A/N - I tried to figure out whether I could break up this long chapter and couldn't do it. So I hope you like long ones!

Hawk - thanks. I did read over the last chapter and found a few little errors. Not sure if they are the ones you spotted though but still helped and I've fixed those. Hopefully I haven't missed any in this one with the numerous times I've read over it!

Thanks again for the wonderful support.

Let's see what this chapter brings. Hope you enjoy.


CHAPTER 7

After yet another restless night waking with her screams ringing in his ears more times than Callen cared to count, he headed into the office early to work on some reports.

Except he couldn't focus.

There was something about her that was like an obsession. As much as he wished the obsession came from the physical attraction - it would be so much simpler to push aside - it was Felicity's, or Marie's, possible connection to him. It was slim yet the less they found the more his gut told him there was one and that she could give him answers. Answers to what he wasn't quite sure. Now if only he could find her and somehow make it clear to her that he wasn't there to hurt her, that he just wanted to talk. Whatever it was that she feared was difficult to get passed. He'd been so close but she'd run again after he'd scared her by using her other name.

He was still kicking himself for slipping up. He'd never made that kind of mistake before, not with names. Sure in the early days he'd slipped a little when undercover, nothing he hadn't been able to fix though. But never names. Names were the one thing he was always sure he could get right even when he and Sam were flying by the seat of their pants and making things up as they went.

Because of that he'd lost his chance with her there at the restaurant. If his instincts were right, she wouldn't be coming back, not now she'd been found there. And if they didn't find her soon, before she was able to go underground, they'd be lucky to find her at all.

Eric's whistle broke through his thoughts and Callen looked up, hoping for a case to take his mind off things until he had more to go on.

"Nell wants you. She's got something."

Callen glanced around and realised the others weren't in the office yet. That whistle was just for him. The realisation that they might find her and get answers started his heart beating just a little bit faster. The report in front of him no longer held his attention - if it ever did - and Callen closed the laptop and stood. He took the stairs two at a time.

"Nell?"

Nell spun on her chair and smiled. It was a look of triumph though there was also the slightest bit of hesitation.

"I think I've got something, but Callen, after last night," Nell's smile shifted to a frown. "Are you sure you want to keep going after her?"

"I've got to Nell. She's scared. Even more so now because of me. At the very least I need to make her understand that I'm not trying to hurt her." He'd admitted to Nell earlier this morning what had actually happened.

"But what if you can't do that?" Nell asked.

That was a scenario Callen really hoped to avoid.

"I have to try. You would too if her scream haunted you." Nell bit her lip. Obviously there was something she was trying not to say. "What is it Nell?"

"It's just such a slim connection. Not even a connection really. Probably just a coincidence. Maybe you just…" Nell trailed off.

"I just want it to be me because I need answers?" She wasn't the only one who had that thought flitter through their minds. It was a constant niggle in his.

Nell's lips twitched.

"Nell," Callen said, "I do need answers and I believe she'll be able to give me some."

"But there's no obvious connection," Nell said a touch of concern in her voice, "All we've got is a name she cried in her sleep and that she speaks Romanian. A name that could be her son or someone else. We don't even truly know how old she is."

Callen frowned. "What do you mean? She's a year younger than me."

"Felicity Williams is a year younger than you. Marie on the other hand, if I've found the right one, is only thirty two."

Callen's hope sank. "Which would mean she wouldn't know me at all."

"Look," Nell said. "I've found who I think she might be but please, consider leaving it alone. If this is her real age, she's definitely got no connection with you." Callen couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to Nell's request.

"Do you have an address for me?" he asked, his attention now firmly focused on all the things, little and otherwise that Nell was saying or doing.

"Possibly." There was a definite tone of reluctance to her voice and Callen wasn't sure if it was that she didn't want to give it to him or if it was because she wasn't completely sure she had the right person.

Callen smiled. "I promise, if there's nothing at her home that suggests a connection with me, I'll consider dropping it." He couldn't promise he would so this was the most he could give her.

Nell looked thoughtful for a moment. He suspected she knew exactly why he'd phrased it that way. "Deal," she said and turned back to her computer.

