Two weeks after Amanda returned to work, she sat at her desk trying to wade her way through some paperwork when her phone rang. "Amanda Rogers." She said when she answered.
"Hey how are you feeling?" Callen asked.
Amanda beamed. "Why aren't you calling me on the cell phone?"
"I don't know I figured it'd feel more special if I called on your work number." He told her.
"Well, I appreciate the call, but you're going to get me in trouble. You know the policy on personal calls." She teased.
"I don't care." He laughed. "I just wanted to hear your voice. How's your day going?"
Amanda sighed. "It's going. Tim, Tony and Gibbs are in the field. I'm here trying to get the background information on the victim and their connection to a possible suspect."
"Why don't you sneak into MTAC and I'll sneak into Ops." He whispered.
Amanda laughed. "I wish I don't have the time, besides the director has been in there all day. I think there's something big going on. We can Skype tonight."
"Hm, I guess I can wait until tonight. I'll let you go. I just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm thinking about you."
"I miss you G." She sighed. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Alright Amanda, I love you." He said ignoring the eyes that were suddenly on him.
"I love you too G." she said and hung up.
"Did G Callen just say the L word?" Kensi teased.
Callen blushed. "Leave me alone." He said putting the phone in the cradle.
Sam looked up at him. "She's back at work?"
"Yeah, she said Tim, Tony and Gibbs are out and she's doing the backgrounds."
"I bet she can't wait to get that cast off so she's back out with them." Deeks said running his fingers down his chin.
"Yeah, she's eager to get back out. Gibbs took her shooting over the weekend. He said she's doing well shooting right handed."
"That's right, she shoots with her left. It's going to be a while before she's going to be able to shoot left handed again." Sam said.
Three Week Later…
Hetty stood next to the screen. "This will be an undercover operation, Mr. Callen you'll be posing as a buyer. The rest of you will provide him support. None of you are to be seen until the day we take Johnson down. Ms. Jones please gather the appropriate documentation and background for Mr. Callen. Mr. Callen, let Ms. Rogers know she can contact me Thursday for an update if you haven't talked to her by then."
Callen hung his head. He'd planned on flying out to Virginia this weekend. Before even talking to Nell about his persona's ID and background, he called Amanda. She was standing over the body of a dead sailor with Gibbs and Ducky when her phone rang. Gibbs told her to take it when she showed him who it was. "Hey G, I can't talk for long."
"I can't talk long either. I can't make it out to see you this weekend. I'm going undercover for an Op."
"I knew it. I was really looking forward to seeing you. How long are you going to be off the grid?"
"Not too long I hope. Hetty said you can call Thursday if you haven't heard from me. You can also call Michelle if you need to. Let's try for another weekend, maybe the weekend after next?"
"Mid-October?" She asked.
"Yeah, we get a couple extra days off."
"Alright G, please be careful."
"Always. I love you."
"I love you too." Amanda said and ended the call.
Gibbs could tell when she walked over that she was upset. "He can't make it out this weekend?"
"No, he's got to go undercover." She said and put her worries to the back of her mind.
It was a long week. Abbey, Tim and Gibbs had all offered to get her out of the house this weekend to get her mind off things. The only invitation she accepted was Gibbs' to go to the range. When she hadn't heard from Callen by Wednesday night, she called Hetty. She assured Amanda that the Operation was going as planned aside from a few setbacks and said Callen should be home by late Saturday or early Sunday. Thursday night, she headed out with Abbey for dinner. Friday morning, she was sitting at her desk at work when her cell phone rang. Hoping it was Callen, she picked up the phone. It was Sam. Her heart stopped and prayed it was Callen using Sam's phone.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Amanda?" Oh lord, it was Sam.
"What happened?"
"Callen's in surgery, he's been shot."
"Oh God, how serious is it?" She said drawing Tim and Tony's attention
"Clean through and through to the shoulder and one to the left side of his chest. He's got a couple cracked ribs, but he'll be fine."
Just then Gibbs walked into the bullpen. She stumbled out of her seat when she tried to catch him. "Ok Sam, thank you for calling. Give me a call if there's any change in his condition, and tell him I love him."
"I will Amanda, don't worry he'll be fine." Sam told her and hung up.
Gibbs saw the panic in her eyes. "What happened?"
