A.N.: As always thank you for reading and supporting this story. You're great! :)
Chapter 53
Ruminating Hetty's words G reached the stairs before Sam could remind him about the lunch. His shoulder hurt, a lot, and that made him feel even angry. When he entered ops he thought that Eric's smile was out of place.
- "Hi Callen"
- "Hello Eric. Nell."
- "Congratulations!"
- "On what?"
- "Well, the operation, all the detentions, that was awesome!"
- "This is only a battle Eric, not the war"- he cut his enthusiasm- "Nell, why aren't you working with the C.I.A.?"
- "They are the experts Callen, I can't do anything and Eric needs help"
- "I thought I made myself clear last time. If Eric needs help he can ask me for it and I'll try to provide. On the other hand I need you to control the interrogations. Nobody but you touch Mario Alberto Suarez."
- "He is not talking."
- "Well, then you have a problem and I expect a solution."
Nell went out of the room without discussion. She wasn't happy she believed that once the operation finished she could return to her habitual job and Callen just threw cold water on her.
Eric was more than disappointed.
- "Please Eric, send to my computer the last update of the teams. I need everyone alert and in their zones."
- "Sending"- he said in a tone of voice that showed how upset he was.
- "And now, tell me what is preventing you for doing your job."
Eric's list was more an excuse to work with Nell than a real necessity and one hour after Callen headed downstairs ready to work on the reports. Still upset for the attitude of the youngest members of the team Callen sat at his desk, turned the computer on and downloaded the files. The trip to San Francisco wasn't such a good idea after all - he thought seeing the enormity of the job cumulated. His phone rang.
- "Callen"
- "Hi G, it's Sam Hanna, your partner, remember?" – said Sam from his desk looking a G in the eyes.
- "Why are you phoning me?"
- "Because I'm waiting for you since seven in the morning and eight hours later you went directly to your desk ignoring me."
- "I'm sorry, Sam"
- "What about lunch?"
- "I really…"
- "You really need to eat and so do I, your choice"
- "Sam…"
- "Ok, then I choose, chicken tacos at Marina del Rey, taqueria Chihuahua, you invite for keep me waiting, and thank your god that I'm cheap."
- "You're everything but cheap."
Reluctantly G followed Sam to the little restaurant near the beach. The tension in the car was palpable and G couldn't do anything to prevent it. His mind was on the operation and how to play the next move, he needed his team back on the game as soon as possible.
- "Ok, G, that's enough."- said Sam
- "Eh?"-
- "Can you come back to Earth or you are planning to remain silent all the time?
- "Sorry Sam. What do you want me to say?"
- "I want you to answer me a question."
- "I can't answer if you don't ask the question."
- "Why?"
- "Why? That's you question? Why what?"- said G looking at his partner- "What kind of question is that? Why? Instead of "how are you?" or "how was your trip" or "how can I help you?""
- "How can I help you? You're kidding right?"
- "Forget it."
If Sam was angry G was upset, but they remained in silence until they found themselves sat in the terrace with all kind of tacos and guacamole in front of them.
- "That's good"- commented Callen engulfing his second taco in no time.
- "You didn't answer my question"
- "Your question."- sighed G- "Why. Why what?"
- "There are many whys, like why are you eating like there's no tomorrow or why you look like you had a motorcycle accident or why you didn't come to Aiden's birthday or why Nell was crying?
G laughed bitterly.
- "Well, maybe it's because I'm really hungry and this is good, maybe I did have a motorcycle accident, maybe I was at Aiden's birthday and maybe Nell is not doing her job."
It was Sam turn to laugh, but he wasn't happy.
- "And maybe you're lying."
- "Why?"- asked G letting his half eaten taco in the dish.
- "Why? Why what?"
- "Why do you think I'm lying?"
- "Because you weren't there yesterday"
- "This is ridiculous. You don't believe me ask your kids! I phoned you, I was hoping to come back with you, but you didn't answer the phone!"
- "You went to San Francisco."
- "I told you I would!"
Sam looked at his partner in the eyes and he only could see hurt.
- "I changed my ticket plane. Aiden wanted to spend some time with his friends and I let them soon at school. I didn't see you call."
- "I know. It's ok"- contemporized G giving another try to his taco that suddenly wasn't so good.
- "I… Aiden went around like a lost soul and Kam, well, she can be so… I mean… one second she's telling jokes the next one she's asking you for the universal remedy."
G chuckled.
- "They are teenagers and they lost their mum in a terrible way, what do you expect?"
- "I don't know."
- "You have great kids, Sam, you must be proud."
For the first time since they were together they recovered a shadow of normality. The day was beautiful, light blue sky, sunny but not hot, some seagulls approached like buzzards at the sight of the untouched tacos. G shuddered and Sam looked at him realizing his parlor.
- "It's getting cold"- justified Callen standing - "and late. Have you finished? Because I think that these ladies here are waiting for their diner."
- "Ladies? How do you know they are ladies?"
- "Well they seemed to be."
- "Oh yeah? Why?"
- "I don't know, the way they were looking" – said Callen entering into the car careful of not touching the back of the seat with his shoulder. He was in pain and the tension of the day was taking its toll.
- "Now you're an expert in seagulls."- said Sam sitting behind the wheel.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw G touching his eyebrow. He knew his partner and he knew he was in pain even if nothing in his demeanor suggested it.
- "Ok. Let me see."
- "What?"
- "Your eyebrow. It's bothering you."- he stared at his partner seriously.
- "It's nothing Sam-"- G sensed that no matter what he said Sam wasn't going to let it go –"ok, just be more careful than last time"- he warned turning his head and presenting his bandaged eyebrow to Sam who carefully removed one side of the surgical tape exposing the wound. It was a big blue surrounding the cut that had the edges red and purple.
- "You need stitches, G, and it doesn't look good"- he said covering it again.
- "Well, you're not going to sew me up!"
- "Nope. I'm not. I don't know how do you managed to open it again, it's like someone hit you full force."
- "I already told you"- answered G defensively.
The tension returned as an uninvited third passenger of the car and both friends remained in silence until Sam let G in the front door of the Spanish mission.
- "Thank you for the ride." – said Callen getting out.
- "G!"- called Sam- "On the stack of your table. It's what you wanted."
Callen tapped twice the hood of the car by way of farewell. When he arrived at his desk he saw it and his heart sank. It was Sam's test to be an active agent passed with flying colors, as always.
- "Mr. Callen!" – Hetty's bossy tone didn't presage anything good –"are you ready?"
- "Ready for what?"
- "Your stitches!"
Hetty's torture let G in not condition to work. Lying on the couch he read the text Kam just sent:
- "Daddy called. He can be reaaaally annoying."
- "I know" – G texted back.
- "How do u bear w him?"
- "He keeps me safe & makes things better."
After several minutes of silence another text came to G's phone:
- "U re right"
