Chapter 9

Hetty looked stunned, she never thought anyone would put her in this situation, despite her horror at the situation her hand moved in spite of herself, not to fire the gun, but to move it out of harms way.

Both String and SinJin jumped up, putting themselves between their Aunt and their brother.

"NO!" They said in unison.

SinJin looked at the hurt on Hetty's face and the devastation on G's, as he watched her hand move.

"Stop it, both of you, we are family, let's act like it!" SinJin ordered, "Now, Sit Down!" He said, glaring at his brother. "And you…" He turned and pointed at Hetty, "Explain why you want to kill our brother."

"I don't." Hetty said flatly as Callen sat down defeated.

"I can't help my birth just as my sister, Clara's mother, couldn't help hers. She fell in love with George Callen and your mother was born. We vowed never to uphold the family blood feud, in fact we tried to stop it. A fact which cost Sorina her life and nearly cost me mine. I changed my name and stayed in America, keeping watch over Clara as best I could after your grandparents did. I became a friend and helped her when she was picked by the Agency to join up. I did all I could to dissuade her from taking that mission in Romania after your father died." She looked at SinJin and String and realized they didn't know this. "The accident that killed your father, that you thought killed your mother was no accident. She was targeted by Comescu's. You, Saint John, had enlisted and already in Vietnam, your younger brother Stringfellow was away at school when the Alexa's father caught up with Clara and Alan, he planted a bomb in the boat, by the time I got there it was too late. Your father was dead, but I found Clara and I had to tell her who I was and what had happened. I hid her to keep her safe."

"We lost years we could have had with her." String said, his eyes misting as he realized what he had lost out on, "Eight years, I could have known my sister and been there for them when our mother died."

Callen looked at them both, unable to speak, thinking of how his life would have been different had he been brought up in a loving family, he still would have been an orphan, but he would have had a name and people who cared.

"It wasn't safe." Hetty said, "I did what was best for you. Clara swore to take down my family and she headed to Romania where I lost touch with her, until she emerged six years later with two more children." She looked over at Callen watching the emotions he was desperately trying to bury fly across his face.

"What happened?" SinJin asked Hetty waiting for the older woman to answer, however the response came from Callen.

"We went to the beach, Clara had called Hetty for help, I think she had been recognized, Amy went to play soccer on the sand with some local children and I stayed near mom, building sand castles." He stopped for a moment shaking his head as if to dislodge or dispel the memories. "A man came over and said something to her, I was distracted by a tin soldier that another man with a wheel tattoo gave me, I thought he was nice and I played with it. There was a noise and it rained a little and then mom stopped laughing."

Hetty had her hands over her mouth with horror as Callen described what he remembered.

"I went over to her a while later, I wanted to show her what I had done, but she wouldn't answer me. Other people went home and Amy came over to me as I couldn't move, I...I…" Callen looked away, ashamed, tears rolling down his face, "I lifted her hat and poked my finger in the hole in her head, like when I had cut myself, but she didn't cry or move." He took the bottle of water that was handed to him by Sam and took a drink. "It got dark, momma never moved and Amy and I waited for someone to come. We saw people coming out of the house where the men had come from and we ran. I don't remember much. We went home, there should have been someone there, but there wasn't... Things were... Wrong... A man came in and I ran... I hurt and…" Callen shook his head in frustration, "I don't remember anything more."

Hetty was sitting in the chair, tears running down her face.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"You told me you were supposed to be there, You were supposed to take us safely back to America, You didn't turn up... I thought it was because the CIA ordered you not to interfere, but I know now, it was because you were Comescu." He spat the last word with such venom that everyone but Sam looked shocked.

"I am who I was born to be, I cannot help that. I have always tried to do my best for you and your brothers."

"So, where were you?" Callen asked softly.

"I cannot be blamed for the actions of my family no more than you can for yours, I have watched over you for so long, I have always had your best interests at heart." Hetty continued.

