"Hi, Natalie, I'm Nate," the psychologist greeted. "I would shake your hand, but unfortunately Hetty's research team still hasn't discovered an effective method of teleportation."

Natalie smirked.

"I'm calling because I'm a doctor, that's why they sometimes call me Doc. I just talked to the doctors who are with your dad. They said he was awake for a few minutes, and said to tell you, quote, "I think it was the actress," end quote, that he loves you and wants to see you tomorrow."

"Tell the doctors that he was right, it was the actress, but the gardener too."

Kensi raised an eyebrow.

"The book," Nell mouthed. Nat had been reading The Mystery of Lilac Inn.

The agent nodded.

"What…what happened to Daddy?"

"Some bad guys tried to break into your house when he was home. Sergeant Wilson arrested them, and they're in jail now."

"But, what happened to Daddy? Why is he in the hospital?"

"One of the bad guys fired a shotgun at him, and some of the pellets hit him in the arm and the chest."

Natalie nodded. "Did they break any ribs?"

"No," Nate replied calmly.

"Good. He broke his ribs, um, three years ago, and I couldn't sit in his lap for a looooooong time because they hurt him."

"His left arm and the left side of his chest are hurt, but nothing's broken. The doctors say you can go see him tomorrow afternoon."

"Does…does he have his gun?"

Nate replied slowly, "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"He said that if someone broke in to always make sure we knew where his gun was, so that he could report it if it was missing."

"How many guns are in your house?" Nate pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Daddy's service gun, which is either on him or under his pillow, the shotgun in the fast safe under his bed, his target rifle, Granddaddy's .22 rifle, and the little shotgun, all in the wall safe."

"Do you know where the wall safe is?"

"In his closet, behind his shoe hanger."

Callen indicated his head to Kensi and Deeks. They nodded and slipped out of Ops.

"Natalie, have you ever touched any of these guns?"

She nodded.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"Which one?"

"Do you remember the first time you touched a gun?"

"It was on my birthday, when I turned six. Daddy was cleaning his handgun; he told me I was old enough to learn how guns work and how you are supposed to handle them. He showed me how to clean it and re-assemble. Told me the different parts on the inside, let me hold them, said how important it was to keep a gun clean and put it together right. Then he assembled it, cleared it himself, showed me how to clear it. Taught me rules and had me repeat them until I had them memorized.

He told me it was extra important to be careful with his handgun, because it is always loaded and he keeps a round chambered. Daddy said if anything happened to him and his gun came out of his holster to find a cop or someone in the military and tell them that it was loaded with a round chambered and let them secure it."

Nate asked, "Have you handled any of the other guns?"

Natalie looked at him as if the answer should be obvious. "That was the only time I ever touched his gun. It's too big for me still. I use Granddaddy's little rifle and Daddy bought the .410."

"Do you remember the first time you fired a gun?"

She grinned. "A BB, or for real?"

"We've got time, so, both."

"I shot a BB on my 6th birthday. Daddy has a BB catcher in the basement and uses a conversion kit so he can train with his gun at home with BBs. He had me practice with a lever-action BB rifle. There was a sheet of paper taped up on the wall; Daddy wrote down every time I picked up the rifle, cocked, fired, and secured perfectly. I had to get a hundred before we went to the range with the .22."

Nate knew if Kensi was there, she would be grinning from ear to ear. Natalie's dad sounded a lot like Donald Blye.

"It was right before Christmas when I got a hundred and we went to the range. Daddy inherited Granddaddy's little .22 rifle. It's a single shot bolt action, just like his target rifle. Daddy's required to train one weekend a month with his target rifle, or the one they give him once we get to the range. After then, I would always go with him. He got me a scope for Christmas that year, so I could use the long range. A couple of his friends meet us there, 'cause they're supposed to spot each other, like in gymnastics. Daniel comes with his dad, and we spot for each other."

"How old is Daniel?" Nate asked.

"Um, I think he just turned 11. But his big brother come too, and spots. He's old enough to drive."

Nate mentally wiped his forehead. He hadn't though military snipers would leave a couple of pre-teens live firing in a rifle range, but you never know.

"Okay, Natalie, Kensi and Deeks are going to your house to make sure all your guns are accounted for. I will ask the doctors and make sure your Daddy knows where his handgun is."

"Thank you."

"Hey, Natalie," Sam asked, "do you want to go downstairs and read some more? Hetty said she found a book you would like."

The girl trotted out of Ops eagerly.

"So, Nate, what's your assessment?" Callen asked.

"Well, Natalie seems to be a very precocious child. She seemed rather unwilling to talk at first, you probably noticed that it wasn't until I asked her about shooting that she started opening up."

"We've all tried to get her to tell us what those bullys were after, but she just kinda…shuts down." Callen replied.

"From what she said, we can infer that her father had sniper skills. Eric could probably track down these buddies of his who would meet them at the shooting range."

"On it, Nate," the techie replied.

"Other than that, I don't really have much for you guys to go on. She is very attached to her father, which is understandable since he is her single parent, but I also get the feeling there are a lot of things she feels like she has to hide."

Nell nodded. "I got that idea too."

"There's something else that's bugging me. I can't put a finger on what it is, but there's just something…off."

"Let me know if anything else comes to you," Callen asked.

"Likewise." Nate cut the transmission.

"Yo," Eric answered the ringing phone.

"Hey Eric, all the family's guns are secure except for the commander's handgun, and the sergeant just verified he had it on him at the hospital."

"Thanks Kensi," Callen told her. "Take another look around, there's something not quite right here."

"I was just going to ask if I could," she replied.

"Keep us posted." Callen ended the conversation.