A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews that have been left; they are much appreciated and mean the world to me. Here's another chapter for you to enjoy. There's only one or may be two chapters left in this story after which I'll concentrate on one of my other unfinished stories. Hope you're all keeping safe.

Chapter 27

With everything that had happened over the past few months, Alex didn't think she would have ever agreed to what Jake had just asked. Not asked, she thought, it was more of a statement, a demand. She still wasn't entirely sure she could let Callen back into their lives but she owed it to her son, and if she was honest, to herself to try. Finally she held Jake at arms' length and looked into his eyes, red and swollen from crying. She was sure he'd see the same.

"Do you want to see Callen today?" she asked. He nodded. "Okay, let's go find Hetty and see who can take us in." As the boy went to go downstairs, Alex took hold of his hand and added "I don't know if you heard but he's got pneumonia. Visiting hasn't been restricted but he may be too tired to see us. I don't want you to be disappointed if that's the case."

Jake looked at his mom before nodding his understanding. "I'll be okay. We'll just have to wait until he's not so tired" said Jake in a matter of fact manner. Alex smiled and shook her head slightly as her son turned and went downstairs.

Seeing Hetty was still there, Jake ran to her. "Can you take us to see Uncle Callen? Please?"

Hetty, looking at Alex who nodded her approval, said "Of course. I'll be leaving shortly. Are you ready?"

Alex replied "Yes, I just need to grab my purse. Thank you, Hetty."

"It's my pleasure, my dear" replied Hetty. "Mr Callen will be happy to see you both." To Nate, Hetty asked "Mr Getz, do you wish to accompany us?"

"I'd like to see Callen but I'll take my own car" he replied, remembering the last time he rode with Hetty, knees up to his chest, cramped in her sports car. He remembered that she didn't drive sedately either.

"You don't have to. I've not got the Jag today" said Hetty with a smirk before turning her attention to the others. "Miss Blye, Mr Deeks, advise the other agents what is happening and then follow us to the hospital. We won't leave until you are ready." They nodded and left the house.

Shortly the convoy of three vehicles drove away from the safe house and proceeded to the hospital, encountering no incident en route. They found parking spaces near one another and then entered the hospital and made their way to the private room Callen had been assigned. There they found Callen sleeping and Sam, ever vigilant, by his bedside. Noticing their arrival, Sam rose quietly and left the room.

He nodded by way of greeting. "Mr Hanna, how is Mr Callen?" asked Hetty.

"Resting. The antibiotics and the additional oxygen seem to be easing his breathing and coughing."

"That's good news. I take it they've not had the results yet?" she asked.

"If they have, they've not said anything" replied Sam.

Hetty nodded and made a mental note to check with the doctor as soon as she could. "How long has he been asleep? Mr Getz, Alex and Jake have come to visit."

"Let him rest" said Nate. "I can see him another time."

"That is a fine sentiment, Mr Getz, but I am sure Mr Callen would not want you to have had a wasted trip. We will wait a little while to see if he wakes up on his own but I'm sure the nurses will be waking him shortly anyway."

Knowing there was no point in arguing with his diminutive boss, Nate nodded and asked "Does anyone want coffee? I'll go and get them." Nate took the orders and Sam accompanied him to the cafeteria.

Alex stood anxiously at the door whilst Hetty went in as soon as she saw Callen had awoken. Hetty took Callen's hand in hers and they exchanged a few words before Hetty nodded and reluctantly turned to leave. At the door she said to Alex "Mr Callen is still quite tired but is anxious to see you both." At a nod from his mother Jake went in and gently hugged his uncle, leaving her behind with Hetty. "He's making good progress in spite of the setback with pneumonia. Please don't do anything to change that."

"I appreciate you're protective of him and I know I've not always been as sympathetic as I should have been, but believe me, Hetty, I've no intention of hurting him further" said Alex quietly as she walked passed her to see her brother.

"Hey" said Callen rather tentatively. Alex smiled hesitantly in greeting and Callen added. "Thanks for coming. It's good to see you both."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence until Jake said "Mom and I got letters from grandpa. Did you get one?"

"Yes I did" confirmed Callen and he looked at Alex.

"It seems Arkady's people have gotten him free but he's still in hiding" she stated.

"Yeah, it's good news. I didn't think they'd find him so quickly, let alone break him out" said Callen.

"I want him home" said Jake, sadly.

"We all do, Jake" said his mom "but it's not possible."

"Why?" asked the boy.

"Didn't he say in his letter to you?" asked his mom.

"Yeah but I don't really understand" admitted Jake.

"He's still wanted by the authorities in Russia. His enemies will be searching for him so he'll have to lie low" explained Callen. "We're doing all we can to get him back" he added.

Alex frowned and said coldly "You said that once before and look what happened." Seeing a fleeting look of hurt or guilt pass across Callen's face and remembering Hetty's words, she added in softer tones "Please don't promise something you can't deliver, Callen."