"So, where were you?" Callen asked again as Hetty focused on String and SinJin.

"I kept you from being linked to your mother, so the Comescu's couldn't find you. String stayed with Dominic and in boarding school, you were in Vietnam, then you were lost."

"WHERE WERE YOU?!" Callen shouted.

They all jumped and Hetty looked guilty. "I was on my way to you when we got word the Saint John had been killed in Vietnam. I diverted, assuming that your mother would be safe until I could get to her. I didn't want to tell her that her oldest child had died before I knew how."

Callen shook his head, unwilling to vocalize the thoughts running through his brain. But SinJin wasn't unwilling at all.

"Hetty? You knew Mom had children with her, they were small and Mom never asked anyone for help until she really needed it. Why didn't you go to her?"

"I knew about Amy, I didn't know about her son. I knew they lived with her husband, I assumed they would be safe. It wasn't until I found out about Amy being alone in America without her father, and then someone asked me about her brother, they asked if I knew his name."

"So you don't know?" Callen asked.

Hetty shook her head, "I'm afraid I don't."

"But you knew about Amy, what was she, six? Seven?" String asked.

"She was with her father, I thought he was with them." Hetty argued.

"Who was he?" Callen asked.

Hetty shrugged slightly, "All I know is he was with the KGB, a Major."

"Is he dead?" Callen asked hesitantly.

"I don't know."

"Why did you keep this from me, why not let me meet my brothers, when you took me in at fifteen?" Callen asked.

Both SinJin and String looked shocked at that.

"You lived with Hetty?" String asked.

Callen nodded, "Just after I ran away from Juvie, she saved me, I owed her." He shook his head, angry at himself, "I thought she was different to the others, I thought she cared." He got up again and started pacing.

"Others?" SinJin asked.

Callen shook his head and walked to stand outside the cabin, staring at the beauty of the lake trying to calm down the turmoil in his soul.

"Foster placements," Hetty supplied as she watched the younger brother lean on the railing and focus on the lapping of the water. "Mr. Callen's placements were not as nice as yours was with Mr. Santini." She said looking at String.

"How bad?" SinJin asked, worried about his brother.

Hetty shook her head, watching Callen as he paced again, "Bad Saint John, it was bad. Once or twice I nearly lost him, eventually I had to step in or we would have lost him to crime."

"Which is why we need to keep an eye on him right now." Archangel said finally moving from his spot by the fireplace. "The medications that were in his system, coupled with the revelations he's being hit with means his mind is unstable. He will need the support of you all and his team. He needs to know he's wanted and he's not alone."

"He isn't." Sam said and turned to Hetty, "Right?"

"Of course not Mr. Hanna, we will all be there for him."

"Well, right now, I am going fishing, and I'm taking my little brother with me." String declared as he grabbed two fishing poles and headed out of the door.

String walked up behind Callen and moved to lean against him. "Seeing as you are already out here, it's time to get lunch." he handed him a fishing pole. "Come on."

Looking at the pole Callen gave a small smirk and sighed, "Ok," He followed his brother to the two rocking chairs situated at the end of the dock.

Callen sat for the better part of an hour, watching as his brother baited first his hook, then his own. He handed Callen his pole and cast off, Callen gave a small smile and attempted to have a try of his own.

It was a while as they sat back in silence, listening to the sounds of nature around them.

String sat back listening to his brother start to relax and smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry." Callen said softly.

"What for?" String asked, not looking at him.

"For bringing this all to you, out here. This place is beautiful, you don't need this… or me." He added softly.

String smiled, "I love having a little brother and not being the youngest. I know your life hasn't been easy G, but I am glad you are my brother and I am proud to be related to you, you've been through a lot and have come out the other side a stronger man for it. I remember mom and I know she would be proud of the man you have become."

He reeled his rod for a moment, giving his brother, his privacy, knowing that beside him Callen was silently crying, but he had a smile on his face and he was happy.