All characters and all rights at Navy CIS LA belong to CBS and Shane Brennan Productions. The following story does not serve any commercial purposes, but was written only for the pleasure of fans. An injury of Copyright is not intended. All further persons belong to the authoress.

I am not used to write in English, so if you find any mistakes in my story please send them back to me for correction.

I also would be very glad about any review so I could become a better writer and give you more fun while reading.

Chapter 1 - Eruption

The 'normal' life returned. Sam and Callen were deep undercover and couldn't be achieved. Kensi and Marty were swamped with work, because they were forced to do the work of four by twos. Again Nate was on a secret assignment and no one knew when he would come back. Eric finally tried to coordinate everything and take care of all by computer monitoring, a full-time employment. For the first time since her stay in hospital Joann was on her own. She missed the woman talks' with Kensi, the high jinks with Marty and the amusing-serious discussions with Sam. But most of all she missed Callen: his blue eyes that seemed to look deep into her inner self; the charming and cheeky grin when he had teased her; the feeling of being secure that she was given by his closeness; the feeling of understanding, because often he was the only one who could follow her mental leaps. She even missed the quarrellings with him.

...

Finally, it was her first day at work. But despite her achievements and her efforts at the reception, her colleagues still shunned Joann. The past doesn't simply disappear. So she went back to a solitary career. Nevertheless, Joann pulled herself together and did a good job. Because of her no agent should get in danger on the basis of incorrect, incomplete or missing information.

...

After Callen had returned, they had gone out a few times: cinema, dine out, a stroll along the promenade in Venice Beach, a visit to the Santa Monica Pier, just regular stuff. Joann liked to be together with G, she felt safe in his presence. She enjoyed his touch and loved to kiss him. To any more she wasn't ready yet, but Callen accepted that. She was grateful for his patience.

...

"Oh, come on, Joann, don't make me beg! I have to go out again and you too. When have you been dancing in a club the last time? You can't always sit alone in your apartment!"

"I'm just not the type who goes to clubs, Kensi. I don't squat 'lonely' in my apartment. You know that I love my books and like to spend time with them on my couch."

"Jo, you are too young for that! You can do that if you're old and gray and sit in a wheelchair. Come on, go out with me!"

"Oh, Kens..."

"You haven't answered my question, Joann. When have you been out for dancing the last time?" Silence answered her. "Jo?"

"Okay, about two years ago, Kens."

"Well, if that alone is no reason..." Expectantly Kensi kept quiet.

Finally she heard Joann yieldingly sigh. "When shall I be ready?"

"Yeah! I'll pick you up in an hour." Before Joann could change her mind, Kensi replaced.

At the appointed time Joann stood on the road. She didn't feel really comfortable in her dress, hoping that Kensi didn't keep her waiting. Restless, she looked up and down the street. Then she smiled. She would recognize this style of driving anywhere.

"Hey, Jo, you look great."

"I hate it..."

Kensi laughed. "Today we will greatly amuse ourselves. Be happy and make the best of it."

Joann just rolled her eyes.

"You should have seen her!" Kensi was full of enthusiasm. "At first she sat riveted to the spot on her bar stool. Each time a man appealed Joann, I had to prevent her to leave the club immediately. Until she suddenly jumped up, called to me 'I love that song!' and rushed on the dance floor. Then I couldn't get her down from it. Joann has rocked the dance floor!"

Sam and Callen threw incredulous looks to Kensi.

"Do we talk about the same woman? Or did you have some drinks to much on Saturday?"

"Perhaps you speak about yourself, Kens. Finally, you are our Party Girl." Deeks was just able to take cover before Kensi could hit him.

"Boys, I tell the truth! In Joann slept a volcano that has erupted on Saturday." She had an idea. "How about going out all together on this weekend? Then you can convince yourselves."

The three men looked at each other.

"Why not? We hadn't been out together for a long time.", Callen remarked.

"And what do you do when she doesn't 'rock'?"

"I'll get the doughnuts for a week, Sam."

Callen and Marty laughed. Sam's vice was a constant joke between them all.

"The really good ones with the tasty filling, Sam. How does that sound?"

He just stared at her what made the others broad grinning.

"You wanna go out again?" Joann chased it up. "We had been out two weeks ago!"

