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Spooked

Chapter 10

Sam settled G into the passenger seat of the Challenger and loaded the trunk with the wheelchair and his backpack and G's cane. He slid into the driver's seat and observed his partner's behavior for a minute or so. "You okay?"

"Peachy."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not especially."

"You rather not have a protective detail."

"It's not that." G propped his elbow up on the door's armrest and rested his head on his upturned hand. "I'm whipped."

"I can imagine after those steep stairs." Sam slipped a hand over to his partner's thigh. G grasped his hand. "I love you, if that counts for anything."

"Me too," G said, stroking Sam's hand and closing his eyes.

"Just as soon as they are ready to follow us we'll go." Sam observed Kensi and Deeks and two FBI agents get into their cars. He started the engine and drove up the road toward the highway. "There's protein bars in the glove compartment."

"Not hungry."

Sam stroked G's thigh.

"Now you're crossing into territory where there's always energy to spare."

"I'll bet." He chuckled. "Thought so."

"You do that to me." Once on the highway driving toward Big Bear Lake, a creepy feeling in his gut started to make itself known. The further from the underground shelter he got, the more the feeling grew in his gut. G opened his eyes and scanned the road ahead of them. He released Sam's hand and tugged on his seatbelt.

"G?"

"Stop the car."

"What's going on?"

"Just stop the damned car." He grabbed the door handle and unbuckled his seatbelt.

Sam pulled over to the road's shoulder.

Before the car came to a complete stop, G leaped out the car and almost face planted. He managed to keep standing, swaying for more than a minute before regaining his balance. G patted the side of the car to keep steady while pacing on the side of the road.

After placing the Challenger in park, Sam rushed over to the opposite side of the car. "I'll ask you again—"

"No!" G kept his eyes averted from him. "I'm not talking to you."

"You angry with me?"

"No, just stop, just leave me alone." He stopped by the back of the car and stared at the two cars parked behind them. "I don't need this."

"Them?"

"The whole damned thing!" G started pacing again and stumbled on his feet, his gait still awkward from the accident. "Damn this all. And damn these legs that won't function."

"Easy, G, talk to me about what's going on in your gut."

"My gut?"

"Yes."

"I… don't know how to describe it," he said. "Ever since being down inside that… place… damn."

"You didn't deal with the memories," Sam said. "You only spewed them forth. That's it."

G stopped, steadied himself with the Challenger's door handle, and eyed his partner.

"Telling me about something is not the same as dealing with the emotions connected to that incident."

"Incident? My rape was an incident? Bastard!" G released the door handle and rushed his partner, pounding on his chest with his clenched fists.

Sam grasped his partner's wrists and held both hands away from his body. "I'm trying to be congenial about this and not trigger you."

G fell into Sam's body, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I'm not angry with you. Hold me. I don't care if they see us."

He let go of his partner's wrists and surrounded him with both arms. "This is rebound after your discovery," Sam said. "I would expect this." He patted his partner's back. "We need to get back in the car. It's not safe out in the open."

"Our team—"

"We have no idea where this woman is hiding."

"You're right," G said. "Will you kiss me?"

"You don't care?"

"Nope."

Sam cupped G's face in his hands and planted a tender kiss on his lips. "They're watching with their mouths hanging open."

"Good, it'll keep them on their toes."

"Shock value." He guided G back to the passenger door and helped him inside. "You know you walked fairly well without the cane."

"Except when I almost tripped on my own two feet."

Sam leaned over and buckled his partner's seatbelt.

G wrapped his arms around Sam's neck and drew him in for a kiss. "What about that romp in the Challenger?"

"Right here and now?"

"Sure."

"Not happening until this is all over."

"Ah, you don't want Anna Chapman sneaking up on us and ruining our lovemaking."

Sam pulled back and chuckled. "Something like that." He climbed into the driver's seat and buckled up. "Is it really Anna?"

"No, I think her name is Sarah. Maybe it was Sarah Anne. Don't remember her last name."

"I can understand why you'd block out that information."

"The team still has not found her name in the CIA's records?"

"Apparently not."

"That's odd." The moment Sam started driving down the road, the strange feeling in G's gut intensified again. He gripped his gut with his right hand. It felt as if there was an ulcer in his stomach. "You need to pull over."

"No, tell me what's going—"

"Stop!" G rolled down the window and stuck his head out. He swallowed down the bile threatening to erupt from the back of this throat. He pulled his head back inside the car. "It's the car. I can't stand the car. You need to stop."

Sam grasped his partner's hand. "Close your eyes."

"Not this again."

"It works, right?"

"Yes, you're right." G closed his eyes.

"Good, now focus on your breathing, calm it down, and then tell me what your gut is saying to you about the car."

"You know already."

"I've got an idea."

"Okay, tell me."

"First slow your breathing."

Sam was right as usual. He was close to hyperventilating from the strange feeling in his gut. Each time he focused on the feeling his breathing changed. G refocused on his breathing, slowing down each breath. "I was drugged and kidnapped the first time in a jeep," he said. "And then Jarvis, the bastard, almost killed me in your car." G sighed.

"Good. Keep going."

"That's about it."

"Feeling gone?"

