#10

2 Days Ago

"I want to see dad"

"We're not going through this again, Grace. I've told you why we can't see your father. We're safer off here"

"NO, we're not. I know daddy wouldn't hurt us… I want to see him, and uncle mike, uncle sam, aunt kens and grandma"

Nell was tired of this. Every time they relocated, Grace would throw a tantrum… demand to see Callen, see the rest of her family. It wasn't that Nell didn't want to see her parents and sister… but she knew what would happen to them… well, to her and Eric. They had done things in order to make a fresh start. They had taken files from the OSP mainframe… Until she had heard when Callen was being released, she had no intention of leaving LA. But Eric had convinced her that this was what they would have to do to get out from under his reach…. Away from the people that would do anything for him. After Callen had been dragged away, Eric had been in one hell of a bad condition… the swelling and bruising took weeks to go down and fade… but there was still physical damage that wasn't so easily forgotten about. She had questioned why she had gone to bed with Eric… especially with what he had been accused of. Especially with the terms and conditions that had allowed her, Callen and Grace to return to the states, return to their true identities… to their loved ones. Callen had been dragged off and was certain to spend time behind bars for what he had done to Eric. She had seen Callen with that 'fire' in his eyes before… before he went and killed Kurt. She just… she never thought he would turn that aggression on one of the team. She had thought he had let go of that hurt that fuelled his aggression with Kurt. But he had attacked Eric years before for simply sleeping with Nell after they got drunk.

"I hate you. I hate HIM"

"You don't mean that Grace… He's done everything to keep us safe."

"No he hasn't. He did what he did to steal you from Dad. I'm just the unwanted complication. I Promise you Mom…. I will get back to dad. And there's nothing you or HIM can do to stop me"

….

Grace was determined that the first opportunity she got she would get away from her mum… go to the police, to a consulate… anything it took to get home.

When they arrived in Belfast, Grace was glad to at least be somewhere that spoke English as a first language. Especially after years of relocating every time her mom thought they were at risk.

Although Grace wondered what they were doing somewhere with such high levels of surveillance… in the last 3 years they had been in almost every country in Africa, and half way across Asia and even Siberia for a brief few days.

….

Nell had allowed Grace to leave the compound, leaving Jake with his dad… they were walking down a street enjoying the outdoor market when Grace saw something, saw someone… she could feel her heartbeat speed up. She shook her hand free from her mothers grip

"I'm not 3 years old mom"

Nell wasn't happy… she knew that Grace wasn't happy with her after her emotional eruption. But Grace was right, she wasn't a kid. But Nell couldn't accept that Grace genuinely wasn't happy. She was doing this to protect her firstborn… even if she wouldn't accept it.

No sooner had Nell released her grip, Grace took off running towards who she thought was her father. Even if it wasn't him… she would at least get away from her mom and the controlling freak that had become her step father, to say nothing of the guys that were always hanging around with guns, stopping them from leaving, and stopping people from getting anywhere near them

"Grace!" Nell shouted out loud, turning and running in the direction of her daughter, desperate to get her back to stop their protectors from getting her back using less delicate methods

No sooner was Nell running, that she heard the shots from a handgun coming from their security detail. Right in front of her she could see someone getting between her and Grace… someone she knew. Someone she had hoped never to see again .