Forget Today

Chapter 1


The job sounded easy enough to Callen. Some days in a safe house. But easy jobs don't exist in their line of work.
Sequel to 'Turn Back Time'


disclaimer: I am well aware that I do not own any of the original characters of NCIS Los Angeles. They all belong to Shane Brennan&CBS


o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

"No way."

Callen stared at Granger, his bright blue eyes colder than the Assistant Director was used to. "It will be a perfect job for Kensi and Deeks."

The older man glared at the agents in front of him. Then he shook his head. "You know I need them in the field. Especially now Hanna is temporarily unavailable. It won't be a dangerous thing. Besides, you damn well know that I would never put the two of you in danger," Granger argued. "It'll be a short and easy mission."

"If it is such an easy job, why don't you send in Nell and Eric?" The team lead asked. Both his look as his stance were challenging, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he was leaning against the central table in the Ops Center.

"Wait. What?" Eric pushed up his glassed just a little higher to his nose and looked around nervously. "Me… Fieldwork? I'm sure you are not serious, are you, Callen?"

Granger shook his head. "Never mind, that's not going to happen Beale." He then turned to Nell and said "Go on with your briefing, Jones. After that, get ready for tomorrow. You will be joining agent Callen."

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Pacific Coast Family Medical Group

The scraping of the chair next to his bed didn't really wake him.
Sam Hanna simply had closed his eyes because he was tired. He had been lying in this hospital bed for two days now and he'd hardly slept so far. The only thing his brain did was reliving what it was that had gone so wrong. Both he and Callen had thought this all seemed to be such an easy job.
A sincere story, a phone call Sam got, followed by a warning from the CIA agent who'd accompanied the spy - the woman who sent him such a sweet smile. When did he get so sloppy to be distracted by a sweet smile? Sam Hanna swore to himself he'd never get distracted like this ever again.
Because here he was. Shot at, operated on and out of business for at least three weeks. Far too long.

He slowly breathed out through his nose.

Without opening his eyes, Sam knew exactly how his partner now sat beside him. The chair would lean on its back legs and lean against the wall, while Callen would sit on it, completely relaxed in that stance.

"I know you're awake partner," Callen remarked.

His tired, brown eyes opened and Sam replied "No wonder I am awake. I literally sense your annoyance which grabbed my attention. It's attacking my 'zen'-mode".

"Bullshit. Mind you, I'm not irritated. Just—restless. Perhaps a tiny bit displeased."

The large man hoisted himself up as far as possible and pressed the button which elevated the head end of the bed. "Since you're here and not at home there's probably something you only want to share with your best friend forever." Sam chuckled, then continued: "What can I do for you, Sir?"

The slightest smirk appeared on Callen's face, then it was gone and replaced by a hardly noticeable wiggle of his jaw. Sam recognized it and again he asked "Tell me, what's bothering you?"

There was no hesitation "Granger wants me to team up with Nell. Easy job, he says. Some days in a safe house, accompanying a couple who were the targets of an assassination attempt."

"Sounds nearly as boring as working on your inbox at the office. What is it you don't like about it?"

"Dunno."

"Is it the job or are you not sure about working with Nell, G?" Sam asked. He knew his partner, his habits and his trust issues. So far, both of them had worked with Nell, albeit as a team of three.

"If there's no other way, yeah." Callen sighed. "Still, she looked pretty uncomfortable with it, you know. Nervous too."

Sam let his thoughts go and suggested "If she is, perhaps you could convince Granger to mix up the team. Deeks has worked with Nell before, they could do it, while Kensi and you—"

The younger man shook his head. "No. It'll be good for Nell. Maybe it's working with me that's making her act differently from how I know her. She's a great field agent too, we've all seen that. She needs to learn to trust her own capabilities. An easy job like this will only contribute to that trust, and I can coach her."

"There is a 'still' you don't want to share buddy."

Callen was quiet for a second, then he said "Granger wanted Becca to work with me. I refused. How's that for trusting—my partner?"
There was more, a gut feeling he couldn't put his finger on.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

"You don't want this," Nell simply stated, watching the senior agent who drove his Mercedes to their temporary home as she wet her lips nervously. "I can sense it."

He glanced at the young woman and sent her a sincere smile. Then his focus was on the road again but he explained: "It's not that Nell. I know you're good at whatever it is you're doing. Your work as an analyst enables us all to work in the field the way we do. I trust the way you worked in the field yourself too. What I need you to do is to trust yourself. Right now."

"Still… You don't want this, Callen. It would never be your first choice to work with me," she softly repeated. "l'm just the replacement of a suggested replacement and you first suggested—"

"I know what I suggested." It sounded nearly harsh and Callen added "I trust you, Nell. It's just something… I don't know what." He sent her a quick half smile and changed the subject. "These Johnsons, they know we're coming, right?"


Thanks for reading!