To those of you following my other stories, I'm really sorry that I'm updating so sporadically. My job has gotten really crazy over the past week and I've been working lots of overtime and haven't been able to write at all. FTS is next on the agenda and then I will get back to TG.
As for this story, I wrote most of it last weekend and had planned to finish it up during the week, which never happened. It's a little different, pretty sentimental and may not appeal to a lot of people, but I just really needed to write it.
Anyhow, thanks so much for reading.
xxxxx
The high-speed chase went bad very quickly. The suspect's car Sam was pursuing took the curve a little bit too quickly and the car went barreling over an embankment into a ditch. Sam didn't fare any better as his Challenger flew over the embankment as well. It rolled over twice before resting, upside down, a short distance away from the other vehicle.
xxxxx
Sam painstakingly opened his eyes and the first thing he was aware of were the familiar symptoms of broken ribs. He put a call into OSP immediately. "Eric, can you send an ambulance, police and a Rescue squad to our location? We've been in an accident. There's another car as well. Suspects may be armed and dangerous." When he finished the call he finally dared to turn his eyes to the passenger side of the car. Callen was unconscious with a large gash in his head and blood running down the side of his face. "G? G! Can you hear me?" he pleaded. "G, please…" His partner did not respond, but Sam was able to reach out and touch his friend's neck to determine that Callen, at least, had a slow but steady pulse. Aside from that, there was nothing he could do but wait and pray that help would get to them in time.
xxxxx
Apparently he had lost consciousness again after he had called into OSP because when Sam next opened his eyes, a concerned-appearing Kensi was sitting beside his hospital bed holding his hand and Deeks was right by his side as well.
"Sam, how are you?" Kensi asked softly. "We've been so worried."
"I…" Sam looked back at them for a long moment. "G…How…Is he okay?"
Kensi and Deeks exchanged a look, neither of them answering Sam's question.
"He's not…" Sam could feel his eyes beginning to fill. "Is he?"
"No, no, Sam, he's still alive," Kensi said quickly, striving to reassure him.
"Where is he?" Sam demanded. "Who's with him? He's not alone, is he?"
"Hetty is with him," Deeks answered. "He's in the ICU. He hasn't regained consciousness."
Sam immediately attempted to sit up. "Sam, stop," Kensi said. "You need to wait. You have an IV."
"I need to be with him," Sam insisted.
"Wait until we get a doctor," Deeks said. "We'll bring you in a wheelchair."
"Well, make it quick," Sam said. "I'm not going to wait here for long."
xxxxx
Hetty said by Callen's bedside with Callen's hand held between both of her smaller hands. "Oh, Mr. Callen," she said softly. "You really need to wake up and come back to us." He was intubated and attached to a myriad of wires and monitors, which made him look very fragile, and Hetty knew he was anything but that. "Your team needs you, Mr. Callen. Sam needs you." She sighed heavily as she squeezed his hand gently, watching for any sign of him coming around, but there was nothing. "I need you," she whispered, choking back tears. "Please come back to us."
xxxxx
"Hello? Where am I?" Callen called out as he looked around at what could only be described as paradise. The sun was shining over a lawn of impeccable green grass with multicolored flowers everywhere. A crystal blue brook flowed nearby with a golden bridge over it. "Is anyone here?" He began to walk and came upon a bench adjacent to the brook. Not knowing what else to do, he sat down and watched as some chirping birds landed by his feet. It made him feel like he was in the middle of a Disney animated film. "Do you know where we are?" he asked softly as he looked down at them, half expecting them to answer his question. He had some idea, but he wasn't ready to face that quite yet.
"You're still just as beautiful as when you were my 5-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyed little cherub."
He recognized her voice at once, but was afraid to raise his head to even look at her.
"Grisha?" she said to him. "Aren't you going to talk to me?"
"Mama?" Finally, he lifted his head up to see her standing in front of him, looking exactly the same and as beautiful as he remembered. His eyes filled with tears as he gazed up at her. She leaned down and kissed each of his cheeks then sat down next to him. "Mama…I've missed you…you have no idea…" he choked on a sob and tentatively reached for her. His mother then drew him into her arms and held him for the first time since he'd been a 5-year-old boy. He began to cry as al the woes of his childhood came to the forefront, years of sadness, abuse and grief.
