Life isn't fair. Callen knows this. He's lived it. But this? This is just beyond unfair. This almost makes him whine.
"What?" His tone is flat and dull, much like how he feels in the aftermath of Nell's announcement.
She wrings her hands in front of him, dismay in her eyes.
"I've been assigned to work a joint operation with the CIA and the South American NCIS unit on the Hernandez case."
"Assigned by whom?" he demands.
"SECNAV."
Callen double takes.
"The office or...?"
Nell looks down, sighing softly. "No, the actual person. Secretary Jarvis and Director Vance briefed me. In person. The NCIS group down there has uncovered more information on Hernandez's activities," she explains.
"Okay..."
"And they've begun buying core components and mobilizing resources. They're preparing to build the weapons."
Callen's silent for a long moment. "Why you?" he finally asks.
"SECNAV and the Director feel that my...familiarity with the case as well as my understanding of South American culture, politics, what have you," Nell trails off. "They think I could do more good there than here, especially since Hernandez and his crew don't often utilize technology when communicating their actions. Add to the fact that the intel in question is highly classified and we have a case that is being monitored closely not only by NCIS but higher up."
Callen cannot describe what he's feeling inside. There are too many emotions, mostly fear and despair. He doesn't know what to do with those feelings when they're not centered around himself. So, he does the one thing he knows he should do. He takes Nell into his arms.
"This is crazy," he says. "I could make all sorts of excuses why you either shouldn't go or why we should go with you but I know what the rebuttals will be."
He can feel Nell smile. "You always could see every side to a situation."
"Not that I won't try everything anyway to change this," he says.
Nell pulls away from him them and fixes him with a serious look.
"You...want to go, don't you?"
She nods sheepishly.
"It's not your fault," he says, knowing where her mind is going. "You couldn't have known Hernandez was going to mobilize so quickly."
"Still," Nell remarks. "I feel like I didn't do enough."
Callen searches Nell's eyes for a long moment but he doesn't really know what he's looking for.
"I have to admit, this isn't the way I thought this would go," she says.
He frowns in confusion. "What?"
"Me. Leaving," she explains. "I...kind of thought it'd be you. Maybe not this case, but, sometime."
And now Callen realizes an implication of the situation he never had to deal with before: separation, both physically and emotionally.
He pulls her close to him once more, kissing her softly. "We'll get through this," he murmurs.
Callen spends the days up to Nell's departure alternately helping her prepare and trying to get himself somehow inserted into the team. The latter does not work at all.
Hetty tells him the matter is out of her hands and he knows it's the truth. There is no logical or practical reason for the Los Angeles team to be involved with the South American unit's case. Bringing up their relationship is a complete non-starter and likely to do more harm than good.
Which is how he finds himself out of time and pulling up to the departure zone at LAX.
"Well," he says as he helps Nell with her luggage.
"Well," she replies.
They stare at each other for a long moment before embracing.
"I'll miss you," she says. He can hear the catch in her voice.
"I'll miss your bed," he jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
"You have a key."
"You won't be in it."
"Soon."
"But not soon enough."
He kisses her softly and pulls away before it gets any harder.
"I...don't know if I can keep in contact," Nell says. "But if I can, I will."
"I know."
Suddenly, Nell leans in close and hugs him again. "I love you," she whispers, and then she's gone, walking into the airport and he stares after her, ignoring the honking of other cars for a long moment.
When he turns around, he's surprised to see Sam casually leaning against the car. Callen raises an eyebrow at his partner. "Where'd you come from?"
"Get in the car before these drivers decide to run you over," he says.
Callen does so and as he's pulling away from the terminal, Sam speaks again.
"I cancelled your ticket."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Sam mimes sniffing the air. "What's that I smell? Oh, that's bullshit."
Callen doesn't dignify the comment with a response. "How did you know?"
"It wasn't hard. Once you find something you want to hold onto, you don't let go. I knew there was no way you'd let Nell go on this mission without you if there was anything you could do about it."
"You think I'd just leave the team?" Callen asks, trying to put indignation in his voice.
