#4
3 supressed shots rang out, the supressed sound was only coved by the pained groaning as each shot was fired.
It had been 6 months and he still couldn't fire his SIG without physically hissing in pain… he struggled to pull the trigger each time. And Each night , the pain he felt was like nothing he had every experienced… and that was really saying something considering some of the injuries he had suffered in the line of duty. Although, all things considered, he was lucky to be walking, even if it was with a crutch. He was living in a little apartment above the town bakery, he was still unemployed, but there were very few jobs he had the skillset for, very few types of job for a man such as him. He just hoped that Nell and Grace had done better… however he could not attest to that as Nell and Grace were somewhere else. His case agent assured him that he would see them again… that in time he may be moved closer to them or vice versa.
He was really struggling to remember what they looked like… as part of his acceptance into WITSEC he had had to leave behind any and all pictures of friends and family, he wasn't allowed to contact anyone from his past life, he wasn't to travel to areas where he had lived or worked. But it was the being kept apart that really stung.
He had made a choice to leave Nell and Grace behind when he accepted the TDA… but he could at least see them in pictures. Whereas now, he couldn't even look at pictures… he was alone in every sense of the word.
He was still receiving an allowance from the government due to his injury and inability to gain employment. How was he meant to explain the injuries… sure, the states was far from the safest place on earth. But it was home… LA was home, His family was home… Nell and Grace were home, and a home that he was forbidden to see.
Yeah right… cos some jumped up US Marshal, who had just been a twinkle in his daddy's eye when Callen first went undercover for his country, was really going to stop Callen seeing his little girl.
…
The only thing more dangerous than someone looking for some someone in WITSEC, was someone like Callen being in WITSEC. He knew ways of getting information that didn't rely on MSNBC or ZNN. He had people all across the US, both in and outside of federal agencies, that owed him favours… and he would use Every. Single. One of those favours if that's what it took to be reunited with his little girl.
Callen grabbed his go-bag and left the apartment, looking forward to being rid of the smell of baked goods, hailed a cab and set off for the airport.
There was one man who he knew would help him, that wouldn't be being watched by the Marshal service.
…..
Strictly speaking, what he was doing… what he had done, was a serious No-No. Not only had he left the state without telling his WITSEC inspector, carried a firearm onto a commercial flight, used a forged government ID, and was intending on making contact with someone who had known him in his 'past life'.
Thankfully he had slipped though enough airports to know how to do just that, without attracting unwanted attention. Having hailed a cab, he got in the first to pull up and gave the driver an address.
Sadly how he would have normally dealt with this trip… wasn't a possibility. Thankfully he knew that the owner of the house that he was on his way to, would help him. Jethro was as good as they came… they had both saved one another on more than one occasion. Besides, he could relate to not being able to see your own kid.
Getting out of the taxi at the end of the block, Callen hobbled along, throwing his go back over his good shoulder, while he watched out for any signs of threats. Which on this occasion meant anyone with a badge. It had been a few years since he had been in this neighbourhood, almost 15 years. How time had flown by. Looking around, all Callen saw were families and couples… which reinforced his intention to see his again soon, no matter the risk and consequences.
Nipping round the side of his destination he quietly slipped inside through the back door, grateful that Gibbs still wasn't locking his doors. He dropped his go-bag in the lounge and grabbed a beer from the fridge.
Taking a swig of the beer, he settled down on the couch, and took in his surrounding, observing the blood stains that an attempt had been made to clean from the carpet. They hadn't been there the last time he was in this house…
….
Returning home late at night had become something of a habit of late. The lights were out, the door was closed… no obvious sign of anyone having been stupid enough to break in. It was only when he walked into the lounge that he noticed the unmistakable silhouette of someone laying down on the couch. When he flicked on the lamp, while grapping his service weapon, he recognised the man asleep on his couch as a friend and colleague that was supposed to be dead.
"G?" he asked loudly enough that he would wake up Callen
Callen slowly stirred, opening his eyes and stretching his arms and legs from their curled up position on the couch
"Jethro" Callen replied, acknowledging his friend
Gibbs walked through to the kitchen and pulled 2 more beers from the fridge, one for himself, and one for Callen
"Want to tell me what's going on? Last I heard from Henrietta, you had been found murdered in spain"
"I need your help. They forced us into witness protection, split us up… I need to find them, Jethro"
"Find Who?"
"My wife and daughter…"
Gibbs stared at the man who was having a swig of beer. A man who had been a comrade in arms, a man he though dead… a man who was the true definition of a 'lone wolf'."
"Okay, G… start from scratch"
Callen began recounting the events of the last 3 years… from going blind, to becoming involved with Nell. Right up to being split apart from them. Callen knew that Gibbs would help him despite the regulations he would have to break.
