A.N.: I was able to finish this one also, so here it goes! please let me know what do you think. Thank you for reading :)

Chapter 10

The previous rain gave way to a blue, orange and pink sky, a bright spectacle that contrasted the sad spirits of the people. At the military cemetery the ceremony was about to start, some of Sam's fellow SEALS were already going to the chapel in order to take Michelle's coffin to the recently open grave in the cemetery yard. At the outside Kensi, Nell, Deeks and Eric, who was wearing not only pants but even a dark tie, were wondering about their team leader:

- "It's already seven, Kens; where the hell is Callen?"- asked Deeks checking again his watch worried.

- "I have not idea! he's not answering his phone, I'd just tried again. Nada."- she answered looking around and feeling nervous.

- "Beale! Can you locate Callen with that tablet of yours?"- murmured Deeks as he rub his neck in an attempt to lessen the stiffness of his LAPD uniform.

- "His GPS is disconnected since yesterday, and he's not at home, I've checked the footage on the security cameras on his neighborhood and he hadn't being there in days. No phone, no GPS. You know, if the man doesn't want to be located he can became a ghost. Perhaps he has become one!"- added Eric earning a nudge from Nell. Deeks insisted:

- "Should we go to look for him? Maybe something is wrong, maybe he's wounded, maybe the shot caused…

- "Deeks! Stop the maybes! Yes, he took a bullet on the vest; nevertheless in the ambulance he was fine, just sored and joking about it."- said Nell.

- "And even if we go to look for him, where do you want to start for? I mean, he can be anywhere, and Sam needs us here."- added Kensi.

- "Yes, but he needs Callen more than us."

- "Hey, guys! Probably he's with Hetty"- guessed Eric.

- "Someone called me? Ladys, gentlemen"- saluted Hetty coming from nowhere and startling everyone as usual.

- "Hetty has Callen come with you?"- asked Kensi unable to hide her anxiety.

Before Hetty could answer Kamran approached the group. The little girl, dressed all in black, looked tired and sad, but composed given the circumstances.

- "Hi guys. My dad is looking for Uncle Callen, he wants him to help to carry… mum… have you seen him?"

- "No my dear, but don't worry he'll be here anytime."

- "Ok, thank you Hetty"- she said returning to her father's side at the interior of the chapel.

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When Callen arrived to the mission still cursing L.A. traffic, agents Jobs, Murphy and Reynolds surrounded him hounded with hundreds of messages, but the only one he could retain was that his team was desperate to locate him. With no time to lose he managed to dismiss everyone and locked himself up in the locker room. Once alone, G gritted his teeth and removed his clothes carefully. Taking a deep breath assessed his injuries in the mirror. The cut on his wrist was open again, it hurt, but the bleeding has stopped, a pressure bandage will do it for now. The two blisters on the burn of his shoulder were now a bigger one. He decided not to touch it, neither time nor way to treat it correctly one handed and it would be all right if the skin held up. A big black bruise was marking the spot where the bullet hit him, but there was nothing he could do about it. Scrapes to his back, arms, and now knees were superficial but, nonetheless, they stung as he wiped a warm cloth over them. He wasn't sure how effective he'd been at getting out the grit and loose skin, but if stinging pain was any indicator, then he'd been very successful. Some tears of pain ran down his cheeks. He looked like crap and felt like it, even after a shave and a shower. When he finished tidying up and dressing with Hetty's fancy suit he was hurting all over, his head was killing him and he felt feverish. He was glad nobody saw him get out the building.

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Some minutes later people started to go to the burial place that was decorated with more flower arrangements than a wedding. They were two groups of sit rows, one in front of the grave reserved for the family running perpendicular to the other one forming an L. Both of them were soon occupied by the family and close friends leaving the first row of each side free for the closest. Aiden put his head out the door of the chapel and had a look around presumably trying to locate Callen.

- "Mr. Deeks, go inside."- ordered Hetty taking charge of the situation.

- "But Hetty I…"

- "Go, don't worry, Sam will be grateful, believe me. And the rest of you- she added- let's go to have a sit."

As everyone else Hetty was now seriously worried about Callen. "I hope you had a good reason for not being here, Mr. Callen" she thought. His absence could only mean trouble, and they all had had enough. Forcing herself not to overthink, she followed the team to the row reserved for them.

- "Marty, where's Callen?" asked Aiden in low voice the moment Deeks entered the chapel- "My dad is asking for him in order to start, but we can't wait anymore!"

- "If you and your dad allow me I would be honored to help you, Aiden."- said Deeks moved.

- "The honor would be ours, you save my mum once."

- "And I'll regret all my life not being able to do it again, Aiden. I'm so sorry."

The young man hugged Deeks and wiping the tears from his eyes accompanied him to the side of the coffin that, covered with the American flag, was already surrounded by some of Sam's closest marine friends in their full dress uniforms. For once in his life Deeks felt proud of wearing his itchy L.A.P.D. uniform.

The ceremony started with a melancholic music and Kamran with a beautiful bouquet of white gladioli walking in front of her mother's coffin carried by Sam, Aiden, Deeks and three navy S.E.A.L.S., who gently put Michelle on the platform over the grave and reached their seats. The sun, still bright orange, was setting in the pink and blue horizon and a light breeze caressed the flags making them flap like accompanying the sad notes. The music stopped leaving everyone deeply moved. Tom Olsen limped along to the stand, he looked around to the small crowd and, just when he was about to start his speech, Kamran ran out.