Chapter 29
##### Meanwhile at Flathead Lake
Callen drifted in and out of sleep during the two-hour flight to Flathead Lake. Not that he knew where they were flying, as Hetty still hadn't told him his final destination. He had been about halfway to his next destination when he'd seen the flash from the suspicious plane that had been following him. Now, he was thankful that he'd not made it to where his family was. An illusion that he'd been killed in the air missile attack on his plane could be placed, but that also meant one thing that hung over him—no more working at OSP or for any agency ever again. His days as a Federal Agent were expired, and he supposed he should be thankful for the extra time he's had these last few years.
He'd been happy to hide as Stephen Campbell the first time with Nell in Victoria, Canada, and he knew he would be thankful for another chance to do it again. This time it would be permanent, and this was beating at him like a double-edged sword. He would miss his team, Hetty, Jethro, and Deeks. There would be no returning to Los Angeles for a visit either, just in case someone discovered the truth that he was truly alive.
The plane began to lower and Callen took a look outside the window. A clear blue lake surrounded by mountains on the east appeared, and a smile formed. They were going to land on the lake and he couldn't be happier. It meant one thing, the place where his family was hiding was beside this lake.
Excitement replaced the worry and pain for a brief moment. He hissed as he shifted to take a better look at the lake. He could see people down below, children running and waving at them. His children. They looked so small, but he knew that it was his three kids and Zander below, running down to the water's edge. Three figures followed them. He tried to make them out. Nell and Kensi, but the third was a male, and he furrowed his brow trying to figure it out.
"That will be John Callen." Gibbs told him, knowing Callen would be worried over who the man was.
"He's still here?"
"Yes. He returned yesterday with his wife, Natalia, and his daughter-in-law, Audrey."
Callen drew in a deep breath. His old neighbour had been a cousin, a second cousin, from what he understood.
"Why are they here?"
"L.A's not safe until the Russians are found and the threat has been abated. Audrey is pregnant, and John thought it was best if she was somewhere with fresh air and company. Family." Gibbs added.
"What if they were followed?" His worry etched deep in his brow.
"John was careful, and Eric Cairns and his men have been arrested. Vance wanted them out of D.C. to protect them from the interviews and the case."
Everything he'd heard came rushing back. The attack on his neighbours, the close encounters they had in Paris, and his own attack in American Air Space. Was it really over?
"You'll be safe here, Callen." Sam added to Gibbs' words.
"Everyone believes I am dead. I can never go back to L.A. or to OSP."
"No." Sam's heart broke, knowing what this meant for his partner.
"You were happy before living on Vancouver Island. You can return to your life up there if that is what you and Thea want." Gibbs added.
"That we were, but we missed you all so much."
Sam arched his brow, knowing just how much Callen and Nell had missed them all while they lived up north, but he also knew how much they flourished.
"Life goes on." Sam continued. "The five of you can return and live your lives in Victoria and I know you'll all thrive. Victoria is a beautiful city, and you have to admit, the air is damn well cleaner than L.A.'s. Think of the summers and fall without the wildfires threatening. You know this is where you and Thea bloom the most. So what if you can no longer fight the bad guys. I think Thea and your children will prefer knowing you're not going to be gunned down on the job."
"Bloom?" Callen shot Sam a look, what the heck did he mean by bloom? "We're not flowers, for goodness sake."
"You had this glow about you when you lived in Victoria. You and Thea were the happiest I've ever seen the two of you." Sam admitted. "You were relaxed and happy, with no care for anyone to come after you. We can leave the death by a missile in place. That's a heck of a way to die, G. You'll be remembered as a hero for this country, and you can move on with your life with your family with no regrets."
"I'm being cast out like fodder," Callen grumbled.
Jethro chuckled. "You need to return to fishing too. And I need somewhere quieter to visit than crazy L.A."
"You find this funny? Says the man who retired years ago and sailed to Mexico, but returned and continues to work when he could so easily retire from the game?" Callen brought back the memories for Gibbs of sadder times when he'd retired to hide from his grief from losing Kate. But he'd returned to D.C. and continued each day to work as a Federal Agent ever since. How many people's lives he'd helped and changed because of it. And here he was telling his much younger friend to go and retire when being a Federal Agent was all he'd known except for the five years he and Nell had hidden in Victoria.
"Le'ts just say, if you return to Victoria, I may retire and head west permanently."
"No way!" Callen shook his head. "There's no way you're going to retire, you'll die on the job, or go stir crazy."
"You know me, I'll build boats. I'll have plenty to keep me busy."
Sam touched down onto the water, and Callen hissed at the contact.
"You good, G?"
"Couldn't you have landed her more gently?"
