Title: Mariposa
Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.
Author's Note:
Mariposa
Callen blinked looking over at the older woman in disbelief. "I'm sorry, my what?"
"Your marriage license. Can't very well testify against your own wife, now can you?" Hetty smirked slightly at him.
"That.. alright that is kind of brilliant. I've got to give that to you, Hetty. But won't they see right through that?" Sam chuckled smiling at her.
It was Eric that chose to speak up at that moment. "Not necessarily. With the nature of Callen's job, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for him to keep his getting married somewhat secretive."
"They could have eloped. He wouldn't have been wearing his wedding band since he was on the job. Same with Charlie." Marty pointed out.
Kensi bit her lip thinking it over. "They could still force him to testify if she's charged with attempting to murder him."
"Testifying as her husband could help her out though. He knows the truth. He knows she wouldn't have done any of that." Sam pointed out.
.
"Agent Callen, isn't it true that a few months prior to the incident in question, your wife pointed a gun at you in her family's estate on Hawaii?" The prosecutor asked.
Callen sat up a bit straighter on the stand. "Yes, but..."
"Thank you. And isn't it true that Dracul Comescu, your wife's uncle, escaped your team's custody after her unauthorized entry into the interrogation room that he was being held in?"
He looked at the lawyer stoically. "Yes it's true."
"Alright, Agent Callen. Please tell the court what happened the day of your father's murder." The prosecutor spoke.
Callen cleared his throat thinking back to that day. "Agent Granger and I were supposed to meet with Charlotte's uncle, Vasile Comescu. Granger insisted she tag along. Through some miscommunication, her uncle's goons chased us into the alley where we were supposed to meet him. Our car flipped. We were lucky to get out. There was gunfire and then the goons grabbed me."
"And your wife?"
He glanced over at her before looking at the lawyer again. "Her uncle brought her away from the wreckage of the car. His guys brought me over to them and then he had my father brought outside to us. Vasile killed him then he pointed the gun at my head. My wife... Charlotte pleaded with him not to kill me. She convinced him that this war between our families needed to stop because she loves me."
"War between your families?"
Callen nodded his head. "Yes. My grandfather was an agent like myself. He killed five members of the Comescu family while on a mission. They're a crime family based in Romania. They retaliated by killing members of my family including my mother."
"And yet you married one of them?" The prosecutor asked.
He smiled softly at that. "I love her. She had no clue about the Comescu family or their history until after we got together. She didn't even know she was one until a few months ago. My mother in law faked her own death and hid Charlotte to protect her from the Comescu family. My wife's parents wanted a better life for her."
"That's all the questions I have. Your witness." The prosecutor moved to sit back down.
"Agent Callen, how long did your wife know that she was a Comescu before your team had her uncle Dracul in custody?" The defense attorney asked him.
He thought about it for a moment before answering. "She found out around a week beforehand. She only went into that interrogation room because she was curious about this family member that she never knew."
"Can you tell us about Hawaii?"
Callen cleared his throat. "We had my wife in a safe house, but Dracul threatened to kill her best friend who was also the agent watching her at the time. Charlotte slipped her a sleeping pill then borrowed her car. My wife met up with her uncle at the airport. We found them about to board a plane and he threatened to kill her. Then he turned the gun on me, but she begged him to let me go which he did. She communicated to me that she was sorry and put emphasis on the car she borrowed so we searched that car only to find a note she left behind. My wife explained her actions then told us to speak with her mother who might know more."
"And did you?"
He nodded his head. "Yes. My mother in law pointed us in the direction of Hawaii. We got there as quickly as we could. My wife was very vulnerable at the time. She was doubting herself and her identity now that she knew the truth about her family. Dracul wanted her to take over as head of the family which was why he brought her there. She did point a gun at me, but then she broke down into tears admitting she couldn't do it. Dracul called her weak and shot her from behind with a silenced pistol. He then tried to shoot me and my team took him down."
"No further questions, your honor."
.
"Mr. Antonov, was anyone in your family aware that you weren't actually dead?" The prosecutor asked.
"Only my wife Anya. My mother and my siblings had no clue." Vasile admitted.
"Did you keep tabs on them from afar?"
"No. I wanted to, but I thought it was easier to stay apart from it all. I had no idea my sister was pregnant or that I had become an uncle." He admitted.
"What brought you to Los Angeles then?" The prosecutor looked at him.
"I heard news of my baby sister's death. My mother was already gone and Sofia, well, I knew she would never want to be the head of a crime family. I still kept my distance though, but then I found out my brother had also been killed. Stupidity on his part. I don't know. I was just so sick of people dying from a stupid war that none of us wanted any part of so I had this crazy notion in my head that if I just killed Agent Callen then it would just all be over." Vasile sighed.
"And your niece was in on it, as testified by one of the men you hired."
"What? No. I told them to make sure Agent Callen wasn't followed. They weren't supposed to lead him on a high speed chase into the alley." He frowned.
"No further questions, your honor." The prosecutor sat back down.
"The defense wishes to enter exhibit a, the autopsy and forensic report of the victim, into evidence." The defense attorney spoke up.
The judge looked it over then looked at the prosecutor who nodded in agreement. "Continue."
"According to this report, the victim was on his knees and was shot at a downward angle. It was determined that the shooter is at least six feet tall. How tall are you, Mr. Antonov?"
"I'm six foot one." He sat up a bit straighter.
"The defendant is only five foot seven inches tall. Mr. Antonov, in your own words, can you tell us what happened in that alley after the car flipped over?" The defense attorney asked.
"I saw three people crawl out from the car. I sent the men I hired to grab Agent Callen. There was an altercation and they shot at Agent Granger who shot back in self defense. He was gravely wounded. The men took Agent Callen and I walked around to the third person who happened to be a young woman. Before I could do anything, she cried out that she was my sister Sofia's daughter. The resemblance was too great for me to ignore so I spared her." Vasile admitted to the court.
"And was this the first time you crossed paths with her?"
"Yes. I had no idea my sister had a child. Despite the resemblance, I still had a little doubt, but her passionate plea for me to spare Agent Callen's life reminded me so much of my sister Sofia that I just knew she had to be telling the truth." He responded.
.
Kensi looked at the rest of the team and smiled. "Well good news, due to the forensic report, the judge has realized that the testimony of the guy that Vasile hired doesn't line up so his plea deal has been dropped and he now has an added charge of perjury."
"What does that mean for Charlie though?" Deeks looked at his girlfriend with concern.
"The judge has called for the counselors to meet with him in his chambers. I'd say the prosecution's case looks to be in shambles right about now." Hetty added.
Callen sighed shaking his head a bit. "I just want her back."
Her features softened as a bright smile grew upon her face. "Oh my god. You really do love her."
He glanced over at Kensi. "Of course I do. Look, I know we haven't had the most conventional relationship, but she means everything to me."
"You'll get her back, G, and then you can tell her exactly that." Sam smiled patting his best friend on his shoulder.