"G's in surgery." She told him, tears filled her eyes.
Gibbs looked up and saw the Director leaving MTAC, he called him down. He had a smile in his face until he saw Amanda. "What happened?"
"Callen was shot during an undercover Op." Gibbs told him. "Sam just called.
"How bad?" He asked wondering why he hadn't heard yet.
"Through and through to his shoulder and one to the left side of his chest." Amanda told them.
"Go." He told her. "Gibbs take her to the airport. She doesn't need to be driving."
Amanda thanked him and grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk. "When do you want me back?"
"Wednesday." He told her. "Call me when you know more about his condition and call Gibbs when you land."
"I will thank you." Amanda said and hugged him before she and Gibbs headed towards the elevator.
Sam tried calling Amanda multiple times and got her voicemail every time. He was worried. Once Callen was coherent enough, he tried calling on his phone thinking she'd answer if she saw it was him, but his call went to voicemail too. They were all worried. Callen hoped Amanda didn't drop everything and fly to LA.
As soon as Amanda landed, she ran to the car rental desk that had the shortest line. "I need a car from today until Wednesday." She told the woman working the counter.
The woman smiled and asked her a few questions about her visit. She stopped suddenly when Amanda told her that her boyfriend had been shot. Immediately, the woman ran Amanda's credit card and had her sign the rental agreement before she handed her the keys. Amanda thanked the woman and ran out the door to the van that would take her to the rental lot.
"Her phone's on, but it just rang and went to voicemail." Sam told Callen. The team, including Hetty sat around Callen's hospital bed talking, hoping nothing had happened to Amanda.
Amanda wanted to rush into Callen's room, but thought better of it just in the off chance he was asleep. So she quietly opened the door. The privacy curtain was pulled and she heard voices. They stopped when she closed the door. Amanda peeked around the curtain.
"Amanda, what are you doing here?" Callen said.
"We've been trying to call you." Sam told her as she walked past his chair.
"I know and I'm sorry I didn't answer. I had to have the phone off during the flight and I don't use the phone when I'm driving unless I've got the Bluetooth and that's sitting in my desk in Virginia."
"We just tried calling you, why didn't you answer then?" Sam asked.
"I figured I'd be here in a few minutes anyway." She smiled at him.
She got to Callen's side and kissed him. He was pale and washed out; his eyes were glassy from the pain medications. "Why did you drop everything and come here?" he asked.
"I needed to see for myself that you were alright." She told him and kissed him again.
"Alright everyone out, Mr. Callen is in very capable hands now." Hetty said patting Amanda's shoulder.
"Sam, thank you for letting me know; I appreciate it." Amanda said before he left the room.
"No problem, you scared us when we couldn't get a hold of you. Let me know if you need anything." Sam said standing.
"We should be alright, thank you though."
"Alright, Michelle and I will be back tomorrow."
"Thank you Sam." Amanda said standing on her toes to hug him and that was with him bent over a little.
Once they were alone and she was at his side he said. "I can't believe you flew all the way out here, Amanda."
"The director told me to go and Gibbs took me to the airport."
"Do you need to call him?"
"I'll call him later, right now; I just want to be with you." She said cupping his face. "You had me so worried."
"I'm sorry Amanda, I didn't mean to."
"Its fine, all that matters is that you're okay." She said and kissed him again.
Amanda called Gibbs two hours after she got to the hospital. He told her Hetty had called him. Worried when they couldn't get a hold of her and then again when they were headed back to the Mission after she'd gotten to the hospital. The rest of the afternoon and evening she spent either talking to Callen or watching him sleep. The nurses pulled a recliner in for her to sleep in since she told every single one of them that she wasn't going to leave his side. The following morning, when Sam and Michelle arrived, Amanda had already showered there in the room. Without a hair dryer, her hair laid damp over her shoulder.
By Sunday afternoon, Amanda was pulling the car around to the main entrance of the hospital to load Callen into the car and head home to his house. Martha was waiting at the fence when she pulled up outside of the house. Sam and Michelle were already there and he was on his way out of the house to help get Callen in.
"Come on you two, I may have been shot, but I've still got two perfectly good legs." Callen griped when Sam tried to help him in.
"Hello Amanda, is Mr. Callen alright?" Mrs. Ross asked.
