#10

3 Weeks Ago

"You planning on giving me some answers, ever..?"

"What do you remember from your operation in Ireland?... I've been read in. But I know you have questions"

Callen was far from pleased, he appreciated some of his previous operations were more 'eyes only' than others… But here was this girl that'd been giving him the run around for the last few months. She would give a few truths, then spout a few questions that had him wondering if she actually had the answers she promised or if she was just being spoon fed information every few days by god only knew who.

"Look kid… Either tell me what you've been promising, or get out of my hair before I do something you'll regret"

"I promise you sir… I am able to answer all the questions about those many months you can't remember, about why certain members of your team are absent and…"

…

Today:

Gun shots could be heard throughout OSP. More than a few heads twitched, and a few of the field agents could be seen uncomfortably twitching and reaching for their service weapon.

Sam rushed to the break room, with Kensi and Deeks following behind trying to calm everyone.

The gun shots continued, and were followed by deep screaming.

"Hey Grace… you need to cool off" Sam said as he rushed into the small room, grabbing her and pulling her close

Kens and Deeks were only a few steps behind.

Even in her condition, Kens was as quick as ever…. Sam knew Grace would respond better to Kens. He released Grace and Kens pulled her into a tight embrace, telling Grace things would work out. Sam didn't know if Kensi actually believed that… or if she was just trying to calm the situation.

Deeks stood back, allowing Kensi to do her thing. As he stood there he took in what was infront of him. The breakroom looked like a bomb had hit it. The vending machines… were bust open. The contents were strewn all over the room. Cans were bashed and more than a few were spraying their contents. Deeks recognised that Grace was hurting… they all were. When Grace reached the prison transport, it was over on its side, and was burning… no one survived it. Andrea had vanished into thin air… but that was what Grace had trained her to do.

Grace pushed Kensi back… not hard enough to harm her, or the baby… but just enough to make her point. It wasn't just that Mike was missing, or dead… the last week had been rough. Mike, Andrea, Callen missing… and Hetty having died in her office infront of Grace… that may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Grace had personally escorted Hetty's body to the morgue, then to the centre for cremation. Never letting her Gran out of her sight. Waiting to see if she would wake up… waiting to see if this was one of her Grans fake outs. But this was for real… this was the end of Hetty's story.

…

"Who do you answer to?"

Grace had been asked that so many times… Hetty may not have been her biological Gran. But the old spy had invested in the young woman. She had set Grace up so she could do whatever needed to be done.

…

Grace wished she felt anywhere near as confident as she appeared to be. She could run circles round any of these politicians from DC… Talk a good game, but was she up to actually run things without back up. Hetty was gone…

"What did SECNAV want?"

Ah… there it was. Whispers, people asking questions she wasn't totally sure how to answer. Maybe the truth was best

Grace pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, trying to steady herself

"She wanted to know who I was, what authority I have to make decisions about the running of this office"

Kensi, Sam and Deeks looked around the room, at each other and at Grace.

She could see the doubt and concerns in their eyes

"Gran left standing instructions… that if anything were to happen to her, that I was to…" she stuttered before pausing to ready herself