DISCLAIMER: Hello there… just a small reminder, letting you know that I do not own any of the characters belonging to NCIS LA/NCIS/Leverage. I DO, however, own all rights to Marie, Victor, and Iosif… as well as this story line. Just so you know. HA

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here we are… Eliot is heading back "home"… and Callen is heading into the deep abyss that is… "Blackguard". Will he survive this round? Will the team and Hetty look for the deeper reasoning behind his decision? Will Eliot step up and get the ducks in a row? I reckon we are about to find out… Please drop me a line and let me know what you think is going to happen next… I loved hearing from everyone today regarding this last chapter. Y'all are GREAT! Thank you!

Gathering his things, he headed back through the streets of LA toward the last place he had seen his team. It was late when he finally opened the door to his unsuspecting friends.

"Eliot!" Parker yelled, running up to him and stopping short at the sight of all the bruises.

"Eliot, what happened to you?" Nate asked, equally shocked.

"Nothing worth talking about." Eliot grumbled while allowing Sophie to lead him to the couch to sit down.

"We've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been all this time?" Hardison asked, plopping down on the coffee table across from him.

"I don't know. I headed out for a walk and to get food that night and the next thing I knew I was in the back of a van…. After that, it was a blur. Finally, I was released to meet up with Callen. Turns out he made a deal with the devil."

"Deal with the… so Callen… found you?" Nate asked.

"Yes, and he gave himself up for my release… among others" Eliot yawned, "I need to get ahold of Hetty and that team of hers." He began to pull himself to his feet when Sophie gently pressed him back into the couch, "Hardison, have you heard from Eric? Has anyone talked to Hetty?"

"I have spoken with Eric a few times. Callen brushed him off and sent him packing back to the OSP. He was pretty upset. Last I talked to him he said no one was talking. Guess Callen gave them the same treatment. He suspects Hetty is looking into it because she has been making herself scarce around there… but she hasn't even asked him what he knows. I've been doing everything I can to find something on him… no luck."

Sophie shushed him quietly, "Tomorrow will come soon enough. Tonight, you rest." she stated calmly. Relieved that he didn't argue, she took the blanket off the back of the couch and laid it over him. "I don't know where he has been but Nate, whomever he was with was very cruel," she stated as they walked into the other room.

"They certainly did a number on him. I would hate to think what other injuries he's hiding." Nate concurred.

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The next morning Eliot stood at the window debating his next move. Callen was adamant he wanted no more interference from anyone in LA, but Eliot was not one to cater to crazy. The night had been a long one and he couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine as he remembered the nightmares that not all that long ago had been his reality and if he gave up and did nothing, they would be his friends reality to the point of an agonizing death.

"Good morning, Eliot," Nate greeted as he came up to stand at his side, sharing the view from the window.

"Nate", he replied.

"Did you get ANY sleep?"

He had hoped he hadn't awakened anyone else with his dreams but it was quickly becoming apparent that was not to be the case. "I got enough."

"Eliot… the bruises…"

"Don't, Nate. I won't answer your questions so don't bother asking. Look, I have to go somewhere." Eliot began.

"Where?" Nate asked.

"I need to go to the OSP" Eliot answered.

"Why? You should be resting. You need to heal." Sophie stated, walking up behind them.

"I made a promise to Callen. I need to follow through. Also, I need to talk to this team of his."

"Are you sure you are up to that?" Nate asked.

"This isn't the first time I've gotten in a fight. Why all the concern? I do this stuff for a living, remember?" Eliot grumbled.

"Fine, however, if you are heading over to see this Hetty Lange, I think it's as good a time as any for Sophie and I to meet her." Nate replied.

"Why?" Eliot looked at him skeptically.

"Seems to me this Hetty is the main reason we are all here. I would like to meet her. Do you have a problem with that?"

Eliot eyed him for a moment before shaking his head, "Nope. I'm going to take a shower… be ready to go when I'm done."

"Okay."

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Hetty sat at her desk looking at the letter in front of her. She had read it over and over a hundred times or more since it arrived at the OSP nearly a month ago now. She didn't know what to make of it:

Hetty,

My time is short. Though I have no clue who began the original Blackguard, as I only ever dealt with his cronies back then… I do know who resurrected it.

There are things at play that requires you and the team to move forward from here. To that end, I have sent a letter to the team informing them of my final resignation from NCIS. They need closure. If it causes them to hate me, then so be it. I can live with that, if it means they are all safe. Tell Sam the kids are safe to return for their final month of school. There will be no more trouble. You just make sure they keep training those kids.

You and I have been in this business for a long time… maybe too long. We frequently have to do things that go against our grain as a decent human being. This team has never been faced with the true realities of this business. I pray they never do. They should never know the pain of the decisions you and I have had to make over the years.

