing their tacos Callen cleaned up and rejoined Nell on the couch.
"Is there anything else you need Nell."
"I just really want to be able to sleep. I feel so exhausted but I just can't sleep. I just see his face." She said as she yawned sitting across from Callen. Her eyes started to get heavy. "I just want to sleep" she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.
Callen grabbed a blanket off the back of Nell's couch and covered her with it. He pulled out his phone and dialled Hetty number.
"Mr Callen. How did you go with Ms Jones."
"Well she let me in. I told her about my experience with my first shoot, she let me in. She looked like hell. I cooked her some food told her to take a shower and she finally drifted off to sleep. I thinks she was scared of being alone Hetty. I'm going to stay and make sure she is okay."
"I think that's a good idea Mr Callen. We will see yourself and hopefully Ms Jones in the morning."
Callen pulled up a blanket and sat in a sofa chair near Nell watching over her as she slept.
Chapter 2 to come
Please, please review, let me know what you think!