"Alex, I'm not. I can't tell you the details but the team is working on a plan so Garrison can come home and be safe from further persecution from the Russian authorities."

Jake looked excited and Callen added "It might take a while though so don't get your hopes up just yet."

Jake looked a little sad and his mom said "Callen's getting tired and I need to speak to him alone. Say goodbye to your uncle and then go and stay with Hetty until we've finished."

Jake was about to argue but a look from his mom and uncle, made him acquiesce. "Alright. 'Bye Uncle Callen. I'll come and see you again" and he hugged the man as best he could.

"I hope you do. It's been good to see you, Jake" said Callen smiling at the boy.

After the boy had left, Callen searched Alex's face for clues to what she wanted to talk to him about. Finally she spoke, not looking in his eyes. "I've never thanked you properly for rescuing Jake and don't say 'it's my job'. You and your team risked your lives for him and you nearly died." Alex paused. "I might've been angry at you but I never wished you harm." A few moments silence ensued until Alex spoke again, in a quiet voice. "Dad's letter made me realise I've been unfair to you." Callen said her name but she held up her hand, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Unfair doesn't cover it I know. I was hurting but I didn't appreciate, or, if I'm honest, care that you were hurting too. Y'see, I'd not long lost my mom and then I discovered I not only had a dad but a brother too. It took time to adjust and I was happy, happier than I'd been for a long time. So was Jake." She paused and Callen decided not to interrupt. "Then the Department of State came and took dad away. You promised to fix it but you didn't." The pain was evident in her voice and Callen made to speak but once again, Alex stopped him. She took a deep breath and said "I was wrong to blame you. I didn't know how hard you and the team tried. I…I didn't know what you were willing to do, what you'd give up for him. I'm sorry I treated you so badly."

"How….?" stammered Callen.

"Dad explained everything in his letter. He told me what you were willing to sacrifice and that he wouldn't let you do it. That it was his decision to leave" she said, tears starting to fill her eyes. Callen held out his hand and Alex took it. They sat in silence until Alex finally said "I'm not sure how to put this right or whether I can, but I'm willing to try." She paused again. "Jake wants you in his life. He needs to have contact with you. So baby steps, eh?. We'll keep visiting you and when you're better, you can come over for a meal. That is if you want to. I'd understand if you didn't."

"No, I do" said Callen in a quiet voice.

"Okay, it's a deal. Then we'll see how it goes and take it from there" agreed Alex.

Fearing his voice would betray him, Callen nodded and Alex smiled. "I'll let you get some rest, Callen." Alex rose to go but changed her mind and hugged her brother as tightly as she dared. Mindful of the IV tubing, Callen returned the hug. Alex pulled away and said "Bye" before turning to leave the room. Callen watched her go and she turned her head, raised her hand to him, before closing the door behind her.

As Hetty went into see Callen, Nate and Sam went to the cafeteria. "Hey, Nate, it's good to see you. You okay?" said Sam as they walked.

"It's good to be back, Sam and, yeah I'm good. How're you doing? Silly question, eh? We've been here too many times, haven't we?" said the psychologist.

"We have and it won't be the last, I'm afraid," sighed Sam. "I'm okay, certainly better now I know he's gonna be fine. It'll just take time."

"And we know how Callen is about things taking time!" Nate paused before asking "We know how he is physically but what about mentally? Losing his father and now all this with Alex has got to be taking its toll."

"Yeah, but y'know G, he won't admit it. He'll just bury it and pretend it's not happening."

"Yeah I know but hopefully he'll let me help" said Nate.

"Yeah, good luck with that" muttered Sam as they got the drinks and started back.

When they got back, Hetty was standing at the window, watching closely as Jake and Alex chatted with Callen, ready to intervene should she see any signs of distress on her boy. Whilst she was pleased that Alex had asked to see him, she was conscious that a wrong word or a perceived look from one of them could set off the other. She wanted the rift between them to be mended but not at the cost of Callen's welfare.

Kensi and Deeks were sitting down chatting and Nate handed them their drinks, exchanging a few words with them before joining Hetty and Sam, who had given Hetty her beverage. "Mr Callen woke not long after you left. I went in to speak to him first and gauge his mood, before allowing Alex and Jake in" she explained. "He wanted to see them and was pleased they came."

"And how's it going?" asked Nate.

"It appears to be going well" answered Hetty "but appearances can be deceiving. I hope that I am doing Alex a disservice and that she is not going to upset Mr Callen."

"I guess all we can do is sit and wait and see what happens. Hopefully nothing will" said Nate. When Hetty refused to move, he took her gently by the arm. She frowned at him but walked to a chair after taking a final look at the scene inside the room. Shortly afterwards Jake came out and joined them.

"Hello Jake. Is everything okay?" asked Hetty.

"Yeah, I guess so. Uncle Callen's fine but mom wanted to talk to him alone so she sent me out" explained Jake. Hetty and Nate exchanged looks but didn't say anything, sitting in silence until they saw Alex exit the room.

