Chapter Seven
Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, and I am really sorry for the delay in posting, majorly busy!
Chapter Seven
Sam grinned at his partner's response, he had known that his friend wouldn't be especially pleased to see him- G Callen was the very definition of lone wolf and working alone ran through his veins.
"Can I come in?" he asked as his partner's frame filled the doorway. Callen heaved a dramatic sigh before easing the door open and stepping aside to allow his partner to come in. "Aren't you pleased to see me?" he questioned lightly.
"You are supposed to be on vacation Sam" Callen commented as he cracked open two bottles of beer and handed one to his friend.
"So are you G" Sam parried as he took a sip from the bottle.
"I am just helping out a friend" the team leader stated as he sat down on the bar stool.
"So am I" Sam agreed with a grin. Callen groaned at the statement, knowing that he had walked right into it he merely raised his bottle in a silent toast.
"How was Disney?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Magical" Sam responded with a roll of the eyes. "Now what's going on G? Even Hetty has been locked out on this one"
"Just a normal Op Sam- nothing I haven't done a hundred times before" Callen responded, unconsciously rubbing at his already reddened arms- an action not missed by his navy seal partner.
"Yeah, I have no doubt G- but usually with your team at your back" Sam reasoned as he sat beside his friend. "What's the mission?" he asked.
"Seriously Sam- it is a simple intel gathering exercise and then I will be on the first flight back to LA" the team leader argued softly.
"Pizza?" Sam offered, keen to stop his friend from being allowed to push him away.
"Fine- I'll ring the order through, don't want you to blow my cover" Callen agreed as he got to his feet and called in their usual order, pleased of the reprieve away from the loaded questions heading his way.
LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA
Hetty grinned as she disconnected the call to the director- Sam had arrived at his partner's and although the team in Washington didn't appear overly enamoured with the appearance of the LA operative, but Hetty was pleased. Finally she could relax- Sam would keep an eye on her boy and the pair of them would return safely.
LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA
Callen was strangely silent as he chewed on is pizza, Sam was used to his partner being lost in thought- but this seemed to be something different.
"What's going on G?" he asked softly as a full five minutes passed without a word being exchanged.
"What?" Callen asked, shaking himself out of his apparent daze.
"What's happened? You have barely said a word, usually by now I would be getting a lecture about you not needing a mother" Sam reasoned.
"Nothing, just thinking the case through that's all Sam" Callen responded, leaning back and taking a slug from his beer.
"Is that your report?" Sam asked, gesturing towards the laptop perched on the coffee table.
"Yeah, so far" the team leader admitted with a sigh. "Knock yourself out" he allowed, knowing full well that he didn't really have a choice in the matter. Sam grinned and did just that as he began reading through the words on the screen. The former navy seal was unable to keep the grin from his face as he read through his friend's cover. "You? Working in a spa?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Established cover" he responded with a shrug.
"Now that I need to hear" Sam laughed, realising that he would never fully know his friend's past, and the younger man would never be willing to tell him.
"That's a story for another time" Callen stated, getting to his feet and heading to the kitchen for some more beers. Sam read through the report to date- knowing that there were things left out.
"Who's the woman?" he asked as he finished.
"Old contact" Callen replied, unwilling to elaborate. If Sam hadn't known the other man so well- he would have missed the flinch at the statement, yet he did know his partner and all of a sudden it was clear to him that this woman was at least part of whatever was bugging his friend.
"When's the next meet?" Sam asked, knowing not to push.
"Tomorrow after work" the younger man stated, not wanting his friend involved in this mission. "Why are you here Sam?" he questioned seriously.
"To have your back G"
"Gibbs is here, I am fine. You need to be with your family" Callen stated with an air of finality.
"It's fine, I can help you"
"It's an established cover Sam, I'll be back in a week tops" Callen reasoned, keen to convince his friend that he didn't need any help.
"Well I am here now, and my return isn't for another few days- so I will kick back and see the sites" Sam stated with a grin, knowing that his friend wouldn't kick him out.
"Fine you can stay tonight- then tomorrow you need to check into a hotel, you have no backstopping in place" Callen responded with an edge to his voice that Sam rarely had aimed at him. "I am going to get a shower, why don't you find a game or something to watch?" Callen suggested, heading towards the en suite, his partner not realising it was already his third shower of the evening.
LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA
The next morning Callen was up at dawn and out for a run, needing the air to clear his head. Amelia being involved had been an unexpected development- one that he could certainly use to his advantage, yet he was loath to do so. The woman was poison, but still there was something in him that didn't want to hurt her, plus he felt dirty just looking at her and remembering what they had done. Sam arriving had been a distraction, one that he could probably ill afford despite his friend's best intentions. He couldn't have his partner involved in this, it was his past and his mission- and he had to deal with it alone as Gibbs had intended. Having hit the three mile mark he doubled back and headed back to the apartment for a shower and change before starting his shift at the spa.
LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA
Callen could have sworn that his butt cheek would actually be bruised from being pinched three times in less than thirty minutes. The woman that he was massaging had been in every day since he started and was becoming increasingly flirty with him, attempting to grope him whenever she could. Every fibre of his being was desperate to slap her hand away and stop her from coming to him, but he had to keep his cover intact. Finally the day ended and he was once more in the staff room, sipping at an iced tea and watching the news on the flat screen television. He hid a smirk as Carl walked into the room, his bruises clearly on display. He nodded in his direction and got a scowl in response which only added to the agent's amusement. His face turned serious as the pretty receptionist walked into the room.
"Hey" he greeted, a genuine smile lighting up his face as he saw her.
"Hi Sergei" she responded, her tone considerably cooler. He looked at her quizzically.
"Have I done something wrong?" he asked in confusion.
"No, it is me that was wrong. I thought you were different" she said almost sadly as she poured herself a coffee in a Styrofoam cup and left the room. Callen sighed, she had obviously discovered his contact with the bosses and now knew of his involvement. He cursed his undercover status for a split second. He liked the girl and had enjoyed her company- yet now he knew he would never see her socially again and for a split moment he felt incredibly lonely.
End Chapter Seven
Please review!