Chapter Nine
They stayed at the safe house for another five days before deciding it was time to move on to DC. They left before it was even light, Cassidy had still be asleep so Callen had carried her down to the car, before going back inside and helping the others take the rest of their things out to the car as well. It was then that Callen noticed that something was slightly off; it was eerily quiet for the time of the morning it was, but that was when he noticed it, the lazar on the house, an RPG or missile.
'Let's go. RPG!' he shouted as he grabbed the last bags sitting at the door, before running out of the house after the others. The car was already running, it was an old pick-up truck, he jumped in the bed of the truck, while whoever was driving sped off just as the house exploded. As the car arrived in a small village, he began to suspect that it was Kensi driving as they hadn't slowed down for the past fifteen miles, and he was now getting thrown into the side of the bed.
After he had been thrown around in the bed of the pick-up for about half an hour they finally stopped and he was able to sit up. It took him a couple of minutes for everything to stop spinning before he could jump out of the bed and climb into the back seat.
'Ashlyn, I think,' Annie stated from the driver's seat, as she sped up driving away once again. He softly and quietly slipped his hand into Kensi's as he ran his free hand over his head, only to find blood on the side of his forehead. He looked down at his hand and began to swear under his breath.
'Annie, who taught you to drive?' He asked after wiping the blood off his hand, and checking the wound on the side of his forehead once again. He could tell that it would bleed for a while yet, but he knew he could get it to stop with a couple of butterfly clips, if he could find any of them.
'You and Jethro taught me to drive. Also here's a couple of clips,' Annie told him while hand him a couple over her shoulder, a slight smile on her face. As he went to take the butterfly clips Kensi took them and turned his face towards her, when she winced looking at his head. He could tell that it was bad when she winced because Kensi wasn't one to get grossed out by blood or injuries, she had had enough of them herself, but even though he wanted to know just how bad it was he stayed still while she quickly placed the butterfly clips in place causing him to groan in slight pain. Once she was done Kensi threw a quick glance over her shoulder to see Cassidy still sleep, she leaned forward knowing that Annie and Auggie weren't paying them any attention, she kissed his gently before pulling away again. They sat in silence until they arrived near Langley, and Annie pulled over to the side of the road before turning around to face Kensi, Callen and Cassidy sitting in the backseat.
'So, G, what exactly are you going to say to Joan?' she asked slightly nervous about Callen talking to her boss, about her and Auggie. She watched him think for a minute before turning to her with a completely serious expression on his face and answering her.
'I was thinking along the line of; hey Joan, it's Callen, I need to borrow my sister and her handler for the foreseeable future. Thanks. Is that cool?' she just smiled at his answer knowing that he wasn't going to tell her what he was going to say. She just shrugged and started the car again, before driving towards Langley, she knew that she and Auggie were going to get their asses hand to them on a plate from Joan when they arrived there, and she just hoped that Callen could get them out of trouble with Joan, and possibly Arthur as well. He just smiled gently and lent across Kensi to wake Cassidy up, as she slowly sat up, she noticed the blood on his head, and then that they were in Washington, where she had grew up, a place she used to call home, before Ashlyn put her on that plane on her own, in fact since that first time when she was six and ended up in the hospital.
'Washington, why?' she asked groggily in Russian, as she watched the cars that they were passing until they arrived at Langley. Annie was the first to climb out of the pick-up, she walked around the front and opened the door for Auggie, while Callen climbed out leaving the door open for Kensi, while he walked around the back of the pick-up and helped Cassidy open her battered back door.
'It's fine Cass, she's not here. Come on,' he said as he placed his arm on her shoulder as they walked towards the main doors of the office. They walked in, Annie and Auggie walking front of them, while Kensi, Callen and Cassidy followed behind them, they walked all the way through the office, Callen and Annie spotting a face all too familiar to them, followed by a look of recognition from Kensi – Tracy Keller, Callen's ex-wife, and the Buddy the dog thief. Callen froze for a moment before walking the rest of the way to Joan's office.
Callen and Kensi leaned against the wall in Joan's office waiting for her to arrive, while Annie, Auggie and Cassidy sat at Joan's desk. Callen kept throwing casual glances towards the door, when it opened, and Joan walked in, not noticing Callen or Kensi, just Annie, Auggie and the little girl, Cassidy, sitting at her desk. As she stood in front of Annie, a questioning and angry look on her face, Callen coughed causing everyone to face him as he pushed himself up off of the wall, and took a step forward towards Joan and the desk, smirking that infamous smirk of his.
'Joan, meet my brother G. Callen. G, meet my boss Joan, once again,' Annie introduced, even although it wasn't necessary as both Joan and Callen already knew each other. Joan stared at Callen shocked, she knew that Annie was adopted and had another sibling, but she had never thought it would be the legendary G. Callen, the agent who can become anyone, anywhere, for any reason and can talk his way out of anything, not to mention he's not afraid of taking a bullet either, that explained why Annie was so good, but it didn't explain why Annie never mentioned him, at all.
'Hey Joan, I kind of need to… uhm… borrow my sister and her handler. Someone threatened to go after my sister and the one who is closest to her to get back at me so we're going underground. You can call Henrietta Lange, and she can confirm all this, or Director Leon Vance. Please Joan,' Callen practically begged, he just wanted to keep those important to him save especially Kensi, Cassidy, Annie and even Auggie, no matter what. He waited while Joan thought for a minute or maybe two before she nodded causing him to sigh in relieve that at least he could keep them safe from Ashlyn.
They walked out of Joan's office an hour and a half after arriving, Annie, Callen and Kensi all spotting Tracy watching them, but they didn't care, they had gotten the go ahead to borrow Annie and Auggie, so for now everything was going up for them. Suddenly as they were walking out someone pulled a gun out, it was a rouge agent, as they came in they spotted Cassidy, and thinking that she was easy prey they grabbed her, little did they know though that she was one of the best agent's daughter, and another of the best agent's niece. Cassidy screamed causing the rouge agent to put their hand over Cassidy's mouth, and as soon as they did it, Cassidy bit them, and then she booted her heel into the agent's shin, while Callen lunged for the gun before quickly unloading it, and catching the bullet as if it was a bounce ball. As Cassidy went to kick back again, the rouge agent fell forward while Cassidy was grabbed and pulled backwards, causing her to spin quickly, while Kensi and Annie closed in on Cassidy, and the one who grabbed her – Tracy Keller. Once Jai had a hold of the rouge Agent Tracy, much to everyone's shock, released Cassidy and pushed her towards Annie and Kensi. As soon as Cassidy was in arm's reach Annie pulled her into a hug, before pushing her behind herself, so that she couldn't get hurt, while the rouge psycho agent was dragged away.
'Cassidy?' Callen questioned as he turned to face her, it was then that he realised just how young she was, she was crying, and shaking but as soon as she saw him, she through her arms around him. After a minute, Cassidy let go of Callen, and turned to Kensi, Annie and Auggie, before giving each of them a hug, while Callen turned to Joan, and nodded before turning to Tracy.
'Thank you, Tracy. I can't tell you what that meant,' he thanked, before he swung his arm over Kensi's shoulder and together, Kensi, Callen, Cassidy, Auggie and Annie walked out of Langley, a small smile passing between them all.