"So what? Actually I wanted to go last weekend, but that was prevented by the job. Joann, life is short and I wanna have fun in it. The team wanted to do something together again and we all agreed that you belong to us. So, don't make such a fuss and say yes." Joann sighed deeply and wanted to reject, as Kensi interrupted her again. "And don't dare to say you don't belong to us. If you forgot it, we have adopted you."

"Sure, I'm the mascot of the OSP..."

"Joann, it's just Callen, Sam, Deeks, Eric and me. Oh, and Nate, he is back. Don't let me be the only woman once again."

"I do not know..." Joann was still reluctant.

"Joann MacKenzie, you will miss a very special evening, if you don't come. Also, the other will be very disappointed if you say 'no'."

"Kensi, I know psychological tricks and have them down pat, too." One moment the agent shimmered through.

"I'm sorry, Joann, but why do I have to put the thumbscrews on you when I will go out with you? Is it me?"

"No, Kensi, it's the going out."

"But you had fun!"

Joann smiled to herself. "Yes, Kens, I really had. Okay, I'll go with you."

It was Friday evening and Joann stared at the entrance. Kensi had selected an All-in-One Club: restaurants, bars, cafes, discos and lounges. It was huge. A few times she took a deep breath. No, she was not afraid, she was not alone. In there her friends waited for her, she just had to go to them.

"Hey, there you are!" Callen put an arm around Joann and squeezed her briefly. "Wow, you look great!" She blushed with embarrassment and stroke herself erratic over the jeans.

"He's right." Sam smiled at her.

Also the others made her compliments. Facilitated Joann took a deep breath as their table was free and she didn't stand longer in the center of attention.

"As if we would have agreed upon it!"

Kensi pointed laughing on their outfits. She had decided on a figure-hugging black dress with white belt and black high-heeled pumps, while Joann was wearing a skin-tight black jeans with matching jacket, a white shirt and black cowboy boots.

Joann was chuckling. "Black and white, the timeless colors!"

The dinner just was funny. Joann felt like being in a screwball comedy. One word led to another, one joke hunted the next. The six knew each other very well and liked themselves honestly, this was more than palpable. Nevertheless, Joann felt as a part of it. It was a good, long lost feeling.

"Come on, people, I wanna dance!"

Kensi urged to change the club area, while the men preferred to drink a beer. As a compromise, they chose a table above the dance floor. Curiously Joann looked around and enthusiastically listened to the music. Kensi smiled at her.

"I've read on the Internet that today is 80s night, so I immediately thought of you."

Joann's eyes sparkled. "Oh, why?"

"When we had been out recently, you had unbend not before they started playing the old stuff, because of that. Am I wrong?"

"No, Kens, it's a great idea." Spontaneously Joann hugged her. "Thanks." Then the sparkling was back. "Let's paint the dance floor!"

Arm in arm they went out, leaving the men to their beer.

It was not long and the men forgot their beer, and watched amazed as Joann changed. Kensi was right, she rocked the dance floor. Callen had seen her so extroverted only on their trip to the beach picnic. He couldn't stop looking at her.

Sam nudged his friend. "G, we are still here."

"I seem to have missed a lot." Questioningly Nate looked at the others.

They just shrugged their shoulders.

Beaming Joann appeared on the table. "Heaven, I have a thirst!" Greedy she knocked down a glass of water. "What about you, don't you wanna dance?" She looked inquiringly at the others. "Come on, it's just dancing." She reached G's hand and he let himself move towards the dance floor by Joann.

"Oh, man, I'm wiped out by this woman! She doesn't become tired at all." Groaning Callen sat back to his team.

Everyone laughed, but they also saw the warmth in his eyes as he watched her.

"Kensi was right with the volcano, what, Callen?" Deeks grinned.

"Don't do silly sayings, but put your ass down there. It's your turn!"

While Joann and Kensi hardly left the dance floor, the men took turns as their dance partners. They moaned about it though, but clearly had fun. The evening seemed to be going perfectly.

Before Joann left the dance floor, she made Kensi a sign in the direction of the washrooms. Groaning she saw the queue outside the ladies room, but then lined up with a sigh. Suddenly a hand laid down on Joann's shoulder. She turned with a smile, expecting to see one of her friends, but it was a totally stranger.