"Shhh…It's all right, Grisha…everything's all right." She held him and rocked him gently in her arms, as she stroked the back of his head. "My beautiful, beautiful boy."
Finally, he cried himself out and pulled back to just gaze at her. "I can't believe this," he said, filled with total acceptance and at peace with what he assumed to be his fate.
Clara rested her palm on his cheek. "You've been through a lot, my son," she said softly. "You'll never know just how sorry I am about that."
"It wasn't your fault, mama," he said softly. "They…they killed…" he trailed off, the memories of that day on the beach still so disturbing to him whenever he allowed himself to recall them.
"Don't think about that now," she said to him.
He nodded and looked back at her contemplatively.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked him.
"I just…" he shook his head. "I don't really know what to think. I…I can't really believe this is happening. Is Amy here?"
Clara nodded, her lips curving into a loving smile. "She is. Would you like to see her?"
Callen nodded eagerly as he wondered about his sister who he only knew through pictures and his vague recollections.
"Amy!" Clara called out. "Amy come and see your brother!"
Moments later, she arrived, but she wasn't what he expected. She was still just a young girl. "Baby brother!" Amy ran to him and threw her arms around him. He awkwardly returned the hug, feeling a bit odd that she referred to him in that manner when he was easily old enough to be her father. "I've missed you," she said as she tilted her head to smile up at him.
"I…I've missed you too," he said.
"What's wrong, Grisha?" Clara asked observantly.
"Nothing," he said quickly. "I guess…I wasn't really thinking that Amy would still be a little girl…"
"She can be seen in any image you'd like," Clara explained. "That's how it is here."
"Oh…"
"Do you want me to change for you, Grisha?" Amy asked. "I can transform to an adult if it will make you more comfortable."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We're going to have lots of time to get to know each other. You can be whatever you like."
Clara and Amy exchanged a look. "It hasn't really been determined that you're going to stay here," Clara said gently. "It's still being decided."
"What? But why?" he asked. "Why would I come here only temporarily?"
"It's just how things are done," Clara explained. "But don't worry about that now. Tell us how things are with you. We are able to keep an eye on you, but tell us, are you happy, Grisha?"
Callen shrugged and then nodded. "Yes…I guess for the most part, I am…I mean…things are hard sometimes. The past few months have been rough…I guess you know what happened to my partner's wife…"
"Yes, we saw…but you've been there for him…you're a very good friend," Clara said softly.
"Sam has always been a good friend to me. He's been there for me when no one else really was."
"What about Hetty?" Clara asked.
Callen sighed and thought about it before answering. "Hetty can be complicated," he admitted. "Sometimes she'll jump through hoops for me, but there are other times when…" he shook his head. "She can be unpredictable."
"But you trust her?" Clara asked.
"I try to. For the most part I guess I do, but…there have been times when it wasn't so easy, when I've questioned decisions that she made."
Clara nodded, not wanting to push him. She had seen some of the past disagreements between her son and Hetty. "And your father?"
"What about him?" Callen asked. "I don't even know where he is at the moment. He has a habit of disappearing."
"Like father, like son?" Clara asked.
"No," Callen said with a shake of his head. "I'm not like him. I've wanted to establish some kind of a relationship with him. He's the one that runs away, not me."
"Grisha…you have to understand. Your father is a complicated man. I don't think he knows how to reach out to you."
"I'm not stopping him," Callen said bitterly.
"Daddy loved us so much when we were little," Amy said.
"It's different now, Amy," Callen said. He shook his head, looking troubled. "The two of you aren't there. You don't understand."
"You're right, we're not there," Clara said sadly. "I wish that I was. I would have given anything to have been there for you and your sister, to have saved you from some of the things you had to go through."
"It wasn't your fault, mama," Callen said. "Anyhow…it's all in the past."
"You're right. I don't mean to bring up bad memories," Clara said. "Besides, there's someone else who wants to talk to you."
"Me? Who?" Callen asked, unable to imagine who it could be.