As Alex joined them, Hetty, fearful that the meeting had not gone well, asked "Is everything alright, Alex?"

Alex smiled tentatively and replied "Yes, I think so. Can someone take us home please?"

"Of course," agreed Hetty. "I'll get Miss Blye and Mr Deeks to drive you but I would like them to spend a few minutes with Mr Callen. Are you willing to wait?" Alex nodded and Hetty went to speak to her agents. After watching them enter Callen's room Hetty turned to Nate, saying "I'm afraid Mr Callen may be too tired to see you."

"That's okay, Hetty. I'll go in after Kensi and Deeks. I'll play it by ear but I'm happy to stay with Sam if Callen needs to rest. I've got plenty to catch up on" replied Nate.

Hetty nodded. "That's settled then."

Kensi and Deeks came out of the room. "Callen still awake?" asked Nate.

"Yeah" answered Deeks.

"Okay, I'll go and see him" said Nate.

"How is he?" asked Hetty.

"Surprisingly he's in good spirits" replied Kensi. "He didn't give specifics but he intimated that the meeting with Alex went better than expected" she whispered so Alex and Jake couldn't hear.

Hetty smiled. "Very good. Take them home. Call if you need anything otherwise I'll most likely come over tomorrow."

"Bye Hetty" said the agents in unison and gathering up Alex and Jake left the floor.

Nate tapped on the door to announce his presence. Callen looked up and beckoned Nate to enter. "Hey, Callen, how're ya doing?"

"I've been better" said Callen "but I'm okay."

"Not ready to bust out of here yet?" asked Nate with a grin.

"Way past ready" said Callen with a smirk "but it's more than my life's worth to try. Hetty and Sam will be fighting one another to get to me first."

"Hetty would win but I think they'd actually team up against you" commented Nate.

Callen let out a short laugh. "I know they would. That's why I'm behaving but I'm itching to get out of here." He paused before saying. "Thanks for all you've done for Alex and Jake." Nate looked at him quizzically, wondering how he knew. Interpreting his colleague's look correctly, Callen added "Jake told me." Nate nodded his understanding. "We're trained to deal with situations like that and their aftermath but they're not."

"Yes, we are and it's hard for us, especially if it's kept bottled up. Some of us don't like to talk about it either." Callen smirked at Nate's reference to his own lack of ability to talk about his feelings. "It's been doubly hard for Alex and Jake, especially Jake. He's been dealing with a lot. Not just the abduction but some of his problems stem from what your father went away."

Callen nodded. "I know. It's been difficult for them and when I failed them….."

"You didn't fail them, Callen" said Nate firmly. "You had no choice. The decision was made way above your pay grade."

Callen sat silently for a while before adding "I know but it doesn't make it any easier to take. I wasn't able to save Garrison from being exchanged and then I couldn't protect Jake."

"You did all you could for Jake. You got him back and look what happened to you." Nate paused. "Callen, I know you're feeling guilty about everything but none of it is your fault. You do know that deep down, don't you?" There was a brief hesitation before Callen nodded. "Good, I'm glad to hear it. I don't want to pry and you can tell me to mind my business but how did it go with Alex? I know it's been strained between you."

Callen looked into Nate's eyes and Nate could see his colleague reasoning how much Nate knew. Making a decision, Callen said "Better than expected. She says she wants to try and end the rift between us."

"That's good isn't it?" asked Nate.

Callen nodded. "Yeah, it is. She says Jake wants to see me and she admits he needs a man in his life. They're going to visit again and when I'm better, I'll go over for a meal or something. We'll take it from there."

"Hey that's great" agreed Nate. Sensing Callen's mood, he added "But you're worried."

"Yeah. I'm not sure I can go through it again. Y'know, what happened before…" his voice trailing off.

"You're gonna try though?" asked Nate. "I'll be here for you as will the others, although I know you don't like the attention" he added with a little laugh.

Callen shot him a look. "No I don't like the attention as you so rightly say but I do appreciate you guys having my back." Callen paused before adding "Yeah, I'll give it a go. Can't do anything else, eh?" The two men sat in silence before Callen spoke again. "Have you heard Garrison's free?"

"No! How?" asked Nate.

"I reached out to Arkady. He's still go contacts in Russia. They found where he was being held and bust him out. He's in hiding but at least Volkoff's not got him."

"How did you get to hear?" asked Nate.

"Arkady's in touch with him and Garrison sent letters."

"I guess Alex got one?" stated Nate.

Callen nodded. "Jake got one too."

"I suppose Garrison wrote something that changed her mind about your involvement?" surmised Nate.

"Yeah. He told her it was his decision to leave and she wasn't to blame me" said Callen.

"That's good, right?" Noticing Callen was getting tired, Nate added "Hey, I'll let you rest. I'll come and see you again."

Callen nodded and as the psychologist reached the door, he added. "Nate, thanks again for all you've done." Nate nodded and left the room.