Chapter Ten
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Chapter Ten
Sam swore that no breath left his body for at least an eternity as he took in the situation. He had seen his partner yet again prove why he was the best in the business by immediately recognising the danger and tackling the people around him. His training set in almost instantly and he was moving towards the flash of gun fire- aware that several other agents were on his heels. Within minutes the woman was restrained and barrelled into the awaiting car, his attention turned back to the huddle of people on the sand nearby, desperately trying to find out what had happened to his partner.
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Callen groaned as the body underneath his attempted to dislodge him. He moved slowly- assessing what hurt before he caused himself further injury.
"Callen?" a voice queried softly behind him, and he shook his head to break up the fuzziness.
"Kens?" he murmured, finally registering who was beside him.
"You hit?" she asked in concern- moving closer as he managed to draw himself up on his knees. As she moved closer she saw the tearing to his shirt, and the blood forming across a large section of his shirt.
"Ben" he stated as he moved forward- suddenly remembering what had caused him to be on the floor. "Ben!" he hollered again, crawling to where the marine laid unmoving in front of him. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked at the unconscious form in front of him, a pool of blood forming beneath him. "Ben- speak to me" he begged softly as he tried to rouse his clearly injured friend.
"Callen- let them through" Kensi instructed him gently as she tried to move her friend away so that the paramedics could get access to the fallen marine. Wordlessly the senior agent rocked backwards, his head spinning as he took in what had obviously happened.
"Welch?" he queried to the agent beside him.
"Disappeared" Kensi replied, realising that her friend would be less than happy that the woman had taken the opportunity to get away. "She won't get far Callen, the whole place is surrounded by NCIS and LAPD" she added, hoping to console the man in front of her that looked as though he was at breaking point.
"G?" Sam called as he got level with his friend, and quickly noted the slightly glazed eyes and the blood over the younger man.
"I'm good Sam" Callen responded, clearly distracted. "Did you get the shooter?" he asked as he attempted to get to his feet and ignored the dangerous sway as he did so.
"We got her G" Sam assured him gently, clasping his shoulder.
"Price?" the lead agent asked.
"Yep- she is on the way to the boatshed. Deeks is with her" Sam updated him carefully. "Now come on G- you need to get checked out. Where are you hit?" he asked as he moved to examine his partner- not missing the clear bullet holes in his shirt and the blood that now covered him. Without waiting for permission from his partner he reached out to unfasten the buttons of the shirt- getting no further than the top button before his hand was weakly swatted away.
"I'm fine Sam" Callen argued, but his voice betrayed him.
"Like hell you are G!" Sam stated- finally losing his patience with his partner. "Now let me check while we wait for the paramedics to get here" he commanded, surprise when the fight seemed to leave his friend.
"Fine" Callen whispered, his head spinning as the blood loss caught up with him. Sam hesitated, surprised at the permission- before making the most of it and again reaching for the shirt, chuckling to himself as he undid the top few buttons.
"You wore your vest" he stated with a grin. Relieved beyond words, however he continued to check his friend for the injury that was currently causing a pool of blood to form in the sand. Within minutes he located a wound to the bicep that was continuing to bleed freely. "It's a through and through to your arm G" Sam commented and he ripped at his own shirt to form a makeshift bandage.
"Figured" Callen whispered, his face pale as pain overwhelmed him- his left arm curled around his middle as the bullet that had hit his vest made itself known.
"Easy G- ambulance will be here in just a moment"
"M'okay" Callen slurred as he winced against the tightening of his arm.
"Sure you are" Sam muttered to himself as he checked his friend for any other injuries. He looked up as at last the ambulance arrived at the location and within minutes his partner was yet again on his way to the ER with a bullet wound.
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"Well all I can say is thank heavens that Mr Callen saw fit to wear his vest" Hetty commented as she watched the footage that Eric had managed to capture. Watched in slow motion, it was even more of a close call for her team leader than she had initially realised. The computer re-enactment that Nell had provided painted an even clearer picture.
