Hey guys! It's been ages since I've written anything, for a multitude of reasons that I won't go into, but I watched the most recent episode of NCIS:Los Angeles and I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, Hetty would have found a way to be there.
So, yeah. Read, enjoy, and do review!
-Rey
...the Office of Special Projects' long and proud tradition of throwing together last minute holiday parties."
With their attention directed towards the shaggy haired detective behind the bar, none of the agents noticed the diminutive figure standing in the shadows behind them.
Henrietta Lange had never missed a Christmas party for as long as she'd been at OSP, and she wasn't about to start now, no matter the circumstances.
"We work hard every day, and we look up, and another season has passed", Deeks continued.
And what a season it had been for the team, Hetty mused. They had all been through hell and back, some of them in one piece, others never to be whole again.
And after every tragedy, somehow they found the strength to bounce back and to find joy in the everyday of their lives.
"Everybody just grab a glass, and we're gonna raise a toast to those who are not there with us today."
Hetty's eyes widened just a little, before her lips curved into a gentle smile. She felt more than saw the shift in the mood of the room, as the agents grew somber.
They all needed this moment, to grieve and remember, and say what you will about Detective Deeks being the comic relief, he was a sensitive and emotional man through and through.
She saw the imperceptible tightening of Sam's face and the slight glint in his eye that were the only signs of the poker-faced agent's pain and heartache. Michelle's death had shaken him and the team to their very core. For a while, Hetty had wondered if they'd ever be able to go back to things the way they were before.
"We're thinking about Harley Hidoko.."
The Operations Manager's eyes grew moist as she thought of the young agent. The loss of someone with so much to live for, someone who was just entering the prime of their career and life, was devastating. And for her to go out the way she had...
Suddenly, Hetty felt old and tired. It was losses like hers that made her question their line of work from time to time.
"..and Owen Granger."
Hetty's vision blurred with tears in a rare display of emotion for her fallen colleague. The man had been her friend and companion on their long and arduous road, fraught with endless perils. Sharing a stiff drink with him at the end of the day had become a comforting ritual for her. And now, she was alone, adrift.
"And we want them to know that they are loved and they are missed."
Indeed, Mr. Deeks. Indeed.
"And to Henrietta Lange, wherever she may be, that she is also loved and missed..."
A single tear rolled down a wrinkled cheek, falling on the dark fabric of a suit. Hetty was touched. Deeply so.
In another life, in other circumstances, this would have been the perfect cue for a dramatic entry such as the ones she loved, but today she had to stay in the shadows, watch her family from afar.
"..And that she comes home soon with great stories and hopefully some great scotch."
'I hope so too, Mr. Deeks', thought Hetty. 'But for now, it's safer for the team that I stay away. One day soon, however, you, me and a bottle of Glenlivet will have one helluva party.'
Knowing that her time was up, Hetty gently set down the glass of eggnog she had been holding. Taking one last look, she slipped out of the warmth of the bar and into the cold and unwelcoming night, her heart heavy and eyes still not quite dry.