Well here we are, the end of my first story. I'm a bit sad! I feel like I have lived and breathed this story for the past few weeks, and I am so so grateful to everyone who has supported me, to everyone who has read it and for all your kind reviews. A special thanks to those of you who have also taken the time to pm me separately for extra tips/support/confidence boosting - you know who you are :-) and I really appreciate it.

I've had a couple of thoughts for other stories, and two are started, but they're both giving me headaches at the moment...! Hopefully I will beat them into submission, but in the meantime it will be nice to get back to reading other people's stories without distraction.

So here is the last chapter - it's short, but I'm kind and I've posted the Epilogue today too. To those who have faithfully read and reviewed each chapter - I hope these meet with your approval. And to those who might be reading the whole story for the first time - I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it :-)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Before Callen even had time to register that this might be his last moment on earth (well hadn't he always told Sam a bullet would end his life one day?) the door to the room burst open, and there was Sam, determined once again that 'one day' was not going to be 'this day'. Henderson swung round to assess the new threat, and in that split second, Callen got one foot behind Henderson's right leg, and the other in front of it, and in a strong twisting motion he flipped Henderson down, and Sam instantly had his knee in Henderson's back, reaching for his cuffs and restraining the violent, cursing man.

"I'll kill you!" Henderson screamed at Callen, who hadn't the energy to be concerned. Sam hauled Henderson roughly up, and pushed him towards Kensi and Deeks to take into custody.

"Not today, you won't," he said with satisfaction, turning quickly back towards Callen who was still trying to catch his breath on the floor. "Shit man, are you okay?" he asked with alarm.

"A little… help…" Callen gasped, reaching his right arm up towards his concerned partner. Sam bent down and with considerable effort he helped Callen to his knees, and that was as far as Callen got as his chest heaved and he gagged and almost passed out.

"Easy there, easy," Sam said quietly, his hands steadying Callen's trembling shoulders. "I got you. Just breathe…" and Callen panted and did his best, still trying to clamber to his feet, towards the bed where the young boy lay quietly sobbing in fright. Seeing his intention, Sam resignedly put a strong hand under Callen's arm, and helped the struggling smaller man make the final part of his journey to his feet. Callen stumbled to the bed and leant heavily on the rail, grasping for the boy's hand with his, unable to speak. The boy looked at him, fearful at first, but recognising the man who had tried to save him in the dark warehouse, and as Callen did his best to smile reassuringly in between harsh gasps for air, the boy's sobs slowly stopped and he tentatively smiled back.

Sam stood with his hands still supporting Callen's shoulders, shaking his head in disbelief at the turn of events. "Hey buddy," he said gently to the boy, trying to make his colossal size as unintimidating as possible. "My name's Sam. I'm going to go and find a doctor for my friend Callen here. Think you can keep an eye on him for a few minutes while I'm gone?" Callen rolled his eyes, but the boy smiled shyly at Sam and nodded.

"Hetty!" Callen coughed from the bed, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask. "Where's… Sam?"

Sam had returned in a matter of minutes to where he had left Callen in the boy's room, a doctor and nurse in tow, urgency radiating from all of them. Callen was still leaning on the boy's bed, still gasping so hard for breath Sam was amazed he had managed to stay upright. He tried to protest when the three of them attempted to move him from the boy's side, and Sam had to promise repeatedly he would stay with the child while Callen got himself checked out. Immediately, his tone implied, and reluctantly, unable even to assure the frightened child that he would return soon, Callen had given the boy's hand a final squeeze, an unspoken promise, and allowed himself to be lowered into a wheelchair, taken back to the room he had vacated earlier that day, and laid on the bed while the doctor placed the oxygen mask over his face and the nurse attached monitors to his chest. Disorientated, he felt the prick of a needle in his arm before they both stood observing him closely. Callen closed his eyes and wished he were almost anywhere else.

It was whilst he was being monitored that Hetty arrived, and Callen could tell she didn't approve of what she saw as he tried in vain to sit up properly. The doctor's hands pushed him firmly back against the pillows even as he coughed and tried again to speak.

"Agent Callen!" the medic admonished. "Will you please allow us to treat you! I really do not want to have to intubate again at this stage."

That dire thought was enough. Callen inwardly shuddered and he lay still, shutting his eyes while he concentrated on taking regular gasping breaths of oxygen. The torment in his chest drew harsh lines on his face, but it was a different kind of pain that bothered him most acutely. He felt Hetty's small hand on his, and he opened his eyes and looked at her. She saw the emotional hurt and desperation in his eyes, and spoke calmly but quickly to reassure him.

"The child is quite alright, Mr Callen. Sam is still with him, he is not alone." Callen relaxed a little and Hetty continued. "His name is Marcus Bates." She saw Callen's eyes widen. "That's right. He is John Bates' son. Henderson killed his father."

"He tried…" Callen coughed again. "Tried to…" Both he and Hetty ended up on the receiving end of the doctor's warning stare.

"Shh, Mr Callen," Hetty said, squeezing his hand. Callen's ragged breathing punctuated the quiet. After a few minutes, Hetty spoke again. "Henderson tried to kill Marcus when he heard the child was starting to wake up. He knew he could identify him as the man who killed his father."

"Who killed…?" Callen broke off.

"Bates was shot before you even got to Marcus. Marcus said his father handed Henderson the gun and gave himself up, once he saw who the hostage Henderson ran into the warehouse with was."

"His son," Callen croaked miserably.

"Yes. His son. A very brave young boy. He told Sam everything that happened that day. Between his witness statement attesting to Henderson's murder of his father in front of him, and Henderson's attack on yourself just now, we have enough to put him away for life," Hetty said with grim satisfaction, and Callen nodded, his thoughts elsewhere. They sat together in silence for some time.

"Marcus will go into foster care," Hetty said gently, after a while. "You know that, don't you?" Callen nodded, sad but resigned. He hadn't been much younger than Marcus when he himself had entered the foster care system, and his heart broke for the boy and the difficult years he would now have ahead. Hetty watched him intently. "I am quite sure," she said carefully, "that he will be looked after?" Callen nodded again.

"I want to go… sit with him," he stated, leaving no room for discussion. He looked commandingly at his doctor, and the medic sighed.

"At least you'll be in the right place if anything happens," the doctor said resignedly. "I will have the nurse perform hourly obs on you there, until we are sure there has been no further damage from your, err, altercation." Callen nodded, discarding the oxygen mask, and slowly swinging his legs round to get up off the bed.

"Thank you," Hetty said on his behalf, and she walked slightly ahead of him at his slower than normal pace back to the boy's room. Knocking quietly, she opened the door to see Marcus asleep, with Sam still standing protectively by his bed. "Mr Hanna?" she gently got his attention. "Keep an eye on your partner, please."

Sam looked over Hetty's shoulder to see Callen leaning against the doorframe, panting, but determined, and he raised his eyebrows. "Everything okay?" he asked in a low voice.

"I promised… I would… come back," Callen said simply.