A/N OK so I am home...(Yay me!) for those who don't know I've been away on assignment for a month, seems like a year. All of my other stories have been on hold. Now I am back, after I have written the last chapter to this story I will be going back to all the others which have been unavoidably neglected while I have been away.
Disclaimer, It's not mine, I own nothing...
Chapter 12
Callen lay alone for what seemed like an eternity. No one came; to be honest he wasn't expecting anyone.
The nurse who had told him about Jessie came back in, "I have your bag for you, it was left at the front desk by a Ms Blye, she said you'd need it later." She smiled, "She's pretty…Is she your girlfriend."
"No?" Callen replied confused.
"Oh, your sister then?" Nancy asked with a grin.
"No…I…I don't have any family…" Callen turned away.
"Really?" Nancy looked confused.
Callen turned away from her, he knew he was alone and did not need her to rub it in.
Nancy shrugged and left, for a person that was in his mind alone he sure had many people stopping by her nurse's station to ask how he was. Unfortunately, his private doctor had ordered no visitors until he had finished looking at the results of his tests wanting his patient to rest.
She walked outside nodding to Sam who glared at her, but then smiled. He was still mad that she would not let him in, but the doctor had given strict instructions that Callen was not to be disturbed and needed to rest.
Sam, for the life of him, couldn't figure out how come he couldn't sit inside the room and allow Callen to rest any more than he could, sitting out here, but Hetty had told him to follow the doctor's orders and allow Callen to rest and come round naturally.
Daniel had seen Dr. Morales, had gone over Callen's echocardiogram, and had concluded that he was a lucky man. He had asked Dr. Morales to go and see Callen to go over the results with him and that he would be there soon, he wanted to see how Emma and Jessie were doing.
Jessie had been stabilized and there was now no imminent danger of her delivering her son early; however, she was upset that she had made a friend a younger woman with the same name who had died whilst delivering her son early. However, Emma had decided to stay with her, her concussion being a lot better than it had been when she had been admitted and the hospital staff thought it would aid both women in their recovery.
Callen poured himself a glass of water and took a sip as the door opened.
He looked up hoping to see Daniel, but noted it was another doctor. Callen looked at his face and dropped the glass he was holding. "I…I know you?" he said moving away from the man.
"Yes Agent Callen, I am Dr. Morales. Dr. Hurst asked me to consult on your case…I want to talk to you about the echocardiogram I gave you last night." He said pulling a chair over to the bed and sitting down.
"Where is Dr. Hurst?" Callen asked not wanting to hear the answer.
"He's with his family at the moment; he will be up to see you later on." He said reaching for Callen's chart and jumping as Callen moved back from him.
"How do I know you're who you say you are…I…you…you hurt me…I don't know how…but I don't even know where I am?"
"You're in Cedars-Sinai, I told you before." Dr Morales said.
"I don't believe you, I'm in Russia I know it…I…" Callen stopped as the door opened.
"G?" Sam said poking his head around the door, "Are you ok?"
"Sam?" Callen looked shocked to see him here.
"Yeah, you're fine we got you back, you're safe in the US."
"But…?" Callen looked confused.
"You had problems, you were in the hold of a plane heading to Russia, we got you back, but your heart was off and you had hypothermia, they've been working to get you back to full strength since we got you back."
"But I'm ok now right?" Callen asked shooting a guarded look at Sam.
"You're as normal as you're going to get." Sam grinned, but faltered at the look on Callen's face. "G? Talk to me." He said.
"Am I fired…I mean…not fired, is Michelle's kill order still on me, it was a fake you know Stannislav, he lied, he hates me…but…" Callen shook his head, and winced, they had obliviously given him some kind of painkiller.
"No. You're not fired, we know the kill order was faked, Hetty fixed it, convinced them you were not read in on the operation and that Vocovich was a traitor, and he's headed to Guantanamo now." Sam told him.
Callen weighed his words and knew that Sam was telling the truth.
"What about you?" Callen asked. "Can you work with me now?"
Sam looked at Dr. Morales, "Can you give us a moment doc?" Sam asked.
Dr. Morales nodded and stood up and left the room and Sam turned to Callen and stopped.
Callen had grabbed a kidney bowl and was holding it as if he felt the need to have some sort of weapon.
"G…We're good, you know that don't you?" Sam said keeping his distance.
"Yeah…I…I know I just figured, with Emma and Jessie dead, that …"
"With what?!" Sam Exclaimed, "They're not dead." He stated and Callen dropped the bowl.
"No….But the nurse she said that Jessie was dead and I saw Emma…she was dead…Stan…he…he lied to me didn't he?" Callen surmised.
"You expected him to tell the truth?" Sam grinned.
Callen shook his head gently. "No…I feel like crap Sam…" Callen sighed and lay back down, "So if you're going to hit me with it get it over with. I can't fight anymore."
"What the hell?" Sam pulled the chair up, sat next to the bed and looked at the sadness in his partners' eyes, "What are you on about?"
"You can't work with me anymore, I'm a freak…you need a 'normal partner'" Callen said making air quotes with his hands, then he shrugged "Or has Hetty fired me already and you're just coming to tell me."
"Your chip frelted G?" Sam asked using Eric's favorite word.
"Sorry?" Callen looked confused.
"We are friends G…No…More than that, we are family, and family accepts everyone just the way they are. You will always be a part of my family, no matter what happens in our lives." Sam said making sure Callen knew he was being honest. "Now. Hetty does want to see you, but she is not firing you either. And Dr Hurst will be coming down later, I'm sure he'll let you see Emma and Jessie."
Callen stared dumbstruck at him, he knew that Sam had once or twice jokingly referred to him as a brother, and honestly, he had been a brother many times throughout his life, although never to the point that anyone kept him or referred to him as family. OK so Sam had called him 'Uncle' G. once or twice, but then all adults to little kids were uncle this and aunt that weren't they?
