I know I just posted the last chapter less than 12 hours ago, but I couldn't wait to share this... I hope you enjoy.
Hopefully I will write more... but I dunno when or if I will
please take the time to post a review
#3
"…and the proud Daddy is?" Mike queried aloud
Nell stared down and the sheet of paper she was holding, in disbelief. She sat back down and handed the results to Kensi
"It's Eric. He's Grace's father" Kensi, answered. Not at all sounding pleased "I honestly thought Callen would be her Dad. But I guess it's better to be Eric than some… " Kensi stopped. Not knowing how to finish that sentence
"It could be wrong. I mean, DNA results can be wrong, right?" Mike questioned
"Not when it's a 99.31% match. But just because Eric's the biological father, that doesn't mean he'll be the everyday dad. The guy that shows her how to ride a bike, the guy that takes her to nursery… that could still be Callen"
….
"Kensi was right, you know. Just 'cause Eric's the father, doesn't mean you can't be with, G. You don't have to be with, Beale. I know what you meant to… I mean, what you mean to, G." Mike said
"That's real easy to say, when he's not here"
"Come on, Jones. He chose to be with you… he chose you over a one night stand. Not just once… he chose you every night for months. I've known, G, for a long time, and I've never seen him as happy as he was with you."
"If I make him so happy, where is he, huh. Oh yeah... he ran for the hills as soon as I got back in town"
"That's not it, and you know that. Your little vacation almost broke him. I'm sure, Kens has told you how he was after you left. He did his job and no more… no socialising, no randoms… it was stay home and drink himself into oblivion so he could forget about you for just long enough to get some sleep. He loved you, and you broke his heart. Hell, not that I understand it, but he was in love with you. So, what did you expect to happen… that he'd just forget about what you did to him"
….
"Sorry sir, but you can't go in there" a random nurse spoke, directed at the bruised gentleman that had moved to enter room 223
The man without saying a word, reached into his pocket, pulled out a Federal agent ID badge and flashed it to the nurse, who immediately stepped aside, letting him enter the room silently.
Once inside the hospital room, the gentleman stuck to the shadows, having made sure not to alert the sedated Nell. Quietly pulling a seat over to her bedside, he sat down and reached out his hand to gently lift and grip her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles.
The moment she started to stir from her sedated slumber, he quickly got up and slipped out of the room, leaving just a single rose on her bedside table
….
"What do you mean you let someone in her room!?" Renko angrily hissed at the Nurse, who had only mentioned in passing that she had let a man into Nell's room while Mike had been down in the cafeteria to have a coffee and sandwich.
"He had a badge. I thought he was one of you people"
"a badge! You saw his badge… what was the name on the badge, Who was he?"
"I don't remember. But I know it just had an initial for a first name… You could check with security, I'm sure you'd catch him on the CCTV. He couldn't get out of here without being seen… he was badly his face was bruised and swollen"
Renko, started analysing what he had just been told.
Despite checking with security, there was no footage of a man matching his description entering or leaving the hospital
….
Mike slammed the brakes on, pulled on the handbrake, switched the engine off and jumped out of the car and ran to the front door.
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a keyring and fumbled with the keys until he found the one he was looking for… slipping it in the lock and turning the key, Mike pushed the door open and slammed it shut behind him
"Okay, man, I know you're here… I know you saw her, what I don't know is why you didn't stick around"
Callen slowly walked into the lounge, from the hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathroom, holding his visibly bruised ribs
Mike couldn't help but ever so slightly gasping in shock at the condition his friend was in. Easily matching the nurses description of 'bruised and swollen' face. Mike also couldn't ignore the fiery cuts on Callens, chest and arms
"Geez oh, brother. What happened to you?!"
"Just a few uncooperative Russians"
"You couldn't have got them to cooperate without letting them beat you half to death?. Pull something on, I'm taking you to the hospital"
"No you're not" Callen Hissed in pain "She can't know I'm here"
"G… Come on, man… you can't carry on like this. You have to be in serious pain. We can get you seen without letting Nell know you were here"
"I'll manage, Just… go to the corner shop and get me a few packets of ibuprofen"
"Seriously, G. I can't leave you like this… if you're determined not to go to the hospital again, we'll go to a doctor that owes us"
….
"Thanks for this, Rose. We owe you big time"
"Yea, thanks" Callen yet again hissed, and Rose tightly wrapped the bandage around Callen's ribs
"I heard you were a daddy. Congrats" Rose commented, while she focussed on the dressing. Completely missing Mike mouthing 'not his', to Rose from behind Callen's back
"She's not mine"
"Oh" Rose replied, wishing she had just kept quiet, but unable to do so, asked a question "I don't suppose you've heard from, Nate, recently. He said he was off overseas, and he'd call me when he got back… I guess I don't want to think that he's forgotten me".