"Nell." She looked back at him. Callen smiled. "I appreciate that you are worried about her. It's very sweet." He could only hope that was all that was behind Nell's concern.

"I'm worried about you too," Nell murmured when she'd faced her terminal. Callen smiled, stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you," he said gently. "But you don't need to."

"Bullshit," she said under her breath. Eric's head flew in her direction, his eyes wide in shock.

Callen chuckled. "Don't let Hetty hear you talk like that."

Nell turned around on her chair and stared at him. Callen raised an eyebrow. Hetty was teaching her the look. He wasn't quaking yet, but he had no doubt, give her time and she'd be just as good - and effective. "Hetty talks like that," Nell told him, "and she'd agree with me. We all worry about you when you get like this."

"Like?"

"Obsessed. It's when you're more likely to turn lone wolf on us."

"Yet I'm not this time." That made Nell think. Made him think a little too. He hadn't just gone off to try and find her on his own. He'd come here, asked for her help. Hetty. Sam. Eric. All of them. They all knew about her. Not all the specific details though he'd had to deal with looks from Deeks regarding what he'd gotten up to with her. "What did you find Nell, please?" he asked.

Nell turned back to the screen. "I found the car she was taken home in. Took a bit of back and forth to find cars near the restaurant that were also near her area. Like when she was on foot we lost it in the back streets, but we found it when it came out pretty quickly. Given the time it was 'lost' we've narrowed down the search area further. I ran a search through all the addresses in that section for anyone with the name Marie, since I'd already done it with the name Felicity and came up with nothing."

"You came up with something." It wasn't a question. Callen knew she had or he wouldn't have been called up here.

"Yes," Nell confirmed. "Six Marie's are attached to the addresses in that area."

"That's not too many." It certainly narrowed down their list of targets.

"It gets better," Eric added. Nell smiled at him, a smile that wasn't entirely professional.

Callen's lips twitched and he wondered just when the two of them were either going to admit they liked each other and do something about it or whether they were actually better at keeping secrets than he'd given them credit for and already were. There was admiration for each other in both their eyes and more than a little something else when he'd occasionally caught Eric watching her instead of working and vice versa. At least if the two of them got together he wouldn't have to do too much to scare Eric with the 'don't hurt her' talk. Hetty would more than likely take care of that.

"I've been able to track down four of the Marie's with photo identification," Nell said, "and none of them are your girl."

Technically she wasn't his girl. What she was he still wasn't sure though his girl for one night she had definitely been. His body responded a little at the thought of that night but he pushed it aside.

"The other two?" Callen asked.

"One seems to check out. An eighty four year old woman, no recent photo ID but the last one she did have before expiry still had this address on it."

"And the last?"

"A little tricky," Nell admitted. "There's no photo ID on record for her. She's been in the apartment for two years. Name of Marie Daniels."

"Daniels?" Callen frowned. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Her father's name," Eric said.

"And Felicity's middle name of Mary could be Marie," Callen added seeing the connection Nell had spotted.

Nell nodded. "Yep. I can't guarantee I've got the right one but it is the most likely one."

"Send the address to my phone." Callen gave her a gentle pat of thanks on the shoulder. "Sam and I can check it out when he comes in." Having lost her twice, he was going to make sure he had back up so if she ran he had someone covering the alternative exit.

"Done and there's more," Nell said as Callen felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Marie Daniels actually has a job, with medical insurance. Just a small sales job but it's regular."

"Do you know when she works there?"

Nell shook her head. "No, but between that job, the money she withdraws and what you told me about her job at the restaurant, it would support a basic and simple life here in LA. According to tax records it looks like she's working at least twenty hours a week."

"I'll need that address too."

"Sent with the apartment one. I'm still working with the foreign language student thread but unless we know what name we're looking for it's going to be hard to track her. I've already checked all the places that require photo ID and she's not at any of those."

"Thanks Nell." He'd told Nell that he felt that line wasn't going to pan out, that it was probably just a cover for Marko but Nell being Nell wasn't going to leave any stone unturned, even if she did want him to considering leaving her alone.