"Hy, sweetness, did it hurt when you are fallen from heaven?"

She didn't trust her ears. So there really were men, who made so dumb hit ones. While Joann picked his hand from her shoulder with pointed fingers, she gave him a look that could flash-freeze him. But the guy had to be hard in taking, because he wasn't deterred. So Joann added an unfriendly "Piss off!", which was unfortunately just as ineffective. The guy didn't want to leave her side and bombarded her with silly sayings. Joann was released when she was able to enter the toilet.

As she came out, the guy was still standing in the corridor outside the ladies room. Joann decided to ignore him. As she walked past him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her sweeping towards himself. When he wanted to put his arm around Joann's hip, she gave him a kick on his foot and pushed her elbow jerk in his solar plexus. Abruptly, she was released. Relieved, she went on and felt the panic fade away. "Only a drunk, just a drunk." As in a mantra Joann murmured the words to herself.

Searching for Kensi, Joann looked around and discovered her on the lower bar, where she flirted heavily with a rather attractive man. At that moment Deeks came down the stairs and saw them. The smile vanished from his face, his steps became slower, a bit insecure. Then he turned around and went back. "Oho, so that's thus." Joann immediately had understood what was going on. She already had followed Marty a few steps when she felt a stab in the back. Instantly, she got dizzy. Confused, she registered someone pulling her arm from behind and encircled it with an iron grip so hard that she almost fell down the stairs.

"You won't play games with me, you little bitch!" It was the drunk guy from the earlier on and he looked really angry. "I'm nice to you and you hit me! That will cost you something!" Brutally he trailed her behind him.

There was only emptiness in Joann's head, she was unable to defend herself, and her knees were like rubber. Joann did not understand what was wrong with her. Somehow she managed to turn around, despite the firm grip and she saw Deeks standing on the top of the stairs. "Marty!" Joann had no idea where she got the strength to call him.

Deeks heard someone call his name and turned around. He saw a pretty big guy who dragged Joann down the stairs. She looked helpless, as she wouldn't be right with her. As he ran down the stairs, he reached for his cell phone and called Callen. "Joann is in trouble. Towards lower washing facilities."

Callen nearly pushed Nate off the chair when he jumped up. "Sam, come with me. Joann has problems, Deeks is on it."

"Where?"

"Lower washrooms." Callen urged down the stairs, Sam close on his heels.

He dragged her into a storage room. When Joann tried to slip, he hit her hard in the face. Then he pushed her against a wall and tried to kiss her. His alcohol evaporation let her turn away her head. Brutally he grabbed her chin and turned back her head.

"Let her go." Deeks had caught up to them.

"Back off, this is my girl!" The drunk indulged only a quick look at Deeks.

"No, she's mine. So, do what the man has told you." Callen had appeared behind Deeks and his hard voice left no doubt that the unspoken 'or else' meant nothing good.

The hand of the drunk wandered from her chin to her throat and squeezed. She couldn't breathe. Her vision blurred. "Fight back!" She did not know where the words came from.

Deeks, Sam and Callen had formed a loose ring around Joann and her attacker, but didn't dare to approach nearer, because they didn't want to provoke the man further. So they had to watch Joann getting flabby under his grip.

"Your girl? Probably not." The drunk laughed. Then he pulled a knife from his pocket and did snap it. "Get out, then I may leave you something!"

She was trapped in a nightmare. She heard and saw everything as if through cotton wool. "Fight back!" There they were again, those words. They seemed to mean something, but she didn't know what. Slowly, she slipped away.

Kensi held on Nate and Eric. "If you go in there, you provoke him even more!"

"But we have to do something! Joann is running out of time!" Eric felt helpless. He normally got such situations only about his monitor and his headset and then was able to offer technical solutions.

"Nate?" Kensi kept circumspect, although she was afraid for her friend.

"He's drunk, that means he's unpredictable." Nate looked at Kensi calmly. "Intervene as quickly as possible and hope for the best."

"Fight back!" Joann suddenly opened her eyes wide and reached for the hand at her throat. She could feel that she didn't have much time left. Blindly she struggled.

"Stop it!"

