Neither of them spoke as Deeks drove home, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding Kensi's hand tightly. Although they were happy with the promise of their own bright future, there was a huge hole in their hearts at what Sam had lost. Finally they arrived back at the house. Both of them were exhausted as they practically collapsed onto their living room sofa.

"Are you hungry?" Deeks asked, pretty sure she wasn't, but needing to ask the question anyway, just to try to establish a tiny bit of normalcy into what had been a horrific and harrowing two days.

Kensi shook her head. "No…why, are you?" she asked.

"No…"

"Earlier today, Nell asked me when we were going to be able to cry," Kensi said softly as she looked at Deeks, her eyes full of unshed tears.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her when the job was done…when the bad guys were dead…"

"So, I guess it's time," Deeks said, his emotions clearly evident as he opened up his arms to Kensi. She gave him a loving look as she curled against his body and began to weep copiously into his chest. He held her tightly as he allowed his own tears to fall.

Eventually, Kensi's tears began to slow and finally she had cried herself out. "How is Sam going to be able to get through this?" she asked.

"He has Callen…" Deeks replied softly. "He has us…We'll help him…"

"Even so, Deeks," Kensi said. "They've been together for a long time and the children…especially Kamran…to have lost their mother…it's just so tragic… I just wish…" She trailed off, knowing that he wished the same thing she did…that they had discovered Michelle sooner…that they had gotten to her in time.

Deeks gently stroked Kensi's hair as she rested her head against his chest. He had no words...this was just something they were all going to have to get through, the best way they could.

xxxxx

The flight to the secure location where his children had been brought took less than an hour. Sam still couldn't believe Michelle was gone. He couldn't begin to know how to cope with such a thing and had no idea how he was going to get Aiden and Kamran through it. He truly wished he had killed Tahir when he had him in his clutches when he and Callen were in Eritrea. Having allowed that monster to live was the biggest regret of Sam's life…a mistake that had cost his wife her life and his children their mother. Finally, he arrived at the safe house. The agents who were outside gave him their sympathy and allowed him to enter.

"Daddy!" Kamran ran to her father as he came through the door and threw herself into his arms. "Daddy please tell me it's not true. Tell me mommy is really alive. It's a mistake, isn't it?" She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for a different outcome than the one they had been told.

"Dad?" Aiden went to his father, his eyes full of tears and unanswered questions.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," Sam said, one arm around his daughter and the other reaching out to his son who came to him slowly.

"How did this happen?" Aiden asked, finally breaking down as Sam hugged him. "Why?"

"We'll talk about it later," Sam said, overcome by his own emotions and all that had happened. He wasn't even sure what he would say to them. He knew he had to soften the disturbing and vivid details, at least for his daughter.

"I want my mother," Kamran sobbed, clutching Sam desperately as she cried. "Please daddy, please bring her back. Please bring mommy home. We…we need her."

"I wish I could, baby girl," Sam said as more of his endless supply of tears began to fall. "More than anything, I wish I could…"

xxxxx

Callen sat in his chair, staring into the unlit fireplace, still trying to make some tiny bit of sense out of what had happened. He was at a loss as to how he could help his partner. He wanted to make it better for him…for his children…but he just didn't know how. There was a knock on his door and he quickly grabbed for his gun. "Mr. Callen?" Hetty's voice called out to him and he relaxed as she came in.

"Hi Hetty," he greeted her.

"Did you get your partner situated?" Hetty asked.

Callen nodded. "He's probably with Aiden and Kamran now."

Hetty nodded. "Good…good…" She then looked at Callen closely. "You look worn out."

"I'm sure everyone is," he said softly.

"But you've been trying very hard to keep your partner together…I daresay at your own expense."

"Me? I'm fine, Hetty," Callen said, forcing an unconvincing smile. "Sam's the one…he…" He bowed his head, unable to continue. He was trying very hard to keep his emotions inside and definitely didn't want to let go in front of Hetty.

"And how's your back?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"It's good…I'm fine..."

"I'd like to take a look at you, if you don't mind."

"I do mind, Hetty…I said I was fine."

"Prove it to me, Mr. Callen."

"Hetty," his voice broke, telling her all she needed to know.

"Come Mr. Callen. Go to your bedroom and lie down. I'm not leaving until I take a look at you."

He had no strength to fight her as he slowly got up from the chair. He was hurting much more than he would admit to. The explosion had taken its toll and he knew he would be sore as hell the next day. And his back…he was just trying not to think about that.

Hetty followed him to his bedroom. "Now sit on the bed and off with your shirt," she ordered him.

Callen rolled his eyes. "Come on, Hetty."

Hetty folded her arms across her chest and stared at him.

"Fine," he said as he slowly began to unbutton his shirt then proceeded to remove it, allowing Hetty to take a look.

"Oh Mr. Callen," Hetty said as she got her first look at the angry-looking dark bruise on Callen's back. "How can you tell me you're fine? You have to be in considerable pain from this."

"It's not that bad."

"Do you have ice in your freezer?" she asked him.

"Yes, Hetty…I have ice."

"I don't suppose you have an ice pack?"

Callen shook his head.

"Well…I'll find something to use. Now you lie on your stomach and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

Callen did as Hetty asked, and stretched out on the bed. Once he had done that, his exhaustion began to overwhelm him and as it did, he began to lose the tight control he had been fighting to keep on his emotions since they had realized Michelle was dead.

"I put the ice in a plastic bag and wrapped it in a towel," Hetty said as she came back into the room.

He flinched slightly when she placed the cold pack on his back, but then relaxed as the coldness began to soothe it.

"There…that's better now, isn't it?" Hetty asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah…it is," he said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hetty said. "Now, I'm going to go get you some ibuprofen and water."

"You don't have to," he protested, but she was already gone.

"Here you are," Hetty said, returning to his side a couple of minutes later. She sat on the bed beside him and handed him the tablets and then the bottle of water.

"Thanks."

"Crying is nothing to be ashamed of, Mr. Callen," Hetty said softly as she gently began to stroke his head.

"I…I know that, Hetty, but I'm not the one who should be crying."

"Of course you should be…you know and love Sam's family, don't you? Grieve for Michelle, Mr. Callen. It's the only way you're going to heal… It's not good to keep your feelings locked up inside.

Tired and overwhelmed by what had happened, Callen couldn't hold his tears back any longer. He buried his face into his pillow and cried, for Michelle, for her children and for Sam, his partner and closest friend. He wished, more than anything, that they could have been spared this heartbreaking loss.