Thanks for taking the time to look over my story.
This is the latest story based in my "Sacrifice" series.
I would also like to thank everyone who has left comments, reviews, comments or favourite any of my stories/chapters, they have been greatly appreciated, as has that fact that you have chosen to read any of my fics.
I have tried to keep characterisations right.
I hope you enjoy it.
I know it can be a bit uninteresting, but I value feedback, as it lets me know what people like, or don't like from my efforts. Or just so I know if you have enjoyed it in general. So I would please ask you to take a minute once you've finished reading it, to let me know what you thought.
I do NOT own NCIS:Los Angeles or any of its Characters. I'm just borrowing them
Callen swung his legs round from the bed until they dropped down and touched the floor.
He had been having a very strange dream… he couldn't remember much of it, but he was left with the overall impression that it had been very detailed and very painful.
He had a busy day ahead of him, although he just couldn't be bothered…least of all taking the alimony cheque over to his ex wife, Tracy's
….
"What more do you want from me… my soul?"
"I just want what I'm entitled to, G" Tracy replied, in a raised voice
"Like hell you do. You won't be happy 'till I'm out on the street. If you want yet more money from me for doing shite all, then you can talk to my lawyer" Callen shouted in response as he walked out of the house and slammed the door behind him
….
Callen started the car, and pulled away from the sidewalk, while starting to mumble to himself
"The stupid bitch should go out and get a job, let her see what it's like to earn money. I don't think she's ever even had a job since she left school"
He kept driving until he pulled over near a diner
….
"Morning. Can I take your order?" the young woman asked
Callen eyed the young woman, taking note of her short height, auburn hair in a pixie cut, name tag and cheery smile before replying
"Yeah, I'll take a large black coffee and a breakfast sampler"
"I'll be right back with your coffee" she replied before quickly disappearing and just as quickly reappearing with a large mug and a pot of coffee
"You look like you needed that" the young woman said, watching Callen put the mug down after taking a large gulp of the coffee
"Unless you've ever had to deal with an ex wife, you'll never know just how much I did need it"
The young woman sat down on the other side of the booth, sitting the pot in front of her
"Maybe not dealing with an ex wife, but I know what it's like dealing with an ex husband. You just need to not let them upset you" she replied, before taking a look over Callen
"I'm Nell"
"I know"
"How?"
Callen nodded, indicating towards her name badge, before taking another large sip of coffee
"Oh right, duh" Nell replied, before playfully slapping her forehead, before getting up and disappearing again, before returning with his order
"I'm going to guess your in the army" she said randomly
"Nope" he responded, shaking his head with a smirk, between bites of his breakfast
"Okay… an Actor?"
"Nope, Not today at least" He responded with a bigger smirk
"Your name is probably something like Sam" she asked, moving on from his job
"Nope… I work with a Sam though. I'm, G" he replied
"Come on … G? you're not a gang banger…. What's your real name?"
Callen chuckled a little, "I swear to god.. my name is G."He responded raising his hands like she was pointing a gun at him "Grew up in foster care, No one ever told me what it stood for"
…..
Having finished his breakfast and coffee, and having paid his bill, Callen moved to leave the diner, only to hear Nell call to him as he reached the door
"See you again, 'Not a soldier' G"
Callen didn't even turn, bit did give a brief wave of his hand
…..
"You're late, G"
"Sorry, Mace. Had to drop off this months alimony to the devil" replied Callen as he sat a coffee down in front of her
"You're forgiven" she responded before taking a sip of the coffee
….
Everyday for the next few weeks, Callen made a point of heading to the diner for breakfast or dinner, always finding Nell working, no matter what time day or night.
Sometimes she would be too busy to have a lengthy chat, but she always made time to say hi, and ask how Callen was doing.
Other times, when the diner was not as busy, she would sit down with him and discuss literature, or the news
But the longer that they knew one another, Callen found himself thinking about his young friend between visits, especially after a lengthy op.
…..
"Who put a smile on your face, G?"
"Wouldn't you like to know, Mike. Besides, I wouldn't inflict you on her" Callen replied with a grin
"Ah… so it's not just a person. It's a woman. Do tell me more" Mike quipped back
"How about I don't, and you tell me where Sam and Sully are?"
"Mace assigned Sam to protect Hetty while she's in DC meeting with the new Director. Now, as for Sulivan's whereabouts , I've not got a clue. Why?, am I not good enough for you, buddy" Mike replied with a wide smirk
Just then, Eric appeared in the office block, informing them that they were required in OPS
…..