…
About an hour later, Callen's true fate was revealed to more people… Abby and McGee being the only ones that Gibbs had reached out to..
McGee started hacking into WITSEC for anyone fitting Nell's description who had a young child, narrowing the likely candidates to those in areas that Nell had either never been to, or that had. Apparently it was the biggest thrill that McGee had experienced since becoming engaged.
"I'll be out of your hair in the morning, Jethro. I'll hire a car and hit the road. I really appreciate everything… for taking these risks for me."
"Here" Gibbs replied, tossing a car key to Callen
….
Callen knew that Gibbs would help, he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop himself because he knew just what it was like to lose the people who were your whole world.
The last thing Callen had expected was for Gibbs to give him the use of a car, and $200 for fuel, Callen had tried to refuse… especially since he had his funds in his go-bag. But Gibbs wouldn't take no for an answer, knowing that this could very well be the last time he would see, G.
A few days later Callen had checked out addresses in New Jersey and Vermont… having had no luck, he set up cross country to Marquette in Michigan. It was the last place on his list… it was going to take him a few days to drive over there and had to book into a motel on one night simply because he had been wearing the same clothes for days now, and needed a proper sleep.
If Nell and Grace were in Marquette, they could cross the border into Cana and set up somewhere isolated or somewhere with more bustle… whatever Nell wanted.
….
He had been sitting opposite the apartment building's entrance for a few hours, rubbing where his wedding ring used to be. He had wanted to wait and see if he could see Nell coming or going, or wait to assess the situation, would there be anyone else watching his family.
Eventually he lost patience, reached into his go-bag and grabbed his gun and got out of the car, locking it and walking across the street to the entrance. Luckily there was no one working in the lobby to ask any awkward questions.
Callen got in the lift and hit the button for the third floor. He had butterflies in his stomach the closer he got to the apartment door. His shoulder was still aching and his knee was no better… he was desperately hoping there would be no problems, or need for a fast getaway,
Pulling out his lock picking tools he set about unlocking the apartment door and stepped inside. Looking about, he felt fairly confident that this was indeed Nell's residency. There was a box by the window full of children's toys, including the stuffed rabbit he himself had bought for Grace – Mr Floppy. There was a laptop on the table that was the same model as Nell's. No pictures of friends or family anywhere – as per WITSEC rules, The only thing, apart from Mr floppy, that definitely confirmed that this was Nell's apartment were the clothes in the wardrobes in one of the bedrooms… now it could perhaps be argued that just because the clothes in the wardrobe were the same as Nell's, didn't confirm it was indeed Nell's residence as more than one of each outfit would have been made and sold.
Before Callen could investigate a bit more, he heard keys being pushed in the lock… using his less dominant hand, he grabbed his SIG from the holster at the small of his back and had it ready should anything happen that shouldn't. The butterflies in his stomach hadn't gone away… he desperately wanted this to be Nell's place… he was desperate to see her and Grace again, and he was just so tired… tired or worrying about them, worrying about whether he'd ever see them again… just like he was constantly worried he would never see his other 'family' again… run his hand over his name carved in his bedroom door from when he was a kid.
When the apartment door opened, Callen was distracted by a scent… her scent. It was really faint and he could have missed it if there had been any fragrance diffusers, but it was there… she was there.
Before he could stop himself, he rushed out of the bedroom, into the lounge "Nell?"
…..
He wanted to go to her… to touch her to see if she was real or just some hallucination from his pain meds
"G…" Nell exclaimed, not expressing the joy that Callen had expected… or maybe just hoped for. The look from her was one of dread.
Callen took the lead and moved towards Nell at a slow pace.
"You can't be here, G" Nell said, raising her hands to keep Callen away "Just go… please" she added
Callen was dejected by her response. Maybe it had been too long
"Where's Grace?... I'm not going anywhere till I see her" Demanded Callen
"Please, G. Don't do this… not now"
Before Callen could say another word in walked Grace, still a bit unsteady on her feet, on a chord followed close behind by a smartly dressed guy that bore more than a slight similarity to Callen
Callen looked the guy up and down, making sure he was actually seeing what he thought he was
"Right… I see."
Callen hobbled towards the apartment door, leaning a little more heavily on his crutch than he had when he entered Nell's apartment. Just as he was crossing the threshold of the apartment, he turned to look back at Nell… as if by chance Grace turned round and looked up at him "Daddy"
"No Honey. That's not your daddy. He's… em.. Penny, Who is he?"
"I used to work with her mother. Just wanted to say hi, as I was in town" Callen answered for Nell before she had to lie
With that, Callen left the apartment and hobbled back downstairs to the car…