"I did." Sam looked concerned at his partner again. His old partner, because he could no longer return to working at OSP. Listening to Gibbs talking about retiring to Vancouver Island made him think of what to do next. He could always ask for a transfer to Seattle, then he'd not be far away. Or even take on that offer to work for the DOJ with Lance Hamilton. Sam didn't think he could stay at OSP without his partner—there were too many memories of Callen at OSP. And he'd have to pretend Callen was dead, not something he really wanted to pursue.
Sam taxied the seaplane towards the jetty where Hetty instructed him. He could see the older woman stand on the rear deck looking down towards the lake. She held back and allowed Thea and the kids to greet them first. And Kensi, whom he knew was missing Deeks just as much as he was certain Deeks was missing her and Zander.
"Dad's here." Alice squealed.
"And there's the reason why Victoria is the perfect place for your retirement, G." Sam waved to the children as he switched off the engine. "Those three kids of yours need their old man to grow old."
"That never stopped you."
"My kids are older. Grown-up mostly. And they've lost Michelle."
"Even more reason for you to retire, so they have a father who won't die on them."
"Is this you asking me to retire too, to keep you company?" Sam's dimples deepened as his grin spread wide on his lips. "I'm thinking about maybe a transfer, Seattle or DOJ."
"Lance will welcome you any day. You sure you want Seattle, it rains too much for you?"
"I grew up in Brooklyn, not L.A., remember, G. If it means being closer to you, then it will be a move I'll gladly make."
Callen drew in a deep breath. Already Gibbs and Sam were making plans to move with them, well almost. Seattle was close by, and they could see each other regularly. The change was happening too fast. The last time he'd done it was to keep Nell safe. Now he had no choice in the matter, and he had to agree, Vancouver Island was the perfect place to return to raise their children. It had been safe for five years, and the threat that had come after him was gone—dead. It would be safe to return there.
"What about Alex, Jake, and my father?"
"Who knows where your father is, G? For all we know, he could be at the cabin."
"Why didn't I think of that?"
"It makes perfect sense. All we need to do is ask Alex to move with Jake." Sam suggested. "You'll have all of your family nearby."
Callen's eyes rested on his wife and children and his eyes scanned the hill for the woman who was like a mother to him. He would miss her again. Always miss her.
Gibbs opened the door to the plane and scooped Tristan up and onto his shoulders. "You've grown again. What is your mom feeding you?"
"Carrots," Alice replied. "Lots and lots of carrots."
"You'll turn orange if you eat too many." Gibbs opened the rear and Callen was eager to get out and into the arms of his family.
Alice giggled, thinking about them turning orange. "Don't be silly."
"Daddy!" Her attention swiftly moved to her father.
"Give your dad some room, and go gentle with him."
"Are you hurt again, Dad?" Alice furrowed her brow which reminded Callen of Thea.
"I landed funny and hurt my ribs again," Callen explained simply.
"Fell?"
"I wasn't watching what I was doing. We have to watch our steps upon the rocks, don't we?" Callen construed the lie so easily, and although he hated having to lie to his children, being shot down by a missile was not something he really wanted to tell them. He never wanted them to fear flying, especially since he flew the seaplane for a job before in Victoria, and would most probably return to his old job again.
"Daddy!" Hudson pushed his way through the people on the jetty and climbed up into the plane to sit on Callen's lap. He wrapped his arms around Callen, who hid the pain that the strength of his youngest placed on him. His eyes widened but he would never push his kids away. Never make them feel rejected.
"Let Daddy out of the plane first, Hudson." Thea scooped him up into her arms and handed him over to Kensi, so she could wrap her arms around her husband.
He looked pale, she thought. Too pale and in too much pain to be released from the hospital yet. His usually vibrant blue eyes even looked pale, and that worried her the most.
"I'll be okay." He gently held her in his arms, she was holding him upright since he was still too weak to stand on his own. He kissed her on the forehead and held her. This is what he'd missed the most in Paris and in the hospital. His wife and children. It was time, he realised. It was time he put his GLOCK away and hand in his badge. He needed to return to being Stephen Campbell the pilot because there was no way he could put Thea through almost losing him again.
Tears spilled down Thea's face. Callen wiped them away. "Don't cry. I'm here now."
"I thought we'd lost you for good this time."
"Sam and Gibbs found me. I'm going to be okay."
"Never again! You know what we agreed."
"I know. I haven't forgotten. We can return to Victoria. Alice and Tristan will love going back. They love it up there more than they do in L.A. anyway."
"We were happier there too." Thea reminded him.
"I know." He swallowed the lump and felt his legs weaken.
"We need to get Stephen somewhere to rest." Gibbs took control.
Sam and Thea assisted Callen off the jetty. Callen looked up at the expanse of lawn and wondered how he was going to get up there.
"Are you good?" Sam asked him.
"I don't think I can manage to get up there."
"We'll bring a chair down for you until you feel strong enough," Kensi suggested, taking Zander and Hudson with her.