"So we have confirmed that the first bullet struck Callen in the chest, the second went straight through his right bicep and into Ben Taylor as he was tackled to the ground. Where did the third bullet go?" Nell queried as she watched the footage through again.
"Miss Jones- contact LAPD and establish if there was any other blood found near to the scene" Hetty requested softly. "Mr Beale- can you get an update on Corporal Taylor and Mr Callen please" she asked.
"Will do" he replied, already reaching for the phone.
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"You going to get me out of here?" Callen asked his partner wearily.
"No way in hell" Sam responded honestly. "G- the x-rays haven't even come back yet- just rest until the doctor comes in" he asked.
"Any news on Ben?" Callen asked, not opening his eyes to look at his partner.
"Nothing yet- they took him straight up to surgery"
"Welch?"
"I don't know G- I haven't heard from Hetty yet" Sam responded as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Please G- just try to relax and do as you are told for once?" he requested gently.
"Find out about Ben please" Callen asked.
"I'll see what I can do- you stay here" Sam warned, heading out of the door and hoping that for once his friend would do what was actually best for him.
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"You do realise that you are facing seven counts of murder, attempted murder, and not to mention the firearms offences" Deeks told the woman sat in front of him- tear marks staining her pale face.
"She told me it was the right thing to do" she whispered in response. "They could have saved David- but didn't so I had a right to take him" she stated.
"You have a right to take who?" Kensi asked, trying to keep her voice impartial.
"The marine- any marine. They could have protected David and they didn't- Patricia was right, she knew I had a right to take them" she continued.
"Patricia?" Deeks queried, keen for the woman in front of him to give him as much information as possible.
"Yeah- her partner was a marine- killed in action, just like my David. I met her a couple of years ago when we were forced into therapy" she explained, sniffing as she once more brought her emotions into check. "The counselling counted for nothing, just a load of false platitudes and reassurances- I took more from one coffee with Patricia than I did a whole months of their sessions" she spat angrily, her mood changing in the blink of an eye.
"What did you and Patricia talk about?" Deeks asked gently.
"She told me what she did to stop the pain" Price answered, an edge of bitterness creeping into her voice.
"What was that Veronica?" Kensi asked carefully.
"She said that she found out of marine's that had found happiness- found the love of their lives and were to get married. She would watch them, and when they were planning their weddings she would shoot him. She would take her rifle and kill the marine- she found that taking their happiness helped to heal a little bit of her pain" she explained, her hands moving as she spoke.
"So Patricia shot marines to make herself feel better? She's been doing this since her partner died?" Kensi queried.
"No- she started doing it, but then she killed a girl by mistake. She saw the pain of the marine and couldn't do it any more" she answered.
"So you picked up where she left off?" Deeks asked.
"Yeah- a few months ago I started, but it doesn't work. The first one I just felt sad, and then angry that it would make me that way" she explained, tears streaming down her face as she spoke. "Nothing I do makes it go away" she finished as the sobs finally overtook her. Kensi tried desperately to not feel sympathy towards the woman- she was the same age and her eyes were filled with so much sorrow that it was easy to get lost in them.
"Some pain will never go away Veronica, Patricia realised this and that is why she allowed herself to love again" she stated as she got to her feet.
"She fell in love with a marine- she betrayed her dead partner and she betrayed me" Veronica sobbed into her own arms as she rested her head against them on the table. Kensi and Deeks exchanged the glance, each recognising that they would get no further from the clearly disturbed woman in front of them. As one unit they both got to their feet and headed into the communal area.
"She needs sectioning" the detective commented as soon as they were sat down on the table watching the screen.
"She needs help Deeks- grief does strange things to people" Kensi responded.
"You are actually defending her?" Deeks questioned in surprise.
"No- but Welch preyed on her vulnerabilities to continue what she no longer had the stomach to do. They were both lead by their loss- but Price allowed it to consume her" Kensi replied with a sigh. "Let's update Hetty and see if there is any update on Callen" she added as she moved, leaving a very surprised detective in her wake.