Callen started to leave.

"Callen." Nell's voice stopped him and turned around. "Please be careful. You don't want to scare her anymore."

There was something in Nell's eyes; compassion, empathy, worry? Callen wondered if he needed to have a word with Hetty about making sure Nell was okay. The last couple of years had been pretty full on for Nell; more field work, including her first kill and a couple of times when she had been in serious danger.

Callen's eyes caught Nell's and he shifted forward a little closer. "Then perhaps if she's scared," Nell's eye's widened just a fraction as if she suspected he wasn't just talking about Felicity anymore. "It would be good for someone to talk to her. Someone who can reassure her she's safe. Perhaps it would be good for her to talk to someone too."

Nell swallowed and nodded a little shakily.

He leaned forward and lowered his voice as he spoke in her ear soft enough that Eric wouldn't hear. "Talk to me anytime Nell."

He straightened up and stepped back.

"I'll be careful," he assured her.


"We'll try where she works first," Callen told Sam as he drove them through the streets later that morning.

"Why not home?" Sam asked. "If she's scared she's probably getting ready to run."

"If she needs to run, she'll need money."

"G, what's going one?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean there's got to be more to this than just a name. Or you using the wrong one." Callen had the suspicion that telling Sam about his little slip up last night may have been a mistake. He let that comment slide.

"My gut Sam. She's got answers."

"Or are you hoping she has?"

"You sound like Nell."

"I'll take that as the compliment on my intelligence I'm sure you meant it to be," Sam replied sarcastically forcing Callen to hold back a grin.

"Not going to take it that you've got a high pitched voice?"

"G."

Callen groaned. He knew that tone. Sam's dog with a bone tone.

"I know you spent the night with her," Sam went on. "I'm guessing something was different with her than the others."

Time to nip this conversation in the bud. Sam knew he occasionally found a woman to enjoy a night with. Callen generally managed to brush it off as purely physical. He didn't mention the need or the comfort factor.

"This has nothing to do with that," Callen assured Sam. "Not that part of it anyway."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting more than one night with someone."

There is was. Sam's need to have him happy with someone like he was with Michelle. That was all well and good for someone like Sam and he appreciated the fact that his friend only wanted what was best for him. But what was best for Sam, wasn't necessarily best for someone else, in particular him. Callen wasn't there yet, maybe never would be.

"For me there is," Callen said. "It's called a relationship and I fail at them miserably. Do I need to remind you of Joelle?"

"No. I'd prefer you didn't," Sam replied with an abrupt tone.

Callen knew it still rankled Sam that the woman he and Michelle had set him up with had played the pair of them. Sam had even asked Hetty to run thorough background checks on all those who lived in his street. Hetty had stared him down and only agreed to those Sam and Michelle frequently interacted with. Though Callen actually suspected that she'd already done them, on everyone, but didn't want Sam to know. They'd all been hyper-vigilant for so long with the mole issue and were finding it hard to come down to a more reasonable level. Perhaps that was why this thing with Felicity was so much of an obsession. The hyper awareness and almost paranoia that someone knew him, where he was and was out to get him. But he didn't think she was. It was more that he felt like there might be a connection, and the longer this went on the stronger that feeling got.

Callen found a parking space within sight of their targeted building.

"G, talk to me."

Callen groaned. "There's nothing to talk about Sam."

"You used the wrong name."

"A mistake."

"You don't make those kind of mistakes. Want to know what I think?"

"No, but I don't think you're actually asking my permission to tell me are you?"

"She's different," Sam went on just as Callen thought he would. "Something about her, and nothing to do with her saying your name, has touched you in a way the others don't."

Callen looked at Sam and raised an eyebrow. "Touched? You know what we did right?"

"I'm not talking about the sex G." Sam's tone was exasperated. "My guess is you felt more for her than just physical."

"Dammit Sam." Callen sighed roughly. "Yes," he admitted. "It was different. Better. But it was still just physical." He really should've left the better out of it.