"Really…?" Callen stared at him.
"What?" Sam asked genuinely confused.
"You…think of me…as…family?" Callen said shocked.
Sam was surprised at the response, "Of course, I thought you knew that, I mean…when you were recovering from your gunshot wounds you practically lived at my house."
"I thought it was just guilt, you know because you were there when I was shot, that's why I left as soon as I could, I didn't want to outstay my welcome." Callen admitted.
Sam sighed, they had been partners for years, and he thought he did not have to tell him this. Then he realized, Callen had never really had this, the CIA had kept him from learning these things, the things everyone else took for granted. By denying him a permanent foster placement, or a chance at adoption they had created the perfect agent, but it had flawed the basis of the man. He really did not understand, he could be loved, people could love him and there were no conditions.
Sam stood up and wrapped his arms around Callen, "You are my family." He said.
Callen sat stiffly as Sam moved and hugged him, he did not know exactly what he was supposed to do, he knew what he wanted to do, but he was not sure.
"It's ok, it's a hug G, a brotherly hug, I love you like my brother, no strings to catches, accept it." Sam told him.
And accept it he did.
He leant into the hug and tried, and failed in holding his tears at bay.
He cried because he was relieved he was safe, He cried because Emma and Jessie were safe and not dead, he cried because he had never had an unconditional hug before and lastly he cried because Sam had told him he had a family.
Moreover, Sam never said a word. For which Callen was extremely grateful.
Hetty and Dr. Hurst, with Emma and Jessie in tow were walking down the corridor when they reached the room Callen was in, Hetty looked through the door, motioned to Sam to let him know they were there, and backed out for a few seconds.
Sam moved back and sat down as Callen composed himself.
"Thanks Sam." Callen said his voice cracking.
Sam smirked and nodded.
The door knocked and Hetty put her head around the door, "Do you mind if we come in Mr. Callen?" she asked.
Callen shot a look at Sam who gave him and almost imperceptible nod back to indicate that it was ok. "No, Sure Hetty." He said.
He looked in shock as Emma and Jessie walked into the room with Daniel.
"M…Emma…Jessie…I..." He looked down at his hand, what on earth could he say to them, I'm grateful you're not dead, I'm sorry I left you there…? He looked confused.
Emma dropped the bag she had been holding and rushed over and wrapped him in another hug. "Thank you for saving us, I am so grateful we are all alright…you are alright aren't you?" she asked looking him over.
"Yes?" Callen looked confused again, "But…You were hurt, I left…he said you were dead, I should have checked….I'm sorry."
"You didn't know, you had no idea what that horrible man would do. You did your best to protect myself and Jessie, I will be forever grateful to you son."
"But I did!" Callen protested, "I knew him, I knew as soon as I saw him what he was like I didn't realize…I didn't know…Mom…Emma I…" he was stopped by Emma's hand on his arm.
"G. Callen, you have nothing to apologize for, you didn't get us taken, you didn't decide to stick yourself in the crate and cart your butt off to Russia in the hold of an airplane, you did however throw yourself in harm's way to protect myself, and your sister. I am proud to be your foster mother son." She pulled him back into the hug.
"Thanks…Em…Mom." He smiled.
Daniel had walked to the end of the bed and picked up Callen's chart, "I talked to Dr. Morales son, he's pleased and frankly amazed by your progress, he understands he can't be told how you managed to regulate your heartbeat but he is pleased that you have recovered well,"
"I managed to do what?" Callen looked confused again.
"You regulated your heartbeat, I think that chip of yours is still receiving instructions even if you're out cold."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Callen asked.
"I shouldn't think so, no one but us knows it's there and all it can do is help to heal you and keep your brain busy, you won't turn into a zombie or anything like that." Daniel laughed seeing the worry on Callen's face.
Hetty stood up looking at Callen being fussed over by his old family and his new one and smiled.
"Mr. Callen, I have a message for you from the Director of the CIA." She said, all eyes turned to her and Callen gripped the blanket he had tighter, Emma put her hand comfortingly over his.
Hetty smiled, "He had no idea about Project 'C' being used on children, he thought the 'C' stood for Chip not Callen and although he was aware of Mr. Kort's involvement in the project, your forced participation and the indignities and lack of a stable home the CIA forced on you…Well, lets just say the current director was shocked." She watched as he took in the information allowing Emma to rub her hand up and down his arm for comfort.
"There will be no kill order, now, nor in the future. Your name and involvement in the project will be scrubbed from all records, only those of us in this room, Ms. Blye, Mr. Deeks, Miss Jones and Mr. Beale will have any idea that you had ever been a part of it." She told them. "Also, The Director sent you this." She handed him an envelope.
Callen opened it and read the letter, "It's an apology, and a check?" he said he turned the check over and dropped it in surprise.
"He said if it wasn't enough to let him know and they would see if they could give you more." Hetty said
"M…More?" Callen said shocked. "Hetty? There's ten million dollars here? How? How can they afford that?"
"I was told it was to compensate you for the lost of your mother and sister and the lost of a chance of a childhood and for all you went through." She said amazed that the check had been for so much. She had expected five million, but the Director had outdone himself.
"You gonna retire?" Sam asked with a fake grin feeling slightly worried.
"No? I'd get bored, besides why would I leave my family?" Callen smiled.
Emma hugged him tight, "We are all your family and we won't leave you either."
Callen sat up, "How is Deeks doing?" He asked worried for the rest of his team.
"Mr. Deeks is in the process of being discharged and will be recuperating with Ms. Blye." Hetty grinned.
Callen smirked, "Brilliant so when can I get out of here?" He asked with a grin.