"You've done it before," Sam counters.
Point.
"I should be there," Callen finally says, smacking the steering wheel. "We should be there."
"You know we can't and you trying to interfere will only make things worse for both her and us."
"Fuck." It's a simple statement that embodies everything Callen's feeling. "This is why I don't have relationships," he mutters, but he doesn't really mean it.
"You know you wouldn't have it any other way."
Callen doesn't respond. How could he when he knows Sam's right?
"Turn around, will you?" Sam asks. "My car's in short term parking."
Sam Hanna has seen some weird shit in his life. Hell, he's been through some of it. But he's never seen anyone slowly go insane and he's pretty sure that's what he's witnessing in one G. Callen. And he, as his partner, is going crazy with him.
When he was a SEAL, there was one particularly harrowing mission that rattled everyone. The CO had them all on suicide watch, which doesn't happen often. Two of his brothers almost snapped. SEALs don't "almost" do anything. That's how bad the mission was.
Sam expects something similar with G. Like he'd said to Nell, he's so conditioned to things not going his way that it usually doesn't. He'd been happy when G and Nell had hooked up and it looked like things were going to work out. But after sending Nell on a dangerous mission, he's not so sure.
So, Sam mentally puts G on suicide watch, but it really turns out to be something more like a travel advisory.
It's exhausting. In the first week alone G tries to depart by plane and boat. Twice.
Then, Nell's first communication comes in and while Sam thought it would make G redouble his efforts, it actually seems to have a calming effect on him.
It drives Sam crazy, wondering when G is going to make his next move.
Another week passes and while G doesn't falter at all with their cases (Eric, on the other hand, is a mess), it's the in between parts where G's behavior is the most different. He's quieter and more withdrawn and it takes Sam way too long to realize G's lonely.
So, he gives the guy a break and almost misses the bus ticket that has G's markers written all over it. Almost.
"I'm beginning to think you're doing this on purpose, G."
"Maybe you're just good at catching me."
Right.
And then, the weirdest thing ever happens and Sam just knows G's gone over the edge.
G buys a bed. A real one: mattress, box spring, and frame. Sam sees it for himself, all alone in the middle of G's master bedroom and naked without any bedding. But it's a bed.
Two days later G's returned it.
Three days after that, there's another bed in G's master bedroom.
"Are you going to return this one?" he inquires.
G just shrugs, so Sam takes matters into his own hands, because he knows G won't return something that has been used (usually). He distracts G by asking him to get something he left in the car and by the time he's come back, Sam has removed all the packaging from the bed and placed it in a neat pile by the door.
"What."
"Thanks," Sam says, taking the package from G.
He opens the box to reveal some basic bedding and starts putting it on the bed.
"It's blue," Callen says.
"Brings out your eyes."
Callen's quiet for a moment. "If you suggest we try out the bed, I'm kicking you out."
Sam smacks him in the face with a pillow.
G keeps the bed, but he still sleeps on the bedroll on the floor.
Sam considers it a victory.
Nell's communications back to the team are erratic but they arrive. Official weekly reports are transmitted to SECNAV and the Director's office that Eric "accidentally" intercepts. It at least lets them know Nell, and the rest of the team, are okay.
Callen receives a postcard two weeks in.
From Germany.
Somehow, Nell's figured out how to reroute her postcard so as not to give away their location, much less their activities. All it says is, "Wish you were here!" and it takes Callen three days to figure out the dot in the exclamation point is really a microdot.
She's written him a letter and it fills him with a sense of loneliness he's never felt before. Callen's pretty sure Sam will catch him, but that doesn't stop him from booking the bus ticket.
Another week passes and another report comes in, but no communication from Nell herself.
When a week goes by that there is no report, even Hetty voices a concern and lets slip to the Director that they know about the reports. The Director does not seem surprised, but he is also concerned with the lack of information from the South American unit.
Callen knows something is wrong, but it doesn't make him immediately find a way down there. After all, he doesn't actually know where Nell and the other NCIS agents are.
He soon finds out.
The next day, Hetty calls an emergency meeting just after lunch.