"Thanks, Kens, but I can't stay down the hill forever."
Kensi halted in her steps, and her eyes shifted to Thea, who looked like she was going to burst into tears again. She understood the pregnancy hormones and how they overwhelmed you get at a moment's notice. She bit on her lower lip, thinking of a solution.
"How about the boat ramp? We could bring a vehicle down and drive you up to the house."
"That sounds perfect. Thanks." Callen looked relieved.
"I'll get the car." John had been quiet up until now, and Callen's eyes shifted to the man with the matching Callen genes. He could see the older version of his second cousin, Sean. He had to keep reminding himself that Jason was really Sean Callen. It seemed surreal to him. How could he have been so close to a cousin and not see the connection? Because he'd slotted into living the lie that he really was Stephen Campbell.
"He really cares about you." Thea tried to reassure him. "He's devastated about Sean. He wants to do what he can for Audrey. You'll like him."
"I don't even know him." Callen hissed at the pain as it shot through him.
"You're due for your meds." Sam pulled out a pill bottle and passed two pills over to him. "Here."
"Thanks." Callen dried swallowed the pills, thankfully they were tiny.
"Should you be out of the hospital yet?" Thea worried over him.
"No," Sam told her matter of factly. "But your husband is stubborn. Waited until I'd gone for a walk before he colluded with Gibbs to get him released before I returned."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Thea shook her head. "You need to take more care, Stephen."
"I missed you and the kids, okay?" Callen really didn't have it in him to fight her on it, or Sam.
"We missed you too." Thea's tears betrayed her.
"Please don't cry."
"I can't help it. I thought we'd lost you for good, and…."
"What, Thea?" Callen studied her more closely.
"I'm pregnant."
Callen's eyes widened and Sam gently squeezed his shoulder.
"Congratulations. Another Campbell baby." Sam's grin widened. "Keep this up, and you'll have enough for a hockey team."
"Very funny." Callen chewed on his inside right cheek, trying to hold in his own emotions. If he'd died, he would have missed out knowing about this baby and watching him or her grow up.
"Are you okay?" Callen asked Thea.
"I've been a bit sick. Nothing different from the others. Otherwise okay."
"You've been worrying about me. I'm sorry. Stress is never good." He closed his eyes and berated himself that he'd put her through it, even though he'd not been the cause of it.
"You're here now, that's all that matters. You'll do whatever Sam tells you to do to recover. Then we can fly to Moresby Island. Your father is waiting for us there."
Callen's eyes shifted to Sam. Sam had been right after all about where his father was hiding out. "So it's true then, John Callen rescued my father from the Russians and he's hiding up there?"
"Yes. And he can't wait for us to fly up there. I believe Hetty's arranging for Alex and Jake to fly to Queen Charlotte, and your father will meet them there with the boat."
Callen nodded and noticed John stop the vehicle near the water's edge.
"Do you think you can walk over to the boat ramp?" Sam asked him.
"I should do." His strength was waning, but he had an end in sight. He hissed again as he moved into the rear seat, and rested his head back onto the headrest. He closed his eyes and was thankful to have made it this far. What had he been thinking, leaving the hospital so soon? He wasn't ready for it, but he needed his family with him.
It took more strength for Callen to get into the house and climb the stairs to the bedroom, but once he was there, he fell asleep as soon as his tired and injured body felt the comfort of the bed underneath him. He was home. It may be a temporary house by a lake, but he was home with his family, no matter where that may be.
"He looks weak. You sure he's okay?" Thea asked Sam and Jethro quietly.
"He's getting there. His determination to come to you outweighed his pain. He's healing and getting stronger every day. That's positive." Gibbs told her.
"But he's worn himself out leaving today," Sam added. "Give him a few days, he'll be sitting in a chair downstairs soon."
"Thank you both for finding him."
"You know we'll go wherever we're needed to find him. But he's yours now. No more working for OSP. Everyone believes he's gone. It's going to take him time to readjust to his new reality." Sam gave her a hug. "Great news on the baby. You focus on you and the baby, let us do the worrying for Stephen."
"I have to say, I'm relieved that his hand is forced and he can't' go back. Not after this latest attack on him. We need a quieter life from now on."
"I agree," Sam admitted.
"Me too. Now I have somewhere to retire to." Gibbs grinned and wrapped Thea into a hug. "It's going to be like the old times. Before you know it, L.A. will be a distant memory."
"I can't wait."
"Give him time to heal some more before flying to Moresby. He may still need medical attention, that's why we're staying put for a few more weeks." Gibbs advised her.
"We can wait. We're safe here and the children are thriving."
"That they are. I'm sure your kids have grown a few inches since I last saw them." Gibbs smiled warmly, looking out the rear of the house to where Kensi and her mother were entertaining the children.
"Too quickly." Thea agreed.