"She's right over there by those trees," Clara said pointing. "Amy and I will wait for you here."
Callen gave a long look to his mother and sister, as if committing them to memory, and then slowly began to walk in the direction his mother had pointed. At first, he didn't see anything, but then he saw her, sitting on another bench underneath a tree.
"Hello, G," Michelle said as he approached her. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon…"
"Michelle…" he could feel his eyes beginning to well and the first thing he thought was that this should be Sam's moment, but selfishly, he would never want that to be the case. "I…" He shook his head and looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say to her. He still felt like he had failed her, that he should have done more in their attempt to find and save her. "I'm sorry."
"It's no one's fault," she said simply. "It was just my time."
"I'm still sorry," he said with a hitch in his voice as he finally sat down beside her and pulled her into an embrace. "I really am sorry, Michelle."
"You've done everything I could have asked of you and more," Michelle said softly. "You've been there for my husband and my children in every way that counts. Until now, I couldn't have asked for any more of you…"
"What do you mean…until now?" he asked, his eyes confused. "I didn't ask to be here, Michelle. It was an accident. I wasn't even driving…"
She nodded. "I understand that it wasn't your choice to be here, but you don't seem all that inclined to leave either."
"I didn't know I had a choice," he retorted. "I just got here. I don't know the rules. What about you? Did you have a choice?"
She looked back at him, obviously stunned and hurt by his words. "I'm going to pretend you didn't ask me that question, G…I think you know I never would have left Sam and my children if I had a choice in the matter."
He bowed his head, looking contrite. "I'm sorry," he said. "I…I don't know why I said that. Of course I know you didn't have a choice. What happened to you…it was all on us…We should have killed Tahir when we had the chance."
"Please don't do this," Michelle pleaded softly. "None of you are to blame. This isn't why I wanted to see you."
"Why did you want to see me?" he asked.
"Well, for one thing, I thought we were friends," she said with a smile. "Shouldn't I want to see you if you're in the neighborhood?"
Callen tried to return her smile, but couldn't really pull it off.
"I'm sorry," Michelle said to him. "I know you've had a rough time lately too, being there for my family, sometimes at your own expense. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you've done. You…the whole team…you've been so supportive to Sam and my children."
"You know how I feel about them," Callen said softly. "Sam is my brother…I'd do anything for him. And your kids? You know how much I love them."
"But now, when they need you the most, you're going to leave them?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Callen was clearly frustrated with the situation. He just didn't understand what she expected of him. "No one has asked me to make any kind of decision, Michelle."
"You don't need to be asked," she said, her tone gentle. "Anyone can see how much you want to be with your mother and sister, and who could blame you? I know how much you've wanted this. You've spent so many years searching for a family."
"I have a family, Michelle," he said. "The team is my family…Hetty, Eric, Nell, Kensi, Deeks, Sam and your kids…family…"
"So you're ready to go back?" she asked.
Callen mulled over her question and then hung his head without answering.
"Maybe this will help you make up your mind. Look over there."
He looked over where she had indicated and saw an opening that showed him what appeared to be an opening or window. He peered through it and saw himself lying on the hospital bed with Sam seated beside him in a wheelchair. Sam was holding his hand and there were tears on his cheeks. "Is he okay?" Callen asked softly.
Michelle nodded, her eyes sad as she watched her husband. "Physically he'll be okay…"
"But?"
"I really don't need to spell this out for you, do I?" Michelle asked with an edge to her voice. "You know what you mean to him, G. Or if you don't, you damn well should. He lost me and now he might lose you too? What do you think that's going to do to him? You might as well cut open his chest and rip his heart out right now. Not to mention your team, my children. How many losses can they take?"
Callen stared at Sam and knew that Michelle was right. His friend cared about him just as much as he cared about Sam. He didn't want to hurt him if it could be avoided. "I wouldn't do that to him," he said. "If I can, I'll go back…I want to go back…"
Michelle smiled, a smile that lit up her eyes and her whole face. It made him feel immensely better and this time he was able to smile back at her, a genuine, heartfelt smile. "You'll see them again, G…" Michelle said softly. "Your mother and your sister…they'll be here waiting for you, whenever your time comes."