"Yes he will be." She said with a wave.
They ordered pizza and sat around the living room talking. By seven, Michelle and Sam were out the door and they were alone. Callen pulled Amanda to his side when he helped bring the plates and empty pizza boxes in the kitchen.
"You shouldn't be up and around, you need to rest G." She told him.
"Amanda, it's not like I haven't been shot before."
"I know I've seen the scars." She said wanting to punch him. "Getting shot is a big deal."
"You look very cute in that dress." He smiled.
"Don't even think about it G, you need to rest." She pointed in his face and smiled.
"Oh I will, with you in my arms." He smiled
The front door stood open, so he walked over to close and lock it. No sooner did he shut the door and he had her. With one hand down the front of her dress fondling one of her breasts and the other up the skirt teasing her. Amanda laid her head back on his shoulder and let out a moan of pleasure. Callen removed his hand from her breast and unzipped the back of her dress. She slipped her arms out of the dress and let it fall. Callen stopped teasing to turn her around and let the dress fall to the ground then he kissed her and his hands worked at the bra clasp. He pushed her down the hall to the bedroom, and then onto her back on the bed he kissed one thigh and then the other, all the while she pleaded with him to hurry.
He grabbed the thin material at her hips and pulled her panties off. Amanda was on her knees kissing him, pulling his t-shirt carefully over his head. Then in an act of desperation when she couldn't get his shirt off fast enough she just ripped it from the neck down and pushed it off his shoulders. Callen looked at her and laughed. She was already working at pants. Before he knew it, his pants were at his ankles. Amanda pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around him begging for him to enter her.
He'd never seen her like this, so wild and wanton. It was erotic and so stimulating, God he need to be buried deep within her. Finally he pushed himself into her and she moaned. It was his undoing; she was so hot he couldn't stop himself from thrusting as hard and as fast as he could into her. Amanda loved it, throwing her head back with a look of pure pleasure on her face. She pulled him closer and held onto him. When she couldn't stand it anymore she let go and bucked wildly beneath him.
She cried out his name and that just spurred him on. God he loved her, loved everything about her. Her body, her mind, everything. Amanda reached for the headboard and begged for him to thrust harder. He obliged and she went insane. Again and again, just when one orgasm ended another began. What he thought was going to be a quick encounter lasted for hours. By the time they were done, Amanda was spent and could barely move. She clung to him.
"Are you okay?" She asked him.
Callen sighed and kissed the top of her head. "I'm fine Amanda, don't worry."
"I didn't want you to hurt yourself or pull your stitches." She said looking up at him.
"I just wanted you; it's been five and a half weeks since I've seen you." He said pulling her chin up so he could kiss her.
"It doesn't matter G, you need to rest. We're not doing anything else until you're better."
"You can't tell me that, you're leaving Tuesday."
Sam picked them up Tuesday afternoon and took Amanda to the airport. He watched as Callen walked Amanda to security and stood off on the side to wait for her after she'd gone through. When she walked back over, they held one another until the final boarding call for her flight. They kissed one last time and she walked away. No sooner had he walked over to Sam and his phone was ringing. Callen laughed because he knew it was Amanda.
"You aren't even at your gate yet are you?" He asked when he answered.
"I am I'm getting on the plane now. I just wanted to tell you I love you and I'll see you in a couple weeks if you can get the time off."
"I love you too Amanda. Call me when you land, please."
"I will G. Love you."
"Love you too Mandy, bye." He said and hung up.
"You two are so cute." Sam said.
Callen was sitting on the couch watching the baseball game when she called. He pressed the record button on the remote and turned off the TV before he walked back to the bedroom. They talked for two hours. Amanda didn't want to get off the phone but it was ten in Virginia and had to go back to work the following morning. It took them another half hour to say goodnight. Callen smiled when he hung up and just lie back in bed and fell asleep.
Abbey was waiting for Amanda when she got in the next morning. "How's Callen?"
"He's good. I over reacted." She told Abbey.
"No you didn't, you love him. I'd do the same thing if I were in your position."
Gibbs stepped off the elevator with two cups of coffee in his hands. He handed one to Amanda. "How's he doing?"
"Thank you." Amanda smiled and raised the cup. "He's fine. You know him. I'm sure he's going to sneak into work this morning, go hide in Ops or something."