"You sure about that? Because you're getting all worked up about something."

"Because you won't…." Callen was interrupted from telling his partner off when his phone rang. He recognised the number and smirked. "You know you remind me a lot of him right now."

Before Sam could reply Callen answered the call direct to speaker. Sam would hear anyway.

"Arkady, you have something for me?" Callen caught the glare from his partner before he fixed his eyes on the entrance to the shop that Nell had found Felicity worked at. Sam would absolutely hate being compared to Arkady like that, or in any way for that matter.

"Not exactly."

"So why are you calling?"

"Thought it might be useful to know you on right track."

Callen sat up straight in his seat. "Your contacts know who she is?"

"My contact remembers little girl with those eyes."

Callen waited for Arkady to continue. When he didn't he spoke. "That's it? There could've been any number of green eyed girls come through."

"Paleness of them," Arkady told him. "He said he never forget combination of pale green and terror. Usually when they arrived he witness relief, though still fear and scared. He normally coax a smile from little ones. His way of welcoming them to their new world, their safe life. This little girl." There was a brief pause and Callen could almost see Arkady shake his head before continuing. "Terrified, eyes full of fear, shaking. If she hadn't been clinging so tightly to her father he would've suspected kidnapping. Terror in her father's eyes but relief and a determination to have daughter safe."

"Nothing else?" It didn't help them much. Well, not in terms of finding her but it did cause that feeling of connection to grow.

"Time frame fits with 76 arrival," Arkady added. "I sorry it is not more. The one who did documentation back then died year ago. That's all there is for me to find."

Callen couldn't help but notice Arkady's tone held sorrow.

"Thanks Arkady. I appreciate it."

"Maybe your technical whizzes can follow that trail."

"I'm hoping they won't have to."

"You found her?"

"Not yet, but we've got a possible lead."

"I look forward to meeting girl you can't keep out of your mind."

"You wouldn't be able to keep her scream out of your mind either."

"I assuming you don't mean sexual one."

Callen hung up before he said something he might very well regret. The man drove him insane but Arkady would always come through if he could. And that was worth a lot of awkward conversations.

"So right track huh?" Sam commented, thankfully leaving anything about Arkady's inappropriate comments alone.

"Looks like it." Not one hundred percent confirmation that she wasn't born here in the United States but the information made it highly likely that she was from Romania as he suspected.

Callen settled back to focus on watching the shop and street. But Sam had other ideas.

"G. I think you slipped up because you weren't being someone else."

"I was being Andre."

"No. You were using that name but you were you. You weren't on a mission and you weren't thinking like an agent. You were thinking like you. G, Grisha, the man not an alias."

Callen dropped his head back against the headrest. "Sam. She was scared. I was trying to reassure her. I made mistake. Don't read too much into it."

"You're not reading enough. It's okay to feel something G. As yourself."

Callen didn't respond and Sam seemed to be finished so he concentrated his attention back on the shop and the surrounding street. Though in the back of his mind he did let what Sam had said swirl around. When she'd been sitting across from him at the table last night, he'd been concerned for her. Not for a mission or himself. He hadn't thought about what he was saying because he was too focused on her and trying to ease the fear he could see. It wasn't just last night either. The night they'd spent together he'd also focused on her and although they had not shared names, he hadn't been anyone else. Something about her had pulled him out from deep inside. Sure he could play the caring lover who made sure his partners needs were met. He did that normally. But that night - it wasn't just about meeting needs. There was more and he realised he hadn't been playing a part that night. Perhaps that was why it had been so different with her and so much better. So what was it about her that had him throwing off a persona and just simply being him? Internally Callen groaned at the thought of Sam finding out he was right. He'd never live it down.

"Look," Sam tilted his head toward the shop. Callen's gaze quickly scanned both sides near the entrance door and recognised her instantly.

"That's her."

"How do you want to do this G?"

Callen knew the likelihood of her running if she saw him again was pretty much one hundred percent. Sam approaching her was the best bet.

"I'll go round back," he told Sam, "and if she runs, I'll catch her there. You go through the front and," Callen grinned at his partner. "See if your SEAL charm can get her to talk to us."