Callen nodded, trying to hold back tears. "Don't cry," Michelle said as she hugged him tightly. "Everything is going to be okay…I promise you."
"Can I say goodbye to them?" he asked.
Michelle nodded. "Yes, of course you can. You take care of Sam, but take care of yourself as well, okay? You're not always so good at that."
"I will," Callen said with a nod.
"Good," Michelle said as she smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm glad I got to see you. Take care, G…I love you."
"I love you too…"
"Goodbye,...Tell Sam I love him and that someday we'll be together again…foreve this time. And G…tell him that the anniversary ring was beautiful. That husband of mine has always had the most exquisite taste."
"I will, Michelle…I'll see you…" He watched as she gracefully walked away and turned to wave one last time before she disappeared from his view. With a sad sigh, he then walked back to where his mother and Amy were still waiting for him.
"Did everything go well?" Clara asked, observing her son closely.
He nodded. "Yes…yes, I guess so…I'm going to go back home…"
Clara smiled sadly. "I think that's a good decision, Grisha…I think there's still a lot ahead for you. You have lots of living to do before you join us here for good."
He nodded, too choked up to speak.
"I'm going to miss you," Amy said, her eyes filled with tears as she hugged him tightly. "But we'll see you again someday, and then we'll be together always."
"I'll miss you too," he managed to say. He then turned to his mother, unsure of how he could say goodbye to her when he had only just said hello. "Do I have to go now?" he asked. "Can I stay here…just for a little while?"
"I'm sorry, darling," Clara said. "I'm afraid you need to return home now. Your family needs you."
"Okay…" he looked to her for guidance, unsure of what he needed to do. "Do I need to go somewhere?" he asked softly.
Clara shook her head. "Just sit on the bench and close your eyes. And never forget, we both love you very much…"
"I love you too." He hugged his mother one more time, wishing the moment could last forever, but finally they broke apart and he did as she had told him. He sat down on the bench and he closed his eyes…
xxxxx
"Sam?" Kensi came into the ICU and squatted beside his wheelchair. "It's after midnight. Why don't you go get some rest? Deeks and I will stay here with Callen. We'll go get you right away if there's any change." Hetty had gone home an hour previously, but Sam had steadfastly refused to leave his partner's side.
"I can rest here," Sam responded. "You and Deeks should go home."
"Come on, Sam…you're not going to be able to get any real rest here," Kensi said.
"I' m not leaving, Kensi," Sam stated. "I'm not leaving him alone." It still haunted him that Michelle had been alone when she died. If anything was to happen to G, at the very least, he was going to make sure he wasn't alone.
"He won't be alone," Kensi tried once more. "Deeks and I won't leave him, Sam."
Sam shook his head. "I'm not leaving."
"Okay… Deeks and I will be out in the waiting room, in case you change your mind." Kensi didn't want to intrude on Sam's time with Callen, but she also didn't want to be too far away in case he needed them.
"You two should just go home," Sam protested, but his protests fell on deaf ears.
"We're not leaving either, Sam," Kensi said. "Try to get some rest, okay?" She stood up and leaned down, pressing a kiss onto his cheek.
Sam watched as she left the room and then turned his attention back to his partner, willing him to open his eyes.
xxxxx
It was almost dawn when Callen finally began to regain consciousness. The first thing he became aware of was the uncomfortable feeling of being intubated. He knew he needed to stay calm, but nonetheless, he felt himself beginning to panic before he even opened his eyes. Then he heard Sam's voice and felt his partner's grip on his hand tighten.
"G? G! Calm down, buddy. Everything's okay."
After that, medical personnel came into the room and determined that he could be taken off the ventilator. Then he underwent numerous neurological tests and finally, he and his partner were left alone.
"You really scared the hell out of me, G," Sam said as he gazed at his partner.
"Sorry about that…"
"It wasn't your fault…I was the one who was driving…"
Callen could see the guilt in Sam's eyes as clear as day. "It wasn't your fault either, Sam. Anyhow…are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I've just been worried about you."