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Sam took a deep breath as he found himself back outside of his partner's room, on one hand he didn't want to be the one to deliver the news to his partner- but on the other if anyone had he was glad that it was him. He stepped through the door just as the doctor was finishing up.
"Perfect timing- despite my better judgement your partner here will be ready to go as soon as he is bandaged up. However it is on the strict instruction that he is not alone, he doesn't move that arm at all, no driving and absolutely must rest" the doctor explained categorically.
"You got it doc" Sam agreed easily- knowing that his friend would be desperate to leave.
"The bullet that hit the chest area cracked a rib- obviously this will make it painful to breath, if at any point it feels wet to breath or rasping then you are to bring him back to hospital immediately. The arm injury was a straight through and through- however there was obviously muscle damage. I can't foresee any permanent damage however it must be rested and he must come for a check-up in a few days' time" the doctor continued.
"I am here you know" Callen interjected weakly from the bed.
"I have given up attempting to give you instructions when it comes to your own welfare Mr Callen" the doctor stated with a straight face. Sam resisted the urge to laugh out loud at the comment. Callen muttered something under his breath in response to the comment, but refrained from any further comeback.
"Please can we get out of here?" he asked pitifully a short time later. Sam finally took pity on his younger partner.
"Get dressed G- I'll sort your papers" he finally relented.
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"LAPD have just contacted us" Eric announced to the gathered team. "They have found a small blood trail near to where the shooting took place. A blood dog has attended and following a scent it lead them to an alleyway where a body was discovered" he informed them.
"Let's go" Kensi stated to her partner, already walking- knowing that the tech would have sent the address details down to her phone. Without hesitation Deeks followed behind her- knowing that the discovery could be key in finally putting this god-awful case behind them.
Thirty minutes later the younger half of the team were staring down at the clearly deceased body of Patricia Welch, and neither of them could bring themselves to feel any sympathy for her.
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Two days later and the case had been filed, however it had left it's mark on each and every one of the team members in different ways.
Callen had made no attempts to make his way back to work- he had followed every instruction of the doctor to the letter- too drained to do anything else.
Sam felt helpless- there was no obvious way to assist his partner, as usual he bucked against talking things through or in any way disclosing his feelings. He knew it was only a matter of time before his friend would shut him out completely- but it didn't mean that it had to like it.
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A week later and Sam was back at work- he had been surprised when Callen hadn't even argued that he was fit to return to Ops with him, he had simply nodded and headed home.
"How's Callen?" Kensi queried quietly as she perched on the edge of her friend's desk.
"I have no idea Kensi- stubborn fool won't talk to me, and I know that this is all eating him up inside" Sam responded with a grimace, beyond frustration with his partner.
"Has he gone home?" she asked, keen to do anything to help her friend.
"Yeah, last night. I am shocked that he stayed at mine as long as he did" the former seal responded with a sigh.
"He'll be all right Sam" the junior agent stated in an attempt to reassure her friend. Right there and then she made a silent oath to make sure of it.
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That evening she drove through the still busy streets of LA with one thought on her mind- she parked outside of the house that belonged to one of her best friends- yet she had only visited it a handful of times. She squared her shoulders and could a deep breath to settle the unnatural nerves before walking up the path and knocking on the door. A few moments later it opened a mere crack and piercing blue eyes stared out at her.
"Hey" she greeted gently.
"Hey" he responded pulling the door open to let her in. She eyed him up, unsurprised to find that he had clearly abandoned the prescribed sling.
"I brought some beer and a pizza" she told him gently holding up the items for his inspections.
"Did Sam send you?" Callen queried with a quirked eyebrow.
"Hell no! He doesn't even know that I am here" she responding placing the pizza on the counter and cracking open two bottles of beer. "Now come on eat before it gets cold" she admonished him. He grinned lightly before doing as he was told- moving slowly he grabbed a solitary slice, before easing his battered frame down onto the floor to drink his beer.