"What's going on, Hetty?" Callen asks, his level of concern rising each moment Hetty doesn't speak.
"I have debated how to begin this meeting. No words are adequate." Hetty looks each of them in the eye. "I will say, however, that our Nell Jones is alive, but whether or not she is well is unknown. She's missing."
"Then, how do you know she's ali-" Deeks's question is cut off by a hiss as Kensi stomps on his foot.
"The safe house she and the South American NCIS unit was staying in was compromised," Hetty explained, tapping a few buttons on the touch screen to bring up a visual.
"Compromised?" Sam breathes. Even he seems taken off guard. "Hetty, it was obliterated."
She nods, and brings up a few smaller photos.
"This is all that remains of the entire task force."
Silently, they all count. One body is missing.
"The physical characteristics of the recovered remains match those of the task force sans Miss Jones," Hetty continues.
"So, where is she?" Kensi asks.
Hetty looks at Eric. He doesn't move, eyes transfixed on the bodies. Hetty clears her throat. "Mr. Beale?"
"Huh?" Eric startles. "Oh. Right."
A surveillance video plays for a few seconds before a small figure exits the safe house building. Even if they hadn't known what they were looking for, the whole team would have recognized Nell. A few seconds later, the building explodes and is engulfed in flames and the video feed cuts to snow.
Callen has been eerily silent since Hetty's announcement. His eyes take in all the details of the photographs on the screen. His mind tries, and fails, to look at the pictures objectively, as if it was just another case.
Because at that moment, G. Callen is paralyzed by fear. Terror, really. He's almost just witnessed the death of someone he loves. He has witnessed a terrible act against humanity. And while part of Callen breathes a tiny sigh of relief that Nell had been spared the same, catastrophic fate as her colleagues, the other (annoyingly realistic) practical and cynical part of him knows the ugly truth.
"Hernandez?" he asks.
"Most likely," Eric answers. "We've been able to pick up some communication that he's moving his people around in that area."
The room is silent for a moment longer before Callen speaks again. "If we have this footage," Callen grits out through clenched teeth. "They might, too."
Hetty nods. "Precisely, Mr. Callen. Miss Jones is in more danger now than ever."
No one speaks a word as the implications sink in.
"Bring her home, Mr. Callen."
The flight to Venezuela is quiet but filled with tension. Sam keeps throwing concerned looks G's way and Kensi and Deeks confer amongst themselves quietly, also glancing in Callen's direction.
Callen himself stares blankly at the newspaper he picked up at the airport. He's seen all manner of horrible things in his life so he's sure his imagination could concoct a really terrible scenario. But, oddly, it doesn't. Instead, he feels a sense of purpose because he finally got what he wanted, just not how he wanted it.
No one complains when they head straight for the safe house remains after they land. It's late, but it's as if they all needed to see the place in person, first, before they could retire for the night and get a fresh start in the morning.
Kensi canvases the locals, gathering what information she can, and chats up an off-duty police officer as to the details of the explosion. Deeks works his charm on the tourists.
Sam and Callen go over the building's remains and circling the area, hoping to find some clue that Nell was there.
"I have to believe she'd leave some sign if she could," Callen mutters, although he's aware enough of his feelings to know it's more a hope than an absolute.
"We'll find her, G."
The news from the locals isn't good.
"Apparently," Kensi starts, "Hernandez has been a busy man. Not only has he been heading up the efforts to get materials, he's also been looking for laborers. Hernandez's men only arrived in this particular city a day before the safe house was destroyed."
"Do you think Hernandez suspected?" Deeks wonders.
"Maybe, but it's more likely one of the group tried to infiltrate and it didn't work. I know that was in the plans," Callen supplies.
"Whatever the reason, Hernandez knows now. He's mobilized a small gang to hunt down the unit," Kensi continues. "They know there's one left."
Callen curses.
"Where are they now?" Sam asks.
"Headed north, toward Caracas."
"Then that's where we go," Callen grinds out.