"Well, you don't have to worry about me anymore," Callen said, striving to reassure his partner. "You heard the doctor. I passed all the neuro tests with flying colors." After that, Callen was silent as he thought over what had happened or at least what he thought had happened, although now he wondered if it had all been just a dream.
Sam contemplated his quiet partner and assumed he was just exhausted from what he had gone through. "I'm going to go tell Kensi and Deeks that you've regained consciousness. They're out in the waiting room. They can let Hetty and the rest of the team know you're okay. You get some rest. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"
"Take your time, Sam," Callen replied. "I'm fine."
Sam nodded, a smile on his face. "I know you are."
Shortly after Sam left, Callen ended up falling back to sleep. The next time he awoke, he found he was no longer in the ICU, but rather had been transferred to a private room. Sam was asleep in the recliner by his bed and Hetty was sitting next to him. "Welcome back, Mr. Callen," she said, smiling at him.
"Hi Hetty," Callen said, returning her smile.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm good except for a bit of a headache."
"Hmm…" Hetty looked at him skeptically. "I suspect you have more than a bit of one."
Callen shrugged. "It's not too bad."
Hetty nodded. "I sent Mr. Deeks and Ms. Blye home. They had been here since yesterday and were quite exhausted although they wouldn't admit to it. I'm sure they'll be back here later on today though."
"Do you know how long I have to be in here?" he asked, already chomping at the bit for his release.
"No," Hetty said, shaking her head. "I wouldn't imagine they'll keep you too long though. Perhaps a day or two, but I'm not sure. In any case, I'm sure you'll be a model patient until your release, right?"
"Of course," Callen answered with a bit of a smirk. He then looked over at his sleeping partner. "What about Sam?"
"He sustained some cracked ribs, but was officially released as of early this morning. Unlike you, however, he doesn't seem to be in any particular hurry to leave."
"Well, he knows that I'm all right so he should be good to go now," Callen said. His stomach rumbled and he looked at the clock on the wall. "I guess I missed breakfast…" He knew from experience that hospitals served meals on the early side.
"Are you hungry?" asked Hetty. "I can go get you something in the cafeteria. What would you like?"
Callen shook his head. "I'm good, Hetty," he said. "I'll just wait until lunch." He rubbed his eyes with his hand and was barely able to stifle a yawn as he shifted on his pillows, trying to get comfortable.
"Why don't you get some rest," Hetty said, patting his hand. "I need to go check on a couple of things at the office, but I'll be back to see you later on."
"Thanks for coming, Hetty," Callen said, his eyes closing in spite of his attempt to keep them open.
"You're very welcome, Mr. Callen," Hetty said giving him a fond smile as he fell asleep. "Thank you for pulling through."
xxxxx
Callen took a small bite of the Salisbury steak on his plate and made a face as he pushed it away while his partner watched in amusement. "What's the matter, G?" Sam asked. "Doesn't that delicious-looking entrée meet your culinary specifications?"
"If you think it looks so good, Sam, you're welcome to it," Callen complained with a sigh. He glanced at the pasty-looking mashed potatoes and overdone green beans and replaced the plastic dome over the plate. "I guess I'm going to starve to death here," he said, casting a woeful look at his partner who just grinned at him. "Really, Sam? You aren't going to get me anything?"
"Sorry, G. I don't know if anything I'd get you would be allowed. You need to eat from the hospital prescribed menu."
"But…there's nothing wrong with my stomach," Callen protested. "Fine." He tossed the covers aside and started to make a move to get out of bed, ignoring the slight spinning sensation in his head as he did so. "I'll go get something myself then."
"G, calm down," Sam said laughing. "Kensi and Deeks are coming by with pizza. They should be here any minute."
"Oh…" Callen said, settling back against the pillows.
Sam couldn't help but notice that G had paled a bit with his attempt to get out of bed and immediately regretted teasing him. "Hey, you all right, G?" he asked.
"I'm okay," Callen replied. "Just got a tiny bit dizzy."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have teased you."
Callen smirked. "And I shouldn't have acted like a petulant child. Don't worry about it, Sam."
Just then, Deeks and Kensi walked into the room. Deeks was carrying two pizza boxes and Kensi had a plastic bag. "Hey guys, how are you doing?" Deeks asked with a grin.
