As always, I really appreciate all of you who have kept reading and commenting on this story in spite of my very erratic updates. Thank you all so much. It's been a long ride, but we're just about at the end. Only one more chapter to go after this one :)

xxxxx

"What's the matter, Bart," Callen said, a smirk on his lips. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No...no, no, no...you're not real. This is a trick. It's all a sick joke that you all made up. You're dead. You are DEAD!" Bart screamed at Callen.

"Not that you didn't try really, really hard," Callen said, his eyes icy blue as he stared at Bart coldly. "And to your credit, you almost succeeded. But ultimately, I won and you lost. I really hope it was worth it to you in the end."

"You bastard," Bart snarled. "This was always your plan, from the very beginning when I first met you. You couldn't take a little bit of good natured ribbing. You were out to get me."

"Are you kidding me?" Callen asked incredulously. "I was a kid. Do you really think I put any thought into you after that night we met? Trust me, I didn't. Why do you think it took me some time before I even remembered who you were?

"What a fool you are, Bart," Hetty added. "You were very unpleasant to Mr. Callen for no reason except that you thought I made a mistake taking him in. Well, you were very wrong. Taking him in was probably the best thing I ever did in my life."

"Lies, Henrietta, all lies. Do you realize that after he came, you never invited me to dinner again? I thought we were friends and then you took in this ragamuffin and everything changed."

"He sounds like a scorned lover," Kensi whispered to Deeks who nodded.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hetty snarled. "Everything changed because you entered into arms dealings. You knew damn well that was something I would not condone. I warned you but you didn't listen. I worked for the federal government. What on earth did you expect? That's why everything changed. That's why you went to prison."

"So much for loyalty among friends. Well, fine. You've had your little joke or surprise, whatever this was supposed to be," Bart retorted. "But enough is enough. I'd like to return to prison now. You and your team won. Now you can enjoy your hollow little victory against a poor old man."

"A poor old man?" Deeks scoffed. "Yeah right."

"Not just yet," Callen said. He walked into the darkness and came back holding three vials in his hands, each with a different colored liquid, eerily similar to the ones Bart had presented him with during his so-called game. "Now, It's your turn to play."

Bart shook his head, a nervous smile on his lips. "I'm not drinking one of those. You can't make me. This is against the law what you're doing. You're holding me hostage. This is a kidnapping and I'll make sure to tell everyone about it. I'll have all of your badges. Every one of you. You'll be out on the streets, the whole lot of you, or better yet you'll be in prison." His lips curled into a sneer. "I have lots of friends there...lots and lots of friends. I'm sure they'll give you a warm welcome. You're such pretty, pretty boys…"

"Shut the hell up," Deeks said, looking disgusted at what Bart was hinting at.

"And you are going to drink from one of those vials." Sam smiled a humorless smile, his eyes deadly. "After what you put this team through, and especially G, you're going to drink from one if I have to pour it down your throat myself."

Bart looked at Sam, clearly anxious. "I'm not doing it."

"Oh you're doing it." Deeks had clearly had enough. "Hold his mouth open, Sam. I'll pour one of these vials right down his gullet."

"You want to pick a color, Bart?" Sam asked, smirking.

"You!" Bart screamed at Hetty. "Stop them you sick little troll! Stop them or you'll be sorry!"

"There's nothing more you can do to me," Hetty stated. "Trust me, you've done more than enough."

"You won't be safe!" Bart turned his attention to Callen. "You think me being behind bars will protect you or your team? It won't. You'll never be safe. None of you."

"You're proving our point," Sam said angrily. "This is why we can't allow you to live."

"No! No! I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Deeks laughed. "Wow, you really are a wuss. For someone who put us through what you did, you have no balls at all."

"G?" Sam asked. "Which vial did you drink from?"

"Emerald," Callen said without hesitation. It wasn't something he was likely to ever forget based on how he'd almost died as a result.

"Emerald it is," Deeks said as he reached out his arm to Callen who passed him the vial containing the green liquid.

"NO! NOT THE EMERALD!" Bart screamed. "Give me the red one. I want the red."

Callen shrugged and passed the amber vial to Deeks who took it as he winked at Callen. "A wise choice, my good man."

At that point, Bart clamped his mouth shut but Sam had no trouble at all forcing it open. Deeks then poured the contents of the vial into his mouth and Sam held Bart's jaw closed until he was forced to swallow. "Bastards!" Bart yelled as soon as he was allowed to open his mouth. "I hope you all rot in hell."