At some point a package will be sent to you… you will know what to do when it comes.

You and I once discussed how this team works. You told me that we "shoot the ducks and you just row the boat" and I told you then, you row pretty good….

I know, Hetty… I know. You rowed pretty good.

G Callen

He knew now that she was not the evil one he had originally thought her to be, but he also knew who was… which was one step ahead of the rest of them. It was obvious he was attempting to protect them from finding out. What confused her was the package she was to expect. What was in that package? He said she would know what to do when she opened it… but as yet, nothing had come. In the meantime, the team had indeed received his letter in the manner he expected them to. They were heartbroken and angry. If his intent was to cut all ties with his past, he had succeeded… and it broke her heart because they didn't know the truth and she couldn't tell them. Once more she was keeping secrets that ate at her conscience. The letter he had sent to Sam but was addressed to the entire team was one of cruel condemnation for the lack of trust in him which led him to decide the only way forward was to leave them behind. It was only half true on his part.

She had shared this with Leon but left it up to him to talk to Gibbs. Between the three of them, they knew the perils of the path Callen had chosen. They just didn't have what they needed to find him, to figure out the who behind the what. Though she continued to dig there was little else the rest of them could do. They boy they were all once charged with protecting was now out there somewhere putting his own life on the line to protect others. Where the team was concerned there was nothing left to do but move forward. Sadly, she put the letter back in her desk drawer with her many Aliases Id's and locked it. Taking a deep breath, she pulled in her emotions, the team would never know just how much her heart ached for the boy she loved as a son.

She had noticed the change in Eric as he returned home from his time away with Callen. It was obvious that he was hurt by Callen's retreat into the dark world of Blackguard… but she also felt he knew more than he was willing to share with the rest of them. She was quite proud of the young man. He had learned much from his mentor and for that she was grateful. His friendship with Nell was slowly repairing itself and she felt assured they would soon find their new normal. She had tried to find a temporary agent to fill in as the fourth member of the team but they weren't having it. Within a day or two the agent would ask for a transfer. In her heart, she knew they were still waiting and hoping… They were not as innocent as Callen had hoped. Eric was not the only one to have learned from him in his time there.

Hetty wanted nothing more than to figure out where he was and go to him, try to talk some sense into him. She wanted to get her hands on whoever or whatever had caused this retreat but she also knew that while she could demand the information from Eric… Callen trusted him with this information and she didn't want to risk the thin connection they may still have with Callen through Eric. She also believed that if Eric had any idea that Callen was truly in danger, he would have said something to her. However, she wasn't sitting back doing nothing. She had feelers out with everyone who was anyone with information regarding Callen's past… He would primarily be outside the country and finding him would be next to impossible. She would need to be patient… she needed that package.

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Eliot stood, staring in the mirror. The bruises had faded little. The cuts had all but healed and there was little to no scarring on his face, though there was a fine line that traversed his neck to his chest that would, no doubt, remain, though perhaps lighten with time. It was no wonder they had shown such great concern for his well-being. He had taken more than a few hits during his time with Leverage but never quite this bad. Iosif had a talent… it was a talent that would eventually cost him his life if Eliot had anything to do with it. Knowing what he had done to Callen not once but twice… he had gotten off easy by comparison. He was just glad they were unable to see the rest of the bruises and numerous scars he had collected in his time with Iosif Romanoff.

Quickly pulling his T-shirt over his head he grabbed his jacket and backpack and headed for the door. The team was waiting for him when he came back out to the living room. "Will you stop staring at me like I'm going to disappear again? I'm fine. Now, let's get going."

"Shouldn't we call them first? They weren't overly welcoming the last time we showed up there unannounced and Callen isn't going to be there to stop them from shooting us." Hardison stated nervously.

"Ah, we'll be fine. Eric is there and Sparky here will keep us safe." Parker grinned at the scowl that creeped across Eliot's face. She knew exactly what was coming next and it reassured her that their friend was truly back and was going to be okay.

"Parker! Seriously?" Eliot growled as he walked out the door, followed by the expected, "There is something wrong with you."

Sophie smiled at Parker as she bounced through the door. She understood exactly what prompted her and was glad to see her smiling again. The wait had been a long one. Callen had left saying he would bring him back. After a few weeks they were beginning to worry that maybe something had happened and neither would be coming back. One day, Eric received word that he should return to the OSP as his services were no longer needed. Dejectedly, he said his goodbyes and headed back to his old job while they continued to wait for word on their friend.

The only question remaining now was, what happened to Callen. Why did Eliot return alone? It was clear that he was not in the mood to rehash the past few weeks or more. She hoped the wounds he dealt with would heal… and not just the physical ones but the ones that now plagued his sleep.