"You didn't have to come Kensi- I am just fine"
"I'm not here to check on you Callen- just thought you might want some company from your fiancée" she responded with a wink. Her natural playfulness was contagious and Callen couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.
"I guess so. I thought you had called the wedding off? You know the whole nearly getting you killed thing?" he stated, his mouth turned into a grin but his eyes lacking their sparkle and a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.
"Na I still love you" she responded as she took a slug of her beer. "Did Sam give you the full scoop on the case?" she asked gently.
"Yeah he told me Price had been sectioned. Case closed I guess" he said with a shrug.
"It's Ben's funeral tomorrow- do you want a ride?" Kensi asked, not missing the sharp intake of breath that the statement brought. She knew from Sam that the death of the marine had not been discussed- yet knowing Callen as she did, she knew it had to be eating him up inside.
"No thank you" Callen replied blandly.
"He was your friend- don't you want to pay your respects?" she asked carefully.
"How was I his friend? Our entire relationship was based on a lie- he didn't even know my name Kens, and I did nothing to stop him from getting killed"
"It wasn't your fault G" she stated softly. "You have got to stop blaming yourself. The only reason that Ben was killed was because of a misguided attempt at revenge when there was none to be had"
"He thought that she loved him" Callen whispered, overwhelmed with sadness for the loss of a good man.
"She did love him- I genuinely think that he healed her wounds. He wasn't to know what she had done when she was driven by her mental illness" Kensi reasoned moving closer to her friend. "Everybody needs somebody sometimes Callen" she commented- and they both knew that she wasn't just talking about Welch. Neither agent spoke for some time, each lost in their own thoughts of the case and Kensi content to simply be there should Callen want to talk to her.
"Thanks Kensi" he eventually whispered, leaning closer to her. In one smooth motion her arm was lifted and around his shoulder, both agents leaning against the wall.
The next thing that Kensi was aware of was blinking herself awake and seeing daylight peering in through the curtains.
"Callen?" she queried, remembering where she was as she shrugged off the blanket that her team leader had apparently draped over her in the night.
"Morning!" he greeted her with a smile. "Coffee?" he offered.
"God yes please" she gratefully accepted. She sniffed as she pulled herself fully upright- instantly recognising the smell of bacon. "How long have you been up?" she asked, not sure in any way why she was surprised at the man who hardly slept.
"Just a few hours- I know you get cranky if you don't eat" he stated with a wink, handing her a mug of steaming fresh coffee.
"I was supposed to be looking after you" she muttered, embarrassed that she had clearly fallen to sleep in the arms of the man that she had made it her mission to check up on.
"You did Kens- you did" he assured her.
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Kensi rushed home to get changed before heading in the office- surprised to observe Callen sat at the chair in front of Hetty's desk.
"How come Callen's here?" she asked Sam as she walked over.
"No idea" he responded with a sigh. Within minutes Callen was back on his feet and wandering over to the desk area. "You are supposed to be on sick leave" Sam stated.
"I am Sam- I am off to Washington for a few days to stay with Gibbs" he stated, looking more relaxed than he had for a few days.
"Seriously?" Sam queried, barely believing that his partner was actually doing as he was told for once.
"Yep- bout time that me and Gibbs got that beer" Callen added.
"What brought around this change of heart?" Sam asked in shock.
"I can't always try and get through life by myself Sam" he stated as he turned and left- winking at Kensi as he walked out leaving a shellshocked Sam in his wake.
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Callen grinned to himself at the look on his partner's face- he loved to shock the older man when he could.
Kensi's words had hit closer to home than he liked to admit- over the last few years he had slowly developed a little family around him and bit by bit they had picked over his walls, yet his self-protection mechanisms had categorically refused to let any of them fully in. He knew that he would never change, there was no way he could leave himself open to it- but he could enjoy the friendship and comfort that it had to offer, and maybe a beer or two along the way.
The End
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