"I'm really surprised at your behavior," Kensi said. "After everything you did to us...all that you put us through, you act like this?"

"Shut up you bitch," Bart growled menacingly. "I should have let Burke have his way with you the way he wanted to from the moment we grabbed you. Then you wouldn't be so high and mighty.

"DON'T TALK TO HER. DON'T EVEN LOOK AT HER!" Without a moment's hesitation, Deeks let his fist fly and he punched Bart square in the face.

"Deeks." Kensi quickly grabbed him and pulled him away from Bart. "Let's just stick to the plan as is," she said in a low tone. "I know how much you'd like to beat him to a pulp, but we can't do that."

"If anyone deserves it, he does," Deeks said, making a concerted effort to calm himself down.

"So, what's up with this so-called poison you gave me?" Bart interrupted. "Am I going to die or not? Did I pick the lucky color?"

"I don't know," Callen replied coolly. "Just like you, I didn't ask which color was the lucky one. I guess if you start to get sick, we'll know."

"You little twerp," Bart snarled. "I'd like to punch your lights out."

"Seeing as you always had Burke do your dirty work for you, I kind of doubt that would happen," Callen retorted.

"Insolent punk."

Callen stared at Bart for a long moment, then turned away. "I'm going to go get some air. I'll be right back."

Sam gave Hetty a questioning look. She nodded. "Go." With that, Sam followed after his partner.

xxxxx

"G?"

Callen turned to his friend who had walked out after him. "I'm fine, Sam. Like I said, I just needed some air."

"He's not getting to you, is he?" Sam asked.

"What? No," Callen said adamantly.

"You feeling okay?"

Callen sighed. "I'm just a little tired, no big deal."

"It will all be over soon."

"I hope so."

Sam gave Callen a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?"

Callen shook his head. "Nothing, never mind. Come on, let's go back inside."

"G?" Sam put his hand on Callen's shoulder but his friend shrugged it off.

"It's fine, Sam." He then started back towards the building with Sam following alongside him.

xxxxx

"At least untie me you sons of bitches," Bart wailed. "I'm sick. I'm going to die. I can't hurt you."

"God, he does go on," Hetty said. "I can't believe I was ever friends with him." She looked over at Callen and Sam as they came back in. Even in the dim lighting, Callen looked pale to her. She wondered if this had been a mistake, only a day after his release from the hospital. "Mr. Callen?"

"I'm fine, Hetty," Callen said wearily. He was starting to develop a headache and Bart's moaning and groaning was grating on his nerves. He wasn't sure how he was going to hold up once the vomiting started.

As if the thought alone had caused it, Bart suddenly started to retch. Kensi and Deeks took a few steps backwards, not particularly wanting to witness the sight, sound or smell of this phase of the plan.

"Should we maybe just leave him here for a bit?" Deeks asked, looking slightly queasy.

Hetty nodded. "Go outside, all of you. I'll stay." Her team had suffered enough. She could handle the next part of this unpleasantness on her own.

"Are you sure?" Kensi asked as Bart suddenly began to violently vomit.

"Yes, go!" Hetty ordered. Sam, Kensi and Deeks walked towards the door of the building while Callen stayed put.

"Mr. Callen."

He shook his head uncertainly, caught between his loyalty to Hetty and the instability of his own stomach which he wasn't sure he would be able to control. "I'm staying with you."

"Please go," she said kindly. "I'd feel better if you did."

He hesitated, then nodded. "All right… we'll be right outside the door if you need us."

"I won't," Hetty assured him.

"Always coddling him," Bart managed to say just before he vomited again. "I...I hope you're happy."

"If you think any of this makes me happy, you're very sadly mistaken," Hetty said, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "You could have made so much of yourself and your life, but you made very wrong and irrational choices. This is the very least you deserve for what you did to them, the way you made them suffer. You're a despicable man and I'll never forgive you for what you did.

"Well, that makes two of us," Bart spat. "I'll never forgive you for the way you callously tossed our friendship aside."

"How many times must I tell you, I wasn't about to associate with an arms dealer for God's sake. If you thought I was going to stand idly by while you broke the law, then you are more stupid than I ever imagined."

"Screw you," Bart said right before vomiting again. "Screw all of you."

"Everything okay in there?" Sam asked Callen when he joined the others outside.

Callen nodded. "I guess so...Hetty insisted I leave...I hope she's okay."

"Hetty's stronger than all of us put together," Deeks said. "She'll be fine."