Gibbs laughed. "Yeah that sounds about right. Have you seen Leon yet?"
"No, do I need to go see him?"
He shook his head. "I know Hetty was keeping him informed."
Since Amanda had just left LA and Callen would be out for Thanksgiving, they decided not to travel between October and Thanksgiving. As hard as it was, they survived. Both got wrapped up in case after case, but always made time to call in the evenings, even if it was for five minutes as Amanda was headed to bed.
Gibbs and the team had an interesting case dealing with a missing Navy Lieutenant and his wife. Their seven years old daughter had been left at school one afternoon. The team was called in after the child had been placed in temporary care and a ransom call came in. The wife's parents flew in from Nebraska as soon as they were contacted and took the child back to the house. With the threat against the parents and their daughter Director Vance wanted the team to stay at the house with the grandparents and child as added protection in the evenings. Over the weeks that Amanda spent with the child, they developed a good relationship.
Both of her grandparents were ill one morning, so Amanda offered to take her to school. The grandparents thanked her and went back to bed. Amanda took the boosted seat from the grandparent's sedan and put it in the back of the Altima. "Can you walk me to class, Miss Amanda?"
"Of course I can, I had planned on it." Amanda said smiling back at her.
"Can you meet my teacher?" Sadie asked.
"If you'd like me to, I can." Amanda told her as they pulled into a parking space at the school.
The two walked up the steps of the school; Amanda pulled the heavy metal door open and followed Sadie to her classroom. Sadie took her hand and looked up at her innocently smiling. The look of complete and utter trust in the girl's eyes jabbed Amanda's heart and she tightened her grip on the little girl's hand. They stopped in front of a room with an open door. Sadie pulled her into the classroom and over to the wall with hooks on it.
"This is where we put our backpacks." She said and pulled her over to the desks. "This is my desk."
"I had a desk just like this when I was in the second grade." Amanda told her. She looked up and saw the teacher on the phone.
The woman hung up and approached them. "Mrs. King, this is Miss Amanda." Sadie announced proudly.
"Oh, I was hoping you were her friend Amanda. We've heard a lot about you." She said offering her hand.
"That would be me, Agent Rogers." Amanda smiled and shook her hand; she heard footsteps approach the door and saw a middle-aged man enter the room. Mrs. King nodded and smiled at Amanda.
"Hi Mr. C, how are you?" Sadie asked boisterously.
"I'm very well Sadie, how are you this morning?" He asked her with a laugh.
"I'm good, Nana and Papa are sick so Miss Amanda brought me to school. This is our principal Mr. C." She said looking from the principal to Amanda.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He said. "Would it be possible to take a moment of your time?"
Amanda looked down at Sadie with a smile. "I'm going to go talk to Mr. C; I'll be back this afternoon to get you okay?"
"Alright, thank you Miss Amanda." She said and reached up to hug Amanda. Amanda was more than willing to hug the little girl and patted her head as she and the principal left the room.
"Is everything alright?" Amanda asked as they walked towards the office.
"Actually everything's good. I wanted to let you know that we've had Sadie visit with the school psychologist and she'd like to meet with you." He told her opening the office door.
"What has Sadie been saying?" Amanda asked worried, thinking back over the last two weeks trying to remember if something she'd said or done was inappropriate.
"Let me get Diane." He said and stepped to the right, poking his head in the door. "Sadie's Amanda is here."
A young woman with bright hazel eyes and long brown hair appeared in the doorway with a manila file under her arm. "Finally, I've been wanting to meet you." She said shaking Amanda's hand as they walked towards the principal's office.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Mr. C asked.
"Please, thank you." Amanda said with a nervous smile.
"I wanted to tell you that you've made a huge impression on Sadie." The woman said pulling pictures from the file she'd place under her arm as the principal handed her a Styrofoam cup of coffee. "Sadie has drawn several pictures over the last two weeks and we thought you should see them."
Amanda looked at the pictures. They were crude drawings one would expect from a seven year old, but they were endearing pictures on her and Sadie. Amanda fought the urge to cry. "Oh my gosh." Was all she could say.
"You've spend a lot of time with her haven't you?" Diane asked.
Amanda nodded. "I've tried; with her grandparent's there I really don't do very much."
"But what you have done has obviously meant a great deal to her with her parent's gone." She said with a smile.