Callen had just been assigned a new undercover operation, requiring him to be put in prison to acquire information relating to fraud by a Purser officer
"So shock me, Doc. How bad is prison gonna be!" Callen asked sarcastically
"You joke. But you know you're going in there without your usual level of back up. It's going to be very jarring for you, the lack of freedom, the confinement, and the lack of control… and most importantly for you, a restricted diet. No bottomless coffees"
"I know all that, Nate."
…..
Callen was undercover in prison for over 4 weeks. By the time he was 'released' his usual clean cut look, was replaced with a much scruffier appearance.
Strange as it was, he longed for a proper meal and a large coffee… but of more importance to him by that time, was that he saw Nell.
…..
Walking into the diner, Callen didn't find Nell with her cheery smile, didn't find his young friend, didn't find the person that he had focused on to get through his prison experience
"She's got the night off. I Think she has a date" the non descript waitress informed him
He found himself disappointed that Nell wasn't there, that she had a date… maybe even, that she had a date with someone else
…..
The short pixie had got under his skin. Never before had any woman got a hold of him as quick as this young woman. She wasn't even his type… okay, sure, she was intellectual… but neither was she leggy, nor was she what the media would consider as a conventional beauty (She wasn't exactly like the cover girls featured in Maxim), not to mention she had to be half his age
He had longed to hold her, to lean down and kiss those lips... to run his fingers all over her body, for some time
But none were going to happen. The solution, in the short term at least, was to go to the nearest bar and find some woman… any woman, to enable him to hopefully start thinking straight again.
….
Callen quietly climbed out of the bed of the woman he had spent the night with…
He wanted to call her Angela…but that would be a guess… he hadn't gone into the situation wanting to form a lasting relationship with the young woman… he just wanted a distraction from the thoughts of Nell.
Too bad it hadn't worked… In the back of his mind, Callen could admit to using 'Angela' for her physical attributes, while his mind was visualising the 'other' young woman that he truly wanted to go to bed with.
….
"You abandoned me"
Callen, yet again, shot upright from another troubling dream. Only, this time he could remember aspects of the dream… he remembered hearing Nell's voice telling him that he had abandoned her… he could remember that he was in a lot of pain… he was alone… a heavy weight pressing down on his body, and excruciating pain in his left arm and left leg and he could remember feeling really cold.
If only it felt like a dream… it felt more like a memory
….
Despite wanting to see Nell… Callen kept away from the diner for a while, Going back to eating from food trucks.
It wasn't that he didn't want to see, or talk to, Nell… it was that he didn't know how to act when, or if, he saw her again.
The situation was worse because he couldn't talk to anyone about the situation. No one knew about his friendship with the young woman.
"Hey, you okay, man?"
"Not really, Mike. I'm in the middle of something that I don't know how to deal with"
"Try me" Renko suggested, being entirely sincere
….
"Tell her"
"I can't do that, Mike"
"G!, You can, and you should. We give up so much for this job… and if you find something, or someone that matters to you… you shouldn't let them go without a fight. Go tell her now"
….
Callen walked into the diner feeling more nervous than he could ever remember being.
And there she was… looking fantastic, and happy
He couldn't say anything to her, and affect her happiness.
In the time that Callen was thinking all of this, Nell had seen him and walked over to greet her friend
"Hey, G. Long time no see. How's things?"
"Emm…. I'm okay…. But was hoping I could maybe talk to you?"
"Sure, but can we do it with you in a seat… my manager's in kind of a shitty mood"
Callen took a seat and ordered a large coffee. When Nell returned, Callen started saying what Mike had urged him to say
"Well, it's like this…."
….
Nell just stared back at Callen. She hadn't said a single word since he had finished talking… which would have been about 3 minutes ago
"Nell?"
"Huh… em , yeah… that's….." Nell started and stopped talking… not knowing how to respond to him "I need to go back to work " she continued before getting up and starting to walk away.
She got a few steps away before turning back towards Callen
She leaned over and quickly placed a brief kiss on Callen's cheek
"Come back at closing" she whispered into his ear
….
The next thing he knew he was alone… He was cold… He was trapped under rubble his left leg seemed to be broken and there was a metal rod piercing through his left arm
"I guess I need to get myself out of this one… I hate Afghanistan"