Lost and Found

A/N - So I'm a happy ending kind of girl and just wanted something good to come out of Dom dying. This is what came out of that, well one of the things anyway. New stories keep popping up in my head so it's been an interesting week since Found was aired here in OZ

Yes, it's Callen/OC but not in my usual romantic way. Enjoy

Thanks so much to AngelPrincessLilac for beta'ing and putting up with the difficulties of editing something from down under.

Disclaimer - Don't own anything you recognise, just doing it for fun.

Chapter 1

The Team was out having drinks one night after Dom's funeral.

Callen was the designated driver/cab finder for the evening, so he sat with the others nursing his one beer. He'd volunteered for the job, wanting to keep an eye on his team, perhaps protect them, not quite ready to get into serious grieving or talking about Dom.

Sam was on his second drink, Eric was already at six.

Hetty had ordered something obscure the bartender had never heard of. A look from her though and the poor bartender spent ten minutes looking it up before being able to make it for her. Callen remembered the look of relief on his face when Hetty had nodded after tasting it. Though it quickly turned to horror when she told him to keep them coming.

Kensi had a bottle of Tequila.

Nate, a vodka and tonic. Callen would be willing to bet his next pay check that the Psychologist's drink was actually water.

He watched his team as they reminisced about Dom, and got drunker as the night went on. The bar had been chosen carefully. It was noisy, but not packed; one where you really needed to yell to be heard properly. It gave them all a chance to tell stories about Dom, and not necessarily be heard. Meaning, they could get things off their chest that they usually wouldn't have said, without worrying about what would come back to bite them in the morning, or next week, after they'd recovered from the drinking session. That's why he believed Nate was on water, because he would learn so much about everyone if he could actually remember tonight.

Nights like these made Callen think about those he'd lost in the past. He never did that drunk, because if he did, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't say something he'd never meant to share. So, now was one of the times when he allowed himself to wallow, just a little.

There had been his family, not that he remembered them. Still they counted as those he'd lost. Jason was another, just a kid, but more of a man than the one who had killed him. He didn't linger on the memories of Jason for long, he still felt guilty that he hadn't been able to do anything. Alina. That had been because of him. He remembered how he'd felt he was part of a family while with them. Erin. He shook his head to stop that thought there. Erin was a place he wouldn't go, couldn't go… Dom had been so young; he'd barely had a chance at the life he'd chosen. They'd teased him about being new, but Callen knew that there was potential in him, if only he'd had time. His fault, too. If only he'd looked harder, done something different. Then there was Joseph, Libby, and their daughter Rachel. He hadn't thought about them for a long time. Libby had gone off a cliff in her car five years ago. Joseph and Libby had been his friends from early military days, one of the few he had kept in contact with over the years. Joseph had been devastated over his wife's death and had told him to never come back, but hadn't explained why. That was how he'd lost Rachel.

As Callen heard Eric whistle loudly, his attention returned to the table, grateful that he wasn't actually sitting next to Eric. Nate, however, was shaking his head looking like he was trying to get the ringing to stop. Eric was staring over at the bar. Callen turned and looked to see two girls, probably only just twenty-one and legal, dancing on the bar. Callen turned back to Eric and shook his head. Eric couldn't keep his eyes off the girls, which probably had to do with how little clothing they were wearing, combined with the amount Eric had already had to drink—now up to eight—and as far as Callen could tell mixed with nothing to eat.

Callen went back to his wallowing, the girls on the bar keeping his mind on Rachel. She would be twenty-one by now. The funeral for Libby had been the last time he had seen her. She'd been sixteen. Even though Joseph had told him not to come back, he had continued to send her presents, as he always had, all the while hoping that he'd be invited back. After two years of all the presents being "Return to Sender," the last one came back with an added note: Not Known at this Address. That's when he gave up. He had called the phone number he had for them, but someone else answered. So he stopped and tried to forget about her. She was older now, technically an adult. Maybe it was time to try and track her down… He knew she wouldn't be able to find him on her own.

Eric's vocalisations about the girls on the bar brought his attention back to his team yet again.

"Now she is one hot babe!" Eric said, almost drooling.