"So, this drug Hetty got to give to Bart… it's definitely untraceable, right?" Kensi asked, looking worried. "I wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble over what we've done."

"We're just giving him a taste of his own medicine," Callen said. "If there are any consequences, I'll take the blame. This is the least he deserves, the very least...I just wish we could do more to the son of a bitch."

"Come on, G… at least we did something," Sam said, throwing his arm around his friend's shoulders. "It obviously got to him. He's really shook up by what we did."

"But he thinks he's going to die," Callen said, shaking his head. "I wonder what he'll happen when he doesn't."

"He's still going to prison though," Deeks said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Callen forced a smile. "Don't mind me guys. I guess I'm just tired."

"That's understandable. You just got out of the hospital yesterday," Kensi said as she gave Callen a gentle embrace. "It's just about over now. Then you can go home and get some rest."

"Thanks, Kens," Callen said.

They made small talk for a short while and then looked at each other. They all knew they needed to go back inside although each of them was reluctant to suggest it. Finally, Kensi broke the unspoken code of silence. "I guess we should go back in and check on Hetty."

"Yeah, you're right, babe," Deeks said as Callen and Sam nodded their assent. The four of them then headed back inside.

xxxxx

They made their way over to Hetty and saw Bart with his head slumped forward, looking like a totally beaten man. The smell in the air though was practically unbearable. "Hetty? Is everything alright?" Callen asked, trying not to breathe in the nauseating odor but it didn't seem possible.

"Everything is fine." Hetty smiled at her team. "I think Bartholomew is ready to go to his new home."

"Yeah, let's get him out of here then," Deeks said. He and Sam went over to Bart, taking extreme care not to step on all the vomit on the floor.

"Get up," Sam said, roughly grabbing Bart beneath his left arm as Deeks grabbed the man's right arm.

"Leave me alone. Let me stay here to die," Bart moaned, slipping in his own vomit as he walked.

"Shut up," Deeks said as he and Sam pulled him along.

"What are you trying to do to me?" Please just leave me be. I'm just a weak elderly man."

"Weak, elderly man, my ass," Deeks said as he and Sam dragged Bart out of the building with Hetty, Kensi and Callen following quickly behind them. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they got out into the fresh air again.

"Bastards," Bart said. "Bitches and bastards the whole lot of you."

"You brought this all on yourself," Hetty stated coldly. She then looked at Sam, Kensi and Deeks. "I think it's time you bring him to prison now. We wouldn't want him to be late."

"I'm already late you demented little toad," Bart spat. "And I'm going to tell them exactly why."

"SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT HER," Callen snapped as he moved towards Bart but Sam quickly grabbed him.

"Calm down, G. He's just pissed because we got the best of him," Sam said.

"Mr. Hanna is quite right, Mr. Callen," Hetty said. "Do you really think the insults of such a person bother me? It's quite the opposite, I assure you." She then turned her attention to Bart. "As for you, you're not late at all. We took you out of the hospital well ahead of time. In fact, we may even be early for your approved transfer time."

Bart just stood there. It was as if all the words and insults had been taken out of him leaving him drained and without hope.

"Take him," Hetty said to Deeks, Kensi and Sam. She and Callen then watched as the three team members secured Bart in the vehicle and drove off to bring him back to prison.

Callen appeared to be lost in another world as Hetty looked up at him. "Are you alright, Mr. Callen?" she asked, unable to hide her worry for him.

Finally, Callen came out of his musings. He looked down at Hetty with a faint smile. "I'm fine, Hetty," he said softly. "I guess I just wish we could have done more to him." He knew he'd never forget what Bart had done to him and his team and he would definitely never forgive him.

"It's not worth prison, Mr. Callen," Hetty said quietly. "He's quite the miserable man right now. At least there's that. I think his failing to do what he wanted to do to you and the others will torment him for a very long time."

"Yeah...I guess you're right," Callen said, unconvinced. He couldn't help but wonder if and when Bart would have a chance at revenge. He didn't think it was something he would ever get out of his mind and doubted his teammates would either. Ideally, Bart would have died from the wounds he had sustained but unfortunately, things hadn't worked out like that.

"Just put him out of your mind," Hetty said as she took his arm, knowing it was easier said than done. In any case, she was going to continue to keep very close tabs on Bart via her connections in prison. She would never underestimate him again. "Let's go back to Dovecote. You can get some rest this afternoon and then I'm going to make a very special dinner tonight for you and your team."

"Thanks Hetty," Callen said smiling at her. "That sounds really nice."