"I've read to her a couple times; I never imagined it would be so meaningful to her." Amanda said wiping a tear as she looked at the picture of her and Sadie sitting on the bed with a stack of books around them. "Could I possibly have copies of these?"
"Sadie actually wants you to have them." Mr. C said.
Amanda shook her head. "She really is the sweetest little girl."
"Do you have children of your own?" Diane asked.
"No, I'm not even married." Amanda told her.
"Have you ever considered Fostering or being part of a mentor program?" Mr. C asked.
Amanda took a deep breath. "I haven't thought of either."
"Would you consider it?" Diane asked. "Especially once Sadie's parents are return?"
"I will think about it, definitely." Amanda told her taking the pictures.
"Sadie also mentioned you carry a gun?" The principal asked.
Amanda laughed. "I do, is that a problem? It's for her protection."
"We typically don't allow weapon on campus, but given the circumstances we'll let it slide. However if you do choose to become a mentor we ask that you don't bring it on the premises." He smiled.
"No problem." Amanda laughed as she stood and shook their hands. "Thank you for the coffee. Can I run back by Sadie's classroom to say goodbye?"
"Of course, class hasn't started yet." Mr. C told her.
Amanda quickly walked out of the office and through the sea of kids to Sadie's classroom. Sadie ran to her and hugged her around the waist when she walked in the classroom. Amanda knelt down to her level. "Mr. C and Miss Diane gave me the pictures you drew. I love them, thank you Sadie."
Sadie launched herself around Amanda's neck. "I love you Amanda."
"I love you too Sadie. You have a good day at school, okay honey." Amanda said kissing her cheek.
As she walked out of the classroom; Amanda pulled out her phone and took pictures of the drawings and sent them to Callen. He called her back within a few minutes. "What are those?"
"Sadie the little girl we're protecting drew those for me when she was with the school psychologist."
"They're so cute. Is that you and her sitting on a bed reading?"
"Yes it is and she and I doing homework."
"Sounds like you've got yourself a little friend." Callen said.
"Oh G, this girl is so precious. In two weeks she's totally stolen my heart. The principal and school psychologist has asked me to be a mentor for her once the case is over."
"Are you going to?"
"I don't know it depends of the time requirements. I want to I can't just walk away from her when this case is over." She told him.
"Talk to Gibbs and the director, see if you even can and make your decision after that. What are you going to do after you transfer?"
"I don't know, become her pen pal or something."
Callen laughed. "I love you so much Amanda."
"I love you too honey." She said.
It was almost midnight, Tim and Amanda were walking the house and property one last time before setting the alarm and going to bed themselves; Gibbs and Tony watched the house from the outside in one of the cars. Being that it was snowing outside all of the windows should've been closed.
"Hey Tim, where are you?" Amanda asked.
"I'm out front, why?"
"Can you come around to the back, the family room window is open and there are footprints on the floor. I'm going to check on the family." Amanda said pulling her pistol. Quietly Amanda walked room from room making sure Sadie and her grandparents were okay. Tim radioed that he was on his way back in the house. He met her in the hallway and they walked through the dining room to the kitchen. Gibbs and Tony were ready and waiting. Amanda spun around when she heard footsteps in the hall behind them.
Both Tim and Amanda saw a shadow go from the bathroom to Sadie's room. Amanda went one way and Tim went the other. Sadie screamed for Amanda and shrieked when the window shattered. Amanda ran into the room just as Sadie was pulled out the window. "Call Gibbs, I'm going after them." Amanda yelled and jumped feet first out the window.
It was frigidly cold and the snow was coming down heavily. Amanda could barely see between the snow and her own breath. Gibbs and Tony were yelling after her. "I'm in the back yard heading towards the woods." She told them.
"Amanda! Amanda!" Sadie screamed.
"I'm coming Sadie." Amanda yelled running and weaving through the trees. Sadie continued to scream for her.
"Shut the fuck up Sadie!" She heard a woman yell.
"No Mama." Sadie screamed. "Stop."
"Gibbs its Carney." Amanda called over the com.
Amanda saw Gibbs and Tony's flashlight beams bouncing off the tree trunks. Sirens blared in the distance. Tony had her on the right and Gibbs on the left. Finally after running nearly two hundred yards into the woods they cornered her. With pistols raised and honed in on Sadie's mother, she stopped and put Sadie on the ground.