Callen turned and looked back at the bar. Now, there were three girls up there. The new one looked up and he saw her eyes, so familiar. Rachel. Even after five years he'd know those eyes anywhere. He was shocked and couldn't look away. What was she doing? This wasn't like her. Do you really know what she's like anymore? He asked himself. She was sixteen then. A lot can change in five years.

Callen saw the unsteadiness in her movements, saw her glazed eyes, and wondered what else she was on other than alcohol. He also saw a guy on the stool near her at the bar look up at her and watched her smile down, a smile that left no doubt that she was interested.

As the guy stood up and started to run his hands up her legs, Callen, ignoring the call of his team mates at the table, moved quickly, watching her the whole time. By the time he got to her at the bar, the guy's hands were about to disappear up the skirt that was barely there and Callen yanked him back of the stool roughly. He had no idea if the guy fell on the floor or what. He was focused on her.

Callen pulled her off the bar and catching her in his arms, and started to carry her out. He'd had enough of people he cared about being hurt and since he could stop it this time, he would. He didn't care what anyone else thought, even temporarily forgetting about his team.

"You need to go home," Callen said quietly to her.

She was barely able to hold her head up and it rested on his shoulder, her arms loosely around his neck.

"No, I'm not done," Rachel said, able to speak surprisingly clearly, considering how drunk she was. She tried to get down, but her body wasn't responding very well. He held her more firmly. Her body might have had enough, but she could still remember what today was, so she wasn't drunk enough yet.

"Yes, you are," Callen replied, just as another girl put a small handbag into Rachel's lap.

"You go, Rach! Nice score," said the girl, looking him over. She casually waved and returned to her fun.

Rachel tried to look up and see what her friend meant, but she couldn't lift her head. Maybe she had had enough. No, she thought, mentally shaking her head. Maybe she could convince him, whoever he was, to get her something else to drink wherever he was taking her. She probably should be worried that some strange guy was taking her somewhere but she didn't care, it's not like the day could get any worse. Anyway, he seemed gentle. She wondered if he was the guy who had been at the bar with her when she'd been dancing just before. No, this one felt stronger than that guy had looked.

Callen got them outside and Rachel groaned as her head pounded and her stomach seemed like it had turned into a washing machine that definitely didn't have a gentle cycle. Callen remembered that feeling, what fresh air could do to someone very drunk. He carried her over to the car and gently placed her feet on the ground whilst he reached for his keys, still holding her upright.

"I'm not done," Rachel said determinedly as she took a step back from him and turned toward the bar, almost stumbling as she tried to adjust to having no one supporting her. A part of her that was still sensible had finally broken through telling her going home with someone she didn't know really wasn't a good idea. Even if she did feel safe with him.

"Yes, you are." Callen said, stopping her and pushing her back against the car as gently as he could, so he could hold her still while he unlocked the doors.

Rachel looked at him and he saw the recognition in her glazed eyes. She frowned at him and pushed him away.

"Go away!" Rachel said as firmly as her drunk mind allowed her, her heart hurting a lot more as she realized who he was. She knew he wouldn't help her find another drink and now she felt like she needed more than just one.

"Rach ..." Callen begged.

Her heart hurt even more as he said her name. "Don't! You have no right calling me that. You gave that up when you left and never came back." Rachel tried to yell at him, feeling the tears prick the back of her eyes. Her voice wasn't as mad as she had hoped, it was more desperate and in pain. She turned and tried to walk away.

"Rachel, I'm taking you home," Callen said, putting a restraining hand on her shoulder.

She spun around, unsteady and glared at him. Home, where's that? She hadn't had one in years. House yes, home no.

"You are not my father!" She screamed at him, her heart shattering as she desperately wished he was, but knew he didn't want to be.

Watching her dance and let that guy touch her had sent Callen's protective streak into overdrive. The guy had been lucky to escape with just being pulled off her, so he didn't really think about his words, just said what he felt, "If I were your father, you'd be grounded for the rest of your life."

"If you were, I wouldn't be in hell right now," Rachel yelled back, as the tears finally escaped her eyes. She couldn't look away from him. Her vision started to go black, working its way in from the outside so the last thing she saw was his face, then his eyes, so like her own. She felt herself start to fall and waited for the pain she knew was coming. But it never did. Instead, she felt his warm, protective arms catch her and she smiled slightly, thinking that she shouldn't be surprised. He'd never let her fall before, why would he start now. Then she lost consciousness.