# 13

Grace handed the taxi driver a bundle of bank note and got out, really taking in what was in front of her. She had seen pictures, but to actually be standing there… it was indescribable.

She walked down the path and round to the gate at the side of the house. Opening the gate she slipped into the back yard, gently closing the gate behind her… she slipped round to the back door and reached under a plant pot and grabbed the key she knew would be there.

Unlocking the back door, Grace slipped inside and she couldn't help but wonder how a smell could bring back memories she had long forgotten. She rushed through the kitchen, into the lounge and down the hallway into one of the bedrooms.

Grace sat down on the bed and looked around at everything, then noted there was a small gap at the base of the shelf unit that was built into the wall. She got up and pushed down on the unit causing it to slide down into the wall, revealing a pile of a cash and a SIG hand gun.

….

"Where are you taking me, Hetty?"

"Why, Home of course…" Hetty replied

She had to admit, she was unsure as to Callen's current condition. Physically he would recover. But she had no one in Belfast, or available anywhere at short notice, to assess his psychological condition. She had, perhaps too easily, accepted that he was himself… especially given the nature of the experimental programme he had signed his life over to, in payment of a debt to Owen Granger.

Hetty knew that she should not have rushed things… that she should have allowed more time for his recovery and observation prior to transporting him across the atlantic ocean. But she had sent the rest of the team back to LA, and despite being on the same 'team', she was unwilling to risk trusting outsiders, even other NCIS agents, any further than she had already been forced to.

"Ms Jones…" Hetty realised she was about to say and decided it best not to drag things out any further than she needed to "Both she and Mr Beale have been taken into custody. Ms Callen is with Mr Renko… he'll be protecting her until such time as you are…"

"What? Fit to be her parent. There's a reason why Nell took Grace away. There's a reason why…" Callen replied before swiftly adjusting his seating position and wincing every so slightly in pain

"Mr Callen?" replied Hetty, rushing to his side, suddenly thinking about how she would ever explain to Grace why she had felt the need to rush him back to LA, despite his injuries, should something happen to him.

….

3 Years Later: Somewhere in Northern California

"Large black coffee to go"

The Barista didn't do anything, she stood there staring into space. The news she had received at the hospital had her more than a little distracted. She had no one close to her, that she could talk things out with.

"Grace?"

She still wasn't responding

The customer reached over the counter with both hands, placing them on Grace's shoulders and gently shook her

"You okay?" the customer asked, after noticing she had reacted

"I… I, em… I'm not feeling good. I need to go home" she said as she stepped back and pulled off her apron.

….

Grace had walked back to her apartment in a trance, and sat for a while, then she had tried watching something on TV… but nothing helped. She still felt all numb. It was just then that an idea crossed her mind and she wondered if she could…

She got up and grabed her purse, rushed out the apartment, closing the door behind her, and rushed off to the railway station.

Thankfully it was a short walk, and she arrived soon. Not that she had really noticed the passage of time as she was still in something of a trance. She bought a ticket and hopped on the first train headed to Los Angeles

….

Mike had been enjoying a few days away from work, but with Sidney at work and Jake at school, he hadn't been doing much.

The last few years had been tough… with Jake now at an age where he was starting to ask, more regularly, questions about where his mum and dad were, and why he wasn't allowed to see them. There had been days where he questioned whether it had been the right thing to do, accepting guardianship of the young boy. Grace had left LA a few weeks after Callen's stroke… she still checked in every now and again, but not as often as Mike would have liked. He had tried keeping tabs on her, something made easy thanks to where he worked. He was just checking his email when he received an alert…

….

The train arrived in Los Angeles fast enough that Grace hadn't noticed the passage of time. She grabbed her purse and headed out of the terminal to grab a cab. It had been a few years since she had been here… She hadn't told Vic about her past, and even if she had thought about it, she would have had no idea where to start. How do you try and explain to someone that you spent a good chunk of your youth in WITSEC, and then the next few years in hiding or being kidnapped by your own mom. To say nothing of how you try and explain what happened to your parents.

"Hey!"

Grace woke from her trance and looked up, pleased and surprised to see Mike waiting for her. There was no bad blood between her and Mike, she just hadn't felt able to stay in LA.

"You know it's illegal to access my banking, right!?"

"Yeah, I know, kiddo. But, you know he'd want me to watch out for you…" Mike began, realising it wasn't the happiest of subjects "…Not sure I like the blonde hair. Too 'Deeks', know what I mean?"

"I see you're still buying your clothes from COSTCO" Grace quipped back sarcastically

Mike feigned offense, but Grace knew it was all an act

"So what you doing in town?" Mike asked as he pulled Grace into a hug. It had been years since he had seen her in person.

"I need a favour, Mike"

….

3 Years Ago

Grace knew what she was thinking of doing was seriously wrong… to say nothing of the obvious illegality of what she was planning to do.

She had already knew that he was being moved through here anytime now. She knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't atleast try this now. He was responsible for her being ripped from her family, he was responsible for her being in a situation where one of his employees could molest her… and her mum didn't believe her when Grace had tried telling her, palming it off as Grace throwing a fit for some attention

Grace crouched down behind the skip and waited for her opportunity. Reaching into her waist and pulled out the SIG she had found at her dad's home and tried to steady herself.

Before too much time had passed she head the crunching of tyres on tarmac. This was her time… she would take her revenge. The van stopped and she could hear one of the doors open and swiftly close, then another opened and close, though not as quickly as the first door.

"You're the worst sort of person, Beale. If it was up to me, you'd be facing a firing squad"

At least Grace knew it wasn't just herself that hated Eric. Grace knew, deep down, that her mom really loved Eric… But Nell couldn't see the wrong that he was doing. Grace knew all to well what he had done to pay for the 'protection'.

The escorting agents guided Eric down the alley to the rear door of the… well, Grace didn't know what this place actually was. Probably a black site. She saw the 2 male agents and Eric pass the skip, she stood up and aimed the SIG at her step father and quickly moved, as silently as she could, following the agents

Grace tightened her grip on the gun and tried to steady her hands.

"You deserve this!" She shouted as she pulled the trigger