Sam rolled his eyes and ignored his comment. "Let me know when you're in place."

"Thanks Sam."

Callen stepped out of the car and made his way around to the back of the line of shops where she worked, Eric having already given them a detailed map so that he would be waiting outside the right door. He couldn't let her get away this time.

"Let's do this." he said when he was in position.

"Going in," came Sam's words through the earwig and Callen's eyes focused on the door as he waited.

Callen hoped that Sam would be able to slip past her defences and actually get to talk to her. Sam could at least show her his badge and assure her of her safety. Though maybe he should've brought Nell down here with them. Female touch or something a tad less scary than Sam had the possibility of being.

"G. She's runnin'!" came Sam's voice in his ear.

Callen's body tensed at the words, ready to react. The back door swung open and she came running through, her focus more on behind her than in front. She stumbled down the step. He reacted quickly and caught her before she fell.

"Hey, it's okay." Her head flew around at his words and she tried to jerked away from him. Her eyes wide in fear. "We're not here to hurt you," he tried again.

"Leave me alone." Her words came out soft and fear filled. "Let Go!" her voice much louder this time. Callen shifted to twist her back into his arms as she tried to pull away again. Her back came flush up against his body, he held her tight but she struggled hard against him. She was strong, though he already knew that.

"We're here to help," Callen said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "You're safe."

Yet still she fought him so he wasn't doing so good on the reassuring front.

"Sam, come on," Callen muttered as he shifted his head quickly to avoid an elbow to the face.

"Please," she begged.

Callen felt her struggles stop as she collapsed against him. He took it as a hopeful sign of her tiring from fighting against him. With a relieved sigh he loosened his grip just a little so that he wouldn't hurt her. That was a mistake. She twisted suddenly and a hiss of pain was pulled from his lips as he felt something slice his upper arm and instinctively let go. She backed away from him, her eyes wild and the knife in her hand stained with blood. His blood.

Before he could say anything, her eyes flicked to the doorway and Callen saw Sam out of his peripheral vision.

"Sam, put the gun down," Callen said quickly. He didn't take his eyes off her. "Felicity, we just want to talk." Callen held his hands up in front of him to show her he didn't have any weapons.

She continued to back away and Callen took a step forward not wanting to give her too much room to run.

"Talk?" She spat out, fear filled her voice. "Comescu don't talk."

Before Callen could respond, she threw the knife at his feet which made him jump back and by the time he looked up she was fleeing down the alley. He started to follow but Sam's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Sam. She's getting away."

"Eric." Sam had his phone out on speaker already.

"That's me."

Sam shook his head again at Callen when he tried to tug his arm away from his partner. Sam lifted his arm to show him the two inch slice in the upper arm of his sleeve that was soaking up the blood.

"She's headed for the beach end at the back of the building," Sam told Eric.

If Eric was watching that would help.

"Long yellow skirt," Callen added, "white shirt. Hair loose and small blue bag. Don't lose her Eric please." Damn, his arm was starting to sting.

"We're headed to the boatshed," Sam told Eric with a firm look at Callen that told him it was pointless to argue with what was coming. "I'm gonna patch up G and then we'll check in with you to see where she's at."

"Callen okay?" Eric asked.

"Just a slightly close encounter with a blade Eric," Callen assured him. "I'll be fine, just keep her in sight."

"Got her," Eric replied triumphantly. "I'll do my best."

"Thanks Eric."


At the Boat shed.

Callen let out a hiss of pain as Sam doused the cut on his arm with antiseptic. "Sam!"

"Needs to be done. No idea what was on that knife. She must've grabbed it from the kitchen when she ran out."

"So much for your charm."

"G, I didn't even get to say anything. She took one look at me and went pale. She's on alert and I'd bet my next paycheck she's firmly on the run."

Sam patted his arm dry, surprisingly gentle for such a big guy.

"If she thinks the Comescu's are after her," Callen replied after a couple of deep breaths, "of course she will be. The question is whether Eric can keep track of her so get moving and patch me up."