Kensi put the bag down on Callen's bed and leaned down to give him a gentle hug and kiss on his cheek. "We were so worried about you," she whispered. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Thanks, Kens," Callen replied. "And I really appreciate the pizza. You have no idea how good that sounds to me right now. I'm starved."
Deeks put the pizza boxes down next to Callen's lunch and couldn't resist picking up the cover to see what was underneath it. "Huh…" he said as he looked in distaste at the food underneath. "That does not look good."
"It's not good," Callen stated. "It's really bad."
"I'll just stick it on your nightstand for now," Deeks stated. In the meantime, Kensi was taking paper plates, soda cans and chips out of the plastic bag and passing them out as Sam opened up the pizza box.
"Are these both the same?" Sam asked.
"One is just plain cheese. The other is pepperoni and sausage," Kensi answered.
"G?"
"I'll take one of each," Callen said as his partner put the slices onto a plate and passed them to him. "Thanks."
"So how long are you stuck in this place?" Deeks asked after they had been eating in silence for a short time.
"I don't know," Callen replied with a shrug. "The doctor was here when I first came to, but I was kind of woozy then and he didn't say anything about that. I'll ask him when I see him again. I'm hoping they let me leave tomorrow."
"You don't want to push it," Kensi said as she took a sip of soda. "You were unconscious for a long time."
"But I'm okay now. I can rest at home just as easily as I can rest here."
"Yeah G, because we all know that's what you're going to do, go home and get plenty of rest," Sam said, smirking at his partner.
Callen didn't confirm or deny what Sam said. He just went back to eating his pizza with a slight smile touching the corners of his lips.
Kensi and Deeks visited for a couple of hours and then got ready to leave. "Can we give you a lift home, Sam?" Deeks asked, glancing over at the other man.
Sam quickly shook his head. "No, I'm all set, Deeks. Thanks though."
Callen looked at his friend in confusion. "How can you be all set, Sam?" he asked. I'm guessing your Challenger isn't in very good shape and even if it was, it couldn't be here."
"I'm not planning on leaving here today."
"Sam…" Callen began. "I'm perfectly fine. You should go home and get some rest. Sleeping in that recliner can't be doing you any favors. I get why you stayed here last night, but I'm okay now. Go with Kensi and Deeks and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He understood his partner's overprotective nature after what had happened to Michelle, but there was no reason for him to be staying at the hospital for another night.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Sam said to Kensi and Deeks, ignoring what Callen had just said.
"Okay." Deeks shrugged as he looked at Callen who just shook his head in response.
"Thanks for coming and for bringing the pizza," Callen said.
"No problem, man. You guys take care of yourselves," Deeks said, watching as Kensi hugged the two men.
After Kensi and Deeks had left, Callen looked at Sam questioningly. "You want to tell me what's going on now?" he asked.
"There's nothing going on," Sam said.
"Hetty mentioned you hurt your ribs in the crash," Callen went on. "I know for a fact you'd be much more comfortable in that king-sized bed at your house."
"Will you just give it a rest, G?" Sam asked.
Callen silently contemplated his partner for a long few moments and then decided to just let it go. Whatever it was that Sam was dealing with, he obviously had no intention of talking about it. "All right," he said, nodding. "Suit yourself, Sam. I can't say I understand, but…" He trailed off, tired all of a sudden and losing his train of thought. "I think I'm going to get some sleep." Maybe Hetty would have better luck if she came by later.
Sam watched as Callen made himself comfortable under the covers and dropped off to sleep relatively quickly. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he just couldn't seem to help it. His partner was in a regular room and everything looked good for him. He was 99 percent sure G was going to be just fine, but it was that little one percent that was giving him the issue. As irrational as his fear might be, he just couldn't help the apprehension he felt that something could go wrong, and if it did, he needed to be there.
xxxxx
Hetty got caught up in office work and never made it back to the hospital that day. She just checked on Callen by phone. That afternoon, Sam went to the gift shop and got a deck of playing cards which he and Callen passed some time with. While Sam was at the gift shop, Callen's doctor finally came in and pronounced Callen fit to leave the hospital the next day, which put a smile on Callen's face. That evening, Sam went to the cafeteria and got them sandwiches for dinner and they watched a Clippers game on t.v. Callen didn't bring up Sam's leaving again, much to his partner's relief.
