A/N - Only one question remaining on the assignment (horribly large one though) so got to work on this chapter and post again.

Sorry to say that light and fluffy is temporarily over for this story. Angst and hurt coming right up. If anyone disagrees with the T rating for this story at anytime, please let me know and I'll change it. I don't think I've pushed the story over the line, but I'll change it if you don't agree. Ratings can be so confusing sometimes.

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Disclaimer in Chapter 1

Chapter 4

She could hear the voice, hear the threats, but she couldn't see who was there with her. It was so dark. She couldn't see anything, could only hear that voice.

"Don't!" she heard another voice, her own this time, scared. "Please don't," she begged.

"Begging, good. Are you ready to watch yet?" the voice said.

"No!" she cried out as the lights came on and there, tied to the chair, was Callen. Next to him stood the man who had haunted her dreams for years. Gun in his hand. She noticed the blood on Callen's face. She saw the look in his eyes; he was scared. She could barely breathe. He shouldn't be here. This was wrong.

"So what's it gonna be? Head. Chest. Leg. One shot or more. You know the deal. Your choice. Quick and relatively painless or, long, tortuous and painful." He hit Callen hard across the head with the back of the gun. She heard Callen moan in pain.

"No! Not him," she sobbed, struggling against the restraints that were holding her to the chair.

"Long and torturous it is then," and he pointed the gun at Callen 's leg and pulled the trigger. She saw the pain on Callen's face.

"NO!" she screamed, her eyes flicking between Callen's face and leg, watching the blood run free.

"Where next?" the voice asked.

"Emma," she heard Callen call to her.

"No," she whimpered, shaking her head, hoping the picture in front of her would change. Anyone but him.

"Let's see, shoulder this time."

She tried to close her eyes; tried to turn away, but she couldn't. She could only watch, as she listened to the sound of the gun and saw the bullet hit Callen in the shoulder. Tears ran down her face as she sobbed.

"This isn't right, you shouldn't be here," she cried.

"Emma," Callen said again, more firmly.

"You know what, we're done," the voice said and she watched in horror as he put the gun to Callen's head, heard the sound of it firing and watched Callen fall, chair and all to the ground, as it was kicked over.

"NO!" she screamed and her eyes finally flew open and she sat up, breathing hard, tears on her cheeks, just as they had been in the nightmare.

"Emma?" Callen was right beside her, hand on her arm. She felt cold and clammy and he could feel her shaking. He had no idea what she'd been dreaming about, just that it was bad.

Emma's eyes flew to him. He's alive, no blood. Just a bad dream. She closed her eyes, trying to calm down, but the picture from the nightmare remained behind her closed lids, so she opened them again. Why had it changed? She could barely breath, she tried to even it out but she couldn't. She didn't know if she could find her voice. She watched him, fear and despair in her eyes, as he watched her, concern in his. Callen moved to pull her close but she pulled away. It was one of the hardest things she'd had to do, but she needed space. If she stayed she didn't know what she might do and there was no way she was going to tell him what had just happened.

"Sorry, just a dream. Go back to sleep, I'm going to get a drink," Emma said, finally finding something that resembled her voice. She slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen, surprised she could actually walk considering how much she was shaking.

Callen followed her. Emma wasn't really surprised by that. Oddly, she was comforted, even though she had wanted to get away. She pulled down a glass from the cabinet and moved to the sink.

"Want to talk about it?" Callen watched her response carefully. She wouldn't look at him and he wasn't entirely sure how to go about comforting her. He'd just have to go with his gut and hope he got it right.

Emma shook her head. She never spoke about them. Only two people knew she had them, her father and her friend Sally, but neither knew what happened in them. She couldn't bear to relive them voluntarily.

Callen took the glass out of her shaking hand, filled it and gave it back to her. Then he slipped his arms around her.

"It might help," Callen said. He knew it wasn't just a dream, the way she had been screaming. He'd tried calling her name a few times, but hadn't been able to wake her.

"No it won't," Emma denied. How could it help to relive that? How could it help to tell anyone what terrified her when the nightmares came? They couldn't do anything about it. She just had to try and forget. She couldn't understand why this one had changed. Her mother, her father, Claire. They were the only ones who were ever in them.

"Have you tried?" It had for him on the odd occasion he had spoken to Nate about some of his.

"What's the point? It was just a dream." Emma shuddered at the memory and Callen felt it. He had a feeling she wasn't going to talk and she was starting to shiver at the chill in the air.

"Come on then, back to bed where it's warm." Callen took the now empty glass out of her hands and put it on the bench. When Emma didn't move, he picked her up and carried her back to bed.

Callen settled her in his arms, holding her. Emma was grateful for that. She'd never had anyone to hold her after the nightmares. Though she couldn't get used to it. One time won't hurt though right?