The drunk turned to Joann, surprised by her sudden resistance. That was the moment they needed. Deeks and Sam pulled him away from Joann and Callen caught her as she collapsed. The two men struggled to nail down the maniac on the floor. Spontaneously Kensi solved the problem, in which she grabbed the nearest object and thus struck his head. Abruptly, he laid still.

Joann's eyes were glassy, she took of her surroundings only blurred. The last thing she saw before she passed out, was a pair of incredibly blue eyes.

Kensi looked around for Sam and Deeks. "Bring this punk out." Then she spoke softly to Callen. "Something is wrong with her, Callen. She never would have allowed this squib to trail her without resistance."

Nate looked cautiously around the corner. "Is Joann injured, does she need a doctor?"

"Yes, but we can't wait for an ambulance." Callen took back the initiative. "Sam, get your car and hurry up. I'm with Jo on the back door." Then he looked around and listened to the outbreaks in the corridor. "You better look about Deeks, Nate, before anyone is going to hear him. Eric should call Hetty. We might not get into any police investigation, but the freak has to be locked up."

While Sam drove Callen and Joann to the hospital, the others waited. Eric finally came back, accompanied by two civilian investigators. "Hetty meets us in the hospital. These two will dispose the waste. We are here to disappear quickly. I paid our bill so we can get out through the back door." He handed Kensi her and Joann's purse and distributed the jackets.

"Mr. Callen, what happened?" Hetty looked at him anxiously.

"She has an overdose."

"Never!" Kensi has been outraged. "Joann doesn't take drugs!"

A faint smile appeared on Callen's face and for a moment his eyes lost the heavy look. "She hasn't taken the drug voluntarily. The doctor has found a puncture in her back. It was this crazy critter."

"And what happens now?" Deeks looked at Callen very worried.

"She is getting something for detoxification and responds well to it. We will soon be able to go to her."

Kensi slumped on a chair and whispered "It's my fault, I persuaded her to come along, although she did not want."

"That's rubbish, Kens, and you know it." Deeks sat down beside her and gently put his arm around her shoulder. Exceptionally Kensi let him do as he likes, she needed the comfort.

The doctor came and smiled. "Miss MacKenzie is doing well given the circumstances, she is awake and clear. If you want you can go to her. But please one after another, not all at once."

"Thank you, Doctor." Facilitation prevailed.

At the door everyone waited, only Callen and Hetty went inside. He gently kissed Joann on the forehead. "You make things, Little One."

"You shouldn't call me 'Little One'!"

With a broad grin and laughter all acknowledged the exclamation.

"As I can hear, you are good, Miss MacKenzie."

"I feel like someone has given me a grilling, but otherwise yes, I'm fine." Warmly she replied Hetty's smile.

After everyone was convinced that Joann would soon be fit again, they went home with relief. Only Hetty and Callen remained. "Mr. Callen, maybe you can get us a cup of tea, which we can use all now well." He took the hint and left the two women alone.

"I wanted to talk briefly with you alone, Miss MacKenzie. What has happened after you went to the washroom?"

Joann objectively described the events as far as she could remember.

"I'm sorry, Hetty, that I have put your team into trouble. That was certainly not my intention."

For the first time Hetty smiled. "To get in trouble, my team doesn't need you, Miss MacKenzie, it can do that completely alone. And an apology is not necessary, you have done nothing that requires one."

"What happens now?"

"Well, your attacker has been previously convicted, he is also searched for drug trafficking and other crimes with a current arrest warrant. My people have handed him over to the police, they won't ask any questions." Hetty was silent for a moment. "Miss Mackenzie, I know what happened in New York and why you are here in Los Angeles. Contrary to your superiors and colleagues at the FBI, I think you are a capable agent. If you ever want to work again as such, you have to stand on the events. To make friends privy to it may be very helpful." Joann gave her a scrutinizing gaze. "If you didn't know it before, Miss MacKenzie, after tonight it should be clear that you have friends here." Hetty made a break again. "In due time I told Mr. Callen to trust you. He listened to my advice. Now I give you the advice to trust your friends."

As Callen returned with the tea, Hetty was already gone. He threw a glance at Joann, but she had fallen asleep. So he pulled up a chair and made himself comfortable. He would spend the night here. He took a sip of the tea and grimaced. Hetty was right, he could taste the paper.