"Let her go, Carney." Amanda ordered.
"Back off and let me take my daughter or I'll snap her fucking neck." She roared.
"I'll put a bullet in your head before you can even try." Amanda told her.
Amanda took a step forward as Gibbs and Tony did. Carney pulled a nine mil and put it to Sadie's temple. "I'll blow her head off."
"Amanda!?" Sadie screamed and cried.
"Shut up Sadie." Her mother yelled jerking her head back by the hair at the back of the neck. Sadie yelped in pain. Amanda wanted to shoot her right then and there for inflicting pain on Sadie like that.
"Carney we can do this the easy way or the hard way, I really don't want Sadie to see you get shot, so I suggest you let her go." Amanda called gruffly; her hands were going numb in the cold.
There was a moment of silence, suddenly Carney threw Sadie to the ground and took off running at Amanda. She swung at Amanda and lost her footing, sliding to the left out of Amanda's reach. Like a flash, Carney took off running again. Amanda was hot on her heels and grabbed the hood on her jacket pulling her to the ground. She slipped and Carney fell on top of her. Amanda couldn't breathe, sharp stabbing pain radiated from her shoulder down her back and into her legs. In spite of the pain and difficulty breathing, Amanda got to her feet and flipped Carney on her stomach, dropping her knee into her back. Carney screamed and yelled trying to toss her off, but Amanda pulled her cuffs and latched them around her wrists.
Five police officers ran over and heaved Carney to her feet and hauled her off to a waiting patrol car. Tim had two blankets, tossing one at Gibbs for Sadie and one for Amanda since she ran out without her jacket. Amanda fell to the ground crying from the pain.
"Amanda, Amanda." Sadie screamed and squirmed in Gibbs' arms when she hit the ground.
Tony and Tim we at her side in an instant. "What happened?"
"I landed on a rock." She gasped trying to breathe through the pain.
"Call an ambulance." Gibbs barked.
"No, I'm fine." Amanda huffed. "Just give me a minute."
Sadie threw herself across Amanda's chest sobbing. Amanda tried to wrap her arms around the child but couldn't move. Tony pulled Sadie off Amanda and took her back to the house, to her grandparents and returned with Amanda's down jacket and a couple more blankets. She heard the siren in the distance and that was all she remembered until she woke up in the hospital three hours later.
Abbey sat on the gurney next to her and smiled at her when she opened her eyes. Amanda looked around disoriented. "How the hell did I get here?"
"The ambulance brought you here." Abbey smiled
"Is Sadie okay?"
"She's fine, Amanda." Gibbs said from across the room.
"I told you I was fine, Gibbs."
"Yeah and you couldn't breathe and you passed out." He told her sternly. "You bruised the hell out of your back. As soon as you're released, you're going home and you're taking the rest of the week off."
"No, Sadie's Dad's still missing; you need my help finding him."
Gibbs looked at the floor and pushed himself off the wall. "Carney admitted to killing him a week ago. Sadie's going to Nebraska with her grandparents."
Amanda laid her head back against the pillow as a tear ran down her cheek. Abbey wiped it away. "They gave us their address so you and Sadie can keep in touch. They aren't leaving until after Christmas so Sadie can finish the semester here."
Amanda nodded. The door opened and in walked the doctor. He gave Abbey Amanda's discharge orders and instructions. An orderly brought in a wheel chair and Amanda was wheeled out to Gibbs' car. Once they got to Amanda's house, Gibbs and Abbey helped her in the house and to the bedroom. He stepped out so Abbey could help Amanda change and get in bed. Before she did, Abbey took pictures of her back so she could see what it looked like.
"It's going to look worse in a few days." Abbey told her when she showed her the pictures. "Do you want one of your pain pills before I go?"
"Please." Amanda groaned.
Abbey popped the bottle and went to the bathroom for a glass of water and stood there while she took it. "You can take another pill at eight. I'll be in the guest room and Gibbs will be on the couch. Yell if you need something. Don't try to get out of bed by yourself." Amanda nodded and tried to get comfortable.
"She all settled in?" Gibbs asked when Abbey came out.
"Yeah, I don't think she's going to sleep well. Look at her back." Abbey told him showing him the pictures.