Emma tried to go to sleep, but it wasn't easy. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face and the pain on it. She turned over and wrapped an arm around him. She rested her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat beneath her ear. That reassuring thump that meant he was still alive. Emma ran her fingers over his scars, he'd told her about the shooting. She felt guilty that she still hadn't told him any more about her scar. She knew now she never would. She couldn't stay. She'd leave in the morning. She knew he wasn't asleep, but she couldn't say anything. She needed to forget. She needed him. She moved up so she could kiss him.

Callen sensed her desperation but didn't know where it came from. All he knew was that if she needed him, he'd be there, however she wanted him. He returned her kiss, following her lead, letting her tell him what she wanted.

Emma felt the tears prick at her eyes, but held them back and just let herself respond to him. It wasn't hard to let go when he touched and kissed her. She was extremely grateful that he made her forget everything but him so easily. When she eventually drifted off to sleep, the nightmares pricked at the edge of her sleep and she didn't sleep well.

When morning finally came, Emma pretended to still be asleep when he woke up. Callen slipped quietly out of bed, glad that she seemed to be sleeping. He hadn't slept much and knew she hadn't slept well either. Each time he'd heard her start to whimper, he'd stroked her hair and whispered to her that she was safe. It seemed to help.

When Emma heard the water start in the shower, she got up, dressed and packed quickly. She was about to leave when she realised she should at least leave him a note. She'd found some paper and a pen and was trying to figure out what to write, when he walked out of the bedroom.

"Em? What's going on?" Callen asked, having noticed her packed bag by the door.

Emma spun around and looked at him. Damn, couldn't he have gotten dressed first. The towel he had draped around his waist wasn't helping her decision. Emma turned away. She couldn't do this if she was looking at him. It was too hard.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." Emma put down the pen and walked toward the door where her bag was.

"Where?"

Emma heard the confusion in his voice, tried hard not to let it sway her. It was safer for him if she walked away.

"Home." It was a lie. Washington was the closest thing to home she had and she couldn't go there. Not now.

"Where's home?" Callen asked as he walked slowly toward her. This didn't feel right, she was hiding something from him.

Emma took a deep breath. Why does he have to know her so well? She had to do this, so she might as well get it over and done with and get out of here. Before she could say anything, he spoke again.

"Emma," Callen's voice gentle but demanding. "What's going on?" She was confusing the hell out of him. This wasn't Emma, not His Emma.

"I'm sorry." Emma started to open the door. Callen pushed it closed before she could get it far enough open.

"Emma, what's wrong? I thought things were going great." Callen kept his hand on the door, to keep her from trying again.

Things were, so great, Emma thought. Perfect, even.

"Don't G," Emma begged. She shook her head slightly. This is not what I need to do. Come on Emma. Make him let you go. She took a breath and did her best to make her voice as emotionless as possible. But she couldn't look at him.

"Do you really think spending a few nights in your bed is going to make a girl fall in love with you? I have to go. I have to," she said.

Callen froze, confused and hurt by her words, his hand dropping away from the door. Shocked more by his reaction and how much it hurt than anything else. Before he could move again, she was gone.

Emma had yanked the door open and left the moment the words left her mouth. She couldn't turn back to look at him. He would have seen the tears that had broken free the moment she stepped through the door, and it wouldn't have mattered how much she protested, he would have found a way to make her stay. Emma hated hurting him, but better this than the alternative. She wouldn't let him die because of her. She ran down the stairs and out to the street. She didn't know which way to go but didn't care. She just needed a bus stop or a taxi and she'd be able to make her way to the airport. She brushed ineffectively at the tears that were falling down her cheeks. She hadn't cried this much since, well, she hadn't even cried this much over Troy. She'd just shut down and left. She wished she could do that now. She'd left but shutting down wasn't possible, not this time. Emma could feel him watching her, and for once, she relived the nightmare. She recalled the scared look and the pain on his face. Recalled the memory of him being hit, and shot ... and killed. It was the only thing that stopped her turning around and running back to him.

Callen went to the window and watched her go, still hurting. He hadn't expected it to hurt so much when she left. He could hardly believe what she had said and then she was gone. He thought about going after her, but as he watched her go, she never turned back and she didn't stop. It appeared this relationship had been very one sided, though he hadn't even noticed that at the time. He had thought she was happy, that she wanted this as much as he did. Callen thought he was better at reading people than that. But she'd just proven him wrong, at least this time. She'd walked away without looking back. Callen went and got dressed, there was no point staying home. He'd go into work, catch up on some of the paperwork he was sure was waiting on his desk. It would raise some eyebrows and he was sure Hetty would ask him about it but he'd just say it didn't work out. Close enough and hopefully she wouldn't push. He just hoped Nate or Sam weren't in. He was hurting, badly, but not for long. He'd lock this all away soon and move on. He changed lives all the time, this would just have to be another one.