Well, as usual, this story will be longer than expected. I shouldn't even try to predict these things. Thanks so much for your reviews for the first chapter. I was really surprised at the number of reviews and appreciate it so much :) I tried to respond personally to everyone but there were a few I couldn't so thanks to you, as well.

xxxxx

Once Callen was asleep, Roberta sat watching him with many questions on her mind. Except for vague small talk, Marty had never really told her much about the members of his team, except for Kensi, before the opening of the bar. She knew Callen's home had somehow been compromised, which was how he had ended up living above the bar, but aside from that, and a few small tidbits she had picked up here and there, she knew very little about Callen's life. It wasn't necessarily any of her business, but she was still curious. In any case, Callen was now peacefully resting and she did want to tell her son what had occurred. Pulling out her cell phone, she went down the hall and found a quiet area where she would be able to speak privately.

xxxxx

"I'm so glad we decided to do this," Kensi said, smiling at her fiance. The two were sitting on a wicker sofa on the balcony of their rental house. The house was right on the beach with a breathtaking view of the ocean. "It's beautiful."

"And so peaceful," Deeks said, returning Kensi's smile. Things had been so hectic lately with all the wedding preparations. This weekend was giving them the perfect chance to unwind and just enjoy each other. He sighed when his cell phone buzzed and he rolled his eyes when he saw the name on the caller ID. "My mother," he told Kensi, making no move to pick it up. "Really?"

"You have to answer it," Kensi said.

"I really don't," Deeks said with a grin. "We're going to be home tomorrow. What could be so important?"

"She's taking care of the bar for us, honey. Just answer it. Maybe it's important."

"Fine, I'll do it for you," Deeks said as he clicked the answer button and held the phone up to his ear. "This better be important, ma."

"I'm sorry to bother you, Marty, but it really is important."

"What's going on?"

"It's Callen."

Deeks rolled his eyes, wanting her to get to the point. "What about Callen?"

Kensi turned her attention to Deeks when she heard him mention Callen. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

Deeks shrugged. "What about him?" he asked again.

"He's in the hospital. He had an attack of appendicitis."

"Appendicitis?" Did they do surgery? Is he alright?" Deeks asked with sudden concern at the unexpected news.

"Yes, he had surgery. He'll be okay, honey, but I just feel so bad for him. There's no one here for him. I asked if there was anyone I could call but he said there wasn't. Does he have any family?"

"Is Callen okay?" Kensi asked worriedly.

"He's fine, baby," Deeks answered before turning his attention back to the phone call. "No mama, he doesn't have any family." He didn't think Callen would appreciate him giving his mother the details of Callen's personal life. "What about Sam?"

"Callen didn't want me to interrupt his weekend with his daughter. He didn't want me to tell you either, but, I thought you should know."

"How long is he going to be in the hospital?"

"If all goes well, he should be able to go home on Monday."

Deeks nodded. "Okay. Do you want us to come home?"

"No, you two enjoy your evening. I just wanted to tell you and to let you know I closed the bar for today. I'm sorry, but I don't want to leave him alone."

"Oh you don't need to stay with him," Deeks said quickly, wondering what Callen would think about that. "If anything, you'll probably make him uncomfortable. Don't worry about the bar, but you should go home and get some rest."

"Well you two have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow," Bertie said, not addressing what her son had said.

"Okay. Tell Callen we're thinking of him and we'll see him when we get back."

"I'll do that. Tell my soon to be daughter-in-law I said hello. Love you."

"Love you too, mama." Deeks clicked off his cell and looked at Kensi. "Damn…"

"Are you sure he's okay?" Kensi asked. "Maybe we should head back?"

"It's almost dinner time," Deeks said. "It's kind of late to head back now. We'll see him tomorrow. Besides, I don't think my mother is planning on leaving his side."

Kensi giggled. "I'm not sure Callen's going to like that very much."

Deeks shrugged. "I tried to get her to go home but you know how stubborn she is."

"Like mother, like son?" Kensi asked teasingly.

Deeks smiled briefly, but then turned serious once again. "It's kind of weird...we all have the danger of our job hanging over our heads all the time...I never really even consider the more ordinary things that could put our lives at risk."

Kensi nodded. "I guess that's true. We've all been pretty lucky as far as that goes, I guess."

"Yeah, we have been." He sighed softly as he gazed out over the water. "I guess we should have dinner. You want to order in or go out?"

"Let's order in," Kensi suggested. "This is a beautiful place we're staying at. I don't want to waste a minute of our time here."

"Sounds good to me, baby," Deeks said as he leaned towards her and their lips met.

xxxxx

When Callen awoke, he found himself alone. Unsure if he was relieved or strangely disappointed, he rang for a nurse to request some water. It wasn't long before one came in and delivered a pitcher of ice water and a cup. "Thank you." He slowly sipped the water, relieved that the horrible nausea he had experienced before the surgery was gone. He was just tired and feeling a little bit weak. After a short time, when he was on the verge of dozing off again, basically out of boredom, Bertie came back into his room.

"I didn't expect to see you awake so soon. I see you have some water. Is there anything else you need?"

Callen shook his head. "No thanks. I'm good."

Bertie nodded. "My son and Kensi send their best. They'll be here to see you tomorrow."

"They don't have to," Callen said softly, almost to himself.

"What kind of a thing is that to say?" Bertie asked. "Of course they're going to come and visit you. Wouldn't you do the same if one of your teammates was in the hospital?"

"Well yeah, but…"

"No buts about it," Bertie said, shaking her head. "Is it really so hard for you to see that people care about you?"

"I…" Callen stared at her for a long moment, thinking about what she had said, a little surprised by her bluntness. "I don't know," he finally admitted.

"Well, you should know. You and your team members, you're all good friends, aren't you? You've risked your lives for each other. It's pretty obvious how close you all are. It shouldn't even be a question in your mind."

Callen didn't say anything, knowing she was right. He knew his childhood years were to blame for a lot of what he still felt at times, and he knew he needed to just put it behind him. It just wasn't that easy to do though, no matter how hard he tried. Finally, he spoke quietly. "You're right...I know how much the team cares about me...I'm sorry."

Bertie shook her head, distressed by his apology. "Oh honey, I don't want you to be sorry. I just want you to know and believe how much you're cared about. That's all I was saying."

Callen nodded. "Thank you," he said softly. He was suddenly exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Bertie sat with him, troubled by his apparent low self worth. She needed to find out more about his past. He just seemed so alone and it bothered her, especially when she knew the way his team felt about him. She didn't think he would be very forthcoming about his history, but that's what family was for. She'd have a good talk with her son when he got home the next day and find out what he knew.