It takes them two days of slow searching before they find her in an abandoned farm house 30 miles from the safe house. Callen immediately senses something, though he can't quite figure it out, when they walk into the building. He can tell by their posture that Sam and Kensi feel it, too.
He almost misses it when she shows up behind them, but he feels something and then she's right there, gun in hand and ready to fight.
To Nell's credit, if they had been the enemy, she would have done exactly what they'd trained her for: fight long enough-and effectively enough-to get away.
"Oh, my god," Kensi exclaims, immediately lowering her sidearm.
Sam and Deeks may have said something, too, but Nell locks eyes with Callen and everything else fades away. Then, she's all but running at him, jumping into his arms, wrapping herself around him, burying her face in his neck, breathing in the scent of him.
"I've got you," he murmurs repeatedly into her ear as he holds tight.
The seconds tick by and she hears the sound of shuffling feet.
"Let's, uh, secure the perimeter," Sam finally says. "Outside."
Callen hears footsteps fade away and then they're alone. They stay like that, entwined, for a long time before Callen finally lets Nell go and sets her on her feet. He takes a step back and takes a good look at her.
She's dirty and disheveled. Her clothes are ripped in places and her nose is definitely sunburned. She has a combat knife tucked in her belt and her sidearm is secured in a holster that clips around her thigh.
"I'm probably a mess," Nell says, and then she does that adorable thing where she reaches up and scratches at the back of her neck to deflect attention.
"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he replies. "Actually, you look kind of hot."
She giggles then, looking up at him with a slight blush across her cheeks and Callen reaches for her, cupping her face in his hands. He kisses her, tender and sweet, filled with all the longing and loneliness he's felt for her in the weeks since her departure. That's the point when she breaks and Callen tightens his grip as Nell sags against him.
He holds her to him again and she's pulling in deep breaths because, for the moment, she's safe. She doesn't have to run, doesn't have to look behind her every step she takes.
But they both are.
Him, because it's second nature.
Her, because she still can't believe it's real and he's there and her adrenaline's stuck in the "on" position.
It saves both their lives.
Something changes in the air around them and before he can fully process it, Nell wraps her arms tighter around him, hooks a leg behind his knee, and slams him to the ground.
In another time and place, that move would be aggressive, intimately compromising, and downright sexy.
Now, it's just practical because two bullets fly overhead where they had just been standing.
Callen doesn't have time to be surprised or even realize he's had the wind knocked out of him. They train for this exact situation for a reason.
Nell rolls them to their sides and they both scramble to their knees and lunge for cover.
In opposite directions.
For their opponent, of which there seems to be only one, it's a great distracting move.
For Callen, it's more fuel for the nightmare he's living.
He can see Nell and she looks scared out of her mind, but she's found good cover and the enemy can't reach her.
Callen can hear shouting and gunfire outside, meaning their enemy has backup and Sam and the others are engaging them in combat. The sooner he and Nell can dispose of this one, the faster they can rejoin the others with, hopefully, one less opponent.
Then it all goes to hell in a hand basket in a way that will give both Callen and Nell nightmares for weeks to come. (But at least they live to have them.)
Just as Callen is about to draw the enemy's fire, he sees some movement behind Nell. Things happen very, very quickly, but to Callen's eyes, it goes by in ultra slow motion.
Their main opponent has a semi-automatic weapon that's discharging so fast and loud Callen can't verbally warn Nell of the enemy behind her.
The other guy takes his time, getting in close to her.
Callen makes a quick movement, catching Nell's eye long enough to signal her to turn around. Her eyes go wide and then her opponent tackles her.
Callen roars as he sees Nell go down, but forces his body to stay low. The main target is still firing.
A second later, the firing stops and Callen's brain processes the fact that he's probably reloading. Nell's still struggling with her opponent and Callen takes the opportunity to fire blindly over his cover for a couple shots before standing and getting a clear view. His target takes three shots to the chest before falling to the ground, dead.
Nell Jones has spent the last three days running for her life and now she's fighting for it.
Her opponent is bigger than her, stronger than her, and holy crap he smells. Some part of her brain is wondering why she's thinking about that, of all things, but the primary part of her brain is trying not to panic and figuring out a way to get out of this situation.