"God damn. I've never seen a bruise like that." Gibbs cringed.
"Do you think we should call Callen?" Abbey asked.
Gibbs looked at his watch. "I'll call him in the morning when we get into the office."
It took Amanda over an hour to get into a position where she wasn't in excruciating pain. Finally just after four she fell asleep. Abbey and Gibbs checked on her at seven before they left. Abbey grabbed a bag of bagels and a thermos of coffee and left them within arm's reach on her nightstand. Handed her the remote and both the cordless phone and her cell phone.
"One of us will be back at lunch to check on you and we'll both be back tonight with dinner. Is there anything you need before we leave?" Gibbs asked.
Barely able to move, Amanda shook her head weakly. An hour after they left, she took another pain pill and fell asleep. The shrill ring of the cordless phone woke her at noon.
"Hello?" she said still half asleep.
"Why didn't you call me last night or at least have Gibbs or someone call me?" Callen asked.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think I was hurt that bad." She told him.
"I had to find out from Gibbs this morning when I called your work number four times and there was no answer, then I tried your cell phone five."
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear it ringing."
"Are you okay?" He asked; his tone softer.
"Oh my God G, I've never been in so much pain. It hurts to breathe." She told him in tears.
"I'm coming out." He told her.
"No G, you'll be here in a week. I'll be fine."
"No, just like when you came out here after I was shot, I want to make sure you're okay." He said.
"I'm not going to do anything, believe me. I'm just going to lay here in bed. Gibbs and Abbey are staying here with me over night and one of them will be out here to check on me during lunch."
"Amanda, I'm coming. Let me talk to Hetty and I'll get my ticket and call you back."
"Fine G. I'll talk to you in a little bit." She said before he hung up.
"Hetty, I need to go to Virginia. Amanda took a spill chasing a suspect and landed on a rock. From what Jethro said she's got a huge bruise across her entire back." He said charging over to her desk. Sam, Kensi and Deeks were all standing around her desk talking.
"When did this happen?" Sam asked.
"Last night." Callen said.
"Let me talk to the director to see if she needs someone there with her."
"Hetty, she's in bed barely able to move. She's in so much pain; even with the narcotic pain meds they've got her on; that she's crying."
"Mr. Callen, I'm sure you're exaggerating." Hetty told him.
"I'll call her." Kensi offered and pulled her phone out.
"Call on the house phone, if she's fallen back to sleep that's the only phone she'll hear."
Kensi dialed the house number, put the call on speaker phone and cringed when Amanda answered the phone. "Hey Amanda Callen just told us what happened, are you okay?"
All she could do was sob. "Oh God Kensi." She cried. "I've never felt anything like this. I can't move without pain ripping through my back, it hurts to breathe. All the damn pain meds are doing me is making me sleep, they don't even touch the pain and to top it all off my legs and hands keep going numb. Callen said he was going to come out, but I don't want him to see me like this."
Hetty shook her head and pointed to the door. "Go Mr. Callen she needs you, no matter what she says."
"Thank you." He said before he ran to the bullpen to get his bad and then for the door.
Callen called Gibbs on the way to the airport and told him his flight landed at five. Hetty had given him the rest of the week and part of the following week. He'd already taken Tuesday and Wednesday off for Thanksgiving. Suddenly he realized he'd forgotten to get the ring, so he turned into the parking lot of the nearest strip mall praying they had a jewelry store. As luck would have it, they did and it was the store whose web site he found the ring he'd chosen for her. After parking, he pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through the pictures and ran into the store.
"I need this ring, please tell me it isn't just available on the web site." He said when he ran to the counter. The sales woman was taken aback by his gruffness and took a step back. "Please, my girlfriend was in an accident and I'm on my way to the airport to see her. I had planned on proposing over Thanksgiving but I'm leaving a week early in light of her injuries."
The woman smiled and walked up to the counter removing her keys from her pocket. "We do have that ring, Sir. Do you know her ring size?"
"I believe it's a five, that was the size of the ring I bought her three years ago." He told her. "It wasn't an engagement ring."
"We have it in both platinum and yellow gold; did you want to see both or just the platinum?"
"Just the platinum please." He smiled.