"Yes, it is." G smirked. "Dr. Hanna extraordinaire."

"I could possibly replace Nate."

"You could definitely replace him," he said. "There's more uses for you."

"Uses?"

"For lack of a better word." G let go of Sam's hand and stroked his partner's thigh.

"I see where this is going."

"Right to the bedroom when we get to the cabin." He smirked.

"And you think I have a one track mind," Sam said, chuckling.

NCISLA NCISLA NCISLA

G and Sam settled down on the sofa before the stoked wood stove, cuddling after their hot lovemaking in the bedroom. They each took bites of Sam's homemade chocolate chip cookies while wrapped in each other's arms.

"Delicious," G said.

"Yes, you are." Sam chuckled.

"You want more."

"Always." He finished off his cookie. "Got a question for you." G nodded. "Actually two of them. Hetty wants a report. Kensi and Deeks want to know if they can sleep in here after their watch."

"There's goes the privacy."

"Your choice."

"Making me the fall guy."

"No, the heavy." Sam chuckled.

G slid down until his head was on Sam's lap and he was lying on his back. "As long as they don't complain about our passionate lovemaking." He snickered.

"I'll send them upstairs to the opposite end of the house."

"I like that idea. So they know we're an item."

"Kens called me and started questioning me about us."

G finished off his second cookie. "And you divulged all of our secrets."

"Nope," Sam said, running his hand over G's soft head of hair. "I told her if she wanted to sleep in the cabin she'd better be happy with knowing only what she saw." He leaned over and kissed G on the lips and ran one hand over his bare chest.

"You know we'll have to wear our bathrobes from now on."

"That's a shame," Sam said. "I like to ogle your sexy body."

"Me too."

"And my second question?"

"Damn."

"What? You hoped I'd forget I asked."

"Wishful thinking." G sighed. "I'm writing the report."

"I can if you don't want to do it."

"I'm afraid what it might trigger off."

"I brought your laptop computer with me."

"How convenient."

Sam leaned over and kissed him again. "No pressure."

"Right. No pressure from Hetty either. Fat chance." G wrapped his arms around Sam's neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

NCISLA NCISLA NCISLA

Late that evening, G sat at the solid oak, dining room table typing on his computer while Sam watched a football game on television in the den. They both had their weapons at their sides even though the FBI was on watch, and Kens and Deeks were upstairs sleeping.

A rush of wind rustled through the fir trees outside the cabin. The hair on G's neck stood on end. He grabbed his gun and placed it closer to the computer, ready to use it at any moment. Every time a tree branch scraped the roof or the side of the house, G startled and tapped his gun. The floor creaked behind him. He grabbed his weapon, cocked it, and turned to face the intruder, ready to shoot him.

"Damn it, Sam, I almost shot you," he said, laying down the weapon beside the computer. He turned back to the computer.

"You're too edgy." Sam leaned over his partner's chair and kissed the top of his head.

"That's a foregone conclusion."

"Maybe your suggestion was right."

"You think so." He smirked.

Sam helped G out of the chair and took him by the hand into the bedroom. After closing the door, he drew his partner into his arms, kissing him passionately on the lips and trailing kisses down his jaw bone. "You're over dressed." Sam slid his hands under G's bathrobe and massaged the man's buttocks. "You're way too tight."

"I thought you liked tight." He chuckled.

"And way too cocky."

"I thought you liked that too."

Sam shook his head and smiled. He sidestepped his partner over to the bed, flopping down on it with G on his back. "I hope you're more relaxed after this."

"Me too."

Sam rolled off his partner and positioned G on his stomach. Next he raised his partner's bathrobe and straddled his thighs. He started massaging G's shoulders first.

"There's the spot." He moaned into each deep push of Sam's hands.

"You need to practice your deep breathing exercises more often."

"I can't right now," G said. "Stop."

"What?"

"I said stop." He listened again to the noises outside. "Did you hear that?" G raised his head and turned to face the window.

"It's the wind."

"That wasn't the wind, Sam, I swear I heard a different noise."

"You're hearing things."

"No," G said, holding up a finger to his lips. "Shh."

They both sat up on the bed and listened.

After a few minutes, Sam pulled G into his arms. He whispered, "You're paranoid."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Lie on your stomach again."

"Why are you still whispering if there isn't anything out there?" G asked, smiling.

"Always the smart-ass." He pushed his partner face down on the bed and straddled his thighs again.

"There it is again."

"There's what?"

"That noise."

"It's a tree branch scraping on the roof," Sam said. "You're definitely spooked over Ms. Chapman coming to get you."

G glanced over his shoulder. "And you wouldn't be?"

He focused on G's lower back. "Here's a tension spot."

"Ouch, easier on that place," he said. "Well?"

"I guess if I were in your position I'd be a tad edgy."

"Just a tad."

"Remember, I'm a big strapping guy." Sam chuckled.

"And I'm a scrawny assed guy, is that it?"

He slid off his partner's legs and faced him. "You really are nervous about this."

G kept his face buried in the down comforter.

Sam drew him toward him until they were facing each other. It was then he saw G's wet eyes. "Let me hold you." He pulled him into his arms. "You're safe. You're team and I have you covered. And the FBI is here for backup." Sam patted G's back.