A/N: Own nothing. Story's nearly finished, will be updating soon again. All the time difference is sort of confusing. I'm practically on the other side of the world.
Enough rambling... this one's a bit longer.

Chapter 4

Sean sat back leaning on his elbows. Two hundred yards away he could see Kate settling in beside Callen. He had left the earmic on. He had eyes on both the female agent named Blye and the LAPD liaison, Marty Deeks.

He kept an eye on the surroundings. Nothing overly suspicious besides the occasional shrieking tourists. Rex was sprawled on his side, keeping an eye on Kate too. He couldn't quite dismiss the scratch on his neck. Something was not right and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the trio of agents keeping an eye over Callen.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and fishing it out, he sighed.

"What is your phone doing in Los Angeles, Agent Winchester?" Director Crowe's voice came clear over the line. Sean winced inwardly.

"Taking a holiday, sir," he replied.

"Uh-huh. I'm assuming Agent Blackwood is with you."

"Yes sir."

"Ah well. Can't hurt to get some sunshine. But that's not why I called. Petrov Karlov escaped last night."

Sean sat up. "How?"

"His custody bodyguards were shot and killed at an undisclosed airstrip in Utah. Karlov escaped. Last known tracker puts him in the west coast. If I were you, I'd watch out. We all know his personal vendetta against-"

"Kate," Sean whispered, eyes falling back on the blonde. "Alright, sir. Thanks for the heads up." He shut off the phone and sat up, crossing his legs. Rex shook himself, spraying sand everywhere.

"This just keeps getting better," he muttered, the uneasy feeling creeping back again.

"What do want to know?" Kate asked.

"Who are you?"

"Ashley James." He hadn't expected it to be her real name.

"How do know me at all? Did someone hire you?"

He watched as Ashley's mask slipped a little and a fleeting wisp of pain and sadness passed her eyes. But she reverted back to herself and replied, "No one hired me, Callen. Or rather I should call you by your first name." He found himself holding onto his breath. "Grayson. Grayson Edward Callen; you were named after your father and your paternal grandfather."

Callen's careful mask of disinterest broke away enough for her to see the raging sea of emotions behind those blue eyes. Finally he tore his gaze away from the sinking sun.

"How do you know this?" he asked, his voice shaking infinitesimally.

"Your father was the one who kept watch over you all these years."

"My father?"

She nodded. "Captain Shane-"

The muffled spitfire of distant gunfire drowned the noise of the crowd.

"GET DOWN!"

Kate pushed Callen down, hand flying to her ear.

"King, come in!" she yelled, using Sean's call sign.

"Queen, we have a problem."

Deeks dropped down due to sheer instinct as he saw Ashley James tackle Callen to the ground.

"Deeks! Come in," it was Kensi screaming in his ear. "Is Callen okay?"

As he looked at the two people still on the sand, Callen pulled out his gun. So did the other woman. They nodded and stood up, covering each other as they ran towards the street.

"He's okay. I'm on him."

Callen ran as fast as his feet could take him. Beside him, Ashley James sprinted like a cheetah. Whoever had shot at them hadn't been her doing. Which begged the question who she really was.

She was talking on her comm.

She stopped as they reached the edge of the beach.

"Where's your people? Agent Hanna?" she asked, looking around. He wasn't surprised. Ashley James had done her homework.

A loud throttle caught his attention. He whipped around just in time to see two masked men jump out of a black sedan, holding Heckler and Koch MP5s. James had seen them too. With inhuman speed she leveled her Beretta and shot one, Callen took out the other.
A third exited from the passenger seat. He too went down in a volley of closely packed bullets.

"You okay, G?" Sam called, pushing the fallen weapon away.

Callen glanced at Ashley before replying, "Yeah. I'm okay."

For the first time anyone could remember, the newcomer was taken straight to the OSP HQ.

And Ashley James wasn't alone. Riding shotgun in her rental was Sean Winchester and Rex.

Hetty was waiting for them when the three cars slid into the alley.

"Nice digs," Sean commented eyes scoping out the place out of sheer habit.

"Wait till your inside," Deeks said, sounding very much like a proud new homeowner.

Hetty however, smiled, and shook Ashley's hand in both of hers.

"My dear, it's been a long time."

Ashley smiled, patting their hands with a free one.

"It has, Hetty. Ghosts have crept out of graves."

At that, Hetty laughed. They all followed her inside to the bullpen where Eric, Nell and Nate were standing.

"Am I the only one who feels like I missed an entire season of the show?" Deeks muttered.

"Nope," replied everyone, including Sean. Rex barked and lifted himself on his rear legs and gave Hetty a rather wet welcome.

"Ooh, Rex. It's good to see you, my boy," Hetty said rubbing the massive dog.

Then she turned to her agents and said, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Katherine Blackwood, otherwise quite famously known as-"

"-'The Ghost'," Nell finished, eyes wide. Even Nate straightened up.

Kate laughed. "Before I continue, is there a restroom I can use? I think it's quite insulting if you know me and not how I look. It's evident you value undercover security as much as I do."

Kensi spoke up. "Sure, this way."

As the two women walked away, Hetty turned to Sean.

"I received an urgent call from Director Vance telling me an escaped bio-terrorist. And then from none other than the Secretary of Defense himself stating two of their agents were here in L.A."

"Petrov Karlov is much more than just a terrorist. He's a mad man who's hell bent on wiping the population with a virus. But it's a classified file," Sean said, glancing at the others.

"Yes I know. I also spoke with your Director, Painter Crowe. And according to him, since both his top agents are here and Petrov Karlov's men were found here, this will be a joint operation between Sigma and NCIS. Eric, lead everyone up at the Ops room."

They all followed the techie upstairs.

Nell looked ready to burst. Before she could herself, she sidled up to Sean and said, "The Ghost, I mean Agent Blackwood is known to work alone. How is it like working with her?"

"At first it was like ramming into the Great Wall of China. But it takes time."

"Sounds like someone I know," Sam commented, flicking his eyes towards Callen, who shook his head, amused.

Eric was on the phone. He put it down, and faced the rest of them.

"Surveillance and traffic cams pulled this up. Five minutes before Callen, Sam and Agent Blackwood shot the men. The gunfire wasn't aimed in drawing you out," he said, replaying the few angles of the scene. "The man that was killed- a Marine named Tyson Jacobs. He's was-"

"One of his custodial detail," Sean said, voice grim.

"You knew him?"

"He was my contact when we first began hunting for Karlov," said a voice, as the doors to the Ops room slid open.

The woman that walked in bore no resemblance to the one that had left with Kensi. Dark copper hair tumbling down to her waist in loose curls; Kate Blackwood was ivory skinned with high cheekbones and stormy grey eyes flecked with gold.

"Jacobs was on tail. He survived the shootout in Utah where Karlov's men sprung him, traveled to L.A. under the alias Ross Brandon."

Nell typed furiously and sure enough, Ross Brandon popped up on the TSA list of incoming flights from Dallas.

"So gentlemen, and ladies, this is now officially a joint operation," Hetty said, looking at all of them.

Review! They make my day. I'd love to know what do you think. Makes me write faster.
P.S. I think my room has become the HQ for fluffy little plot bunnies...