The woman pulled the ring from the display case and held it out to him telling him the details of the ring. He took it and inspected it quickly and handed it back to her before he pulled out his wallet. "I take it that's a yes?" she asked.
"Yes, definitely." Callen beamed.
She rang the sale and Callen handed her his card and looked at his watch. While the card was processing, she put the ring in a black velvet box, into a small cardboard box and into a bag. When she returned to the counter with the bag and the sales slip, Callen signed it and took the bag. He ran for the door, turned around and thanked her for her help.
"You're very welcome. Good luck." She waved before he disappeared out the door.
He slipped the ring box in his carry-on and headed for the airport. When he finally found a parking spot and took the bus to the terminal, he had thirty minutes to check in and get to his gate. He called Amanda as he was boarding the plane to check on her. Abbey answered and told him she was doing okay, but still in a lot of pain. As soon as the plane landed and taxied to the gate, Callen stood and pulled his bag from the overhead compartment. He waited for the other passengers to de-board, though not as patiently as he could have. Weaving his way between passengers, he made it down to baggage claim within minutes and met Gibbs.
"You need to see this." Callen said reaching into his bag.
Gibbs smiled when he say the box, "You're proposing?"
"On Thanksgiving, it's time. We've been back together for over two years I need to make her mine." He beamed.
Gibbs sighed, enjoying Callen's happiness but feeling a pain in his chest knowing Amanda's time with his team was coming to an end. "Let's see it."
Callen opened the small box and dumped the velvet box into his hand. While stopped at a light, Callen turned on the map light and opened the velvet box. "It's taken me months to pick it."
"Wow Callen, that's a beautiful ring. Good luck, don't forget to get on one knee."
"I've got it all planned. I've even asked her father's permission." Callen told him.
"Going very traditional, aren't you. It's good to see men still take that kind of stuff seriously." Gibbs laughed.
"Actually, I asked her father and his best friend." Callen offered.
Gibbs looked at him as the light changed and traffic started to move. "Why both of them?"
"George is like her second father. When her Dad's not available, she calls him. Remember her friend Chris who was killed during her case, this is his father."
Gibbs nodded. "Ok, the one who calls her Panda?"
"That's him. Retired Navy he has cancer, was diagnosed five or six years ago. He's lasted longer than anyone ever expected him too. Since Chris is gone and he was their only child, I felt it appropriate to ask him too."
Gibbs reached over and patted his back. "That was very thoughtful of you. When do you think you'll actually get married?"
"As soon as possible, I've waited long enough. Would you be a groomsman? I know Amanda's going to want you there."
"For the two of you, you bet." Gibbs smiled. "You'd better put that thing away, we're almost there."
Amanda had insisted on having a cigarette, so Abbey helped her out of bed, put her robe on her and helped her to the mud room off the back door. She could tell Amanda was really hurting and the frigid cold didn't help. Abbey ran back to the bedroom for a blanket when Gibbs and Callen walked in. Callen gave her a hug and followed her back to the mud room.
"Hey Mandy, how are you doing Baby?" He asked kneeling beside her chair.
Tears filled her eyes as she leaned over into him. "Oh G, I've never been so happy to see you."
"Oh I see how it is." Abbey joked.
"No Abbey I love you, you know that. I appreciate you and Gibbs being here to help me, but you both have your own lives and obligations. Staying here with me has taken away from that."
"Please, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I might just stay in the guest room for a couple more days just to make sure you're okay for my own piece of mind." Abbey told her.
"If she's still in a lot of pain tomorrow morning, I suggest taking her to see her own doctor." Gibbs suggested. "There's got to be more they can do for her than those damn pills they prescribed."
Amanda finished her cigarette and put it out in the ashtray. Callen helped her to her feet and carefully guided her back to the bedroom. "Let's see your back." He said.
Since she had pajama bottoms on, she pulled the robe off and lifted the back of her shirt. Gibbs, Abbey and Callen winced at the sight of her back. From one shoulder to the other and all the way down to her waist, she was varying shades of black, blue, brown and green. It looked horrible Callen understood why she hurt to bad and wished there was more he could do for her. He helped her back into bed and asked if she was hungry.
"I just ordered pizza about fifteen minutes before you guys got here. It should be here anytime." Abbey told Callen.
"Ok good, thank you." He said hugging Abbey, the three stood there looking down at Amanda in the bed.