She yanks and scratches when it becomes clear he's trying to pin her down. Nell uses her knees to try to gain leverage or at least find some soft spot to inflict pain. She lost her firearm when the fight started. It was somewhere between them and Callen. And, luckily, she was able to dislodge the handgun her attacker was carrying and heard it skitter a few feet away. She focuses on making sure he doesn't have an opportunity to go in that direction.
Somehow, some way, Nell's able to get a lucky shot in with her foot and her opponent pauses for a heartbeat. It's long enough for her to squirm out from under him and she makes it two feet on her belly before he's on her again. She kicks, hard, and she's definitely not nice about it. She can hear the man grunt in pain, and his weight lifts off her.
Nell has two choices, now. She can take advantage of the fact that he's stunned and kick him again in the hopes she can take him down for the count or she can go for the gun. Both choices have their pros and cons.
She goes for the gun.
Nell's hand closes around the pistol's grip a mere second before the man grabs her by the back of her shirt, lifting her up and off the ground. But she doesn't let go of the gun and she automatically grabs the hand holding her with her free hand, digging in as hard as she can, trying to find the pressure point that will make him let go. He does and her feet hit the ground at an awkward angle so she stumbles, but she's still holding onto him, yanking him over her.
Nell absolutely has the advantage, now. She has one hand holding his wrist in a death grip in an extremely painful position behind him. Her other hand is holding his pistol and it's pointed at his face.
In that moment, it's just him and her. There's no one else in the room, in the world. There's no other sound but their breathing, unnaturally loud in her ears.
She can see his face and his eyes are cold, black. Nell knows that, given the chance, this man would not hesitate to kill her. She knows that, should she end his life, no one would blame or judge her.
But this isn't a choice she knows how to make. It isn't a choice most people are prepared to make. She's not sure she's willing to face the consequences of her actions should she pull that trigger.
And it's that hesitation the man sees and he grins up at her as if he has a secret.
"You can't do it, can you, little girl?" he sneers.
Nell says nothing, but also does nothing. She's caught in the gaze of a killer's eyes, wonders if she'll look the same if she makes the choice.
"I don't know," she finally admits and she's surprised her voice is clear and loud.
"But I can."
Callen's voice breaks through to her and then the loudest noise she's ever heard echoes in the room. The man is falling forward and she's falling backwards and then Callen's beside her, holding her upright. His hand closes around her grip on the pistol and she lets him take it from her.
"Nell? Nell, look at me."
His voice sounds like it's traveling through water, muffled and slow. She turns her gaze from the dead man on the floor to Callen's face.
"Is it over?" she asks. Her voice sounds funny to her ears.
"Yes, it's over."
"Oh, good."
And then she collapses, still conscious, but unable to keep herself upright any longer.
"G!"
"Nell?"
Sam and Kensi's voices echo through the small room as they run back in, Deeks bringing up the rear. They all have their weapons drawn, ready for anything.
"We're okay!" Callen calls out, cradling Nell close.
Sam takes in the scene, eyes immediately going to the dead men on the ground.
"Her?" he asks.
"Me," Callen responds, relief clearly in his voice.
Callen thought Nell might have had to pull the trigger. He's glad she didn't because he'd rather spare her the experience of taking a life, but he knows she's not going to come out of this unscathed. Sometimes, "almost" is just as bad as "did."
"She okay?" Sam asks.
Callen looks down at Nell and her eyes are still open, but not really focused.
"Shock, I think. And exhaustion, dehydration, and generally being terrified," Callen replies. "What's the situation out there?"
"All of the targets are neutralized. It's possible they called for backup, so we should leave."
"Tell me they didn't shoot up the car," Callen says, because that would be just their luck.
"Actually, they didn't," Deeks chimes in. "Call it a minor miracle or luck or-"
"Our ride," Sam interrupts. "We gotta go."
Kensi's on the phone with Hetty as they're getting into the vehicle.
