A/N: Yes, this chapter is a little late as well. I've had tons of tests and have been sick so I'm a little behind. Didn't have too much energy to finish everything for this chapter but no worries, it'll be up next chapter. Hope you enjoy this Callen and Sam chapter!

P.S. I loved the premiere! :D and after 'Inelegant Heart', I'm already so pleased with this season!

"What is it, Sam? We've got to get moving." Callen was trying to avoid this conversation as he turned to close the door behind him. He faced his partner to see him slowly shaking his head, a serious look on his face.

"I don't like this, G." Sam said calmly.

"Sam, we don't have any options here. If we can't find out who Iverson paid off and fast, we could all be compromised."

"Why does that mean you have to go in alone?" Sam questioned, tired of his partner placing himself in danger.

Callen paused, not wanting to delve into the past any further than he had to. Somehow, it kept rising to the surface.

"I can't let any one of you getting caught in the crossfire", he admitted, "This is my mess."

"We're a team, G. Don't put this all on yourself." Sam shook his head at his stubborn partner.

"You read Iverson's file?"

"Yeah." Sam sighed.

"Then you know he wouldn't think twice about killing any one of you to get to me. I won't take that risk." Callen declared. "I need to do this."

Sam didn't reply, knowing his partner was unfortunately right. He silently prayed he wouldn't regret this.

"Alright." He relented.

"Let's go." Callen said, turning towards the door.

"Wait, G."

"What?" Callen asked, turning to reveal a puzzled look.

Sam looked him in the eyes. "You sure you're okay?"

Before Callen could utter a word, Sam cut him off.

"Don't lie to me, G. I've been looking for answers for months, we all have, and we couldn't find one shred of evidence to tell us what happened. Now, we find you and you act as if this is just another case. What exactly did Iverson do to you?" Sam inquired, knowing he could be asking too much of him. However, he couldn't stand their while his partner acted normally, as if he hadn't been missing for months.

Callen looked at his partner, seeing the guilt behind his eyes and deciding Sam deserved an honest answer. He let out a breath and found a nearby chair, easing himself into it. Sam followed suit. He started to briefly explain what happened.

"After my shoulder was patched up, I found out Iverson was behind everything. He kept me in a room in the building where he ran his business. I was there for most of the time."

"Wait, you were in the room the whole time?" Sam asked incredulously.

He nodded. "Really, Sam, nothing happened. He was biding his time until he could take me to Moscow without being caught." Callen reassured. "I did what I could. The worst was the waiting. It seemed endless." Sam silently acknowledged the information, not wanting to interrupt him. Callen got quieter. "The only thing that kept me going was I knew you wouldn't stop looking for me, dead or not. I just had to believe you'd find me eventually." The admission was hard for Callen, who had found so few people in his life that he could trust, but he knew one of those people was Sam.

Sam shook his head and looked away. "I'm so sorry, G. I should've found you. We looked for weeks, but nothing turned up and eventually your case was labeled cold. With the evidence and the video, the agency had no choice but to believe it and declare you deceased." Sam hated what he told his partner. He felt as if he'd failed him when he needed him most.

"Sam, you did all you could, Iverson was just five steps ahead of us. What matters is you're here now." Callen reasoned, reading Sam's mind and not wanting him to blame himself. Sam nodded, only half-heartedly believing what Callen told him. They were silent for a moment, until Callen decided to ask what he'd been wondering since those fake bullets hit his chest.

"Did you believe it too?" Callen quietly asked.

Sam turned back towards his partner before looking away again. He took a moment to speak.

"Yeah." Sam admitted, speaking slowly. "At first. We all did, but the longer time went on, the more I knew something wasn't right about it all. Nothing added up. It wasn't much longer before I knew you had to be alive. I spent my time off work following up any leads I could find. Everyone else probably thought I was losing it, and sometimes I thought the same, but they never said anything. I think they were just hoping I'd find something to prove I was right."

Callen nodded, unsure of how to respond to what Sam revealed. He was just glad Sam had been right.

"You going to be okay going back to this guy?" Sam didn't miss Callen aversion to what happened with Iverson in the past. He wanted to make sure Callen could still trust them.

"I'm going to end this, Sam." Callen stated with conviction.

"I know. Just remember, we've got your back."

Callen nodded. "Always."

As they made their way into the living room and joined their junior agents at their cars, Sam was a little more reassured that everything could work out in the end.

I know you noticed it's short, :/ sorry about that, but the story continues, so stay tuned!