"So, how are we getting home tomorrow?" Callen asked, turning off the television after the Clippers' 110-106 loss to the Boston Celtics.
"Hetty," Sam replied as he tried to fluff the exceedingly flat pillow he was using, to no avail.
"Okay." Callen nodded as he looked at his partner's dubious sleeping arrangement. A nurse had offered to have a cot brought into the room, but Sam had opted for the recliner. Maybe it was more comfortable than Callen thought it was. "Good night, Sam," he said and after a pause added "thanks for looking out for me." It wasn't anything he had ever really gotten used to, given his past. Gibbs had always had his back, as well as Sam and the team, but there was still a part of him that didn't really think he was worth all the fuss. In this case, he thought it was entirely unnecessary, but when he really thought about it, it was kind of nice to have a friend who cared so much about him.
"You're welcome, G…" Sam replied softly. "Sleep well."
xxxxx
Both men fell asleep until around 2 a.m. when Sam awoke abruptly. The room was dark except for the dim light that was over Callen's bed. He wasn't really sure what had awoken him until his eyes fell on his partner who was moving about restlessly in his bed. "Mama!," Callen said, sounding distressed and speaking Romanian. "Te rog trezește-te. Nu muri, mamă. Trezeşte-te! Nu mă lăsa, te rog." ("Mama, please wake up. Don't die, mama. Wake up! Don't leave me, please.") Sam didn't understand all of what his friend was saying but knew enough to determine that he was pleading with his mother to wake up and not to die.
"G? G, wake up," Sam said softly, gently rubbing his partner's shoulder.
Callen awoke and looked up at Sam in confusion. "Sam? What is it? What's wrong?"
"You were having a bad dream," Sam explained. "Are you all right?"
Callen nodded. "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine. Sorry if I woke you."
"It's okay," Sam said, studying his partner closely. "You feel like talking about it?"
"I…I don't really remember it." Callen looked down at the bed, avoiding Sam's eyes.
"I think it was about your mother," Sam said.
"Oh…" Callen sighed and finally met his partners gaze. "It was about when she was killed…when I was a boy."
"Yeah, I kind of got that," Sam said with a nod. "It sounded pretty intense."
"Yeah, well…what can you do," Callen said, fidgeting with the blanket covering him. He started thinking about what he thought had happened before he regained consciousness and looked at Sam before quickly redirecting his gaze. He then did it again and Sam gave him a puzzled look.
"What is it G?" he asked.
"I…" No, he couldn't talk about this. How could he? What if it had only been a dream? Granted, if it had been a dream, it had definitely been the most intense and vivid one he had ever experienced, but maybe it was just that…a particularly intense and vivid dream.
"Come on, man…talk to me…"
"I don't think I can…"
"Why not?" Sam asked. "If you can't talk to me, who can you talk to?"
"That's just it," Callen admitted. "This is probably the kind of thing I can't really talk to anyone about…maybe I shouldn't…"
"Well…sometimes it's good to talk something through if its bothering you," Sam coaxed. "Better than keeping it all bottled up inside."
"Even if that something could upset the other person?" Callen asked.
"You're not going to upset me," Sam said.
"You don't know that, Sam."
"Try me."
Callen sighed and began playing with the blankets once again. Sam reached over and covered Callen's hands with his own, stopping him. "Come on, G… talk to me."
Callen nervously gnawed on the inside of his cheek as he looked over at his partner. "Something happened…"
"Okay…" said Sam, now totally confused. "When did this happen?"
"Wh…when I was unconscious."
Sam just looked at Callen, waiting for him to go on.
"I…I saw my mom…"
Sam was about to say that he must have been dreaming, but the look on his friend's face stopped him. "Really?" he asked gently.
Callen nodded and started speaking very quickly, looking down at the bed. "I know what you're thinking, Sam, that I sound crazy and you're right, I probably am and I know it was probably a dream, but…but I don't know…it seemed very real to me." He looked up and met Sam's gaze with a questioning look, searching for validation perhaps? He really didn't know what he wanted or expected his friend to say.
