THE STAR… Write about the one thing that gives a character hope when things look bleak.
Sam hunched over his gun, slowly disassembling it so he could check and clean each part. They were going to be here a while and could do nothing until their informant returned. He pulled out the rags he kept specifically for this situation.
"Do you really carry those around with you everywhere you go?"
He looked up to meet the amused eyes of his partner.
"Yes," he said shortly, closely checking a part for dirt.
He scrunched up his nose. He hated getting second hand weapons. They were always left in such a state. Sighing heavily, Sam starting polishing it. It wasn't like he had any better options. He hates cases they had to go off the grid bit it couldn't be helped.
Working in silence, Sam made his way through each part. This while operation had been long and they were nowhere near finished. It would be another two weeks at least, just him and G. Deeks and Kensi were in the situation about fifty miles away. It made him feel on edge, being split up like this. There wasn't enough of them to go around.
The piece sparkled, Sam lifted it up and looked at it critically. Even the parts were cheaply made. He huffed at it and clicked it back into place.
"They're not that bad," G said. "They shoot Ok."
A snorted and shook his head. Trust G to go for the most straightforward demonstration.
He closed his eyes and rested his head against the break wall. This one had been too long. Too long to get intel, too long to get the job done, too long away from his family.
His family. That brought a smile to his face. It was about dinner time right now. Well, just before. Kamran wouldn't be long in from school, chattering about what had happened to her today. Normally, it was more about what everyone else was doing rather than herself. It drove Michelle crazy sometimes, who just wanted to know how Kamran was doing.
Michelle would be glaring at the oven, urging it to finish up the meal. The smell of it would have long filled the apartment temptingly. She'd be trying to get Kamran to get her hands washed and the table set. It would be just the two of them at the table tonight, Aidan still being at Keatings. She'd hopefully tease out what Kamran had been up to over the meal, see if school had gone well.
Sam wondered whether Kamran had got that project back he had been helping her with the other week. She'd worked hard on that, hopefully it got a good grade. It was the first one she'd actually enjoyed doing so hopefully it reflected in her work, Sam certainly thought it did from what he'd seen of it. He'd had to leave before she got it finished. Of course, anything his little girl did was brilliant in his opinion. She'd get a good mark.
His smile got wider. Kamran, his baby who had him and everyone she met charmed and wrapped around her little finger. Her smile lit up her room and her laugh was so contagious that it even made G laugh.
He could still feel the squeeze of her hug as he'd left, her hair caught in his buttons. She'd been wearing her hair with beads in it when he'd left and due a style change. What would she look like now? She'd been talking about a new style one of her friends was wearing so maybe she'll be rocking that look.
The light had changed outside. It was early evening now; the air was a bit cooler. Not much but a little. This was the time Aidan would call home. He'd be missing it. Again. To be honest, Sam normally missed his son's call at home but he could usually contact him from work. Couldn't do that here. That was the twelfth night.
He didn't think he could smile any wider without breaking his face but he managed it as he thought of Aidan, his first born. That boy was making him so proud of the young man he was becoming. Aidan always pushed himself, was always looking for new experiences. Sometimes Sam wished he would slow down a bit and relax but he had his mother's drive. Michelle would say that that was all him but nope, Sam was very familiar with the passion that burned in Aidan's eyes - it was what made Sam fall in love with Michelle after all.
Ah, Michelle. The light of his life, the holder of the keys to his heart and all that poetic nonsense. His other half, his better half. He really couldn't ask for a better person to spend the rest of his life with.
Sam breathed in deeply, he could almost smell her perfume. Ops like this never got any easier to be away from her. Which is ironic, considering that an Op is how they met. She was just so supportive of him, always in his corner no matter how few nights he could get home. She understood.
They were what kept him going and fighting. Even when everything went wrong and all hope seemed lost it was thoughts of them that pulled him trough. Everyone.
A phone beeped. Hopefully that was the signal. All this sitting around with nothing to do when he knew something needed done was just not good.
Picturing his family, their smiling and welcoming faces, he drew strength from it. He could do this. They'd had worse odds before.
Steeling himself, he opened his eyes to the click of G's gun
"Ready to get going?" he asked, moving towards the door knowing Sam would follow.
Sam took one last look at the picture in head. They were all smiling encouragingly at him.
He holstered his own gun.
"Let's get this show on the road."