"Stay still then," Sam grumbled at him. "It's all clean. It doesn't look deep enough for stitches, though it's close. Butterfly strips and a tight bandage for now, but if it keeps bleeding, it'll be stitches."

"Mr Hanna."

Both men turned their heads to their boss who had managed yet again to creep up on them. Though creep didn't seem quite the right word for Hetty and most definitely wasn't one to use out loud within her hearing distance.

"How is Mr Callen?"

"He'll live." Sam said as he applied the last of the butterfly strips and pulled a bandage out of the medical kit. "It's not too bad. No stitches … yet."

"Perhaps it's time to let this bird go Mr Callen."

"No Hetty, it's not." Not now. Definitely not now. It was more important than ever to find her. There was enough proof in his mind that she was connected to him in some way. If Hetty wanted to shut things down, he'd just have to go on alone. It would be harder but he wasn't going to give up.

"She's flown away three times Mr Callen. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"What it tells me is that she's scared and desperate, and expected this somehow."

"Still."

"Hetty," Callen focused his eyes on Hetty's. "She thinks we're Comescu."

Hetty's eyes widened. "Comescu? Are you sure?"

"I heard her Hetty," Sam confirmed. "G told her that we just wanted to talk. Her response was Comescu don't talk."

And that was why he really couldn't let it go. If she knew of the Comescu's, if she was afraid of them this much, then she was connected. He was ninety nine percent sure of that now.

"Well," Hetty paused, "That does put a different light on the matter."

Callen felt a very definite easing of tension. Hetty wouldn't pull the plug just yet.

"Why would the Comescu's be after her?" Sam asked.

"More to the point Mr Hanna, why would she think they are, considering we effectively killed them off a few years ago."

"Hetty, even if she won't talk to me, isn't connected to me," Callen said, "the least we can do is let her know the Comescu's are gone."

"You would leave it at that?" Hetty asked.

Callen took a breath as Sam tightened the final wrap of the bandage and hissed a little when Sam put the fasteners on it.

"Sorry, G," Sam said almost under his breath.

"I don't know Hetty," Callen admitted honestly. "What I know is that she's terrified because of me, because she thinks we are Comescu. If we can at least convince her that they are no longer a threat to her, she might consider talking. Even if she doesn't," but he hoped with everything that she would, "then it's the right thing to do isn't it? Let her know she's not in danger anymore."

Hetty nodded. "Indeed. It is the right thing to do but I do have to wonder if you would be able to let her go once you had her."

Sam coughed, which muffled another sound, and Callen glared at his partner.

"I was not referring to their night together Mr Hanna!"

"Hetty, please let me see this through. No one deserves to live with that kind of fear. I can't imagine what they've done to her to have her react this way."

"You know some of the things they've done Mr Callen."

Callen's training meant that the shudder he felt didn't show on the outside. Oh yes they knew, not just from personal experience but what he'd found out himself over time with his research into them. He'd come across bad guys in his career and the Comescu rated right up there in the top five.

"Yes I know."

"Very well," Hetty walked over to the table and pressed a button bringing the image of Eric up on the screen. "Mr Beale, Miss Jones, what do we have?"

Callen noticed Eric didn't look at them. He seemed focused on some other screen.

"I've still got her," Eric said. "She on a bus heading east but she's already been on two different ones. I think she's trying to make sure you aren't following."

"Keep on it Mr Beale," Hetty said. "It's imperative that you do not lose her."

"I'll do my best," Eric replied.

Hetty turned to Callen and Sam. "I suggest that you head to her apartment now. Miss Jones, can you please get Miss Blye and Mr Deeks to meet Mr Callen and Mr Hanna there as soon as possible. I think it could be a very good idea to have more back up this time."

"Thanks Hetty." Callen headed to the door.

"Mr Callen. Please be careful with her."

"So everyone keeps telling me. Trust me. I will." Deep down in his gut, his instincts, he knew that if they lost her this time, it would be over. He'd never get his answers, if she had them, and she'd continue to run and be fearful of something she didn't need to be. This time he wasn't going to fail.