….
"I don't get it, brother. Why come back and visit her, if you don't want her to know you're back?"
"It's not that. Look, after your text… I couldn't not see her. Every time I close my eyes I see her face. I just…" Callen paused, giving serious thought as to how to explain his actions "..I couldn't…" He paused again, pressing his lips together and briefly glanced at the ceiling "I thought I could cope with just seeing her…so I looked into her room from the rooftop across the road…"
Mike interrupted "I knew you were there"
"Yeah… I was there. So I thought, if I could see her in the flesh I'd be able to go back to work… but that wasn't enough… so I sat with her and held her hand… and … I dunno man. When did I become like this. One of those guys who can't be apart from his girlfriend, or whatever she is to me…"
"Come on, G. I told you before… since everything went down, and you started spending time with her outside work… you are different. Do I miss having my wingman when I'm out picking up randoms… sure. But you were happy. What more can one friend want for another"
"Well it doesn't matter anymore. The kid's his…" Callen began, before Mike interrupted him again
"Don't use that as an excuse. Just cos Beale is the bio dad… doesn't mean you can't be with, Nell. Doesn't mean you can't be a father figure to the kid. Anyway… if it's a contest between who'd be a better father, you'd win hands down every day"
"What I was gonna say, was that Eric's the kids dad… so, Nell'll be with Eric for stability"
"Don't talk such a load of shit, brother. I got to know that girl, while you were off gettin' beaten to a bloody pulp. She's still crazy about you. All she's spoke about was how bad she felt about scaring you off... for walking out on you. Listen to me, right!, You'll never forgive yourself if you don't try"
….
"So as soon as you're fit to be discharged, you and Grace will come and stay with me. I went out and bought anything and everything we'll need. My mom is so excited to be a grandma, I couldn't talk her out of coming to visit and meet her first grandchild"
"You've already told your mom?"
"Well yeah, I mean I always knew she was mine…"
"That's… um… that's great, Eric. But when I'm fit to be discharged, we're going home to my apartment. No offense intended"
"Yeah, that's fine. I can come stay with you… help you out with Grace"
Before Nell could respond, Mike burst into the room
"D'you mind, Mike. We were just having a private chat"
"Get lost, Beale"
Eric looked at Mike, not quite believing what he had just heard
"We're not done"
"Yeah! You are. Get out before I pull out my SIG. Someone's here to speak to Nell" Mike responded, not trying to hide his anger towards the technical operator
This grabbed Nell's attention, not that she wasn't grateful at that moment for any excuse to get rid of Eric, but she couldn't guess who Mike would have brought to see her that justified his abrupt or perhaps even rude treatment of Eric
Eric remained shocked, and made no move to leave the hospital room.
Mike wasn't messing about… he had had just about as much of the technical operator, as he was prepared to tolerate, and reached for, and then pulled out, his SIG.
"Last chance"
"I'll be back in the morning, okay Nell. You need anything, anything, just text me" Eric said, after getting up and starting towards the door
"She needs anything she won't need you to get it for her" Mike spat
Once Eric was gone, Nell visibly relaxed
"Thanks, Mike. I didn't think I'd be able to get rid of him"
"Yeah well. Like I said… someone's here to see you" Mike explained as he moved back towards the door, opening it and then giving a quick whistle
Stepping outside, Mike stepped aside to let a guy in a dark grey hoodie enter the room
"Go to it, brother" Mike said quietly to the hoodie wearing guy
"Mike?" Nell queried, looking for an explanation as to who he had brought to see her
….
Callen turned his back to Nell and lowered the hood, preparing himself for however she would react to his presence, to his appearance…
Turning around, to face her after several weeks of nothing but the feel of her hand in his as she slumbered, Callen could admit to being more nervous than at any previous time in his life.
What was it about her that made him feel like this, made him scared of her… made him scared of himself
"Hey" he said, watching her face as she took in the black and blues on his face
"Hi" she replied, dreamily "I'd get up, but I don't think I can" she replied, after several minutes of silence "what happened to you?" she added, indicating to his face
"Nothing for you to worry about. Are you feeling better?"
"I do worry though. I know that you may not know it… but I still really care about you, G. I didn't ever mean to hurt you"
"I know. I just thought that… I thought you were better off without me"