"So…did she speak with you?" Sam asked.
Callen nodded slowly. "She did. She hugged me and…and I cried because I couldn't believe it was happening, you know? It was just so unreal…and then I met Amy, but that was sort of weird because she was still a little girl…but it was still really nice, you know?"
Sam nodded. He couldn't imagine how he would feel to have Michelle back, even for only a few minutes. He would cherish every second. "So…what happened next?"
Callen sighed and looked back down at the bed, unsure if it was a good idea to continue with this particular topic.
"G?"
"I…" Callen met Sam's eyes again, his own eyes filled with tears. "Michelle was there…"
"What?" Sam now dropped his own gaze and unsuccessfully tried to stop his own eyes from filling with tears.
"I'm sorry, Sam…I knew I shouldn't have said anything," Callen said, upset to have brought Sam's grief back to the forefront. "Let's talk about something else."
"No! No, I want to talk about this," Sam insisted, getting himself back under control. "What did she say?"
"She…she said that what happened wasn't our fault…that we shouldn't blame ourselves. She was mostly just worried about you Sam…she loves you so much."
Sam ran his hand over his face and nodded. "I love her too…always will."
"She wanted me to tell you that she loves you and that someday you'll be together forever."
Sam smiled. "Sounds like a really nice dream, G…I appreciate you sharing it."
"Yeah…" Callen sighed to himself. He'd known Sam wouldn't believe it was real. He didn't know what he believed himself. He looked back at his partner once more. "She also said the anniversary ring was beautiful and that you always had the most exquisite taste…not that it would mean anything to you, but…"
"What did you say?" Sam demanded with a strong edge to his voice, his eyes suddenly intense as he stared at Callen. "G, tell me, what did you say?"
"I…" Callen stared back at his partner, stupefied. "Sh…she said the ring was beautiful…"
"How did you know about the ring?" Sam asked, not taking his eyes off Callen's face. "I never told you about it. I didn't tell anybody."
"I don't know about any ring, Sam," Callen replied. "I'm just telling you what she said. I have no clue what she was talking about. It's not like I interrogated her."
Sam shook his head and began mumbling to himself. "This isn't possible. I never told anyone. How would G even know about the ring? This doesn't make any sense…"
"Sam?"
"I had ordered a ring for Michelle, for our anniversary in June…I knew she'd love it. It was custom designed with diamonds and sapphires…It was delivered a couple of weeks after her death…" He shook his head and stared at his friend again. "Tell me, G…tell me the truth…how did you find out?"
"Sam…" Callen began, his blue eyes intense as he gazed back at his friend. "You know I wouldn't lie to you…at least I hope you know that…"
Sam nodded. "You're right, G…I do know that. I'm sorry. I just…" He shook his head. "I can't wrap my head around this. You hear about things like this happening, but…"
"Tell me about it," Callen said.
"So… This really happened?" Sam asked. It had to be true. There was just no other way his partner would have known about the ring. He'd tucked it away in a drawer the day it was delivered, after he'd had a very long cry over it. Someday, when she was a little older, he would give it to his daughter.
"Yeah…yeah I think it did," Callen said gruffly. He was tired and even more emotional now that he had come to the realization that what had happened had not been a dream, that after all this time, he had actually had a connection with his mother and sister.
"You should get some sleep," Sam said, recognizing his partner's exhausted and overwrought state. "We'll talk more tomorrow." He knew he had a lot to think about and he wanted to question Callen more about what had happened. He wanted to know every detail, but not now. For now he would just digest what he had learned and let his friend get some much-needed sleep.
"Okay…Good night, Sam," Callen said, directing a faint smile at his friend. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "See ya tomorrow."
"Goodnight G…" Sam watched his partner until his breathing had evened out and he knew he was asleep. He then turned his eyes upward and whispered "Goodnight, Michelle…I love you, baby…" He then settled himself back down on the recliner and fell into the most peaceful sleep he'd had since the day his life had been ripped apart.
xxxxx
Note that translation was according to Google Translate.