"Hetty's secured a safe house for us in the next city. She's handling transportation out of the country, but that will take a little longer," she says, getting off the phone.
"Got an address?" Sam asks as he drives the vehicle out of the neighborhood.
"Inputting it into the navigator now," she replies.
They remain tense and alert until they make it out of the city and are on their way to the next one. Callen keeps a hold on Nell and she starts to come around halfway there.
"Hey," he says when her eyes lock onto his.
"It's really you," she whispers.
"Yeah, it's me. You can rest now, you're safe."
Nell smiles at him then closes her eyes, nodding off a few moments later.
Callen watches her until they arrive at the safe house.
The safe house is really more like a safe villa, but the next city from where they were just happens to be quite prosperous so it doesn't stick out at all.
Nell's awake and aware again, but Callen still carries her to the first room he can find. He sets her on her feet and she shoves a thumb drive into his hands before making a beeline for the bathroom.
Callen hears the water come on and a moment later, the door opens just wide enough for her to dump her dirty clothes on the floor.
Satisfied she'll be okay for a least a minute, Callen pokes his head out of the room and finds Sam inspecting the residence.
"Well?"
"This is a nice place and well secured. I wonder how many favors Hetty had to call in for this one," Sam reports.
Callen holds up the thumb drive. "Get this to Eric."
"Got it. You staying here?"
"I want to," Callen replies, turning his eyes back to the bathroom door, "but there are a couple things I need to grab, first. You get that to Eric."
They split up and Callen makes short work of procuring his duffel, some food, and water.
Nell's still in the shower and while that might not be enough of a cause for worry, Callen still does. He taps lightly on the bathroom door.
"Nell?" he calls.
No answer.
He hesitates a beat before opening the door. Callen slowly makes his way through the vast bathroom, apprehensive of what he might find.
"Nell?" he calls again.
Still no answer.
Callen reaches the shower and opens the door. When the steam clears, he finds her curled up on the shower floor, just sitting under the hot spray. He curses under his breath.
He knows what this is, knows she's still in shock. He berates himself for leaving her alone, but he's here now so he turns off the water and grabs a towel.
He gets her mostly dry before bundling a robe around her and carrying her back into the main bedroom. That's when the shaking starts and Callen quickly gets Nell under the bed covers, strips down to his underwear, and wraps her in his arms.
It takes a long while before Nell stops shaking and starts to relax. Callen keeps quiet, though, waiting for her to initiate a conversation or anything.
"Water?" she finally asks, voice hoarse.
"And food," he replies, snagging a bottle of water from the bedside table and handing it to her.
Nell drinks one bottle in one shot and Callen immediately puts another bottle in her hands followed by some food. It's clear that if she's eaten at all in the past few days, it hasn't been very well. But the water is the most important part.
She starts to sway and Callen just barely takes the water out of her hands before she slumps over, asleep.
Callen puts everything away and rearranges Nell into a more comfortable position. He leaves the light on, because he knows what's coming next. He wraps his arms lightly around her and waits.
It's the nightmares that catch her by surprise.
One moment, she's sleeping. The next, she's screaming her head off and thrashing.
It takes her long moments to process what's going on, the images of her nightmare fading in her mind. She sees Callen, patiently watching her, but not touching her.
Tentatively she reaches out, touches his arm with her fingertips.
"I'm here."
Those two words break everything inside her and she's throwing herself at him again, crying, and hanging onto him for dear life.
She doesn't know when she falls asleep again, but knows she has when she wakes from another nightmare an indeterminate amount of time later. And it keeps happening.
Each time, Callen's there for her. Each time, Nell takes comfort in his arms.
"Will it stop?" she asks after the third or fourth time.
"Yes," he says, kissing her forehead. "Your mind has to work it out."
"But I didn't..." she can't say the words.
"No, but you almost had to. Trust me, it'd be worse if you had."
Late morning the next day, Callen stumbles out of the room to restock on their supplies. He finds Sam in the kitchen who, through some bout of clairvoyance, hands Callen a mug of coffee.
"Thanks."
"You look like shit, G."
Callen doesn't answer and just sips his coffee.
"How is she?"
"Finally actually sleeping," he answers, examining a plate of Danishes.
"I take it you haven't."
Callen shakes his head, settling on a cream cheese variety.
"Think she'll be okay?"
"Of course," Callen bites out. "With all the therapy NCIS will make her go through she'll be just dandy."
"Hey," Sam calls out as Callen leaves, arms laden with various food stuffs. "She's got you."
Callen merely raises his mug in salute before exiting the kitchen.
They finally receive some good news a few hours later.
Nell's dozing on and off and vaguely aware of a voice speaking quietly near her. It takes her a moment to realize Callen's on the phone.
"Thanks, Hetty," he says, then hangs up.
Nell really wants to say something, but all she manages is a strange noise that she hopes sounds like a question. She sighs contentedly when Callen puts a hand on her head, stroking her hair gently.
"Hernandez and his crew have been caught."
This news makes Nell's eyes pop open.
"Wha-?"
"The intel on the thumb drive you saved was enough to get the CIA and NCIS-and just about every other federal agency allowed to operate on foreign soil-close enough to Hernandez to invade and incarcerate," Callen explains. "He made a lot of enemies murdering those agents."
"I'll bet," she murmurs, yawning. "So it's over."
"It's over," Callen agrees. "And Hetty's arranged a flight for us to be on in a few hours."
"Awesome. I'll be glad to be back in my own bed."
"Or mine," Callen quips.
"You don't have a bed."
Callen doesn't respond which makes her look up at him in question.
"You got a bed?"
"Yep."
"No way. Uh uh. I won't believe it until I see it."
"Suit yourself," he says with a grin and hopping off the bed.
"I guess I should get ready, then," she says, managing to sit up without too much difficulty. "I feel like I could sleep for a week, though."
"You've been through a lot. Don't push yourself," Callen says, kissing her on the forehead. "You good here?"
She nods. "Where are you going?"
"Planning our exit with Sam."
Nell tilts her head to the side and ponders the statement.
"Just because Hernandez has been apprehended doesn't mean they might not still be out to get us?" she tries.
"Exactly."
The trip home is, thankfully, uneventful. Predictably, Nell sleeps all the way through the flight, but at least she doesn't have nightmares.
Callen's more relaxed than he's been in many weeks, even dozing for a short while himself.
Surprisingly, Hetty meets them when they land.
"I am glad to see you looking so well, Miss Jones."
"Thanks, Hetty. It's good to be back."
"A full debrief will be held tomorrow; the Director and the Secretary himself are en route," Hetty addresses to the team. "But, before you rush off to the comfort of your own homes, you all are required to visit Medical."
A collective groan comes from the group.
"Medical?" Nell asks, not familiar with this particular procedure.
"Foreign land, foreign bugs," Sam says, clearly displeased.
"Sounds like a practical thing to me," Nell reasons. "Who knows what I might have picked up in my, ah, few days of free roaming."
Their immediate circle falls silent.
"What?"
"You'll see," Callen remarks.
An hour later, she unfortunately does.
"That was the most uncomfortable thing ever," Nell complains, clearly indignant. "Do they really have to poke and prod and…and…probe that much?"
"Now you know why we all hate it," Callen laughs.
"You could have warned me."
"What, and let you miss out on having the full experience? Not a chance."
Nell sighs and shakes her head. "Now can we go home?"
"Sure. Your place or mine?"
Nell thinks for a moment. On the one hand, she'd really like to get back to the familiarity of her own place. On the other...
"Yours. I want to see this fabled bed you speak of."
"I can't believe it."
Callen rolls his eyes.
"I mean, really, I...didn't think you'd do it." Nell tentatively sits on the edge, testing it out. "Feels nice."
"I wouldn't know," he admits.
Nell just stares at him and then starts laughing. "Somehow I'm not completely surprised. Besides, your bedroll is still laid out."
Callen just smiles and walks to her, tipping her face up for a kiss.
"Want to test it out?" he murmurs.
"I thought you'd never ask," she replies, tugging him onto the bed with her.